Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

After finishing his study of the so-called "Privilege," Ebner used the last remaining points from his previous experience grinding the "Escape Charm" to place a couch in the spacious "Rewards Space." He then settled into a comfortable position to receive his Level Five mission rewards.

Soon, he found himself holding an aged parchment scroll and a red-covered diary.

With a sense of anticipation, Ebner unrolled the parchment. As expected, it contained the complete formula for the Mysticism Magister potion he needed:

Main Ingredients:

The heart of an adult Gem Dragon, or the complete brain of a Finkx Lion plus a multicolored Glorious Stone.

Auxiliary Materials:

10 ordinary leaves from a Treant Tutor, 80 milliliters of Finkx Lion blood, One petal each from the five-colored Dragonblood Flower, and 10 milliliters of water from the Fountain of Wisdom in Lunburg.

Ritual: Consume the potion under the gaze of an adult Mind Dragon, or while being "calmed," "intimidated," and "suggested" by a mid- to high-rank Extraordinary of the Spectator pathway, at least a "Dreamwalker."

Ebner's eyes gleamed as he mulled over the multicolored Glorious Stone. He recalled a book he'd read earlier, which mentioned it as an excellent material for "Guardian" type ritual magic. For instance, the grand dome of Almere Palace in the Feysac Empire was encrusted with several of these stones. Unfortunately, dismantling them wasn't an option...

"At least I have a lead," he thought.

Among the auxiliary ingredients, the Treant Tutor's leaves should be easy to obtain; the list of materials provided by "Little Sun" had included them. As for the Finkx Lion's blood and brain, he would need to wait for news from "Admiral of Pale," hoping she could locate them quickly. The Dragonblood Flower petals, though expensive, were relatively common in countries like Lunburg, Masik, and Segar. They frequently appeared in trade markets and shouldn't be difficult to acquire.

The Wisdom Fountain in Lunburg was a well-known feature of the university there. It was rumored that a sip from the fountain could make infants exceptionally intelligent, drawing hordes of young couples with their children every year. Despite repeated debunking of this claim by official newspapers, the frenzy continued unabated.

"That shouldn't be too rare either; I can probably get it through either my teacher or Edwina."

Ebner shifted his gaze to the ritual requirements detailed at the bottom of the parchment. He speculated:

"To consume the potion, I need the assistance of a 'Spectator' pathway Extraordinary who's at least a 'Dreamwalker'?

"At the 'Mysticism Magister' stage, the core ability 'Analysis' begins to directly discern the essence of Extraordinary powers, forming the basis for the development of mysticism. Missteps during this process could trigger the spiritual contamination or divinity embedded in the characteristics.

"When a 'Polymath' consumes the 'Mysticism Magister' potion, there's a high probability of losing control due to the initial passive 'Analysis' of the essence. The spiritual contamination within the characteristic might overwhelm them...

"The 'calming' aspect of the ritual probably addresses this."

He pondered the necessity of "intimidation" and "suggestion" but reached no conclusions. Resolving to consult Miss Judy's mother, Mrs. Closfia, after returning to the Northern Continent, he thought:

"As a demigod of the 'Spectator' pathway familiar with the 'Reader' sequence, she might have guided a 'Polymath' through advancement before."

To locate her, Ebner considered asking around about "Iron Man's" whereabouts. Recently, Captain Dunn and Mrs. Closfia had caused quite a stir in the Loen Kingdom, enough for their names to reach even this remote island.

Setting aside the parchment, Ebner dismissed the option involving the gaze of an adult Mind Dragon for the ritual and instead picked up the red-covered diary to read intently.

---

After spending over ten minutes engrossed in the diary, Ebner closed it with a thoughtful expression.

The diary belonged to a policeman named Bashalov from the Feysac Empire's Indo Harbor. It chronicled bizarre incidents he encountered over his 30-year career, some resolved with the assistance of special task forces, others left unexplained.

While most cases simply enriched Ebner's knowledge, one event from over a decade ago captured his attention.

A fishing boat had been ensnared by a sudden fog at sea and returned to port a week later, with all aboard driven mad. Their incoherent ramblings frequently mentioned a massive skeletal structure—some claimed it was a dragon's remains, others a sea monster, and some believed it was divine retribution for overfishing.

The special task force had investigated the area where the fishermen got lost but found nothing and closed the case without much ado.

On the eve of his retirement, Bashalov heard about another fisherman who went insane after returning from sea. His ravings eerily echoed those of the fishermen from a decade prior. Being alone and without family, his plight drew little attention, and Bashalov, preoccupied with his retirement, simply recorded it in his diary.

