Chapter Thirty-Eight: I Know Who You Are!

Carrying his suitcase, Chen Lai wove through the streets and alleys of Paris. He planned to evacuate from Monceau Park; compared to the other two extraction points, it offered a wider area, making it harder for other players to pin him down.

Along the way, he replayed Yoda’s dying words in his mind, recalling everything he knew about the world of *Lord of the Mysteries*... Then, he froze in his tracks.

He remembered the monocle Zhang Long had been wearing during their first information exchange.

He remembered that although Zhang Long had clearly used the player’s private messaging system, he had remained silent throughout the dungeon, choosing to communicate with him via the "Paris Blue Strips."

He remembered Yoda saying he had brought "Error" with him, and more importantly, he recalled that in the world of *Lord of the Mysteries*, there existed a malicious Angel of Time from the Error pathway—Amon!

The moment he thought of him, cold sweat broke out on Chen Lai’s forehead. Amon’s vast and unfathomable powers could not be described by any tangible force.

He could parasitize others, causing them to wear a monocle over their right eye.

He could replace others, usurping their destiny, while everyone else would simply mistake him for the person he had replaced.

He loved playing pranks, always leaving his sentences half-finished, leading people toward erroneous futures.

*Damn it, Zhang Long is a player! But he’s been parasitized!*

Chen Lai roared in his heart. He felt the ineffable terror of the *Mysteries* world. Everything seemed normal, everything seemed to be going smoothly—it was the same dread one feels upon discovering a bomb on a plane after successfully boarding.

Go to Monceau Park? Amon was waiting for him there. Once they met, the Tarot card he carried—tainted with the aura of Sefirah Castle—would be snatched away. With that object, Amon might be able to trace Klein through occult means.

Realizing this, he immediately stopped, hailed a horse-drawn cab, and returned to his residence on Labor Street.

The couple on the first floor wasn't arguing; they were busy working. Only their son, who couldn't afford to go to school, sat by the doorway, staring blankly at the azure sky.

Chen Lai took it all in. This world was not equal. Even after the abolition of the monarchy, France remained deeply divided; nobles, capitalists, and wealthy ladies lived in luxury, while the laborers at the bottom still struggled for a crust of bread.

But at the very least, their world was free from such chaotic divine wars. Occultism did not overly influence human life; their gods loved the world, and people here could look up at the sky without fearing sudden corruption.

No wonder Yoda hated him so much. It turned out he really had brought "Error" with him.

He reached the second floor and rushed into the washroom. He paced counter-clockwise once more and recited the incantation, "The Fool that doesn't belong to this era..."

Klein was at home when he felt Chen Lai’s summoning. He hurried into his own washroom and pulled him up.

Above the gray fog, the majestic palace appeared once more. Chen Lai stepped forward and returned the Tarot card representing "The Hermit" to Klein.

"This is an emergency, so listen carefully," Chen Lai panted, the sound of his own heartbeat thumping against his eardrums. "This item can only be taken by players, but you must not let any player take these Tarot cards, including me!"

Klein was stunned, looking at the card in his hand. He had created these to mark the identities of his members. The members of the Tarot Club entered in the form of projections; nothing from above Sefirah Castle could be taken away. How had Chen Lai managed it?

Chen Lai didn't want to waste time explaining the concept of players. Time was too short.

"Nothing above the gray fog must be allowed to be taken by anyone. These items are the key to becoming a god. In your world, someone is looking for them, and to find them, He came to my world!"

Klein was dumbstruck. He had thought he had overestimated the power of gods, but it turned out he had underestimated them.

"Who?" Klein swallowed hard. "Who is looking for me?"

"Knowing His name is dangerous for you. Just remember: stay away from anyone wearing a monocle on their right eye!" Having said this, Chen Lai stood up and vanished.

"Wait..." Klein still had so many questions, but Chen Lai had come and gone so quickly that he didn't even have a chance to ask them.

Descending from Sefirah Castle, Chen Lai felt a sense of relief. Klein was safe now, and Amon’s primary goal for this trip had been thwarted. He could now face this "Angel of Time" with peace of mind.

Truth be told, Chen Lai had always possessed a unique spirit of adventure. Since learning these worlds were real, this spirit had only grown. He longed to meet the characters he had once thought were mere fiction, and he longed to dance with them.

It’s just an Angel of Time—let’s take him on!

The wheels of the cab waiting downstairs began to turn again. This time, they headed straight for Monceau Park. The experience in this dungeon was already perfect; he lacked for nothing!

In Monceau Park, Zhang Long, wearing a monocle over his right eye, repeatedly checked his watch. He seemed to be in a hurry, as if waiting for someone.

There weren't many people in the park, but the music was melodic. Monceau Park was a famous musical park in Paris; the nouveau riche paid to enter to cool off and listen to music, viewing it as a mark of elegance.

Juexionghu was browsing the Deep Sea Forum, bored. He was waiting for Chen Lai. The livestream had already been cut because there was no excitement to be found in Monceau Park.

"Is he always this unpunctual?" Zhang Long asked, adjusting the monocle over his right eye.

Juexionghu found the question strange; it sounded like something a novice to the Deep Sea game would ask.

"Why care about punctuality when you're evacuating? If you want to leave, just leave."

"Oh... evacuation." Zhang Long mused over the word, deep in thought.

The sun was bright. A horse-drawn cab pulled up in front of the rust-free iron gates of Monceau Park. Chen Lai hopped off with a light step, tossed a gold Louis to the toll collector, and strolled calmly onto the green path.

"He's here." Juexionghu glanced at Zhang Long, only to see him smiling and adjusting his monocle.

"Brother Weilong, what's going on? If you'd been any later, the players blocking the exits would have caught up," Juexionghu said with a smile, confirming his own extraction in his mind.

As Chen Lai approached, he ignored Juexionghu and scrutinized Zhang Long. Upon confirming that the man was indeed wearing a monocle over his right eye, he smiled with relief.

"You evacuate first. I have a few words to share with this... guest," Chen Lai said to Juexionghu, his expression calm.

Juexionghu felt something was wrong. He wasn't stupid; putting together Zhang Long’s previous behavior and Chen Lai’s words, he understood the subtext.

"He's not Zhang Long?" Juexionghu was horrified. He had never seen an NPC capable of impersonating a player so perfectly, mimicking even the player’s borders and ID.

"To think you know who I am—how interesting. You seem to know quite a lot, far more than what is contained in this brain."

Amon pointed a finger at his head, still smiling.

Juexionghu swallowed hard and turned on his livestream. He knew it—wherever [Da Wei Tian Long] went, there was bound to be a highlight!