Lord Of The Mysteries: A Slug of Time

I am tired…

The sky was filled with thick, rolling clouds, a dull expanse of gray stretching endlessly above and beyond with small cracks pouring light on to the desolate land.

Towering trees loomed in every direction, their trunks twisted, roots crawling across the soil marking their territory. Their dense canopies rose, interweaving so tightly that only the faintest of rays could breach through. This caused the air to be thick with an earthy tang.

Silence reigned, interrupted only by the occasional whisper of leaves shifting by the faint breeze. Even the small earthly creatures dwelling within the soil or hidden underneath the fallen tree leaves remained unseen, as if hiding.

Hiding from an enormous shadow.

Dwelling within the thick forest, a dark shadow loomed' Its figure enormous; sporting eight legs with short greyish white fur on Its forehead. The God of Miracles—the one who used to be a Subsidiary God under the Annihilation Demonic Wolf Flegrea. 

Kotar.

The demonic wolf's eight legs carried him forward without so much as a sound. "His" thick fur gently moved, moist in certain places. Thorny vines and hanging moss swayed slightly in "His" passing. The damp soil didn't react nor even register "His" traces.

How long have I been running for? The question rang in "His" mind, causing a groan to escape "Him". 

What even happened that day?

After somehow escaping from the battlefield, Kotar immediately prioritised getting as far away from the Chaos of the three races; Demonic Wolves, Mutants, and Sanguines, as possible. Thus, "He" began to move towards the Eastern part of the Continent, the single location where not a single soul took residence in. A place unruled by any race, unexplored and uncharted.

Kotar moved through the forest, having no particular aim other than to get as far away from anything as possible. As "He" moved, followed underneath the soil, the sky, and the spirit world, an enormous number of "His" marionettes, each chanting and praying to "Him" every single moment. This was Kotar's way of keeping track of any possible pursuer through divination wish granting, as well as keeping himself stable. Though, "He" felt "He" could manage without doing the last one, "His" intuition still told "Him" it wouldn't hurt to keep up.

As Kotar walked ahead, suddenly, "He" felt a tug at his soul. In the next moment, his vision was engulfed by a crimson hue. The worst thing was, it wasn't "His" historical projection nor any of "His" disguised marionettes which were all moving through the forest through various means that were affected; instead, it was "His" true body within the historical void!

Alerted, Kotar immediately readied himself for the worst, "His" many legs tensing, "His fangs baring slightly as "He" prepared to strike or flee. But as "His" vision cleared up, what lay ahead of "Him" was a sight beyond all imagination.

A vast expanse of thick, greyish-white fog stretched beyond the horizon, approaching infinity. From a singular point within the greyish infinite expanse, emerged or perhaps diverged, innumerable brightening Door of Lights, completely dissolving the environment. 

Pillars rose, one after the other, enormous in size, they support naught, yet everything. A corridor flashed by Kotar's vision, constantly shifting, ever-changing; it was dark, gloomy, and stretched in all directions.

Kotar could not take a good look at the corridor as "He" felt "His" position constantly changing. "His" spiritual intuition was being triggered repeatedly, alerting "Him" of a danger beyond "His" scope.

Then, everything halted.

Kotar felt "His" position finally settle in a spot, "His" head hanging high, "His" large pupils, upon gaining coherence, immediately constricted. Hung from the ceiling, were frames, innumerable bright frames of Door seemingly fixed at their position. They were each at an adequate distance from each other, casting their illumination on "His" figure as well as the surroundings that "He" had yet to examine.

At a glance, these bright frames may appear suspended in mid air, yet on a closer inspection, one would notice the thin, illusory black lines extending from their surface, and stretching to infinity. They ran parallel and close to each other, forming the pitch black darkness of the sky dotted with the crimson specks-like stars.

Kotar let a deep breath escape "Him". Slowly, "He" turned "His" head, peering at "His" surroundings—at the majestic ancient castle "He" now sat within. It was enormous, as if built for giants towering the skies of the real world. Each pillar stood lofty—intricate reliefs and scriptures framing their surfaces .

Kotar gulped. Every strand of "His" fur rising in alert, as "He" slowly turned around. While doing so, "His" gaze landed on the dark corridors that stretched ahead, often twisting and tangling with each other, forming complex labyrinthine forms.

Then, "His" gaze landed on a lonely figure sitting on the only chair within the centre of the ancient castle. A lone man draped in a black trench coat, with black pants and shoes. A yellow tie hung from his neck, gently resting at his chest, and on his head sat a black tophat. 

