"I'll go visit Miss Audrey," Fors said, then hesitated before adding in a small voice, "Though it might need to wait a few days.
You know how things are, the streets aren't safe right now."
It was all thanks to the Aurora Order.
According to the newspapers, the terrorist organization Aurora Order had orchestrated an attack that resulted in an airship crash, destroyed an entire street, and caused multiple injuries and deaths.
Through other channels, Fors had learned more details.
Those lunatics had actually brought a large group of believers into a direct confrontation with the Evernight Goddess Church's "Red Gloves."
At the time, the fires burning in the street had lit up the night sky, and blood and bodies had flowed down the Tassok River to the downstream districts.
Due to the severity and widespread impact of the incident, the Evernight Goddess Church was still hunting down related personnel, and unofficial Beyonders were all living in fear.
The entire underground world of Backlund was immersed in a tense atmosphere.
Gatherings large and small had all been canceled, and the vast majority of unofficial Beyonders had gone into hiding, ceasing all activities.
If it weren't for the letter Silas had sent, Fors wouldn't want to go out during such a sensitive period either.
Wouldn't it be better to stay home and continue thinking about the opening of her new book?
The chaotic East Borough was one thing, but as for the Queens District where Miss Audrey lived, the security forces there were particularly intense right now.
If she went there, she'd very likely be discovered and arrested as a suspicious Beyonder.
"I understand. You can wait a few days for now."
Silas nodded, his facial expression constantly shifting due to his mental fragmentation.
He knew far more about the situation than Fors did, because the entire incident could even be said to have been triggered by him.
"I'm glad you understand."
Fors relaxed a little and took a sip of tea.
"By the way."
Silas remembered something else. "That type of stone you gave me before, do you have any more?"
He was referring to the dark cyan stone Fors had given him as payment for treating Xio.
That stone's teleportation effect had been extremely useful and had saved Silas's life at a critical moment.
He wanted to obtain a few more for emergencies.
"That one? The one I gave you was the last one. I don't have any others."
Fors answered.
None left?
Silas felt slightly disappointed, then continued to press, "Where did you get it from?"
Under his gaze, Fors didn't dare lie. She could only honestly tell Silas that when she had worked as a doctor, she had cared for a dying old lady.
It was because of that old lady's gift that she had embarked on the path of a Beyonder, and this bracelet was one of her relics.
"Did she leave you anything else?"
Silas asked.
"Besides the bracelet, she also left a notebook called Sights in the Spirit World."
Fors answered.
The Spirit World?
Silas wasn't unfamiliar with this term. In the field of mysticism, this term symbolized an illusory world that didn't exist in reality but corresponded to it.
This world contained various wondrous creatures and was rich with indescribable knowledge and mysteries.
Even he himself had summoned creatures from the Spirit World through rituals.
But regarding the deeper details of the Spirit World, Silas wasn't clear.
"What would I need to pay to see this notebook?"
Silas asked.
"No payment needed."
Fors took out a newly bound notebook from her handbag and handed it over. "This is a copy I transcribed.
Please take it directly. Consider it thanks for treating Xio before."
"Knowledge has value. Payment must be given."
Silas thought for a moment and exchanged a glance with his sister beside him. She then took out 50 pounds in banknotes and handed them to Fors.
Saving someone was one thing, but with Fors's nervous attitude, if he didn't pay something, it would seem like he was bullying her.
"Really, it's not necessary..."
Fors demurred for a while but eventually accepted the money.
Since joining the Tarot Club, there were many things she wanted to obtain, and she was actually quite short on cash lately.
So she wasn't very firm in her refusal of Silas's money.
He's really considerate.
She thought to herself, touched, as she felt the five 10-pound notes.
Only then did Silas accept the notebook with peace of mind.
"Please be careful. Some of the knowledge in here is dangerous. Usually when I read it, even for just a short while, I become manic and confused," Fors warned.
"If you notice your emotions getting off, please stop and take a break..."
"I know."
Silas deeply understood. He was all too aware of how dangerous forbidden knowledge could be.
After that, they chatted about a few other things.
After Fors repeatedly assured him she would contact Audrey as soon as possible, she got up to leave.
After Fors left, Silas opened the handwritten copy of 'Sights in the Spirit World' in the living room.
He wanted to try studying it to see if he could figure out the principle behind that rapid traversal.
After flipping through a few pages, he felt the mental impact. His already restless emotions seemed to become even more unstable.
The handwriting in the notebook was fairly neat, the words were in Loen script without mystical properties, and ordinary paper was used, but the content itself genuinely made him feel somewhat manic.
Sure enough, the problem was with the knowledge itself.
Even if he summoned the illusory tide, he probably couldn't solve this problem.
He could only follow Fors's suggestion and read for a while, then rest for a while.
'Sights in the Spirit World' roughly recorded the experiences of some powerful Beyonder traveling through the Spirit World.
He had his own insights and understanding of this peculiar world, introducing many of the creatures and rules within it.
Based on the descriptions here, after I used that stone, did my body arrive in the "Spirit World"?
Silas thought with dawning understanding.
Not just that stone.
When the Queen summoned gatherings and he walked on the yellow brick road, the surrounding environment also seemed to be the Spirit World.
In other words, by moving through the Spirit World, one could achieve traversal between two locations in the real world.
That made sense.
The Spirit World had no concept of direction or space, but the locations in the Spirit World corresponded to the real world.
One could indeed cross a short distance in the Spirit World yet traverse a long journey in reality.
Silas figured out the principle of "Spirit World traversal" and nodded with some satisfaction.
Not only that, 'Sights in the Spirit World' also introduced seven beams of pure light that existed within it.
Those lights represented knowledge of corresponding domains. Many mystical ritual ceremonies in the field of mysticism ultimately pointed to those seven pure lights.
Pure lights, happy to teach people and impart knowledge...
Silas had seen similar descriptions in the Nighthawks' internal materials. He muttered to himself, feeling that these seven seemed to be relatively neutral, even friendly mysterious entities.
At least they were better than evil gods like the True Creator, the Hidden Sage, and the Primordial Witch.
Perhaps praying to them would be a good choice?
The instinct of a Secrets Suppliant made him think this way.
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~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones