Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

Glimpses Beyond the Spirit World was penned by an ancestor of the Abraham family, documenting the extraordinary phenomena he encountered while traversing the Spirit World.

In the first chapter, he described the lights of the Spirit World—seven distinct, pure rays of different colors. Each embodied boundless knowledge in unique fields. No matter where one traveled in the Spirit World, these lights could always be seen high above, blanketing the sky.

These seven lights were not static. They were alive, roaming the Spirit World just like the spirits that wandered its expanse.

In mysticism, numerous secret rituals aim to connect with these seven pure lights. Through hidden alignment, practitioners gain profound insights. Mystics often refer to these lights as "Mentors" or "Teachers."

The seven lights appeared to embrace this role enthusiastically. They even gathered Spirit World beings to form a secret organization dedicated to imparting knowledge—the Brotherhood of Pure Light.

The second chapter recounted the Abraham ancestor's encounter with "Yellow Light" Venitan.

Venitan appeared as an elderly man clad in a lemon-yellow robe, representing rationality and adaptability. A symbol of astrology, his corresponding gemstone was emerald.

He told the Abraham ancestor that an apocalypse was indeed real. He further prophesied that the key to lifting the Abraham family's curse lay in the hands of a future "Apprentice" who would receive aid from a hidden entity.

Finally, Venitan warned that the day the curse was lifted would mark the true beginning of calamity for the Abrahams. When asked about the nature of this calamity, Venitan admitted ignorance, stating it involved the workings of divine-level beings.

The author of Glimpses Beyond the Spirit World also noted that the seven lights occasionally entered the material world, adopting human forms to impart knowledge. Since the Fifth Epoch, many mentor figures across disciplines were believed to be incarnations of these lights. He even speculated that Roselle might have been one of them.

After revisiting these two chapters, Ebner pondered for a while before transcribing two copies.

One copy was heavily redacted, with key descriptions obscured. The other was an exact replica, though he omitted Venitan's prophecy.

Although Glimpses Beyond the Spirit World lacked spiritual imprints and used ordinary paper, its danger lay in the descriptions of certain entities. These could influence the reader's thoughts and spirit.

With the Pure White Eye activated, Ebner was unaffected. However, he knew Helene might become agitated while reading, so he redacted her copy extensively.

For Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina Edwards, Ebner left her copy unaltered. As a Mysticism Magister, she would undoubtedly have methods to handle dangerous knowledge.

Once the transcriptions were complete, Ebner brought the redacted copy to Helene's room. Handing her the still-drying manuscript, he smiled.

"This is a mysticism notebook originating from the Abraham family. I trust you've heard of them?"

"Consider it a reward for your hard work these past weeks."

Helene, though confused, accepted the notebook. Of course, she had heard of the Abrahams—a family once more illustrious than her own Solons but now far more diminished.

But a reward? Why mysticism knowledge? Shouldn't it be money instead? Even temporarily holding onto it for me would make more sense.

Satisfied with Helene's "enthusiastic" acceptance, Ebner nodded approvingly. After a few words of encouragement, he left for the basement.

Once alone, Helene flipped through the notebook and muttered to herself, "But I don't like studying..."

All I want is to make more money and pay off the debts my father racked up on drinking, gambling, mistresses, and drugs. Otherwise, even if I return to the mainland, life will still be miserable. It might even be harder than being a maid.

...

In Silver City, Derrick recalled Alger's guidance and successfully "performed" in front of his covert observers. He convinced them that the corrupted exploration team members and the fragment of Amon within him had perished together. Under this pretense, he used a simplified ritual to send the All-Black Eye back to the gray fog.

The observers believed Derrick's act. They speculated that Amon might have been an archenemy of the entity corrupting the exploration team and had long worked to sabotage the being's plans.

The report was submitted to the Chief, who approved the hypothesis. However, out of caution, the Chief isolated or executed the corrupted team while assigning a Beyonder of the Dragon pathway to interrogate Derrick further.

Meanwhile, Shepherd Elder Lovia returned to her room. Using a piece of paper marked with the symbol of a half-Eyeless Eye intertwined with a half-Twisted Line, she wrapped a severed piece of her own finger.

Placing the wrapped finger in her mouth, she began to chew.

Moments later, blood and flesh squirmed at the wound on her right hand, regenerating a pale new index finger.

Lovia lowered her gaze to her hand and softly uttered a single word:

"Fool?"

...

In the basement of a cathedral-like structure in Backlund, Mr. A, draped in a black hooded robe, ascended a staircase to the ground floor corridor. A faint smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth, his demeanor brimming with satisfaction.

