97 COI

In the Southern Continent, Raklev region, the day revealed Lake Dalsh in all its clarity, the serene waters reflecting the azure sky and distant snow-capped mountains in a scene almost dreamlike in its beauty.

Lumian, devoid of any mood to appreciate the scenery, was strolling around a pit at the forest's edge with Ludwig, who was smartly dressed in a tweed blazer, and Lugano, who wore a light cotton coat.

The pit contained highly decayed bodies, half-melted into the surrounding soil as if merging with it, decomposing in a unique way that returned nutrients to the earth.

Seeing this, Lumian understood why Oxyto, a Shaman King, didn't destroy the bodies after his rituals, leaving behind evidence and traces: burying the bodies and allowing them to return to the land was likely part of the ritual!

Last night, after reviewing the documents provided by the Knight of Swords, Lumian had a clearer idea of how to find Oxyto, a fervent disciple of the Primordial Moon.

Clearly, conventional methods like Magic Mirror Divination wouldn't work; otherwise, the Knight of Swords' companion, a member of the temperance faction with sharp spiritual intuition, would have already located Oxyto.

Lumian had three plans:

First, since Oxyto was a member of the Rose School of Thought and often mingled with the indulgence faction, he started by sending Franca and Jenna, both Demonesses, to casually stroll through Raklev City in full regalia, hoping to encounter Oxyto. This Shaman King, who never resisted his desires, might approach them, all under the watchful protection of the temperance faction.

Additionally, Anthony would use Psychological Invisibility or disguise himself as a commoner to follow them and observe the reactions of those around the Demonesses to discern any malice before Oxyto made a move.

Whether or not Oxyto had received the Great Mother's boons and transformed into a woman was a detail that didn't affect the Demonesses' ability to seduce him. Lumian deduced from Madame Pualis's and Franca's experiences that Oxyto would still be attracted to women, and might as well have an interest in men.

Second, using his own lineage from Omebella, and the unique ability of the Great Mother's blessed to sense others within a certain distance, he planned to roam the Raklev area in hopes of drawing out Oxyto. Similarly, Lugano, who also bore an anomaly possibly linked to the Great Mother, would serve as excellent bait.

Third, he considered revisiting the sites Oxyto had been before to see what could be eaten.

Pinching his nose, Lumian carefully inspected the traces around and inside the pit along with the numerous bodies for a while, then turned his head to ask Ludwig, "Is it dirty?"

"Very dirty," Ludwig nodded emphatically.

"Dirty from the Great Mother?" Lumian pressed further.

Ludwig hummed affirmatively, his expression filled with conflict.

Unsurprisingly, he heard his godfather ask, "Is it edible?"

At this question, Lugano couldn't help but gag, while the usually stoic Knight of Swords, Maric, slightly raised his eyebrows.

Ludwig replied reluctantly, "Yes."

"Can you sense the child born from these corpses after eating?" Lumian further inquired.

Based on his experience, these bodies had likely been impregnated during the ritual, carrying rapidly growing clawed bird-like creatures in their wombs, which then tore through their parents' abdomens, absorbing the remnants and emerging on their own.

From a mysticism standpoint, whether voluntarily or forcibly, the clawed bird-like creatures and the corpses shared a deep blood connection, making it easy to trace one from the other, or even cast curses across distances.

However, according to the Knight of Swords' documents, divinations utilizing this blood connection had been fruitless, as if the creatures that had emerged from these corpses had vanished from this world.

This could be due to a high-ranking individual casting a counter-divination or a change in the creatures' state. Lumian's only hope was that Ludwig might glean different information by consuming the flesh.

Ludwig, with a sullen face, said, "You can extract a bit of the bloodline from the corpses through a certain cooking method. While this won't allow me to sense the child's position and condition from a great distance, I should be able to detect its presence within a thirty-meter radius."

"Okay," Lumian felt the results were better than expected.

Then, he watched as Ludwig squatted down and used a child's silver knife and fork to separate a piece of half-melted, half-rotten flesh from one of the corpses.

The flowing yellow pus and the grotesque state of the flesh made Lugano turn away, looking out towards Lake Dalsh and Raklev City on the other side of the water.

Ludwig then had Lumian retrieve a cast-iron skillet, a stand, wheat flour, liqueur, various spices, and a chunk of solidified lard from the Traveler's Bag.

Lumian took on the role of the Chef's assistant, mainly responsible for starting the fire.

Ludwig first melted the lard, then added a bit of liqueur and some spices, frying them until the mixture was richly aromatic.

Next, he wrapped the rotten flesh in wheat flour and tossed it into the skillet, frying it in the deeply colored, fragrant lard.

The odors of fragrance and foul mingled together, gradually spreading.

Finally, Ludwig finished cooking and forked up the fried, golden-brown flour-coated meatball, stuffing it into his mouth.

He chewed, tears seemingly welling up in his eyes, looking pitiful as if wronged.

"You didn't complain when you ate Loki raw," Lumian joked.

Ludwig muttered as he spoke, "Rotten doesn't taste good, and there's no spirituality in it."

After swallowing the fried meatball that looked rather appealing, Ludwig continued thoughtfully as he savored it, "The deceased's birthday is on the second day of every year."

"Is there something special about that?" Lumian asked.

Stuffing candy into his mouth, Ludwig responded offhandedly, "In myths, on the first day, the Oldest One created the world; on the second, the Great Mother was born."

"I've never heard of such a myth..." Lugano murmured to himself, puzzled, with his back to Ludwig.

Lumian, deep in thought, shifted his gaze to another body.

"Their birthdays couldn't all be on the second day of each year, could they?

"I remember that the new year for many tribes on the Southern Continent isn't the same as on the Northern Continent; it's not necessarily January 1st. So, which day is the second day, and which calendar are we using?"

Ludwig, with candy in his mouth, said, "Any would do, as long as it's the second day of the new year according to the calendar one believes in."

Purely symbolic, then... Lumian turned towards the Knight of Swords. "Have you confirmed the identities and birthdays of these bodies?"

Raklev in the Star Highlands was a relatively prosperous area with a significant population, similar to the City of White Rapus, where Lumian had been before. It was one of the ancient Highlands Kingdom's support points ruling over the entire Star Highlands.

This area was known for its rich mines, but interestingly, all mining sites were far from Lake Dalsh, preserving the sanctity of this highland lake in the hearts of its people.

In the past, the Star Highlands were primarily a battleground between the Intis Republic and the Feysac Empire. After the war a few years ago, the Feysac Empire's influence waned, and the Loen Kingdom began to extend its reach. Even the Evernight Goddess Church of Loen Kingdom seemed to be spreading its teachings in this area-a fact Lumian had heard about while in Rapus.

And throughout the Star Highlands, the city atop the mines, Raklev, had the largest Loenese population.

Knight of Swords Maric nodded slowly and said, "We've confirmed 90% of the bodies; their birthdays, according to the Northern Continent's calendar, are mostly on January 2nd. For the rest, using local calendars, their birthdays also fall on the second day of the new year.

"For those whose identities remain uncertain, they seem to be foreigners, who may have come here either voluntarily or involuntarily. Give us a bit more time, and we'll surely determine who they are."

With a sufficiently large sample, the findings mostly align with Ludwig's explanation that the ritual required a strong symbol of the Great Mother... Lumian didn't stop the more temperance faction members from wasting energy verifying the remaining deceased's identities-what if there was something else peculiar?

Looking across the lake at Raklev City, Lumian said, "Let's head back to the city now and walk around."

Let's see which of the three are more effective-Omebella's bloodline, the anomaly of the Earth pathway, or the blood connection with the bird-clawed babies!

Walking towards the city, made of numerous gray and white stone houses, along the shimmering lake as blue as the sky, Lumian suddenly had a thought.

He asked the quiet Knight of Swords walking beside him, "In the Rose School of Thought, was Oxyto in charge of the Raklev area?"

"Not previously, and now it's uncertain," replied the Knight of Swords succinctly.

Lumian nodded, musing to himself, "If he isn't in charge of Raklev and merely initiated a ritual here on a whim, he should have left after it ended. Why is he still here?

"Does he have a deeper purpose in the Raklev area?

"Or perhaps, the Rose School of Thought is planning something for this place?"

The Knight of Swords paused for a few seconds before responding, "We suspect there might be a deeper purpose."

Pausing momentarily, he added, "Before the Highlands Kingdom was established, many areas of the Star Highlands worshiped Death, and Raklev was one of the places most influenced by this belief. Even today, some local customs still carry remnants of this death worship."

As they spoke, the three adults and one child arrived outside Raklev City.

Raklev, compared to the refined City of White Rapus, the architecture here was much more rugged. Although there were people in dark red robes and bright dresses, most wore more durable canvas work clothes.

