129 COI

As Lumian rounded the main building and saw the separate small building housing the psychiatric department, his phone vibrated once.

It was a WeChat message from Franca: "I've arrived near Mushu Hospital, parked diagonally across the street."

"Good, I'm about to enter the psychiatric department." Lumian replied using voice input.

He then put his phone in airplane mode to avoid any unexpected disturbances like spam calls during the operation.

He immediately activated the contract mark below his left shoulder, transforming himself into a shadow creature.

He currently didn't know which room in the psychiatric ward Li Keji was confined in, so he couldn't directly teleport there. He needed to search around, and Shadow Transformation was more discreet than "hiding in shadows", making it less likely to be discovered.

Lumian's body quickly thinned and darkened, merging with his own shadow cast by the sunlight, standing alone frozen on the cement ground.

He swiftly glided along, using the shadows of corners, trees, and corridors to make his way into the psychiatric ward, sneaking into the nearest room.

"Haha, haha." The patient in this room was laughing constantly, laughing so hard his waist was bent, tears flowing from the corners of his eyes.

For some reason, Lumian also felt an urge to laugh madly, as if infected by the other's emotions.

He glanced at the patient, confirmed it wasn't Li Keji, and immediately retreated through the shadow of the door crack.

As soon as he returned to the hallway, his state quickly returned to normal.

Lumian didn't delay at all and entered the next room.

He suddenly became irritable, wanting to burst out of the shadows and rush to the nurses' station, demanding they hand over Li Keji.

His ears were then filled with loud shouts:

"I'm not crazy! I'm not crazy!

"Caution can indeed handle most situations, but it can't solve all problems.

"When it's time to take risks, you still need to take risks!"

Lumian roughly determined who the patient in this room was and silently retreated to the hallway of the psychiatric ward.

He glided through the shadows cast by various objects, moving into another patient room.

What entered his field of vision was a patient locked to the bed, as quiet as a statue.

A feeling of sadness and grief gradually welled up in Lumian's heart. He wanted to go mad, to harm himself.

Wh— He maintained his rationality and didn't linger long in this room.

After regaining his composure in the hallway, Lumian seriously pondered his recent encounters.

As soon as I enter a patient room, I get infected by the corresponding mental patient?

Mental illness has become contagious, similar to the manifestation of that humanoid Sealed Artifact we encountered before…

I understand now, this place is essentially a dream, and the mental patients also have corresponding symbolism.

They symbolize the negative, crazy, extremely irrational emotions and mental states of the dream's subconscious. And interactions within the dream are essentially spiritual interactions, so once you get close, you get affected…

Why are the doctors and nurses here still normal?

Do they symbolize the dream subconscious's power to suppress madness and extremes?

From this perspective, the thoughts that suppress crazy mentalities and extreme emotions can also be infected, which is reflected in the dream as doctors or nurses occasionally going mad?

Hmm, the doctors here, the nurses here, the medicines and medical equipment here can all be used to deal with the dream's own crazy mentality and extreme emotions. They symbolize the corresponding forces…

Lumian turned his gaze to a nearby treatment cart, looking at the syringes and medicines placed on it.

He felt that in special scenarios, these things might be more useful and effective than the treatment drugs he and others carried.

They were part of the dream's power.

Having understood the special circumstances of the psychiatric ward, Lumian maintained his shadow creature state and moved even faster, just glancing at each room to avoid being infected by the emotions of different patients.

However, he didn't find Li Keji or discover any mushrooms.

Not in the psychiatric ward? Lumian quickly left this place, came to the iron gate at a corner of the wall, re-entered under the pretext of visiting a patient, and approached the nurses' station.

Wearing sunglasses and a mask, he said to the nurse on duty, "I'm here to visit Li Keji."

"Wait a little longer, the patient was sent for treatment and hasn't returned to his room yet," the nurse looked up at Lumian.

"Where was he sent for treatment?" Lumian suddenly had a bad feeling.

The nurse explained simply, "B1 of the main building, there's specialized large equipment there."

B1 of the main building… Lumian nodded, turned around, and walked out of the psychiatric department.

On his way to the main building of Mushu Hospital, he restored his phone signal and sent a message to Franca: "Li Keji has been sent to B1, I plan to go look for him.

"If I haven't sent you a message within a quarter of an hour, have Ludwig come find mom, this should be very useful in B1.

"If all else fails, the corpse wax candle can be used once more, and Chief Yagates's honorific name can also be called upon."

Lumian explained in such detail to tell Franca that he still had a way out, to prevent her from risking herself to save him.

After quite a while, Franca replied briefly: "Be very careful, prioritize your own safety."

Lumian switched his phone back to airplane mode, transformed into a shadow creature, and infiltrated the main building.

This time, he didn't choose the elevator, but glided down the dim emergency staircase step by step.

Arriving at B1, just as he turned into the elevator hall, he saw glass doors at the exit.

