8 COI

The more Aurore ruminated on the matter, the more her suspicions intensified.

How could the powerless Guillaume Bénet possibly subdue the mighty Pierre Berry, who possessed no less than supernatural abilities?

If the padre was indeed favored by the clandestine force to the extent that his clique considered him their leader, he should have been bestowed with a boon long ago and elevated above the common masses.

Should he decline the boon, he would inevitably face ostracism.

!!

In these circumstances, his standing, authority, and machinations paled in comparison to his might or the gulf that separated him from divinity.

Aurore lacked the luxury of time to ponder this and could only conceive of two plausible explanations.

Either Guillaume Bénet was not the true leader of the small group and was merely exploiting his status to orchestrate and conceal the anomaly from the Eternal Blazing Sun Church in Dariège.

Or, he was not rejecting the boon but merely biding his time to attain greater power.

Neither explanation boded well.

Aurore directed her gaze at the three sheep and inquired, "Who was the man that accompanied Pierre Berry in his assault on you?"

The three sheep scribbled down their responses.

"Niort Best."

"A shepherd named Niort."

"He goes by the name Niort."

Niort Best too has achieved extraordinary power? Aurore was acquainted with the individual in question.

Niort was a fellow shepherd from Cordu who frequently grazed his flock alongside Pierre Berry. But he had seemingly not returned early this time.

"Where is Niort? I did not spot him in the village," Aurore queried.

The three sheep moved a few steps away and found a new patch of unmarked soil on which to write.

"He's dead."

"I killed him."

"We took him out, but we were apprehended."

Had he fallen victim to a counterattack? Aurore nodded pensively.

"Are all of you Beyonders?"

The three sheep ceased writing Highlander with their hooves and nodded in assent.

Aurore acknowledged them tersely as she raced to process the implications.

Pierre Berry and Niort Best are hunting Beyonders. What is their motive?

And one of them is now dead…

Either Niort's abilities paled in comparison to Pierre's, or they had acquired their powers through the boon and were far from proficient in wielding them. It was certain that the Beyonder battles would encounter complications…

Aurore glanced at the three sheep once more and asked, "Do you know why Pierre captured you?"

The three sheep resumed writing.

"I have heard him speak of God and devotion."

"It may be for a blood sacrifice."

"I suspect he wants to offer us as a sacrifice to an evil god."

Indeed, Beyonders possess remarkably high spirituality and unique characteristics. They are far superior to ordinary mortals as sacrificial offerings, and they can appease malevolent gods more effectively… Pierre Berry and Niort Best were using grazing sheep as a ruse to abduct Beyonders from other countries to offer them up as sacrifices? It is a scheme that can easily evade the local authorities' notice… Aurore nodded imperceptibly.

She spoke solemnly, "Did Pierre mention the honorific name of that god? Or rather, who were they praying to during the ritual that transformed you into sheep?"

The three sheep were taken aback, as if they were awash in recollections.

Suddenly, they lowered their heads and extended their hooves towards the soil before them.

For some inexplicable reason, Aurore felt that the temperature had plummeted, and the sun had been obscured by dark clouds, as a chilly mountain breeze swept past.

The three sheep began writing.

Aurore's spiritual intuition sounded a powerful alarm, prompting her to bellow, "Hold on!"

The three sheep lifted their heads and looked at her.

At some point, blood-red tears had welled up in their eyes, and their fur was stained and ghastly.

In the next moment, they resumed writing.

Aurore whirled around and dashed towards the fence.

As she exited the pen and looked back, the three sheep were bathed in the sunlight.

If not for the bloodstains on their faces, everything seemed entirely ordinary.

Thump, thump… Aurore's heart continued pounding.

Panting heavily, she breathed a sigh of relief.

If I had not learned to seal my sight and glimpsed things I should not have seen, I would not have reacted in time…

She produced a vial of iron-black powder and scattered it over the sheep pen.

The words etched in the soil vanished as though by an unseen hand.

As for the stains on the sheep's faces, Aurore found it challenging to expunge them using spells, so she refrained from approaching them and merely washed them away with water.

She feared that the three sheep were different from before and harbored latent dangers.

…

...

In Ol' Tavern, Lumian sat at the bar, sipping on light-green absinthe, his right elbow propped up casually as he surveyed the room.

He searched for the mysterious lady, but she was nowhere to be seen, nor were Ryan, Leah, and Valentine.

Lumian knew not when the former would arrive, and as for the latter three, he assumed they were wandering the village, engaging in idle chatter.

Pierre Berry, who had just finished his glass of absinthe, picked up a new pale green liquid and babbled, "I had a chance to get married."

"Is that so?" Lumian scoffed, "Who would fancy a shepherd?"

Pierre sighed and replied, "Most of the pastures we graze in are owned by manor owners or nearby villages. If we want to graze, we have to pay a ranch tax or marry a village girl and settle down there."

Lumian smiled. "That's a good thing for a shepherd."

Pierre took a sip of absinthe and glanced sideways at Lumian.

"That girl must fancy you and not ask for dowry.

"At one time, a lady thought I was not bad and didn't mind that I was a pauper and a shepherd. She was willing to marry me. Was she very foolish?"

"Yes." Lumian nodded "honestly."

...

Pierre took another sip of absinthe and was silent for a long time before saying, "Later, she died. She worked in a factory in the suburbs and fell ill due to exhaustion. I went to several cathedrals, got the priests to pray for her, and found doctors to treat her, but it was useless. After that day, I realized something."

Lumian asked, taking a swig of absinthe, "What was it?"

Resentment flashed across Pierre's face as he replied, "Those who possess flesh and excrete from their posterior cannot absolve us of our predicament!"

Lumian asked, "So, those without flesh and those who do not excrete from their posterior are acceptable?"

Pierre chuckled. "Those are saints and angels, but will they deign to look at us?"

Lumian tsked. "Then why did you go to the cathedral to seek the padre's counsel? Not only does he possess flesh and excrete from his posterior, but he also indulges in the carnal pleasures with women."

Pierre turned his head towards Lumian and cast a sidelong glance.

"You fail to comprehend. He possesses a certain intellectuality that can redeem our souls."

"Intellectuality?" Lumian struggled to grasp the term.

Pierre took another sip of his light-green absinthe, seemingly oblivious to the question.

Lumian dared not press the matter further, and instead inquired, "I heard that you visited the cathedral at noon. Why did you return in the afternoon?"

Pierre's warm smile illuminated his face as he replied, "In the afternoon, one can converse with like-minded individuals."

He did not deny that he had visited the cathedral at noon.

Lumian breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that for the time being, no one else would retain their memories and disrupt the flow of history.

He suspected that Pierre Berry had visited the cathedral at noon to confer with the padre in advance of their small group discussion scheduled for the afternoon.

After their libations and with the sun setting on the horizon, Lumian and Pierre Berry bid each other farewell and returned to their respective abodes.

Pons Bénet, the padre's younger brother, abruptly emerged with a few thugs and obstructed Lumian's way upon him reaching a secluded path.

The brawny, raven-haired, azure-eyed Pons Bénet stared at Lumian and smirked maliciously.

"You were good at pranks in ze afternoon, no? Wasting our time in ze cathedral. If ze padre wasn't there, I would have beaten you up, eh! Bastard, come and eat Daddy Pons's XX."

Initially taken aback by this imbecile's foolishness, Lumian was elated.

His and Aurore's judgment was correct. In the previous cycle, Pons Bénet likely hadn't acquired supernatural abilities before Naroka's funeral and thus had no sense of danger.

He had actually dared to obstruct a Beyonder's path!

Without hesitation, Lumian turned and bolted, with Pons and his thugs in hot pursuit.

However, as soon as they exited the trail between two buildings, they lost sight of their quarry.

Pons Bénet scanned his surroundings and ordered his subordinates, "Spread out and search."

He deemed it impossible for Lumian to have fled so swiftly and believed he was hiding nearby.

The thugs dispersed and combed the area for any potential hideouts, leaving Pons Bénet alone at the trail's entrance.

Lumian, who had ascended to the second floor of the adjacent building, chuckled and leapt towards Pons.

Bang!

Pons was sent hurtling to the ground with tremendous force, gasping for breath and momentarily incapacitated.

Had Lumian not restrained himself and struck him directly, he might have broken several bones.

Lumian stood up, clasped Pons's forearms, and smiled at him, saying, "Come, let us become better acquainted."

Before Pons could offer any resistance, Lumian pulled him into his embrace and kneed him.

Pons's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, and his face twisted in agony.

Thud!

Lumian released him, allowing the man to crumple to the ground like a shrimp.

He then turned and darted down the trail, vanishing from sight before the thugs returned.

…

In the kitchen, which also doubled as a part-time living and dining area, Lumian updated his sister on his situation.

"Pierre Berry visited the cathedral in the afternoon… It's confirmed that Pons Bénet still lacks any superpowers."

Aurore nodded slightly and recounted her own experience, particularly the inexplicable danger at the end.

