Recaps

Cyril and Owen infiltrated Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos's ship to steal potion ingredients, but escaped before taking the safe after the crew discovered them. Back in Backlund, Haven confronted Cyril and demanded to know where he had gone.

• Cyril and Owen entered the ship through the Mirror World, and Owen prepared to divine the ingredients' locations while Cyril created a distraction below deck.
• Cyril triggered a series of explosions that drew the pirates away from the captain's cabin, allowing him and Owen to enter the room behind it.
• Cyril used tricks to delay the pirates and sent several metal boxes through a Mirror World door, but left Qilangos's safe behind when the crew arrived.
• The man in the brown leather jacket ordered the crew to abandon the dock, suspecting their captain had already run into trouble.
• Cyril and Owen returned to Backlund, where Cyril warned Owen that the leather-jacketed man had corrupted his mind.
• Haven entered Cyril's room and demanded an explanation for his secret trip, questioning whether Cyril's earlier gunshot wound had been revenge.

Cyril read that Qilangos had been killed, then visited Harvest Cathedral to fulfill his promise and persuade Father Utravsky to release the Vampire. He proposed letting the Vampire participate in the cathedral’s daily life so he could learn about Mother Earth’s teachings.

• Cyril read the news that Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos had been shot dead in Backlund.
• Owen visited Cyril, selected Beyonder materials for his Clown potion, and learned that Mother Earth had witnessed his promise to fulfill his debt at Harvest Cathedral.
• Cyril told Harven he was going to the cathedral and traveled to Daffodil Street that night.
• Cyril told Father Utravsky he had come to fulfill his promise and asked him to release the Vampire.
• Cyril suggested that Father Utravsky let the Vampire join the cathedral’s daily life so he could experience Mother Earth’s teachings.

Cyril persuaded Father Utravsky to release the vampire in the church basement, then tricked him into agreeing to follow the Earth Mother Goddess’s teachings. The vampire, Emlyn White, was forced by a psychological suggestion to clean the church while Cyril left.

• Cyril declined Father Utravsky’s invitation to visit the church daily and asked him to release the vampire from the basement.
• Father Utravsky opened the basement door, and a vampire lunged out before a silver-white dawn greatsword pinned him down.
• Cyril convinced the vampire to pretend to follow the Earth Mother Goddess’s teachings so he could leave the church.
• Father Utravsky’s Mental Terror Candle implanted a psychological suggestion in the vampire when he agreed.
• The vampire’s urge to clean took control of his body, and he told Cyril his name was Emlyn White and where his family lived.
• Cyril refused to notify the other Sanguine and left Emlyn cleaning the church.

Cyril Glay digested his Trickmaster potion and spotted the newly arrived Ince Zangwill, recognizing him despite his disguise. After Cyril threatened 0-08, the Quill arranged for Beyonder material to land in his hands, leaving Ince furious at its actions.

• Cyril performed a street magic act outside Backlund Steam Train Station and completely digested his Trickmaster potion.
• Cyril read news of the explosion in Tingen City and saw Ince Zangwill emerge from the station, recognizing his true appearance.
• Ince used 0-08 to write that Cyril had recognized him, but the Quill crossed out Cyril's name and passage when Cyril invoked it and hinted at exposing Ince to Adam.
• 0-08 wrote that a messenger would accidentally drop Beyonder material into Cyril Glay's hands, then left Ince staring angrily at the words on the wall.

Cyril picked up a mysterious metal box after sensing Spirit World creatures passing overhead. Ince Zangwill’s Quill rewrote his plans, and Panatia approached him with the Demoness Sect’s offer to cooperate with the Loen Royal Family.

• Cyril sensed powerful Spirit World creatures above the carriage stand and saw a half-bodied mummy pursued by tentacles covered in eyes.
• A metal box fell through Cyril’s newspaper, and he took it to bring to Owen rather than risk opening it.
• The Quill of Alzuhod forced Ince Zangwill to write conflicting stories about whether he should flee Backlund, then fell into a brief slumber.
• Panatia appeared before Ince Zangwill, identified his crimes, and tried to seduce him.
• Panatia offered Ince Zangwill protection in Backlund in exchange for cooperating with the Demoness Sect and the Loen Royal Family.

Cyril examined a mysterious silver handgun and learned from its accompanying letter that it was a powerful mystical weapon with dangerous side effects. He named it Peacemaker and burned the letter, while Ince Zangwill accepted Panatia's invitation to cooperate with the Demoness Sect.

