6 COI

Compared to the "time loop" and "humans becoming sheep," the scene in front of him was no less shocking. It made Lumian feel as though his eyes, mind, and spirit had been severely tainted.

If he had known beforehand that he would witness such a thing, he would definitely have abandoned his actions.

What the f*ck is going on?

Louis Lund is clearly still a man!

!!

Whose child is he carrying? The administrator's? Or Madame Pualis?

Is this the world of mysticism?

Aurore didn't let me come into contact with this for my own good…

For a moment, Lumian's thoughts were disordered, and his mind was in a state of chaos. He wished he could dig out his eyes and forcefully forget what he had seen.

"Waa! Waa! Waa!"

The baby that Louis Lund had given birth to cried out, making the filthy "delivery room" instantly have a holy aura.

This was the beauty of a new life. Lumian, who was hiding outside the window, directly experienced the joy of human origins.

Of course, besides that, the strange, absurd, dirty, and disharmonious feeling became even more obvious.

Lumian finally came back to his senses and subconsciously looked into the room again.

The baby had already been placed on a white silk cloth beside Louis Lund by the woman in the grayish-white dress. The baby was a boy, and there was more blood than milky-white fat, but other than that, there was nothing abnormal. He looked like an ordinary newborn.

Lumian observed for another two seconds and realized that the baby boy's ten fingers were bent. His nails were very long, like the claws of a bird.

Just now, he had used these hands to rip open Louis Lund's stomach!

Louis Lund, on the other hand, lay in a semi-conscious state.

The wound on Louis Lund's stomach had yet to be stitched up, and blood kept seeping out. One could vaguely see the intestines pressed to the side and a strange, bird's nest-like thing covered in a flesh-colored membrane.

As the woman wrapped the baby in silk, she picked up a sewing needle and catgut, and began chanting as she sewed the groaning Louis Lund's wound, "This was quite easy for you. The last time I gave birth to quadruplets, that was considered painful…"

Lumian's facial muscles twitched slightly. He felt that after his eyes, brain, mind, and spirit were affected, his ears were also tainted.

He retracted his gaze. He had to get out of there, fast.

He leaped back to the window he had come from and flipped into the room.

After closing the window, he rushed out the door and headed straight for the stairs.

After dodging a male servant, Lumian tiptoed and quickly returned to the hall.

"Where did you go?"

Suddenly, a slightly magnetic and gentle voice sounded in his ears.

Even with Lumian's Hunter senses, he didn't sense that someone was standing beside the staircase entrance.

He turned around to see Madame Pualis in a blue corset, her hair half-tied, and her bright brown eyes reflecting his figure.

The madam no longer had a smile on her face. Her eyes reflected Lumian's figure with a piercing intensity.

Lumian's mind tensed up. He was terrified, but prepared to fight if necessary.

Aurore appeared from a side room and asked, "Where did you go? The carriage has been waiting at the entrance."

Having been in a similar situation, the experienced Lumian said half-truthfully, "Didn't Madame Pualis say that Mr. Lund is sick? I had drinks with Mr. Lund and wanted to visit him, but this castle is too big. I couldn't find his room."

Aurore nodded and said, "You could have asked Madame Pualis directly. You don't have to hide it from us. It's not a bad thing."

"My bad. I'm sorry." Lumian looked at Madame Pualis sincerely.

After seeing the scene upstairs, Lumian was more afraid of this lady than disgusted.

He was relieved when she finally smiled, no longer as serious as before.

"Let me thank you on behalf of Lund for your kindness, but he isn't in the best of health. He isn't willing to appear in front of others in that unseemly manner."

It's indeed unseemly… Lumian silently echoed her thoughts.

"Shall we board the carriage? Thank you so much," Aurore said to Madame Pualis.

Lumian watched Madame Pualis closely, afraid she would find a way to make them stay longer.

If she did, it could mean that she sensed something had happened with Louis Lund!

Although Lumian felt that their combined forces could fight against Madame Pualis after he rendezvoused with his sister, this was her castle after all, surrounded by her servants. It was the worst hunting environment for a Hunter.

Madame Pualis nodded and smiled at Aurore.

"I look forward to the gifts you bring back from Trier. I always yearn for what's trending there."

"I hope I can give you a surprise," Aurore replied, though she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to return to Cordu Village. She just needed to keep up appearances.

Madame Pualis walked the siblings to the door with her lady's maid, Cathy, and watched them get into the four-seater carriage.

The burly, brown-bearded carriage driver wore dark red clothes, yellow pants, and a waxed hat. He looked almost like a professional coachman in the city, except that he didn't wear a tie.

This was a mandatory request from Administrator Béost.

Aurore apologized to the driver. "Sorry to trouble you," she said politely before closing the door.

The driver's name was Sewell, and he had the most common blue eyes in the Intis Republic.

He was delighted by Aurore's politeness and looked forward to the tip he'd receive when they arrived in Dariège.

"Madame, Monsieur, sit tight."

He raised his whip, and the horses started to speed up.

As the carriage passed through Cordu Village, it suddenly stopped.

...

Lumian's heart skipped a beat, knowing that their journey wouldn't be smooth and easy.

"What's wrong?" he asked the driver, Sewell.

Sewell explained, "Madame promised to send Naroka to Junak Village yesterday. I'm worried I won't be able to return in time after going to Dariège, so I thought of picking her up on the way. Don't worry, it won't cause any delays."

Junak Village was closer to Dariège than Cordu Village. Going there first really didn't affect the estimated time of arrival for Aurore and Lumian.

Aurore had no right to object since this wasn't her carriage, so she didn't.

Lumian was more concerned about Naroka's safety. In the previous cycle, she had died under suspicious circumstances, possibly at the hands of a relative. It was related to the padre's group.

Sewell went into Naroka's house before helping her out.

Naroka was different from usual. She was dressed in a long black dress with exquisite patterns and a dark bonnet. Her sparse, pale hair was carefully combed.

"Hey, my little cabbages, where are you going?" Naroka asked happily as she got into the carriage.

Her pockmarked and wrinkled face was filled with unconcealable joy, and her previously slightly turbid eyes were much more energetic.

Aurore told her the truth. "I'm going to Trier to attend an author salon, and also bring Lumian to check out the universities there."

...

Aurore asked Naroka, "Did you receive some invitation?"

While it was normal for Naroka to wear black clothes as a widow, she only wore this dress during festivals, banquets, and the anniversary of her late husband's death.

Naroka looked expectant.

"Yeah, to meet some people."

Lumian quietly observed Naroka, trying to see if he could detect anything from her.

The carriage started moving again, leaving Cordu Village behind.

Aurore chatted with Naroka intermittently, keeping an eye on the outside of the carriage.

Aurore worried that their sudden departure might arouse suspicion.

As they continued on, Lumian sensed a change in Naroka's demeanor.

She looked much paler than before, and her eyes lacked their usual liveliness. She only spoke when spoken to.

This was very similar to the Naroka Lumian had seen in the middle of the night during the previous cycle.

Lumian discreetly tugged on Aurore's hand to get her attention.

Aurore turned to him, silently asking what was wrong.

Lumian discreetly pointed at Naroka and drew a cross on her palm, a symbol Aurore often used to indicate an error in her scripts. He used it to refer to Naroka's concerning state.

Aurore was momentarily stunned but quickly understood what Lumian meant.

She turned her attention to Naroka, sensing that something was wrong.

Aurore raised her hand to massage her temples, causing her light-blue eyes to darken and become deeper.

With just a glance, Aurore's golden brows furrowed, and she leaned back slightly as if she had been hit by something.

She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, as if she was feeling tired and in pain.

When she opened her eyes again, Aurore turned to Lumian and said, "When we reach Dariège, you must stay close to me. No matter what happens, don't leave my side."

Her tone was serious, and Lumian understood immediately. He knew that if something happened, he had to follow his sister closely. She would take care of it.

He nodded solemnly and decided to tell Aurore about his recent Beyonder powers later.

Aurore turned her attention back to Naroka and asked, "Are you really going to Junak, or somewhere else?"

She was worried that an unexpected stop might make things more complicated. It was better to anticipate any developments and not fight in an environment the other party was expecting.

Naroka's gaze was vacant as she replied in a deep voice, "No, I'm not going to Junak. I want to go to Paramita."

As she spoke, Lumian noticed the outside of the carriage window darkening abnormally.

-x-X-x-

What's Paramita? Lumian was alarmed as he quickly turned to look out the window.

But what he saw outside was not what he expected. Instead of mountains, pastures, and trees, he was greeted by a desolate wilderness. The pale-white clouds in the sky blocked out all the sunlight, casting everything in shadow.

In the wilderness, strange figures roamed about. Most of them wore white linen clothes, with pale-blue faces, empty eyes, and agape mouths, looking anything but normal.

