HPxLOTM: A Wizard's Path to Divinity

"..." 

Fors lightly knocked on Xio's head. "The gold pounds for your Sheriff potion were advanced by Mr. Edward. Stop thinking about scamming him." 

She turned to Edward and gave him an apologetic bow. 

"Mr. Edward, I apologize on behalf of Xio." 

"It's fine. I didn't lose anything, after all. Besides, when I'm strong enough one day, I might actually consider trying Xio's plan," Edward said casually. Then, he took out a tri-bladed dagger and handed it back to her. "Here, this is yours." 

Xio took it back, then asked curiously, "Haven't you already taken some kind of potion and gained Beyonder abilities? Why do you still need to buy formulas?" 

"They're for some friends of mine. Otherwise, why would I be buying so many at once?" 

Fors and Xio suddenly understood—that explanation made much more sense. 

Before long, Edward had obtained the Apprentice potion formula along with some auxiliary ingredients. After arranging to return in two days for the main ingredients, he bid them farewell. 

Only after he left did Fors let out a long sigh of relief. She flopped onto the sofa, exhausted. 

"Ahh…I'm so tired~~ This sofa is way too hard. I really miss my old one." 

Just then, Xio's expression turned serious. 

"Fors, you don't seriously believe everything that guy just said, do you?" 

"You were the one who—" 

Fors was stunned at first, then suddenly gasped. "Wait…were you faking it just now?" 

Xio gave her a look of utter disappointment. 

"I've told you so many times—the Beyonder world is dangerous. The more easily you trust people, the worse your end will be." 

"But…what could he possibly want from the two of us? My daily 100-word writing habit, or your one-point-five-meter height?" 

"..." 

"Wait!" 

Fors suddenly sat up in alarm. 

"Did we just move for nothing?" 

"My deposit money!!!" 

———

[Cheap Inn, Cherwood Borough] 

Edward sat on the bed, hesitating as he held the paper crane in his hands. 

"If I just write on it directly, wouldn't that be too obvious? I have no reason to know about this thing in the first place…" 

He recalled that in the original novel, after the doctor received the paper crane, he was able to meet him in a dream. 

"Maybe I should try that too?" 

Placing the paper crane on his pillow, Edward lay down and attempted to sleep. 

Unfortunately, without a Dream Incantation, the more he tried, the more awake he became. In the end, he had to take a sip of Dreamless Sleep Potion before he finally drifted off. 

His last thought before losing consciousness was, I wonder…will Dreamless Sleep Potion make me actually dreamless? 

———

Endless darkness slowly faded away, and Edward found himself standing in a desolate plain. The ground beneath him was made of pitch-black stone, completely devoid of grass or vegetation. 

In the centre of this wasteland stood a black spire, towering ominously. Wrapped around it was a massive silver-white serpent—a creature so large that its body coiled around the tower multiple times. 

The serpent had no physical scales, only an intricate array of patterns and symbols etched across its body. These markings interlocked to form a series of rotating wheels, and around each wheel were unique, unknown sigils. 

"So this is the Snake of Mercury…" 

Edward quickly realized something. Unlike the doctor from the original story—who had been in a dreamlike trance—his own consciousness was completely clear. 

"Is this Will Auceptin's special treatment for me?" 

He raised his head, gazing up at the towering black spire. 

What should I say when I go inside? 

Should I just ask directly which pathway to choose? 

At that moment, the silver-white serpent suddenly moved. 

It coiled itself into a tighter spiral, and its ruby-red eyes locked onto Edward with a gaze devoid of emotion. 

Then, in a voice that was neither male nor female, it spoke: 

"Apologies. I cannot help you make a choice. Perhaps…you should ask someone else." 

"Ask who?" 

CRACK! 

The dream shattered. 

Edward awoke in his bed, the morning light filtering through the window. 

"...Get lost, riddle-spewing cryptic entities!" 

He grumbled as he rubbed his temples, his eyes drifting toward the paper crane. 

Then, almost unconsciously, he muttered, 

"Who exactly am I supposed to ask…?" 

———

[Two Days Later]

Edward successfully obtained the final main ingredient for the Apprentice potion. Meanwhile, Viscount Glaint had helped him rent a small villa on the edge of the Empress Borough. 

Because it was in a remote location, the price was relatively cheaper. The surrounding houses were also unoccupied, making it a rather discreet choice. 

Although it was called a 'small' villa, that was only in comparison to true mansions. 

The house itself had two floors, totalling over 200 square meters—and if the garden was included, the total area approached 400 square meters. 

By any standard, it was a luxurious residence. 

The weekly rent was 3 gold pounds, meaning the annual rent came to 162 gold pounds. 

For an ordinary person, that would be an astronomical sum. 

But for Edward, who had just spent 2000 gold pounds, it barely registered. 

Standing inside the spacious, empty house, Edward took a deep breath. 

"Am I really about to start living the shameless life of a 'rich lady who only eats, sleeps, and spends money'?" 

No! Edward, you are someone who can travel between two worlds! 

How could he allow himself to become complacent? 

"I need to make money! I need to become independent!" 

Just then, Susie trotted into the villa, her fluffy tail wagging. She carried a cloth pouch in her mouth and set it on the floor. 

Then, vibrating the air around her, she spoke: 

"There are 1000 gold pounds inside. Audrey asked me to deliver it to you." 

"…" 

Edward struggled for three seconds. 

Then, he gave up. 

Fine! If I have to be shameless, then so be it! 