• Ince Zangwill accepted Panatia's invitation and went with her to a nearby inn, while a blond priest observed that Ince had begun understanding his traits and had found an anchor in the world.
• Cyril took a metal box to Owen for a divination, confirmed it was safe, and opened it to find an ornate silver handgun and a parchment letter.
• Cyril read Ethan Love's letter, which explained the gun's Holy Silver Bullets, combat abilities, and effects that filled its holder with courage and drew it toward conflict.
• Cyril decided to name the gun Peacemaker, and Owen reacted skeptically to his explanation of the name.
• Cyril returned the parchment to Owen, then burned it to ashes.

Cyril went to Backlund's steam train station hoping to meet Klein and unexpectedly recognized him through the Gray Fog. He then visited Harvest Cathedral to seek help finding Meteorite Crystal, and Father Utravsky invited him to a Beyonder gathering.

• Cyril detoured to the steam train station, where he spotted Klein surrounded by Gray Fog and briefly exchanged nods with him.
• Klein recognized Cyril from Justice's investigation and considered whether to summon him above the Gray Fog before deciding to focus on finding lodging and work.
• Cyril went to Harvest Cathedral and failed to improve his relationship with Emlyn, who complained about his cleaning duties.
• Cyril asked Father Utravsky for advice about potion ingredients, and Utravsky revealed he organized a Beyonder gathering.
• Father Utravsky told Cyril to attend the gathering at the third floor of Maple Bar on Tuck Street in Backlund Bridge the day after tomorrow.

Cyril questioned Arrodes about Meteorite Crystals, mystical-item risks, and ingredients for future Potions before a mysterious force pulled him above the Gray Fog. He survived the palace’s rejection and faced Klein, who asked whether Cyril had spoken a language from another world.

• Cyril asked Arrodes where to find a Meteorite Crystal, and it revealed that House could redeem one from the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery.
• Arrodes warned Cyril about the mystical item’s danger of escalating conflict and identified sources of an Asman brain and a cursed item from an Ancient Wraith.
• Cyril told Arrodes that the person it wanted to follow had already arrived in Backlund, then forgot to ask it to contact House.
• A force from the gray fog pulled Cyril’s spirit into the ancient palace above the Gray Fog, where the palace initially rejected and weakened him.
• The rejection subsided, and Klein watched Cyril from the head of the long table and asked whether he had spoken a language from another world.

Cyrin met Klein Above the Gray Fog, where Klein questioned him about his language, Roselle, and the hidden being who had revealed the Fool’s Honorific Name. Klein invited Cyrin to join the Tarot gathering as the Wheel of Fortune, then divined whether Cyrin posed a danger to him.

• Klein asked Cyrin where he had learned Chinese and whether he knew Roselle, and Cyrin gave cautious answers.
• Klein questioned Cyrin about the being who had revealed his Honorific Name, and Cyrin described it as the Sublime from the Unknown, the Door Above the Dimensions, and the Incarnation of Art and Fantasy.
• Klein recognized that Cyrin was withholding some information but accepted that he could not speak directly about the other great beings.
• Klein invited Cyrin to join the regular Beyonder gathering, and Cyrin accepted using the name Cyrin Glay.
• Klein secretly guided Cyrin to choose the Wheel of Fortune as his Tarot codename and told him the gathering met every Monday at two in the afternoon, Backlund time.
• After Cyrin left, Klein sensed that Cyrin held major secrets and began a divination to see whether he was dangerous.

Cyril tried to secure help from Emlyn and House, but both prospects failed, leaving him to seek another way to obtain a Meteorite Crystal. At the Tarot Club gathering, he watched Hanged Man Alger present Roselle’s Diary and realized the others had ignored him.

• Cyril visited Harvest Cathedral, used a Gust to clear dust, and failed to persuade Emlyn to help him access Sanguine connections or find spiritually rich blood.
• Cyril asked Arrodes to prompt House to pray to him, but learned that House was being treated by the Machinery Hivemind for disturbing artistic behavior.
• Cyril waited for the Tarot Club gathering and arrived above the Gray Fog, where Fool Klein briefly scrutinized him.
• Hanged Man Alger offered nineteen pages of Roselle’s Diary as payment for help against Qilingus and presented the six pages he had memorized.
• Cyril noticed that everyone at the gathering seemed to have ignored him.

Klein welcomed Cyril, the new Tarot Club member known as Mr. Fate, and explained two laws governing Beyonder characteristics. The members traded for an explanation of neighboring Pathways, while Cyril offered information about the Secret Order in exchange for assistance.

