LOM: Lord of Mysticism

The next morning, Klein got out of bed in his sleepy stupor. He felt as though his body wasn't under his control.

"Today is a rest day, but I still have to pay a visit to my mentor and see if I can borrow the monograph on the Hornacis main peak from the university's library." Klein made his way outside with some effort.

"Klein, what happened to you?" Melissa sized up her brother for his odd posture and slow movement.

Faced with his sister's question, Klein said, "Sore muscles."

He originally believed that by consuming the Sequence potion, his constitution would be enhanced as a Beyonder, but the harsh reality told him that a Seer's stats points were all allocated to his spirituality, mind, intuition, and interpretation. It didn't aid him in adjusting to combat training quickly.

As for the original Klein, he had suffered from malnutrition. That led him to possess a below-average physical condition.

"Sore muscles? I remember you returning after dinner last night, and you didn't do anything else... Does alcohol cause sore muscles?" Melissa inquired.

Does alcohol cause sore muscles... I can't help having inappropriate thoughts... Klein laughed and said, "No, this has nothing to do with alcohol. It was from yesterday afternoon. I joined the company's combat training."

"Combat?" Melissa was even more stunned.

Klein organized his thoughts and said, "Well, this is what happened. I considered it and believe that, as a historical and relic consultant for a security company, it's impossible for me to stay in the office or port warehouse forever. Perhaps there will come a day when I have to accompany them to the villages or an ancient castle, to the site of some relic. That might require me to hike, to cross rivers, and to walk a lot. I'll have to endure all sorts of tests posed by nature, so I have to possess a sufficiently healthy body."

"So you joined combat training to enhance your stamina?" Melissa seemed to understand.

"That's right," Klein answered.

Melissa said with a frown, "Don't you always keep yourself to the standards of a professor? A professor only requires the ability to read historical documents, ponder over difficult questions, and maintain a polite and gentlemanly demeanor.

Of course, I'm not saying that those aren't all good things. I prefer men who can solve problems on their own, regardless of whether that solution requires brawn or brain." Melissa smiled.

Klein said, "No, no, no, Melissa. Your definition of a professor contains a misconception. A true professor can communicate with people gently and politely, but he can also educate the other person using the principles of physics by raising a cane to convince someone when there is an obstacle in communication."

"Principles of physics..." Melissa was momentarily at a loss.

Klein didn't say anything more and headed for the bathroom.

When he finally went downstairs, he had breakfast and saw Benson and Melissa off.

After resting for a little while, Klein took his cane, donned his top hat, and left the house, towards the public carriage stop.

...

It was summer, and Khoy University was full of trees with foliage providing shade, flourishing with birds, and luxuriant flowers. Walking along the river, Klein took a turn towards the history department and found the three-story building and located his mentor's, Cohen Quentin's, office.

He knocked and entered the room, but instead saw that the man sitting at his mentor's seat was the academic, Azik.

"Good morning, Mr. Azik, Where's my mentor? We made an appointment by letter to meet here at ten," Klein asked.

"Cohen had a last-minute meeting and went to Tingen University. He asked me to wait for you here." Azik said.

He had bronze skin, an average height and build, black hair, brown eyes, and gentle facial features. Being in his presence brought on an indescribable feeling, as though you could see in him the vicissitudes of life.

Klein asked, "Mr. Azik, did my mentor manage to find the book 'Research of the Hornacis Main Peak's Relics' in the school library?"

"He found it with my assistance," Azik said, then pulled open the drawer and took out a gray-covered book. "You are no longer a Khoy University student anymore. You can read it here, but you cannot take it home."

"Alright." Klein delightfully took the academic monograph.

The book's design was fully in line with the current trends; it used hard paper as a hardcover, and it was printed with an image like an abstract version of the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range.

Klein took a glance and found a seat. He flipped open the book and started reading carefully, line by line.

As he became engrossed in the book, he saw that there was a cup of rich and fragrant coffee by his side.

"Help yourself to the sugar and milk." Azik put down the silver saucer and pointed at the milk jar and sugar container.

"Thank you." Klein nodded graciously and added three cubes of sugar and a teaspoon of milk before continuing to read his book.

The book, Research of the Hornacis Main Peak's Relics, was not thick. Klein finished reading it when it was almost noon, taking note of a few noteworthy points.

First, the settlement on the main peak of Hornacis Mountain and its surrounding area were obviously an advanced civilization, which existed as part of an ancient nation.

