Lord of Mysteries:Fire of Destruction

With the voice of the Scarlet Monarch as a guide, Serena was finally able to complete the whole sentence.

Although she didn't understand anything she said, the reaction it caused was something she did understand.

The orange flames of the red candles flickered briefly before starting to burn white as they rose several meters into the air. Barely crossing the 2 meters, they curved and came together at a single point, forming a door of white flames.

From this door, yellowish smoke began to emerge as a scene formed within the fire.

A majestic city rose above the horizon, covered by that same smoke. Soldiers made of pure fire walked through it, faithfully patrolling.

Above this city, resting on the clouds, was the figure of the Scarlet Monarch, in His armor of black and bloody metal, looking down at her with a small smile.

"Perhaps you'd like to step back a little."

His lips hadn't even moved, but His voice still reached her mind.

Serena nodded and took five steps backward. As soon as she did that, she saw several objects approaching the door at high speed.

In the blink of an eye, a small pot appeared in front of the altar where she had been sitting a moment ago, along with several containers, vials, and small cloth bags. At some point, the flame door had closed, and the candles had gone out.

"Do you remember how Adryan showed you how to prepare the potion?"

"I do. I even practiced with some ingredients while I was cooking."

"... That's one way to do it." The Monarch said, "I'll guide you through the ingredients to prepare it..."

Contrary to her expectations, Serena saw a long list forming in her mind, along with images of what each vial contained.

The list... No, it was better to call it the formula. It was as if the formula for the potion had always been in her head.

"That will only last a little while so I recommend you get moving."

As soon as she heard those words, the woman's hands had already moved to the nearest vial with the holy water and she had poured into the bowl. 30 milliliters exactly.

After that, she took one of the bags and poured in the 10 grams of pure silver and the 10 olive leaves.

Taking the last bag she had, Serena slowed considerably. Calmly, she opened it and carefully removed a long, pure white hair.

It was quite long, and despite having been in a bag, it retained its silkiness and beautiful white color.

The mere fact of touching it blurred her vision. Grief suddenly hit her, and Serena wanted to cry for the animal.

But shaking the effects of the hair, she began to pull out the white hairs one by one, continuing until she had 20.

Once the last hairs had been placed in the holy water, it quickly began to 'bleed,' turning the clear water a brilliant crimson red.

Knowing that this was the critical point of the potion, Serena grabbed one of the last two containers and opened it.

Immediately, she began to sob at the sight of the White Stag's ears. They were beautiful ears, covered in white hair, with something like fluff inside them. A small sample of the beauty of the animal from which they came.

This time, she couldn't help crying.

That something so pure had died for this pained her to the depths of her being. But, closing her heart, she threw the fluffy little ears into the pot.

She did this by simply turning the container over the pot, not believing she had enough strength to touch it.

Poof!

When the ears made contact with the 'blood' inside, a dense cloud of black smoke was released and dispersed within a few seconds of being in the air. The blood in the pot had now turned a dark blue, with some white flashes in it.

Following this, Serena opened the last vial of the batch. Inside, a somewhat viscous black liquid was stirring disgustingly.

Holding back a scream at the sour smell, the woman held her nose and poured the entire liquid inside.

Fush...

One last gray cloud emerged from the pot, which, like the previous one, dissipated a few seconds after it was in the air.

What remained inside the pot was a pure, crystalline light blue liquid. It seemed pure and exhibited a clean aura that calmed her soul.

Serena looked at the result in wonder.

"This is the Secret Supliccant potion? It's... Beautiful." Licking her lips, she carefully picked up the pot.

It wasn't very big, enough to make broth for one person without them asking for seconds. So she could also use it as a cup.

"Once you have consumed the potion, I want you to go into cogitation immediately. As soon as you have taken the last sip, do it. I will be watching you, and I will make sure nothing happens."

With a subtle nod, Serena grabbed the sides of the pot and lifted it so that it was in front of her face.

"Yes, my Lord."