His features were concealed by a thick greyish white fog, only revealing his black hair. His head rested in his left arm, which was leaned against the armrest of his chair. His gaze rested on Kotar.

Instinctually the demonic wolf froze. "His" eyes reflected not only the man sitting at "His" chair, but also the innumerable dark black tentacle with mysterious golden engraving on their surface that gently swayed all around him, each a part of him.

Suddenly an image surfaced in "His" mind.

The Annihilation Demonic Wolf. 

His Deceased Master.

You have to be kidding me… At that moment "He" fully came to realise, "He" was standing in front of a Deity, that was perhaps similar to his Master. His successor!? Or master in another form!?

Kotar's breath hitched, fear creaking in, "His" eight legs trembling faintly as a terrifying thought formed in "His" many worms. Could this be the Sefirah Castle's Proxy? After killing the Master, "He" took away "His" authority and divinity? The Unknown deity's gaze bore into "Him", the golden-engraved tentacles swaying gently around him. Kotar was no fool. Provoking a Deity meant death, and Kotar valued survival above all else. His mind raced, calculating, weighing every possible outcome. Running was suicide. Staying felt like a slow unraveling of his very being.

Then the Deity's voice cut through the silence, his voice calm and collected. "You may refer to me as…

"The Fool."

Kotar gulped, laid on all fours, "His" head hanging low as he spoke up.

"As you wish… Forgive me for my impudence, but may I know why my lowly self was brought into your Divine Kingdom." The answer was obvious, and Kotar knew it. Usually at the fall of a deity, it was common for "Their" subsidiary gods to either perish with them or escape and turn to some other Deity that was willing to take them in.

And those that did not do either, would naturally get hunted down and devoured! 

While "He" did not know of it in detail, Kotar had a relative idea of where "His" fellow subsidiary gods might have gone. Assuming they survived, Antigonus and Melantha likely are together and running far away from this continent. Salinger likely turned to the Phoenix ancestor. Amanises, I have no idea… but maybe "She" has allied with Sefirah Castle's Proxy…

As for himself, having opted to run away, it was only natural "He" had expected to be hunted down. Even if Kotar had employed several countermeasures against it, such as usage of Anti-Divination methods, and concealment, getting away from the gaze of a deity was not something "He" could truly accomplish.

But this situation was different than usual. Kotar was still alive, lying down, and having an audience with the very deity, The Fool, that should have instantly devoured "Him". It meant a certain hope, perhaps a chance that his life could be spared; but it could also be a cruel jest

Silence stretched between them, thick and unmoving. The Fool sat unmoving in his chair, his posture relaxed. Kotar did not dare to speak again. "He" knew better. "His" body remained still, his tail curled tightly against his eight legs, his ears flicking ever so slightly, attuned to the silence that swallowed every breath, every thought.

The Fool faintly tilted his head, a motion so minute yet Kotar felt his muscles instinctively tense. The black tentacles wreathed in golden engravings swayed ever so slightly, their movements slow, deliberate.

"The God of Miracle..." The Fool's voice was quiet, calm, yet it rang through the endless corridors, echoing in the entire divine kingdom. "Kotar. Do you have any lingering loyalty to the Annihilation Demonic Wolf?"

Kotar's breath remained steady, though the pounding of "His" heart betrayed "Him". "He" forced himself to think, weighing "His" response, before slowly responding.

""He" has already perished... loyalty wouldn't matter anymore." "He" reflexively gulped saying this. 

The Fool chuckled, "Good answer. Then shall I get to the point…"

The tension in Kotar's limbs did not ease, but the edges of "His" mind sharpened. 

The Fool leaned forward slightly, resting his chin against his knuckles. "Your kind has been annihilated. Your former 'allies" have turned away from you. You stand here, neither hunted nor free—balancing on the edge of an unseen blade. Isn't fate cruel? Or perhaps Misfortune."

Kotar's jaw clenched. Amanises.

"How long do you think you'll be able to survive hiding? The fallacy of the old and bringer of a new era."

A chill ran through Kotar's spine. It was a valid question. Someone as strong as "Him", a former subsidiary god having not turned to any, was bound to face innumerable danger and hunts. If not by Mutant and Sanguine then by other races.

"Your former master fell," The Fool continued, his voice carrying no sorrow nor triumph. ""His" authority was reclaimed, "His" throne destroyed. "His" children faced destruction due to no one but "Him". "His" subsidiary gods now lay scattered, all facing their own paths. Where does yours lead to?"

Kotar's throat felt dry. "Here."

The Fool's gaze bore into him, and for a moment, the castle itself seemed to hold its breath. "One must fall, another shall rise. For one Fool met "His" demise, another took "His" place."