At this moment, the glass doors were half open, with a wheelchair placed at the entrance.

A person sat in the wheelchair, their entire body wrapped in white bandages, like a living mummy.

Lumian suddenly had a sense of familiarity.

His spiritual intuition told him that the person in the wheelchair was his "colleague", Old Ding, who had been injured by lightning strike at work.

How did Old Ding end up in B1? Where are his family members? Lumian carefully circled around through the shadows next to Old Ding.

The next second, he saw Old Ding struggling to extend his right hand, reaching towards a white paper pasted on the half-open glass door.

Several words were written on that white paper: "Medical area, no entry to unauthorized personnel"

Lumian withdrew his gaze, not interrupting his infiltration.

As he glided along the shadows on the side of the corridor towards where he suspected patients might be, Lumian gradually became uneasy.

He unconsciously looked down and found that at some point he had separated from the shadows and returned to human form.

His contract ability had naturally become ineffective!

Lumian also noticed that the clothes on his body were slowly changing, transforming into the standard attire of a Mushu Hospital orderly.

Wh— Lumian associated this with the "mummy" Old Ding at the entrance and that notice, thought of the illusory abyss underground and the characteristics of the Mother Tree of Desire pathway, and quickly formed a guess.

There was a strong curse in this area!

The content of the curse was: no entry to unauthorized personnel!

In other words, unauthorized personnel who enter will become authorized personnel, becoming orderlies who frequently enter and exit this place, becoming puppets of the illusory abyss? After figuring this out, Lumian naturally understood how to break this curse.

But he didn't dare to do so.

His method of breaking the curse was to shout on the spot "Mother, I am Your child!"

The essence of this statement was to acknowledge himself as a true Child of God.

And B1 of Mushu Hospital clearly contained the power and influence of the Great Mother, with the "newborn" in the morgue being proof of this.

Under these premises, the Child of God of the Great Mother certainly wouldn't be considered unauthorized personnel!

Lumian felt the abnormal changes in his body accelerating, and for the moment he couldn't think of any other way, so he had no choice but to activate the black mark on his right shoulder and teleport away from this level.

He appeared in the emergency stairwell on the first floor, which was empty.

Fortunately, I could teleport out from B1; otherwise, I would have had to use the corpse wax candle or call upon the honorific names of Madam Magician or Chief Yagates… No, at the speed of the changes just now, the Beyonder ritual wouldn't have had time to take effect… Lumian looked down to examine himself and found that his clothes had returned to normal.

He transformed back into a shadow creature and came to the entrance of the emergency stairwell, observing the up and down movement of the elevators while pondering how to penetrate basement level one and rescue Li Keji without becoming a true Child of God.

Amidst his swirling thoughts, Lumian saw a special elevator come up from B1, and an orderly pushed out a transfer bed.

A nurse stood on each side of the transfer bed, and lying on it was a man with a thick beard, eyes tightly closed, wearing blue and white striped hospital clothes.

It was Li Keji.

Has the "treatment" ended? Lumian's eyes narrowed.

Was I still too late after all?

He watched Li Keji being pushed out of the elevator hall, following in the shadows all the way, out of the main building and back to the psychiatric department.

After confirming Li Keji's hospital room, Lumian first returned outside, behind some green trees, took out his phone, switched modes, and sent a message to Franca: "Couldn't penetrate B1. There's a curse inside; I was forced to leave early.

"Now, Li Keji has completed 'treatment' and returned to his room. I plan to sneak in to confirm his condition. If it's unsalvageable, I'll execute the cleanup plan."

Franca quickly replied: "If the cleanup is too complicated, we can abandon it for now and bring Ludwig to try.

"I think he's very effective against food-type enemies, like mushrooms."

That makes sense… Lumian replied with an "OK" and directly put the phone into the Traveler's Bag.

There might be a battle coming up, so he needed to protect his phone.

Soon after, Lumian in his shadow creature state slipped through the door crack of Li Keji's room, silently rising up in front of the bed.

He looked around, gazed at the still sleeping Li Keji, and began to assess his condition.

Suddenly, Li Keji opened his eyes and sat up.

Seeing it was Lumian, he showed a genuine smile.

"I've discovered the essence!

"I've succeeded!"

Lumian's expression changed abruptly.

He saw Li Keji's chest swell up, two large mushrooms raising his hospital gown, milk overflowing, while in Li Keji's abdomen, mushrooms that seemed to be formed from flesh and blood writhed and tore through the clothing, as if creating a blood-colored, real, directly exposed uterus.

-x-X-x-

Lumian looked at Li Keji and asked calmly, "What is the essence? What has succeeded?"

Li Keji, with his thick beard and dressed in blue-and-white striped hospital clothes, spread his arms wide and said excitedly, "The essence is that only Mother can bring new life, and only new life can cure your vegetable friend!"

Just as Li Keji finished speaking, a dark iron sword slashed toward him through the air.

