Published at 12th of January 2026 7:40 am

Chapter 2456: Beginning of the Mysteries

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Crack—

At this moment, the time over the entire sea seemed to have stagnated.

Even as the waves rolled ceaselessly and the sea wind howled, everyone present could no longer hear those noises. The only sound that filled their ears was the subtle cracking in the air.

At this moment, even the minds of the Observer and Polo Ye were drawn to this sound.

Angel was naturally not exempt. He also heard the sound of the fruit shell cracking, but to him, it was merely an introduction.

Others were attracted to the sound because their perceptions could only reach the introductory part, and they couldn’t delve deeper.

But Angel was different. Angel had once touched the mysterious realm in the Black Castle. Although he felt no tangible benefit afterward, that experience was actually a ticket of entry.

A ticket that enabled him to more easily access the core of the "Mysteries."

It was thanks to this ticket that Angel was later able to construct a relatively complete mysterious representation within the Nightmare Illusion.

At this moment, as the shell of the Mysterious Fruit cracked, others were attracted to the sound, but Angel was captivated by the "Beginning of the Mysteries" that emerged from the crack.

The term "Beginning of the Mysteries" was simply a provisional name Angel gave it. In more detailed terms, it meant the initial energy when a Mysterious Object is born.

This energy was akin to that of a newborn baby, untainted by the worldly smoke and fire, less obscured by the Dust, thus purer and clearer and more convenient to analyze.

Although others perceived it as Mysterious Power as well, in Angel’s eyes, possessing the "entry ticket," this Mysterious Power was different. It seemed to have a vague, accessible, and investigable structure.

This structure was not a physical model but rather a form of descriptive language, a pure idea.

It was similar in some respects to the Mysterious Concrete Object, described as an unfathomable conglomeration of concepts.

But compared to the Mysterious Concrete Object, it had one more... substance.

After thinking it over, Angel found it hard to describe the structure of the "Beginning of the Mysteries."

If forced into a metaphor, perhaps it could be seen as an "inverted triangular body."

This inverted triangular body was not confined to a single dimension; it had many layers. The widest cross-section was at the highest dimensional layer, and as the area of the cross-section decreased, the level continued to step down.

Until finally, that tiny "inverted triangular tip" emerged from other dimensions into the current dimension, where it could be perceived by human senses.

Like an iceberg floating in the sea, the part above the surface was what humans could observe, while beneath the surface lay its true essence, a projection from higher dimensions onto lower ones.

This indescribable yet exquisitely beautiful idealistic structure left Angel utterly entranced as he continually absorbed and analyzed the "Beginning of the Mysteries" flowing from the crack in the fruit shell.

Others were similarly mesmerized by the Mysterious Fruit, but their situation was quite different from Angel’s.

They were influenced by the effect of the Mysterious Power, a non-genuine intoxication.

Perhaps because the crack was still small, the "Beginning of the Mysteries" leaked out couldn’t entirely "enchant" the Wizards present, and soon some managed to break free.

The Observer and Polo Ye were naturally the first to break free, but after shrugging off the influence, they didn’t speak. They frowned as they analyzed the current situation.

Not long after, the remaining Wizards present also started breaking free from the mysterious influence one by one.

After breaking free, each Wizard’s expression was troubled. Though the freshness of attraction wasn’t strong at the moment, it came so inconspicuously they were unwittingly drawn in.

And this was only the attraction at the initial appearance of the crack in the fruit shell.

Once the cracks multiply, or the skin completely falls away, how much stronger will the attraction become? No one dared to ponder further.

Most importantly, this newly born attraction coexisted with the original attraction!

These two different types of attraction combined were not simply a matter of "one plus one equals two."

"I can’t wait any longer, I must leave here, I must leave this haunted place!" shouted a male Wizard with curly brown hair.

Yet despite shouting for ages, he suddenly fell silent.

