The Secret Cult Chronicles of the Decaying Lake Manor

Stone rested his elbows on the armrests of the soft chair, his fingers touching, and began to speak to George.

"Regarding your parents' spiritual path... they did indeed often discuss some very profound questions here in the past."

Stone explained, "Your mother inherited her family's secret knowledge and embarked on the path of 'Crescent Moon'; while Edward is a staunch follower of the path of 'Candle'."

Stone paused for a moment, his slender fingers gently tapping his knee.

"Edward initially summoned me to organize and protect these books, and later Lady Edlina would also ask me for details about the Dreamland."

"I have a fairly good understanding of the habits and rituals of spirit beings, and her understanding of astrology and music also allows me to learn new things."

George listened quietly.

In the original owner's memories, his mother was gentle and loving, but never showed any signs of being extraordinary. Now it seems that those memories were just the tip of the iceberg.

"So, Stone, do you know which parts of the tower I can access now?" George began slowly. "When I came in just now, it seemed there was only one path leading to this library—that's not normal, is it?"

The old man jumped off the chair and paced around the study, making a soft "tap-tap" sound on the carpet.

"That's right, Edward gave me some instructions before he fell into a coma. You can only access this library and a storage room on the first floor of the tower for now."

He shook his head, seemingly feeling helpless about the restrictions.

"You can't go into the deeper parts of the tower yet... Your father has arranged a gradual learning path for you. He seems worried that you'll be exposed to too much at once, which makes sense to some extent."

Stone lowered his voice: "When he was young, he suffered because he was too eager for quick success, which was the only major mistake he made before his advancement."

George nodded, which was consistent with the "madness" risk mentioned in the Viscount's notes.

"So, what can you do for me right now?" he asked directly.

A rather proud smile appeared on Stone's face: "I can help you find books in this library. Your father has allowed me to provide you with three—note, only three—books that you think you need most right now."

"You can tell me which three books you want, and I'll help you find them from this mountain of books."

"Only three books?" George looked around at the seemingly endless rows of books. "How many books are there?"

"Two thousand seven hundred and forty-two books—not counting loose manuscripts, maps, and letters," Stone quoted a precise number.

"These precious materials were mainly collected by your grandfather, Viscount Charles de la Porte, who stopped climbing after the age of fifty and instead devoted himself to alchemy and funding expeditions to various parts of the world... Your father inherited his research and added many annotations to the documents collected here."

There were over two thousand books, but only three could be borrowed.

George thought for a moment.

The manor is currently facing the threat of the Lord of the Flies' retinue, as well as Frederick's mutation.

He was already developing medicine to control the disease, but the more fundamental solution lay in understanding how to reverse that transformation.

In addition, he had just founded the "Holy Light" society and needed more systematic ritual knowledge to guide Elliott and Bates.

"I need a book about the foundations and principles of rituals," George suggested first. "The more systematic the better, ideally covering the principles of different caliber rituals."

Stone blinked, then turned and moved among the bookshelves against the wall, his fingers flying across the spines of the books.

In less than half a minute, he pulled out a thick, hardcover book from the middle.

He walked up to George and handed him the book.

The Book of the Threshold

The cover features a complex geometric pattern composed of circles, triangles, and countless interwoven lines, with a line of small print below the title: "The Secret Order of Atropos, 1247".

"This book is a collection of rituals created by a mysterious group that venerates a rare follower named Siwei 'Yuanjin,' and it is quite useful for scholars who cannot live without ritual arrangements."

"You can find most of the classic rituals in the book, invoking various forces, summoning and dispelling them, influencing the material world, and even altering one's own form—but I hope you will approach the knowledge within with caution."

Stone briefly introduced the contents of the book, and then asked:

"What are your thoughts on the remaining two books?"

George hesitated.

It's uncertain whether the disaster on the island will continue to escalate, and besides, my [Rationality] card also needs time to recover.

Suddenly, something occurred to him, and he asked Stone, "I remember the mystery of the 'Crescent Moon' includes 'stars' and 'strings'?"

"That's right, and of course, there's 'Candle.' Would you like a book related to the Dream Weaver, the Queen of the Lake, and the God of Balance and Change?"

George nodded.

"Are there any books that are related to the 'crescent moon' theme, that my mother has been interested in, but that are also easy to read and understand, and suitable for beginners?"

"Ah, let me think... there's a document she translated herself that might meet your requirements."

Stone ran into the pile of old papers, and after a while, he came out satisfied, holding a scroll in his hand.

"This is the loot of an expedition sponsored by the second viscount in Bharata. Because it was written in Sanskrit and the secret language of some dream creatures, and involved many profound concepts, it has never been deciphered."

Stone handed George a scroll that looked like parchment.

"The lady spent six months translating it, and the Viscount called it 'The Secret of the Night Watch'—this was many years ago, but it is probably the closest document to what you requested."

George took the reel and thanked him.

Even if they don't find any clues about their mother, at least Eliot and Bates now have books to read.

Under Stone's expectant gaze, he continued, "Can I retain the option to choose the final book?"

"Of course, that's a wise choice. Restraint is a very important lesson in the Breaker stage, and you did a great job." Stone nodded.

The book selection was over, but George had no intention of leaving immediately.

The little elf in front of me seems to have been involved in the family's extraordinary affairs for a long time, so he must know something about what happened back then.

So he continued talking to Stone.

George soon discovered that Stone was more talkative than he had imagined, and he continued to ask questions, which Stone answered one by one.

However, this little elf clearly also had a strong sense of boundaries, and it skillfully defused some of the questions George had intentionally or unintentionally raised about five years ago and the Viscount's path.

The reason is also quite good—"I do not wish to mislead you on the issue of the ascent of humanity's path; the Viscount himself is far more qualified to speak on this matter than I am."

If George wants to maintain his established persona, he is destined not to ask questions that are too direct or exceed the limits of "curiosity".

After answering a few more questions about Viscountess Edrina Van der Burgh, Stone shrugged.

"I'm sorry, but I probably don't have much time left this time."

It explained to George, "There's a time limit for each time we come from the Dreamland to the material world. It's been about that long since you opened the tower to let me in."

"The Viscount should have given you a tool for entering and exiting the tower. With that, you can open the door on the third floor at any time. After that, you can go downstairs to the storage room; there should be some things the Viscount left for you there."

George nodded, thanked the friendly and talkative Stone, and watched him slowly fade away like a shadow being gradually illuminated, before disappearing completely.

There were no plot twists such as the tower containing malicious creatures as a subsequent test, or the viscount's summoned creatures harboring ill intentions.

After that, he tried to approach the bookshelf, but was blocked by an invisible force.

George's plan to get the books for free failed, and he had to leave the library dejectedly with the books and scrolls.