Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

On Friday morning, as the first rays of sunlight pierced the thick fog over Backlund and streamed into a house near Braveheart Bar, Ebner finally woke from his unconscious state. Checking his pocket watch, he sighed, "Six hours, as expected."

Although the cost was steep, the gains had been substantial. He had activated the Pure White Eye twice last night. The first time, he managed to extract a secondary ingredient for the Sequence 8 "Student of Ratiocination" potion from his Beyonder characteristic. During the second, shorter session, he memorized over a hundred words in Ancient Feysac from his study materials—a highly efficient feat!

Most importantly, Ebner discovered that using the Pure White Eye to read and study significantly accelerated the digestion of his Reader potion. In just a few seconds, he noticed the Beyonder energy overflow from the potion had fully subsided.

"The Reader pathway obviously emphasizes reading to expand knowledge in areas of nature, humanity, and the supernatural, with an aim toward omniscience—a path to becoming omnipotence through understanding everything. Of course, Sequence 9 doesn't come close to such omniscience, but this seems to be the underlying principle of the pathway. It explains why later Sequences, like Student of Ratiocination, Knowledge Keeper, and Polymath, focus on analyzing, interpreting, and replicating diverse knowledge. Given how well the Pure White Eye aligns with this purpose, it makes sense that it aids in potion digestion."

"At this rate, if I keep studying with the Pure White Eye every day, I might finish digesting the Reader potion in two weeks, maybe even advance to Sequence 8 before the Fool arrives."

Just then, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"That must be Kaspars," he thought, checking his watch again.

He got up, dismissed the Spiritual Wall, walked carefully to the door, and opened it.

Surprisingly, no one was there. Ebner blinked, his Pure White Eye flashing briefly, and peered into the distance. Only then did he spot Kaspars on the street two courtyards away. He chuckled to himself. "Is that really necessary? I'm perfectly fine."

After carefully observing Ebner from a distance, Kaspars finally approached, his face serious. "I once saw a man open his door in the middle of the night, only to be devoured by a creature that had once been a Beyonder."

Ebner froze. Before he could respond, Kaspars handed him a holster.

"Here's your revolver—three pounds," Kaspars said flatly.

Ebner's eyes lit up. He quickly counted three pounds from his wallet, handed it over, and took the contents from the holster.

Inside was a silver revolver with a slightly longer barrel and a walnut grip. In a small case beside it, fifty golden bullets were neatly arranged.

Testing the empty revolver, Ebner then loaded five bullets, secured the revolver in the holster on the inside of his coat, and pocketed the remaining bullets.

Kaspars held up the notes to the light to confirm their authenticity before saying, "Our transaction is complete. If you need anything else, you know where to find me at Braveheart Bar."

Ebner nodded, "Thank you for everything. If you ever need assistance, don't hesitate to ask. I'm a Beyonder now, after all."

Kaspars chuckled dryly, "Don't get cocky, kid. Beyonder or not, you're still flesh and blood. Don't let your abilities go to your head."

Ebner recognized the well-intentioned advice and took no offense, silently filing away his promise to return the favor.

After some more small talk, Ebner bade farewell to Kaspars, knowing he had much to do and couldn't linger.

Once Ebner had walked away, a figure appeared from thin air. He was a man with short, tawny hair, wearing a white shirt and brown vest. Smiling at Kaspars, he said, "Seems my presence wasn't needed. Your young friend is quite steady."

Kaspars shook his head. "My worry is that he'll rely too much on his abilities and end up in worse trouble."

The man's face grew serious. "Don't underestimate that young man, Kaspars. I don't know his pathway, but I'm fairly certain he noticed me!"

"Are you sure, Zeryl?" Kaspars asked, surprised.

"Never underestimate a detective's observational skills," Zeryl replied, chuckling. "Though I'm not from the Reader pathway, I saw his tension and wariness from his aura." Checking his watch, he added, "Now that I've seen your friend, I need to get home and prepare breakfast for the kids."

"Still looking after those street urchins?" Kaspars asked with a sidelong glance.

"They make fine assistants for a detective, don't they?" Zeryl replied with a smile.

Kaspars frowned slightly but said nothing more, watching Zeryl disappear again.

…

Meanwhile, back in East Borough, Ebner breathed a sigh of relief. When he opened the door, he had instinctively activated the Pure White Eye for a second, spotting the hidden figure beside Kaspars. He'd been startled but quickly realized that the hidden Beyonder meant no harm and was merely there to help in case of a loss-of-control incident. Only then had he cautiously completed his transaction with Kaspars.

