Lord of the Mysteries: I Jump Back and Forth Between Two Timelines Chapter 1: The Gathering
"We must guard against unexpected incidents. Some people lack sufficient rationality and are not so easily persuaded."
Hugh picked up the three-edged thorn that had accidentally fallen to her feet while explaining with a serious expression.
Well, I believe you... Audrey was momentarily speechless. Facing the slightly hot summer breeze, she pulled her black hood down a bit more.
Over the past few weeks, Audrey had experienced great ups and downs.
In the first week, just as Audrey was preparing for that week's Tarot Club meeting, the Tarot Club inexplicably failed to convene. This left her feeling anxious throughout the week, fearing whether official Beyonders had found "The Fool" and whether they would trace back to her.
Although in Audrey's eyes, "The Fool" was a god-like existence, the churches also had angels and deities!
Fortunately, in the second week, Audrey received new information—the previous week's absence from the Tarot Club was because "The Fool's" favored one had cooperated with the church to resolve an incident involving the exploited descent of an evil god, and "The Lover" had also participated.
This meant Audrey didn't have to worry about being traced by the church of the deity she believed in.
However, for some reason, Audrey always felt that when mentioning the evil god's descent, even with the gray fog as concealment, "The Lover's" expression seemed strange.
Surely the evil god that was about to descend wasn't the "True Creator," right?
After this, Audrey had many opportunities to role-play as an "Audience," and the pleasing progress in digesting her potion, combined with "The Fool's" return, diluted her previous worries and made her begin preparing for advancement to Sequence 8.
Therefore, she sought out Hugh and Fors, preparing to collect Beyonder materials through other channels.
Speaking of which, "The Lover" was a member of the Aurora Order, and in this week's Tarot Club, he had indicated that he had already arrived in Backlund. Could she also use his connections to participate in other Beyonder gatherings...
Audrey followed Fors and Hugh toward the house ahead while her mind wandered creatively.
But considering the Aurora Order's reputation, even though "The Lover" appeared very polite and rational in the Tarot Club, Audrey ultimately abandoned this idea.
Passing through the wooden door, Audrey quickly entered the "Audience" state, noticing the scattered people sitting in the room behind the door, but her attention was ultimately drawn to a single-person sofa opposite the door.
Sitting on the sofa was a man wearing a hood, revealing blood-red and rose-colored mixed long hair. He held an exquisitely decorated book in his hands, seemingly completely indifferent to being at a Beyonder gathering, completely unconcerned that quite a few people had already directed their gazes toward him.
Behind the man, a figure completely shrouded in a black robe stood quietly, spine slightly bent, like a servant attending to the man.
At this moment, Fors's extremely low voice came from beside Audrey's ear:
"Has the host of this gathering changed?"
Audrey looked somewhat bewildered as she turned to Fors. Fors immediately lowered her voice and reluctantly explained to her patron, Miss Audrey:
"Originally, the convener of this secret gathering should have been the person behind the man sitting on the sofa. He's a very powerful Beyonder... but now there seems to have been some change."
"By the way, he calls himself 'Mr. A.' I don't know who this man sitting on the sofa is."
Mr. A... Mr. A!
Upon hearing this title, Audrey felt as if struck by lightning, and her gaze toward the two people in the main seats changed somewhat.
If this had been before, Audrey, who was quite interested in various novels, would have thought this "Mr. A" was more like a criminal's codename rather than a mysterious strongman's title like "The Fool," but now...
Audrey felt that despite all her precautions against getting involved with evil god cults, she had ultimately ended up at an Aurora Order secret gathering.
Moreover, she now strongly suspected that the mysterious man who could be treated with such solemnity and respect by Mr. A was the divine envoy who had "just arrived in Backlund"—another member of the Tarot Club, "The Lover," Mr. L.
Audrey tugged at the corner of her mouth, forcibly suppressing the indescribable feelings in her heart, maintaining her "Audience" state while listening to her two companions beside her talk about Mr. A's deeds, becoming more and more certain that the Mr. A before her was indeed a member of the Aurora Order.
While listening, Audrey looked up at the words written on the two blackboards beside them. At a glance, she could see many Beyonder materials and various item formulas, and the first thing Audrey noticed was Emperor Roselle's diary.
Three pages... If I could buy them all, I could submit three copies to "The Fool" at once, in exchange for more rewards... Just as Audrey was thinking this, Hugh moved closer to her ear:
"Is there anything you want?"
I actually want everything! But these materials are useless to me; only those three pages of Emperor Roselle's diary are useful...
Just as Audrey was about to tell Hugh what she needed, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind:
No!
If Mr. A was indeed serving "The Lover," then these three pages of diary might have already been submitted to "The Fool."
And I don't want to deceive "The Fool"... Audrey felt as if two little angels and devils with her appearance were circling around her. Finally, the little angel struck down the devil with a sword, conquering the thought that had just emerged in her heart:
"No, nothing. I haven't found anything I need yet."
At this moment, a servant beside Mr. A walked over and said a few words to them about the precautions for buying and selling.
Audrey carefully observed this servant, seeming to want to see from his eyes whether there was hidden fanatical faith.
Unfortunately, it was just a brief exchange. Fors, while vigilantly observing the surroundings, asked Audrey and Viscount Glaint about the sequence they wanted to choose. Audrey, who had already made plans in her heart, stated the "Audience" option.
She planned to use this not-too-secret Beyonder gathering to conceal the existence of the Tarot Club. As for the extra money spent, it was all worthwhile for Audrey.
After a while, Audrey, who couldn't complete the transaction on the spot, keenly noticed that Mr. A in the distance seemed to want to write something but was stopped by the man sitting on the sofa. Then she saw the two exchange a few words, after which Mr. A silently walked toward where the four of them were located.
Fors and Hugh immediately became alert. Fors nervously watched Mr. A's movements while rubbing the bracelet on her wrist.
However, Mr. A didn't make things difficult for them. He simply extended his hand, handed a note to Audrey, then lowered his voice and spoke in a volume only the two of them could hear:
"From Mr. L."
"Mr. L"? So it really is "The Lover"... I didn't expect to meet another Tarot Club member here... Audrey's feelings were quite complex. After receiving the note, she opened it and looked at what was written:
"'Audience' formula and 'Mind Reader' formula. Hehe, I'll only charge you the 'Mind Reader' price, miss. I'll help you keep it secret from others."
Audrey suddenly looked up at the man who was still absorbed in reading his book, feeling that her identity might have been exposed, but she had no evidence.
...
"Since she's already a Beyonder of the 'Audience' pathway, why are you still helping her?"
The house had become empty again. Mr. A, who had removed his hood, still found the afternoon's events somewhat strange and asked the man before him.
"Don't be hasty, Mr. A." Removing the mask made from "Faceless Man" characteristics, Nimrod smiled at Mr. A before him:
"The realm of the mind is also our Lord's domain. You don't need to distinguish so clearly—and besides, you were originally interested in her too, weren't you?"
Nimrod didn't plan to tell Mr. A that he knew Audrey, so he casually found a reason.
"Because that lady has a flawless and perfect appearance." Mr. A's tone was solemn, without a trace of subjective emotion:
"The more perfect something is, the closer it is to the Lord's form. Offering perfect lambs to the Lord is what we should do—but I'm sorry, I failed to fully understand the Lord's will, only thinking about cultivating a new 'Secretive Suppliant.' This is my negligence."
"Let's not mention this for now. Change also requires time, and you've done well enough." Nimrod set aside the book in his hands:
"How is the situation with the Witch Cult and the royal family?"
"According to your instructions, we're still maintaining normal cooperation with the Witch Cult." Mr. A reported solemnly: "But I don't understand the reason."
Mr. A looked at Nimrod with reverent eyes but still didn't hide his confusion.
"It's simple. After the Witch Cult expressed willingness to cooperate with us and then suddenly reneged, it was too obvious. This doesn't match our situation, at least not the situation of us who are 'completely unaware of the inside story.'" Nimrod closed his eyes:
"We need to let the Witch Cult think we haven't discovered their purpose, so that when they want to set fire to this place that has been left with too many 'traces,' we can save the Lord's lambs."
