Lord of the Mysteries

Despite not being dawn yet, the well-ventilated but quiet and dark underground was illuminated by gas lamps. The dim yellow light emitted from the gas lamps were protected by glass, allowing them to steadily shine throughout the empty and quiet tunnel.

Klein sat in the duty room and casually flipped through the newspapers, magazines, and books piled before him. He directed some of his attention outside, to prevent anyone from charging inside the Chanis Gate.

His windbreaker and top hat were hung on the clothes rack near the entrance while his cane was leaning against the wall where it could be easily retrieved.

The rich aroma of coffee filled the air, and Klein couldn’t help but take a whiff. He massaged his temples to fight against the heavy head feeling he was experiencing and the weariness of his body.

As a college student back on Earth, he often slept at five in the morning and woke up at noon, while staying up all night during the past two to three years of working life, to the point of being able to attend work energetically the next day. However, it was all thanks to the games that were too exhilarating, novels that were too interesting, television shows and movies that were too entertaining.

This world obviously didn’t possess any of the necessities needed for staying up all night.

“Seriously, Emperor Roselle. If you want to posture, do it properly. Pour your limited life into an unlimited enterprise. Lead the people of this world into the information age!” Klein muttered silently. He could only console himself that there were at least newspapers, magazines, and increasingly interesting novels.

At first, he wanted to focus on his studies to restrain his sleepiness. However, practically speaking, it conflicted with his duty. Once he entered that state, he would easily overlook any movements outside and any changes to the situation at the Chanis Gate.

Phew. Klein picked up his coffee cup and carefully blew at it.

He took a sip and let the fragrant taste swish around his mouth before letting the liquid slowly flow down his throat.

“Fermo Coffee from the Paz Valley, very bitter but very refreshing,” Klein gave a compliment and put down his coffee cup.

The Paz Valley was located in the Southern Continent, a region that produced high-quality coffee beans. It was currently being fought over by the Intis Republic and the Loen Kingdom. They both built colonist settlements on the left and right banks of the Paz Valley, and had destroyed the original Paz Kingdom.

In the eerie silence, Klein casually picked up a magazine and realized that it was Ladies Aesthetic, which talked about fashion and dating.

“This must be from Rozanne…” he murmured in amusement as he flipped through it with his interest piqued.

Maybe it was due to the sudden advancement of camera technology in the past decade or so, not only did the magazine use a lot of illustrations, it even used monochrome pictures as their content—just like the newspapers.

They fashionably invited the famous play and musical actors to model the charms and the magical pairing of the clothing. In a short span of seven years, the new regional Backlund magazine became a mainstream magazine that spread across the nation.

“The dress looks nice, she’s pretty too…” Klein flipped through it casually and didn’t hide his aesthetic inclinations.

He was a man that had matured normally both in body and mind. He had always appreciated beautiful ladies, but he had long set his goal—to find a way home. Hence, he tried his best to keep his distance from the opposite sex, so that he didn’t waste the other person’s time or leave behind any emotional baggage.

As for streetwalkers, he was quite a germaphobe in that aspect.

Benson and Melissa were already shackles that couldn’t be removed. He could only find the means to make it up to them in the future… Klein suddenly felt his heart heavy and he couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

further he strayed away from home, the more he felt melancholic during quiet late

and put down the magazine in

author, Fors Wall,” Klein read

light, and the leatherbound book reminded him of his younger days when he rented books. Hence,

and weighed ninety-eight pounds. It was a story of her embarking

pound is about half a kilogram… Is this Jane Eyre of an alternate world?” Klein caressed his fingers against the smooth paper as he began making guesses of the subsequent

as he thought it was a romance novel, an evil spirit emerged in the story. When he believed that it was a ghost story, Lady Sissi revealed herself as a detective and made a

novel, the main male character took

romance book.” Klein closed the book and drank

Thump!

Thump! Thump! Thump!

it reverberated in the dim

shock as

drew his revolver from his armpit holster, adjusted the cylinder and hammer. Then, he slowly walked

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

direction of the

Chanis Gate?” He squinted his eyes and his heart

Bang! Bang! Bang!

he sensed the massive impact

first day on duty? Did I get an unlucky constitution after I transmigrated?” Klein’s right hand broke into cold sweat as

open Chanis Gate no matter what you hear, unless it is

this be a normal phenomenon? Klein suddenly calmed

Bang! Thump! Thump! Thump! The commotion beyond the Chanis Gate grew in intensity, but the heavy black metal gates only shook. Otherwise, it didn’t show any

normal. I nearly died from the shock…” Klein

then, he heard a sharp grinding noise. He looked at the heavy Chanis Gate bulging outwards

Zing!

eyes saw a figure. Its height was about the length of a man’s arm, and it was

not-so-exquisite face, black eyes, and tightly sealed

puppet,

the cloth puppet leaned heavily into the

paper, some that Klein knew and some that he had yet to learn. Together, they formed a

to understand the situation when the regal-gowned puppet was suddenly dragged back by a

Creak!

closed once again, with no more knocking or

its tranquility and silence

it closed itself…” At that moment, Klein’s mental facilities returned to him as he felt alarm, fear, and

member of the Nighthawks, he was given the clearance to know about the Grade 3 Sealed Artifact sealed