Lord of Mysteries: The New Black Emperor

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Hobert's suggestion left Xio and Fors baffled. Lacking sufficient knowledge about the Beyonders, they couldn't quite grasp the feasibility of Hobert's method.

Hobert continued, "From what I know, this method is incredibly painful and carries a high risk of losing control. So, unless absolutely necessary or if you're entirely confident, don't try it."

The reason he mentioned this method first was to showcase his expertise—essentially, he was bluffing. He added, "The second method is to wait and see—rely on your friend's luck!"

"Luck?" Fors asked, "What do you mean?"

Hobert smiled, "Once you become a Beyonder, your fate undergoes a massive transformation. All your problems will eventually be answered by the arrangement of fate.

"Don't think I'm being superstitious. The field of mysticism is inherently filled with complex and obscure matters."

Fors frowned, unsatisfied with this answer.

Xio asked directly, "Could you be a bit more specific?"

"The curse is a cry for help!" Hobert clarified further. "From what I know, a mysterious entity has recently taken an interest in this plea for help.

"This is your friend's opportunity. Don't try to manipulate fate—just let it unfold naturally."

For Hobert, letting events play out according to the original storyline was most advantageous, as it allowed him to maintain his "omniscient perspective."

Hobert's words managed to quiet both Xio and Fors, leaving them deep in thought.

After a dozen seconds of silence, Fors finally asked, "So, you're saying the best course of action is to do nothing?"

Hobert smiled, "Exactly. Pay close attention to everything around you, and you'll eventually find some hints from fate."

For example, Audrey placing The Fool's honorable name in Viscount Glaint's library. And, um, Audrey placing The Fool's honorable name in Viscount Glaint's library again.

Hobert added, "Perhaps, when things seem most uncontrollable, that's when fate is about to shift."

Xio scratched her head, "Hobert, is fate really that magical?"

Hobert shrugged, "The fate of a Beyonder is indeed that magical. Alright, I hope you won't worry too much about fate's arrangement. For us 'low-sequence' Beyonders, we can only accept the arrangement of fate.

"The more you dwell on it, the more fate fluctuates—and it just causes unnecessary trouble."

It was only then that Xio and Fors realized that Hobert seemed to be talking about some advanced mysticism knowledge they had never heard of or thought about before.

However, it felt like Hobert had only described a portion of this mysticism knowledge—they hadn't seen the whole picture.

Hobert asked, "Are you satisfied with my answer?"

"Very satisfied," Fors quickly replied. "This has given our friend a lot of insights. At the very least, she now understands the source of the curse and won't feel so lost and confused anymore."

Hobert nodded, "Now, let's talk about the next steps. Last week, while working on a case, I came across a villager who seemed to be a Beyonder.

"I'm curious where he got his potion formula from, so I want to investigate."

Seeing the puzzled looks on Xio and Fors' faces, Hobert smiled and explained, "Let me give you both some free knowledge.

"The Beyonder characteristics within the three of us can be traced back to the Fourth Epoch. Following the historical threads, the potion formulas for those on Xio's Pathway are primarily held by the royal families of Loen and the Feynapotter Kingdom.

"The potion formulas for Fors' Pathway are mainly controlled by the Theosophy Order and the Abraham family, or Beyonders associated with them.

"I suspect that after the disappearance of Abraham's ancestors in the Fourth Epoch, the family suffered attacks from other factions, causing significant losses without a powerful protector.

"The Theosophy Order, which formed in the early Fifth Epoch, likely obtained the Beyonder characteristics and potion formulas of the 'Apprentice' Pathway from their plunder of the Abraham family.

"As for the Beyonder characteristics of my own Pathway, they should theoretically be in the hands of three or four Beyonder families, but the historical threads became unclear after the War of the Four Emperors.

"Does that make sense?"

Xio nodded repeatedly, but from her expression, it was clear she didn't fully understand.

After some thought, Fors said, "So, if we trace the factions that control most of the Beyonders on our respective Pathways, we could use that as a clue to obtain the next potion formula!"

Her eyes lit up, "Mr. Hobert, the information you've shared is incredibly valuable to us! Is this really free?"

She had been unable to find the Trickmaster potion formula at the Beyonder gatherings and was almost ready to give up. But Hobert's words today gave her new hope.

Hobert smiled, "Of course it's free. Do you think I was joking when I said that, by forming the 'Justice League,' we're here to support each other?"

Wake up, girl. Free things are often the most expensive. Now that you know where to find the potion formula, won't you want to know more about the Theosophy Order? Will you need to take action? Can you and Xio obtain the formula on your own?

And if not, will you seek help?

Heh, Hobert realized today that he was quite the marketing genius.

Xio, finally understanding, let out a belated "Oh."

Hobert continued, "The villager I mentioned, who seems to be a Beyonder, appears to be on the same Sequence as me, so I'm curious about the source of his potion formula."

Xio asked, "When do we take action?"

Hobert glanced at his pocket watch, "It's not even 9:30 yet. Let's each make preparations, and how about we meet at Backlund Bridge at 1 p.m.?"

"Sounds good."

After seeing Xio and Fors off, Hobert returned to his rented room and summoned the "Spirit Medium Necklace" from the Nation of Disorder.

This time, Hobert held the initiative, unlike the previous investigation, where the clues vanished quickly, leaving no time to prepare. Now that he had time, he was determined to bring his best equipment, just in case there was a need for spiritual communication.

After putting on the necklace, Hobert activated Spirit Vision, and the world before him changed entirely. Everything became a misty gray, with only the living beings outside on the street still colored.

He envied those with high spiritual intuition, as they could see a person's health and general emotional state just by using Spirit Vision.

Shutting off Spirit Vision, Hobert gave in to his cautious side, deciding to leave early so as not to be late for the agreed meeting time. After having lunch at his law office, he took a carriage to Backlund Bridge.

As expected, Fors had managed to pull herself out of the embrace of her armchair to join her friend for the action.

Thus, the three young people took a rented carriage and headed to the outskirts of Backlund.