"I should have been clear before: the Lord no longer needs negative emotions; the Lord needs His beloved faithful."
"You don't need to think this is betrayal or lies. This is precisely the sin the Lord needs us to bear—even if more hatred is heaped upon us, those lambs we save will still understand what we've done."
Nimrod patiently persuaded Mr. A.
"I understand this." Mr. A nodded, then his tone returned to confusion: "But... what traces? Do we really know the Witch Cult's purpose?"
So you didn't understand? Nimrod rubbed his temples:
"...You should go pray. Indeed, I can't expect your worldly wisdom. If you can't understand, just leave your thinking to the Lord and simply execute."
Hearing this, Mr. A's eyes showed some relief and understanding. He nodded and, after bowing, left the room.
Nimrod sighed softly: "In Tingen, when there weren't many believers, it was fine. But here, every single one of them is illiterate... Yet they are extraordinarily clear and quick in understanding the 'True Creator's' will."
Saying this, Nimrod boarded a carriage while pressing his finger on the black cross behind his neck. After the gray mist moved away from above the cross, he smiled and said:
"Ally, how is your condition?"
Crazy whispers sounded in his ears, but compared to usual, this voice was much smaller, as if those whispers were just background noise:
"Compared to before, much better."
"Unfortunately, the number of anchors is still insufficient. Even though God's will has been worn away, I still find it very difficult to maintain this divine nature's clarity."
A lantern appeared in Nimrod's hand. After sensing the condition within, he nodded gently:
"But at least compared to when you were in Tingen City, your condition has improved tremendously."
"This shows we're on an effective path. The Aurora Order will continue preaching, providing you with a large number of anchors—but unlike us three-pathway Beyonders, if you want your main body to return to normal, the number of anchors would probably require an entire continent to maintain your sanity."
Speaking of this, Nimrod seemed to remember something and smiled at the True Creator's divine nature:
"Speaking of which, would you mind if I took your believers to beat up Outer Gods?"
Wind seemed to rise outside the carriage window, but it didn't affect anything inside. Nimrod shook the lantern in his hand, and a majestic voice flickered in the light:
"This is what they should do."
"Then there's no problem."
Mr. A's stronghold wasn't too far from Queens District. As Nimrod spoke, he put the lantern back into the Source Castle, letting the gray mist once again cover the characteristic behind his neck, and headed toward where he currently lived.
Just then, wind outside the carriage gathered toward Nimrod's direction. He raised his hand and seemed to extract a letter from the void.
Nimrod lowered his head, walking into the villa surrounded by servants disguised as believers, while looking at the letter's signature.
Sherlock Moriarty.
Chapter 2: The Letter
Klein didn't send me information through the "Source Castle" this time, but sent me a letter instead?
Nimrod raised his eyebrows and headed to the villa's second floor.
After locking his room door and setting up a spiritual wall, he sat at the table in his room, fully unfolded the letter he had just opened, and began reading its contents under the bright lamplight.
Unlike his residence in Tingen City, considering that "Dionysos Freed's" identity was that of a publisher and fallen noble whose family had lost their noble status generations ago and who was preparing to start anew in Backlund, the decorations in this room were obviously quite exquisite, looking as if they had been carefully designed.
Of course, the details were somewhat lacking. Not to mention compared to great nobles like the Hall family, even the decorations in the house of a minor noble like Viscount Glaint were more refined than this house.
For Nimrod, this was also a form of "fraud"—fraud against church Beyonders and other nobles.
For a fallen noble who desperately wanted to regain his noble status, even if he had the heart to maintain noble etiquette and aesthetics, he would inevitably be unable to achieve perfection in details like normal nobles who had accumulated wealth over generations.
This was the so-called "nine truths and one lie" investigation method. For Nimrod, except for not actually being the fictional "Dionysos," everything about "Dionysos" was real and could even deceive official Beyonder investigations.
And "divination" similarly couldn't penetrate Nimrod's status. Even if a true god personally divined Dionysos's identity, they would only get a "everything is normal" answer.
Under the yellowish lamplight, lines of "Roselle script" entered Nimrod's vision. He squinted, finding the letter's format somewhat strange:
"August 16th, Nimrod."
"Sigh, since I'm writing to you, I won't use those ceremonial sentences. But I'm afraid that even if I write in Chinese, the confidentiality agreement I signed will recognize that I'm 'leaking secrets,' so I won't elaborate on those unspeakable matters in the letter to prevent my colleagues from checking on me later."
"Two weeks ago, I officially became a 'Red Glove' of the Church of the Evernight Goddess."
"Although we talked about corresponding by letter when we were on the train, I haven't been in Backlund's city center these past two weeks. I've been receiving training from 'Sword of the Goddess' Crests Cane along with the captain and others... cough cough, I won't say more about that."
His gaze narrowed slightly, and several lines of clues appeared like flowing text on his retina—he had clearly used the "Cryptologist's" Beyonder ability.
"However, although I can't reveal the training content to outsiders, our mission this time didn't require us to keep it secret, and you should be able to guess what our 'special team's' mission is:"
"Hunt down the traitorous Archbishop 'Ince Zangwill'!"
"From the intelligence we've gathered, Ince Zangwill has become a Sequence 4 demigod of the 'Darkness' pathway and is currently lurking in Backlund, planning more events."
A demigod of the "Darkness" pathway... Nimrod's gaze flickered slightly, and corresponding information surfaced in his mind:
"Darkness" pathway Sequence 4 "Nightwatcher," possessing abilities to bestow misfortune and summon darkness.
It seems Klein already knows the sequence information that the Church of the Evernight Goddess ostensibly controls... Only this information is also "content that cannot be revealed"... Nimrod didn't dwell on this and continued reading.
"For the upcoming period, Dunn and the others and I will act together, establishing an investigative agency with official identity but independent of official structures in a manner similar to Tingen. As long as Ince Zangwill is still here, we can more easily attract his attention and try to draw his focus to us."
"—That's about it. Leonard has been watching me constantly. I suspect it's something special about him that makes him somewhat suspicious of me, but he doesn't seem to want to expose me, and sometimes even helps cover for me."
"I suspect the Church of the Evernight Goddess has certain preferential treatment for people like Leonard and me who have something special about us. Previously, the one responsible for reviewing me was Backlund's Archbishop. Even if I could stay conscious in dreams, I don't think a Sequence 9 like me could fool a real demigod with my acting skills."
"By the way, what do you think Leonard's special trait could be? Is it something similar to the 'gray fog' we control, or like the 'systems' described in literary works before we crossed over, or a grandpa in a ring?"
It's a grandpa in the brain... Nimrod sighed about the "Beacon of Destiny's" ability to make words come true and continued reading down. This was already the end of the letter:
"By the way, you remember what I'm called now, right? Don't call me by the wrong name."
"My name is Sherlock Moriarty—Sher-lock."
"Alright, that's all. See you in Backlund."
The letter ended there.
Nimrod tapped the table lightly with his finger, roughly understanding what Klein meant by writing this passage.
First, Klein didn't know that he had reached a certain degree of cooperation and strategic alliance with the Evernight Goddess under the identity of "Fusheng Xuanhuang Tianzun," so he was worried that he might not be clear about the relevant information and specifically wrote a letter in Chinese with an incorrect format.
This way, even if others discovered he was writing in Roselle script, they wouldn't worry about him writing a letter but would think he was trying to replicate "Emperor Roselle's notes" with combinations of numbers and text.
From the letter's description, Klein should have already completed training under Crests Cesima, one of the "Red Gloves" three giants, and begun executing the mission to hunt down Ince Zangwill.
And although Klein had resolutely begun hunting Ince Zangwill as in the original trajectory, this time Klein had three teammates by his side, unlike the original solitary pursuit.
As for Klein's current identity, Nimrod had some guesses. Since they couldn't directly use "Red Glove" identity to operate here, Klein and others would certainly disguise their identities in a manner similar to the official trio Nimrod had seen in the "Cycle of Fate timeline."