Before even reaching the city gates, Lumian could already sense the hustle and bustle.

-x-X-x-

Beside a segment of the old city wall, now merely a relic for admiration, Lumian's gaze passed between the tall and short gray-white stone buildings and landed on a majestic temple standing near the mountain range.

It towered thirty meters high, made up of several turrets, reminiscent of an ancient war fortress left over from bygone eras.

At this moment, influenced by both the mountains and the clouds, the near-noon sunlight cast a dim hue, cloaking the grand temple in a dusk-like veil.

"Is that a temple of the God of Combat?" Lumian didn't turn his head as he asked the Knight of Swords beside him.

The God of Combat Church was the only state religion of the Feysac Empire, but following their defeat in the war a few years ago, the Evernight Goddess Church had gained a certain right to preach within the empire, although they seemed unenthusiastic about this role.

The Knight of Swords replied succinctly, "It's a cathedral."

Not a temple, but a cathedral? True to the Feysacians, who suffer from a fascination with enormity, and their taste is not bad... For some reason, Lumian suddenly recalled a phrase he had heard at the Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society: More is beautiful, bigger is better.

He then asked, "Is this a Feysac colony?"

"Yes," the Knight of Swords replied in a deep voice, "but now, the Loenese have the right to trade here."

Lumian nodded slightly, saying nothing further as he followed the road into Raklev City.

Along the way, it was easy for him to distinguish people from different countries among the crowd:

The Feysacians, tall in stature-men typically over six feet three inches, women nearly six feet-matched Lumian's stereotype of them: descendants of giants, even including many half-giants. Their dressing tended to be casual, with either unbuttoned jackets or no jackets at all;

The Loenese, predominantly with black hair, cared much about their appearance, always impeccably dressed. The ladies favored round-brimmed bonnets and carried sun-blocking parasols, while the gentlemen were decked out in top hats and carried canes;

The locals of Raklev were darker-skinned and wiry. The men often wore durable canvas work clothes, and the women dressed for labor, with only a few in brightly colored dresses, herding cattle, sheep, and horses.

Lumian watched a dwarf horse and several long-haired cattle pass by, spotting a local man in a dark red robe with a stark white skull topped with a wool-knit gray and white hat on his head.

"Is this the remnant of Death worship you mentioned in the local customs?" Lumian didn't choose his path deliberately but followed his instincts.

The Knight of Swords nodded slightly and said, "Yes, the people of Raklev keep the skulls of their deceased relatives at home, believing they protect them, bring good luck, and help fend off dangers lurking in the night. The more skulls a family has, the more prosperous and developed it is considered."

This is similar to the practice in Cordu where relatives' hair and nails are kept... but here, the Death worship is much stronger, hence the choice of skulls, making it more extreme...

Lumian suddenly felt a pang of melancholy.

The Knight of Swords continued, "Some even make amulets from the skulls of their deceased kin to carry with them at all times. What you saw earlier was just such a case.

During the annual Blessing Festival, all the locals in Raklev take the skulls from their homes into the streets, dress them solemnly, and join in the revelry and prayers together."

"Blessing Festival?" Lumian perked up, asking with gravity.

Having experienced Lent, Sea Prayer Festival, and Dream Festival, he felt like he had developed a sort of festival-induced PTSD, with a headache starting whenever he heard of another special day.

Oxyto, a Shaman King of the Rose School of Thought and a key follower of the Primordial Moon, couldn't be staying in Raklev just for the Blessing Festival, could he?

The Knight of Swords responded somberly, "The Blessing Festival has long since passed; it was in November last year, more than a month before the Dream Festival."

You know about the Dream Festival... Lumian first breathed a sigh of relief, then asked anxiously, "Did Oxyto first appear in the Raklev area before or after the Blessing Festival?"

The Knight of Swords thought for a moment before replying, "Before."

"So during the Blessing Festival, he was likely still in the Raklev area?" Lumian furrowed his brow slightly.

"That seems to be the case," the Knight of Swords answered, very cautiously.

...

Franca's gaze drifted away from a local woman with colorful skulls sewn onto her shoulder, and she turned to a tall, blond, blue-eyed woman from Feysac with a smile. "Sorry, I already have a lady companion!"

Isn't this Feysacian a bit too forthright?

Flirting with me and Jenna, and to think, aside from men, there were also beautiful women inviting us over!

The Feysacian chuckled. "I don't mind if you both come over to my place."

"I mind," Jenna spoke up for Franca.

They had been wandering around Raklev City for nearly two hours. Although Franca hadn't actively unleashed the Demoness of Pleasure's charm-to avoid suspicion of fishing purposefully-their carefully styled Demoness appearance alone, in terms of looks, demeanor, and figure, was enough to draw plenty of attention.

Here, the Feysacians were bold and direct, both men and women, while the Loenese were conservative and reserved, only daring to approach after finding a good reason. The locals mostly just watched from a distance, quietly following, with a few gathering the courage to speak up, but only in the guise of offering guidance.

"Alright then." The female Feysacian, a bit taller than Franca, waved her hand in disappointment and turned to enter a nearby café.

Franca and Jenna were now in the heart of Raklev City, on a street that boasted the grand and elegant architectural style typical of Feysac.

"It's almost noon, how about trying some Feysac cuisine?" Franca looked up at the sun, bright but not warm.

She was referring to the St. Millom Restaurant diagonally across from them.

St. Millom was the capital of the Feysac Empire, and naming a restaurant after it seemed an attempt to offer an "authentic" experience.

"Sure." Jenna nodded gently.

As the two Demonesses stepped into the grand and intricately decorated restaurant, Anthony sat down on a bench across the street and quietly started on his lunch-a corn tortilla wrapped around beef and lamb, seasoned with various spices.

...

Lumian walked with Ludwig and Lugano until they reached the temple-like Holy Lake Cathedral.

But once they truly entered the city, the Knight of Swords, Maric, disappeared. However, Lumian's instincts told him that this Minor Arcana card holder was still nearby.

"Feeling anything unusual?" Lumian inquired of Ludwig.

"No," Ludwig shook his head.

Lumian then turned to Lugano. "What about you?"

"Me?" Lugano looked baffled.

Isn't it Ludwig's job to locate people?

What does this have to do with me?

"Do you sense anything unusual?" Lumian calmly repeated the question.

For some reason, Lugano felt that his employer had become more approachable lately, so he honestly replied, "No."

Gurgle, gurgle, a strange noise sounded next to both him and Lumian.

Both turned their gaze to Ludwig.

Touching his stomach, Ludwig looked eager and said, "It's time for lunch."

"Alright," Lumian agreed readily.

His philosophy was to never let a child go hungry, especially since the starving child might resort to cannibalism.

He looked around and pointed towards a bustling street to the northwest of Holy Lake Square. "There seem to be quite a few restaurants there."

This time, Ludwig didn't need Lugano's hand-holding; he scampered ahead with short strides, while Lumian followed at a leisurely pace, and Lugano trailed close behind.

The street bore a very typical Feysac characteristic, complete with trees and benches, resembling a streetscape in the Northern Continent countries.

Lumian glanced around briefly and pointed with his chin to St. Millom Restaurant not far away. "Let's try some Feysac cuisine."

"Okay." Ludwig wiped his mouth.

Suddenly, his eager expression turned to confusion, and his head moved left and right as if searching for something.

Lumian noticed this unusual behavior.

"Why? Want an ice cream too?" he teased Ludwig.

Imitating Lugano's usual demeanor, Ludwig pressed his voice down and said, "I think I sensed that child from the body, but it's vague."

Sensed the bird-clawed baby? Lumian looked around; there were no other children in sight, just Feysacians and locals, with a few from Loen scattered among them.

There weren't even any pregnant women around.

Then, Ludwig added, "I can't sense it anymore."

Had it moved beyond a thirty-meter range? Lumian thoughtfully withdrew his gaze.

If what we had just encountered was related to the bird-clawed baby, then my own Omebella bloodline might have been sensed by the other...

Lumian nodded and smiled at Ludwig. "Let's eat first, nothing's more important than filling our bellies."

"Right!" For the first time, Ludwig felt that the godfather's words resonated deeply with him.

Upon entering St. Millom Restaurant, Lumian immediately noticed Franca and Jenna sitting in a conspicuous spot.

The carefully dressed Demonesses caught Lumian's attention for an extra second.

Meanwhile, he wondered to himself, Is this the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence?

How coincidental for us to choose the same restaurant...

(Reader note: A reasonable development)

Franca and Jenna, noticing his gaze, looked back at him-one with a mouth agape in surprise, the other stifling a laugh.

They quickly composed themselves and turned their attention back to the beet soup in front of them.

