4 COI

Lumian didn't have the luxury of resting for too long. He had to keep moving, for fear that other monsters might come. After taking a moment to catch his breath, he endured the pain in his neck and back and slowly approached the monster's corpse.

He held the axe tightly in his right hand, ready to strike again if the creature wasn't fully dead.

After cautiously searching the body with his left hand, he found three copper coins called "lick" and an empty cloth bag.

"That's it?" Lumian muttered to himself, disappointed that he hadn't found anything related to superpowers.

!!

If it wasn't for that, would he have risked his life fighting this monster?

If Lumian wasn't special in the dream, he would have been nothing more than the monster's meal.

He propped himself up and looked towards the shotgun monster's head that had rolled to the side, praying that what he was searching for was there.

In that moment, a deep crimson glow materialized over the monster's body.

They resembled fireflies, gradually converging towards a single spot in an unyielding fashion.

Lumian gawked in disbelief, as a sense of elation began to well up inside of him.

This phenomenon had to be connected to superpowers!

Without much delay, a sticky, dark red substance materialized on the monster's chest, and no additional light specks came into view.

Lumian cautiously crouched down and made a grab for the blob.

It was incredibly slippery, slipping through his grasp twice before he finally managed to hold it in his palm.

It's remarkably lightweight, yet possesses a certain texture and elasticity. The surface feels as smooth as glass…

"What the hell is this?" Lumian muttered to himself, realizing once more that he was completely illiterate when it came to matters of the mystical.

In the midst of hushed whispers, Lumian caught a whiff of something strange and dark-red that reeked of blood. His impatience grew, and an indescribable malice took over his body.

For a moment, he wanted nothing more than to raise his axe and hack at the monster's corpse until his violent emotions were spent.

But Aurore's warning about the dangers of pursuing superpowers echoed in his mind, and he quickly reined in his impulses. He had taken precautions to monitor himself and remain vigilant at all times, and he wouldn't let his guard down now.

It affects my mind? Lumian tossed the dark red blob into the cloth bag he had found on the monster.

The moment he lost contact with it, he felt a wave of calm wash over him, dissipating the remaining excitement of the deathmatch.

His body still trembled slightly, but he was back in control.

"As expected!" Lumian whispered happily as he returned to his senses.

He tied the cloth bag tightly and secured it to his belt buckle.

After a moment's consideration, Lumian withdrew the cloth bag and stowed it safely in the inner pocket of his leather jacket.

It provided him a sense of assurance and minimized the chances of losing it!

As the buttons on his clothes were undone, the book that had been plastered to Lumian's back lost its support and hit the ground.

It was riddled with potholes and in tatters, a far cry from its former state.

Lumian recognized it as the "Mock Examination Papers for Higher Education Admission" exercise book that his sister Aurore had prepared for him. This was the same book that had saved his life by blocking a shotgun attack.

Of course, this single book didn't deserve all the credit.

Lumian picked up the exercise book and sauntered back to the monster's lifeless body, a wry smile on his face.

"See, knowledge is indeed power!" he said, intending to throw it at the monster's face. But then he hesitated, recalling the countless hours Aurore had spent writing it. He couldn't bring himself to toss it away.

Instead, he tucked the exercise book into his belt, dragged the monster's corpse to the trap, and flung it inside. Lumian kicked the monster's head for good measure.

With the battlefield cleared, Lumian gathered his tools, including the empty shotgun, his pitchfork, and shovel, and retreated into the wilderness.

He looked over his shoulder as he walked, ever-vigilant.

Eventually, he made it back to his house, climbed the stairs, and entered his bedroom.

It was only then that he truly relaxed. The agony that had been gnawing at his body, the obvious discomfort, and the overwhelming exhaustion all erupted at once.

He slumped down on the bed, taking a moment to recover. But he didn't want to sleep just yet. He needed to assess the damage. Lumian stripped off his clothes and walked over to the wardrobe, checking himself out in the full-body mirror.

His neck was swollen, and the five bloody finger marks on it had turned an ominous shade of bluish-black. His back was bruised, and there were countless scrapes and cuts all over his body.

Even some of my injuries are internal, just like Aurore had warned me. I wonder if I'll recover by the next time I come in? He couldn't help but reflect on the battle. It was a failure, but not a total failure.

In the first half of the battle, he gave himself a pat on the back. Not only did he make full use of the monster's low IQ to lead it into the second trap, but he also followed his original plan to a tee. It was a game of cat and mouse, and he played it to perfection. He dragged the monster out until it was on the brink of surrendering to its injuries. However, his lack of experience was his downfall. Instead of throwing in heavy rocks, he chose to stab the monster with a pitchfork at the bottom of the pit.

In the second half of the battle, he was overconfident and underestimated the monster's intelligence. His insufficient combat experience made him fall into the monster's trap, which almost got him killed.

That performance would have been a disaster. Thankfully, his earlier successes had pushed the monster to its limit, and it didn't kill him quickly enough. This gave him a chance to complete his meditation and summon his "special trait".

Before this battle, Lumian had not expected the "special trait" to have such a powerful effect. It caused the monster to descend into uncontrollable fear, one so unbreakable despite suffering attacks.

He had worried that the near-death state brought about by summoning the "special trait" would make him vulnerable to attack.

But it turned out to be special and very strong… As Lumian sighed, he had a revelation.

The monsters in the ruins avoided his house and made it a "safe zone" because there was something even more terrifying inside. It could be the owner of the mysterious voice he heard when he summoned the "special trait"!

Lumian gasped at the thought.

His subconscious urged him to search every corner of the house for the terrifying thing, but he quickly dismissed the idea.

Provoking the being that even the shotgun-wielding monster was helpless against was not an option.

For now, all was calm and peaceful, and it was best to keep it that way. He had to maintain the current state of the "safe house" and not uncover the shroud.

Each passing day was a day, and as for the dangers that may lie ahead, he would face them when the time came.

Not until then, not until I become a Beyonder and gain significant power. Lumian cast his gaze at the cloth bag in his left hand.

Even as Lumian examined his injuries in the mirror, shirtless, he refused to let go of the source of superpowers. He had worked too hard to obtain it.

...

How should I use this thing? he asked himself, opening the cloth bag and staring at the dark red blob within.

The blob lay still at the bottom of the bag, its form unstable yet clearly not alive.

Lumian, who knew nothing of mysticism, wondered if he should eat it, perform a ritual to merge with it, or offer it to some secret entity.

He only knew of the latter two options from reading Hidden Veil. In the past, he would have only thought of one thing: "Eat!"

Lumian didn't rush to make a decision. He intended to seek counsel from the enigmatic lady at Ol' Tavern first.

He was convinced that the woman would provide him with clues on how to harness the power of the dark red sphere and gain superhuman abilities.

Lumian sensed that the other party had a reason for doing so, despite not knowing what it was.

If things didn't pan out, he could still count on his sister for help.

After dressing leisurely, Lumian stowed the lump of crimson in his coat pocket, along with all the cash he'd acquired.

Finally, he collapsed onto the bed, too drained to move. Despite the agony in his neck, back, and body, overwhelming fatigue seized him, and he drifted off to sleep in a flash.

...

...

As Lumian opened his eyes, he was blinded by the sunlight that had already penetrated the curtains, illuminating the entire room.

Slowly sitting up, he felt sore all over, as if he had been pummeled in a dream.

I was indeed beaten up badly… The injuries in the dream really get reflected into reality, but there's an obvious level of weakening… Trying to move around, he felt his muscles aching a little but was ultimately relieved that he wasn't too affected.

However, when he reached into his pockets—

"Nothing… Nothing at all!" Lumian failed to exit with the crimson blob.

His expression became solemn, his brows knitted tightly. Lumian didn't know what to do.

The crimson blob, an item that promised superpowers, hadn't followed him into reality. This was different from what the mysterious woman at Ol' Tavern had said.

Lumian gathered himself, quickly changed his clothes, and left his room.

As he walked down the hall, he noticed that the door to the washroom was wide open. Aurore was facing the mirror, brushing her teeth with a serious look on her face.

"Morning," Lumian greeted.

"It's not early anymore. You got up late…" Aurore muttered incoherently.

Splat! Her blond hair, tied back into a ponytail, flicked about as she spit out the liquid in her mouth.

She turned to look at Lumian.

"What did you do wrong last night?"

"That owl is outside. How would I dare go out?" Lumian responded calmly.

"That's true." Aurore dropped the topic and said, "Remember to take five verl d'or to the administrator to send a telegram later."

Lumian nodded.

This was the key to their escape from Cordu, and it was something he would never forget.

After breakfast, Lumian headed straight to the village square where the administrator's office was located in a two-story building.

Upon reaching the office, Lumian discovered that Administrator Béost had yet to arrive, but the rest of the staff had already commenced their day's work.

Lumian paid the required fee and promptly sent a telegram. After concluding his business, Lumian turned on his heel and began walking towards the Ol' Tavern.

It was highly unlikely that the enigmatic woman was already up and about, but Lumian was more than happy to bide his time.

His pursuit of superpowers had been a prolonged one, so a few more ticks on the clock didn't faze him.