Considering the emphasis Klein left at the end, Nimrod guessed they had ultimately chosen the form of "private detective" or "detective agency," though they probably had official identities behind the scenes that they could reveal when encountering other official Beyonders to resolve certain issues.
Nimrod recalled several people who had made deep impressions in the original work, thinking of that Intis ambassador and Master Luo.
However, to specifically write these things to remind me in this situation, it seems Klein really considers me his friend... Nimrod sighed while setting the letter aside.
After a while, a knock came from outside the door. After receiving Nimrod's response, a servant pushed open the door and respectfully said to Nimrod:
"Mr. L, there's a visitor for you."
"A visitor?" Nimrod thought for a moment: "Ah, let her in—she's my guest."
Nimrod had already guessed who the visitor was.
Previously, Tris had conducted limited, cautious exchanges with him. He had also made a trade with Tris—presumably she had come to deliver the goods.
The servant nodded, and before long, a figure completely wrapped in a black robe followed the servant in. After the servant closed the door, this black-robed figure looked at Nimrod sitting calmly at the table, lips moving slightly:
"Mr. L, aren't you going to invite me to sit?"
"Ha, I haven't paid for this transaction yet, so why should I be anxious?—If you want to sit, find a place yourself." Nimrod shook his head:
"Did you bring what I wanted, Tris?"
"I brought it, and I also brought some additional intelligence for you." The black-robed figure removed her hood, taking several Beyonder materials well-preserved in containers from her chest:
"Want to hear it?"
"No." Nimrod instantly took the Beyonder materials and ruthlessly said to Tris:
"I don't think you know more than I do. Are you trying to trade with me using Witch Cult intelligence?—Come on, do you know what the Original's honorific name is?"
Hearing Nimrod's words, Tris became speechless. After a long while, she said somewhat through gritted teeth:
"You really are... Fine, I do indeed hope to conduct some small trades with you."
She deliberately emphasized the word "small."
"Trade? Of course I welcome it. You're not a heretic who believes in foreign gods; I still regard you as the Lord's lamb." Nimrod shifted his gaze to Tris's face, putting on a charlatan's appearance and began pure deception:
"What can you offer? You're so eager to find me, presumably because the Witch Cult has targeted you again... Am I right?"
Tris laughed emotionlessly, "Hehe," displaying the sapphire ring on her little finger to Nimrod:
"Yes, no matter where I run, the Witch Cult can always find me and put this damned ring on my hand. Otherwise, I wouldn't think of trading with a 'Swindler.'"
Speaking of this, Tris's tone still suppressed some anger.
Nimrod nodded, indicating for Tris to continue. Tris sat on the bed beside them, hands hanging down slightly:
"Do you know how to help me escape from the Witch Cult?"
"I know."
Meeting Tris's hopeful gaze, Nimrod's lips curled slightly: "But you know I can't possibly trust you. You must give payment first before I can help you. And how should you pay for making us oppose the 'Witch Cult'?"
Tris gently bit her lip, trying to negotiate: "That depends on you... Besides, I don't think helping me would put you in opposition to the Witch Cult."
"If that's the case, then why did you come to me?" Nimrod sneered:
"Come on, don't think I'd have any special thoughts about you because of your appearance. A 'Faceless Man' can change their appearance at will, and I could casually give someone some 'Witch' potion to cultivate a witch..."
"Also, I suggest you think carefully about what you have that can be traded—don't think about throwing that ring to me; it's a hot potato."
Tris immediately stopped her movement.
"Of course, you have another choice."
Just then, Nimrod's voice sounded again before Tris. Tris looked up at Nimrod.
He extended one hand, smiling as he handed a cross pendant to Tris:
"Lost lambs should choose the correct faith. Perhaps you've just been walking the wrong path, haven't you?"
As he said this, Nimrod's face immediately showed some solemn and gentle smile, looking like a sincere pastor.
...
Nimrod withdrew the cross pendant.
Tris still refused Nimrod's invitation.
After all, for her, believing in the "True Creator" was no different from believing in the "Primordial Witch"—it was just choosing whether to explode into a flower made of flesh and blood or become a statue cursed to death when she died.
However, Nimrod didn't mind Tris's choice, as he had expected this long ago.
Tris had always been quite wary of him and firmly believed that the "True Creator" was an undoubted evil god. Not choosing to believe in the True Creator was also natural.
But this was just a matter of time—Tris hadn't been assigned to Prince Edessak yet. When she was pressed onto the bed, as long as she retained consciousness, she would be willing to pray to the True Creator.
After all, her thinking was still quite conservative; she was a true Cross Flag person... Hmm, that seemed even more dangerous.
He had already counted the Beyonder materials Tris had given him earlier, throwing all these materials into the "Source Castle," preparing to take them to the "Cycle of Fate timeline" to feed to Lumian.
Regarding the Sequence 5 Beyonder characteristics of his pathway, Nimrod still had no clue.
He currently had several prepared directions. First was to ask Klein for help with divination after this Tarot Club meeting ended; second was to directly search for "Beyonder characteristics" through other means, such as... Amon's mausoleum, or the characteristics of Mobet Zoroaster mentioned in the book.
But considering his situation, for safety's sake, Nimrod still didn't plan to appear before Amon. So, if it was difficult to find Sequence 5 "Dream Stealer" materials in this world, Nimrod would have to consider the third method:
Search for characteristics in the "Cycle of Fate timeline," or directly hunt a... leaderless Amon in "Trier."
And Lumian was the preparation Nimrod had made for this matter.Chapter 3: Destiny
Mysterious: I Jump Between Two Timelines Repeatedly
Half Moon Tiger
4043 words - July 3, 2025, 08:30
As a low-sequence (self-proclaimed) Beyonder, Nimrod naturally had no intention of appearing before the gods.
Therefore, for Nimrod, Lumian Lee was a natural "target" - someone who could attract, and willingly attract, the attention of high-level beings.
Due to the "Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence," Nimrod, who carried the "Source Castle" at the convergence apex, had a high probability of encountering other Beyonders. But with his status, as long as he didn't blatantly expose his specialness and had a "special person" standing in front of him, high-level beings would find it difficult to directly "notice" him.
Nimrod stood up and walked toward the room's exit.
The atmosphere throughout the entire villa was quite busy, with servants dressed in identical uniforms walking quickly through the corridors, either carrying briefcases or tucking folders under their arms.
Walking to the first floor, suddenly, a formally dressed servant's face lit up with joy as he called out to Nimrod:
"Mr. L, you're here!"
Nimrod looked toward the source of the voice and quickly recognized the servant's identity, so he also smiled and said to him:
"Are you adapting well to life in Backlund, Ademisaul?"
The "Monster" Ademisaul was one of the few people in the Aurora Order who could normally converse with Nimrod. Whether you called him pure and simple or said he had returned to his true nature, Nimrod was indeed seriously considering whether he needed to cultivate Ademisaul.
First, unlike other Aurora Order members, Ademisaul was brought into the Aurora Order by himself, naturally harboring considerable closeness toward him.
Besides that, as a "Monster" pathway Beyonder, Ademisaul was a shallow believer of the "Angel of Fate" Ouroboros, unlike other Aurora Order members who fanatically worshipped the "True Creator."
After all, within the entire Aurora Order, his own status came from his cooperation with the True Creator under the identity of "Fusheng Xuanhuang Tianzun." Once his cooperation with the True Creator broke down or the True Creator was defeated in the struggle with Adam, he would immediately fall into isolation.
Therefore, Nimrod needed to establish a group of his own followers - or rather, his own "believers."
Although Nimrod himself didn't need anchors, and he had never felt the erosion of Beyonder characteristics on his will, one of the advancement rituals for "Thief" pathway Beyonders required others to wholeheartedly dedicate everything they had to serve him, and Aurora Order members clearly didn't fit this situation.
After all, they had devoted their everything wholeheartedly to the "True Creator."
"It's very good here, mm, very good." Ademisaul nodded, his eyes noticeably clearer than usual.
As a natural "Monster," Ademisaul had been unconsciously acting as a "Monster" before obtaining Beyonder characteristics, and his digestion level was already quite high when he consumed the potion.
