Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

"So this is the fated encounter?" Ebner murmured to himself as he quietly pulled a puppet from his shirt pocket, preparing for battle.

Beside him, "Vice Admiral Iceberg" Edwina retrieved an oil lamp. Ebner took a quick glance and immediately recognized it as the mystical item, "Silent Winter," which Edwina had purchased at the Pirate Congress for 4,200 pounds.

This item emitted a light that could make living creatures' limbs icy cold and rigid, eventually freezing them completely. Without a specific countermeasure, even a demigod would be affected.

However, to their surprise, the lion reflected in the stream's surface suddenly leaped out of the water and into reality. Its body radiated a warmth akin to the sun, and though its movements were slightly uncoordinated, it dashed five meters away with impressive speed.

Just as Ebner instinctively considered simulating the speed of a "Zombie" to pursue it, the lion abruptly turned around and spoke, "Stop! Why are you humans always so eager to fight? Can't we just sit down, have a meal, and talk things over?"

Eat and talk? You're quite the sophisticated lion… but I wonder, will it be you eating me, or me eating you? Ebner thought wryly as he exchanged a glance with Edwina.

Suppressing his hostility, Ebner raised his hands to show he was unarmed and stepped forward.

But the lion immediately took a step back, its uncoordinated rear legs causing it to stumble and fall. Even so, it continued to wriggle away, shouting, "Stop, don't come any closer!"

"Weren't you the one who suggested eating and talking? How can we do that without getting closer?" Ebner stopped in his tracks, putting on a look of innocence.

"Kid, either put that thing in your pocket away, or stay five meters away from me… I'm older than the two of you combined, and that little trick of yours won't work on me!" the lion retorted. Its fluffy face displayed an oddly human expression of cunning and disdain.

"You know?" Ebner was genuinely surprised this time. Since the lion had seen through his trick, he decided not to hide it anymore and calmly used a handkerchief to cover the puppet's eyes.

He then focused his attention on the lion, observing its features closely. Its size and appearance were no different from an ordinary lion, except for its snow-white fur and multicolored mane, which gave it a somewhat peculiar look.

Additionally, its disproportionately large head seemed mismatched with its body.

This appearance was somewhat different from the descriptions of the Finks Lion he had read in books.

"Of course I know! Kid, you're familiar with the 'Polymath,' right? That Sequence's Beyonders have an ability called Analysis, which allows them to discern others' strengths and weaknesses. I could tell the range of your puppet's spirit-thread manipulation at a glance…" the lion said smugly, snorting as it turned its gaze to Edwina, raising its chin. "And that little lady's 'oil lamp' over there? I know how to counter that, too."

That tone, that attitude… it's showing off, isn't it? Truly fitting as the main material for a "Mysticism Magister." But its level of Analysis seems quite advanced—it might be able to simulate and counter many pathways' abilities. This won't be easy to handle, Ebner thought, clicking his tongue twice as he quickly devised countermeasures.

"You two are decent, though. Unlike those idiots who woke me up before, attacking me on sight without giving me a chance to speak… You know, I've been trapped here by that bastard for over a hundred years without anyone to talk to. It's been maddening…" the lion rambled on, seemingly oblivious to Ebner's calculations.

Halfway through its tirade, the lion suddenly let out a soft "Hmm?" Its expression shifted to one of surprise and delight. "You… you're both mid-sequence Beyonders of the Reader pathway?"

The lion's statement interrupted Ebner's train of thought. He exchanged another glance with Edwina before cautiously asking, "How do you know that?"

"You've heard of Polymaths's Exchange Technique, right? Over the past hundred years, I've developed a new mystic art based on it, specifically to detect whether any Polymaths are nearby!" The lion seemed incredibly forthcoming, almost eager to answer every question.

"You've heard of Polymath's Exchange Technique, haven't you? Over the past century, I've refined it into a new mystic art specifically designed to detect the presence of Polymaths nearby!" The lion seemed remarkably talkative, answering almost every question with a casual air of familiarity.

"Vice Admiral Iceberg" Edwina's lips twitched slightly, and her light blue eyes, as clear as a mountain spring, glimmered with a strong thirst for knowledge. She clearly wanted to inquire about the principles of this mystic art.

However, she understood that now wasn't the right time to ask. She refrained from acting on her curiosity, but the lion's friendly demeanor reduced her hostility, and she no longer seemed poised to attack at any moment.

"What made you come up with such a... peculiar mystic art?" Ebner asked with a strange expression. By now, his intention to attack had also diminished, and he felt there might be an opportunity to extract some significant information from this lion.

Perhaps about the so-called "bastard" who had trapped it.

Judging by the lion's behavior, it seemed like it had been holding back its grievances for years and was now desperate to vent.

"Of course, I developed it to escape…" The lion began to speak but abruptly stopped itself, forcing a "simple and honest" smile onto its furry face before countering with a question: "I'm a Finks Lion. Do you know what Finks means?"

"'Finks' originates from Ancient Feysac, and it means 'to disseminate hidden knowledge,'" Edwina answered without hesitation.

So it does. And here I thought this lion was just stalling for time. Ebner also knew the meaning of the name, but since his companion had already spoken, he chose to remain silent and instead focused on the lion's reaction.

"Exactly! And, similar to the Sequence 5 Mysticism Magister in the Reader pathway—whose acting guidelines involve 'collecting mystic arts, creating mystic arts, teaching mystic arts, and ultimately demystifying mystic arts'—I, as a Finks Lion, have a rule: I must pose a question about a secret to anyone I meet. If they can answer it correctly, I'll grant them a reward!"

As it spoke, the lion shot Ebner a sly wink and continued with a tempting tone, "Even if you want my brain, I'll give it to you."

What's with this lion? It's practically inviting me to take its brain… Could this be a trap? Also, the acting guidelines for a Mysticism Magister are 'collect, create, teach, and demystify mystic arts'? To reveal such critical knowledge so casually… this lion truly lives up to the name Finks, spreading secrets left and right, Ebner thought to himself.

He glanced at Edwina, who had moved to his side. She caught his look and nodded slightly, indicating that the lion's explanation of the Mysticism Magister's acting guidelines was accurate.

"But if you lose your brain, won't you die? I don't believe you'd sacrifice yourself just to reward someone," Ebner said after some thought, deliberately showing a skeptical attitude to test the lion.

"If I had only one brain, of course, I wouldn't give it to you! But an extra brain is just a burden!" The lion's tone turned indignant. "That bastard fed me something that made me grow an additional brain, which is why my head is so huge! And, to make matters worse, he imposed a 'rule' that prevents me from removing or expelling it myself…"

Realizing it had said too much, the lion hurriedly tried to change the subject. "Ugh, ever since I got this extra brain, I've had trouble controlling my emotions—and I even trip over myself when I try to run!"

"So that's it. Someone imprisoned you in this valley and imposed various rules on you. These rules can only be broken with the help of a Polymath. Am I right?" Ebner asked with a look of sudden realization.

(Chapter End)