111 COI

Amon began reading again in a flat tone, "When the anomaly at Cordu Village was discovered, the corruption and personality distortion in Aurore Lee had already become quite severe. If the most skilled Psychologist provided treatment and any true god offered a seal, it might have been possible to save her. But why save her?

"If the situation at Cordu Village had continued to develop, it would indeed have caused a significant catastrophe. However, if intervened, it could bring substantial benefits and play an important role at a critical moment in the future.

"The lizard-shaped elves entered Cordu Village, quietly maintaining the balance. They wanted the outcome to follow the heretics' original plan but not actually succeed. At the same time, they ensured that Aurore Lee retained a slight chance of resurrection.

"In the end, their goal was achieved. Before the Sinners' organization sent someone, Guillaume Bénet conducted the grand sacrifice himself, opening a temporary passage above the barrier, allowing Termiboros to descend.

"Amon had already been waiting nearby, deceiving the ritual, utilizing the barrier, and secretly following Termiboros back into this world.

"Aurore Lee pushing Lumian Lee away in the end brought a bit of an unexpected twist, but it did not change the overall outcome. The Fool's aura on Lumian Lee, stimulated by the surrounding environment and his intense emotional fluctuations, successfully attracted The Fool's attention…"

Hearing this, Lumian's hands unconsciously clenched into fists, his heart burning with rage, overpowering the numbness and despair.

Amon, as if not noticing his emotional change, continued to read, "As a result, Termiboros was severely wounded, and together with the soul fragments of Aurore Lee and the villagers of Cordu, was sealed into Lumian Lee's body. During this process, Amon voluntarily joined them, stealing Termiboros' fate and identity before He could recover, killing Him and reducing Him to a Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic of the Inevitability pathway.

"Before Lumian Lee became an Ascetic, Amon had already absorbed the Beyonder characteristic, completing the pathway switch, fully replacing Termiboros, only lacking the final ritual.

"This is very important. Whether it's the vortex ritual now or another plan, it doesn't change. Lumian Lee will understand why soon."

At this point, Amon looked up at the dark sky covered with a thick glass-like layer, smiled, and said, "Next, I will only read the key parts, otherwise, I'm afraid Roselle won't last that long."

Lumian didn't respond to Him, using all his strength to suppress his emotions.

He wanted to uncover the truth behind many previous events!

Amon lowered His head again, looking at the paper in His hand. "After the first phase of psychological treatment ended, the hidden dangers of the Tree of Shadow were prematurely triggered, forcing Lumian Lee to face Susanna Mattise's sacrifice.

"The Amon sealed within him indeed couldn't bear the weight and complexity of the Tree of Shadow's fate torrent, nor could He rapidly evolve the fate fragments of encountering the Montsouris ghost into an attack by the Montsouris ghost. However, the Angel of Fate, Ouroboros, had always been watching from nearby. This was His specialty, and in this regard, He was far superior to the Sufferer of the Inevitability pathway.

"With Ouroboros's covert assistance, Lumian Lee successfully swapped the fate of being attacked by the Montsouris ghost with the fate of the Tree of Shadow having its roots burned by the Fourth Epoch Trier's invisible flames. This would play a crucial role in Lumian Lee and Susanna Mattise's upcoming battle.

"Between the two battles, Amon didn't miss the opportunity, deliberately describing Lumian as the unfortunate one to strike at him. This was a deception; if it were the real Termiboros, He would have said similar words in such a situation.

"At the end of the Tree of Shadow incident, the lizard-like elf deliberately let Lumian Lee see it, giving him a strong desire and motivation to continue exploring the truth behind the Cordu disaster."

Hearing this, Lumian was stunned again.

My desire, my anger, is that what that individual wanted too?

Amon seemed to skip parts and started reading the next key point,

"The madman Flameng, driven insane by encountering the Montsouris ghost, coincidentally stayed at the Auberge du Coq Doré. His experiences and ending resonated with Lumian Lee. The Earth Blood stone he left behind gave Lumian Lee the chance to obtain the residual aura of the Blood Emperor.

"At this time, due to the convergence of Amon's main body, more and more Amons noticed Lumian Lee's existence and obtained corresponding information.

"To bring out the hidden value of the Earth Blood stone, one of the Amons chose to steal it. Coincidentally, a lady from the Church of Evernight asked Lumian Lee for help to obtain water from the Samaritan Women's Spring leading them into the underground catacombs.

"With the enthusiastic help of the Amons, Lumian Lee ultimately used the Earth Blood stone to gain the residual aura of the Blood Emperor. This was the first step in his mystical similarity to 0-01 which could provide him help in critical moments.

…

"The Hostel plan was initiated as expected. Some participants were killed, some achieved their goals, and those outside who could not observe Fourth Epoch Trier received guidance, while Lumian Lee and others obtained a fragment of the special mirror world for the first time.

…

"After leaving Trier, Lumian Lee inevitably converged to Port Santa, where the seal was reinforced early. Though it left hidden dangers, it could at least last longer…

"On the subsequent journey, Lumian Lee encountered Father Montserrat and obtained Omebella's burned umbilical cord. He also got involved in matters related to Naboredisley, laying the foundation for meeting Farbauti's avatar in the tomb at the end of the Dream Festival…

"During the Dream Festival, Lumian Lee successfully obtained the seal of the Underworld Daoist, truly gaining mystical similarity to 0-01…

"During the journey, Lumian Lee also met several people with experiences similar to his but with different choices and outcomes, which touched him, firming his ideas, and further improving his psychological state. The second phase of psychological treatment was successfully completed.

…

"After asking Mr. K for help to solve Perle's painting person, Lumian Lee went to the first cathedral built by the Aurora Order for the True Creator. There, he coincidentally saw the lizard-like elves crawling in and out of the god.

"This dealt him a huge blow, worsening his psychological state, but also made his desire and determination for revenge stronger and firmer.

…

"After returning to Trier from Morora, Lumian Lee began preparing for his advancement to Iron-blooded Knight. What he didn't realize was that his psychological state and emotional condition had not met the requirements to become a demigod. Even with the sealed angel as a teammate, there was a significant probability that he would lose control after consuming the Iron-blooded Knight potion.

"Fortunately, the presence of the Black Tear and Celia Bello becoming a Demoness of Pleasure prematurely triggered the emotional issues within Lumian's team. After much entanglement and pain, Lumian chose to face his thoughts and tried to respond to others' attention to him. Although his response was twisted, he at least took the first step, no longer passively accepting but placing himself in a position of importance. This mindset change was crucial for his subsequent advancement ritual.

"As a result, Lumian Lee's emotions and desires were vented, and his importance was no longer suppressed by his fear of loss. His connections with Franca Roland and Celia Bello became stronger and closer, providing him with two strong anchors during his advancement to demigod, helping him stabilize his consciousness.

"The third and final phase of psychological treatment ended, and Lumian Lee could now withstand new blows.

…

"During the vortex ritual, Lumian's team fell into a desperate situation. All his teammates, except him, were about to be killed or taken away by Higdon of the Order of All Extinction in a few minutes.

"Lumian Lee wanted to ask Amon for help, but Amon chose to refuse because He wasn't Lumian Lee's godfather and had no obligation, even though Lumian Lee had indeed become more like Amon, using loopholes more skillfully after repeatedly receiving boons from Amon.

"Relying solely on himself and those few Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts, Lumian Lee couldn't save his teammates because Voisin Sanson and others would also assist Higdon shortly.

"Lumian Lee now has only one choice, to ascend to demigod on the spot. But Amon is unwilling to help him shatter the Sword of Courage, returning the Sword of Courage to a Beyonder characteristic, and his Iron-blooded Knight ritual is still incomplete.

"Amon tells him that the only help He would provide is to shatter the Black Tear, give him the supplementary ingredients missing for the Despair potion, and send him to Morora to complete the ritual using the exiles there, ascending to Demoness of Despair.

"Becoming a Demoness of Despair, Lumian Lee, wielding the Sword of Courage, successfully saves his teammates. Then, he would switch between the Demoness and Hunter pathways, spiraling upwards. This doesn't need to be symmetrical, depending on the situation, aiming to fulfill the phrase 'pure yin does not last, pure yang does not grow, yin contains yang, yang contains yin, the union of yin and yang gives rise to everything.'

"This is the only correct way to approach the peak power of the two calamity pathways. Alista Tudor and Cheek's attempts failed; not only did They fail to succeed, but They also created a big trouble.

"In this process, Aurore Lee's soul fragments will gradually revive when Lumian Lee is in the Demoness state.

"If Lumian Lee can ultimately defeat Red Angel Medici and Primordial Demoness Cheek, mastering the peak power of the two calamity pathways, Aurore Lee's personality and soul fragments can rely on Lumian's own spirit and flesh to resurrect. Then, they can merge with his consciousness, suppressing the corruption of inevitability, and become his female form, controlling the feminine side of calamity. This is the true union of yin and yang, similar to the Medici evil spirit's current state but closer to the peak.

"This is also the only way to truly revive Aurore Lee."

Amon paused, looking at Lumian, who seemed to have turned into a statue, raised His chin slightly, revealed a faint smile, and recited the final sentence, "Can you accept such an outcome?"

