Chapter 323: The Opening Incantation
The bookmark was, on the surface, nothing special. Roselle's portraits
had been placed everywhere around the exhibition hall, and the image
depicted was from the period when he was middle-aged.
Klein kept flipping the bookmark repeatedly, in scrutiny, and found a
tiny puncture, thereby confirming that this was the bookmark which Miss
Justice had verified.
He tried to spread his spirituality, and he slowly injected it inside.
However, just like with ordinary objects, his spirituality only flowed
and failed to permeate it, nor did it cause any abnormal changes.
*That's right, Roselle had the intention of finding someone who was
fated, so he wouldn't specifically restrict it to Beyonders...*
Klein thought for a moment, then said softly in Feysac, "Pirate King!"
The bookmark still didn't respond.
He tried the words in ancient Feysac, Intis, Loen, and other languages
again, but the result was the same.
As for Jotun, Elvish, Dragonese, and other languages from the mysticism
domain, Klein could only try them out of hope since they was overly
restrictive and unlikely to be the language used.
Without a doubt, he failed.
Immediately following that, Klein used Feysac again as he translated,
"One Piece!"
The bookmark lay quietly on his palm, showing no sign of abnormality.
Klein tried the steps he did from before, using different languages
again, but he was constantly met with failure.
*It seems that my initial guess was wrong. The young Roselle might've
used the meme of Pirate King to make a joke, but he might not
necessarily do that when he was older. People will ultimately grow old
and change.* Klein reflected over his mistake as he tapped the
edge of the long, mottled table with his finger, trying hard to infer
from the bits of information that the diary had provided to unlock the
bookmark.
After a while, he took out a pen and paper, and he wrote down his
thought process so as to avoid any confusion or contradictions.
*While doing this, Roselle was definitely maniacal and in despair. It
also clearly showcases his warped humor. "The fated ones will receive
it" is proof considering how it doesn't suit the world's lingo at
present.*
*Therefore, I can be certain that he really wanted someone to discover
the uniqueness of the Cards of Blasphemy by chance.*
*In that case, the unlocking method can't be too unimaginable, or
something that will often appear in daily life.*
*What Roselle required was a coincidence. For example, when someone
holds the worthless bookmark and randomly says a specific word, then,
congratulations, you have obtained a fortuitous opportunity! Yes, this
is very in line with his warped humor.*
*Going by this logical train of thought, different Cards of Blasphemy
should have different unlocking incantations. Using a single term to
unlock all the Cards of Blasphemy clearly isn't congruent with Roselle's
style.*
*What is the incantation for unlocking this card? Well, the first things
that can be ruled out are the words that are commonly used, words that
are said all the time.*
*Also, when creating the Cards of Blasphemy, Roselle's state was in
despair, maniacal, unwilling to part with it, reminiscent, struggling,
and angry. I can try to immerse myself in that state of mind and imagine
myself to be Roselle at that point in time. I can imagine what kind of
incantation I would have used.*
Klein stopped writing and began acting as Roselle in a bid to find some
inspiration.
He first tried out vulgarities in different languages, including ancient
Feysac, as well as terms pertaining to hope, but unfortunately, was
rewarded with failure.
Immediately after, he tried to figure out what would be the last thing a
desperate powerhouse would be reluctant to part.
*His wife, Matilda? Such a licentious guy shouldn't have such deep
feelings for his first wife.*
*His children? The eldest daughter, Bernadette; the eldest son, Ciel;
and the second son, Bornova...*
*According to the diary, the person he can't get over the most was his
daughter, Bernadette, who might become an important figure in the
mysterious world.*
Klein paused, took a breath, and prepared to try again.
"Bernadette," he said in the Intis language.
The bookmark didn't respond.
Klein switched to the languages of Loen, Highlander, and Feysac, but
still failed to achieve the desired results.
He sighed and said with a deep voice which corresponded to ancient
Feysac, "Bernadette."
This name echoed in the empty and quiet gray fog like it was nothing
special. Just as Klein was about to search for new inspiration, he
suddenly felt the bookmark in his hand sink!
It immediately turned into an invisible whirlpool which wildly absorbed
Klein's mental energies.
For an ordinary person, this was a huge burden, but for a Sequence 7
Magician, it wasn't especially draining. Klein easily survived this
hurdle and couldn't conceal his joy as he looked at the object in his
palm.
A bright light emitted, bit by bit, from the bookmark, and the image of
Emperor Roselle on the outside was being replaced by an entirely new
image.
He was sitting on an ancient stone throne as he wore a black crown
embedded with various precious stones on his head. He wore pitch-black
armor, and a cape of the same color was draped over his body. He held a
scepter, and he looked forward with cold, aloof eyes.
On the upper-left corner of the bookmark, there was a line of text
condensed from the bright radiance of stars.
"Sequence 0, Black Emperor!"
*Sequence 0! Indeed, the secrets of the gods are hidden within! The
Black Emperor is actually Sequence 0...* Klein thought with a
smile, half sighing and half surprised.
