Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

South Continent, Gulain City, in the underground wine cellar of the Wall family.

Ebner had just finished grinding out another round of "points" in the Dream Labyrinth Tower and was preparing to take a break before sorting through the questions he'd received for tonight's consultation with "Doctor Strange."

But before he could relax, a sudden surge of deep crimson light engulfed him, leaving him no time to react.

When his vision returned, towering stone pillars came into view. They stood amidst boundless grayish-white mist, supporting a magnificent palace that resembled the dwelling of giants.

Startled, Ebner froze for a second before realizing that he had been summoned above the gray fog by The Fool. He instinctively looked toward the head of the mottled long table.

As expected, seated there was a mysterious figure cloaked in dense gray fog, reclining leisurely against the back of the chair, exuding an aura that seemed to overlook everything in the world.

Of course, this description was something Ebner had memorized from the original novel. In reality, his only thought at this moment was:

"What an incredible showoff!"

Even though he was well aware that Klein was putting on an act, Ebner still cooperatively performed a respectful bow and said, "Honorable The Fool, what instructions do you have for summoning me here?"

The figure enveloped in gray fog let out a low chuckle and replied, "It is my 'Favored One' who seeks your assistance."

As soon as the words were spoken, the hero bandit Black Emperor stepped out from the shadows. He first bowed respectfully to The Fool, then turned to Ebner with a low laugh, "We meet again."

Ebner maintained a calm expression as he watched Klein's performance, though inwardly he couldn't help but critique: Your acting skills have really leveled up… Looks like the live lessons from Mr. Hanged Man at the last Tarot Gathering didn't just benefit me and Little Sun.

Still, no matter what he was thinking, Ebner outwardly responded with enthusiasm, "Thank you for your assistance with 'Judgment' last time. Even at sea, I've heard tales of your heroic exploits as a vigilante."

He paused for a moment before adding curiously, "So, what brings you to me this time?"

What heroic exploits? Are you talking about looting Capim's safe? That wasn't even my doing! Klein silently grumbled but quickly got back on topic, saying directly:

"I've heard that you're an expert in ritual magic. I hope you can help me break a ritual that's currently in progress…

"As payment, I'll assist you in investigating or divining the origin of the Misfortune Crystal without requiring you to give up the notebook written by the Wanderer. Additionally, I'll offer you an extra reward."

As he spoke, Klein materialized an image of the ritual altar from the Aurora Order's basement. Having observed it closely earlier, his recreation was highly accurate, even capturing the "corruption" it radiated with uncanny precision.

As for the promised reward? There was still the corpse of the Demoness in the basement, and her extraordinary characteristics could easily be used to compensate Ebner.

Without needing to give up the notebook? You've already memorized everything in it, haven't you? Ebner muttered internally but kept his expression serious as he carefully examined the conjured altar. His face darkened slightly as he asked, "Is this the Aurora Order's Abyss of Flesh?"

Klein got involved with the Aurora Order? That wasn't in the original storyline… Is this another butterfly effect caused by me?

While Ebner pondered in confusion, Klein, disguised as the Black Emperor, exclaimed with joy, "Exactly! Mr. Tower, you truly are a ritual magic expert!

"Do you know how to disrupt or destroy it?"

Hearing this, Ebner snapped out of his thoughts. He decided not to dwell on deviations from the original plot. After all, he was well aware of the horrifying nature of the Abyss of Flesh. If it wasn't stopped in time, countless lives would be lost.

Without the ability to use his Pure White Eye to cheat remotely, this incident was a true test of Ebner's accumulated knowledge.

Fortunately, after months of studying and exchanging insights with "Vice Admiral Iceberg" Edwina, along with his research into mysticism texts like The Book of Astrology and Elements, Ebner had made significant progress in the field of mysticism. He could now genuinely call himself a Polymath.

His mind raced as he utilized his Analysis ability to simulate various scenarios, combining them with his knowledge. Soon, he came up with a solution—one that only Klein could successfully execute.

After pondering for a few seconds, Ebner broke the silence under Klein's expectant gaze and said, "I have a solution… but it's very challenging."

"What is it?" Klein asked, his voice steady.

Organizing his thoughts, Ebner began to explain while conjuring an image to illustrate his plan:

"Outside the Abyss of Flesh, we can set up another ritual to temporarily 'distort' the sacrificial target of the Abyss of Flesh. The idea is to redirect the 'sacrifice' to a new receiver, who can then terminate the ritual unilaterally.

"The difficulty lies in two key points:

"First, you'll need a high-status item from the Lawyer pathway to serve as the ritual's core. Only with such an item can we hope to distort the ritual, which is aimed at the 'True Creator.'

