Lord of Mysteries 2: Circle of Inevitability

Chapter 1074: The Weather Warlock's Ritual

Remembering the information about the Post-Apocalyptic Scripture, Lumian decided to pretend he hadn't seen the current prophecy.

Regardless, he would still have to move forward at his own pace!

Just then, the Post-Apocalyptic Scripture flipped another page, revealing new content: 'I see, Lumian Lee going crazy.'

These mercury-colored words were written in ancient Hermes.

Lumian raised an eyebrow, snapped the ancient leather-bound book shut, and pressed down on it forcefully.

He then looked up towards the head of the bronze long table. 'Mr. Fool, how should I seal the Post-Apocalyptic Scripture? Can you provide assistance?'

Shrouded in the grayish-white fog, Mr. Fool gestured with his hand, and Lumian's Traveler's Bag, which had been left on the battlefield, flew from behind the massive stone chair to its owner.

As Lumian caught it, he found that a vast space had been isolated within the Traveler's Bag, enough to contain an entire city.

In the center of this space sat an ordinary twenty-sided die.

I thought the materials for this Traveler's Bag wouldn't be able to support a city-sized space required to seal the Post-Apocalyptic Scripture, so I'd need to order a custom one… Has Mr. Fool remodeled it? Lumian placed a hand on his chest and bowed slightly. 'Thank you, Mr. Fool.'

When he raised his head, he saw that Ohayes's Beyonder characteristic had been pulverized and recomposed, divided into one Sequence 4 Mysticologist Beyonder characteristic and two Sequence 5 Constellations Master Beyonder characteristics, all neatly sealed.

Seeing this, Ma'am Hermit across from him immediately said, 'I will provide the potion recipes for Mysticologist and Constellations Master.'

Madam Magician sighed and added, 'I will provide a drop of a Mythical Creature blood.'

This is truly a comprehensive service, aiming to help Professor and the others each advance one Sequence… Lumian thanked on behalf of the members of the Curly Baboon Research Society in his mind.

He then pondered the Weather Warlock potion formula that Mr. Fool had just provided:

'Name: Weather Warlock

'Sequence: 2

'Main Ingredients: Skull of a Weather Giant, Core of a Mist Jellyfish

'Supplementary Ingredients: 30 ml of blood each from three deceased individuals who died in different extreme weather conditions, 500 strands of a Weather Giant's hair, five Weather Giant Crystals, a segment of a tree branch struck by lightning, 20 ml of the first snow melt of a region each year.

'Advancement Ritual: Forcefully change the weather of a region without external aid in a very short time.

'Note: After the Fourth Epoch, Weather Giants and Mist Jellyfish no longer exist.'

So Weather Warlocks now exist in the form of Angels or Sealed Artifacts? Lumian wasn't too surprised by this.

Hunter was the pathway of war, so the corresponding mystical creatures or Beyonder species were hard to fully conceal, and were likely to incite conflicts and disasters, making them easily noticed.

Furthermore, after the clashes of the previous four epochs, even if there were still mystical creatures corresponding to Weather Warlocks, they would be true subsidiary gods with complete Beyonder characteristics, in other words, Angels.

Lumian then focused his attention on the ritual.

Without external aid, this ritual is a bit difficult. It would need to be a region the size of the Trier area, relying on the Demoness of Unaging's frost abilities to affect the city of Trier would still take some time, and no one can interfere…

With external aid, it would be very simple…

Could the core of this ritual be about allowing me to master the secrets of weather changes, using a small force to leverage a large-scale change? Like a hurricane at sea, it starts off not that terrifying, just a cyclone, then gradually strengthens, slowly sweeping across a stretch of ocean and one region after another…

I can consider going in that direction, but it doesn't satisfy the 'very short time' condition, so I need to find a way to accelerate it myself?

Heh, time to study again. As they say in the dream city, those who lead wars must know both astronomy and geography…

Actually, there is a shortcut for this ritual. Like the Sequence 3 Sea King in the Sailor pathway, they can completely change the weather of a region. If I kill one of them during a big storm, wouldn't the weather change? That wouldn't involve external aid or anyone's help… Hmm, I can't use items during the battle, or that would count as external aid…

Heh heh, a Hunters' advancement does indeed have a hidden shortcut—hunting, fighting, war…

As The Chariot Lumian was pondering, Mr. Fool answered some questions from Ma'am Hermit and other Major Arcana.

After pondering for a moment, Lumian asked, 'Mr. Fool, why was the Hidden Sage made to come to life by the Great Mother?'

It was not that the Great Mother looked down on the Hidden Sage, but how was this accomplished?

From the mysticism knowledge taught by Madam Magician, during the Fourth Epoch, the world's defenses against the evil gods were still very strong.

Mr. Fool's calm voice replied, 'The problem lies in the Western Continent.'

The Western Continent? Isn't there still a layer of the Celestial Worthy's seals beyond the barrier? Before Lumian could ask the question on his mind, Mr. Fool continued, 'The Hidden Sage's way of addressing that entity is Great Mother, not Her true honorific name.'

