Loen Kingdom, Backlund, North Borough, Saint Samuel Cathedral
-General PoV-
St. Samuel Cathedral was one of the many dioceses of the Church of Evernight in Loen Kingdom. It stood in the capital, Backlund, a city known as the "capital of capitals." Because of that, its position was nearly as important as the Cathedral of Serenity itself.
Currently, in the underground area where only key personnel of the Church were allowed, several people wearing black windbreakers and red gloves were discussing the recent news of the Beyonder world.
"What's new in Backlund, Daly? Anything worth noting?"
At the far end of the meeting room a woman sat in a high-backed chair, one leg crossed over the other. She was beautiful, her black robe clinging loosely to her frame, blue eyeshadow and a hint of blush giving her an almost languid allure. It was Daly, the former Spirit Medium.
Daly considered the question for a moment, before she answered, "Some Beyonders working with us reported that people are searching for an organization that worships 'The Fool' and 'The Summoner'. They even use proper Honorific Names." She chuckled lightly. "Feels like we're watching the birth of a new cult. Or maybe… the incarnation of an old friend. What do you think, Soest?"
Soest was a man in forties, with long hair that framed a set of soft but mature features. A black cane inlaid with gold tapped lightly against the stone floor as he thought, and his top hat sat pompously on his head.
Soest of course knew that by oldfriend, Daly meant an Evil God they were already familiar with. He gave the dossier in his hand one last glance before setting it down. "I haven't heard of any organisation worshipping The Fool or The Summoner. Nor have I heard of Them until today."
"Perhaps The Summoner is an incarnation of the True Creator?" someone suggested, earning nods of agreement from a few others.
"That's plausible," another voice added. "The Summoner bears Shepherd among His titles, and Shepherd is Sequence 5 of the Secret Supplicant Pathway—the one the Aurora Order follows."
"Or the Primordial Moon," Leonard interjected, flipping through the pages of the dossier. He was a handsome young man with shoulder-length black hair and sharp green eyes.
Red Gloves was the code name of the Elite Team of Nighthawks. Unlike ordinary Nighthawks, whose jurisdiction ended at their own region, the Red Gloves hunted Beyonders across borders, sent wherever the Church of Evernight's reach extended. They were also dispatched as reinforcements when local teams faced threats beyond their scope.
Because of their line of work, Red Gloves frequently encounter Beyonders from various pathways and are thus taught about the characteristics and sequences of each pathway.
The Primordial Moon was a hidden existence that influenced Beyonders of the Moon (Apothecary) Pathway, driving them to madness and compelling them to mate with anything—whether organic or inorganic. On this pathway, lower-sequence Beyonders are known for creating powerful healing and buffing potions, taming animals, regenerating, and casting darkness spells.
The summary given to the Red Gloves about the higher sequences of the Moon Pathway was that they could manipulate spirituality, master a wide range of moon-domain spells, summon beings or people from great distances, amplify the negative energy and spirituality of an area to release monsters and evil spirits, and even wield the power of creation itself.
"Perhaps," Daly glanced around at the gathered Red Gloves with a faint smile, "the True Creator and the Primordial Moon had a child?" Her casually spoken words stunned the rest of the Beyonders.
It was borderline blasphemy!
Even if they never said it aloud, when most thought of hidden existences—no matter how twisted or evil—they still subconsciously associated them with gods. And if one could claim that evil gods could give birth, wouldn't that imply orthodox gods could as well?
This was the underlying problem with incidents involving the spawn of evil gods—such as the True Creator's spawn incident that had shaken Tingen City two months ago. They tested the faith of the Churches, forcing Beyonders to wrestle with questions they were not meant to dwell on. Heretical Beyonders went so far as to claim that there was no difference between gods and mortals, that by continuing down their pathways they too would eventually become gods.
Of course, such people met swift—and often nightmarish in the Church of Evernight's case—ends.
"Daly." Soest's voice cut through the silence, his expression grave. "There is no evidence for such a deduction. Don't make careless remarks."
