Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 1018

The final item of the evening's gathering was presented by a man who spoke with an agonizing slowness, as if deliberately wasting everyone's time. It was a string of withered leaves, tied together with a simple grass cord. The leaves were so dry they looked like they might crumble into dust at the slightest touch.

The leaves came from a plant exceedingly rare on the continent. Jenkins didn't know its specific name, having only seen black-and-white photographs of it in Papa Oliver's books. According to the texts, the plant had gone extinct in its largest native habitat across the sea some three hundred years ago.

In the end, it was sold for the high price of three hundred pounds. The buyer paid in cash, a bold move that drew faint gasps of surprise from the others. After all, few people carried that much currency on their person these days.

Once the gathering concluded, the attendees departed in small groups. After his harrowing experience in the Mysterious Realm, the last thing Jenkins wanted was another adventure.

He parted ways with the professor at the city gates, summoned his unicorn, and made his way home.

Back home, he did nothing. He simply sank into the sofa and stared into the unlit fireplace, lost in thought for a long, silent time.

He hadn't witnessed the final fate of the two monsters in the Mysterious Realm, but he could only imagine it had been gruesome. The cause of their demise was simple enough: they had deliberately broken the realm's rules.

As for why their transgression had summoned a power from beyond, Jenkins could only surmise it was a direct consequence of their actions. Mysterious Realms were fragments of space spun from the very fabric of the world's master. Though he didn't understand their origins, he was certain that no master, no god, would tolerate the flagrant abuse of their creation.

Glimpsing that overwhelming power once more fanned the flames of Jenkins's own ambition, making him yearn for immortality with a renewed intensity.

The purpose of the Sin Coins was self-evident; this was likely the wealthiest Jenkins had ever been. In front of the coins, he placed the twenty-sided die. It was a work of art, an object so exquisite that even the most opulent casinos in the world could not hope to possess its equal.

Its material was impossible to identify. The die shimmered with a coppery luster, yet it felt like bone to the touch. The craftsmanship was so sublime it seemed to transcend the mortal realm entirely. Just gazing at it filled him with an irresistible urge to roll it—one of the artifact's inherent properties.

This was a documented Extraordinary item: B-11-1-3002, the Misfortune Dice. Though classified as Series B, the crimson aura it emitted under his Eye of Reality suggested its properties were dangerously close to those of a Cursed Item.

More than one of these dice existed, and they didn't all come in a twenty-sided form. To date, the Church had discovered four-sided, six-sided, and even sixty-sided versions.

They were often found mixed in with ordinary dice, and any unsuspecting person who rolled one would trigger its extraordinary properties.

The die's power only activated after being thrown three times. There was no required interval between throws, meaning only the unlucky soul who made that third roll would face the trial of fortune and disaster.

Take the twenty-sided die in Jenkins's hand, for example. The first roll presented twenty possibilities, from one to twenty, corresponding to outcomes like 'Encounter the Unseen,' 'Demonic Possession,' 'Fortune's Favor,' 'Commune with Nature,' 'Untimely Demise,' 'Sudden Windfall,' 'Mysterious Disappearance,' or even 'Annihilation of One's Family.' Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs NoveI[F]ire.net

The result of the second roll was contingent on the first. For instance, if the first roll was a fifteen—'Mysterious Disappearance'—then the second roll's twenty possible outcomes would correspond to a time frame: 'one second ago,' 'one second from now,' 'thirty seconds from now,' 'one minute,' 'thirteen minutes,' 'one hour,' 'one day,' 'one year,' and so on.

A combination of fifteen and one, for instance, would result in 'Disappearance one second in the past.' Jenkins couldn't begin to fathom how such a thing was even possible, but the Church's records on the matter were sparse.

The third roll depended on the previous two. If the first two results were fifteen and two—'Disappearance one second from now'—the third roll's outcomes would range from 'Return Unharmed,' 'Vanish Without a Trace,' 'Return as a Corpse,' 'Return as a Soul,' to 'Mysterious Return,' and even one result that was simply listed as [Corresponding Data Unavailable].

'Mysterious Return' meant the victim would reappear as a Cursed Item-like entity—something distinct from a demon, but just as malevolent. These were exceedingly dangerous beings; the few documented encounters suggested that only an Enchanter of at least the seventh level stood a chance of defeating one.

And if a roll resulted in the combination of fifteen, any other number, and then six, the outcome was 'Disappearance after the corresponding time, but...' followed by another [Corresponding Data Unavailable]. This result was something even he couldn't see. It wasn't a matter of his clearance level being too low; the Nolan diocese simply had no information on it whatsoever.

"A total of eight thousand possibilities," Jenkins murmured to himself, "and if I remember correctly, the statistical analysis showed only five hundred and one of them were good outcomes..."

The die's power only activated when the thrower's genuine intent was to 'roll the die and see the result,' so there was no danger of an accidental toss triggering it. However, because it was so often found mixed with ordinary dice, mortals were particularly susceptible to its trap.

After a moment's thought, Jenkins picked up the die and gave it a toss. The result was a seventeen: 'World's Reward.' Since this was only the first throw, there would be no supernatural effect.

The four hundred possible outcomes branching from a seventeen were mostly positive. It seems my Destiny's Stage really does improve my luck.

With that thought, he rolled it a second time. The die tumbled across the surface of the coffee table with a soft clatter. Both Jenkins and Chocolate couldn't help but lean forward, eager to see the result.

It came to a rest with the symbol for the number three facing up.

Seventeen and three. That means a non-physical and unobservable reward...

This was another excellent result. Of the twenty possible third-roll outcomes following a seventeen and a three, only the number one, 'Right to a Challenge,' was neutral. All the others were genuine rewards.

Jenkins had only intended to roll twice to test the waters. If his luck proved poor, he planned to bury the die and forget it ever existed. But now that fate had smiled upon him, he wasn't about to waste the opportunity.

Steeling himself, he made the final roll. The die landed with the symbol for the number four facing the ceiling.

Four represents a great influx of spirit. If an ordinary person had made this roll, they would have instantly awakened as an Enchanter, regardless of their aptitude...

As the thought crossed his mind, the die that had just sealed his fate cracked and disintegrated into dust. An unseen current of air caught the particles, swirling them into a miniature vortex that shot toward Jenkins's forehead. He didn't resist, allowing the dust to pass into his body.

A cold current spread from his head down through his entire being as a massive surge of spirit flooded into him. He couldn't suppress a low groan, forcing himself to relax his body and soul to accommodate the new power.