Lord of Mysteries: Return of the Stars!

Hastur raised his glass, his gaze carrying subtle meaning, and said, "Pleasure doing business."

"Pleasure doing business," Fors replied, the corners of her lips curling up slightly, clearly pleased with the deal.

--------------------------------

As night fell, the red moon had already risen high in the sky. Guests at the small banquet gradually departed. After seeing off a few important guests, Glaint returned to Hastur and Fors.

Seeing that the two were conversing happily without any awkward silences, he couldn't help but smile and say, "I was just worried earlier that you two wouldn't have any common ground."

"The dessert tonight was very nice."

"I thought it was great too."

With one sentence each, Glaint's smile grew even brighter as he laughed, "Come, let's talk in the study."

Crossing the garden and passing through the living room, the three entered the study on the second floor. The sensible attendant closed the door and stood guard not far away.

Glaint sat behind the desk and said, "After spending some time together, I believe you've gotten to know each other a bit, right?"

"Mm, Baron Campbell is a very intelligent... scholar." Fors thought for a moment and gave this evaluation.

"Miss Fors is also an outstanding writer and Beyonder."

Hastur gave a brief evaluation too, silently adding in his heart, 'Except that she's a bit too much of a slacker.'

Glaint was very pleased with this, and eagerly said, "I've also been thinking about becoming a Beyonder. I wonder if you could give me some useful advice?"

Fors looked at Hastur, signaling for him to answer first.

Hastur thought for a moment and said, "I think the Moon Pathway, where the Apothecary belongs, suits you best."

"Apothecary? Moon Pathway?"

Glaint looked puzzled, not quite understanding these terms.

Fors, standing nearby, was slightly surprised, not every Beyonder understood the pathways so well.

"There are many Beyonder pathways, but not every one is suitable for everyone. Considering your situation, I believe the Moon Pathway, where the Apothecary lies, suits you best."

Hastur knew Glaint still didn't quite get it, so he patiently explained, "The starting sequence of the Moon Pathway is Sequence 9: Apothecary. It's a Beyonder sequence that involves concocting magical potions."

"For example, they can easily cure some diseases that hospitals have declared incurable, and they can also prepare stimulants for bed-related performance, enhancing endurance in certain areas."

"Even among Beyonders, Apothecaries are a very popular group."

The more Glaint listened, the brighter his eyes became, it was clear he was tempted by the Apothecary's supernatural abilities.

He stood up eagerly and said, "Then how do I get the Apothecary's potion formula?"

"As far as I know, the Moon Pathway originates from the Sanguines. If you can find the hidden Sanguines, it shouldn't be hard to obtain the Apothecary's potion formula."

"Sanguines, Apothecary potion formula..."

Glaint murmured a few times, then looked toward Fors.

"I'll try to look into it. If I find anything, I'll let you know."

Fors accepted the task. She couldn't let Hastur handle everything, otherwise, she'd seem useless as a Beyonder.

According to the information she got from Glaint, this Baron Campbell hadn't become a Beyonder yet.

As for whether she could find the Sanguines, she wasn't worried at all. If she couldn't, then so be it, it just meant losing a bit of profit.

"Great, hahaha…"Glaint laughed, clearly in high spirits. He had long pursued mysticism precisely to become a Beyonder with supernatural abilities.

Apothecary, skilled in concocting potions, able to enhance performance in that area, was simply an irresistible temptation.

After his laughter, he looked at Hastur and asked, "Do you also plan to become an Apothecary?"

"I'd like to think it over. I'm also interested in the abilities of other Beyonders."

"That's fine too." Glaint nodded, then said, "Did you get to see Miss Fors' supernatural ability just now?"

"Not yet."

Fors naturally understood what they meant and didn't mind showing a bit of the wonders of a Beyonder.

She walked slowly to the door, stretched out her right hand to the doorknob, and then seemed to become a phantom, passing through the door with ease.

A moment later, Fors opened the door handle from the outside and walked back in.

Even though he had seen this kind of power more than once, Glaint was still stunned.

Hastur remained calm, but there was a hint of envy in his eyes.

If the Door Pathway wasn't so dangerous and belonged to the Lord of Mysteries, he would definitely have chosen to become an Apprentice.

The ability to open portals and travel anywhere in the later stages was just too alluring.

"Sequence 9: Apprentice."

Hastur revealed Fors' pathway.

This was meant to impress Glaint a bit while also making him realize that being on good terms with Hastur was very valuable.

'He actually knows my pathway? His knowledge of the occult is truly profound.'

Fors was indeed quite surprised, but she quickly stopped caring.

So what if someone found out? She rarely made a move anyway, and didn't even want to step out of her room.

After chatting for a while longer, Fors soon took her leave.

If it weren't for the purpose of getting to know some nobles from Loen in order to gain open support in the future, she wouldn't have chosen to leave her room and attend such a socially complicated gathering.

Fortunately, tonight's gains weren't small, some praise-worthy desserts and meeting a young baron well-versed in mysticism.

After Fors left, Glaint's tone became more casual as he teased, "Did you provoke Madam Germani?"

"..."

Hastur glanced at him in surprise. Was Madam Germani already acting so brazenly?

"Haha, the circle of Loen nobility isn't that big. These romantic rumors make for the easiest drinking gossip. She even had other noble ladies ask me about your recent status."

As Glaint spoke, he looked Hastur up and down and sighed, "If I had your outstanding looks, I could enjoy a wonderful romantic encounter every night."

Chatting privately about romantic matters was a sign of close friendship.

Hastur was well aware of this and didn't shy away. "Madam Germani is indeed a very seductive woman, but I prefer pure and innocent girls. They are as pure as crystal and inspire affection."

Glaint came over, put his arm around Hastur's right shoulder, and clicked his tongue, saying, "Hastur, as someone with experience, I must warn you, mature women are far better than pure girls."

Before Hastur could argue, he continued, "Young girls' emotions are sincere and pure, and they can't tolerate a grain of sand. If you get involved with them and make them fall deeply for you, they will definitely pressure you to marry them. Otherwise, they might resort to extreme actions, which could seriously damage your reputation."

"Mature women, on the other hand, are like fully ripened grapes, sweet and juicy. More importantly, they're not clingy and are better at taking care of someone."

"Madam Germani has a good reputation and is a rare beauty. You should really consider getting close to her, it might open the door to a new world for you."

Hastur thought for a moment, then shook his head with a smile. "Glaint, I don't agree with your view. When we're young, we should naturally pursue beautiful girls of the same age. When we're older, then we can try other possibilities."

"If you try mature women while you're young, then what? Pursue young girls when you're old? If you always eat only ripe grapes, wouldn't you miss out on the tender, innocent flavor?"

"So I've always believed that life doesn't need to be rushed. We should slowly enjoy the beauty of each stage of life. Otherwise, when we're old, we might regret it."

Glaint let out a soft "hmm," clearly touched by Hastur's words. He let go of Hastur's shoulder and stood to the side, lost in thought.

"What you said makes some sense. I really did miss out on some experiences that should have been beautiful."

"Glaint, you're still young."

Glaint laughed, increasingly feeling that having a close friend like Hastur around was truly worthwhile.

After a while, Hastur also took his leave. He wasn't interested in chatting with Glaint late into the night, especially not when the topic remained so ambiguous.

Back home, Hastur lay on his familiar bed, pulled the blanket over his chest, and didn't feel like sleeping just yet.

Tonight's banquet really gave him a more intuitive understanding of noble life.

Loen nobles were indeed reserved, but when it came to private matters, they were just as passionate.

Glaint was clearly more talkative than before, and his interactions with Hastur had become more relaxed and casual, especially when talking about Madam Germani.

Thinking about how Madam Germani had been eyeing him eagerly, he couldn't help but sigh again.

How troublesome. When they met, he still had to put on a smile and maintain a gentle and elegant demeanor.

He really wanted to digest the potion soon and advance to Sequence 8 Barbarian.

If Madam Germani ever tried anything dangerous, he'd at least be able to defend himself. Of course, it would be even better if he could secretly give her a beating.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

Time to vent some frustration on the Son of Chaos!

Soon, Hastur fell asleep. His astral body arrived at the Hall of Stars and once again found the star representing the Son of Chaos.

Without hesitation, he lashed out with a whip, sending it flying again.

This time, he didn't leave right away. Instead, he deliberately stared at the projection of the Son of Chaos.

Just imagining the Son of Chaos's furious expression made him feel much better.

With a clear mind, he could now fall asleep.