"Zinod, weren’t you clamoring to leave? Why have you suddenly gone quiet?" called out another nearby Wizard while resisting the allure.

After a long pause, the Wizard referred to as Zinod spoke dazedly, "No, no... no!"

"What’s wrong? What’s not right?"

Zinod: "I can’t leave. I clearly used the Forbidden Technique but cannot escape. It’s as though something is binding me, constraining me..."

Zinod’s words were met with a sinking feeling among all present.

Although the allure was slightly stronger now than before, it could still be warded off. Based on previous conditions, using the Forbidden Technique should allow them to break free like Wizard Bai Yu did.

Could it be that the new allure even closed off this escape path?

Thoughts scattered among those present; some considered Zinod might be baiting, hoping to coax others to emulate Wizard Bai Yu’s escape; yet more believed Zinod’s words.

At this point, there’s no reason for Zinod to lie.

Thus, two more Wizards gritted their teeth and decided to use the Forbidden Technique for a trial.

The results proved Zinod was truthful.

"The Forbidden Technique can be employed; its backlash effect occurred, but I couldn’t force open a Void rift."

"Yes, that’s the same for me!"

With more supporting evidence, even those who initially doubted began to panic.

Previously, they were harboring hope, waiting to see further development, unexpectedly finding that the next second after Wizard Bai Yu left, their wait became a joke.

Hesitation indeed leads to defeat!

In this moment of remorse, Zinod, who had first attempted to leave, made another daring attempt. He... self-detonated.

As his flesh transformed into a cascading Blood Rain, his Soul lingered alone in midair.

The Soul’s eyes shifted from initial resolve to subsequent confusion and finally to disbelief.

"Why, why? I clearly sensed that behind me was the Door to the Quest World, yet why can’t I leave?"

The words spoken by Zinod’s soul left the present wizards completely bewildered.

"Zinod, is what you said true? Souls can no longer enter the Quest World? Has the connection between the Quest World and the Southern Domain ended?" someone shouted.

Zinod’s soul shook its head in confusion: "No, I can feel that the door to the Quest World is right behind me. But, I... can’t cross it."

"It’s like ropes are binding my soul, my consciousness, and my origin, making it impossible for me to leave."

"The only path I can take is forward, to move forward towards... it." Zinod looked at the distant mysterious fruit, its attraction growing stronger without the protection of bodily strength.

While answering the others in confusion, Zinod took a step forward, drifting ghostly towards the fruit.

Everyone present witnessed this scene.

As Zinod’s spiritual body approached the fruit, it transformed into the purest soul force, sucked into the cracks of the fruit’s shell.

"It’s over, completely over."

"Why did I hesitate before? If I hadn’t hesitated then, I would only have fallen to a lower energy level, and I could still be alive! It’s over... it’s over..."

Zinod’s death ignited the emotions of the remaining wizards. These wizards, experienced in facing countless storms, couldn’t help but let their emotions slip as they faced impending death.

They began to blame themselves, to reproach themselves, and to descend into madness.

Yet this amplification of emotions allowed the attraction to seize the opportunity. Some wizards, influenced by the attraction, took a few hesitant steps forward.

Wizards who moved forward, some awoke suddenly, while others remained lost in confusion.

Those who awoke resumed resisting the attraction, while those indulging continued walking towards their demise.

Two more wizards met their end before the mysterious fruit.

These two wizards were revered figures in the outside world, but now, they died in confusion, unaware, their souls absorbed, completely perishing in the dust.

The surviving wizards were now somewhat numb. It seemed all they could do was continue resisting, hoping to find an opportunity in the future... Even if it meant escaping through death, even if their souls were fragmented, they would choose—agreement.

"Lord Zhuguang, if I die, could you deliver a message to my family for me?" spoke an aged wizard, who probably foresaw the grim future. For greed he stayed, and for greed, he would die. Knowing he was doomed, he hoped to find someone who could leave alive to convey some secret words to his family. President Zhuguang and others naturally became the best choice.