The surface of the sword burned with crimson flames, which twisted into a black flame that suppressed madness and brutality halfway through.

After hearing the first part of Li Keji's response, Lumian had already taken out the Sword of Courage from his Traveler's Bag without hesitation.

He swung the sword at Li Keji, whose chest was swollen with milk mushrooms and whose abdomen was entangled by flesh-and-blood mushrooms forming a uterus. He converted the normal flames into Fire of Destruction.

Only this fire could truly kill the Mushroom King Li Keji, who possessed both the unique cognition of Mr. Fool and the power of Mother's new life, preventing him from being resurrected from the ashes!

Just as the black flame of destruction was about to strike Li Keji, the patient room vanished, and in its place appeared a wild, grassy plain.

Li Keji had disappeared as well.

The Fire of Destruction fell upon the wilderness of Paramita, scorching a long trench in the earth.

Within the trench, no grass grew.

Next, Lumian saw the soil in the distance loosen as a gigantic mushroom, covered in dark red veins, shot up from the ground like a massive tree, reaching for the sky.

Each of its mycelia was as thick as a branch, white with blood-red spots. Its cap was Li Keji's enlarged, bearded head. On its "chest," tumor-like growths rose, oozing a milky liquid. Its abdomen was covered with a translucent membrane, and beneath it, flesh mushrooms interbred, seemingly nurturing a jellyfish-like smaller mushroom inside.

Seeing this, small, dense bumps appeared on Lumian's skin, as if he had been mildly corrupted.

At the same time, he felt his life force flowing uncontrollably toward the giant mushroom and noticed that the green grass across the wilderness was all bending toward Li Keji, turning yellow.

Li Keji, serving as the mushroom's cap, spoke fervently and sincerely, "If you want new life, the current amount of life isn't enough.

"Give me all your lives, okay?"

By now, Lumian's eyes had taken on a dark, iron-black hue, and he found the pale white mark that represented the weakness on the giant mushroom.

He teleported to Li Keji's side, thrusting the Sword of Courage, engulfed in black flames of destruction, into the giant mushroom's abdomen.

Several branch-like mycelia whipped around, forming a dense net of vines that blocked the dark iron sword's path.

They were instantly set ablaze, turning to ash in the rapidly spreading black flames.

The giant mushroom shuddered violently, cutting off the burning mycelia from its body.

The mycelia fell to the ground, failing to affect the mushroom's main trunk.

Lumian followed through with a downward slash of the Sword of Courage.

This produced clusters of burning black fireballs, which exploded immediately.

Rumble!

The violent shockwaves, mixed with destructive black flames, surged in all directions, engulfing both the giant mushroom that was Li Keji and Lumian's own body.

Lumian activated the black mark on his right shoulder, teleporting out of the explosion's range just in time.

In the next second, he saw the giant mushroom ignited, swaying under the force of the shockwave.

Before Lumian could launch a second attack, the giant mushroom shed all the parts engulfed by the Fire of Destruction as if shedding its skin, discarding them before they could reach the cap or affect the abdomen and the "child" inside.

In an instant, a vast amount of ash floated in the air, and the giant mushroom's deeper layers were exposed—pulsing with sinews, flesh, and dark red veins wriggling like worms, exuding a strong milky scent.

All of these parts were writhing and rapidly regenerating.

Li Keji's head, acting as the mushroom cap, showed no hostility, and he happily said to Lumian,

"See? This is the final product.

"Come join us, and you'll also gain new life!"

As Li Keji finished speaking, Lumian had already pulled out a mirror, reflecting the giant mushroom that had shed its mycelia and outer layer.

Then, he pressed his hand, burning with Fire of Destruction, onto the mirror and wiped it once.

Demoness's curse!

A curse imbued with Fire of Destruction!

The giant mushroom jerked violently, causing all its flesh and liquid to shrink inward, wrapping its body and Li Keji's head, serving as the cap, into a bloody sphere.

On the surface of the sphere, clusters of smaller mushrooms stubbornly sprouted.

At that moment, black flames erupted from within, engulfing the entire bloody sphere.

One by one, the smaller mushrooms fell silently, while the layers of flesh rapidly carbonized.

The bloody mass writhed intensely, and one side suddenly split open, spitting out a wet, newborn mushroom.

This new mushroom was nearly identical to the previous giant mushroom, with Li Keji's head serving as the cap, branch-like mycelia hanging down, and tumors bulging, oozing milk. Its abdomen was covered by a membrane, nurturing new life inside. The only difference was that it was slightly smaller, as if it had shrunk by a full size.

Covered in greasy, gray-black afterbirth, the new mushroom shot out from the mother body's power, swiftly escaping the Fire of Destruction's burning area.

New Life!

Li Keji had used New Life to sever the connection between the Demoness's curse and himself just in time!

Is there still a way to escape the curse? As Lumian's life continued to drain rapidly, his mind tensed, and his gaze followed the flying, spore-scattering new mushroom.

