Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

"'Elven Trial'?" The uneven-faced Bellman Carnot fell silent after hearing the question, his crooked mouth twitching slightly as he said, "This is the first I've heard of such a name."

"So, do you know anyone who might have studied this?" Ebner hadn't expected Carnot to know much. His real aim was to reach either the Church of the Storms or the Life School of Thought through Carnot, following the thread of "madness."

Carnot hesitated for a moment before finally speaking again, "Perhaps Councilor Ricciardo might know something. I can take you to see him."

With that, he donned a black robe over his hunched, towering figure and headed out of the bell tower.

Following behind, Ebner couldn't help but muse:

So we're really going to the Member of Parliament for Fate? Strictly speaking, as a so-called 'investigator' hired by the Church of the Storms, I should have been directed to the bishop at Saint Draco Cathedral. Even if the Parliament of Fate collaborates with the Church of the Storms, they shouldn't be meddling in this matter.

Why does it feel like the entire Church of the Storms in this scenario is relying solely on me as the hired cannon fodder, with only two collaborators working alongside me? Does that make any sense?

Unless... there's a deeper reason? Or the most likely explanation is that the Church of the Storms here is merely a 'backdrop,' just like the sixth-floor Beckland scenario.

The church exists only as scenery, without any actual clergy or internal personnel's subconscious being drawn into this scenario... Is it because they're worried the NPCs might pray within the scenario and attract the attention of a deity?

Heh, it seems the Maze Tower set restrictions related to 'deities' right from the start when it was created by Roselle.

But while NPCs can be curated or restricted, what about challengers? I don't believe that over the past century, no challengers have attempted to pray to deities here.

Yet, the reality is that this place hasn't been monopolized by any church or organization. This either indicates a tacit understanding among the deities, maintaining mutual checks and balances, or that challengers simply cannot recite the names of the deities!

Testing this hypothesis, Ebner tried to recite "The Fool that does not belong to this era," but he soon felt a "whip" of sorts poised in his mind, ready to strike him should he proceed. It would interrupt his incantation and teach him a painful lesson.

"A punishment?" Ebner's thoughts shifted, and he immediately realized he had violated one of the Tower's "rules." The intangible "whip" was the means of enforcing that rule.

As expected! The Maze Tower has implicit rules, and being unable to recite divine names is one of them!

Following Carnot's steps while pondering, Ebner activated his Pure White Eye, revealing the "status" of this Uncharted Land.

Then, he tried reciting "The Fool" once more.

This time, however, the sense of impending "punishment" didn't manifest.

What is this? Bullying the weak but coddling the strong? Harsh punishments for regular Beyonders, but letting higher-status entities "cheat" at will?

Though the result was expected, Ebner couldn't help feeling exasperated. He muttered a complaint under his breath.

By now, Carnot had led him to a stone bridge, stopping near its leftmost arch.

Carnot explained in a low voice, "Councilor Ricciardo is injured, and his powers are somewhat uncontrollable. Anyone entering his range will be tainted by bad luck."

Ebner was already aware of this and wasn't surprised. He simply raised his gaze, activating his Pure White Eye to observe the area, attempting to discern the origins of the "bad luck."

Unfortunately, as a Sequence 6 Polymath, Ebner lacked knowledge in the domain of "Fate." While the Pure White Eye could parse the workings of the bad luck, the information was incomprehensible to him. Just a glance left him dizzy, akin to his past experiences when trying to observe the Gray Fog.

His only takeaway was that Ricciardo's so-called "injury" wasn't external but the result of an error during some ritual. It seemed his condition would only stabilize once the ritual was completed.

"What brings you here again?" Ricciardo's hoarse voice asked from the shadows.

"Councilor, this 'investigator' wishes to ask you something," Carnot replied respectfully.

Ricciardo fell silent for a long while before his raspy voice sounded again, "What's your question?"

At this, Carnot turned toward Ebner, signaling him to ask quickly.

As a Fate-path mystic, shouldn't you already know my question? This straightforwardness is throwing me off...

Suppressing a wry chuckle, Ebner maintained a serious expression as he said, "I wish to know the specific nature of the three trials in the 'Elven Trial.'"

After another silence, Ricciardo replied with a cough-ridden voice, "So it's about the Trial Temple... Each time it opens, the specific trials differ. However, there's a discernible pattern. I can offer you a hint, but if I divulge too much, the temple will alter itself accordingly. Do you want to hear it?"

"Please go ahead," Ebner dutifully prompted.

Organizing his thoughts, Councilor Ricciardo solemnly explained:

"In the era before the Blasphemy Slate emerged, the elven king's subordinate deity, the 'God of Luck,' was not confined to a single pathway.

"He was both a Seer and a Clairvoyant, a Prophet and a Wraith Bishop...

"If a modern Beyonder attempted such a fusion of traits, they would've long since gone mad or lost control, becoming a monster. Yet this subordinate deity accumulated enough 'luck' before merging, miraculously maintaining his sense of self. He only occasionally succumbed to madness—his condition was even better than that of the elven king."

To devour so much and survive—he truly earned the title of "God of Luck"! Ebner thought with amazement before reflecting:

The councilor must be hinting that this god's methods for testing elves could be deduced from the traits of those pathways.

But why not just say it outright? Ah, his "mystic" tendencies must be kicking in—so he's back to "normal."

With traits of a Wraith Bishop, the "Courage" trial likely involves terrifying nightmares or shadowy monsters to test one's bravery. That's plenty of material to scare elves into toughening up...

I shouldn't worry too much about this one. My simulated Nightmare abilities might give me an edge in such an environment. If hot-headed elves can pass, why can't I?

The "Willpower" trial offers even more potential avenues for creativity. Fortunately, I've mastered a range of abilities, so breaking through should be manageable.

As for "Strength," that's no problem... With my Pure White Eye, my combat abilities rank near the top among Sequence 5s, let alone as a Sequence 6. I doubt they'll throw anything too ridiculous at me.

As Ebner silently calculated, Councilor Ricciardo furrowed his brows. The "contradictions" between some "realities" and his "perceptions" left him uneasy:

"When did I develop such expertise on the God of Luck?"

End of Chapter.