43 Apocryphon

"Starting with the most relevant issue, let us discuss the true nature of Mysteries."

Nysa could see mixed expressions on the faces of Nave and Ilana. They weren't keen on informing outsiders about whatever they were about to discuss.

"Despite the Profane Lands spanning countless leagues within the three continents, there has only ever been a handful of recognized Mysteries. Why is that, you think? There's no lack of organized mystical orders in those territories, but few bear this ominous brand, and even fewer are known by the seven nations. Why?"

Nysa had never thought about this question before.

In truth, she had barely glossed over the subject of Mysteries during her studies, as it was irrelevant to her original mission. Most of what she knew came from her previous conversation with Iphiclus in the Theatre of Priene.

"The answer is simple." Yaen raised a finger. "The only thing distinguishing a Mystery from other occult organizations is their possession of a particular type of Relic—one that defines their entire existence and serves as the core for their beliefs and actions. We call it Apocryphon."

Nysa felt an abrupt shift in the flow of Mana. Its swirls became erratic, clashing against her mind in an attempt to grind it of its sanity.

As a qualified magus, she had been trained all her life to withstand such assaults, and this time was no different. Her blurred wits cleared away, and she sharpened her focus on Yaen's words, ignoring all other distractions.

Yaen seemed to notice the change in her mental state. He nodded with a satisfied grin. "Good. Most unprepared Occultists would have plunged into madness by merely hearing its name. You show promise."

He continued, "Mysteries such as the Henosis Seekers, the Macabre Pantomime, the Bloodthirst Pryers, and many more are based around the worship of a particular entity from the Reverse Boundary of the World. Now, when talking about that realm, most magi from the seven nations would think of Eidolons, but they're far from being its sole inhabitants."

"Obscure Numina, Primeval Gods, and even forgotten deities from the Third Era—there are all manners of unfathomable atrocities living there, and most gaze hungrily at the thriving life in this realm, each for different reasons."

A headache spread like the agonizing aftermath of a hammer strike on Nysa's skull, but she refused to voice her pain, enduring it as she listened to Yaen.

"Fortunately, thanks to the thin fabric of reality separating us from the Reverse Boundary of the World, they're seldom able to do much more than observe. That layer, aptly named Periphery, is the only thing keeping us from absolute devastation. But let's not dwell on such pessimistic things, right?"

Yaen dismissed the subject with a nonchalant wave, but Nysa could barely register his tone.

The flow of Mana was slowly crushing her thoughts into a chaotic jumble, and it took everything she had to understand what he was saying while holding onto her consciousness.

"Sometimes, these entities can manage to force a fraction of their power through small gaps in the Periphery. Such fragments of incredibly dense Mana consolidate over time into Relics, leading to the creation of what is known as an Apocryphon."

"In simpler terms, it's a conduit that links its user and a particular entity from the Reverse Boundary of the World. Through it, they can draw upon dark arts, perform sacrificial rituals, and even access certain brands of magecraft."

"For lack of a better classification, an Apocryphon can be considered a Divine Grade Relic, though it is far more dangerous to wield and extremely potent. You could even say that their existence is the sole reason the seven nations haven't attempted a thorough invasion of the Profane Lands yet."

Yaen tapped the table with his finger, and one of its stony fragments dug itself from its surface as if it had gained a will of its own. He clasped it with his hand, showing it off to Nysa.

"An Apocryphon can take any shape or form. An object, a living creature, a conceptual power—it truly obeys no bounds or rules. The reason I'm revealing this to you is tied to the foe we're about to face. I believe Jonam has told you about the presence of at least an Archangel in Priene, right?"

Nysa wiped a trickle of blood sliding down her nose as she nodded, unable to speak.

"The Henosis Seekers worship an accursed entity called the Primordial Seraphim."

Yaen spat its name with no fear nor reverence for the higher being, hatred apparent in his tone.

"It gifted its adorers with the Apocryphon of Ataxia. Although we're unaware of its shape, we know that it allows those zealots to call forth their God's twisted servants—misshapen, winged creatures we refer to as Empyrean Eidolons, or Angels in short."

"The sacrifices for such summons vary, but they often involve a substantial loss of sanity, extreme agony, or both. For now, we've concluded that they most likely have two Archangels on their side."

Nysa's splintering mind finally found relief when the discussion switched to the current events.

She caught her breath, enjoying the appeasement of her dissipating pain. Then, she remarked, "I thought they had only one Archangel? It fits what we've observed in the transitional base and the information extracted from Bianor's shadow."

Jonam interjected at that moment. "The Henosis Seekers might have been trying to confuse us. Upon further review, we realized that there were at least two types of magecraft employed at the level of a Nightmare-class Eidolon—the potent hypnosis and the Pale Malady."

Nave added, "Eidolons may be powerful, but they're highly specialized. Their aptitudes are often unique and rarely as diverse as a magus'. The discovered use of extreme hypnosis and the Pale Malady suggest the presence of at least two Archangels."

"We've gone through the Order's records for Empyrean Eidolons with similar abilities and found two likely matches," Yaen said. "Nahaliel, the Bearer of Maladies, and Araqiel, the Fall of Cognizance. They proved particularly troublesome in previous confrontations, though we did manage to slay them multiple times."

"Slay them multiple times?" Nysa frowned as she echoed Yaen's words.

"Eidolons cannot be truly killed," he answered. "They're bundles of sentient Mana. Once they die, they'll return to the Reverse Boundary of the World and be born anew, often with lasting grudges. This means that they have the ability to learn, and the methods used to slay them previously won't work again."