With the waiter's guidance, Lumian, Ludwig, and Lugano took a seat in the corner.

"Sir, what would you like to order?" The waiter offered a menu designed like a book.

Lumian glanced at it, chose not to browse through, and simply said, "One set of everything but the drinks."

-x-X-x-

Although limited by the variety of local ingredients, St. Millom Restaurant's menu appeared thick, yet it didn't offer an extensive variety of dishes. However, relatively speaking, a whole book's worth of menu items couldn't possibly be too few-it was enough to make a dozen adults feel stuffed.

The restaurant's waiter was a local, but he spoke fluent Feysacian, Loenese, and Intisian,

completely understanding Lumian's order without any confusion.

He was about to double-check when he saw the customer from Intis bring out a thick stack of gold hoorn.

This was the currency of the Feysac Empire, commonly used in the Raklev area-before teleporting to the Southern Continent that morning, Lumian had specifically gone to a nearby bank to exchange some cash at a higher rate of 4.4 verl d'or for one gold hoorn, but the cash he now produced wasn't his own; it was activity funds provided by the Knight of Swords, Maric.

"All of it?" The waiter, diligent and thorough, made one last inquiry.

"All of it," Lumian confirmed, earning Ludwig's approval.

After a while, dishes like beet soup, red wine beef stew, cream-fried cod, caviar, grilled meat skewers, appetizer salad, thick-cut steaks, and Feysac pies were served one by one.

Ludwig was utterly immersed in a sea of flavors, and Lumian, too, let himself indulge.

As a Sequence 5 Reaper, his appetite was already not small, and similarly, Harvest Priest Lugano, starting as a Planter, was eating more and more.

After nearly filling their stomachs, as Lumian savored the salty, fishy burst of the caviar in his mouth and awaited the arrival of dessert, he pondered over the recent events.

Why did Ludwig just vaguely sense the presence of the bird-clawed baby, and then in the blink of an eye, it vanished?

Could it be that we were exactly thirty meters apart, and just one step further would break the range of perception?

This is too coincidental... If it were arranged, they would have let Ludwig keep sensing it...

If Ludwig could sense the bird-clawed baby, could the baby also sense its 'mother' approaching? Did it detect the deceased 'mother' appearing in an unnatural way and immediately leave the area or hide, severing the connection between them?

This explanation is more reasonable, not reliant on coincidence...

Now the question arises, if it wasn't a coincidence, why did the bird-clawed baby appear on this street?

It couldn't possibly just be passing by and happened to bump into us, right? If it truly is the law of convergence, it's still unclear whether it's due to a bloodline connection or a law of repulsion...

Lumian picked up the napkin that was on his lap, folded it neatly, and stood up, pushing the stack of gold hoorn to Lugano.

"I'll take a walk nearby to see if there's anything worth buying; you take care of Ludwig and remember to pay for the meal."

"Sure," Lugano was happy to remain seated without moving.

Lumian left St. Millom Restaurant with a leisurely gait, taking in all the shops and pedestrians along the street.

There were banks, candy stores, cafés, and shops selling Feysacian imported goods, with no suspicious individuals in sight.

The passersby were mostly Feysacians and Raklev locals, the latter often carrying talismans made from their relatives' skulls-some wore them as hats, others strung them into necklaces, and some sewed them onto their clothing at the shoulder.

It is not apparent who might attract the bird-clawed baby and its associates here, nor which building might harbor something unusual... Lumian pondered as he walked along the street, hoping for a "chance encounter."

Unfortunately, this did not happen.

Finally, he finished his stroll along the street and returned to St. Millom Restaurant.

The two Demonesses leisurely enjoyed a lavish Feysacian meal, their prominent position and striking looks drawing the gaze of everyone who came and went. Some even made a point of passing by their table repeatedly.

Lumian took the opportunity to admire the Demonesses' beauty.

Suddenly, a thought struck him:

Ludwig only sensed the bird-clawed baby near St. Millom Restaurant...

Franca and Jenna were right here in the restaurant...

Could it be that they truly attracted the attention of Oxyto, the Shaman King, who personally brought or sent the bird-clawed baby to track them, looking for an opportunity to strike?

Upon discovering the scent of a deceased 'mother' on Ludwig and sensing my Child of God bloodline, did Oxyto abandon his original plan, temporarily leaving this area or completely hiding?

This logic flows smoothly; there's no issue, but how could the guardian demigod of the temperance faction completely miss Oxyto's presence?

A Shaman King is adept at concocting various magical agents and conducting rituals, perhaps using one to evade normal premonitions and intuitions?

Or could it be some other method?

Lumian quickly reviewed the intelligence provided by the temperance faction about the Shaman King.

His steps slowed, seemingly captivated by the beauty and charm of the two Demonesses, reluctant to look away.

After analyzing the information on the Apothecary pathway up to Sequence 4 Shaman King, Lumian considered that Oxyto might have also received a boon, transitioning to female, and he recalled the information he knew about the Heretic Spellmaster pathway.

In a flash of thought, a term came to mind: Paramita!

(Reader's Note: Sequence 4 of the Villain Pathway (boon) allows you to establish a new small world called "Paramita". In this world, when humans die, their souls return to the earth and roam the wilderness. On special occasions, they can return home, be reborn and emerge from the Mother's womb as human foetuses. Also, this sequence turns you into a woman.)

Paramita exists in its own right, dependent on the land, and its activities cannot be detected from the outside...

Did Oxyto use some application of Paramita to evade the gaze of the temperance faction's demigod and follow Franca and Jenna undetected?

Hmm, were those bird-clawed babies taken into Paramita after they crawled out of their 'mothers'?

With Paramita clearly involving the domain of death, were these 'mothers' dead before the bird-clawed babies tore out?

In that case, from birth, they bear a strong taint of death, seamlessly blending into Paramita...

Just now, Paramita was unfolding, watching Franca and Jenna, waiting to make a move, and upon sensing the presence of the deceased 'mother' and the bloodline of a Child of God,

Paramita immediately retracted, cutting off this close connection?

No wonder Ludwig's sensing of the bird-clawed baby was so vague... it was because it was inside Paramita!

Moreover, the local Skull Blessing Festival clearly reveres death, which can be linked to Paramita... Could Oxyto's deep-seated purpose for coming to the Raklev region be hidden in this?

With his speculation, Lumian approached Franca and Jenna's table with a genuine smile and politely asked in Intisian-like any real Intisian would do,

"May I have the honor of sitting here for a few minutes, beautiful ladies?"

Franca replied in amusement, "Are you also from Intis?"

She knew Lumian's approach wasn't simply to chat her up; he must have another purpose, so she played along very cooperatively.

"Yes, which is why I felt a connection as soon as I saw you," Lumian fully utilized the pickup lines he'd learned from everyday life in Trier.

At a nearby table, several men who were covertly listening in thought simultaneously:

Damn Intisians!

Curse those Intisian playboys!

Jenna's response was natural, tinged with a hint of wariness and surprise. "Are you here in Raklev for travel or business?"

As she spoke, Jenna signaled the waiter, who brought over a chair for Lumian beside their table.

Lumian sat down and said to the two Demonesses, "Your beauty is like something out of a dream. No, even in my dreams, I haven't seen anyone as beautiful as you. You must have caught many an eye along the way?"

Dammit, these sweet nothings are giving me goosebumps! At this moment, Franca would have preferred if Lumian mocked her.

Of course, she was still secretly pleased; after all, she had heard from Browns Sauron that every Demoness who had transitioned from male would have a bit of narcissism-fond of and proud of her feminine self.

Jenna felt both discomfort and amusement, much like encountering a pretentious drunkard while playing a Witch.

Her acting was good; she showed no oddity and smiled mockingly. "Really? Would you dare to look into my eyes and say that again?"

Seeing the handsome young man genuinely sit beside the beautiful ladies and engage in pleasant conversation, seemingly stirring emotions, the surrounding men lamented, How can they be so superficial, only considering looks? That's how you get deceived!

Lumian laughed, looking into Jenna's eyes and said, "The moment I saw you, I knew what true beauty was."

"..." How can this guy say such things without feeling nauseous? Jenna avoided Lumian's gaze, answering his earlier question, "You know, some gazes make one feel uncomfortable."

"Any gaze more peculiar than others?" Lumian asked with a smile.

Franca, understanding what he was probing for, shook her head. "No."

Lumian nodded pensively.

"The weather here is rather cold; did you feel something similar earlier?"

Franca recalled for a moment, pursed her lips, and said, "It started a bit on Chapin Street and lasted until just before the beet soup was served; the soup was warm and made us no longer feel cold."

Paramita that involves the realm of death made the surroundings feel a bit colder? Lumian said with a smile to Franca, "Perhaps that's the lack of a reliable man's warmth."

