The Deceitful One

Friday, 18th September 1580.

Bryan was sitting in his usual spot in the underground HQ library and reading a book titled, 'Elementary Mystic Arts', the contents of which were written in the Hymmnos language.

What normal people called magic, in the Transcendent world it was known as mysticism or the mystic arts. It was a field that was heavily centered around the usage of spiritual force.

Through spiritual force, a Transcendent is able to cast spells, and practice various sorts of rituals, and other occult practices. These were simply beyond the realm of the physical.

To perceive the mystic arts one needed to transcend the mortal shackles of man and become a Transcendent. In the olden days, this was where the term 'Transcendent' was derived from.

Simply put, they were an extraordinary group of people who had transcended the mortal flesh and were masters of the mystic arts.

The way of mysticism was not about doing but about perceiving and being. It is not a subject that one can simply learn like how little children usually do when they are studying or preparing for a test.

There are barriers that restrict a normal person from stepping into the world of mysticism and becoming a master of the mystic arts. And the biggest barrier of them all is spiritual aptitude.

However, there are different levels to the mastery of the mystic arts. The further one advances, the deeper their comprehension of the mystic arts becomes.

And to truly comprehend the mystic arts is to step onto the path of perseverance and self-searching. Only then can they wholeheartedly pursue the truth and make it their own!

As Bryan was engrossed in reading the book, he suddenly heard a commotion behind him that was growing larger by the second.

His eyebrows furrowed as he paused reading and turned around to check what all the clamor was about.

Since the library was not partitioned by walls or thick glass like the practice area was, he could get a clear view of the entire underground space from inside.

Bryan saw people hurrying over to the area where Elijah and the others had their workstations located. This was the place where Apprentices and Artisan Path Transcendents usually worked.

Elijah wasn't the only Artisan Path Transcendent, there were others as well. He was just the youngest of them and the only one to have ever joined the Strike Team.

Bryan got up to his feet and walked to the bookshelf to put back the book he was reading. Then we walked toward the machinery workstation of the HQ where currently everyone was heading to.

On his way there, he overheard people talking about some sort of steam-powered vehicle. Now, his interest was thoroughly piqued.

Currently, people in Damascus used horse-drawn carriages for transport. Hence, a steam-powered vehicle could be considered quite revolutionary just like the steam trains and ships that helped make long-distance travel more convenient.

As he approached the machinery workstation, the number of people huddled together increased gradually.

There were about fifty people working in the Silver Owls HQ, however, not all of them were Transcendents or Apprentices. Some were just regular people.

These people happened to be involved in some sort of supernatural incident and were later employed here. Of course, they had to take an oath of a non-disclosure agreement.

This oath was bound by mysticism and could not be broken. Not by regular people, at least.

One reason why the normal people were employed here was because of the need for further surveillance and their safety.

The other reason would be to see if any one of them had the spiritual aptitude to become an Apprentice and subsequently a Transcendent.

Apprentices that could be nurtured from the beginning were always welcomed in Transcendent organizations and even the various Churches.

As Bryan made his way through the crowd, he suddenly heard Ron's voice, "Bryan, here!"

He turned his head to his right to see Ron waving at him. He then swiftly changed directions and headed toward Ron.

Bryan then arrived at the spot where the rest of the members of the Strike Team were standing. Ron, Andrew, Elijah, Henry, Emma, Olivia, and even the mostly absent Livia was also present. Only the team captain, Robert was missing as of now.

He greeted everyone and then asked Ron, "What's all this ruckus about?"

Before Ron could even reply, Elijah came forward and spoke with a fanatical expression, "This is a ground-breaking invention! The Dicentra Research Institute has done it again. First the steam train and now this!"

He then added in admiration, "It is my dream to be able to one day work at the Dicentra Research Institute!"

Bryan rolled his eyes and asked impatiently, "But what is this new invention?"

Elijah chuckled, "Be patient, my friend. Old Larry will unveil it once everyone has arrived."

Old Larry was the head Artisan Path Transcendent of the Silver Owls. He had a head full of white hair, a white mustache that was curled upward, and a thick white beard.

Bryan had very little interaction with him since he joined the Silver Owls as the latter was always busy tinkering with artifacts or other pieces of machinery. He was also Elijah's teacher.

Currently, Old Larry was standing in front of an object that was around eight to ten feet long and four to five feet wide. It was covered by a white cloth which further increased the anticipation in the hearts of the people surrounding it.

A few minutes later, Old Larry cleared his throat and introduced in a loud voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, earlier in the morning this right here was delivered to us from Nadir.

This vehicle was invented and developed by the Dicentra Research Institute only last month and has since then been distributed to the entirety of the Western Continent!"

He looked around at the people present and paused for a moment before continuing, "This vehicle is the first of its kind in our Damascus City."

Old Larry grabbed the hems of the white cloth and yanked it away, revealing the vehicle that was concealed underneath, "I present to you, the steam car!"

A collective gasp of surprise escaped the lips of the crowd present as they marveled at the sight of the vehicle.

Bryan too was taken aback and was thoroughly impressed with the design of the car as he thought inwardly, 'This really is one good-looking vehicle!'