Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

In the dreamscape version of Tingen City, within a dimly lit room, "Corpse Collector" Frye, "Sleepless" Royale Reideen, and "Midnight Poet" Seeka Teown lay unconscious on the floor. The sealed artifact under Seeka's charge, the "Mutated Sun Brooch," was now in Sharon's hands.

She carefully examined the sealed artifact before handing it over to Klein.

Without delay, Klein set up a ritual, recited the incantation, and began crafting his once-reliable trump card: the "Sun Flame Charms."

This time, however, Klein was significantly stronger and more knowledgeable in mysticism than he had been during his time in Tingen. As a result, he successfully crafted three charms before feeling his spirituality nearly drained.

He calmly inspected the three Sun Flame Charms in his hands.

The golden hue on their surfaces had dulled slightly, the engravings were ancient and intricate, and a warm, soothing sensation seeped through them, flowing into his skin…

Everything seemed identical to the charms he had crafted back in Tingen.

"But I can't shake the feeling that these are fake… This scenario couldn't even simulate the authority of a '0-08,' let alone conjure a real drop of divine blood. So, they're likely just dreamscape props that only work here?"

With this thought, Klein decided to conduct an experiment. After politely excusing himself to Sharon, he brought the Mutated Sun Brooch and one of the charms into the washroom.

Then, leaving the other two charms behind, he ascended to the Gray Fog with the brooch and single charm in hand.

The moment he entered the ancient palace above the Gray Fog, Klein sharply noticed the energies within both the charm and the sealed artifact rapidly dissipating. Within just one or two seconds, the items became ordinary objects devoid of any mystical power. Shortly after, their very existence grew unstable, as if they could vanish at any moment.

This feels familiar… Right! The "Ninth Law" charm Mr. Tower gave me behaved similarly, except its energy dissipated more slowly… Klein pondered. Could Mr. Tower also be a climber of the Dream Labyrinth Tower? But how did he manage to bring items out of the scenarios and keep them stable for three minutes?

Since Klein and Sharon had gained access to the tower through Linster's unauthorized methods, they lacked many of the permissions regular climbers enjoyed. As a result, Klein remained unaware of the tower's point system and the ability to exchange points for items.

I suppose it makes sense. If we could exchange points for escape charms, Linster's painstakingly orchestrated revenge plot would be meaningless.

Hmm, after we clear this level and deal with Linster, I'll have The World find an opportunity to reach out to Mr. Tower… That "Four-Leaf Clover" incident I saw during my dream divinations might indeed stem from one of the Dream Labyrinth Tower's scenarios… I remember stopping my investigation back then due to a dreadful premonition.

While Klein was lost in thought, the strain of depleted spirituality caused a throbbing pain in his temple. Forced to leave the Gray Fog, he returned to the dreamscape reality.

To his surprise, the Mutated Sun Brooch and Sun Flame Charm in his hands reverted to their original state, seemingly regaining their mystical properties as if their earlier decay had been nothing but a dream.

If I stay here too long, I might start confusing dream and reality… Klein rubbed his temples before trudging back to the room. Looking at Sharon, who silently gazed at him, he said, "I'll leave the rest to you…" Then, his legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor, joining the three unconscious Nighthawks in slumber.

Sharon stood silently for a few moments, as if weighing her options. Finally, she placed the Mutated Sun Brooch back in one of the Nighthawks' hands, crouched down, and effortlessly lifted Klein. Without hesitation, she leaped out the window and disappeared into the rainy night at astonishing speed.

....

Southern Continent, South of Pasu Valley, Daniel Valley.

At some point, it had begun to rain. Initially a light drizzle, the rainfall had grown increasingly dense, showing no signs of stopping.

A six-person team trudged through the rain, scouring the valley as if searching for something.

"We've dug up the ground for a mile around, but there's still no sign of the target…" A servant wiped the rain from his face as he reported to a young man standing nearby, also in the rain.

However, after delivering his report, the servant hesitated before adding, "Your Highness, we've been searching here for nearly half a month now. We even checked the lion's lair, but there's still no trace… Are we certain this is the place the military is looking for?"

The young man turned to face him, and the servant clearly saw a pair of narrow, piercing eyes beneath the shimmering water screen shielding the prince from the rain.

This was Prince Monbatten, the youngest child and seventh son of the king, and the younger brother of Prince Edessak. Unlike other members of the Augustus family who followed the "Arbiter" pathway, Monbatten had chosen the path of a "Sailor." However, his specific Sequence remained a mystery to outsiders.