Daly didn't flinch at the rebuke. She met his gaze evenly. "I'm only pointing out a possibility—especially after what happened in Tingen." Her eyes grew distant at the end, as if lost in recollection.
An awkward silence settled over the meeting room, heavy and suffocating, until someone finally broke it.
"What about The Fool?"
Leonard, who heard the question, jumped at the chance to answer, "Could this be tied to the two tarot rituals we're investigating? The Fool is the first card of the deck, the most important Major Arcana."
"An organization that uses tarot cards as code names, with The Fool as their god?"
Daly blinked, startled out of her thoughts, and turned to Leonard in surprise. "An interesting thought."
"And once again a speculation without any evidence." Soest said flatly, shaking his head in disapproval.
Leonard wasn't affected by his words and just smiled faintly. "Emperor Roselle once said to make a bold hypothesis, then prove it carefully."
….
Loen Kingdom, Backlund, Rose Street, Harvest Church
-Abel De Sade-
Abel's eyes wandered over the ritual prepared for the summoning of Orange Light Hilarion.
Three candles.
"I wonder if He'll be offended that I've done so little to appease Him?" Abel murmured aloud, feeling the earthy, grassy taint stirring in his Sixth Sense—an unmistakable sign of the Earth Mother's attention. "My Lord's boons make summoning easier… even allow me to glimpse the Spirit World. Should I just call Orange Light's Name?"
The Monster fell silent, pondering for a moment, before shaking his head. "Even if I can get His attention because of the Gray Fog within me, the least I can do is show respect to the one who will answer my questions."
With that thought, Abel's gaze drifted to the heavy door at the far end of the basement, most likely the place where the Sealed Artifacts were stored. Then he let his eyes sweep over the shelves and tables cluttered with tarot cards, candles, oils, herbs, and gems, all the tools of Ritualistic Magic.
"Is Father Utravsky too trusting, or is Emlyn too naive?" One had to wonder as to why the Bishop would lock someone up in a basement where mystical items were stored.
Yet when Abel's eyes returned to the metal gate adorned with flowery motifs, he noticed something. It lacked a handle. Perhaps the security was not as lax as he had thought. The gate might well be forged of Mithril, Orichalcum, or whatever this world considered its strongest metal.
"Father Utravsky probably knows that low- and mid-sequence Beyonders of the Moon Pathway don't have any real mastery over Ritualistic Magic," Abel mused, as he began carefully selecting the items attuned to Hilarion.
First was the topaz, a gem most in line with Orange Light Hilarion, embodying illumination, intellect, and the pursuit of truth. It was said to sharpen clarity, steady the mind, and make one's thoughts transparent. That fit perfectly for a being who represented knowledge and science.
Next, he pulled out a small jar of crushed frankincense, the golden powder inside catching the dim light. Frankincense symbolised illumination and the rising of the spirit toward truth. It was one of the most direct offerings to deities of intellect and higher law, a bridge that carried prayers upward.
Beside it, he chose Sage leaves, dried and crushed. Sage cleansed away distortions and illusions, preparing the way for truth to settle without interference. It would strip the space bare of falsehoods, leaving only clarity behind.
"Why should a man die whilst sage grows in his garden?" The words slipped out before Abel realised it, making him pause in brief confusion. A moment later, a chuckle escaped his lips. "Right, sage was also considered the herb of wisdom and longevity, and in Greek tradition it was sacred to Zeus."
Researching myth and folklore had been one of his pastimes in his previous life, and Loremaster allowed him to recall such details now, easing his momentary disorientation. He wasn't particularly surprised to find sage here as well. After all, this world was Earth, an Earth that had once reached the twenty-first century, only to regress back to the eighteenth.
Finally, Abel added star anise oil, extracted from its namesake, an eight-pointed star-shaped plant. In mysticism, the star symbolises illumination, insight, and guidance, and the precise geometry of star anise naturally symbolises balance and rational design. This served to align thought and perception, allowing clarity to arise. This was fitting for Hilarion who embodied knowledge, and the illumination it brings.
He meticulously arranged the items, each chosen for what it represented so that they were more than just offerings, but also a symbolic alignment with Orange Light Hilarion's domain.