Franca's face twitched, and she communicated with Lumian using her eyes and lips.

Please, no more playing the playboy!

As the three conversed, the image of a woman wearing a petite black cap and light golden bun appeared faintly on the surface of a gold-leaf mirror embedded in the wall.

She rested her chin in her hand, her gaze occasionally focused on Lumian and Jenna, then shifting between Lumian and Franca, and assessing Franca and Jenna.

-x-X-x-

Lumian "kept his promise" and sat at the table with the two Demonesses for only a few minutes before politely taking his leave, leaving the nearby men somewhat perplexed and puzzled.

Shouldn't he have seized the opportunity to pursue further?

Could this be the advanced technique of an Intisian playboy and Dandyist?

Walking back to his own table, Lumian saw waiters carrying a towering stack of plates, their faces a mix of confusion, shock, and fear as they walked away.

All the dishes on the menu had really been devoured!

The look in their eyes towards Ludwig and Lugano was as if they were staring at monsters who had crawled out of the abyss.

If you knew that two-thirds of those dishes and mains were consumed by Ludwig, and Lugano and I only shared the remaining third, you'd be even more scared, worried you might be eaten too. Well, that worry would be justified... Lumian muttered silently as he sat down.

Before him, Ludwig, and Lugano, there was now a slice of apple cake and a cup of richly flavored ice cream.

Ludwig's face was unmasked in satisfaction, the most fulfilled he had felt in a long time.

This was not only because the Feysacian meals were generous in portion and tasty but also because it didn't hurt Lumian to spend someone else's money.

Lumian pushed his slice of apple cake towards Ludwig and appeared to concentrate as he scooped up the milky ice cream with a spoon and placed it in his mouth.

As he savored the melting frost and the spreading taste of milk, he whispered to himself, "Have any of you noticed anything unusual around Two of Cups and Seven of Cups?"

After a brief silence, a faint, ethereal voice echoed in Lumian's ear.

It was from the Knight of Swords Maric.

"We did notice something, from Chaban Street until you approached St. Millom Restaurant, but only a slight abnormality was detected, and we couldn't pinpoint its origin."

This matches Franca's description and my speculation, confirming each other... The temperance faction's demigod is unable to catch Oxyto even though they have started tracking Franca and Jenna... Can we only wait for Oxyto to make a move? Lumian thought for a few seconds and pulled out a pair of non-prescription, plain gold-rimmed glasses for disguise from his Traveler's Bag, placing them on his nose.

He immediately saw the image of the Knight of Swords dressed in a shirt and vest highlighted in the lenses, then disappearing.

The voice of Maric became clearer.

"We occasionally find such slight abnormalities and corresponding traces too, and that is also one of the main reasons we are sure that Oxyto is still in the Raklev area."

Can Paramita alone achieve this, managing to move undetected under the nose of a demigod with strong spiritual intuition? Lumian, lacking a deep understanding of Paramita, could only speculate based on his past experiences.

He had entered Paramita more than once!

In Cordu, whether in reality or in dreams, he had entered Paramita several times, but at that time, without high-level forces involved, he couldn't judge the normal state of Paramita and whether it could deceive a demigod's senses and intuition when it unfolded; In Trier, during the Tree of Shadow catastrophe, he was involuntarily drawn into Lady Moon's Paramita, which effectively isolated the inside from the outside, preventing Trier's demigods from detecting the growth of the Tree of Shadow and the fighting in that area. It was only through Franca's use of the Judgment card and the unique properties of Madam Judgment that they managed to establish a connection with the outside world, allowing the Tarot Club's demigods to pinpoint and descend into Paramita. At that time, the demigods of Trier were far from Rue Anarchie, unaware of anything hidden there, which could be understood and accepted...

Memories flashed through Lumian's mind, and he always felt that Paramita could not reach the current extent.

When Paramita closed, it was normal that the temperance faction's demigod couldn't sense it even if nearby, but how could it remain undetected after unfolding right under the nose of the temperance faction's demigod?

Is it that powerful?

I think even Lady Moon's Paramita couldn't achieve that, only capable of masking activities and protecting itself through distance from being detected...

Lumian turned his gaze to the window, seeing two locals among the passersby; one had a human skull painted purple hanging on his chest, and the other tied a bleached white human skull on top of his head.

Death worship...

Paramita...

Perhaps, Shaman King Oxyto has developed a special aspect of his Paramita in the Raklev area, which allows him to unfold it in front of a demigod without being detected, at least until there's substantial interaction... Lumian speculated, piecing together Madame Pualis's plan to use the folklore of Cordu to enhance her own Paramita.

Lumian took another spoonful of milky ice cream and lowered his voice again.

"Tell me more about the origins and circumstances of the Skull Blessing Festival."

Knight of Swords Maric replied clearly in his ear, "It dates back to the fall of Death, when the situation on the Southern Continent fundamentally changed.

"The fall of Death caused disturbances in the Underworld, leaving most spirits unable to sense or enter it, forced instead to wander its periphery, between the spirit world and the real world.

"As a result, when sentient beings die, they are very likely to become undead, wraiths, or evil spirits-a grave threat to the living, leading to one disaster after another.

"The response of the Northern Continent nations has been Church-sanctioned purification combined with compulsory cremation. Here, the Eternal Blazing Sun Church and the God of Combat Church have had notable success with purification, making cremation unnecessary for those who have been purified."

Hearing this, Lumian truly understood and appreciated the various measures taken before and after death, including consoling the dying, purifying the dead, encouraging cremation, and rewarding the discovery of deceased vagrants.

The origins of all these practices was the fall of Death and the subsequent anomalies in the Underworld!

No wonder the old bones in the lower layers of the underground tombs are still bones, not ashes... During the Fourth Epoch, the Underworld hadn't yet been disturbed, and the spirits had a place to return to... Some mysticism knowledge suggests that bodies are prone to transform at the end of the Fourth Epoch during the Pale Disaster, caused by Death's invasion of the Northern Continent. Indeed, it is the legacy of the Pale Disaster; Death perished during that disaster, leading to the anomaly in the Underworld... Lumian suddenly realized, gaining a deeper understanding of certain mysticism knowledge.

The Knight of Swords continued, "The same issues arose on the Southern Continent, but the Balam Empire, home to many Beyonders following the Death pathway, swiftly devised several solutions that quelled the undead outbreaks in certain areas without resorting to mandatory cremation, thus restoring normalcy.

"In other regions, however, due to ongoing independence efforts from countries like Haagenti, Paz, and the Highlands, faith in Death began to wane, leading to a period of rampant undead plagues and a power vacuum. The people in these areas had no choice but to fend for themselves."

Lumian nodded slightly.

"Is the Skull Blessing Festival a solution for the Raklev area?"

"The Skull Blessing Festival is just one manifestation," explained the Knight of Swords simply. "According to records left by the Highlands Kingdom, it appears that the people of Raklev, with the help of a former official from the Balam Empire, established a mini-state for the spirits, allowing the dead to enter and rest there without emerging again.

"However, this isn't the Underworld; it cannot truly offer rest, nor can it completely bind the spirits. They just have to gradually fade away.

"The annual Skull Blessing Festival is a day for the spirits to emerge, revel, and be liberated.

Keeping the skulls of loved ones at home helps to protect the family from any spirits that might stray from this mini-state, preventing them from causing harm."

In essence, they created a rudimentary, localized version of the Underworld for spirits to return to...

A place to return to... The concept of Paramita is similar, where souls return to the earth and wander the wilderness...

Moreover, in Paramita, spirits can return home on special days to enjoy the joy of reunion, much like the Raklev area's Skull Blessing Festival...

The only difference is that here, the spirits have no path to rebirth; they can only slowly fade away... Lumian compared the local state for the deceased to Paramita and grasped something subtle.

He recalled something Louis Lund once relayed from Madame Pualis: What's been established is merely a small, caricature Paramita, a part of the complete Paramita...

Hmm... Lumian inhaled sharply, muttering under his breath, "Could Oxyto be planning to merge this local spirit realm into his own Paramita, to make it more complete?

"Has he, no, she already partially succeeded, which is why you haven't detected her?"

Knight of Swords Maric paused for a moment before responding, "It's a possibility."

After a brief pause, he added proactively, "We also haven't seen that spirit realm."

Seen... Lumian was initially startled but then understood what the Knight of Swords meant.

The Prisoner pathway could directly turn into wraiths, and they should have been able to see the spirit realm, but they found nothing in Raklev this time.

Lumian didn't respond but considered another issue.

If Oxyto has indeed begun to merge with that mini-spirit realm, she essentially becomes a local version of Death, and she must have sensed the Omebella bloodline in me...

What would her reaction be?

Instant anger, or seeing it as something to be exploited?

