Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 609

Jenkins had sworn he would never touch a single penny from the "Miss Fabry" account, but now it seemed he was about to break that vow.

He knew exactly what he was doing, and that once he crossed this line, he would likely do so again. But Mr. Augustus’s forty thousand pounds were almost his. Once he had that money, he could not only cover this shortfall but would never have to worry about funds again.

So, after much hesitation, he made his decision. He left the black market, withdrew ten thousand pounds in cash before the banks closed, and delivered it directly to the huntress in a case. Her reputation in the black market was impeccable; otherwise, Jenkins would never have paid such a large deposit upfront.

The huntress assured Jenkins he could expect the results by next week—an astonishingly quick turnaround.

“Of course,” she remarked. “With the right methods, tracing the source of an illness isn't that difficult. Besides, I'm quite satisfied with the fee for this commission. Even if it stirs up some trouble, it's more than enough for me to leave Nolan and enjoy myself for a good while.”

Jenkins also wanted to commission the huntress to find a thousand-year-old wood heart, but she informed him that she didn't take on such tasks. That kind of job fell into the domain of the middleman known as the Clown.

The Clown's fee was low—only three pounds to find something—but Jenkins worried that once the item was located, the man would demand an exorbitant price for it.

If there was one thing that could lift Jenkins's spirits before the forty-thousand-pound inheritance came through, it was his divination lessons with Audrey.

Despite having accidentally glimpsed a corner of fate, he had made no progress with his "inspiration" divination. Miss Audrey considered this perfectly normal. The peculiar thing about divination by inspiration, she explained, was that one only needed to succeed once. After that, the path of the diviner would open up completely.

Such optical toys had been quite expensive in ages past, when glassmaking was still a developing art, but now they were common children's playthings. Jenkins had recently seen a similar object in a display cabinet in Miss Stuart's study. It had been one of her childhood toys, its chamber filled with chips of various gemstones and its body crafted from masterfully engraved sterling silver.

“This is B-06-1-5226, the Apocalypse of the Future. I borrowed it from the Church of the Myriad Phenomena of the Starry Sky. And yes, don't look so surprised. That's its actual name.”

According to Miss Audrey, it was an extremely rare prophetic artifact, even more precious than the pocket watch chain Jenkins owned, which only occasionally warned him of danger.

Given that his divination lessons had been mired in the challenge of "inspiration" for the past month, and considering Jenkins's unexpected glimpse into fate, Miss Audrey decided to change her approach. She intended for him to first try peering into the future with the aid of an artifact.

“First, I must make one thing clear,” she began. “No method of divination is ever absolutely correct. This applies to everything—rituals, abilities, and artifacts alike. The Apocalypse of the Future can guide one to glimpse pleasing futures, but what it shows are still only fragments of destiny. You must never trust it completely.”

With that, she closed her left eye and brought the kaleidoscope up to her right. Jenkins barely had time to read the subtle shifts in her expression before she lowered it again.

“This artifact never shows the same image twice, so every use reveals a different prophecy,” she explained. “Just now, I saw the corner of a white card. That's a rather abstract vision of the future.”

She then handed the kaleidoscope to Jenkins.

“Its danger rating is 1,” she cautioned. “Not only because it frequently misleads people, but because repeated use can cause the user to become lost in visions of a happy future, completely draining them of their ambition and drive. This change to one's personality is permanent. As a rule, one person should use it no more than fifteen times in their life, though there are no restrictions on using it consecutively.”

The kaleidoscope's body was also metal, giving it a surprising weight. As Jenkins ran his fingertips over the surface, he discovered faint patterns, almost invisible to the naked eye.

He raised it to his eye, just as Audrey had done. A thin white mist momentarily clouded his vision before quickly dissipating.

“What do you see?” Audrey asked. “Be mindful. The moment you observe those visions, you are making contact with destiny. Focus carefully on that sensation.”

“I don't think I feel anything special,” Jenkins admitted.

Jenkins felt like a man made of insulated rubber; the currents of fate, no matter how strong, couldn't seem to find purchase in him.

But at least what the kaleidoscope showed him was interesting.

“I see a night sky,” he said, “a perfectly symmetrical reflection of a night sky. But there's only the red moon in it, just like that night a few weeks ago!”

“That suggests you may benefit from the red moon, though other interpretations are certainly possible,” Audrey mused. “Pay close attention to anything related to this imagery in the coming days. Even if you can't grasp the precise direction of fate, you can at least be proactive.”

Jenkins nodded, figuring the vision most likely meant he would inevitably cross paths with the two remaining vampires.

After a brief rest, he raised the kaleidoscope to his eye once more. This time, instead of white mist, he felt as though he were hurtling down a tunnel of blue light. At the end of the passage, a scene of vast, snow-covered mountains unfolded before him. It was a far more complex vision than the first.

Miss Audrey made no comment, simply gesturing for Jenkins to try a third time.

He nodded, telling the cat curled up beside him to stop clawing at the blanket on the sofa. He then leaned in to take another look... Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs noᴠelfire.net

Jenkins dropped the kaleidoscope as if it were a live steam bomb. An expression of pure terror flashed across his face, quickly followed by a deep blush.

Forgetting the kaleidoscope on the floor, Miss Audrey asked urgently.

He stammered, clearly unwilling to discuss the topic any further.

“I... I saw some women.”

His voice was barely more than a whisper.

“What were they doing?”

“...Do I have to say?”