Lord of Mysteries

Chapter 34 Advance Payment (Second Update, Please Vote)

In the windowless basement, the rugged and striking Alger Wilson sat at a long table laden with various utensils and parchment scrolls.

Before him stood a half-burnt candle, its dim, yellowish flame casting shimmering light and shadow on the surrounding objects and the surface of the long table.

Alger's hair was messy like seaweed, a deep blue that was almost black. He wore a long robe embroidered with lightning patterns, his hands clasped together, thumbs touching, as he leaned forward and stared at a bottle of pitch-black liquid to the left of the candle.

Woo! Woo! Woo!

Splash! Splash! Splash!

The sealed bottle sometimes emitted the sound of howling winds, and sometimes the surging of the sea. In the places where the black liquid had not submerged, a faint mist swirled and moved, as if it had grown eyes and a mouth.

Alger glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that the hour hand was pointing to three o'clock.

He pinched his temples, his eyes suddenly darkening, and the various utensils on the table seemed to gleam with a subtle luster.

Just then, he discovered that a crimson light surged forth like a tide, appearing out of nowhere and instantly engulfing him!

…………

Backlund, Queens, inside the Hall family's luxury villa.

After seeing the dance teacher off, Audrey locked the door and sat down properly at her dressing table.

Outside the window, the sun shines brightly and the flowers are in full bloom. On the table, a blank notebook bound with fine light brown parchment lies open quietly. To its right is a fountain pen with a golden tip and a red gemstone inlaid in its body.

Audrey tried it and found that as soon as she left the "party", she could pick up a pen and write down the recipe the fastest.

"I'm really looking forward to it..." She took a breath, suppressing her excitement, and looked at herself in the mirror.

However, she could not see her reflection; only a deep red and illusory light erupted from all around her and from within her body!

…………

Above the gray fog, inside the magnificent temple that resembled the residence of a giant king.

Deep red blossoms erupted on both sides of the bronze table, gushing upwards and then falling like fountains, "sculpting" two blurry figures. Their positions remained unchanged from the last time.

With her smooth blonde hair and tall stature, Audrey instinctively looked up. There she saw a figure shrouded in thick gray fog leaning back, one hand resting on the edge of the table, the other hand loosely clenched, gently stroking her chin.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool!" Audrey called out in a lighthearted tone.

Then, she turned her head to look at the person opposite her and spoke in the same tone:

"Good afternoon, Mr. Hanged Man!"

This girl is really heartless. She's so sure I'm a good person, and she's not afraid at all? A well-protected noblewoman? Klein smiled, maintaining his enigmatic demeanor, and said:

Good afternoon, Miss Justice.

As he spoke, he lowered his head slightly, raised his loosely clenched left hand, and tapped his brow twice.

His vision changed instantly; he saw the aura emanating from "Justice" and the "Hanged Man"!

The surrounding gray fog and crimson stars remained unchanged, and nothing appeared that seemed nonexistent or that possessed a certain life-giving radiance.

With a slight shift in his gaze, Klein noticed that the aura and color of "Justice" perfectly matched Old Neil's description. The red was red where it should be, the purple was purple where it should be, the blue was blue where it should be, and the white was white where it should be. Moreover, the luster was bright and the thickness was just right. It looked like a vibrant young girl.

"Her emotional colors are red and yellow, happy, enthusiastic, excited..." Klein made his judgment and turned his attention to the "Hanged Man".

Similar to "Justice", the Hanged Man's aura color is not special, except that his emotions are blue, mixed with a few orange.

"Calm, thoughtful, cautious, and a little bit of satisfaction?" Klein drew his conclusion with little confidence on his first attempt.

Just as he was about to look away, he suddenly noticed something strange.

The innermost layer of the "Hanged Man's" aura, the colors and feeling seem to be completely unified!

Klein focused his mind and looked more closely. He could vaguely see that deep within the "Hanged Man's" "etheric body" was a deep blue color, like the sea, giving people a feeling of raging winds and waves.

"His 'Astral Body'? Or rather, the surface of his 'Astral Body'? In that case, he truly is extraordinary, and seems even more powerful than Old Neil." Klein's thoughts were in turmoil, his heart filled with doubt. "Not necessarily. Perhaps it's just because of this special environment, just because this is my home turf, that I can see these things. It's not that Old Neil didn't have similar abilities."

He turned to look at "Justice" again, confirming that it was a special quality possessed only by extraordinary individuals.

At this moment, Alger also finished his greetings.

Audrey took a light breath and asked with a hint of anticipation:

"Mr. 'The Hanged Man,' have you received that box of Ghost Shark's blood?"

Alger glanced at Klein, who was lightly tapping his brow, as if deep in thought.