After Nimrod taught Ademisaul the "Acting Method," he quickly fully digested the acting method and began waiting for fate's subsequent gifts.
Ademisaul hesitated for a moment, seeming to want to say something, but apparently having some concerns about the other people around. He quietly moved closer to Nimrod and said in a low voice:
"Mr. L, but I saw..."
Nimrod shook his head, signaling Ademisaul to follow him: "Come with me."
He led Ademisaul through the first-floor corridor to a small room nearby. Ademisaul locked the door, his tone slightly panicked as he said:
"Mr. L, we seem to be in danger!"
Nimrod looked Ademisaul up and down several times.
In his view, Ademisaul was talented.
Under the arrangement of "0-08," he could still see the fate of the entire Tingen City, and he survived under fate's arrangement. After following Nimrod, this "beacon of fate," Ademisaul's originally quite terrible fate seemed to have changed again, giving him the opportunity to advance.
Although Nimrod seriously suspected that the "Source Castle" he carried had affected Ademisaul's fate, considering that fate in this world was quite mysterious before fully mastering the "Fate" authority, Nimrod was still willing to believe that part of what Ademisaul saw was arranged and influenced by fate:
"Tell me, what did you see?"
"I saw many people... they all had a thin layer of mist around them. I couldn't see their faces clearly, but their faces were all swollen, looking like... like they had rotted. But many people died..."
"Some people melted in that mist, some fell down, some fell into fire... but this was undoubtedly a disaster, Mr. L."
Ademisaul told everything he had seen in one breath, his tone somewhat sorrowful:
"It only suddenly became like this in the past few days... A great disaster might happen here, Mr. L."
"Don't worry." Nimrod shook his head: "First, calm down - fate can be changed. You saw a scene of a sea of blood in Tingen City before, but it changed in the end, didn't it?"
"...You're right."
Ademisaul became less afraid under Nimrod's comfort: "Then what can I do now...? I don't want such things to happen."
Very good, very much has a sense of ownership... Nimrod sighed inwardly: "During this period, you'll follow me. Once the surrounding fate changes, you tell me."
Actually, having Ademisaul follow him to prevent "disaster" was only a surface excuse. Nimrod's real purpose was to have Ademisaul follow him and become his loyal follower.
Speaking of which, if I could get a demigod to wholeheartedly give me everything, I should also be able to directly complete the advancement ritual for the "Error" pathway... High-sequence and high-status Beyonders can always exceed ritual requirements... After pondering for a moment, Nimrod decided to cast a wide net first.
Ademisaul nodded and followed Nimrod out of the room. However, he saw that Nimrod was heading toward the main door, and was somewhat puzzled:
"Mr. L, it's already evening. Are you still going out?"
"Of course." Nimrod turned back and showed Ademisaul a slight smile: "I need to arrange some things. Since I learned from you that a disaster is about to occur here, we must prepare in advance."
"You'll disguise yourself as my servant first and come with me to the company we're about to establish - I need to go there to contact the Saint."
Hearing Nimrod's words, Ademisaul's heart involuntarily filled with some touching emotions - when he wasn't yet a complete "Monster," he could see others' complex and tangled fates, but no one cared about what he said, not even members of the Storm Church.
When he spoke of the "misfortune" he saw, he would at best be cursed at, at worst be beaten. Ademisaul didn't understand why his good intentions would turn out that way.
He hadn't attended the Church's charity schools and didn't quite understand why the Aurora Order brothers and sisters around him both revered and feared this "Mr. L" in front of him. But "Mr. L" had rescued him from the brink of madness and given him the "Monster" pathway potion - this was enough for Ademisaul to feel gratitude and loyalty toward Mr. L.
Although it was a dangerous night, the carriage still successfully arrived at the "company" established by the Aurora Order - the security measures around the Queens District had always been good.
Standing before Nimrod and Ademisaul was a mostly renovated square building that looked particularly conspicuous and distinctive here.
Of course, this company was nominally still established by "Dionysos Freed" himself using the wealth he had earned from commerce brought back from the north.
"Freed Cultural Industry Publishing Company."
The company's main business was the publication of books and other cultural magazines, while its side businesses included security, escort, assassination, sacrifice, mysticism rituals... and other services derived from the main business. Of course, the side businesses were completed by the Aurora Order hidden in the shadows - Freed Company never did illegal things.
Before Nimrod came to Backlund, he had already inquired about intelligence related to Backlund's cultural industry professionals at previous Tarot Club meetings. This was naturally easy for "Justice" Audrey - after several literary salons, Audrey submitted this simple intelligence to Nimrod in exchange for the "Mind Reader" formula.
Of course, Audrey also thought this trade was a great bargain for her, so she proactively requested to make up the difference in the trade later, making "The Hanged Man" beside her somewhat silent, seemingly doubting his life.
This was the conscience value in the Tarot Club.
Well, the company should officially go public in about one or two weeks... I can proactively explain the company's situation to Audrey at the next Tarot Club meeting, have her father invest some money, and have her recommend some professional writers to come to me...
The two "Hermits" responsible for security at the entrance recognized Nimrod and, after confirming his identity, opened the company's main door for him.
The company's location wasn't in the Queens District but was chosen in a lower-priced area where they directly bought a three-story building by the street and renovated it.
Nimrod walked step by step up to the office on the third floor, while mentally criticizing Roselle for not inventing elevators at the time.
After having Ademisaul guard the door, Nimrod lightly tapped on the desk, causing some liquid like fresh blood to slowly seep out from the decorative patterns on the desktop, forming a somewhat complex magic circle.
Nimrod took two candles from nearby and placed them in fixed positions and lit them - soon, the candles' shadows came alive, crackling sounds coming from within:
"Mr. L, what's the matter?"
"I need support." Nimrod said solemnly to the voice in the candles:
"Dark Saint, I have confirmed that the blasphemer Ince Zangwill, who desecrated the Lord, exists in Backlund. I need demigod-level support - just Mr. A and I can't resolve the situation here."
The Dark Saint on the other side of the candles was silent for a moment: "Are you certain?"
"Intelligence from the Nighthawks, basically certain to be correct." Nimrod replied:
"By the way, try not to let the 'Saint of Secrets' come. You know, my sequence is similar to his. With the Lord's blessing on me, he and I together might very well attract high-sequence Beyonders of the 'Fool,' 'Error,' and 'Door' pathways."
"I'm worried that '0-08' will take this opportunity to lure the Lord's rebel son Amon to Backlund. Once Amon comes here, even if it's just one avatar, we won't be able to handle it well."
"This is indeed a troublesome matter." The Dark Saint paused:
"You know, the Storm Church's archbishop is quite wary of us. It's difficult for me to enter Backlund without them being on guard..."
"Unfortunately, Leomaster lost contact while searching for the Lord's sanctuary. Otherwise, with my cooperation with him, we would have had more assurance of entering Backlund without being discovered."
"The 'Dark Saint' Leomaster?" Nimrod made a thoughtful expression: "He should still be alive. This is the revelation the Lord gave us. I might be able to search for his location later... I already have some guesses, just can't confirm them yet."
If Nimrod remembered correctly, the "Dark Saint" Leomaster had already run to the edge of the God-Forsaken Land, inside a dream in the divine war ruins.
"If we can find the 'Dark Saint,' our strength would increase greatly." The Dark Saint's tone was heavy:
"Unfortunately, this isn't something that can be accomplished quickly... I'll find an opportunity to personally come to Backlund later. What are your plans?"
"I plan to complete the divine descent ritual that the Lord failed to complete last time in Backlund." Nimrod replied:
"Of course, it's still early for the Lord's true divine descent. Now we can only have the Lord's power descend - what we need to do now is collect a large number of believers for the Lord, and salvation in disaster is the best time to witness true faith."
Speaking of this, Nimrod chuckled:
"The Witch Sect is planning a great disaster here, and to save this disaster under the gaze of the Storm evil god requires the Lord's power. Fighting a 'Despair Witch' equally requires a demigod."