-x-X-x-

Lumian sauntered into Ol' Tavern, his sharp eyes scanning the dimly lit room. To his surprise, the mysterious woman was already seated in her usual corner, enjoying a lavish breakfast spread.

She had changed her attire yet again, donning a long brown, pleated dress and a dark velvet hat that screamed high society.

"So early?" Lumian approached her table, calming his racing heart.

The woman looked up, meeting his gaze.

"Is there a possibility that I didn't sleep all night?"

"Perhaps." Lumian knew this routine all too well—his sister, Aurore, often pulled all-nighters when deadlines were looming. But what was the reason for the enigmatic woman raising this up?

As he glanced at her table, he found a delectable spread, with a cream soufflé sprinkled with nuts, a muffin that looked scrumptious, a croissant, a cup of black coffee, and a cat tongue biscuit.

What an appetite!?Lumian thought, impressed.?But how can Cordu provide such luxurious cuisine? Only Aurore or the chefs in the administrator's family could whip up something like this.

"It's all dessert," Lumian said, taking a seat opposite her.

The woman nodded, her expression serious for once.

"Intis's desserts are indeed not bad, and there's quite a lot of variety. Even if I have some for breakfast every day, it'll take me a month without repetition to finish them all," she said, biting into the cat tongue biscuit and closing her eyes in bliss. "That's one of the purposes of traveling."

Lumian seized the moment to probe the woman's background. "You're not from Intis?" he asked.

The woman smiled enigmatically.

"I'm from Loen, but given the current situation, this isn't important."

What else did Loen have to offer besides steam machinery, factories, and a large army? Lumian, being an Intisian, couldn't help but recall the mocking words that everyone used to taunt the Loen Kingdom—reclining chairs, mint sauce, fried fish and potatoes, and pure snakefruit beer.

But he quickly brushed off the thought and turned his attention to the task at hand.

"I got rid of the monster with the shotgun."

The woman took a sip of coffee and nodded approvingly.

"Not bad."

Lumian sensed a strange emotion emanating from her eyes.

He couldn't shake off the strange feeling that he had sensed in their previous interactions. There was something about her that he couldn't quite put his finger on—a mix of facetiousness and hidden emotions that intrigued him.

Undeterred, he pressed on with the matter at hand.

"I obtained an abnormal dark-red object from that monster. Holding it makes me irritable and filled with hostility.

"I think it involves supernatural powers, but it didn't follow me to reality," he explained.

The woman smiled enigmatically.

"After going in and out so many times, don't you realize that other than your own physical condition, you can't bring anything else over?"

Lumian was taken aback. "Didn't you say that supernatural things are excluded…" he trailed off, realizing that he was out of his depth.

Lumian couldn't shake off the physical discomfort that lingered from his dream, along with the vivid memories that refused to fade away.

After careful consideration, he posed a question.

"You mean that after obtaining supernatural powers through the crimson blob and turning oneself into a Beyonder, the corresponding state that is different from that of a normal person can be brought to reality?"

"Not a lost cause," she replied nonchalantly, savoring the cream soufflé.

"But won't the corresponding strength weaken because of this?" Lumian pressed, his brow furrowing. "The injuries I suffered in the dream are much lighter in reality."

"The conditions brought about by Beyonder characteristics won't change," the woman explained, meeting Lumian's gaze. "This is why I said that extraordinary items are excluded."

Beyonder characteristics…?Lumian mulled over the term, trying to piece together what his sister had told him about Beyonders.

Obtaining such characteristics would allow one to become a Beyonder, he surmised.

And based on the woman's explanation, he had a hunch about the unique nature of his dream.

That ruin, it's real. Or maybe it was once real, but now it's sunk deep into some big shot's dream and been left to fester. And my dream, it's like a secret passageway. A passageway that's only accessible through the symbols on my chest, and leads straight to that ruin.

Based on my theory, my home in the dream is like a mark left behind by our interaction. It's a reflection of the place where I feel safest, deep in my subconscious. That's why it looks nothing like the wilderness or the ruins that surround it. It's like we're in two different worlds, me and the monsters.

But those monsters, they can't come in. They're stuck in the real ruins while my "home" is a mix of dream and reality. Only those with the special symbols can pass through the corresponding barrier.

The symbols only work for me, and they record the state of my body before I'm brought back to reality. When I wake up, the things that don't involve the supernatural will fade away, but the implications will remain. Even death will work the same way.

So there shouldn't be anything scary waiting for me at home in the dream. But the origin of those symbols and the source of that terrifying voice, they symbolize something dark and horrific…

Lumian sat in silence, watching the lady across from him leisurely devour her breakfast. She didn't seem to mind.

Lumian finally asked, regaining his composure, "May I ask how I should use that dark-red blob? Is it the Beyonder characteristic you mentioned?"

At the critical moment, he could not help but address her respectfully.

The lady set down her coffee and looked at him.

"I can give you a potion formula. Just follow it."

The generous gift made Lumian uneasy.

"Why are you helping me?"

The lady laughed.

"Would you believe me if I said it was arranged by fate?"

No…?Lumian subconsciously replied inwardly.

The abnormality in the village, the pressure of the impending storm, and the desire for superpowers all swirled around Lumian, threatening to overwhelm him. He pushed his unease down and spoke in a low voice, "I do."

Opportunities like this didn't come around often, and Lumian knew he had to act decisively. He couldn't afford to hesitate or have second thoughts.

The lady's smile grew wider, the unclear emotions he had detected in her eyes earlier intensifying.

...

She pulled out a stack of post-it notes and a silver fountain pen from her black lady's purse and began writing.

Finally, she stopped and tore off the top note and handed it to him.

Lumian snatched it from her hand and read it quickly.

"Hunter potion formula:

"Main ingredient: One Hunter Beyonder characteristic;

"Supplementary ingredients: 80 milliliters of red wine, one Red Chestnut Flower (can be a specimen or substituted with 10 drops of the corresponding essential oil), 5 grams of poplar tree leaf powder, 10 grams of basil;

"Usage: Drink it directly.

Satisfied with his memorization, Lumian carefully folded the note and slipped it into his brown jacket.

Done with that, he asked, unable to contain his curiosity, "What does 'Hunter' mean?"

Hunter in the supernatural sense?

"The corresponding Sequence," the lady replied, taking a casual sip of her coffee. "You do not know much about mysticism, so let me explain. There are 22 common pathways in the world. To access them, you must obtain ingredients with the corresponding Beyonder characteristics and concoct potions. Each pathway has 10 Sequences, numbered from 9 to 0. The lower the number, the higher the level, and the stronger the ability."

...

"The Beyonder characteristic you obtained belongs to the Red Priest pathway. It can only be used to concoct the corresponding Sequence 9 Hunter potion."

Lumian listened attentively and blurted out, "Then what Sequence does my sister Aurore belong to?"

"She's a Sequence 7 Warlock of the Mystery Pryer pathway," the lady replied coolly.

She did not mention how she knew.

Aurore is already at Sequence 7? That's true. She has already obtained supernatural powers for several years… I'll only be at Sequence 9 after consuming the potion. I'm still quite a distance from her… I only hope that I won't be a burden when we escape Cordu in the future…?Lumian couldn't help but ask, "Can I drink higher Sequence Beyonder potions directly? Or should I drink Sequence 9 today and Sequence 8 tomorrow?"

"Theoretically, yes." The lady added after Lumian revealed a look of joy, "However, most who attempt it end up dead or as a monster. Fewer than one in ten million people succeed."

"Turn into monsters?" Lumian was alarmed.

The lady chuckled and said, "Didn't your sister warn you about the dangers of the path to transcendence? After drinking the potion, if you can't control the power, you'll either die from a physical breakdown or transform into a monster. Why do you think the one you encountered was in human form?"

No wonder…?Lumian finally understood what danger his sister was talking about.

But he was willing to face it.

"Is there no way to reduce this danger?" he asked.

The lady considered him for a moment before answering, "There is. You need a firm will, good physical condition, and some luck. As for the rest, you don't need to know. You're still on the first potion."

"Good physical condition…" Lumian, who had planned on returning to catch up on sleep and drink the potion later, frowned.

He was still seriously injured in the dream.

The lady opposite him nodded slightly and said, "Take your time. Wait until nightfall and your body has mostly recovered before diving back into your dreams."

"Uh…" Lumian's mind raced with questions. "So as long as my body in reality is almost healed, the injuries in my dream will completely recover?"

One had to know that his body in reality was only a little sore. It was completely different from the injuries in the dream!

"Yes." The lady confirmed Lumian's guess.

She continued, "There's much to learn about the potion and the paths of the divine. I'll tell you once you become a Hunter."

The paths of the divine…?Lumian asked in puzzlement, "Why not tell me now?"

The lady laughed.

"If you die or become a monster, it would be a waste of my time to say so much now."

"…" Lumian was speechless.

Lumian stood up and excused himself, but before he left, he asked one more thing.

"Do you know about the anomaly in the village?"

-x-X-x-

The lady nibbled on a croissant before answering Lumian's question.

"I do."

She really knows…?Lumian's heart leapt with hope. He deliberated over his words before asking, using honorifics to show his respect, "May I offer to pay a certain price to commission your help in solving Cordu's problem?"