Second, from their wall murals, their perspective on life appears similar to that of humans. At least Klein would assume for now that they were humans.

Third, they revered yet feared the darkness of the night; hence, they called their god the Ruler of the Evernight, Mother of the Sky.

Fourth, the weirdest part is that researchers haven't found any graves in the entire area, which seems to indicate that the people didn't need to be buried. In the wall murals, the people in the nation believed that death is not the end and that their deceased family would protect them in the night. Hence, they would keep their deceased family members at home, on the bed, by their side, for a full three days.

Klein took another sip of coffee and continued to write down his 'afterthoughts' in his notebook.

Mother of the Sky, Skymother is such a grand title, while the Ruler of the Evernight obviously overlaps with the Evernight Goddess... Are they the same Goddess? Is this a contradiction at its roots?

In the ancient remains on the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range and its surrounding area, every arrangement and decoration was well preserved. Even the wall murals didn't have any signs of damage. Before it was discovered, there seemed to be no disturbance at all, as if everyone had vanished, leaving everything behind.

What happened to the nation's people? Did they flee and abandon their homes in a hurry and never return? Considering how there are no burial grounds, this only makes it weirder.

The author, Mr. Joseph, also mentioned that when he first discovered the remains, he even had the belief that the people residing there had abruptly vanished.

Klein stopped writing and cast his gaze at an illustration.

On John Joseph's third visit to the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range, he had used a new camera model to shoot a monochrome photograph.

In the photo, the lofty palace followed a grandeur style for its design. It had a collapsed wall and was overgrown with weeds.

When he flipped to the photograph, Klein's first thought was the palace he had seen in his dream.

The two styles were identical. The only difference was that the one he had dreamed of was on a peak, and it was way more magnificent. It also had a huge chair—a seat of honor—that looked like it was not meant for a human, and countless translucent maggots clustered together, squirming slowly beneath the chair.

I can confirm that my dream is related to the ancient remains on the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range... That should be the Nation of the Evernight, which was referenced in the Antigonus family's notebook... Klein nodded slightly and closed the book.

At that moment, Azik, who was sitting opposite him, spoke. "How was it? Have you found anything?"

"Quite a bit. Take a look; I've written so many pages of notes." Klein pointed at the table.

"I don't understand why you're suddenly so interested in this matter." Azik sighed. "Klein, when I was studying at the Backlund University, I dabbled with some divination and did quite a bit of research on that. Well, I discovered that there is disharmony... in your fate."

As a Seer, Klein looked at Azik the academic in amusement. "How is it disharmonious?"

Azik thought for a moment. "Have you encountered many strange coincidences in the past two months?"

"Coincidences?" As he was indebted to Mr. Azik, Klein didn't dispute his question as he began to think.

If we are talking about coincidences, the most obvious matter was when we were after kidnappers. We actually managed to find clues to the Antigonus family's notebook that was lost for days in the building opposite the kidnappers.

Also, Ray Bieber didn't flee from Tingen in a hurry; instead, he found a place to digest the power bestowed by the notebook, allowing for Sealed Artifact 2-049 to track him down easily. That seemed to be against common sense. Although Aiur Harson gave a reasonable explanation, I always had a nagging feeling that it was somewhat coincidental.

Oh, also, Selena had stolen a glance at Hanass Vincent's secret incantations, but she held back till her birthday dinner banquet to try it out, and I happened to discover it the same day right before it escalated, which is quite a coincidence too. Otherwise, Hanass Vincent wouldn't have been the only one to die so suddenly...

Klein thought about it seriously for a minute and said, "There are three. Neither too many nor too frequent. Furthermore, there was nothing that indicated someone's involvement and guidance."

Azik nodded slightly. "As Emperor Roselle once said, a single coincidence is encountered by anyone. Twice is still normal. Three is when one should consider what internal factors are influencing those coincidences."

"Can you tell me anything else?" Klein asked.

Azik shook his head. "I can only tell that there's some disharmony, but nothing else. You have to understand that I'm not a real seer."

Klein let out a breath, seizing the moment when Azik stood up. He pinched his glabella and activated his Spirit Vision. When he looked over, Azik's aura fully appeared before him; everything seemed fairly normal.

Unfortunately, I can only see the Ether Body and Astral Projection of a person above the gray fog. Klein thought carefreely as he tapped his glabella again whilst standing up.