Beyond the Old Ones

Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is purely a fanfic for enjoyment.

Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.

The familiar characters you see here belong to their respected authors and owners.

"Speech"

Time*

Chapter 13: A Shocking Event

The next day*

It's a new day, and as we sit in the dining room on the ground floor of the hotel where we spent the night, the eyes of a few onlookers are already upon us. Their gazes, filled with curiosity—or perhaps something else—linger a bit too long, making it clear that our presence has not gone unnoticed.

"It appears as though these simpletons are suspiciously eyeing one another as if attempting to discern which of them might be concealing a criminal past." Alucard remarked, her voice dripping with disdain and utter indifference to whether she was overheard. The sharpness of her words caused several nearby diners to flinch, clearly unsettled by her arrogance. "Frankly, it's utterly absurd. If the authorities, with all their supposed expertise, have failed to uncover anything, what hope do these inept fools have of succeeding where the professionals could not?" With an attitude of indifference, Alucard began to slice her sunny-side-up egg in half, followed by the precise cutting of her bacon strips.

"Yes, but I believe their attention is more focused on us than anyone else." I note, casually gesturing toward the onlookers before taking a sip of my morning coffee. "In any case, I've done some research online. After breakfast, we'll have a rather busy day ahead of us."

"Oh? Is it going to be an exciting, busy day?" Alucard's eyes flickered with hope as they met mine.

I paused for a moment, thinking about Alucard's question carefully before responding, "It might not be as thrilling as you're hoping for…?" Knowing that Alucard's standards for excitement were often quite high. I wasn't quite sure about it.

"Ah..." Alucard's behavior shifted, her earlier excitement fading into a more subdued tone. Her expression dulled. "Do you need me to tag along, or could I go on a walk?" The initial spark in her eyes dimmed, replaced by boredom.

"Hm. There's no need for you to follow me if you don't want to." I replied, finishing the last of my breakfast and pushing my chair back as I stood, ready to begin the day's tasks. "Feel free to do your own thing until I need you or whenever you feel like returning." I paused. "Do you need any money before I go?"

"No need for money. If I do need any, I'll find you." Alucard replied with her usual nonchalance, dabbing her mouth with a napkin. "Until then, try not to die on me." With that, she rose from her seat and walked away.

I ignored the lingering stares as I turned and walked in the opposite direction, making my way out of the hotel.

Hours later*

Finalizing... Idle S9Apprentice survived for 38 years.

Idle S9Apprentice brought back the Sefirot: City of Calamity.

Acting Progress... 100%.

Further progress requires collecting all the Potion's Ingredients for Sequence 8: Trickmaster.

Unlocking Beyonder's Abilities of the Door Pathway's Sequence 9: Apprentice.

1. Door Opening: They can open some things related to Doors. This has a variety of applications.

First Additional Note: They are able to pass through walls and others big obstacles by opening a ghostly-blue incorporeal light that takes the shape of a Door.

First Side Note: They cannot bring other people with them while using this Beyonder power.

Second Side Note: They can open a tiny Door in a wall in order to see the inside of a room.

Second Additional Note: They are able to open any lock which doesn't contain mystical powers, as well as a small number of locks that are augmented with Beyonder effects.

2. Spirit Vision: They can use Spirit Vision to see non-physical things, such as ghosts and specters.

As I continued on my way, I suddenly halted in my tracks, a wave of disbelief washing over me. My heart pounded in my chest as I stepped to the side, my mind reeling as I stared at the Card of Door in my hand. I was overwhelmed by a whirlwind of emotions—shock, horror, and utter confusion.

How was this even possible? Just yesterday, I had acquired the Sefirah Castle, a momentous event in itself, and now, by some unimaginable twist of fate, I held another Sefirot—the City of Calamity. The sheer improbability of obtaining such a thing, something I had assumed would require a lengthy and difficult search, left me stunned. Yet here it was, delivered to me through the Card of Blasphemy as if it had been waiting for this exact moment.

Obtaining the City of Calamity was nowhere near the list of questions I had intended to explore through Divination within the Sefirah Castle later today. The sudden ownership of this Sefirot threw everything into disarray, leaving me wondering if something bad was about to happen since, clearly, nearly all my luck was used to get the City of Calamity.

The Card of Door faded from my grasp; I quickly shook off the shock and resumed walking, knowing that lingering in the middle of the sidewalk could lead to an accident—especially with my mind in such a chaotic state. Each step felt uncertain, but I pushed forward, trying to steady my thoughts and regain control over the wild emotions swirling inside me.

On another note, how did the S9Apprentice manage to survive for 39 years?! Was it relentlessly pursuing the City of Calamity after uncovering some kind of clue, then doing everything it could to survive against all odds? Sure, the Door Opening ability is exceptional for escaping and infiltrating, but even that has its limits! The sheer improbability of surviving so long, especially while chasing after something as dangerous and elusive as the City of Calamity, seemed almost impossible. The more I pondered it, the more questions flooded my already chaotic mind.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts as I made my way back to the hotel room I had decided to stay in for another day. My steps were quick, almost hurried; as I navigated through the hallways, my mind was still racing with unanswered questions. Once I reached my door, I glanced around, ensuring that no one was nearby, before unlocking it and slipping inside. The door clicked shut behind me, and I let out a quiet sigh, frowning as I tried to make sense of it all.