Lumian watched in horror as some of the figures ran crazily towards the edge of the wilderness, while others stumbled towards them from the other side. It was as if they would never stop, doomed to wander aimlessly forever.

At the edge of the wilderness, near a cliff, he could make out dark monsters with long horns and humanoid bodies, grabbing the white-clad figures and throwing them over the edge.

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air, right into Lumian's and Aurore's ears.

The sound of hooves echoed through the wilderness as a tall figure in full black armor rode a white horse. The horse was so thin that it looked like it had only skin and bones left. The rider moved slowly at times and galloped back and forth at others, as if shepherding sheep.

Lumian's eyesight was sharp, and he could see the rider clearly from afar.

Inside the helmet that shone with a metallic luster, two deep red rays of light flickered like flames. A hideous wound on the rider's neck extended all the way to their navel, almost splitting them in half and dragging out their pale-white intestines.

Without any need for further evidence, Lumian knew who it was: a Death Knight!

It was a creature that often appeared in Intisian folklore.

Suddenly, the carriage they were in came to a stop.

Naroka silently opened the door and stepped out.

Her pale face, empty eyes, and numb expression were starting to resemble the figures in white linen clothes that Lumian had seen earlier.

Aurore turned to him and said in a deep voice, "This place is filled with undead. You must stay by my side at all times."

As she spoke, she took out a gold brooch and fastened it to her clothing.

Aurore took out a handful of grayish-black powder from her pocket with her other hand.

Lumian leaned forward to look at the carriage driver and realized that Sewell had become like Naroka—pale-faced and empty-eyed, slowly walking deeper into the wilderness as if he had been dead for a long time.

He said quickly to Aurore, "Grande Soeur, I'm already a Beyonder. You deal with these undead. I'll drive the carriage and get us out of here as soon as possible!"

He knew he couldn't fight the undead, so he could only be a temporary carriage driver.

But if the Death Knight showed up, he would do his best to block it.

Aurore was taken aback by Lumian's sudden transformation, but quickly regained her composure. She reminded him, "Check the horses' condition!"

Lumian looked ahead and saw that the horses were motionless, with their flesh and blood seemingly extracted, leaving only withered fur and skin wrapped around their bones.

"The horses are dead," he reported back to Aurore.

Suddenly, the undead caught a whiff of the living and rushed towards the carriage, trying to enter.

"XXX." Aurore uttered a word in a language Lumian didn't understand.

As soon as Aurore spoke the word, the golden brooch in front of her lit up with a violent but not stimulating golden light.

The grayish-black powder in her left hand burned, emitting a flow of light that resembled water, spreading in all directions. The undead screamed as soon as they came into contact with the light, and cyan smoke rose from their bodies.

They wanted to retreat, but more undead surged forward, squeezing around the carriage, evaporating and disappearing.

Lumian watched enviously and solemnly, wishing he could do something to help. He yearned to advance in Sequence and gain more abilities.

But the powder in Aurore's hand was about to run out, and the undead were still coming, ignoring the ones that had already been destroyed. Lumian knew they couldn't stay there forever.

"We can't stay here. Let's make a run for it!"

No matter how many materials his sister had prepared, she couldn't deal with so many undead!

The Death Knight and the creatures that looked like demons were still out there.

Their best chance was to use what resources they had left to escape from the wilderness known as Paramita.

Aurore nodded and said simply, "Follow me."

The moment she finished speaking, the grayish-black powder in her palm vanished into thin air, and the desolate surroundings were engulfed by the undead.

Aurore wasted no time and retrieved another handful of materials, igniting them with the golden brooch before her. The materials combusted, creating a dazzling golden light

that decimated the approaching undead. Their agonizing shrieks echoed through the wilderness before they disintegrated into nothingness.

Aurore leaped off the carriage with Lumian hot on her heels, sprinting towards the nearest edge of the wilderness.

Suddenly, a hand jutted out from the golden blaze, snatching Lumian's arm.

Lumian's instincts kicked in, alerting him of the imminent threat. He pivoted his forearm and delivered a swift blow to the hand.

Pa!

It felt like he had punched a block of solid ice. A shiver ran through his body, rendering him immobile for a moment.

Lumian's teeth clattered as he caught sight of the hand's owner.

It was another undead clad in white linen, but it donned a mask made of white paper over its face. The figure disintegrated slowly under the golden light.

The peculiar undead lunged towards Lumian, but before it could make contact, a beam of pure, holy light descended upon it.

The masked undead halted in its tracks, burning fiercely before dissolving into black vapor.

"Keep moving!" Aurore shouted, withdrawing her hand from the golden brooch and darting forward.

Lumian shook off the cold and picked up his pace to follow his sister.

The duo relied on the grayish-black powder and Warlock spells to traverse the wilderness. The golden light eradicated countless undead garbed in white linen.

Unfortunately, Aurore couldn't simply rely on one material to stuff every bag. As a Warlock, she had to anticipate various scenarios.

Before long, the bag containing the Sun Flower powder was empty, and they were still hundreds of meters away from the wilderness's edge. The undead horde seemed never-ending.

What frightened them even more was the Death Knight's approach. The horse-mounted knight had sensed the turmoil and was galloping towards them.

...

Aurore's expression changed several times in the golden light. She slowed down, gritted her teeth, and spoke urgently to Lumian.

"When I shout 'three,' run towards the edge of the wilderness and don't look back!"

Lumian opened his mouth to protest, but Aurore cut him off.

"Don't worry, I'll follow you. If you stay, you'll only interfere with my use of a powerful spell and slow us down when we try to escape."

As she spoke, Aurore removed the golden brooch from her chest and handed it to Lumian, giving him instructions.

"Focus your spirituality and extend it to this brooch. Repeat this word when you're running: 'XXX'!"

Lumian didn't understand the word, but he committed the pronunciation to memory.

As soon as he took hold of the golden brooch, he felt a warm light envelop his body, banishing his dark thoughts and slowing down his racing mind.

Instinctively donning the brooch, Lumian concentrated his thoughts according to his sister's directions, extending his spiritual energy.

Seeing that the grayish-black powder in her hand was running low, Aurore retrieved another material and shouted out, "One, two, three!"

In order to avoid slowing down his sister, Lumian sprinted wildly towards the edge of the wilderness, shouting the word Aurore had given him with all his might.

...

"XXX!"

The golden brooch emitted a golden, radiant glow, illuminating Lumian as though a miniature sun was hanging on his chest. The undead in his path instinctively avoided him.

Thud thud thud!

As he ran, Lumian couldn't shake his worry for his sister. He cast a glance back at Aurore, who remained in her spot surrounded by a cloud of black gas.

The undead were drawn to the gas, abandoning Lumian to swarm towards her.

Lumian wasn't a fool. When he saw this scene, he understood that his sister was lying when she said that she would follow him.

"Aurore!"

He shouted, halted abruptly and spun around, running back towards his sister.

Aurore looked back and saw that he had stopped. She hurriedly shouted, "Are you stupid? Run!"

Lumian didn't say anything and ran towards Aurore. The undead parted before him, clearing a path under the golden light of the brooch.

Seeing this, Aurore lowered her head and cursed softly, "What an idiot…"

She then took out another iron-black substance and sprinkled it on Lumian, causing him to be pushed to the edge of the wilderness by an invisible force.

He struggled to break free, but he was in midair with no point of leverage.

"My stupid brother, live well…" Aurore whispered with a melancholic smile before the black aura consumed her completely.

She was directly exposed to countless figures and the Death Knight.

"Aurore!"

Lumian's eyes bulged with terror, his skin and eyes turning red with blood vessels.

However, he was still pushed to the edge of the wilderness.

But suddenly, all the undead stopped in their tracks.

Something was happening in the distance.

Aurore sensed the shift and looked up in shock. She saw an open carriage passing by, pulled not by horses, but by two demonic creatures with goat horns. The carriage was a deep red color, resembling a conch or a cradle, and a woman resembling Madame Pualis wearing a flower crown and green dress sat inside.

But unlike Madame Pualis, she was very dignified.

The Death Knight abandoned his target and turned his horse towards the carriage.

All the undead followed suit, clustering around the carriage as it headed towards the hazy mountain range beyond the wilderness.

-x-X-x-

Lumian was stunned by the carriage pulled by the 'demon' and the undead's reactions. He forgot to struggle and got pushed by the invisible palm for over ten seconds before coming to a stop.

Although the carriage was getting farther away, he could still see the woman's face clearly with his eagle-like vision.

Her long brown hair was tied up high, and her brown eyes were beautiful and bright. She had light eyebrows and wore a fresh green dress and a laurel crown made of flowers. She had an elegant and dignified aura.

Madame Pualis! Lumian's first thought was that the woman on the carriage was Madame Pualis—the administrator's wife and the padre's mistress.

However, on closer inspection, he noticed an obvious difference between the two. Not only was there a vast disparity in their aura, but there was also a distinct difference in their looks.

The lady in the car had softer and more mature facial features.

