Lord of the Mysteries Volume 2

Lord of the Mysteries #2

by Ai Qianshui de Wuzei, Cuttlefish That Loves Diving

With the rising tide of steam power and machinery, who can come close to being a Beyonder? Shrouded in the fog of history and darkness, who or what is the lurking evil that murmurs into our ears?

Waking up to be faced with a string of mysteries, Zhou Mingrui finds himself reincarnated as Klein Moretti in an alternate Victorian era world where he sees a world filled with machinery, cannons, dreadnoughts, airships, difference machines, as well as Potions, Divination, Hexes, Tarot Cards, Sealed Artifacts…

The Light continues to shine but mystery has never gone far. Follow Klein as he finds himself entangled with the Churches of the world—both orthodox and unorthodox—while he slowly develops newfound powers thanks to the Beyonder potions.

Like the corresponding tarot card, The Fool, which is numbered 0—a number of unlimited potential—this is the legend of “The Fool”.

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Light Novel, Horror, Fiction, China, Steampunk

1113 pages, Unknown Binding

About the author

Associated Names:
* 爱潜水的乌贼 (Simplified Chinese) / 愛潛水的烏賊 (Traditional Chinese)
* Ai Qianshui de Wuzei / Cuttlefish That Loves Diving (English)
* อ้ายเชียนสุ่ยเตออูเจ๋ย (Thai)

Reviews

[Mika (semi-hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introduction

In the first volume Klein Moretti failed his suicide attempt and had to clean up the scene to not leave any traces behind of what happened. In the second volume Sherlock Moriarty has risen from the dead and is determined to investigate mysterious cases, trying to find any clues left behind. In his investigations as private detective he slowly uncovers the truth of his own murder.

What is a miracle? A miracle is to be resurrected from the dead!

(Also, what is Dorian Gray doing in this novel? And how did he become a teacher? From student to teacher; he grows up so fast!)

Plot

So much happened in these 1000+ pages. Bombing, meteor showers, battles between powerful deities and much more. Let's discuss this chronologically.

Klein Moretti going incognito
The ‘coincidences’ seem like a cruel fate that Klein Moretti can't escape from. He attends secret gatherings and joins a club. It feels similar to the first book only that he lost the connections to his family and the Nighthawks. He ventures in Backlund all alone; crafting a revenge plan to avenge all that died at the end of the first volume.

Klein Moretti's growth
Klein Moretti seems to mature along with other characters such as Audrey Hall and Derrick Berg. His growth is just more subtle and slower. He is also smarter than he lets on. The cards play into his hands every time.

Investigations
What I enjoyed a lot in this volume is the change of perspective in investigations related to assassinations and murder cases. It is no longer about how the Nighthawks or similar organisations investigate, but it's now about the investigations of detectives.

Battles
First of I appreciate how each battle is tense and Klein Moretti doesn't have plot armor. He can die, there is urgency. I enjoy that 'cause I can genuinely have fun without it being obvious that the protagonist wins. That makes the battles more thrilling!

Other plot points
- Deeper understanding of the history of dynasties, empires and kingdoms
- History of the Sanguine (ancestors), history of pirates (famous female pirate in the past and the strongest pirate king; King of the Five Seas), creation myth of the City of Silver and legends of the City of Silver
- Supernatural creatures such as zombies, werewolfs and vampire (sanguines). It also included (arch)angels, demons and other (ancient) deities. Less releveant at the moment but also mentioned were giants, elves, mutants, phoenixes and dragons.
- New and old secret organisations that emerged from the shadows
- The War of the Four Emperors in the Fourth Epoch (Black Emperor, Blood Emperor, Night Emperor and Underworld Emperor)
- relic (and underground chamber/tunnel) of the Fourth Epoch's Tudor Dynasty
- Fourth Epoch's aristocratic tomb
- The angel of time and the angel of fate
- Snakes of Mercury

Characters

Klein Moretti

A prepared Magician and an unprepared Magician are very different concepts.

