CHAPTER 840: ABBY’S DIARY

"This is a secret technique developed by a big cat named ’Leon’ to assist in experiments. It’s essentially a refinement of some ’Witch’ spells, allowing Beyonders of other pathways to perform them... Specifically, it uses a ritual to give one’s ’astral body’ the ability to interfere with reality to a certain degree..."

While explaining, Ebner demonstrated the technique a few times in front of Audrey and Susie.

In his view, the secret technique wasn’t particularly complicated. Even some Sequence 9s with decent spirituality could pick it up quickly—let alone a "Psychiatrist" and a "Telepathist" standing right before him.

Audrey gave it a try but found it much more difficult in practice than Mr. Bryan had described...

Her spirituality was sufficient, but the precise control over her mental and spiritual body’s power wasn’t her strength. Forget finely manipulating it into a "hand"—even barely shaping it was a struggle.

Seems I’m not a genius in this area either... Fortunately, I already have real hands, so this secret technique isn’t essential...

Suppressing her slight frustration, Audrey turned her emerald-like eyes toward Susie, carefully observing her. She was prepared to console Susie with her own failure the moment the dog gave up, so it wouldn’t get disheartened by the gap between expectations and reality—a disparity that could very well cause psychological issues!

"But that’s alright. Miss Audrey the ’Psychiatrist’ is always ready to provide ’soothing’! Hmm, I prefer the term ’psychoanalysis’—it sounds more professional."

As Audrey’s thoughts drifted, Susie’s voice suddenly sounded by her ear:

"Audrey, I did it!"

As she spoke, several glass containers moved in the air under Susie’s control, floating and assembling themselves.

"This is just a bit harder than using spirituality to vibrate the air and speak. I had to try three times before I succeeded." Susie set the items down, turned her head, and wagged her tail.

"..." Audrey was momentarily at a loss for words.

Was Miss "Justice" just... outdone in a Versailles way by her own dog?

Ebner, who had been watching with amusement from the side, instantly felt a surge of "delight." He thought this moment definitely deserved to be "recorded" so he could share it later with Xio and Fors.

Still, seeing Audrey so shaken she was beginning to doubt herself, Ebner "kindly" offered a word of comfort: "This secret technique was developed by a Beyonder creature, after all. It’s only natural that one of its kind would learn it faster."

Hearing this, Susie said in surprise, "Audrey, you haven’t mastered it yet? Hmm... I can demonstrate it a few more times for you..."

"That won’t be necessary for now. We’re short on time. You should start preparing your potion first." Audrey smiled gently after a brief pause.

Then she turned and looked seriously at Ebner. She suddenly felt that the scholarly, generous, powerful, and mysterious image of "Mr. Tower" in her heart had just crumbled.

But she had to admit—this version of him felt more real, less like a bundle of neatly stacked "labels" as he’d seemed during the Tarot Meetings.

...Then perhaps my previous judgments of Mr. Hanged Man, Mr. World, Miss Hermit, Miss Judgment, and Miss Temperance weren’t entirely accurate either...

Maybe beneath Mr. World’s cold exterior lies extreme gentleness; maybe under Miss Temperance’s icy appearance burns a passionate heart; maybe behind Mr. Hanged Man’s calculating, self-serving shell, there is sincerity and principle; maybe beneath Miss Judgment’s mature facade, there is still innocence and naivety...

After all, people are complex. Everyone has many different "sides"...

Recalling the private conversations and thoughts of the manor’s servants that Susie often shared with her, Audrey came to a new realization.

Come to think of it, among the Tarot Club, the only ones I feel confident I can truly see through, besides The Moon and The Sun, are the ones I know best—like The Magician, Fors...

As Audrey sighed, Susie had already finished preparing the potion herself and began licking it.

Thanks to her relatively low profile, she was able to roam freely throughout the manor and villa, eavesdropping on private conversations and "reading" the true thoughts of the maids. Her "acting" was extremely convincing, so there were hardly any abnormalities when she advanced—Susie successfully became a "Psychiatrist."

At the same time, Ebner received the corresponding feedback. His digestion progress increased once more.

...

Meanwhile, in the mysterious palace above the gray fog, Klein was enduring mental "torment" as he read the diary of a lady named Abby.

"All five survivors of that experiment gained some sort of ’special’ ability.

"Abby’s was the power to cause ’pain’... As long as she made physical contact with someone, they would experience immense ’pain’ in the days that followed... This pain could be physical or emotional—it wasn’t fixed...

"As for another survivor, a lady named Bianca, her ability was unclear. But according to Abby, anyone who tried to ’bully’ her or use mind control on her ended up in a very bad situation.

"Lofia’s whereabouts are unknown, but her ability was extremely unusual—she could restore destroyed objects within a certain range during moments of extreme emotion.

"As for the remaining two survivors, Abby didn’t know their names or powers, but during a chance encounter with the ’Pale Admiral,’ she vaguely sensed something familiar..."

At this point, Klein had to close the notebook. The accumulated "pain" had reached a level even his spiritual body couldn’t endure, forcing him to stop for now.

He rubbed his temples and thought to himself, The ’Pale Admiral’ Maria... I recall she may have some connection to Roselle. At the very least, her signature saber, ’Pale Justice,’ was forged by him...

Could she also be a product of that experiment? Or rather, was the experiment itself orchestrated by Roselle—just like the ’Dream Labyrinth Tower’? Could it have been one of his posthumous arrangements?

Hmm, next time during the Tarot Club’s usual "after-meeting," I’ll show this notebook to The Tower. Maybe he’ll know something about it.

Also, when I met the ’Pale Admiral’ Maria aboard the Future, she gave me the summoning method for her "messenger"...

And that "Messenger of Reproduction," Miss Abby, hadn’t been in the governor’s prison previously, so she escaped the purge...

I could write to Maria and ask her to send someone to intercept Abby. Perhaps we can learn more from her.

Speaking of which, Maria’s twisted and extreme sense of "justice" really isn’t normal... Anyone else trying to "act" in such a way—channeling desire to that extent—wouldn’t have succeeded at all.

...

Late at night, without daring to bathe and still wearing her day clothes, Audrey lay pretending to sleep—when she heard a knock on her bedroom door.

(End of Chapter)