I loaded the Mysticism panel.

Chapter 193 Cat Incarnation

For a whole week, Richard was thinking about Friday.

On Thursday afternoon, after finishing his tutoring at Mr. Hutton's, he went home and tidied up his room from top to bottom.

He neatly categorized and stored all the notebooks, reference books, and rubbings that were always piled up on his desk into drawers.

Those potentially eye-catching documents on the bookshelf were pushed to the bottom.

The Sphinx lamp was wrapped in three layers of old flannel and placed in the dark compartment under the bed.

The gargoyle was covered with an oilcloth and moved to the very back of the wardrobe.

Things that cannot be shown to guests should be hidden away.

Evelyn glanced at him while he was tidying up the room.

"Brother, why are you tidying up the room so meticulously today?"

"A new semester should bring a fresh start." Richard stuffed a stack of books back to the bottom shelf. "No one at home helps me manage them, so I have to do it myself."

"But you were eating at your desk last week."

"...Last week was different."

"What's different?"

"It was cold last week."

Evelyn frowned but didn't ask any further questions.

On Friday morning, Richard did his usual weather forecast and predicted that it might snow that afternoon.

After breakfast, he went to Greenwood as usual.

In the second lesson, Mr. Hutton discussed a fragment of a Roman-era ritual text.

When Richard raised his hand to answer the question, he mispronounced a syllable in the Latin word for "dusk".

The old man was stunned for a moment.

"Richard, you seem a bit out of sorts today."

"Excuse me, sir."

"Didn't you sleep well last night?"

"...A little."

The old man glanced at him but didn't press the matter further.

When get out of class ended, the old gentleman walked over from the podium.

"Go home early after school today, you won't need to have any extra lessons."

"it is good."

Richard put the books into his bag.

When the bell rang for the last class of the afternoon.

He followed his classmates out of the school gate, and Grey caught up from behind, handing him an oil paper package.

"Put some padding on the road."

"Thanks."

You don't look well today.

"fine."

"……Um."

She didn't ask any further questions.

Richard boarded the school bus and returned to the slag heap.

I got home just after 5:30.

Back in his bedroom, he closed the door without bolting it.

The condition of the doors and windows should be as specified on the card.

The window was closed, but a finger's width of space was left between it and the window.

He deliberately turned to a blank page in the notebook, and placed the pen on the side of the notebook.

The notebook and pen were used to signal to Mrs. Mary that "I am ready to listen carefully".

If there's anything he needs to write down tonight, he can't immediately rush to the drawer to rummage through it.

As for the white porcelain cup on the windowsill... Richard was just about to go downstairs to take a look when the room door was pushed open.

"Brother." Evelyn peeked half her head through the crack in the door.

She came in carrying a glass of milk.

"Do you want some hot milk?"

"……Um."

The little girl wanted to take the opportunity of delivering milk to say a few words of concern to him, but her mother's voice could already be heard from downstairs:

"Evelyn, come and chop the onions!"

"Here you are!"

His sister made a face at him, closed the door, and ran downstairs.

Richard exhaled and glanced at the pocket watch on the table; it was 5:55.

The sound of snow falling in the slag heap was very faint.

It landed on the tin roof outside the window, making a very faint "tap-tap" sound.

At six o'clock sharp, Richard sat down at his desk.

There was no sound outside the window.

The streetlights were on, and a coal-carrying cart passed through the slag alley, its wheels creaking as they rolled over the snow.

At 6:03, a sound came from downstairs.

"mom!"

"What's wrong?"

"I need the butter tonight!"

"There's still half a pound left in the cupboard, keep it."

"it is good."

Richard's gaze shifted from the desk to the windowsill.

The milk in the cup wasn't very hot anymore, and he was torn between whether he should reheat it or just keep waiting.

Lady Mary, a woman of great learning and expertise, would not possibly stand herself up, would she?

He was somewhat uncertain.

At 6:05, Richard was just about to go and get the cup.

The surface of the milk in the glass swayed slightly.

The window was only slightly ajar, and Richard had confirmed beforehand that no outside wind could get in.

Richard didn't move, and the surface of the milk sloshed once more.

This time, a curved mark appeared on the edge of the cup.

Richard's gaze remained fixed on the rim of the cup; he didn't activate his spiritual vision.

According to Mrs. McNeil, it is offensive to have psychic vision stare at someone.

The location and shape of the arc mark were left by a cat's tongue after licking it.

However, there was nothing above the cup.

He got goosebumps on the back of his neck.

The frequency of leaf-like vibrations inside my chest cavity was higher than usual.

[Perception] Lv.2 automatically activates at this moment, clearly presenting the "ether density" in the room.

The overall ether density of the room, from floor to ceiling, was slightly higher than usual.

The highest point is in a circular area with a radius of less than one foot, just above the windowsill.

