LOM: Lord of Mysticism

On the public carriage toward Zouteland Street, Klein saw four black dots appear on the back of his right hand.

Klein had a guess that Justice or The Hanged Man has attempted ritualistic magic.

But he couldn't hear the contents of their requests... He wondered if the information was 'stored' above the gray fog.

Yes, I should confirm it by entering tonight.

Soon, he entered the Blackthorn Security Company. Klein saw Captain Dunn Smith walk out, holding a piece of paper with a portrait on it.

"Take a look at this internal warrant of arrest. A very cruel and vicious Beyonder has entered Tingen." Dunn handed him the piece of paper.

The sketch was of a boy.

"Tris, a suspected Beyonder. The initial estimate is that he's a Sequence 8 Instigator, and we are not eliminating the possibility that the Theosophy Order is behind it. The culprit behind the massacre of the Alfalfa... According to a witness testimony, he came to Tingen after leaving Enmat Harbor. His current whereabouts are unknown."

Tris... Alfalfa... Is it actually a crime committed by a Beyonder? Klein suddenly recalled the dream interpretation from yesterday afternoon and Joyce Meyer's description. "Captain, I know one of the witnesses. He might very well be an important witness."

"I know. Joyce Meyer. My help was requested by the Machinery Hivemind last night. I saw you in Joyce's dream. Many details have led to the confirmation that the Alfalfa tragedy was a result of Tris." Dunn chuckled.

How uninteresting. Captain... Thankfully, it was my day off yesterday...

"Which Sequence pathway is Instigator? What kind of organization is the Theosophy Order?" Klein asked.

"Coincidentally, it's about time for you to learn the relevant information regarding Beyonders and mysterious organizations. You shouldn't keep reading historical documents all the time." Dunn said.

"Alright." Klein said plainly.

He went underground and turned to the armory.

"Dunn is right. It's time you understand the different Beyonders and the secret organizations." Old Neil read the note that Klein gave him.

"After all, you will be heading to the underground market with me tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow night?" Klein asked to confirm.

Old Neil nodded. "I'm a person who can't sleep when in debt. I always wish to settle them as soon as I can."

Is that why you left it to the last moment before using ritualistic magic to resolve the problem…

"Mr. Neil, I'll be troubling you to retrieve the corresponding information from Chanis Gate."

There were mostly archaeological and historical documents in the armory, and the ones involving Beyonders and mysterious organizations were fewer in number, only containing basic information.

About ten minutes later, Old Neil returned with a huge stack of documents.

"These can only be read here and are not to be taken out," he warned as he placed them on the desk.

"Alright." Klein gave a firm nod and quickly flipped through the pages.

Very detailed... as expected of the Nighthawks's internal documents... and of a Church with four thousand years of history...

Not only did the documents introduce the many secret organizations, they also listed down many of the Sequence pathways. However, a lot of the information was incomplete or left blank.

Klein found the Sequence pathway that led from Seer. Then, his expression quickly froze because there was no corresponding potion name after Sequences 9 Seer.

Thankfully, the abilities of the two following Sequences were present. Kein silently read the description.

"Sequence 8: Potion name unknown. The corresponding Beyonder is good at fighting with artifice and is very crafty."

Klein didn't understand what this meant and even thought that the Nighthawks's information was wrong. There were corresponding case studies appended, but he could not find a reasonable explanation despite reading it repeatedly.

He cast his gaze to the description of Sequence 7.

"Potion name unknown. The corresponding Beyonder is good at many spells that can be quickly cast. Fuse one's body's skill and supernatural powers as one."

After seeing the case studies of Sequence 7, he cast his eyes to the overall description of the pathway.

"This Sequence pathway was first established by the Solomon Empire's Zaratul family. During the conflicts of the Fourth Epoch, the family survived, and its name was occasionally mentioned in the history of the Fifth Epoch... It is suspected to be connected to the ancient organization, the Secret Order."

Zaratul? Klein's eyes constricted. He had just seen this name appear in the remnant diary pages of Emperor Roselle.

Roselle's acting came from a reminder by the mysterious figure known as Zaratul.

Did Emperor Roselle regret not choosing Seer because of Zaratul?

I was indirectly influenced by the words in Emperor Roselle's diary, turning me into a Seer. It feels like it was all connected somehow. Klein felt that things were somewhat odd.

He did not feel that there was anything wrong in any aspect. However, in the domain of mysticism, pre-destiny often manifested things and involved new problems.

And the person Klein possessed tried to commit suicide because of the lost notebook of the Secret Order...

Klein lacked the information needed to prove anything and was merely guessing.

After reading the information, he moved to other records.