Why didn't she act directly? Right, she also used the bird-clawed monster baby to discover that Ludwig nearby had the aura of a corpse 'mother,' adding up to what clearly looked like bait, obviously a trap!

That's why she, accustomed to indulgence, held back. What she needs to do now is, seek assistance?

With that thought, Lumian removed his glasses and abruptly stood up.

-x-X-x-

Lumian took off his glasses and whispered, "The target should have noticed something unusual about me, but Ludwig is right beside me, giving off the 'mother' aura from that corpse. With both of these factors together, the target will surely be highly suspicious and may seek assistance. Be prepared."

If it were just the Omebella bloodline alone, Oxyto might think it was merely the law of convergence at work, bringing the blasphemer of the Child of God into her presence.

Similarly, if it were just the 'mother' aura from the corpse, she might become wary or suspect that the corpse's return to the earth had contaminated the local water, leading to the corruption of certain individuals.

But put together, anyone who could sense these would immediately see there was a big problem.

This couldn't just be a coincidence; there was clearly a dangerous trap!

Knight of Swords Maric's voice seemed to come from farther away.

"We're already ready."

Sensing the hidden danger and preparing even before I thought through everything and issued a reminder? They have strong spiritual intuition and rich experience... Lumian mused as he noticed Lugano, startled by his movements and deep voice, also standing up.

Ludwig wasted no time in pulling the ice cream they had abandoned closer to him and happily ate away, completely unconcerned about what might happen next.

Lumian's gaze swept over Lugano and Ludwig before moving to Franca and Jenna, who were enjoying their dessert.

He was now considering a critical question:

Should they act together, or separate like they did in the morning?

If the earlier speculations were broadly accurate, then the bait phase to lure out Oxyto should already be over. What lay ahead would likely be probing attacks from the Shaman King and her companions.

In that case, moving together would allow them to better receive protection from the temperance faction, without worrying that Oxyto might strike at a less guarded spot and capture one or two as hostages. But if the attack was fierce enough to force the temperance faction's hidden forces into a defensive position, staying together could lead to total annihilation.

Which choice was safer and more reasonable in this environment was a decision the team leader needed to make.

Lumian walked slowly toward the restaurant's entrance, mentally filtering through the questions and speculations he'd considered earlier.

He thought of his own description of the spirit realm in Raklev:

A rudimentary, localized Underworld.

Underworld... Lumian's eyelids twitched, and he quietly asked again, "Can any of you see or sense the Underworld?"

He was asking whether Zombies and Wraiths could detect the Underworld.

Knight of Swords Maric quickly answered, "No, unless someone directly opens the door to the Underworld or is already from there. Otherwise, it can only be sensed through certain traces.

"Before the Underworld anomaly, it was possible."

It was possible before the Underworld anomaly? Is this inferred from ancient records?

Lumian wasn't particularly concerned about this; instead, he was more interested in something else: If Oxyto has indeed begun integrating the local spirit realm into her Paramita, does that mean her Paramita qualifies as a small-scale Underworld?

Moreover, it had to be a small-scale Underworld that was still bound to this region.

Otherwise, based on Lumian's understanding of Paramita, Oxyto could have easily taken her Paramita away and left the area.

Of course, it's also possible that she hadn't achieved another goal yet.

A small-scale Underworld... Lumian muttered to himself and then walked toward Franca and Jenna, smiling as he said, "I heard Chaban Street is unique to this area. Would you two lovely ladies like to be my guides?"

Chaban Street was where Franca and Jenna had first noticed the temperature drop slightly, indicating that they might have encountered Oxyto there.

In the eyes of the nearby customers, Lumian's invitation was a blatant attempt to arrange a date. However, Franca and Jenna exchanged a glance and understood that Lumian was suggesting they should act together, with Chaban Street as their destination.

"Sure." Franca and Jenna smiled in unison and stood up.

This left those around them somewhat stunned:

Are they that easy to invite?

If I'd known, I would have plucked up the courage to ask!

Together, Lumian, Franca, Jenna, and the others strolled toward Chaban Street, exchanging relaxed remarks about their impressions of the city.

About fifteen minutes later, they reached the street predominantly occupied by locals.

Gray-white stone houses stood in rows, appearing rugged yet solid. Outside each house, strips of wool hung, adding a vibrant, exotic touch that distinguished it from the Star Highlands.

Compared to other streets in Raklev City, the locals here were more likely to wear traditional clothing: dark red woolen robes for men and brightly colored skirts for women.

Similarly, many of them carried skull amulets of various designs, some mottled and brown with wool wigs, some painted purple, green, and red, and some holding caramel-colored tobacco from East Balam between their teeth. Others appeared as white as jade, with dark eye sockets and insects crawling in and out.

Standing at the entrance to Chaban Street, Lumian paused instead of moving forward, signaling Franca and Jenna to stay slightly behind him.

He then took something out of his Traveler's Bag.

It was a golden mask, with the area around the eyes and the face painted in either black or white.

It was an Eggers family mask crafted by Death Himself!

Since this pure gold mask was initially designed to help the living sense and enter the Underworld and was directly created by the deity who ruled over death and the Underworld, wearing it might reveal something related to the Underworld within a certain range. In the Raklev region, the local spirit realm was akin to a small, rudimentary Underworld.

If the local spirit realm had really been integrated into Oxyto's Paramita, seeing it would be equivalent to seeing that Paramita, revealing Shaman King Oxyto!

Without hesitation, Lumian donned the golden Eggers family mask.

His breath rapidly cooled, becoming increasingly still. His body went cold in an instant, losing the sensation of life, and his blood ceased to flow.

Through the golden mask, Lumian noticed the surroundings dimming slightly, with the colors fading and the temperature dropping a little.

Apart from that, everything appeared normal.

So, this is the world through the eyes of the undead? I can't see any trace of that spirit realm... Is it hidden deeper due to being integrated into Paramita? Hmm, I can sense the spirit world directly but can't detect the Underworld... No wonder one has to wait for an opportunity to enter the Underworld instead of simply locating it and teleporting there after wearing the Eggers family mask... Lumian muttered silently, not giving up on his original theory, and tried to stimulate the lingering aura of the Blood Emperor.

The purpose of activating Alista Tudor's lingering aura was to highlight the seal left by the Underworld Daoist.

This powerful being from Franca's world was clearly related to the pathways of Death, Darkness, and Warrior. According to Madam Magician, He might have also had contact with the deranged Death and made some agreements. His seals could potentially enhance the Eggers family's masks.

As a slight pain pricked his right palm and the cold, rotten sensation spread, Lumian's vision abruptly changed.

Along the entire Chaban Street, the fabric strips hanging from the walls lost their color and turned gray, while the people walking there became inexplicably blurry, as if shrouded in thick fog.

However, the skull amulets they wore remained unusually clear, their colors even more vivid by contrast.

Lumian also saw pale or dark red flames ignite in the hollow sockets of those human skulls, flickering and exuding an eerie chill of death.

In that instant, Lumian realized he was "seeing" the spirit realm of Raklev.

It overlapped with the entire Raklev area, where spirits wandered in the shadows while humans lived openly.

Standing on the edge of the spirit realm, Lumian didn't attempt to step inside but instead searched from a distance for any signs of Paramita's presence.

He saw a vast black cloud hanging over the sky in the direction of Lake Dalsh, saw some skulls floating mid-air on the streets with ghostly child-like figures flickering within their burning sockets, and saw how the wilderness below the mountains seemed to have encroached directly, blending into the city seamlessly.

As expected... Lumian immediately had a clear realization:

Oxyto is inside this Paramita, which has merged with the spirit realm!

With this understanding, the first thought that flashed through Lumian's mind was: My mission ends here. Next, I'll lend the Eggers family's golden mask to the Knight of Swords and the temperance faction, leaving them to organize their forces to enter Paramita and fight Oxyto, while we return to Trier to avoid the potential danger.

But on second thought, Lumian realized that wouldn't work.

Because if they only had the Eggers family's golden mask and not the Underworld Daoist's seal, even a Wraith wearing it wouldn't be able to directly "see" Oxyto's mutated Paramita!

A possibility vaguely came to Lumian's mind.

He said in a low voice to the hidden Knight of Swords Maric, "I've found Oxyto's Paramita. First, take the Two of Cups and the others to safety. Then, as Wraiths, attach yourselves to me, and I'll lead all of you into Paramita!"

"Alright." The Knight of Swords somewhat ethereal voice couldn't conceal his joy and malice.

It was directed at Oxyto.

-x-X-x-

Lumian thought for a moment and then specifically reminded, "Don't forget the Four of Swords."

To be honest, he almost overlooked Anthony's presence, but because he was constantly thinking about what his teammates were doing and how to coordinate with them, he didn't forget entirely.