Seeing him, several Aurora Order members in the house bowed deferentially, greeting him as "Messenger of God" and asking for his instructions.

"Where is Irene?" Mr. A inquired while leaning over a desk, picking up a pen, and jotting something down on paper.

"Miss Irene remains in hiding at the previous stronghold per your instructions," one of the Aurora Order members responded promptly.

"Summon her immediately. I have an important task for her." Mr. A set the pen aside and picked up the paper filled with his writing.

"Understood!"

Under the faint moonlight, the member who bowed respectfully glimpsed the text on the paper written in Hermes. It read:

Locate:

The Fool who does not belong to this era;The Mysterious Ruler above the Gray Fog;The King of Yellow and Black who wields good fortune.

Followers and believers, in Backlund.

Beneath the Saint Wind Cathedral, in a hidden chamber, McConaughey, the captain of the Punisher team, found the Mysticism Magister Stewart poring over a book.

"Our men monitoring Irene have finally reported movement!" McConaughey said, his voice charged with excitement.

"It appears she's heading toward another secret stronghold… but the woman has somehow become a Witch and can now turn invisible. The operatives lost her trail."

Pausing, he added with urgency, "We need your mystic skills to assist."

Closing his book with a deliberate motion, Stewart rose and strode toward the exit, saying, "Where did they lose her? Hopefully, she left traces of her aura or other clues. That will make things much simpler."

"Near the boundary of the West Borough and South Bridge District," McConaughey replied, keeping pace with him.

....

At the Intis Embassy in the West Borough, Tand, a Marionettist acting as the envoy's bodyguard, regarded the Sorcerer Bianca with an amused expression. She had come to report covertly.

"Oh? You saw Stewart and the Punisher captain leave in a hurry?" Tand asked, his tone teasing.

Bianca, a former military officer recruited by the late Ambassador Bakerland, nodded earnestly. After her patron's death, her position in the embassy had become precarious, leaving her desperate to attach herself to a powerful figure. Tand had become her chosen target.

"Yes, sir," Bianca replied with measured seriousness, doing her utmost to demonstrate her value—both in competence and allure.

"Were you able to determine where they were headed?" Tand asked after a moment of silent contemplation.

"To West Street at the border of the South Bridge District," Bianca said, seemingly sensing something before responding.

Tand smiled with satisfaction and nodded. "Well done, ma'am. Your abilities have earned my recognition. You no longer need to worry about your position."

Relief spread across Bianca's face as she offered a dazzling smile. "Thank you, Lord Tand."

"Ah, tonight I'm afraid I'll be busy… but tomorrow night, you may visit my quarters," Tand said, patting her shoulder before casually strolling out of the room.

Watching the door close behind him, Bianca pursed her lips and muttered with self-mockery, "Let's hope this will be the last one... Why do all my patrons end up in trouble?

"It was the same at sea, and now it's the same in this embassy…"

....

Above the gray fog, within the ancient, majestic palace, The Fool Klein stared at the fake persona of The World seated at the far end of the long bronze table and smiled.

"Welcome back, Mr. World."

"Thank you for your blessings, esteemed Fool," The World replied with a bow.

Klein was about to enjoy this playful interaction when the crimson star corresponding to Little Sun suddenly expanded, releasing radiant light that condensed into a humanoid silhouette. A fraction of the gray fog's power was subtly stirred, rippling like flowing water.

Seeing this, Klein exhaled in relief. This indicated that Little Sun had already dealt with the relatively dangerous preparatory tasks. Only the final stage remained—handling the interrogation.

Familiar with this process, Klein dismissed The World's illusion, set down the All-Black Eye, and picked up the Black Emperor card. He began the process of invoking angelic blessings.

Once the ritual concluded and success was confirmed, Klein massaged his temples, enveloped himself in spirituality, and descended back to reality.

Without bothering to eat, he dressed swiftly, donned his hat, grabbed his cane, and stepped out the door—he had not forgotten Miss Hazel's invitation to meet at the Harvest Church that evening.

...

Aboard the Golden Dream, Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina Edwards paused her reading of Glimpses Beyond the Spirit World. Resting the book, she began to recover the spirituality she had quickly expended while reading.

After a moment, she turned toward Ebner, who stood nearby, and asked pensively, "Do you think Emperor Roselle could truly have been one of the Seven Lights of the Spirit World?"

No, he wasn't… According to Klein, he might qualify as a 'Green Light' at most…