The burning of extracts, essential oils, and herbal powders in rituals had two main uses. The first was practical, it helped the ritual's host to better adjust his spirituality and enter Cogitation, the state where thoughts were centralized and focused entirely on a target. The second was more external, to please the corresponding deity or target and increase the probability of a response.
Abel wasn't particularly concerned about failing the ritual. He was ninety percent sure he'd get an answer. His unique state—housing multiple corruptions, one of which belonged to the Dominator of the Spirit World — practically guaranteed it. That corruption alone meant he carried within him a trace connected to the Seven Lights boss. And then there were his perks: Friend of the Strange, SummonMagnet, and Charming. Put together, they made him the ultimate lure for inhuman beings.
As for Cogitation, Abel didn't need to rely on it, he had his perk Calm & Collected to let him think clearly at all times even when experiencing tumultuous emotions. That meant the oils and herbs he set up weren't for his benefit, they were for satisfying Hilarion, making the act of summoning respectful rather than careless.
The ritual he was preparing was a Soulfall Ritual. It was a direct method of summoning, calling a Spirit World being within range—no more than 926 kilometers—to descend into a body. That body would then act as a medium, allowing the summoned entity to write, speak, or otherwise answer questions through it. The alternative was a Secret Deed Ritual, which would leave his mind and body open to the Seven Lights, letting them implant the knowledge directly. But the mission was clear: summon one of the Seven Lights. For that, Soulfall was the best method.
Of course, Abel wasn't foolish enough to use his own body as the vessel. That would limit communication and put him at unnecessary risk.
He also knew he could summon Orange Light without even performing a full Soulfall Ritual. With his knowledge of SummoningBasics and the anomalies in his body, simply invoking Hilarion's True Name would likely be enough. But that wasn't the point. The summoning circle commonly used in rituals carried a symbolism of binding and containment. Even if it wouldn't hold a being like Hilarion, the implication would still be there, that Abel had tried to restrain Him. And that was an insult. The Seven Lights might be benevolent, but They had existed since before the Fifth Epoch, and Abel wasn't about to antagonise a likely Angel-level being over something so trivial.
So, it was best to hold a ritual using this world's system.
After arranging the last of the items, Abel stepped back and let his eyes sweep over the setup. Everything was in place. His lips curved faintly, and he opened his mouth.
"Volk."
The name left him casually, but it carried weight, a ripple of authority that pressed into space. The next instant, his loyal Bloodhound Knight appeared, crouched before him in silent obedience.
"Friend, I need a favour if you don't mind?"
Volk tilted his head, before lowering it in submission.
Abel chuckled as he understood what he said, "Just because I'm your master, it doesn't mean your opinions don't matter, especially when it concerns your own well-being."
Crimson eyes curiously locked onto Abel's gold gaze, clearly wondering what the favour was.
"I'm summoning a being," Abel said plainly, "and I need a body as a medium to communicate with them. I'm asking if you wouldn't mind being that medium." He paused, letting the words sink in. "No matter how powerful this individual is, they won't be able to permanently seize your body. Once the summoning ends, they leave. You remain fully yourself."
Volk tilted his head, considering, then slowly nodded. A small smile broke across Abel's face as he reached out to pat the hound's shoulder.
"Thank you," Abel said with sincerity. "For now, wait before the altar." Volk obeyed, taking his place.
The Summoner drew a breath, feeling the familiar hum of his spirituality settle in his body. Using it as a match, he lit the three candles, their flames flickering alive. Carefully, he dripped the star anise oil in a circle around the altar, its scent faint but sharp.
Stepping back, Abel began the incantation in the ancient Hermes.
"I!
I summon in my name:
I pray to communicate with the inextinguishable light of the Spirit World, the embodiment of infinite knowledge, the Orange who wields Knowledge and Science…"
The world around him shifted. The real world faded at the edges, replaced by the Spirit World, a place both near and immeasurably distant. Abel's Insight sharpened, cutting through the ethereal haze. He ignored the countless Spirit World creatures that hovered close yet unreachable, focusing solely on the Seven Ray of Lights.