He has become more cautious and is now a lone-wolf. I liked his joking attitude in the first volume, but I understand that he needs to be more serious now that he changes identities to conceal his secrets. What I like the most about him so far is how he thinks logical without being cold. He still cares for people he knows, but he is aware that he can't save everyone. Klein Moretti is also aware that he can't show himself to everyone he holds dear. To protect the people he loves he has to distance himself from them.

A performance can't be done too hastily or with an excessive thirst for success. One has to slowly immerse the audience into the act...

Sherlock Moriarty

Every "famous detective" needs a good assistant.

Sherlock Moriarty is the best detective in Backlund, he only hasn't become famous yet. I liked his detective skills and how he and his fellow detectives investigated cases. Seeing how it was often difficult as a detective to get money, 'cause they were dependent on their clients and not being able to possess guns legally was sad.

Everyone has their different sides. Using a single facade to face everything is prone to error. This is a problem you have to pay attention to when making deductions.

Emlyn White
I don't like Leonard Mitchell that much 'cause of his arrogant attitude, yet I somehow managed to like Emlyn White to some extent. He is a sanguine, not a vampire. They are basically the same, but he insists to be called a sanguine. He's noble and it shows by his haughty attitude. What he says sometimes contradicts his actions. So, I thought he was quite hilarious. Sometimes he was annoying 'cause of his attitude, but I noticed that he often put up a facade to hide his vulnerability. He isn't anyone special, but he wants to be special. He wants to be seen. I understand why he doesn't openly say that. So, the tarot card he choose not only represents his beliefs, but also his deepest insecurity; being in the shadows.

I, Emlyn White, am indeed special.

Outroduction

There is a hidden meaning of fate in the Seer pathway. What started as a deep devotion towards fate changed into being ridiculed by fate and still maintaining hope to one who challenges fate. I wonder how Klein Moretti's perspective towards fate continue to change. After all he is a transmigratator—someone who doesn't belong to this era.

I'm also excited to see how the Tarot Club keeps growing in knowledge, power and members. They already started to influence other organisations in this volume. Many books don't have any secret organisations or societies. So far, I enjoy the ones in Lord of the Mysteries the most. The Tarot Club is not only mysterious but their rapid growth makes me want to see what they plan in the future.

The second volume is not simply a continuation of the first volume. The stakes become higher, the world-building becomes more relevant and the characters show signs of maturity and growth. I thought that the tension reached its peak at the end of the first volume but it keeps growing. The twists are also becoming better and better as the story progresses. Can't wait to continue reading!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

StoryGraph review (analytical approach)

[yel ᰔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5


"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

another emotional and unfortunate way to end the volume. i'm noticing a pattern here! and my heart is feeling heavy.

so many happened in this volume. so much characters introduced, both allies and enemies. so much expansion of the world. but it was all conveyed in a manner that wouldn't drowned the reader with too much information.

if roselle gustav, a fellow transmigrator who is a very influential figure up to the present, is very ambitious guy and someone who wants to flaunt as much as possible, klein is completely opposite. he is someone who chooses to be as lowkey as he can get, not attracting any kinds of spotlights. except when he is in the tarot club gathering as mr. fool, he usually shows himself as weak as he actually is. being underestimated by enemies is his initial goal to get the upper hand. i've always been interested in underestimated protagonist and klein surely did his role well

klein moretti advanced in his pathway sequence twice in this volume and i loved that every sequence fits him and his personality perfectly, but in a sad way. his every fight with different beyonders having different level of strength and powers clearly showed the reality of his own strength and how much he grew in each battle. i appreciate that his fights are real life-threatening and you can feel that he's really in the brink of death each time. i am never relaxed in those situations because klein already died once, and it isn't impossible to die again.

when i first read this volume, i was kinda sad to see that klein is deliberately not using his name anymore because 'klein moretti' was supposed to be officially dead. but thinking about it now, 'klein moretti' is just another of his 'persona' when he transmigrated in this world. he is still zhou mingrui from earth, and will always be. that's what he thought too as he suppressed his emotions. in this particular volume, klein used 'sherlock moriaty' as his disguised identity while staying in backlund, acting as a detective for a profession. it helped him a lot to digest his clown and magician potion and as a detective, klein stumbled upon lots of information that can widen his overall view of mysticism, and even increased his resources to help him advance in the future. he met a bunch of allies who helped him through his journey in backlund but since klein is a lone wolf, it's not surprising to end this volume as him once again embarking in a different, more dangerous place alone. i certainly hope his founded allies will appear again in the future.