His eyes quickly turned a silvery-white tinged with black.

He intended to use the Eye of Calamity to search for the black thread of fate that bound Li Keji, hoping to destroy this New Life and finally kill the mushroom monster in front of him.

Just as the mercury-colored illusory river of fate composed of countless complex symbols appeared in Lumian's vision, he suddenly felt an itch on his skin.

Instinctively, he lowered his head and saw that the small bumps on his skin had grown slightly, beginning to bloom as if about to sprout tiny mushrooms.

He had been corrupted by observing Li Keji's River of Fate!

Instantly, sinister and silent Demoness's black flames ignited on Lumian's body, consuming the burgeoning mushroom clusters without a sound.

Enduring the pain, Lumian teleported to the edge of Paramita.

He wanted to see if he could lure Li Keji to the police station and use the official forces and the power of the dream's main consciousness to eliminate this mushroom monster.

Paramita did not stop Lumian, allowing him to pass through.

What greeted Lumian's eyes was not the patient room of the psychiatric department at Mushu Hospital, but a spacious, dimly lit room, with half-drawn curtains, a desk, bookshelves, and a sofa set.

Lumian stood at the room's entrance.

From the corner of his eye, he saw that the door was half-open, with a conspicuous nameplate embedded on it. The nameplate bore five words in the local dream city script: "Dean's Office."

The dean's office? Lumian tensed even more and instinctively turned his gaze toward the area behind the desk.

There was a leather executive chair, and leaning against it was a figure.

The figure wore a white doctor's coat, had sparse eyebrows, bright brown eyes filled with a smile, and chestnut hair tied into a high bun. Her features were clean and alluring, exuding an elegant air, while she cradled a chubby, swaddled baby in her arms.

Lumian was momentarily stunned.

He knew this person.

She was one of the few surviving villagers from Cordu—Madame Pualis!

Pualis de Roquefort.

As Lumian's thoughts raced, he didn't immediately teleport away. Instead, he looked at Madame Pualis, who sat behind the desk holding the adorable baby, and smiled.

"So the new dean of Mushu Hospital is you.

"What a pleasant surprise."

As he spoke, Lumian recalled that Matriarch Roland of the Church of Earth Mother, an Angel of the Mother pathway, was only the associate dean of Mushu Hospital, yet Madame Pualis was able to be the dean.

What did this signify?

Was Madame Pualis more powerful, or was she the proxy of the Great Mother?

Madame Pualis looked at Lumian, who was wearing a mask and sunglasses, and smiled.

"I was equally delighted and surprised to find you here.

"And you now have a part of Aurore with you—what a double joy.

"I've recently learned a phrase about life's joys: 'Reuniting with an old friend in a faraway place and celebrating your wedding night by candlelight.' Our situation fits the first."

"Why don't you take off your sunglasses and mask so I can get a good look at you, and then we can enjoy our wedding night together and bring Aurore into the world?"

Do all of you followers of the Great Mother talk about having children as soon as you meet? Lumian didn't get angry or upset at Madame Pualis's words.

Some things couldn't be stopped, so it was best to stay calm, just like when the secret ceremony had brought dangerous power, leading to the mutation of the Blood Emperor's remnant aura and the transformation of the souls of the Cordu villagers into soldiers sealed within.

Following Madame Pualis's suggestion, Lumian took off his sunglasses and removed his mask, revealing a bright face with a hint of a cold smile.

If I don't show my face, how can I Charm her better?

And without better Charm, how can I create the best opportunity to escape?

As he kept an eye on the mushroom monster that Li Keji had become, Lumian shifted his gaze to the little angelic baby cradled in Madame Pualis's arms. "Is she your child?"

"Yes," Madame Pualis answered with a smile, her eyes roaming across Lumian's face.

Lumian instantly thought of the empty crib in the Cordu village ruins and asked, as if casually,

"What's her name?"

With a serene smile, Madame Pualis replied, "Omebella."

-x-X-x-

Omebella?

She is also called Omebella?

Was the mysterious baby Madame Pualis had been carrying in Cordu Village named Omebella? Did that empty crib belong to Omebella?

At this moment, Lumian felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

Previously, Madam Magician had joked that as long as the dean of Mushu Hospital wasn't named Omebella, it wouldn't be a problem. At the time, Lumian thought it was just a horror story, and even if the dean was really named Omebella, it shouldn't be his biggest concern. But hearing that Madame Pualis's child was called Omebella truly sent chills down his spine.

If it were just Madame Pualis becoming the dean of Mushu Hospital, or just her giving birth to a mysterious child who had shown strange qualities in Cordu Village, Lumian wouldn't have been so shocked and frightened. These would have been unexpected but not unreasonable events.

But the baby was named Omebella—the mysterious child Madame Pualis had carried and given birth to in Cordu Village was called Omebella.