If Lumian had to make a comparison, he would describe the lady in the car as Madame Pualis's older sister by seven or eight years.

At the moment, the lady sat in an open carriage pulled by the 'demon.' Surrounded by countless undead and the Death Knight, she traveled towards the distant forest as if she was on some kind of magical patrol.

Aurore retracted her gaze and ran towards Lumian. As she ran, she shouted, "Take this opportunity to escape from here!"

Lumian snapped out of his daze and waited for his sister to catch up before taking large strides and fleeing to the edge of the nearest wilderness.

Before long, they felt as though they had passed through an illusory curtain or a thick layer of water.

The scene before them changed.

The wilderness dissipated like bubbles. The clear river, new grass on both sides, and green trees all entered their view at once.

To Lumian and Aurore, this scene was so familiar that they didn't need to identify it to make a judgment.

They were still near Cordu Village!

This was where Ava Lizier used to tend to her geese!

"We're back…" Lumian wasn't surprised or disappointed. Instead, he looked around, having confirmed his suspicion.

Aurore panted and said, "Whether Madame Pualis made a mistake on purpose or not, we can't go back to the village now."

"Let's head to Dariège!" Lumian suggested immediately.

"Then let's go to the nearest pasture. There's a dangerous path down the hill. With our abilities, we'll be fine," Lumian added.

"Okay." Aurore turned around and started running.

Having borrowed the pony from Madame Pualis from time to time, she was familiar with the highland pastures around Cordu.

Lumian followed his sister closely, both glad and terrified at what had just happened.

He didn't expect Madame Pualis to be so powerful that she could have so many undead, the 'demon,' and the Death Knight chase after her.

Of course, it might not be Madame Pualis.

As she ran, Aurore slowed down. Her breathing became heavier, and her gasping became more and more pronounced.

"What's wrong?" Lumian still had plenty of energy.

This was one of the benefits of being a Hunter.

Aurore stopped and panted heavily.

"I'm exhausted. The spellcasting took up a lot of my energy."

Lumian said without hesitation, "Then I'll carry you. I'm not tired yet."

They were in a dire situation, and time was of the essence. Aurore nodded, went behind the squatting Lumian, and leaned on him.

Lumian first took off the brooch in front of him and returned it to his sister. Then, he straightened his body and ran again.

"Is this a mystical item?" Lumian still had the energy to ask.

Aurore was taken aback for a moment before she chuckled.

"Looks like you know quite a bit. This is indeed a mystical item. I call it the Integrity Brooch. It can create Holy sunlight or help me ignite materials to help me use a mystic technique to deal with ghost-type creatures. However, wearing it for too long will cause people to become fanatical. And as long as you wear it, you will lose some thoughts. As you know, immoral methods in battle might be more useful, but you get limited by it."

Aurore paused and asked in a deep voice, "Where did you get the Beyonder characteristic?"

As Lumian ran, he replied intermittently, "Didn't that Wand card allow me to stay awake in the dream?"

"What Wand card?" Aurore was confused.

Oh, this is something from the previous cycle… Lumian reorganized his words.

"I was at Ol' Tavern and met a mysterious lady. She gave me a Wand card. With that card, I stayed lucid in my dream and entered a strange space. There, I encountered some monsters and obtained a Hunter Beyonder characteristic."

"Hunter…" Aurore was familiar with this Sequence commonly seen in Intis.

As she muttered to herself, she suddenly chuckled, seeming to have thought of something.

What are you laughing at… Lumian was baffled.

Aurore asked again, "Then who gave you the formula? That mysterious lady?"

"Yeah." Lumian nodded as he ran.

Aurore sighed and said, "My stupid brother has his own secrets now… I can't confirm if what you said is true or not. I'll just take it at face value."

Lumian couldn't bear to see his sister disappointed, so he quickly changed the topic.

"Was that Madame Pualis on the carriage?"

"They look alike, but they're not the same," Aurore said, contradicting herself.

After a few seconds of deliberation, she said, "Since you're already a Beyonder, I'll tell you directly. My companions, uh, my pen pals, once mentioned something.

"They said that in the past few years, there have been many strange phenomena similar to what happened just now in the southern parts of Loen, the southern parts of Intis, and the Feynapotter Kingdom. Women ride carriages pulled by demons, patrol the wilderness and have hordes of undead following them. Some Beyonders who have grasped the corresponding mystic arts will let their spirits leave their bodies and follow the carriage for a period of time to experience something wonderful and obtain mystic knowledge.

"One of my companions obtained one of the Beyonders' notebooks. It mentioned that the lady's name is Madame Night. The owner of the notebook obtained a secret medicine production method from his experience following a carriage, which can create an invisibility potion from a baby's corpse.

"According to the investigation, the women in different places exhibit similar phenomena, but things happen at night."

...

Lumian said in surprise, "But it's daytime now."

Could the anomaly in Cordu Village have brought about a change?

"That's why I'm not sure," Aurore said after thinking for a moment. "Perhaps sending Naroka to Paramita made a difference. Perhaps that wilderness is Paramita, where Madame Nights patrol in the day and appear in the human world at night. Yes, combined with the fact that the lady resembles Pualis, I'm inclined to the previous guess."

Lumian didn't know much about mysticism, but he instinctively felt that his sister's suspicion was right.

He ran in silence for a distance before finally asking, "Why did you sacrifice yourself to save me? I wish you were more selfish."

"I'm very selfish," Aurore said with a smile. "I considered abandoning you and escaping on my own. Then, I would avenge you when I became stronger. However, after careful consideration, I realized that even if I gave you the Integrity Brooch and taught you how to use it, you wouldn't be able to help me attract most of the undead to give me a chance to escape. Only a Warlock like me could do it.

"It was a choice between us dying together or at least you being able to live. I don't have to tell you the choice I made, right?"

Making such a choice isn't as easy as how you make it sound. Lumian could accept it rationally, but not emotionally.

He said gloomily, "We might as well die together."

"You can't die! Who'll bring me back if you're gone? Anything's possible in the world of mysticism," lectured Aurore to her brother. "That's why I said all those sappy lines. So you'll remember to work hard and bring me back."

That's true… Lumian gradually agreed with his sister's choice.

...

After running for a while, they saw the nearest highland pasture. Lumian, who had been carrying Aurore, clearly felt tired, but he didn't stop to rest. He mustered his remaining strength and rushed to the hill covered in green grass.

There were many livestock pens and shacks here. The former was surrounded by rocks and tree branches. The ground was compacted soil and flattened feces. There was a long and narrow exit at one end that could only allow one sheep to pass through. The latter was similar to a primitive tent: stones were first used to build a circle of low walls, leaving a door and a smoke vent. Then, a row of grates were built against the low walls. The bottom half of the grates was buried in the soil, and the upper end supported a wooden structure. On the wooden structure was a roof made of grass and mud.

This was where the shepherds lived. The environment was very harsh.

Lumian no longer carried Aurore and led her all the way to the other side of the hill.

The dangerous path was hidden below.

Looking at the path that required her to jump seven to eight meters off a cliff, Aurore said to Lumian, "Although you can climb this now, don't waste time. I'll fly you down."

"Alright." Lumian wanted to see what kind of changes would happen if he left Cordu.

Aurore grabbed Lumian's arm with one hand and sprinkled silver dust with the other.

The two of them floated up at the same time and slowly flew down the cliff.

In midair, Lumian suddenly felt a pain in his head, as if someone had hit him heavily.

Aurore had a similar reaction.

Lumian's vision quickly turned black as he felt everything shatter.

...

Lumian jolted awake and saw the familiar sights of the table, chair, bookshelf, and wardrobe.

Back to square one… He got off the bed thoughtfully and went downstairs. As expected, he found Aurore in a light-blue dress, preparing dinner.

"Aurore, what's the date today?" Lumian asked.

Aurore glared at him. "Call me Grande Soeur! Are you still not fully awake? It's the 29th today."

-x-X-x-

As expected, the loop has repeated… Lumian wasn't surprised to hear Aurore's answer.

This was the third cycle he could recall. Combined with his own experience and the mysterious lady's pointers, he had a preliminary conclusion:

The time limit for the loop is until the twelfth night.

The spatial range of the loop is Cordu Village and its surroundings.

Characters in the loop are restricted from killing the padre.

These are the three key points of the loop…

At this thought, Lumian looked at Aurore and asked thoughtfully, "Grande Soeur, if you wrote a novel about a time loop, where would you put the key to undoing it?"

Aurore looked Lumian up and down in confusion. "You suddenly asked such a question and even called me Grande Soeur obediently… Did you come up with a new story to deceive others?"

"I guess so," Lumian replied sincerely.

Aurore frowned and thought for a while before saying, "From a novelist's perspective, or rather, from the perspective of normal logic, the most critical part of the cycle is definitely the final scene. This is because it is both the end of this cycle and the beginning of the next cycle. It is the button that connects the end and the beginning. Without it, there is no way to turn the flow of time in a straight line into a closed circle.

