Year.
Within this dimension where both time and space have lost all meaning, a spiral tower defying the laws of physics stands in an eerie posture, quietly suspended in the dark void.
This is the dwelling place of the Cthulhu Mythos beings, and also a buffer zone leading to the ultimate truth of the universe.
Yog’s consciousness returned from the mortal realm, transforming into a stream of light that pierced through layers of dimensional barriers and came back to the top of the spiral tower.
The countless rainbow-colored bubbles opened their illusory eyes, and chaotic voices flooded into Yog’s consciousness.
“Hiss—the universe is rotting, like an expired can…”
“Heehee, the insects of the lower dimensions are screaming. What a magnificent symphony…”
“The will of Chaos shall not be defiled!”
The spiral tower was filled with maddening whispers.
If these whispers were to reach the material universe, they would be enough to instantly drain the SAN value of any rational being, plunging them into irretrievable madness.
But to Yog’s ears, they were nothing more than the meaningless arguments and bickering between colleagues.
Yog paid no attention to those noisy background sounds within the spiral tower.
He gently vibrated his body, and a majestic voice carrying supreme authority resounded throughout the Spirit World, suppressing all the clamor like a divine oracle.
“True Numbra.”
Yog’s call brought the maddening whispers in the spiral tower to an abrupt halt, as if an invisible hand had gripped their throats.
Following that, a stream of light composed of pure melody flew out from the spiral tower and hovered before Yog.
“True Numbra,” the “Living Soundwave,” a collection of sound waves and musical rhythms woven together.
In Yog’s eyes, he appeared as countless interwoven, magnificent sonic wisps, with musical score runes swirling around him at all times.
Every vibrational movement could trigger a resonance within the dimension.
“Yog-Sothoth, the revered Key of the Gate.”
True Numbra’s voice echoed on the mental plane, carrying a peculiar sense of resonance.
“Might I ask what business you have with me? Could it be that the Young Master has issued a new decree?”
Yog’s rainbow-colored bubbles flickered slightly as he transmitted information to True Numbra without any emotion.
“Yes. Because the Young Master wants to form a band, a qualified music instrument teacher is needed. I have recommended you to the Young Master. Be prepared; the Young Master may summon you at any time.”
Hearing that Tunzuo was about to summon him, the sonic wisps around True Numbra instantly became agitated—a manifestation of his ecstasy.
“Thank you for your recommendation, revered Key of the Gate! To personally instruct the Young Master in music theory—what an honor!”
The musical score on True Numbra began playing a cheerful tune, with notes leaping back and forth.
“I will bequeath all the chaotic movements, allowing the Young Master to experience the purest essence of vocal music!”
“I am merely making what I believe to be the most beneficial decision for the Young Master.”
Yog’s tone was cold as he interrupted True Numbra’s fervor, and he added a reminder:
“Also, regarding the summoning, there are a few points you need to prepare for.”
Upon hearing this, True Numbra immediately quieted down, listening with reverence.
“First, do not bring the Court Orchestra.”
Yog’s stern voice echoed throughout the entire dark space.
While warning True Numbra, he was also informing the other beings of Tunzuo’s current situation.
“The Young Master’s current mana reserves are insufficient to support the terrifying consumption of summoning both you and the entire Court Orchestra simultaneously. Therefore, during the summoning, you must project your consciousness into the mortal realm alone.”
“Second, and most importantly, the Young Master’s current personality tends more towards tranquility. Excessive noise and complex melodies might disrupt the Young Master’s slumber.”
As he spoke, the rainbow-colored light radiating from Yog’s body deepened in hue.
“If the Young Master asks you to play her a ‘Requiem,’ remember not to exert too much force. The Young Master is currently in an extremely delicate semi-awake state. We cannot gamble on when the Young Master will wake up again after the ‘Requiem’ sends her into deep slumber; nor dare we gamble on whether the humanity the Young Master has finally acquired will dissipate because of this, returning to blind, foolish, mad chaos.”
“The Young Master’s stature is too high. Even I cannot glimpse even a corner of her fate, and can only make wild guesses. So, you must suppress your own rank and act with caution.”
True Numbra understood in his heart.
He solemnly promised Yog:
“I have taken your instructions to heart. I will cherish the Young Master’s humanity and sanity like the most fragile musical note.”
Just as Yog and True Numbra were conversing, a terrifying sound wave, powerful enough to shatter celestial bodies, suddenly came from afar, causing the entire dark space to ripple.
“Why! Why does he get to be the Young Master’s music teacher?!”
Accompanied by a thunderous roar, a massive, rust-red planet slowly drifted closer.
The planet’s crust was extremely unstable, its surface covered in countless enormous faults, canyons, and hill-like spherical protrusions.
These canyons and faults opened and shifted at will, like living things.
