Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

The grand palace, with its red-tiled floor and gold pillars, slowly opened its massive doors. First to enter were two werewolves covered in thick fur and a grotesque bat-like creature with festering boils all over its body.

They carefully scanned the hall. The bat creature sniffed the air as if trying to catch a scent but found nothing unusual. Once they confirmed no enemies were present, one of the werewolves retreated behind the door.

A few minutes later, a small team of ten members filed in. Leading them was Chief Fate, who had previously killed Colonel Lloyd.

Half a step behind him were two men and a woman, followed by six other Beyonders, including the werewolf who had gone back to report.

Among the men, one was a lean young man with deep brown skin and unsettling red eyes. Despite his otherwise handsome features, patches of swollen, festering wounds marred his face, making him look somewhat repulsive.

The other was an elderly man with white hair and beard, exuding an eerie aura surrounded by deathly energy.

The woman, dressed in a white blouse and beige trousers, was none other than Vice Admiral of Ailment Tracy. However, her expression was peculiar, and a middle-aged man's reflection flickered in her eyes—clearly, she had been possessed by another Wraith from the Rose School.

Out of the six Sequence 5 powerhouses that had entered the labyrinth, they had already lost two.

"Tracy," now under possession, lewdly ran her hands over her own body, letting out a grotesque laugh. "As expected of a Demoness, far better than any woman I've vented on... Fate, are you sure I can't add her to my tribe? She killed Damian just now, shouldn't she pay the price?"

Both the red-eyed youth and the grim elder gave her a look of disgust without responding. Chief Fate, although part of the Indulgence Faction, had no interest in such perversions. He simply replied coldly:

"Sure, as long as you can handle the retribution of a Demoness of Unaging. But don't even think of touching her until we finish the mission. Otherwise..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but his threat was clear. Even if Tracy was merely a legacy of the Temperance Faction, she was still connected to the Rose School. The Saints would never tolerate outsiders laying claim to their people without severe punishment.

Possessed Tracy begrudgingly groped herself one last time before joining the others to hear the bat creature's report.

"My lord... after our investigation, we detected a powerful seal on the first platform of the hall. It seems to require a corresponding item to unlock it," the bat respectfully informed them. Werewolves were not exactly known for their expertise in such matters.

In truth, this "seal" was an extension of the original palace arrangements, cleverly repurposed by Ebner. The real key was needed for the second platform, not the first.

Chief Fate cast a glance at the red-eyed youth and the grim elder, signaling them to verify the findings.

Although a Wraith himself, Chief Fate's hot temper had hindered his ability to study mystical knowledge, leaving him lacking in expertise.

The youth, a Scarlet Scholar, and the elder, a Gatekeeper, were far more knowledgeable in such matters.

Since Chief Fate was a student of a Saint, his status was the highest among the group. Even though the two men were also Sequence 5 Beyonders, they still obeyed his command and approached the seal set up by Ebner. After a moment of observation, both shook their heads, unable to decipher it.

Seeing this, the hot-tempered Chief Fate drew a long sword and struck at the invisible barrier of the seal. The impact merely caused a faint ripple.

"As expected of the arrangement by the Left Hand of God. Even after hundreds of years, it's beyond us to break... We'll have to wait for the Ruen folks to arrive. After all, the key is in their hands," Chief Fate sighed as he sheathed his sword.

The others did not object to this outcome and patiently waited. Only the possessed "Tracy" occasionally teased the ghouls and werewolves following them, laughing coquettishly as they grew restless but forcibly restrained themselves. Her antics continued until Chief Fate reprimanded her once again.

...

Hidden behind the barrier, Ebner wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Chief Fate's slash had nearly broken through his setup and exposed their presence. Although their side had the genuine Sequence 5 Vice Admiral Iceberg, as well as himself and Jane, both with combat abilities not inferior to Sequence 5, they were still at a significant disadvantage compared to the Rose School's forces. Moreover, the lion's stance was unclear, and Ebner had no intention of counting on it to fight desperately for them.

"Two Wraiths, one Scarlet Scholar, one Gatekeeper, four Zombies, two werewolves, and two vampires," the lion muttered, a flash of silver in its eyes before yawning. "That's quite the lineup. Should be enough for you to have a decent fight."

"If we can rescue Tracy, she'll likely join our side," Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina suggested, her pale blue eyes flickering with anger as she watched the Rose School Wraiths humiliate Tracy. Although Edwina was not friends with Tracy, she couldn't bear to see her treated so disgracefully.

"Once the Loen military forces arrive, there will definitely be chaos. That'll be our chance to rescue her and give the Rose School some trouble," Ebner nodded in agreement. He then warned, "That chief's sword possesses the Reaper's ability, capable of delivering deadly attacks. Be very careful."