When he invited the two Demonesses to Chaban Street at St. Millom Restaurant, Lumian didn't think of Anthony right away. It was only when he reached the street that he remembered their teammate. But he couldn't find the Hypnotist, who had used Psychological Invisibility. He could only trust that Anthony, with his rich experience, would realize that once the rest of the team had gathered together, it was clear the next actions weren't suited to splitting up, and he would follow.

Anthony's habits as an information broker combined well with Psychological Invisibility.

After a two-second pause following Lumian's reminder, the Knight of Swords said, "We won't forget."

It seems like you already did... but the temperance faction's demigod shouldn't be affected much by Anthony's Psychological Invisibility, so when sending Franca and Jenna away, they shouldn't really forget about Anthony... If that's the case, one major cause of death for a Hypnotist would definitely be that Psychological Invisibility works too well, causing teammates to forget or overlook them... As Lumian mused to himself, the special Paramita before him suddenly changed.

A deafening crash sounded from Lake Dalsh as gray-white water surged upward like a tsunami, reaching into the air. The wilderness, already intertwined with the city of Raklev, began to dominate. In an instant, it crossed squares and streets, swallowing Lumian, who had not yet reached Chaban Street, while avoiding Franca and the others.

Oxyto, blessed by the Great Mother, seemed to realize she had been exposed.

Her choice was to use the nature of Paramita to temporarily separate the blasphemer of the Child of God from the temperance faction's demigods, then exploit the brief time difference to achieve her desired goal regarding Lumian.

Almost simultaneously, Lumian, wearing the Eggers family's golden mask and transformed into an undead, felt his body grow "heavier," as if cold masses had taken residence inside him.

In the next second, he saw the indistinct human figures on Chaban Street vanish, along with Franca, Jenna, Ludwig, Lugano, and possibly Anthony behind him. It was as if they were in two separate worlds.

The human skulls in various states became increasingly distinct, their eye sockets burning with pale or dark red flames as they all turned to face Lumian.

At the end of Chaban Street, at the city's edge where it blended more deeply with the wilderness, swaying figures crawled out from unknown places and began walking toward Lumian.

There were rotting long-haired oxen with only a few pieces of pus-oozing flesh left, giant birds with exposed bones flying low, pythons dragging half-melted threads of flesh between their decaying tissues, and monstrous hills made of multiple headless skeletons.

Human skulls from all corners of the city were also swiftly converging on Chaban Street, floating in the air and covering the sky, blocking out the pale, dim, and heatless "sunlight."

Lumian appeared stunned, as if he had encountered something terrifying, or was like an undead creature facing a higher-ranked and more terrifying kindred spirit. For a brief moment, he stood frozen, unable to move.

Just then, a wretched howl, filled with pain, echoed from Lake Dalsh.

The terrifying and piercing sound was like a high-speed spinning drill that bored directly into Lumian's soul. His vision went dark, and he lost consciousness.

When Lumian regained his thoughts and awareness of his body, he found himself midway along Chaban Street, accompanied by the Knight of Swords Maric, who had appeared at some point, dressed in a black vest and white shirt.

All around him, crystalline cold had frozen human skulls of varying states in mid-air, on the ground, and on the surfaces of gray-white stone buildings.

The surreal frozen scene stretched all the way to the wilderness on the outskirts of the city.

In the staggering army of undead creatures, the rotting monsters shed flesh onto the ground, leaving only bones-yellowed, brown, or bleached white. The skeletal remains sank into the soil, and droplets of crimson blood, not their own, oozed from the surface.

Meanwhile, the wraiths and evil spirits swelled like balloons and burst silently, turning into strange dust.

Although Lumian didn't fully understand what was happening, two thoughts sprang to mind: Have they all been cursed?

Even the fleshless bones were cursed to bleed?

With that thought, Lumian couldn't help but raise his right hand and wipe his nose.

He immediately noticed some blackened bloodstains on the back of his hand.

This came from within his body, blood that had long since stopped flowing.

In the banshee's wail just now, not only was his soul wounded, but his undead body seemed to have suffered physical damage too. Some capillaries had ruptured, causing the blackened blood to seep out.

Terrifying... Lumian had roughly figured out what had just happened.

Oxyto screamed from a distance, using the Banshee's Howl enhanced by Paramita, and!

instantly lost consciousness.

Did the temperance faction's demigods attach themselves to me as wraiths before Paramita expanded, pulling me into Paramita right away? Then, they took over my body and used their abilities to deal with the swarming army of human skulls and undead?

The Knight of Swords also attached himself to me, which is why he's now in Paramita?

After grasping the recent encounter, Lumian had a clearer and more accurate understanding of the terror of demigods: Oxyto isn't even a full Angel but just a Banshee's Howl knocked me unconscious, robbing me of my ability to fight. It took me over ten seconds to wake up... Without the presence of temperance faction demigods, those ten seconds would have been more than enough for Oxyto to kill me ten times over...

This isn't something a drawn demigod can compare to. Facing a real demigod, if I don't seize the initiative, I won't even have the chance to draw the Sword of Courage or use Desire Incarnation!

There's no time for the animated shadow to take the damage for me unless I anticipate it in advance...

With these thoughts swirling, Lumian regained control of his body.

Then, he heard the Knight of Swords, Maric, mutter softly, "Oxyto has retreated. She should be near Lake Dalsh.

"We still don't know what kind of help she's seeking."

"Lake Dalsh?" Lumian asked in mild surprise.

That serene, beautiful, sacred lake?

On second thought, it makes sense. All mining operations in the Raklev region have avoided Lake Dalsh, leaving it entirely unpolluted...

The Knight of Swords surveyed the surroundings but didn't immediately dash off into the wilderness toward Lake Dalsh.

He nodded slightly and said, "Lake Dalsh itself is special, connected to the fallen Death. The establishment of this small spirit realm in the Raklev region was made possible due to Lake Dalsh.

"That former Balam Empire official even used an Undying's skull from the Church of Death and, using his Gatekeeper powers, opened a door to the Underworld and fixed it onto the Undying's skull. This prevented it from completely closing too quickly, allowing a bit of the Underworld's aura to leak out."

"The skull of an Undying? Undying can die too?" Lumian instinctively asked.

The Knight of Swords started walking towards the edge of the frozen world.

He glanced at Lumian and said, "An Undying is only Sequence 4 in the Death pathway. They can still die if killed."

I see... Lumian nodded almost imperceptibly.

The Knight of Swords continued, "The aura leaking from the Underworld, the unique traits of the Undying's skull, and the special nature of Lake Dalsh all worked together to sustain this spirit realm, drawing the souls of dead creatures in the region and letting them gradually wither away."

After listening, Lumian froze for a moment.

"You seem to know a lot about the local spirit realm..."

The Knight of Swords replied, "The Rose School of Thought ruled here for over a thousand years. Apart from the uniqueness of Lake Dalsh, everything else was long understood."

"Then why didn't you say so earlier?" Lumian blurted out.

If you'd told me sooner, I might have guessed Oxyto's intentions earlier!

"We didn't initially connect Oxyto to the spirit realm, so that intelligence wasn't included in the information," explained the Knight of Swords. "After that, I answered whenever you asked, but didn't elaborate. Speaking is also a desire that requires temperance."

"..." Lumian suddenly understood how Franca felt every time she heard him say, "I'll have to start with the events at the Samaritan Women's Spring, where Madame Hela and 1..."

While talking, he and Maric reached the edge of the city, where the frozen world met the desolate wilderness.

Lumian instinctively glanced at the thick layer of ice encasing the gray-white buildings.

Using the reflective surface, he was astonished to see a blurry figure in each of his eyes.

One wore a small black bonnet and a court dress of the same color; the other had no head and was dressed in a dark, intricately patterned, sinister gown.

Lumian then noticed translucent-ringed insects crawling in and out of his mouth, yet he felt nothing.

...

At the entrance to Chaban Street, Franca, Jenna, and the others felt a sudden chill engulf them and saw Lumian vanish before their eyes.

Before they could communicate or react, a voice, slightly magnetic and ethereal like a dream, echoed in their ears: "I'll send you back to Trier first."

Franca, Jenna, and Lugano instinctively turned their bodies and discovered that a young-looking man had appeared next to them at some point.

He wore a white shirt, draped in a thin black trench coat. With black hair and green eyes, he had a night-like, handsome quality, and wore a pair of red gloves on both hands.

-x-X-x-

Gazing at the young man wearing red gloves, Franca cautiously asked, "Who might you be?"

She wasn't about to trust a stranger just because of what he said unless influenced by some Beyonder power.

"Two of Cups, Seven of Cups. You don't need to be involved in what's coming next," said the young man in red gloves directly, calling Franca and Jenna by their Minor Arcana names.