On the planet’s surface, a searing ocean of liquid iron converged into a giant, single eye that opened and closed cyclically.
Every rotation of the planet released an annihilating aura of death.
“The Herald of Judgment,” Ghroth.
“My ‘Astral Song’ is enough to destroy entire galaxies, and can also bring the Young Master a beautiful final movement! Why can’t I be the Young Master’s music teacher?!”
Ghroth’s roar shook Yog’s bubble form until it momentarily scattered, and the sound waves around True Numbra also fell into disorder.
Yog had no choice but to reform his shape and explained to the irritable Ghroth:
“Ghroth, your ‘Astral Song’ is too violent. The Young Master won’t like it. Besides, the Young Master needs an instrument teacher, and you don’t know any instruments.”
“Exactly, exactly!”
True Numbra chimed in with Yog, his tone laced with a hint of schadenfreude.
“Your song is far too ‘heavy.’ The Young Master won’t want a noisy alarm clock disturbing her sleep.”
“What do you know! You just don’t have an appreciation! If the Young Master heard it, she would definitely praise my song!”
Ghroth’s giant, liquid-metal eye stared intently at True Numbra, who, not to be outdone, responded with a murderous musical movement.
The atmosphere between them was tense, and it seemed they were about to break out into a fight in the dark space.
Yog silently observed.
It was just a squabble between colleagues; no need to stop it.
Let them fight.
It might liven up the long-silent dark space a bit.
As Yog quietly listened to the argument between Ghroth and True Numbra, time passed without measure.
Suddenly, the group of rainbow-colored bubbles began to swirl violently.
Yog felt the summons from Tunzuo.
“Silence!”
Yog sternly interrupted the dispute between Ghroth and True Numbra.
“The Young Master is ready to summon. Ghroth, return to your position! True Numbra, prepare for the summoning!”
With that, Yog paid no further attention to Ghroth and True Numbra, who were still bickering, and directly projected his consciousness towards the mortal realm.
Hearing Yog’s command, Ghroth had no choice but to cease hostilities.
The massive planet slowly retreated, and he stopped arguing with True Numbra.
Meanwhile, True Numbra began adjusting his own frequency, contemplating what form to take when meeting Tunzuo—one that would be both proper etiquette and pleasing to the Young Master.
However, after Yog’s consciousness departed, from the shadows at the top of the spiral tower came an intermittent, mischievous snicker.
“Heeheehee… Such useless arrangements…”
Mortal Realm, Witch Academy Dormitory.
Having finished a day’s classes, Tunzuo was now busy drawing a summoning circle on the floor of her room.
To summon the “Living Soundwave” True Numbra that Yog had mentioned, Tunzuo had deliberately cleared a large empty space in her room.
Holding a piece of chalk, she alternated between looking at the white paper Yog had left behind and drawing the complex patterns of the summoning circle on the floor.
But one thing puzzled Tunzuo:
The summoning circle Yog had given her looked so strange.
“What in the world are all these weird runes?”
Tunzuo tilted her head, looking at the gradually forming summoning circle on the floor, completely bewildered.
“Is this a pharaoh’s mask? And what’s with this woman holding a fan? And this… a bat with a trident mouth? What the hell is that?”
Despite her full-blown suspicion, Tunzuo didn’t let it bother her.
After all, Yog’s original form was a bunch of highly SAN-draining rainbow-colored bubbles and mist.
So, it was probably normal for the exclusive summoning circles of other Cthulhu Mythos beings to look a bit grim and SAN-draining.
It was probably just what they called a ‘unified artistic style.’
Because she had experience from the last summoning, Tunzuo was much faster at drawing the summoning circle this time.
Before long, an intricate, eerie circle emitting a faint chill appeared on the floor.
Tunzuo patted the chalk dust off her hands and took a deep breath.
“Phew, done!”
A flash of white light, and the elegant Skeleton Gentleman arrived on time.
He didn’t look at the summoning circle on the floor, just stood quietly beside Tunzuo, ready to act as her protector.
“No issues. Let’s begin, then.”
Seeing that Yog was in position, Tunzuo walked before the summoning circle with a serious expression, raising both hands towards it.
“Ready at any moment, Young Master.”
Yog gave a slight bow, indicating that Tunzuo could begin the summoning.
Tunzuo nodded, gathered mana in her palms, and with a piercing gaze, began reciting the summoning words Yog had given her.
However, just as Tunzuo was about to speak the first line of the summoning words, Yog happened to glance at the summoning circle on the floor.
Instantly, the calm ghost fire in Yog’s eye sockets erupted into a violent blaze.
The circle drawn on the floor was NOT True Numbra’s exclusive summoning circle!