As the chant ended, Abel's perception registered the distant Orange Light approaching. It seemed to move impossibly fast, yet in the next instant, it was already before him. Space, distance, none of it mattered in the Spirit World.
Lowering his Insight so he was aware only of the physical world again, Abel watched the three flames on the altar burgeon, light splattering like paint thrown on darkness, connecting as though a door were tearing open. The air turned cold and still, a gloomy silence settling over the room. All around the altar, items hovered in midair, suspended by unseen forces.
Volk, crouched before the altar and facing Abel, straightened. His posture stiffened, heightening, and the familiar crimson of his eyes burned a brilliant orange.
A gentle voice echoed in the basement. One that clearly did not belong to the battle-hardened Volk.
"Hello there," He said. "You may call me Hilarion."
Abel's lips twitched, and he had to resist the urge to ask if the Spirit World also gave revelations about twenty-first-century movies. "Abel," He inclined his in greeting, "It's a pleasure to meet one of the Seven Lights face-to-face."
A soft chuckle left Volk—Hilarion's lips, one that was disconcerting on Volk's appearance, "As I said just call me Hilarion, unlike with Moria, there's no need to be so formal with me."
Abel gave a slow nod, "Then, in that case Hilarion, I would like to know about whether a pathway or sequence specialises in summoning." He was already aware of summoning for spirit world creatures, and the fact the mission was incomplete just meant that there was more.
Hilarion's orange gaze swept Abel from head to toe, a hand under his chin, "Sure, from what I can tell the sequence you might be most interested in is the Moon Pathway's Sequence 3: High Summoner."
As expected….There was indeed a Sequence dedicated to summoning. And of all Pathways, it had to be the one his sisters were on, the one he was most familiar with. From the humble beginnings of crafting medicines and potions, to the transformation into a vampire, and finally to becoming a Summoner. There was no coherent thread between the low, mid, and high sequences, no natural progression of themes. It seemed almost stitched together, fragments of different pathways smashed together.
Abel's mind wandered as he recalled the keywords scattered through the incomplete Honorific Names of Mother Goddess of Depravity and Her incarnation, the Primordial Moon he heard.
Depravity. Crimson Moon. Origin of Evil. The Indestructible. Symbol of Life and Beauty.
They seemed paradoxical.
"It would be best if you don't think about Her," Hilarion's voice cut through Abel's thoughts. His tone was not unkind, but it carried a grave edge, "Even though you seem to be… immune to corruption and divination, the more you think of Her, or worse, speak Her names, the larger a beacon of corruption you become for Her believers."
Abel exhaled lightly, "I understand. But you, as the representation of Knowledge, know as well as I do, once you've glimpsed a truth, you can't simply unsee it."
Hilarion gave a knowing nod. "Your words hold truth. But if you don't want to fall into the crosshairs of the organisations that worship Her, or the Rose School of Thought, it's in your best interest to use that ring of yours to give yourself a Psychological Cue."
Abel glanced at his gloved hands, noting the faintest indent on his right middle finger, the Ring of Mnemosyne, as he had come to call it, named after the Titan of Memory in Greek mythology.
"I will do so, thank you." He inclined his head in thanks, yet still asked a question that threatened to further trouble him. "Previously, I heard Her two Honorific Names, and I know that She and the Others outside wish to come to Earth. What I'm curious about is this: to become a Great Old One, does a God need to control more than one pathway? I'm aware that the Lord of Mysteries controls the Fool, Error, and Door Pathways; the One on the Moon controls Mother and Moon—or She likely did before, until somehow losing the position to My Goddess. That's one reason the Outsiders seek entry into our world."
"You're quite knowledgeable. No wonder you bear several different corruptions," Hilarion remarked, his gaze drifting to the white-haired young man's forehead. "I couldn't tell from all that corruption, but indeed, you're the Blessed of Earth Mother."
"The best Goddess ever," Abel said, quick to flatter the goddess watching him, hoping to earn future benefits.