Lumian pondered for a moment before remarking, "That enigmatic lady claimed that certain entities might corrupt you merely by acknowledging Their existence."

-x-X-x-

Aurore recollected the situation and surmised that her brother's account was accurate.

She sighed, overcome with emotion and remarked, "To think that such dreadful corruption can be brought about by that concealed entity worshiped by Pierre Berry and his accomplices. Even the evil deities mentioned in ancient manuscripts fail to elicit such a reaction."

Lumian showed no signs of surprise and said, "Otherwise, why are we trapped in a time loop?"

The more Aurore contemplated, the more perplexed she became. She muttered, "Is it possible that we have to confront the concealed entity on the twelfth night and defeat it to end the cycle?

"This would entail gathering ingredients, digesting the potion, and undergoing repeated cycles to become a deity…"

Lumian interrupted her train of thought as he realized that his sister was becoming increasingly irrational.

"Stop! It cannot be this extreme."

Aurore acknowledged his remark tersely and nodded slightly.

"You are right. We have, at most, one more cycle. It is impossible for us to become deities within twenty days."

She then shrugged and added, "There is no hope. Let us wait for death."

"…" Even Lumian, who had an inventive mind, struggled to keep up with his sister's thoughts.

Aurore exhaled and looked at her brother. "All right, I am done venting. Continue."

"Huh?" Lumian appeared puzzled and took a few seconds to understand what his sister meant by continuing.

"By the look of things, the three transformed sheep are to be offered as sacrifices and brought back to Cordu. It is no surprise that they did not wait until early May. The twelfth night is, in fact, the day of a grand-scale sacrifice to the concealed entity?"

Aurore's eyes scanned the surroundings, and she said, "That was my assumption, but why did the padre and his accomplices receive varying degrees of blessings before Lent? According to my understanding, it should have been an exchange through sacrifice."

Drawing on his malicious perspective, Lumian made a bold conjecture based on the previous cycle's events.

"A small sacrifice and a grand ritual? At the end of the Lent celebration, the padre, who had obtained extraordinary powers, no longer concealed his abnormality. It is evident that he was planning something significant!"

After pondering for a moment, Aurore said, "The Lent celebration could be a part of the grand ritual. Before the grand ritual, the padre made up his mind and offered his soul to the evil deity. With a certain amount of offerings, he obtained a plethora of blessings, completely revealing his true colors. By the looks of it, everyone in Cordu will be implicated once the Lent celebration commences. No one can escape."

The siblings exchanged glances and believed that their assumption was close to the truth.

However, if the abnormality erupted entirely from the Lent celebration until the twelfth night, how could they patiently wait until the final ritual to find the key to the cycle?

There was a high probability that everyone in the village, apart from those who died as sacrifices, would be corrupted!

"I am only a Sequence 7…" Aurore covered her face and said, "And you are only a Sequence 9."

They were facing such a dire situation!

Based on Lumian's account of the battle at the end of the Lent celebration and his recent experience hunting black-marked monsters, she knew that she was no match for the padre who had received a boon. She felt that she had to prepare in advance before she could confront Pierre Berry.

Lumian had fortunately defeated the mutated padre in a one-on-two battle.

Yet, preventing the padre and his accomplices from obtaining supernatural powers in advance could avert the twelfth night. The cycle would most likely restart in advance.

"Hell difficulty! Hell difficulty!" Aurore slammed the dining table with a mournful expression.

Without waiting for Lumian's response, she raised her hands and tousled her blonde locks, as if releasing pent-up emotions.

After a series of gestures, Aurore composed herself and calmly addressed Lumian, "Seek out the trio of foreigners tomorrow morning. You may disclose the abnormality in the village to them. Concealing our status as Beyonders is unnecessary."

"It's very dangerous…" Lumian instinctively replied.

Was it not natural for wild Beyonders to be considered culpable when they encountered officials?

Aurore let out a slow exhale and stated, "In this predicament, we can't care less. Other than the enigmatic lady, the trio are likely the most reliable individuals in the village. Moreover, each of them possesses strength that is on par with mine or even surpasses it. We are all in the same boat. Do not underestimate one another. Whether one is a wild Beyonder or an official, we must band together. As for the possibility of being hunted down by officials in the future, we shall cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, we must focus on escaping this loop."

Lumian had heard his sister use the phrase 'all in the same boat' before. He knew it implied that everyone was in a similar predicament and facing the same problem. If something were to happen, no one could escape. They had to stand together.

"Very well, I will seek them out tomorrow," he assented.

Aurore continued, "I now suspect that someone else is behind the padre and Pierre. He is the root of the corruption."

"Madame Pualis?" Lumian guessed. "Not only is she powerful, but she is also the padre's mistress. She can control him in secret and use him to influence the others in the village."

"But she has no apparent connection to Pierre." Aurore gazed at her brother, frowning in contemplation. "From the encounter with the three sheep, Pierre and Niort should have gained supernatural powers when they grazed the plains last October. At the very least, they should have acquired the corresponding knowledge. This is because they did not return midway, so it is impossible to obtain it elsewhere.

"This means that the abnormality in the village can be traced back to July and August of last year. Did you notice any anomalies?"

Lumian shook his head slowly.

"No."

He had initially thought that he was thoroughly acquainted with Cordu, but now, he realized that the undercurrents had been present for over half a year. This realization filled him with dread and made him feel like a stranger in his own home.

What is the problem? Lumian felt as though he was shrouded in layers of fog. He could never discern the truth of the matter.

Aurore continued, "It could also be that owl. Perhaps the legendary Warlock who died is not truly deceased. He may still be hiding somewhere in the village, or perhaps someone who we frequently encounter. He may have already discovered that I am a Warlock, and deliberately suppressed the legend from me. There are no such restrictions for ordinary individuals like you."

Aurore instructed in a low voice, "Notify me immediately the next time the owl pays a visit. I will get White Paper to track it and determine its whereabouts."

Lumian tersely acknowledged his sister's request, indicating that he too was waiting for the owl to appear.

This time, I will pluck all your feathers! He cursed inwardly.

Aurore pondered for a moment before issuing a third directive.

"Tomorrow afternoon, I shall extend an invitation to Madame Pualis. The administrator remains at his post, leaving the butler and the servants as the only occupants of the castle. You may clandestinely enter and scour for any clues. If you are successful in persuading the three foreigners in the morning to come, we can get their aid in this operation."

She dared not let White Paper venture to Madame Pualis's place whilst she was present. Nevertheless, she could not afford to be distracted whilst in Madame Pualis's company, thus she had to rely on her brother.

Lumian nodded before advancing the suggestion,

"I would advise against being alone with Madame Pualis. I fear she may seize the opportunity to deal with you."

"Shall we invite Nazélie and the others to an afternoon tea gathering?"

The more individuals present, the safer it would be.

"Indeed." Aurore deemed it a superior option.

...

She then remarked in a tone that was equal parts apprehensive and teasing, "You must exercise caution after infiltrating the castle. I do not wish to end up an aunt."

Lumian dared not retort, but gave her a glance that conveyed, "I am more concerned about your safety, for Madame Pualis will be with you."

During supper, Aurore set White Paper free to monitor the sheep pen. She discovered that the three sheep had licked the blood off their faces, preventing Shepherd Pierre Berry from detecting any anomaly.

Following that, Lumian resumed his education on mysticism until he fell asleep. He acquired mastery over many Hermes words, including "me," "name," "summon," "need," "light," and "Sun."

Light served as an incantation to activate the Integrity Brooch. There were three paragraphs in total.

...

Lumian awoke in the room shrouded in a faint gray mist.

He strode to the window and scrutinized the dark red "peak" and the dilapidated edifices that surrounded it once more.

I wonder what secrets lie here… Lumian muttered.

As he gazed, a thought suddenly struck him.

The ruins contained too many hazardous zones that he either could not or dared not approach. For instance, the lair of the three-faced monster. However, if he could summon a spirit world creature akin to White Paper and forge a pact with it, allowing it to infiltrate and observe, he ought to be able to gather more intelligence.

...

His vision, sense of smell, and hearing were all heightened by his Beyonder characteristics. In theory, they constituted a kind of supernatural power that could be conveyed upon White Paper.

As he ruminated, Lumian muttered to himself, The problem now is whether I can summon a spirit world creature in the dream ruins…

If I cannot, can I utilize our connection to bring it into the dream after summoning and forging the pact in reality?

What implications will the addition of a contracted creature have on the cycle? Can the corresponding spirit world be added to the mix? If not, once the summoning duration elapses, the contracted creature will return and the cycle will recommence…

The more Lumian thought about it, the more his head throbbed. He felt a profound reverence for mysticism. He could only hope to swiftly master a few languages that would enable him to complete a summoning ritual.

Without further ado, he seized his shotgun, the meager quantity of lead bullets that remained, and the sharp axe. He departed his home, traversed the wilderness, and re-entered the ruins.

