Lord of Mysteries: The Assassin's Dark Path

Varina gave a brief account of how he found the witch, Qili, and negotiated a deal with her.

He omitted details about the Witch Sect, only mentioning that he agreed to complete some tasks for her after becoming a Beyonder.

"The other party is a Sequence 7 Beyonder. To be safe, it's better to avoid drawing her attention to either of you," he added.

Fors nodded in agreement.

Xio glanced at Fors before volunteering, "If you ever need help, find a way to let me know. As long as it's not too dangerous, I'll help. Remember, I still owe you a favor."

"Thank you, I will," Varina replied with a smile, then asked, "You wanted to ask about the Abraham family earlier, right?"

He turned to the two women and, seeing them nod, continued, "I don't know much about the Abraham family. I only know they were an influential family in the Fourth Epoch, known for possessing the Apprentice pathway potion formulas."

"At the end of the Fourth Epoch or the start of the Fifth, they declined under the influence of the 'Raving of the Full Moon.' Eventually, they likely changed their identities and went into hiding."

"That's all I know. I hope it helps."

Hearing this, Fors recalled what the old lady who gave her the "Apprentice" formula had said. She now had a clearer picture—the old lady's deceased husband must have been a member of the Abraham family.

"Thank you. Your words have clarified a few things for me," Fors said with a strained smile. "At the very least, I now understand the origin of the 'Raving of the Full Moon.'"

Not wanting Xio to worry too much, Fors added in a lighter tone, "Fortunately, I'm not part of the Abraham family. The whispers I've heard are faint, and someone told me they're nothing to worry about."

Xio carefully observed Fors's expression, confirming that she wasn't lying, and relaxed visibly.

Fors wasn't lying—for now, the "Raving of the Full Moon" had minimal impact on her. However, once she encountered danger and used that teleportation bracelet, things would worsen.

Of course, Varina was the only one aware of this hidden peril.

The three agreed on a coded demand to use as a meeting signal during the next gathering before leaving the private booth one by one and returning to the hall downstairs.

---

About half an hour later, when Mr. A announced the end of the gathering, Varina left alone.

Around 11 p.m., he returned to his rented place in the Bridge District, wrote down the address and code phrase Qili had given him as a reminder, and found a map to locate the exact location.

---

The Next Morning

With a mental image of the map and help from some inquiries, Varina finally reached his destination:

18 Mowas Street, Cherwood District—Ketra Law Firm.

Dressed in a cheap suit and black top hat, he blended in well with the other gentlemen passing by in the area.

Pushing open the door, he approached the front desk where a well-dressed receptionist sat.

The woman, her light brown hair styled into an elegant updo, gave Varina a quick glance and smiled. "Sir, welcome to Ketra Law Firm. How may we assist you today?"

"Legal consultation," Varina replied.

The receptionist looked surprised, giving him another glance before continuing, "What type of legal consultation do you require, sir?"

"Contract disputes," he replied curtly.

The woman skillfully pulled out a brochure and placed it on the counter. "We have several attorneys specializing in both transactional and litigation matters, including senior lawyers. Would you like to review the profiles to choose one?"

"No need," Varina said flatly. "I'll take the one with the best eloquence."

Putting the brochure away, the receptionist said, "Understood, sir. That would be our mid-level transactional attorney, Mr. Figaro Foster. Please follow me."

She led Varina through a semi-open workspace filled with employees before stopping at the door of a private office.

After a polite knock, she opened the door and gestured for Varina to enter.

"Thank you," Varina said softly before stepping inside. Behind him, the receptionist closed the door.

---

"I don't believe we've met," remarked Figaro Foster as he stood, scrutinizing Varina with his deep blue eyes.

The attorney was impeccably dressed, wearing a black double-breasted suit—fashionable among Backlund's upper-class gentlemen—a formal bowtie, and shoes polished to a mirror shine.

"I was referred by Ms. Qili," Varina stated, remaining by the door.

"Ah, I see," Figaro nodded, motioning toward a guest chair. "Have a seat. Let's discuss things slowly."

Once seated, Figaro took the initiative. "Let's reintroduce ourselves. I'm Figaro, a Sequence 8 'Instigator.' This is the place where tasks are assigned."

"Varina. An ordinary man."

Figaro chuckled. "Since you're here on Ms. Qili's recommendation, I suspect you won't remain ordinary for long."

He retrieved a stack of papers, placing them on the coffee table and sliding them toward Varina.

"These are all the available tasks we've received, covering the entirety of Backlund. The list is updated every three days. You can pick one to prove your resolve to become a Beyonder."

Glancing at the papers, Varina couldn't help but feel the world was small.

The contracts were identical to the one he had stolen from the Dead Eel Gang—only the handwritten details and signatures differed.

This was the "Party B" he had been searching for.

Pointing at the logo symbolizing the "Contractor" on one of the contracts, Varina asked, "What does this mean?"

"It's just a codename," Figaro answered dismissively after a glance. "Though among peripheral members, it's been given a rather catchy nickname."

"The Dark Brotherhood."

"Impressive, isn't it? Who knows, at this rate, it might even grow into a legitimate Dark Brotherhood in the future."

Flipping through the contracts, Varina frowned.

The information provided was too scant.

He already understood that becoming an "Assassin" required killing, but he wasn't willing to choose a target at random. So he asked, "How can I assess the difficulty of these tasks? I'd rather not choose one beyond my capability."

"Ah, a wise question."

Figaro smiled knowingly. "Picking your target is an art. You can't pick one that's too challenging—it's too risky and best left to true 'Assassins.'"

"But you can't pick one that's too easy either. Such tasks won't sufficiently demonstrate your resolve, and the higher-ups will be disappointed."

Meeting his gaze, Varina probed cautiously, "So, do you have any recommendations?"

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