A chuckle left the Orange Light's lips, and Abel caught the way His eyes briefly flicked upward. "As for your questions, are you aware of neighboring pathways? They are also called interchangeable or adjacent pathways."
Click!
Something snapped in the back of Abel's mind. Knowledge he had been aware of, but barely considered, suddenly surged to the forefront.
Why were the Church of Evernight and the Church of the God of Combat at odds? Was it because the latter didn't promote gender equality? If so, they'd surely have a tense relationship with the Church of the Lord of Storms as well.
And the Church of the Lord of Storms, it was common knowledge that they were at odds with both the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun and the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. Was it because their believers had low IQ or lacked flair? The answer was mostly no—well, maybe except for the IQ part regarding the Church of the Lord of Storms.
The true reason for the enmity between these Churches was that their Gods' pathways were interchangeable. Just as Abel had drawn a Campione! analogy between Earth Mother and the One on the Moon, a similar situation existed among the Churches.
"It looks like you've figured it out," Hilarion said, a smile in His voice, even if it was hidden beneath Volk's helmet.
Abel nodded slowly, voicing his conclusions. "The Sleepless (Evernight), Warrior (Twilight Giant), and—I think—Corpse Collector (Death) pathways are interchangeable." The last one was a guess, based on how his personal maid, Roberta, felt to his senses, combined with her affiliation with the Evernight Church.
Hilarion's nod and encouraging gesture confirmed he was correct.
"The Sailor (Tyrant), Bard (Sun), and Reader (White Tower) pathways are interchangeable…" Abel trailed off, as the Obsession Whispers signaled he was missing something. Intuition guided him to the one individual who could fill the gap. "I feel like I'm missing something here," he said, looking at the Orange Light, who watched him with approval.
"Your instincts are as sharp as your ability to extrapolate and cross-reference information." The Spirit World being seemed like a proud teacher, offering Abel the missing piece. "The Secret Supplicant (Hanged Man) and Spectator (Visionary) are the other two interchangeable pathways forming the God Almighty group."
If Abel had been drinking anything at that moment, he would have surely done a spit take. Once more, everything snapped into place as he recalled the conclusion he had made about the Visionary pathway when he received the Ring of Mnemosyne from his father.
"Omniscient and Omnipotent…" he muttered aloud, purposely dazed, and as expected, the fish took the bait.
"You even know one of His symbolisms," Hilarion said, regarding Abel as though he were a puzzle growing more fascinating.
So God Almighty is the title for the Great Old One who controls those five pathways, huh? The title was fitting, especially compared to the Lord of Mysteries, who controlled only three. Still… where is the corruption? Abel couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. The corruption from the Goddess of Fate had granted him a useful power—the ability to sense people, scenes, and locations of significance—so he had hoped that learning about another Great Old One would corrupt him again.
Perhaps….is there was no God Almighty to pass on the corruption? Or, like the Lord of Mysteries, did He reside in His own Divine Kingdom, requiring one to enter and call out His name?
"A certain existence told to beware of the Spectator, and how it makes up the Omniscient and Omnipotent," Abel said after some thought, giving credit to his Summoner identity.
"I see…." Hilarion's tone was thoughtful.
Seizing the moment, the Monster continued, "The Savant (Paragon) and Mystery Pryer (Hermit) pathways are adjacent. Prisoner (Chained) and Criminal (Abyss). Apothecary (Moon) and Planter (Mother). Lawyer (Black Emperor) and Arbiter (Justiciar)."
Abel paused, hesitating before adding, "Hunter (Red Priest) and Assassin (Demoness)." This final pairing carried a peculiar irony. A Priest turning into a Demoness, and a Demoness turning into a Priest, opposites folding into one another, yet still making a twisted kind of sense.
"Your logical deduction skills are truly impressive. One could mistake you for a Reader rather than the Monster you are," Hilarion complimented, then shifted into the tone of a teacher questioning a student. "Tell me, then, why do you think the Monster Pathway has no adjacent pathways?"
Abel paused, considering the question. After a moment, a saying came to mind: "A man is born alone, and he dies alone."
