Chapter 98: The Fortune Teller
"Welcome to the Court of Secrets Palace, Lord Ozir!"
Rios looked at the strange humanoid creature made of mist and frowned.
"How do you know my name? I don’t remember ever coming here before."
"Hehehehehe, my apologies, Lord Ozir, but you’re dealing with the Court of Secrets—the organization from which nothing in this universe can remain hidden.
No matter what information you seek, as long as you possess the appropriate payment, you can certainly obtain it."
The strange figure placed his hands behind his back and smiled proudly.
"Ooh, that sounds incredible!"
Rios wasn’t particularly surprised by this. He had heard of the Court of Secrets’ reputation and the sheer amount of information they possessed.
It wasn’t strange that they knew his name.
"So where can I obtain the information I want?"
Rios raised an eyebrow and looked at the misty figure before him.
"Right here, Lord Ozir."
The misty man waved his hand, and both he and Rios instantly vanished from the mist-filled hall.
The hall returned to silence once more, as though no one had ever been there.
Elsewhere within the Court of Secrets Palace, Rios appeared once again, alone.
He looked around and found himself inside a fairly large chamber with no walls, surrounded by mist on every side.
Ahead of him was a seat occupied by a woman wearing a hooded robe that concealed every feature of her face. Before her stood a stone pedestal with a golden crystal ball resting upon it.
Directly above the woman was a relatively large opening in the misty wall, from which a beam of light descended, enveloping her and highlighting her presence within the chamber.
"Welcome, Lord Ozir. Ask whatever you wish, and you shall certainly receive an answer that satisfies you."
The woman raised her head and looked toward Rios.
"Oh? It seems I’m quite famous these days. Everyone here knows my name... That’s certainly something to be proud of."
Rios smiled sarcastically as he walked forward and stopped before the woman and the stone pedestal holding the golden crystal ball.
"Please, have a seat, Lord Ozir."
The mysterious woman waved her hand, and the gray mist rose into the air before forming a chair made entirely of mist.
"You may call me the Ninety-Ninth Fortune Teller."
"Mhm."
Rios nodded, sat down, and looked at her.
"There was something I wanted to ask, and I hoped I’d find the answer here."
After hearing why Rios had come to the Court of Secrets Palace, the Ninety-Ninth Fortune Teller smiled beneath her enormous hood and spoke with a hint of amusement.
"Lord Ozir, you underestimate us far too much.
Whatever your question may be... whether it concerns the past, the present, or the future...
As long as you can afford the price, you will receive the answer you seek."
"The future?"
Rios looked at the Fortune Teller with slight astonishment. He had thought Lily had been exaggerating for marketing purposes before.
But hearing those words directly from the Ninety-Ninth Fortune Teller herself made it sound even more unbelievable.
Eventually, he smiled mockingly.
"I know you’re one of the Five Courts, but isn’t that a little too arrogant? If you truly possess the ability to see the future, then no force in the universe should be capable of opposing you. Yet there are still four other Courts outside."
Rios voiced his opinion frankly, showing no concern that he might offend her.
Not because he was especially brave...
But simply because this wasn’t his real identity.
However...
Faced with Rios’s blunt questioning, the Fortune Teller didn’t change in the slightest. Neither her posture nor her expression shifted.
She merely continued smiling.
"Lord Ozir, you still underestimate us far too much...
So there’s no need for any more introductions. Let’s get straight to the point."
The Ninety-Ninth Fortune Teller spoke in a teasing tone, as though dealing with yet another fool she had grown accustomed to seeing.
After hearing her sarcasm, Rios smiled and finally explained his problem.
"I’ve been constantly experiencing feelings of suspicion and doubt regarding certain things that happen in my life. From time to time, strange thoughts also appear in my mind. I ignore some of them and act on others.
At first, I paid them no attention because they never interfered with my original plans. Besides, I assumed they were nothing more than ordinary delusions caused by stress or something similar.
But after fully comprehending the First Degree of the Cosmic Law of Life, those doubts and strange thoughts multiplied many times over.
They simply refuse to stop appearing."
Rios felt somewhat embarrassed while explaining his situation.
He felt as though he were a patient sitting before a psychiatrist.
"So my question is... have there been any cases similar to mine? Or is my condition somewhat well-known?
And if so... is there any way to treat it?"