KLEIN MORETTI


SHERLOCK MORIARTY


from having three members in his tarot club in volume one, his very discreet organization now has six members and is continuing to grow. i'm really looking forward to klein's future advancement and adventure now that he's out of backlund. i'm ready for more intense fights in the future.

i'm loving every minute i spent reading this series and i can never rate this specific volume lower than a full five star. off to start volume 3!!

[NiaKantorka]

dnf @58%

I’m just not in the mood for a book where I have to remember events in another 1000 or however pages. Maybe I’ll come back to it. Atm I can’t really tell.

[Urso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peak fiction even better than the first one

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing arc! The world just keeps getting richer, with layers of mysticism, secret societies, and hidden truths unfolding in such a captivating way. The atmosphere remains mysterious, and the tension builds, which makes it nearly impossible to put down.

Klein’s journey shines here, with growth that feels both natural and hard-earned. His cautious yet witty persona adds so much charm to the tension, making his perspective a highlight of the story. Then there are also moments that hit hard.

If you enjoyed Vol. 1, this one raises the stakes even higher—deeper secrets, sharper dangers, and more shocking twists. It’s thrilling precisely because you never know what’s waiting around the corner. I can’t wait to start the next volume.

(Spoilers‼️)


This part 😭💔

“Haha, haha… Hahaha…” Klein laughed so much that he went out of breath; his laughter was more jarring than crying.

After a few seconds, he finally calmed down. He slowly straightened his body and winked with his left eye at the darkest part of the sewer. Then, he smirked and muttered to himself, “Captain…

Look, we’ve saved Loen once again…”

Droplets of liquid quietly slid down and landed on his collar.

At that moment, he felt that his Clown potion had been digested completely.

——————

“Old Kohler fished out that crumpled cigarette, but he no longer had the strength to lift his arms again as they slammed heavily to the ground.

He used the last of his strength to shout out the words that had been building up inside of him, but he could only let the frail words linger at his mouth without producing them.

He heard his last words.

He heard himself ask, “Why?”

[kazzle dazzle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

IM GONNA THROW UP
klein seeing melissa and benson at the station….MY HEART
onto the third volume 👹👹

[Nika · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

Picking up from where volume 1 left off, this volume follows Klein’s adventures as he leaves Tingen City and heads to Backlund, the ‘Land of Hope’. Backlund is the central stage for most of the happenings which take place in volume 2.

As Klein Moretti was ‘dead’, he assumes the identity of the detective ‘Sherlock Moriarty’, and so it begins.
The events are quite intense from the get go. Quite early on, Klein faces off against Rosago, a Sequence 5 Marionettist of the Seer Pathway, and this drags him into a conflict involving the Intis Ambassador to the Loen Kingdom.
This event, along with other big events of the novel like the Capim plotline, Amon and the City of Silver, Duke Negan’s assassination, Twilight Hermit Order, Rose Redemption, Ince Zangwill and his involvement with Trissy (Demoness Sect), Prince Edessak (Royal Family), Mr A. (Aurora Order), Mr. Azik coming back; all of these opened up the world a lot more and explored a good bit of the lore.
The general plot surrounding the events was quite good too, with the progression feeling natural and smooth. My favorite has to be Derrick and the City of Silver’s plotline. It was so exciting to see Amon finally introduced and Klein vs Amon (kinda) taking place.

And the way most of the events each added a bit to the Fool plotline surrounding Klein was amazing. Amon knowing of the Fool, Arrodes addressing Klein as ‘the great existence above the spirit world’, there being stairs above the gray fog representing Klein’s progression through the Sequences, divinities such as Lilith and the Yellow Light involving ‘The Fool’ in their prophecies – and both of them pointing towards the Apocalpyse; that was definitely the aspect I liked the most about the volume. I’m really inclined towards the notion that there’s destiny at hand in Klein’s choosing of the Seer Pathway.