Why had I suddenly felt the urge to use the Card of Blasphemy? Was it mere coincidence, or had it somehow been connected to obtaining the City of Calamity? Then again, performing the ritual yesterday to see if it was possible to gain access to the Sefirah Castle somehow worked, something I expected to fail. I've done it out of sheer curiosity.

I placed the bag on the table, its contents nearly identical to what I had prepared yesterday—items specifically chosen for entering the Sefirah Castle tonight.

I closed my eyes, drawing in a deep breath to steady myself before reopening them with renewed focus. Activating my Spirit Vision, I carefully scanned the room, searching for any signs of hidden presence or supernatural entities that might be lurking just out of sight. My gaze swept across every corner, every shadow, ensuring that nothing was concealed from me.

Once I was certain that no one was around, and that I was truly alone, I deactivated the Spirit Vision, allowing the familiar world to settle back into its mundane reality. The room felt slightly more secure.

However, now wasn't the time to perform the Luck Enhancement Ritual, especially without Alucard around to watch my back. The ritual required a level of focus and vulnerability that left me exposed, and I couldn't afford to take that risk alone.

I summoned the Cards of Blasphemy, watching as they materialized and floated around me. As the others continued their orbit, one card drifted into a prominent position right in front of me: the Card of Door.

I flicked the Card of Door to the side with the tip of my right index finger, sending it drifting away from its previous position. In its place, the Card of White Tower glided into view.

I opened the laptop I had left on the table from last night, its screen flickering to life as I started searching for a few specific pieces of information.

I intentionally ignored the recently obtained City of Calamity, choosing to set it aside for the moment. Engaging with it now could be overwhelming, and I needed to clear my mind and gather the necessary details before diving into anything else. As I typed away, the rhythmic clacking of the keyboard helped center my focus.

An hour later*

I shut down the laptop, and the screen faded to black as I plugged in the charger to ensure it was ready for later use. I rubbed my tired eyes with a weary sigh, feeling the strain of the previous shocking news catching up with me.

I looked up to see the Cards of Blasphemy continuing to float around me. The Card of White Tower remained in its fixed position.

Suddenly, the Card of White Tower shifted, giving way to the Card of Demoness and the Card of Red Priest, which took its place. These two Cards of Blasphemy began to rotate slowly, moving in a pattern that formed a sphere-like structure. As they did, a grayish orb gradually materialized between them.

The orb's surface rippled, revealing the eerie image of a city. It was a place of crumbling buildings and streets strewn with debris, a stark and unsettling vision. The structures within the city seemed to shift and change positions unpredictably while an eerie fog crept across the landscape, obscuring much of the view. Dark, oppressive clouds hung heavily over the city, casting an endless shadow over the desolate scene. There is a huge black tower in the middle of it, and something is under it.

Instantly, I knew this was the City of Calamity, but I found myself at a loss regarding its capabilities. Then again, even the Sefirah Castle had not provided any hints of what it could do other than what I've read about it in the past and tried to see if it worked, which it did. Yet, this doesn't change the fact that I have no idea what the City of Calamity could do.

The Divination I conducted last night on the laptop had covered various topics, but I hadn't delved deeply into the specifics of the Sefirot. My focus had been divided among other pressing matters, leaving the City of Calamity and the Sefirot largely unexplored. Something I should fix later tonight.

I paused for a moment, narrowing my eyes as I examined the vision of the City of Calamity. The shifting, fog-enshrouded cityscape seemed to hold secrets just out of reach, its eerie atmosphere inviting both curiosity and caution. My mind raced with questions and theories, trying to piece together what little I knew about this Sefirot and what it might reveal or conceal.

However, one pressing question began to grind at my mind, causing a headache: Is the Sefirot absorbed into the Cards of Blasphemy, or is it stored in some kind of extraordinary pocket dimension within them? I was certain I didn't have the Sefirah Castle physically with me, so where exactly was the City of Calamity located?

Was it merely a projection or illusion, or had it been transported to another realm or dimension? The thought of it being back in the universe of Lord of Mysteries crossed my mind.

I could already foresee a world of headaches awaiting me later tonight once I delved deeper into Divination.

Author Note: Okay, I just want to say one thing first. I made up lists of how things goes. How long the idle survive to what it could bring along with the percentage in how far they made in the Acting Method. So, when I roll the numbers on the list, I was not expecting this at all.

Anyway, I have yet to read the second book, Circle of Inevitability. I am waiting for it to be completed before reading it. And yes, I have used Wiki, which gives many spoilers, but I try to avoid looking everywhere, and I just need the things for this fanfic. In this case, the City of Calamity. Do any of you guys know what it could do? Yeah, I said I wanted to avoid looking into spoilers, but I rolled and got this. I don't want to just reroll or act like it never happened. So here I am scratching my head and even google to see if anyone could just tell me something, what it could do, and only what it could do instead of related plots to it.

So, could you guys help me out by telling me what it could do if it was explained in Circle of Inevitability? Otherwise, I have to come up with a random, somewhat close to the other Sefirot based on my own guess.

But yeah, that it's for this random author note. Thanks for reading and sorry about this unexpected author note.