After hearing his question, the Fortune Teller frowned slightly before speaking in an annoyed voice.
"Forgive me, Lord Ozir, but from what you’ve described... it sounds to me as though you’re ill and need a physician.
So why did you come to the Court of Secrets Palace?"
Hearing that, Rios laughed and shook his head.
"I was certain you’d say something like that.
But as you know, I possess Immortal talent in the Cosmic Law of Life, and I’ve already mastered its First Degree.
If I were ill—or if something were affecting my body—I would know immediately."
Rios shrugged.
"And even if what you’re saying were true... if I truly suffered from some strange illness that even the Cosmic Law of Life couldn’t detect or influence...
Then there isn’t a single person in my home world capable of curing such a disease.
I’ve only been in the Eternal Night Heaven for a few days, and I barely know anyone or any organizations here.
Since I don’t know anyone here besides a handful of people who have nothing to do with a problem like mine...
It makes no difference whether I come here looking for a solution or go somewhere else.
In fact, I’m confident the service here will be better, and the answer far more satisfying.
After all, you’re one of the Five Courts of the universe.
And if I can’t find what I’m looking for here...
Then there’s no point searching anywhere else."
Rios shrugged once again.
"Hehehe... It seems you really can say something sensible in the end, Lord Ozir."
The Fortune Teller laughed before pointing toward the golden crystal ball.
"Since you’re determined, place your hand upon this crystal ball and focus directly on your problem."
Rios followed her instructions, placed his hand on the golden crystal ball, and immediately focused on his problem.
Shortly afterward, the crystal glowed with golden light.
Rios withdrew his hand, and after a brief moment, several lines of text appeared upon its surface.
The Fortune Teller lifted her head and smiled at him.
"You’ll need to pay one hundred Prime if you wish to receive this information, Lord Ozir."
"Mhm."
Rios nodded.
"Where do I pay?"
The Fortune Teller gestured toward the crystal once more.
"You may simply place your hand upon the crystal and transfer the Prime into it, unless you already possess a payment account with the Court of Secrets Palace."
Rios placed his hand on the crystal once again and gave an order.
"System, transfer one hundred Prime to this crystal."
Immediately after his command, the System transferred the required amount.
[100 Prime has been paid.]
[Remaining: 52,600 Prime]
After the payment was completed...
"After examining your problem through the golden crystal ball, several possibilities regarding its nature have appeared.
The most prominent conclusion is that your condition revolves around a curse or the influence of a certain law.
More specifically... the Cosmic Law of Emotion."
The Fortune Teller placed her hand upon the golden crystal ball and began reading the information that had appeared.
Rios raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"The Cosmic Law of Emotion? What’s that?"
"The Cosmic Law of Emotion, Lord Ozir, is a Cosmic-ranked Law that specializes in influencing and controlling emotions.
It is also one of the mysterious laws, practiced only by a small minority who possess both the talent and affinity for it.
All the information we’ve found has already been sent to your personal account’s mailbox in detail.
You’ll find everything there."
Rios opened Ozir’s blue status panel and looked toward the mail icon at the bottom.
Sure enough, there was an unread message.
Opening it, he found a file containing tens of thousands of words...
Enough to fill hundreds of pages.
"Mhm."
Rios nodded before closing the status panel.
Since he still hadn’t found a definitive answer...
"I’d also like to purchase a Gem of Destiny."
"A Gem of Destiny?"
The Fortune Teller raised an eyebrow slightly before smiling once again.
"The Gem of Destiny, Lord Ozir, is one of our finest products.
It allows you to perceive the threads of causality and visualize them in recognizable forms.
It can even grant you a few glimpses of the future, though not in the exact way reality itself unfolds.
Each Gem of Destiny lasts for only five seconds.
You may use multiple Gems of Destiny simultaneously to extend the duration of your vision.
The price of a single gem is ten thousand Prime.
Are you certain you wish to make the purchase?"
The Fortune Teller knew exactly how much Prime Rios had previously spent at the Red Lotus Palace, as well as how much he currently possessed.
She also knew he could afford the gem...
But was he truly willing to spend such a large amount on a single gem that would let him glimpse his destiny for only five seconds?
Especially considering that he didn’t have much Prime left.
After hearing the price, Rios frowned slightly.
Then, in the end, he made up his mind.
"I want it!"