104COI

Don't regret today's choice... Lumian watched Julie's back as she entered her room, and he could guess what she meant by her earlier words:

You'll regret not killing Wanak today!

Julie must really place a lot of weight on Wanak... Does she think he'll affect the outcome of the underground mausoleum raid? Lumian muttered to himself, closing the door and returning to his desk.

He understood Julie's concern about Wanak. Earlier, Wanak had demonstrated his unique ability to manipulate Morora's weather, creating a hurricane powerful enough to disperse the war fog covering the entire district. From Lumian's later observations, Wanak had even summoned terrifying lightning strikes.

Although Lumian wasn't sure if these abilities had limitations, possibly relying on the current weather and only being able to guide it to similar conditions without causing drastic changes, Wanak's display still proved he was, in some ways, akin to a demigod.

Most importantly, with Lumian's understanding of 0-01's sealing information, if Wanak had truly submitted to 0-01, he should have exhibited some special abilities yet to be seen.

I remember the night Wanak was ambushed by Albus and Gusain, the weather was clear, while tonight it's very cloudy, suitable for wind, rain, thunder, and lightning... Lumian held a book borrowed from the Church of Knowledge but didn't read it as attentively as before. Instead, he thought carefully about the hidden details in Wanak's behavior.

After a while, Lumian silently laughed at Julie.

In the Demoness's eyes, tonight was indeed the best chance to hunt Wanak-he was severely injured, the iron soldier had near-demigod strength to engage in direct combat, Gusain had undergone a terrifying mutation with unknown abilities, and with Julie, the Demoness of Affliction, and Lumian himself, they had a good chance to permanently take Wanak down in the ruins.

But the problem was, if Lumian hadn't teleported away, he might have become the primary target of Gusain and the iron soldier. In that case, Julie would likely see it as a great opportunity to kill her boss and choose to collaborate with Wanak, assisting Gusain and the iron soldier.

Do you really think I'm that foolish? If Wanak is killed, with Medici heavily wounded and Gusain and the iron soldier destined to be cleaned up by the enforcers or the Church of Knowledge, wouldn't the Demonesses become the sole dominant force? Then, facing their coercion or attacks, I wouldn't be able to find any temporary allies... Such a situation that could drastically change the power dynamics should wait until I finish reading the remaining books... Lumian muttered, adjusting the white flaming ball above his head so it wouldn't cast shadows on the pages.

After determining the whereabouts of the Abscessed Hand, he could focus more on his studies.

Before that, he thought about what Albus Medici and Julie intended to achieve in Morora.

With backing from gods or a King of Angels, they likely weren't just aiming to leave a mark on the terrifying Sealed Artifact, 0-01.

Internal and external coordination to directly steal 0-01? The Church of Knowledge is one of the seven major orthodox churches, it shouldn't be so easy to take their most important Grade 0 Sealed Artifact unless they intend to let it happen...

Relying solely on violent means is probably not feasible, or the Primordial Demoness and the Red Angel would have acted already...

Do they need 0-01 to undergo some change?

And while I have some clues on how to get close to 0-01, I have no idea how to leave a mark and gain its favor... Do I need to rely on the remnants of Alista Tudor's aura?

Or is it related to one of my previous speculations?

Lumian ended his thoughts and read for nearly another hour before lying down to sleep.

In Morora, he slept lightly, always on guard against potential attacks and the neighboring Demoness's "plague."

If he experienced symptoms like fever or cough, he would wake immediately and teleport to the Knowledge Cathedral to check his condition!

If it weren't for the accumulated negative effects of not sleeping for several days, he would rely on the automatic fatigue removal and spirituality restoration at six in the morning to stay up all night.

At the same time, this misled Julie and others-if they discovered he could stay energized without sleep, they might infer the changes occurring at six in the morning, preventing Lumian from utilizing this special refresh state to turn the tide at critical moments.

The next morning, Lumian deliberately lingered in bed for half an hour before waking up, brushing his teeth, washing up, and heading downstairs to enjoy the breakfast prepared by Lez.

Seven or eight minutes later, Julie returned from outside the bar.

Went out again last night? The Demoness is really good at hiding her movements and whereabouts, it's impossible to track her or even know when she leaves her room... Lumian shifted his gaze back and sipped his milk.

Julie lightly went over to a high stool two seats away from Lumian and remained silent.

Lez glanced at her face, took out a small cake, and added some cream.

"Sweet food can help improve your mood," the Chef said simply, pushing the cream cake towards Julie.

Julie's expression twisted. "I don't need to improve my mood! I'm in a great mood!"

Oh, you're in a bad mood... Last night, you were in a good mood when you knocked on my door... Did something happen when you went out late at night? Lumian openly observed Julie for a few moments.

Lez said, "As a chef, I must accurately judge the current state of the ingredients to choose the most suitable cooking method."

Julie's eyes narrowed, losing any semblance of elegance.

She seemed ready to kill at any moment.

Based on previous observations, only Celeste, the other Demoness, can make Julie's state deteriorate rapidly and her emotions nearly lose control... Did the lovers have a fight? Hmm, my basic psychology knowledge tells me Julie seems more worried than sad. She didn't hide this... Worrying... Lumian placed his right hand on the Traveler's Bag, ready for the Demoness to lose control.

Almost simultaneously, he thought of a possibility.

As a member of the enforcers and a listed experimental subject, Celeste was sure to take shifts in the underground tomb or rotate to replace the puppet. For Celeste, who still retained some self-awareness, this was both an opportunity and a danger!

Julie went out to meet Celeste last night and learned that she would be entering the underground mausoleum soon, possibly returning as a fully controlled experimental subject without self-awareness? No wonder Julie is so worried, her mood deteriorating... Lumian chuckled with understanding.

"What are you laughing at?" Julie glared at him coldly.

Lumian smiled and sighed. "It might be fine this time, but what about next time, or the time after? If you don't solve the root of the problem, one day you'll face an outcome you don't want to accept."

Julie's eyes flickered as she stared at the cream cake, silent for a long time.

When Lumian wiped his mouth and prepared to leave, she frowned slightly and asked, "How much do you know?"

Lumian responded with a smile, "Why don't you take a guess? Maybe I know nothing, and your expression gave me the answer."

With that, Lumian climbed the stairs, leaving Julie staring blankly.

...

Trier, Avenue du Boulevard, 6 Rue Belfort.

In the four-story townhouse late at night, after Muggle left, Periodic Table and others circled back, reuniting with the Associate Professor couple in the living room.

Glancing at the darkness outside the window, Periodic Table sighed. "Is it really okay to put on such an act in front of Muggle?"

"We didn't deceive her; we just hoped to elicit her sympathy." Professor sighed. "The disappearance of Pillar Kmerolo, Nikila suspected of being the Mirror Person, and the increasingly erratic actions of the Hidden Sage have trapped us in a predicament, difficult to escape on our own.

After surviving the April Fool's plot, Muggle has become increasingly mysterious, clearly backed by a powerful force.

"Fortunately, she's still kind. Even though she might have noticed something off, she still informed us that divine power lingers in the underground catacombs and agreed to deal with Nikila."

Associate Professor patted his wife's shoulder to comfort her.

Casting a sweeping glance around, he said, "Not just for ourselves, but for those we care about, we must survive."

Periodic Table gave a self-mocking smile. "Half a year ago, I never thought we'd end up like this. How did the powerful and secretive Moses Ascetic Order end up in such a state?"

...

The next morning, Franca received a reply from Madam Judgment after breakfast.

"The operation against Nikila of the Moses Ascetic Order can commence as soon as possible.

"The high-ranking members of the Moses Ascetic Order are already aware of Kmerolos disappearance. Another Pillar will arrive in Trier soon to handle this, but it won't affect your mission against Nikila, if he is indeed the Mirror Person, Griffith."

The Moses Ascetic Order knows Kmerolo is missing? How did they find out so quickly? Was it because of my report or did they just notice something? Hmm, our Tarot Club's mole in the Moses Ascetic Order seems to be quite high-ranking, able to provide intel about the arrival of a Pillar and the judgment that it won't affect our mission against Nikila...

Such a certain judgment... Could that Pillar be one of our Tarot Club members? Hmm... Franca pondered, growing more curious the more she thought about it.

-x-X-x-

In the evening, in Trier, at 35 Rue Saint-Nornez in Quartier 20, known for its public cemetery.

In different states of invisibility, Franca, Jenna, and Anthony stood outside Room 6 on the fifth floor, checking the details of the environment and making final preparations for their operation.

According to the information provided by Periodic Table, Nikila, a suspected member of the Moses Ascetic Order and possibly a Mirror Person, was an ordinary employee of a grain company, living a very regular life, leaving home punctually every day and returning on time.

The only unusual thing about Nikila was that, despite being in his mid-thirties, he was still unmarried, citing severe intermittent migraines as the reason why women found him unappealing.

