Lord of Mysteries 2: Circle of Inevitability

Beatrice Incourt may have already been lifeless, but something within her appeared to stir. Slowly, it seeped out, rising like invisible steam, as if it sought an escape into some distant darkness.

This caused the ambient light to dim, making the apartment’s ceiling appear strangely ethereal. Lumian, Franca, and Browns all felt an uncanny sensation, as if they were under scrutiny.

It wasn’t as if an actual gaze was directed at them; rather, it was as if they were the sole occupants of the entire building, with no obstructions to the crimson moonlight in the sky, which inevitably cast an eerie glow upon them.

Thump, thump. Lumian’s heart raced.

The two Demonesses, skilled in divination, experienced an overwhelming sense of imminent danger.

With a sudden snap, a translucent boil of blood materialized on Beatrice Incourt’s lifeless face, followed by a strange, tree-like wart with a brownish hue.

The wart burst open, oozing blood-colored pus, wet and sticky.

Wh— Lumian’s pupils dilated, caught off guard by this turn of events.

Although he had taken the lives of more than a few members of the Bliss Society and had spent some time beside their corpses, he had never encountered anything like this. Death ended everything. How could a corpse cause an unsettling undercurrent to surge around it?

Even though Lumian didn’t fully grasp the situation, he swiftly formulated a plan.

He glanced at the hazy, illusory ceiling and the faint movements within the walls. His intention was to step forward, seize Beatrice’s lifeless body, and “teleport” to the Albert Mines, a place he had visited previously.

The deeper they ventured into the Fourth Epoch Trier’s underground, the greater the peril. Various corruptive elements that led to a loss of control lurked there. Even with a corpse on the verge of mutation, it shouldn’t pose a significant issue.

That place was inherently an amalgamation of problems!

Lumian planned to utilize Spirit World Traversal for a third time, returning to the surface and avoiding any danger by abandoning Beatrice’s body.

While Lumian made his decision, Franca instinctively moved toward Beatrice’s lifeless form, which now had a second tree-like wart.

Her right hand reached into the concealed pocket of her dress, aiming to retrieve the ancient mirror she had discovered underground.

This ancient mirror was connected to a strange and perilous mirror world. She could attempt to encase Beatrice’s body within it, allowing one form of danger to counteract another!

This would buy them precious time for further deliberation. Ultimately, whether the departed believer of the Mother Tree of Desire triumphed or the enigmatic mirror world absorbed the corruption and “stilled” the mutation, it wouldn’t directly impact Franca, the humans present, or the surrounding residents.

Compared to them, the inexperienced Browns Sauron’s initial reaction was to incinerate the remnants of spirituality in the corpse with her black flames, freezing the emerging mutation. This was the most Demoness-like approach to disrupting the deteriorating situation.

At that very moment, Lumian and the others sensed a significant dimming of the light around them, as if the crimson moon had vanished, leaving only a few dim wall lamps.

Instinctively, Lumian turned his gaze to the window and discovered that the glass had turned pitch-black, no longer offering a view outside. It had transformed from a “window” into a sealed barrier.

Simultaneously, the formless entity that had been slowly emanating from Beatrice’s body appeared lost, unable to find its path to the infinite darkness. It seemed to meander aimlessly, gradually receding.

Their mystical connection to an unknown entity dissipated. Lumian, Franca, and Browns suddenly lost the sense of being “watched” from afar and “illuminated” by unseen eyes.

Thud! Thud! Their heartbeats slowly returned to normal as they witnessed the tree-like wart on Beatrice’s body wither rapidly, and no more blood boils emerged.

The darkness surrounding the corpse gradually receded, and an imperceptible object began attaching itself to the diamond necklace adorning Beatrice’s corpse.

…

Beneath the crimson moonlight, the building at 23 Rue Ménier lay concealed in darkness. Every window remained void of light, with no signs of life to be found. It exuded an eerie stillness and a sense of foreboding, reminiscent of a haunted house.

Across the street, within an apartment room, an unusual and ornate mirror rested in a spotless hand.

The mirror was adorned with intricately designed black serpents that intertwined. Each “snake” featured a large crimson eye on its head, devoid of a mouth or fangs.

In that precise moment, the mirror’s surface remained crystal clear, revealing a well-lit scene.

Gas wall lamps emitted a warm, yellowish radiance from the windows on every floor of the building, where various domestic scenes played out.

