Chapter 1009: Decay

Name:The Book of Endless Teleportation

Appearance: A palm-sized hardcover pocketbook with a total of 33 pages.

Abilities: Each page canrecorda "Teleportation" ability with nearly a 100% success rate.

Additionally, every time a recorded "Teleportation" is used, there’s a 50% chance the page will automaticallyrecord it again.

With enough luck, the book can be used to teleport endlessly.

Side Effects: The book demands at least one teleportation per day.

If unused, it will forcibly teleport its bearer to a random location—one that will most likely be near worshippers of the True Creator.

If left unattended, the book will teleport itself at random.

Sealing Method: Either satisfy its daily craving for teleportation, or confine it within a space where anImperative Magehas forbidden teleportation.

Inside the steam workshop, Ebner finished analyzing the mystical item crafted from theScribecharacteristic extracted from "Mr. X."

He sighed, realizing that he hadn’t used hisArtisanabilities for quite some time—his "hands" had gotten a little stiff.

Compared to Fors’sLemano’s Travel Notes,this pocketbook’s effects were clearly lackluster.

"It must be due to Louis Wien’s lingering obsession before death," Ebner thought.

"His thoughts were constantly stolen by Flora, trapping him in a loop of endless teleportation attempts—mental pollution that lingered and warped the resulting item.

"You can even see traces of it in the side effects... he must have been desperately trying to ’teleport’ to the Aurora Order Saint’s side before he died!

"Still, ’Teleportation’ is an incredibly practical ability. ThisBook of Endless Teleportationisn’t half bad... Klein would probably pay quite a sum for it."

After filling all its blank pages with recorded "Teleportations," Ebner chose not to touch the secondScribecharacteristic—his luck didn’t feel right today. It wasn’t a good day for crafting.

As for the "Faceless Man" item he’d promised Miss Temperance, he’d have to put that aside for now—he was still short on materials.

Putting theBook of Endless Teleportationaway, Ebner glanced at the wall clock. It wasn’t yet noon, and Fors was likely still asleep. After some thought, he took out another card—the one Bernadette had gifted him as compensation. It contained a characteristic from anunknown pathway.

It was special because it didn’t belong to any of the twenty-two known pathways—much like the "Wealth" pathway tied toAlvin’s Puzzle Labyrinth.It might have originated from another world, or even from an Outer God.

He extracted the characteristic and, following the ritual recorded inThe Feast of Blood, Volume II,cast the secret technique known asDark Domain.

Then, activating hisPure White Eye,Ebner carefully observed the phenomenon.

"The physical enhancements from the potion still exist... but within the ’Dark Domain,’ all Beyonder powers vanish. Completely vanish—even mine.

"Of course, when I activate thePure White Eye,I can ignore the effect—but for ordinary Beyonders, or even demigods, this would be fatal. Especially for those pathways that don’t emphasize bodily enhancement.

"Interestingly, this resembles what happened in the original account—the Nighthawks investigating the Astral Research Society case in Conston encountered a similar phenomenon.

"This must be the power of ’Decay’... an unknown pathway possibly connected to the Outer God known as theKing of Decay,perhaps?

"Hmm... judging from its potency, it’s roughly at Sequence 3. Let’s call it theAntimancer."

He casually named it, then summoned Yaloran’s avatar to reseal theAntimancercharacteristic back into the card.

——Ordinary sealing methods were useless against it; any Beyonder energy approaching would simply dissipate. Bernadette had likely used aGrade 0 Sealed Artifactto contain it.

The experiment had taken considerable time. Seeing the clock hands pointing to three in the afternoon, Ebner packed up and returned to his villa at No. 28 Kings Street.

Inside Fors’s room, "Miss Magician," now dressed and refreshed, was holding a square box made entirely of pure gold. Within it rested a wrinkled, uneven, semi-transparent grayish-white mass.

It was one of the main materials for theScribepotion—a complete Asman Brain.

At the last Tarot Meeting, the Little Sun had mentioned that the "Chief" was leading a team to hunt such creatures. Ebner hadn’t expected the material to arrive by Wednesday already.