"Thank you very much, it perfectly meets all my expectations. I really didn't expect you to send it over so quickly. Ghost Shark blood is no ordinary supernatural substance," Alger replied frankly.

Audrey smiled modestly and said:

"I'm very happy to see this result."

Because she had been interested in mysterious things since childhood, she made some friends in the aristocratic circle who shared the same hobby. They would exchange information, books and rare items. But before that, no one had gained supernatural abilities and become a true extraordinary person. However, several princes had hinted that if she was willing to become a princess, she would receive the gifts she wanted.

However, this time she obtained the ghost shark blood directly from the family treasury. The list stated "one large bottle," without specifying the volume or whether it was full. She believed that turning away a small portion wouldn't be noticed, and even if something went wrong and the matter was exposed, her parents probably wouldn't pursue the matter.

Alger glanced again at the Fool shrouded in gray fog, then turned back and smiled, saying:

"According to the agreement, I will tell you the recipe for this potion, 'The Audience'."

"Let me get ready. Okay, let's begin." Audrey took a breath and focused all her attention.

"Preparing low-sequence potions is very simple. Just put them in the order given. But you must remember that it's better to use less rather than more, or there will be big problems. You should have heard about the loss of control by extraordinary beings. I don't need to repeat it again, right?" Alger first explained the precautions.

Audrey nodded gently and said:

"I understand completely."

As she spoke, she glanced at Mr. Fool, wondering if this mysterious and powerful man had anything to add. Unfortunately, in her view, Mr. Fool sat there quietly, like a statue.

Alger thought for a moment and said:

"Less doesn't mean too far off... If you don't have help, I suggest you spend time getting familiar with chemistry experiments first."

"I have a tutor in this area," Audrey replied without hesitation.

Alger then discussed matters such as the maximum degree of deviation, before fluently reciting:

"'Audience,' Sequence 9 potion, 80 ml of pure water, 5 drops of colchicine essence, 13 grams of ox-tooth peony powder, 7 petals of fairy flower, a pair of adult manhar fish eyes, and 35 ml of ram-horned blackfish blood."

"The last two are the main ingredients, both from marine supernatural species, so we must be careful."

"Hmm." Audrey repeated as she recalled, "80 ml of pure water, 5 drops of colchicine extract, 13 grams of ox tusk, ox tusk..."

"Peony powder," Alger reminded him.

With the other party's help, Audrey gradually memorized the recipe in the correct order, but she was still not quite sure, muttering to herself and repeating it over and over again.

"Do you understand meditation?" Alger continued, seeing "Justice" nod. "I don't know what your understanding of meditation is like, so let me describe it... After taking the potion, begin meditating as soon as possible to control your spirit and power... You must practice every day to truly master the potion's power, to uncover its symbolic meaning and deeper mysteries. Only in this way can you minimize the risk of losing control. The key to the potion's symbolic meaning lies in its 'name,' such as 'the audience'!"

Klein listened quietly to their conversation, not intending to interrupt but simply to memorize and learn. However, upon hearing this, an idea suddenly struck him.

Audrey listened attentively to the "Hanged Man's" explanation and was about to ask a few questions about the details when she suddenly heard a light tapping sound on the table.

She and Alger turned their heads simultaneously to look at "The Fool" Klein, who sat at the head of the table. The mysterious and powerful man tapped his fingers lightly and spoke in a low voice:

"It's not about mastering, it's about digesting."

"It's not digging, it's acting."

"The name of a potion is not just a symbol, but also an image, and even more so, a 'key' to digestion."

Audrey listened, stunned and bewildered, not quite understanding what Mr. Fool was trying to say.

She subconsciously glanced at the "Hanged Man's" reaction out of the corner of her eye, only to be shocked to find that his body trembled and froze in place, like an ordinary person hearing a huge and sudden clap of thunder.

"Digest, play... digest, play... digest, play, key..." Alger murmured over and over again, as if he had grasped some key or was under some strange spell.

After a while, he raised his head and said in a hoarse voice:

"Thank you, Mr. Fool. Your insight is as precious as my life. It has helped me understand a lot of things, though I believe I do not yet fully comprehend them."

Klein maintained his mysterious and aloof demeanor, and said with a smile:

"This is an advance payment."

In fact, he himself did not quite understand the exact meaning of those words, but he was certain that Emperor Roselle was stronger than ordinary extraordinary beings and stronger than the "Hanged Man".

The advance payment… Seeing the Hanged Man's reaction, Audrey realized the value of the hint she had just received. Reflecting on it, she asked:

"Mr. Fool, what do you want us to do?"

Alger on the other side nodded in agreement:

"What can I do for you?"

Klein leaned back slightly, glanced to both sides, and said in a low, soothing voice:

"Help me collect Russell Gustave's secret diary, even if it's just one page."

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(End of this chapter)