Late at night, East Tivian.
In the secret chamber beneath the Boyle family mansion, a terrifying mummy apparition is loudly reciting ancient mystical poems. The dry, withered voice echoes through the narrow chamber, and any living being who hears it will suffer severe toxicity, their body and mind tortured to death or even mutation.
Inside the chamber, Nust, lying on the ground, uses all his strength to cover his ears, desperately trying to block out the mummy apparition’s voice. Unable to stand, he stares anxiously at Nephthys, who is also lying on the ground some distance away.
"Miss... run..."
Nust weakly calls out, but his voice is drowned out by the mummy’s recitation. The sinister poems continue to seep into Nephthys’ ears, invading her mind, and then... being extracted as spirituality.
“Thank you, Aka…”
Nephthys, unable to speak or even make any expression, silently thanks and rejoices in her heart. After her prayer, she can feel the factors in the poems that affect her mind being rapidly cleared away. She has experienced this feeling before—when she read ’The Queen’s Procession’.
After some time studying mysticism, Nephthys clearly understands the current situation. These mystical knowledges contain toxins, but the deity worshipped by the Rose Cross Order, the great Akasha, possesses the ability to cleanse these toxins. Now, Akasha is responding to her prayer, bestowing Their grace.
“This undead... it weakened me so much and now it’s trying to kill me with cognitive poison... Thanks to Aka, I’m fine now... but I still can’t do anything…”
Nephthys anxiously thinks to herself. Although she is no longer harmed by the toxins and her life is not in danger, she is still immobilized by the curse. The situation has reached a stalemate.Just as Nephthys is pondering what to do next, a familiar voice suddenly echoes in her mind.
"Great Aka, please convey to Senior Nephthys that she should now silently recite the following words in her heart…”
“I vow to follow this path, to practice its principles, to explore the hidden paths, to seek the traces of the underworld…”
In Nephthys’ mind, a chant recited by Dorothy slowly resonates. Nephthys is startled.
“This is... Miss Dorothy’s voice. Is this chant... going to help me escape this predicament?”
Nephthys thinks to herself, then immediately memorizes the chant Dorothy recited. Once she has it memorized, she begins to silently repeat it in her heart.
“I vow to follow this path…”
Meanwhile, the mummy apparition finally finishes its recitation. As it begins to gleefully inspect the scene, it suddenly freezes.
The mummy apparition looks at Nephthys lying on the ground, the ghostly flames in its eye sockets flickering slightly. Even though its dried face cannot show expression, a hint of astonishment seems to seep through.
"How is this possible... How can a mere mortal survive after hearing the complete ’Lament of the Dead’?"
The mummy apparition mutters as it stares at Nephthys. The ghostly flames in its eyes grow deeper, as if trying to discern the secrets within Nephthys.
"Who? Who is protecting you, little Boyle... Who dares to oppose me, Hafdar, the Prince of Tomb Sands! Show yourself!"
The mummy apparition roars, clearly aware that some mysterious force it cannot detect is protecting Nephthys. Unable to identify the source of this power, it vents its anger.
However, the response to the mummy apparition’s rage is Nephthys, who begins to move weakly on the ground.
“I vow to tread the path of Silence, but the road ahead is murky. I pray here, beseeching the truths of the outer world, the great Akasha, to disperse the clouds and show me the way…”
Silently reciting this in her heart, Nephthys struggles to stand up despite her weakened body. As the Silence spirituality within her is completely drained, Nephthys officially becomes a Beyonder—an Apprentice-rank Beyonder of the Silence path, a Spiritualist.
As a Spiritualist, Nephthys gains some resistance to the curses of Silence. Combined with the Devouring Sigil still active within her, she finally manages to move under the powerful curse. Under the mummy apparition’s gaze, she stands up despite the curse.
Then, with unsteady steps, Nephthys walks to the center of the chamber amidst the mummy’s curses. She grabs the scepter embedded in the stone pedestal and channels the accumulated Revelation spirituality into it. As the spirituality is infused, the amethyst embedded in the scepter flickers slightly, emitting a faint glow.
With the infusion of spirituality, the scepter is reactivated, and the curse protection for the Boyle family is restored. Shortly after channeling the spirituality, Nephthys feels the oppressive weakness rapidly fading. She can finally stand upright.
As Nephthys’ body quickly returns to normal, the mummy apparition begins to blur and distort, gradually fading. As the manifestation of the curse, its existence is about to disappear as the curse is resisted.
"Who! Who dares to oppose me! Who dares to protect the Boyles... I will curse you... When my power... is restored... I will make you... pay..."
The mummy apparition’s angry curses grow fainter as it gradually dissipates. The distorted voice becomes increasingly indistinct until, finally, the mummy apparition vanishes completely from the chamber, consumed by resentment. The weakness on Nephthys’ body is completely lifted.
"Phew..."
After sighing and gripping the scepter, Nephthys looks around and finally focuses on Nust, who is struggling to stand. She quickly runs over to help him up.
"Grandpa Nust, are you okay..."
"Cough... cough... I’m fine, miss. It’s just that I’m old, and such curses are hard to bear... Let’s go upstairs... and have some water..."