When he entered, Fors flinched slightly before calming down and said smoothly, "My teacher just sent a letter."

She wasn’t lying—Dorian had indeed written—but the Asman Brain hadn’t come from him; it had been granted byThe Fool.

She worded it this way deliberately, hoping Ebner would misunderstand.

Unfortunately for her, such small deceptions only made Ebner quietly amused—she was simply adding another note to her ownblack dossier.

And what could he do? Naturally, he went along with her act.

"As expected of an ancient family... even rare materials like this are within their reach," Ebner remarked deliberately.

He did, however, feel genuine appreciation toward Silver City’s Chief. Without the golden containment, the Asman Brain’s lingering influence could have driven Fors to hallucinations or insanity.

Gold was cheap in Silver City anyway—this ornate golden box probably cost less than a can of pickled wolffish.

Seeing that Ebner didn’t press further, Fors quietly sighed in relief. Matters involvingThe Foolcouldn’t be discussed openly—and she didn’t like lying to Ebner either. Best to just gloss things over.

I should’ve hidden it earlier...she scolded herself silently before changing the subject.

"My teacher may come to Backlund next week," she said. "I’ll have to give him Louis’s body then... but what should I say?"

After all, she herself didn’t have the power to kill aTraveler.

Ebner had already considered this. He smiled. "Just tell the truth—say that the newly promoted ’Prophet,’ Viscount of Bell Dane, helped you slay your enemy."

"That’s... fine?" Fors asked hesitantly.

"It’s fine as long as only Dorian knows. Just remind him not to spread it," Ebner replied casually.

While secrets tend to leak the more people know them, his study of the River of Fate told him this news would take at least a year—maybe longer—to spread. By then, he’d be far beyond fearing the Aurora Order’s revenge.

Fors thought for a moment and nodded. "Alright."

At that moment, Ebner’s expression turned solemn. Fixing his gaze on Fors, he said seriously, "When you see him, pass a message for me."

Fors’s heartbeat quickened under his intense look. "What message?" she asked instinctively.

"Tell him—Alvin Abraham is about to ascend to the angelic rank. The glory of House Abraham will soon shine once more."

Ebner spoke the words in ancient Feysac to ensure precision.

Based on his current progress, once he advanced toSeer of Insight,the secret technique to "revive" his former self would be complete.

He already had all the materials and ritual conditions ready—he just needed to fully digest theProphetpotion.

Given how far he’d preemptively "acted" the role, that wouldn’t take long. At his current rate, he’d be a Seer of Insight by mid-June at the latest!

And so, it was time to start preparing for what would follow.

...

Jianhai County, Conston City – Dock District.

Disguised as Valentine, a member of the Psychological Alchemy Society under his control, Ebner entered an abandoned warehouse—bringing along Fors, whose eyes were glazed as if hypnotized.

Fors had indeed been put under real hypnosis to prevent her from accidentally breaking cover. Her appearance was also altered byLemano’s Travel Notes,which now contained several "Faceless Man" abilities, thanks to "The World’s" recording.

Inside the warehouse were seven or eight people. When they saw "Valentine" bring in a stranger, their expressions darkened.

This was a secret gathering—bringing an outsider without notice violated their unspoken rules.

Still, though some frowned or muttered, no one openly protested.

After all, the organizer hadn’t set a formal ban on guests... and "Valentine" was a Sequence 7Psychiatrist,a mid-sequence powerhouse few wished to provoke.

Ignoring their discontent, Ebner led Fors to the front row and waited quietly.

Five or six minutes later, as another dozen people entered, he felt the space around them seal shut.

"A Mystic’s Hidden Space? No... this feels like a prearranged ritual responding to a Sealed Item or a real Mystic..."

As that thought passed through his mind, a hazy figure appeared in the center of the warehouse.

A man dressed in Loen-style formalwear, wearing a half-tall silk hat—his features indistinct.

His eyes swept the crowd, and soon, they locked onto Fors—whose mind remained dazed and unfocused.

(End of Chapter)