If Madame Pualis wasn't lying, if that baby was truly the Omebella Lumian knew, didn't that mean he had once "coexisted" with the infant Omebella in Cordu Village for some time? And later, he had killed another unborn Omebella, obtained Omebella's bloodline through the corresponding umbilical cord remnants, come into contact with the remains of the earliest Omebella, and encountered some things and arrangements related to Omebella!

Had all this been foreshadowed in the disaster at Cordu Village, rather than beginning only when he ate Omebella's umbilical cord remnants?

Lumian suddenly felt as if he was back in a scene from his vagrant life. At that time, he was huddled in a corner, watching a large, slippery, ferocious poisonous snake slowly slithering past him, not daring to move a muscle. Now, he seemed to feel that cold, damp, slippery sensation crawling over him, seeping in bit by bit, silently coiling around him.

If the baby Madame Pualis gave birth to in Cordu Village was Omebella, then who was in Father Montserrat's belly, whom I killed?

Where did the umbilical cord remnants I ate come from, and why could they help me contact the remains of the earliest Omebella? Why could they make the Mother's children, who lacked necessary wisdom, mistake me for the Child of God, Omebella?

In the depths of the Underworld, who did that egg nurtured by the ancient god's remains point to? Why could I hear the call for Omebella?

Moreover, why did the followers of the Great Mother want to induce me to become the true Child of God, to become the real Omebella? Hadn't Omebella already been born?

What is going on?

Which one is real, and which is fake?

Are they all fake? Are they all real?

Lumian's gaze fixed on the baby in Madame Pualis's arms. He noticed her chubby face, rosy and delicate, incredibly adorable.

"Oh, so she's Omebella. Who's her father?" Although Lumian's inner thoughts were bubbling like boiling water in a steam boiler, outwardly he maintained a calm demeanor.

This was a basic quality of a Hunter, and he also had the endurance of an Ascetic.

Madame Pualis suddenly smiled. "If I said it was you or Aurore, would you believe me?"

"Stop with the hellish jokes. We've never touched you," Lumian said, outwardly unperturbed.

"Yes, I regret that too. I hope we'll have a chance to make up for it in the future," Madame Pualis sighed and said, "Her mother is me, and also the Great Mother. As for her father, on the surface, it's the padre, but there's someone else."

Someone else… Just as Lumian was about to start eliminating the villagers of Cordu Village one by one, heavy footsteps suddenly sounded behind him.

He half-turned and saw the giant mushroom with Li Keji's head as its cap appearing in the dim corridor.

At this moment, the smile on Madame Pualis's face faded slightly. She said in a casual tone, "Come, the child needs you."

As soon as she finished speaking, the baby in the swaddling clothes began to cry loudly.

Hearing this loud cry, Lumian's body instinctively, involuntarily walked towards Madame Pualis, towards the baby Omebella.

It was like two mutually attracted magnets finally meeting.

Lumian suddenly had some realizations:

Madame Pualis wants to do something with my body, which possesses Omebella's bloodline!

After last night's events, Li Keji was quickly transferred to Mushu Hospital for treatment, not only because the Celestial Worthy wanted to eliminate this hidden danger and the Great Mother attempted to balance the situation, but also because Madame Pualis planned to attract me here!

I refused to seek help from the Great Mother last night to become the true Child of God, so did the Great Mother and the Celestial Worthy temporarily reach an agreement?

Lumian didn't hesitate. He activated the black mark on his right shoulder, attempting to teleport away.

His figure disappeared from the dean's office, but he didn't appear at the entrance of the police station in the dream city.

He arrived in the wilderness again.

In the depths of the wilderness stood a gigantic green oak tree that seemed to connect the sky and the ground. The top of the oak tree appeared to lead to heaven, disappearing into layers of white clouds.

Lumian saw that the surface of the enormous oak tree that seemed to hold up the sky was marked with scorch marks from lightning strikes. Its bark was mottled, concealing vitality.

His gaze followed the complex patterns formed by the mottled bark, instinctively moving upward. Near the top of the tree crown, he saw a newly grown branch.

It had grown tenaciously from a charred spot caused by lightning strikes, entwined with some lush, vibrant mistletoe.

At this moment, this new branch, along with the mistletoe, was grasped by a chubby, fair little hand. The hand belonged to the swaddled baby Omebella.

She wore a floral crown and was "dressed" in a fresh green dress. Madame Pualis, whose lower body had transformed into a giant bird shape and whose back had sprouted brown wings, held her in her arms.

"Come, the child needs you!" Madame Pualis's voice echoed across the entire wilderness. The mushroom monster that Li Keji had become also appeared at the edge of the wild.

Lumian attempted to teleport out to no avail. He immediately threw out a mirror, preparing to enter the area behind the mirror, to see if he could use the mirror world to escape this wilderness.

The next second, the glass surface of the mirror seemed to come alive, softening and writhing, forming a "mouth" leading to a dark depth.