From his point of view, this mysterious lady woman was much stronger than Leah and her companions. If she agreed to help, the problem with Cordu would be solved, and he and his sister wouldn't have to risk their lives to escape. But he was worried that he couldn't afford the price.

Lumian wasn't optimistic that the woman would agree to help. But he felt it was necessary to try. Even if he was rejected, he wouldn't be too embarrassed. He was not a stickler for such things.

The woman turned to him and spoke calmly, "I can indeed solve the problem here, but the corresponding price is that everything will be destroyed, including you.

"If you want a better outcome, you can only rely on yourselves."

Lumian's eyes widened in disbelief.?Could the problem with Cordu be that serious??He searched the woman's face for any sign of jest, but found none.

He wasn't surprised or disappointed that she refused to help. What shocked him was the severity of the problem. It could even lead to the destruction of the entire village!

He was puzzled and alarmed by the situation.?Since she can resolve it, why is it that the entire village will die, while us ordinary people and Beyonders who aren't strong enough capable of producing a better outcome?

If he didn't hear back from Novel Weekly by the day after tomorrow, he would urge his sister to leave Cordu immediately. He couldn't delay any longer even if it meant taking a huge risk! He had to act fast!

"What's the problem?" Lumian pressed, his dignity never a priority.

The lady smiled.

"Me telling you and you finding out through your investigations will give rise to completely different results."

Lumian gritted his teeth instinctively. He didn't stand her behavior of always holding back something.

For some reason, he sensed that peculiar feeling in the woman's eyes, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Okay." Lumian paused for a moment, weighing his words carefully. "Do you have any information about Madame Pualis? Is she a Warlock—uh, a Beyonder?"

The woman lifted her coffee cup to her lips and took a small sip before answering, "Yes, she is."

Indeed…?Lumian asked further, "What pathway, which Sequence?"

The lady's expression turned serious in an instant.

"It's not a normal pathway."

"What do you mean it's not a normal pathway?" he pressed.

The lady smiled.

"You'll find out later."

I want to know now…?Lumian struggled to keep his expression in check.

Already standing and about to leave, Lumian suddenly remembered something crucial.

"Madame, how am I supposed to bring those supplementary ingredients into the dream?"

In the dream ruins, he could only find basic ingredients like red wine and basil in the dream ruins, but for the Red Chestnut Flower and poplar leaf, he would have to collect them in reality.

The task wasn't impossible, and Lumian had already thought of a way to "borrow" them, but he knew it would all be for naught if he couldn't transfer them to his dream.

The lady smiled and said, "I'll offer you a little assistance again, free of charge.

"Find those materials in reality, put them on the table in your bedroom before you sleep. I'll help you send them into your dream."

She can send those things into my dream??Lumian was first shocked before feeling a wave of relief wash over him. At least his problem was solved.

He never thought he'd encounter someone else with the ability to "enter" the special dream world like he could.

Lumian couldn't shake the feeling that his ability to enter dream ruins had something to do with the cryptic symbols etched onto his chest. As he gazed at the woman before him, he couldn't help but wonder if she was connected to those same markings or that bizarre and terrifying voice that had been echoing in his mind.

Lumian had just left the Ol' Tavern and had plans to collect the Red Chestnut Flower and poplar leaves.

But as he turned the corner, he saw Ryan, Leah, and Valentine exiting the back door of the tavern. They were still dressed in the same clothes and outfits.

Lumian's heart skipped a beat as he greeted them with a smile.

"Good morning, my cabbages."

Leah turned her head and laughed amidst the tinkling sounds.

"You're early, too."

Lumian tried to act sneaky and looked around before speaking in a hushed tone.

"I noticed something unusual yesterday."

Ryan's expression turned serious as he exchanged glances with Valentine and Leah.

"What is it?"

Lumian's voice quivered slightly as he spoke.

"I suspect that Naroka's death is abnormal. You attended her funeral yesterday."

Ryan gave Lumian an encouraging look to continue, and Lumian took a deep breath before proceeding with his suspicions.

"I told you about the funeral customs in the Dariège area, didn't I? After everyone went to the cemetery, Pons Bénet entered Naroka's house without any objection from the owner.

"Isn't this destroying the influence of their family's horoscope and taking away the corresponding good luck?

"There must be something wrong!"

"Pons Bénet, the brother of the padre?" Ryan thought for a few seconds and asked.

Lumian nodded heavily.

As Lumian thought about the padre's strange group and his impending departure from Cordu, he realized he had nothing to fear from speaking his mind. With a deep breath, he declared, "The padre is not a good man!"

"Why do you say that?" Leah asked with a grin, clearly unsurprised by Lumian's criticism of the padre.

...

Not one for formalities, Lumian launched into a detailed account of a villager who had snitched in Dariège and subsequently vanished. His focus was on the accusations against the padre, and he held nothing back.

Finally, he said, "I really question how he's a clergyman of the Church.

"One time, I said something that was deemed too real, and I had to hide temporarily in the cathedral.

"I was about to doze off behind the altar when the padre walked in with Madame Pualis. And let me tell you, they were doing the dirty deed right under the deity's gaze.

"In the conversation that followed the deed, the padre even lamented to Madame Pualis, saying, 'Why can't a man marry his sister?'

"Madame Pualis was appalled by his words and begged the padre to repent.

"However, the padre said, 'Many wealthy families lose their fortunes when their daughters marry and their sons start families. But if a son could marry his sister, these problems would disappear. Unfortunately, the law and morals don't allow it'…"

The frigid Valentine's face contorted with anger at the news.

"Is he a servant of God or a servant of the Demon?"

Ryan nodded as if in thought.

"No wonder Pons Bénet hasn't been able to start a family despite being married after all these years…"

...

Leah surveyed Lumian as she chuckled.

"You knew about Madame Pualis and the padre's affair. You wanted to use us that day."

Lumian's smile was uneasy, but his tone was resolute.

"As a believer of the Eternal Blazing Sun, I cannot tolerate such a person in the cathedral."

The cold Valentine's expression softened, and he nodded approvingly.

"If only Cordu had more people like you."

A few more like me??Lumian shuddered at the thought of Cordu overrun with more people like him.

He continued, "That time, I overheard the padre warning Madame Pualis that he was planning something and might be targeted by the Inquisition. He told her to be careful and keep quiet."

Ryan's expression turned solemn.

"Did he say anything more about it?"

"No." Lumian didn't fabricate the matter.

He couldn't risk saying more than that. If he did, trouble could erupt tonight. He wasn't even a Beyonder yet.

After bidding farewell to the trio of foreigners, Lumian spent hours gathering Red Chestnut Flowers and poplar leaves.

As the sun neared its apex, Lumian arrived at the village square and made his way to the two-story building where official business was conducted.

Most of the villagers had already gathered, eagerly awaiting the selection of the Spring Elf, an important part of the upcoming Lenten celebration tomorrow.

Squeezing through the crowd, Lumian spotted Reimund, Ava, and the others.

"Is Ava on the list?" he asked.

Ava remained silent, her agitation palpable. Reimund shook his head. "We don't know."

"She must be on it," interjected Guillaume Berry, a frequent companion of Lumian and the others. "Among the unmarried women in the village, other than your sister, she's the most beautiful. Your sister doesn't meet the age requirements."

He was the Guillaume-junior that Lumian and the others were talking about. He hung out with them frequently. Guillaume had curly brown hair and prominent freckles on his face. His blue eyes seemed to narrow because they weren't large enough.

Ava's cousin, Azéma, also stood nearby, looking much like Ava but smaller and less striking.

She remained silent, but Lumian sensed her desire to be chosen as the Spring Elf as well.

In the Dariège area, being chosen as the "Spring Elf" was a coveted honor that not only recognized a person's beauty and character but also came with hidden benefits.

Upon hearing Guillaume-junior's words, Lumian grinned.

"If Ava's not on the list, I'll shout, 'I vote Ava!' when the administrator finishes reading it."

Ava blushed. "You don't have to do that."

It was a normal process for villagers to shout out additional candidates after the administrator finished reading the list of nominees for the Spring Elf. However, not many had the nerve to do so. Lumian, however, was not one to shy away from such things.

He had no misgivings about this.

Ava will be the one being embarrassed, not me.

Shortly after, Administrator Béost appeared at a second-story window, looking far more put-together than the padre. His neatly combed brown hair, light blue eyes with black lines, straight nose bridge, thin lips, and well-groomed mustache conveyed his status, accentuated by his double-breasted flannel coat.

He gazed down at the assembled villagers for a moment before speaking.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time. Those who are late will no longer have the right to vote.

"Next, I'll read the list of candidates for the Spring Elf."

"Ava Lizier…"

As Béost read out the list, Ava breathed a sigh of relief.

Unsurprisingly, she received over 80% of the votes.

After the voting, Lumian made an excuse about needing to go home and left without celebrating with his companions.

Upon arriving home, he immediately asked his sister, "Did we receive a reply?"

If they had, the telegrapher would have delivered it and collected a fee.

"Not yet," Aurore replied, shaking her head.

