The Secret Cult Chronicles of the Decaying Lake Manor

"Chaos, corruption, folly, destruction, absurdity—this is the unknown as we know it—and at least death still exists in the Void Realm." This passage is followed by a simple horse drawing, and then the main text introducing the various aspects of the Void Source:

The Abyss, governed by water, roams the Starry Night without beginning or end; the Lord of the Flies cherishes life above all, yet death is not within his domain; the Dark Dragon casts a destructive gaze upon all hearts, while the Comedian is the most sinister to us. Those who seek to invoke their power are pathetic—in every sense of the word…

In reality, this book teaches readers more about how to "defend" against the influence of the five virtual sources, but it also objectively provides a reference from another perspective.

Similar to the saying George often heard in his past life, "The ways to get rich are all written in the book," but worshipping the illusory source god might be even more sinister—from the perspective of a "normal person."

After analyzing the card, George obtained a secret card.

A Vague Invitation

[Sexual Characteristics: Abyss 6, Dust 2, Secret Transmission]

When facing an abyss, the only certainty you have is one choice: to stop or to take the first step—everything else is unknown.

He definitely won't use that card.

More significant than the secret transmission was the confirmation that the five "darknesses" beneath the decaying lake corresponded to the powers of the five Void Source Masters, possibly as familiars or residual influences, and that the power of the "Abyss" was temporarily out of the picture.

And an analysis of the implications of the new standards:

[Dust: We will eventually lose everything, turn into nothingness, become all things. [Dust is the standard of ending, forgetting, and contamination.]]

In addition, learning about the fate of the dead in this world—the Void Realm—could be considered an unexpected bonus.

Based on his current knowledge, George roughly understands the world he lives in as a multidimensional world.

In the "spirit world," a dimension that ordinary people cannot understand or access, the virtual world represents "below" or the "negative axis," while the dream realm and above, or deeper realms, represent "above" or the "positive axis."

Fortunately, he is not yet at the level of applying this knowledge, so making a rough classification that needs improvement is at least harmless.

After analyzing the book, George's thoughts returned to the disaster on Paradise Island.

Logically speaking, with such a dangerous mine buried at the bottom of the lake, even if the viscount was physically weak, he should have moved his entire family away.

Is it because he is reluctant to part with his ancestral property, has confidence in the manor's defenses, or are there other factors he is unaware of?

After a moment's thought, George re-planned his future plans, then picked up a pen and paper and began to write a basic summary of extraordinary knowledge by the candlelight.

This was for Elliott, but Lieutenant Bates could also read it—after analyzing the two most recent documents, he was finally convinced that his short piece wouldn't mislead anyone.

Time passed with the scratching of the pen. George finished the notes before breakfast, then hurried back to his bedroom and handed them to Elliot as he helped him get dressed.

While changing clothes, George noticed something unusual about the sky through the window.

At this time of day, the autumn sun should already be shining through the mist of the stagnant lake, casting golden rays across its surface.

But today's dawn only briefly illuminated the eastern horizon before being swallowed up by the rapidly approaching leaden-gray clouds.

He looked out the window and saw that the decaying lake had lost its usual gray-green color and had turned into a gloomy, iron-blue hue, with waves higher than the day before crashing against the shore.

Sure enough, after breakfast, Uncle Albert announced with regret that the afternoon outdoor tea party and walk had to be cancelled.

"Judging from the direction of the clouds, this rain will be heavy, and there will be thunderstorms in the afternoon. It's safer for us to stay indoors."

The old lady then rearranged the indoor activities: "We have a hall with a piano, a spacious library, and the estate's collection has something worth seeing—the indoor activities will be just as enjoyable."

Arthur Tumbert shrugged and said in his usual optimistic tone, "There's nothing better than a book club by the fireplace! Come on, Albert, you must have plenty of good books in your library, don't hide them away."

So, in the library on the north side of the first floor of the mansion, just like in The Decameron, the host and guests, who were hiding in the manor, sat around the fireplace, enjoying tea and snacks while passing around the books in their hands.

The daylight hours passed by with the crackling of the fireplace and the increasingly low, muffled rumble of thunder outside the window.

Inspector Douglas showed great interest in a hardcover edition of "Natural History of Imperial Overseas Colonies," and he and Arthur Thompson had a rather professional discussion about the rainforest ecology of Bharata.

Miss Kelly Moore was then led by Uncle Albert to admire a 17th-century Flemish still life painting hanging above the fireplace.

The two discussed in hushed tones the theme behind the symbols in the painting—the skull, the hourglass, the withered flowers.

Lieutenant Bates sat alone in an armchair in the corner, with the book "Forging and Health" open on his lap, while George himself was half-heartedly flipping through a booklet about ancient alchemical symbols, occasionally glancing at his absent-minded sister.

The occasional flashes of lightning outside the window illuminated the dark glass, followed by a low rumble of thunder that trembled and swept across the sky.

George noticed that whenever thunder rumbled, Sybil and Frederick's bodies would tense up very slightly.

Sybil, in particular, always unconsciously gripped the armrest of the chair next to her, her knuckles turning white.

As evening approached, all the gaslights in the mansion were lit early, a stark contrast to the increasingly violent weather outside.

The dark clouds finally pressed down on the sky, and a long-awaited downpour began. The dense raindrops pounded against the windows and roof of the mansion, making a continuous pattering sound.

The thunder became clear and fierce, and lightning frequently tore through the twilight, illuminating every corner of the room with a power stronger than daylight.

In this kind of weather, it's hard to imagine a pleasant atmosphere at dinner.

Frederick, the younger brother, was pale, while Sybil, the younger sister, kept her head down, her fingers twisting her napkin tightly.

Even the old lady and Uncle Albert were unusually silent, their occasional glances carrying a certain indescribable heaviness.

This time it was George's turn to try and liven things up.

He asked Miss Kelly, who was very accommodating, about her experiences traveling as a woman. She smiled and recounted her experience of encountering a storm in the Dover Strait, which prompted the inspector to chime in with a laugh.

Arthur Thompson enthusiastically described the strange tales about shamans he had heard in the wilderness of the New World, which Lieutenant Bates seemed quite interested in, perhaps because of their similar backgrounds.

George kept a close eye on things, trying to steer the conversation in a light and fun direction while observing his family's reactions.

Grandmother maintained a solemn, ceremonial smile, and Uncle's responses were brief and restrained; the younger siblings barely spoke—clearly, everyone had their own thoughts and feelings.

He saw Miss Kelly ask Sybil in a gentle voice if she was alright—because the latter visibly trembled after another clap of thunder.

When Sybil was asked the question, her body stiffened slightly, and then she managed a weak smile.

"I... I'm just not used to such loud thunder. It's alright, Miss Moore."

This doesn't quite match George's memory of his younger sister as a child, who insisted on singing during thunderstorms and "competing with Zeus in vocal range."

Dinner ended in a somewhat oppressive atmosphere, and George could only conclude that he had done his best.

After dinner, he went straight to the temporary alchemy room on the third floor, took out the bottle of tonic that had been made the night before from the cabinet, and headed to his sister Sybil's room.