Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 1000

The rain outside beat a relentless rhythm against the windows, a sound that made Jenkins and Papa Oliver, seated in the dry warmth of the antique shop, feel an extra measure of security.

Papa Oliver lifted his teacup, but instead of drinking, he simply let the steam waft over his nose. He was clearly savoring the peaceful, rainy day. Like Jenkins, the old man was someone who cherished a quiet life.

"There are a number of classified incidents related to rain," Papa Oliver began. "Take, for example, B-04-4-7102, the Ocean's Feast. It's a phenomenon that only occurs in coastal cities during summer rainstorms. When it happens, various kinds of seafood fall from the sky along with the rain."

"I've heard of that!" Jenkins exclaimed.

He continued, "They say it's caused by storms over the ocean that sweep up sea creatures and then dump them on land."

"That's partly true," Papa Oliver conceded, "but during an B-04-4-7102 event, it's not just fish and shrimp that come down. Whales, and even larger sea creatures, have been known to appear."

As Papa Oliver spoke, Chocolate glanced outside with a look of longing, wondering if there might also be a rain of candy.

"So it has a danger level of four because the falling sea life could damage houses or even threaten pedestrians?"

"Not entirely. It's not just ordinary creatures that fall."

He didn't finish the sentence. Instead, he splayed his hand and made a sharp, bursting motion. Jenkins, thoroughly disgusted, could only stroke his cat for comfort.

"In that case, could divination, or perhaps the divine arts of the Church of Ocean and Exploration, be used to trace the origin of these creatures? I imagine that would help in understanding the source of B-04-4-7102."

"Someone had the same idea as you, but they later discovered that the fish falling from the sky didn't originate in the material world at all. All the diviners could see was an abyss and an endless sea. After that, the trail went cold. That's about all we know."

With that, Papa Oliver set down his teacup and reached for a newspaper. Jenkins nodded in understanding. He guessed that the creatures from B-04-4-7102 likely came from some dimension beyond the material world. It probably wasn't a deliberate act, he mused, as that would be an incredibly pointless thing to do.

"Beyond that, I remember another one," Papa Oliver said. "A-12-1-3991, the Rain of Endings. Now that was a true catastrophe."

He gestured for Jenkins to refill his cup, then continued in a somber tone, "'When the black rain falls from the heavens, the world will punish the sinful; soul and body shall meet their end, followed by an eternal void.'"

"That's a prophecy from the Kingdom of Convik, a small nation southeast of Cheslan, and it corresponds to A-12-1-3991. It's an event that only occurs in a specific region of that little country. Black rain falls from the sky without warning, and any living thing it touches dies instantly. No exceptions. Analysis of the rainwater showed it was just ordinary water with black pigment. You could drink it and, at most, get an upset stomach. But when that same water falls as rain, it brings certain death. To this day, the Church has no idea how it works."

"My word, that's terrifying," Jenkins murmured, wondering if the inhabitants of that kingdom knew such a horror existed right next to them.

The rain in Nolan lasted the entire day. By evening, as Jenkins rubbed his face to ward off drowsiness, a curtain of water still hung outside the shop window. Looking out from the counter, he saw that St. George Avenue was completely deserted. After finishing his work and studies for the day, he had spent an hour counting the passersby. The final tally was seven.

Just as he had thought that morning, aside from one person who ducked in to ask if they sold umbrellas, not a single soul had entered the shop all day. It felt as though time had been frozen for hours; the shop was utterly unchanged from when he had first stepped inside.

With no customers to speak of, Papa Oliver let Jenkins leave an hour early, reminding him not to forget the church's collective funeral service the day after tomorrow, on Thursday morning.

Jenkins, while folding his umbrella, assured him he wouldn't forget. He then whispered to Chocolate, asking if the cat preferred to ride on his shoulder or hide inside his coat to escape the rain. The cat glanced from Jenkins's chest to his shoulder and decisively chose the spot where it wouldn't get wet.

After bidding Papa Oliver farewell, Jenkins decided not to head straight home to prepare for the gathering in Ruen. Instead, he made his way back to the junk shop he had visited the previous day. The most update n0vels are published on NoveI~Fire.net

His luck was poor. The alleyway that served as a shortcut was now a quagmire of mud and pooled water, forcing Jenkins to take a long detour to reach the next street.

Though there were few pedestrians, the number of carriages seemed to have increased due to the weather. Standing at an intersection, waiting for them to pass, Jenkins considered hiring one for himself. The thought was quickly soured when a wheel hit a puddle, splashing dirty water all over his boots.

The shop hadn't closed early today. A kind middle-aged woman greeted Jenkins and his cat. Jenkins first browsed the store, buying a mousetrap he didn't need before finally asking about the fruit platter.

MrBirchwood's mother had purchased the platter last summer. While the shopkeeper remembered the transaction, her memory of it was faint. A gold pound from Jenkins successfully jogged her memory enough to consult her ledger. According to her records, she had bought the fruit platter from a hurried-looking customer during the rainy season late last spring.

"It was probably stolen goods..." she told Jenkins diplomatically.

And just like that, the trail went completely cold.

Leaving the shop with a sense of disappointment, Jenkins saw that the rain was coming down even harder. He found a nearby restaurant for dinner. By the time he left, feeling satisfied, the deluge was still washing the city clean. There were no carriages nearby, so he had no choice but to walk to the next block to try his luck. Then, at a street corner, he saw two familiar little girls.