Kotar swallowed. 

"Become an Angel under me. My subsidiary god." The Fool said, his voice unwavering, his decree absolute.

The words struck Kotar like a hammer against glass, shattering every pretense of control "He" thought "He" held. The room around him twisted, the luminous doors above flickered, their white glow pulsing in tandem.

Kotar's claws scraped against the marble floor. "His" survival instincts screamed at "Him", demanding "He" flee somehow. Yet, "His" rational mind held firm. This was not a demand. This was an opportunity. A choice.

To stand alone, drifting through a world that would inevitably erase "Him". Or to kneel, and secure a place where "He" would have a better chance of survival and perhaps thrive.

"His" breath came slowly, measured, as "He" lowered "His" head. Then, with the weight of his fate pressing upon him, Kotar raised his head and bowed further, his nose touching the cold, ancient stone beneath him.

"I, Kotar, submit to The Fool."

The air shifted. The weight pressing against "His" soul did not lessen; if anything, it deepened, curling around him, seeping into "His" very core. The Fool stood, his trench coat swaying, his figure still partially obscured by the endless, greyish white fog. One of the golden-etched tendrils extended forward, drifting toward Kotar.

"Then rise," The Fool uttered.

Kotar obeyed, "His" limbs trembling as "He" lifted "His" head.

In the real world, "His" marionettes stirred, their once silent prayers now resuming; his connection to them had returned.

The Fool now stood a meter away from him. "You are no longer a stray. No longer a remnant of a fallen god. From this moment forward, you are an Angel of my domain. A servant of The Fool."

Kotar exhaled, "His" body steadying, "His" mind sharpening.

"I have nothing for you for now. You may return to the waking world until I summon you again." Kotar was dumbfounded. Before the Demonic Wolf could have uttered a word, his vision was engulfed by a crimson hue.

The Ancient castle dissolved, the thick forest took its place.

Kotar stood rooted at his place in silence, his mouth slightly agape. No mission or anything for me? What am I supposed to do now??

It was then, his mind was suddenly flooded with certain information and a command.

Go to the Northern Continent and reach Tingen?

…

And thus, I have gained my first Angel! Klein let out a sigh, shaking his head. One of many to come. Having an Angel under you is always worth it… unless you are a certain Sun God… He lampooned while giggling to himself. 

Anyways, with Kotar around, I can relay some of my trickier tasks to "Him" in future, as well as strengthen The Fool's Church for whenever that comes. Also, I would now have at least one Angel to flaunt to the Tarot Club… well I would also have a Goddess friend to flaunt to them as well. Klein suddenly realised just how messed up this timeline would be by the time of the Fifth epoch.

But that's a long way, let's not get too far ahead. He tapped the armrest of his chair and let out another sigh. He shifted his attention towards the ancient castle upfront. In a singular moment, Klein's gaze absorbed its entirety—every labyrinthine corridor, every mural and every single tampered object within the place.

This was the fully realised divine kingdom of The Fool.

Realm Of Mysteries.

Indeed. The Divine Kingdom itself represents the authority and idea of a deity. It represents the core symbolism of the very pathway they possess. He slightly adjusted himself in his chair. But due to my connection with the Sefirah Castle, I can imbue its power and authority within the Divine Kingdom to strengthen its symbolism and concept.

Firstly, every object within the Realm of Mysteries is tampered with various effects, making it extremely hard to brute force your way through… well, I'll have to know more about what the Twilight Giant, Tyrant and Red Priest can do…. Anyways, due to the Error and Door Authorities, the castle's layout changes every instance causing the already Labyrinthine design to become even more complex and filled with traps.

Trying to bring physical harm or use all sorts of abilities or Authorities will likely backfire within this Divine Kingdom due to Conceptual Error applied in the place. Essentially, the place itself is equivalent to one large Error and can introduce loopholes in any and all rules and concepts…

Also, due to having been imbued with Sefirah Castle, this Divine Kingdom has the same level of concealment as that of the Darkness Divine Kingdom! Klein smirked. He lifted his hand summoning the ancient copper mottled long table, and the 21 high back chairs around it.

"Good. This shall be the new look of Sefirah Castle… until I get bored of it." He chuckled to himself and let out a deep breath. Lifting his hand, he massaged his temple. 

Now, where to next? Maybe we can head towards the eastern front like Kotar or- Before Klein could proceed further, he suddenly received a message from one of his Avatars spread around the world.

A message that made his eyes widen beyond beliefs.

The fuck you mean literal Beyonder Characteristics are marching towards the Giant King's Court???