"Think about it. The loop reverses, so there will always be a first time. Something must have happened at the last moment to cause time to restart."

Twelfth night? Lumian agreed with his sister's guess about the twelfth night. He nodded and asked, "Then why can't the most critical part be the first day of the loop? Shouldn't we ask why the loop starts at this moment?"

Aurore chuckled and said, "Making a short story to deceive a few people temporarily is your forte, but when it involves this kind of content that requires strict logic and rich knowledge, you aren't capable of it.

"The reason why the first day of the loop is the first day is perhaps due to the power or energy that causes the loop. Proceeding past the last day will end up overlapping this day. This is like why a loop probably doesn't cover the entire world, but some localized area. It's not that it doesn't want to, but it's incapable of doing so."

Lumian had actually considered this possibility. He just hoped that his knowledgeable sister would come up with a different answer.

Aurore thought for a moment and added, "If the loop is not a completely closed circle, where there is still interaction between those inside and outside the loop—for example, information inside can be transmitted, and people outside can enter but not leave—the first day of the loop might start from the day the outsiders happen to enter, so that when the loop is repeated, they don't have a 'position.' Of course, it can also compel the outsiders to do something they will do subsequently on the originally eventless first day. There are too many ways to make up similar stories."

Lumian's eyes lit up when he heard that. He wanted to praise his sister loudly.

He suspected that the entry of Leah, Ryan, and Valentine caused the cycle to start on the afternoon of March 29th.

If that was the case, the twelfth night might have already turned into the tenth or ninth night. Of course, it might also have originally been the thirteenth night that turned into the twelfth night due to the 'intrusion' of the outsiders.

These were all possibilities that Lumian needed to verify himself.

He completely agreed with his sister's deduction. He believed that something must have happened on the twelfth night to cause the loop to happen. Only by figuring out what happened at that time could he find the key to undoing the loop.

Therefore, Lumian decided not to trigger any abnormalities in this cycle. He also found an excuse not to join the procession and stay until the twelfth night.

But he couldn't do nothing. Time wouldn't allow it.

Unless Lumian broke out of the cycle after experiencing the twelfth night, he would have to make the best use of time for the next cycle.

A complete cycle lasted twelve days. After that, the probability of the outside world discovering any abnormalities in Cordu would increase exponentially. Lumian had, at best, one complete cycle or less to resolve the problem.

If he wanted to stop the abnormality in one cycle, he needed to have enough information and a sufficient understanding of the entire village.

Lumian couldn't help but mock himself. Not only do I have to avoid triggering the abnormality, but I also have to investigate the problem.

What was the difference between this and a clown walking on a tightrope at the edge of a cliff?

Wanting both wasn't something good.

Aurore saw that he didn't speak for a few seconds and seemed to be making up a story. She waved her hand and said, "I almost forgot to make dinner!"

"Wait a minute," Lumian said with a solemn expression.

Aurore immediately clicked her tongue. "I smell mischief."

Lumian said bluntly, "Aurore, uh, Grande Soeur, actually, we've already fallen into a loop."

"Heh, you've just learned the trick and you're already using it on me?" Aurore was both angry and amused.

I guess people need to be trustworthy at times… Lumian sighed silently.

"Can you at least listen to the story I made up first? Why don't you score me while we're at it?"

Aurore looked outside at the bright sky.

"That works too."

Lumian began from the time he met Leah and the other outsiders. He spoke as if he had a general outline, claiming that he had maintained his consciousness in the dream and entered a unique ruin. Through hunting monsters, he obtained a Beyonder characteristic and became a Hunter.

He didn't hide the matter about the thorned ring pattern that sealed his chest because it might involve the key to the time loop. He had seen the same symbol on the padre, and killing the padre had caused time to restart.

At first, Aurore was still smiling, thinking that her brother had come up with a creative story. But as she listened, her expression turned serious. There was a lot of knowledge that Lumian shouldn't have known.

When Lumian said that he had become a Beyonder, Aurore raised her right hand and massaged her temples.

Her light-blue eyes instantly became deep, but there was no figure reflected in them.

She looked at Lumian for a while and nodded slightly.

"Your Ether Body has undergone a huge change. Your life force and physical state are much stronger than ordinary people. Your Astral Projection has changed to a certain extent, but not much… As expected of a Hunter who's better at hand-to-hand combat than spellcasting… I can't see the symbol and the related changes, and I don't dare to look deeper…"

Aurore pouted and asked in confusion, "Don't tell me you deliberately made up such a ridiculous story to make me accept your becoming a Beyonder?"

This was a typical Lumian modus operandi.

Lumian didn't explain and directly talked about the mysticism knowledge that the lady had imparted to him.

Of course, he only briefly mentioned the name and did not elaborate.

This was not because he was very moral and principled about not telling his sister before obtaining the lady's permission. Instead, the other party was clearly very powerful. If he leaked precious knowledge and angered her, the time loop might be resolved, but they would die.

"Indestructible law… law of convergence… acting method…" Aurore was dumbfounded.

Aurore was stunned that her illiterate brother in the field of mysticism had grasped such incomparably precious knowledge.

It had been more than five years since she became a Beyonder. At first, she had relied on Emperor Roselle's diary to join that organization. Her pathway was a symbol of knowledge in the field of mysticism. From time to time, she would be pursued by knowledge, allowing her to master the acting method, the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Indestructibility, and the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Conservation, the three cornerstones of the Beyonder world. Therefore, she thought of herself as a Beyonder with insufficient experience but sufficient knowledge, miles ahead of most of her peers.

Now, her brother, who had never come into contact with mysticism, could actually mention such terms. Furthermore, he knew about a law of convergence of Beyonder characteristics that she didn't know about!

...

This eliminated the possibility that Lumian had peeked at her witchcraft notebook.

As a Beyonder of the Mystery Pryer pathway, Aurore suppressed her desire to know the specifics of the law of convergence as she looked at her brother. She asked in puzzlement, surprise, and worry, "What did you pay for that lady to teach you this knowledge?"

The potion formula was even free of charge!

She sized up Lumian again, from top to bottom, then from bottom to top, trying to find out what was missing from him.

"Nothing," Lumian laughed self-deprecatingly. "That's why it's terrifying. I don't even know what price I'll have to pay in the future. Yes, I suspect that it has something to do with the symbol on my chest and the dream ruin. That lady probably wants me to unravel the corresponding secret."

Aurore tersely acknowledged, "Continue."

She waited for the rest of the "story" with a serious attitude.

Lumian talked about the owl, the anomaly during Lent, and the siblings' experiences during the second cycle. He also talked about how the cycle would restart the moment they attempted to leave Cordu.

Aurore listened carefully and muttered to herself in disbelief, "Either I've been hypnotized by you and told you everything, or time has really entered a loop…"

She began to believe Lumian because she had named her "Integrity Brooch" herself, and there was no record anywhere. Unless she told her brother herself, it was impossible for Lumian to know, and she had no impression of it.

Lumian struck while the iron was hot.

...

"I can also prophesy that the three foreigners will appear at the Ol' Tavern at night. I can also prophesy that the padre is having an affair with Madame Pualis tonight. I can also prophesy that the shepherd, Pierre Berry, has returned to the village. There's something wrong with the three sheep he brought with him…"

The more Aurore listened, the more serious she became. After a while, she said, "The three foreigners entered the village in the afternoon while we were practicing combat. After that, we rested and didn't go out at all. Yes, in the combat class in the afternoon, you were still an ordinary person…"

She accepted Lumian's time loop theory.

If it were anyone else, Lumian would have laughed and said, "You believed it! Ha! You believed such a ridiculous story." But in front of Aurore, he was very restrained.

He then suggested, "I'll go around the village now and see if I can gather more information."

Aurore nodded.

"I'll also use my 'eyes' to look around, but there are huge restrictions and it's very dangerous. I'm not sure I'll gain anything."

Lumian waved his hand, indicating that he understood, and walked out the door.

As Lumian took a few steps, he looked back at Aurore's figure standing in the kitchen. He immediately thought of the scene of Aurore pushing him to safety among the countless undead and felt an inexplicable pain of separation.

He subconsciously asked, "Grande Soeur, why did you adopt me in the first place?"

Aurore grumpily replied, "I didn't want to either!

"I was just kind enough to give you some food, but you kept following me. I couldn't shake you off, and you even obediently helped me do all kinds of things. My heart softened for a moment, and… who knew that you would grow into this!

"Do you know how hard it was for a young girl to raise a child like you?"

Lumian wanted to thank and praise her, but the words were stuck in his mouth, as if they wanted to rush to his eyes and nose.

He turned his head and walked back into the village.

-x-X-x-

Lumian had to investigate, but he couldn't activate any abnormalities, causing the cycle to restart ahead of time. He had to consider starting from the peripheral problems and edge in one step at a time.