-x-X-x-

Hearing Amon's question, Lumian seemed to break free from a long nightmare, only to find reality was an even more despairing abyss.

His body trembled slightly as he used all his strength to squeeze out a sound from his throat.

"Isn't He afraid? Afraid that after I truly master the peak power of calamity, I'll seek revenge against Him?"

Amon laughed. "By making such a choice, He shows He's willing to face all possible futures and accept the worst outcome.

"It makes no difference to Him whether it's you or Medici, whether you submit, give up, be angry, or hate. If either of you manages to master the peak power of calamity, seek revenge against Him, disrupt His plans, or even pull Him down from His divine throne, He would still not regret it and would acknowledge the result."

At this point, Amon paused before continuing, "Because He was born to bear all sins."

Lumian fell silent, his fists clenched tightly, with thin streams of bright red blood seeping through the gaps.

Amon glanced at the transparent but dark sky. "Time is running out. You must make your choice."

Lumian's lips moved a few times before he suddenly laughed, a mixture of anger and self-mockery.

His voice was hoarse and low as he said, "I'm willing to go—to Morora. I will try all possible ways to revive Aurore, including the only method He mentioned, but I will not accept the outcome He predetermined!"

Amon chuckled, adjusting His monocle on His right eye.

"You don't need to tell me the second half of your sentence. My task is only to send you to Morora and make you a Demoness of Despair. Whether you accept that ending, you'll have to face Him and tell Him yourself."

With that, Amon raised His right hand and gently grasped, making the Black Tear forehead accessory magically detach from the Traveler's Bag and appear in His palm.

The black, tear-shaped Sealed Artifact silently shattered, transforming into specks of faint light. These lights quickly converged into a shrunken, withered, blackened, translucent heart.

Amon then reached towards Voisin Sanson, grabbing two items.

One was a small glass vial containing dark green liquid, and the other, three silver fragments.

After making his decision, Lumian's emotions finally settled a bit. He no longer felt as out of control as before—his body had been trembling uncontrollably, and his thoughts had been fixated on destruction.

Seeing the two items in Amon's hand, Lumian suddenly paused.

Voisin Sanson had the supplementary ingredients for the Demoness of Despair?

He was also the one who suggested lifting the seal earlier…

Amon mentioned that some participants in the Hostel plan received hidden guidance in Fourth Epoch Trier's unique environment without being noticed by the evil gods… Was Voisin Sanson one of them?

Voisin Sanson himself probably didn't remember being guided, thinking he escaped Fourth Epoch Trier purely with the help of the Mirror People, and later unknowingly did some seemingly unimportant abnormal things?

Amon couldn't break out of Mr. Fool's seal on His own, so there had to be a role to accomplish the unsealing task without killing me—the test subject… Voisin Sanson's stated goal allowed him to do this without suspicion…

That individual tacitly allowed the Hostel plan to happen, without much interference or obstruction, and didn't ruin Red Angel's plan, all to prepare for now?

Realizing this, Lumian instinctively scoffed to ease his emotions. "So He can't accept just any outcome after all."

He did so much to ensure the expected result!

Amon smiled. "Willing to accept the worst outcome doesn't mean not striving for the best. And now, would you refuse to go to Morora and become a Demoness of Despair?"

Lumian fell silent again.

Amon let the Demoness of Despair Beyonder characteristic and the two supplementary materials fly towards Lumian, casually remarking, "This Beyonder characteristic will continuously spread plagues, both mundane and mystical, and you'll also be infected."

After Lumian caught them, Amon smiled again. "Do you know what the Sequence 2 of the Inevitability pathway is?"

"Sinner," Lumian replied, determined to go to Morora and complete his task no matter how painful or reluctant he felt.

"And Sequence 1?" Amon continued to quiz him unhurriedly.

Lumian shook his head.

He really didn't know.

Amon explained with a smile, "Sequence 1 is Angel of Redemption, but to me, it's not as useful as Sinner.

"The past Sinner, the present Sufferer, and the future Angel of Redemption form the trinity of the Inevitability pathway."

Amon adjusted His monocle, smiling more prominently.

"And a Sinner has the ability to revert their state to any past moment, with the duration depending on specific circumstances."

Revert to any past moment… Lumian suddenly remembered that Madam Magician mentioned Amon, the King of Angels from ancient times, once briefly became a god!

Amon turned, smiling. "Of course, involving the uniqueness and power of a true god requires the current holder's consent. That Celestial Worthy has already diverted most of His attention to influence Project Vortex, so He certainly can't interfere with The Fool on this matter, and The Fool you believe in shouldn't object."

As He spoke, Amon spread His arms as if embracing returning power.

The monocle on His right eye shone brilliantly.

Before Lumian could react, he saw the obstacles and barriers blocking access to Morora in the special mirror world disappear, allowing him to enter the City of Exiles smoothly and without hindrance.

High above in the special mirror world, the figure wearing a golden crown and black dress nodded at Amon, not attempting to interfere with Lumian.

She was mirror Roselle. In this matter, She had placed bets on both sides, ensuring that the real Roselle wouldn't completely perish. Whether the real Roselle became a puppet of the Uncertain Mist or died to await another resurrection opportunity, it wouldn't affect Her existence and would even gradually make Her the main body.

In the next second, Amon's figure vanished from Lumian's sight.

The paper He had been reading silently floated down, completely blank—a sheet of white paper.

…

Before the bloody altar in the ancient castle.

Ma'am Hermit suddenly spoke, "The voice from that painting has weakened."

Madam Magician looked up, slightly puzzled and apprehensive. "The sealing power of the barrier has strengthened. The true god of the Door pathway has returned… No, it's not Mr. Fool, it's more like… more like Amon!"

Using her angelic intuition about the true god of her pathway, Madam Magician quickly made a judgment.

"How could Amon become the true god of the Door pathway again?" Miss Justice's heart stirred. "Did Mr. Fool or that Celestial Worthy lend Him power?"

If it was the former, it would be great news for disrupting the vortex ritual. If it was the latter, it would be serious.

"Based on current developments, it should be Mr. Fool," Madam Magician said thoughtfully.

At this moment, the Ma'am Hermit, receiving Miss Justice's report, moved her eyes slightly.

"Since the influence of the mysterious voice has weakened, the power of fate must have lessened too. Now, there should be a chance to destroy this painting!"

As she spoke, the holder of the Major Arcana card holder reached out to Madam Magician, asking for the iron cigar case.

…

In the sea near Port Santa, the seal, previously weakened by internal gray fog and external gnawing, instantly became as strong as before.

The School of Deliciousness's previous efforts were all in vain.

Deep in the primitive island, before the Black Emperor mausoleum.

The thick, pervasive white mist abruptly contracted towards the core as if squeezed by an invisible force.

The mark left by The Fool inside Roselle strengthened, alleviating some of the corruption caused by the Uncertain Mist.

Roselle's twisted, painful expression improved somewhat.

The eyes of Perle, scattered in different parts of the mist, saw a figure suddenly appear in midair. The figure wore a black robe, a matching pointed hat, and a monocle on His right eye.

He is… Isn't it said that external forces can't interfere with the vortex's operation? Perle, still barely alive, had this question when she saw the figure in mid-air look down at her, smiling happily as He introduced Himself, "Is this our first meeting? I am Termiboros."

"…" Perle suddenly felt as if her intelligence had been stolen.

How could it be Termiboros?

However, my spiritual intuition tells me that He is indeed Termiboros…

…

In the special mirror world,

Seeing Amon's figure soar upwards and vanish from sight, Lumian finally understood why He had said that whether it was the vortex ritual or another plan, it didn't matter compared to consuming Termiboros and becoming an Angel of the Inevitability pathway.

This meant there would always be a high-ranking being capable of temporarily exerting a true god's power, lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike at a crucial moment!

Lumian glanced at the white paper on the ground, then looked at Franca, Jenna, and the others struggling against Higdon with the help of the Pride Armor and the Demoness's black flames. He quickly put away the Sword of Courage, gripping the Beyonder characteristic and supplementary ingredients of the Demoness of Despair, and activated the black mark on his right shoulder.

He traversed the special mirror world and returned to Morora, the City of Exiles.

Immediately, he reconnected with 0-01, using the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact to help bear the damage and influence of the Demoness' plague.

Then, Lumian stood on the steps before the Knowledge Cathedral, gazing at the wide, deserted square. He began summoning the exiles most affected by 0-01 to gather quickly, aiming to save time.

-x-X-x-

In the next two to three minutes, a large number of exiles poured into the square in front of the Knowledge Cathedral. Some, accidentally bumped into, chose to duel on the spot. Others quietly straightened their necks so they wouldn't be too crooked. Some sang loudly out of boredom, while others played a game of slapping each other…

Lumian stood on the steps, holding the Beyonder characteristic of the Demoness of Despair, expressionless as he watched these exiled felons.

Time is running out… Lumian silently whispered to himself, turning to look at the Knowledge Cathedral once more, but still did not see Archbishop Heraberg of Morora.

Finally resigned, he turned his gaze back to the exiles, who almost filled the square.

There were definitely more than thirty thousand.

