Lord of the Mysteries

As he listened to Will Auceptin’s “tearful complaints,” Klein was at a loss as to how to react. He could only remain expressionless.

After the baby wrapped in silver silk calmed down, he asked in puzzlement, “Even if I said it earlier, it’s useless. When I met you, you were already ‘rebooted.’”

“No, I was still Will Auceptin at that time. I didn’t have Ceres as my last name, I’d “rebooted” for a long time back then.” The chubby baby wiped his tears and said, “Although I’m still quite some time away from becoming an adult, as long as I’m willing to take a certain risk, it’s not impossible to accommodate it. With the luck I’ve accumulated, that risk can be resolved. But, the difference now is just too great. There’s no way to make up for it.”

With a thought, Klein said after some deliberation, “Perhaps you can find an angel from the Marauder pathway to steal time from you, allowing you to grow up faster.”

Will Auceptin was still choking as he shook his head and said, “It’s useless… It’s impossible for ‘Them’ to accurately steal my ‘childhood’ and ‘teenage’ years. If it’s only a matter of time, it won’t allow me to grow. It will only reduce the age I can originally live to… When the time comes, Will Auceptin Ceres will die prematurely, having been born June 1350 and dying October 1350, for a ripe old age of four months…”

“But I’ve seen cases of aging rapidly due to the theft of time,” Klein recalled what he had seen in Amon’s mausoleum.

The chubby baby still shook his head.

“No, that’s just a manifestation of it being symbolized. If it’s used on me, it will just be a baby that starts to grow wrinkles while his hair turns white…

“To truly accurately steal the ‘childhood’ and ‘teenage’ years, it has to be Amon, and it has to be ‘His’ true body in person…”

At this point, the baby wrapped in silver silk and Klein fell silent at the same time. No one spoke for a long time.

If he were to get Amon, the years that were possibly robbed wouldn’t be limited to just the “childhood” and “teenage” years.

After a while, Klein took a deep breath without hiding anything.

Then there’s no need to consider this for now. However, I still want to know where I can find a way to accommodate the Uniqueness. If I have a chance to get it, I definitely can’t miss it. Who knows when it might come in handy in the future.”

Will Auceptin put down his tear-stained palm and sniffed.

“There’s no need to ask others. I’ve already gotten it long ago, but I can’t do it. Otherwise, do you think that me being president of the Life School of Thought was for nothing?”

Klein was surprised and curious. “Why can’t you do it?”

Will Auceptin pulled the blanket in the baby’s pram and said, “There are three ways to accommodate the Uniqueness. One is to be born naturally with it, which is equivalent to being a Uniqueness coming to life and imbuing human nature into it. The other is to make the Uniqueness come to life to a certain extent before forcefully putting it into one’s body. By relying on the power of the Creator to suppress it, it will slowly take quite some time to slowly wear it down before one gets used to it and achieve a balance. The third is to concoct the Uniqueness into an incomplete potion and drink it with a simplified apotheosis ritual.

“There’s no need to mention the first method. This is why those brothers are enviable. The second is impossible after the ancient sun god’s death. The third is the only viable option at the moment, but for the Sequence 1 of the Fate pathway, it depends on the machinations of fate.”

The first point was mentioned in Emperor Roselle’s diary. It was said by Mr. Door… Does the second point mean that, after the ancient sun god wielded so many authorities, he was at least half a level higher than the present true deities, or even one full level? The Creator’s level? As if in thought, Klein asked, “What do you mean by only depending on the machinations of fate? What has this got to do with me saying earlier that I can help you accommodate the Uniqueness?”

Will Auceptin’s chubby baby face revealed a look of poignancy.

“The apotheosis ritual for the Fate pathway might be the simplest, or perhaps it’s the most difficult.

“As long as we find the correct opportunity in the torrent of fate, we can directly consume the potion and attempt to advance.

“But the problem lies in the fact that the exact opportunity cannot be divined or predicted. There’s no way to lock onto it. I can only eliminate certain interferences and patiently search as I experience life. I’ve already ‘rebooted’ countless times and I’ve spent ages, but I still haven’t encountered it…”

At this point, the baby’s tears flowed down again.

It sounds simple, but in fact, one can only rely on fate. It really depends on how “well” you look… With a sigh, Klein asked in enlightenment, “When I said that I would help you accommodate the Uniqueness, did you vaguely grasp that opportunity?”

The chubby baby cried even harder.

“Although I didn’t really find it… I did sense it to a certain extent…”

…Is that so… Back then, when Will Auceptin came into contact with me, other than hoping to receive the help of Yesterday Once More, was it also pushed by luck? What a charlatan… Klein tersely acknowledged.

“Then there’s no other way…”

“You can only give me a few more of those charms!” Will Auceptin nodded heavily.

“Alright,” replied Klein generously. He then added, “You have to give me a few paper cranes.”

With that said, the baby wrapped in silver silk and Klein fell silent.

