Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

In a Gothic-style manor on the outskirts of Lynn City, the silver-haired, silver-eyed Lady Helene sat opposite a woman in a pure white gown.

This lady had dazzling golden pupils, a charming, shallow smile playing on her lips, and lustrous, waist-length black hair.

In terms of looks alone, she couldn't compare to Helene opposite her, but the alluring aura she exuded possessed a unique charm.

She was Yarubed Beria, the current patriarch of the Beria family, and also a double-crosser groomed by Adam.

—It's worth noting that the name Yarubed was also a new designation given to her by Roselle after he had tasted the delights of a "succubus."

At this moment, the two ladies were sipping tea, observing a round mirror placed on the table between them.

The mirror displayed the battle at the "Gentle Words" hotel, which was nearing its end.

Seeing "Chesi" transform into a demon and cleave a fleeing "serial killer" with a "lava sword," Yarubed tapped the table with her pale finger and looked across, saying, "'Charm Apostles' are all dead except Herta… Nearly seventy percent of the 'Demons' are dead… Is this what you meant by him knowing his limits?"

"Isn't this what you hoped for?" Helene didn't answer directly, but instead smiled and said, "These Beria family elders usually relied on the Nors family, and even the 'Mother Tree of Desire,' to ignore your commands, didn't they?

"Even this operation targeting Detective Bryan, if it weren't for the 'Devil' characteristic as bait, if the Nors family hadn't also given orders, would they have been so proactive?"

Yarubed was silent for a few seconds before saying, "At least half of the Beyonder characteristics must be left for me… I need them to improve my controlled subordinates."

"I have an agreement with Detective Bryan to split the gains from this evenly. I'll try my best to secure more characteristics for you…" At this point, Helene's goddess-like beautiful face showed a mercenary expression, and her silver pupils were filled with playful amusement as she said, "However, what will you use to redeem them?"

"You traded the cost of stopping me and preventing me from acting for that half of the items, didn't you?" Is it really appropriate to ask me for money again after that? Yarubed felt somewhat speechless, only thinking that the other party resembled a demon more than she did.

"Is there a problem with that?" Lady Helene asked with a smile.

"No problem… it's just that you really don't seem like a vampire…" Yarubed shook her head, then after a moment of hesitation, continued, "Aside from the sulfur mines, all the industries the Beria family has operated in Lynn City for over a hundred years can be yours… Anyway, after this attack, the family can no longer hide in Sivellas… If the official forces target us, those industries will be confiscated sooner or later, so it's better to let you have them cheaply."

The Beria family's demons rarely committed crimes near Lynn; even if someone occasionally couldn't resist, they would target Highlanders, so they had always hidden very well, escaping official notice.

—A large portion of Highlanders would leave their ancestral lands upon reaching adulthood, entering Backlund, Trier, Feysac City, and various prosperous cities and ports in the Northern Continent. Some became laborers, while others became fresh blood for local gangs… In short, no one would pay attention to their disappearances.

"Deal." Lady Helene nodded after a brief estimation. Then, she glanced at the circular mirror, which showed "Chesi" beginning to organize items, and smiled, "It's over. I'll go check now."

Before her words faded, huge illusory bat wings appeared on her back, and then her entire being vanished.

After she left, Yarubed snorted, staring at the circular mirror, murmuring to herself:

"Herta died too… Hmph, that detective has good methods. The ritual he set up was something even I couldn't see through or sense…"

"He even invited Helene… If not for her, I would never have allowed so many 'Apostles' to be killed!"

"At least 'Light' and 'Mirror,' who have no connection to the 'Mother Tree of Desire,' didn't have to die!"

"He even controlled Chesi? What a cunning and lecherous fellow, just like Roselle…"

"But this is also good. If the 'Mother Tree of Desire' turns its attention to him because of this, my pressure here will be significantly reduced…"

"Speaking of Roselle, when will those 'rules' he imposed on me, using that 'Labyrinth' he got from who knows where, finally be lifted?"

"The rule about 'not killing innocent civilians' has caused me countless troubles when cultivating subordinates… Fortunately, this world doesn't lack villains who deserve to die."

.....

In the "classroom" of "Alvin Abraham's Quiz Labyrinth."

Goddess of Wealth… Beyonder pathway from an alien planet… Ebner eagerly used his spirituality to "click" on the flashing text for "detailed content" behind this piece of information, only to see a "paid to view" prompt…

That "Wanderer" senior built this item purely to spite society, didn't he?

Ebner couldn't help but inwardly grumble at this, then he closed the Level 4 authority list, preparing to leave this "Alvin Abraham's Quiz Labyrinth."

—Although the viewing fee "only" required 10,000 gold pounds, which wasn't much for Ebner, who still held over 300,000 in debt claims, now was clearly not a good time to peruse that information.