His voice carried the natural authority of someone used to leading many people, instilling a faint sense of fear in Franca and the others.

He knows our Tarot Club codenames... A member of the Tarot Club? One of the Knight of Swords' helpers? His outfit looks like those "Red Gloves" from the Church of Evernight Goddess... As Franca pondered, she didn't sense any warning from her spiritual intuition.

Before she could respond, the young man in red gloves pulled out a tarot card.

The card's front depicted a goddess pouring holy water under a sky full of stars.

Major Arcana, The Star!

So, it's Mr. Star... Franca and Jenna hesitated no longer and nodded in unison, saying, "Okay."

Lugano stood there, a bit dazed.

Why did he take out a card?

I think I've heard of something like this, but I can't remember...

Almost simultaneously, Anthony appeared out of nowhere and squeezed in beside Franca and Jenna.

Franca was startled for a moment, muttering to herself, "I really did forget about you..."

Mr. Star didn't say much more. He opened his mouth slightly.

In an instant, Franca and the others were enveloped by a vast, invisible spirit, and then they ascended into the layered, colorful spirit world, like they were traveling in a hot air balloon.

...

Along the city's periphery, covered in crystalline ice, Lumian, wearing the Eggers family's golden mask, withdrew his gaze.

He could roughly guess that the blurry figures in his eyes were the temperance faction's demigods responsible for this operation. One of them, headless, seemed to resemble the temperance faction's Angel he had seen before. The translucent insects crawling in and out of his mouth were likely helpers invited by the temperance faction.

How many people have taken residence in my body just now? Lumian grumbled internally as he followed the Knight of Swords, Maric, in a mad dash.

They entered the wilderness outside Raklev under the pale, cold "sunlight," heading swiftly toward Lake Dalsh.

Due to the unique influence of Paramita, Lumian couldn't teleport anywhere beyond his line of sight. He had to use a visual lock to establish a position, which made it challenging to appear instantly at the edge of Lake Dalsh.

After running some distance, he reached out and grabbed the Knight of Swords' shoulder.

Almost simultaneously, blazing white flames surged from within him, instantly covering his entire body.

The Knight of Swords understood his intent without asking and promptly dematerialized into a wraith, attaching himself to Lumian.

Lumian transformed into a white-hot spear and shot off into the distance in a brilliant display.

The flaming spear streaked through the sky, crossing vast distances to arrive at the edge of Lake Dalsh in no time.

As Lumian detached from the blazing white spear, he noticed that even in Paramita, intertwined with the spirit realm, this lake remained tranquil, clear, sacred, and beautiful.

In the dim surroundings, the gray-white water seemed weightless, stretching upwards like a giant curtain, perhaps drawn to some high-altitude entity.

In front of the water curtain, countless human skulls formed a mountainous head.

Among the skulls of various colors, one stood out the most. It was at the very top, crystal clear as if carved from crystal, and significantly larger than a normal human skull.

Instead of pale or dark red flames, the eye sockets of this crystal skull reflected a mysterious, intricately patterned, ancient bronze door.

The door was slightly ajar, revealing endless darkness within. In that darkness were countless indescribable eyes, staring out yet unable to emerge.

Along the edges of the bronze door, strange, grotesque, and sometimes revolting hands grasped the frame as if trying to squeeze through but unable to. They only managed to scratch out piercing noises that seemed to tear at the human eardrum.

Many spirits and human skulls were drawn to this place, gradually becoming part of the massive head.

Is that crystal skull the Undying's skull used back then? Is the bronze door in its eye sockets the Death Sequence 5's Gatekeeper's door to the Underworld? Hmm, a Sequence 5 can't keep the Underworld door open for long, so they used the Undying's skull and the unique properties of Lake Dalsh to fix it... But where has Oxyto, the Shaman King, gone? As this thought crossed Lumian's mind, he saw the countless human skulls forming the massive head in the air open and close their bony teeth, speaking in unison in various voices: "Why couldn't you give me a little more time?

"If I can't have it, I'll destroy this place and see how many of you can survive the calamity of this collapsing Paramita!

"And I have already abandoned this place and left the Raklev region using my prior preparations!

"Hahaha, hahaha!"

Amid the sharp, hoarse, old, and deep laughter of the human skulls, Lumian felt the massive shadow in the sky descend toward his head. Cracks appeared in the ground below, growing deeper and revealing a dark void.

All the skulls, including the crystal one, developed tiny cracks, seemingly ready to shatter completely in no time.

At that moment, Lumian felt a chill leave his body, and all the skulls stopped cracking as if temporarily held back by an invisible external force.

This also halted the process of Paramita's collapse and destruction. Although it didn't reverse, it wasn't going to happen immediately.

Is this the temperance faction's demigod or their invited helper using their ability? It seems Oxyto really escaped. After testing the waters with the Banshee's Howl, she decisively abandoned this Paramita, clearly stronger than other Madames, and used her prior arrangements and the unique properties of this place to escape before the temperance faction could act... A series of thoughts flashed through Lumian's mind as he took in the scene before him.

An ancient voice suddenly echoed in his ears: "Don't just listen to what Oxyto says.

"In my experience, anyone who leaves behind so many words before running away is either already insane or trying to cover up something.

"Oxyto did indeed flee here decisively before we locked onto her and planned to destroy this Paramita, but why would she tell us her objectives? Purely to vent her emotions?

"That may be one reason, but there should be a more important one: she wants us to focus on the collapse and destruction of this Paramita and overlook something else."

Lumian hadn't entirely dismissed his doubts after Oxyto's proclamations through those human skulls, but such behavior wasn't unusual for the indulgence faction of the Rose School of Thought.

Those accustomed to indulgence were always eager to express their emotions.

The ancient voice finally said, "Time will provide us the answer."

As soon as these words fell, Lumian saw the insects with translucent rings flying out.

Suddenly, everything around him slowed down.

A grayish-white fog settled over everything Lumian saw, making it all look surreal.

Soon after, everything projected on the foggy "curtain" started to rewind. The human skulls were no longer cracked in countless places, the ground returned to smoothness, and the thick shadows receded into the sky.

Time wasn't moving backward; rather, recent history and events were being displayed.

Lumian then saw a pair of brown wings that could blot out the sky, leaving the current shadow behind.

Between the wings, each feather as large as a human head, stood a female figure with an exposed abdomen.

The woman was as beautiful as the moon at night, her face radiating maternal brilliance, but her hands and feet were arched, with sharp nails that gleamed coldly.

This was the Shaman King, Oxyto.

Having seen her male form, Lumian recognized her instantly. Her features were softer now, and her facial details were more delicate.

Her belly was swollen, stretched taut with black veins visible on the surface. The skin was so thin that it was almost transparent, revealing the merging forms of numerous bird-clawed monster infants inside.

She... stuffed all those corpse-born bird-clawed infants into her belly... What kind of monster is she nurturing? No wonder the bloodline connection didn't work directly, only indirectly within a certain range... As Lumian came to this realization, Oxyto reached for her belly in the scene from the past.

With a tearing sound, she ripped her abdomen open, blood pouring out.

Oxyto forcefully pulled out an infant slightly smaller than Ludwig. Its skin was pale, its flesh decayed, and remnants of four or five heads and seven or eight bird claws remained on its surface. A pure, clear membrane, seemingly from Lake Dalsh, covered the baby's body.

Oxyto let out a cry of agony as she threw the infant into the eye socket of the crystal skull.

The rotten, multi-headed infant was clearly much larger than the eye socket and the bronze door within it, yet it mysteriously shrank smaller and smaller until it squeezed through a gap barely wide enough for a hand, disappearing into the boundless darkness behind the door.

Is Oxyto's ultimate goal to send that monster infant into the Underworld, making some terrifying thing a reality? And now she's been forced into early labor? As Lumian had this thought, he realized the coldness inside him had vanished.

The figure in the small black bonnet and the Knight of Swords in the vest and shirt simultaneously appeared in front of the crystal skull.

But they seemed unable to pass through the crack in the bronze door and were trying to open it a little more.

The Underworld... Wearing the Eggers family's golden mask, Lumian felt a stirring inside.

Seizing the opportunity provided by the temperance faction demigods stalling Paramita's collapse, he activated the black mark on his right shoulder, teleporting to the front of the crystal skull.

In his eyes, the bronze door loomed abnormally large.

He stretched out both hands and pressed them on either side of the bronze door.

A hollow, muffled buzzing filled the air as the bronze door opened a little wider.

Lumian immediately felt a terrifying suction, and with a swish, he was pulled through the crack, flung deep into the darkness.

Inside him, two more cold masses joined him.

-x-X-x-

With Lumian vanishing before the crystal skull, the human skulls, already covered in countless cracks, lost their support.

