Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

Seeing the final frozen image of the sea monster in the water mirror, Ebner chuckled softly and mused:

"This is quite the overt temptation… After all, obtaining demigod 'potion ingredients,' let alone characteristics, is exceedingly difficult. A sea monster that looks to be in such poor condition is practically irresistible.

"Even knowing there might be traps, many would still take the risk. After all, when has obtaining demigod characteristics ever been truly safe?"

"But since I'm not even a Mysticism Magister yet, it's a little early to concern myself with being a Prophet. For now, I can plan and prepare slowly."

Setting aside the matter of the sea monster, Ebner turned his attention to completing Task 2:

"Task 2 asks me to bring treasures from the ruins back to the Church of Storms. But the greatest treasure here is likely this temple itself, which at least contains the Prophet characteristic.

"If this were the real world, with the limited intelligence I have, this task would be near-impossible to complete. Even with my Pure White Eye, I wouldn't dare recklessly probe. But within the Dream Labyrinth Tower, this temple is likely just a simulated counterfeit. Its abilities are only partially functional, and its essential angelic essence is likely not fully replicated—at least not on the fifth floor.

"After all, the tower's level of authority is clearly below that of a true god. And even a true god would find it challenging to 'imagine' or 'create' an angel ex nihilo!"

"So, if I can deduce enough clues, it might be worth a try."

Even with such thoughts, Ebner had no intention of gambling recklessly with his safety. First, he set up a Mystery Ritual with The Fool, preparing to call for Klein's help via the Paper Angel if things went awry. He trusted The Fool would be willing to assist, as shown by Klein's immediate response to his earlier prayer.

Once preparations were complete, Ebner activated his Pure White Eye and began carefully analyzing the palace.

Three minutes later, he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, which throbbed with strain. "As expected, it's just a 'background asset,' like the Church of Storms in this scene. Still, the analysis cost a lot of spiritual energy… At least I've found a lead on how to control this 'asset.'"

With this in mind, Ebner strode up the nine-tiered staircase and sat on the central throne composed of pure lightning.

As he did, a gender-neutral voice rang out in Elvish:

"Trial Cipher!"

"Trial Cipher?" Ebner frowned. "I didn't detect anything about this during my analysis… What could the cipher be? The Elf King's name? The God of Luck's true name? Something the God of Luck favored or often used?"

His mind raced, and he ventured an attempt in Elvish:

"Soniathrym!"

"Incorrect!" The voice became sharp and hostile. The dome above began crackling with bolts of lightning, ready to strike at any moment.

"Looks like I can only experiment four or five times before I get fried… If it's not the Elf King's name, could it be the God of Luck's name? But no texts ever recorded it, and even the murals didn't show it…

"And if the God of Luck survived after splitting off the Prophet characteristic, they could have taken on numerous identities: a high-ranking member of the Church of the Night, a Pillar of the Moses Ascetic Order, or perhaps they stayed on the Wheel of Fortune pathway…

"This is quite tricky. To make matters worse, this is just a 'background asset' unconnected to the real God of Luck, so my Pure White Eye can't analyze the cipher."

At that moment, a female voice called out from below the staircase:

"Stiano!"

Looking down, Ebner saw Leticia, the Moses Ascetic Order member sent by the governor's mansion, who had finally completed her trial and arrived in the hall.

"Stiano? That's the founder of the Moses Ascetic Order. Does Leticia think the God of Luck later became Stiano? Does she have insider information?"

While Ebner pondered, the dome responded once more:

"Incorrect!"

This time, the hostility in its tone was unmistakable.

"How can that be? Did my ancestor guess wrong?" Leticia appeared shaken, standing frozen in disbelief.

Noting the gathering ocean of lightning above, Ebner decided to take a gamble. If this guess failed, he would leave the scene rather than risk being struck to death.

After all, he had already completed one task, technically clearing the trial.

"Cohinem!"

This was the true name of the Queen of Calamity. Though Ebner doubted it was correct, it was one of the few high-ranking elf names he could recall.

To his surprise, the lightning immediately dissipated, and the voice responded warmly:

"Correct!"

"The God of Luck actually used the Elf Queen's name as their temple's control cipher? If Fors finds out about this, she'll probably start brainstorming a lengthy novel on the spot."

While Ebner was still processing the revelation, the notification for completing Task 2 rang out, and the grand elven palace began dissolving into nothingness before Leticia's stunned gaze.

"So, gaining control of this temple counts as delivering it to the Church of Storms… I wonder who ended up with it in reality?"

As he was transported back to the Reward Nexus, Ebner pondered this with a wry smile.

---

In the grand elven palace of the real world, Leticia saw a vision in the water mirror: she and three companions enduring countless hardships before finally discovering the Book of Calamity in the ruins of the Symeem Island rainforest.

