Lord of Mysteries
作者: Cuttlefish That Loves Diving© WebNovel
章節 1: Crimson
Ouch!
It hurts so much!
My head is killing me!
The bizarre dream filled with murmurs shattered instantly. Zhou Mingrui, still asleep, felt a throbbing pain in his head as if someone had hit him with a pole—again and again. No, it was more like a sharp object had pierced his temple, twisting it in the process!
Ouch… In his stupor, Zhou Mingrui tried to turn over, hold his head, and sit up, but he couldn't move his limbs. They refused to budge, leaving him completely immobilized and helpless.
It looks like I'm still not awake, still dreaming… Maybe in a short while I'll think I'm awake, but I'm still sleeping… Zhou Mingrui, used to such disorienting experiences, struggled to focus and break free from the shackles of darkness and confusion.
However, while half-awake, he tried to focus his will that felt as insubstantial as a wisp of fog—there one moment and gone the next. His thoughts refused to be controlled or examined. No matter how hard he tried, his focus kept slipping away as random notions and images bubbled up unbidden.
Why would I suddenly get such a terrible headache in the middle of the night?
And it's so painful!
Could it be a cerebral hemorrhage or something?
F**k, am I going to die young like this?
I need to wake up! Now!
Huh? It doesn't hurt as much as before, but it still feels like a blunt knife is slowly slicing through my brain…
Looks like I can't go back to sleep. How am I supposed to work tomorrow?
Why am I even thinking about work? With a headache like this, I should take the day off! No need to worry about the manager's nagging!
Hey, putting it that way, it doesn't seem too bad. Hehe, I can end up getting some spare time for myself!
The throbbing pain allowed Zhou Mingrui to gradually gather immaterial strength. Finally, he straightened his back and opened his eyes, fully breaking free from his reverie.
His vision first blurred, then was tinged with a faint crimson. He saw a wooden desk in front of him with an open notebook in the center. The pages were coarse and yellowed, with an eye-catching sentence written in deep black ink at the top.
To the left of the notebook was a stack of neatly arranged books, numbering about eight. The wall to their right had grayish-white pipes and a wall lamp connected to them.
The lamp had a classic Western style, about half the size of an adult's head, with a transparent glass inner layer and a black metal grid on the outside.
Diagonally beneath the extinguished wall lamp was a black ink bottle bathed in a pale red glow. Its embossed surface formed a blurry angel pattern.
In front of the ink bottle, to the right of the notebook, lay a dark-colored pen with a rounded body. Its tip shimmered faintly, and its cap rested next to a brass revolver.
A gun? A revolver? Zhou Mingrui was stunned. Everything he saw was so unfamiliar and looked nothing like his room!
In his shock and confusion, he noticed that the desk, notebook, ink bottle, and revolver were covered in a layer of crimson "veil" from the light shining through the window.
Subconsciously, he lifted his head and his gaze slowly moved upwards.
In midair, against a backdrop of 'black velvet curtains,' a crimson moon hung high, shining silently.
Wh— Zhou Mingrui felt inexplicably terrified and stood up abruptly. But before he could straighten his legs, his head throbbed with pain again, causing him to lose strength and fall back heavily onto the hard wooden chair.
Thud!
The pain did little. Zhou Mingrui propped himself up with his hands on the table, stood up again, and turned around in a panic, examining his surroundings.
It was a small room with a brown door on each side and a wooden bunk bed against the opposite wall.
Between the bed and the left door was a cabinet with two open doors on top and five drawers below.
Next to the cabinet, at about the height of a person, was another grayish-white pipe connected to a strange mechanical device with some exposed gears and bearings.
In the right corner of the room near the desk were items resembling coal stoves, along with soup pots, iron pots, and other kitchen utensils.
Across from the right door was a dressing mirror with two cracks. Its wooden base had simple and plain patterns.
With a quick glance, Zhou Mingrui caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror—the current him: black hair, brown eyes, a linen shirt, a thin build, average features, but with a rather deep outline…
Wh— Zhou Mingrui gasped, his mind flooded with helpless and confused thoughts.
The revolver, the classical Western decor, and the crimson moon different from Earth's moon all indicated one thing!
C-could I have transmigrated? Zhou Mingrui's mouth slowly opened.
He had grown up reading web novels and often fantasized about such scenarios. But when it really happened, he found it hard to accept.
Almost a minute later, Zhou Mingrui muttered to himself, trying to find some humor in his situation, This is probably what it means to love a
If it weren't for the persistent headache keeping his thoughts sharp, he would have definitely thought he was dreaming.