-x-X-x-

After two nights of reconnaissance, Lumian discovered that the monsters inhabiting the outskirts of the dream ruins were fewer in number than he'd initially believed.

Having dispatched the skinless creature, the shotgun-wielding monstrosity, and the monster with the black mark, Lumian found little else in his search of the area. All he uncovered were a few twitching chunks of flesh.

Their sole purpose seemed to be as sustenance.

Yet Lumian had long since realized that he had no need for food within the dream.

Each time he entered, he felt invigorated and hunger-free. His energy would wane only after extended bouts of exploration or combat, replaced by a sensation akin to hunger. But it was a mild feeling that didn't necessitate additional nourishment.

Once the hunger became unbearable, Lumian's spiritual reserves and stamina would be all but depleted. Physically and mentally drained, he'd be forced to exit the dream.

After consuming a meal and recovering in the real world, he would return to the dreamscape, his vigor restored and hunger vanquished.

As he delved deeper, Lumian surveyed his surroundings for any signs of collapsed structures. He discovered a smattering of coins, but their combined value amounted to little more than a Louis d'or.

He found merely a few livre bleu inscribed with words.

Left with no alternative, Lumian decided to venture further into the ruins.

He cautiously navigated through the faint gray fog and oppressive darkness, weaving between the ruins' standing and fallen walls.

Suddenly, he stumbled upon a series of shallow, bizarre footprints.

It was difficult to classify them as footprints—the left one appeared ordinary, but the right seemed more akin to a palm imprint.

Another monster? Lumian stealthily trailed the footprints, all the while scrutinizing his environment and envisioning the ideal battlefield for various scenarios.

Eventually, he detected movement, prompting him to halt. He skirted around the area and scaled a toppled building, using the scattered, hefty rubble as cover.

Peering out cautiously, Lumian surveyed the source of the noise.

There, in the center of an uncluttered wasteland, stood a figure that could scarcely be described as human.

While vaguely humanoid in shape, closer inspection revealed a host of incongruities.

Two eyes occupied the space where a nose should have been. Above them, a mouth, and below, a pair of ears. The nose was nestled near the temples, while a leg and an arm replaced each shoulder. The lower half of the figure consisted of another leg and arm. The entire form seemed to have been haphazardly assembled from mismatched human components.

This revelation instantly clarified the nature of the peculiar tracks Lumian had been following.

The creature was garbed in a brown short-sleeved shirt and dark blue trousers, typical attire for lower-class Intisians. It paced the barren landscape, shoeless and hatless.

Lumian refrained from attacking, opting instead to observe patiently.

Before long, the monster raised an arm and contorted its body backward, its head making contact with the ground.

It's incredibly flexible… it would make a great dancer… Lumian mused sardonically.

As if on cue, the creature launched into a dance.

Its movements alternated between bold and graceful, sometimes bizarre and comical, yet always rhythmic.

More notably, the creature seemed to possess no skeletal structure—its limbs twisted and folded behind its back, and its legs and arms intertwined with ease.

As the Prankster King of Cordu Village, Lumian quickly devised a fitting moniker for his newfound quarry: Noodle Man!

Drawing on his observations, he began to formulate a strategy for the impending confrontation.

I mustn't assume that I can evade its attacks simply by maneuvering behind it. Noodle Man is capable of treating its front and back interchangeably…

I must be wary of its potential to constrict me like a serpent…

Though its vital points remain uncertain, it does have a head—I'll start by chopping off that…

As Lumian's thoughts raced, the monster's dance grew increasingly frenetic. It leaped skyward, limbs splayed as if attempting to embrace the heavens.

Lumian found himself somewhat entranced, an urge to sway his body in sync with the creature's movements taking hold.

He couldn't help but recall a melody his sister often played, the beat echoing through his mind: Dum-tch, dum-tch…

Suddenly, a warmth spread across his left pec as whispers seemed to reverberate in his skull.

His scalp prickled and body shuddered, as though the phantom voice that had once pushed him to the brink of madness was about to speak again.

Uh… Lumian hastily undid the buttons of his leather coat and gray shirt with his left hand and gazed at his bare chest.

The inky thorn mark over his heart had returned. The bluish-black symbol, consisting of an eye and writhing worms, materialized and bore down on the former.

Lumian froze in shock as his mind raced.

I hadn't even entered Cogitation, let alone held it for a few seconds…

Did Noodle Man's dance somehow trigger this?

Is there something related to mysticism about that dance? Some hidden magic?

Luckily, when the mark activates like this, the horrific whispers are nearly mute. It won't drive me to death's door or strip me of all restraint. But I'll suffer a skull-splitting migraine, uncontrollable tremors, and disorientation…

Since becoming a Hunter, Lumian had avoided entering that Cogitation state to tap into his special trait. The danger seemed far greater now.

Before, he had flirted with death and emerged unscathed. But now, hovering at death's door might cause him to lose all self-control, with irreparable consequences!

Worse, excessive exposure to that ghastly whisper might drive him irreparably insane, even if he survived and retained control.

He dared not take that risk again unless it was a last resort.

After two or three seconds, Lumian was no longer astonished by the thorn symbol being stimulated by Noodle Man's dance. An indescribable joy welled up in his heart.

He could endure such a negative state completely!

So, is there a chance that by learning Noodle Man's dance, I can dance it ahead of time to activate… uh—partially activate the special trait of my dream when hunting powerful monsters? Then, I'll charge at the stunned target and finish it off in a few moves.

Even if I can't fully trigger my special trait by dancing, it should be useful. I don't expect the target to give up resisting like the shotgun monster. It's enough to weaken them greatly… Lumian's thoughts raced. The more he watched the dancing Noodle Man, the more he found it pleasing.

The eyes on the nose, the mouth on the forehead, and the arm that acted as a leg. How could any of that be as beautiful as the magical dance?

In the blink of an eye, Lumian felt a strong sense of cherishing such talent, allowing him to find a reason.

...

Aurore said that we can't select talents with a uniform standard. So, why must it be a human and not a monster?

He decided not to hunt the Noodle Man before mastering the dance. He would come and observe it a few times every night to try to master it as soon as possible.

Of course, he planned to experiment with the other party first.

He wanted to see how the incomplete special trait would affect the monster!

Lumian quickly made up his mind. He didn't button his clothes and bared his left chest. He circled around the cover and jumped from the collapsed house to the wasteland.

Noodle Man's dance abruptly halted.

It began to tremble.

It turned to Lumian, prostrated itself, and lay on the ground.

Lumian stopped and didn't approach further, maintaining a safe distance.

Noodle Man didn't move.

Lumian nodded imperceptibly and muttered to himself, "Even when facing my 'special' trait that hasn't been fully activated, such a low-level monster will give up resisting and express its submission… I wonder what will happen to those at a higher level or those with Beyonder characteristics… What I can be sure of is that the effect won't be as good…"

...

Lumian looked at Noodle Man and smiled.

"Come on, dance again."

Noodle Man didn't dare look up. It was unknown if it understood what Lumian was saying.

Seeing that his sincere words were ineffective, Lumian emphasized, "Quick, dance for your pépé again!"

Noodle Man's body trembled as it continued to prostrate.

How can I communicate with it if monsters can't understand human language? Lumian felt a little helpless.

He immediately put his newly acquired Hermes vocabulary to use and said, "I. Need…"

Lumian didn't say another word and began a dance with his body movements.

The monster didn't even acknowledge him as it pressed its face against the soil of the wasteland.

"Are you an imbecile?" Lumian couldn't help but curse.

He felt his scolding was unjustified. After all, which monster he had encountered was not stupid?

Even the most intelligent shotgun monster was subdued by human intelligence!

At that moment, Lumian felt the warmth in his chest dissipate.

He instinctively lowered his head and noticed the thorn symbol and the bluish-black symbol vanish simultaneously.

Lumian quickly shifted his gaze towards Noodle Man.

Noodle Man happened to raise its head and looked at Lumian with its nose-located eyes.

The man and monster stared at each other, stunned for a second.

Thud, thud, thud. Lumian turned around and ran away.

Noodle Man leaped up and chased him ferociously.

Lumian was well acquainted with the area. His running speed was faster than the uncoordinated monster, so he easily shook it off and circled back to the wasteland to hide in his original location.

He didn't flee because he was afraid of the other party, but he was concerned that he might not be able to control himself if they really fought. He didn't know if he could find another dancing Noodle Man in the dream ruins.

Before learning that mysterious dance, he had no intention of hunting this strange monster.

After waiting for a while, Lumian saw Noodle Man return to the area.

He nodded and muttered to himself, As expected, monsters have their own territory. They are accustomed to moving around or patrolling a certain route… This is very similar to wild beasts…

Next, Lumian patiently waited for the dance that might not happen.

After nearly two hours, he had expended quite a bit of his spirituality and felt a little hungry.

Noodle Man, who had rested for a long time, walked to the center of the wasteland and raised its arm and leg.

