In the town outside the window, thick fog was floating in the night, and the miserable howling of evil spirits made the deep night even more eerie. And the jumping fire in the fireplace indoors did not make the two people who were talking feel happy.
Laplace Klein Howard, wearing a monocle, stared at Shade:
"So, are you Shad Hamilton or not?"
Xia De still did not answer:
"Everything is impermanent. Is space in your hands?"
The fortune teller shook his head again:
"I've been looking for it, but I don't have the honor, at least not right now... Want to play a game of Rhodes?"
This is what Xia De usually says to others.
"I came out to look for someone this time, and I didn't bring my own deck."
In fact, he did carry it with him, but whether he used a spare blank deck or his real deck, his identity would be exposed.
"It's okay. I can lend you a deck. We'll just play one round. Whether we win or lose, I can tell you a piece of news."
He handed the deck to Shade, which contained no special cards, but his own deck actually contained 13 special cards.
There was no need to shuffle or check the cards; they simply placed the deck on the coffee table in the light of the fireplace and drew cards together.
The two did not communicate, but just squinted their eyes and looked at the suits of the cards in their hands.
Laplace Howard drew two cards and then stopped:
"king."
He showed the second card.
Shade drew three cards:
"21, I win."
He showed the sun 1, the stars 10 and the moon 10.
The fortune teller was not disappointed and threw his cards on the table:
"I want to tell you that the end of the world is coming. This is not an absurd prophecy, this is reality."
Xia De asked dissatisfiedly:
"You came all the way to talk to me just for this
What kind of secret is this? You are not the first person I have met who thinks he can see the future. I have certainly heard about the end of the world. The chosen one of knowledge and wisdom who has gone crazy now probably has a lot in common with you. "
The fortune teller asked him to be patient:
"Then do you know when the inevitable end will come?"
"I don't know, you know?"
"I don't know either."
"you... ... "
"No one knows the exact time, but it's very close, really very close. In addition to you and me, there are many people who have been quietly preparing for that day. Even the world gave birth to a special individual like the princess just now at the last moment. Her existence is not a conspiracy of anyone or any existence. Her birth is just the last choice of the world before it ends. This is a natural phenomenon."
He looked at Xia De, and there was no trace of madness in his eyes, so this was definitely not an ordinary madman:
"I have never considered myself a savior, just as you don't seem to simply want to change the world.
In addition to you and me, and before you and I were born, preparations for the last day had already begun. We are not the only ones who can know the future, and we are definitely not the only ones who are willing to pay and sacrifice, and have already taken action. The ring wizards claim to see more than ordinary people, but they don’t know that what they see is only the surface of the lake. We are the ones who can see the truth of the world. "
Xia De frowned:
"Although you seem to have said a lot, there is nothing substantial in it. I am not playing cards with you to listen to you. Please tell me in detail what preparations the previous people made and what is so special about Leisia Cavendish."
The fortune teller nodded:
"I can't tell you this right now. This is my bargaining chip when I face you. People only think that I'm powerful, but they don't know that as long as you want, even if I'm not in front of you now, you can completely destroy me."
This fortune teller is quite capable, but Shade is unwilling to waste his divinity. Moreover, he cannot rely on divinity for everything. It is not a power within the rules and should not interfere too much with this world. Besides, the road to the sublimation of the twelve divinities is still a long way to go, so outsiders are cautious.
"However, I can say something substantial... Do you think this is really the Sixth Era?"
Xia De looked at him, his eyes were powerful, but his expression did not change at all:
"You're not trying to tell me that it's still the Fifth Age, are you? If that's the case, then we're both actually witches?"
The fortune teller smiled at Shade's little joke:
"I didn't have any experience of this when I was in the thirteenth ring, but when I listened to the truth from the door in the bottle, I kept making various attempts in the past two hundred years, trying to communicate time and space, and I unexpectedly made a discovery."