• Klein introduced Cyril as Mr. Fate, and Audrey, Alger, and Derrick greeted him.
• Klein explained the Law of Indestructibility and the Law of Conservation of Beyonder Characteristics.
• Alger offered to investigate the Secret Order for Klein in exchange for learning what neighboring Sequences were, and Audrey and Derrick joined the transaction.
• Cyril revealed that he knew about both the Secret Order and neighboring Sequences and asked to trade his information for assistance; Klein agreed and suggested members could trade directly.
• Klein explained that neighboring Pathways could replace one another at high Sequences, giving examples from the God of Death, God of Combat, and Evernight Pathways.

Cyril explained how Beyonders could switch between adjacent Pathways and traded information with Justice Audrey, while Klein introduced sacrifice and bestowal rituals to help members transact across distances. The chapter ended with Cyril revealing that Zaratul had become an insane Sequence 1 and offering the third law of Beyonder Characteristics as a reward for help obtaining a Meteorite Crystal.

• Justice Audrey asked which Pathways the Spectator Pathway could switch to, and Cyril offered to answer for one hundred pounds.
• Cyril explained the adjacent Pathways and the higher Sequences available after switching, then Klein taught Cyril and Audrey the rituals for sacrifice and bestowal.
• Audrey arranged to receive Alger's promised Seven-Colored Lizard Dragon pituitary gland through the new rituals.
• Cyril traded Secret Order intelligence for help from one of Klein's Blessed in Backlund, revealing that Zaratul had reached Sequence 1 and gone insane.
• Cyril asked for help obtaining a Meteorite Crystal and offered to reveal the third law of Beyonder Characteristics in return.

At the Tarot Club, Cyril offered to share a law of Beyonder Characteristics while members discussed finding a Meteorite Crystal and vetting two potential recruits. After the gathering, Audrey successfully performed a sacrificial ritual for the Fool, and Cyril learned that he could perform the same ritual.

• Cyril said he would share the supplementary law of Beyonder Characteristics at the next gathering, while Audrey, Alger, and Derrick offered to look for a Meteorite Crystal.
• Audrey asked to bring two Beyonder women from Backlund into the Tarot Club, and Klein said they would need to be vetted discreetly.
• After the gathering ended, Klein examined the strange pattern on Cyril's chair and divined the danger of the Meteorite Crystal task.
• Audrey performed the sacrificial ritual in her bedroom and sent 100 pounds through the illusory door to the Fool.
• Cyril saw Klein through gray fog and learned that his own attempt at the ritual had succeeded.

Cyril considered joining the Machinery Hivemind after Max Livermore and Carlson offered him a position, but he valued his freedom and the ability to pursue the Apprentice Pathway. Max then proposed that Cyril instead cooperate with the church as an informant among freelance Beyonders.

• Cyril examined gold pounds delivered through Sefirah Castle and noticed Gray Fog continued to surround him.
• Max Livermore and Carlson visited Cyril to invite him to join the Machinery Hivemind.
• Max explained the church's pay, resources, and benefits, but Cyril decided that joining would restrict his freedom.
• Max told Cyril that Backlund's churches lacked later Apprentice Pathway formulas and warned that Welch Stams was suspected of joining the Gnosis Society.
• After Cyril said he preferred a quieter life, Max offered him the alternative of working as a church informant among freelance Beyonders.

Klein visited Harvest Cathedral to find Emlyn White and discovered that Cyril had sent him on a simple errand: persuade Emlyn to finish his volunteer work so he could leave and contact the Sanguine. Emlyn agreed to help Klein obtain Beyonder material and asked him to find Cyril, while Klein returned to his detective agency thinking about charging Mr. Fate for expenses.

• Klein arrived at Harvest Cathedral and met Emlyn White, who mistook him for someone sent by his parents to rescue him.
• Klein concealed Cyril's involvement and said he needed Beyonder material from the Sanguine.
• Emlyn revealed his grudge against Cyril and explained that he could not contact the Sanguine while he remained at the cathedral.
• Father Utravsky clarified that Emlyn could leave once he finished his volunteer work, prompting Emlyn to clean the cathedral eagerly.
• Emlyn agreed to contact the Sanguine for Klein and asked him to help find Cyril so he could beat him up.
• Klein gave Emlyn his detective card and address, then returned to his rented house and considered adding expenses to Mr. Fate's bill.

