Lord of the Mysteries

The only candle flickered its yellow flame, casting shadows on the walls around the activity room. Klein found the most convenient escape point before surveying his surroundings. He saw the Eye of Wisdom with his deep cheek lines and the plump Apothecary. Well, after another comparison, even though he’s wearing an iron mask that covers half his face, it’s still pretty clear that he was the man I met at Rice Circus who deserves a beating… Klein looked away and waited for the gathering to officially begin. The woman who had an Artisan backing her was very hidden among the participants, so he couldn’t be sure that she was present before she spoke. After a few minutes, Eye of Wisdom raised his head to look at the mechanical clock on the wall and chuckled. “There’s a lot of people here today.” “Let’s begin.” Before he finished speaking, the plump Apothecary rushed to speak. “I need a Beyonder creature for an experiment. It’s best if it’s an animal, and it’s best if it’s already restrained and one that’s not too dangerous.” A beast-type Beyonder creature? Klein was slightly moved. He remembered what the Apothecary had said in the circus theater and that he was apparently able to read the thoughts of beasts. He’s just an Apothecary; yet, he poses such an ability and is even looking to purchase a beast-type Beyonder creature. Hmm, after I sold him the Spring of Elves marrow crystal, he should’ve gathered the ingredients and advanced to the next Sequence… In other words, the Sequence after Apothecary has something to do directing wild beasts? Klein made a deduction based on the information he knew. At this moment, someone responded to the Apothecary with a sneer, “Who would keep a Beyonder creature by their side? “It’s dangerous and easily discovered. Wouldn’t it be easier and more concealed to kill them to obtain its Beyonder ingredients?” The Apothecary was a person who refused to lose in a spar of words, so he immediately sneered. “What a foolish thought! “You can’t guarantee that the Beyonder ingredient on a Beyonder creature is exactly what you need and that you can definitely sell it. You might as well tame it and direct it to be your helper, increasing your strength severalfold…” As he spoke, his voice gradually grew softer. He felt as if he had revealed some important secret. Damn it! Why can’t I control this mouth of mine! The Apothecary figuratively smacked himself in the heart. As expected… Klein nodded indiscernibly. Without a doubt, the Apothecary’s request wasn’t met. Most of the participants here were Low-Sequence Beyonders, and their statuses in Backlund weren’t very prominent. With the need for them to be relatively alert, to the point of barely maintaining it, so how was it possible for them to extravagantly rear a Beyonder creature? Furthermore, more importantly, there was the fact that wild Beyonder creatures were usually hostile to humans. Any encounter would usually lead to one dead, so if one wanted to capture them alive, they would need to have a sufficiently strong team or be strong enough to overwhelm the enemy. Of course, this didn’t exclude particular Beyonders who possessed special abilities that were suitable for such situations. After a bout of disappointment, the Apothecary coughed lightly and said, “I’ve brought quite a few bottles of medicine. All of you know the effects. If you want them, you can speak up when the gathering is almost over.” The few medicines to treat wounds, go berserk, and increase one’s ability in that aspect? Klein silently lampooned. He chuckled and provided a suggestion. “You can purchase a Sequence 9 formula, find the corresponding Beyonder ingredients, and then concoct the potion to feed the animal you fancy. This way, you will have a Sequence 9 Beyonder creature, and you can also continuously advance it with the subsequent potions. “Of course, that’s built on the premise that you are rich enough and can deal with the defective ones that lose control.” The Apothecary was stunned for a few seconds. After a while, he said, “How extravagant.” “Just saving up money and finding the Beyonder ingredients for myself is difficult enough for me. It’s also a high probability event for an animal to lose control after they consume potions. It will take me several times before I succeed. “Someone who can do this must have a mine or owns a bank.” Our Tarot Club’s Miss Justice likely rears a Beyonder creature… Klein suddenly felt sorry for the Apothecary. If one wanted to disregard it for the sole purpose of earning money, Apothecaries were the easiest among the Low-Sequence Beyonders to amass large amounts of wealth. The problem was that they were also easily targeted by the official Beyonders. After a few more deals or failed transactions, Klein heard a voice that was deliberately suppressed, “I only brought one Beyonder weapon this time.” “They are fifty bullets with different effects. Twenty of them are engraved with the sun domain’s labels and symbols, forming a complete charm. They can be used to purify ghost-related monsters. They cause more damage to wraiths and shadows, so they are called purifying bullets. There are another twenty bullets which are meant for corrupted creatures, known as demon hunting bullets. The other ten are bullets that counter evil-type monsters, known as exorcism bullets. Their effects can be maintained for eighteen months or more. “Fifty bullets