She then said, "The undercurrents have been turbulent lately. You can't let your guard down during combat practice. Speaking of which, we'll spar in the afternoon."

Lumian winced, feeling sore all over.

But then an idea struck him. He put on a pained expression and said, "I don't know if it's because I've been training too hard, but my whole body hurts today. Aurore, uh, sister, can you give me a massage? You're the most skilled at it."

Aurore nodded. "Sure, I can do that."

...

Under the skilled hands of his sister, Lumian's body finally began to recover that night.

Before drifting off to sleep, Lumian placed three Red Chestnut Flowers and some powdered poplar leaves in a bottle on the table in front of the window.

He gazed at the bottle for a long moment, his heart beating with anticipation and nervousness, before finally crawling under the covers.

-x-X-x-

As Lumian awoke in the gray fog, his first instinct was not to check his physical condition. Instead, he sat up abruptly and looked at the table by the window.

There, bathed in the soft light that filtered through the thick fog, were the three Red Chestnut Flowers and the glass bottle of poplar leaf powder.

She really sent the supplementary ingredients in… Relief flooded Lumian. He got out of bed and stretched, delighted to discover that the pain in his neck and back had vanished, along with the general discomfort he had been feeling.

Just as I hoped, I'm fine in the dream when I'm better in reality even though the injuries on both sides aren't equal at all… He quickly walked over to the wardrobe with the full-length mirror, took off his shirt, and examined himself.

The five bloody finger marks, the bruises, and the blood clots were all gone.

This made Lumian wonder if killing the Beyonder monster had been nothing more than a dream.

Thankfully, the crimson object in the cloth bag, the slightly larger sum of money, and the shotgun next to his bed confirmed the reality of his experience.

Lumian's heart eased. With the cloth bag containing the crimson item and a large amount of money, he left the bedroom and went straight to the first floor. Grabbing a bottle of red wine and a beer mug, he headed back up with some basil.

He made sure to bring along a measuring cylinder and miniature scale that his sister Aurore had purchased for him.

Looking at the desk filled with all the necessary items, Lumian felt both excited and nervous.

With everything in place, all that remained was to concoct the potion!

Potions were not beverages. They were more dangerous than alcohol, capable of killing or transforming the drinker into a monster with the slightest mistake.

Lumian took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, his hands steady as he used the measuring cylinder to pour 80 milliliters of red wine into the beer mug.

Next, he added 10 grams of basil, 5 grams of poplar leaf powder, and a single Red Chestnut Flower.

The process proceeded without incident. The red liquid in the mug had a few more dregs and a floating flower, but otherwise looked unremarkable.

With the cloth bag of crimson substance at his side, Lumian watched intently as the object slid into the beer mug.

Without a sound, the dark-red blob seemed to dissolve rapidly, drawing in the surrounding liquid in the process.

Bubbles erupted, and the entire mug turned a deep shade of red. The Red Chestnut Flower had dissolved completely.

This is the Hunter potion? Lumian gulped and picked up his beer mug.

The supernatural power he had sought for so long was finally within his grasp.

Without hesitation, he took a deep breath and steeled himself for what was to come. Raising the mug to his lips, he drank the potion in one swift gulp.

The pungent odor of blood filled his nostrils, and he started hearing things.

As he set the mug down, a searing pain ripped through his body,

so intense that Lumian wondered if he had swallowed a ball of fire. The flames seemed to burn through his esophagus, stomach, heart, lungs, intestines, and blood vessels all at once.

At the same time, a strong scent of blood wafted up from his throat.

Lumian fought to remain conscious, remembering the lady's warning that fainting would mean defeat. He knew the stakes were high, and the outcome was obvious if he failed.

His head swam as he lowered it, gazing at the bright red veins protruding from the back of his hand.

The pain and burning came in waves, but they quickly began to recede. But just as he thought it was over, a mysterious voice echoed in his mind, as if coming from both infinitely far away and right beside him.

The sound was like steel thorns piercing his brain, stirring it forcefully.

Suddenly, the near-death experience he had faced before returned, and the pain and burning flared up once more.

Lumian gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, feeling as though something was trying to claw its way out of his flesh.

The gray fog around him seemed to thicken.

The terrifying sound that had filled his ears slowly faded away, and the writhing of his flesh and blood vanished like an illusion.

The excruciating pain, the burning sensation, and the metallic scent of blood dissipated, leaving Lumian gasping for cold air as he regained control of his body.

He bent over, hands on his knees, panting heavily as he realized the true dangers of pursuing supernatural powers, as his sister had warned him.

A mere Sequence 9 potion had nearly claimed his life!

Of course, it had first seemed manageable—dangerous, but manageable. But the mysterious voice that had been brought on by the symbol on his chest had almost caused him to collapse at the critical moment.

Each breath he took seemed to restore some of his strength, and before long, he felt fully recovered.

Bang! Lumian clenched his fist and swung it hard, striking out at the air with a force that caused a sonic boom.

He had never imagined possessing such power before, and the realization filled him with excitement. In his small bedroom, he practiced a combat technique his sister had taught him, each punch producing a crisp sound.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Despite the commotion, Lumian moved with precision and control, not touching anything as he completed the set.

To his surprise, he felt neither tired nor fatigued, but rather energetic and alive.

He assessed his condition:

On par with Aurore…

In terms of strength, speed, reaction, or body control, they've all been greatly enhanced. It's a little inhuman…

I possess the strength of a bear and the agility of a cat. It's slightly equivalent to the combination of the two…

Without the potion, I might never be able to reach this level of power in my life…

But before he could finish his inspection, Lumian caught the scent of blood, his heart tightening with fear. Instinctively, he sniffed the air and realized that he could determine the source of the blood—it came from his body!

Lumian looked down and saw that the back of his hand was covered in blood-red spots.

He came to the full-body mirror again and realized that his face was similarly stained.

He wiped some of the blood away, but found no sign of any wounds.

After a moment's thought, Lumian came to a realization.

Did the potion cause the capillaries Aurore talked about to burst? And then they quickly healed after I absorbed the potion?

...

The only explanation for his current condition was supernatural influence.

Realizing he was not injured, Lumian pushed the matter aside and focused on his sense of smell, which seemed to have undergone a significant change.

As he concentrated, the scents around him were "decomposed" and drilled into his nose in various forms.

The smell of blood, the residual smell of alcohol, the fragrance of flowers, the smell of dust… Lumian began identifying the scents around him one by one, even the slightest ones not escaping his heightened senses.

Simultaneously, he "saw" invisible footprints and the distribution of dust in the bedroom, "heard" the beating of his own heart and the breeze outside the house…

The second change is that my sensory abilities have increased exponentially, surpassing the standards of ordinary humans. No wonder the monster he had encountered was so skilled at tracking… Lumian was delighted.

More importantly, this improvement did not interfere with his daily life and only appeared when he focused. It only took the form of a weaker version.

Through experimentation and self-examination, Lumian discovered two other changes brought on by the Hunter potion.

The third change allows me to accurately locate certain points in his environment, such as weak spots in a wall, enabling me to set traps more efficiently and kill my enemies—be they humans, beasts, or monsters—more effectively.

The fourth change is that I have more knowledge about wild plants and animal organs, allowing me to survive better in the wilderness and quickly find hemostatic medicine when injured. I can even make poison to smear on weapons if needed…

As he confirmed these newfound abilities, Lumian couldn't help but feel a sense of absurdity.

...

I actually managed to kill that shotgun monster?

The current me is much stronger than the previous me, and it was not much weaker than the current me..

Lumian contemplated for a while and concluded two crucial points.

Ability is important, but brains are equally important!

Exploiting a good environment can effectively increase my strength!

After some thought, Lumian added inwardly, Also, I can't be careless and lose my patience at any time…

He walked to the window and gazed at the dream ruins again.

An indescribable sense of oppression, fear, and danger surged into his heart. This was something he had never felt before.

Uh, the fifth change is some kind of intuition strengthening… Lumian nodded gently.

He went to the washroom and washed his body with clean water. He changed into a fresh set of clothes and then lay back on the bed, with the money close.

He wanted to get back to reality as soon as possible, eager to know if the Hunter abilities would stay with him or if they would be weakened.

...

In the dead of night, Cordu was eerily silent. The clouds shrouded the crimson moon and stars, leaving the darkness to reign supreme.

Lumian surveyed the night scenery and felt an overwhelming sense of happiness.

He was now a Beyonder in the real world, and his powers hadn't weakened at all compared to the dream realm.

As an intuition struck him, Lumian unbuttoned his shirt and gazed down at his chest.

The black symbol resembling a thorn chain was slowly fading away.

It also appears in reality… Lumian muttered, feeling a twinge of unease.

He noticed that the bluish-black symbol that had loomed over the thorny chain existed only in his dreams.

Suddenly, Lumian's heart skipped a beat as he gazed up at the nearby elm tree. The legendary owl of the Warlock was perched on a branch, observing him quietly.

-x-X-x-

The brownish-yellow eyes of the owl glowed in the dark, fixating on Lumian as it perched on the branch.

Lumian was no longer as intimidated as he was during their previous encounters. He yelled, "Whatcha looking at? Say something if you dare!"