When Franca read this information, she immediately thought, This matches the characteristic of Mystery Pryers continuously influenced by the evil god, Hidden Sage... Could it be that Mirror People of the Mystery Pryer pathway are also infused with knowledge by the Hidden Sage?

Recalling the content of the dossier, Franca emerged from her invisibility state and created a layer of frost, making it seep into the keyhole and freeze solid.

As a result, she produced a crystalline key and easily opened Nikila's door.

Taking advantage of the fact that this ordinary employee hadn't yet returned home from work, Franca took out a mirror and began divination to avoid any traps or warning setups that might be in the apartment.

"Bedroom, living room, and guest room all have full-length mirrors, and there are up to fifteen or sixteen portable mirrors. If you're not a Mirror Person, who would believe that?" Franca mumbled to herself, checking the room twice.

She was also conveying the collected information to Jenna and Anthony outside the door.

Of course, there was another possibility for so many mirrors, which was that Nikila was a Demoness. However, it was obvious that this individual was not an exceptionally attractive female, nor even a female at all.

Franca went to the full-length mirror in the living room, looked at Jenna and Anthony's figures in the hallway, and said, "I'll ambush behind this mirror. Follow the plan to force the target into this mirror. If he can use the mirror world, we can confirm he's the Mirror Person, Griffith."

As she spoke, black flames quietly burned around the room, erasing traces left by the previous search.

Jenna nodded slightly and specifically reminded, "Be careful of an ambush behind the mirror, like the one Lumian encountered before."

"Don't worry. Magic Mirror Divination told me there's no ambush. Of course, I won't fully trust and rely on divination. I'll stay vigilant." Franca felt Jenna's concern, smiling as she took out the Seven-Stone Bracelet from the Traveler's Bag, now with only two diamonds left, and tossed it outside.

As she threw it, she couldn't help but mutter in her heart, Out with the old, in with the new, out with the old, in with the new...

Once Jenna caught the Seven-Stone Bracelet, Franca reiterated, "After confirming Nikila enters this mirror, you both immediately teleport away, using that fixed entrance to the mirror world to assist me."

"No problem," Anthony replied, wearing gloves, closing the apartment door, and warming the lock area, which had become icy from the cold key.

This was to prevent Nikila from sensing the residual cold and suspecting anything amiss when he opened the door.

Once Jenna and Anthony left, Franca took out the Ice Amulet, hanging it around her neck.

Then she placed her palm against the full-length mirror in the living room.

With a flash of cold light, she silently passed through the glass.

Behind the mirror was void, a spider-web-like deep dark tunnel filled Franca's vision.

Keeping a close watch on the surroundings, Franca breathed a sigh of relief and murmured, No ambush.

Confirming this, she leaned closer to the mirror, peering through the glass into the apartment's living room: Nikila had not yet returned, and outside, the dusk was eerily quiet.

Franca's nerves instinctively tightened. She raised her right hand, rubbed her temples, and sighed.

It would be great if Lumian were here...

This operation was proposed and perfected by her, killing many of her brain cells and making her responsible for achieving the goal without severely harming Jenna and Anthony. She couldn't relax at all.

In the past, Lumian bore these burdens and responsibilities. She only needed to question and use her imagination to complete her part of the task.

Sigh, being a team leader is exhausting, no chance to slack off... Franca composed herself and patiently waited.

In the café diagonally across from 35 Rue Saint-Nornez.

Jenna, now a girl in a black dress with her hood removed, sat by the window, chatting with Anthony about various Trier anecdotes.

Suddenly, she propped her left elbow on the table, using her palm to press down her original flaxen hair, her voice dropping slightly. "The target is back."

Anthony, while acting attracted to the beautiful woman opposite, glanced with his peripheral vision at the apartment building.

A double-decker public carriage had stopped by the roadside, and a man in his thirties wearing a black wool coat and a half-high silk top hat got off.

The man was nearly six feet tall, walked steadily, had a thin face with distinct features, and rare deep black eyes.

It's definitely Nikila... Anthony nodded slightly to Jenna, confirming she hadn't mistaken the target.

Jenna then straightened her head, withdrew her left hand, and glanced at the cuckoo clock on the café wall.

She smiled lightly at Anthony and said, "Three minutes to go."

She meant that in three minutes, the operation would officially start.

The reason for waiting three more minutes in the café was to avoid Nikila's instinctual investigation as a Mystery Pryer after returning home.

This was a detail discussed and decided by Franca, Jenna, and Anthony.

...

Nikila, wearing a half-high silk top hat, walked step by step up to the fifth floor and stopped outside Room 6.

He didn't open the door immediately but raised his right hand and rubbed his temples.

Then he closed his eyes briefly and reopened them, his pupils now a deep purple with a mysterious aura.

Eye of Mystery Prying!

Usually, Nikila used special Warlock spells to weaken the effect of the Eye of Mystery Prying to avoid sudden death, but it couldn't be completely sealed. Now, he was using it to its full potential to observe the surroundings inside and outside the room.

Bugs on the ceiling, hairs in the cracks, the neighbor cooking in front of the coal stove, dust floating in the air, children running up and down the stairs, rats hiding in the shadows, pedestrians passing by on the streets -all these scenes overlapped in Nikila's deep purple eyes.

At the same time, he saw shadowy curtains around him and dark aqueous light on the surfaces of all mirrors.

Before the gaze behind the shadowy curtain could become more pronounced, Nikila ended his observation abruptly, closing his eyes.

He knew if he continued looking, something unpredictable might happen, filling him with fear.

Phew... The Eye of Mystery Prying is truly dangerous. Listeners on the Secrets Suppliant pathway hear things, we see things, and both are equally likely to encounter the forbidden and die mysteriously... Nikila muttered, pulling out a brown leather scroll from an inner pocket of his black wool coat, softly chanting a word in Hermes-"Myopia."

The scroll immediately ignited with black flames, quickly turning to ash.

The mysterious deep purple in Nikila's eyes faded into the black depths of his pupils.

After doing this, Nikila took out his key and opened the door.

He had confirmed there were no suspicious individuals or enemies hiding in the shadows, nor were there any signs of abnormalities around the apartment or the street.

Entering the living room, closing the door behind him, Nikila unbuttoned the top of his wool coat and white shirt, relaxing on the sofa with his arms stretched out.

Franca, watching from behind the full-length mirror, took advantage of Nikila's forward movement to grab a beer from the coffee table, extending her right hand slightly through the mirror, pressing it tightly against the glass.

When Nikila sat back on the sofa, Franca immediately withdrew her hand.

Gulping beer, Nikila read the newspapers he had brought back, behaving like any ordinary employee.

Time passed slowly, and as three minutes elapsed, Jenna and Anthony left the café, turning into a nearby secluded alley, preparing both their shadow hiding and Psychological Invisibility techniques.

They quickly returned to the target apartment and hid in their prearranged positions.

At this time, Nikila was still reading the newspapers, considering whether to go out for dinner or cook something simple.

Suddenly, Nikila's throat felt dry and itchy, as if he hadn't drunk water for a long time.

He coughed once and thought, I drank half a bottle of beer, why is my throat so dry?

As this thought crossed his mind, he couldn't help but cough again.

Immediately, a strong sense of unease washed over him.

Something's wrong!

Just as Nikila became alert, Jenna, hearing two consecutive coughs from the target through the wall, emerged from the shadows without hesitation. With her hood still on, she inserted the Arrow of the Bloodthirsty into her own heart.

Her flaxen hair seemed to lengthen slightly, her contours became more refined, and her facial features more stunning.

Previously, Jenna's beauty highlighted her feminine charm, an expression of femininity. Now, her beauty seemed to become a more independent concept, alluring by sheer virtue of its existence.

Through the door, she made the shadows beneath Nikila's feet and the surrounding darkness coalesce into illusory yet solid black chains, wrapping around the target.

-x-X-x-

As Jenna used the Abyss Shackles spell from the Arrow of the Bloodthirsty, shadows and darkness came to life beside the coughing Nikila. Under the yellowish light of the gas wall lamp, they coalesced into black chains that wrapped around the Moses Ascetic Order member, binding him firmly in place, even sealing his mouth.

Nikila, experienced in combat, immediately formed a slowly rotating mass of stardust in his right palm. The light in the room dimmed as if night had fallen outside.

In the dimness, numerous bright stars appeared, not densely packed but numerous enough.

They cast beams of light that converged into a thick column, illuminating the entire room and enveloping Nikila.

The black chains formed by the Abyss Shackles disintegrated like shadows meeting sunlight, and Nikila dissolved rapidly in the light column, shattering into countless glass shards.

Mirror Substitution!