"This could be a lead to a complete, demigod-level dragon skeleton!"

---

Backlund, Underground Meeting Room of Saint Wind Cathedral

Former captain of the "Mandated Punisher" squad, Kuhn, looked thoughtfully at Stewart and asked,

"You mean, you want me to coordinate with McConaughey, dispatch a few reliable team members, and arrest the 'Instigator' you're impersonating?

"Are you sure someone within the church would take this opportunity to attack you?"

"Not certain... but I've already reported the plan to the Holy Cathedral and gained Archbishop Kael's support," Stewart replied solemnly. "Regardless of what the 'Aurora Order' or 'Secret Order' intends to do, we need to let them think their scheme has succeeded before they'll act further."

"You bypassed His Excellency the 'Spellsinger of God' and reported directly to the Holy Cathedral?" Kuhn asked with surprise.

"His Excellency the 'Spellsinger of God' has been busy tracking down the mastermind behind Duke Negan's assassination attempt and likely has no time for this minor matter," Stewart answered matter-of-factly.

But reporting is a matter of protocol... Kuhn took a deep breath, feeling that Stewart, an Extraordinary of the "Reader" pathway, was somehow even bolder than he, an "Ocean Songster," whose spirit was partially corrupted.

"Fine, I'll support you... After all, this is the 'Secret Order's' scheme!" Kuhn's voice grew emotional as he spoke.

Stewart casually "soothed" Kuhn with an ability, then said, "When the time comes, investigate the commonalities between those who attack me. This could reveal their connection to the 'Secret Order' or 'Aurora Order.'"

"You don't need to tell me that. McConaughey and his people are experienced 'Mandated Punishers,'" Kuhn said dismissively, before asking with concern, "Is there anything else you need help with? You must be careful; the enemy is likely no weaker than you."

"I understand..." Stewart nodded, hesitating slightly before adding, "There is one other matter I'd like your help with..."

"What is it?" Kuhn asked curiously.

"You have extensive connections in Backlund... Could you find a suitable reason to help my neighbor, Mrs. Felina, move to another neighborhood?" Stewart awkwardly requested.

"And who is she?" Kuhn inquired with a puzzled expression.

"A young widow... She's been plagued by rumors recently and is having a hard time. I want to help her change her environment but don't want her to misunderstand my intentions," Stewart explained with a sigh.

"And how does this concern you?" Kuhn asked, puzzled, but quickly shook his head and said, "Never mind, I won't ask. Since you've brought it up, I'll help you out this once... I'll subtly convey your efforts to her."

"Thank you." Stewart exhaled deeply, feeling that asking for this favor was even more difficult than his schemes against the "Secret Order."

---

Thursday Morning, Viscount Glaint's Study

Audrey sat in a chair, brushing the fur on Susie's head, and said to Fors, who was sipping Almere wine, and Xio, who sat quietly nearby,

"I'm sorry, Fors... I've already given the Roselle manuscripts to Emusia and Emma."

After joining the Tarot Club, Fors seemed unchanged on the surface, maintaining her usual lazy, indifferent demeanor. Yet, certain subtleties in her attitude had shifted significantly. Her occasional signs of melancholy and lack of hope for the future had vanished entirely.

As a "Telepathist," Audrey quietly observed "Magician" Fors's state while congratulating herself on her preparation.

Hearing this, Fors suddenly found the Almere wine tasteless. Her carefully laid plans had fallen apart before they began.

Seated nearby, Xio Derecha, who had fully grasped the emotional states of the other two Tarot members, decided to have a little fun. With a deadpan expression, she asked,

"Are you referring to Miss Emma from Viscount Horatio's family?"

Audrey, who had been feeling quite pleased with herself, suddenly froze. A sense of unease crept in, and she cautiously replied,

"That's right... Xio, do you know her?" I've never heard Emma mention her.

"Ebner is very close with her," Xio replied meaningfully, then turned to Fors and added,

"You could ask Ebner for help. If he steps in, he'll definitely get those manuscripts back for you."

Audrey was momentarily stunned. Thanks to her "Spectator" abilities, she barely managed to maintain her composed smile, though her thoughts were a whirl:

Can it really be like this? That hero detective is close with another girl, and you're not even worried? You want him to help retrieve manuscripts for you?

What exactly is your relationship with that hero detective... Why does this feel so confusing?

(End of chapter)