Lumian didn't have to provoke the owl, but he hoped it would reveal the owl's true motive. He couldn't bear the thought of the creature lurking around and staring at him in the dead of night.

To his surprise, the owl remained silent and didn't make a sound.

After a few tense seconds, the owl spread its wings and flew off into the darkness.

"Crazy!" Lumian let out a frustrated curse, but he didn't dare let his guard down.

Lumian remained focused on scrutinizing the dark shadows outside, trying to detect any signs of danger.

He recalled that the last time the owl had appeared, he had seen Naroka's figure and learned of her death the following day.

I wonder if something similar will happen this time… But after careful observation, he didn't notice anything abnormal and breathed a sigh of relief. He drew the curtains and lay back on the bed.

In the deep darkness, Lumian opened his eyes, contemplating his next move.

I wonder what this owl is trying to do… It's acting so strange and mysterious. It shouldn't be up to anything good…

Whatever. With the situation in the village, I have to leave with Aurore as soon as possible. I don't believe that it can follow us to Trier!

If I don't receive a reply tomorrow, we'll leave Cordu the morning after tomorrow…

If there's a reply, we can leave Cordu openly from the village entrance. If not, we'll have to improvise. It's Lent tomorrow, and everyone will still be celebrating the day after tomorrow, so we won't attract too much attention. Aurore can borrow Madame Pualis' pony and spend some time in the nearby alpine pastures. We don't need to go down the mountain, so it shouldn't attract the investigators' attention. When the time comes, we can use a dangerous trail to leave the mountain…

The path is treacherous, with several broken parts in the middle. Even the shepherds don't think it's passable. However, with my newfound abilities and Aurore's witchcraft, allowing her to fly a distance, she'll have it easier than me…

There's a good chance we can hoodwink the investigators…

Becoming a Hunter had allowed him to do what was previously impossible. It gave Lumian a newfound sense of confidence, allowing him to quickly formulate a plan.

His heart became more certain, and he slept soundly.

...

The next morning, Lumian rose early and got to work in the kitchen.

His thoughts turned to how he had become a Beyonder and how he was about to leave the abnormal village of Cordu with his sister. Lumian's mood brightened, and he even found himself eager to hum a tune.

When Aurore came downstairs, there were already two bowls of minced meat noodles on the table.

"How did you know I was about to get up?" she asked, pleased.

"I started cooking noodles when I heard movement in the washroom." Lumian grinned, inwardly noting, You are always in a groggy state after waking up. How don't you realize this?

Aurore nodded. As she sat at the dining table, she casually asked, "That owl flew over again in the middle of the night?"

"That's right." Lumian knew that his sister had discovered him looking out the window, so the owl's appearance had been a fortunate distraction. Otherwise, he wasn't sure how to explain himself.

He couldn't risk telling Aurore about his newfound Beyonder abilities just yet, as he would be given a dressing down by her.

However, Lumian planned to divulge the truth to his sister sooner than later. He wanted to avoid Aurore from having considerations that might hinder their escape.

He planned to tell his sister about this the day after tomorrow when they escaped from Cordu to prevent her from diverting her attention to take care of him.

By then, she wouldn't have the time to give him a dressing down.

Aurore furrowed her brow in confusion. "What a strange owl…"

She was still trying to decipher the bird's true intentions—all it did was come over to take a look.

Lumian slurped up the last of his noodles, then turned to his sister.

"If there's a reply, we'll leave Cordu this evening and take the usual path down the mountain.

"If not, borrow a pony from Madame Pualis tomorrow morning and we'll head to the nearest alpine ranch. I know of a trail that leads down the mountain, and the investigators won't be aware of it."

Aurore fiddled with her hair, deep in thought.

After a while, she grinned and said, "Sure, the probability of this plan succeeding is quite high."

She clicked her tongue and added, "My stupid brother has grown up."

Lumian couldn't help but feel smug, basking in his sister's praise.

...

After breakfast, Lumian made an excuse to go see if Ava was finished with her Spring Elf blessings tour. He left the subterranean building and headed straight to Ol' Tavern.

As a newly-minted Beyonder, Lumian was eager to gain more knowledge, and the lady had promised to share some with him.

Not far from the tavern, Lumian spotted an old acquaintance walking towards him.

It was Pons Bénet, the younger brother of the local padre.

He's alone… Lumian couldn't help but smile at the thought of how he had been chased by Pons and his thugs in the past.

Having just obtained supernatural powers, he was already eager to test out his new supernatural powers.

"Hey, my illegitimate son," Lumian greeted him. "How dare you go out alone without daddy's permission?"

Lumian hoped to provoke Pons and goad him into a fight instead of letting him run.

Pons Bénet looked in the direction of the voice and saw him.

The villain's expression changed slightly. He turned to run away.

Thud. Thud. Thud… Lumian watched in disbelief as Pons sprinted away, disappearing at the intersection not far away.

He sure ran fast… Quite an alert one…

Lumian sighed silently.

He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he could take down Pons Bénet in a one-on-one scrap, even before he ascended to Beyonder status. But it seemed likely that Pons Bénet had the same notion. The two of them had never properly thrown down, but they both had confidence in their own abilities. So, it caught him off guard when Pons Bénet bolted the second he caught sight of him today, like he'd come face to face with a bloodthirsty beast.

...

It's impossible for him to know that I secretly became a Beyonder last night… Is he so dense that he's developed animal instincts and can sniff out danger? Lumian slandered Pons Bénet in his heart.

He refrained from pursuing Pons Bénet because he regretted the moment he "greeted" him.

The village was riddled with aberrations, and the situation was perilous. Lumian knew better than to stir the pot before he left.

If he had pummeled Pons Bénet, the padre and his goons might spring into action prematurely, thus jeopardizing his and Aurore's escape. It would be too late for regrets when that happened.

Furthermore, the padre's group was an enigma, and there could be something off about Pons Bénet. Lumian suspected that if he engaged in fisticuffs with him, his Beyonder identity would be exposed, and that would spell trouble in the future.

Being a Beyonder has made me too haughty and overconfident. I need to rein myself in, Lumian mused, reflecting on his behavior, as he entered Ol' Tavern.

He had intended to head straight to the second floor, but his eyes landed on the lady seated in the corner.

Today, the lady was garbed in a pearl-gray dress and a light-colored lady's bonnet. Lumian noticed that there wasn't any food in front of her.

"Have you had breakfast?" he asked, taking a seat opposite her.

The lady replied nonchalantly, "Not yet. I'm meeting someone here, and I'm still waiting for her."

Her? Not me…? Lumian scanned the area but saw no one else except the tavern owner.

...

He looked at the lady again and sincerely said, "I've become a Hunter."

It's time for you to keep your promise and give me more common knowledge.

The lady wasn't surprised at all. She remarked with a smile, "It seems you're in pretty good shape."

She spoke in a voice that sounded almost otherworldly, "What you need to master now are two laws and one method."

Why does it feel like I'm studying physics… Lumian didn't dare speak his thoughts aloud.

The lady continued to speak, "For most Beyonders, this knowledge is incredibly valuable. They'd trade everything they have just to acquire it. But for you, fate has brought you here, and so I'll give it to you for free."

Free things often come at the most hefty price. How will I pay the price? Lumian felt a weight settle on his shoulders.

Ever since he became a Hunter, his intuition and observation skills had improved significantly. He could sense a strange, indescribable emotion in the lady's eyes, much stronger than before, but he still couldn't put a finger on what it was.

The lady straightened up.

"All supernatural powers come from the Oldest One, the Creator. As a believer of the Eternal Blazing Sun, you should know that His eyes became the Sun."

"Yes." Lumian had heard the padre's sermons about it before.

"That's a symbolic description," the lady clarified. "In essence, the Oldest One created this world and many deities. Eventually, He disintegrated Himself and split into Beyonder characteristics of different pathways."

"So that's why they're called the paths of the divine?" Lumian connected the dots.

The lady nodded slightly.

"Yes, every pathway's Sequence 0 is equivalent to a true god. For instance, the Bard pathway's Sequence 0 is known as the Sun, which is also the Eternal Blazing Sun you believe in."

Lumian was surprised and a little apprehensive. So every Beyonder can become a god in the end?

If he were a devout believer of the Eternal Blazing Sun, he would have accused the lady of blasphemy. But he wasn't that kind of person. He was just a casual believer who didn't give it much thought.

He even asked, "What's the Hunter pathway's Sequence 0? And what about the Mystery Pryer pathway?"

"Didn't I already tell you? It's the Red Priest, and the position is currently vacant," the lady replied with a chuckle. "As for the Mystery Pryer pathway, the Sequence 0 is known as The Hermit, and it's currently occupied by an evil god called the Hidden Sage. He likes to impart knowledge to Beyonders of the same pathway, earning Him the nickname 'Knowledge Pursuer.' Your sister's troubles stem from Him."

"Is that so…" Lumian felt a twinge of dislike towards the Hidden Sage.

The woman redirected the conversation.

"Since Beyonder characteristics come from the Oldest One, they won't disappear or increase. They only transform from one form to another, moving from one object to another. This is known as the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Indestructibility or the Law of Conservation."