Using his unique abilities, Nikila escaped the Abyss Shackles by attacking himself. As a Mystery Pryer pathway Beyonder, many of his spells required incantations. With his mouth sealed, his abilities were significantly limited.

As a result, Jenna confirmed that Nikila was a Mirror Person.

Black fog emanated from her back, growing into a pair of large, illusory bat wings.

These Wings of Darkness transformed into a swarm of palm-sized, insubstantial vampire bats that flew through the walls and door towards the newly freed Nikila.

Meanwhile, Anthony ended his Psychological Invisibility, kicking open the door while aiming a complex, mechanically beautiful black revolver at Nikila.

Winter is Coming!

Anthony was preparing to use the Certain Death effect of this Beyonder weapon.

He didn't intend to actually use it because Nikila's Mirror Substitution ability could prematurely activate, causing the deadly bullet to hit the mirror instead.

Anthony's current objective was to use a Warlock's acute spirituality warnings and mystery-prying eyes to make Nikila feel his life was in danger, forcing him to escape through the mirror world.

According to Franca, Nikila, likely a Sequence 5 Constellations Master from the Mystery Pryer pathway and possibly a Mirror Person, would undoubtedly sense the danger of the Winter is Coming revolver and recognize its godhood-possessing attack.

To genuinely trigger the target's spirituality warning, Anthony needed to complete a psychological suggestion on himself, a simple task for a Hypnotist.

Thus, Anthony was genuinely planning to shoot, fully intending to use the Certain Death effect. However, when his finger began to pull the trigger, it would activate the preset psychological warning, canceling the suggestion and allowing him to fire a normal bullet.

Just as Franca predicted, the moment Nikila saw the Winter is Coming revolver, a hint of deep purple appeared in his pitch-black eyes, reflecting the weapon's decaying aura.

He instantly felt a creeping sense of death, his throat itching more intensely, and a weakness spreading through his body.

This wasn't an effect of Winter is Coming but a backlash from seeing the secret of the Beyonder weapon, combined perfectly with the pathogen Franca spread when she extended her hand through the mirror, worsening Nikila's condition.

Without considering further, Nikila immediately let a mirror substitute himself.

Bang!

Anthony pulled the trigger, firing a yellow bullet with only a disease effect, which, along with the swarm of vampire bats, hit Nikila, causing a shattering sound.

Nikila, now visible in another corner of the room, had no intention of counterattacking. His only thought was to flee immediately.

This was partly because he was unsure if there were more attackers and partly because the gun's danger kept him on high alert.

Unable to assess the situation clearly and knowing the enemy had a demigod-level weapon, he had no choice but to escape.

Nikila quickly lunged towards the nearest mirror, aiming to use the mirror world to escape the battle.

Noticing his move, Jenna slowed her attacks, while Anthony's eyes turned gold, displaying spiraling whirlpools that seemed to penetrate the soul.

Battle Hypnotism!

This spell forcibly hypnotized an enemy during combat, making them perform abnormal actions, but it could not directly harm the hypnotized and didn't last long.

Anthony's intent was only to make Nikila switch mirrors, delaying his escape without directly endangering him.

Nikila hesitated, suddenly feeling the mirror might hide a dangerous trap.

He quickly pulled out a scroll with gold foil from the inside pocket of his black wool coat and softly chanted a Hermes word, "Sun!"

The scroll was instantly consumed by golden flames, erupting into blinding sunlight that turned all the vampire bats to smoke.

This severely affected Jenna and Anthony's vision, their eyes filled with dazzling sunlight.

Nikila seized the moment, rolling towards the full-length mirror in the living room and diving in.

From the start of Battle Hypnotism to his escape, it took only two or three seconds.

The sunlight quickly faded, and Anthony nodded at Jenna.

Jenna immediately grabbed her companion's shoulder, activating the Seven-Stone Bracelet on her left wrist.

One of the two remaining diamonds burst into clear light, enveloping them both.

In the next second, Jenna and Anthony teleported to the quarry chamber with the fixed mirror world entrance, pressing their hands against the protruding rock.

...

Nikila, just entering the void and dark area behind the mirror, couldn't help but cough.

The disease he had contracted couldn't be removed by Mirror Substitution.

Cough! Cough! Cough! As he coughed violently, he felt invisible threads binding his body layer by layer.

Spider webs from a Demoness? Nikila shuddered.

Jenna had been deliberately using the Arrow of the Bloodthirsty to attack this Mirror Person to hide her identity as a Demoness, preventing Nikila from suspecting he was being targeted by Demonesses.

Otherwise, he would suspect a trap behind the mirror, abandoning the mirror world escape plan and rendering Anthony's Battle Hypnotism ineffective.

As his pupils dilated, Nikila reflexively formed a slowly rotating mass of stardust in his right palm.

Before he could use his Constellations Master abilities to destroy himself and the Demoness webs in this area, he felt invisible threads lightly caressing him, from his ears and face to his chest and inner thighs, teasing and scratching with seductive touches.

This instantly sent his blood surging, his thoughts sinking deep to his nether regions.

As he struggled to regain control and use his abilities, he saw a figure at the edge of the web-like tunnel.

The figure wore a black robe with leather armor, the hood askew, revealing a pair of heroic and beautiful eyebrows, clear bright eyes like lake water, and moist red lips.

This indescribable beauty and soul-stirring charm made Nikila instinctively hold his breath, forgetting to resist, forgetting to break free.

Demoness of Affliction's Charm!

The intense danger warning allowed Nikila to barely break free from this bewitching beauty. Clenching his teeth, suppressing the desire from the teasing and seductive touches, he was about to activate the stardust whirlpool in his hand.

Franca continued her Charm, a slight smile on her lips, stunning Nikila while changing the action of some webs. They started tickling him!

"Ha... ha... ha!" Sensitive spots on his neck, armpits, and waist were attacked, making him laugh uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face.

If not for the invisible threads binding him tightly, he would have retreated, twisted his body, or rolled on the ground.

In this state, it was nearly impossible for Nikila to use any of his abilities.

Of course, his desire also faded because of this.

Right now, I really do feel like a black widow spider, methodically dealing with prey caught in its web... At the Demoness of Affliction stage, if the prey is truly ensnared without help, they'll be constantly affected, unable to escape by their own means... It's a pity this doesn't work on Hunters; they can ignite flames to burn the web... I wonder when I'll be able to directly transmit genuine pleasure through the webs... Franca maintained her vigilance, watching the frantically laughing Nikila, muttering to herself.

Her strategy was clear: restrain the enemy, continually interfere with his efforts, and delay him until his illness flared up or he was completely charmed.

During this process, even if Nikila used Mirror Substitution, he would be limited by the distance, with his body reappearing within the area covered by the Demoness webs, repeating the initial experience.

Previously, Franca had already turned this place into a Demoness's nest.

On one side, he was continuously tickled, while on the other, his desire was stoked by teasing touches. Nikila oscillated between hell and paradise, in extreme agony.

The beautiful figure, seemingly forever out of reach, became a symbol of all his hopes and dreams.

Nikila knew he couldn't continue like this. Resolving to endure the laughter, he bit his tongue hard.

The pain pierced his mind, momentarily freeing him from all influences.

He tightened his grip on the stardust whirlpool.

In the void and darkness behind the mirror, one brilliant star after another lit up.

-x-X-x-

Above the dark and low void of the mirror world, numerous brilliant stars shed beams of clear light.

These beams converged into a column of light, illuminating the mirror world and engulfing Franca, the Demoness webs, and Nikila himself.

Franca and Nikila both shattered into countless mirror fragments. These shards, along with the invisible webs, quickly dissolved into nothing under the starlight.

The starlight quickly faded, and Nikila and Franca's figures reappeared in different corners of the mirror world.

Seeing the entrance to the tunnel of webs now unobstructed, Nikila felt a surge of joy. He pulled out a dark gray scroll from the inner pocket of his black wool coat.

Suppressing the urge to cough, he whispered a Hermes word, "Wind!"

The dark gray scroll instantly ignited with cyan flames, a roaring wind gathering around Nikila, pushing his feverish and muddled thoughts forward at the speed of the wind toward one of the dark tunnels.

Nikila, seizing the moment before Franca could intervene, followed the wind into the tunnel entrance.

However, he didn't feel the familiar pull from other mirrors.

He was back where he started.

The dark, illusory tunnel wasn't open to him!

Mirror Maze!

After becoming a Demoness of Affliction, Franca's mirror magic had evolved, allowing her to create scene illusions with pre-set mirrors.

While waiting for Jenna and Anthony to act, she had woven invisible webs, spread pathogens, and placed mirrors at multiple tunnel entrances.

These mirrors, influenced by Beyonder powers, reflected each other, creating a mirror maze that hid the real tunnel entrances, showing only their reflections.

Nikila had chosen a false target, the reflection of a real tunnel, and naturally couldn't escape.