Calm down, calm down, calm down… After taking a few deep breaths, Zhou Mingrui tried hard to stop panicking.
At that moment, as his mind and body calmed down, memories began flooding him, slowly appearing in his mind!
Klein Moretti, a citizen of the Northern Continent's Loen Kingdom, Awwa County, City of Tingen. He is also a recent graduate from the Department of History at Khoy University…
His father was a sergeant in the Imperial Army who died in a colonial conflict on the Southern Continent. The compensation money allowed Klein to attend a private grammar school, laying the foundation for his university admission…
His mother was a devotee of the Evernight Goddess. She passed away the year Klein passed the entrance examinations to Khoy University…
He also has an elder brother and a younger sister. They live together in a two bedroom apartment…
Their family is not wealthy, even struggling. They are currently supported by his elder brother who works as a clerk at an import and export company…
As a history graduate, Klein had learned the ancient Feysac language—considered the source of all languages in the Northern Continent—and the Hermes language often found in ancient mausoleums related to rituals and prayers…
Hermes language? Zhou Mingrui's mind stirred. He reached out to rub his throbbing temples and looked at the open notebook on the desk. The text on the yellowed paper went from strange to alien, then from alien to familiar, until it became readable.
It was text written in Hermes language!
The dark ink said: "Everyone will die, including me."
Hiss! Zhou Mingrui felt inexplicably horrified. He instinctively leaned back, trying to distance himself from the notebook and the text on it.
He was so weak he nearly fell, but managed to grab the edge of the table in a panic. The surrounding air felt turbulent, with faint whispers echoing around him. It reminded him of hearing horror stories from his elders when he was young.
He shook his head, telling himself it was just an illusion. Zhou Mingrui steadied himself, shifted his gaze from the notebook, and took deep breaths.
This time, his gaze landed on the shimmering brass revolver. A sudden question popped into his mind.
With Klein's family situation, how could they afford or even get a revolver? Zhou Mingrui couldn't help but frown.
While deep in thought, he suddenly noticed a red handprint on the edge of the table. Its color was deeper than the moonlight and thicker than the 'veil.'
It was a bloody handprint!
A bloody handprint? Zhou Mingrui subconsciously turned over his right hand that had been holding the edge of the table. Looking down, he saw his palm and fingers were covered in blood.
At the same time, the throbbing pain in his head continued. Although it had weakened a little, it was still persistent.
Did I smash my head? Zhou Mingrui wondered as he turned around and walked towards the cracked dressing mirror.
A few steps later, a medium-built figure with black hair and brown eyes came into view. The person had a distinctly scholarly air.
Is this me now? Klein Moretti?
Zhou Mingrui paused for a moment. Due to the dim light, he couldn't see clearly, so he moved forward until he was just a step away from the mirror.
Using the crimson moonlight, he turned his head to check the side of his forehead.
The clear reflection in the mirror showed a grotesque wound on his temple, with burn marks around it. The area was stained with blood, and grayish-white brain matter slowly wriggled within.
章節 2: Situation
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Zhou Mingrui reeled back in fear at the sight that greeted him. It was as though the person in the dressing mirror was not himself, but a dessicated corpse.
How could a person with such grievous wounds be still alive!?
He turned his head in disbelief again and checked the other side. Even though he was a distance away and the lighting was poor, he could still see the penetrating wound and dark red blood stains.
"This…"
Zhou Mingrui drew a deep breath as he tried hard to calm himself.
He reached out to press his left chest and sensed his racing heart that exuded immense vitality.
He then touched his exposed skin. Beneath the slight coldness was flowing warmth.
When he squatted down and after verifying that his knees could bend, Zhou Mingrui stood up again and calmed down.
"What's happening?" he muttered with a frown. He planned to inspect his head injury seriously once more.
He took two steps forward and suddenly paused. The moonlight of the sanguine moon was relatively dark, so it was insufficient for his 'serious inspection.'
A memory fragment triggered as Zhou Mingrui turned his head to look at the grayish-white pipes and the metallic-gridded lamp on the wall right beside the study desk.
This was the most common gas lamp of the times. Its flame was stable and its illumination capabilities were excellent.
With Klein Moretti's family situation, even a kerosene lamp was a dream, much less a gas lamp. Using candles was most apt for their standing and stature. However, back when he burned the midnight oil four years ago to be admitted into Khoy University, his elder brother, Benson, felt that it was an important matter which their family's future depended upon. Therefore, he insisted on creating conducive studying conditions for Klein even if it meant taking on debt.