-x-X-x-

Lumian put his physics knowledge to work and pondered for a moment.

"Why not just call it the law of conservation?"

"That's another law, but don't worry about the details for now." The woman nodded in agreement. "Essentially, it's the same as the law of indestructibility, but with additional prerequisites and specific elaborations."

Is that so… Lumian considered for a moment before speaking.

"So, according to the law of indestructibility, if I want to obtain Beyonder characteristics, I can target other Beyonders, in addition to hunting the corresponding monsters?"

Since Beyonder characteristics were indestructible, a Beyonder's death would result in the appearance of the corresponding Beyonder characteristics.

The woman's face showed a certain amount of emotion.

"You're very perceptive."

"Therefore, this law isn't suitable for most Beyonders to know. It would result in Beyonders killing each other, and they won't be able to trust each other."

Lumian didn't mind this. "Even without this law, humans still kill each other. In the real world, there's plenty of suspicion, bullying, and murder."

The woman replied with interest, "But at least there's still a certain warmth and light of the human spirit."

Lumian pondered for a while before speaking.

"Looking at it from another perspective, this law should become a consensus among Beyonders. That way, the weak can be prepared in advance and not become easy prey for those who know."

The lady nodded slightly.

"That does make some sense. Actually, if battles between Beyonders happen frequently enough, people involved would likely be able to figure it out."

She then introduced, "The second law is called the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence."

"Convergence…" Lumian struggled to understand.

He couldn't quite derive it from their earlier conversation.

The woman's expression turned serious.

"As the creator of this world, even if the Oldest One splits into Beyonder characteristics of different pathways, it doesn't mean that He has completely withdrawn from the stage. His mind is scattered among the different Beyonder characteristics and will never be obliterated unless this world completely perishes.

"These minds are similar to a brand, but they have the instinct to reassemble and revive the Oldest One.

"In other words, after you become a Beyonder, you're more likely to encounter other Beyonders than before. You're more likely to encounter Beyonders of the same pathway or neighboring pathways than Beyonders of other pathways. This is the convergence of fate. The higher the Sequence, the more obvious this situation becomes."

Lumian had many questions, but he decided to start with the most important one.

"So, combined with the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Indestructibility, can I conclude that convergence leads to massacres?"

The lady once again revealed an approving expression.

"You're very perceptive on such matters."

"It's not a problem when your Sequence is low, but at the demigod stage, especially after becoming an Angel, you must find a way to weaken or avoid the effects of convergence."

"Demigod, Angel?" Lumian was surprised and intrigued upon hearing these terms, even though he knew that every Sequence could eventually become a true god.

The lady casually explained, "Demigod is a term for Beyonders from Sequence 4 to Sequence 1, meaning half-god, half-human.

"Among them, Sequence 4 and Sequence 3 are known as Saints, while Sequence 2 and Sequence 1 are called Angels. There are other names beyond that, but it's best if you not know them for now."

Saints… Angels… Lumian thought of the saints and angels from different regions.

They were real?

The remains of a Saint are the corpses of Saints. There are Beyonder characteristics left behind?

Lumian asked, feeling a little afraid, "So every Beyonder characteristic has the mental imprint of the Oldest One, and the higher the Sequence, the more is left behind?

"Wouldn't the person who consumes the potion be affected in other ways?"

The lady confirmed with a smile, "Yes, why do you think this path is filled with danger and madness?

"Losing control is one of the main reasons why consuming a potion can be so dangerous.

"To be specific, it's losing control of supernatural powers and one's own mind and transforming into a terrifying monster."

"Is there another reason?" Lumian pressed.

The lady tersely grunted.

"Firstly, the intensity of the mental imprint mainly depends on the level of the owners of the corresponding Beyonder characteristics. Their obsession and madness before death also contribute to it. Secondly, consuming the potion in the wrong order or method can cause a huge conflict in the body. Thirdly, some existences can use the consumption of potions to exert influence. For example, every time the Mystery Pryer pathway consumes a potion, they passively receive knowledge instillation from the Hidden Sage."

Similar to the voice I heard after drinking the Hunter potion? Lumian deliberated for a moment before recounting his encounter truthfully.

"Which entity's influence is that?"

The next second, he saw the expression of the lady opposite him become a little odd.

She said solemnly, "Some existences can corrupt and take control of you just by knowing of their existence.

"Unfortunately, the owner of that voice is one such existence. It's not suitable for you to know Their honorific name at the moment."

Lumian's mind raced with thoughts. That horrifying? A Sequence 0 true god? But most people in Intis and I know about the Eternal Blazing Sun and the God of Steam and Machinery. There's nothing wrong with them… Could there be a difference between a true god and an evil god? But she mentioned the Hidden Sage, who is also a Sequence 0. Is it possible she doesn't know who it is and is using vague terms to mask her ignorance?

He gave up on the topic, considering his own strength, and asked about another intriguing term.

"What is a neighboring pathway?"

The woman's expression returned to normal as she explained, "Under normal circumstances, if you choose a pathway and consume the corresponding potion, you can only go down that path one step at a time. Otherwise, you will definitely lose control, or at the very least, half-lose control. However, there are always exceptions. Every pathway has one or more neighboring pathways. You can jump over at a specific Sequence, such as Sequence 4, which divides between humans and demigods."

"Hunter's neighboring pathway is Assassin."

Assassin… Sounds cooler than Hunter… Lumian asked with concern, "Which pathways neighbor Mystery Pryer?

"Will one no longer be affected by the Hidden Sage after jumping to a neighboring pathway?"

"The Savant pathway. The current Sequence 0 is the God of Steam and Machinery," the woman replied calmly. "After jumping over, one will still be affected by the Hidden Sage, but the degree will decrease significantly. However, the corresponding Beyonder characteristics still exist unless one finds a way to expel them."

...

"How?" Lumian asked, surprised.

"The easiest way is to have children. In mysticism, there's a high chance of transferring the corresponding Beyonder characteristics to a child through heredity," the woman explained. "Alternatively, you can use the special abilities of certain pathways, but there's a certain risk, and you have to pay a considerable price."

Lumian nodded before raising another question.

"Can I switch only at a particular Sequence?"

The chances of reaching Sequence 4 and becoming a demigod were slim.

The lady glanced at him.

"In theory, it's possible to switch at a lower Sequence, but the risk of losing control is much higher. Unless there's no other way, it's best not to attempt it."

The woman paused before saying, "I've finished explaining the two laws. Now, I'll explain the method.

"This is one of the most important pieces of knowledge in the mystical world."

Most important? Lumian instinctively straightened his back, feeling abnormally focused.

The lady continued to speak, "It's called the 'acting method.'

...

"It's a way to help you digest the potion. By digesting the potion, the risk of losing control will be greatly reduced when consuming the next Sequence potion."

It's no wonder I can't drink the Sequence 9 potion today and drink the Sequence 8 potion tomorrow… I have to use the "acting method" to digest the previous potion… Lumian came to a realization.

He did not interrupt her and listened attentively to her explanation.

"Remember, it's digestion, not control.

"What's the acting method? It involves acting according to the name of a Sequence like an actor. By reconciling the differences between one's body and the remnant mental imprints of the Beyonder characteristics, one can obtain the corresponding recognition. This allows them to bypass the barrier that originally existed and fuse the Beyonder characteristics with themselves."

"So, I have to act like a Hunter and hunt in the mountains every day?" Lumian asked attentively." Lumian appeared as attentive as a student.

The lady shook her head.

"That's just the most superficial form of acting. We not only have to understand the surface meaning of a Sequence's name, but we also have to investigate its deeper meaning. For example, the city is also a jungle. Everyone is both prey and hunter."

I'm familiar with this… Lumian was already familiar with this concept, which he had learned during his days as a vagrant.

"How can you be sure that you have digested the potion and can advance to the next Sequence?" Lumian asked curiously.

The lady smiled.

"You will sense it when the potion is truly digested."

Alright… Lumian didn't continue the topic and asked in puzzlement, "Who named the different Sequences?"

Why could he digest the potion just by acting them out?

The lady's expression turned serious.

"The earliest Sequence divisions came from the remnants of the Oldest One's splintering. It was a stone slab filled with mystical knowledge.

"As it involves the secret of becoming a deity, it's called the Blasphemy Slate.

"In ancient times, during the end of the Second Epoch and the entire Third Epoch, a powerful deity close to the Oldest One appeared. He was called the Ancient Sun God. After He perished, a second Blasphemy Slate was born from His remains. All the current Sequence names and potion formulas came from it."

That's not the Second and Third Epoch history I learned… Lumian muttered inwardly.

The lady continued to speak, "When Emperor Roselle was alive, he used the second Blasphemy Slate as a reference to create a Cards of Blasphemy set based on tarot cards. There are a total of 22 cards, and each card represents a pathway of the divine."

Lumian was astonished. "Emperor Roselle is also a Beyonder?"

As an ordinary Intisian, it was difficult for him not to feel a certain amount of admiration for Emperor Roselle.

The woman laughed. "Otherwise?"

Lumian asked, "Was he powerful?"