What does that mean? Right, with the Hidden Sage's level, He should be qualified to know the Great Mother's full honorific name and not fear deep corruption, so why would He still use an epithet? It can't be that He was afraid of affecting Mr. Fool, right? Lumian felt that Mr. Fool's sentence contained very important information, but he couldn't quite decipher it.

Mr. Fool did not provide any further explanation, simply nodding lightly and saying, 'This gathering shall now conclude.'

'Your will is our will.' The Major Arcana present all stood up at the same time.

…

In Trier, inside that luxurious villa.

Seeing Lumian come downstairs into the living room, Franca asked curiously, 'How did it go?'

Although her main tasks were liaison, persuasion, and protecting key personnel, so her contributions were not too significant, this did not prevent her from being interested in the gains from the divine war and their specific distribution.

Lumian recounted everything he could tell them, and finally asked, 'Do you want to exchange for a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact?'

'Of course we do!' Franca said without hesitation. 'Even if we only keep one-third of those Mid- and Low-Sequence Beyonder characteristics and mystical items, it will be enough for us to develop followers in the Trier region, maintain believers, and even be quite prosperous!'

She didn't dare say 'spread the faith' out loud, because in the Trier region, the Church of The Fool could not actively spread the faith—this area belonged to the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun and the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery.

Franca was thinking that afterwards, they would focus on seeking out and striking against hidden cults, developing the salvageable believers to their side, as well as Lumian's and the future Jenna's.

'Which one do you want to exchange for?' Lumian asked, inquiring about his two companions' preferences.

Franca and Jenna exchanged glances.

Jenna considered her words carefully. 'Demonesses are already quite adept in the mystical arts, and choosing the Sealed Artifacts formed by a Mysticologist or Clairvoyant Beyonder characteristic wouldn't be able to fill in gaps or enhance our strengths. As for clairvoyance, we have spiritual intuition, Magic Mirror Divination, and even the Post-Apocalyptic Scripture, so we don't urgently need it.'

'That's right,' Franca agreed. 'If it was a living Mysticologist or Clairvoyant, I could teach them ancient myths and hidden knowledge, and as long as some of it is true, it could help them create powerful fairy tale or mythological magic. But Sealed Artifacts can't listen to me or accept my guidance, the magical effects they produce will be fixed to what they originally had.'

Franca hesitated a bit before continuing, 'Of the remaining two, I'm more inclined towards the Pallbearer.

'The name alone tells me it must have powers in the domain of death, which can make up for Jenna's and my weaknesses—our single-target attacks aren't deadly or explosive enough, aside from curses and Mighty Blow. Plus, as it's from the Planter pathway, it must have healing abilities, which can be used to respond to believers, drive away afflictions. Hmm, with its assistance, the progress of my creating mystical bacterial pathogens will also be greatly accelerated.

'But the problem is, this is an item with godhood from the Planter pathway.'

The Planter pathway was also called the Earth pathway—the Mother pathway.

Franca looked at Lumian. 'Mr. Fool said you need to keep away from the Mother. Didn't you previously tell Lugano to minimize contact with you, and only contact through prayer? Hmm, it's not that you need to keep away, but that calamity needs' to keep away from the Mother. Jenna and I are also on the Calamity pathways.'

Lumian thought for a moment and said, 'Since Mr. Fool didn't say you can't choose this Sealed Artifact, there shouldn't be any major problems…

'In that case, you can petition Mr. Fool, expressing your willingness to exchange one-third of the Mid- and Low-Sequence Beyonder characteristics and mystical items for a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact, and directly ask if the Calamity pathway Beyonders can choose the one corresponding to the Pallbearer.'

'If that's not possible, we'll have to choose Arcane Scholar…' Franca's eyes gradually lit up. 'That works too, right? This is a Sequence 3 from the Savant pathway. I can find the Doctor Beyonder characteristic and handcraft a fully automated healing machine to respond to those prayers for curing afflictions, with the mirror responsible for autonomous distribution. Who knows, maybe I'll even be able to drive a Gundam in the future…'

With this settled, Lumian was about to have either Jenna or Franca pray to Mr. Fool, but Franca stood up with a beaming smile.

'Time to distribute the spoils to Professor and the others!'

Happiness shared is greater than happiness alone!

…

Professor and the others had already been brought back to Trier by Franca, and were currently gathered as instructed in a villa with a garden rented by Hela. Their families and the previously assembled Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society warlocks were all here.

Seeing Hidden Blade and the hooded, masked Muggle emerge from the mirror and rest in the living room, Professor, Periodic Table, and Prototype simultaneously stood up. 'When can we go home?'

Before they could finish speaking, they suddenly saw three items floating before Hidden Blade and Muggle.

One was a vague, gem-like orb emanating a gloomy aura, as if a gaze peered out from within to scrutinize everything. The other two were luminous, rather illusory-looking crystal spheres.

Wh— Professor and the others' gazes suddenly froze.