-x-X-x-

Noodle Man danced once more, and Lumian confirmed that the mysterious dance could prevent the black thorn symbol on his chest from activating fully. It produced no terrifying sound, only an illusory whisper.

This was highly advantageous for Lumian's "special" trait in the dreamscape.

However, he discovered two problems:

Firstly, Noodle Man's dance moves were extremely difficult and violated the human body's structure. Only a monster with exaggerated flexibility like Noodle Man could complete them. Although Lumian was a Beyonder and a Hunter with a greatly enhanced body, he had no confidence in replicating them himself. He feared that dancing even once would result in ligament tears, muscle strains or worse, fractures.

Secondly, the dance stirred the surrounding powers of nature and depleted Lumian's spirituality considerably.

After watching it for the third time, Lumian sighed silently, realizing he needed rest. I have to go back and rest after watching this.

A Hunter's spirituality is really useless!

He was almost certain that the hidden existence corresponding to the thorn symbol was closely related to this dream ruin.

The padre had a black mark on his body, and there was a dancing monster that could activate the thorn symbol. It would be surprising to say that it had nothing to do with the hidden existence!

Lumian believed Aurore's guess even more, thinking of the similar symbol on the padre's chest and the dream ruins rebooting along with reality.

The key to resolving the loop might be hidden in the depths of this place, playing a vital role.

Is that why the mysterious lady kept hinting at me to unravel the secret of the dream ruins? The more Lumian thought about it, the more frustrated he became. He raised his left hand, which wasn't holding an axe, and made obscene gestures at the black thorn symbol on his chest.

Ignoring the question of whether the hidden existence could sense or see him, Lumian felt that the problem wouldn't deteriorate any further, given that he had already fallen into a time loop thanks to Him, and the people around him were becoming stranger and more dangerous.

After watching the dance for the third time, Lumian rubbed his somewhat empty head and left the ruins to return to his home on the other side of the wilderness, enduring the slight warmth in his chest.

Before leaving the dream, he attempted to consolidate the dance movements he had memorized and almost sprained his back, broke his knee ligaments and tore his calf muscles.

"Dogsh*t, this isn't something an ordinary human can do!" Lumian cursed and lay on the bed.

As his spirituality was greatly drained, he quickly fell asleep.

...

As Lumian awoke, the sky was just beginning to lighten. The sun had yet to rise, and the crimson moon had lost its luster.

He sat up slowly, feeling the satisfaction of a deep sleep. His exhausted spirituality had been perfectly replenished.

Walking to the window, Lumian drew back the curtains, allowing the light of dawn to flood the room.

In the next moment, his eyes were fixed on the figure larger than an ordinary owl, perched on an elm tree not far away, staring down at him.

Lumian quickly snapped out of his daze and opened his mouth.

"Aurore! Aurore!"

The suspect is here!

Quick, follow it!

Upon hearing the shout, the owl unfurled its wings and soared towards the edge of the village.

It gradually descended and vanished into the forest bordering Cordu Village.

Aurore, dressed in a white silk nightgown, entered Lumian's bedroom seconds later, her face contorted in irritation.

"Is it that owl again?"

Lumian gazed out of the window and replied, "Yes. Did White Paper manage to follow it?"

Aurore pulled at her long blonde tresses and spat, "Why does it always appear at such ungodly hours? I was sound asleep when you woke me up. By the time I could release White Paper, it had flown away."

Lumian shot back, "But you said you couldn't sleep well with something on your mind."

Aurore rolled her eyes at him and sneered, "Humans tend to feel nervous, uneasy, and fearful at the beginning. Once they get used to it, they become numb to it. Only by sleeping well can they remain alert and rational. If you don't sleep well, it will affect your mental state and signs of losing control will surface."

Lumian's expression was remorseful as he said, "We can only wait for the next time."

After a moment of contemplation, Aurore suggested, "Let's try to identify a pattern in its appearances. We can't keep waiting around all the time. We need to rest and cannot be on guard constantly."

Lumian reminisced about the first few sightings.

"It's always in the latter half of the night and early morning hours…"

"Why only during that period?" Aurore inquired further. "It seems more like an act than a pattern. Think carefully. Did you do anything or repeat the same actions on the corresponding nights when it appeared in the first half of the night?"

"I was exploring the dream ruins," Lumian admitted to his sister as he began to recall. "Before it first appeared, I killed the first monster in the dream. Before it appeared the second time, I activated the symbol on my chest through Cogitation and discovered what was special about me. The third time, I consumed the potion in the dream and became a Hunter. The fourth time, which is today, I discovered a way to activate my specialness in the dream to a certain extent while incurring less damage."

"How did you do it?" Aurore asked eagerly.

Lumian recounted Noodle Man's dance and his attempt.

As Aurore listened, she thought about the owl. After her brother finished speaking, she deliberated and said, "The owl's visits seem to be related to significant progress in your exploration of the dream."

Uh… Lumian thought for a moment before his eyes lit up.

"Indeed!

"The first time I killed a monster, the first time I displayed my specialness, the first time I consumed a potion and stepped onto the Beyonder path, the first time I found a way to make use of that specialness…

"Similar major developments also have a certain reaction in reality. That owl sensed it and came over to observe? Heh, it smelled something."

Aurore tersely acknowledged.

"In the future, we can deliberately create a similar opportunity to see if we can wait for that owl."

"I believe the next time it appears is after I master the mysterious dance and can truly use the specialness brought about by the symbol on my chest in my dream," Lumian pondered, revealing a malicious smile. "When the time comes, I'll inform you before entering the dream. Be prepared."

Aurore thought for a moment and nodded.

"I hope to figure out who the owl is related to and what role it plays in Cordu's abnormality."

Lumian seized the opportunity to inquire, "Aurore, uh, Grande Soeur, do you possess any knowledge about that particular dance? As you are aware, my understanding of mysticism is still rudimentary."

Aurore dragged a chair in front of Lumian's wooden table and settled in. After pondering for a moment, she responded, "Several notebooks have alluded to the existence of large-scale ritualistic magic during the early Fifth Epoch and throughout the Fourth Epoch."

...

"Those rituals entailed not only numerous sacrifices but also a multitude of participants. They employed specific dances to appease their desired entities in exchange for a response."

"In essence, it was a form of sacrificial ritual and magic. Dancing, from the outset, was believed to influence nature and facilitate communication with deities. Its effects resemble those of Beyonder language and the combination of herbs, essential oils, and other ingredients."

In Aurore and Lumian's world, history was divided into five epochs. The First Epoch was the Chaos Epoch, followed by the Dark Epoch, and then the Cataclysm Epoch. However, Aurore had heard from a pen pal that the Cataclysm Epoch was also known as the Glorious Epoch.

The Fourth Epoch was the Age of the Gods, or the Epoch of the Gods. The Fifth Epoch was the present day, which began 1,358 years ago and was referred to as the Iron Age.

Of the five epochs, the history of the first three remained unverifiable, with only myths and legends surviving. The Fourth Epoch occasionally yielded documents, information, notebooks, ruins, mausoleums, ancient cities, and so on. Nevertheless, history seemed shrouded in a thick fog, with only a faint outline discernible. The theological texts of the seven Churches often recounted stories from the Fourth Epoch, which served as the only source of illumination.

After listening to his sister's explanation, Lumian hazarded a guess.

"That Noodle Man employs dance to appease the hidden entity that corresponds to the thorn symbol. Is it hoping to elicit a response or a boon?

"Perhaps a significant portion of its ritual is absent, resulting in an extremely weak effect. Or is the problem with the dream ruins causing a failure that can only trigger a tiny fraction of the power contained in the symbol within my body?"

"Heh heh, it's as if I'm a god. Having witnessed Noodle Man's dance and being pleased by it, I decided to highlight the symbol and offer a certain response."

However, Lumian had no control over this. It was an automatic reaction of the thorn symbol.

Aurore smiled and replied, "You are more like a carrier of that symbol, a tool, in a sense."

...

She paused thoughtfully and said, "I suspect that the dance was specifically invented to please or communicate with the hidden entity that corresponds to the thorn symbol. Otherwise, it wouldn't have elicited a reaction from the symbol…

"Furthermore, based on your description, this is not something an ordinary person can accomplish. Only Beyonders with special enhancements can do so.

"Although I am familiar with the names of the corresponding Sequence 9 and Sequence 8 pathways, I have a certain level of understanding of them. None of them can execute that kind of dance, and Noodle Man's performance does not seem like that of a higher Sequence. Otherwise, you would not have been able to escape."

"Perhaps it is not from the 22 pathways, but rather a boon from a hidden entity?" Lumian recalled the mysterious lady's words.

Aurore looked out the window and pursed her lips.

"I wonder if this has anything to do with the Circle Inhabitant or a power equivalent to Sequence 9 or Sequence 8?"

"Probably." Lumian suddenly laughed. "Let me name it. Noodle Man, Circle Inhabitant's corresponding Sequence 9!"