Coughing, Nust speaks. Hearing his words, Nephthys nods and helps the weakened Nust toward the chamber’s exit.
…
Late at night, inside the Boyle mansion.
Old butler Nust sits alone in a tea room on the first floor. After drinking some water and resting for a while, he finally catches his breath. Just then, he sees Nephthys coming down from upstairs and entering the tea room.
"Miss... how is your father now?"
"The curse is gone. Father looks much better now. He should be out of danger and will wake up soon..."
As she speaks, Nephthys sits down in the tea room, across from Nust. Hearing her response, Nust sighs in relief.
"That’s good..."
Sitting firmly in her seat, Nephthys looks at the relieved Nust and asks directly.
"Grandpa Nust, what exactly was that mummy apparition in the chamber? What does it have to do with my grandfather?"
"That... was the manifestation of the curse on the Boyle family. According to the old master, that mummy... is a powerful ancient undead from a tomb in North Ufiga... It calls itself Prince Hafdar of the Tomb Sands, a great noble from an ancient dynasty in North Ufiga..."
Recalling the past, Nust responds to Nephthys, who continues to ask curiously.
"Then, how did my grandfather provoke this undead, making it so angry that it cursed our entire family?"
"Well... I’m not entirely sure. I was originally a slave rescued by the old master. His adventures in North Ufiga were conducted with a more professional team. I usually just handled logistics in the city and rarely participated in the adventures…”
"So, I don’t know much about that undead. All I know is that once, the old master’s team was almost wiped out. Only a local girl from North Ufiga—your grandmother—brought him back, severely injured, along with a large amount of treasure, including that staff that resists curses. From then on, the old master used the staff to resist the curse. I think it was during this adventure that the old master provoked that undead... But he never told me exactly how..."
Recalling the past, Nust speaks to Nephthys. Hearing his words, Nephthys realizes that it was her grandmother who saved her grandfather after he provoked the undead.
After answering Nephthys’ questions, Nust looks at her with a serious expression and continues.
"Miss, now I have a question for you. Be honest with me. What kind of secret society have you joined? Not only can it resist curses, but it can also infuse Revelation spirituality into the scepter? Didn’t you say you just joined a student secret society at school? No hobby club could teach something like this..."
Nust asks with utmost seriousness. In Nephthys’ previous explanation, she claimed that her mystical knowledge came from a student interest club at school. But what kind of student club could teach something that can withstand the curse of an ancient undead from thousands of years ago? What kind of hobby club could distribute precious Revelation spirituality to its members!?
Faced with Nust’s barrage of questions, Nephthis is momentarily stunned. After a brief moment of thought, she responds.
"Well... Nust, there are many things I can’t explain to you right now. But... please rest assured, although I’ve encountered some things at school that involve the mysticism, I’m not in any danger now. My situation is very safe. Didn’t you see? We were just saved because of it..."
Nephthys speaks to Nust, who sighs after hearing her words.
"Sigh... Miss, if you don’t want to share your secrets, that’s fine. With the curse threatening the Boyle family, it’s good that you have the power to resist it. But I must remind you, in the mysticism world... there are no free lunches, no absolutely safe things. You must always remain vigilant..."
Nust speaks earnestly to Nephthys, who swallows hard and nods. Then Nust continues.
"However, I have one more question for you, miss. I hope you can answer... Miss, are you... truly a Beyonder now?"
Facing Nust’s question, Nephthys thinks for a moment, then places her hand on her chest and nods.
"Yes, Nust. I am now a Spiritualist... um... an Apprentice on the Silence path..."
"A Spiritualist..."
Hearing Nephthys’ words, Nust is momentarily stunned. His gaze at Nephthys becomes complex, and after a moment, he sighs and continues.
"Ah... I suppose this is what they call fate. The Boyle family... has once again had someone tread the path of Silence. The old master’s wish for his descendants to stay away from all this... may not come true..."
"Someone else tread this path... Nust, are you saying my grandfather was also a Silence Beyonder?"
Hearing Nust’s words, Nephthys asks curiously, and Nust nods firmly.
"Of course, and not a low-level one either. Otherwise, the old master wouldn’t have been able to escape from that ancient undead."
Nust says this, then looks at Nephthys with even greater seriousness.
"Having experienced too many life-threatening situations, the old master didn’t want his descendants to follow his path, to get involved in the mysticism world... So he never trained you or your father in any way... But now, you’ve stepped onto this path again. It must be fate…”
"Miss... I don’t know what you’ve experienced at school to walk the path of the Beyonder, but I know it’s probably unrealistic to ask you to give it up and return to a normal life... Since things have come to this, it’s better to guide you on the right path rather than let you blindly stumble into some great mistake.”
"To be honest, the old master left behind a notebook documenting his research on the path of Silence. This notebook contains many insights into the cultivation of the Silence path, including the accumulation of spirituality and the directions and rituals for advancement. It has become a mystical text. This notebook is currently sealed in the old family estate. If you’re truly committed to the path of Silence, I think this notebook will be of great help to you, at least helping you avoid some detours and risks."
Looking at Nephthys, Nust speaks. Hearing his words, Dorothy, who is connected to Nephthys’ vision, can’t help but feel a spark of interest.