Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

"Name: Dagger of Gloomlight

Appearance: A 20-centimeter-long steel dagger with a black gemstone embedded in the hilt, flickering with dim light.

Abilities: The wielder's speed and strength will be moderately enhanced. It can resist the erosion of decay, cold, and the aura of death. It will also make unintelligent undead perceive the wielder as one of their own. Additionally, the wielder can directly see some malevolent spirits. When the blade strikes a spirit, it can inflict significant damage.

Negative Effects: The wielder's body temperature will continuously drop until they die and become an actual corpse.

Precautions: Do not use it for more than ten minutes at a time. After usage, it's best to bask in sunlight for half an hour or drink a cup of Holy Solar Water.

Sealing Method: Store it in a scabbard reinforced with a Sacred Oath."

In the basement workshop of Fragrant Manor in Bayam, Ebner fiddled with the dagger he had just crafted and asked Helene, who was wiping sweat from her forehead nearby:

"If this dagger is priced at 500 pounds, would you buy it?"

Since they were underground, Helene wasn't wearing her hat that could change her hair color. Her vibrant red hair clung damply to her forehead, making her look slightly disheveled.

Helene took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and replied seriously, "I don't need it, so I wouldn't buy it… But it has a good design, and its abilities are quite practical for Beyonders who aren't adept at dealing with the undead. If it comes with the sealing scabbard, I think someone would purchase it."

"So… it's profitable after all…" Ebner let out a sigh of relief. He decided to bring it to the next extraordinary gathering at the Fragrant Leaf Tavern to gauge the market for mystical artifacts in Bayam.

After carefully placing the Dagger of Gloomlight into a temporary scabbard reinforced with the Ring of Light, Ebner reflected on the lessons he had learned during the crafting process. With a smile, he said to Helene, who had just finished wiping her sweat:

"Take a half-hour break, and then we'll start the next one…"

Helene's eyes went blank for a moment. She then glared at Ebner with a gaze full of resentment, nearly summoning a fire crow to smack his smug face.

...

Harvest Church

Inside Harvest Church, Klein chatted with Emlyn for a while and discovered that this vampire genuinely believed he could deceive Bishop Utravsky with half-hearted devotion to the Earth Mother. Klein gave him a look of pity and informed him that the bishop possessed a miraculous artifact called the Candle of Heart's Desire. It might have already planted subtle suggestions in Emlyn, gradually making him a true believer in the Earth Mother.

Hearing Klein's analysis, Emlyn grew visibly uneasy. Without saying another word, he dashed toward the church doors, but the half-giant bishop didn't stop him.

Klein noticed that Miss Hazel and the butler from Tower had already left, but he paid it no mind. Instead, he approached the bishop and mentioned Emlyn's parents hiring him to locate their son.

Bishop Utravsky looked down at him with a warm expression and said calmly:

"Emlyn may return home anytime he wishes."

Seeing that the bishop truly had no intention of preventing Emlyn from leaving, Klein leisurely walked out of the church and caught up with Emlyn, who had run some distance before circling back.

When Emlyn saw Klein, his face was twisted in frustration. He said anxiously:

"I suddenly started missing Harvest Church. I miss reciting the scriptures. I miss the Holy Emblem of Life. I miss cleaning and tidying… Just one hour! One hour would be enough…"

Mandatory labor for an hour? The bishop has a talent for subtle conversion… Instead of forcing Emlyn to switch faiths, he's using labor to influence him imperceptibly. That Candle of Heart's Desire is said to originate from a dragon? The Spectator pathway is frightening indeed…

Klein was lost in thought when Emlyn suddenly declared with anger:

"I will resist this feeling! I'll move to Jianhai or even Feysac! I refuse to believe that if I'm far away from Backlund, I'll still want to return!"

For some reason… I feel like you'll definitely come back… Klein internally mocked Emlyn but didn't say it aloud. Instead, he hailed a carriage and sent Emlyn back to his home on Riverside Boulevard.

When Klein paid the fare, Emlyn bolted upstairs into his bedroom. Upon seeing that his beloved puppets were all safe, he let out a deep sigh of relief. Then, he returned downstairs, placed his hand over his chest, and bowed deeply to Klein:

"No matter what, I must thank you."

Klein smirked and said,

"No need to thank me.

"I'll be claiming the bounty for finding you, as well as the fare for the carriage, from your parents.

"Additionally, you'll need to prepare an extraordinary potion for me to treat a patient.

"That's the payment you owe me."

Bounty? Carriage fare? Potion? Where's your gentlemanly demeanor? Emlyn's expression twisted, mirroring Helene's from earlier. If he could control flames, he'd likely have the same impulse she had.

...

28 Kingst Street, Cherwood Borough

When Xio Derecha arrived at the garden villa after receiving Mr. Scudder's message, she saw Hazel stepping out of a carriage in casual attire.

Xio recognized Hazel immediately. After all, this young lady had once tried to steal a bracelet from her friend and had her arm severed by Ebner in the process. The incident had left a deep impression on her.

In contrast, Hazel didn't have much memory of Xio. She had only briefly seen her when saying farewell to Ebner.

Roughly guessing why Hazel was here, Xio exchanged a few polite words with her before following Mr. Scudder into the drawing room, where Liv and Freyja were waiting anxiously.

Thanks to Xio's reputation in the East Borough, when Freyja heard that the petite lady before her was the famous Arbiter, she immediately burst into tears and recounted the events again, pleading with Xio to "Arbitrate" the matter.

Hazel, listening from the side, clenched her fists but quickly relaxed them, reminding herself not to act impulsively. She was unfamiliar with the East Borough and acting recklessly might make things worse. It was better to hear what the Arbiter had to say.

Meanwhile, Liv gritted her teeth and retrieved a handful of gold coins from the package sent back by Aitris, intending to offer them as a commission fee.

Though Xio was currently strapped for cash, she wasn't so desperate as to accept all of it. She symbolically took one coin, signaling her acceptance of the case, and then asked sternly:

"I recall that your neighborhood is under the Hillary Gang's control. They have strict oversight of their territory and rarely allow others to interfere… Have you informed them about this incident?"

Liv nodded grimly and said, "I approached them… but they said Daisy was taken from an area outside their jurisdiction…"

"The Hillary Gang may be more disciplined than other gangs, but they're still criminals… If someone forced them to back off, it must be someone powerful…"

With a plan forming in her mind, Xio prepared to visit her contacts in the gang. However, Hazel suddenly said, "Can I come with you? I believe I can be of help."

Xio sized her up and then chuckled. "Sure… But you can't go into the East Borough dressed like that."

...

In an alley outside the East Borough, a carriage slowly came to a stop.

A few burly men stepped out and hid in nearby corners, waiting for new prey to arrive.

At that moment, they spotted three women walking calmly through the alley…

(End of Chapter)