Taking advantage of this gap, Franca wove another web, ensnaring Nikila, wrapping him in layers, either making him blush or laugh uncontrollably.

Having experienced this before, Nikila didn't let himself get completely entangled. Using his abilities as a Constellations Master, he broke free once again.

In the following time, amidst increasing fever and violent coughing, he barely managed to fend off Franca using scrolls and attempted to destroy the mirrors creating the maze, seeking the real exit.

Under Warlock attacks and interference from spells like wind blades, lightning, flashes, purification, freezing, and paralysis, Franca kept changing positions, sometimes using Mirror Substitution to block an attack, showing great patience and restraint.

Her focus was on maintaining the Demoness webs and spreading pathogens, using her Demoness of Affliction's Charm to buy time.

Gradually, Nikila felt he shouldn't resist or harm the beautiful lady.

His breath grew hot, his heart racing either from the pathogens or her every move, pounding as if to leap from his chest.

The immense pressure made him suspect he might suffer a heart attack any second.

Without hesitation, he pulled out a scroll etched with lightning patterns from his coat's inner pocket.

It was a powerful item he bought from a Broker.

"Storm!" Just as he finished chanting, Nikila started coughing violently, and the scroll erupted into a dazzling silver light.

The silver light expanded, filling the mirror world with a thunderstorm, the accompanying wind pushing lightning into the tunnel entrances, shattering the mirrors Franca had placed.

With the sound of breaking glass, Franca's figure shattered, the mirror maze collapsed, revealing the true dark tunnels.

Nikila had no time to celebrate. Aided by the scroll's spell, dragging his sick body, he dashed toward the nearest tunnel entrance.

He had scrolls with some healing effects but didn't want to miss the chance to escape.

Seeing the tunnel entrance within reach and the attacking Demoness reappearing in another corner, Nikila's heart surged with hope.

At that moment, he saw two figures in the tunnel entrance out of the corner of his eye.

Jenna and Anthony, who had teleported using the last diamond of the Seven-Stone Bracelet, had arrived and been lying in wait.

During the brief and weakened storm, both had been struck by lightning but evaded the worst damage using Mirror Substitution-one from her own ability, the other from the Mirror Substitution created by the two Demonesses.

Seizing this chance, Anthony's eyes turned gold, radiating a dragon-like aura.

Awe!

Fear and panic surged in Nikila's heart, leaving him disoriented, as if facing an unbeatable predator.

Seeing the target pause and turn in circles, Jenna threw a handful of black powder and chanted a few Hermes words.

It was one of a Witch's black magic spells.

Due to their need for materials and incantations, Jenna rarely used these in combat, opting for the convenience of frost and black flames.

The black powder ignited, and a cold wind rose, surrounding Nikila with ghostly figures pressing against him, covering his mouth and nose.

With this dual interference, Franca's Demoness webs wove again, sticking Nikila in place.

Franca smiled sincerely at the Mirror Person.

With a buzz, Nikila felt his blood split, half surging upward, half downward, his heart seeming to stop.

Under repeated Charms and his severe illness, he could no longer resist Franca's allure.

In a daze, Nikila saw the woman, whose every detail fit his aesthetic, beckon to him and offer a transparent triangular spike symbolizing goodwill and control.

I wholeheartedly accept... With this thought, Nikila didn't question why the webs no longer restricted him. He reached out and grasped the triangular spike, feeling a slight sting.

His thoughts froze completely, becoming as sluggish and stiff as rusted machine parts.

Wintry Blade!

With Nikila under control, Franca glanced at Jenna, signaling her to find and destroy the remaining mirrors on him.

Then, Franca could form an ice spike and perform a lobotomy on Nikila.

With Lumian absent, there was no one to use the ritual leather for the Animal Creation Spell to turn Nikila into a large hound.

Jenna nodded slightly, cutting off the lower half of Nikila's right sleeve, and quickly took off his black wool coat. She swiftly found the remaining five mirrors and smashed them one by one.

During this process, Nikila did not resist. He looked at Franca with a mixture of obsession and pain, coughing intermittently.

He still held the Wintry Blade, blood trickling from his hand.

Franca's left hand formed a long, thin ice spike.

Suddenly, Nikila's expression twisted.

Knowledge infusion from the Hidden Sage? Dammit, why now? Franca was first stunned, then understood the reason.

In his severely ill and dying state, Nikila was unlikely to withstand this.

He might lose control on the spot!

In a flash, Franca discarded the ice spike and the Wintry Blade, taking out a mirror that reflected Nikila's image. She then wiped the glass surface with her right hand, covered in eerie black flames.

Nikila's exposed skin was marked with numerous blood-red cracks, with strange things forming inside them.

At that moment, pitch-black flames erupted from his body, burning his soul.

Using the blood dripping from Nikila's hand, Jenna began a curse, while Anthony aimed the Winter is Coming revolver at Nikila, ready to use the Certain Death effect at any moment.

Soon, the two Demonesses acted before Nikila could lose control, ending his life completely.

Silently, Nikila fell to the void and dark ground of the mirror world, becoming a corpse.

The eye-like objects hidden within his flesh stopped moving, unable to emerge.

Franca quickly set up a ritual, completing the Magic Mirror Divination.

In her makeup mirror, Nikila's eerie, pale figure appeared, showing only slight signs of losing control.

The ghost's eyes still held a trace of obsession with Franca but now included the pain and despair of being killed by her.

A Demoness of Affliction's Charm is terrifying... I wonder if Baby Cupid from the Scrooge pathway can make someone fall hopelessly in love with them too... Franca mused with a sigh and then asked, "Are you Griffith?"

"Yes, I am very pleased you know and remember my true name." The mirror's Nikila smiled joyfully.

".." Franca was momentarily speechless.

She paused for a second before asking, "Do you know what happened to your superior, Kmerolo, one of the Ten Pillars?"

-x-X-x-

Nikila looked at Franca with an obsession and said, "He should be feeling the call of the wilderness."

"Wilderness?" Franca didn't hide her confusion.

Nikila eagerly and thoroughly explained, "In Fourth Epoch Trier, near the ruined palace of Alista Tudor, beside His remains-no, on His remains, no, under them-well, there's a wilderness there. All Mystery Pryers and Savants will eventually return to that wilderness."

All Mystery Pryers and Savants... The only thing powerful enough to influence both pathways must be the Celestial Master. Professor and Assistant Professor had dreams about the wilderness before... Franca perked up and asked, "What else do you know about this wilderness?"

Nikila shook his head slightly, looking a bit annoyed but very honest.

"Nothing else. According to our leader, the higher the sequence of a Mystery Pryer or Savant, the more likely they are to hear the call of the wilderness."

The Hidden Sage should stand atop the Mystery Pryer pathway, so during the Hostel incident, when the seal of Fourth Epoch Trier was broken, the leak of wilderness power greatly affected Him, driving Him madder. Is Kmerolo in a similar situation? After all, he's in Trier... The demigods of the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery in Trier might also be affected? Franca swallowed and asked, "Has Kmerolo returned to that wilderness?"

Nikila smiled gently but painfully.

"Not yet. He's probably just deteriorating, unable to maintain himself well, and resisting the call in some extreme way. If he were to return, he'd have to pass through our mirror world. It wouldn't escape our leader's notice. If our leader knew, so would I."

For Trier, Kmerolo returning to the wilderness might not be a bad thing. According to Nikila-no, Griffith-Kmerolo is like a powerful bomb that could go off at any time... Franca thought for a moment and asked, "Do you know where he's hiding now?"

Nikila sighed and said, "He hasn't contacted me for a while. The last time we met was near the catacombs."

Near the catacombs... Franca then asked, "Griffith, what was your goal in infiltrating the Moses Ascetic Order?"

Nikila emphasized seriously, "I am the original. Our goal was to make the higher-ups of the Moses Ascetic Order gradually aware of the wilderness and help us unseal Fourth Epoch Trier at a critical moment."

Franca had an epiphany and asked, "Did Kmerolo, with your 'help,' already know about the wilderness and its exact location?"

Was it knowing too much and possessing godhood that made Kmerolo lose control gradually, becoming unable to resist the wilderness call?

The Church of the God of Steam and Machinery hasn't shown similar issues, at least not as severe...

"Yes." Nikila shared his feelings with his dream lover. "So, this is both good and bad for me. It took me a lot to gain Kmerolo's trust and interest in the wilderness without arousing suspicion, but now all that effort is wasted. I have to figure out how to gain the trust of another of the Ten Pillars."

"Why is it also a good thing?" Franca was puzzled.

Nikila smiled and said, "If Kmerolo returns to the wilderness, I might get the Mysticologist Beyonder characteristic someday."

"Mysticologist is Sequence 4 of the Mystery Pryer pathway? Can you Mirror People ascend by drinking potions?" Franca quickly asked two questions.