The elderly guard on the first floor smoked a cigarette butt he had collected and leaned against the lobby wall, savoring the tranquility of the night. On the second floor, a couple occupied the living room, one engrossed in a novel, the other unfolding a newspaper in front of them. Near an ajar window on the third floor, a half-naked man kept a cautious eye on the door, ready to make a hasty escape to the street at any moment…

Meanwhile, on the fourth floor, Lumian, Franca, and Browns found themselves perplexed. One contemplated using his abilities to discern an escape route from the “crime scene,” while another delved into a concealed pocket with her right hand, seemingly searching for something. The third member appeared to have a premonition and distanced themselves from the other two.

Another spotless hand extended and lightly grazed the peculiar mirror, encircled by the one-eyed “snakes.”

In an instant, the well-lit building disappeared from the mirror’s surface, and the silent, gloomy apartment at 23 Rue Ménier began to illuminate one by one. Figures were reflected one after another, and distant sounds could be heard.

…

Lumian surveyed the room and realized that Adaina’s apartment had returned to its usual state. The unsettling anomalies, like the impenetrable darkness and the strange glass windows, had all dissipated.

Beatrice Incourt’s corpse had reverted to its original form, and the horrific transformation now felt like a mere nightmare.

Lumian, who had been ready to whisk Franca away at a moment’s notice, relaxed somewhat and exchanged a look with Browns Sauron.

The Demoness Sect won’t just send such an inexperienced member to investigate Franca…

Had one of the powerful Demonesses, who had been covertly observing the situation, intervened to help resolve any potential anomalies?

This behavior doesn’t seem characteristic of a Mid-Sequence Beyonder. A high-level Demoness, or a Sequence 5 Demoness of Affliction wielding a godhood item?

No wonder Browns had entered so openly, seemingly unconcerned about potential attacks from me and Franca.

I wonder if the hidden Demoness had seen my Spell of Harrumph…

Franca shared a similar thought. She diverted her attention from the window and regarded Browns Sauron.

She expressed her guess calmly but didn’t inquire further. She looked down at Beatrice’s corpse and asked with curiosity and confusion, “The necklace appears to have changed.”

Lumian also noticed this transformation. The transparent diamond on the necklace seemed to reflect the light from the gas wall lamp in a captivating manner, causing his heart to race and his mouth to go dry.

Could it have become a Beyonder weapon similar to Fallen Mercury? Had the previous boons returned to their source because there were no abnormalities? Lumian formed a rough conjecture. He approached the corpse and knelt down cautiously.

As he reached out to touch the necklace, a multitude of desires surged uncontrollably, making him quickly retract his hand, shivering from the bloodlust.

With items like Flog and a host of contractual negative effects, he was no longer suitable for contact with the necklace, which had the power to awaken the deepest desires.

“You handle it,” Lumian said, standing up and gesturing for Franca to take care of the necklace.

Franca accepted the task without hesitation and carefully removed the diamond necklace with anticipation.

Without further delay, the two of them bid farewell to Browns and made their way back to the market district.

…

Avenue du Marché.

Franca had successfully dealt with Beatrice and stood a chance of passing the Demonesses’ audit. She had also acquired a Beyonder item that complemented the abilities of the Demoness of Pleasure. Her good mood was evident, and she almost hummed a tune to express her positive feelings.

She glanced at Lumian, who walked beside her in silence.

“What’s on your mind?”

“I’m wondering where Maipú Meyer might be hiding…” Lumian replied, his tone serious. “Let’s go underground now.”

Franca was taken aback for a moment but quickly understood Lumian’s thoughts.

“Do you think Maipú Meyer might return to the place where Susanna Mattise once conducted the sacrifice to the Tree of Shadow?”

“Perhaps.” Lumian wasn’t entirely certain, but he felt there might be some clues or traces left behind.

Franca, feeling confident in her gains from the spoils of war, didn’t attempt to dissuade him. Together with Lumian, they entered Underground Trier from the Avenue du Marché entrance.

Using a fireball for illumination, they navigated a relatively familiar path, passing by the collapsed mine where Rentas, a member of the Bliss Society, had been buried and the location where Jenna had been drugged. They ventured deeper into the altar area, a place they had previously avoided.

The area was marked with scorching signs, devoid of any living creatures or the malevolent aura that once lingered. It was as if it had been exposed to intense sunlight for days, leaving behind only piles of withered bones from various creatures.

The cave’s collapses and crevices had been filled with soil and rocks. Lumian examined the area carefully and noticed fresh marks around the original altar.

These marks clearly didn’t belong to the same person and came from different “visitors.”

As Lumian examined the marks and the deep-rooted cave-ins, memories of the Tree of Shadow, the Samaritan Women’s Spring, and the Iron and Blood Cross Order’s conspiracy flooded his mind.

These seemingly disparate elements all pointed to one thing: They, directly or indirectly, pointed to the underground, to the hidden histories and perils lurking beneath Trier.