Lord of the Mysteries: I Married the Queen Mystic

The exclamation from Miss Justice voiced the thoughts in everyone's hearts...

As a group of Mid and Low-Sequence Beyonders, they found it hard to imagine that demigods could possess such bizarre and unpredictable abilities.

Perhaps one of their close friends, after being parasitized, could completely become another person's puppet, while those around them remained oblivious.

Derrick made a judgment, "The person living next to me… is it possible they've been parasitized by Amon using the second method?"

"That's possible," Odis said, spreading his hands, "But I can't say for sure."

Fors also sighed, "It's hard to imagine such an ability even exists."

Odis smiled faintly, "From what I know, once you reach the demigod level, Beyonder abilities seem to undergo a qualitative transformation."

Then, speaking to Derrick again, he added, "After the gathering ends, be careful when interacting with the person next to you. If you feel anything unusual, seek help immediately."

"Thank you for the reminder." Derrick was now fully aware of the danger posed by his neighbor.

After a brief pause, he snapped back to attention and requested pen and paper from Mr. Fool... He then 'expressed' the potion formula and handed it to Mr. Hermit.

Odis took a glance:

«Sequence 9: Bard»

Main Ingredients:

- A Crystal Sunflower, or an Adult Flint Bird's Tail Feather, or a Fire Bird's Tail Feather...

- A piece of Siren Rock, or a Singing Sunflower...

OR

-A Bard Beyonder Characteristic...

Supplementary Ingredients:

- A blade of Midsummer Grass...

- 5 drops of July Wine Juice...

- A blade of Elf Dark Leaf...

With just a single glance, he memorized it completely. Under the guidance of his thoughts, the paper in his hand first grew hazy, then swiftly vanished.

Odis then turned to Little Sun and said, "After the last gathering, I collected some information about the 'Forsaken Land of the Gods'. This led me to a rather interesting question I'd like to discuss with you."

Klein and Alger both noticed a detail... The Hermit has channels to gather intel about the 'Forsaken Land of the Gods'.

The Forsaken Land of the Gods wasn't some high-level secret in the Beyonder world, but most information about it existed in the form of legends or rumors, making it difficult to obtain anything useful. The Church and certain Beyonder families might have concrete knowledge, but trading for it would undoubtedly be difficult.

This seemed to confirm Klein and Alger's earlier speculation... The Hermit has a special intelligence network.

This was, of course, a signal Odis had intentionally released. He knew too much astonishing history and intelligence... so much so that some of it could only be safely traded within the Tarot Club.

With groundwork like this laid, and after a few more similar exchanges, even trading information about the fall of the Ancient Sun God in the future wouldn't raise too much suspicion...

Derrick, however, didn't overthink it, "What would you like to know about the Forsaken Land of the Gods?"

In his view, the information Odis had just provided was far more valuable than a mere Sequence 9 potion formula, so he was eager to answer.

The others also listened attentively to their exchange, curious about what interesting question The Hermit had thought of.

"Are there still animals in the Forsaken Land of the Gods?" Odis asked, "And plants?"

Alger frowned slightly: 'What kind of question is this?'

Behind the gray fog, Klein, however, seemed to realize something: 'I almost forgot... Mr. Hermit is a research-oriented Beyonder. People like him often conduct shocking research in seemingly ordinary areas, arriving at astonishing conclusions.'

Audrey also had a premonition that this question might lead in a profound direction.

"Yes…" Derrick paused briefly before adding, "But… they're probably very different from the plants and animals you know. They're more like monsters. Most are highly venomous or extremely aggressive."

Odis pressed further, "Please describe two animals and two plants in detail."

"Alright." Derrick nodded, "Not far north of the City of Silver, there's a swamp inhabited by fish covered in fangs and filled with deadly venom. They resemble what textbooks describe as loaches, but the difference is that the larger ones can grow as tall as an adult human. They can also survive on land for extended periods. If you approach the swamp, they'll charge out and actively attack you…"

Fors tried to imagine a fish chasing a human: 'What a bizarre world.'

"To the east of the city, there's a type of insect that feeds on blood and brain matter," Derrick continued, "They're about as long and thick as an adult's index finger and always move in swarms. Whether they encounter humans or other creatures, they'll use their sharp mandibles to burrow into their bodies. If not removed in time, they can even drill into the brain…"

Audrey frowned, feeling both disgusted and horrified.

Odis, however, asked further, "What do these two creatures usually feed on?"

Derrick answered, "Monsters..."

He elaborated, "The Forsaken Land of the Gods is filled with wandering humanoid or grotesque monsters."

Odis nodded slowly and gestured for him to continue.

Derrick went on, "Also, not far from the northern swamp, there's a plant with razor-sharp thorns and vine-like tendrils. Aside from having roots that absorb water and nutrients from the soil, they can also hunt animals, or monsters."

"...Some of their vines have suction cups, while others have thorns laced with different toxins. We occasionally harvest these vines to extract the poisons for our own use."

Only now did Alger realize: 'The Little Sun has been attending Tarot Club gatherings for so long, yet I never thought to ask about such basic details of the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Just hearing about these creatures and plants gives a vivid understanding of life there.'

With a sigh, he glanced at The Hermit, still unsure of his purpose...

When describing the final plant, Derrick finally managed a faint smile, "Within the City of Silver, black-faced grass grows everywhere. It is entirely black in color, and its mature leaves can be ground into food. It's thanks to black-faced grass that most of our people haven't mutated or become deformed. It's a blessing from the gods and a symbol of hope that keeps us going."

Seeing Little Sun's smile, Audrey took a deep breath and smiled as well, "Yes, it must be a hope given to you by the gods."

At this moment, her heart ached a little for Little Sun: 'He must never have tasted cheese… or even toast.'

Seated at the far end, 'The World' spoke in a low voice, "What appears normal within abnormality is, in itself, abnormal."