They shattered with a thunderous crash, bringing down the shadows from above and splitting the grassy wilderness into fragments.

Oxyto's Paramita crumbled toward the cracked crystal skull, and everything there silently turned to dust.

The spirits dissipated, the light vanished, and the void of darkness swallowed everything.

No one knew how much time had passed before a gentle light began to glow in the absolute blackness, revealing a barren, dim, pale, and almost frozen wilderness.

In the center of the wasteland lay the tranquil and sacred Lake Dalsh.

The headless lady, draped in a dark-black dress and carrying four heads, swiftly appeared beside the lake, quietly gazing at its serene, transparent surface.

...

As soon as Lumian was pulled through the bronze door, he felt countless eyes upon him, chilling his body further and numbing him.

Meanwhile, arms of unknown origin reached out, grabbing at his head, neck, torso, and legs.

Some had dull skin with white, bony teeth; others were so decayed that their flesh was falling off, slowly wriggling with equally decayed worms; some lacked skin altogether; others were merely illusory Spirit Bodies...

What they all shared was a bone-chilling cold that could freeze the soul.

On Lumian's face, the golden mask painted with black and white oil sparkled with a faint yet pure light. The reaching arms halted momentarily before retracting.

The eyes watching him from the darkness also withdrew their gaze.

Lumian regained his thoughts and his sense of his body.

Below him, he discovered a deep pit with no visible bottom or boundaries.

The edge of the pit was made up of layers of blurry worlds, spiraling downward to the limits of his vision.

These jumbled worlds layered atop each other, and Lumian couldn't make out what lay within them, only knowing that each was vaster than the Star Highlands, with all previous watching eyes stemming from the pit's bottomless dark.

Lumian plummeted suddenly, falling into one of these blurry worlds in the blink of an eye.

Miraculously, he stood on a barren wilderness exposed with gray-white rocks, surrounded by heaps of bleached bones, densely packed and stretching toward various distant places.

At this moment, these bones lay still, as if slumbering through time.

Is this the Underworld? I wonder where the Abscessed Hand's body part might be. Lumian looked around, muttering to himself in silence.

(Amonoculus' note: It is the contracted creature that gave him the traverse the Spirit World. Lumian must find its body parts or else he cannot achieve godhood. According to Fors, one of the body parts is located in the Underworld.)

It was the chance to enter the Underworld that had prompted him to help voluntarily, using the Eggers family's golden mask and the Underworld Daoist's seal to push open the bronze door inside the crystal skull.

Now, the problem was that the Underworld was much more vast than he had anticipated, and he had no idea where to start looking.

Similarly, the whereabouts and intentions of the decaying infant that Oxyto had sent were unknown.

Perhaps I could rely on the contract I had signed with the Abscessed Hand. Essentially being part of the same body, they are mystically connected. The contract I had signed is, to some extent, also with the rest of its body... Lumian quickly formulated a plan and spoke in a cold, hoarse voice, "Knight of Swords, have all of you entered as well?"

"Yes," came the faint voice of the Knight of Swords, Maric.

Pausing momentarily, he added, "A companion of mine has also entered."

Lumian nodded. "Why aren't both of you coming out? You are now in a wraith state, so there's no need to worry about dying instantly in the Underworld."

You're essentially undead beings now; what's there to fear about the Underworld's unique conditions?

The Knight of Swords responded, "But we are fundamentally still living beings. If we stay in the Underworld as wraiths for too long, we won't be able to revert to human form and will forever exist as wraiths or evil spirits. By using your body, we can temporarily avoid the influence of the Underworld, emerging only when it's crucial."

"I see..." Lumian looked up at the pale, dim sky, "I also can't wear this Eggers family's mask for too long. We have about three hours."

As he spoke, Lumian tried to activate without using the black mark on his right shoulder, which was the Abscessed Hand's Spirit World Traversal ability.

With this mark, he faintly sensed something at the end of the wilderness on his right calling to him.

Is that the body part of the Abscessed Hand in the Underworld? Just as Lumian had this thought, a figure appeared ahead.

It was an extremely delicate-looking young woman with an unnaturally pale complexion. Her deep blue eyes were profound and devoid of any emotional fluctuation; her light golden hair was tied in astern bun adorned with a small black bonnet with a fine black veil, and she wore a complicated, exquisite black Gothic court dress.

Is this the temperance faction demigod that was attached to me earlier? Lumian recalled the two blurry figures he saw through the crystalline ice.

One of them matched the lady before him perfectly!

The temperance faction's demigod floated in mid-air, slowly turned around, and then pointed in a direction, nodding at Lumian.

She was pointing toward the end of the wilderness on the right.

"Do you mean that Oxyto's prematurely born, decayed child might be over there?" Lumian asked for confirmation.

The lady in the black bonnet nodded gently in affirmation.

She then vanished into thin air, and Lumian felt another chill inside him.

It's all in that direction, huh... A coincidence? No, not a coincidence, it's more likely that something in that direction is drawing them there... Lumian turned his body, ready to teleport to the edge of his vision.

As soon as Lumian started to become transparent, his body was suddenly grabbed by pale hands that appeared out of nowhere, seizing his arms.

Lumian felt a paralyzing sensation throughout his body, as if his soul was being torn apart by an invisible force.

This time, the faint glow from the golden mask had no effect.

Lumian attempted to ignite a blazing white flame to ward off the cold, stiffness, and numbness, but he was overwhelmed by an invisible terror, trembling uncontrollably, unable to respond effectively.

When he regained his clarity and composure, he found himself still standing in the same spot, but surrounding layers of bleached bones had all risen up, encircling him as if to protect him.

At the same time, Lumian heard the voice of the Knight of Swords, Maric: "Once you put on the Eggers family's mask and become a pure undead being, you will also possess all the traits of an undead, one of which is being suppressed by higher beings of the Death pathway, making it difficult to resist and your body and mind willing to accept enslavement.

"In contrast, we wraiths, who aren't pure and can switch states freely, are less affected."

Was this why I couldn't resist just now? I wonder if the Sword of Courage can counteract this effect. It theoretically should... Lumian realized with a start. "Did both of you save me just now?"

The Knight of Swords didn't continue on this topic but instead reminded Lumian, "It seems that in the Underworld, you can teleport but not teleport freely, as that is considered a desecration of Death and attracts the punishment of the Underworld" According to the mystic knowledge mentioned by Madam Magician, teleporting should be normal in the Underworld since it stems from the spirit world, but considering it as desecration of Death seems a bit too strict, typical of the oppression by higher-ranking beings of the Death pathway... Lumian pondered for a few seconds, slightly bending his back.

A blazing white, radiant spear of flame immediately shot forth, illuminating the pale, dim half-sky, casting towards the far reaches of the wilderness.

As the white and red trail of the flame spear disappeared inch by inch, Lumian, transformed into the spear, hurled himself forward at the fastest speed he could achieve.

During this process, he noticed the wilderness sloped downwards, and the destination he, the Knight of Swords, and the temperance faction demigod aimed for was at the bottom of this 'hillside'.

After a while, the blazing white light scattered in all directions, and Lumian, now clad in a thick jacket, descended toward the ground.

Ahead of him lay a wide, surreal black river, so vast he couldn't see the other side.

The river flowed silently from the edge of the sky to its limits, exceptionally quiet.

"Is this the River Styx?" Lumian inquired of the temperance faction demigod within him.

Responding to Lumian was still the Knight of Swords, Maric: "It should be. It spans every layer of the Underworld. Crossing it is like entering the depths of the Underworld. If you hadn't stopped earlier and ended up flying above it, you would have fallen straight into the river, and no one would have been able to pull you out."

Good thing the issue with teleporting just now gave me a warning: it's best to pause in uncertain environments... Lumian glanced left and right, noticing the wilderness was dotted with withered blood flowers, each concealing a multitude of corpses, bones, and shadows.

"How do I cross?" Lumian sensed that the missing part of the Abscessed Hand's body was on the other side of the River Styx.

No sooner had he asked, and before the Knight of Swords could respond, a dilapidated, gloomy black boat suddenly appeared on the shadowy river.

A figure draped in fragments stood on the boat, rowing with a long oar, guiding the vessel to Lumian's side before stopping at the river's edge.

Peering closely, Lumian saw that the ferryman was a severely decayed male corpse. Large portions of his body were exposed, and his eyes appeared gouged out, leaving hollow sockets entwined with thick blood vessels oozing yellow pus.

"Take this boat across?" Lumian asked, lowering his voice to consult the temperance faction member inside him.

Knight of Swords Maric replied in an ethereal but slightly grave tone, "It's the only way... But be careful of the boatman. The Underworld has mutated, and it could be affected too."