Aurore couldn't help but look up at the ceiling.

The siblings chatted for a while before heading downstairs for breakfast.

After studying Hermes until past ten, Lumian departed with important items.

-x-X-x-

Lumian was in no rush to track down Ryan, Leah, and Valentine. Instead, he headed straight for the Ol' Tavern, hoping to get lucky.

If that enigmatic woman showed up, he had a slew of questions for her!

Accepting her gift had bound him to some future cost. He might as well seize the chance to gain more benefits, as Aurore had advised.

The instant Lumian stepped into the Ol' Tavern, his eyes sparkled.

The mysterious woman sat in her usual corner seat, two glasses of emerald absinthe before her.

Two glasses? She knew I'd come? Lumian approached her with a smile and greeted her.

"Good morning."

She wore a white blouse with vine-leaf patterns at the collar and a beige ankle-length dress, a light-red beret beside her.

Lumian, no stranger to his sister's fashion magazines, recognized this as Trier's latest trend.

She glanced up at him.

"It's getting late. Almost noon."

This is to fit your schedule, isn't it? Lumian thought, annoyed.

But seeing the enigmatic woman brought him a strange sense of calm.

He sat and cut to the chase.

"I've been through a lot lately."

She slid a glass of absinthe his way. The swirling green liquid was like a beacon of joy.

She neither invited him to speak nor silenced him.

Lumian sipped the absinthe, finding it rich and invigorating, with a subtle bitter note. It tasted different from any absinthe he'd had before.

"What's this?" he asked, puzzled.

"Another kind of absinthe—quite popular in Trier these days. To differentiate it from the original, people call it absinthe fennel. Authors, painters, and poets are particularly fond of it." She took a small sip.

The green liquid in the clear glass seemed to possess a hypnotic hue.

Absinthe's main ingredients were wormwood, fennel, and anise. Different producers used slightly varied recipes, some even adding lemon essential oils.

Lumian didn't understand her motives. Had she traveled to Trier just to bring back absinthe fennel?

He didn't ask. Instead, he recounted recent events, both real and dreamed.

She sipped from her small cup of absinthe fennel, listening quietly to Lumian's account.

"That's about it. Can I learn that mysterious dance as quickly as possible?" he asked, bluntly.

He didn't bother inquiring about the loop's key or the dream's secret. Experience told him he wouldn't get a straight answer.

The woman swirled her emerald liquid and smiled.

"Without a significant boost in flexibility, you'll never master it.

"You could force yourself through a portion, but you'd risk ligament and muscle tears. How would you hunt monsters then?"

Lumian was attuned to the subtext in others' words.

"Is there a way to greatly increase my flexibility?"

She chuckled. "That's for you to figure out."

"…" Lumian was stumped by her cryptic hint.

If she were a less mysterious acquaintance, he'd demand, "Explain yourself! Don't make me kneel and beg!"

As if reading his mind, she smiled and added, "The solution to your flexibility lies within you."

"Huh?" Lumian looked perplexed.

She sipped her absinthe fennel and sighed.

"Didn't your sister teach you ritualistic magic?"

Lumian noticed the strange emotion flicker in her eyes once again.

"She did." His heart quickened. "Pray to myself?"

She assessed him and laughed.

"Who do you think you are? What good would praying to you do?

"You can only summon the weakest creatures from the spirit world. Your spiritual perception improves with your body."

Danger intuition, for example? Lumian grasped the gist of her words.

Though Hunters' spirituality was enhanced, it focused on spiritual perception and fell short in ritualistic magic and other mystical matters.

"So, what do I need to do?" Lumian pressed.

The lady sighed wearily. "You've studied dualistic ritual law, haven't you?"

"Yes." Lumian nodded.

The lady sighed again. "Luckily you have a sister. Otherwise, I'd have to teach you all this mystic mumbo jumbo. Too tiresome."

You mean you didn't tell me about ritual magic, Cogitation, Spirit Vision, contracted creatures, or magic languages because it was too much hassle? You just showed up after Aurore finished teaching me? Lumian felt rage bubbling up inside him.

He took a couple of deep breaths and said, "Dualistic rituals require items closely tied to deities or supernatural beings, but I don't have any…"

His voice trailed off as a thought struck him.

The woman smirked and said, "Oh yes, you do.

...

"Don't you remember?"

Lumian jabbed a finger at his chest.

"The thorn symbol and the bluish-black symbol?"

The lady nodded before reminding, "Forget the bluish-black symbol. The key to a dualistic ritual is channeling the divine power in the object. If its power decreases, the balance in your body will be disrupted. And when that happens…"

She left the sentence hanging but her expression told Lumian all he needed to know.

In Aurore's usual grim words: "No hope. Just wait for death!"

"Is the bluish-black symbol protecting me from corruption?" Lumian knew enough about the mysticism to recognize his current state as corruption.

"It's the great existence I mentioned protecting you," the woman said solemnly. "Once you solve the secret of the dream ruins, I'll tell you His honorific name. You can pray to Him directly."

Did this great existence seal the corruption symbolized by the thorn in my heart, preventing it from corrupting me completely? Lumian didn't know if this great existence was good or evil, or had sinister intentions, but he felt an odd affinity with Him on this.

He thought for a moment and guessed, "Use a dualistic ritual to steal the power of the thorn symbol?

"If its power decreases, the corruption will weaken and the seal strengthen?"

...

"How can you call it stealing?" the lady retorted. "This is appealing to an entity for a boon. It just so happens He has some of His power nearby. The response follows the law of proximity. Thanks to the seal from the great existence and barriers attenuating it, the entity's true form won't sense it."

Only mystics like you who speak in riddles understand how to sugarcoat it… What's the difference between this and stealing? Lumian thought sourly.

From the lady's explanation of divine boon and abnormal pathways, he asked shrewdly,

"Through the dualistic ritual, can I appeal to the power behind the thorn symbol and ask it to grant me the ability to greatly increase my flexibility?"

"Something like that," the lady said. "To be precise, ask it to grant you the power of Dancer."

"Dancer?" Lumian thought of Noodle Man's performance.

The lady took a sip of absinthe and said, "For Beyonder pathways beyond the standard 22, we classify them into Sequence 9 to Sequence 0 for convenience.

"In a way, this Sequence division follows the rules of this world.

"Does Dancer correspond to Sequence 9 of the thorn symbol, just as Circle Inhabitant corresponds to its Sequence 4?" Lumian fired off. "Can it boost my flexibility and improve my mystic skills, allowing me to easily grasp that mysterious dance?"

The lady smiled in relief. "As expected, with a foundation in mysticism, communication is much easier. No need for me to explain further."

Lumian asked eagerly, "Then what are Sequences 8, 7, 6 and 5 of the thorn symbol?"

"Sequence 8 is Alms Monk, and Sequence 7 is Contractee. Gosh, why do you want to know so much? Master the ritual first and strive to become a Dancer as soon as possible." The woman was losing patience.

Alms Monk… Contractee… These names instantly clicked for Lumian.

Alms Monk referred to certain members of the various churches in reality.

The Eternal Blazing Sun Church was rife with factions, each with their own beliefs. Two main groups stood out; the Order of Preachers and the Brotherhood Minor, also known as the Alms Monk Brotherhood.

The former was made up of clergymen and the Purifiers of the Inquisition who were dedicated to the cruel persecution and purification of heretics, cultists, and wild Beyonders, all in the name of promoting the orthodox teachings of the Eternal Blazing Sun.

The latter, however, were mainly concentrated in the cloisters, with a few clergymen among their ranks. They espoused temperance, begging for food and ascetic training, preaching in various poor places, all with the aim of spreading the faith of the Eternal Blazing Sun.

At the mention of the Alms Monk, Lumian immediately thought of missionaries, asceticism, and special ritualistic magic.

As for Contractee, the first thing that came to mind was the black mark on the padre and the mouth orifice monster.

Aurore explained that it might be a mark left behind by a special contract.

"Wait, the monster I killed was a Contractee?" Lumian asked in surprise.

I actually killed a monster equivalent to a Sequence 7?

The lady nodded slightly and said, "Yes, Contractees use special contracts and godhood provided by that existence as witnesses to obtain different powers from various creatures. One contract corresponds to one ability.

"Whether they're powerful or not depends on the abilities they obtain and how many they have. It's not impossible for ordinary people to kill them if they take the wrong path.

"In fact, similar situations occur in the Beyonder domain. It's common for Beyonders who aren't skilled in combat to be killed by those of an inferior Sequence.

"Ability is important, as is intelligence. Preparation in advance is equally significant."

-x-X-x-

The more Lumian listened to the lady in front of him, the more he concurred.

He was uncertain about what would happen at a higher Sequence. Among the few Beyonder creatures he had interacted with, the threat posed by the fellow with the vortex-shaped proboscis was far inferior to the monster carrying a shotgun.

Although he had become a Beyonder, significantly improving his close combat ability and exploitation of the environment, the problem primarily lay with the Contractee monster.