"From the Lord's revelation, I can even deduce some... more exciting news."
The Dark Saint's voice carried some confusion: "Revelation?"
The Lord's revelations to me don't seem to be this frequent... Could it be that I'm not devout enough?
"Yes, revelation." Nimrod's voice remained steady:
"Backlund is where the former 'Blood Emperor' Alista Tudor murdered the Lord's angel..."
"The 'War Angel' Medici."
Chapter 4: The Tarot Club
Mysterious: I Jump Between Two Timelines Repeatedly
Half Moon Tiger
4026 words - July 4, 2025, 08:30
"Captain, should this table be placed here? Is there anything else that needs to be moved?"
Leonard's voice came from not far away, causing Dunn, who had originally brought his pipe to his mouth, to raise his hand and rub his temples.
After completing the training with "Goddess's Sword" Creste Cesima, Executive Creste left them and began preparing to go undercover to target Ince Zangwill. At Klein's suggestion, the Tingen team rented a small house and opened a "detective agency."
Klein had previously joked that this was probably the highest-specification detective agency in the entire Kingdom of Ruen - one Sequence 8, one Sequence 7, two Sequence 6s. What normal detective agency had such a configuration?
As it turned out, not only detective agencies, but even Tingen City a month ago didn't have such a configuration.
Now, except for lacking a Sequence 5, the overall member sequence configuration of the entire Tingen City team was similar to a normal "Red Gloves" team, and this was still with Klein's sequence dragging them down - but in terms of actual combat power, Klein, who possessed the gray fog, believed he could still compete with normal Beyonders.
"Yes, just place it there." Dunn set his pipe aside and said to Leonard with a slight headache: "The detective agency is almost fully set up. You all go rest first."
"Alright." Leonard raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and said to Klein beside him in a relaxed tone:
"Klein, want to go for a drink? Of course, I mean a coffee shop."
If you really invited me to a tavern, I'd have to suspect your intentions. Mr. Poet, don't forget you're a Ruen person! Klein mentally complained and made a light Ruen joke, shaking his head to decline Leonard's invitation:
"No thanks, Leonard. I'll rest a bit - today is our first day here, and I don't want to wake up with aches all over tomorrow."
Ms. Daly nearby had already shown a kind smile.
Leonard's eyes narrowed, and he quickly smiled at Klein:
"Alright, but don't forget about dinner tonight."
Although Klein seriously suspected that Leonard had guessed he just wanted to find an excuse to leave, considering that Leonard was covering for him, Klein didn't say anything more and just smiled before turning to walk upstairs.
With the Church's help, their "detective agency" had rented a two-story house at the head of Minsk Street in the Jowood District. Over the past two days, the main hall was gradually being converted into the agency's reception area, while Klein and the others lived in the bedrooms on the second floor.
After Creste finished training them, the actual leader of this small team had become Dunn Smith, the original captain of the Tingen City Nighthawks team. As for Creste, this powerhouse who was infinitely close to a demigod, was hidden in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to act.
Considering that acting as "Red Gloves" in Backlund would easily attract attention and draw the notice of Ince Zangwill, who possessed "0-08," the identity of "private detective" - covert and not easily exposed - became their target.
Among the four of them, Dunn and Daly had lived in the Church for years, while Leonard had been an orphan since childhood. None of the three had experience renting houses. Thus, this heavy burden fell on Klein, who had both an older brother and a younger sister.
Considering the nature of "private detective" work, Klein thought it over and chose to establish the detective agency in the Jowood District, where there were more middle-class residents.
This way, they wouldn't easily lose intelligence from poor areas like the East District, nor would residents of areas like the "Queens District" think their professionalism was insufficient.
After all, intelligence sources were very important to them. Their ultimate goal wasn't to establish an agency, but to find the hidden "Ince Zangwill"!
As for funding, there was no need to worry - everything could be reimbursed. Klein, the reimbursement master, said he had never fought such a wealthy battle.
Klein walked down the second-floor corridor into his room, skillfully locked the door, and set up a spiritual wall in his room. After doing all this, Klein looked at the time, walked four steps counterclockwise, and came above the gray fog.
Looking at the familiar scenery and gray mist around him, Klein slowly exhaled.
Recently, due to receiving training from the Church, the time for conducting Tarot Club meetings hadn't been very long. At the same time, he had contacted that young man from Silver City, Derrick Berg, promising to bring him above the gray fog after some time.
On the day the training ended, Klein confirmed the time to bring "The Sun" into the Tarot Club and notified Derrick to prepare.
After spending some time informing Derrick of his "honorific name" and the Tarot Club's precautions, Klein opened his silver pocket watch, reached out, and pressed the deep red stars of "The Hanged Man," "Justice," and "The Lovers."
"This is a new member, code name 'The Sun.'"
After completing the introduction, since they had missed the routine greeting from "Justice" to "Mr. Fool," and none of them had submitted new "Roselle Diaries," this time it was "The Lovers" Nimrod, sitting next to Derrick, who stood up first and spoke to Audrey with a smile:
"Miss 'Justice,' how was the help I provided you?"
Hearing Nimrod's words, Audrey immediately confirmed that she had indeed exposed her identity at Mr. A's place - but "The Lovers" hadn't revealed her identity and had secretly helped her. Therefore, Audrey felt a strange pride in her heart:
This looked like members of a secret organization completing cooperation in the real world without communication... giving Audrey a different sense of honor from her previous work promoting reform in the Kingdom of Ruen.
So Audrey cleared her throat and said with restraint:
"Mm, a perfect cooperation - Mr. 'Lovers,' I must thank you for your cooperation, which saved me considerable trouble..."
While Audrey was thinking with some joy, Alger had much more to consider.
Unlike "Justice," a mysticism novice new to the Beyonder world, Alger's first thought was:
"Justice" and "The Lovers" had formed an alliance in reality?
He momentarily felt some urgency about being isolated. After patiently waiting for the two to finish their exchange, Alger turned to "The Sun" beside him and said in a low voice:
"You've just been invited here by Mr. 'Fool,' so you might not understand some things. Tarot Club members will cooperate to a certain extent in the real world, including trading some items - you might also have some things you need?"
If "Justice" and "The Lovers'" cooperation had truly moved from the Tarot Club to the real world, then he urgently needed to find an ally for himself - and "The Sun" was his only choice now.
While Alger was calculating, "The Sun" Derrick had this thought:
"The people Mr. 'Fool' invited are all very friendly... Mr. 'Hanged Man' cares about me..."
"The Sun" Derrick considered his words and, with the help of the "Fool Card Universal Translator," spoke to "The Hanged Man" and other Tarot Club members:
"I hope to obtain the initial sequence of the 'Sun' pathway. I can exchange it with other pathway potion formulas or Beyonder materials."
Alger pondered for a moment: "I can get you the 'Singer' formula, but this will take some time. Hehe, I don't currently need other pathway Sequence 9 formulas, but perhaps we can exchange with some Beyonder materials or pounds..."
Experienced old silver coin Alger deceiving naive little Sun.jpg
Eventually, the two agreed to exchange the Singer formula for one to two Beyonder materials, reaching a deal that satisfied both parties - Alger, considering he needed an "ally," didn't fleece too much from little Sun.
After Alger and Derrick finished their exchange, Audrey smiled and informed "The Hanged Man" Alger about the question he had previously asked regarding "whether the King would retaliate against the Feysac Empire."
After concluding this transaction and agreeing on additional compensation, Audrey looked up and asked Nimrod with a smile:
"Mr. 'Lovers,' I want to know if the person I met that day was 'Mr. A' from the Aurora Order?"
Although Audrey was already quite certain, she still questioned "The Lovers," wanting to find a reason to open the upcoming topic.
Sure enough, Nimrod also smiled and replied:
"Yes, it was him."
"Phew, I apologize for his rather impolite gaze before. He was just looking for people whose appearance was closer to the 'True Creator' to make them believers of the Lord."
But you're not a "Perfecter" either, Adam. What "most ancient human" - you were just a simple face-controller before becoming the "Ancient Sun God," weren't you...
Nimrod quietly complained in his heart.