His initial idea was to find the padre's mistresses this afternoon and use eavesdropping and other methods to see if they knew anything. If he didn't gain anything or lacked the opportunity for the time being, he would go to the cathedral to see if he could meet the padre and chat with him about daily life in the village.

Lumian's first target was Sybil Berry, the mistress of the padre Guillaume Bennet and the sister of the shepherd, Pierre Berry. She had a close relationship with the two abnormal figures, so perhaps she knew something.

Lumian's friend Guillaume-junior, Guillaume Berry, was a distant cousin of Pierre Berry. Even his hair color was different, and they didn't live together.

Sybil Berry was twenty-four years old and married to Jean Maury, a middle-aged man in his late forties.

He had been single for more than 30 years. The reason why he could marry Sybil Berry was because he did not have any requirements for dowry.

Lumian suspected that the reason why she married him using only a small amount of assets was that she had already become the padre's mistress at that time and needed a husband to be her illegitimate son's father. The padre had secretly promised something.

Although Intis was open-minded, and illegitimate children were common, many husbands or wives were still willing to take their spouses' illegitimate children under their wing despite being angry when they found out. After all, this was equivalent to having an additional free manservant or maid in the future. Furthermore, they didn't have the right to inherit any of the assets, but clergymen of the Eternal Blazing Sun Church weren't allowed to get married and have children. They often found fathers for their illegitimate children.

Lumian arrived at Jean Maury's house, a grayish-white short house at the edge of Cordu with only one floor. Behind the kitchen was the bedroom, and the other side was connected to the basement, serving as a living room and dining room.

There was no washroom; they only built a shed at the back of the house.

Lumian entered without knocking, quietly coming to the side of the house and squatting under the bedroom window.

At that moment, someone was sitting inside. Lumian could hear their breathing and determined their corresponding height.

Not long after, light footsteps came from the kitchen to the bedroom.

There was no need to calculate. As a Hunter, Lumian naturally had the approximate weight of the owner of the footsteps in his mind.

It was likely a woman, probably Sybil Berry.

Lumian's impression of Sybil Berry was a woman with soft and smooth black hair who didn't like to tie it up like other women. She left it flowing down or tied it into a ponytail, giving off the feeling that she was still a young unmarried girl.

Her facial features were not outstanding, but they were soft and round, very fleshy.

At this moment, Jean Maury, who had been sitting silently in the bedroom, spoke gloomily.

"The padre came this afternoon?"

His voice was just like him, rather stuffy. He was the kind of person who usually chatted under the elm tree in the village square, replying one in every four or five sentences. In addition, he was often too lazy to comb his black hair. His brown eyes were lifeless, and his beard was not shaved clean. He looked gloomy.

"He was here." Sybil Berry's voice was still a little girlish.

She was born like this.

Jean Maury fell silent for a moment before asking, "Did you do it?"

"We did," Sybil answered frankly.

Jean Maury fell silent again. When Sybil walked to the kitchen, he said, "I don't have much to say about the padre, but you watch out for other men, especially Pato Russel."

Pato Russel was Madonna Bénet's husband. His wife was also the padre's mistress.

Lumian, who was outside the window, was secretly speechless.

This relationship was really messed up!

He gained a higher opinion of the padre. He had come to Sybil Berry in the afternoon, and he was having a date with Madame Pualis at night. He could be said to be a model worker in the field of cheating.

If he could allocate more energy in this area to the Church's matters and combine it with his scheming and machinations, he could have long advanced in clergical rank and become a Beyonder.

The clergical rank was the rank of a clergyman of the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun. Starting from the first rank, it was ostiary, reader, chanter, acolyte, sub-deacon, deacon—also known as a priest or padre—bishop, archbishop, and cardinal. The pope was not in the ranks of the clergy.

Among them, the sixth-rank and above made them senior clergymen. In Aurore's words, it was possible that they possessed superpowers. As for the lowest three ranks, they mainly handled cathedral chores and ritual support. In the past few centuries, they were only glorified titles and were not treated as true clergymen. The fourth-rank acolytes were usually students who had just graduated from the seminary. The fifth-rank sub-deacon could represent a true priest to preside over a cathedral in a rural area.

The situation in Cordu was the same. A fifth-rank sub-deacon was the padre, a fourth-rank acolyte was the deputy padre, and they were staffed with a few servants.

Guillaume Bénet only needed to advance one more rank to become a true priest.

"I understand," Sybil Berry simply responded to her husband's exhortations.

Jean Maury changed the topic.

"Is your brother Pierre back from herding?"

"Yes, there's an important ritual that requires his help," Sybil casually explained.

A ritual?

?Lumian's eyelids twitched when he heard that.

Jean Maury asked, "The Lent Festival?"

"No, it's a ritual of God," Sybil impatiently replied. "Don't ask too much. You'll know when the time comes."

Jean Maury tersely acknowledged and said, "Praise the Sun!"

Sybil didn't respond and left the bedroom to walk into the kitchen.

Lumian instantly made a judgment.

Sybil had a certain understanding of the secret dealings between the padre and Shepherd Pierre Berry, but her husband, Jean Maury, was completely unaware!

The ritual she was talking about wasn't the "sacrificial ceremony" at the feast. It was likely related to twelfth night!

Having gained something, Lumian left Maury's house and rushed to the two-story building where Pato Russel and Madonna Bénet lived.

Unlike Sybil, Madonna Bénet was married off with her share of the inheritance. Pato Russel also received his share from his original home, so they could build a decent house and entrust more than 20 sheep to the shepherds for grazing.

Lumian didn't know when Madonna became the padre's mistress. He only knew that in the past year, before he hooked up with Madame Pualis, the padre often visited Madonna. Perhaps the taboo from his identity sparked some kind of flame.

At this moment, Pato Russel, who had a gentleman's beard, was pacing in the kitchen. He asked Madonna, who was busy commanding the lady's maid, "When will you invite the padre over as a guest again?"

He had a fervent expression, hoping to cling to the person with real power in Cordu.

Madonna glanced at Pato's father's illegitimate daughter, who was also the servant cooking, and said in a subtle tone, "I don't know. It depends on his mood."

And his physical condition, I suppose??Lumian, who was eavesdropping outside, silently muttered.

"Don't you often go to the cathedral to pray recently? You can ask him while you're at it," Pato Russel refused to give up.

...

Often go to the cathedral??Lumian frowned.

The padre's group is planning something in secret in the cathedral?

He really doesn't give a damn about the Eternal Blazing Sun and Saint Sith…

After listening for a while, Lumian walked from Russel's house to the cathedral at the edge of the village square, hoping to have a face-to-face chat with the padre.

However, when he arrived at the cathedral, Guillaume Bénet was no longer there. Only the deputy padre, Michel Garrigue, stood in front of the altar.

This foreigner from Dariège had graduated from Bigorre Theological Seminary. Last year, he was sent to Cordu on the bishop's orders to be Guillaume Bénet's deputy. He was usually ostracized and was only in charge of the registration of funerals, marriages, and newborns.

During the last cycle, Lumian had arrived at the cathedral and happened to encounter the padre leaving. The latter had asked him to pray the next day, not giving Michel a chance to listen to the prayers and confessions of the believers.

Michel was taller than Lumian. (Lumian felt that he had grown two to three centimeters taller after consuming the Hunter potion. He was almost 1.8 meters tall.) He was a young lad with curly brown hair.

Looking at Michel Garrigue, who was wearing a white robe with golden threads, Lumian spread his arms.

"Praise the Sun!"

After bowing, he stared at Michel, wanting to see how this deputy padre would react to the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun's etiquette.

...

If there was a certain amount of hesitation, Lumian would be able to determine that he had been implicated by the padre's group.

But Michel Garrigue immediately returned with the same posture.

"Praise the Sun!"

He did not hesitate at all. His brown eyes were filled with joy and anticipation.

From Madonna Bénet's words, the padre's group often discussed matters here. As a deputy padre, Michel should have noticed something, right? Lumian didn't ask directly. He looked around and asked, "The padre isn't here?"

"He's been gone for a while," Michel replied. "Three foreigners came here about 15 minutes ago, to no avail."

The deputy padre's eyes were passionate, as if he was asking if Lumian would make a confession while here.

Considering that the padre might have taken a detour and hid back in the cathedral, waiting for Madame Pualis to bring dinner over and was eavesdropping on his conversation with Michel, Lumian deliberately sighed.

"Then forget it. I'll pray again tomorrow."

Michel's eyes lost their luster.

Lumian turned around and left the cathedral. He planned on sneaking to Michel's residence when the night deepened to see if he could get any useful information.

Seeing that the sun was about to set, he returned home and asked Aurore, "Did you find anything?"

Aurore nodded slightly.

"In addition to the abnormalities you mentioned, I also discovered that there's something wrong with the deputy padre, Michel Garrigue."