Lumian made a quick decision, abandoning the attempt to penetrate the glass surface, letting the mirror fall on its own.

Smack!

The mirror shattered into multiple pieces, each mercury-coated glass shard desperately crawling away.

Lumian snorted, and quiet black flames surged from within his body. Outside the black flames, thick frost quickly condensed, as if to create a coffin for slumber.

The invisible spider silk that had already spread throughout the surrounding area retracted, wrapping around the frost layer by layer, preparing to form a huge cocoon.

This was a Demoness's strongest defense mechanism, capable of both dispelling curses and negative influences, and resisting substantial damage.

Lumian's plan was to use this ability to buy time to actively exit the dream or light the corpse wax candle to complete the secret deed ritual.

However, before the spider cocoon could fully form, the Demoness's black flames seemed to take on a life of their own, truly burning Lumian's spirituality. The ice layer that was supposed to provide defense also began to restrict Lumian's movements.

They had all come alive!

Lumian immediately activated the black mark on his right shoulder.

He moved to the edge of the wilderness, far from the giant mushroom man, escaping the influence of the Demoness's black flames and layers of frost.

Although he couldn't teleport out of this wilderness, he could still Blink around within it.

"Come, the child needs you!"

As he heard Madame Pualis's voice, Lumian ran a few steps towards the gigantic oak tree that seemed to hold up the sky.

No good, in this preset battlefield, within Paramita, in front of the baby Omebella, although everyone is suppressed to the Sequence 7 level, I'm still being very effectively restrained. I can't hold out for too long… Should I recite Madam Magician's honorific name or utter "Leodero," the blasphemous incantation? No, I might only have one chance to recite the honorific name, and "Leodero" might not be able to break the giant oak tree's seal on Paramita… If we're going down, let's go big, everyone perish together! As Lumian thought, he reached into the Traveler's Bag and firmly grasped that special mirror world fragment.

Then, he initiated teleportation again, using this to resist the invisible pull of baby Omebella on himself and her strange ability to bring things to life.

After Blinking to the next position, Lumian opened his mouth and quickly recited a sentence in ancient Hermes, "Great Door of All Doors;"

Lumian was about to recite the honorific name of Chief Yagates—Mr. Door—to attract His attention!

This represented the power of the dream subconscious maintaining order.

Although this would result in Lumian himself being permanently kicked out of the dream, Madame Pualis, the mushroom-transformed Li Keji, and baby Omebella here, every single one of them, wouldn't be able to continue "staying" in the dream city!

This was equivalent to eliminating hidden dangers for Jenna, Franca, and others in their subsequent actions.

As for what comes after, trust in teammates!

After reciting the first honorific name, Lumian teleported to another side of the wilderness, avoiding the attacks of Madame Pualis and Li Keji.

"Guide of the endless cosmos;"

Lumian finished one sentence and quickly disappeared from his original spot.

Seeing this, Madame Pualis opened her mouth, about to unleash a Banshee's Shriek.

At this moment, a male version of Lumian appeared in the wilderness.

He was a shallow mirror image created by the mirror world fragment, very weak.

He spread his arms and shouted loudly in ancient Hermes, "Leodero!"

This voice burst out almost simultaneously with the Banshee's Shriek. As the shallow mirror image shattered under the influence of the sound waves, the sky above suddenly darkened.

In the darkness, dense clouds gathered, and countless silver-white electric snakes jumped to form a huge lightning bolt, striking towards that giant, sky-supporting green oak tree.

Smack!

A large number of small, silver-white electric snakes crawled over the surface of the oak tree, creating patches of charred marks, but it didn't completely die, still constantly regenerating.

This effect temporarily paralyzed Madame Pualis and baby Omebella.

Crack, the Mirror Substitution Lumian, who had shattered under the Banshee's Shriek and the overflow of lightning, appeared not too far from Li Keji, reciting the third line of the honorific name.

"Key to all mysterious worlds."

-x-X-x-

As Lumian recited the third line of the honorific name, the dark clouds and lightning in the sky suddenly collapsed towards the center, forming a huge vortex swirling upwards. It was as if a giant with the sky as its face had opened its single eye, or a strange tunnel with an unknown destination had appeared out of thin air.

This vortex rapidly expanded, as if it would tear apart heaven and earth, swelling into a door.

Seeing this, Madame Pualis, who had just broken free from her paralyzed state, frowned slightly. Holding baby Omebella, she shrank into the interior of the giant green oak tree that seemed to hold up the sky, disappearing from Lumian's sight.

Lumian then saw the mushroom monster with Li Keji's head as its cap standing rigidly in place, as if it had encountered some kind of restraint.

Immediately after, the mushroom monster began to disintegrate from its abdomen, like a vase smashed to the ground, breaking into many large pieces.

These pieces continued to break apart, and in just a few seconds, they became a pile of particles barely visible to the naked eye.