So Mr. A really isn't the kind of, er, perverted lecher I thought? Audrey thought somewhat boldly in her heart, nodding slightly to brush past this topic:
"My question might be somewhat presumptuous, but I want to know what exactly the Aurora Order intends to do in Backlund? As you know, I live in Backlund after all, and I still worry about Backlund's safety."
Although Audrey had revealed her identity, she was careful not to mention her family situation. Nimrod chuckled:
"We're preparing to save Backlund."
Oh, so they're saving Backlund... "The Fool" Klein, who had been sitting on his throne listening, was naturally lurking, but after hearing Nimrod's answer, his eyes widened:
What does it mean that the Aurora Order is saving Backlund?
The evil Aurora Order is saving the world? Er, although I was also sort of rescued by the Aurora Order once before... Klein thought somewhat guiltily.
"Simply put, Backlund will have a great disaster." Seeing Audrey's quite surprised expression, even obscured by the gray fog, Nimrod could see the distorted, blurred expression:
"Regardless of whether others believe it or not, the Aurora Order's purpose is to save from this disaster - the 'True Creator' foresaw this disaster and couldn't bear to see his 'lambs' severely harmed, so he chose to come here on the eve of the disaster about to befall 'Backlund.'"
Audrey opened and closed her lips, looking somewhat unable to accept Nimrod's words:
"...But can't we try to solve this disaster in advance? If it's really as you say, I'm willing to provide help to the best of my ability..."
"Unfortunately, Miss 'Justice.'" Nimrod's tone turned cold, as if his entire being was hidden behind a curtain of gray fog:
"This isn't a disaster that can be solved in advance just because you provide help. Under the watch of pairs of eyes, this disaster is destined to occur, and all we can do is try to prevent this disaster from spreading when it happens, saving more lambs for the Lord."
Audrey wanted to struggle a bit more: "I can try to contact the royal family. Backlund is the capital of the Kingdom of Ruen. The royal family won't stand by once they know about this..."
But Audrey saw a smile as cold and dark as a deity gradually appear on "The Lovers'" face hidden behind the gray fog. His next words were like pouring cold water on Audrey's originally burning heart:
"Unfortunately, Miss 'Justice.'"
"Among those eyes I mentioned... the largest pair belongs to your King, 'George III.'"
"This disaster will occur here precisely because of your King."
"Cough, cough." Seeing the suddenly silent Tarot Club, Alger felt somewhat embarrassed but still brought up what he had originally planned to raise at this Tarot Club meeting:
"I received intelligence that the great pirate known as 'Hurricane Lieutenant General' Chillingworth has secretly come ashore and infiltrated Backlund. I hope someone can provide his whereabouts..."
He looked at the several people around him and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
His original best candidate for accepting commissions was naturally Miss "Justice," who seemed to have considerable influence in Backlund. But now it seemed that the worried Miss "Justice" probably no longer had the mind to focus on this.
But just as Alger was somewhat disappointed and wanted to change his approach to seek help from others, a voice suddenly came from his right:
"Need assassination services, Mr. 'Hanged Man'?"
Nimrod smiled at Alger:
"I believe Mr. A has sufficient strength to complete your commission."Chapter 5: Rebirth - I'm Setting Up Bait in Trier
Mysteries: I'm Jumping Back and Forth Between Two Timelines
By: Half Moon Tiger
4010 words | July 5, 2025, 08:30
"...Fusheng Xuanhuang Shangdi, Fusheng Xuanhuang Tianzun."
Lumian spoke somewhat awkwardly according to the language in his memory, while walking backwards four steps in the narrow room, anxiously waiting to see if his godfather would respond to this ritual.
During this time, he had traveled all the way from Kordu Village to Trier, and after finally settling down at the Golden Rooster Tavern, he performed the ritual according to the method his godfather had taught him.
His anxiety stemmed from his crude understanding of mysticism - the ritual his godfather had taught him seemed to contain no mystical elements at all, which made Lumian worry whether he had forgotten some steps, whether this ritual could succeed.
However, Lumian's doubts were quickly dispelled. He watched as faint gray mist slowly appeared around the four portions of food in his rented room - the gray mist was so pale it was barely visible, only forming a faint cloud in the air.
The next moment, a human figure suddenly gained an outline from the gray mist, and drops of gray mist fell like raindrops from the sky into this outline, giving it thickness and substance.
Indeed, my godfather is no ordinary Beyonder... This performance is infinitely close to the angels and deities in church stories! Lumian suppressed his surprise and watched as a black-haired, black-eyed figure walked out of the gray mist.
"Godfather." Lumian lowered his head slightly and spoke to Nimrod.
"It's been a few days." Nimrod spoke calmly to Lumian, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "Your mental state looks quite good."
"Actually, it's not that good." Lumian smiled bitterly:
"I've tried hard these past two days, but I still can't remember anything from before the dream loop began... Speaking of which, that 'Magician' lady mentioned contacting two psychologists to treat me. Can I trust them?"
Nimrod recalled the "Justice" lady who had become somewhat EMO after his few words this afternoon, thinking of her and her dog, and immediately answered:
"Hmm, I roughly know who the 'Magician' is talking about. Don't worry, they're both excellent psychologists."
"You know them?" Lumian was somewhat surprised.
"I know them." Nimrod smiled at Lumian:
"I remember telling you before that I'm not an enemy of the 'Fool' they worship - ha, though they probably don't remember me."
Lumian nodded, his tone becoming somewhat more relaxed:
"Godfather, I'm planning to complete the task the 'Magician' lady gave me. I need to summon her messenger to contact her and ask about the specific details of the task. Will this expose you, godfather?"
"For safety's sake, I think I should leave first." Hearing Lumian's words, Nimrod smiled and stood up, preparing to walk outside:
"You can continue to contact me using this method. I might not come directly, but I'll definitely receive your message."
As he spoke, he walked toward the door. Just then, as if remembering something, he turned his head and smiled slightly at Lumian:
"Oh, before summoning the messenger, remember to clean up the traces of the ritual you just used to summon me. I also brought you a gift - I'll tell you what it is when I come back."
Then he casually pocketed the bread that had been used for the ritual and left.
Lumian watched his godfather's operation, turned to look at the other three portions of food still placed in the corners of the room, and was momentarily speechless.
...
Nimrod strolled through the streets of Trier, surrounded by passersby in bright, elegant clothing who walked either quickly or slowly on the streets. From time to time, carriages and bicycles would speed past along the center of the street, ringing their bells.
Compared to the Loen Kingdom that Nimrod had stayed in on the "mystery timeline," the Trier of the Intis Republic gave Nimrod a feeling of relaxation and tension merged into a metropolitan atmosphere. Apart from lacking tall buildings, it even gave Nimrod a magical feeling of returning home.
Nimrod chuckled softly, first bought a newspaper, then turned toward the dark alley.
He casually crumpled the newspaper with one hand while naturally unbuttoning his windbreaker, letting the obviously expensive suit and decorations underneath show through. Before long, he attracted some greedy gazes.
As a "Stealer" on the same level as the Celestial Worthy, Nimrod naturally knew how to attract gang thugs and thieves who wanted to profit from others.
If he swaggered directly into those dark alleys, these people struggling to survive at the bottom of society would probably guess his purpose, and only those without brains would risk robbing or stealing from him.
But how many people who could grow up in poverty and danger would be brainless?
So Nimrod now just walked along the street near the entrances to these alleys with other pedestrians, disguising himself as a normal, unsuspecting passerby, making himself look like a sheep ready for slaughter.
This way, those who thought they could steal and rob and then escape through the complex maze of roads would come to him like sharks smelling blood - and all the items on him had been soaked in "Source Castle" for at least two days.
Just like Klein's idea of using his three-part honorific name as a bank card password to prevent others from withdrawing his money, he could also sense the location of his lost items. When the time came, those who stole his items would be the big fish he was fishing for with a long line.
As for those gang members or thugs preparing to rob him - sorry, Nimrod considered himself somewhat skilled in combat.
Nimrod did this, of course, to digest his potion and perfectly integrate himself into Trier's gray world.