Nikila nodded. "Yes, I can ascend to Mysticologist by drinking the potion. I am the original."

"Have you ever drunk a potion?" Franca glanced at Griffith's body, which had not produced any Beyonder characteristics.

"No," Nikila replied candidly.

Meh, no Beyonder characteristic drops... Franca cursed inwardly in pre-transmigration gaming terms and then said, "Moran Avigny has been dead for a while. Your leader can't leave the seal and frequently get feedback or give orders. Who's handling day-to-day matters and contacting the Mirror People in Trier?"

"It's Palia. She received instructions and information from the leader," Nikila replied but didn't elaborate like before.

The mineralogist, Jasmine, I'm tracking... No wonder she appeared twice in Underground Trier despite being wanted... She's rebuilding the Mirror People network in Trier? Franca asked quickly, "Can you contact Palia?"

Nikila shook his head again. "She contacts us one-way for now. This way, if any one of us is exposed, it doesn't affect the others. According to the previous arrangement, Palia contacts me through the mirror world once a week to check on my situation and exchange new information, usually on Sunday evenings between eight and ten."

Don't you find this troublesome and inconvenient? Well, it is quite safe...

Franca criticized silently and saw Nikila's image fading, about to disappear, and quickly asked the last question, "Besides Fourth Epoch Trier and current Trier, where else does your mirror world connect to?"

This question came from Lumian's letter.

He confirmed Morora exchanged information with the outside world through this special mirror world.

Nikila thought for a moment and said, "A strange place, much like Fourth Epoch Trier, also sealed, with many living people inside, but we can't enter."

Mirror People can't use the special mirror world to go directly to Morora...

Franca nodded slightly and asked, "Did some of your companions go to Lenburg to find that sealed strange place?"

"Yes, although we can't go directly, if we can enter normally, we can use the mirror world's power..." Nikila said as he began to lose his soul's integrity.

He looked at Franca, lingeringly and painfully scanning her beautiful face.

Franca's skin prickled with goosebumps.

Watching Nikila-the Mirror Person Griffith-disappear completely, Franca sighed inwardly.

Short-term, high-intensity, high-frequency Charm can last so long. It might take a day or two to fade...

Repeated Charm in daily life, maintained long-term, can indeed make someone fall deeply in love with me... I wonder how long this love lasts without supernatural influence. A year should be fine, but it's hard to say for the seven-year itch...

Heh, Hunters can form teams, and so can Demonesses. But the loyalty and rapport will be higher. The only issue is team members might not truly cooperate and could hate each other... What a mess...

Franca put away the mirror and said to Jenna and Anthony, "No need to wait. This guy doesn't have any Beyonder characteristics."

By then, Jenna had finished collecting the loot, getting 460 verl d'or and nine scrolls from Nikila.

The scrolls' effects and incantations required Magic Mirror Divination to reveal.

Anthony glanced at Nikila's body and the nine scrolls, considering.

"Should we have someone use Lie to disguise as Nikila and wait for that Mirror Person Palia to contact?"

"We can, but it's unlikely," Franca said after some thought. "We can bury the body and carry out anti-divination and anti-prophecy measures, but there are many days until Sunday. The Mirror People leader might notice something wrong. Still, it's worth a try."

After carrying out anti-divination and anti-prophecy measures and seeing Nikila's body turn into a few broken mirror shards, Jenna frowned slightly. "Still none of those special mirror world shards."

Moran Avigny didn't leave any either.

The shards in Jenna and Franca's possession came from Gardner Martin and the Tamara family's crypt.

"What kind of Mirror Person leaves special mirror world shards? What's special about the fake Martin? Next time we catch a Mirror Person, we must ask..." Franca muttered to herself.

The three quickly tidied up the scene, and Franca activated the Ice Amulet to teleport to the fixed mirror world entrance.

During this process, Franca used the amulet's power to send Lumian the intelligence gathered from this operation.

...

Morora, second floor of the Carnivore bar.

Reading a book comfortably, Lumian glanced at the room's mirror, seeing water ripple and a line of Intisian appear.

Reading it, Lumian suddenly froze.

He realized he had overlooked something.

At this moment, could the Mirror People sent to Lenburg to investigate the whereabouts of 0-01 have infiltrated Morora?

And the Mirror People produced by the underground mausoleum's incident could use that special mirror world unlike him!

-x-X-x-

If the Mirror People have infiltrated Morora, what would they do? Lumian pondered for a while, placed the book back in the Traveler's Bag, and stepped down the stairs to the hall.

It was dinner time, and the bar was bustling. Julie flitted between tables like a butterfly, serving drinks and meals to the customers.

The patrons were well-behaved; no one tried to act inappropriately by grabbing Julie's ass or touching her chest.

They weren't being moral or civilized. None of them had clean hands; those who entered Morora were all hardened criminals. Their compliance was because someone had made a fatal mistake not long ago: Julie had been unstable lately, often in a daze. Unlike her usual self, she couldn't always gracefully avoid wandering hands and arms amidst the laughter and noise. One evening, someone found an opportunity to give her a hard pinch in the ass.

Julie's suppressed fury and rage exploded instantly.

If Lumian hadn't intervened in time, reminding her it wasn't a legal duel, that drunkard would have ended up in the kitchen missing a vital part of his anatomy.

In the end, since the drunkard refused Julie's duel challenge, after much "negotiation," he "voluntarily" chopped off his hand as an apology.

Otherwise, he might have lost control and attacked the repugnant bar owner, forcing him into self-defense.

Lumian glanced at Julie, whose face was devoid of smiles, and walked into the kitchen, where Lez was finally taking a break, enjoying his dinner.

He picked up a caramelized finger, put it in his mouth, and chewed noisily.

Lumian sighed quietly and said, "I need to step out for a bit. Keep an eye on Julie."

"No problem," Lez replied, pointing to the plate of now-missing fingers.

"Boss, want some? I've found a new cooking method-first deep-fry, then steam in a seasoned broth for twenty minutes."

"No, thanks." Lumian turned and left the Carnivore bar, walking through the dark, unlit streets to the Knowledge Cathedral.

He found a corner where he could see the graveyard and the entrance to the underground mausoleum through a window. Pulling over a wooden chair, he sighed and patted the backrest.

The Church of Knowledge is getting more considerate...

There hadn't been chairs by the brass bookshelves before.

Too bad there's nowhere to rest my feet. Lumian sat down, gazing at the graveyard through the stained glass, using the crimson moonlight to observe the entrance to the underground mausoleum.

According to his information, Celeste, who had been on duty in the underground mausoleum for two days, would return to the surface at nine tonight.

Lumian's goal was to make others believe he was at the Knowledge Cathedral to study while actually observing the mausoleum's entrance and the experimental subjects' activities.

His true purpose was simple: to mask his love of studying with the guise of observing the mausoleum and experimental subjects.

With this excuse, he wouldn't have to waste time idling around the bar, drinking and boasting. He could finish the remaining books sooner.

By the cathedral's bright candlelight, Lumian read for a while, then forced himself to lift his head and observe the mausoleum's entrance for a couple of minutes.

After repeating this several times, he suddenly thought of his sister.

Back then, Aurore always urged him to study but would occasionally drag him from his desk, forcing him to look at the trees outside the window and the distant mountain pastures.

Now, he had to rely on himself.

Time passed, and the cathedral's clock chimed loudly.

A group of black-robed enforcers left the Knowledge Cathedral, crossed the graveyard, and reached the mausoleum's entrance.

Soon, the previous group of enforcers emerged from the gray-white stone steps leading to the mausoleum, moving in an orderly fashion.

With his Hunter's vision and the crimson moonlight, Lumian saw that the leader was Celeste, wearing a black robe and a blindfold.

The Demoness emerged from the entrance area slowly and expressionlessly, removing her blindfold.

The line behind her was long, each person carrying a lantern.

At that moment, Lumian felt a sudden, eerie sensation as if the deep darkness at the mausoleum's entrance had come to life.

The darkness instantly swallowed the last experimental subject in line.

Lumian blinked, seeing no movement in the darkness. The anomaly seemed like an illusion.

Frowning slightly, he counted Celeste's team members again.

Quickly, he concluded, One person is missing... and one lantern...

Lumian watched Celeste's team until they returned to the Knowledge Cathedral.

Near the stairs, Celeste turned her head slightly, glancing in Lumian's direction.

Lumian crossed his right leg over his left knee, leaning back in the chair, calmly meeting her gaze.

He felt Celeste had likely noticed his observation.

This meant she probably still retained some self-awareness.

Phew, no need to worry about Julie losing control for now... Lumian sighed quietly, watching Celeste and the enforcers disappear at the stairwell.

He had been worried that Celeste's issues might trigger Julie to lose control before they were fully prepared.