Lumian suddenly started laughing, his body trembling with mirth.

Though he seemed to have many choices, considering environmental factors, time constraints, the current situation, and his own obsessions, only one path remained.

The only road before him.

After laughing for over ten seconds, Lumian, dressed in a white shirt, black vest, dark trousers, and laced shoes, stepped down from the steps and walked into the crowd.

The exiles near the Knowledge Cathedral began to feel something was wrong. Their bodies weakened, and when they tried to slap their opponents, it felt more like caressing their faces.

Some instinctively wanted to flee but found their legs powerless, their bodies heavy, moving only slowly.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. White-blue fireballs shot out from around Lumian, flying over the exiles infected with mystical diseases and landing at the edges of the square, which the exiles strangely ignored.

Rumble!

The fireballs exploded simultaneously, surrounding the square in a hell of white flames. The temperature soared, and thick smoke billowed.

Thud, thud, thud. Countless exiles, whose conditions had worsened, fell to the ground, watching as other felons with some strength left trampled over them. They stared at the white flames lighting up the sky, inching closer to them.

Pain and despair quickly filled their hearts, consuming their sanity.

Some wanted to call for help but could only make weak sounds.

Rumble!

Amid continuous explosions, Lumian walked out of the square, into the spreading sea of flames, and into the nearest street.

Rumble!

The houses on both sides of the street either collapsed under the white-blue fireballs or were directly ignited, rising into fierce flames like torches.

The felons in the square fell one by one, feeling helpless against the disease, experiencing pain and despair, waiting for death.

Lumian took out a glass bottle, placing the Beyonder characteristic of the Demoness of Despair, Plague Mother Serpent's bile, fragments of a Silver Hunter, blood of various plague victims, and fresh mistletoe into it one by one.

Bubbles gurgled up, and the dark purple potion shimmered with a rosy light.

Lumian gazed at the potion, laughing hoarsely. "Don't worry, I already know my insignificance. I will embrace despair and the path of the Demoness.

"But this is to avoid being manipulated in the future, to choose my own ending!"

With that, he walked forward, raising the bottle to his lips and tilting his head back to drink.

The exiles still standing in the square suddenly felt their pain and despair condense into something tangible, turning into invisible threads extending toward the burning street, toward the figure with his back to them.

They finally "awoke," but were too sick to fight the perpetrator. Some were even already engulfed by flames, burning their bodies.

They saw the figure walking step by step among the burning buildings, walking through the hellish streets, under the bright red sky. His hair floated up, growing longer, blacker, and thicker.

In the air, two stars seemed to light up, and the white-blue flames in the area suddenly turned pitch black.

This blackness spread like a flood, quickly drowning all light, making the fiery hell quiet, deep, and dark.

…

In the special mirror world, in the dark scene of the abandoned park where Franca and others fought against Higdon of the Order of All Extinction.

Covered in greenish-yellow mucus, Higdon had split into four, each seeking different targets, while black flames of the Demoness burned quietly around Franca and Jenna.

The black flames burned the spirituality of the disease but were dimmed by the decaying power, eventually extinguishing.

If it weren't for discovering that Higdon's disease, having some spirituality, could be ignited by the Demoness's black flames to slow its spread and intensity, Franca believed she and Jenna would have already exhausted their Mirror Substitutes and awaited death.

Meanwhile, the Pride Armor played a crucial role, almost unaffected by Higdon's diseases, and not corroded by the decaying power. It remained energetic, chasing down Higdon whenever he dared to attack from behind, occasionally unleashing a Hurricane of Light.

During the battle, Franca and Jenna noticed another problem.

They couldn't tell if it was because Higdon had no brain or if the demigod was just unlucky, but his Certain Death attacks often missed.

Combined, the two Demonesses and Anthony, who used his Psychological Invisibility to stay out of the decaying range, barely managed to hold on for nearly nine minutes before Higdon—a demigod. Occasionally, they even felt that Higdon lacked the oppressive presence of a true demigod, seeming like a poor-quality product.

But even so, they couldn't find an opportunity to escape and discovered that their enemies were multiplying—from two at the start to four now, with one splitting off to find Ludwig.

Moreover, although individual Higdon fragments seemed weaker than a true demigod, each fragment retained the same level of power, making them collectively terrifying. Franca guessed the number of splits should have a limit, but not too many.

I have two Mirror Substitutes left. Jenna probably has one… Anthony, although attacked less and outside the range, only had two to begin with and has used one… Franca analyzed the situation quickly while constantly repositioning to avoid Higdon's sudden Sure Hit attacks.

As for Lugano, when Higdon blocked him at the start, Franca signaled him to run as far as he could and hide.

It proved to be the right call. Higdon's targets were Ludwig and the two Demonesses, making no effort to stop Lugano from fleeing and not splitting more Higdons to chase him.

Continuous use of black flames is also draining our spirituality. Jenna and I can't hold on much longer… Franca considered whether to use the last Mirror Traversal of the Ice Amulet now to delay for a while and see if there would be a turning point.

It could also give Anthony a chance to survive.

The Hypnotist was also not Higdon's target and had Psychological Invisibility.

Just as Franca was about to signal Jenna to approach, she suddenly saw greenish-yellow drops forming behind Jenna, quickly condensing into Higdon.

Almost simultaneously, Franca noticed from Jenna's worried expression that something was happening behind her too.

Without hesitation, both Demonesses activated Mirror Substitution.

The next second, two Higdons spread out like dirty, slimy "blankets," wrapping Franca and Jenna in a Sure Hit.

A cracking sound followed.

Meanwhile, Anthony, quietly lurking at the edge of the park, leaning against a half-wall, suddenly saw a greenish-yellow mucus-covered Higdon appear beside him.

He had been discovered after all.

Higdon pushed with both hands, sending a greenish-black light ball towards Anthony.

Crack!

Anthony used his last Mirror Substitution, his figure appearing behind this Higdon.

Seeing this, Anthony had an epiphany.

An opportunity!

He didn't flee but raised his Winter is Coming revolver, aimed at Higdon, and pulled the trigger.

Certain Death!

A yellowish bullet, tinged with dim green, crossed the short distance, hitting Higdon.

Covered in greenish-yellow mucus, Higdon froze, his body quickly disintegrating into small drops, falling to the ground without any spirituality.

This Higdon was dead.

But the other three Higdons remained unaffected.

After confirming this, Franca and Jenna felt utter despair.

Their previous plan involved the two Demonesses as bait, giving Anthony a chance to shoot one Higdon with the Certain Death bullet, hoping to kill all Higdons.

Unexpectedly, the Certain Death effect only worked on the one hit.

Moments later, they saw the Pride Armor hit by a Certain Death attack, metal fragments falling from its chest, standing still.

Jenna gritted her teeth, ready to forgo the ritual and gamble on forcibly advancing by consuming the ingredients of the Demoness of Affliction.

At least it would restore her spirituality.

Even if she failed, she could turn into a monster, giving Franca a chance to escape.

Before Jenna could reach into her Traveler's Bag, another figure appeared at the edge of the area.

It was Voisin Sanson, with his blond hair turning white, who had chased them here!

Jenna and Franca's hearts sank rapidly. Jenna no longer hesitated.

At this moment, above one of the Higdons, a black iron sword, burning with white-blue flames, suddenly fell from the sky, accurately piercing the top of this Higdon's head.

Boom!

This Higdon exploded into fragments, the spreading white-blue flames turning into silent blackness, engulfing each piece.

The fragments never reappeared, and a figure quickly appeared in the eyes of Franca, Jenna, and Anthony.

-x-X-x-

In an instant, the figure became clear.

Everyone present, including Higdon and Voisin Sanson, was stunned.

The person had a slim face, light blue eyes resembling clear and dreamy lakes up in the highlands, a perfectly shaped nose, and lips neither too thick nor too thin. Her features were striking and graceful, with a peculiar sharpness that seemed to pierce through any defense of body and mind, straight to the soul, hitting its weakest spot.

At the same time, she had a cold demeanor, her face void of any smile, as if she had just killed thousands of people. Her long, straight black hair gently floated in the aftermath of the explosion.

At this moment, Franca recalled a description she had read before her transmigration: "Her beauty is aggressive…"

As she pondered, Franca felt a strong sense of familiarity.

Why does she look a bit like Lumian?

No, not a bit, a lot—like Lumian feminized and beautified, with some Photoshopped editing…

Right, she's holding the Sword of Courage!

My spiritual intuition tells me she is Lumian!

Demoness of Despair! Lumian escaped Voisin Sanson's pursuit, entered Morora, and without enough teammates to perform the Iron-blooded Knight ritual, chose to use the exiles there to advance to Demoness of Despair?

That's ruthless… something Lumian would do…

No, did he choose all the options I gave him?

I must admit—more beautiful than I imagined…

Uh, who helped him shatter the Black Tear?

As Franca's thoughts raced, Jenna shouted in pleasant surprise, "Lumian!"

The enchanted Higdon and Voisin Sanson snapped back to reality.

Lumian's figure disappeared again, reappearing behind another Higdon.

The Higdon covered in greenish-yellow mucus was prepared, instantly disintegrating into countless droplets.

However, around him, an almost impermeable invisible web suddenly appeared.