"Almost a deity," the lady said concisely.

That amazing? Lumian was stunned but felt that it was only right.

He thought for a moment and said, "Then, wouldn't the diary left behind by Emperor Roselle be very valuable?"

The lady nodded.

"Yes, but there are very, very few people who can decipher those strange writings."

Lumian fell into deep thought. Aurore seems to have some of Emperor Roselle's diary transcripts in her collection. She seems to be able to decipher them… Could it be that a portion of her strength comes from there?

-x-X-x-

The woman turned her head to look out of Ol' Tavern's window.

"It's about time. I'll end this with giving you some pointers. Based on the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Indestructibility, we know that humans and Beyonder characteristics combine to become Beyonders. Similarly, creatures and Beyonder characteristics combine to become Beyonder creatures. But what about items that combine with Beyonder characteristics?" she asked, not giving Lumian a chance to answer.

"They are called mystical items. As items don't have will, spirit, and self-control, coupled with the combined effects of other factors, after they fuse with Beyonder characteristics, they will not only display corresponding special abilities but also bring about very strong negative effects. The various Churches tend to seal them and use suitable methods to activate them when needed. This is why mystical items are also called Sealed Artifacts.

"The mystical items that have been sealed by the various Churches have their own serial numbers and are divided into four grades: 3, 2, 1, and 0. The smaller the prefix number, the higher the danger. Among them, there are a limited number of Level 1 and 0 Sealed Artifacts that are extremely dangerous. The serial numbers are common to the various Churches and won't be repeated."

Lumian muttered, "Level 0 Sealed Artifacts…"

Lumian had a deep impression that Sequence 0 was equivalent to a true god. This led him to make a certain connection and ask, "Are these Sealed Artifacts formed by fallen deities or exterminated evil gods?"

He had noticed that there were 22 pathways with Sequence 0s, but the number of deities clearly didn't add up.

However, Lumian also recognized that his lack of understanding of evil gods and secret existences might have caused this confusion.

"Not all of them," the lady replied after thinking for a moment. "Most of them are at the level of Angels. Only a small number have the ability to kill gods."

Lumian nodded. "I understand. I won't underestimate the items in other people's hands."

The woman added, "You can't underestimate the negative effects of Sealed Artifacts either. In the future, you will definitely come across Sealed Artifacts.

"Oh, and there's another category of items in the field of mysticism called extraordinary items. They are made by Beyonders of corresponding Sequences using their abilities, spirituality, or with the help of the spirit world or deities. They don't contain Beyonder characteristics, but they have a certain level of supernatural effects. However, their strength will gradually dissipate over time. Charms, lotions, and other items can only be used once.

"In comparison, Beyonder weapons are more stable and can be used for years.

"As a Hunter, you lack the ability to deal with Spirit Body ghost-type creatures before Sequence 7. If you have the chance in the future, consider obtaining the corresponding Sealed Artifacts or Beyonder items."

Lumian listened carefully and asked, "The spirit world?"

He had seen this term in Hidden Veil, but it did not provide sufficient explanation.

The woman quickly explained, "From a mystical point of view, this world is divided into three levels: the real world, the spirit world, and the astral world. The rest are formed by attaching to one of these three, like the Underworld.

"I don't need to explain much about the real world; you already know it very well. The spirit world is a place where spirits reside, and many concepts of reality no longer exist there. You will gradually understand it in the future. As for the astral world, it originally referred to the world of gods, but now, the entire cosmos needs to be included in that definition."

Lumian was just asking casually, but after obtaining a preliminary answer, he immediately returned to the previous topic.

"Can a Hunter create Beyonder items?" he asked, thinking that Warlocks could probably do it.

The lady shook her head before saying, "Hunters can't rely on their own Sequence, but because their spirituality has been enhanced, they can learn ritualistic magic and pray to a deity or a hidden existence. They can use their responses to create charms, weapons, and other Beyonder items.

"However, I have to remind you that most hidden existences are very dangerous. It's best not to attempt praying to them. Otherwise, death would be the best outcome. And the seven orthodox gods basically won't respond to you unless you join the corresponding Church and become an official Beyonder."

"In other words, it's impossible for a Hunter to create a Beyonder item?" Lumian asked, feeling somewhat disappointed.

The lady smiled and said, "Not really. On the one hand, you can use the blood and saliva of certain Beyonder creatures to create poisonous weapons. In a sense, this can be considered a Beyonder item. On the other hand, after you unlock the secret of the dream, I'll tell you the honorific name of a great existence. You can pray to Him."

Lumian was shocked and suspicious. This was the first time she had used the word "great" as an adjective. He had never heard her use it to describe the Eternal Blazing Sun or the Hidden Sage. Who could this great existence be? Was it safe to pray to Him?

The more he learned about mysticism, the more he realized how little he knew.

Lumian tersely acknowledged her answer and asked, "What are the corresponding Sequences 8 and 7 for Hunters?"

The woman replied indifferently, "Sequence 8 of the Hunter pathway is called Provoker, and Sequence 7 is Pyromaniac.

"Alright, that's all for today," she said as she stood up and walked towards the entrance to the second floor.

After a few steps, she stopped and said over her shoulder, "I forgot to remind you. Remember, you're just acting."

Just acting… Lumian mulled over her words and thoughtfully asked, "What if you take the role seriously?"

"You will become less and less like yourself until one day…" The woman smiled and closed her mouth before turning around, walking to the stairs, and disappearing.

She didn't finish her sentence again… Lumian muttered silently.

He sensed that forgetting he was only acting would have serious consequences.

Lumian sat quietly in a corner of Ol' Tavern, reviewing the general knowledge the woman had just taught him to prevent forgetting anything.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized the importance of the two laws and one method.

They are like the main framework of mysticism. Everything else is derived from them.

I wonder if Aurore knows…

After leaving Cordu, I'll discuss this problem with her…

Uh, I wonder if that lady will allow me to inform Aurore of all these directly…

...

As Lumian left Ol' Tavern, he looked back and muttered to himself, Why haven't those three foreigners taken action yet? It's already Lent today…

He continued to ponder as he made his way to the village square.

After he finished asking if there was any reply, he saw Ava, Reimund, and the others approaching.

Ava was wearing a long white dress with a round headdress made of branches and flowers on her head, and a huge necklace hung around her neck. Brown branches and green leaves adorned her back, arms, waist, and legs, making her look like a fairy in the forest.

She was the main character of Lent, the Spring Elf.

Reimund and the other lads surrounded Ava, each carrying a basket woven from tree branches filled with grass, soil, rocks, leaves, and other items.

"Lumian, the blessing tour is about to begin!" Ava exclaimed when her aqua-blue eyes saw him.

Her face was filled with joy.

Reimund and the others also looked happy.

"Come on, let's go get the contributions!"

Since Novel Weekly had not yet replied, Lumian had nothing to do for the time being, so he decided to join the procession.

The young lads began singing loudly as they surrounded Ava and walked out of the square.

After about ten meters, they stopped in front of the first building.

...

Lumian walked to the door and banged on it.

"The Spring Elf is here!"

The door creaked open, and Nazélie appeared in front of them.

She was the other female head of the family in the village, in her forties with the prefix 'Na.' Her black hair was tied up, and her blue eyes were smiling.

As the door opened, Ava took two steps forward, spread her arms, and began singing.

"I'm the elf of spring,

With a sweet face and a joyful ring,

Bringing happiness to everything,

In this season so charming.

Come and sing, come and dance,

Let's celebrate this time of chance,

...

For this is the only way,

To bless the land and make it stay."

After the song, Ava took a clump of soil from Reimund's basket and handed it to Nazélie.

"Thank you, 'Spring Elf'," Nazélie said, receiving it with a smile and handing a piece of cloth to Ava.

"Bumper harvest! Bumper harvest!" Lumian and the other lads replied in unison.

This was a blessing ritual. The Spring Elf used singing and the giving of soil, grass, rocks, and other natural things to the villagers to bless them with a bumper harvest this year. The villagers needed to give something back as a contribution, or the blessing would become a curse.

After Reimund received the cloth, Ava sang another song enthusiastically.

Only then did they bid farewell to Nazélie and head to the next house.

A portion of the dedications received during the blessing tour would be thrown into the river in the waterside ritual, and the rest would be placed in the final ritual. After Lent was over, the girl who was the embodiment of the Spring Elf had the right to choose some to take away.

This was a considerable gain.

If Cordu really experienced a bumper harvest this year, Ava, as the embodiment of the "Spring Elf", would be widely believed to have received the love of the elves and blessings of spring. Whoever married her would have bumper harvests all the time.

In that case, she had a chance of marrying someone from a good family.

The blessing procession sang all the way to Lumien's house, where Aurore opened the door. She had changed into a light-colored pleated dress with a straight collar and had bunned her blond hair.

Ava walked over and sang the same song again.

"I'm the elf of spring…"

Aurore listened with a smile and handed Ava a small pottery jar.

"Thank you, Spring Elf."

Lumian glanced at the jar of animal lard and felt that his sister was too generous.

They had no farmland except for a small vegetable field at the back of their house and did not need to worry about the harvest at all.

