Chapter 279: Chapter 279

Jenkins asked, his gaze lifting from the book. The All-Seeing Cards were a complete set of Bestowals, rumored to be connected to the ascension of the Hermit of Fate. But secrets involving gods were usually just that—rumors. If they were true, information on such powerful Bestowals would never have been stored on the mere second floor of the Secret Trace Library.

"No need to be so formal. Please, have a seat."

A maid brought them tea and then discreetly withdrew. Jenkins gathered his thoughts before speaking:

"It's ... well, I'd like to ask for your help in divining someone's location. An Enchanter's location. I can offer payment."

"Payment won't be necessary. As I mentioned during my first visit to your home, Mr. Williams, I am more than happy to help you. I will need some clues, something related to the person you're looking for—at least a lead."

Jenkins nodded, reaching into his coat. On his way over, he had used Psychography to sketch the woman's face onto a piece of paper.

"A very clear likeness... Please wait a moment. If you need a specific location, I'll need to prepare."

With that, she stood up as if to leave. But she paused, bending down to pick up the book and place it in front of Jenkins. "If you're interested, you might want to read this. The knowledge within is quite fascinating."

Chocolate let out a lazy cry, reminding Jenkins he was still there. Jenkins rubbed the cat's head and reached out to pick up the book.

The book was incredibly light, a weight that couldn't be explained by its materials alone. As he touched it, a cold aura flowed from the cover, through his fingertips, and into his body. It was faint, but it was Spirit.

He placed the book back on the coffee table in front of him, moved his teacup aside, and blinked.

"Such a dense white aura? Is this book a Bestowal?"

He wondered in surprise. Every ownerless Bestowal he'd encountered before had actively drawn him to it, yet this one gave him no such feeling. Did it already have an owner?

Miss Audrey returned quickly, holding a crystal ball—the kind Jenkins associated with spirit mediums and diviners.

"So, what do you think of the book?"

She sat down and asked with a soft laugh as she began preparing for the divination ritual.

"It's... a Bestowal?"

"Oh? You could tell? Yes, this is one of the 108 All-Seeing Cards. But I haven't been able to make it reveal its true form, so I can only study it slowly. I didn't expect you to see through it at a glance, Mr. Williams. I wonder, do you have a way to restore it to its original state?"

Jenkins reached out and picked up the book again, the cufflink on his sleeve tapping lightly against the table. The Spirit from the cover was still flowing, but very slowly.

He had heard of the All-Seeing Cards before. The set had never been fully collected, but each of the 108 cards was a Bestowal, all sharing a single serial number. The library in the Nolan diocese had detailed records on three of them, though Jenkins had never seen them himself.

"Since it's a matter of fate, shouldn't we try using the power of fate?" he asked.

"I have related abilities and have tried to create a resonance, but unfortunately, it was no use."

As she spoke, she lit the herbs in a unicorn-shaped incense burner. Chocolate's nose twitched a few times, and he let out a sudden sneeze.

"Do you know the specifics of this card?"

"The Arsonist. It should be that one."

Just after she spoke, the woman paused her actions and looked at Jenkins thoughtfully. Only a week had passed since the last Mysterious Realm, and she remembered the aftermath of that incident quite clearly.

Jenkins had the same idea. He picked up the book, placed it on his lap, summoned his motes of light, and focused his mind on 'Fire's Favor'.

This was normally a passive ability that didn't require activation, but now, the mote of light began to emit a faint purple glow. Thıs text ıs hosted at novᴇlfire.net

The book on his knees trembled violently. Jenkins realized that the book was merely a shell, a seal, and the card within was the core. It was responding to the call of fate, a force of the same origin, but the enchanted book was resisting.

After that, Jenkins didn't need to do anything else. The book floated up from his lap as the power of the card and the seal clashed in a fierce struggle.

A strong wind swept through the room, sending the curtains behind him whipping up and down. In the end, the card won.

To the sound of tearing pages, the book erupted before Jenkins's eyes in a white aura of Spirit, an aura visible to the naked eye. As a massive surge of Spirit poured into his body, a deafening roar filled both his and Audrey's ears.

Within the brilliant white light, the image of a tall woman in ceremonial robes suddenly appeared. She stood before a colossal stone gate branded with human faces and threw a card forward.

The card plunged into the ground like a sharp knife, and a torrent of black sludge surged from behind the gate, instantly enveloping it. When the disgusting black ooze had seeped into the soil, only a book remained on the ground.

The white light dissipated, and the card drifted down onto Jenkins's lap, faintly calling for him to touch it.

"A vision. A vision of how this book was formed. The gate that woman was facing seemed to be a Cursed Item, and I've heard of that black sludge somewhere before..."

She fell into thought, while Jenkins understood. The surge of Spirit had been his reward for breaking the seal. Since the book was made from a Cursed Item, it should have emitted a black aura. But being merely a byproduct, its aura must have been weak—so weak that the All-Seeing Card's own spiritual light had completely suppressed it. That explained everything.

"A-12-03-8194, the Gate of the Faceless."

Miss Audrey slowly uttered the words. "That should be it, but I'll need to check some records to be certain. Let's put that aside for now. Shall we begin the divination?"

"Yes, let's start. I'm worried she'll get away if we wait too long."

As he spoke, he handed the card to Miss Audrey. She nodded, closed her eyes, and pressed the card to her face. It dissolved into a phantom image and flowed into her body.

It had never belonged to Jenkins, and he felt no greed for it. It only confirmed that Bestowals were indeed the rarest of the three types of special items: A, B, and C. His terrible luck meant he encountered special items far more often than the average Enchanter, but even so, he had personally seen very few Bestowals.