"Huh?" Lumian didn't hide his surprise.

-x-X-x-

Lumian had just confirmed that Michel Garrigue should not have been implicated by Guillaume Bénet and the others. He planned to visit the deputy padre late at night, but when he returned home, he heard his sister say that there was something amiss about him.

Aurore glanced at Lumian and smiled.

"My clueless brother was standing right in front of him when I realized that something was off about him. Seems like you didn't notice…"

She appeared quite delighted, to the point that she had to raise her right hand to cover her mouth. After all, her younger brother, who was clearly ignorant of mysticism, had suddenly become a Beyonder. He had grasped a wealth of advanced knowledge and discovered that Cordu was stuck in a time loop. Not only had she been useless as a sister, but she also found herself outmatched in mysticism knowledge. This made her a tad unhappy.

Now, she had finally regained her dignity as an elder sister.

Lumian looked at his sister's smile and nodded.

"I didn't see anything unusual in his behavior."

Aurore tersely acknowledged, "His Astral Projection; how can I put it? Simply put, it's brighter than a normal person's, and he's not a Beyonder. He hasn't been training his body systematically for a long time."

"Maybe he was born with a good physique?" Lumian guessed before asking in puzzlement, "What's an Astral Projection?"

Aurore asked in surprise, "You don't know?"

"No." Lumian shook his head.

Aurore grinned again and said with a hint of disbelief, "That woman taught you divine paths, the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Indestructibility, and the acting method, but she didn't tell you basic concepts like Astral Projection?"

"She was in a hurry, so she only focused on the main points." Lumian defended the mysterious woman.

Aurore smiled even more happily.

"Perhaps this basic mysticism knowledge is useless to unofficial Hunters. You just need to track, set traps, and fight."

She struggled to describe her brother's current state. To say he was ignorant of mysticism wasn't entirely accurate since he knew a great deal. The things he had learned were all formidable. To say that his knowledge surpassed most Beyonders wasn't right either; he didn't even know what an Astral Projection was.

Aurore sighed and said seriously, "I can only complete your mysticism education. Remember, in mysticism, the external parts of the human body are divided into four levels. The innermost layer, which is also the core, is the Soul Body. It's almost equivalent to the concept of a spirit. It's the spirituality of everything—what gets strengthened. You could say it's the essence of building a soul.

"To a Mystery Pryer, the potion mainly upgrades the Soul Body.

"The Astral Projection is located outside the Soul Body. It's the latter's manifestation in the real and spirit worlds. Moreover, it's closely related to your will and current emotions.

"So, do you understand? When I said the deputy padre's Astral Projection was brighter than a normal person's, I meant that his Soul Body or spirit had an issue. This is reflected in his Astral Projection. It has nothing to do with his natural physique. Of course, it could be because his spirituality is naturally strong.

"Through the Astral Projection, we can still grasp the target's true emotions. For example, red signifies passion and excitement. Orange represents warmth and satisfaction. Yellow indicates happiness and extroversion. Green conveys calmness and peace. Blue suggests coldness and introspection. White denotes brightness—an eagerness to improve. Dark colors symbolize worry, sorrow, and silence. Purple implies that spirituality is taking control, coldness, and estrangement…

"It's very difficult to fake these colors, but they're relatively generic. It's impossible for us to distinguish subtle emotions and delicate feelings."

Lumian listened attentively, as if he wanted to take out a fountain pen and jot everything down.

"Just listen." Aurore felt a little worn out from talking. She sat down at the dining table. "I'll give you my first witchcraft notebook later. It's filled with such basic knowledge."

"Alright, alright." Lumian sat down and nodded obediently. "What's outside the Astral Projection?"

Aurore picked up her carved glass cup and took a sip.

"Beyond that is the Body of Heart and Mind. From this point on, spirit and flesh merge.

"The Body of Heart and Mind involves the mind. It relates to one's reasoning, thinking, insight, and ability to understand things. Some potions mainly improve this, but there are also many spells targeting it.

"The outermost layer is the Ether Body. It's a manifestation of life force and physical state, so I can tell at a glance that your body has improved greatly. Yes, through the thickness, brightness, and color of different parts of the Ether Body, I can also determine the target's health. As a Sequence 7 Mystery Pryer, I can even determine the target's lifespan from the specific situation of the Ether Body.

"As for how to differentiate them, read the notebook later."

Lumian was enlightened.

"The Hunter potion mainly targets the Ether Body?"

"You're wrong. It targets the body and life force, and 'Ether Body' is the straightforward manifestation of both."

Lumian nodded as he revised, gaining a preliminary understanding of such mysticism knowledge.

He recalled his sister's words and asked curiously, "Aurore, how did you observe the deputy padre? Why didn't I sense you nearby?"

Aurore smiled.

"Actually, I've been staying at home all this while, using the Mystery Pryer pathway's special trait."

"What's special?" Lumian asked with the mentality that it didn't matter if his sister didn't answer.

Aurore pointed at her eyes.

...

"The most unique ability of a Mystery Pryer is called the Eyes of Mystery Prying.

"Although I need to reach a higher Sequence before I can activate the complete Eyes of Mystery Prying, allowing it to not only be of use to me, but it can also be placed on the surface of other objects to help me monitor matters remotely, this doesn't mean that Mystery Pryer's eyes aren't special before this."

"From Sequence 9 onwards, a Mystery Pryer has seen more than most Sequence Beyonders of the same pathway. The simplest example is that a Hunter can only see an Ether Body before they undergo a qualitative change in their godhood. Furthermore, it's in a less detailed manner. And now, I can examine the various details of the Astral Projection. In addition, I can also see things around me that aren't normally visible."

Aurore glanced at the kitchen.

This made Lumian inexplicably shocked.

There was clearly nothing in that direction, but he felt that there might be something invisible that he could not see!

Aurore continued, "Of course, this might not be a good thing. It's very easy for something to happen when you see something you shouldn't see. Therefore, I've been restraining myself. I don't look at things I shouldn't see, but as my Sequence increases, it's not up to you not to look."

Lumian thought for a moment and asked in confusion, "Didn't you say that only higher Sequences can project out the Eyes of Mystery Prying? Why can you observe the people in the cathedral from home?"

Aurore raised her right hand and pointed with her index finger.

...

"I've always told you that knowledge equals power, but you didn't believe me!

"Under normal circumstances, it's true that I can't observe things hundreds of meters away from home, but humans can use tools, and I have two 'assistants'."

As she spoke, she took out two items from a hidden pocket in her blue dress.

One was a brass telescope that could shrink and lengthen, and the other was a miniature version of a dark ink bottle—this was more like a child's toy.

"Look, the telescope can help me see people a few hundred meters away clearly. Once the visual range is closed, I can observe the target's Astral Projection, Ether Body, and Body of Heart and Mind state," Aurore introduced with a smile. "This is suitable for open spaces without obstacles."

Lumian was a little dumbfounded.

That works too?

They were clearly discussing mysticism. Why did his sister take out a telescope?

"What about this?" He pointed at the pocket ink bottle.

Aurore didn't answer. She massaged her temples and opened the bottle cap.

Lumian suddenly felt a little cold. A cool breeze seemed to blow in through the window.

"It's a unique spirit world creature," Aurore introduced.

"It? Where is it?" Lumian looked around.

Aurore was rather surprised.

"You still don't know how to activate Spirit Vision? But didn't you say you saw a lot of undead in the wilderness?"

Lumian had read about the term Spirit Vision in Psychic and knew what it meant. However, he was completely at a loss as to how to activate Spirit Vision.

He looked at his sister and slowly shook his head.

"I don't know." Then, he guessed, "Maybe ordinary people can see ghosts and undead directly when entering the so-called Paramita."

Aurore thought seriously and asked, "So, you don't know Hermes, ancient Hermes, Elvish, Dragonese, or Jotun?"

"What are those?" Lumian fully displayed what it meant to be illiterate in the field of mysticism.

Aurore couldn't help but facepalm.

"What exactly did that lady teach you?"

"Law of Beyonder Characteristics Indestructibility, law of convergence, acting method, paths of the divine, Sequence 0, Sealed Artifacts…" Lumian answered honestly.

"…" Aurore felt like he was flaunting. "I think you want a beating!"

She sighed for a few seconds before regaining her composure.

"Then I'll combine it with my contracted creature to teach you how to activate Spirit Vision, how to carry out ritualistic magic, and how to use language with supernatural powers.

"This is only a rough explanation. If you really want to completely master it, especially those few languages, it will take at least a year or two. Of course, this is also a problem with your Sequence pathway. Hunters probably don't have their learning abilities improved, nor do they have any enhancements in mysticism. Back then, I relied on diligence and indoctrination to master all of them in less than half a year."

Her right hand gently stroked the void in front of her, as if she was stroking a transparent kitten.

