Lord of the Mysteries: The Omnipresent Force

Elliot stepped into his rented room, the faint scent of old wood and parchment greeting him. He locked the door behind him, letting the quiet settle over him. The events of the Beyonder gathering swirled in his mind—murmurs of hidden truths, the glint of dangerous items, and the peculiarities of his fellow attendees.

On his desk lay a folded newspaper he had purchased shortly after arriving in this world. The date on the front page had confirmed his suspicions: today was June 28, 1349. It was a date of tremendous importance. It marked the beginning of the Tarot Club, an event tied to Klein Moretti, the transmigrator-turned-Beyonder.

The weight of this realization pressed heavily on Elliot. If his memory of the original story served him correctly, today was the day Klein mistakenly summoned Alger and Audrey to the mysterious Sefirah Castle.

As he mulled over this, a sudden notification from the system interrupted his thoughts.

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NEW QUEST: Gathering of Legends

Join the Tarot Club's first meeting

Reward: +5 Energy

Failure Penalty: None

Countdown: [Time Remaining: 00:02:13]

Do you accept this quest?

[ACCEPT] [DECLINE]

___________________________

Elliot's eyes widened as he read the prompt. The countdown ticked down relentlessly. This was his chance—a way to integrate into the Tarot Club without arousing suspicion. Taking a deep breath, he accepted the quest and focused on his next steps.

When the countdown hit zero, he picked up the silver pen he had acquired at the Beyonder gathering. A new system prompt appeared before him:

___________________________

[System Notification: High-level connection item detected. Would you like to connect to the Sefirah Castle?]

[ACCEPT] [DECLINE]

___________________________

"Yes," he whispered, his voice steady despite the storm of anticipation inside him.

The pen shattered in his hand, transforming into a surge of red light that engulfed him. His vision blurred, and in the next instant, he felt weightless, as though he had been transported to another plane.

When the dizziness subsided, Elliot found himself standing in a vast expanse of gray fog. The atmosphere was dense, pulsating with an otherworldly power. In the distance, he saw three silhouettes standing at a long table. He recognized them immediately by their builds—Klein, Audrey, and Alger.

Elliot's breath hitched. It was surreal, seeing these legendary figures from the story come to life.

"Sir, where is this?"

Audrey and Alger were initially startled by the situation, falling silent in the process. But then they asked in unison.

"What are you planning on doing?"

In response Klein said, "An attempt."

Audrey said, "Sir, is the attempt over? Might you permit our return?"

Acting as if he knew what was happening, Klein replied, "Of course, if you make a formal request, you can return this very moment."

Audrey said, "This is such a wonderful experience… Yes, I have always been hoping that something like this would happen. I mean—I like mysteries and supernatural miracles. No, my main point is—what I mean is that, Sir, what can I do to become a Beyonder?"

Before Klein could respond, the gray fog suddenly started to churn, alarming Elliot, Audrey, and Alger.

In an instant, they saw tall granite pillars rising around them, with a broad dome ceiling covering the sky above them.

The entire structure became grand, spectacular, and magnificent, like a palace of the legendary giants.

Directly below the dome, surrounded by fog, a long bronze table appeared. There were about a dozen high-back chairs on the right and left, placed directly opposite each other. The backs of the chairs shimmered with lights tracing out strange, unknown constellations.

Audrey and Alger sat opposite each other, at the position closest to the host, while Elliot was seated next to Alger.

Audrey whispered, "How fascinating..."

So this is the famed Sefirah Castle. The descriptions don't do it justice.

Suddenly, Alger addressed Audrey.

"Are you from Loen?"

Alger continued, "If you want to become a Beyonder, join the Churches for either the Evernight Goddess, the Lord of Storms, or the God of Steam and Machinery."

He continued to say, "The majority of us will not meet a Beyonder our entire lives. This has caused Churches, and even some clergymen within some of the biggest Churches, to suspect the same. However, I can confidently tell you that Beyonders still exist in courts, tribunals, and execution agencies. They are still fighting against the dangers that grow in the darkness. It is just that their numbers have vastly declined compared to the before and during the Iron Age."

Audrey responded, "Mister, I know about all the things that you mentioned, and other things as well, such as the existence of the Nighthawks, the Mandated Punishers, and the Machinery Hivemind. But I don't want to lose my freedom."

Alger laughed in a low voice and replied vaguely.

"You can't become a Beyonder without sacrifices. If you don't intend to join a church and accept the test, you have to either go to the royal family or one the few aristocratic families with histories that are more than a thousand years old. Otherwise, you can try your luck at searching for one of the evil groups lurking in the shadows."

Puffing her cheeks, Audrey responded, "Are there no other options?"

