Lord of Mysteries 2: Circle of Inevitability

This time, the boatman didn't attack Lumian. Instead, he rowed the gloomy boat to the opposite shore.

Jumping onto the wasteland covered in withered blood flowers, Lumian, whose spirituality was nearly exhausted, ran towards the pile of bones and corpses on higher ground.

After running for a few minutes, he saw faint starlight piercing through the dim sky.

Next, the void tore open like transparent paper.

The tear blended with the starlight, forming a door of shimmering light.

Standing beyond the door was Madam Magician, dressed in a loose orange dress.

Madam Magician did not enter the Underworld but floated in the void outside the door, smiling at Lumian and the others.

Madam Magician... Lumian had expected another demigod from the temperance faction, bringing a Beyonder of the Death pathway to open the door to the Underworld to fetch him, Sharron, and Maric. But it was the Major Arcana card holder, Madam Magician.

She can find the Underworld?

She can tear through its barrier and create a door?

Suppressing his curiosity, Lumian took a running start and jumped through the starlit door.

He felt a wave of dizziness and his vision darkened before he saw the clear, pure Lake Dalsh and felt the thin air of the highlands.

He reflexively removed the golden mask of the Eggers family from his face to avoid becoming a true undead from wearing it too long.

During this, the figures of Sharron and the Knight of Swords Maric appeared beside him.

"Thank you," the Knight of Swords politely addressed Madam Magician.

Wearing a small black and Gothic dress, Sharron nodded silently.

"It's only right," Madam Magician replied with a smile. "It's a pity we couldn't catch Oxyto. The Great Mother's Bestowed are very vigilant and skilled at rebirth, making them extremely hard to catch."

After a few pleasantries, the Knight of Swords said goodbye.

Before leaving, he and Sharron both nodded to Lumian, showing their approval.

Although the Knight of Swords' request was only to help find Oxyto, Lumian had far exceeded that by chasing Oxyto's premature child into the Underworld and eliminating it. In return, Sharron, despite being injured, helped Lumian control the goat-faced Demon, giving him a chance to defeat it and take the Abscessed Hand's half-body. Thus, neither owed the other, and no additional payment was necessary.

Of course, establishing a friendship and deepening his connection with the Knight of Swords was an added bonus.

After Sharron and the Knight of Swords left, Madam Magician looked at Lumian with a teasing smile.

"Wondering how I found the Underworld?

"For a high-ranking member of the Apprentice pathway, the Underworld is just there. There's no question of finding it. Even if hidden, we can easily locate it by observing the Gatekeepers and master the ability to summon a door to the Underworld. But I didn't summon it; I just opened a door."

"Then why did you say I had to wait for an opportunity to enter the Underworld?" Lumian asked reflexively.

As Mr. Fool's Angel of Stars, couldn't you just open a door to the Underworld for me?

What opportunity was there to wait for?

Madam Magician chuckled.

"Could you have retrieved part of the Abscessed Hand's body if I had sent you to the Underworld back then?"

"No..." Lumian answered softly.

Not only would he fail, but he might also die instantly from illegal teleportation.

This time, with guidance from the temperance faction and the help of a demigod, he had a chance to take the Abscessed Hand's body from the goat-faced Demon.

Of course, the risks had also increased significantly.

"I sensed an opportunity and advised you to wait," Madam Magician said sincerely. "Not all abilities can be repeated; not using them and using them to change one's state directly is very difficult."

Lumian didn't dwell on it, recounting his experiences in the Underworld with Sharron and the Knight of Swords.

Madam Magician listened attentively without interrupting, sometimes showing a thoughtful expression.

"What secrets are hidden in the body of the Second Epoch's Goddess of Harvest?" Lumian asked at the end.

Madam Magician replied, shaking her head, "I don't know."

She paused for a moment before adding, "There are things I hadn't planned to tell you so early because it's not good for you. But since you've merged with Omebella's bloodline and experienced the Underworld, I can share a bit. Do you remember the relic of Omebella I mentioned?"

"Yes," Lumian said, one of his reasons for merging with Omebella's bloodline being the hope of briefly using the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact formed from the relic.

Madam Magician continued, "Do you know where it is?"

Before Lumian could shake his head, she answered herself, "It's in the New City of Silver."

New City of Silver? The Church of The Fool's headquarters? Lumian thought of the giant-like beings that made him feel like a dwarf.