Firstly, it did not display a relatively strong pursuit ability. Secondly, it lacked long-range attacks. Thirdly, its invisibility ability was not ridiculous. It was completely countered by a Hunter's grasp of the surrounding environment and minute traces.

Moreover, it had the common problem of monsters. It did not have high intelligence and was not as combat-intelligent as the shotgun monster. It had easily stepped into the enemy's trap.

With all of this combined, the final outcome was obvious. Lumian just never expected it to be equivalent to a Sequence 7.

He didn't even compare it to the shotgun monster, recognizing the vast difference between the two. The shotgun monster was a force to be reckoned with, while the mouth orifice monster was weak.

Ability, intelligence, preparation, improvisation, environmental factors… There are too many variables that can affect the outcome of a battle… Lumian concluded inwardly and asked without much hope, "Can I directly pray for Contractee powers?"

The lady chuckled. "That's a good way to kill yourself."

She casually explained, "In theory, it's possible. After all, the power sealed in your body isn't limited to the Sequence 7 equivalent. But can your body withstand such a tremendous boon or rather, corruption? If you don't mind turning into a monster, a puppet of that existence, or transforming into another creature, then go ahead. Tsk, then it won't be long before I see you personally turning your sister into a sacrifice."

Lumian's hair stood on end from the woman's words, and a chill ran down his spine, realizing that he wasn't ready to advance beyond his current level.

He cautiously asked, "So, the most significant boon I can handle right now is a Dancer?"

"Yes, that's why I waited for you to become a Beyonder and digest some of it before telling you about it," the woman explained, taking another sip of her green liquid. "Only when your mind, spirituality, and body have improved significantly will you have a chance of resisting the corruption attached to the boon. Then, you can slowly control the power.

"As your Soul Body and Body of Heart and Mind strengthen, and your body adapts to the slight changes brought about by the power of the boon, you can consider Alms Monk."

For Lumian, the most crucial thing was to learn the mysterious dance. Initiating the incomplete activation of the thorn symbol would significantly improve his ability to explore the dream ruins. Therefore, he nodded slightly, no longer thinking about Alms Monk and Contractee.

"How should I pray?"

He had already learned the duality ritual, but he still didn't know the target's honorific name, domain, and corresponding ingredients.

"Ahem," the lady coughed.

Then, she spoke solemnly, "What I'm about to say shall leave my mouth and enter your ears… You must not tell anyone, or you'll harm them."

Leave my mouth and enter your ears… This is a sentence Aurore likes to write… Has this lady read one of her novels? Lumian thought.

"I understand."

He thought for a moment and asked, "Will anything go wrong from hearing it?"

The lady took a sip of absinthe fennel and smiled.

"When did you have the illusion that there's nothing wrong with you?"

Lumian was stunned for a moment before looking down at his left pec.

The lady scoffed.

"You belong to the group of individuals who are on the brink of being corrupted. Luckily, the mark left by that great existence was activated, and the corresponding power descended upon you, sealing the source of corruption and establishing balance.

"Next, you will perform a ritual to confront the power within the seal and pray for the corresponding blessings. It is akin to proactively withstanding a certain level of corruption.

"So, why should you be afraid of minor issues that you hear?"

The more I hear, the more I feel that there's a huge problem… Lumian wasn't too confident.

The lady shook her head and smiled.

"Do not fret. When I reveal the corresponding words, I will provide you with a sufficiently concealed environment and secure protection. In the future, it would be best to perform the ritual in the ruins, where there is gray fog and the protection of the great existence. It will not directly draw the attention of that entity.

"Furthermore, before the ritual, scramble every segment and description. Attempt not to piece them together and analyze them in a complete manner. Otherwise, heh…"

She chuckled and did not elaborate on the outcome, but Lumian could imagine what would occur.

Observing that he did not inquire further, the woman nodded slightly.

"Let us commence.

"The first part is the Power of Inevitability.

"Using it is sufficient. It corresponds with your black thorn symbol. The complete name of that being is not something you can comprehend at the moment. Even I must provide some concealment before daring to contemplate it."

For some reason, Lumian felt the light around him diminish slightly, but he was unsure.

At that moment, the woman controlled her expression and said solemnly, "The second part is:

"You are the past, the present, and the future.

"You are the reason, the result, and the process…"

As the lady enunciated each word with precision, Lumian felt his senses spin. He realized that a vortex of dark wind was enveloping him.

The table, on which his absinthe fennel rested, writhed as if imbued with a life force of its own.

Suddenly, a sharp sound echoed.

An ebony worm, as long as an adult's index finger, slithered out of the wooden board, and an ominous aura spread instantaneously.

Before Lumian could observe the worm's features, the woman sitting across from him lowered her cup filled with the green liquid and slammed it onto the grotesque creature, reducing it to a pulpy mess.

Next, the woman produced a patterned napkin, wiped the glass's base clean, and wrapped the worm's remains in it.

She took another sip of the absinthe fennel, as if nothing untoward had occurred, and emphasized, "Remember, the first and second parts must be recited in ancient Hermes. Jotun, Dragonese, and Elvish are acceptable as well."

Similar to how the initial "I" in the rite that worships oneself cannot be in Hermes… Lumian nodded to indicate his comprehension.

Although he had always been audacious, he felt slightly discomfited and uneasy when confronted with the strange phenomena that kept manifesting during their conversation. His heart raced, but the enigmatic woman acted as if she had merely detected some impurities in their meal. She continued,

"The third part can be spoken in Hermes. The text is as follows:

"I implore you,

"I beseech your benediction.

...

"I plead with you to grant me the power of Dancer.

"Remember, the three sentences are progressive."

These words did not elicit a new environmental shift. The anomalies that had caused Lumian's unease and trepidation gradually subsided.

Lumian committed them to memory earnestly and followed the woman's instructions to scramble the words, to prevent any potential issues.

The woman savored the remaining absinthe fennel with satisfaction.

"The rest of the ritual is similar to common ritualistic magic."

"The corresponding ingredients are gray amber, tulips, cloves, and deer musk. Choose any two to make candles. The remaining two can be used as herbs, essential oil, and extract during the ritual."

Lumian furrowed his brow as he recalled the dualistic ritual he had learned.

"The spot representing the deity should have an item that's closely related to the deity, but my thorn symbol is on my chest. I can't skin it, right? Besides, I doubt it's useful even if I skin it."

The power was sealed in his heart and Spirit Body.

The woman nodded slightly.

...

"Didn't I tell you to make candles?

"When making the candle, take 5 milliliters of blood from your chest. It doesn't matter if it's more or less. In any case, fuse it into the material and let it become a part of the candle.

"In the ritual, the candle is placed in the deity's location. There's only one candle.

"Because of your blood, the candle is 'awakened' by ancient Hermes. After becoming a symbol, it will point directly at you. Then, with the subsequent description, it will activate the power sealed in you to a certain extent."

It feels like a special variant of the dualistic ritual. Aurore didn't mention that it could be done like this, so not many people know about it… Lumian thought for a moment and asked, "Can I use perfume with gray amber?"

He remembered that his sister had it, and she liked to call gray amber 'ambergris.'

The woman nodded. "Sure, use it like an essential oil."

I possess the gray amber in that case. I have some cloves at home… Lumian pondered where he could acquire tulips and deer musk.

After much contemplation, he could only come up with three possibilities:

Firstly, Aurore, being a Warlock, might have already prepared the required materials. Secondly, the materials could be found at the administrator's residence. Thirdly, the padre's house could be a potential source.

Lumian decided to inform his sister about the ritual and break down the instructions into individual words. He planned to learn the corresponding ancient Hermes and Hermes words from her and inquire about the availability of the materials.

If she didn't have them, he would explore other options.

As the lady was about to depart, Lumian hastily questioned, "What was that lizard that crawled out of the deputy padre's mouth?"

The lady smiled and replied, "I cannot explain it to you."

Lumian struggled to maintain his composure and thought, Why not just say you don't want to tell me…

After the lady left, Lumian retrieved the pen and paper he had brought and jotted down the ritual instructions in a disordered manner. He then numbered them in the correct sequence.

…

Upon leaving Ol' Tavern, Lumian scoured the village for the trio of foreigners.

It didn't take long before he heard a faint tinkling sound.

Lumian's lips curved into a smile as he quickened his pace. As expected, Leah wore two bells on her veil and boots, Ryan donned a dark bowler hat, and Valentine had sprinkled powder on his head.

Lumian had an urge to open his arms and exclaim, "My cabbages, I missed you so much!" but he quickly remembered that he had not interacted with the foreigners in this cycle.

He kneaded his face to appear more serious and strode towards Ryan and the others.

As he brushed past them, he lowered his voice and said, "I know who you're searching for."

Ryan, Leah, and Valentine gaped at him in astonishment.

Lumian didn't pause; he continued walking forward.

The three foreigners exchanged glances, suppressed their peculiar expressions, and followed behind Lumian as if nothing had happened.

