Working in the Rue Cathedral, Lea was making progress in her recovery. Chatting with other people of the cloth, her current position now is simir to a nun, taking care of chores and not her previous duty in that town.

  Her application for the Church's extraordinary force was sent, but she still needs a week for it to be evaluated and approved. Bureaucracy haunts everything, after all, even the holiest of organizations.

  While cleaning up the instruments for Mass, she takes a look outside the balcony, seeing the city from above.

  Although Ein isn't the most prosperous city in the Empire, it is still more developed than her hometown. She could see brick buildings next to each other, apartment complexes further back, and factories billowing out bck smog in the industrial area. What Lea found most fascinating were the steam cars.

  Her town did not have them, only horse-drawn carriages. Here, she could not even see a single stallion.

  It was a bit overwhelming for Lea, but she knew she had to adapt. Because the world she was about to plunge into is even more strange and dangerous.

  And tonight is the night when she'll meet the mysterious woman in the bck and white void. After a week had passed, she had been dreading this day.

  Looking at the sun going down slowly, Lea finished her work and returned to her room. A simple temporary room with a bed and a work station for her to use.

  A bitter expression crossed her face, and she clenched her fist. All of her memories, things she collected, gifted by the children of her hometown, were reduced to rubble.

  She is the only person who was left.

  Even if she could go back, there was nothing she could do against absolute power... the sense of hopelessness grasped her, making her want to cry.

  But a voice whispered into her mind, startling her.

  "Get ready for the meeting.", that serene and soft voice again...

  Lea took a look at the bronze pocketwatch on the side of her bed, the only thing she was given by the Crimson Tempr after their excavation. It was the only thing that remained intact.

  "Four after dark...", she muttered as she stared at it.

  She closed her eyes and y in her bed, resigning herself to the mysterious entity.

  In an instant, she was pulled in by an unknown force. As she was dragged into the water and then pulled out—

  Opening her eyes, she saw the bck void with the bck hole forming a white event horizon now in the sky instead of the background.

  But unlike st time, this pce bore the appearance of a great library hall, filled with countless books and endless shelves expanding toward the horizon in all directions.

  Lea found herself sitting on a wooden chair, adjacent to the unknown woman in a robe. Once again, Lea tried to profile her, only to find a single word to describe this woman.

  Beautiful.

  The cognition hazard covering her face makes whatever impression of her slip away. Lea found it disturbing.

  I can't fathom who she is... Lea thinks to herself, feeling on edge.

  "Welcome, lost soul.", she spoke in that serene and calm tone, one that can make people instinctively lower their guard, "As per the sacred rule of reciprocal hospitality, you must introduce yourself first as the guest."

  Lea was startled, but she soon calmed down. For some reason, defying this entity's words will not bring out a good outcome.

  She pced her hand on her chest, bowing respectfully, "Lea Darkwill, a cleric of the Church of the Three Rings."

  Her intuition warned her that... this being is unique, unfathomable...

  Then the entity spoke. A faint feeling of divinity and unknown horror enveloped the space.

  "Alchemist of Infinity;Embracer of Origin, Child of Purity and Silver;The Monarch cd in Argent Light."

  A... Monarch...? Lea widens her eyes, but something else caught her attention. The way this entity introduced herself using... Honorific Title.

  Only those deemed as demigods or gods can possess them. The aura of divinity meant that...

  This being was either one of those.

  "You can call me Keter.", there was a casualness that dispelled the sacred divinity previously, making Lea even more confused.

  "Why did you bring me here, K— Lady Keter?", she almost didn't add honorifics to the divine being in front. That was a close one.

  "Because you have potential, child.", Lady Keter crossed her arms with a knowing smile, "I was merely curious about someone who had caught my attention."

  "And you have the qualification to enter this pce."

  Lea looked around the giant library that seemed infinite, she carefully asked, "What is this pce, Lady Keter?"

  A sly smile formed, "You indeed have the qualification to enter this pce, but it isn't enough for you to know..."

  "Maybe when you reach the Seventh Step, I shall tell you.", the sharpness in her eyes increased, as if giving Lea a challenge.

  "Seventh Step...", she muttered, it is the final advancement of a Pathstrider to her limited knowledge, she knows it will be hard, but...

  Lea stared at the entity before her, "Lady Keter... perhaps you could help me on my journey into the mystical world?"

  Lady Keter stayed silent with a smile; each second made Lea more anxious, thinking if she had offended this being by asking for help.

  "My domain is this pce and this pce only, I can only give you advice.", she tapped the table once before continuing, "For example, which Attribute should you choose to become a Pathstrider?"

  That was a very important question for her, as it will be the thing that dictates her destiny from that point onward.