"Second, the new recipient of the 'sacrifice' must actively cooperate and respond promptly. The effect of the distortion won't last long."

In other words, we can't redirect it to one of the Orthodox Gods? After all, their response mechanisms are more "mechanical" and less direct… Unlike, say, a deity that's always 'online.'

Klein nodded thoughtfully, glancing at Ebner. He couldn't help but feel that Ebner had guessed that his spiritual form was bolstered by the Black Emperor Card, which accounted for his current level of mystery.

"Otherwise, he wouldn't have proposed this method… His description of the Lawyer pathway's high-grade item felt like a deliberate probe toward me."

"No wonder he hasn't requested to see the card, like Justice or The Hanged Man did. He must've had his suspicions long ago."

"I've suspected for a while that he also has a Blasphemy Card. If that's true, with his knowledge of the cards, the moment he saw the spirit body of the Black Emperor, he probably pieced everything together…"

"That said, these so-called difficulties aren't really a problem for me."

Klein, possessing an equally extensive knowledge of mysticism, recognized that the proposed solution was indeed feasible. However, after a few seconds of thought, he cautiously asked, "Are there any other methods?"

"Yes!" Ebner nodded affirmatively and elaborated:

"You can use the power of a demigod—or more accurately, divine power—to forcibly disrupt the ritual. However, the aftermath of such destruction is highly unpredictable. The backlash might even be more catastrophic than letting the ritual run its course...

"To fully suppress the backlash, you'd likely need the intervention of an angel. At best, an ordinary demigod could only mitigate some of the damage."

Having said this, Ebner respectfully glanced at The Fool seated at the head of the table. His meaning was clear—he was suggesting that the Black Emperor request an angel from The Fool.

After all, even Fors had to rely on an angel's protection to block a simple probe. Surely, The Fool wouldn't show favoritism, right? Let's see how you act now… Ebner thought to himself, eagerly anticipating the "performance" that would follow.

But Klein could only feel helpless: If I actually had an angel at my disposal, why would I even need to come to you for help?

Still, the situation was urgent, and further delays might lead to unforeseen complications. Without the mood for theatrics, Klein quickly came to a decision. After a brief pause, he nodded to Ebner and said:

"Thank you for your advice, Mr. Tower. Your reward will be delivered after this matter is resolved… I won't take up any more of your time."

Without waiting for Ebner's response, Klein turned back toward The Fool, bowed deeply to bid farewell, and then vanished.

After Klein disappeared, The Fool turned to Ebner and said in a calm tone, "That will be all."

"He's really treating me like a disposable tool, huh…" Ebner felt a twinge of disappointment but chose to remain silent, assuming Klein's situation was indeed urgent. He rose and respectfully took his leave from The Fool.

Back in the wine cellar of the Wall family, Ebner sat quietly, deep in thought. After a while, he decided not to pull any residents of Gulain City into the dream tonight. Considering Klein was dealing with the Aurora Order, unexpected complications were highly likely. Ebner needed to stay ready to provide support at any moment.

As for how he'd support Klein? Besides offering consultations, he also had a newly acquired high-grade charm that he had recently obtained after some hard work in the Dream Labyrinth Tower.

"This time, I truly used my accumulated knowledge to help Klein resolve the problem… This should count as a relatively successful 'acting' experience, right?"

Muttering to himself, Ebner picked up a book and began reading while quietly waiting for "feedback" to arrive.

...

Backlund, South Bridge District, 6 Rhine Street

In the basement of the Aurora Order's hideout, Klein once again descended through his "mystic connection" with Shoko, appearing as the Black Emperor.

Upon his arrival, the Pleasure Witch Lina approached him with an iron box containing an extraordinary characteristic. She held it up as if seeking recognition and said, "This is the characteristic extracted from the Witch earlier. I collected it for you."

Although both she and Klein had worked together to kill Irene, Lina had no intention of asking for a share of the spoils. After all, Klein had a god backing him, and she still needed his help to resolve the current crisis.

"Leave it for now. We'll talk about it later," Klein said, waving his hand. He quickly laid out the materials he had brought and began recreating the ritual setup that Mr. Tower had demonstrated above the gray fog.

Finally, Klein stepped into the center of the altar. After all, the core of this "distortion" ritual was the Black Emperor Card that he had integrated into his spirit body.

Watching the scene unfold, Lina couldn't hide her amazement. With her knowledge of mysticism, she could barely make out the function of this newly arranged ritual.

"Whoever he consulted for this ritual magic must truly be a master… To come up with such a method..."

"And that mysterious god behind him—the one called 'The Fool'—must have been watching this place all along. Could it be because of Shoko?"

She instinctively glanced at Shoko, who was still dreaming and drooling slightly, and quickly dismissed the thought.

(Chapter End)