The web covered an area of about thirty meters, decaying rapidly while trapping and binding Higdon's greenish-yellow droplets.

Silent, destructive black flames surged from the Demoness-form Lumian, igniting the nearly decayed web and engulfing every greenish-yellow fragment, stripping them of all spirituality.

"Idiot!" Lumian cursed expressionlessly, his figure disappearing once more.

I didn't continue attacking but used Charm to buy time to weave this web, anticipating your escape!

Though Lumian used teleportation and invisibility, the black flames from his body did not extinguish.

After burning the web and the trapped Higdon fragments, the flames quickly spread across most of the park-like ruins, igniting the pervasive disease in the air.

Feeling the power of the disease and decay significantly diminishing, Franca didn't search for Lumian. Instead, she tacitly charged at Voisin Sanson.

She sensed Lumian wanted to eliminate Higdon first, so they needed to hold off Voisin Sanson, the Circle Inhabitant, to prevent him from interfering in Lumian and Higdon's battle.

Every moment counted!

Jenna had a similar feeling, quickly hiding and circling around Voisin Sanson, ready to support Franca and Anthony.

Among them, Anthony could inflict the most damage on a demigod!

Anthony used Psychological Invisibility again, cautiously approaching Voisin Sanson.

Voisin Sanson was still confused and fearful—he couldn't figure out where he went wrong trying to unseal and release Lord Termiboros, which allowed Lumian Lee to escape.

For a devout follower of Inevitability, this was a mistake redeemable only by death.

As soon as he regained control, Voisin Sanson hurried to the battlefield of Higdon and Lumian's companions, hoping to capture Lumian's teammates and force him back to save them, thus regaining control over him.

Unexpectedly, Lumian had indeed returned, but as a Demoness, a demigod-level Demoness!

If not for the fact that his lust-enhancing contract wasn't with a demigod creature and he had become a demigod-level Ascetic, he would have already lost control under that soul-piercing Charm.

Quickly, Voisin Sanson spotted Lumian's figure, emerging behind the last Higdon.

Voisin Sanson was about to teleport over and hunt him down when Franca's figure appeared behind him.

Franca raised her left hand, adorned with a black iron spiked ring, her eyes glowing with two streaks of lightning.

Psychic Piercing!

Voisin Sanson's body shook slightly, his soul feeling a brief pain.

Immediately, a transparent figure resembling him grew from his back, coldly gazing at Franca.

Crack!

Franca used her last Mirror Substitution, the fragments falling lifelessly to the ground.

Simultaneously, Jenna appeared several meters to the side.

She held a brown leather scroll, chanting a word in Hermes, "Sun!"

The scroll burst into radiant sunlight, enveloping Voisin Sanson in its holy and fiery light.

Though the power of Inevitability was not evil, corrupt, or dark, it contained a will that, for Sanson, was foreign and had to be expelled.

Of course, after reaching the demigod level, Voisin Sanson's consciousness had been corrupted and influenced by that will, aligning more closely with its master, so the purification effect wouldn't be too significant. However, his contracted creatures included dark, evil, and corrupt types, some of which feared purification. So, under the sunlight, Voisin Sanson couldn't help but close his eyes, raise his right hand to shield his face, and black smoke sizzled from his body.

As a demigod, Voisin Sanson wouldn't suffer severe damage from such Purification and would soon recover, but this gave Anthony a chance.

Anthony stopped, raised his Winter is Coming revolver, and pulled the trigger after a simple aim.

Bang!

A dark yellow bullet flew toward Voisin Sanson.

Sure Hit!

Anthony wasn't sure if Voisin Sanson had a substitute ability, so he chose Sure Hit instead of Certain Death.

Clang!

The bullet hit Voisin Sanson, producing a metallic sound, tearing his clothes, and causing his skin and flesh to rupture.

In the instant he was enveloped by sunlight, unsure of what he might encounter if he teleported away, Voisin Sanson activated a contract ability to metallize himself, enhancing his defense without amplifying the effect of the sunlight.

If the next attack couldn't be stopped even with metallization, Voisin Sanson could trigger the Circle Inhabitant effect, resetting his body state.

During the desperate blockade by Franca, Jenna, and Anthony, the last Higdon, seemingly foreseeing this, suddenly grew two greenish-yellow mucus-covered arms from his back, pushing out a dim green light at the Demoness of Despair, Lumian.

Certain Death!

The light hit Lumian's tall, perfect body but passed through.

The figure wavered like ripples, quickly shattering—just an illusion.

At this moment, multiple Lumian figures with black hair lightly floating appeared around Higdon, all wielding the Sword of Courage, slashing at the Sequence 4 demigod of the Order of All Extinction.

This was the demigod-level Demoness's utilization of the special mirror world, with each figure possibly being a mirror illusion or the real Lumian hidden among them!

Higdon's body suddenly disintegrated into dim greenish light, indiscriminately using the Certain Death effect.

This was both an area attack and an escape!

At this moment, another Lumian appeared in midair.

He held the Sword of Courage with both hands, descending heavily and stabbing the ground.

Rumble!

White-blue flames followed the violent explosion, quickly engulfing the area, consuming the dim greenish light striking the various Lumian figures, not giving them a chance to split into more Higdons.

Immediately, the white-blue flames turned into silent black, igniting and devouring all spirituality in the area with a destructive presence.

Smack!

As the black flames receded, a fist-sized lump of greenish-yellow mucus fell to the ground.

This was deliberately left by Lumian.

He grabbed the mucus without fearing infection, holding it in his hand and smearing it on a mirror.

His hand, covered in black flames, pressed onto it.

The greenish-yellow mucus let out a shrill scream.

In another dark ruin, another Higdon had just found Ludwig and was about to reach for the little boy with a ravenous expression when silent black flames bizarrely erupted from within him.

He was quickly engulfed by the black flames, turning into lifeless liquid, dripping to the ground.

After dealing with Higdon, Lumian teleported directly in front of Voisin Sanson, signaling Franca, Jenna, and Anthony, who had no Mirror Substitutes left, to retreat.

In Voisin Sanson's eyes, just recovering from the fierce sunlight, the coldly beautiful Demoness curled her lips into a soul-capturing smile.

Voisin Sanson froze for a moment, hearing a slightly magnetic, pleasant voice in his ear: "Hope your Circle Inhabitant effect still works; I don't want to kill you just once."

-x-X-x-

Voisin Sanson felt there was no warmth in the voice's laughter, and he suddenly shuddered, snapping back to reality.

His first reaction was to quickly teleport out of this area, because Lumian had become a potion pathway demigod, and still had three companions assisting him. Meanwhile, Sanson's ally, the other demigod Higdon, had been completely killed by Lumian in a very short time.

No matter how devoutly he believed in the great Circle of Inevitability, no matter how urgently he longed to rescue Lord Termiboros, the Angel of Inevitability, today, Voisin Sanson was not so blind as to misread the current situation.

He knew he only had two choices: stay and fight to the death, or flee quickly and wait for another opportunity.

At this moment, it was not difficult to decide which to choose.

As the black mark on his body activated, Voisin Sanson's figure disappeared from where he stood.

The next second, he appeared dozens of meters away, facing a dark, transparent, almost glass-like barrier ahead.

The barrier flickered in and out of visibility, sealing off an area the size of a plaza.

Lumian, his body now slightly slimmer, held the huge iron-black straight sword and did not stop Voisin Sanson's attempt. He only said in a slightly mocking tone, "This is the special mirror world, and a demigod-level Demoness can utilize the power of this world to some extent.

"If you want to break the mirror barrier and 'teleport' out, there's only one way—defeat me, kill me."

Voisin Sanson struggled for a moment but failed to succeed. He had no choice but to turn around and face Lumian.

Then he saw the other reveal a beautiful but dangerous smile.

Lumian did not act immediately, because he was listening to the beating of his own heart.

The seal of Mr. Fool on him had lost its effect, but Amon had left some power in the original position, preventing the soul fragments of Aurore and others from leaking out and perishing completely.

Of course, this was only a temporary restriction. In two or three days at most, the seal would completely dissipate.

And because of the vast difference in strength between the two seals, Lumian felt that the distance between himself and his sister had shortened considerably, as if he could hear her voice and receive her thoughts.

Thump, thump, thump.

That heartbeat was familiar and warm.

"Do you see? Voisin Sanson is right in front of us, that heretic who always made you have nightmares, who scared you into fleeing Trier.

"Do you see? He's afraid."

Lumian whispered these two sentences with a gentle expression, then raised his head and cast his gaze toward Voisin Sanson.

During this process, he teleported several times in succession, changing his position to prevent Voisin Sanson's attacks from affecting him.

Lumian slightly arched his back and gripped the Sword of Courage with both hands.

The next second, his figure suddenly faded, blinking to the front of Voisin Sanson, seemingly intending to ignore the other's counterattack and forcibly cleave the target in two.

Voisin Sanson did not hesitate because of how beautiful this image was or how alluring this figure was. Relying on the endurance ability of an Ascetic, he concentrated dark green light in his eyes.

As the beam surged forth, Lumian had already become transparent, turning into a mirror.

Smack!

