Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

"This is the symbol the Demoness of Affliction, Rae, drew in the carriage before her death? I remember it being her last desperate attempt... But who does this symbol truly point to?" Ebner stared at the symbol that appeared before him but had no time to ponder further. He immediately activated a mystic art, signaling Jane and Edwina to swiftly leave the grand hall while discreetly giving Xio a meaningful glance.

In that instant when "1-025" vanished, three pieces of information surged into his mind.

First were fragments of Daniel's memories. Due to their spiritual pollution, "Pure White Eye" had temporarily blocked them. Ebner wasn't in a hurry to review them either. Time was pressing, and the danger required a safer environment—perhaps atop Sefirah Castle during Monday's Tarot Gathering.

Second was information about the so-called "ticket." The "Ghost Empire" turned out to be a colossal ship that constantly traversed the "Mirror World," explaining why it had remained undiscovered for over a millennium.

Those who claimed to have seen it on the Sonia Sea merely caught glimpses of its mirrored reflection in the calm sea surface.

The "ticket" wasn't a tangible item but rather coordinates within the Mirror World accompanied by a periodic schedule. These coordinates served as a "dock" where the Ghost Empire would briefly stop, providing an opportunity for "passengers" to board. The schedule was a formula to calculate the ship's next appearance at the dock.

Third was a warning from Daniel himself, urging the person who sacrificed the "key" to immediately escape through any mirror surrounding the hall, lest they face catastrophe.

As "1-025" disappeared, the entire grand hall trembled violently. The golden pillars shed their outer casings, revealing dark, sticky, and illusory cores.

The red bricks deepened, resembling the hue of a blood moon.

The ceiling and walls shattered, transforming into undulating mirrors—the very "exits" Daniel had mentioned.

Upon seeing Ebner's subtle glance, Xio immediately understood. She lunged forward with her dagger, but Ebner simulated the "Bribery" ability, reducing the blow to near nothing.

Xio solemnly declared, "Bribery is forbidden here!" Then she added decisively, "Violators shall be punished!"

She swung the dagger at Ebner again. He simulated the speed of an undead, retreating rapidly toward a nearby mirror, with Xio in hot pursuit.

Just as both were about to enter the mirror, an unexpected change occurred. The Light Priest Ivan suddenly appeared nearby, lifting his hands as if praising the sun.

Having used the "Ring of Radiance" before, Ebner immediately sensed the familiar fluctuations—the man intended to unleash "Divine Radiance" to block his escape.

Ivan had previously been preoccupied defending the curly-haired young man, entangled with two fanatical vampires. No one had noticed him defeating the vampires and maneuvering into position.

Correction: someone did notice—the lion.

The lion lazily lifted its head, locking eyes with Ivan. The Light Priest suddenly froze, his gaze vacant, before dissolving into an intangible spiritual form that the lion casually devoured with its open mouth.

The lion smacked its lips and grinned at the astonished Ebner, silently mouthing something.

"Couldn't answer the 'Secrecy' question? Then naturally, I had to eat him..." Ebner deciphered the lion's meaning just as he stepped through the mirror.

"It... turned out to be a Beyonder creature at the demigod level?! No wonder it was so familiar with the Prophet ritual, and no wonder it immediately realized that Jane's arrival meant its liberation..."

With astonishment and newfound understanding, Ebner and Xio, who had subtly grazed him with her dagger, both fell into the mirror.

On another side, Edwina, having received Ebner's signal, didn't linger. Even when the "Reaper" Myron shattered her head with a shot, the next second, accompanied by the sound of glass breaking, Edwina reappeared near a mirror exit on the right side of the grand hall. Without a backward glance, she stepped through, leaving Myron unable to catch up.

As for Jane, within mere minutes, the cold-tempered old man she had been facing was already lying on the ground. Even his Beyonder characteristic had been taken by the Wraith Steve and handed over to her.

The iron token left behind by her ancestor, combined with the "Ring of the Death God" obtained from the "Admiral Hell," granted Jane a level of authority over the dead not inferior to that of a Sequence 3 saint. Thus, even when she ordered the old man to let the Wraith possess him and commit suicide, he offered little resistance.

After obtaining the Beyonder characteristic, Jane saw the "moon" formed by the Scarlet Scholar hovering in midair begin to manifest countless bats, swooping toward her. She immediately retrieved a mirror from her bosom, had the Wraith embrace her, and plunged into the reflective surface.

By this time, the tremors within the grand hall had intensified, as though collapse was imminent.

Now without any adversaries, "Reaper" Myron and the dispossessed "Seafarer" Cade quickly rushed toward the two thrones on the third platform. There, they found a golden chest inlaid with various gemstones and agate.

—As they passed by the second platform, Myron instinctively glanced at the spot where the lion had devoured Ivan, only to find the space entirely vacant. It was as though the lion had never existed.

However, the chest was secured with a rune-etched lock that the duo couldn't break open immediately, so they loudly called for the prince, informing him that the target was secured.

Prince Mountbatten, wielding a high-grade charm, temporarily forced back Chief Fate and responded, "Scatter and retreat!"

Then he opened his mouth and began to sing the famous "Light Cavalry Song" from Loen's history.

A fierce gale immediately transformed into formless warhorses, lifting the prince and carrying him toward a mirror on the left.

—Since Xio's previous decree forbade "flying," he had to use this method to escape.

Chief Fate's expression darkened as he finally dispelled the charm's effects. Looking around, he noticed the other Wraith had vanished, likely being pursued by Tracy. The remaining werewolves and undead had been driven mad by the previous moonlight and could barely follow orders.

Only the Scarlet Scholar remained in fighting condition.

"Chase!" Chief Fate wasted no words, leaping into the mirror with the pustule-faced youth.

For a brief moment, the trembling grand hall quieted significantly, save for the occasional howls of a few werewolves and undead.

At that moment, the curly-haired young man, Bass, who had seemingly been ignored by everyone except Ebner, calmly walked up the steps toward the stone platform where "1-025" had vanished.

As he passed by the werewolves, they initially intended to attack him but froze, seemingly forgetting what they were about to do, allowing him to pass unimpeded.

"This grand hall's arrangement seems deliberately targeted at me. Even as it nears collapse and reconnects with reality, it still blocks me from switching to another avatar?

"I don't recall ever meeting Daniel... How curious. For someone so wary of me, how did he even manage it?

"Well then, let's see what you're really up to."

With a faint smirk, the young man pulled a monocle from his pocket and placed it over his right eye.

(End of Chapter)