  "Respectable Lady Keter, what Path do you think I should choose?", she carefully asked.

  With a brief moment of silence, Lady Keter spoke.

  "Everyone has a main Attribute that fits them the most, greatly reducing the chance of becoming a Horror. You could go for Regression, which is practically immune to madness.", she stated with a smile.

  But Regression seems the weakest... maybe that's the price for avoiding becoming a Horror... Lea thought inwardly.

  The Lady continued, "From my observation, you are most compatible with Malediction."

  "Malediction?", Lea frowned, "That one doesn't belong to the Neutral Series..."

  "No, it belongs to the Negative Series, or rather... the Annihition Series. The ritual is rather safe; you just need to hurt someone while chanting the Honorific Title."

  She has no knowledge of this... but from the name alone, it is bad news. Lea gred at the entity, feeling a sense of anger rising.

  "No, I don't want to walk on the Path of Malediction, or any of the Negative Series you spoke of. I am a servant of the Lord, I was taught to help others and cleanse the wicked in my and others' hearts!!"

  Lady Keter widens her eyes for a moment, her smile widening, "Order is it then. Out of 142 Attributes, you chose the simplest one."

  She shook her head and sighed, leaving Lea a bit frustrated.

  "How about Judgement? What do you think about it?"

  "You cannot handle the pull of Judgement.", she spoke with an aura of divinity, making Lea unconsciously sweat and tense up, "With the fire of vengeance burning in you, I would be surprised if you manage not to go insane after three days."

  "Order is the second most stable Attribute after Regression, you'd better follow that.", she stated ftly.

  Feeling the intensity of the divine suppression, Lea bowed her head down under the pressure. Her mind so so consumed with malice that she forgot she was facing...

  A divine being.

  "Forgive me... Lady Keter...", she managed to get those words out, "Thank you for your advice..."

  The pressure vanished. Lea was dumbfounded, wondering if the pressure was just an illusion.

  "Very well.", she nodded at the woman's submission, "As a bonus, I will give you the Honorific Title for Malediction, you can use it for your Second Step if you want to."

  "There is no need...", Lea bowed, waving her hands in rejection.

  But the Lady of the Library ignored her.

  "The Malice within One's Soul;Fire that Consumes All;Malediction of Malevolent."

  Those words resonated with the library for a moment, confirming it to be the genuine Honorific Title.

  "Oh, and Order goes like this.", a smile spread on her face, "The genuine one."

  "Array of Peace and Bance;Void Conqueror of the Matrix;Order under the Beholder."

  The library hummed again, confirming it to be true. Lea felt a strange omen coming, as if feeling the future in front of her...

  Is... there something wrong with the Honorific Name I am about to receive from the church?... she specuted inwardly, staring at Lady Keter.

  "That's about it, child. If you want to know more, by equivalent exchange, you have to offer me something that can satisfy me."

  Offering!! That is something only gods can receive!! Lady Keter is a god!!

  Lea was now in full panic mode, even if the divine in front of her doesn't belong to her church, offending ANY god is something a mortal CANNOT do!!

  Lady Keter ignored her internal panic and continued, "Well, to make offerings to me, you need to make a formal Contract."

  "But I... I am a servant of the Lord...", Lea tried to reject it weakly. But deep down, her greed fred up, to get help from this being, a god that is willing to help her...

  There is a saying, 'Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves'. Who better to drag down but her enemy?

  Lady Keter stares silently, smiling as if knowing her thoughts already.

  "Alright...", she accepted with a heavy heart.

  "I, the Monarch cd in Argent Light, offer to you—"

  Lady Keter's words resonated with the Library, rumbling and humming an ancient chorus she could not understand.

  "Lea Darkwill, child under The Admirer's Light, to become my window to the outside world."

  Window to the outside world? Is she... stuck here? Lea ruminate on those words. Yes... a being so powerful and unfathomable, being entirely unknown, she must be a Sealed God or, at the very least, a Forgotten One.

  A Sealed God may be dangerous, but a Forgotten One not so much with their divinity depleted. But they follow the same principle.

  As long as Lea does not pray to this god wholeheartedly, they will not corrupt her.

  "I accept.", she unconsciously drew the symbol of the Three Rings on her chest. She was tensed for a moment, but seeing Lady Keter not caring, she let out a sigh of relief.

  "Very well, Lea Darkwill.", she smiled, "The weekly meeting is about to start, so prepare yourself."

  "Weekly meeting?", Lea tilted her head and asked.

  "Yes, a certain someone wanted this to be called the Tarot Club, but I rejected it. It sounded dumb. So I opted for..."

  "The Argonauts."