Cyril was attacked by an invisible Spirit World Creature that stole the Peacemaker, then crossed paths with a Demoness fleeing a black-robed pursuer. He followed the creature through an Illusory Door into the Spirit World and tried to recover his gun, but his Jacob’s Wallet produced the wrong item.

• Cyril agreed to pay 700 pounds for the Meteorite Crystal and headed to a Beyonder gathering to sell materials and Holy Silver Bullets.
• A Spirit World Creature ambushed Cyril in the East District, and he used a flash and silver bullets before fleeing toward the warehouse district.
• Cyril encountered a Demoness being pursued by a black-robed man, who disrupted her invisibility with lightning.
• The creature opened an Illusory Door and stole Cyril’s Peacemaker, so Cyril followed it into the Spirit World as the black-robed man tried to stop him.
• Cyril reached into Jacob’s Wallet to retrieve the Peacemaker but pulled out a square tin box instead.

Cyrin helped Trissy escape her pursuer, then learned she was connected to the Loen royal family and accepted a reward from her butler. The Quill of Alzuhod’s attempt to script Cyrin’s choices was cut short when someone closed the notebook.

• Cyrin used Wallet Bro’s power to steal a jeweled pistol from the rat-headed octopus and escaped the Spirit World Creature with the Demoness’s help.
• The Demoness followed Cyrin to a crowded East District street, where a royal carriage arrived and she introduced herself as Trissy Cheek.
• Trissy asked her butler Finkel to reward Cyrin, who accepted ten-pound notes and learned he could seek help at Red Rose Manor.
• Cyrin shook off people following him for his money and hurried to old Mr. Eye of Wisdom’s gathering.
• The black quill wrote that Trissy would return to Red Rose Manor and Cyrin would stay away from her and Prince Edessak, but an unseen hand grabbed the quill and closed the notebook.

Cyril attended old Mr. Eye of Wisdom’s gathering, sold his Beyonder materials, and suspected he had attracted followers. He ambushed and killed a shadow-wielding Beyonder with Peacemaker, but the gun’s recoil badly injured his hand, while the two people trailing him escaped.

• Cyril arrived late at old Mr. Eye of Wisdom’s gathering and said he had encountered a Demoness on the way.
• Cyril recognized Black Wolf as someone seeking divination and tracking items, then watched the plump Apothecary fail to find the materials he needed.
• Cyril sold all his Beyonder materials, including Holy Silver Bullets, for 1,500 pounds and received an order for more bullets.
• After leaving the gathering, Cyril sensed someone following him and boarded a carriage, while two figures watched it depart.
• A shadow creature attacked Cyril beneath the carriage, but he used Peacemaker’s Bullet Storm to kill the hidden Beyonder.
• Cyril noticed the gun’s recoil had torn his hand, and the two followers disappeared before he could confront them.

Cyril sent Klein money to buy Meteorite Crystal, and Klein arranged a trade with Emlyn at the Sanguine gathering. Emlyn revealed that Father Utravsky was a Blessed of Mother Earth, and Klein’s detective business appeared poised to receive its first real commission.

• Cyril returned home, repaid Haven, and performed a sacrificial ritual to send Klein eight hundred pounds for the Meteorite Crystal.
• Klein accepted Cyril’s payment and divined whether trading with Emlyn would go smoothly and carry hidden risks.
• Klein met Emlyn at Harvest Cathedral, gave him a three-hundred-pound deposit, and arranged to complete the Meteorite Crystal trade the next day.
• Emlyn asked Klein for help removing his psychological suggestion, then explained that Father Utravsky was a Blessed of Mother Earth and the high-ranking Sanguine refused to intervene.
• After Klein returned to his rented house, a boy in an old overcoat and bowler hat knocked at his door.

After receiving the Fool's guidance, Cyril obtained the Meteorite Crystal, prepared and drank the Astrologer Potion, and glimpsed the Astral World. The potion exposed him to dangerous whispers, so Adam pulled him into his mind to confront a hostile double, where Cyril began fighting back with his abilities.

• Cyril performed the ritual and received the Meteorite Crystal through the Illusory Door.
• Cyril combined the ingredients to make the Astrologer Potion and drank it, gaining advanced astrology and a glimpse of the Astral World.
• Cyril heard whispers from the Astral World and the High-Dimensional Overseer, and his connection to his body began to weaken.
• Adam guided Cyril into the depths of his mind and warned him to destroy the polluted negative personality that formed there.
• Cyril's armed double attacked him with a gun and blade, while Cyril dodged the shots and used Fog Creation to summon a tornado.
• Cyril gathered his thoughts and conjured a Brilliant Spark as the fight continued.