Yet, half a minute passed.

The foremost President Zhuguang did not turn back or make a sound.

"Lord Zhuguang? Adelaide? Diescher?" Name after name was called out by him. He even called Rivetta’s name.

But no one turned around to answer.

"What is going on?" A look of astonishment flashed in the eyes of the present wizards. What had happened to President Zhuguang and the others, or what had they seen, that didn’t even leave room for a reply?

As these wizards looked at President Zhuguang in surprise, at this time, both the Observer and Polo Ye’s eyes were also on President Zhuguang and the others.

"Shrouro, I have a bad feeling... Observer, do you know what’s happening?"

The Observer pondered for a moment: "The attraction of the mysterious object is beginning to undergo a fundamental transformation."

This conclusion was based on an analysis of the on-site situation. Wizards could neither flee using their souls nor forcibly clear a path... Even President Zhuguang and others were affected by the attraction.

Yes, even the projections descending from the void crevice weren’t spared, still influenced by the attraction.

Moreover, it seemed the previous words of the wizard named Zinod were not wrong. Now the attraction bound even "consciousness" and "origin," and even "thoughts" couldn’t escape. It was for this reason that even projections by figures like President Zhuguang were affected.

This is how the attraction effect of the mysterious object was undergoing transformation.

"Has the disorder begun? Shrouro?"

The Observer nodded: "It seems so; it’s already entering its final stage. Once the fruit shell sheds, the rhythm of disorder will appear."

Polo Ye: "With the Observer’s sharp eyes, is it possible to analyze what effects will occur post-disorder? Shrouro?"

The Observer hesitated for a moment before speaking: "Once it enters the rhythm of disorder, it will inevitably be affected by the attraction. This attraction will disregard all external conditions. Currently, this is the only thing I can discern."

Polo Ye: "And how is the disorder rhythm triggered, does the Observer have a hypothesis?"

For the Mystic Hunter, the effects of disordering objects are not the most dangerous thing. The most dangerous is actually the disorder rhythm, that is, the intrusion method or the way in which the effects of the disorder object are triggered.

Like the unsolvable mysterious object "Seed," its disorder rhythm is triggered by a long syllable. As long as the syllables are recited correctly without error, even across the limitless distances of space and time, one will fall into the Seed’s disorder rhythm.

This kind of distance-ignoring disordering object is extremely frightening, nearly unsolvable. But once you understand its disorder rhythm’s triggering method, you can ultimately avoid it.

So, the first thing Polo Ye inquired about was the disorder rhythm.

Once the disorder rhythm is mastered, at least half the danger can be circumvented.

"I don’t know; we have to wait until it completely loses control to determine it. But I personally speculate that its disorder rhythm is likely to be triggered by distance, as before."

In other words, as long as one stays away from the mysterious fruit, there’s no need to worry about stepping into the disorder rhythm. This is quite similar to the "Reincarnation Casket" Frost is dealing with now.

"Shrouro~ that’s what I think too."

"Then why don’t you quickly move away?"

Polo Ye extended two tentacles, spreading them nonchalantly: "Shrouro shrouro~ I’ve long prepared an escape route, and I think the mere attraction can’t be avoided..."

What the specific escape route was, Polo Ye did not say.

The Observer did not press further; Polo Ye’s intention to covet the disordering object already signified its confidence.

If Polo Ye could indeed handle the disordering object, it would be a good thing. At the very least, the Southern Domain would not be too greatly affected.

"By the way, Shrouro Shrouro, aren’t you concerned about that human next to you? He seems to be almost beguiled by the mysterious fruit~"

Polo Ye did not continue discussing the disorder rhythm but instead extended a tentacle to point at Angel.

The Observer turned to look at Angel.

He saw Angel’s eyes fixed intently on the distant mysterious fruit, a look of intoxication on his face, as if truly having his soul ensnared.

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