There’s a lot of future plot points established too, like Will Auceptin and the Angel of Mercury (possibly involving Ourobors too), the other copper whistle Klein found which probably belongs to an Angel, Flegrea – I know it’s gonna take time for these to be explored but I am seated.

Another aspect of this volume I appreciate is the symbolism behind ‘Faceless’. Not only does it represent Klein’s advancing to the Sequence, but it also explores how Klein has always been a Faceless, adapting to his environment and taking on a different personality, right from his transmigration, he went from being Zhou Mingrui to Klein Moretti and then Sherlock Moriarty.

And more importantly, it represents all the ‘faceless’ people of East Borough, like Old Kohler, Liv and the others. People who are only counted by their numbers, not by their name or even a face, which was even more evident through their ‘gravestones’.
The way the author explored this theme by making Old Kohler such a relevant character and exploring so much of East Borough, it’s just amazing writing.
It was saddening to see Kohler die, even more so as he didn’t even get to eat good food even once, but that kind off just reinforces the fate of these ‘faceless’ people and I love how it fits in with the overall theme of this volume.

And as always, the Tarot Club was manipulating the events behind the scenes, now they really have that secret organization vibe going on for them, love to see it.
Sherlock Moriarty, Fors Wall and Emlyn White joined as The World, The Magician and The Moon, would definitely be a sight to see Emlyn in the future gatherings with his ‘interesting’ personality.

Of the new characters introduced, Sharron gotta be my favorite. She’s strong, really helpful, is quite friendly towards Klein and has a funny but cool personality. Can’t wait to see more of her and Maric.

As for the plot surrounding ‘The Great Smog of Backlund’ was crazy. Royal family, Trissy, Mr. A, Ince Zangwill, all these seemingly unrelated parties were involved in something that huge.
I feel like Trissy will be friendly to Klein in the future so can’t wait to see where that goes.
The royal family was definitely plotting something devious though, and they seem to have succeeded so let’s see about that too.

The best thing has to be Klein killing Lanevus though, praying for the day Ince Zangwill suffers the same fate.

Overall, a really solid volume with good characters, plot and exploration of the lore.
Onto Traveler now!

[⚡eli⚡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Earth's keyboard warrior aka the man who loves to lampoon often and hopes that no one will find him doing weird things in the bathroom, is the coolest. I hope you don't get bald and have tons of money

[Everything Worthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a volume that scaled over the course of the journey. Volume 2 is the one that really introduces us to the incredible and fantastic world of Lord of The Mysteries. In this volume we can see life lessons about companionship, love, altruism, hope and new beginnings.

Volume 2 aims to expand the world, showing the existence of beings that may lie beyond the sealed artifacts known as “0”. And the author manages to do this with excellent writing. At all times, the reader (me) is on the lookout for details of rituals or anything about divine beings, as things that seem silly become the most important thing in the following Volumes.

One of the coolest things about “Faceless” is the interaction of the taro club, which was given more prominence in this volume and had new members. The interaction between the members is funny and at every moment I keep asking myself “when are they going to meet?”, but there's always that suspicion since none of them really know each other beyond the gray fog.

Finally. Faceless ends in a surreal way, with characters who have disappeared coming back at the height of the writing and blowing everything out of the water and incredible characters, but unfortunately it has a sad and melancholy ending. But the message that this volume always points to is the hope that cannot cease to exist.

"Carrying his suitcase with an inexpressive look on his face, Klein walked past them with his body erect. He entered the departure station, facing the mass of people arriving in the Land of Hope, people full of wonderful hopes in their hearts."

"It was the best of times, but it was also the worst of times."

[William Moses Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really appreciate how the main character is written. He isn't some "we must save everyone" type or a "I care about no one, let them all die" type. He makes choices like a real person with clear priorities about saving certain people he cares about while at the same time avoiding situations that seem to be too dangerous. I really like reading about the ascension of such an MC, where it's not like he gets better because he stumbled in to danger and got lucky (though admittedly he is lucky), but that he was clever, prepared, and seized opportunities that suddenly presented themselves while not taking unjustified risks.

