Lord of Mysteries: Return of the Stars!

"The power of the stars…" Hastur recalled what the Son of Chaos had said.

Order and rules were only part of the Hall of Stars; the stars themselves were its true master.

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The next morning, Hastur went to Backlund University after a long absence, attended two classes with Professor Wayne, and then went to the cafeteria to have lunch with Lecturer Fron.

"I have some matters to deal with recently, so I don't have time to be a legal aid worker for the time being."

"That's really a pity. I will inform them for you."

Lecturer Fron was not too surprised by Hastur's decision. A noble could not possibly focus on being a lawyer, let alone remain a legal aid worker.

After finishing the meal and parting ways with Lecturer Fron, Hastur went to the courthouse and spent the whole afternoon listening there.

At half-past five, when he returned home, Butler Neil greeted him with a worried face.

"This morning, I took some people to tour that estate. It's really too big. Even with ten new hires, it wouldn't be enough. At least twenty people are needed to properly maintain every aspect of the entire estate."

Then, Butler Neil described the general condition of the estate to Hastur.

The area was vast, with three lakes inside the estate alone, one artificial lake in front of the garden and two other lakes behind the house.

There were also a sculpture garden, an art gallery, an amusement park, and a wild forest park.

The main building had at least sixty rooms, not including bathrooms, studies, balconies, kitchens, and other functional rooms.

This was a place specifically designed for hosting grand receptions, large banquets, and garden parties.

Generally, only noble families had the ability to maintain such a large estate.

Hastur listened quietly and soon thought of one question, there must be many valuable collections in such a large estate, right?

Collecting items rich in history and value as family exhibits was a tradition for many great nobles.

Just by taking out a few collectibles, one could probably sell them for at least several thousand or even tens of thousands of pounds, right?

Butler Neil broke his train of thought, saying, "The estate is currently not suitable for receiving guests. Except for some necessities, everything else, including the collections, has been completely emptied. For a noble, that is a very disgraceful matter."

His words were carefully chosen. He didn't say directly that the previous Baron Campbell had gambled away those collections.

"..." Hastur had only one thought in his heart, damn gambling addict!

Such a large fortune, if he had just avoided gambling and risky investments, he could have enjoyed himself for a lifetime without ever running out of money.

"If you want to move in, apart from necessary cleaning and tidying, we also need to replace the missing items in the estate and repair certain places. That will cost quite a lot."

"Will 100 gold pounds be enough?" Hastur asked with a headache.

"Not very respectable," Butler Neil hesitated and replied with this comment.

"...200 gold pounds."

"I will strive to get this matter handled within five days."

"Okay, let's do that first."

Hastur sighed. The compensation for mental distress he had just managed to reclaim from Andrew hadn't even warmed his pocket before it had to be spent again.

The life of a noble truly burns through money like water!

...

April 11th, Tuesday.

Glaint held a small gathering at the villa, and under his urging, Hastur arrived an hour early.

Tonight, the actual attendees were only Glaint, Hastur, Audrey, and Fors.

Originally, Glaint hadn't planned to invite Fors to the gathering, but considering there was only one lady, Audrey, it might have been awkward, so he sent an invitation to Fors as well.

It was also a way to thank Fors for her previous hard work in obtaining the Apothecary potion formula.

"Hastur, I've already prepared all the materials. What should I do next?"

Glaint looked excitedly at the table full of materials in front of him.

"It's very simple. Just mix them together according to the dosage in the formula."

"…Just like that?" Glaint blinked, feeling that it seemed a bit too casual.

This was the beginning of stepping into the Beyonder world, after all. Even if no ceremony was needed, there should be something special about it, right?

Hastur smiled and said, "Sometimes, the extraordinary is just that simple."

"Hastur, you help me prepare it."

Hastur put away his smile and said earnestly, "Glaint, the world of Beyonders is far more dangerous than you imagine. Some things need to be handled by yourself. If you always seek help, it's hard to go far in the World of Beyonders."

"…So I prepare it myself?"

"Yes, I'll guide you from the side."

"Okay."

Glaint took a few deep breaths and slowly began mixing the materials one by one according to the notes in the potion formula, eventually condensing them into a cup of thick green liquid.

Smelling the pungent odor of the potion, Glaint's facial muscles tightened slightly, but under Hastur's watchful gaze, he still drank down the Apothecary potion in one gulp.

"Remember, every time you drink a potion, it's a battle with madness. Suppress the madness, maintain rationality, and try not to be affected by strange phenomena and murmurs…"

Hastur carefully guided Glaint, helping him get through this stage.

As for unlocking spirit vision and other Beyonder techniques, he planned to teach Glaint after a few days of rest.

He had always felt that Glaint had poor talent in mysticism, so it was better to proceed step by step.