"My Pure White Eye can't yet see spirits, so the man was probably using some illusion rather than being in spirit form. Maybe he's a Trickmaster or Magician with concealing abilities, or perhaps a Swindler skilled in mental interference? These abilities manipulate perception, so maybe the Pure White Eye can reveal or resist such mental effects… I'll need more data to confirm this."

Pondering these questions, Ebner entered the café he'd frequented since crossing over, scanning the room for Xio.

She must still be out investigating… Although Ebner had learned that the so-called "Two-Faced" Rosen had played a role in the ruin of the original owner of his body, he felt no strong personal connection to it. He had inherited the original owner's memories but not his emotions. Someday, he'd make Rosen pay, but for now, there was no rush.

After breakfast, Ebner dropped off his study materials at home and then made his way to the nearest subway station.

The Backlund subway had been around for twenty-five years, initially connecting the two banks of the Tasok River before expanding to other major districts. Despite this, station coverage remained sparse.

The subway was the fastest way to reach Riverside Street in St. George's District, where he was headed for shooting practice.

Once underground, Ebner checked the signboard by the ticket booth:

"Peak hours (7-9 a.m. and 6-8 p.m.) have trains every 10 minutes; otherwise, every 15 minutes. First-class tickets cost 6 pence, second-class 4 pence, and third-class 3 pence. Return fares are 9, 6, and 5 pence respectively. Annual passes are available for first class at 8 pounds and second class at 5 pounds, 10 shillings. No third-class annual pass."

Prices were reasonable, and even if he planned to take the subway daily for shooting practice, he could afford it.

After buying a second-class ticket for 4 pence, he walked to the platform for Line 4, which would take him to St. George's District. He didn't have to wait long before he heard the rumbling sound of a steam train, its massive engine cutting through the glow of the gas lamps as it clanged to a stop.

Its huge, iron form and intricate mechanisms had a distinct beauty, blending machinery with the raw power of steam.

"Now, this is what I call steampunk," Ebner thought, whistling as he boarded. He chuckled, thinking of how Lord of the Mysteries had advertised itself as steampunk but rarely leaned into the aesthetic. Now that he was living it, he could finally feel the power of steam and iron!

Soon after boarding, the steam train clattered and clanked into motion. About ten minutes later, it began to slow down, coming to a gradual stop at the next platform.

As Ebner waited for his stop, he noticed a girl with messy hair and a petite frame enter the carriage. It was Xio Derecha, the future "Judgment" member of the Tarot Club.

"Xio?" Ebner called out in surprise, thinking to himself that perhaps they were more fated than he'd realized. After all, in the four days since he'd arrived in this world, he'd already run into her three times.

Xio spotted him as well and walked over, greeting him as she sat in the seat beside him. "Morning, Ebner. Fancy seeing you here. Where are you headed?"

"Good morning, Miss Xio. I'm on my way to Riverside Street for some shooting practice," Ebner replied, answering her question directly.

"Riverside Street… You don't mean the shooting club at Number 33, do you?" Xio paused before asking, her tone complicated.

"Yes, that's the one! Do you know it? Have you been there?" Ebner's question was halfway out when he noticed a sudden change in her expression. Her face shifted through emotions—nostalgia, confusion, and resentment—all mixed together.

A chill went down his spine. Even if his words had stirred up some old memories for her, as a Sequence 9 "Arbiter," Xio should never lose composure in front of someone she didn't know well. Something wasn't right!

At that moment, Ebner made an immediate decision to activate the Pure White Eye, and he saw a strange black mark swirling on her forehead.

"That place used to be my father's… I played there as a kid…" Xio murmured, seemingly oblivious to her condition as she reminisced about her past.

But when she unconsciously turned her head and her gaze met Ebner's pure white eyes, she gave a shudder and snapped back to her senses.

"Xio, listen to me. Take a moment to calm yourself and clear your mind! I think you've been cursed, and it's probably exploiting your intense emotions!" Seeing the clarity return to her eyes, Ebner rubbed his temples to clear the slight dizziness caused by overusing the Pure White Eye. "We need to get off the train now and find somewhere safe to talk."

As he spoke, he took Xio's hand with one hand, his other hand gripping the revolver in his holster, and together, they stepped off the train onto the platform before it could start moving again.

Though Xio lacked formal mystical knowledge, she had ample experience in these matters. She needed no further explanation, and, with a quick nod, followed Ebner out of the station at a brisk pace.