The crackling sound of the burning flames was once again suppressed by the shouts of the space distorter in the distance outside the window. The two pairs of eyes stared at each other:
"I do have some talent. Of course, it is also possible that I followed fate and walked the path of the chosen one, so I saw more. However, I still can't be sure whether it was an illusion, nor can I be sure whether I am really crazy."
He smiled:
"From your expression, you seem to think that I'm really crazy. I don't have any evidence of the truth about time. Everything is based on my imagination and experience. It was just that one accidental discovery that there seemed to be a lost time and space between the Fifth Era and our current era."
"Hmm... So, you are actually the chosen one of time?"
"You have a great sense of humor."
He continued, looking at Xia De inquiringly, as if trying to see something from his expression:
"If my crazy and unprovable view is correct, then it means that someone has tried before, but unfortunately failed, so there is this second chance. The inevitable end of the world cannot be reversed by the power of one person, nor can it be resolved by completing the poem of the Whispering Poems.
Did those departed ancient gods and old gods really just go to sleep? I know a lot, and because I know a lot, I can't stop. I must do something, I must, I must..."
His voice became fainter and fainter until it was drowned out by the crackling of the flames in the fireplace.
Both parties were silent for a long time before Xia De suddenly said:
"So, you actually want to cooperate with me?"
"Yes, and it's not just us, it's everyone. The dangers of the future need to be borne by everyone together. And my ritual, Edwards Ascension, will be my most important attempt."
"As long as you can give up being the chosen one of the space and give up integrating your descendants, I can consider cooperating with you. You know a lot of things, and that's what I need."
What he said was half true and half false. Laplace Klein Howard shook his head in disappointment:
"I know you have your thoughts, but I also have mine. I won't say 'sacrifice is necessary', which is something that only villains in stories would say, but do you really think that change can be made without sacrifice, and that we don't have to pay anything to save our world? You don't look like such a saint."
"I just think that I'm on the right path and you're on the wrong path. Maybe you really want to save the world and achieve this by becoming the chosen one and practicing the art of Edwards, but I don't think this method is right. Without you and your plans, I can do what you want to do by myself."
The stranger pointed to the sofa where he was sitting:
"I have seen many chosen ones, and all kinds of people. You know what? Although I have been involved in everything, I still sit under the stage. I could have watched everything happen quietly. I could have done nothing, sold my most valuable property and enjoyed the life of this era. But no, I saw the story I didn't like, so I wanted to change it. Even if I couldn't change it completely, I couldn't let those tragedies continue to happen.
Howard, today's conversation has changed my impression of you, but I don't agree with you, and I will not deny my path. "
"Arrogance and pride are our original sins. People outside of destiny, I wish you success, because our goals are the same. No matter who succeeds, it is our luck. But I will prove to you that I am right. I have seen everything and I know how naive your ideas are."
He stood up and prepared to leave, but while looking down at Xia De who was still sitting, he said two more words:
"Someone must have guided you and put you on the path of pursuing the chosen one. Perhaps as you keep moving forward, you should slow down and think about whether the person who first led you in the right direction really pointed you in."
Shade did not speak. The other party had said this once on the night of the demon hunt, but Shade would not doubt Luvia. Even if Luvia seemed to not know everything, the person in front of him certainly did not know everything.
"There is one more piece of information I hope you can know."
His words continued:
“The Sixth Era has lasted for 1854 years, but it has already shown signs of decline;
According to the records, the Fifth Era lasted for 5793 years. This is a fact recognized by the Five Gods Church and the three major colleges. Even if there is an error, it will not be very large.
Continuing to look back to the turbulent dark era of the Fourth Epoch, the most secret information of the Prophet Association usually uses "ten thousand years" to describe that tragic and tearful era, but also a time of various heroic legends;
I once asked my demon friend who was captured by you. He was a cunning guy. He helped me but was also wary of me. Although he refused to tell me about the time of the Third Age in detail, he told me that it was a long time of one hundred thousand years.
The Second Age has long been untraceable, and as for the First Age, the earliest era..."
He paused deliberately, and Shade sat there looking at him. The crackling of the flames was so obvious in this situation, and the pause was long, quite long, but Shade waited patiently.