After a busy flurry of activity, Caine opened the door to the locked bedroom and looked into the living room, where Daniz lay soundly asleep in an armchair, snoring softly. Though he had heard the sounds all along, Caine couldn't help muttering under his breath:
"It's nearly 3 p.m. now!
Did he really go completely off the rails once he stopped monitoring the radio receiver?"
Then, a smile slowly spread across his face—he realized this was exactly what he needed.
His condition of staying awake in dreams only held when someone intruded upon his consciousness; during ordinary sleep, he remained foggy and disoriented. That meant he couldn't conduct experiments on his own, since he lacked the ability to "psychologically suggest" things.
Thus, his plan was to leverage external abilities—entering others' dreams—so that he could remain alert, much like a nightmare.
He had originally intended to go out and scout for suitable candidates, but now Daniz's posture was so perfect that Caine simply couldn't resist the urge to kick him.
No, let's try—Klein corrected his earlier thought in his mind. He decided against using a "dream spell," since the ancient title of Sequence 7, the "Pyroclast," was traditionally known as the "Fire Mage," and Daniz's inspiration wasn't low. Once the incantation to awaken the natural forces was softly spoken, he would surely wake up. Whether he could then react in time and effectively avoid the awakening was another matter altogether. After careful consideration, Klein produced the second prepared item—a deep, dark, gelatinous stone, a remarkable trait left behind by "The Nightmare."
It could be initially put to use, much like Rosagho, the Master of Secret Figures', "Eye of All Black," though its effects fell far short of those achieved when transformed into a magical artifact. For instance, the "Nightmare" special trait currently fails to enable Kline to traverse different dreams across the entire city simply by staying in his hotel suite, nor can it force people into sleep—yet the most fundamental ability of entering someone's dream at close range remains quite straightforward. Holding the deep,幽black "gem," Kline extended his spiritual essence. Before him, a vivid darkness swiftly spread, filling his entire field of vision, enveloping everything present—including Daniz seated in the armchair. There, the human form vanished, leaving only a hazy, elliptical sphere of light. Kline immediately extended his spiritual presence toward it and made contact.
Nothing seemed to precede it—scenes around him surged chaotically, flashing rapidly before settling on a vessel several tens of meters long. It featured towering smokestacks belching steam and vast, spread sails hanging low, its deck polished to an exceptional shine, reflecting a golden hue under the sunlight. Danyz stood beneath the main gun, arms folded, calmly supervising the crew, occasionally shouting, "Wipe that area again!" "For heaven's sake, do you want to transcribe a dictionary of ancient Fussakian?" Indeed, he commanded great authority aboard the "Golden Dream."克莱恩 didn't attend to the dream's host, but instead flew to the other end of the ship, landing discreetly on the deck, ready to test his inspiration. His intention was simple: to determine whether, while awake, reciting the name of "The Fool" within the dream would be effective, and whether he himself could sense someone praying.
Thus, if the Lady Justice encountered danger within the ocean of collective unconsciousness, she could seek assistance through this means... Gently stretching her back muscles, Caine's expression gradually grew serious and somber. "The Fool, not of this age; The mysterious sovereign above the gray mist; The King of fortune, of yellow and black." As each Hermes word was uttered, the full title of "The Fool" soon took shape. Yet Caine did not hear the layered, ethereal calls of supplication. Was it truly impossible? Caine furrowed his brow, pondering whether it was indeed impossible, or whether there was some issue somewhere.
"Hmm... The recitations in my dreams didn't actually make any sound; relying solely on the Hermes language isn't sufficient. To achieve the effect of prayer through silent recitation, one needs an ancient Hermes language capable of engaging natural forces—just like the state I'm in when copying my unnamed account password." Klein nodded gently, carefully reciting his own name in the ancient Hermes tongue. He wasn't afraid of any unforeseen consequences, but rather worried that the awakened natural forces might disturb the "flame" Daniz. As he spoke each phrase, the three-part structure quickly took shape, and suddenly, a layered, intrusive, and increasingly irritating sound of ethereal prayers echoed clearly in his ears. At that moment, Daniz's dream began to tremble, and the "Golden Dream" ship rapidly fragmented. Without further delay, Klein immediately left, returning to his bedroom before Daniz woke up.
After a few seconds, Daniz sat up with a dazed expression, speaking to himself with a sense of relief and alarm: "How could I have dreamed of that madman, Germain Spalro, causing a disturbance aboard the *Golden Dream*? What a terrifying experience! 'For heaven's sake!' I must have been overly concerned about such matters all along!"