Omebella's relic is a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact of the Church of The Fool's in New City of Silver?

Madam Magician pondered for a few seconds before saying, "First, you need to understand a piece of mystical knowledge. Marauders, the Angels of the Error pathway, can steal others' identities and destinies.

In other words, someone whose identity and destiny are stolen will no longer be recognized by their parents, spouse, or children, gradually becoming rejected by fate."

Lumian recalled the Substitution Spell in the Inevitability domain, which also involved one's identity and fate.

Though different from Madam Magician's description and on a much lower level, it helped Lumian understand her words.

Seeing he had no questions, Madam Magician continued, "According to what we know, I suspect the Goddess of Harvest Omebella had Her identity and destiny stolen by a high-ranking member of the Error pathway and was killed by Her direct relatives.

"Up to this point, it sounds like nothing more than a horrific conspiracy, but think about it. Why would the body of the Goddess of Harvest, killed by Her direct relatives and robbed of Her identity and destiny, end up in the former City of Silver, not silently in a battlefield corner?

"And more strangely, the ancestors of the City of Silver knew it was Omebella's body and Her true identity. At the time, the Steal effect was still present!"

Lumian sensed something amiss and frowned, "What's the City of Silver's records or speculations on this? Does Omebella's body contain Beyonder characteristics?"

"None," Madam Magician answered firmly. "The City of Silver's records are sparse due to the Ancient Sun God's rule in the Third Epoch. But their ancestors mentioned that the Goddess of Harvest walked to the City of Silver on Her own. Heh heh. Strange, right? You'll understand more when you can temporarily use that Grade O Sealed Artifact. Now is not the time."

This confirms that Omebella held significant mysteries... Lumian asked cautiously, "What did the goat-faced Demon mean when it said I had taken the egg for myself?"

Madam Magician gazed at Lumian for a moment before saying, "There's no change in your body, but I temporarily can't confirm whether it's the same for the egg. It'll need some observation."

Lumian tersely acknowledged her words and pointed to the clear, serene Lake Dalsh. "What's special about this lake? How is it related to the Underworld?"

Madam Magician laughed.

"The temperance faction had a King of Angels and Angels ruling here for a thousand years, but they couldn't uncover the lake's secrets. Why would I find out in a short time?

"Even the direct descendants of the Eggers family don't know why Lake Dalsh is special.

"From your Underworld trip, it seems the lake's uniqueness predates the Eggers' ancestor becoming Death."

"Related to the ancient Death, Phoenix Ancestor Gregrace?" Lumian inferred from Madam Magician's words.

Thinking of the huge black egg beneath the ancient Death's corpse, he found this explanation plausible for why Oxyto wanted the bird-clawed creature to be born with Lake Dalsh's help.

"Perhaps," Madam Magician replied uncertainly.

Lumian was silent for a few seconds before changing the topic.

"Madam Magician, now that we have part of the Abscessed Hand's body, I want to go to Lenburg soon to find the City of Exiles, Morora."

"You're feeling a sense of urgency, rather impatient as well," Madam Magician remarked. "Relax for a few days, calm your mind, then go.

We'll follow up on the vortex matter. Your companions will investigate the Mirror People. You probably can't take your companions into the City of Exiles. Also, focus on learning languages. After dealing with the City of Exiles, prepare your team for the advancement."

"Alright," Lumian agreed, feeling he needed to adjust his state.

...

Trier, Quartier de la Cathédrale Commémorative, Apartment 702, 9 Rue Orosai.

Lumian reunited with Franca, Jenna, and Anthony.

After recounting his experiences in the Underworld, Franca said with genuine emotion, "So that's what the Underworld is like. The River Styx really exists..."

Then she frowned immediately.

"You've fully digested your Reaper potion, but I'm still a bit short on my Pleasure..."

In this digestion, Lumian credited eighty percent to Madame Sharron, ten percent to the Knight of Swords, and only ten percent to himself.

Without pride and after some thought, he said to Franca, "Maybe I can help you quickly digest Pleasure."

"Huh..." Franca raised an eyebrow while Jenna looked puzzled.

Lumian smiled and explained, "I've accumulated fate fragments from Moran Avigny's lust outburst. If we find a powerful Beyonder to take this fate, wouldn't it allow you to digest Pleasure significantly?

"Hmm, Pirate Admirals out at sea would be perfect for this."