Instead of answering the servant's question, the prince asked, "Irwin, do you know why this place is called Daniel Valley?"

"I've heard it used to be Daniel Lake… but a few hundred years ago, the river flowing through it suddenly changed course, causing the lake to gradually dry up and form this valley," the servant, whose name was Irwin, replied promptly, clearly having done his homework beforehand.

"This place was indeed once called Daniel Lake… but it didn't dry up because the river changed its course. It dried up because the master who created the lake, Daniel, perished!" Prince Monbatten said, scanning his surroundings before speaking.

"Master Daniel?" Irwin, his attendant, found the name familiar but couldn't recall where he had heard it.

"You might've come across his name during ceremonies. After all, the exquisite hydrosols and potions he created are still cherished by many deities," Monbatten said with a faint smile.

"Oh, that Daniel! I always thought the name referred to the Hermes word for 'caring for loved ones,' which is why it earned the favor of the gods. Kind of like how 'Amantha' means 'serenity' in Hermes…" Irwin said with a sudden realization.

"Perhaps Master Daniel did draw inspiration from Hermes when choosing his name. After all, he wasn't from the Northern Continent, so the name must've been adopted later," Monbatten explained. He paused for a moment, then continued before his attendant could press further. "The master was actually the son of a tribal chief here in the Southern Continent. He even joined the Rose School of Thought when it was still dominated by the Temperance Faction. However, after the Chained God gave birth to its progeny and the Indulgence Faction rose to power, he used unknown means to cross the untamed seas—long before any established routes—and traveled to the Northern Continent. He even studied at the universities of Lenburg and published several papers there.

"Later, it seems he discovered something remarkable in the Northern Continent. Fleeing back to the Southern Continent and his homeland, he hid those discoveries here…"

Hearing this, Irwin's face suddenly lit up as he recalled something. He asked in astonishment, "Your Highness, could it be that the item we're carrying is…"

Before he could finish, Prince Monbatten nodded. "That's right. The sealed artifact '1-025' is the legacy left behind by Master Daniel after his death. It also serves as the 'key' to his so-called 'residence.' After extensive investigations by the Ninth Military Intelligence Division, we've determined that his 'residence' is likely hidden somewhere in this valley.

"That's why we didn't hesitate to risk a confrontation with the Church of the Storms and forcibly seized '1-025.'"

"What exactly did Master Daniel discover back then?" Irwin blurted out, only to realize a moment later that his question overstepped his bounds. His voice grew quieter, and he finally lowered his head in apology under the prince's amused gaze. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, I spoke out of turn."

"It's true. That's not something you need to know…" Monbatten remarked. Then, with a meaningful glance at his attendant, he added, "Do you wonder why there are no Beyonders from the Arbiter or Lawyer pathways in our team?"

"Huh?" Irwin's face filled with confusion, but before he could figure it out, the prince gave a resonant order. "Relay everything I just told you to our companions. Now is not the time for complaints. Our comrades in the other teams are risking their lives to cover for us. We must not let their efforts go to waste!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" Irwin straightened up and responded promptly. Though still puzzled, he went off to relay the prince's words to the rest of the team.

Monbatten watched the servant's retreating figure before murmuring to himself, "The trail of the Ghost Empire… Father, is the Black Emperor not enough to shield our family from the calamities to come? Such greed… Would the Seven Gods truly allow this?

"And the responses from the Church of the Storms and the Church of Evernight have been rather strange this time… I clearly…"

....

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Pasu Valley, Jane, who had ventured alone, confronted a spirit guide that was supposed to show her the way. The translucent guide questioned her, "Are you sure this is Daniel Lake? Why do I see nothing here?"

...

To the north of the valley, Xio's squad had just repelled an assault led by a member of the Rose School of Thought commanding local militia forces. Now, amidst the pouring rain, they were regrouping, gathering the scattered soldiers.

"This isn't sustainable…" Princess Vera muttered as she glanced at the faint silhouettes of enemy scouts in the distance. She summoned the guide, Mr. Wall, and instructed, "We'll move south to Daniel Valley. You'll lead the way."

She paused, then turned to the elite squad of Beyonders by her side, adding, "The military has authorized us to retreat there if necessary and regroup with other teams."

Their deliberate and clear direction in marching would serve as a lure, once again drawing the Rose School of Thought's attention.

No one objected to this plan. After all, without proper logistical support, it was impossible to endure the continued harassment of enemy forces.

Meanwhile, Xio reached into her pocket, her fingers tightening around the silver card Ebner had given her.

(End of Chapter)