"It's very simple for Beyonders to activate their Spirit Vision, but it's not completely dark yet. Let's talk about something else first.

"I call it White Paper. It's a very weak spirit world creature. As long as you have an accurate description, you can hold a ritual and summon it in your name. Other than the fact that spirit world creatures are difficult to see, it only has one use. That is to carry a certain supernatural ability of the contractor, but it can't be too complicated or too powerful."

-x-X-x-

Lumian gazed at the invisible spirit world creature and contemplated for a moment.

"How complicated can it get? How strong can it be?"

"Heh, I thought you'd ask how to summon or perform ritualistic magic, but you just want to know how to use it!" Aurore teased. "That might be a characteristic of the Hunter pathway. You don't need to fully understand the principles, only consider how to apply them."

Not waiting for Lumian's response, she pondered and said, "I've tried. Not too complicated means it can only perform one action. Not too powerful means it can't surpass a Mystery Pryer Sequence 7 Warlock's spell."

It's nice discussing this with Aurore. She has a habit of analyzing things both qualitatively and quantitatively, unlike someone who prefers vague descriptions… Lumian felt emotional hearing that.

As he mulled it over, he stood up and helped his sister bring the food to the dining table. As they ate, he asked, "But I remember your spells often require materials. You can't carry White Paper, right?"

"Yes, that's inconvenient." Aurore grabbed a piece of fried trout and stuffed it into her mouth. After chewing and swallowing, she said, "Moreover, a Warlock's spells can't be completed in one move. Even the simplest has three steps. First is concentrating spirituality, the second is outlining the symbol of the corresponding spell in the mind. This can also be replaced by reciting the incantation aloud. The third is using materials to cast the spell. The materials serve either as a medium or part of the spell."

This does sound a little complicated. It isn't something the single-celled White Paper can do… Lumian knew he couldn't do it anytime soon. He'd need extensive training before he could cast spells proficiently.

Aurore glanced at him.

"Don't even think about it. It's impossible for you to be like me. First, you're limited by your Sequence, and your spirituality is insufficient. Second, using materials to help cast spells is a unique ability only Warlocks have. Yes, perhaps certain Sequences of certain pathways can do it. I don't know enough to make a definite judgment.

"However, once a Hunter reaches Sequence 7 and becomes a Pyromaniac, they can use many fire-related spells. Furthermore, they don't need materials, nor do they need to outline symbols or recite incantations in their minds. In terms of actual combat, it's faster, more convenient, and might even be stronger. As for Warlocks, their main advantage lies in their versatility. The more knowledge they acquire, the more comprehensive and powerful they become."

Lumian said with anticipation, "I don't know when I can become a Pyromaniac…"

He planned to explore the dream ruins again tonight. Firstly, he wanted to use hunting to help digest the potion, and secondly, he wanted to find clues about the main ingredient of Sequence 8 Provoker.

As for the corresponding monsters of the Pyromaniac, he didn't dare think about them yet. He believed it would be like serving himself on a platter. After all, those creatures could definitely launch long-range attacks, rendering his "special" abilities useless.

He then asked, "Can White Paper withstand the Pyromaniac's one-movement spells?"

"Theoretically, yes, but I'm not sure if Pyromaniac's spells exceed a certain level." Aurore's reference standard was Warlock.

Upon hearing this, Lumian became excited.

"If I could, wouldn't I be able to simulate the?Funnels1?you mentioned?"

"Huh?" Aurore was puzzled.

Lumian explained his idea in detail, "I can summon a group of White Papers and form a contract with them. Then, I can have each White Paper carry a fireball. They'll float in the air and attack the target together. Isn't that similar to the description of the Funnels?"

"Unfortunately, you can't have a group of White Papers at the same time," Aurore laughed. "After you form a contract with a White Paper, the next time you use the initial summoning description, the same White Paper will appear."

"Can I summon one first and hold off on the contract? Then, I'll summon another until I have a satisfactory number before forming a contract?" Lumian hadn't received a traditional education, but instead, a custom one that included Aurore's ideas. Combined with the "refinement" of years of pranks, he always had creative ideas.

"…" Aurore admitted she wasn't that cunning. She considered and said, "I've never tried it before, so I don't know if it'll work. You can try it yourself when you're at Sequence 7. However, I think having a White Paper beside you while summoning others might cause a conflict. It's unlikely to succeed. The only hope is to directly summon multiple White Papers, but there's a high chance that only Sequences skilled at summoning can do it."

Lumian decided to give it a try when the time came. After all, he had nothing to lose.

Aurore scooped up some mashed potatoes.

"Now, let's talk about how to summon creatures from the spirit world. This is an application of ritualistic magic.

"Ritualistic magic is magic cast by selecting the date and time, preparing the corresponding materials, and strictly following the format and process. It's often used in prayers and summonings."

Lumian nodded. "It's to achieve a certain supernatural effect through a ritual?"

He thought of the various rituals of the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, as well as the process of the Lent celebration.

"Yes," Aurore was very satisfied with her brother's comprehension ability. "To put it simply, ritualistic magic needs a target to pray to. It can be the seven orthodox gods, other hidden beings, or even evil gods or devils. It can even be you. When you pray to the orthodox gods, you need to check or choose the date and time they rule over. For example, Tuesday symbolizes the Eternal Blazing Sun, and there is a corresponding Sun hour every day. During these times, the probability of success will be greatly increased if you perform the ritualistic magic that targets the Eternal Blazing Sun.

"However, this isn't very useful. Those who aren't official Beyonders have a very low chance of successfully praying to the corresponding orthodox god. Even if you receive a response, don't be happy. This might mean that you have been noticed by that entity.

"Of course, we also have ways to bypass restrictions. For example, obtaining an item closely related to the target deity.

"There's no need to pick a date or time to pray to a hidden being or an evil god or devil, but I don't need to tell you how dangerous it is, right? 99% of people who do this don't end up well.

"Therefore, for wild Beyonders, the most commonly used ritualistic magic is to pray to themselves to mobilize their spirituality to complete some relatively complicated tasks.

"Create charms and Beyonder weapons?" Lumian recalled a point of knowledge that the lady had mentioned.

Aurore nodded.

"That's right. Some mystical medicines also require ritualistic magic.

"You also missed something. Summoning a creature from the spirit world."

She ate some more food before saying, "The second step of ritualistic magic is to prepare the corresponding ingredients. If you wish to pray to an existence, prepare herbs, essential oils, powders, extracts, and so on from their domain to please them. Let's use the Eternal Blazing Sun as an example. If you pray to Him, you can use Sun essential oil, rosemary powder, Buddha's hand, and all kinds of sunflowers. As for praying to yourself, it won't be too troublesome. Although it's best to use the ingredients in your domain, someone like you can even put a cup of absinthe. It's fine even if you don't do so.

"The third step is to set up an altar. This can be determined by the environment. There's no need for a special holy solemnity. It's mainly because there can't be any miscellaneous items.

"The most important thing about the altar is the candles…"

Aurore picked up her knife and fork as she spoke.

She stretched out the two items and said, "Pretend that they are candles. If you pray to a deity, make them with the corresponding symbolic materials.

"As an example, the Eternal Blazing Sun has the Inextinguishable Light and the Embodiment of Order in His name." Out of caution, Aurore paused for a few seconds before continuing, "God of Deeds and Guardian of Businesses."

"There should be the honorific name 'Father of All Life,' right?" Lumian asked, familiar with the preaching.

Aurore shook her head.

"That's just a title used by the Eternal Blazing Sun Church when proselytizing. It's beyond Him in mysticism. If it was really part of His name, it would mean something big had happened."

She didn't give any more details, unsure herself.

She brought the conversation back on track.

"Anyway, if you want to exorcize the undead, you have to pray to the symbol of Inextinguishable Light. So, you need to make candles out of different sunflowers. For contracts, use the honorific title of the God of Deeds to make candles with Buddha's hand and other materials. Check my witchcraft notebook for more options."

"In ritualistic magic, we can only place two candles at the spot corresponding to the deity. This is because in mysticism, 0 represents the unknown or Chaos. It symbolizes the state of the world before it was born. If we don't place the candles, it means that there won't be any effect. 1 represents a beginning, the first Creator; it also accurately pinpoints a particular existence. 2 represents the world and various divinities that were produced from the Creator's body. Therefore, ritualistic magic can only have two candles to represent the deity. As for which candles to use, it depends on the desired effect.

"Three represent all things, so the third candle is for us. The two candles in the upper position represent the deity, and the candle in front is for myself, for a total of three candles. If you have an item related to a deity or a hidden existence, you can replace the two candles with that item for a dualistic ritual. If you pray to yourself, leave only the candle that represents yourself."

Lumian listened attentively, realizing that as a wild Hunter, he could only pray to himself in ritualistic magic before knowing the honorific name of the great existence. Where would he find items closely related to a deity?

"Let me show you the next few steps using summoning creatures from the spirit world," Aurore said, standing up as she saw her brother finish his dinner.

