LOM: Lord of Mysticism

Leonard paced about, saying, "Then we have to investigate everyone in the workhouse who came into contact with Salus, as well as everyone he came across after he went bankrupt. It's very troublesome indeed... Time is of the essence. Let's split up and do a cursory check here, then head to the third reported death in the West Borough and leave the rest to the police."

"Alright," Klein answered.

Frye turned to the people who had been sleeping near Salus last night. Klein was also about to find someone to question when he saw Leonard motion at him from the side hall.

Klein followed Leonard into the side hall to a silent corner.

"I have a hypothesis," Leonard said, stopping in front of a shattered window.

"What's your hypothesis?" Klein said.

"If there were no supernatural factors, what do you think Mrs. Lauwis's outcome would've been?" Leonard asked.

Klein said solemnly, "The same, just delayed by perhaps a month. As long as her heart problems turned for the worse, there would be no way for her to be saved."

"Then what about Salus? What kind of end would he have?" Leonard asked again.

Klein pondered and said, "From the description in the information, Salus was already very angry about his bankruptcy and was bitter that no one saved him. I think that he would've exacted his vengeance sooner or later, but not on the people at the workhouse. He might've targeted the boss that made him bankrupt or the staff of the bank that seized his house."

"What would the result of his revenge be?" Leonard said.

"Without a doubt, he had already decided to end his life. He would have died no matter what the result of his revenge was." Klein answered.

Leonard nodded. "Then can we conclude that Mrs. Lauwis and Salus were both people destined to die soon?

"You're saying that their deaths were moved forward by some supernatural factors? But why?" Klein asked.

"A more accurate description would be that their 'life force' had been shortened by some supernatural factor. And life force is the best material when it comes to summoning evil gods and devils or conducting terrifying curses." Leonard said.

Klein said, half in doubt, "You seem to be very sure of this. But, for the time being, our investigation sample is only at two..."

"Klein, there's no need for any pretense between us. There are many special people in this world that can always do things others can't, such as you... and me. This world has a long history, and people wish to become the stars of their own show. 

Beyonders have their own secrets. As long as your actions are not endangering me, the Nighthawks, or Tingen City, then you're still my partner. I hope that you'll look at me with the same attitude. Of course, it's best not to speak of this to the higher-ups, who think that special people like us will lose control and be tempted by evil gods."

Klein said, "I share the same sentiments as you. I'll only look at your actions. I will try not to probe into your secrets."

Leonard nodded. "I'm glad that we have this understanding. In action novels, this is called the meeting of two protagonists, where wheels of history are set in motion."

Leonard paced around. "Alright, I'll be honest; I'm quite confident that the victims of these deaths would've died within the next three months, but their deaths have been brought forward by someone, through some means. The other party's motive might be to summon an evil entity or conduct a curse."

"It is easy for the culprit to hide their murders, given that their victims actions were aligned with the outcome. This wouldn't attract the attention of the police department or be disrupted by anyone during the culprit's preparatory phase..." Klein muttered.

Leonard nodded, "That's right. If three healthy, normal people were to suddenly drop dead, it would definitely attract attention and bring about an investigation."

"Then wouldn't the culprit have used a sacrificial altar for the ritual? Where would it be?" Klein asked.

Leonard said, "Klein, isn't that within your professional domain? Can't you imagine what is happening around a place like that?

A thick aura of death in the center of the altar. The surrounding temperature would be lower. The stolen life force will remain within the altar, sealed by a wall of spirituality. I think that you would be able to divine roughly where an altar with the following qualities would be."

Klein replied. "As long as it's within Tingen City. I would need a quiet place and also the personal belongings of Mrs. Lauwis and the rest."

"No problem." Leonard walked toward the hall and said to Frye, who was seriously taking notes, "I have a hypothesis and was hoping that Klein would give it a try."

Frye acted according to the instructions and obtained Salus's and Mrs. Lauwis's personal belongings from the nearby police station, then arrived with the others at Klein's house.

"Wait in the living room and don't let anybody disturb me." Klein went to his room, locked the door, and sealed the room with a wall of spirituality.

He set up an altar and asked for the help of the goddess, eliminating any disturbances, then wrote a divination statement on a piece of paper.

"The position of the altar." He gave a sweeping statement to prevent himself from missing out on any information.

Grabbing the piece of paper and the belongings of the deceased, Klein lay down on his bed. He imagined the scene Leonard described and silently recited the statement seven times.

He didn't try using the world of fog, firstly, because of Leonard, who might notice something odd. Secondly, his Seer potion was about to be completely digested. It was likely that the aid of the ritual was sufficient for the success of his divination. He would only consider finding an opportunity to enter the world of fog if he didn't get a result.

With the help of Cogitation, he entered a dream and saw a hazy, illusory, and fragmented scene.

Soon after, an image floated before him. It was a two-story grayish-blue house bathed in a sunset glow. The first floor's windows were shut tight but expanded and contracted from time to time. The soil around the house was dark and empty. The garden around the house seemed dilapidated, and a river flowed near the house.

Sometime later, Klein exited the dream, having not seen anything else.