Edwina solemnly nodded, indicating she would be cautious. Meanwhile, Jane also nodded but subtly directed her gaze toward the Gatekeeper elder, pondering: "The Queen mentioned before my departure that my opportunity to advance to Sequence 5 lies in this mission. Could she have been referring to him?"

At the same time, Ebner, having spiritually sealed the surroundings, quietly prayed to The Fool, relaying the gathered intelligence to Xio.

...

Above the gray fog, Klein pondered after conveying Ebner's information: "Mr. Tower and Miss Judgment are both in Daniel's Labyrinth...

I had previously confirmed that they were both Climbers...

Could this labyrinth be part of the Dream Labyrinth Tower? Are they clearing a trial? But if it's not part of the Dream Labyrinth Tower and is genuinely Daniel's Labyrinth, then Mr. Tower and Miss Judgment sure have a remarkable connection with Liu Bo's remnants.

Hmm... I'll have to subtly probe the Emperor later to find out what was left there and who ultimately obtained it."

...

On Sonia Island, in the Silent Town.

As the sinister black fog engulfed the town, crimson runes emerged on the ground, and overwhelming terror spread across the faces of every resident on Sonia Island.

Standing atop an altar constructed from countless white bones, the Church of the God of Combat's senior deacon, Nyango Iziamai Panin, manipulated by the "Duke of Terror" Adabao, began sacrificing himself and the weapon imbued with the God of Combat's divine power. He offered these as tributes to the "Lord of the Abyss, the symbol of erosion and corruption, the destroyer of vast universes, The Devil Monarch Farbauti," praying for His descent.

At that moment, the Saints of the Feysac military were out on patrol, and the Church of the God of Combat's reinforcements couldn't arrive in time. The stationed soldiers and clergy had already been mentally corrupted by Adabao, turning into his unwitting allies.

It seemed that nothing could prevent the ritual's success.

However, suddenly, a pirate who hadn't been selected among the 666 in the town lifted his shirt, revealing a thin, brownish-yellow puppet embedded in his chest and abdomen.

The puppet appeared to have grown from his body, connected to his internal organs. Its eyes and mouth curved like crescent moons, and its body was adorned with dried flowers and withered grass, radiating an indescribable eeriness.

In an instant, the puppet turned blood-red, as if soaked in fresh blood.

It then visibly softened, transforming into a heap of sludge that led deep into the pirate's entrails.

From the sludge, a black, grotesque arm extended, dripping with viscous liquid. Bizarre forms bulged along its surface—skulls, spiked tongues, and three-dimensional eyes.

"Abomination" Suah!

As this divine offspring appeared, pirates, soldiers, and clergy outside the Silent Town began to mutate. Some hunched over, sprouting gray-black fur, their drooling mouths twisted into grotesque shapes. Others had their skin turn jet-black, becoming as hard as steel. A few collapsed, seemingly lifeless, only to rise again without any visible harm. Some bodies turned transparent and intangible, morphing into shadowy figures.

Merely being exposed to the offspring's aura led to collapse and death for some, while others mutated into werewolves, ghouls, and other Beyonder creatures.

Curiously, the 666 within the town remained unaffected, still bearing that eerie blend of fear and joy on their faces.

On the altar, Panin turned his head to meet Suah's gaze without fear of contamination, grinning, "As expected, you've come!"

Then he looked skyward, his lips curling into a smirk. "As agreed, it's time for you to act."

As soon as his words fell, two elder figures appeared before Suah. One looked plain and unremarkable, with completely white hair, while the other had fiery red hair exuding an aura of iron and blood.

"This isn't a necessary development for the times, Adabao," the red-haired man said after glancing at Panin.

The ordinary-looking elder merely smiled without speaking.

"But it doesn't hinder the development of the times, does it? Besides, this is something the Chairman would be pleased to see," Panin replied with a smile as he continued presiding over the ritual. "Moreover, you owe me one."

"Ten minutes. I'll help for only ten minutes," the red-haired man stated calmly, glancing at the writhing black, sticky mass that formed Suah's body.

"No problem," Adabao replied confidently.

Suddenly, another area nearby became vividly colored, and a pustule-covered monster emerged from it. After surveying the scene, it spoke in a grating voice:

"The Mother Tree's judgment was correct. Paz Valley was merely a diversion. This is your true goal! Demons, you're trying to help Farbauti break free!"

Panin's face remained indifferent, his tone dismissive: "Yes, you're absolutely right. But you can't stop us."

The pus-covered monster let out a hideous laugh, sneering, "Do you think the Mother Tree wouldn't be prepared?"

As soon as the words fell, branches entwined around the monster, tightly binding it. Instead of weakening it, this only made its aura surge even stronger.

The Chained God had transmitted power from afar!

...

Meanwhile, Xio had regrouped with Prince Mountbatten and his team, and together they stepped into the grand palace at the deepest level of the labyrinth.