Just as the mirror shattered, Lumian's figure appeared behind Voisin Sanson, maintaining the downward slashing motion with the iron-black straight sword.

Voisin Sanson quickly let the semi-transparent figure resembling himself emerge, staring at Lumian.

But Lumian's figure suddenly became illusory, as if reflected in a mirror.

At the same time, Lumian materialized above Voisin Sanson's head, holding the iron-black straight sword burning with white-blue flames; he completed the last motion of this attack with a jumping slash.

Clang!

The Sword of Courage struck the junction between Voisin Sanson's neck and shoulder, directly cleaving open the skin and flesh gleaming with metallic luster, staining it with bright red blood.

Immediately after, a violent explosion occurred, and Voisin Sanson's body was about to be torn apart.

At this moment, Lumian was slightly dazed, while Voisin Sanson instantly returned to his original state, teleporting to the other side of the sealed area.

Lumian did not pursue closely, but turned his body to face the white-haired fatalist and said with a smile, "First time."

Voisin Sanson immediately felt his scalp tingle, understanding that the other meant he had already killed him once, with many more times to come.

He immediately activated a contract ability called "Phantom".

He suddenly split into dozens of copies of himself, and each Voisin Sanson seemed capable of teleporting, appearing in different positions and corners of the sealed area.

They simultaneously raised their right hands, their eyes reflecting the corresponding mercury-colored illusory river of Lumian.

This could be either Magnified Fate or Fate Exchange!

And Lumian seemed unable to distinguish which Voisin Sanson was real, unable to effectively prevent it.

Lumian's light blue eyes smiled without mirth.

He glanced at the Sword of Courage and found that Voisin Sanson's blood, which should have stained it, had disappeared, as if returning to the body of that Circle Inhabitant.

Lumian was not surprised. He suddenly threw the Sword of Courage, hurling it towards the center of the sealed area.

The huge iron-black straight sword fell to the ground like a cannonball.

Rumble!

A massive explosion suddenly occurred, shaking even the special mirror world, and white-blue flames quickly covered every inch of ground and every bit of air in the sealed area.

This was why Lumian had limited the battlefield to the size of a plaza.

The phantoms created by Voisin Sanson were quickly destroyed. After struggling to resist for two seconds, his true body shattered, triggering the Circle Inhabitant effect.

Lumian himself was also engulfed by the explosion, the flames scorching his skin, the shockwave tearing at his body.

Then, he turned into a mirror.

The mirror immediately shattered.

As the explosion quickly subsided, Lumian looked at Voisin Sanson, who was far away from him, and smiled more obviously.

"Second time."

His clear light blue eyes, like highland lakes, still held no mirth.

As he spoke, invisible spider silk extended from Lumian's body, binding the hilt of the Sword of Courage and dragging it back.

Realizing that the area-of-effect attack of the iron-black straight sword could completely cover this area, and that none of his contract abilities were sufficient to withstand such an explosion, Voisin Sanson was overcome with a feeling called despair.

Although before chasing here, he had already canceled the previous Circle Inhabitant effect and waited for the restriction to end, resetting the same Circle Inhabitant with nine more chances to trigger, now with seven left, if Lumian were to throw that iron-black straight sword again and again, repeating the area-of-effect explosion from earlier, he didn't think seven Circle Inhabitant effects would have much significance.

Unless that iron-black straight sword needed some time between such attacks.

Voisin Sanson dared not gamble. He chose to end the Circle Inhabitant effect on himself.

His right hand pressed towards Lumian's approaching figure from a distance, and silver-white lines with black edges appeared in his eyes.

These lines twisted like snakes, framing Lumian's figure in the middle, then quickly connected head to tail.

Voisin Sanson wanted to make Lumian a Circle Inhabitant!

Different types of Circle Inhabitant effects didn't need to wait for restrictions to end.

And in the same time period, Voisin Sanson, at only Sequence 4, could maintain only one "Circle".

His preset condition now was that if Lumian made any move to attack him, it would trigger the Circle Inhabitant effect, resetting the state of this Demoness of Despair—such harsh conditions couldn't be placed on an area-of-effect Circle Inhabitant, and would be suppressed by the target's level, not achieving the best effect, unlike the area-of-effect Circle Inhabitant which could affect even Angel-level Beyonders.

The Inevitability power Voisin Sanson attached to this Circle Inhabitant could only maintain three cycles. Once it exceeded three times and started the fourth, the destined fate would arrive.

Of course, what exactly this destined fate would be needed to be chosen by Voisin Sanson himself.

Because he had to complete this "Circle" quickly, otherwise Lumian could launch an attack first, Voisin Sanson had no time to discern carefully. He just glanced and chose a tributary from Lumian's illusory mercury-colored long river, placing it into the circle.

It was the tributary of the Mirror People being hostile to this Demoness of Despair, which could help Voisin Sanson destroy the surrounding mirror barriers, giving him a chance to teleport and escape.

The worse the destined fate, the worse the final result, the more Inevitability power Voisin Sanson had to invest, and the longer it would take to complete the Circle Inhabitant, which was not suitable for the current situation.

As soon as this "circle" was completed, Lumian immediately had a spiritual intuition and put down the Sword of Courage in his hand, no longer advancing.

Seeing this, Voisin Sanson instinctively concentrated dark green light in his eyes.

Those two beams shot out like light, instantly falling on Lumian, who once again turned into a mirror, his body materializing not far from his original position.

Seeing this, Voisin Sanson suddenly froze.

Why didn't Harrison and I think of using this method to trap Lumian when facing his attacks?

That way we could have resolved the battle faster, without needing to be killed several times…

And now, he still had who knows how many Mirror Substitutions.

Voisin Sanson quickly decided to provoke Lumian to attack. His eyes once again lit up with a dark green hue.

Just then, even with the endurance of an Ascetic, Voisin Sanson couldn't help but cough once, causing the dark green beam in his eyes to deviate from its target and fall on the distant mirror barrier.

The barrier was slightly damaged but instantly repaired itself.

Voisin Sanson began to feel his body weakening, each breath feeling like his airways were being scorched by flames.

His spirituality was also rapidly depleting.

Disease… I've been infected by the Demoness's disease! Voisin Sanson suddenly raised his head, just in time to see Lumian reveal a mocking but beautiful smile.

"Why did you think the explosion and incineration from earlier could directly kill my mystical pathogens?

"They can persist for quite a while longer."

Voisin Sanson's heart tightened, and he frantically attacked Lumian, but only managed to shatter three or four mirrors.

And with each ineffective attack, Voisin Sanson grew more desperate. He seemed to already see the worst outcome approaching, yet was powerless to reverse it, only able to watch helplessly as the bell of death tolled.

He even tried to metallize his body, but the disease could still infect him, eating into him.

Cough, cough, cough!

After many more attempts, Voisin Sanson finally lost the strength to stand. He collapsed to the ground, coughing violently as he fell.

He no longer had the power to maintain the Circle Inhabitant effect on Lumian.

Lumian walked step by step to the front of this Circle Inhabitant, looking down at him from above, and said with a mocking smile, "Only three times?"

Voisin Sanson raised his head with difficulty, looking at that beautiful and cold face, feeling as if he was rapidly falling into a bottomless abyss.

That feeling was the epitome of despair.

Lumian bound Voisin Sanson with a spider web, suspending him in the air, then formed a sharp, thick ice pillar beneath him.

"Goodbye, give my regards to your master," Lumian said softly, retracting all the spider silk.

Pfft!

Voisin Sanson fell heavily, impaled by the ice pillar.

His eyes bulged, and blood flowed beneath him.

-x-X-x-

Seeing Voisin Sanson's eyes bulge, his breath gradually fading, his face twisted in pain and palpable despair, Lumian reached behind into the Traveler's Bag and took out the silver Lie earring, putting it on his left ear.

The dying Voisin Sanson suddenly saw a familiar figure.

That figure had light blue eyes, beautiful features, and long, thick golden hair.

It was Aurore.

But this time, there was no longer fear or terror on Aurore's face, only a faint smile.

"Gasp…" Voisin Sanson uttered his final sound.

He died like that, with his eyes bulging.

Lumian returned to his original appearance, casually saying as he removed the Lie earring, "You died so quickly? I wanted to thank you for helping me digest the Despair potion."

When he had just advanced, the Despair potion was already mostly digested, and now it had progressed even further.

Lumian wasn't surprised by this. According to the mystical knowledge he had learned from Madam Magician, the essence of the acting method was actually to gradually align one's mental and spiritual state with the core symbolism of the potion through acting, thereby bypassing restrictions and completing digestion step by step. His state before and after taking the Despair potion could be said to be very close to the name "Despair".

Lumian wasn't despairing about having to become a Demoness. For faster advancement, better handling of possible apocalyptic scenarios, and earlier resurrection of his sister, he had considered similar things more than once. After all, he would have the chance to switch to the Hunter pathway and become a man again later.

He despaired that he was forced to do this and had no way to refuse. He despaired that his previous efforts, struggles, and anger were all under someone else's arrangements, and that he would have to follow someone else's arrangements to walk the path of the Demoness afterwards.

Of course, when despair reached its peak, the desire and belief in his heart to become strong and change all this also intensified to the extreme.

