Lord of Mysteries: Yao Guang

"You look like you're dying."

"Believe it or not, I'm still in good health! And I've read this sentence once today, so you don't need to repeat it." Mateo took a deep breath and lowered his voice, "According to what you mentioned in your letter. , I came to meet you, and you told me this?"

Vika quickly lifted the black strip of cloth on the bridge of his nose, glanced at Mateo again, and then put down the blindfold: "You are a bit darker and thinner than I remembered. Life on the ship is always very hard."

Mateo's eyebrows raised. He took a sip of the light beer at hand, and then placed the cup on the countertop where a layer of grease had accumulated: "Don't act like you are an elder. If you don't know what to chat about, , how about we just get down to business."

The two of them were sitting in a tavern. Due to the remote location and very simple environment, and the time was not even noon, there were very few guests here. Not counting the bartender and waiter, there were only seven people in the entire tavern. .

Mateo didn't know why Vika chose this place. There was no privacy here. Even if he spoke louder, everyone could hear him. It was not a suitable environment for discussing "business".

The two of them occupied a small round table in the corner. In front of Vika was a cup of rich vanilla tea. He held the cup in his hand, always spinning it unconsciously.

After Matteo sat down, he ordered another light beer and potato wedges, and then slipped in a few coins as a tip. Finally, the wandering waiter was satisfied and stopped passing by their table pretending to have something to do.

"I'm just afraid that statement will make you feel too nervous."

"I was a little nervous at first, but after I saw the second person say the same thing today, I felt like I was being fooled." Mateo threw a potato wedge into his mouth and instantly felt his tongue being burned. "Hiss! According to our captain, fate is always fickle. In my opinion, doesn't it always play tricks on people?"

Vika nodded with deep understanding: "Oh, your captain is right."

"It's so nagging."

"We just see too much, but we can say too little." Vika helped the cane that was sliding down beside the table, as if he knew it almost fell to the ground.

Mateo subconsciously retracted his hand and placed it on his waist. The money bag was put under his clothes, and it felt heavy on his waist: "He also said that there is a way for me to survive on Olavi Island. But this is also very strange, does it have anything to do with you?"

Vika sighed: "Well, actually I don't know. Just the day I wanted to write you a letter, I had an inexplicable strong premonition - for an extraordinary person like me, this is clear enough, it comes from fate. Inspiration."

The corner of Mateo's mouth twitched: "When you said this, you really looked exactly like our captain. To be honest, it's very annoying."

"Maybe the captain you mentioned and I saw the same thing."

Mateo really wanted to pound the table and intimidate Vika to tell him the matter quickly, but looking at the other party's vague look now, he no longer had any expectations for this: "But you can see it, but I can't. , it feels like being kicked off the ship..."

Vika cleared his throat, got used to drinking the tea in the cup, and shook the bottom of the cup to make the tea leaves clump together. He lowered his voice and asked, "Then do you still remember the agreement?"

"Remember what?" Mateo was stunned for a moment.

"Pray to her."

Mateo stared at Vika in confusion, his eyes were frank and strange: "Is this a code? Even if you want to pray to some existence, it shouldn't be 'Him'. What do you want to say? You can be more straightforward. ."

Weika was silent for two seconds. He picked up the cloth on his face, lowered his head and looked at the patterns gathered at the bottom of the cup. He stared at it carefully for a long time: "It is indeed like this, because it has been too long... Do you still remember 'Ais'?" The name Te'?"

Mateo looked at Vika in confusion, stretched his head and glanced into his cup, but only saw a blur of tea leaves: "I don't remember. Are you doing divination like this?"

"A very obscure method of divination using tea leaves. What did you see in the cup?"

"If you ask me," Mateo squinted his eyes, vaguely feeling that there was some kind of rimmed shape at the bottom of the cup, "it seems to have wings...is it some kind of bird? There is also a ball of thread wrapped around it."

"The chain, the connection that affects lives and changes the past, continues. As for the bird, the strangest thing is that I can't see it clearly."

Matteo could not be said to know anything about divination, but he could only distinguish tarot cards from playing cards. He did not understand Vicca's words at all: "What does that mean?"

Vikara tightened the cloth on her face and stood up from the table: "It may be a bird, indicating good news, or it may be an eagle, indicating a mortal enemy."

Vika grabbed his cane and motioned for Mateo to follow him. Although he didn't understand why, Mateo quickly picked up his suitcase and hurriedly caught up with Vika's footsteps.

Only two minutes after the two left the tavern, a new customer walked in at the door.

He was wearing a black cloak, with the hood covering his head even in broad daylight. The shadow completely obscured his face, making people wonder about how many wanted bounties there might be below. On various islands in the vast sea, such dressing is not uncommon, so few people will be curious. After all, inappropriate curiosity will always kill people.