Elliot interjected, leaning slightly forward. "There are other ways to become a Beyonder. But they require a lot of money. Can you afford it?"

Audrey smiled, "If there is one thing that doesn't worry me, it's money."

Elliot responded, "Very well. You can attend unofficial Beyonder gatherings where people anonymously auction potions, potion formulas, and ingredients. You can also obtain mystical items from such a place—for a price, of course."

Audrey tilted her head slightly, curiosity sparkling in her emerald eyes. "An anonymous gathering... fascinating. And how might one find such a gathering?"

Elliot responded calmly, "They aren't advertised publicly, of course. You would need connections—or perhaps stumble upon one by chance. Though I must warn you, they can be as dangerous as they are intriguing. Not everyone attending has noble intentions."

Audrey nodded thoughtfully, processing the information. Alger, observing their exchange, added in his usual guarded tone, "He's right. Such gatherings are rife with danger. You might encounter people you'd wish you hadn't. And some items sold can curse you if you're not careful."

Audrey shivered slightly but managed a confident smile. "It seems I'll need to tread carefully."

Alger took a good look at Elliot's figure in the gray fog before he began to speak. "In fact, I have two sets of Sequence 9 potion formulas."

Audrey, clearly understanding what he meant by Sequence 9, asked, "Really? Which two sets?"

Alger leaned back slightly and answered in a calm voice.

"As you might already know, for humans to become Beyonders, we can only rely on potions. While the names of the potions came from the 'Blasphemy Slate,' the translations have been continuously passed down through the languages of Jotun, Elvish, Ancient and Modern Hermes, and Ancient Feysac. As a result, they now reflect the changes of the eras. While the names of the potions are not important, the key is whether they can represent the 'core characteristics' of the potions."

"As for the Sequence 9 formulas that I possess, one of them is called the 'Sailor.' It grants excellent balance. You can even walk freely on a ship sailing through a storm as if it were solid ground. You will also gain superior strength and illusory scales hidden beneath your skin. It will make you as difficult to catch and as flexible as a fish in water. Even without any equipment, you could stay underwater for at least ten minutes."

"That sounds great… is it the 'Keepers of the Sea' from the Lord of the Storms?" Audrey asked, her tone a mix of anticipation and verification.

"In ancient times, it was indeed called the 'Keepers of the Sea,'" Alger confirmed. He continued without pause, "The second Sequence 9 formula is called the 'Spectator.' I don't know what it was called in ancient times. It grants an energetic mind and a keen sense of observation. I believe you've seen operas and dramas, so you should understand the meaning of 'spectator.' Like a spectator, you can observe the 'actors' of the world. You will gain insight into everyone's true intentions through their expressions, behaviors, conversations, and body language."

At this moment, Alger emphasized:

"However, you must always remember that, whether it is at an extravagant party or a lively street, the 'Spectator' can only remain a spectator."

Audrey's eyes brightened, and it took her a moment before she responded.

"Why is that so? Okay, that's a question for later. I… I think I like the characteristics of the 'Spectator.' How can I obtain the formula for the 'Spectator'? Or rather, what can I exchange for it?"

Alger seemed prepared for the question and answered quickly.

"The blood of a Ghost Shark. At least 100 milliliters of it."

Audrey nodded excitedly at first, then inquired,

"If I manage to get it—and I mean if—how can I give it to you? And how can I be sure that, after you receive the blood of the Ghost Shark, you will give me the formula, and that the formula will be authentic?"

Alger replied evenly.

"I will give you an address. After I receive the Ghost Shark's blood, I can either mail the formula to you or disclose it here."

"As for assurance, I believe that if this mysterious Sir here is willing to be our witness, we can both be assured."

With that, he turned his attention to Klein, who was still seated in the host's position.

"Your Excellency, since you can bring us together and clearly possess powers beyond our imagination, with your witness, neither of us would dare violate a promise."

Elliot suppressed a smirk as he observed Klein's composed demeanor.

He's really leaning into the role of an enigmatic arbiter. But knowing what I know, it's all a facade—he's probably winging it as much as I am.

"Yes!" Audrey's eyes brightened as she agreed excitedly.

"Your Excellency, please witness our transaction."

At this moment, she realized she had forgotten a very important question, which made her feel a bit impolite. She quickly followed up,

"Your Excellency, how shall we address you?"

Elliot and Alger nodded slightly, turning to Klein and asking in solemn voices,

"Your Excellency, how shall we address you?"

Klein Moretti leaned back, retracted his right hand, clasped his fingers together beneath his chin, and smiled.

"You may address me as…"

He paused for a moment before continuing in a measured voice.

"The Fool."