Next, as the "classroom" door opened by itself, Ebner took a step and found himself back in his hotel room where he had set up the ritual, beside the hot spring pool.

In his hand, he now held a pair of square-framed glasses with pure gold frames, which was the true form of the "Labyrinth."

According to the brief introduction he had just read, with his current Level 4 authority, this item, in addition to its ability to pull enemies from any mirror into the "Quiz Labyrinth," also allowed the holder to perform "mirror jumps," detect the location of high-value items, and other such abilities…

"But the prerequisite is, you must pay!

"As expected of a pathway wielded by an alien planet's Goddess of Wealth, it really is a money-grubber!"

After grumbling to himself, Ebner activated his "Pure White Eye" again and "analyzed" the glasses for a moment. Only after confirming that its abilities and effects matched the description, did he take off his perpetually worn copper-framed glasses and put on the new ones.

Then, just as Ebner was about to use the "ritual" to check on the battle in the hotel, he saw "Charm Apostle" Chesi enter, holding the Magic Mirror in one hand and "Light Apostle" Baruch's scepter with the white orb at its tip in the other.

Using his "Pure White Eye," Ebner easily discovered that an additional "Charm Apostle" characteristic had been integrated into the scepter, and the aura of Orbach, the former Pope of the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, flickered within it, but was highly unstable.

It was likely that after Baruch's death, his characteristic was absorbed by the scepter, and Orbach, who had always relied on Baruch for his existence, transferred his spirit into the scepter.

While contemplating this, Ebner glanced at "Chesi" a few more times, noting that she hadn't suffered any serious injuries, but was once again unclothed due to her earlier "demonization"…

He casually handed her a bathrobe from by the hot spring and then asked:

"What's the situation?"

"Master." "Chesi," controlled by the Magic Mirror , reported while dressing:

"The battle has ended.

"The angelic evil spirit, at the cost of its host's life, heavily wounded 'Death' and 'Slaughter'…

"Their two subordinates betrayed them, killing them, and then massacred each other to seize the characteristics. The final victor was killed by me while trying to escape.

"In short, apart from some 'criminals' and 'serial killers' who saw the unfavorable situation and fled early, only seven or eight 'demons' escaped after paying a significant price…

"I've roughly tidied up the other people's items and characteristics according to your prior instructions and placed them in another room.

"And I've already cleaned up the demon corpses and bloodstains."

Cleaned up? You "ate" them clean, didn't you? Tsk, I didn't expect that while I was delayed in the "Labyrinth" for a bit, the battle here not only ended, but the battlefield was even cleaned up…

Although he thought this, Ebner still praised the Magic Mirror on the surface: "Well done."

"Chesi" immediately bent her eyes upon hearing this, acting somewhat coyly like a little girl…

To make that expression with such a seductive appearance, it really is… Ebner averted his gaze. After simply putting away the ritual setup, he was about to go to the adjacent room to check on Fors and the other two.

But just then, as a beam of moonlight shone through the window into the room, Lady Helene's figure appeared before him.

.....

First Hunt

Above the house at 15 Incense Tree Avenue in Bayam, a scene of Gehrman's first hunt was unfolding.

After a bitter struggle, "Admiral of Blood" Fatherson's flagship first mate, "Iron" Maivity, who was still at a disadvantage, turned his head and saw two bolts of lightning, like bullets, shoot from Klein's dark brown eyes, piercing into his pupils.

He instinctively threw his head back, gritting his teeth, blood seeping from his nostrils, mouth, and ears, mixed with his previously melted skin.

This was the "Spirit Pierce" from the "Interrogator" herded by "Creeping Hunger"!

For "Zombie" Beyonders, whose bodies are like steel, damage to the spiritual body is more effective!

The spiritual attack caused "Iron" Maivity's body to briefly stiffen while simultaneously loosening the shackles of his sanity. Black, stiff hairs grew on his face, his teeth and nails continuously lengthened, and his skin writhed, trying to re-coagulate, fading from dark to pale, like a true, mad "Zombie" craving fresh blood!

Seizing this opportunity, Klein had already closed in, then leaped high. The dagger hilt he had been holding in his hand instantly transformed into a long-handled scythe. With a mere flick, the "Zombie's" armor-like skin was completely torn open, and then its head was severed!

This was the "Blade of Interment," a 5-minute demigod weapon crafted by Ebner.

"Tonight, Gehrman joins the hunt!"

In the moonlight, the young man spoke softly.

He wore a silk top hat, a black trench coat, holding a large scythe in one hand, and his other hand covered by transparent human skin. Illuminated by the clear light, he looked as if he were bearing the massive red moon on his back.