In the rental apartment, after waking up from his dream, Klein got out of bed and walked to the room outside. He took out pen and paper and began to write to Leonard:

“…I obtained charms that originate from High-Sequence Beyonders of the Seer pathway. It allows someone to borrow power from their former selves…”

Klein didn’t mention that it might be something his dear poet needed, as if he was simply describing it.

After folding the letter, he took out a gold coin and a rectangular diamond-like charm and blew into the adventurer’s harmonica.

Reinette Tinekerr, who was wearing a dark and complicated long dress, walked out of the void with four blonde, redeyed heads in hand. All eyes were cast towards the Yesterday Once More charm.

The four heads spoke one after another:

“Who…” “To deal…” “With…” “This time…”

So direct… Klein sighed and smiled.

“It’s unconfirmed yet.

“I’m going to attempt at foiling George Ill’s plans. I might need your help at critical moments.”

The four heads in Reinette Tinekerr’s hand spoke one after another:

“This…” “Sounds…” “Extremely…” “Dangerous…”

“Requires…” “Higher…” “Payment…”

“More of these charms?” The comer of Klein’s forehead twitched as though he had experienced the pain of tearing his soul apart.

“Three…” Reinette Tinekerr’s head who had failed to join in the final sentence shook.

Klein smiled and answered, “No problem, but it will take one to two weeks.”

Firstly, he had recently separated many Worms of Spirit and made quite a number of Yesterday Once More charms. It made him feel like he was nearing his limit and needed some rest. Secondly, he felt that it would be another one to two weeks before he could digest the Bizarro Sorcerer potion and attempt to advance to Scholar of Yore once Miss Magician’s new book was published. When the time came, he might have a simpler method.

Reinette Tinekerr’s four heads began to bob with the help of their hair, indicating that that wasn’t a problem.

Klein then pointed at the letter and gold coin.

“Send it to the mailbox at 7 Pinster Street.”

He had previously divined that Leonard wasn’t at home. Apparently, he had gone south of the bridge.

One of the heads of Reinette Tinekerr tilted up as she sucked the letter, gold coin, and Yesterday Once More charms into her mouth.

As he watched Miss Messenger enter the void and vanish from his room, Klein pondered for nearly a minute before beginning to set up a sacrificial and bestowment ritual.

Since the Bizarro Sorcerer potion was about to be completely digested, there was no doubt that he had to prepare the various ingredients for Scholar of Yore in advance.

Among them, the Demonic Wolf of Fog’s transformed heart and White Frost Crystal could be obtained from the Evernight Goddess.

And with the Demonic Wolfs transformed heart, he could go to the spirit world to “bait” a Hound of Fulgrim.

After a series of tasks, he finished setting up the altar and took two steps back to inspect the surroundings.

It’s still considered clean… In addition to the wall of spirituality’s seal, it satisfies the requirements of a ritual… I haven’t made any contribution recently, so how should I ask for a bestowment? Could it be that I’m telling the Goddess that I plan to take a credit loan and pay it in installments… Will this be a little sacrilegious… Hmm, I’ll try to sacrifice something of value. If the Goddess is willing to accept it, “She” will do the corresponding bestowment…

Something of value… As he thought, his thoughts moved to the junk pile above the gray fog.

He really wanted to pack up the items he couldn’t sell for the time being, such as the Biological Poison Bottle, the Interrogator Beyonder characteristic, Lunatic Beyonder characteristic, Blatherer’s Aura, Thousand-faced Hunter’s blood, six-winged gargoyle’s eyeball, Spirit World Plunderer powder, and other items to sacrifice to the Goddess to exchange for the materials needed for Scholar of Yore. However, he felt that this would make the Goddess seem like a rag-and-bone man; hence, he could only give up the idea.

It has to be of roughly the same value… I can’t use Groselle’s Travels; it hides quite a bit of secrets. Perhaps it will be of great use. Yes, the next time Little Sun and the others explore the Giant King’s Court, I can give them Groselle’s ashes. This time, I wasn’t sure how far they could go in the expedition, and was worried that they were unable to return after entering the Groselle’s Travels…

Sea God Scepter? That’s even more important. Not only is it my most powerful Sealed Artifact, but it also involves the believers of the Sea God. It will be my anchor for some time. When I have other things, more anchors, it can be given to Mr. Hanged Man…

Hvin Rambis’s Beyonder characteristic… This has already been promised to Miss Justice… After some thought, he realized that he didn’t have many choices left. One was Life’s Cane, and the other was the Flaring Sun Charm, the Fate Siphon charm, Yesterday Once More charms and Control Spirit Bullets.

The latter are all disposable items. Even if they’re combined, their actual value wouldn’t be comparable to the main ingredient of a Sequence 3 potion… Besides, once my ability to “transfer wounds” improves, it can take over a portion of the Life’s Cane’s effects… After hesitating for a while, he finally made a decision.