"Is this what you wanted too?" Lumian whispered self-mockingly as he unsealed the area and let the remaining mystical pathogens dissipate completely.

Franca, Jenna, and Anthony had already hurried over after Voisin Sanson was impaled on the ice pillar.

Lumian suddenly sensed something and turned his gaze to a certain spot in this dark ruin.

It was where the Order of All Extinction demigod Higdon had finally died.

There, points of green light with yellow tinges appeared out of thin air, rising upwards, only to be blocked by the barrier of the special mirror world.

This place preliminarily cuts off connections, preventing some bestowed power from returning? Lumian, with his experience, immediately made the corresponding judgment.

By this time, Franca and the others had run up to him.

Looking at that familiar yet beautiful and cold face, Franca opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but swallowed it back.

Jenna examined Lumian's current appearance, with only one thought in mind: It's good that he's still alive; it's best that everyone is still alive!

As for the rest, there was nothing to worry about.

Lumian pointed to those green lights with yellow tinges that were being blocked, his voice slightly magnetic and distinctly feminine as he said, "You can take a weapon over there and place it there."

This was actively creating a Beyonder weapon.

After Franca exchanged glances with Jenna and Anthony, she very proactively said without any modesty, "I'll go; I'm just in need of a weapon that can harm demigods."

She was the second highest Sequence Beyonder in the team—not counting Ludwig.

If she had had a similar weapon earlier, she might not have been so desperate when facing Higdon.

"Alright," Jenna expressed her attitude.

Anthony also nodded.

This didn't mean that if he put the Winter is Coming revolver under those light spots, this Beyonder weapon would reset its usage count. Given its own material composition, doing so would likely cause the corruption to exceed the limit, making it disintegrate directly.

Franca took out her Cannon Gun and ran towards the area permeated with green light spots with yellow tinges.

Lumian withdrew his gaze, looked at Jenna, and said with a slight smile, "Do you have any ring-shaped items?"

Jenna, looking at that smile that seemed to radiate its own light, was a bit surprised, but felt that now was not the time to ask.

She found a cheap silver bracelet and handed it to Lumian.

After taking it, Lumian placed the bracelet on top of Voisin Sanson's corpse, waiting for the Inevitability power to be intercepted.

He then looked towards the distant transparent boundary that was like a mirror, seeing his own figure and face.

He made an effort to bring a smile to the corners of his mouth.

Because Aurore was just such a person who excelled at finding joy in suffering.

…

In front of the bloody altar, Ma'am Hermit was trying to find a way to combine the iron cigar case bearing Mr. Fool's aura with the Spear of Longinus to directly attack that oil painting depicting endless starry skies. Madam Magician, based on her rich knowledge of seals and powerful sealing abilities, carefully said, "The power of Inevitability is to make the interference of non-vortex ritual participants fail, while that terrifying voice affects all Beyonders similar to Listeners and Mystery Pryers. We may be able to solve them separately.

"The power of Inevitability is most likely dissipating from that circular ring on the oil painting. If we can plug it, shield it, we should be able to break free from the fate of interference being destined to fail, directly destroy the painting, and interrupt that terrifying voice."

"Plug it…" Ma'am Hermit immediately had an idea upon hearing Miss Justice's relay.

Taking advantage of the opportunity when the barrier seal was strengthened and the power of inevitability was significantly weakened, she cast a Warlock's spell, throwing that iron cigar case towards the oil painting on the altar, making it land accurately on the area painted with the silver-white ring with black edges.

The iron cigar case directly pressed down on that ring, shielding it, without leaving any trace exposed.

The little boy, Will, immediately said, "The power of Inevitability has decreased a lot more!"

Hearing this, Madam Magician quickly raised both arms, making the void around that oil painting bend, becoming dark and deep.

That space subsequently collapsed, shattering inch by inch, along with obvious cracks appearing on the oil painting and altar.

Miss Justice's face then protruded with patches of grayish-white scales, her body seeming to swell.

Similarly, Madam Judgment once again made a judgment.

Seeing her companions all launching attacks, Ma'am Hermit once again condensed that ancient spear stained with strange blood, throwing it towards the oil painting.

The oil painting, already in tatters under continuous attacks, was completely pierced by this Spear of Longinus, nailed to the altar.

Immediately after, flames that seemed to encompass all colors erupted from the spear tip, completely igniting the oil painting that still had terrifying sounds leaking out, gradually burning it to ashes.

…

Above Trier, one Worm of Time after another crawled back into Mr. Star's body.

This Major Arcana card holder wearing red gloves said to Mr. Hanged Man in his original magnetic voice, "Amon has returned, and briefly regained the true god powers of the Error and Door pathways. I must return to the Cathedral of Serenity immediately."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mr. Star instantly disappeared.

Mr. Hanged Man cast his gaze downward, seeing the "Moon" transformed into crimson moonlight fall into the extremely compressed villa mist, while Saint Viève of the Eternal Blazing Sun Church shone into it in the form of sunlight.

…

Deep in the primitive island, outside the Black Emperor mausoleum.

Amon, at the edge of the astral world, looked down at Perle, at the Shadow of the Beauty Goddess and the miniature crimson moon still struggling to approach the corresponding light spots in the white mist, without any action.

"What are you still waiting for?" Roselle, his face gradually deepening in pain, asked.

"The same as what you're thinking now, the most arrogant thought you've ever had." Amon pinched the monocle on his right eye and smiled in response. "If it was just to eliminate the believers of Uncertain Mist, there would be no need for such trouble, nor would it be worth us revealing our trump cards."

Roselle glanced at the transaction still ongoing below and said, "That could bring great hidden dangers."

"When you make a decision, you have to accept the corresponding consequences. How can you accomplish something big without taking any risks or bearing any losses?" Amon said with a smile, then added, "This wasn't said by me, nor by you."

Before Roselle, who was being eroded more and more deeply and painfully by the white mist, could respond, Amon looked into the distance and said, "Those few from the Tarot Club are not bad, they don't need me to personally descend to destroy that oil painting."

Saying this, Amon, wearing a monocle, showed an eager expression. "Now, it's time."

He cast his gaze towards the Black Emperor mausoleum, towards Bernadette who was being restricted by Roselle and unable to come out.

That Queen Mystic suddenly recalled something, feeling as if a certain memory had parted the mist and revealed itself.

She immediately stretched out her right hand, quickly sketching out one word after another bearing starlight in front of her.

These words, seemingly the source of all languages in the Northern and Southern Continents, quickly intertwined into strange symbols, opening a secret door that seemed to lead to the depths of the spirit world.

That secret door opened silently, and a gust of wind blew out, transforming into a man with a human upper body and an airflow lower body, wrapped in white cloth.

"The Magic Wishing Lamp and that item," Bernadette commanded in an authoritative voice.

That man with an airflow lower body respectfully responded, then took out two items from the white cloth wrapped around his body.

One looked like a miniature kettle, golden in color, covered with mysterious and complex symbols, with something like a wick protruding from the spout. This was 0-05—the Magic Wishing Lamp that the believers of Uncertain Mist wanted to obtain.

The other was a gray stone tablet, also engraved with those words that seemed to be the source of all languages in the Northern and Southern Continents, with numerous traces on its surface, mottled and ancient.

-x-X-x-

After receiving those two items, Bernadette had fully remembered what she and the former Angel of Imagination, now the True Creator—Adam—were cooperating on.

Now, it was the final step of this transaction. The gray stone tablet she held in her hand was the second Blasphemy Slate transformed from the remains of the Ancient Sun God, the predecessor of the True Creator, recording the names, potion formulas, and related rituals for each Sequence of the twenty-two paths of the divine!

Bernadette originally didn't want to push the transaction to this step, hoping to resolve the corruption issue on her father's body before this, thereby ending the vortex ritual, but ultimately, she had to face the current situation.

Many of her efforts had failed, and several of her backup plans either didn't have time to take effect, or lost their effect because she was restricted by her father in the mausoleum and unable to leave. She could only hope that the proclaimed inevitable outcome would come to pass.

Bernadette raised both hands, pushing the Magic Wishing Lamp and the second Blasphemy Slate towards midair.

The moment He saw these two items, Emperor Roselle fully understood all of True Creator Adam's arrangements and ultimate purpose.

He reached out His hand, distorting the distance between the Magic Wishing Lamp and Himself, making it fall directly into His palm.

The Blasphemy Slate first disappeared, then appeared in the hands of Amon, who was wearing a black pointed soft hat.

Holding the Magic Wishing Lamp, Roselle smiled calmly at Amon and said, "Now that I am the true Black Emperor, and deeply corrupted by the Uncertain Mist, I indeed might be able to do something with this Magic Wishing Lamp and the Genie inside it as a medium."

"It's not 'might', it's 'certainly'," Amon adjusted the monocle on His right eye, smiling as He corrected.

Roselle didn't say more. Holding the Magic Wishing Lamp, He half-closed His eyes, extending His consciousness to this golden object.

This brought along some of the white mist that had begun to erode His consciousness.

Vaguely, Roselle seemed to see another barrier standing between heaven and earth.

That barrier was wrapped in thin grayish-white fog, its specific appearance indiscernible.

