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Opposites

ANSWER: HONEY

Author: Jeremy A. Connor

The first step is to decode everything using Atbash (A=Z, B=Y, etc.). Each decoded line has a term, a member of a well-known ordered set, that must be “atbashed” to form a familiar phrase. Indexing into the correct terms using the parenthetical numbers yields the final cluephrase.

Summarizing below:

Decoded phraseCorrect wordOrdered setIndexLetter
KING VENTURA: PET DETECTIVEACEplaying card ranks1A
HALLOWS TEMPLE PILOTSSTONEobjects in harry potter book titles4N
PISCES SPEARSARIESsigns of the zodiac5S
THE HIEROPHANT OF BABELTOWERtarot card major arcana3W
PENCIL RUBIDIUMLEADelements2E
OCTOBER MADNESSMARCHmonths3R
JUPITER ROVERMARSplanets4S
ACCEPTANCE OF SERVICE ATTACKDENIALthe five stages of grief6L
HANNAH VIRGINIAMONTANAUS states1M
SHRINKING REDVIOLETrainbow colors1V
BY THE ZEPHANIAHNUMBERSbooks of the old testament4B

The indexed letters spell "ANSWER SLMVB". Atbashing SLMVB yields the answer HONEY.