Lord of Mysteries: The Traveler

Read ahead on my P@treon...

[email protected]/MayaMatengele01

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After carefully comparing the book's contents with the real-world Trier and memorizing the details, Florent finally reached Corson Street.

The long walk home made him feel a little silly for not taking a more convenient route, but since he didn't have much else going on, he decided to treat it as a chance to get to know the streets of Trier better.

Just as Florent was about to unlock the door and step inside the house, he felt a faint ripple in his spiritual senses. He paused, then glanced at the old mailbox, something he had never bothered to use before he transmigrated.

The red mailbox stood there, unassuming. He walked up to it, casually scanning his surroundings before reaching out with his right hand.

If anyone had been watching closely, they would've noticed he wasn't holding a key, just a piece of paper. The mailbox only had one opening, and it was on the front, not the back.

But Florent didn't let that stop him. He pressed the paper against the back of the mailbox and channeled his spiritual energy in a way that ordinary people wouldn't perceive.

His hand phased into the mailbox and effortlessly grabbed the envelope that was inside, but when he tried to pull it back, an awkward situation arose... the envelope couldn't phase through the mailbox.

Unfazed, Florent increased the coverage of his spiritual energy, spreading it over the envelope. This time, he successfully retrieved the envelope.

He was a little surprised but quickly figured it out, "If I can phase through obstacles while wearing clothes, then I should be able to do the same with other objects. It just takes a bit more spiritual energy. I'll make a note of that and test it later."

Nodding to himself, he made a mental note to experiment that night.

Turning back to the front door, he looked at the sturdy lock and smiled slightly. With a subtle shift in his spiritual energy, the lock clicked open on its own, as if an invisible hand had turned the key. It fell away as naturally as a ripe apple dropping from a tree.

As he stepped inside, Florent thought about the abilities of the 'Apprentice' Sequence...

The primary ability was 'Door Opening', which mainly manifested in three ways...

The first was, through the use of the unique traits of the 'Spirit World', an Apprentice could phase through walls and other big obstacles provided they had some sort of door...

This method consumed a significant amount of energy, and covering his entire body would allow him to use it only twice at most. Perhaps digesting the potion would reduce the energy cost, or maybe his spiritual energy might become more abundant.

The second method was to Open a symbolic, incorporeal Door on obstacles, allowing passage. This consumed less spiritual energy, and Florent could currently use it three times, though he couldn't bring others with him.

The final method was to Open any lock which doesn't contain mystical powers, as well as a small number of locks that are reinforced with Beyonder effects.

This application required the least spiritual energy and could be used relatively frequently.

Florent had used the second method to get the envelope and the third to unlock the door.

Beyond this, the 'Apprentice' Sequence gave him a modest boost to his spirituality, slightly better physical fitness, and improved memory.

According to records, an Apprentice's spirituality allowed them open their Spirit Vision, however, they couldn't perceive the health or emotions of a person like a 'Seer' could.

An Apprentice's abilities primarily worked on doors...

The piece of paper Florent had used earlier depicted a lifelike door, a relic passed down through the Abraham family.

The paper was indestructible, but held no extraordinary properties.

On its back was a name written in an unrecognizable yet strangely legible script: ~Gabriel Abraham~ a direct ancestor of the Abraham family who had died during the 'War of the Four Emperors'. In life, he had been an angel.

After locking the door behind him, Florent carried the letter to the study on the second floor. The room was large and empty, illuminated by the crimson moonlight streaming through the windows.

He lit a few candles, filling the space with a warm glow, and sat down at his desk. Using a small knife, he carefully cut through the wax seal on the letter.

Before opening it, Florent recognized the seal... it was the emblem of the Abraham family.

The letter could only have been sent by someone who knew Florent was a member of the Abraham family... that is, the family's representative in Trier, Elder Levi Abraham, who had fully digested the 'Astrologer' potion.

Of course, members of the Abraham family didn't use 'Abraham' as their public surname.

Florent's public surname was Freeman, and his full name was Florent Freeman.

Levi Abraham's public name was Levi Crow, a well-known merchant in Trier who ran the Crow Emporium, a store specializing in exotic goods from foreign lands.

The 'Crow' family had ten merchant caravans that traveled back and forth throughout the Northern Continent. Even in Trier, Levi Crow was considered a wealthy man.

The letter read:

<…A member of the Abraham family in Trier has been discovered. His extraordinary abilities were spotted by what seems to be a member of an orthodox church during a Beyonder gathering...

...Unfortunately, when he tried to escape, some of his letters were discovered. They mentioned he was part of the Abraham family and revealed there are more than ten members of the family in Trier. Now, the orthodox churches and the military are searching everywhere for traces of the family…

…Given the severity of the situation, and to welcome the emergence of our second 'Astrologer' in Trier, I've decided to hold a family gathering on July 8th...

...As a precaution, I will leave certain items for the Abraham family members in Trier to ensure that our local lineage does not weaken to the point of forgetting our ancestors' glory…>

After reading the letter, Florent frowned and leaned back on his chair, pondering its contents...

The letter was indeed from Elder Levi Abraham, the Abraham family's representative in Trier.

Tapping the table lightly with his fingers, Florent reflected on the details of the letter and realized that the situation was more complicated than Levi had let on.

"The mood of the letter appears calm, but compared to Levi's previous correspondence, the handwriting is noticeably more erratic," Florent reasoned, recalling the neatness of Levi's earlier letters.

"If the escaped member only revealed the number of Abraham family members in Trier, there would be no need to call a meeting... a simple letter would suffice..."

"Could Levi's name have been exposed? That's possible, as his identity is known to all Abraham family members in Trier. Alternatively, Levi might be planning to distribute some of the family's resources among the remaining members. That's also a possibility..."

"If that's the case, I might be affected as well. During previous family gatherings, everyone wore iron masks to conceal their faces, but their builds and accents were still apparent. If one member is subjected to spiritual interrogation, my only options would be to flee Trier, leave Intis, and become a fugitive."

Florent pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the weight of the situation.

If the Abraham family in Trier were to be completely eradicated, Florent wouldn't even have a chance to become a demigod, let alone obtain the formulas and materials for Sequence 6 and Sequence 5.

"Strength! If I were already a demigod, I wouldn't need to hide from the orthodox churches' sweep. They wouldn't dare to provoke the Abraham family, a former Angel Family with a demigod, especially since we've been keeping a low profile. It seems the information about the Abraham family's lack of demigods and even Mid-Sequence Beyonders has already leaked."

Recalling that he was still focused on digesting the 'Apprentice' potion, Florent took a deep breath to calm himself and pushed his worries aside. For now, he'd focus on mastering his abilities...