"The ruins open… in January next year?" Her eyes lit up with delight. As someone both pursued by and in pursuit of knowledge, Leticia lacked neither wealth nor the potion formulas and materials for her mystical journey. What she truly desired were books filled with profound knowledge.

Once the vision ended, Leticia composed herself and ascended the nine-tiered staircase, seating herself in the Elf King's throne. She then recited the name she had speculated upon.

Unfortunately, the dome responded with a sharp, "Incorrect."

---

Meanwhile, above the ocean outside the ruins, a woman with blood-red pupils suddenly emerged from the void. With a regretful sigh, she said, "Not the right time, is it?"

Before "Sea King" Courtman and "Law Weaver" Amyrius could react, the woman reached out towards the vortex in the sea.

The vortex, like an erased drawing, gradually disappeared from the ocean's surface.

"Mystic Reenactment—'Vanished Kingdom of the Night'!"

"If I can't have it now, then let's hide it away for the time being," the red-eyed woman chuckled. Before the physical and spiritual lightning targeting her could strike, she dissolved into a streak of crimson and vanished.

"I've already 'forbidden' wandering and traveling… who was that? To bypass my decrees so easily," Amyrius remarked grimly as he surveyed the ocean.

"No idea... Their methods resembled something from the Church of the Night, but I can't be certain. They might have used a Sealed Artifact or something similar," Courtman replied, equally serious. "At least none of the Night Church high-ranking members I know fit the description."

"Could it have been someone allied with your side?" Amyrius asked suspiciously. "If needed, I could assist with their interrogation."

"It wasn't them… If they had that level of power, they wouldn't need to remain in hiding," Courtman shook his head.

"I'll figure it out," Amyrius said, still dubious about their associates' identities but forced to put his suspicions aside due to the Church of Storms' protection.

For now, he didn't suspect Leticia. Theoretically, she had only learned of the ruins through his brother's invitation and had been under his watchful eye the entire time. There was little chance she could have passed on information, let alone so quickly.

Comparatively, the mysterious allies of the Church of Storms seemed like the more likely culprits, though their true origins remained a mystery.

---

Returning to the "Reward Nexus," Ebner immediately noticed the drastic changes in his surroundings. Gone were the familiar rows of bookshelves and the desks and chairs before them. The space was now a vast, empty chamber, with only two doors: one leading to the real world and the other to the "Dream Labyrinth."

What happened here? Ebner barely had time to process the transformation before a flood of information, like whispered murmurs, echoed in his ears:

"Tower Climber, having passed the fifth level, has unlocked new privileges as follows:

1. Acquisition of an independent 'Dream Door' linked to the 'Reward Nexus.' The Dream Door may be placed at a specific location or carried on your person. Tower Climbers may use the Dream Door to enter the Reward Nexus at any time and may bring up to two companions to form a party.

The layout of the Reward Nexus may be modified by spending 'Points.' More extensive changes require more Points.

2. The exchange list will automatically include items from previously experienced Dream Labyrinth scenarios and will refresh periodically. Items may be exchanged for 'Points.'

Items obtained via exchange may be used in any Dream Labyrinth without being restricted by scenario limits.

For double the Points, exchanged items may be brought into the real world but will only persist for a maximum of three minutes, with their power diminishing over time.

3. The Tower Climber's Rest Chamber has expanded to ten times its previous size. Its 'rules' and 'style' can be modified with Points. The greater the changes, the more Points required."

"Privileges? These feel more like 'pay-to-win' microtransactions… Old Huang, you truly don't disappoint!"

Suppressing the urge to grumble further, Ebner instead considered how to take advantage of these new features:

Firstly, the "Dream Door" must be similar to the one Mr. Gaston had buried underground. That door obviously didn't belong to Gaston himself but was a relic of a previous Tower Climber who had passed the fifth level.

Whatever method Gaston used to obtain the previous climber's qualifications, it was clear he had lost many of its permissions.

Now that I have my own Dream Door, I no longer need to come to Damir just to climb the Tower. I can access it at any time...

Secondly, with constant access to the Dream Labyrinth, my Rest Chamber becomes far more useful. It can now function as a "storage space." Anything nonessential can be safely stored there and retrieved as needed.

Finally, the ability to bring items into the real world—even if only for three minutes—is a powerful ace up my sleeve. Provided the item is strong enough, three minutes is plenty to turn the tide in a desperate situation.

With these thoughts in mind, Ebner summoned the "Exchange List." Scanning its current offerings—such as the "Ninth Law Talisman," the "Calamity Talisman," and "Karren's Health Elixir (Roselle's Special Edition)"—he noticed their prices and couldn't help but chuckle bitterly:

"Looks like they're really pushing me to grind Points!"