As he resigned himself to his fate, Susie continued, 

"Audrey also said that her home is safe now. You can go visit her anytime, using the method that only you two know." 

"Got it. Thanks, Susie." 

Satisfied, Susie picked up a piece of dried chicken meat and trotted happily away. 

Edward, meanwhile, understood Audrey's message very clearly. 

The "method only they knew"—was Apparition. 

By sending this message specifically through Susie, Audrey was making one thing clear— 

She had something important to discuss.

Crackle. 

Edward's figure twisted and warped before appearing in Audrey's "new room." 

Audrey was sitting upright on the sofa, clearly having waited for some time. Today, she wore a relatively simple light blue dress and a soft hat with a ribbon tied around her fair neck, giving her a rather adorable appearance. 

"You're here!" 

She eagerly pulled out the three pages of Emperor Roselle's diary, her emerald-green eyes sparkling. "Hurry and take a look at what these pages say. Next time I visit, I must learn this language!" 

By then, even the great Fool would have no advantage over her. 

Sorry, Zhou Mingrui. 

Edward didn't forget to cast a Muggle-Repelling Charm around the room before quickly scanning through the diary pages: 

"November 3rd, Matilda is three months pregnant..." 

"November 8th, Archbishop Van Estin came to me for help..." 

"November 9th, So there are such secrets hidden within the Sequence pathways..." 

"April 9th, The Church of Eternal Blazing Sun, the Church of the Lord of Storms, and the Church of Knowledge and Wisdom have a hostile relationship, constantly at odds. Meanwhile, The Church of Evernight Goddess and Church of the God of Combat of the Feysac Empire are also irreconcilable enemies..." 

"April 13th, I attended that ancient gathering..." 

Edward recognized these diary pages from the original novel.

He pondered for a moment before explaining, "These three pages should be records from two different periods. The first two pages mention Roselle's daily life, but there's also an important piece of information—once someone reaches Sequence 5, they can switch to one or two corresponding Sequence pathways. For example, the Sleepless Pathway and the Corpse Collector Pathway! The Mystery Pryer pathway and the Savent pathway." 

Audrey was shocked. 

"You can switch pathways?" This contradicted the "common knowledge" she had previously learned. 

"But the diary also says it's only possible for specific pathways. And if you take the wrong potion, even if you survive, you'll at best end up half-insane and will never be able to advance further." 

Edward pulled out the last page. "This page mentions the hostile relationships between the major churches—The Church of Eternal Blazing Sun, the Church of the Lord of Storms, and the Church of Knowledge and Wisdom all despise one another, while the Church of Evernight Goddess and Church of the God of Combat are outright enemies." 

"Why is that?" 

"No idea." Edward shrugged. "And then there's Roselle's note about attending an ancient gathering. The attendees were all legendary figures, and what's more, that gathering possessed an object on par with a god. But I'm not sure if telling you more would bring some kind of danger. Just knowing this much should be enough." 

"My god, what was that gathering?" Audrey covered her mouth in astonishment, already wondering—could the Tarot Club someday reach that level? 

"It doesn't say. That's all the useful information." 

Edward reflected for a moment. Whether it was the church conflicts or the ancient gathering, his memory of these events was incomplete, which meant they were details so dangerous that simply knowing them could be risky. 

Audrey sighed in disappointment, resting her chin on her hand. "Ugh, it's like I learned something, but at the same time, I know nothing." 

"Well, it's only three pages." 

"True." She quickly regained her lively demeanour. "Edward, have you decided on your pathway yet?" 

"Not yet. The problem is, I don't know what criteria I should use to make my choice." Edward joked, "Maybe I'll just draw lots. In a way, that'd be like letting a deity choose for me." 

Audrey immediately grew serious. "Or it could be an evil god misleading you! If you truly want a divine choice, you should seek a great and righteous god—like the Evernight Goddess." 

And The Fool, she added silently in her heart. 

At that moment, Edward had a revelation. 

"You're right! I can ask a god for guidance!" 

"Ah! You're really going to the Church of Evernight?" 

"No, I have a better option." 

He smiled—he had a strong suspicion about who the "someone else" the Mercury Snake had referred to was! 

"I'm going to Tingen City!" 

———

Sunday afternoon. 

Klein didn't head straight to the Blackthorn Security Company. Instead, he planned to spend two hours at the Divination Club. He could feel that he was very close to fully digesting the Seer potion. 

Over the past few weeks, his reputation in the "divination industry" had been growing. Sometimes, he would receive more than a dozen clients in a single afternoon, and despite only coming twice a week, his income was still quite good. 

"Ah, but I regret talking too big when I first started," Klein sighed to himself. "I built up my reputation too perfectly, and now I can't just raise my divination fees whenever I want." 

Just after sending off Elizabeth, who seemed to be haunted by a ghost, Klein prepared to leave for Blackthorn when the club's receptionist, the elegant Angelica, knocked on his door. 

"Mr. Moretti, another client has requested a divination." 

Klein picked up his silk top hat. "Apologies, but I have urgent business to attend to. Perhaps another time." 

"Hmm, this client seems…quite generous." 

Klein chuckled. 

"You know I don't place too much value on money. Otherwise, I wouldn't have set my prices so low. Please convey my apologies to them." 

Angelica pulled out a banknote. "They gave me a 1 gold pound tip." 

She deliberately emphasized the words "1 gold pound." 

"Cough cough." 

Silently, Klein placed his hat back down. 

With a warm and professional smile, he said, 

"Which room does the client prefer?"

———

[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.