When the plot-skips players into the game world

"Tarot Cards…"

Prodeno carefully took this ancient card.

As a Horus person, he naturally knew quite a bit about such divination tools.

Even though he wasn't an Astrologer or a Prophet on the Path of Adaptation, he could directly speak about the knowledge of Tarot Cards without even needing to call upon the data bank in his mind.

"The Sun Card… Is this prophecy from the Shepherd?"

Prodeno pondered: "If it's in True Position, it signifies a successful and beautiful future. Just like the rising sun, joyous, intense, bright, and uplifting. It emits light powerful enough to dispel darkness, and with the progression of 'time,' it will further improve. It symbolizes hope, ideals, optimism, it is quite a good card.

"...But if it's Reversed, it signifies the setting sun on a decline. Fatigue, exhaustion, recession, desolation, the glory has already become the past, and the visible darkness lies not far in the future. Like an aging lion, about to be replaced by a younger one. I wonder if it's True Position or Reversed…"

The True Position and Reversed of Tarot Cards usually mean the difference between 'upward' and 'downward,' 'forward' and 'backward,' 'inward' and 'outward' in this concept.

It doesn't necessarily foretell good and bad—as both the Sun and Chariot in Reversed are not good, while Death and Demon in Reversed are rather good. Because the concepts of the Sun and Chariot tend toward good, while Demon and Death tend toward bad.

There are also cases like the Tower, where both True Position and Reversed are bad… because the Tower foretells the collapse and destruction of the Tower of Heaven, so True Position means "the future will soon be destroyed," while Reversed means "already or being destroyed, but at least it's ending soon."

"Indeed, there is information about the Shepherd in the Akasha Record."

Prodeno pondered seriously for a moment, then replied: "His name has been completely erased by Punishment, but some parts not directly touched have been barely preserved. It is because of this that we're able to learn about this person from the side. However, someone indeed left behind a Nurturing Secret Sequel, said to be left by a contemporary of the Shepherd.

"This is indeed a very precious antique. It's probably the only personal item and legacy of a person in history who has undergone Punishment… The erased face on it should be the traces of Punishment. But… what use does this card have?"

Prodeno felt a bit helpless: "It doesn't seem to help my situation much."

"This card contains special power."

Ibn shook his head, denying: "If you inject Light attribute Mana into it, you can activate it. It once resisted the curse killing personally released by Ayimar Nur, and also resisted the pursuit of Taboo Magic; my mother used it to successfully escape this city.

"The name 'Ayimar Nur' existed and has been passed down since before humanity's birth. As the most powerful of the Benevolent Lords, one generation of 'Ayimar Nur' was called Witch King by people. He must possess a Divine Artifact similar to the Eternal Pope that can amplify specific Path powers… Even the curse killing of Witch King was successfully resisted by it, I think it might also have some use against the Descent Heavenly Department."

Clearly, Ibn didn't quite know how to use this card specifically.

But Aiwass, who was nearby, saw it clearly—

Without a doubt, this Tarot Card was a Phantom Card.

"Can I have a look?"

Aiwass asked Prodeno.

Prodeno, who was uploading the related data, handed it directly to Aiwass without any hesitation: "I remember… you also use similar abilities?"

He didn't remember well, only recalling that Aiwass indeed summoned powerful Phantom Demon with cards.

Aiwass nodded, very straightforwardly admitting: "The first Codex Book I read was Nurturing Secret Sequel."

Upon hearing that, almost everyone present was stunned.

Zhu Tang and Hayna were fine, they hadn't heard of the Shepherd's name or its significance. But both Prodeno, nicknamed "Bai Ke," and Ibn, a Parthian person, knew of his existence.

"Shepherd…?!"

Old Ibn exclaimed.

Prodeno was also shocked: "So the Nurturing Secret Sequel truly exists?"

He hurriedly asked: "Then… what about that book? Where is it?"

"…The version I saw was in Avalon language," Aiwass was a bit embarrassed, "I already destroyed it. But Avalon language couldn't be the original, so there should be another original."

With that said, he promptly received the Sin Card.

As expected—nothing popped up on the system panel when he passed it over.

He now increasingly understood the existence of the system… it was the sacred essence formed from the knowledge and memories of the Snake Tail in past reincarnations, things he hadn't seen in the past eight cycles, the system wouldn't recognize. If this wasn't his last reincarnation, then the information he'd accessed would become new entries in the next cycle.

—just like the entry ability mastered by the natural historians, Dream Traversing Monks, and Dreamwalker Apprentices!

However, as a top-level Great Sin Scholar, Aiwass had fully mastered this power.

No need for a system, he could rely on his power alone to read and analyze its essence!

Aiwass gazed at the Tarot Card.

The picture on The Sun depicts a child on a white horse, with arms open, praising the sun.