However, the "over-enthusiastic" waiter seemed not to notice this scene at all. He did not come up to greet the new customers. He still leaned against the bar and chatted with the bartender. He was not even too lazy to clean up the empty table in the corner. .

The mysterious guest looked around the tavern, sighed, and said with a smile: "So the 'destiny' path is really annoying, can you miss it like this? I obviously brought the magical items from the 'monster' path. ."

The man walked towards the round table in the corner, glanced at the cool potato wedges on the table, and finally picked up the tea cup.

After shaking the cup, and then turning it clockwise twice, the edge of the slag settled in the cup became clear due to the evaporation of water, taking on a more specific shape:

It was an owl flying over several wavy lines, which in tea divination is not a good sign - a long road to trouble, and the harbinger of evil emerging.

Putting down the cup, the ordinary-looking middle-aged man under the hood thought for two seconds, then pinched the monocle on his right eye socket and walked out of the tavern.

"I always feel that the anchor left by Zoya is a bit strange..."

——

"Do you know what an 'anchor' is?"

"Anchor?"

Although Vika was blindfolded and using a cane, her long strides were very fast, but not fast enough to run. The rhythm of his walking is also very weird, and he often turns suddenly, as if there is some invisible obstacle in the air. This makes Mateo very uncomfortable. He has to jog every two steps to keep up with Vika. .

Mateo always felt that Vika was now more than just Sequence Nine, at least no one in Sequence Nine he knew had a messenger. In that letter, this friend, who had a mediocre but impressive impression, did not reveal much about his current situation to Mateo.

If it weren't for Captain Aaron's note, Mateo might not have made up his mind. Is this something that was already doomed?

Thinking of this, Mateo suddenly felt that the "monster" path was annoying.

"You don't have any faith now, right?" Vika suddenly asked.

Mateo was stunned for a moment: "Um... no."

"Well, back to the topic just now, it does not refer to the anchor, but the method used by high-sequencers to stabilize their own will and resist the erosion of extraordinary power through the cognition of others."

"Then what you said about praying to her is the Ai you mentioned..."

"Don't mention her name!" Vika suddenly shouted, scaring Mateo for a second. "I finally know where that dangerous premonition comes from. Her enemies are approaching. Maybe it was me who saw it. That shadow! It sucks, but at least she answered my prayers, and no, that’s not right either—"

Mateo sighed in annoyance and interrupted Vika's thoughts: "Can you speak more simply? At least you have to make it understandable to me."

"I need you to pray to her to determine her status."

"Can't you do it yourself?"

Vika suddenly stopped, walked around twice in confusion, and then quickly walked to a nearby hotel: "My 'way' is not good. Come up quickly, we will stay here today."

"Wait, you-"

"I'll pay."

"also……"

Mateo followed Vika blankly. The decoration outside the hotel looked ordinary. It looked like a cheap hotel for people to spend a short overnight stay. It didn't cost much.

If he hadn't dealt with Captain Aaron, Mateo would have found people like Vika simply unbearable. However, after learning that the name of this path is "Monster", this unusual behavior seems to have some meaning. A reasonable explanation.

ten minutes later.

The two of them had already arranged the props needed for the ceremony in the hotel room. Of course, they used the materials that Mateo carried in his box.

Perhaps it was Vika's nervousness that infected Mateo. He was no longer as casual as when he was sitting at the round table eating potato wedges, but listened carefully to every word Vika said - this businessman The weird extraordinary person is telling Mateo about a past - Vika is pointing out many things that Mateo has forgotten, and connecting the vaguest places in Mateo's memory with the actions of another "her" .

"But I don't remember any of this... but as you pointed out, I can't remember why I boarded the Clover now."

It was difficult for Mateo to fully accept Vika's statement, but he also could not ignore the anomalies in his memory, so Mateo chose to accept part of it. At least now Vika seems more trustworthy.

Vika had already taken off the cloth on his face. He wrote three lines of ancient Hermes on the paper and handed it to Mateo. After Mateo nodded to express his memory, Vika lit it first. Candle to burn the note.

Vika closed the windows, drew the curtains, and began to decorate the "spiritual wall" in the room. While circling, she explained: "My path was originally special, and now I finally know why she provided it to me in the first place." The monster's choice..."

"Is this closely related to the path? You mentioned it several times."

After the "Spiritual Wall" was completed, Vika walked to the edge instead and stood in a corner far enough away from Mateo: "The moment I became a 'monster', I knew that I had received my 'destiny' My mercy, but..."

Mateo asked thoughtfully: "Similar to the blessing of a god?"

Vika smiled bitterly and lit the three burning candles:

"You have to understand that this kind of favor is never a good thing... In fact, if it weren't for my strong premonition, I don't even know if I should drag you into this trouble."

Mateo sighed again: "But you called me over."

"If you still want to quit, this is your last chance."

"No, I have to try."

After all, I don’t want to die either. Maybe this is the opportunity the captain sees? Mateo muttered in his mind.