Soon, Roselle sensed a gap in the grayish-white fog, on that invisible barrier, but couldn't lock onto it.

At this moment, Amon pressed His right hand against the crystal monocle wedged in His eye socket.

That monocle suddenly lit up with a brilliance that seemed to illuminate the entire world.

Roselle's consciousness, preliminarily combined with the Uncertain Mist's corruption, instantly floated into the corresponding gap.

A haze immediately appeared before His "eyes".

Deep within that swirling smoke seemed to be hidden thirty-three layers of sky, each layer with numerous buildings faintly visible.

Roselle's consciousness quickly ascended, arriving at the highest layer of sky, coming to a majestic and grand palace.

He "saw" an incredibly enormous imperial figure, "saw" that the figure's face was masked by strings of jade, and beneath the jade strings seemed to be nothing, a void.

Roselle inexplicably felt that this enormous imperial figure was very similar to Himself, born from the same source, yet encompassing Him. A close connection was quickly established between the two.

This connection swiftly eroded Roselle's consciousness, yet was blocked by the corruption of the Uncertain Mist. They both merged and opposed each other.

Roselle momentarily regained some clarity.

A flash of inspiration struck Him, and using that close connection, He lowered His stance and said in His true mother tongue, "Imperial brother, please lend me your strength!"

That emperor with a face shielded by jade strings attached to a tall oriental crown suddenly stood up.

Behind Him, several similar imperial figures appeared, these figures each with different external appearances, but similarly with faces covered in jade strings, lacking faces, a complete void.

At the same time, all thirty-three layers of the sky deep within the haze lit up, revealing magnificent buildings and sacred figures.

Roselle's vision was instantly filled with azure light.

His consciousness suddenly returned to the Black Emperor divine body, seeing bursts of azure light erupting from within, dispersing and dissolving the white mist that had deeply eroded Him. Yet as time passed, the azure light and white mist began to show signs of merging in some places.

During this process, the Uncertain Mist did not withdraw its white mist. On the one hand, this was due to the barrier's obstruction and the influence of the True Creator and Amon; on the other hand, the Uncertain Mist was following its own chaotic madness, following its instinctive desires and cravings, wanting to truly merge with the azure light.

Roselle increasingly felt as if He was another facet of the Uncertain Mist, the connection established between Them through the white mist quickly becoming unusually solid.

At this point, even if the Uncertain Mist wanted to recall that white mist, it couldn't be done instantly, requiring some time, unless Roselle agreed.

The ball of white mist from the vortex ritual involuntarily rose, flying towards Roselle's body. This terrified Perle, who was currently only able to survive with the help of this mist, while the Shadow of the Beauty Goddess and the miniature crimson moon in the mist both stopped advancing, standing still.

Roselle once again cast His gaze towards Amon, who was holding the Blasphemy Slate, and said with some emotion, "As expected of a Visionary…"

To dare to imagine this, to dare to arrange this!

Amon's previous answer had confirmed Roselle's initial and boldest guess was correct.

The true purpose of the True Creator using the vortex ritual was to deal with the Uncertain Mist, that great existence peering at the current world!

Normally, even if that True Creator and the six true gods in the astral world put aside Their grudges and fully cooperated, They couldn't accomplish such a thing, at most forcing the Uncertain Mist to retreat. But now, He had used the vortex ritual, used the Uncertain Mist's craving for the Black Emperor true god, allowing the Uncertain Mist to establish a firm and close connection with Himself, making Himself increasingly similar to the Uncertain Mist, thus creating a certain opportunity.

Of course, the so-called opportunity certainly wasn't to use this connection to transfer power over and directly attack the Uncertain Mist; that wouldn't lead to a very good effect. But in the mystical world, there were some underlying rules that could be exploited, many ways to defeat powerful existences by harming the weak, which was the basis of many curses.

As this thought flashed, Roselle began to rub His fingers over the golden surface of the Magic Wishing Lamp, covered in mysterious and complex symbols, muttering, "Genie!"

The wick at the spout suddenly ignited, emitting light that looked like viscous water, spurting upwards to form a blurred and distorted pale golden figure.

As soon as that pale golden figure appeared, He turned His head, about to dive back into the Magic Wishing Lamp, but the white mist and azure light eroding Roselle's Black Emperor divine body suddenly split off a large portion, like a bear smelling honey or a vampire placed next to a pool of fresh, healthy blood, violently surging around this pale golden figure, binding it layer upon layer, as if submerging it.

Genie twisted and struggled desperately, trying to escape this predicament and shrink back into the Magic Wishing Lamp, but couldn't succeed no matter what. His pale golden figure gradually showed signs of merging with the white mist and azure light.

Genie's mouth kept opening and closing, as if frantically cursing Amon and Roselle, but restrained by the white mist and azure light, He couldn't even make a sound.

Roselle raised the Magic Wishing Lamp and Genie to His chest level, distorting the relationship between the main body and external items, briefly making Himself an appendage of Genie.

In an instant, Genie, originally one with the Uncertain Mist and completely of the same source, seemed to become another facet of the Uncertain Mist again, yet was subjected to sealing, unable to exert His power, appearing quite weak!

Roselle looked at Amon again.

Now, before your authority over loopholes as a true god of the Error pathway, under this firm and close connection, from a mystical perspective, the weak Genie can completely equal the powerful Uncertain Mist. Severely injuring Genie would be equivalent to severely injuring the Uncertain Mist and making Genie fall asleep would be equivalent to making the Uncertain Mist fall asleep!

What happens next is up to the two of you!

Amon smiled and raised the Blasphemy Slate in His hand.

In the Forsaken Land of the Gods, atop the majestic and stretching mountain range, before a huge blood-stained cross.

The True Creator—Adam—who had shaken off the influence of the Outer God's ravings, was already waiting here.

He wore a simple white robe, had a thick golden beard, eyes as clear as a child's, and beneath His feet was a dense shadow, different from Him, with five heads. It seemed to be His, yet not His.

Adam opened His mouth and said solemnly and sacredly, "I am One, and also Infinity, the Beginning and the End."

As soon as He finished speaking, True Creator Adam's clear eyes instantly became illusory, and around His body appeared a strange sea that seemed to encompass all colors and all possibilities.

Immediately after, Adam grasped the silver cross pendant hanging on His chest.

Above His head, a blazing yet illusory sun leaped out. To His left, lightning, gale winds, and sea waves interwove to form an overlooking phantom. To His right, a white tower with numerous brass eyes rose from the ground.

These illusory, seemingly imagined authorities and symbols, along with Adam's own shadow, driven by the chaotic sea, merged into Adam's body one after another.

With a thunderous sound, that strange sea encompassing all colors and all possibilities surged up, submerging the entire mountain range, while Adam expanded into a huge figure of light that seemed capable of supporting heaven and earth.

This True Creator briefly returned to His peak state, and that human savior who had battled ancient gods appeared in the world once again!

He walked slowly on the chaotic and pitch-black "water surface", pointing His finger towards the sea that was both real and illusory.

With this pointing, the surface of the second Blasphemy Slate in Amon's hand quickly surged with chaotic seawater encompassing all colors and all possibilities.

Amon no longer held it directly, letting this mottled and ancient stone tablet float in front of His body.

He then looked towards the pale golden Genie that was frantically twisting while seemingly cursing Him, revealing a smile that made the other even more furious.

Then, He let that Blasphemy Slate rise up.

-x-X-x-

As the Blasphemy Slate in front of Amon rose up, the white mist corroding Roselle and Genie suddenly reacted, trying to break free and retreat back to the endless cosmos. But Roselle forcibly "held" it down, only allowing it to withdraw bit by bit.

Similarly, the pale golden Genie struggled desperately, trying to dive back into the Magic Wishing Lamp through the spout, but Roselle gave Him no such opportunity, firmly binding Him in front using the white mist and azure light.

Roselle turned His head to look down at the Black Emperor mausoleum, Distorting the distinction between inside and outside, and gave His eldest daughter Bernadette a smile that was both pained and satisfied.

He called out loudly, "Enjoy this world for me for a while!"

"Dad!" Queen Mystic Bernadette cried out, her cheeks glistening with tears.

Roselle said no more, turning His gaze back and standing upright.

He continued to resist the retraction of the white mist, tightly gripping Genie, then raised His chin and said to Amon in an authoritative and firm voice, "Do it."

Amon's monocle on His right eye instantly lit up with a strange radiance. He pressed down with both hands, causing the floating Blasphemy Slate before Him to heavily smash towards the pale golden Genie and Roselle who was "embracing" Genie.

The chaotic seawater encompassing all colors and possibilities transformed into a torrent, surging over mightily.

Drawn by this, the ball of white mist representing the vortex ritual, along with Perle, the Shadow of the Beauty Goddess, and the miniature crimson moon inside it, also rushed rapidly towards Genie and Roselle.

At this moment, within the vortex's white mist, a previously unexpanded point of light rapidly enlarged, revealing a dim and dark scene that seemed to correspond to both Fourth Epoch Trier and some unknown place.

From this scene, a delicate, slender, and beautiful white hand suddenly reached out, grabbing the distorted arm of the Shadow of the Beauty Goddess, and swiftly dragged this Grade 0 Sealed Artifact into its own light point. Both disappeared into the deep, blackish gloom.

