Chapter 6 He is different

The same Rune language, the same heavy and tense feeling. Where am I? What do I want to do? I also want to know... Zhou Mingrui calmed down and silently repeated the questions of the two people. What impressed him the most was not the sentences formed by the words, or the meanings contained in the sentences, but the panic, vigilance, fear, and awe displayed by the man and the woman! He inexplicably dragged the two people into this misty world. Even as the "culprit" himself, he was extremely stunned and shocked, let alone them, who were the passive party! In their eyes, this kind of thing, this kind of experience, is probably beyond imagination, right? At this moment, Zhou Mingrui thought of two choices. One was to pretend to be a victim, hide his true identity, and exchange a certain degree of trust, observe the changes, and fish in troubled waters. The second was to maintain the mysterious image in the eyes of the man and the woman, actively guide the development of the situation, and obtain valuable information from it. Without much thought and deliberation, Zhou Mingrui seized the idea that flashed through his mind and quickly made a decision, trying the second method. Use the other party's current psychological state and grasp his own greatest advantage! There was a brief silence above the mist, and Zhou Mingrui chuckled lightly, his tone flat, his voice low but not heavy, as if responding to a visitor's polite greeting: "One attempt." One attempt... one attempt? Audrey Hall looked at the mysterious man shrouded in gray mist, feeling absurd, funny, terrifying, and bizarre. She was just in her bedroom, in front of the dressing table, and turned her head to "come" to this place full of mist! How incredible! Audrey took a deep breath, showing an impeccable polite smile, and asked quite nervously, "Sir, is the attempt over? Can we go back now?" Alger Wilson also wanted to make a similar attempt, but as an experienced person, he was more calm and restrained, just silently watching. Zhou Mingrui looked at the questioner, vaguely able to see the figure of a tall, slender girl with soft golden hair, but her features were not very clear. He didn't rush to answer the girl's question, instead turning his head to look at the man on the other side. The man had dark blue hair that was messy like seaweed, and a medium build that was not particularly muscular. At this moment, Zhou Mingrui suddenly had an epiphany. When he became stronger or had a deeper understanding of this misty world, perhaps he would be able to truly see through the haze and see the faces of the girl and the man clearly. In this incident, they were the guests and he was the host! With this change in mindset, Zhou Mingrui immediately noticed some details that he had not paid attention to before. The sweet-voiced girl and the calm and restrained man were both quite illusory, tinged with a faint red hue, like the projections of two deep red "stars" in the mist. And this projection was based on the connection between himself and the deep red, an intangible but tangible connection that he could grasp. If he severed this connection, the projection would dissipate and they would be able to return... Zhou Mingrui nodded imperceptibly and looked at the golden-haired girl, smiling softly. "Of course, if you formally request it, I can send you back now." Audrey, who couldn't detect any malice, breathed a sigh of relief. She believed that the gentleman who could perform such a miraculous feat would surely keep his promise. With her spirits slightly calmed, she didn't rush to leave. Her emerald eyes flickered with a strange light as she looked around. She was nervous, excited, and eager to try, saying, "This is truly a wonderful experience... um, I have always been looking forward to something like this. I mean, I love mysteries, I love miracles that transcend nature. No, my point is, sir, how can I become extraordinary?" The more she spoke, the more excited she became, even becoming a bit incoherent. The dream that had sprouted in her childhood after hearing various strange stories from her elders seemed to finally have a glimmer of realization. In just a few words, she had forgotten her previous fear and anxiety. "Good question!" thought Zhou Mingrui to himself. He began to think about how to maintain his mysterious image with his answer. At the same time, he felt that standing and talking like this seemed a bit low. Shouldn't there be a temple, a long table, and many high-backed chairs carved with ancient patterns and full of mystery, with himself sitting at the top, quietly watching the guests? As soon as Zhou Mingrui had this thought, the gray mist suddenly rolled in, startling Audrey and Alger. In an instant, they saw towering stone pillars around them and a broad dome above them. The entire building was magnificent and grand, like the palace of a giant from legend. Under the dome, in the midst of the swirling mist, there was a bronze long table with ten high-backed chairs on each side, and the same seats were arranged in front and back. The backs of the chairs were sparkling and shimmering, with a deep red color that outlined strange constellations that did not correspond to reality. Audrey and Alger were sitting opposite each other, in the position closest to the top. The girl looked to the left and then to the right, unable to help but whisper, "It's really magical..." Indeed, it was magical... Zhou Mingrui reached out his right hand and lightly rubbed the edge of the bronze long table, without showing any emotion on his face. After looking around for a few seconds, Alger suddenly spoke up, answering Audrey's question on behalf of Zhou Mingrui, "You're from the Rune people, right?" "If you want to become an extraordinary person, join the Church of the Night Goddess, the Church of the Storm