...

They quickly cleared the dining table.

-x-X-x-

Aurore looked at the slightly stained white tablecloth and smiled at Lumian.

"If you're the target of ritualistic magic, it doesn't matter if the altar is dirty. But if you want to pray to a deity or a hidden existence, I suggest you change to a cleaner piece of cloth or remove the cloth and wipe the table."

"Anything works if I'm just praying to yourself, right?" Lumian teased.

Aurore chuckled.

"That refers to the environment, materials, and equipment, but the ritual process and incantations must strictly follow the rules of mysticism."

She pulled out an orange candle from her pocket.

"This is a candle mixed with citrus and lavender. It has nothing to do with their domain; I just like it."

Aurore waved the candle above the altar.

"Remember, the candle representing the deity is placed in these two places. It can be empty now."

Then she placed the candle close to her.

"Remember, this is the location of 'me'."

Next, Aurore brought a cup of water, a plate of coarse salt, and a small steel bowl from the kitchen.

"We need to create a clean and undisturbed ritual environment. Clean in the sense of spirituality. We have to construct it ourselves. Enter Cogitation and focus your mind. You can guide the spiritual power out through supplementary items and build a wall of spirituality around the altar.

"Mystery Pryers and Seers find this simple. Hunters need the help of other items before reaching Sequence 7. For example, incense to calm your emotions and make you ethereal, or a crystal ball to help you focus on your spirituality.

"The meditation I taught you before is incomplete. It's only the first step. It can only gather your thoughts and calm you down. I'll teach you the rest later."

Lumian was surprised. Why can I activate the dream's specialness and make the two symbols appear if the meditation method is incomplete?

Aurore pulled out a silver dagger.

"Watch carefully how I build the wall of spirituality."

Lumian was stunned and blurted out, "Why do you have so many things on you?"

First, there were various casting materials, a retractable telescope, a miniature ink bottle that stored the spirit world creature, White Paper, and candles for rituals. Now, she had taken out a dagger.

Aurore sighed in exasperation.

"Do you think I want to? It's just inconvenient for Warlocks.

"It takes me a long time to alter each of my clothes. Sometimes, I even feel like Doraemon. I can take out whatever I want."

"What —Amon?" Lumian asked, not understanding the reference.

Aurore hesitated for a moment before replying with a mixed expression, "You don't need to know."

Lumian suddenly felt a pang of sadness for his sister.

Aurore composed herself and reached for the orange candle representing her.

"In ritualistic magic, candles can't simply be lit. Of course, there are times when ordinary methods can work, but that's not always the case," Aurore explained. "The correct way is to extend your spirituality, rub it against the wick, and light it."

As she spoke, she lit the candle with a spark of spirituality, and it burned with an orange flame.

The dining table transformed into an altar, and the surrounding area was bathed in a deep, otherworldly light.

Aurore's light-blue eyes had darkened, and an invisible wind swirled around her as she plunged the silver dagger into the coarse salt and began chanting a mysterious incantation.

"XXX, XXX!

"…"

Lumian was bewildered as he watched his sister complete the incantation and draw out the silver dagger. She stabbed it into the cup of water and raised it again.

Aurore pointed the dagger outward and began to walk around the altar. With each step she took, Lumian sensed an invisible force emanating from the dagger. It was agile and lively, mingling with the air to create an impenetrable barrier.

As Aurore completed the circle, Lumian felt as if she had been transported to a different realm.

"Did you understand the steps?" Aurore's voice sounded distant.

Lumian nodded truthfully.

"Yes, but I don't understand what you mean."

Aurore could not help but laugh.

"You're completely illiterate when it comes to mysticism. Literally. That's Hermes. When translated, it's:

"I sanctify you, blade of pure silver!

"I cleanse and purify you, allowing you to serve me in this ritual!

…

"In the name of Warlock Aurore Lee,

"You have been sanctified!"

Lumian scratched his head. "It sounds ordinary."

"That's just the translation. The meaning of the incantation and the language used is what's important," Aurore explained, her eyes lighting up. "In Intisian, it might sound ordinary, but if you use Hermes, ancient Hermes, Elvish, Dragonese, or Jotun, you can tap into supernatural powers. That's what sets them apart."

Lumian asked curiously, "Are these the only languages that can communicate with the mysterious?"

"No, there are many other languages in the field of mysticism, each with its own specialties. For example, some are specifically meant for the undead, but most Beyonders won't be able to use them unless they want to study a unique and rare domain or perform the corresponding ritual," Aurore explained casually.

She went on to explain the incantation.

"During the sanctification ritual, the penultimate sentence should be in the name of a certain deity or a hidden existence, but as wild Beyonders, it's best not to use them to avoid unnecessary trouble.

"As a Beyonder, it's enough to use your name to sanctify an ordinary item. Although it won't be as effective as the original version, it can still be used."

Lumian nodded, then asked, "You came up with my name. Can I use it in the ritual?"

...

Aurore replied confidently, "Yes. A completely new name wouldn't work, but your name has been in use for several years, so there's a mystic connection."

She paused for a moment before continuing, "If you're in the wild and don't have many materials, you can complete the ritual with simple salt or clear water."

With that, Aurore pulled out a small silver-black metal bottle from her pocket.

"This is my own concoction of essential oil called 'Wizard of Oz.' What sets it apart is that it smells good," Aurore explained as she dripped three drops of light green liquid on the candle representing her.

The light of the candle flickered and sizzled, and a faint mist spread out, giving Aurore and the altar an air of mystique.

"Now for the important part," Aurore said, pulling a small imitation goatskin from her pocket. "If you're holding a ritualistic magic that prays to a deity, you need to draw the symbol of what you want on the paper and burn it during the ritual.

"The first part is a prayer for someone's power. This 'someone' needs to be replaced by the symbol of a deity, an honorific name, or a domain ruled over by Them. For example, I pray for the power of the Sun or the power of Order. Remember, there are always two sentences that correspond to the two candles that represent the deity.

"The second part is 'I pray for the God's loving grace.' Remember, don't call Him by His name. Doing so in a ritual is sacrilegious. The Eternal Blazing Sun can be referred to as God or Father.

"The third part is what you want to pray for. You must be brief and finish it in one sentence.

"The fourth part is to give more power to the incantation. For example, 'Sun Flower, a herb that belongs to the Sun. Please bestow your powers to my incantation.' You can choose two to three types based on the materials used.

"After reciting the incantation, drip a drop of essential oil on each candle and burn the piece of paper that was used to draw the symbol. After the paper is burned, the ritual comes to an end. Then, thank the deity and extinguish the candles in the order of 'me', followed by 'god', right to left. Dispel the wall of spirituality. Oh, and remember to light the candles from left to right, beginning with 'god' followed by 'me'."

...

Lumian nodded twice in acknowledgement before asking, "What about praying to yourself?"

Aurore chuckled before explaining, "The incantation is even simpler. I'll use summoning spirit world creatures as an example. For the first part, there's only one word: 'I'. Remember, you can't use modern Hermes here. It has to be ancient Hermes, Elvish, Dragonese, or Jotun. The second part is 'I summon in my name,' which can be said in modern Hermes. The third part is the exact description of the summoned spirit world creature."

Lumian was curious. "What's an exact description?"

Aurore explained solemnly, "It needs to be limited to three lines to help us lock onto the creature we want to summon."

"For instance, if someone said they were looking for the prankster of Cordu Village, Aurore Lee's idiot brother, and a regular customer of Ol' Tavern, we know exactly who they're looking for because of the specific characteristics given."

"I get it!" Lumian was enlightened. "So, if we don't know the target's name, appearance, or address, we can use their characteristics to help find them."

Aurore said seriously, "That's the principle, but there are many problems when put into practice. For example, when summoning creatures from the spirit world, the first sentence is often fixed. It's either 'the spirit that wanders about the unfounded' or 'spirit wandering above the world.' Its function is to point to the spirit world and clearly state that we want to summon a spirit.

"The second sentence is also very universal. We don't summon spirit world creatures to harm ourselves, so we must restrict it to friendly creatures. Sometimes, we also add the word 'weak'. This is because some spirit world creatures may be very friendly, but their existence can bring great danger.

"Considering these circumstances, the description is fixed. 'The friendly creature that can be subordinated', 'the friendly creature that can be consulted', 'the weak creature that can be subordinated', and so on.

"But based on these two descriptions, the direction is still very broad. It doesn't reflect our needs. Therefore, the third description is very important. You need to use a sentence to clearly explain what creature you want to summon."

"Sounds very difficult." Lumian felt a headache just thinking about it.

Aurore nodded.

"Not only is it difficult, but it's also dangerous. When the direction is vague, it might summon a spirit you don't need or a creature that brings danger. Remember, being weak doesn't mean it can't kill you, just like being friendly doesn't mean it won't pose a threat to you."