With those last words and a deep breath, Serena raised the 'cup' and brought it to her lips.

Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!

Just as the potion looked, the liquid going down her throat was revitalizing and extremely refreshing, like drinking a glass of cold water on a hot summer day.

Before she knew it, all that crystalline liquid was consumed.

Seeing this, Serena quickly closed her eyes and began to enter a state of cogitation.

"Ghru... ha..." Groans escaped her lips, as well as some saliva.

The murmurs that her savior had mentioned had finally arrived, but they were not mere murmurs. They were powerful and stunning howls, demanding that she listen to them.

They seemed like hammer blows to her brain and spirit. More saliva and a little foam came out of her mouth. Little by little, she was coming out of the delicate state of cogitation that she had achieved.

"Ignore the voices and focus on mine. Nothing else matters."

Like shadows fleeing the light, the powerful howls disappeared as soon as the voice of the Scarlet Monarch rose above them like a beacon in the storm.

In this new calm, Serena did not miss the opportunity and gave her all to enter cogitation.

The veins that were pulsing in her neck and skull slowly vanished. The pain disappeared along with an inexplicable calm within her...

After an unknown time, Serena opened her eyes, which now seemed to have a slight shadow over their irises, becoming darker than normal.

Putting her hand to her head, the now Secret Supplicant blinked slowly.

A decent number of honorific names now inhabited her mind. Although they were all different, almost all of them shared at least the words 'depravity', 'observer' and 'true child'.

She knew that such entities with these names could be considered evil. The knowledge brought on by the potion explained it a little but did not go into depth on the subject...

It was as if it was trying to tempt her into saying them and finding out.

"These names... I mustn't say them, must I?" Looking up, Serena slowly looked around her.

"They are the names pointing to unpleasant existences. If you were to say them, they would also know you and could use the connection you created to corrupt you, infect you, or flood your brain with information.

"Hey. You're more attentive than you think."

"So that's how it is..." Serena murmured slightly before nodding, "Thank you for your kind words, Lord, but I am not worthy of them."

"If you really believe that. There's not much I can do..." The God said illusorily before continuing.

"Now you are a Secret Supplicant, and therefore, I will tell you why Adryan chose this pathway for you..."

At that, her ears seemed to perk up, and she listened much more attentively to the great existence.

"As you said yourself, you can't read or write. You're not very bright, either. Your knowledge of the mystical is also extremely low. Although the potion should have given you a basic understanding of the magic of rituals and sacrifices, you are practically illiterate.

"By using the Secret Supplicant specialty, Adryan planned to solve all those problems by injecting information. Surely you realized it in your promotion, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did." The woman nodded.

Those howls had promised many things as long as she listened to them. Something she was about to do if it weren't for the Monarch.

Seeing that she understood, the God continued.

"On your way to digesting the potion, you will constantly come across names you must not say, along with information being whispered to you by mysterious entities that tempt you to say their honorific names.

"The plan is to use that to our advantage. From now on, whenever you hear those whispers of some existence or have free time, say my honorific name. Slowly but much faster than if you were being taught, I will give you information on everything you will need.

"Rituals, mystical languages, writing, along with occult history. I will give you all that as long as you pray to me."

"A kind of... crash course?" Serena muttered, somewhat dazed.

Could the specialty of a path really be used for something as curious as teaching an illiterate person to learn to read and write in record time?

It sounded too good to be true.

But she didn't express that thought in those words but changed them a little.

"Will it work?"

"Don't underestimate the pathway you're on now, Serena. The Beyonders on that path have a very good memory." The Monarch laughed softly with amusement.

"Why don't we do a little test? Go ahead. Ask a question."

Pressing her lips together, Serena thought for a few moments about the question she wanted to ask.

After about 7 seconds, she asked, "What is-"

"No, no, not like that." The Monarch cut her off, amused, "Pray for that answer..."

Understanding what He was saying, Serena quickly went to her kitchen and quickly searched for a silver knife. Finding one in one of the drawers, she ran to her room and locked the door again.

