Lord of Mysteries (诡秘之主)

This is the world of Beyonders.

By drinking potions, humans are able to attain various powers of Beyonders,

and ascend to divinity.

The 22 Pathways begin with the weakest, Sequence 9.

The lower the sequence,

the stronger a Beyonder's abilities.

Strong Beyonders of the higher-level Sequences can wield powers strong enough to rival gods.

This path of evolution is called:

the Path of the Divine.

Khoy University

Those red smokestacks.

I haven't found any new leads using my divination ever since last time.

Even with the gray fog, the interference remained.

Whoever's behind this, they're strong.

I should consider a more advantageous trump card than just advancing to Clown.

Weapons? Aside from guns, I only have charms.

Charms?

Oh, yeah! The Flaring Sun Charm!

The method for creating the Flaring Sun Charm

I need to find a way to take advantage of that blood from the Eternal Blazing Sun.

Klein.

Mr. Azik.

Have you been quite busy lately? You look exhausted.

I've been trying to track down the person behind it all. It's making me a bit anxious.

They haven't shown any cracks since they noticed my gaze.

Relax. Don't get too fixated on it.

Perhaps a turning point is just one thought away.

Yes, Mr. Azik.

Mr. Azik, there's something I'd like you to help me with.

Episode Eight: Losing Control

Episode Eight: Losing Control

We are guardians

We are guardians

An unnamed island? What is this?

My apologies, Mr. Fool. I wasn't able to locate a new page of Roselle's Diary.

No need to worry. It is something that will come with time.

But I've been in contact with a few secret Beyonder circles

in the hopes of obtaining more diary pages.

Honorable Mr Fool. Mr. Hanged Man.

I hope to receive some information on hidden organizations.

Don't look at me.

The all-knowing Mr. Fool in front of you is only Bronze tier.

Most of these organizations stay hidden in the shadows.

What I know is the tip of the iceberg.

I can only get someone else to find out more.

That would be troublesome and very dangerous.

I'll happily listen to the bits you do know.

Even if you are, you'll still need to pay a great price.

A-A price?

What kind of "price" are you referring to?

1,000 pounds. In non-consecutive old banknotes.

Damn. 1,000 pounds?

A sum that'd buy you a mansion for just the "tip of an iceberg"?

That's too expensive.

Miss Justice may be a noble, but that's still too much to find at a moment's notice.

No problem.

Would you like it sent to the same address?

Mr. Hanged Man?

Correct. The same address.

To the same recipient.

Wow, man. She's loaded. 1,000 pounds, just like that?

Calm down, Zhou Mingrui. It's only money.

I need to keep my composure as Mr. Fool.

You may begin, Mr. Hanged Man.

Currently, there are over 100 secret organizations with considerable influence.

Ancient organizations from the Fourth Epoch include the Secret Order,

the Demoness Sect, and the Moses Ascetic Order.

The earliest-recognized of these is the Moses Ascetic Order.

Sequence 9 of their pathway is Mystery Pryer.

That's Old Neil's pathway.

This organization's members worship knowledge itself,

and call their god: the Hidden Sage.

Early on, the Moses Ascetic Order was widely respected.

But it's fallen from grace and become an evil organization.

Why is that? Worshiping knowledge isn't evil.

But what if knowledge itself were to become alive?

Legend has it the Hidden Sage came to life.

He became the personification of an evil god.

Orders born early in this epoch include the Rose School of Thought,

and the Numinous Episcopate that worships Death.

Both from the Southern Continent.

As for the Aurora Order, Element Dawn, the Psychology Alchemists and so on,

they only appeared in the last 200 to 300 years.

Thank you very much for the information, Mr. Hanged Man.

I have no more questions, Mr. Fool.

Very well. Let us end there for today.

By your will.

The Numinous Episcopate that worships Death? I feel like they have a link to Mr. Azik.

I haven't heard back from Mr. Azik in days about the help I asked for.

He didn't forget, did he?

Extra! Extra!

Strange paranormal events down at the docks today!

Will it drive out the Evernight Goddess's worshippers,

or is there some hidden truth to it?

Hey, boy!

What is it, sir?

Wait there. I'll buy a paper from you.

Careful.

Benson? Melissa?

Why are you two home so early?

Klein, is that a gun?

Um, this is actually, uh...

I'm also working part-time as a history consultant for the police. The gun's standard issue.

I'll be back late, so don't wait for me at dinner.

Did something good happen to Klein? He's looking very chipper.

No casualties. Only worshippers of the Evernight Goddess were targeted.

Mr. Azik must've begun taking action.

Hey, what's the rush? You're not even here once in 800 years.

Now you're here, you're not leaving.

Mr. Neil and...

Sailor Pathway, Sequence 8 Folk of Rage Tingen City Mandated Punisher Havre

Oh, it's him.

I told you I'm on a mission.

You think you can complete all the missions in the world?

You need to learn to relax in this job.

Hey, Wright. Two Southville beers. They're on him.

Damn you, old man. You just want to use my tab.

Hello, sirs. Mr. Neil.

Oh, Klein! Fancy seeing you here.

Wright, one more. Put it on—

On his tab. Yeah, I know.

Cheers!

Perfect.

Don't drink so fast. I won't save you if you start choking to death.

You're here about the incident at the docks.

Right. That accursed affair. Hauntings that target specific worshippers?

And only Evernight Goddess followers?

The docks are Mandated Punishers territory. There's rumors aplenty now.

I should meet up with Dunn.

Mandated Punishers and Nighthawks can't fall out over rumors.

Those in the shadows would laugh at us.

You suspect an evil order was behind it?

Our preliminary investigations point that way.

The Mandated Punishers also aren't in a position to investigate non-worshippers of the Lord of Storms.

Lanti Proof. Fill 'er up.

Those Spirit Bodies were highly unusual. Difficult to expel.

They appeared to be very ancient. Like they were the dead from the Fourth Epoch.

Well, that confirms it was Mr. Azik's doing.

From here on out, it's my turn.

Here, allow me to make a toast to both of you.

Bottoms up!

I still have a mission to do.

Next time, come to the bar by the docks. We'll drink the night away.

By the way...

You're Klein, right?

I saw it in you last time, but you're a rare talent.

Listen, why don't you join the Mandated Punishers—

All right, out of here, you.

Neil, you owe me two beers. You'd better pay me back double next time.

Off I go!

Mr. Havre sure is a jovial straight-shooter.

Pfft, as if. He's just a drunk.

Pardon the intrusion.

Old Neil, the captain's looking for you.

The dock incident is quite suspicious.

You're more familiar with that area. Leonard and Kenley are both green.

Go with them to deal with this.

Huh? Me?

Captain, allow me.

A sudden incident with strange Spirit Bodies sounds like a job for divination.

Exactly. Things like this should be left to the young guns.

Ah, ouch. My poor old back can't cope anymore.

A new policy was introduced recently.

Anyone over 50 gets double the subsidy for missions.

I think Klein has a point.

I will help him use divination correctly to investigate.

Be careful. Don't act impulsively.

Yes, Captain.

Captain, I hear those Spirit Bodies are difficult to deal with.

Do you have any good methods to quickly expel them?

Well, about that...

Only 3-0782 is suitable.

Oh, the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem?

Last time, it only took a minute to expel the Wraiths at the old castle. If we use it here—

No.

The docks are crowded. It'd be too risky.

If any regular people are around, they'll be Sun-praising idiots within an hour.

That is a problem, but we should still plan ahead for the worst-case scenario.