"Thorn Velvet? Does Scholarly Society usually use codenames during gatherings?"
Hearing this name, Dorothy controlled Brandon to ask Nephthys, who nodded in response.
"Hmm... It’s said that one of the previous presidents once claimed that true secret society members always have codenames. So, from that point on, the Scholarly Society tried to imitate this idea. During gatherings, everyone wore masks and addressed each other by their codenames. But in reality, aside from the initial novelty, everyone soon found it cumbersome. Since we all studied at the same school, even with masks on, we still recognized each other. So, this rule wasn’t strictly followed.”
"But Thorn Velvet was different. From the moment he joined, he always wore a mask and dressed very conservatively whenever he appeared. Even though he was also a student at our school, no one ever knew his real name—we could only call him by his codename."
After listening to Nephthys, Brandon pondered for a moment before continuing.
"Alright, tell me more about this Thorn Velvet."
"Okay."
Nephthys nodded and went on.
…
Thorn Velvet joined the Scholarly Society of Mystical Knowledge over six months ago. From the moment he arrived, he demonstrated an extraordinary level of expertise in mysticism, far beyond the usual hobbyists in the society.Not only was Thorn Velvet highly knowledgeable, but he was also willing to teach others. Because of this, he quickly became the center of attention and gained significant influence within a short time. More importantly, he displayed genuine mystical abilities in front of the society members, proving himself to be a true Beyonder. This earned him the admiration of many students in the society.
After joining, Thorn Velvet frequently instructed members in mysticism and showcased his powers, elevating his status even further. He also went so far as to lend his personal collection of precious mystical books to the students in the society.
…
"Mystical books?"
Hearing those words, Dorothy controlled Brandon to ask in confusion. Nephthys explained.
"Yes... According to Thorn Velvet, these books allow us to glimpse deeper mysteries and even seek transcendence. There were eight volumes in total, and he let us borrow them for study. The knowledge inside was truly fascinating. Once you started reading, you couldn’t wait to read the next one. No... to be precise, you desperately wanted to read the next one. The more you read, the more you craved to continue…”
"Honestly, those who had read several volumes became almost frightening in their eagerness for the next book."
Nephthys spoke with concern. Listening to her, Dorothy furrowed her brows from afar. She immediately recognized the symptoms—this was clearly cognitive poison contamination.
Those eight books were likely a classified mystical knowledge, highly diluted into eight separate volumes. Thorn Velvet was using cognitive poison to corrupt the Scholarly Society.
"After reading those books, did the society members start exhibiting strange mental symptoms? And the more they read, the worse it got?" Dorothy had Brandon ask.
Hearing this, Nephthys was momentarily stunned.
"Ah... Yes, exactly. Just as you said. Those who read the books started becoming emotionally cold and distant... People who used to be easygoing and friendly became somewhat extreme and violent. Small disagreements could suddenly escalate into physical conflicts—things that would have been unthinkable before.”
"And most importantly, the more they read, the more they revered Thorn Velvet. It reached the point of outright worship. Once, a member who hadn’t read the books complained about Thorn Velvet during a gathering, and several people immediately beat him up. It was terrifying..."
Nephthys shuddered as she recalled this. Dorothy, too, silently contemplated.
“A cognitive poison that induces violence and worship”
…
With his knowledge, abilities, and books, Thorn Velvet quickly rose to an unchallenged position within the society. Before long, nearly every member had been coerced into reading his books to some degree and developed reverence for him. In just two months, this newcomer forced the former president to step down and took over the society himself.
Once he became the leader, Thorn Velvet drastically restructured the society. He introduced strict regulations, established hierarchical ranks, and organized regular gatherings, transforming what was once a casual interest group into a tightly structured organization.
Afterward, Thorn Velvet started using the society members for various tasks. They helped smuggle outsiders into the school. They scoured the campus for certain mysterious symbols he showed them. They even smuggled knives—and at times, firearms—onto school grounds. They were forced to make "donations" to the society. They covertly recruited others using his books as bait.
By then, the Scholarly Society of Mystical Knowledge had completely changed. It was no longer just a student club—it had become a tool for Thorn Velvet’s unknown agenda. But since most members had read his books and fallen under his influence, they followed his orders without complaint.
There were exceptions, though. Two male students resisted the pressure to read the books and refused to acknowledge the society’s changes. They publicly confronted Thorn Velvet, announcing their resignation and threatening to expose his activities to the school authorities.
The next day, both of them disappeared.
They vanished without a trace. No one knew where they had gone. When the police investigated, they found no leads. Meanwhile, the society members who worshipped Thorn Velvet remained silent, refusing to provide any information. Even those who tried to report things anonymously met the same fate.
It was at this point that Nephthys fully realized just how dangerous Thorn Velvet truly was.
…
"By that time, I finally understood—Thorn Velvet had been using us as mere tools. Once he had full control over the society, he dropped the pretense and revealed his true nature. He became more and more ruthless, constantly interacting with outsiders and bringing them onto campus. Compared to us, he trusted those people much more.”
"For us original members, the only way to get close to Thorn Velvet was to read more of those eight books. He only trusted those who had read at least four. Unfortunately, one of my close friends in the society couldn’t resist the temptation of the books. She’s already read five volumes and has become a fervent devotee of Thorn Velvet. But because of this, she got close enough to learn more about him.”
"It was by secretly reading her journal that I discovered the true name of Thorn Velvet’s organization: The Eight-Spired Nest.
"They came to the King’s Campus for something… They’re searching for something."
Finishing her explanation, Nephthys took a sip of tea and let out a deep breath, her face filled with helplessness.
Seeing her expression, Brandon asked, "Your friend and the original society members have been manipulated by Thorn Velvet. Some even went missing. Is that why you want to resist the Eight-Spired Nest?"
"More or less... Because of Thorn Velvet, being in the society now feels suffocating. After seeing what happened to others, I don’t dare to quit, nor do I dare to report him. I’m constantly on edge. So I wanted to do something—anything."
"I saw your lost-and-found notice in the school paper. The symbol you described on the lost item was almost identical to the one Thorn Velvet had us searching for across the campus.”
"I didn’t want Thorn Velvet to succeed, so I had the idea of claiming the item before he could get it. But I never expected that, Mr. Brandon, you would also be a Beyonder. And that behind you stood a secret society as well.”
"This lost-and-found notice was actually a trap you set… and both I and Thorn Velvet’s people walked right into it."
Nephthys finished speaking and fell silent, looking at Brandon, indicating that she had told him everything.
After listening, Brandon nodded and slowly said, "Good. You’ve explained the situation clearly, and I’ve drawn some conclusions. You should be grateful for your conscience, Miss Boyle—because of it, there’s still a chance to turn this around."
"But... there’s something I’m curious about. You said that all members were forced to read Thorn Velvet’s books, and those who refused disappeared. Yet, you’re still here.”
"So tell me—how did you resist the books’ influence?"