He didn't plan to join the gangs here and go along with them, but planned to directly kill a high-ranking gang member, then use the "Faceless Man" extraordinary item given by the Dark Saint to disguise himself as him.
This way, like a drop of water merging into the ocean, with the help of "anti-divination," he could almost perfectly make the identity of "Nimrod" disappear.
Nimrod slowed his pace and leisurely began reading the newspaper in his hand.
"Hmm, someone actually wants to build an interstellar bridge directly to the red moon... If this weren't this world, I could say it's some dreamers' wild fantasies of people who don't understand science, but in this world..."
He laughed:
"Are they planning to build a McDonald's drive-through for the Mother Goddess?"
Nimrod continued browsing the newspaper, gleaning some information about Trier that he didn't quite remember, as well as some current status and news about Trier.
Fortunately, he was now in Trier - if he had been walking and reading a newspaper like this in Loen, he would have attracted the attention of the stuffy Loen people long ago.
As for now, there was also a gentleman walking a turtle nearby and several men holding newspapers who seemed eager to join Nimrod.
At this moment, a figure brushed past Nimrod, and Nimrod keenly felt him use his fingers to extract his pocket watch from his pocket. He suppressed his instinct to grab him, continued walking forward, while sensing the location of his pocket watch.
Over the next half hour, whether it was because Nimrod and the several men behind him dressed in formal wear, walking while reading newspapers, were too conspicuous, or because the thief who had stolen his pocket watch had shared intelligence with his companions, the valuable items on Nimrod gradually decreased, and in his perception, they gradually scattered throughout Trier.
Of course, several of the items gathered together again after traveling some distance, attracting part of Nimrod's attention.
However, Nimrod was still somewhat disappointed that he hadn't been robbed - he had thought he would encounter someone trying to rob him right now, allowing him to follow the trail directly to the gang leader behind them.
Seeing that his "baiting" results were about ready, Nimrod folded the newspaper and casually placed it on top of a trash can by the roadside, turned around, and said with a smile to the several men who had been following him:
"Would you like to check if you still have your belongings? I just realized that among the group of people who were following us, there were probably some thieves and rogues. I've lost quite a few things."
The several men behind Nimrod heard this "leader's" words - some instinctively changed color, some began frantically checking if their belongings were still there, and others took the opportunity to slip their hands into other people's pockets to make up for their losses.
Soon, the faces of most of the men with newspapers changed. After checking, they indeed found that the items they carried had disappeared just as Nimrod had said, obviously stolen by pickpockets.
Nimrod felt the extraordinary characteristics gradually dissolving in his body with a broken sensation, smiled, and walked toward the dark alley nearby. A man noticed Nimrod's movement and instinctively asked:
"Where are you going?"
"Me? I'm going to retrieve my things. My belongings aren't easy to take." Nimrod smiled: "You should also pay attention - I might be able to find your lost things too."
"Pay attention?" The man obviously didn't understand Nimrod's words.
"Pay attention to the shops." Nimrod said casually: "I'll put your things up for sale in shops later. Remember to go buy them."
Nimrod heard several somewhat unwilling curses from behind him, and gratifyingly felt that the digestion progress of the potion in his body had advanced a little further.
Cold money had become warm potion, but now it was time to get the cold money back.
...
"Look, this is our harvest today..."
A boy in ragged clothes had a flattering smile on his face as he took out the "wool" he had plucked from the "sheep" he had found today, one by one, and placed them in front of a well-dressed man.
He and his "friends" had found a group of very stupid "sheep" today, and half of today's harvest came from those "sheep."
The gang member casually picked up a pocket watch to examine it, satisfied. He took out a stack of bills from his chest and pushed them to the thief in front of him, seeming somewhat thoughtful as he said:
"It seems you had quite a harvest today."
He spoke with a deliberately elegant tone while taking out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and blew a puff of smoke into the face of the thief who was staring at the bills with bright eyes, saying righteously:
"Well then, don't let tomorrow be less than this amount. You should know that the boss isn't raising you easily. If you can bring so much stuff today, doesn't that mean you've never worked seriously before?"
Hearing this gang member's unreasonable words, the boy's face turned red with suppressed anger. He opened his mouth for a long time before managing to say:
"This, how can this be? I clearly..."
How could he possibly deliver so much harvest tomorrow? This was simply impossible!
Seeing the boy stunned there, the gang member laughed with unclear joy or anger, reached out his hand, and forcefully extinguished his cigarette on the boy's face, speaking with extreme contempt to the trembling thief:
"What, not satisfied? Heh, if you don't do it, there are plenty of people who will!"
"You can leave the Thorn Gang and work alone if you want, but you'd better think clearly - there won't be anyone to protect you then!"
Just then, "knock knock knock" sounds suddenly came from the shabby door. The thief lowered his head and didn't dare move, while the gang man frowned and pressed his hand to the gun at his waist:
"Who else did you tell about this place? You little bastard!"
Obviously, the gang man was targeting the cowering thief in front of him.
"Please don't misunderstand."
A mocking voice came from outside the door, and the tightly locked door opened against all reason. A figure wearing a windbreaker with an exquisite outfit underneath appeared in the doorway.
The thief instinctively blurted out in alarm: "It's you!"
It was the "sheep" he had targeted!
"I'm just here to get my things back." Nimrod's mouth curved slightly as he swept his gaze over the gang man in front of him:
"Heh, it looks like I've found the mastermind who ordered people to steal my things?"
Chapter 6: "Smiling Face"
Mysteries: I'm Jumping Back and Forth Between Two Timelines
By: Half Moon Tiger
4005 words | July 6, 2025, 08:30
A strong wind rose behind Nimrod, making his windbreaker flutter loudly. The hem extended naturally to both sides, making him look like a vampire from ancient legends spreading its bat wings.
When did I order someone to steal your things? No, it's this damned thief who provoked someone he shouldn't have! The gang man looked at the eerie scene before him and didn't dare act rashly for the moment, thinking of people with mysterious powers like his own boss.
He had wanted to beg for mercy, but seeing Nimrod walking toward him step by step, he immediately understood that this guy had ill intentions and never planned to let him go from the beginning. A fierce light flashed in his eyes as he suddenly raised his hand and pulled the trigger:
Times have changed!
This is the age of guns!
As he raised his hand, six bullets shot out from the barrel one after another, aimed directly at the extraordinary person's head.
However, the next moment he heard the sound of bullets penetrating the wooden wall. The original figure looked like a mirage that shattered inch by inch in the air, leaving only a wall cracked by bullets.
"Illusion"!
As he looked around searching for the attacker's current position, a voice came from behind his ear, and a white mask quickly enlarged before his eyes, covering his face:
"How can firearms compare to a well-trained body? Now is, no, it has always been the age of the extraordinary."
"Heh, don't think your boss can discover your death and avenge you. This mask can devour your face and help me disguise as you - I don't know if you have family, but don't worry, I'll take good 'care' of them for you."
The gang member felt his face being gnawed by countless mouths, and Nimrod's voice reached his ears, making his gaze increasingly desperate.
Nimrod patiently pressed the mask while continuously infusing his spirituality into it, calmly observing his performance and the degree of fragmentation of the extraordinary characteristics in his body - although essentially different, his "usurpation" of extraordinary characteristics also manifested as "acting" externally.
If ordinary extraordinary people used the acting method to deceive the potion, making the potion think they were its original owner, then Nimrod's acting method was gradually crushing the mental imprint in the potion and then stamping his own imprint on it.
To clear the mental imprint in the extraordinary characteristics faster, "acting" and "rituals" were naturally the best ways to deceive the mental imprint.
Of course, if he encountered danger and had to advance, he could also directly swallow the extraordinary characteristics for advancement - Nimrod could be certain he wouldn't lose control due to lack of rituals and auxiliary materials, but would inevitably experience slow digestion progress afterward.
While he deprived this gang member of hope, Nimrod truly felt the potion's feedback, indicating that the acting rules he had summarized earlier had no major problems. Following this method step by step, he could digest the "Fire Stealer" potion within one month to half a year.