The hidden true name amidst the intricate patterns, the pharaoh mask totem, the geometric structures filled with deception and malice…
“Young Master! Stop! That’s not—”
Yog tried to call out and stop her, but it was too late.
Tunzuo’s summoning ritual had already begun.
With the injection of mana, the bridge connecting to the Spirit World began to form.
The chanting of the summoning words was like the key to opening Pandora’s Box;
Once started, it could not be interrupted.
Tunzuo was lost in her own rhythm.
Facing the piece of paper that had been swapped by the tentacles, she read the summoning words inscribed on it in a clear voice.
[I call upon the Thousand-Faced Shadow lurking in the Abyss]
[The Tricker who dances in the Chaotic Court]
[The mask of blind idiocy, the messenger of the Crawling Chaos]
[The Black Pharaoh, the Bloated Woman, the Nightgaunt, the player in the theater of all things’ end]
[Spying from the path that returns with the stars]
[In the theater of the end of all things, the sole actor, and also the sole audience]
[With countless, indescribable faces, cross the dimensional barrier]
[Answer my call, manifest in the mortal realm]
[Lord of a Thousand Forms, Nyarlathotep]
Even as she chanted the summoning words, Tunzuo sensed something was wrong, but for some reason, she kept reading them to the end.
With the aid of Tunzuo’s mana, the bridge shattered the barrier between the mortal realm and the Spirit World, forming a channel connecting the two realms.
Within the dark space, a malicious, arrogant, and loud laugh echoed from the top of the spiral tower.
“Heeheeheehee! Got it! Time to go to the mortal realm and play with the Young Master!”
An invisible mist, born of countless tentacles, rushed out from the top of the tower.
Nyarlathotep shoved aside the still-dazed True Numbra and Ghroth, using the bridge to project his consciousness towards the mortal realm.
In the instant of crossing dimensions, Nyarlathotep turned back, taunting the dumbfounded Ghroth and True Numbra.
“Bye-bye! If you want a spot by the Young Master’s side, you have to fight for it, you idiots!”
Mortal Realm.
Tunzuo looked at the countless slimy tentacles and the illusory, formless mist surging from the summoning circle.
Her mana was draining away like a breached dam, and a bitter expression crossed her face.
“Sigh, so it’s like this again, huh…”
Yog stood between Tunzuo and the summoning circle.
He raised his right hand high, and an invisible barrier unfurled.
The passage of time slowed, and the surrounding space compressed inward.
Yog forcibly suppressed the rate at which Tunzuo was funneling mana into the summoning circle, to make it easier for her.
“Nyar! Suppress your rank!”
Yog shouted sternly at the chaotic figure within the summoning circle, the ghost fire in his eye sockets almost spewing forth from rage.
“Oh, I know, don’t be so mean, Yog. I just wanted to give the Young Master a surprise~”
A playful, energetic female voice came from within the summoning circle, even carrying a hint of coquettishness.
The thick, formless mist and tentacles rapidly contracted, turning into a viscous black liquid that recombined.
A beautiful girl with silver hair, emerald eyes, and wearing a black-and-white maid outfit appeared in the center of the summoning circle.
The girl winked mischievously, put her hands up like cat paws, and made a cute gesture at Yog.
“Well? Isn’t this form nice? Isn’t it perfect to be the Young Master’s music teacher?”
Yog was not buying it.
He just stared at her coldly, an intimidating aura radiating from him.
“Quietly suppress your rank, Nyar. No tricks. You can’t fool me.”
“No way! Then the Young Master won’t get to see my cute form! I deliberately changed into this for the Young Master!”
The silver-haired girl pouted, hands on her hips, retorting.
Yog said nothing, only intensifying the pressure of the spatial suppression, threatening to cut off the summoning ritual entirely.
Seeing that Yog was being stubborn and seemed genuinely angry, the silver-haired girl could only huff in dissatisfaction and reluctantly pout, choosing to compromise.
“Tsk. You can’t take a joke.”
As the words faded, the girl’s form began to change again, twisting and collapsing like a melting wax statue, eventually shrinking into a pale mask with no facial features except for a strange, eerie smile, falling to the floor with a “plop.”
Seeing this, Yog slightly relaxed his restrictions, retreated to Tunzuo’s side, and let the summoning ritual continue.
The summoning ritual ended.
Tunzuo was drenched in sweat.
The massive depletion of mana made her feel a bit dizzy, but it was much better than the last time she summoned Yog.
At least she hadn’t fainted from exhaustion.
Breathing heavily, Tunzuo propped herself on her knees and looked at the pale mask lying on the floor, utterly speechless.
“What in the world is this again…”
In response to Tunzuo’s inquiry, the pale mask lying on the floor let out a playful laugh and replied:
“Heehee! Nyarlathotep, reporting for duty! Young Master~”