Lord, or the Church of Steam and Machinery." "Although the vast majority of people will never see the extraordinary in their lifetime, to the point where they doubt whether the church is in the same situation, even within the major churches, many clergy have similar thoughts. But I can tell you for certain that extraordinary individuals still exist in the Arbitration Court, in the Court of Justice, and in the Execution Agency, still fighting against the dangers that grow in the darkness. It's just that compared to the early days of the Black Iron Age or before, there are far fewer of them." Zhou Mingrui listened attentively, but his body language tried to show an indifferent attitude as if he was listening to a child telling a story. With the help of the historical knowledge left by Klein, he knew that the "Black Iron Age" referred to the current era, which was the Fifth Era, beginning 1,349 years ago. Audrey listened quietly and sighed softly, "Sir, I know everything you said, and even more, such as the Night Watchman, the Punisher, and the Heart of the Machine. But I don't want to lose my freedom." Alger chuckled softly and vaguely said, "Who doesn't want to become an extraordinary without paying a price? If you don't consider joining the church and accepting the test, then you can only look for the royal family, the few nobles with a history of over a thousand years, or rely on luck to find those evil organizations that hide and seek." Audrey instinctively puffed up her cheeks and then looked around in a panic, waiting until she confirmed that the "mysterious gentleman" and the person opposite had not noticed her small movements before asking, "Is there no other way?" Alger fell into silence. After more than ten breaths, he turned his head to look at Zhou Mingrui, who was silently watching. When the other party remained silent, he turned his gaze back to Audrey and carefully said, "Actually, I have two formulas for Sequence 9 magic potions in my hands." Sequence 9? Zhou Mingrui muttered to himself. "Really? Which two?" Audrey clearly knew what the Sequence 9 magic potion represented. Alger leaned back slightly and answered in an unhurried tone, "As you know, if humans want to become true extraordinaires, they can only rely on magic potions. The name of the magic potion comes from the 'Desecrated Slate', which has been translated continuously in Giant Language, Elf Language, Ancient Hermes Language, Ancient Futhark Language, and Contemporary Hermes Language, and has long had changes that fit the characteristics of the times. The name is not the point, the point is whether it can represent the 'core symbol' of this magic potion." "The Sequence 9 formula in my hand, one is called 'Sailor', which can give you excellent balance ability. Even on a ship covered by a storm, you can walk freely like on the ground. You can also gain outstanding strength and the hidden phantom scales under your skin, which will make you as difficult to catch as a fish and as flexible as a sea tribe in the water, even without any equipment, you can easily dive for at least ten minutes." "Sounds great...the 'Sea Companion' of the Storm Lord?" Audrey half expected and half verified. "In ancient times, it was indeed called the 'Sea Companion'," Alger continued without pause, "The second Sequence 9 formula is called 'Audience', as for how it was called in ancient times, I don't know. This magic potion can give you outstanding spirit and keen observation. I believe you have seen operas and dramas and can understand the meaning of 'Audience', like an onlooker, scrutinizing the 'actors' in the secular society, seeing their true thoughts from their expressions, actions, and habits that are unknown to others." At this point, Alger emphasized, "You must remember that whether it's a luxurious banquet or a lively street, the audience is always just the audience." Audrey's eyes lit up as she listened, and it took her a while to say, "Why? Well, that's a follow-up question. I think I like this feeling of being an 'audience.' How can I get the recipe for being an 'audience'? What can I exchange with you for it?" Alger seemed prepared and replied in a deep voice, "At least 100 milliliters of ghost shark blood." Audrey nodded excitedly at first, then worriedly asked, "If I can get it, I mean if, how do I give it to you? And how do I ensure that you give me the recipe for the magic potion and that it's genuine?" Alger said calmly, "I will give you an address. When I receive the ghost shark blood, I will send the recipe to you, or tell you directly here." "As for the guarantee, I think if this mysterious gentleman is a witness, both you and I will be confident enough." As he said this, he turned his gaze to Zhou Mingrui, who was sitting at the head of the table. "Sir, you brought us here and have unimaginable power. Your witness, whether it's me or her, we dare not defy." "Yes!" Audrey's eyes lit up and she excitedly agreed. In her opinion, the mysterious gentleman with means beyond imagination was indeed an "authoritative" witness. Neither she nor the guy across from her had the courage to deceive him! Audrey turned half her body and looked sincerely at Zhou Mingrui, "Sir, please be the witness for our transaction." At this moment, she realized that she had forgotten a certain question, which was impolite. She quickly asked, "Sir, how should we address you?" Alger nodded slightly and then asked solemnly, "Sir, how should we address you?" Zhou Mingrui was stunned by their question. He lightly tapped his fingers on the bronze table and suddenly remembered the divination he had done earlier. He leaned back, withdrew his right hand, and crossed his fingers under his chin. He smiled and looked at the two of them, saying, "You can call me..." He paused for a moment and then spoke in a gentle and plain tone, "The Fool."