The disintegration rapidly spread to different parts of the mushroom monster's body, finally reaching Li Keji's head that served as the mushroom cap.

The head quickly became as if it were pieced together from fragments, but Li Keji's face showed no trace of hatred or resentment.

His expression twisted uncontrollably from pain, but his eyes were unusually sincere and joyful.

He struggled to say to Lumian, "I really… succeeded…

"Join… us… let's go… be reborn together…"

Before he finished speaking, Li Keji's head shattered even more severely, breaking into individual pixels.

Almost simultaneously, Lumian found that the giant oak tree had suffered a similar fate.

But after it disintegrated, Madame Pualis and baby Omebella did not appear in the tree's core.

They had hidden somewhere unknown, or perhaps had left the dream in some way beforehand.

So powerful… Is this the power of the dream's main consciousness maintaining order? Lumian activated the black mark on his right shoulder, trying to escape the current collapse of Paramita.

Although he had mentally prepared himself to be completely kicked out of the dream and never be able to return, he hadn't been sentenced yet, had he?

He had to struggle a bit!

What if he succeeded?

Lumian's figure immediately disappeared from the spot.

His chosen destination was the entrance of Yangdu Prison.

Yes, I've committed a crime, you can lock me up, but don't "exile" me!

The next second, Lumian appeared in a spacious office, seeing a middle-aged man wearing a clean white shirt with black diamond-patterned police ranks on his shoulders.

This middle-aged man had a rigid demeanor, with deep black hair interspersed with some white. He sat quietly behind the desk, looking at Lumian with deep brown, almost black eyes. He was clearly the chief of the dream city's Police Department, the symbol of the Uniqueness of the Door pathway, Yagates!

My teleportation destination was changed to the police chief's office? Lumian suddenly had this realization.

At this moment, Yagates asked in a deep voice, "Who are you, and what do you intend to do in Yangdu?"

Along with the deputy chief's questioning, Lumian suddenly felt a strong rejection from the dream and his own rapid marionettization.

He understood very well that if he left the dream city like this, he would never be able to return.

Lumian's thoughts raced as he made a final struggle.

He recalled a hint Amon had given him on the way to Mushu Hospital.

"The most fundamental fact is that The Fool has never accommodated the Uniqueness of the Error and Door pathways, while the Celestial Worthy has…"

This sentence didn't mention that Mr. Door had long accommodated the Uniqueness of the Door pathway, and Amon had briefly accommodated it…

So, the Chief Yagate's essence is a product of the dream subconscious cognition, Mr. Door's spiritual imprint, the Celestial Worthy's spiritual imprint, and a bit of Amon's spiritual imprint, combined to symbolize the Uniqueness of the Door pathway, symbolizing the dream's main consciousness maintaining order…

Chief Yagates… only the dream subconscious part has a bit of Mr. Fool's spirit… To avoid being kicked out this time, or not being completely kicked out, I can only find a way to strengthen or stimulate Mr. Door's spiritual imprint… Lumian had an inspiration in a very short time and recalled Madam Magician's introduction to Mr. Door.

Before his thoughts stalled completely, before the dream's rejecting force threw him out, Lumian blurted out in response to the Chief's question, "I am… an ally of the… Abraham family!"

Suddenly, Lumian felt the air around him solidify.

At the same time, he noticed that the Chief's deep brown, almost black eyes showed a hint of confusion and contemplation. His brows furrowed unconsciously, as if trying to remember something but unable to truly recall.

The force rapidly marionettizing Lumian suddenly slowed, and the strong rejection from the dream did the same.

As expected… Chief Yagates mainly embodies the conflict between Mr. Door's spiritual imprint and the Celestial Worthy's spiritual imprint… Just now, I was thinking that even if being completely kicked out of the dream was unavoidable, I should still tell Chief Yagates about Mr. Door directly with the idea of mutual destruction, stimulating the corresponding spiritual imprint to make it more active… Lumian's condition improved considerably, and his thoughts were no longer so stalled.

Seeing that Chief Yagates didn't respond, he further said, "My guide is a student of a member of the Abraham family, and now she is protecting the entire Abraham family!"

Chief Yagates's expression grew more confused, but his face was no longer stern.

Lumian quickly examined himself and found that the dream's rejecting force still existed but had weakened slightly.

It's working, I need to increase the intensity! Lumian thought for just a second before shouting, following his spiritual intuition, "I am a Hunter, and also a Demoness, and I still have traces of Alista Tudor's aura on me!"

"Alista Tudor…" Chief Yagates murmured, repeating the name as if it were both familiar and unfamiliar.

Feeling that the dream was still rejecting him, Lumian considered for a moment and said, "I've also been corrupted by the crimson moon, but currently, the situation is under control."

He knew that Mr. Door had once encountered corruption from the Great Mother, which was a common point between them.

Earlier, he would have directly stated that it was corruption from the Great Mother—after all, it was a desperate struggle, what couldn't be said?