-x-X-x-

Lumian halted at the forest's edge, a short distance from his house, and glanced back at Leah and the others.

This spot was quite secluded, with no villagers passing through. The forest was thinly populated, making it easy to spot anyone hiding nearby.

As the tinkling sounds drew nearer, Leah asked with a smile, "How do you know we're looking for someone?"

Lumian remained silent. He pulled out the essential item he had brought with him.

The livre bleu from home!

He lifted the item and showed Ryan and the others the pages where some words had been cut out.

Without hesitation, Ryan nodded and said, "So you wrote the letter for help."

They had never mentioned a help letter in Cordu, let alone detailed that the letter was assembled from words cut from a livre bleu.

Unless the other party had a key informant in Bigorre, it had to be the letter writer.

Leah instinctively looked around.

The two small silver bells hanging from the veil above her head oddly didn't make a sound.

Valentine was about to ask what was weird about the people around him when Ryan asked, puzzled, "How can you be sure that we're here because of that letter?"

You told me yourself… Lumian smiled.

"There are very few foreigners who come to Cordu to begin with. Even fewer who don't buy wool, cheese, and lambs and only wander around the village to chat with people.

"Besides, I didn't say anything. I just showed you this livre bleu."

Realization hit Leah, and she laughed.

"So it's just a test."

"That's a brilliant idea. Those who don't know the letter won't understand your intentions, so they won't be too suspicious. At most, they'll think it's a prank, and you're the Prankster King of Cordu." Ryan nodded slightly.

This seemingly innocent line revealed that the trio had gleaned something from chatting in Cordu over the past few days. At the very least, they had identified the more prominent villagers and taken appropriate measures.

Lumian immediately flashed a teasing smile.

"You believed it? You seriously believed it?"

Seeing Ryan and the others' astonishment, he added, "I was just joking. I'll tell you the real reason later."

Leah gritted her teeth.

"As expected of the Prankster King of Cordu. Aren't you afraid that we won't believe what you're about to say?"

"You can choose not to believe it." Lumian wore an indifferent expression. "Or you can verify it yourself."

Valentine, visibly dissatisfied, asked anxiously, "In your letter, you mentioned that the people around you are getting weirder. What's so weird about them?"

Lumian exclaimed and cracked his knuckles.

"There's plenty. To be precise, the padre believing in an evil god, Shepherd Pierre Berry turning people into sheep and herding them back to Cordu. Madame Pualis rides a demon-drawn carriage through the wilderness. When the deputy padre sleeps, a translucent lizard-like creature crawls out of his mouth. Naroka is clearly not dead, but she wants to go to Paramita. Louis Lund, the administrator's male butler, has just given birth to a baby. The owl from the Warlock legends flies back to the village from time to time…"

Ryan, Leah, and Valentine grew increasingly shocked as they listened. They didn't want to believe it, but they felt that the kid before them couldn't invent so many absurd stories.

They were all seasoned official investigators who had dealt with numerous Beyonder incidents, many involving evil gods and mystic arts. However, none were as ludicrous or exaggerated as what they were hearing now. Only the padre believing in evil gods sounded normal.

More importantly, most of the incidents they had previously handled stood independently. At most, two or three would occur simultaneously. Moreover, they were closely related to each other, but Cordu had too many horrifying abnormalities!

What kind of place is this? Almost instantly, similar thoughts raced through Leah, Ryan, and Valentine's minds.

They suspected they had inadvertently entered the legendary Abyss or Hell!

When Lumian stopped, Leah couldn't help but ask, "You're not joking, are you?"

Was there anyone normal in this village?

Lumian smiled.

"I haven't finished speaking. There's another abnormality.

"This is the third or fourth time I've talked to you about something like this. Ryan, Leah, Valentine, my cabbages."

Ryan, Leah, and Valentine weren't surprised that Lumian knew their names. It was inevitable when they had been chatting in the village.

They were even more astonished and puzzled by the first half of the sentence.

"What do you mean?" Valentine asked with a frown.

"What I mean is that we've been repeatedly experiencing the past few days. In other words, we've fallen into a time loop." Lumian didn't let the three foreigners guess and provided a standard answer.

Without waiting for Ryan and the others to question him, he briefly mentioned what they had experienced together and finally said, "Think back carefully. Was it really March 29th when you entered the village?"

Leah and the others racked their brains.

After more than ten seconds, Valentine revealed a pained expression.

"My sense of time is hazy. I can't remember the exact date of the previous two months… But I remember. I remember celebrating my youngest son's birthday before I set off. His birthday is…"

Valentine raised his head and blurted out in shock, "April 10th!"

In other words, the actual date now is mid-to-late April? Judging from the looks of it, the number of cycles I went through before I had my memories wiped can't be more than a couple. It can't even be more than once… Yes, that was the first cycle. The loop hadn't even begun, so I could send a letter without the river's help. When the loop happened and time rewound, the corresponding memories would be replaced, but material objects beyond the range wouldn't be able to turn back? Lumian had a new theory about the letter.

He nodded imperceptibly and said to Ryan and Leah, "You can also wire the outside world and get the current date in a way that won't raise any red flags.

"When the time comes, you'll believe me."

"Yes, yes! Send a telegram!" Valentine snapped out of his stupor. "Ask the higher-ups for help!"

Lumian looked at him as if he were a fool.

"Ask for help?

"In the face of such a bizarre time loop, what do you officials usually do?"

...

Ryan fell silent for a moment before saying, "Stamp it out directly to prevent the corruption from spreading."

"Therefore, asking for help now is as good as suicide." Lumian smiled and shrugged.

Valentine replied fervently, "According to the rules, we have to report back ASAP. I'm willing to sacrifice myself for this!"

"…" Lumian was stunned.

Such people exist?

No, I have to get rid of this guy immediately, or everyone will die together!

Fortunately, Leah and Ryan clearly felt that they could still be saved. They exchanged a glance and nodded.

Ryan patted Valentine's shoulder and said, "Stay calm. We still don't know what's going on. Perhaps there's a better solution.

"If we really can't save ourselves, we'll report it to the higher-ups."

"That's right," Lumian hurriedly added. He recounted the discoveries and speculations minus the symbol on his chest, the dream ruins, the mysterious lady, and the Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society. Finally, he said, "The key to the problem most likely happens on the twelfth night. We have to survive until then. Only then can we truly resolve the issue in the next cycle."

Seeing that he had revealed so many details and that they could verify them all, Ryan and the others were completely inclined to believe him. Valentine calmed down and remembered his wife and children.

...

Leah exhaled. "No wonder you know us and know we're looking for someone."

It turned out that they had communicated in a previous cycle.

She subconsciously touched the silver bell above her head, wanting to do a divination, but she held back when she recalled the abnormalities Lumian had described.

She didn't want to blow up because of a divination that shouldn't be done before the real investigation began.

Ryan thought for a moment and said to Lumian, "You're telling us this because you want us to cooperate with you and your sister?"

"Very astute, my cabbage." Lumian laughed and said seriously, "First, wire the outside world, saying that your investigation has made some progress. The padre seems to have a certain issue. Then, ask what the lizard-like thing that crawls out of a mouth is. This is the least likely to cause a destructive blowout of all the abnormalities. Ah, right, confirm the real date and be careful in how it's done. Don't let anyone outside suspect anything.

"Secondly, my sister will invite Madame Pualis to my house for afternoon tea this afternoon. I hope that you can sneak into the administrator's mansion with me and do a search.

"As for the future, it depends on the information we obtain today."

Ryan, Leah, and Valentine looked at each other and felt that Lumian's request wasn't too unreasonable.

This was what they would have done.

The four of them arrived at the village square. Ryan went to wire the outside world while Leah, Valentine, and Lumian waited under the elm tree outside.

After calming down, Leah glanced at Lumian and asked curiously, "You're a Beyonder, and so is your sister?"

"Yes." Lumian didn't hide it.

Leah laughed. "Aren't you afraid of being arrested by us?"

"We're in the same boat now. In the face of an emergency where the boat is about to sink, we can only help each other." Lumian shrugged. "As for the future, we'll talk about it later. It's still unknown if we can escape this loop."

"That's true." Leah turned her head and looked at Valentine.

The reason why she brought up this topic was to let her companion understand this and not do anything stupid.

Valentine's expression remained cold as he nodded imperceptibly.

Leah then asked about something she was more concerned about.

"Why can you keep the memories from before?"

"I'm not telling you." Lumian laughed.

Without waiting for Leah's response, he spread his hands and said, "I'm just joking. Actually, I'm not sure either. I somehow retained my memories, and it's only from the last two cycles."

"Think back to what happened back then. Perhaps this is very important," Leah said after some thought.

Lumian said sincerely, "I've been thinking, but I haven't figured out anything. Perhaps I'll only suddenly realize when I encounter something."

Leah was about to help analyze the situation when Ryan, who had received a reply, walked out of the administration building.