Affected by the completion of this transaction, the miniature crimson moon formed by the Great Mother's corruption instantly arrived before the light point where a blurred figure was suspended, about to permeate into it.

Amon was fully utilizing loopholes while also having to control that Blasphemy Slate and maintain its stability, so He could only barely spare a bit of attention to interfere.

He couldn't prevent the disappearance of the Shadow of the Beauty Goddess, only causing the miniature crimson moon to autonomously crumble and dissipate by nearly half.

The remaining miniature crimson moon drilled into the corresponding light point, entering the blurred human figure suspended in midair.

That figure wrapped in bandages, thorns, and roses suddenly had its belly swell up enormously, with obvious cracks appearing. From these crevices, arms covered in black tar-like liquid and protruding with scarlet eyeballs, skull heads, and mouths with teeth and tongues suddenly stretched out, tearing at the blurred figure's abdomen.

The next second, the white mist representing the vortex ritual covered the pale golden Genie, with all the light points within simultaneously extinguishing.

Genie cursed frantically and silently, but could only watch helplessly as the chaotic torrent encompassing all colors and possibilities surged towards Him along with the mottled, ancient, and gray stone tablet.

He was instantly submerged.

His body composed of pale golden viscous lamplight quickly disintegrated, reverting to tiny golden fragments.

These fine, pure gold light points were rapidly washed away and eliminated by the chaotic torrent, leaving not a trace behind.

In the blink of an eye, only an extremely dim blue-tinged white light remained of Genie.

This light, not completely decomposed by the chaotic torrent, pathetically shrank back into the golden Magic Wishing Lamp.

At this point, Roselle no longer needed to restrain Genie, nor did He need to arduously maintain the close connection between Himself and the Uncertain Mist.

He looked at the chaotic torrent surging before Him, raised His chin again, and opened His arms, as if an emperor embracing His own world.

In an instant, the chaotic torrent encompassing all colors and possibilities submerged Roselle's figure as well.

This resurrected Black Emperor's body quickly disintegrated, rapidly becoming ethereal.

"Dad…" Bernadette in the mausoleum below called out once more, but this time her voice was very low, like sleep-talking.

Almost simultaneously, outside the barrier, the white mist covering a certain planet suddenly contracted to its core, as if directly struck by the second Blasphemy Slate along with the chaotic torrent, revealing the weathered earth and dried-up seabed once again.

Immediately after, uncertain, dense white mist spread out again, with indescribable sounds echoing throughout the cosmos.

This caused even the extremely bright astral world to be covered by thin mist, making the entire world dim and dark.

The next second, the white mist, whose size and state were indescribable, detached from the previous planet.

That planet shattered silently, with various rocks and gasses ejecting outwards in waves.

Then, a chaotic sense encompassing all colors appeared on the surface of the dense, uncertain, and unviewable white mist.

It suddenly shrank, rapidly disappearing into the depths of the endless, dead, and dark cosmos.

…

On the streets of Trier, citizens saw the mist in the sky gradually dissipate, and the sun returned to normal—neither bright enough to blind human eyes nor dim as if at dusk.

The series of strange events that had just occurred were not forgotten by them, and the voice proclaiming "Emperor has returned" still lingered in their hearts.

"What exactly is happening to this world?" Many citizens had similar questions.

With these doubts and lingering fear, they turned their gaze to newsstands and nearby cathedrals.

On this day, mystical magazines like Psychic, Arcane, and Lotus sold out in Trier. Whether it was the Eternal Blazing Sun's cathedrals, God of Steam and Machinery's cathedrals, or The Fool's cathedral, all were packed with people.

Similarly, in cities large and small across the Northern and Southern Continents, like Backlund and Port Pylos, corresponding magazines were in short supply, and every cathedral was filled with believers.

…

Above the primitive island, Amon descended to a height level with the top of the Black Emperor mausoleum.

He looked at Queen Mystic Bernadette, who had just walked out of the mausoleum, and said in a deliberately indifferent tone, "For sixty years, the Uncertain Mist will not be able to come again. There will be one less danger to face at the time of the apocalypse.

"And as long as no new Black Emperor is born, as long as the order of human society has not completely collapsed, or this mausoleum has not been completely destroyed, Roselle will be able to resurrect from nothingness after a hundred years. At that time, with three types of corruption on Him, He will achieve a basic balance and be able to maintain basic humanity and clarity."

At this point, Amon laughed and changed His tone. "This is the future He claims, and also His promise to you."

Without waiting for Bernadette to respond, Amon grabbed at the air and tossed a crown inlaid with many dark gems that had just appeared, along with the Magic Wishing Lamp, to Queen Mystic.

"As a guarantee of the promise, the Black Emperor's Uniqueness shall be given to you.

"As long as you don't die, no new Black Emperor will appear."

Bernadette caught the dimly glowing crown and said in a low voice, "I hope the future He claims will inevitably unfold."

Amon pinched the monocle on His right eye and chuckled softly.

"This is not something I can answer on His behalf. Anyway, I've received my payment, and the ritual was completed just now."

As soon as He finished speaking, Amon, who no longer had the status of a true god, languidly took back the Blasphemy Slate and three other rays of light, disappearing into midair.

…

In front of the destroyed bloody altar.

After the world's darkness and mist at high altitudes retreated, Madam Magician cast her gaze towards the western sky.

As an Angel closely connected to the spirit world, she had already learned from the spirit world about what had just happened and the fate of her Minor Arcana cards.

"What's wrong?" Miss Justice asked.

Madam Magician's expression was very complex, and her tone carried a slight sigh.

"That evil god who preached in the name of Truth has suffered a heavy blow and must sleep for decades.

"This is good news. There's one less major danger for humanity to face during the apocalypse, and there won't be any Brokers running around making connections before the apocalypse.

"But Emperor Roselle has perished because of this. He may only have a chance to resurrect and return after a hundred years, and also…"

Madam Magician didn't continue.

Ma'am Hermit, who had lifted her hearing seal, and other Major Arcana card holders like Miss Justice and Madam Judgment also had rather complex expressions.

…

In a room five or six meters high in the New City of Silver.

Lumian had already brought Franca, Jenna, Anthony, and the subsequently recovered Ludwig, Lugano, and others to this place that could guarantee their safety.

Looking at Lumian with his black hair scattered and delicate features, Franca wanted to tease him a bit, but felt that his mood wasn't quite right.

She had always known that Lumian had considered switching to the Demoness pathway. For faster advancement, as long as he maintained his sense of self, he could completely switch back to the Hunter pathway later and become a man again. So Franca originally thought Lumian had made the decision to switch to Demoness this time to deal with the dangerous situation, but after careful observation, she felt it wasn't like that.

If it had been his own choice, Lumian wouldn't have hidden suppression and pain under his calmness!

Thinking of this, Franca glanced at the sky outside that had returned to azure, and deliberately said, "The vortex event seems to have ended. Very good, very good. The apocalypse didn't come, this world wasn't destroyed, and we're all still alive!"

As long as we're still alive, there's still hope!

Jenna also pondered for a moment before asking Lumian, "Do you want a change of clothes?"

Lumian looked at the two Demonesses and Anthony, then at Ludwig who was eating frantically without caring that his godfather had become a woman, and Lugano who occasionally stole glances at him. He said in a slightly low voice, "I'll explain the specifics later. I'm going somewhere now."

"By yourself?" Jenna asked.

Lumian nodded gently.

Franca didn't try to persuade him. She took out a black cloak she had bought when disguising as a Witch from the Traveler's Bag and threw it to Lumian.

Lumian put on the cloak and activated the black mark on his right shoulder.

He teleported to a deep valley where an ancient church stood, its surface water-black and carved with human skulls.

This was the first cathedral built by the Aurora Order for that True Creator.

Lumian entered this deep black church, walking step by step to the huge black cross inside. Along the way, there were no human presences, nor any unknown things blocking him.

After stopping, Lumian, wearing the black cloak, looked at the male deity statue hanging upside down on the cross. His gaze moved from the rusty iron nails piercing the deity's body and the fresh red blood rendered around them, all the way down to the face where all features were blurred except for the eyes, which were very clear, tightly closed, as if bearing all pain and guilt.

After staring for a few seconds, Lumian said in a low voice with a hint of magnetism, "One day, I will truly walk before you and tell you my answer."

After saying this, Lumian in his black cloak turned around and walked towards the outside of the cathedral.

At the same time, incandescent fireballs shot out from around him, flying towards different parts of this cathedral, flying towards the male deity statue hanging upside down on the black cross.

Rumble!

Pillars collapsed inside the cathedral, windows shattered, and corners were set ablaze.

Rumble!

The huge black cross was blasted to pieces, and the inverted statue crashed down, smashing into many fragments on the ground.

The statue's head separated from its neck, rolling a few times and becoming covered in dust.

Its face happened to face towards the silhouette of Lumian walking through the collapsing cathedral and raging flames, his black hair and cloak fluttering. The eyes remained tightly closed, as if bearing all pain and guilt.

God loves the world.

(End of Volume—Demoness)