Once that was done, she closed her eyes and drew her spirituality to the tip of the knife, and walked from corner to corner of the rug where the altar was, creating a wall of spirituality.

How to create a wall of spirituality came with the knowledge brought by the potion. Her method was the same one she had seen her savior use.

With that done, she knelt in front of the altar she had used a moment ago, re-lit the candles, and closed her eyes as she clasped her hands in front of her face in reverence.

"The Scarlet Monarch who burns Depravity; The Calamity forgotten by Time; The Stranger that comes from the Unknown; Your faithful servant prays for your attention; I pray for revelation...

"Please reveal to me the interchangeable paths of the Secret Supplicant Pathway!"

The correct way to 'ask for information' had also been injected into her brain after becoming a Secret Supplicant, along with some basic ancient languages for praying correctly.

Having been asked in the 'correct way,' the candles on the altar flickered for a moment before the Scarlet Monarch's voice echoed in her mind.

"The interchangeable paths of the Secret Supplicant Pathway are the Spectator, Sailor, Reader, and Bard Pathways."

'Spectator... That's the path that Little Jerry is on...' Noticing this, Serena gasped in surprise.

'I didn't think my path had so many options... Although, aren't there a bit too many?'

While the variety was good, she couldn't help thinking it was over the top.

While she was in her serious criticism, she couldn't help but pause momentarily and gasp of surprise and amazement.

Something inside her was reacting!

"My Lord! I feel something melting inside me as you speak! Is this the digestion the Boss was talking about?"

A soft laugh sounded in her mind.

"That is the core of the Secret Supplicant. Don't you think? The name is quite revealing, after all."

'Of course! Secret Supplicant! The core of this path is to supplicate a mysterious existence for information! Perhaps the greater the secret, the faster the potion will digest!'

Serena was illuminated, and a huge smile blossomed on her face.

If she could digest her potion quickly and catch up on her knowledge, she would no longer be useless!

Maybe she could even excel!

Her savior said everyone had to be in Sequence 7 before leaving Lenburg. Maybe if she managed to reach Sequence 6, she would be praised and set as an example!

At such good news, Serena prostrated before the altar and wept in joy.

"Thank you, my Lord! I will make sure to pray to you constantly and faithfully! You will be my only God!"

"Welcome then, Serena Williams." Although she couldn't see it, Serena was sure the Monarch was smiling.

"Just remember what I said..."

"Only to pray to you and for nothing in the world to listen to the other whispers. I remember." Serena said gracefully with a brilliant smile and eyes shining in the shadows.

"Perfect. Then we're ready... Just one more thing.

"Don't tell anyone about your path. Not even the others. This is something that can only stay between Adryan, you, and me."

Her brow furrowed a little. Remembering how she had to act, the woman prostrated herself before the altar.

"Tell me, my Lord. Why is that?"

"Your path is one controlled by an Evil God, the True Creator. If someone discovers your path before the time is right, it would undoubtedly bring trouble for everyone, especially for Adryan."

Serena visibly paled.

'Trouble for Mr. Adryan?!' She was filled with sheer horror, and the woman began to breathe heavily.

She would kill herself before that happened!

Prostrating herself even more profoundly on the floor, her forehead scraped forcefully against the carpet.

"Until the right moment arrives, I will take this secret to the grave if necessary!"

"I hope so..." The Monarch sighed a little, "Also, think of this as a way of acting; a Secret Supplicant must be a secret after all~"

At the amused tone, Serena could only nod, still somewhat pale.

"I will give it my all."

"Then I will be waiting for your prayers. Get some rest today, but if anything happens or whispers appear, do not hesitate to pray, I will come for you."

"By your will!" Serena did not immediately get up from her place; only when the feeling of being 'observed' vanished did she dare to get up.

She calmly cleaned the whole place of the elements, taking down the altar and hiding the materials used. Once she had done that, she undid the wall of spirituality.

Returning to her bed, she lay down and closed her eyes to deal with the spirituality her body had exceeded after the promotion.