-x-X-x-

Leah and Valentine asked Ryan in unison, "How is it?"

Although they had already believed Lumian's words, it was inevitable for people to hope for luck. They still held onto the hope that perhaps the problem wasn't that serious because the kid wasn't knowledgeable enough to exaggerate.

Ryan looked around and saw that there was no one else around the elm tree. He spoke in a low voice, "I was afraid to ask too directly. I only know that the real date is already late April. I don't know the exact date."

Leah and Valentine fell silent.

They had indeed fallen into a strange time loop!

Judging from the various files and information, this was definitely not something the three of them should face or deal with.

They were seasoned Beyonders who had handled many Beyonder incidents. It was the first time they had encountered such a serious and abnormal situation.

Leah couldn't help but turn to look at Lumian. "What kind of place is Cordu?"

There were abnormalities everywhere, each more exaggerated than the last!

"I don't know either." Lumian had an "innocent" expression. "Before the loop, this place was beautiful and the people were simple. Everyone was normal and hospitable."

He didn't tell the three foreigners that the person standing before them was also one of the abnormalities.

Ryan sighed and said, "I've never encountered so many abnormalities at once, and every one of them is serious."

"This is the most dangerous situation I've ever faced," echoed Valentine.

Lumian was already a little numb to this. He sneered and said, "It's normal that you haven't encountered it before, because those who have encountered one are dead."

"…" Leah looked at him with a smile. "Don't say anything if you can't say something nice. People like you won't survive past childhood elsewhere."

"Killed in the cradle?" Lumian mocked himself and asked Ryan, "Did you get an answer about the deputy padre?"

Ryan nodded.

"In the past few years, similar legends have emerged in various places across the Northern and Southern Continents.

"Legend has it that Heaven banished a group of sinful elves to the ground. They can only reside within human bodies, hoping to redeem their sins and gain absolution before returning to Heaven.

"In some versions of the legend, these elves appear as translucent lizards.

"However, the elf I'm referring to is not the ancient elf race. It is more akin to a mixture of fairies and various spirits."

Again in recent years? Lumian recalled that the legend of Madame Night had only surfaced recently.

What was wrong with this world?

He pondered for a moment before asking, "Did they specify which deity's Heaven it is?"

Ryan shook his head.

"What's remarkable is that every person who claims to have seen an elf believes it is from the kingdom of their local deity."

The local deity referred to the orthodox gods of the local faith.

Heavens of different deities? Lumian gazed up at the azure sky.

Did that lizard-like elf come from the sky?

However, according to Aurore, beyond the sky lay the cosmos. Each star represented a world.

So, were these extraterrestrial beings?

Or were they from an astral plane beyond mysticism?

As Lumian's thoughts raced, he asked curiously, "In some versions of the legend, these elves appear as translucent lizards. What about the other details?"

Ryan shook his head once more.

"That's all they could uncover in a short period. They may need to communicate with headquarters for more information."

Leah pondered and spoke, "I am familiar with the legend of elves."

"I once met a native of Lenburg who shared that farmers in many regions of the south-central zone have reported mischievous fairies in recent years. These creatures known as Alpes1 would vandalize their homes and fields or play pranks on them."

The south-central zone referred to the area where Lenburg, Masin, Segar, and other small countries were located. It also included a few areas in the Intis Republic, the Loen Kingdom, and the Feynapotter Kingdom.

Most of them were located in the highlands, mountains, forests, areas filled with ruins and legends.

Lumian listened attentively and concluded, This is not an isolated phenomenon…

"Each elf seems to have their unique way of causing trouble," Ryan mused. "And the lizards that inhabit human bodies are perhaps the most malevolent. It is uncertain if they are the most dangerous. With so many abnormalities in Cordu, the parasitic elf shouldn't be an isolated phenomenon. Perhaps someone wants to use it to control the deputy padre."

Very clear line of thinking… Lumian looked at the villagers who were returning home after finishing their work and said to Leah and the others, "Meet me behind the hill where the administrator's castle is at 3:30 p.m.

"Will you join me to search for clues?"

"Of course," Ryan agreed.

Leah, however, called out to Lumian before he left, "Is that all? You should brief us on the situation in the castle, its inhabitants, and Madame Pualis' abnormality. We cannot explore and search without preparation."

Lumian did not want to recall Madame Pualis' matters, but he had to admit that Leah's request made sense. He had to endure the discomfort and tell them the entire story.

Ryan and the others were mentally prepared, but they still looked a little dull upon hearing the tale.

Leah lightened the mood with her tinkling laughter.

"It does not matter to me. I might experience such a thing in the future. This is an opportunity that most men never encounter. You must cherish it."

However, Valentine ignored her joke and whispered with a cold expression, "All of this needs to be purified—purified!"

Lumian did not want to provoke Valentine and waved his hand.

"See you in the afternoon."

After taking a few steps, Lumian turned around to look at Ryan warily and asked, "Did Bertrand have any knowledge of the contents of your telegram?"

Bertrand was responsible for the telegraph, and if he knew about the date and the legend of the elves, it meant that the administrator knew as well. And if the administrator knew, Madame Pualis would know too.

...

"Don't worry," Ryan said reassuringly. "We have a secret code. He won't be able to decipher it."

Lumian breathed a sigh of relief only then and left the village square, heading back to his building.

As he walked a distance away, he spotted Ava Lizier herding a flock of white geese back home.

"Hey there, isn't this our Spring Elf?" Lumian tried to push the bloody and cruel scenes from the Lent celebration out of his mind and greeted Ava with his usual quip.

Ava seemed a little embarrassed.

"I haven't been chosen yet!"

Her exquisite facial features made her grayish-white dress look less rustic.

"That won't be a problem," Lumian said with a smile. "Reimund and I will help you campaign for votes."

Ava looked surprised. "You don't know?"

"What don't I know?" Lumian's heart skipped a beat.

Had something happened in the village that wasn't a part of the "historical" process?

...

Ava observed his expression and suspected that he was teasing her.

After a few seconds, the girl frowned in concern and said, "Reimund's missing. You didn't know?"

"Huh?" Lumian was so shocked that he couldn't hide his expression as usual.

In the previous, previous cycle, he and Reimund Greg had met almost every day from the second day of March 30th until April 5th, Lent.

Back then, they had followed the waterside ritual procedure to lift Reimund, who had thrown the last offering, and throw him into the river. Like the others in the past, Reimund swam further away and could only return home after leaving the ritual site. He wouldn't leave the house until night.

In the two cycles that followed, Lumian had too much to do and didn't have time to find Reimund.

But now, Ava was telling him that Reimund was missing today!

This was something that had never happened in the previous, previous cycle!

Upon seeing Lumian's expression, Ava's aqua-blue eyes cleared of confusion.

"You really have no idea… Reimund's father may come to you today to ask where Reimund has gone."

Lumian suppressed the tumultuous waves in his heart and asked, "When did Reimund disappear?"

Could it be that something happened because I didn't follow the historical process of finding him?

"Two days ago," Ava recalled. "It's said that he didn't return after leaving the house in the afternoon of the 29th. His family assumed he was at Ol' Tavern or chatting with the Greenwatchers. They only began searching for him last night. They should be asking you today…"

She paused and lowered her voice.

"They suspect Reimund of sneaking away because he doesn't want to learn how to shepherd."

They think I instigated him, and are questioning me later? Lumian roughly understood what had happened.

The afternoon of the 29th reminded him of the beginning of the cycle.

The last two cycles had started on the afternoon of the 29th!

In other words, Reimund disappeared from the beginning of the cycle? This means that perhaps no one deliberately changed the course of history because it was too late… Then why is there such an anomaly and difference? Lumian fell into deep thought.

Ava glanced at him and asked softly, "Do you know where Reimund went?"

"I haven't seen him in the past few days," Lumian said truthfully.

He began to suspect that Reimund's disappearance had something to do with being thrown into the river during the previous, previous cycle.

However, it was impossible for Reimund to leave Cordu because of this. That would trigger the loop.

After bidding farewell to Ava, Lumian forced himself to remain calm and returned home.

He couldn't be bothered to discuss anything else. Initially, he divulged Reimund's disappearance to Aurore.

Aurore's countenance turned solemn as she furrowed her brows and whispered, "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have completely forgotten about this person…"

She donned a simple rose-red dress and paced back and forth. Lumian began to contemplate potential reasons.

After a while, Aurore gazed at her brother and uttered solemnly, "I recollect that the crux of the Lent Waterside ritual is to offer sacrifices to the concept of a water source symbolized by the river. Is it probable that Reimund, who was thrown into the water, was also regarded as a sacrifice and was taken away by a certain entity?

"Subsequently, as there was no corresponding tangible reward, the cycle portrayed his absence as a disappearance."

Lumian shook his head. "That will trigger the cycle."

Humans departing Cordu and the surrounding vicinity acted as a trigger.

Aurore asked in a profound voice, "What if it's in the form of a corpse?"