Soon after, the bookmark became three-dimensional, like a miniature
book.
The book moved without the wind, revealing a Roselle in a white hood.
Beside it was a corresponding description in ancient Feysac.
"Sequence 9, Lawyer.
"Good at discovering and using loopholes in the rules and the weaknesses
of their opponents. Possesses excellent eloquence and reasoning
skills...
"Potion formula..."
Klein glanced at the formula ingredients but didn't look carefully. He
reached out his hand and touched it, making the book flip to the next
page.
"Sequence 8, Barbarian.
"Problems that cannot be solved by the law will be solved by force. This
is also one of the rules... The Beyonders at this Sequence have a high
resistance to psychological influences...
"Potion formula..."
As Klein touched it, the book conjured from the Card of Blasphemy
flipped through one page at a time.
"Sequence 7, Briber."
"Sequence 6, Baron of Corruption."
"Sequence 5, Mentor of Disorder."
"Sequence 4, Earl of The Fallen."
"Sequence 3, Frenzied Mage."
"Sequence 2, Duke of Entropy."
"Sequence 1, Prince of Abolition."
"Sequence 0, Black Emperor."
After skimming through the book, Klein couldn't help but sigh.
This really hides the profound secrets of becoming a God!
*It's no wonder all of the High-Sequence Beyonders who tread this
pathway will attempt to establish their own kingdoms, and walk the
lands.*
It's because the ritual of becoming a god requires it!
To advance from Sequence 1, the Prince of Abolition, to Black Emperor,
the necessary ritual requires one to possess their own country, linking
their name to the title of Emperor, making it common knowledge among the
populace. Furthermore, one needed to establish a set of strict and
complicated rules that defied normality, including architectural styles.
Then, they would spur on their citizens to secretly establish nine
mausoleums that were similar to pyramids. After which, they would enter
one of the mausoleums. With a large majority of the citizens who would
be scattered across different cities in corresponding sacrificial
rituals involved, the Prince of Abolition would imbibe the Sequence 0
potion.
Once the advancement was successful, the Black Emperor wouldn't truly
die until all the nine secret mausoleums were destroyed. Even if "He"
was annihilated, "He" would still be able to awaken and return from one
of the mausoleums.
What was even more terrifying was that even if the deity was
successfully killed and all nine mausoleums destroyed, as long as a
certain amount of the order set up by that deity remained, it was still
possible for "Him" to mysteriously revive. It appeared to be a loophole
against death.
The best way to completely obliterate "Him" was for a new Black Emperor
to appear!
"This is a deity!
"Mortals cannot fight against deities; same for angels.
"Those who have yet to become deities will never be able to fathom the
power of deities."
Roselle exposited with deep implications at the end.
In addition, Klein also knew one thing, once there was a True God with a
Sequence 0, it was impossible for a Sequence 1 Beyonder to appear. If
there was no Sequence 0, then, in the same way, there would be at most
three Sequence 1 Beyonders. This was a result of the Law of Beyonder
Characteristics Indestructibility and Conservation!
According to the Black Emperor Card of Blasphemy's description of the 10
Sequences, Klein could clearly see that the greatest feature of this
pathway was the shadow of it gradually evolving into order!
Roselle also mentioned that if one had that Card of Blasphemy in hand
after advancing to a High-Sequence Beyonder, the card would have a
subtle reaction to the Beyonder ingredients that the person needed!
Of course, it was limited to High-Sequence Beyonders of the Black
Emperor pathway.
What a pity, this is of no use to me. Klein looked at the Card
of Blasphemy thin down again, turning back into a poker card.
However, it was no longer in disguise. On the surface, it depicted
Roselle sitting on a stone throne---Sequence 0 Black Emperor!
Klein remained silent for a few seconds before he sighed silently.
*This card's biggest use to me is to exchange the formulas for the items
I need. There's also some information about deities and Sequences. Apart
from that, there's almost no other use for it.*
*Heh, at the very least, as the leader of the Tarot Club and as The
Fool, I will no longer be an empty shell. I now hold one path of the
divine, and it's not like I can't produce a High-Sequence Beyonder
formula anymore!*
*Yes... I remember that at the Beyonder gathering organized by Old
Mister "Eye of Wisdom," the lady who is suspected to have an Artisan
backing her has been always seeking to purchase the potion formula of
Barbarian.*
As his mind whirled, Klein took another look at the Roselle portrait on
the Black Emperor card and couldn't help laughing.
*He has made every Sequence in his own image. What a
narcissist...*
*I'm suddenly very curious what the Card of Blasphemy for the Demoness
pathway would look like. Hehe.*
Reining in his thoughts, Klein destroyed the other bookmark he had
casually picked up and discovered that it was just an ordinary bookmark.
After doing all of this, he changed his seating posture and leaned back
into his chair. He responded to Miss Justice's plea from last night and
said calmly, "That was a Card of Blasphemy made by Roselle."