-x-X-x-

Despite feeling the usual pinch, Lumian didn't stop his sister as Ava, Reimund, and the others turned around and walked towards the nearby buildings. He deliberately fell behind and whispered to Aurore, "Call me if you hear back from Novel Weekly."

"Don't worry, I'll keep you updated," Aurore replied, giving Lumian a reassuring look.

The festive and joyous blessing tour continued with songs as they knocked on the villagers' doors in Cordu.

Finally, they arrived at the administrator's residence, which was modified from a castle from the Sauron royal era. It was located on a hill at the edge of Cordu, dark in color with two towering towers.

The outer walls surrounding the building had long been torn down. Lumian and company passed through the garden specially created by the Béost couple and arrived at the entrance.

The door was four to five meters tall, a brownish-green color like trees, and looked very heavy.

However, it was divided into upper and lower parts and only needed to open the two-meter-tall part below unless welcoming esteemed guests.

The Spring Elf was the embodiment of spring and the messenger of the harvest, so she deserved the most honorable treatment. At this moment, the heavy door was completely opened, and Madame Pualis stood there in a light green corset.

Her lady's maid, Cathy, stood to the side with a basket woven from tree branches, half a step behind.

Ava walked over and sang a song of blessings.

Madame Pualis listened quietly with a smile on her face, which made her look noble and reserved. The young men who followed the Spring Elf didn't dare to look at her, but Lumian, who had "listened" to the other party and the padre doing the deed, scoffed inwardly when he saw this.

As the song ended, Ava exchanged the seeds of a tree for a basket of eggs.

The blessing tour was over, and Lumian, Reimund, and the other lads escorted Ava, the Spring Elf, to the mountain river not far from the village for the second segment of Lent: the waterside ritual.

Arriving at the place where geese were usually herded, Ava approached the clear river and did a simple dance, repeating the song from before. Meanwhile, Lumian and the other lads stood still, seven to eight meters away from the Spring Elf.

After the dance, Ava took out a chopped turnip from a basket beside her feet, given by a particular villager, and threw it into the river.

As she threw, she sang, "A bumper harvest! A bumper harvest!"

When Ava was done, Lumian stepped on the ground and ran over in a few steps. He bent down and took out the cut turnips from the basket and threw them into the river.

"A bumper harvest! A bumper harvest!" he shouted.

The remaining lads were a tad slower than Lumian, but they rushed towards Ava, afraid of falling behind. They took out turnips and radishes from the basket and threw them at different parts of the river while shouting "bumper harvest."

Reimund failed to take the initiative and couldn't beat the others, so he was the last to complete the ritual.

The next second, he saw the malicious smiles of Lumian, Guillaume-junior, and the others.

They lifted Reimund up, shouting "bumper harvest," and threw him into the water with a splash. Reimund was drenched from head to toe.

The people on the shore even picked up soil and branches and threw them at him.

This was part of the waterside ritual: the person who completed the last prayer would be thrown into the river and not allowed to go ashore. They could only swim a little further down and quietly return home to hide until it was dark.

Reimund wiped the water droplets off his face and struggled for a few seconds before heading downstream.

Only then did the team escort Ava to the Eternal Blazing Sun cathedral at the edge of Cordu's square.

It was almost noon. Most of the villagers, including Lumian's sister Aurore, had gathered at the cathedral, which was not as grand as those in the city. The tallest one was only 11 to 12 meters, with a dome in an arc that looked like an onion from the outside. Looking up from the inside, a dazzling sun mural greeted their eyes.

The entire cathedral was golden in color and looked very bright, which was also the common style of all the Eternal Blazing Sun cathedrals.

The altar was located in the east, and all kinds of Sun Flowers surrounded a huge Sacred Emblem.

On the surface of the Sacred Emblem, the golden ball and the lines representing light formed a symbol filled with mysticism: the symbol of the Eternal Blazing Sun.

High up on the wall behind the altar, there were two pure glass windows inlaid with gold foil. Every day, when the sun rose, the light would shine from here onto the Sacred Emblem.

On the west side of the cathedral, there were two similar glass windows to take in the glow of the setting sun.

As this was not a formal ritual of the Church but a traditional celebration of the people, Padre Guillaume Bénet did not appear. Instead, Administrator Béost hosted the celebration with Ava, who was still dressed as a "Spring Elf," standing next to him. Musical instruments such as flutes and lyres sounded, and the villagers sang songs that praised spring and prayed for a bumper harvest.

They hadn't rehearsed, so the singing wasn't uniform, and some people even sang and danced, making the scene lively.

Lumian's mouth opened and closed, but he didn't make a sound—he was simply going through the motions. On the other hand, Aurore, who was beside him, was engrossed in her singing, taking the opportunity to have fun and raise her voice.

As he was only going through the motions, Lumian had time to look around.

He didn't notice any abnormalities in the villagers' behavior. He subconsciously looked up at the golden sun mural on the dome.

Then he saw it—the thing he couldn't quite put his finger on.

The villagers weren't praising the sun.

For a village that worshiped the Eternal Blazing Sun, this was strange. Words like "Praise the Sun" and "My God, my Father" were staples of daily life, but Lumian realized he hadn't heard them in a while!

As a quasi-believer and having skipped activities in the cathedral since crossing the padre, Lumian hadn't thought much of it before. But something about the solemn and golden atmosphere of the cathedral made him realize that this was not normal.

And then he remembered the letter of help that he had reconstructed, the urgent plea for assistance from someone in the village: "We need help as soon as possible. The people around us are getting weirder."

The people around us are getting weirder… At that moment, Lumian gained a deeper understanding and agreement with this sentence.

Lumian's heart raced as he looked around, searching for Leah and the other foreigners.

But they were nowhere to be found at this Lenten celebration.

Seriously, they don't appear when they're needed… Lumian muttered inwardly.

Lumian forced himself to join in the chorus, pretending not to notice anything out of the ordinary.

Finally, the singing died down, and the celebration ended. Lumian whispered to Aurore, his voice urgent, "Go home first. I have something to tell you later."

He knew he couldn't leave yet; as an escort for the Spring Elf, he had to participate in the final part of the ritual.

He couldn't force his way out of the cathedral, risking an anomalous eruption.

Aurore nodded thoughtfully. "Okay."

She didn't ask further and left the cathedral with Madame Pualis and the other villagers, leaving Lumian behind.

The cathedral was empty, save for Lumian and a handful of lads who had participated in the blessing tour.

Ava, the embodiment of the Spring Elf, stood in the center of the room, surrounded by the contributions, symbolic items that hadn't been thrown into the river—herbs, axes, shovels, whips, and goose sticks.

...

Lumian and his companions had to wait for someone to come in from outside and announce the departure of the Spring Elf before they could take off her crown, necklace, branches, and leaves. During this process, they needed to leave a gap for the Spring Elf to leave Ava's body.

In just 20 to 30 seconds, footsteps echoed from the cathedral's entrance.

Lumian instinctively looked up. Two figures entered the cathedral.

The thin Shepherd Pierre Berry had rushed back to attend Lent. His eyes were sunken, and he wore a dark brown long coat with a hood. He had tied a rope around his waist and was sporting new black leather shoes.

But what caught Lumian's attention was that his greasy black hair was now clean and smooth. Even his messy beard had been tidied, and it was now neater and shorter than before. As usual, there was a faint smile in his blue eyes.

The other man was Padre Guillaume Bénet, adorned in a white robe with gold threads, befitting of his role as a clergyman. He had sparse black hair and a slightly hooked nose, but he exuded a dignified aura. Despite standing at less than 1.7 meters tall, he still seemed to tower over Shepherd Pierre Berry.

The padre… Why did he come? Lumian was surprised and puzzled.

As a clergyman of the Eternal Blazing Sun Church, he had no business being here, at a folk celebration that didn't include a segment to praise the sun.

Lumian's mind jolted as he recognized that the padre and his group were previously up to something sinister, especially considering his past conflict with them. He quickly retreated to the side of the stained glass, moving slowly and silently to avoid drawing attention to himself.

The group hadn't yet surrounded Ava, the Spring Elf, so they were standing in different places, making Lumian's actions inconspicuous.

Ava was surprised to see the padre, but she quickly remembered his importance in the village. It made sense for him to announce the end of the Lent celebration. She smiled once again.

...

Padre Guillaume Bénet and Shepherd Pierre Berry approached Ava, and the former spoke in a deep voice.

"Send the Spring Elf off."

Other than Lumian, people rushed forward to surround Ava.

"Send the Spring Elf off!" Shepherd Pierre Belly shouted as he bent his back with a smile.

Not good! Lumian's heart raced as he stepped forward, his body reacting before his mind could catch up.

But it was too late. Shepherd Pierre Berry picked up an axe from the pile of symbolic items, and with a tight grip and a powerful swing, the axe came cleaving down.

Blood spurted from Ava's neck, forming a thick red mist.

Thud.

Lumian watched in horror as Ava's head fell to the ground and rolled a few times in the blood, finally stopping, head facing up.

She still had a look of joy in her eyes.

Having just taken two steps in her direction, Lumian's heart sank. He immediately turned around and turned to flee towards the stained glass.