Nimrod bent down and picked up the mask that had changed from white to exactly the same face as the previous gang member, except with the corners of the mouth involuntarily raised to a bizarre angle, and put it on his face.
The next moment, his flesh began to shake violently as if convulsing, and within just a few seconds, he transformed into exactly the same build as the previous gang member. Nimrod glanced at the stunned thief beside him and slowly shook his head.
He wasn't a "Dream Stealer" yet and couldn't directly steal his recent memories, so he needed to conduct troublesome guidance and deception.
Of course, the most convenient solution was to directly make this thief disappear from Trier. In this place that was like hell for the poor, the death of an unidentified thief wouldn't attract anyone's attention and would permanently eliminate future troubles.
But Nimrod didn't plan to use this method.
The extraordinary item he had just used was a reward given by the Dark Saint, made from the extraordinary characteristics of a Sequence 6 "Faceless Man" - the extraordinary item "Smiling Face."
When this extraordinary item was pressed onto someone's face, it could devour their spirit body and face. After devouring was complete, wearing it would allow 100% disguise as that person.
Moreover, because this extraordinary item only retained the core disguise ability of the "Faceless Man," it could also store certain preset appearances and builds, and retained the "Faceless Man's" face-changing ability.
And because this extraordinary item also devoured spirit bodies when used, this was equivalent to a "spiritual communication." After first wearing the mask, the deeper memories and recent experiences from the devoured spirit body would be fed back to the wearer.
The only problem was that this item couldn't identify who the wearer was, and would start devouring the wearer's face even without infusing spirituality. Fortunately, Nimrod was skilled enough to throw this thing into "Source Castle" to soak for a while, and then it became quiet.
From the memories he had just received, this thief was like many people controlled by gangs, forced to do these petty theft activities.
For Nimrod, this thief's crimes didn't deserve death.
If he chose to join in because this world had always been this way, wouldn't he become the kind of person he most despised and looked down upon?
Nimrod sat down leisurely, gently snapped his fingers, and used his extraordinary ability to attract the thief's attention:
"Wake up."
The thief raised his head, opened his mouth, looked at the corpse on the ground with some fear, then lowered his head, not daring to talk to Nimrod.
"I know you saw the whole process, but you should also be clear that no one would believe a thief, a con artist." Nimrod's tone carried light laughter:
"Go, I'll only take my own things. You can take all the other things - as for the corpse on the ground, this is just an accidental intruder. You agree, right?"
Nimrod's tone became deeper:
"If you reveal my identity, then just like before, I have ten thousand ways to find you. I can guarantee your fate will be more miserable than what you just experienced."
The thief instinctively raised his hand to touch the burn mark on his face that was still burning, feeling the circular wound particularly hot. He nodded and said with some fear to Nimrod:
"Under-understood, sir."
Just then, he was suddenly called by Nimrod sitting at the table:
"By the way, remember to sell the stolen goods at the place where you usually take 'private jobs.'"
How does he know my secret? Even that guy from before didn't know! Hearing Nimrod's words, the thief's gaze became somewhat terrified. He nodded hastily and walked out of the door with a stiff body.
...Very good, I've fulfilled my previous promise to those people. I'm a man of my word.
Nimrod watched the thief leave with satisfaction. After the door closed, he bent down and lifted the corpse, preparing to dispose of it.
As long as he stripped off the clothes, no one would be able to identify the corpse packed in several boxes afterward.
About ten minutes later, Nimrod, having changed his appearance and outfit, calmly walked out of the room.
According to the memories he had received, the boss of the gang member he had killed and was now impersonating was another kind of "acquaintance" - a mid-to-high-level leader of the Thorn Gang, the "Provocateur" Mageth.
This was the gang leader who, in the original timeline, had been set up and ambushed by Lumian, betrayed by his subordinates, and killed silently by the "Fate Siphon Charm" through fate exchange.
Originally, this gang member was supposed to visit his boss after collecting from these thieves, and together they would go find the prostitutes controlled by their gang to collect the money they earned for the gang - this would perfectly allow Nimrod to rise another level in the Thorn Gang.
Well, unknowingly completing in ten minutes what others took years or even decades to achieve, joining a gang this way was indeed more efficient.
If memory served correctly, Mageth should now be at Mill Dance Hall... that was one of the Thorn Gang's strongholds.
Nimrod walked while combining his own knowledge of the distribution of various forces in Trier with the information in his memory to determine Mageth's current location.
The first floor of Mill Dance Hall was a normal, publicly operating place, while the Thorn Gang's stronghold was upstairs. After several subordinates completed today's "business," Mageth would take them out to do his own business.
Soon, Nimrod arrived at Mill Dance Hall. Thanks to his gang member attire, whether it was thieves and rogues who knew the original owner or those who didn't, none dared to boldly disturb him along the way. After following the route in his memory up the stairs, he saw Mageth with his hair standing on end.
"You're here?" Mageth glanced at his subordinate's deflated pockets: "No harvest today?"
"Those thieves were slacking off again." Nimrod deliberately controlled his facial muscles to twitch, using the gang member's crude but pretentiously elegant voice to speak to Mageth:
"I've already taught their leader a lesson. Cough, they've received their deserved education and promised me they'll have a big harvest tomorrow."
Hearing Nimrod's words, Mageth nodded with satisfaction:
"Good, I hope they can keep their promises. If not, let them know the consequences of lying - anyway, there are plenty of thieves, losing one or two doesn't matter."
At this point, Mageth took out his pocket watch to check the time, his tone somewhat unfriendly: "Where are the others? Haven't they arrived yet?"
"I didn't see them on the way." Nimrod continued imitating the gang member's tone while speaking to Mageth: "Boss, I want to ask you for a favor."
In just these few sentences, he could already confirm that the Provocateur Mageth before him had not seen through his disguise. Whether in tone or expression, he was quite relaxed, with no possibility of lying.
Although Sequence 8 level "Excellent Observation" was not as good as Sequence 9 Audience, he was now a "Fire Stealer," and the potions of the first three sequences had completely belonged to him, with no possibility of being usurped by Amon.
Mageth turned his gaze to his subordinate, his tone amused:
"Running out of money again, or fallen for another woman? I have to remind you, don't be too flashy during this time. Besides us, the Savoy Party is also looking for opportunities to cause us trouble."
"Boss, it's not a big deal." Nimrod spoke sincerely: "I just want to borrow your life for a bit."
Mageth's gaze suddenly focused, becoming extremely cold. He raised his hand, and a bullet shot directly at Nimrod's head - but in his eyes, this figure's head suddenly shattered, constantly scattering outward like bubbles in water.
This is fake!
This is an extraordinary person!
This absolutely cannot be my subordinate - damn it! This guy has been killed by other extraordinary people from the beginning, and then that extraordinary person disguised as him to assassinate me!
Mageth noticed this figure while suddenly turning around, his upper body twisting, relying on his intuition to shoot several bullets in a certain direction.
However, these bullets seemed to melt into water, passing through his body, and he could only see that face identical to his subordinate's showing a grim smile.
This is also fake? Mageth's face darkened. Just as he was about to use the "Provocateur's" ability to draw out the enemy's location, he suddenly found he couldn't use "Provocation"!
This was something he had never encountered before.
He hurriedly stood up, wanting to rush to the window, break the glass, and jump directly from upstairs to escape, but he "bang" hit the glass and was dizzy from the impact.
How is this possible? Mageth's eyes were filled with confusion and disbelief.
"When did you get the illusion that you could still use extraordinary abilities?"
Nimrod's voice came from behind Mageth, and a mask covered his head from above, making his body tremble uncontrollably from pain.
No, even if I can't use extraordinary abilities, I should be able to break through this fragile window glass... This is impossible... Mageth seemed to realize something, his eyes widening suddenly.
But it was too late now - the more he realized the mistakes he had made in this battle, the more annoyed Mageth became.
Through the mask's gap, he found himself still sitting in his chair, and a cat-and-mouse-like mocking voice came from behind:
"When did you get the illusion that you hadn't fallen into an 'illusion'?",