"Hello, Richard."

The voice echoed in his mind.

It was a woman's voice, gentle and slightly hoarse.

Richard calmed the rhythm of the light tree in his chest.

"Hello, Mrs. Mary."

He suppressed his voice, not letting it carry downstairs or next door.

Aren't you scared?

"I'm a little scared," Richard said honestly.

"That's great." The voice was tinged with laughter.

"People who aren't afraid at all can't last long in this industry."

Something began to appear in the circular area with a radius of less than a foot above the windowsill.

First, there's a thin, long arc—that's the spine.

The four paws are in a squatting posture, and then there are the erect ears with the tips of the fur slightly curved.

A black cat was perched on the windowsill.

It's about a size larger than the short-haired cats commonly found in slag heaps, but not as big as a Maine Coon.

A red ribbon was tied around her neck, with a small silver bell hanging from it.

The bell did not ring.

"Bristol milk is sweeter than milk in Beijing."

The black cat lowered its head, stuck its tongue into the milk, and licked it a little more.

"My sister might have added sugar," he explained instinctively.

"It's okay, I don't mind." The black cat continued licking the milk.

"My main body is at No. 17 Huayue Street in the capital, and it's not convenient for me to leave there right now."

"Besides, I noticed you last time you were standing at the bottom of the steps of No. 17 Huayue Street."

"That incident needs to be brought to a close."

Richard's breathing steadied.

Why did you only notice me at the time?

Was it because my gaze was too offensive?

"You have a 'just ignited' feeling about you."

The black cat explained, "The fire is small, but very pure."

"I've seen too many young people 'ignited,' a few will burn into ordinary torches, and a very few will burn into something else."

"I am interested in the 'very few' category."

"I only caught a glimpse of you from afar on those steps."

"Vincent did the right thing by stopping you from lingering."

"But I remembered what was revealed in that one look of yours."

The black cat licked the milk again, seemingly quite satisfied with its sweetness.

Richard sized up the "guest".

He had heard some bits and pieces about the history of Flower Moon Street from Vincent.

The triangular area south of the capital was a gathering place for various priests during the Roman era.

After the Roman legions swept through the area, it was never truly taken over by the authorities.

The church tried to intervene several times, but each time the "long-term residents" inside used various methods to persuade them to leave.

Huayue Street has stood in the center of that triangular area for over a hundred years since modern times.

"Let's get down to business first."

The black cat's voice rang out.

"McNeil has already told you about the secretary."

"She said it."

Richard answered very softly.

"But I can't do it right now."

"Yes, newcomers can't do it."

The black cat jumped from the windowsill onto the table.

Richard watched as the tail swept past his notebook without causing any air movement.

This cat is in a semi-physical state.

Or perhaps, it was Lady Mary, this great connoisseur, who, in some way he couldn't yet comprehend, poured a wisp of her spirit into this black cat.

"I didn't come here for the Party Secretary."

"After you sign your name, McNeil will help you with your first deal."

"That marked the beginning of our formal collaboration."

"But before that..."

The black cat sat on top of the laptop, its two front paws together.

"You need some protection."

"I read in McNeil's report that the 'Mother Who Eats Shadows' remembered you from the Whitcomb incident."

Upon hearing this, Richard subconsciously began to recall.

In the circular stone chamber of Whitcomb that night, "Mother" was surrounded by seven spirits, and then gradually dissolved by Mr. Hutton's pronouncements.

As Richard finished reciting the final incantation and the door closed, a very faint shadow swept across the edge of his vision.

He initially thought it was a visual illusion caused by his overload of spiritual vision.

"This kind of 'memorization' is like a verdict for the average newcomer."

The black cat's voice was completely flat.

"She's sealed away now and can't come to you directly."

"But she will come out sooner or later, or reach out through a spiritual channel."

"When that time comes, she will look for your 'signals' as a beacon."

The stronger you are, the brighter the lighthouse shines.

"The faster you cultivate, the further back in time the timeline will advance."

Richard felt a chill run down his spine.

"So, I'll leave you something."

The black cat flicked its tail gently.

Richard frowned.

The black cat probably sensed his emotions.

"At my age, I know my limits."

"You can find a strange object as a medium, anything will do."

Richard's shoulders relaxed a little.

"Leaving a mark on a rare object is more effective than leaving it on your body."

"and……"

The black cat narrowed its golden eyes, a hint of a smile in them.

"You can take it off anytime."

"This thing is in your hands; the initiative is yours."

Richard let out a sigh of relief.

He rummaged through the small drawer under the desk for a while.

The Sphinx Lamp has been designated as a Signature Wonder and cannot be moved.

The gargoyle was a gift from Ashford's maternal grandfather, and it was related to the Ashford family, so it was not appropriate for other families' "marks" to be placed on it.

The copper ornaments, the Sufi incense burner, and the sun seal have all been recycled by my aunt.

