Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

The Primordial Moon?

Klein was no stranger to this name. Not only had "The Tower" mentioned it during the "Demoness of Affliction" incident, but two of his mysticism books, Feast of Blood and The Book of Secrets, also described this mysterious entity.

Especially in The Book of Secrets by Sorcerer King Klarman, there were detailed rituals for bypassing the "Crimson Goddess" and directly praying to the "Primordial Moon."

"All of this indicates that the Primordial Moon is either a high-ranking and exalted entity… or, like me, possesses some sort of 'cheat' akin to the 'mysterious space above the gray fog.'

"However, Klarman explicitly mentioned in his book that the Primordial Moon existed during the Fourth Epoch. Meanwhile, Emlyn once told me that the author of Feast of Blood, Rhine Callenrida—who was also Liu Bo in his days as a Vampire Duke—perished in the mid-to-late Fourth Epoch. This means the Primordial Moon had already existed by then, or it wouldn't have been recorded in his work.

"From the Fourth Epoch to now, at least 1,400 years have passed. Even if the Primordial Moon started as a 'fraud,' much like me, by now it must have become a near-god or even a true deity.

"In fact, I once suspected that Lilith, the ancient god recorded by the City of Silver and the progenitor of the vampires, might actually be the Primordial Moon. However, I later dismissed this theory.

"According to the Emperor's diary, Lilith was close to Liu Bo. As a deity, she even shed a tear for his death. While that might just be Liu Bo exaggerating, it does suggest their relationship was familiar.

"Meanwhile, Liu Bo's descriptions of the Primordial Moon in Feast of Blood show no respect or affection whatsoever—if anything, they are filled with disdain. This starkly contrasts with Klarman's humble tone when discussing the Primordial Moon in The Book of Secrets.

"So, it's unlikely the Primordial Moon is Lilith. Considering its traits, such as bringing dangerous outcomes to its supplicants, it might be an incarnation of some evil god or high-ranking demon."

Klein mulled over these thoughts as he turned to Sharron and began asking her a series of questions:

"Does the Rose School of Thought still harbor faith in the Primordial Moon? Doesn't the Chained God suppress it? And what do you know about the Primordial Moon?"

Since The Book of Secrets had been a reward from Sharron, Klein figured she probably knew more about this entity than he did.

If he could gather enough information, he could risk divining the state of the "Evil God's Offspring" above the gray fog.

Dressed once again in her elaborate and intricate long gown, Sharron remained silent for a moment before her lips moved slightly:

"The Chained God, who became the embodiment of the 'Mother Tree of Desire,' and the Primordial Moon are mortal enemies. But they both oppose and collaborate with one another.

"The faith in the Primordial Moon was introduced into the Rose School of Thought by a sorcerer-king who revered it. This belief swayed some members of the School, including Linster.

"The Rose School's attitude toward the Primordial Moon's faith is one of tolerance.

"My knowledge of the Primordial Moon also comes from The Book of Secrets."

"So, the Chained God resents the Primordial Moon but is powerless to stop it? Or perhaps, under the overwhelming pressure from the Seven Gods, they're forced into uneasy cooperation?"

"But what is this 'Mother Tree of Desire,' and how did the Chained God become its embodiment?"

These questions churned in Klein's mind, and he eventually voiced them aloud to Sharron.

Her deep blue eyes rippled slightly, and after a brief pause, she answered in her calm voice:

"With the start of the Fifth Epoch and the fall of the Death God, the Balam Empire's royal family gradually lost control over regions like the Star Highlands and Paz Valley. These areas birthed their own extraordinary organization—the Rose School of Thought.

"At its inception, there was no 'Mother Tree of Desire,' only the Chained God. The Rose School emphasized restraint and established a religious system of rituals, including laws. Its formal members lived austere, low-desire lives to cope with the side effects of their powers.

"But one day, the divine revelations began including words like 'indulgence.' Slowly, some members reverted to ancient, blood-soaked sacrificial traditions. Eventually, some high-ranking members secretly declared that the Chained God was the embodiment of the 'Mother Tree of Desire.'"

"It sounds as if the Chained God was gradually corrupted or replaced by this 'Mother Tree of Desire'... It even reminds me of the 'Hidden Sage' suddenly 'coming to life.'"

"Speaking of things suddenly 'coming to life,' the Sauron family's '0'-level Sealed Artifact, formed from the 'Conqueror' characteristic, awakened because of Liu Bo's transmigration.

"Could it be… Liu Bo transmigrated into the Chained God and gradually overtook it? Hmm… no, probably not. Liu Bo, like me and the Emperor, shares similar values. Indulgence might suit him, but he'd likely reject blood-soaked rituals. It's highly unlikely."

After contemplating for a moment, Klein carefully said to Sharron,

"I need to step into the washroom. Once I return, we'll decide how to proceed."