He first found the Sailor Sequence and discovered that it indeed belonged to the Lord of Storms.

For an old opponent that they haven't faced for perhaps more than two to three thousand years, the Nighthawks's internal records were rather detailed.

"Sequence 8: Folk of Rage. Ancient name—Guardian of the Windstorm. The corresponding Beyonder can release several strikes that exceed ordinary thresholds when enraged."

"Sequence 7: Seafarer. Ancient name—Windstorm Priest. The corresponding Beyonder is also a scholar of astronomy and geography. They have an intuitive grasp of magnetic fields, ocean currents, wind direction, and clouds... A boat with a Seafarer will never get lost at sea... They are even more beloved by the oceans and gain enhancements in every aspect at sea.

They can act freely underwater for more than half an hour. They can cast a limited number of water-related spells. Some are a result of their own capabilities, and some are a bestowment from the Lord of Storms."

A Sequence 7 Seafarer seems very formidable... Klein suspected that The Hanged Man was a Folk of Rage, if not a Seafarer. From how he has recently advanced, it was more likely he was the latter.

This also indicated in a way that The Hanged Man was either a member of the Mandated Punisher or a pirate who had been secretly absorbed by the Church of the Lord of Storms.

Klein flipped back a few pages and found the advancement of Spectator. The description was identical to what The Hanged Man had said.

Sequence 9 Spectator was like a Seer. They lacked direct combat means and could only observe a target to obtain information, gleaning the true thoughts of the target. By doing so, they could provide subtle influences and guidance to cause situations to develop in a way they wish.

Sequence 8 Telepathic was the advancement of Spectator. Their observation was not only limited to superficial details but deeper into one's aura, Ether Body, or other mysterious domains. The combination of the two allowed a Telepathic to precisely understand a person's thoughts as though they could read their minds. In front of them, it was difficult to have any secrets.

Sequence 7's Psychiatrist, which was also known as Psyche Analyst, had further enhancements above the Sequence 8 foundations. They could begin directly influencing a target. For instance, they could treat a target's maniacal problems or, alternatively, cause them to turn maniacal and lose their reason.

After understanding the relevant information concerning the Gathering's members, he flipped to the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery. This was because Emperor Roselle had chosen their Savant Sequence.

"Sequence 9: Savant. The corresponding Beyonder believes that knowledge is power. They have a rough understanding of the supernatural but are more knowledgeable about aqua regia, nitroglycerin, and complicated bolts and gears. They seem to know everything."

"Sequence 8: Archaeologist. They possess a good deal of knowledge about history and outdoor survival, as well as forbidden knowledge about ruins. They have a strong enough body and ability to face dangers."

"Sequence 7: Appraiser. They can intuitively understand the powers and problems of most extraordinary items and can use them while keeping danger at its lowest."

As Klein's security clearance was insufficient, he only had access to Sequence pathways up to 7.

He only wished that Backlund would quickly send over the Sealed Artifact 2-049 to determine if Ray Bieber was a descendant of the Antigonus family. That way, he would have a chance of becoming a formal member and obtain a higher security clearance.

Klein read the material seriously from cover to cover. He knew that the sequences following Corpse Collector were Gravedigger and Spirit Medium. He also knew that there was no information about Sequence 8 of the Mystery Pryer path. There was no name for the potion, and even the description had been left blank. There was only a name for the Sequence 7 of that path: Warlock.

Klein slowly flipped the page and saw the Apprentice and Marauder, which Emperor Roselle had lingering thoughts for. Their records only reached Sequence 8.

"Sequence 9: Apprentice. Their abilities are rather strange. It can only be confirmed that this is the originating pathway of a mage. They are rarely trapped and very difficult to stop. They often are able to escape and pass through obstacles every time.

"Sequence 8: Trickmaster. They wield all kinds of strange but impotent spells."

"Sequence 9: Marauder. It is difficult to separate these Beyonders from ordinary bandits or thieves. Perhaps the means available to them are more impressive, but their goal of stealing riches is not for enjoyment or survival. It's more like answering a calling."

"Sequence 8: Sequencers. They can discover traces of Beyonders in fraud investigations. They gain enjoyment from swindling."

If I had a choice, I might have chosen the Apprentice pathway. Klein mused silently.

The Apprentice pathway seemed more combat-oriented than the Mystery Pryer pathway. Klein guessed that a Sequence 8 Trickmaster would likely possess combat capabilities comparable to a Sequence 7 Warlock, even if the two were worlds apart in terms of mastery.

Soon, he found the corresponding Sequence potion for Tris, the Alfalfa tragedy's culprit—Instigator.