Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader-Chapter 1255: “Angel of Wisdom,” the Key Sequence

"The dragon you encountered in the sea of collective subconscious within that elven settlement is named ’Hydra.’ It was once sent by us to seek refuge with the Dragon Court and even, for a time, became the subordinate god of the ’Dragon of Imagination,’ the ’Dragon of Delusion’... Unfortunately, it was later exposed by Ankewelt and had no choice but to return to the Elf Court, becoming the guardian of the Court’s dream.

"Yes, from birth it has been under my ’dominion,’ its mind connected with mine, equivalent to a part of myself."

While checking the functions of her new body, Cohinem explained calmly.

Dominion? Elves could completely dominate a dragon and make it part of themselves? And... Hydra—wasn’t that the many-headed serpent? Well, it could barely be classified as a dragon...

But for the "God of Luck" to give it that name, there must have been some meaning behind it. It couldn’t have been just a joke, could it?

Thinking this, Ebner voiced the question.

At that, Cohinem, who was arranging her black hair into a high bun, snorted lightly and countered, "You should know that Sequence 3 of the ’Tyrant’ pathway is called ’Sea King,’ capable of dominating marine creatures, correct?"

"I know." Ebner nodded.

"Then tell me—does the ’sea of collective subconscious’ count as a sea? Do mind dragons count as creatures within that ’sea’?" Cohinem pressed.

"This... probably not..." Ebner shook his head. He had never heard of Beyonders of the "Sailor" pathway being proficient in the domain of dreams. Even summary videos from his previous life had categorized the "Tyrant" as omnipotent within the physical realms of sea, land, and air.

"Leodero, as a single-pathway Sequence 0, naturally cannot. Therefore, Beyonders of that same pathway beneath Him also cannot... But that does not mean elves cannot.

"You know that Soniathrym was a multi-pathway ancient god. The scope of His authority was far broader than that of present-day Sequence 0s.

"And at that time, you and I were the same.

"If we did not possess the ability to dominate dream creatures, elves would have been far too fragile before dragons, easily contaminated by ’mental plague.’"

After saying this, Cohinem glanced at Ebner again before continuing, "Of course, Hydra’s birth also relied on the assistance of the ’Unknown’... If I completely abandon the identity of ’Elf Queen’ and become It, the ’Unknown’ contamination on my body will inevitably intensify.

"Moreover, Hydra’s current state is quite troublesome."

Ebner had long known that the ancient dragon within the sea of collective subconscious in "Roaring Town" was in terrible condition. Hearing Cohinem bring it up, he asked directly, "It has been contaminated by a ’Sefirah,’ right? Which Sefirah?"

"Since it is called ’Hydra,’ you should actually be able to guess. Those stories no one else knows—you were the one who told them to me." Cohinem sighed.

At the side, Yarolan shook her head slightly and muttered in a low voice, "Those weren’t stories. Many of them truly happened and can be ’Mystically Reappeared.’"

Hydra... In legend, wasn’t it the child of a Titan and the River Styx? So it was related to the "River of Eternal Darkness"?

Or perhaps when the "God of Luck" and the "Queen of Calamity" created it, they had borrowed the power of the "River of Eternal Darkness."

Wait—the ancient dragon’s dream contained the red giant "Tyro"... Just what kind of story had I fabricated back then to fool Cohinem? Somehow I feel that if I really remembered it, I wouldn’t be able to face myself...

After grumbling inwardly for a few moments, Ebner thought briefly before reminding her, "Ankewelt won’t be a match for Adam. The latter will certainly become a god."

She had just said she was unwilling to continue along the "Storm" path because of Leodero’s oppression. But the "Spectator" pathway would also soon welcome its ruler.

Cohinem, however, smiled and shook her head. "Although ’Hydra’ is a ’dragon,’ it is not a conventional one. It does not belong to that pathway, because it still remains in the state of an ’ancient god’!"

"An ancient god?" Ebner was stunned before asking curiously, "Aren’t you afraid of falling into madness?"

Before Cohinem could answer, Yarolan curled her lips and said, "With the protection of the ’Unknown,’ she naturally isn’t afraid!"

Cohinem cast a sidelong glance at that former "self," increasingly feeling that something about her aura was off, but she said nothing and instead addressed Ebner:

"She’s right... That’s why I’m not in a hurry to occupy Hydra’s identity. At the very least, I must wait until you become a god and confirm that you haven’t been crushed by the ’Unknown’ before attempting it.

"If you are crushed, then there will be no need for me to try—because by then, both I and that woman over there will become puppets of the ’Unknown.’"

After I become a god... Ebner pondered for a long time before asking again, "Do you know how I’m supposed to become a god?"

Cohinem and Yarolan shook their heads simultaneously. The latter even said directly, "How to become a god—once you become the ’Angel of Wisdom,’ you will naturally know... Our entanglement with the ’Unknown’ runs too deep. We don’t even dare think about such matters, for fear the ’Unknown’ might notice something and interfere with your plans."

The "Angel of Wisdom" again... Is the "Angel of Wisdom" truly the key?

If that’s the case, then the "Unknown"—especially the "Calamity Seal," which has been most deeply influenced by the "Unknown"—will certainly make targeted arrangements to prevent me from obtaining the formula and characteristics of the "Angel of Wisdom"...

So after advancing to Sequence 3, the reason I never went to the deepest part of the "City of Miracles" to become the master of the "Dream Labyrinth Tower" was likely because, at a subconscious level, I believed there would be hidden dangers. That’s why I kept delaying, wanting to prepare thoroughly before acting?

As his thoughts churned, Ebner looked at Cohinem again and asked with a smile, "Now that you’re free, what do you want to do?"

Cohinem had clearly long considered this question. Without hesitation, she replied, "I want to travel across the continent and see it all..."

...

Backlund, North Borough, inside a two-bedroom rental apartment with the curtains drawn.

Trissy Cheek, dressed in a black gown, finished packing her luggage, preparing to move to her next hideout.

Her slightly round face had grown thinner than before, adding an indescribable clarity to her sweetness.

At that moment, as she stepped into the carriage compartment, she whispered to the angel residing within her mind:

"An invitation to the ball of Viscount Loveland’s illegitimate daughter... Old man, do you think I should go?"

After a moment of silence in the carriage, an aged voice sounded out of nowhere: "There’s no need to ask me about such matters. Decide for yourself."

"I want to go... One of my targets will be there. I want to take the opportunity to get acquainted with him... But the problem is, I’m worried other Demonesses might attend." Trissy spoke to herself.

"Heh, you want me to conceal the unique aura of a Demoness on you, don’t you? Just say it. There’s no need to probe." The old man chuckled.

"Thank you. Then it’s happily decided!" Trissy narrowed her eyes, feeling that having such an old monster with her might not be such a bad thing after all.

(End of Chapter)