for 500 pounds or the Barbarian potion formula. It will come with a revolver with the matching caliber.” They did make related bullets according to my suggestions from last time. From the looks of it, they’re more complicated than ordinary Beyonder weapons. It took them so long only to make a set… Klein didn’t give the others a chance and directly said, “I have the Barbarian potion formula.” At this moment, a rather tall man offered a price. “550 pounds.” In this day and age, a revolver was the most convenient Beyonder weapon to use and carry! The well-hidden lady’s voice was filled with unquenchable joy as she said, “Sir, I’m sorry. I have a preference for the Barbarian formula.” “600 pounds.” The man raised the offer again. “No, this is not about money.” The woman with an Artisan backing her glanced at Klein. “Deal! But please pass the formula to Old Mister Eye of Wisdom for his notarization.” Phew, it’s a good thing that I got the Dark Emperor card. Otherwise, if I met someone who can raise the price so ruthlessly, I definitely would’ve lost a lot of money today…Klein rolled up his robe, took out the Barbarian formula which he had long written from his inner pocket, and opened it to take a look. “Sequence 8 Barbarian. Main ingredients: Grass of Madness, core horn crystal of a Land Rhinoceros. Supplementary ingredients: One deep-grained Walnut, one Fragrance Hornet Grass, 10 ml of the extract obtained from soaking poplar bark, 100 ml of liquor.” After confirming that it was correct, Klein folded the paper and handed it to the attendant. Just like before, Eye of Wisdom took out the ring that was inlaid with many small diamonds. He mimicked the Beyonder powers of a Notary and confirmed that the formula was true. Hearing this old man declare that “the formula is valid,” the woman with the Artisan backing her heaved a sigh of relief and took out a square iron box the size of a palm. After the attendant passed the formula to her, she eagerly rolled it open and read it a few times, as if she wanted to memorize it directly. As for Klein, he snapped open the box and looked at it. There were three piles of bullets inside the metal box. One pile had a faint golden luster, as though they had just been fished out of hot water; the other was entirely silver and covered with patterns, cold yet sacred. The pile with the fewest bullets suffused a golden sheen amidst the brass color. He could vaguely see several labels and symbols engraved on it. Yes, it’s authentic… Klein had the ability to appraise the bullets in the field of mysticism. He snapped the lid shut and stored the item in the pocket under his robe. As for the free revolver, it was nothing special. The body of the gun was a deeper brass color, and the handle was made out of walnut wood. Since his underarm holster had also been lost back when he encountered the police inspection, Klein had to attach the revolver to his waist and cover it with his clothes. After finishing the transaction, he looked around the activity room and deliberately raised his voice. “I need strong purifying items like Sun Holy Water and Sun Sacred Emblem. “I can buy it in gold, or I can use formulas as a barter, like the Sequence after Barbarian—Briber. “Of course, if there are any questions regarding the mysticism and the Beyonder world that requires answering, I can also give it a try, but I can’t guarantee that I can answer it.” As the Apothecary listened, he widened his eyes. He had a feeling that this was that “lucky lad.” However, he had just become a Beyonder not long ago, so how could he have obtained so many valuable things? The more he thought about it, the more he gnashed his teeth, feeling as if he had made the wrong choice back then. Luck was the most important thing! The woman who had bought the Barbarian formula couldn’t control herself and almost said in her original voice, “I don’t have anything you need, but I can pay you in cash. Eight hundred pounds!” Klein swallowed the word “deal” that he nearly said. He thought for a moment before chuckling. “I’m only accepting bartering for the time being. “I will most likely be back for the next gathering. You can seek out the relevant items in advance.” For the time being… The lady ruminated over the word and nodded slowly. “Alright.” After that, no one else said anything, and Klein’s needs were also not met. In Backlund, in the Loen Kingdom, the worshipers of the Eternal Blazing Sun could be considered heretics, so few of such items circulated beyond official channels. Klein was slightly disappointed, but he wasn’t too concerned. He had an alternative plan. He clearly remembered that Miss Xio had once sought out a Beyonder believer of the Eternal Blazing Sun for purification! And the lady who craved the Briber formula would definitely be actively looking for his desired items. Klein stopped talking and listened to the subsequent exchanges. When the gathering was coming to an end, an average built participant with no special characteristics pinched the iron mask on his face and said with a deep baritone voice, “I need an adult Black Widow Spider Silk Gland.” An adult Black Widow Spider Silk Gland? Sounds familiar. I seem to have heard of it somewhere… Klein frowned slightly. Without using divination, he tried hard to recall where. Suddenly, he remembered the source of the familiar feeling. It was one of the main ingredients for the Demoness of Pleasure!