In the dimly lit train compartment, Dorothy began sorting through the mystical items she had retrieved from Sodod and Jim.
First was Sodod. He didn’t have many belongings, Dorothy only found a small amount of storage items, a mechanical ring, and two sigils.
The storerage item was a small red wooden block containing 1 point of Chalice spirituality. Upon careful inspection of the mechanical ring, Dorothy discovered that it could hold spiritual storage items and sigils. At a crucial moment, simply wiping the ring would activate its delicate spring mechanism, pressing the storage item or sigil onto the finger for instant activation—convenient and efficient, without the need to take them out manually. The sigil was a type Dorothy had never seen before, one associated with Lantern.
"This little mechanism isn’t bad. Even though it’s purely mechanical with no mystical components, it allows for one-touch activation of sigils, enabling their discreet use and quick deployment in combat. I should keep it."
With that thought, Dorothy stowed away the mechanical ring along with the other items before turning her attention to Jim’s belongings.
Jim also didn’t have much on him. The most valuable items were two silver coin-like Shadow spiritual storage items and a small black bottle containing less than 30ml of a colorless, odorless liquid. When Dorothy activated her appraisal skill and observed it through spiritual vision, she found that the liquid contained both Shadow and Chalice spiritual properties.
"This seems to be... the poison that afflicted Sodod? So this poison carries spiritual properties. That explains why Sodod, despite not being fatally wounded, ended up dying."
Staring at the small bottle, Dorothy considered its potential future uses and tossed it into her magic box. She was slightly disappointed that, although Jim did have spiritual storage items, they only contained a measly two points of energy. She immediately used them to recharge her Concealment Ring, restoring it to 2 points of Shadow.
"It still feels like I don’t have enough Shadow. If I run into a capable Beyonder, even a mere Apprentice-rank Lantern Beyonder could detect me, let alone a high-ranking Lantern Beyonder. After all, even a Lantern Apprentice has at least 5 points of Lantern Spirituality—I’d never win in a head-to-head spiritual battle."
After organizing the personal belongings of Sodod and Jim, Dorothy finally turned to the main event—the mysterious cargo that Sodod had been escorting, which Jim had stolen and was originally meant to be delivered to the Tivian’s Serenity Bureau.
This cargo was supposed to be inside Sodod’s locked briefcase, but Jim had used his phasing ability to extract it and place it in his own bag. That bag was now sitting on Dorothy’s table.
Dorothy had promised Sodod that she would recover the cargo, but she never agreed not to look inside. She intended to inspect the goods first before deciding whether to return them to the Serenity Bureau.
Without hesitation, Dorothy opened Jim’s bag. Inside was a document envelope sealed with the insignia of the Ulster’s Serenity Bureau. The seal bore a warning inscription:
[Cognitive Poison Warning! Ensure proper precautions before viewing.]
"Oh? A cognitive poison? Now this is getting interesting."
Seeing the words on the seal, Dorothy’s curiosity was piqued. She peeled off the seal, opened the envelope, and took out its contents.
Inside the envelope were a thin notebook and several photographs. Both the notebook and the photographs were stained with a significant amount of blood.
"A book and photos? And so much blood… Could it be Sodod’s blood?"
With a puzzled expression, Dorothy picked up the notebook and flipped it open. The bloodstains had long since dried and turned black, indicating that they had been there for quite some time—so they couldn’t be Sodod’s. The blood was already present when the notebook was acquired.
Without dwelling on the thought, Dorothy started reading. Most of the writing was obscured by the blood, making it difficult to decipher, but she managed to make out some parts. With a quick glance, she realized it was an investigative journal.
The journal recorded the journey of a Serenity Bureau Hunter Squad that had ventured into the Razor Mountains for an investigation. The case originated from reports of cult activity in the area.
"May 4: After much effort, we finally reached the outskirts of the Razor Mountains—a place hardly visited by civilized folk. Our carriage broke down halfway, leaving us covered in mud, and our clothes were torn by thorny vines. Damn it… If it weren’t for the reported deaths, we wouldn’t have bothered with this case or come to this godforsaken place. After walking this route, I finally understand why this land remains undeveloped."
"May 5: We found shelter in a mountain village. The locals are fairly hospitable, but their customs are unsettling—they eat spider eggs! An utterly disgusting ‘delicacy.’ After settling in, we began investigating for clues…"
"May 7: Following the leads, we ventured deeper into the Razor Mountains. The terrain became increasingly hostile, but thankfully, we found another village. The people here were far more xenophobic than the first. They were openly hostile at first, but after some explanation, their aggression subsided."
"May 8: My god… This village eats spider eggs too? And they claim to weave clothes from spider silk? What kind of spider has silk fine enough to make fabric?"
"May 8: These lunatics planned to execute an old man from the village! Their reason? Because he refused to eat spider eggs and was caught hoarding ‘forbidden items.’ We intervened and saved the old man, which angered the villagers, forcing us to flee. This savage land, untouched by the holy radiance of the Three Saints, desperately needs a church! Even a small one would do!"
"The old man showed us the so-called ‘forbidden item.’ It was a silver mirror with a crescent moon engraved on the back—resembling the symbol of Shadow. According to him, this was once the village’s sacred artifact, passed down through generations. He insisted that the spider-related practices were the real taboo. When I asked him why, he said…"
"May 9: Things are becoming more serious. We assigned one of our team members to escort the old man back to the first village while the rest of us pressed deeper into the mountains."
"May 10: We found ruins. They bore clear traces of religious significance, with architectural features similar to the Radiance Church—but with subtle differences in the details."
"May 11: More ruins. Many were deliberately destroyed, and judging from the damage, it wasn’t too long ago…"
"May 12: …Spiders… devouring the moon…"
Dorothy painstakingly deciphered what was readable amid the bloodstains. After reading all the meaningful content, she closed the notebook.
Then, she turned her attention to the photographs. Most of them depicted the team’s journey—villages, spider eggs, the silver mirror that was considered a sacred artifact, and ruined structures.
But one photo caught Dorothy’s particular attention.
It was a black-and-white image of a statue—a goddess statue, now heavily damaged.
In the photograph, the statue depicted a slender, graceful figure draped in a flowing veil. She held an object in her hands—something resembling both a mirror and a full moon.
But the statue’s head had been deliberately removed.
In its place, a crudely carved, grotesque spider head had been affixed.