Of course, Benson, who was literate and had worked for several years, was not a rash person who did not think of the consequences. He had quite some tricks up his sleeve. He reasoned with the landlord to 'raise the apartment's standards by installing gas pipes to improve the likelihood of rentals in the future.' The landlord was convinced and provided the money to complete the basic modifications. Then, using the convenience of working at an import and export company, he purchased a brand new gas lamp which was nearly at cost price. In the end, all he needed was to use his savings and did not need to borrow money.
After the memory fragment flashed past his mind, Zhou Mingrui came to the desk where he turned the pipe's valve and began twisting the gas lamp's switch.
With a sputtering sound, a spark sounded from friction. Light did not descend upon Zhou Mingrui as he had expected.
He twisted the switch a few more times, but all the gas lamp did was sputter and remain dark.
"Hmm…" Retracting his hand and pressing on his left temple, Zhou Mingrui sought for the reason by rummaging through his memory fragments.
A few seconds later, he turned around and walked toward the door. He arrived at the machine installation which was similarly inset into the wall and had grayish-white pipes connected to it.
This was a gas meter!
After seeing the exposed gears and bearings, Zhou Mingrui took out a coin from his trousers' pocket.
It was dark yellow in color and had a bronze shimmer to it. The front of the coin was engraved with a portrait of a crown-wearing man, and there was a '1' on a clump of wheat on the back.
Zhou Mingrui knew that this was the most basic currency of the Loen Kingdom. It was called a copper penny. One penny's purchasing power was roughly three to four yuan before his transmigration. Such coins had other denominations such as the five pence, a halfpence and a quarter-pence. Despite the three types, the denominations were not in small-enough units. In everyday life, one had to buy several different things just to spend a single coin from time to time.
After flipping the coin—which was only minted and circulated after King George III ascended to the throne—a few times, Zhou Mingrui inserted it into the gas meter's thin vertical 'mouth.'
Clink! Clang!
After the penny fell to the bottom of the meter, the sound of grinding gears sounded immediately, producing a short but melodious mechanical rhythm.
Zhou Mingrui stared at the meter for a few seconds before returning to the burly wood desk. He then reached out to twist the gas lamp's switch.
After some sputtering, there was a sharp sound!
A fire plume ignited and rapidly grew. Bright light first occupied the internals of the wall lamp before penetrating the transparent glass, blanketing the room with a warm glow.
The darkness quickly receded as the crimson retreated out the window. Zhou Mingrui felt at ease for a baffling reason as he quickly came in front of the dressing mirror.
This time, he seriously inspected his temple and did not miss a single detail.
After a few rounds of inspection, he realized that apart from the original blood stain, liquid was no longer flowing out of the grotesque wound. It appeared like it had received the best hemostasis and bandaging. As for the slowly squirming grayish-white brain and the discernible growth of flesh and blood around the wound, it meant that the wound might take thirty to forty minutes, or maybe even two to three hours before it would only leave a light scar.
"The restorative effects that transmigration brings?" Zhou Mingrui curled up the right corner of his mouth as he muttered silently.
Following that, he let out a long sigh. Regardless, he was still alive!
After settling his mind, he pulled open a drawer and took out a tiny piece of soap. He took one of the old and tattered towels hanging by the side of the cupboard and opened the door. He then walked to the public bathroom which was shared by the tenants on the second floor.
Yes, I should clean up the blood stains on my head, or I'll keep looking like a crime scene. It's fine scaring myself, but if I were to scare my sister, Melissa, when she gets up early in the morning tomorrow, it would be quite problematic!
The corridor outside was pitch black. Silhouettes were barely accentuated by the crimson moonlight from the window at the end of the corridor. They looked like a pair of monster eyes that silently observed the living late into the night.
Zhou Mingrui lightened his footsteps as he walked towards the communal bathroom with a shuddering fear.
When he entered, there was even more moonlight, allowing him to see everything clearly. Zhou Mingrui stood in front of a wash basin and turned the tap's knob.
Upon hearing the gushing sound of water, he suddenly recalled his landlord, Mr. Franky.
As water was included in the rent, this short and thin gentleman who wore a top hat, a vest, and a black suit, always inspected the bathroom actively to take note of any sounds of flowing water.
If the water gushed too loudly, Mr. Franky would ignore all of his gentlemanly traits by flailing his walking stick and striking the bathroom's door, shouting things like 'Darn thief,' 'Wastage is a shameless matter,' 'I'll remember you,' 'If I see this happen another time, scram along with your filthy luggage,' 'Mark my words, this is the most value-for-money apartment in Tingen City. You will not find a more kindly landlord anywhere else!'
Putting away those thoughts, Zhou Mingrui used a moist towel to clean the blood stains from his face again and again.