Also, the author does a great job at revealing the secrets of this world. The clues about what went down in history, combined with our MC's thoughts, leads to a steady increase of our knowledge of the world rather than a massive (and boring) info dump. Although, by this stage of the game, when I do get an info dump via some accepted method in the book, I am thoroughly looking forward to it and savor each new fact learned.

[sato.mi.a · Rating 5 out of 5]

непогана така завʼязка обʼємом так як два Маленьких життя 🙂 китайці можу все, окрім писати компактно. але ну шедевр, шедевр.

офіційний обʼєм першого тому 213/213 ✅
дочитала Клоуна і останні 20 глав це прям дуже сильно 💔
на одному моменті навіть просльозилась, а ще нарешті зрозуміла значення артів з клоуном 🥺
перерва з lotm відміняється, мене настільки затягнуло в кінці, що я хочу одразу іти далі. просто удачі мені поєднувати lotm та orv 🙂
і мене трохи попустило щодо Клейна, може тому що я нарешті побачила його почуття.

[Kaczkasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

To mi zajęło o wiele więcej czasu niż powinno

[Shreyas Deshpande · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ratings: -4.5 stars

[Carina · Rating 5 out of 5]

بازم اعلام میکنم که رویو من درباره این جلد کوتاه نخواهد بود باتوجه به اینکه جلد دوم اتفاقات زیادی رو دربرداشت .
این جلد طولانی تر و با جزئیات تر از جلد قبلی بود و خوشحالم تند نخوندمش و اجازه لذت بردن ازشو به خودم دادم چون برای فهم و درک کاملش واقعا به زمان احتیاج داشتم و ورودی اطلاعات برای من خیلی زیاد بود . توی این جلد همراه با کلاین پا گرفتن از هیچ رو کامل حس کردم و دل کندن از اون زندگی که با سختی زیاد به دست آورده بود برای من یکی راحت نبود هرچند اخرای داستان کمی سرعت اتفاقات تندتر شد البته که نویسنده خودش هم معترف شد که این اخر داستان بکلوند نیست پس زیاد اعتراضی برای این موضوع ندارم . درکل نویسنده خیلی جذاب داره داستان رو پیش میبره و بی صبرانه منتظر واقعیت پشت تاریخ گمشدشون هستم و خیلی دوست دارم بدونم چرا کلاین پلی برای خداهای فراموش شده هست و با کمک اون می‌خوان تغییری در وضعیت حال بوجود بیارن .
علاوه بر رازهای جذاب ، قلم نویسنده طنز فوق العاده ای داره که باعث میشه ساعت ها بخندم البته که در آخر هر جلد به طرز فجیعی با ناراحت این خوشی رو جبران میکنه اما هیچی از عالی بودن داستان برای من کم نمیکنه.
توضیح نویسنده درباره انتخاب اسم جلد برای من خیلی جالب بود و واقعا نبوغشو تحسین میکنم درحالی که هنوز با مرگ اون افراد کنار نیومدم ....و در آخر تیر خلاص برای درد کشیدن :
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

[Huda Al-Mossalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me appreciate the 1st book more, and feel nostalgic for it.

I would’ve given it 5 stars but I got bored in about 30% in the middle

A lot of cool new information that wrecked my mind because there’s simply too much heh

The beginning was wonderful and exciting

The ending was chilling and jaw dropping

I loved getting more scenes of our club members, especially little sun, his situation is very intriguing. Plus his chapters had the scenes that scared me the most .

The writing is as expected, easy to go through , however some fight scenes were hard to visualize and the writing for them was confusing. But that maybe due to the translation so I don’t know . Overall this part is not that big of a deal for me

[Jadcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me costó mucho, muchísimo, terminar este libro. Sentía que leía y leía y no avanzaba el iba ganando y perdiendo ritmo muy a menudo. Pero el final hizo que se ganará todas y cada una de esas 4 estrellas, me hizo llorar de pura impotencia y aún así guardar esperanza de algo mejor, me dejó con las ganas de seguir con la saga a flor de piel.

