Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

At No. 15 Minsk Street, Cherwood Borough, Backlund

As Klein "awoke," a biting chill swept over his body. His limbs felt numb, and he couldn't help but shiver uncontrollably.

He had entered the Dream Labyrinth Tower on Wednesday night and spent over two days within the scenario. Now, it was already Saturday at 1 a.m.

"Luckily, I'm already a Sequence 7 Beyonder. Otherwise, two days in that place would've cost me half my life...

"Hiss... I clearly tucked myself in before leaving, so why is it still this cold..."

Grimacing from the cold, Klein persisted in getting up after regaining some warmth. He went to the kitchen, made a pot of tomato oxtail soup, tore some oat bread into it, and ate quickly with a spoon.

After finishing the pot of bread-soaked soup, Klein patted his stomach with satisfaction, feeling revived.

As he prepared to rest a while before heading to the gray fog to summarize Emperor Roselle's Diary murmurs, he suddenly heard a knock on the window.

Turning toward the sound, he saw Miss Sharron, dressed in a black Gothic-style court dress, tapping on the glass with her knuckle.

He instinctively nodded at her. The next moment, her figure appeared directly on the sofa opposite him.

"Weren't we supposed to meet tomorrow? Why are you here so soon?" Klein greeted her with a puzzled expression.

Before leaving the Dream Labyrinth Tower, they had agreed on the meeting time.

Sharron flipped her palm, revealing a vial of potion from seemingly nowhere, which she handed to Klein.

"Spicy potion. It can prevent colds."

As she spoke, she glanced at the fireplace in the living room and, as expected, saw that it wasn't lit.

"You came specifically to deliver this potion?" Klein accepted the vial, feeling warmth bloom in his heart. It reminded him of how his sister Melissa would leave dinner for him when he returned home late from work.

Sharron nodded slightly, then looked at him with her blue eyes and added, "I also want to discuss something with you."

Klein didn't hide his caution. He took out a coin and performed a divination before drinking the potion. Sharron didn't mind; instead, she seemed approving of his prudence.

As the fiery sensation filled his body, Klein set the bottle down and praised, "It's a fine potion." Then he smiled and asked, "You've received the news about the Dream Labyrinth Tower, right?"

"Task failed. Linster's authority has been transferred to us." Sharron's ethereal voice echoed.

"Yes, we only managed to escape the scenario with the help of Mister Fool. That led to our task failure, so we didn't receive the reward we should've gotten and can only share Linster's original authority.

"But our previous entry into the Dream Labyrinth Tower was a special case created by Linster sacrificing himself. That won't work anymore... We need to find a 'Door Between Dream and Reality' to continue ascending the tower."

Recalling the fragmented information he had heard before waking, Klein added, "And I have some clues about that door."

Since it was highly likely that Mister Tower and Miss Judgment were also tower climbers, they must possess at least one Door Between Dream and Reality.

"That place is dangerous," Sharron shook her head.

Due to her fear of the Primordial Moon, she had no desire to venture there again — at least not until she became a demigod, no matter how tempting the tower's rewards were.

"I understand. I won't go back anytime soon either," Klein said.

After all, a magician never performs without preparation. He wouldn't risk it until he fully understood Roselle's situation and the maze tower's secrets.

Moreover, the current rewards from the maze tower wouldn't satisfy his desire for hidden knowledge.

After that, both of them fell silent for a while. Finally, Sharron broke the silence.

"What did you pay?"

"Nothing much, just some contributions I accumulated with Mister Fool," Klein answered with a casual wave. He knew exactly what she was asking.

"How do you gain contributions?" Sharron asked succinctly.

After pondering for a moment, Klein replied, "Mister Fool is collecting Emperor Roselle's Diary."

"Diary..." Sharron's blue eyes flickered briefly before she calmly remarked with a tone of realization, "No wonder that time you requested it as payment."

She then looked seriously at Klein and added, "I'll try to collect them."

Her implication was clear: she'd use Emperor Roselle's Diary to help Klein replenish his contributions with Mister Fool.

Miss, with your current generous posture, I almost can't bear to fleece you... though I wasn't exactly soft when milking Mister Tower either...

Then again, this is fair exchange—Mister Fool did help remove the pollution, so charging a fee is perfectly reasonable.

Thinking this inwardly, Klein was about to politely decline when he saw Sharron's lips part slightly before she closed them again. She then spoke solemnly, "This is my gift of thanks. Don't refuse."

Alright, it's hard to refuse such kindness. Klein accepted her goodwill and, after some thought, asked, "Do you want to learn more about the Tarot Club?"

Of course, he only intended to explain some basics, like the background of Little Sun.

Regarding members' identities, even if he knew, Klein wouldn't casually reveal them. That was not only to protect others but also to protect Sharron and himself.

"Yes," Sharron answered succinctly, her gaze flickering slightly.

.....

On the southern continent, at the edge of Daniel Valley

After placing "suggestions" on Miss Temperance and Mister World, Ebner left the ancient hall above the gray fog and returned to reality.

"So Daniel's real name was Dannet Tinekerr? And he's the younger brother of that messenger lady who loves giving nicknames..."

"I recall in the early Fifth Epoch, after the death of the God of Death, there was a wave of resistance against the Byrn Empire's rule in places like Star Highlands and Paz Valley on the southern continent. Sharron's teacher Renette Tinekerr was the daughter of one of the leaders of those movements... This aligns with what the lion said earlier about Daniel being the son of a tribal chief.

"Maybe in its eyes, all southern powers were just tribes, even though Renette's father later established the Highland Kingdom with the Chained God's support.

"Heh, a daughter as a favored of a deity and a son as a student of a divine incarnation—the Tinekerrfamily must have been incredibly prominent back then!

"Too bad the Chained God was gradually taken over by the Mother Tree of Desire..."

Shaking his head with a sigh, Ebner then noticed that the mysterious aura surrounding the lion and Jane had dissipated, signaling the end of the "hidden question" session.

Jane's pleased expression suggested she had successfully answered the question.

Ebner wanted to ask what the question had been but refrained, as they were still pretending not to know each other.

However, the lion seemed somewhat reluctant to end the exchange. "Knight jumps to C4? So that's a valid interpretation too..."

Was that... chess? Could it be that the Queen of Mysteries trained Jane specifically for this?

As Ebner mulled over this surprising thought, the lion snapped out of its daze. It glanced at Jane, then at Ebner, and finally at Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina standing at a distance. With a playful tone, it asked,

"I can fulfill my promise now and take you to my lair...

"But is it just the little lady going, or are all three of you coming?"