"Oh?" Intrigued, the Orange Light signaled him to continue.
"It means what it sounds like. No matter how many people surround you, some things can't be shared. Birth is one, no matter if you're a twin, you don't come into this world at the same time, but one after the other. And death is the same, when the time comes, no one walks into it with you. Those first and last steps, they belong to you alone."
For a moment, silence stretched between them, until Hilarion let out a low, thoughtful chuckle. "Interesting… In all the ages I've seen and all the philosophies I've heard, never once has it been put in that way. To use philosophy to explain a Pathway, hm. Unique. Truly unique."
"However, while your point isn't truly invalid, there is another way to explain it for those who have an understanding of this pathway's authorities." If the Orange Light hadn't been possessing Volk, Abel was sure he'd be stroking His beard if He had one. "Fate, chaos, chance… none of that can be reconciled with the logic of the other pathways. You can't build a bridge to something that shifts every time you step forward."
"That…makes sense." Abel nodded at his explanation. Putting it simply, it meant that fate was not fixed, and the smallest choices can change your trajectory, so the pathway couldn't be connected to another. "I feel like it should have been the opposite. Fate is ever shifting, so the possibility of the Monster pathway connecting to others seems reasonable. And perhaps it's possible if everything—the right moment, the right people, circumstances, timing, and even luck—miraculously lines up."
….
-Hilarion (Orange Light)-
Hilarion looked at the young man before Him, stunned. Every word Abel had spoken since summoning him revealed knowledge most could never attain. Even though the details of the Apocalypse were unclear to him, Abel already knew one of the goals of the Outer Deities: to acquire the Characteristics of the Gods. Hilarion suspected—no, he was certain—that the young man understood the nature of Beyonder pathways and that they led to godhood.
What was more, the various corruptions within him should have affected him severely. A Sequence 9 would have long been corrupted, especially a Monster prone to hearing and seeing things without control. Yet, the white-haired young man before Him did not seem to experience the chaos that Monsters usually endure.
One of the corruptions within him also belonged to the great ruler above the Spirit World. Not long ago, around five months ago in June, every creature in the Spirit World had detected the return of the Dominator of the Spirit World. But as one of the Seven Lights, aware of all knowledge, Hilarion could tell that the great ruler was not at his former strength; it was likely someone connected to the Sefirah Castle, climbing the sequences until they became the Lord of Mysteries.
Thus, it was unlikely that the Monster before Him was corrupted by the great ruler; instead, it was due to the Sefirah, which was Above the Sequence. That was why Hilarion did not mind accepting the young man's summon—he was not an enemy of the great ruler, just unfortunately corrupted.
Regarding Above the Sequence, the youth had mentioned a certain existence who told him about the Omniscient and Omnipotent. Hilarion suspected that the only reason the young man was alive despite all the corruption was that an existence on the same level was helping him. From the first question Abel asked, Hilarion was sure the existence responsible was the one mentioned in the prophecy by the former Half-God Almighty, the Ancient Sun God:
"When the veil between worlds grows thin,
The Summoner shall awaken and tread the Myriad Realms.
Beasts of memory and myth shall rise at his call,
And all that is Named shall answer."
The Summoner.
Smiling in thought, Hilarion focused his attention back on the young man, who likely could no longer even be considered fully human.
"Do you have any other questions, Abel? If not, I too have some questions to ask if you don't mind?"
The young man suddenly looked self-conscious, confusing Hilarion, but the next moment He understood why.
"Actually, can we go back to High Summoner? I'd like an explanation of the Sequence's abilities. Also, if you have any information on an existence called The Summoner, I'd appreciate it if you could share. And do you know which Sequence in the Demoness Pathway could cause widespread death—thousands of casualties—in a place like East Borough?"
A chuckle escaped the Orange Light's lips at the barrage of questions. Truly, this young man understood that knowledge is power.
+++++
A/N: That was a lot of info dump, but Abel doesn't have Meta knowledge and is coasting by on his perks to make connections. So this was necessary for him to have more understanding, so for those who read the Lord of Mysteries this chapter might have been boring and repetitive, sorry.