The spirituality of Shadow is primarily expressed through fear on a mental level. So, as long as one is feared after using a certain method, they can accumulate the spirituality of Shadow?
"Must becoming a Beyonder require such a cruel method?"
Staring wide-eyed at the scene of brutality and cruelty before her, Nephthys thought to herself. She had never imagined that the path to the extraordinary she had been pursuing would require such a method.
"Then… what about Miss Dorothy and Mr. Brandon? As members of the Rose Cross Order, what methods are they using to become Beyonders? Eli just mentioned the spirituality of Shadow… then could there be other types of spirituality as well?"
As these thoughts ran through Nephthys’s mind, Eli, after briefly scanning the large-scale torture site around them, spoke to her.
"This place is known only to the most loyal followers of Mr. Thorn Velvet. Mr. Thorn Velvet has promised us that as long as we sincerely follow him, he will lead us on the path to becoming Beyonder."
"So this is the way to become Beyonder… it’s completely different from what I had imagined. This is really…" Nephthys wanted to express her feelings, but she hesitated to use words like "cruel" or "horrifying."
Hearing her response, Eli chuckled and continued, "Heh… Miss Boyle, it seems you’re still having a bit of trouble accepting this. But don’t worry, everyone has this issue at first. However, it won’t be a problem—it really won’t. Once you pick up the whip and start accumulating spirituality, you’ll fall in love with the feeling. You’ll understand more clearly just how joyous a path Mr. Thorn Velvet has led us onto."
Turning to face her, Eli smiled as he spoke, and Nephthys responded with a slight nod.
"Mm… since this is the path Mr. Thorn Velvet has shown us, there’s no room for doubt. But I do have a small question—where do these prisoners… come from?""Mostly from the city—Flooded Alley, the Ash District, the docks, Revelry Street… There’s no shortage of thugs, gangsters, and homeless drifters sleeping on the streets. Finding them is never a problem. I heard there are even gangs specializing in kidnappings, and Mr. Thorn Velvet has connections with them. These people are worthless lives anyway. If they can serve our path to becoming Beyonder, they should consider it an honor."
Eli muttered as he spoke, while Nephthys remained silent, feeling conflicted.
Then, Eli continued speaking to her, "Miss Boyle, you are now qualified to stand among us and pursue the mystic alongside Mr. Thorn Velvet. However, recently, some people have been too rough with their methods and accidentally killed several punishment slaves, which has led to a shortage. Right now, there aren’t any extra slaves available for you, so you’ll have to wait a few days. Once we bring in new slaves from the city, I’ll teach you the Law of Fear right away so you can start accumulating spirituality."
"Mm… Thank you for your effort, Mr. Eli. As a newcomer, I don’t mind waiting a few days."
Hearing Eli’s words, Nephthys quickly smiled in response, while inwardly feeling a sense of relief—relief that she didn’t yet have to personally act as a tormentor to earn their trust.
After responding, Nephthys once again scanned her surroundings. At the far end of the underground hall, she noticed a staircase leading further down, guarded by several outer-circle members.
"It looks like there’s another level down there, Mr. Eli. What lies below?"
"That leads to the deeper parts of these ruins. However, Mr. Thorn Velvet forbids us from entering. Only his closest confidants are allowed down there. As for what’s inside… I have no idea yet. But I believe that as long as I continue following in Mr. Thorn Velvet’s footsteps, I will one day be able to go down there."
Eli spoke with confidence. Staring at the descending staircase in the distance, Nephthys silently nodded.
…
In the afternoon, Dorothy sat on her balcony, enjoying her afternoon tea. Before her lay the thick Literary Sea Logbook, its open pages filled with handwritten text—not in Dorothy’s handwriting, but in Nephthys’s.
After successfully entering the Inner Area and making it out, Nephthys had immediately used the history book that Dorothy had given her to establish contact. That book was linked to Dorothy’s Literary Sea Logbook. Back then, Dorothy had written down Akasha’s Honorific Name in that book before handing it to Nephthys. Later, she had taught Nephthys how to use the text to communicate, and in urgent situations, she could pray directly.
Dorothy deliberately kept prayer and the logbook separate—prayer was for communicating as Akasha, while the logbook was for communicating as herself.
"The Law of Fear? Accumulating Shadow spirituality through being feared… So this is how the Eight-Spired Nest accumulates spirituality. What a heretical method—on par with the Crimson Eucharist and the Bonesmiths…"
"Gregor is also a Shadow Beyonder… I wonder what method the official Serenity Bureau uses to accumulate spirituality. I’ve never seen him do anything particularly strange, so it’s hard to judge. But since it’s an official organization, their method shouldn’t be too outrageous… right?"
Glancing at the message Nephthys had transmitted through the Literary Sea Logbook, Dorothy continued thinking.
"As expected, my guess was correct. That so-called Inner Area is actually the ruins beneath the campus. And now, they’ve turned it into a torture chamber for cultivating talent? Who knows what other shady things they’re doing down there. But since the ruins are there, they must be explored sooner or later. Fortunately, I now have an opportunity to make use of."
With that thought, Dorothy turned to look at the calendar on her desk. The date read September 28—just one day before the agreed-upon meeting date between Edrick and Brandon.
"It’s about time to plan out the script for the meeting."
…
At dusk, the King’s Campus clock tower resounded with deep chimes. On the spiral staircase leading upward, Edrick, dressed in a trench coat and wearing a short top hat, slowly ascended step by step.
After some time, when the chimes ceased, he arrived at a storage room midway up the tower—where someone was already waiting for him.
"Hey, Rick, you’ve got great timing. As soon as the six o’clock chime stopped, you arrived. I was actually expecting you to be late," Brandon joked, sitting atop a wooden crate by the window.
Edric, however, simply responded in a quiet voice, "The new hideout has been secured—North Pine Forest, Lot 38."
"North Pine Forest? Damn, this time it’s pretty remote. Seems like you don’t want to be too close to the school anymore, huh?"
Hearing the address, Brandon chuckled, and Edrick gave a slight nod.
"Yes. Last time in Green Shade Town, things weren’t handled well, and it put the people inside the school on high alert. So this time, we decided to stay a bit further away."
"Mm… It’ll be a bit of a hassle to travel, but at least it’s safer. Since the location is set, we should hold a gathering, right?"
"Yes. The new hideout is secured, so we’ll be convening a meeting. All core members of the society must attend."
"Only the core members? Including you and me, that’s not even five people. Isn’t that too few? Shouldn’t we call more?"
"This meeting will determine our next move against those people. If too many attend, information could leak—especially among those who aren’t even Beyonders yet."
"According to ’the Detective’s’ plan, this time, we might be preparing for a major operation. If it goes well, we could wipe out those inside the school in one fell swoop."
Hearing this, Brandon pondered for a moment before nodding.
"That makes sense. Caution is best for now. So when’s the meeting?"
"Tonight. Exactly nine o’clock, North Pine Forest, Lot 38. Everyone must be there."
As Edrick firmly stated the time and place, two black spiders clung to the ceiling above, their many eyes silently observing the scene below.