Ceremonial daggers and bronze plates are also unsuitable.

The eagle emblem and the 17th-century silver ring were chosen from Clement's "personal collection" and are relatively clean.

He took the silver ring and eagle badge out of the velvet box and placed them in the center of the table.

"How about these two?"

The black cat looked down.

"This silver ring is nice."

"The Celtic sun symbol, with a pure silver base, is old enough and the craftsmanship is also well done."

"Most importantly, it's exactly opposite to me."

"When the two sides are put together, it makes it impossible for others to see what's inside."

Richard nodded.

"You mean, using artifacts with relative attributes to carry your 'mark' would provide a better disguise?"

"You have a quick mind."

The black cat licked its paw.

"The sun and the moon are opposite each other, which is the common understanding of relativity."

"In reality, it is relative to 'being seen' and 'seeing'."

"The Celtic sun symbol is engraved on silver; the symbol itself must be visible, but the material is nocturnal."

"The load-bearing structure of this ring was originally designed for 'disguise'."

Richard's gaze returned to the silver ring.

He had only glanced at the ring once with his spiritual vision after buying it, and hadn't studied it in depth. He never expected it to have such value.

"Put the ring on the windowsill."

The black cat jumped from the tabletop back to the windowsill.

Richard walked over and placed the silver ring in the center of the windowsill.

The ring was next to the white porcelain cup.

One-third of the milk in the glass had been licked away, leaving two-thirds at the bottom.

The black cat lowered its head.

It sticks out its tongue, the tip of which gleams a slightly moist red under the light.

The tip of her tongue landed on the surface of the silver ring.

At that moment, Richard saw a flash of silver light on the ring face.

It seeped out from inside the ring, circled the cross and circle on the ring face, and finally stopped at the center of the circle, returning to stillness.

The ring looks exactly the same as before.

"It's done."

The black cat straightened up and retracted its tongue.

Richard's vision was fixed on the ring.

The etheric structure of the ring itself remained unchanged.

However, the "etheric echo" surrounding the outer edge of the ring was reduced by half.

"If you wear this ring now, it will create a layer of 'camouflage' around you."

The black cat continued speaking.

"Those at the middle to lower levels can sense that you have a loop, but they can't sense your specific level."

"When someone of higher rank sweeps over you, they will naturally ignore you."

"Not absolutely."

She added:

"If someone of higher rank actively targets you, your disguise will be seen through."

"But it works for casual glances."

"It is also effective for the kind of gaze that extends through the passageway, like that of the 'mother who eats shadows'."

"This will at least buy you several years."

Richard's throat moved.

"This level of protection..."

He paused for a moment to clarify the questions he wanted to ask.

"What price should I pay?"

"There's no price to pay now." The black cat licked its paw.

"This is an investment, and I'm interested in the 'very few' type."

"I've seen a very small number, maybe a dozen or so, and two of them actually ended up burning into something else."

"Whether you can be the third, I don't know."

"But since I've decided to have faith in you, I'll give you a little extra when you're at your weakest."

"We'll settle accounts when you're in a high position."

"That's how I do business."

Richard's fingers paused for a moment on the edge of the table.

He recalled what old Big had said about Mrs. Mary's "casting a wide net".

We welcome all applicants and arrange pathways for each student based on their individual characteristics and abilities.

Old Big was referring to the "cast a wide net" approach in teaching.

What Richard was hearing at that moment was another level of "casting a wide net".

Lady Mary made extensive bets throughout the empire, leaving different small investments for groups of "newly ignited" young people.

Most people will perish within a few years, so those investments are essentially wasted.

A few people grow into ordinary torchbearers and repay favors according to guild rules.

A very small number of people grow into something else, and then, Mrs. Mary's small investment back then will be rewarded in the way she wants.

My maternal grandfather once said that less than 10% of Mrs. Mary's students graduated.

Richard now feels that the one percent who "graduated" was probably just the most easily seen part of the seeds that Mrs. Mary had cast out in a wide net.

The remaining seeds may contain other varieties.

Richard stood up from his chair.

He bowed slightly to the black cat at the other end of the table.

"Thank you, madam."

"You're welcome."

The black cat continued licking the milk.

"Hutton should be able to sense something on this silver ring."

"He probably knew it was me."

He might ask you questions; just tell him the truth.

Richard nodded.

"in addition……"

The black cat turned its head, and the light in its golden eyes became meaningful.

"Once you sign your name, although McNeil will be leading you, I will personally arrange your first order."

The black cat leaped from the window frame and squeezed its body through the one-finger-wide gap in the window.

Richard walked to the window and looked down.

Snow was still falling on the streets outside the slag heap alley.

There was no one under the streetlights, and no footprints on the snow.

Only the white porcelain cup on the windowsill had its milk licked clean at some point.