That would interfere with his studying!

Reading for a while longer, Lumian noticed Morora's Archbishop Heraberg patrolling the brass bookshelves.

Thinking for a few seconds, he spoke as Heraberg neared, "Your Grace, I have a question."

Dressed in a plain white robe with brass threads, Heraberg smiled kindly.

"Ask away."

Holding his book, Lumian sincerely asked, "The mausoleum's taboos seem to target the living. What if an undead or an immortal creature enters?"

Heraberg gave Lumian a deep look and smiled. "The dead should remain in eternal slumber. What do you think?"

Meaning, an undead would fall into eternal sleep upon entering the mausoleum? As expected, 0-01 has death and darkness characteristics...

So, I can't exploit any loophole with the Eggers family's golden mask...

Lumian sighed regretfully. "I think so too."

Heraberg, with his white hair and beard, spoke like a teacher. "While studying, remember to take care of your health and stay mentally sharp. Don't stay up late reading. Maintain your usual pace."

Wh- Is he worried I'll degrade and succumb to the books' inherent corruption? Need to control the corruption rate? Lumian pondered, then stood up and responded, "Yes, Your Grace."

He immediately tucked the book into his Traveler's Bag and left the cathedral under Heraberg's approving gaze.

Crossing the square outside, Lumian saw Julie stepping lightly out the cathedral's side door, looking relaxed.

Here to check the situation first, huh... Lumian watched her disappear into another alley, heading back to the Carnivore bar.

Approaching the bar, he heard a pained, agonized scream not far away.

Julie's doing? Lumian chuckled to himself. Feeling bad, cut a finger.

Feeling good, cut another. Can't she find another hobby?

Luckily, there were enough exiles in Morora.

Still, Lumian knew their presence had tripled the daily death toll since they arrived.

They couldn't stay long, or the exiles' replenishment wouldn't keep up, and Morora would face a shortage crisis.

The bar was closed. Lumian went behind the counter, poured himself a glass of liquor, and sipped it slowly, as if waiting for something.

After a while, Julie appeared at the door in a shirt and skirt, her cheeks still flushed. She glanced at Lumian and smiled. "Boss, were you waiting for me?"

She played with a frosty, bloody object in her hand.

Lumian took a sip of Lanti Proof and asked, "Do you know my name?"

Julie approached the counter, shook her head, and smiled. "I only know you're my boss."

"Celeste, as an enforcer, should know the names of every Morora resident," Lumian said directly.

Julie's expression changed slightly, then she sighed and smiled. "But she said Louis must be a fake name."

"I don't believe you didn't ask someone on the outside to investigate my real identity," Lumian said, leaning on the counter and sipping his drink.

Julie pouted, not answering directly, only saying, "It doesn't matter."

"True." Lumian nodded with a smile. "I caught a Mirror Person from Underground Trier who told me his companions went to Lenburg to find Morora. Now, new intel suggests they might be here."

Julie's smile faded, replaced by a serious look.

Lumian finished his Lanti Proof, set the glass down, and headed upstairs.

Julie sat in silence for a while, then left the Carnivore bar.

In an empty house in Morora.

The Demoness put on a gold ring set with blue gems and sat before a half-length mirror.

The reflection wavered slightly, showing some changes.

-x-X-x-

Julie watched her reflection in the mirror gradually become bloodstained, her expression turning cold and her eyes filling with malice.

She wasn't surprised. Instead, she smirked with a hint of sarcasm.

The reflection became agitated, clawing at the glass as if trying to scratch out an escape.

Her face twisted quickly, and the malice in her eyes seemed almost tangible.

Before long, another figure appeared behind her-a man with short brown hair, bearing a strong resemblance to Julie, also covered in blood and exuding a sinister aura.

Julie rubbed the blue gem-encrusted gold ring on her thumb, watching as the female and male versions of herself shrank and faded, revealing their current surroundings.

It was a dark, almost lightless world.

Beyond this world, countless points of light representing different mirrors dotted the surroundings. Most were affected by Morora's seal, appearing hazy and unreachable.

Julie's gaze swept across the few clearer points of light, her intuition as a Demoness guiding her to one particular mirror.

Inside that mirror, a shadowy figure appeared.

Sensing Julie's gaze, the figure recoiled and left the mirror.

Julie immediately reached into the mirror, pulling herself through it.

Ignoring the curses and anger from her two reflections, she directly transported to the mirror that had shown the shadow.

She emerged from a small mirror into a long-abandoned room, the traces of occupancy wiped clean.

Julie turned to the window beside the mirror, observing the outside environment.

She saw a graveyard bathed in crimson moonlight, a cathedral-like library, and the clearly visible entrance to the underground mausoleum.

After a brief silence, Julie muttered to herself, "The Mirror People have indeed infiltrated..."

...

Upstairs in the Carnivore Bar, Lumian reclined in his chair, feet propped up, engrossed in his book.

There was still time to study!

He had told Julie about the Mirror People to leverage the Demoness Sect's power to confirm and search for them. As a Hunter, he couldn't utilize the mirror world on his own, and the Mirror Cufflink could only be used twice more.

Remembering Archbishop Heraberg's advice to not overextend himself, Lumian decided to end his studies early and get some extra sleep tonight. Just as he was about to close his book, someone knocked on his door.

It was Julie.

She nodded slightly at Lumian, saying, "I found a Mirror Person spying on the mausoleum but couldn't catch them."

"Only one?" Lumian asked for confirmation.

Julie tersely acknowledged his words. "Only one."

She turned and headed to her room.

Lumian chuckled and said, "Not only did you not catch them, but you didn't even see what they looked like?"

His voice was low, almost to himself, but loud enough for Julie to hear.

Julie turned around and sneered. "At least I found traces of the Mirror People. Better than someone who needs me to confirm it."

Lumian pretended to be stung, retorting, "I was just letting you fulfill your pitiful, insignificant purpose."

Julie ignored him and went into her room.

Lumian smirked to himself and closed the wooden door.

Now, Julie should be less wary about him being capable of using the mirror world, right?

...

In a daze, Lumian saw a blood-stained land, collapsed grand structures, and towering iron-black pillars, many of which were broken.

Driven by instinct, he walked forward, passing through burning palaces, torrential rain, and a forest of lightning striking the ground.

He stopped before a corpse.

The body was charred black, the face flayed to reveal a scorched skull.

Behind it lay a mountain of bodies and bones, piled hundreds of meters high.

Lumian's gaze followed the corpses upward, sometimes meeting their eye sockets, which burned with pale or dark red flames.

Finally, he was about to see the top of the "mountain."

Suddenly, intense fear and a compulsion to stop thinking and follow orders overwhelmed him.

He jerked awake, gasping for breath.

Another nightmare...

The nightmares are becoming clearer and more frequent...

Lumian glanced towards the ground, instinctively reaching out as if to touch something.

He grasped only air.

Quickly calming himself, he murmured, At this rate, when I finish reading the remaining books, these nightmares caused by the corruption might transform drastically...

What will that bring?

If the nightmares get clearer and the feeling stronger, I might lose control in my sleep. Then Albus, Julie, and Wanak would have the chance to challenge an Angel. No, the Church of Knowledge would eliminate the problem first. Having sealed Ludwig, they wouldn't hesitate to seal another...

Lumian rubbed his temples, agreeing more with Archbishop Heraberg's advice:

Don't rush; maintain physical health and mental clarity!

Even if corrupted, proceed gradually!

Sighing, Lumian believed that in five or six days, when he finished the borrowed books, the situation would change significantly in his favor.

But can the situation remain stable until I finish studying?

Since the last injury, Albus hasn't appeared for days, secretly plotting...

Wanak regained control of Dades Agricultural Company but no longer has fixed offices or residences...

Celeste's duty in the mausoleum is both a risk and an opportunity. She might have advanced the Demoness Sect's plans, and Julie's opportunity could be coming soon...

Will they let me study until I finish the books?

Probably not...

Lumian mused that Albus, Wanak, or the Demoness Sect would likely make a big move involving the mausoleum soon.

They might not know the importance of studying or that Lumian was diligently studying, but they must sense that delaying further would worsen their situation!

Never underestimate the intuition of Demonesses or the instincts of those backing Albus and Wanak!

...

Trier, Quartier de la Cathédrale Commémorative, Apartment 702, 9 Rue Orosai.

Franca was smug about successfully planning and executing an ambush on a powerful Mirror Person.

This felt more rewarding than leading a team raid in her pre-transmigration games.

She pointed to the cash and scrolls on the coffee table, saying, "Let's split the spoils. You two go first."

Using Magic Mirror divination, the two Demonesses had identified the effects and incantations for the scrolls.

There was a Sun scroll, a Healing scroll, and one each of Lightning, Burning, Flash, Wind, Freezing, Paralysis, and Secret Voice.