If we don't mention it right away and only notify afterward, it might slightly damage the " Fool's" image... Yet the "Justice" lady is a curious young woman. Though she's already been warned by both the "Hanged Man" and the "Star" and has matured considerably, she still has a chance of taking a risk... Of course, if anything goes wrong, that will be entirely her responsibility—nothing to do with me. Without consciously realizing it, Caine recalled the "Justice" lady's deep admiration for the "Fool," her cheerful and uplifting optimism, and her significant contributions in revitalizing the entire organization within the Tarot Circle. In the end, he sighed, chuckling to himself: "I'll have to give her a few pointers and warnings. "That's what comes with being a VIP client..." With the decision made, Caine no longer hesitated. He extended his spiritual presence, gently touching the deep red "star" representing the "Justice" lady. ........ East Cheshire, within a room of a grand manor.
Audrey shifted her legs, sitting before the dressing table, recalling the words of the Sir of Temperance and the Lady of the Hermit. With the reminders from these two seasoned extraordinary beings, she suddenly realized something: the upper echelons of the "Psychological Alchemy" circle might well be aware that dreams and the unconscious iceberg—and even the vast ocean of collective unconscious—could be explored through the method of "self-psychological suggestion." They hadn't told her this, perhaps because, for psychological practitioners, it was too dangerous—many had already perished during their explorations. Yet, they should have at least warned her. Ah, yes—indeed, in their eyes, she was still merely an "Empath" of Sequence 8, lacking the capacity for psychological suggestion, so there was no need to mention it. Audrey finally clarified a question that had been troubling her. As she was about to invite Suzy in, smoothing out her disappointment, a dense gray mist suddenly surged forth, instantly filling her field of vision.
At the heart of the boundless gray-white mist, a figure sat in an armchair, speaking with a commanding, observant demeanor.
"Do not rush to act," said the voice.
Before Audrey could process what had happened, the same deep, authoritative tone resonated once more in her ears:
"If danger arises in your dreams, recite my name."
Recite your name? Audrey's eyes widened in delight, her heart filled with joy.
"Yes, Sir, the 'Fool.'"
Seeing that the Lady Justice had shown no hesitation—indeed, appeared both excited and enthusiastic—Caine quietly exhaled, a quiet smile forming on his lips.
"In the ancient Hermes tongue," he added.
And then, his form gradually faded, the gray mist dissolving entirely.
Audrey stood stunned for a moment, quickly pressing her lips together, afraid of appearing uncomposed.
The 'Fool' had specifically reminded me! And allowed me to recite His name within the dreams! Audrey paced excitedly in place, convinced that she was truly a divine favored one.
Of course, she also remembered the warning from the Sir Fool, and intended to learn more from the Psychological Alchemy Circle before making any attempt—having sufficient preparation, she would then proceed. A slight upward curve formed at the corner of her mouth, and with a few hasty taps on her chest, she murmured silently:
"May the Sir Fool protect me~"
...
Above the gray mist, Caine now turned his attention to another matter: The red-haired Ilean, who had a reward of 1,000 pounds, was apparently connected to the 'Disease General' Tracie! Tracie had taken over the Zilinger fleet and renamed her flagship the Black Death. Previously, Zilinger had captured a wealthy merchant named Jimmy Nek. That merchant had, earlier on, obtained certain ancient texts related to Death, which came from the royal tombs of Bayron. This information originated from the 'Nightmare' within 'The Thirsting Hunger,' and should therefore be of considerable value to Mr. Azk. I had originally planned to investigate this matter personally. Now, Caine harbored even greater expectations regarding the red-haired Ilean.
He had originally intended merely to use the magic mirror, Arodos, to locate people. Now, however, he was preparing to add a thorough investigation of the followers of the Sea God. Indeed, securing a divine revelation for 1,000 pounds had previously somewhat diminished his standing. Now, with a pirate general involved, it would at least be plausible for others to suspect a hidden agenda. Caine manifested a photograph of the red-haired Eileen and summoned the "Staff of the Sea God" with a wave of his hand. He had not chosen to deliver a broad, public proclamation—this might have been beyond his capacity. He selected senior figures such as Karat and Edmundton, and, amid the roaring waves, spoke quietly: "Find her. Protect her. Be cautious of Tracie's influence." Caine offered no explanation, and he divided the scene, along with the photograph of the red-haired Eileen, into several parts, sending each portion into the corresponding light points.