He knew the excuse sounded suspicious, but with such a formidable enemy looming, he couldn't afford to care.

Moreover, he was starting to consider introducing Miss Sharron to the "Fool." While she seemed trustworthy, she now knew too many of his secrets. It wouldn't hurt to have a contingency plan… though he hadn't yet found the perfect opportunity.

Sharron fixed her gaze on him for several seconds before calmly replying,

"Alright."

Klein quickly entered the washroom, locked the door behind him, and took four steps counterclockwise to ascend to the gray fog.

Sitting on the high-backed chair that belonged to the "Fool," Klein took a deep breath and removed the spirit pendulum from his cuff.

"The Evil God's Offspring fused with Linster originates from the 'Primordial Moon' within the Dream Labyrinth Tower."

He silently recited this phrase seven times and then opened his eyes to observe the yellow crystal pendant. It remained completely still, unmoving.

"Divination failed?" Klein frowned.

He tried changing the phrasing and the divination method, but the result was the same—failure.

This doesn't make sense. When I divined whether Linster was fusing with the Evil God's Offspring earlier, I received clear results… This indicates that neither Linster nor the Offspring has the rank or items to block divination…

Could it be because I mentioned the Primordial Moon? Does this mean the Primordial Moon's power isn't something simulated by the Dream Labyrinth Tower, but real?

So, the so-called Evil God's Offspring might be fake, part of the dream, but its power source is real? If that's the case… could this fake eventually become real?

Klein was startled by the thought but quickly calmed himself. Having previously faced the offspring of the Eternal Blazing Sun and the True Creator, he reasoned that the Primordial Moon couldn't possibly be more powerful than those two.

He steadied the pendulum again and recited another phrase:

"Stopping the birth of the Evil God's Offspring in the dream will bring me danger."

After seven repetitions, the yellow crystal pendant began to rotate clockwise, though slowly and with a small amplitude.

This indicated that there was indeed danger, but it was within manageable limits.

What caught Klein's attention even more was this: the divination didn't fail this time.

This proved that even if Linster's fusion with the Evil God's Offspring was nearing completion, he still hadn't obtained the Primordial Moon's power or rank and remained a "falsehood" created by the dream.

"But if the fusion is completed, things might change… Linster is, after all, a devout believer in the Primordial Moon!

"We must eliminate him as quickly as possible. If the Evil God's power truly enters the dream, I might have no choice but to escape with Miss Sharron."

With his decision made, Klein simulated the sensation of descending and returned to reality. Exiting the washroom, he walked back to the parlor where Miss Sharron was waiting.

The doll-like lady sat in a chair, flipping through another notebook that had belonged to Ince Zangwill.

When she noticed Klein's return, she raised the notebook in her hand and gestured toward Ince's lifeless body on the floor, speaking succinctly:

"His journal."

Klein wasn't particularly interested in Ince's sob stories. After confirming that the journal didn't contain any valuable information, he picked up "0-08" and wrote in the notebook:

"Madam Sharon of the Demoness Sect accidentally discovered that Megose was nurturing the Evil God's Offspring. Understanding that the child's birth would bring destruction to Tingen City and ruin her years of efforts, she used her channels to report the matter to the Machinery Hivemind and the Mandated Punishers.

"The Mandated Punishers and the Machinery Hivemind did not take the situation lightly. They immediately sent a telegram to the Nighthawks while dispatching personnel to corner Megose in her house."

To save the Captain and complete the mission, Klein paused his writing and silently apologized to the Machinery Hivemind and the Mandated Punishers, making the triangular holy emblem gesture across his chest.

This act caused Miss Sharron, who was observing him, to display a flicker of emotion in her gaze.

Fortunately, this was merely a dream. Even if the Machinery Hivemind and the Mandated Punishers were to die here, it wouldn't result in their actual deaths.

"We're heading to Megose's house now," Klein said, handing the feather pen to Sharron. He solemnly added, "This time, you'll provide support."

Sharron glanced at him, nodded slightly, and said, "Be careful."

"Don't worry… I'll approach in a different form," Klein replied with a confident smile.

"What?" Sharron's deep blue eyes held hidden emotions, and she instinctively asked.

Soon, her questions were answered when a ghostly figure clad in black armor and wearing a black crown appeared before her.

"the 'Black Emperor'!"

…

On the outskirts of Daniel Valley, Ebner and "Vice Admiral Iceberg" Edwina had no choice but to halt their progress.

The torrential rain continued to pour, turning the once-dry riverbeds into flowing streams.

As they were about to cross one such "small river," the water's surface suddenly reflected the image of a lion!

It was the Finks Lion, hiding within the stream's reflection!

"So this is the fated encounter?"

(End of Chapter)