Anthony gestured for Jenna to pick first.

Jenna, not wasting time with politeness, took the Sun, Lightning, and Flash scrolls after a few seconds of thought.

Anthony chose Healing, Paralysis, and Freezing, leaving 460 verl d'or and the remaining three scrolls for Franca.

Franca picked up the Secret Voice scroll, smiling. "This is perfect for coordinating operations. Surprised you didn't want it."

The Secret Voice scroll created a secret channel linking three to five people within fifty meters, allowing them to communicate without being overheard or blocked by obstacles.

You could leave it for Lumian... Jenna thought but didn't say, not wanting to dampen Franca's spirits.

As they chatted, a messenger from Madam Judgment delivered a reply:

"The Moses Ascetic Order will handle the abnormality in Kmerolo. You don't need to follow up."

...

In Trier, in a room with overturned furniture and papers scattered everywhere.

The Hermit, a Major Arcana card from the Tarot Club whom Franca and her team had met before, stood before a wall covered in meaningless lines. She wore black-framed glasses and a deep black robe adorned with eye-shaped purple patterns, examining faint traces of dried blackened blood, tears, and saliva.

A nearly transparent, eyelash-less, and indifferent eye hovered before her, silently observing. Its gaze seemed to contain countless stars and various scenes.

After a while, The Hermit ignored the blackened blood, taking a small amount of the powder stained with tears and saliva.

A dreamlike pumpkin carriage appeared before her, altering her appearance, aura, and physique.

The Hermit calmly sat in the carriage.

A group of mice pulled the pumpkin carriage into a tunnel outside the Trier catacombs.

Still seated in the pumpkin carriage, The Hermit conjured a vibrant, slightly unreal ball of yarn.

She infused the powder from before into the yarn and threw it into the tunnel's depths, leaving a bright thread on the ground, pointing the way forward.

-x-X-x-

The Hermit followed the vibrant thread of yarn through the dark tunnel in her pumpkin carriage.

She didn't know how long she had been descending when she arrived at a naturally formed cave.

The vibrant yarn ball had stopped here.

The swarm of mice and the pumpkin carriage vanished, and The Hermit floated down, her feet touching the ground.

She didn't need to remove her glasses to see the pools of pus-like blood on the ground, eroding the soil in the extreme darkness.

For a moment, The Hermit seemed to see a scene from the past: A blurry figure staggered towards the cave, each step leaving a splatter of pus-like blood that sizzled as it corroded the rocks and soil.

The Hermit weaved through the pools of blood and entered the cave, but it was empty. The trail of pus-like blood ended abruptly.

It was as if the figure had exhausted all its flesh and blood, leaving no trace, or had evaporated entirely.

He had vanished.

Has Kmerolo disappeared like this... The Hermit immediately conjured nine blazing suns.

The intense heat caused the pools of blood to show signs of evaporation.

Then, the Major Arcana cardholder removed her glasses.

The pus-like blood changed immediately.

It wasn't blood but dense, intertwined, complex symbols or letters.

These symbols or letters were grouped together, eroding various rocks and soil, bright red and dazzling.

Even with her knowledge of mysticism, The Hermit couldn't identify what they represented.

Kmerolo's flesh and blood transformed into this? The Hermit pondered for a moment and decided to strip away all the bloody symbols and letters and take them to a high-ranking Cryptologist.

...

Morora, Carnivore bar, second floor.

Lumian had another nightmare, but this time, he was clearly aware that he was dreaming.

He dreamed of walking through a dark, lightless tunnel, with stone slabs beneath his feet and bricks in the walls, with rusty iron wall lamps every so often, none of them lit.

Lumian wandered aimlessly, sometimes turning right, sometimes descending stairs, and sometimes resting against the wall.

Suddenly, he saw yellowish light ahead.

In the glow, figures in black robes appeared, carrying quietly burning lanterns, their eyes covered with thick black cloth.

Law enforcement... Experimental subjects... Lumian instantly understood.

Am I dreaming of the mausoleum?

This matches the sealing information of 0-01 and the books' descriptions...

Using my knowledge and the corruption I've suffered, did I recreate a tunnel of the mausoleum in my dream?

The experimental subjects, despite being blindfolded, walked steadily, maintaining a straight line forward.

I don't seem to be blindfolded... Will something abnormal happen? No, I'm just dreaming... Although lucid dreaming, Lumian's thoughts were sluggish, seemingly influenced by the dream.

As he was about to pass by the experimental subjects with lanterns, his gaze naturally fell on one of the lanterns.

The lantern's glass case, framed in bronze, reflected a black shadow.

The shadow, human-like in shape, flickered and leaped to another lantern.

That shadow isn't mine... nor the lantern-bearer's... It's... it's one of those Mirror People corrupted by the mausoleum's power? Or perhaps the Mirror Person that infiltrated Morora? Lumian shivered, feeling more awake than ever.

He focused his gaze and saw the slightly distorted, human-like black shadow pause and look back at him from the lantern's glass, illuminated by firelight.

As their eyes met, the shadow vanished instantly.

Lumian's vision wavered, the entire tunnel, lit by the lanterns, shaking violently.

Within seconds, Lumian woke up, his eyes snapping open.

The shaking continued, and his bed creaked while the house clattered.

An earthquake? Lumian judged calmly.

In Morora, he had already experienced four earthquakes, one volcanic eruption, five torrential rains, four hurricanes, three tornadoes, two hailstorms, and two snowstorms... Often, more than one extreme weather event occurred in a single day, though sometimes it was just ordinary weather fluctuations.

Based on his physical assessment and experience, Lumian judged that this earthquake wouldn't collapse the sturdy Carnivore bar building, so he lay there calmly, with no intention of getting out of bed and escaping to the street.

If worse came to worst, he could still teleport to the Knowledge Cathedral.

Staring at the still-swaying ceiling, Lumian recalled the nightmare: Was I woken up by the earthquake, or did my nightmare trigger the earthquake?

After pondering for a while, Lumian believed it was the latter.

But this meant his nightmare had truly connected to the underground mausoleum!

Earlier, was I wandering through the mausoleum in some peculiar form, not needing to be blindfolded or carry a lantern?

Was everything I saw and experienced real, actually happening in real time?

Was the Mirror Person on the lantern real too?

Right, that didn't look like the lantern-bearer's Mirror Person, their physical condition was noticeably different.

Could it be the Mirror Person from Trier? Did he use the special power of the mirror world to start exploring the mausoleum before Albus, Julie, and I?

If so, he may have been at it for many days, and might be close to succeeding...

When he saw me, did he see what I look like, my state, my form?

Yes, if one enters the mausoleum without being blindfolded, the experimental subjects will see the corresponding Mirror Person in their own eyes and be replaced?

A series of questions flashed through Lumian's mind, creating a sense of urgency.

He sat up and looked towards the window.

The earthquake had already subsided, and outside the not-so-thick curtains, the sky seemed to be getting slightly brighter.

Lumian sighed, suppressing his negative emotions, and decided to sleep a bit more, until six in the morning.

He needed to be in his best condition to complete the remaining three days of study, otherwise, he might lose control or even die from it.

After waking up naturally, Lumian had breakfast prepared by Lez and then went directly to the Knowledge Cathedral, sitting in his usual spot, reading and monitoring the entrance to the underground mausoleum.

This way, if there was an anomaly, he could teleport there immediately and enter the underground.

After alternating between thunderstorms and clear skies, Lumian finished his morning studies and headed back to the Carnivore bar for lunch.

About a third of the way back, he heard a painful yet slightly pleasurable scream from the direction of the bar.

Is Julie at it again? She wasn't in a bad or good mood today...

And it's the bar's busy time... Did someone bother her? Lumian shook his head, thinking Julie was quite unprofessional.

Soon, he returned to the Carnivore bar and found the area in front of the bar and inside the hall empty, with tables and chairs overturned, broken glasses scattered, and spilled liquor on the floor, some of it already frozen.

It looks like Julie went berserk, attacked all the patrons, and drove them away... What happened? Lumian became highly alert.

As the owner of the Carnivore bar, he felt both distressed over the wasted liquor and keenly aware of the unusual situation.

He remembered that Julie had seemed fine when he left in the morning, even proactively helping Lez prepare the ingredients for the day.

Lumian sniffed the air, detecting a faint smell of blood and a hint of something resembling chestnut flowers.

To most men, the latter scent was very familiar.

Something's off. Based on my observations, Julie usually finishes her collection before the target reaches the peak of pleasure. This time, the scent is quite noticeable... Did she let the original owner of the collection enjoy themselves? Lumian frowned and followed the smell of blood upstairs, pushing open Julie's door.

On Julie's bed lay Lez, naked, eyes wide open, mouth half-puffed, with his legs a bloody mess.

He was dead.