After checking himself using the rundown mirror in the bathroom and verifying that all that was left was a hideous wound and a pale face, Zhou Mingrui relaxed. Then, he took off his linen shirt and used a bar of soap to wash away the bloodstains.
At that moment, he knitted his brows and recalled a possible problem.
The wound was too exaggerated and there was too much blood. Apart from his body, his room likely still had signs of his injury!
After Zhou Mingrui was done with his linen shirt a few minutes later, he briskly returned to his apartment with a moist towel. He first wiped the blood handprint on the desk and then, using the gas lamp's illumination, sought out spots which he missed out.
He immediately discovered that quite a substantial amount of blood had splattered onto the floor beneath the desk. And there was a yellow bullet to the left side of the wall.
"Releasing a round with a revolver pointed at the temple?" After mixing and matching the clues from before, Zhou Mingrui had a rough idea how Klein had died.
He was in no hurry to verify his guess. Instead, he seriously wiped away the blood stains and cleaned up the 'scene.' Following that, he took the bullet and returned to the side of his desk. He opened the revolver's cylinder and poured out the rounds inside.
A total of five rounds and a cartridge shell all had a brass luster to them.
"Indeed…" Zhou Mingrui looked at the empty cartridge shell in front of him and stuffed the rounds back into the cylinder while nodding.
He shifted his gaze to the left and it landed on the notebook's words: 'Everyone will die, including me.' Following that, even more questions arose in him.
Where did the gun come from?
Was it suicide or a faked suicide?
What kind of trouble could a history graduate of humble origins get himself into?
Why would such a suicide method only leave behind so little blood? Was it because I transmigrated in a timely manner and it came with healing benefits?
After pondering for a moment, Zhou Mingrui changed into another linen shirt. He sat on the chair and began pondering over more important matters.
Klein's experience was still not something he needed to concern himself with. The true problem was to figure out the reason for his transmigration and if he could return!
His parents, relatives, best buddies, and friends. The fascinating world of the Internet and all sorts of delicious delicacies… These were reasons that prompted his desire to return!
Click. Click. Click… Zhou Mingrui's right hand was subconsciously pulling out the revolver's cylinder and slamming it back into place, again and again.
Yea, there has not been much difference for me between this period of time and the past. I was just a little unlucky, but why would I transmigrate for no baffling reason?
Bad luck… Yes, I tried a luck enhancement ritual before dinner today!
A thought flashed in Zhou Mingrui's mind, illuminating the memories which were concealed by a fog of confusion.
As a qualified keyboard politician, keyboard historian, keyboard economist, keyboard biologist, and keyboard folklorist, he had always deemed himself as 'knowing something of everything.' Of course, his best buddy would often mock him as 'only knowing a little of everything.'
And one of them was Chinese Divination.
When he visited his hometown last year, he had discovered a thread-bound book titled 'Quintessential Divination and Arcane Arts of the Qin and Han Dynasty' at an old bookstore. It looked pretty interesting and could aid him in posturing on the Internet, so he bought it. Unfortunately, his interest was short-lived. The vertical script it used made the reading experience horrible. All he did was flip through the beginning pages before he threw it into a corner.
He had experienced a spate of bad luck in the past month—losing his cell phone, customers running away after cheating him, and mistakes at work. Only then did he suddenly recall the luck enhancement ritual written at the beginning of 'Quintessential Divination and Arcane Arts.' Furthermore, the requirements were extremely simple, without any basic foundation requirements.
All he needed was to get four portions of the staple food in his area and place them in the four corners of his room. They could be placed on furniture such as tables and cupboards. Then, standing in the middle of the room, he had to take four steps in a counter-clockwise fashion to make a square. The first step required him to sincerely chant 'The Immortal Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.' The second step was to silently chant, 'The Sky Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.' The third step was 'The Exalted Thearch of Heaven and Earth for Blessings,' and the fourth step was 'The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.' After the four steps were taken, he needed to close his eyes and wait five minutes in his original spot. Only then would the ritual be considered complete.
Since it did not cost him any money, he found the book, followed what was stipulated, and did it before dinner. However… nothing happened back then.
Who would have guessed that he would actually transmigrate in the middle of the night!
Transmigration!
There is a distinct possibility that it's due to that luck enhancement ritual… Yes, I should give it a try here tomorrow. If it's really because of that, I stand a chance of transmigrating back! Zhou Mingrui stopped flicking the revolver's cylinder and suddenly sat straight up.
Regardless, he had to give it a try!
He had to attempt a Hail Mary!
禮物
-- 收到的禮物 每周推薦票狀態
200+ 推薦票
榜單 
1,587 推薦票 
段落評論