As for the acting method and the two Beyonder Laws, he would not tell him but only slowly guide him.

Otherwise, with Glaint's big mouth, he could easily leak this knowledge and bring trouble and danger upon himself.

When the two came out of the secret chamber, Audrey and Fors had already been waiting in the study for over ten minutes.

Although they didn't know each other yet, there was no awkward silence.

"It was me who delayed things." Glaint smiled awkwardly and then introduced Audrey and Fors to each other.

"You've become a Beyonder?"

Fors noticed Glaint's pale face, the cold sweat still on his forehead, and his spiritual power seemingly leaking out, giving her a guess.

Hearing this, Audrey also cast a curious look.

Glaint slightly lifted his chin, unable to hide his smile, and raised his voice: "Yes, I am already a Beyonder, a Sequence 9 Apothecary!"

That desire to show off, Glaint, you're still too young.

Hastur sighed inwardly. If it were him, he would never boast about such things and wouldn't even want others to know he had already become a Beyonder.

Beyonder? Glaint really succeeded!

Audrey was shocked. She too had been pursuing on how to become a Beyonder but had yet to step through the door.

She hadn't expected Glaint to get ahead of her in this matter.

Fors, however, didn't feel much about it, still lazily leaning on the sofa.

Audrey said with some envy, "Glaint, I didn't expect you to take the first step before me."

"All of this is thanks to my good friend, Hastur. He found me the Apothecary potion formula, allowing me to successfully enter the World of Beyonders."

Glaint enthusiastically credited Hastur. Earlier, in a conversation with Maric, Maric had told him to avoid revealing his identity as much as possible, and he naturally complied.

"Is Baron Campbell also a Beyonder?" Audrey's curious eyes fell on Hastur.

Glaint was also curious about this question.

Hastur smiled and said, "I haven't decided which pathway to take yet."

"Didn't you successfully perform a resurrection ritual?"

Audrey became even more curious. She had heard the legendary story about Hastur from Glaint.

"Precisely because I barely survived that ordeal, I dare not casually step onto the Beyonder path."

Hastur said this while tapping lightly four times in front of himself, drawing a crimson moon, and devoutly saying, "Praise the Goddess."

Audrey's heart tightened, puzzled. "Is becoming a Beyonder very dangerous?"

"Yes, even more dangerous than the adventure stories in books, but also more wondrous."

Looking into Audrey's innocent eyes, Hastur added, "If you don't have a certain level of determination, it's better not to step into the World of Beyonders. Living well as a noble is also a very good choice."

"Yes, the World of Beyonders is dangerous and frightening."

Fors had plenty of say on this topic. She had personally experienced more than one life-threatening danger, especially on full moon nights.

"I will think about it carefully." Audrey smiled. "Thank you, Baron Campbell, and Miss Fors, for your advice."

"Don't worry, I will act as a forerunner and open the path for you all." Glaint was clearly getting a little carried away.

Audrey only smiled without speaking.

Compared to Glaint, who always liked to show off his excellence, she preferred to have Baron Campbell as her guide on the Beyonder path.

His manners and knowledge of mysticism were far above Glaint's.

"Miss Audrey, if you don't understand anything about mysticism, you can ask my friend Hastur."

Having shown off his excellence, Glaint decided not to push himself any further and planned to go down to rest for a while; otherwise, his headache would worsen.

Soon, Glaint found an excuse to leave first, leaving Hastur to entertain Audrey and Fors.

"Miss Audrey, what kind of Beyonder do you want to become?" Hastur asked with a smile to avoid an awkward atmosphere.

"Mysterious, powerful, and omnipotent." After saying it, Audrey's face felt a little hot, wondering if that sounded too childish.

"Miss Audrey's idea is very much like my own imagination of the Beyonder." Fors took over the topic.

"Aren't all Beyonders like that?"

"Of course not. Some Beyonder pathways are very cruel. Although they are powerful, their path is filled with heavy bloodshed and slaughter."

"That terrifying?"

"Yes, even more terrifying than the most evil criminals in novels."

Audrey was a little scared by Fors's words and looked at Hastur, seeking clarification.

Hastur smiled and said, "Madness and chaos are indeed common, but there are also relatively good types of Beyonders, such as Apothecaries, who can treat diseases and cure illnesses that ordinary doctors cannot."

"Readers, Lawyers, Seers, these types of Beyonders pursue knowledge, use it to help others, and can even promote the progress of society as a whole."

"It is said that Emperor Roselle was once a Lawyer. Many of the technologies he developed still improve our lives today."

Hastur spoke gently but did not delve deeply, only covering up to the Sequence 9 level.

As for knowledge about the acting method, Beyonder Laws, or about Sequence 5 and above, he wouldn't say a single word.