Julie attacked Lez? Lumian looked into Lez's eyes, seeing extreme pleasure, relaxation, and evident pain, with no signs of a supernatural battle in the room, only splattered blood and a few sources of the chestnut flower scent telling the story.

This made Lumian suspect that Lez had willingly gone to bed with Julie.

And this culinary artist knew well what Julie would do.

Similarly, Julie's behavior was different this time, seemingly allowing Lez to complete his climax.

Did Lez seek liberation? Or did he make a preemptive move and fail?

Lumian wasn't shocked by this but found it too sudden.

Lumian's gaze fell on the lifeless bloodstain at Lez's mouth.

After a few seconds, he suddenly recalled something Julie had once said to Lez: "I've decided to seduce you last."

Last... Lumian's eyes narrowed sharply.

To Julie, now was the final moment?

Was she about to take her last action?

Where had she gone now?

-x-X-x-

Lumian directly activated the black mark on his right shoulder and teleported to the edge of the boundless cemetery, right at the entrance to the underground mausoleum.

This place looked like the mouth of a giant beast, with gray-white stone steps stretching down into the dark, deep throat.

Lumian suspected Julie had already entered the mausoleum.

Whatever the Demoness Sect's plan was, it ultimately had to involve the sealed 0-01 deep within the mausoleum!

Lumian sniffed around the entrance, detecting only the scents of grass, trees, and the earthy smell after rain. There was no trace of Julie's fragrance.

At the same time, he scrutinized the gray-white stone steps descending into the darkness, looking for fresh footprints-there had been a thunderstorm earlier.

No signs of Julie... Lumian turned and transformed into a blazing white spear, shooting across hundreds of meters and landing beside the Knowledge Cathedral.

He didn't take a detour, opening the nearest stained glass window and jumping into the church, quickly running to Heraberg, who was dressed in a plain white robe with brass thread.

"Your Grace, do you know which room Celeste is staying in?" Lumian's breath was steady, but he spoke quickly.

Heraberg, the archbishop of Morora, smiled and replied, "The third floor, the room closest to the cemetery, with a view of the mausoleum entrance."

Lumian was taken aback.

You knew all along...

He didn't waste time asking further, igniting white flames on his body and darting like a javelin towards the staircase.

After a few turns, Lumian reached Celeste's room.

He grasped the brass handle, gently twisted it, and pushed open the wooden door.

The room was tidy, with minimal furnishings-a single bed, a desk, a chair, and a shelf for books and miscellaneous items, giving off a monastic austerity.

Indeed, Celeste is gone as well... Lumian confirmed his suspicion.

He didn't immediately enter the room, sensing it was filled with invisible, pathogen-laden webs, like a poisonous spider's nest.

While preparing to burn the unseen webs, he observed further.

He noticed Celeste might have been playing the part of a corrupted experiment subject, as the room lacked any unnecessary items. With her disappearance, even the spare black robes were gone, leaving the room empty, save for a mirror on the desk by the window.

The mirror was a common dressing mirror, not unusual in a Demoness's room.

But it sparked a thought in Lumian: Did Celeste leave through the mirror world?

The law enforcers usually entered and exited together. She couldn't have bet on the Knowledge Cathedral turning a blind eye and walked out alone...

Is she meeting Julie somewhere in the mirror world?

Did Julie and Celeste use the mirror world to enter the mausoleum, leaving no traces at the entrance?

With this in mind, Lumian's thoughts raced, forming a web of connections from various bits of information and ideas.

He quickly made a guess: Did Celeste patrol the mausoleum as an experiment subject several times to place mirrors at key points or obtain coordinates of similar reflective items?

When I used the Mirror Cufflink before, I couldn't identify which mirrors were in the mausoleum or if they were dangerous...

This was the Demoness Sect's preparation, and now, Celeste has control over the mirrors in the mausoleum and can start the operation?

Why not act immediately after her last patrol?

Were a few days needed for other preparations?

As his thoughts raced, Lumian whispered, "Termiboros, do you think I should enter the mausoleum now or continue my studies, hoping Julie and Celeste fail?"

Before Termiboros could respond, Lumian laughed and said, "I won't rely on others to fail."

He had made his decision.

He would enter the mausoleum to disrupt and stop the Demoness Sect's actions, buying a few more days!

The only issue was that in the mausoleum, he had to be blindfolded and couldn't read or study during the downtime.

Is there a way to convert text to sound? Aurore's grimoires mentioned related ideas and preliminary results, but I'm not a Warlock... Lumian sighed internally, then heard Termiboros's layered, majestic voice: "It's very dangerous."

You're actually answering... Is this a genuine warning or a hidden plot?

He only mentioned the danger, without strongly dissuading me... No matter, whether Termiboros opposes or tempts me, I'm going... Lumian quickly calmed himself, chuckled, and said, "Maybe we'll both become 0-01's puppets."

"Not including me," Termiboros responded in a powerful voice.

Is that so? Lumian once again transformed into a flaming spear and swiftly returned to the cathedral hall.

He approached Heraberg, holding three books, and smiled. "Your Grace, I still have two and a half books left to read. Do you have a way to convert the remaining knowledge into sound so I can study while exploring the mausoleum?"

Heraberg's wrinkles smoothed out, and his expression became even gentler. "Good, good, this is the attitude needed for study."

He took out a brass sheet and accepted the books from Lumian.

In Heraberg's amber eyes, countless symbols and words swirled and spun.

Lumian saw tiny glimmers rising from the books, converging into a river that flowed into the brass sheet.

What kind of mystic art is this... Lumian was mesmerized.

Before coming to Lenburg, he had gathered detailed information about the Church of Knowledge, including some details about the Reader pathway.

He knew the Sequence 5 of the Reader pathway was called Mysticism Magister, capable of inventing and creating unique spells.

Soon, the glimmers vanished, and the brass sheet became more lustrous, with its symbols and patterns gaining more depth.

With two snaps, Heraberg broke off two corners from the brass sheet and molded them into cylindrical shapes.

Lumian watched, jaw dropping.

Without the aid of fire, breaking off two pieces of brass with just my hands is quite difficult, let alone molding them like clay with my fingers...

Your Grace, are all Readers this strong, or is it unique to you as a puppet?

Your fingers could probably crush my bones to dust...

Or is this a side effect of the mystic art?

"Insert them into your ears. The activation spell is 'listen' in ancient Hermes, as I know you only speak this language and haven't mastered Jotun or Elvish yet. The deactivation spell is 'stop.'" Heraberg handed the brass sheet and the two cylindrical brass earplugs to Lumian.

Lumian instinctively argued, "I know Hermes too."

He understood Heraberg was referring to languages capable of invoking supernatural powers.

"Hermes?" Heraberg laughed.

Lumian sensed contempt for the Hermes language in his laughter and expression.

With time running out, Lumian didn't ask further, inserting one brass earplug and pocketing the rest. He then transformed into a blazing white spear and flew from the open stained glass window to the mausoleum entrance.

Lumian calmed his breathing, took a carbide lamp and white bandages from the Traveler's Bag.

After lighting the carbide lamp, he wrapped the bandages around his head, covering his eyes.

Lumian's vision gradually turned pitch black.

For a Hunter who relied heavily on sight, this was far from a pleasant experience.

Feeling his way, he picked up the carbide lamp and cautiously descended the gray-white stone steps.

He focused on maintaining his balance, worried about stepping wrong and tumbling down like a wheel into the mausoleum.

He wasn't afraid of getting hurt but feared extinguishing the lamp.

Being blind is no fun... Lumian muttered, constructing a mental map.

Most of the map's content came from the 0-01 sealing information and the book Examples of Mausoleum Construction, with some from his nightmares over the past few days.

Using the mental map, his heightened senses, and his control over his body, Lumian gradually adapted to the darkness, descending more steadily.

Finally, he reached the bottom of the stairs and officially entered the mausoleum.

He felt the surrounding darkness surge like a tide, eroding his skin, bringing a chill and a slow drain of life force.

Almost simultaneously, his right palm turned icy cold.

The abnormal life force drain stopped.

The Underworld Daoist's mark activated? Lumian silently mused, In this situation, even without a lit carbide lamp, I shouldn't encounter any issues in the mausoleum's darkness. Hehe, when I find Julie and Celeste, I could use my Hunter ability to extinguish their lamps directly. But Julie is special, and Celeste likely is too. It might not be easy to have the darkness engulf them...

Blindfolded, Lumian turned and sensed the Abscessed Hand's head location using the semi-activated black mark on his right shoulder.

He planned to find this thing first, then stop Julie and Celeste.

Then, he could toss the separated Abscessed Hand parts together and see what mutation occurs, giving the enemies a "surprise."

Perhaps because they were in the same mausoleum, Lumian quickly sensed the summoning and special connection from Hand Bro.

It was not far!

-x-X-x-