Chapter 599: Derek's Pursuit of Light

Chapter 599: Derek's Pursuit of Light

Has Mr. Fool reached a consensus with the stars?

The eyes of the Tarot Club members brightened slightly. This could be considered a landmark event. Since they were brought above the gray fog to become members of the Tarot Club, they had never heard Mr. Fool explicitly state his position. He neither belonged to the six major orthodox churches nor to those evil and secretive beings like the True Creator, appearing to be independent of all factions. Now, Mr. Fool had finally made it clear that he was on the same side as the stars.

Thinking about the recent turmoil caused by the confrontation between the stars and Adam, it was possible that Mr. Fool had played a significant role in it. Audrey felt much more relaxed. She had always respected Mr. Fool, this ancient and secretive existence. If Mr. Fool were to oppose Mr. Hastur, she would be troubled by which side to choose. She couldn't bear to leave the Tarot Club members, nor could she abandon Mr. Hastur. Fortunately, such an extreme situation would not occur.

"Adam and the True Creator are gradually reclaiming the authority that belonged to the Ancient Sun God," Klein decided to share some knowledge about the gods with the Tarot Club members. "Currently, only the authority of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom remains, and he has chosen to accept the protection of the stars."

"What would happen if Adam and the True Creator collected all the authority of the Ancient Sun God?" Alger asked, always curious about high-sequence knowledge.

That was a good question. Klein sighed inwardly, unable to see what such a future would hold. Would Adam and the True Creator, upon becoming the Ancient Sun God again, become the King of Gods? Or would they hunt down all their enemies and threatening deities, establishing a monotheistic rule? Would new Kings of Angels emerge? Would the apocalypse be hastened or averted? He did not yet possess the ability to see through the future.

But answering this question was simple. Mr. Fool smiled and said nonchalantly, "Such a future will not come to pass."

Alger was shaken. This was the divine might of Mr. Fool! Why wouldn't such a future happen? Because Mr. Fool disagreed!

...

In Silver City, Derek sat alone on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling shrouded in darkness. He had just counted his heartbeats and knew it was time for the Tarot Club meeting. But Mr. Fool had not summoned him above the gray fog to attend the meeting, nor had he even informed him. He had suddenly disappeared, and no matter how much Derek prayed, he received no response. It was as if everything had returned to the beginning, before he had met Mr. Fool.

Derek continued counting in his mind until a day had passed, ending this monotonous and despairing activity. In the Forsaken Land of the Gods, there was no sunrise or sunset, no day or night, but he had learned from the Tarot Club members how many seconds were in a day and how to calculate it effectively. Counting his heartbeats was a feasible method, and he was sure a day had passed.

"Derek, you finally came out of your room. The Chief is looking for you," a squad member guarding Derek's door greeted him warmly. "Derek, you don't look well. Haven't you slept in a while?"

Derek forced a smile. "Didn't you say the Chief was looking for me? Let's not keep him waiting."

"Alright, but are you really okay?"

"I'm fine!" Derek patted his chest, making a thumping sound.

In the council hall, Chief Colin and several elders of Silver City were gathered. When Derek arrived, everyone looked him over. Chief Colin asked with concern, "Derek, are you feeling unwell?"

"No, I'm fine, really," Derek replied with a bright smile, waving his weapon for emphasis.

"Don't push yourself. We have a task for you," Chief Colin said gravely. "The Sage is going to the abyss to negotiate with the deity there for permission to pass through the bottomless abyss. Silver City will send a few people to accompany the Sage, and you are one of them. If you're not up to it, you can stay in Silver City and let other squad members go."

Derek replied solemnly, "Rest assured, Chief, I will escort the Sage safely."

"Pack your things and prepare food. We leave soon."

Throughout this, Bernadette had not said a word, merely observing Derek with curiosity. She had specifically requested Derek to accompany her to the Giant King's Court because he was a follower of Mr. Fool. But today, Derek seemed out of sorts, burdened with heavy, negative emotions like depression, pain, and disappointment. Chief Colin noticed this but chose to trust Derek and the Fool behind him.

Soon, a five-person team set out from Silver City towards the Giant King's Court. Besides Bernadette and Derek, there were Mr. A, Elder Lovia, and a squad member familiar with the route. The sky was still snowing heavily. For the first time, Derek, who never felt cold in the snow, felt a chill in his heart. Along the way, Mr. A and Bernadette occasionally conversed, but most of the time, they traveled in silence. With Bernadette and Mr. A present, the monsters in the darkness dared not act recklessly, and they reached the Giant King's Court faster than expected.

"Believer of the stars, Bernadette requests an audience with the great Omniscient and Omnipotent One," Bernadette respectfully greeted the abyss. She chose to refer to the deity as the Omniscient and Omnipotent One because it was the most accurate and pleasing description of the deity's authority. The empty abyss gave no response. Bernadette called several more times, but there was still no reaction. She realized that the deity was waiting for the arrival of the stars or Mr. Fool. As a believer of the stars, she was not qualified or authorized to represent them. But it seemed neither the stars nor Mr. Fool wanted to deal with this deity. What were they thinking? What were they waiting for? Such high-level maneuvers were beyond her comprehension.

"It seems we will need to camp here for a long time," Bernadette instructed Derek and the others to set up camp and prepare for a prolonged stay. After everything was set up, Bernadette went to explore the nearby ruins that had not yet sunk into the abyss, seeking ancient knowledge and secrets. Days passed, and they remained there, with the deity in the abyss not responding to their prayers.

One day, Mr. A stood at the bridge's entrance, staring at the bridge that spanned the abyss. After a while, Derek joined him, gazing at the bridge and murmuring, "Can we leave the Forsaken Land of the Gods by crossing this bridge?"

"Yes, beyond this bridge is a golden sea, with a fiery sun in the sky and flocks of seabirds flying over the water," Mr. A briefly described the outside world.

"That world must be beautiful."

"Yes, beautiful and magnificent, worth sharing with all living beings."

"I want to go out and see it," Derek said, stepping onto the bridge, his eyes filled with longing for the world of light, unafraid of the abyss below.

"Be careful," Mr. A did not stop him. Such an attempt was courageous. Without taking the first step, one would never know what lay ahead. Perhaps the gods were also watching them.

Elder Lovia, hearing the commotion, came to the bridge and quickly caught up with Derek, trying to pull him back. "Come back with me. This is too dangerous!"

"We have to try, don't we?" Derek avoided her grasp and continued forward.

"You'll anger the great being in the abyss."

"Then let me die here alone."

"Do you think you can play the hero here?" Elder Lovia tried to pull Derek back, but the bridge began to shake violently, and a cold wind blew from the abyss. Derek was unaffected, but Elder Lovia was blown off the bridge, about to fall into the abyss. Mr. A quickly extended his arm, using his control over flesh to grab her and pull her back to safety.

"Please, great Omniscient and Omnipotent One, forgive our reckless disturbance," Mr. A said, bowing and returning Elder Lovia to the snowy camp at the bridge's entrance.

"Why?" Elder Lovia asked, her gaze complex, unsure if she was asking Derek why he wanted to risk his life or Mr. A why he saved her.

"Because the beautiful hope is right ahead," Mr. A replied calmly, watching Derek's figure being swallowed by the darkness.