[debm⭑ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Necesité ese vínculo del primer volumen. Sentí que a cada rato había eventos que sí, te dan mucha info, pero probablemente olvide la mayoría.
.
.
En la escena donde Leonard ve al Héroe Bandido yo solo quería que se descubrieran 🫂 sjfjjsjfk
(Amé a Emlyn y Arrodes)

[gray ୨୧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

good night, faceless

[sab · Rating 5 out of 5]

Words cannot comprehend how cinematic this book was. I feel like I'm in a daze...

[lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

the most mind boggling reimagination of the Industrial Revolution, Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper….give! me! more!

[jusstchad · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
Truly it was.

[aurei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cinema. can't wait to start the next volume

[Asia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Klein every time he has to save the world

[axi ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty much my exact review as volume 1- there's a lot to like here but i cannot get emotionally invested in this sigh

the world-building is very rich and i'm definitely interested in unravelling all the mysteries. the fights are super well done as well i love the horror elements. derrick's storyline is where this excels, and i'm excited to see how he progresses. this volume was also super funny

my problem remains the same from volume 1- i am still not emotionally invested in anything. the characters here are cool and likeable but i haven't been brought to feel anythinggg for them. and yes the world-building and action is super good but i'm a bajillion pages in i deserve to feel something

i’m sorry for comparing everything to orv but that's the only other giant webnovel i've read and all i can think about is that this many pages in orv i would've been on the floor screaming and throwing up over the characters like pls just give me a shred of that attachment to anyone here i'm begging

also one piece mention lmao

[lyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I already forget a lot of details for this volume, but still it was enjoyable, tho not as much as in volume 1.

There's so many things to unravel here. I was feeling sad at some chapter too. But, that's it. I was too focused to even noticed I'm already on season 3 and forgot to do a review until a month later. 4,2/5

[Arsene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Klein finally understand the true essence of a Clown—“Although being capable of knowing a little about fate, one remains helpless towards fate; therefore, one might as well use a smiling face to hide all the pain, sorrow, confusion, and depression.”

و تمام شدن جلد دوم faceless
Oh. My. God!
به جرات میگم به معنای واقعی عاشق این مجموعه شدم! و جوری که هر جلد به جلد داره بهتر و بهتر میشه؟؟؟ دیوانه کننده‌ست هر چقدر از دنیا پردازی این ناول بگم کم گفتم. بعد تموم کردن این جلد نمیتونستم راحت ازش دل بکنم انگار با این فضا، شهر بکلوند، معماری های گوتیکش و همه اتفاقات و ماجراهای شرلوک موریارتی از هضم کردن معجون دلقک تا رسیدن به بی صورت، پرونده هاش، ماجراجویی هاش و جنایتاش و حتی تمام درد ورنج هاش خو گرفته بودم. ولی خب هنوز اولشه و سفر the fool تو دنیای عظیم این داستان همچنان ادامه داره.
در آخر ارتباطی که اسم faceless با خود داستتن داشت و مفهومی که نویسنده با این اسم نشون داد، اینکه faceless درواقع چه 'کسایی' بودن ضربه آخر رو بهم زد:)
و اینکه یکی دیگه از بهترین بخشای این جلد تا حدودی آشنا شدن با آمون بود بی صبرانه منتظرم کامل وارد داستان بشه

[Ina !! · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterpiece and truly tops volume 1 . Since its packed with lore I can only read it in summer so it took me a long time to finish the volume. I wish i could write a longer review. Every character is just so special in its own way and I love how it all slowly comes together...
Also the people who were saying Amon is terrifying were definitely right lol .
Im definitely excited to read more

[*.°Shree°.* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wowza, slightly disappointed he didn't join a circus to act and digest the clown sequence (to relive black butler book of circus vibes with attractive killer clowns 😔💔) but sm more action finally

[SonOfGillas · Rating 5 out of 5]

It can be considered a slow book. But the author is cooking a very complex and interesting setting. And the final is full of action

[Nouha · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"