Cyril fought his Split Personality within his mind and used an imagined version of Adam’s Corpse Cathedral to gain an advantage. He left his opponent trapped in thickening ice while trying to suffocate him.

• Cyril discovered that his imagined Peacemaker and other objects had appearances but lacked their original powers, while his Split Personality’s weapon benefited from the same Fantasy.
• Cyril and his Split Personality exchanged gunfire, wind attacks, and a crystalline beam as the other’s marksmanship steadily improved.
• Cyril summoned Adam’s Corpse Cathedral, allowing Adam’s power to intervene through their mystical connection and disrupt the balance.
• The Split Personality’s Peacemaker exploded, injuring his hand, and Cyril blinded him with Flash before taking his knife.
• Cyril trapped the Split Personality in poisonous smoke, then repeatedly used Freeze to thicken the ice around him and try to suffocate him.

After Cyril killed his Split Personality and returned from the Bone Church, he examined the changes from advancing to Astrologer. Adam explained what he had learned about Fantasy before leaving Cyril to investigate whether anything unusual or unknown was nearby.

• Cyril repeatedly froze and struck the Split Personality until it broke apart and vanished, bringing him peace and relief.
• Cyril returned to his body, calmed himself after seeing the star-like flesh buds, and reviewed his new Astrologer abilities.
• Cyril asked Adam whether the battle in his mind had been a deliberate test, and Adam confirmed he had studied Fantasy.
• Adam explained that Fantasy projected traits and powers from other dimensions, then suggested the Mirror World might enhance Cyril's abilities.
• After Adam's voice faded, Cyril prayed to the Fool to investigate him and any unknown presences around him.

After Klein warned Cyril that two people were watching him, Cyril confronted them outside his home and fought off their attacks. A monstrous presence trapped him in the darkness just as an official carriage approached.

• Klein answered Cyril’s prayer, spotted two watchers near Cyril’s residence, and sent Cyril their image with a cryptic warning.
• Cyril divined that the watchers meant him harm, armed his Peacemaker, and went outside to confront them.
• Cyril opened fire with Holy Silver Bullets, destroying one attacker and forcing the other to escape through a painted substitute.
• Cyril deceived the painted woman with an empty gun, then used a flash and a Slumber charm to fend off an attack from the shadows.
• A bloodshot scarlet eye and beastly roar appeared in the darkness, and Cyril sensed danger as a fast-moving carriage approached.
• Cyril snapped his fingers and unleashed a blinding burst of light as the threat loomed.

Cyril used divination to learn how Zoila Hernandez recruited the Black Wolf Gang leader and brought him to watch Cyril’s home. After discovering that Zoila was investigating him, Cyril decided to deal with her threat and explore the Mirror World.

• A Storm Priest arrived after lightning destroyed a shadow creature that had attacked a half-eaten corpse near Cyril’s home.
• Cyril reassured Haven that the Church of the Lord of Storms would handle the commotion, then examined a tainted ear he had taken from Jacob’s Wallet.
• Using the ear and a glass crystal ball, Cyril divined that Zoila Hernandez had promised the Black Wolf Gang leader revenge and a Potion formula in exchange for his faith.
• Cyril recognized the Black Wolf as a Listener tainted by the True Creator and learned that he had followed Zoila to watch Cyril’s home.
• Cyril divined that a black Painting Scroll had released the shadow creature, which attacked the Black Wolf’s corpse, and decided to deal with Zoila and investigate the Mirror World.

Cyril went to Harvest Cathedral seeking Beyonder supplies, then entered the Mirror World despite finding none. After wandering its paths, he heard a woman praying and connected his location to hers, revealing a beautiful Demoness in a luxurious bedroom beyond a mirror.

• Cyril visited Harvest Cathedral, where Emlyn realized Cyril had advanced using the Meteorite Crystal Detective had bought through him.
• Emlyn refused to sell Cyril potions, and Father Utravsky said the Church could only buy back Apothecary or Farmer Pathway characteristics.
• Cyril returned home, prepared his room, and entered the Mirror World to explore it.
• Cyril used the Cold-Blooded Longblade as a dowsing rod to navigate the Mirror World's paths and avoid hidden dangers.
• Cyril heard a woman's prayers in Ancient Hermes, divined that they were real, and used his spirituality to connect distant parts of the Mirror World.
• Cyril formed a mirror-like portal and saw a beautiful Demoness standing before a mirror in a luxurious bedroom.