But now, seeing hope of not being completely kicked out of the dream, he naturally dared not speak too plainly, fearing that it would not only stimulate Mr. Door but also the Celestial Worthy, causing the situation to take a sharp turn for the worse!

In a popular saying in dream city, this would be like "he who is down need fear no fall."

Previously, Lumian was down and had nothing to lose, but now the change in the situation had put him back on his feet, giving him something to be cautious about.

Chief Yagates once again gazed at Lumian in his Demoness of Despair state, seemingly re-evaluating this wanted criminal who had brought chaos and conflict.

But the dreamscape's rejecting force didn't weaken further.

Lumian endured this rejection and rapid marionettization, and thought of another connection between himself and Mr. Door.

With an attitude of giving it a try, he said, "Amon once guided me."

He said this not only because Mr. Door and Amon were both Grand Dukes of the Tudor Empire, but also with the hidden intention of stimulating that bit of Amon's spiritual imprint within the Chief.

"Amon…" Chief Yagates raised his right hand and pinched his chin.

Lumian saw his reaction but didn't feel the dream's rejecting force and rapid marionettization force continue to weaken.

It's still not enough, just a little more… Lumian shouted one last time before he could no longer resist that rejecting force, "I came to Yangdu to fight against those destroyers, to fight against the apostles of evil gods, to prevent the evil gods from invading!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lumian felt the dream's rejecting force suddenly weaken, and the force trying to marionettize him became vague and unclear.

Chief Yagates, looking at Lumian, slowly nodded. "I can sense that you're not lying.

"Breaking the law must certainly be punished, but if there are reasons and it's pitiable, the punishment can be reduced."

Hearing these two sentences, Lumian quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

His interpretation of this was: he would be imprisoned, but not for life or sentenced to death;

he would be kicked out of the dream, but not completely kicked out.

"I accept the punishment," Lumian didn't argue further, because Chief Yagates had already passed his judgment.

He only sincerely requested, "Can I notify my family?"

"You may." The stern-faced Chief Yagates didn't refuse this request.

Lumian quickly took out his phone and, in front of Chief Yagates, sent a voice-to-text WeChat message to Franca:

"I'm fine, but I might be locked up for a while. You can ask Miss Huang for help to find a lawyer, see if they can get me out on bail.

"The mushroom monster has been eliminated, but Li Keji said he ultimately succeeded. Wait for Jenna to come back, and have her take Li Lu to tour the wards in Crimson Moon Hospital and Mushu Hospital where Li Keji was hospitalized. See if they can discover anything.

"Also, pay attention to whether Mushu Hospital has changed its dean."

After sending this message, Lumian waited for about ten seconds before receiving a brief reply from Franca:

"Okay."

Lumian immediately used the Information Shredder to delete the chat history along with the contact list, then put the phone back into the Traveler's Bag.

After doing this, he looked back at Chief Yagates. "I'm ready."

Only then did the deputy chief pick up the desk phone and dial a number.

"Deng, come over here for a moment."

As he spoke, Lumian felt the dream's rejecting force become strong once again.

He no longer resisted, following this force to exit the dream.

…

Trier, inside a luxurious villa.

Lumian opened his eyes in bed for the second time in one day.

After examining his state, his first reaction was to try to enter the dream city again.

The next second, he felt he wasn't blocked, so he stopped this behavior, planning to wait 24 hours before trying again.

From a timing perspective, this wouldn't affect Queen Mystic's plan to banish the mirrored Emperor Roselle.

-x-X-x-

Phew… Lumian exhaled, got out of bed, and walked out of the room.

In the living room downstairs, Madam Justice was serving Madam Magician, Madam Judgment, Jenna, and Anthony the most authentic Loen afternoon tea.

This was also to soothe the minds and spirits of the two Minor Arcana, helping them relax and feel the reality of the present moment.

"Why have you left the dream again?" Jenna looked at Lumian in the living room doorway with surprise.

"I was kicked out," Lumian said with a smile.

Compared to being completely kicked out, being able to enter the dream again was indeed something to be happy about.

"Because of Li Keji?" Madam Magician asked thoughtfully.

"Yes." Lumian sat down and recounted his agreement with Queen Mystic, Li Keji's transfer and tragic treatment, and what Amon had said in the ride-hailing car.

After hearing Amon's interpretation of the symbolic meanings of the dream images of Peng Deng, Grisha, and others, Madam Justice said somewhat embarrassedly, "I'm really not an expert in this area."

"That's perfectly normal," Madam Magician said with a smile. "Mr. Pallez's interpretation will arrive soon, and we can compare it with Amon's."

After saying this, she gestured for Lumian to continue.

Lumian went on to describe Li Keji's transformation, Madame Pualis's appearance as the new dean of Mushu Hospital, the appearance of baby Omebella, and what happened after he recited Mr. Door's honorific name.

"Using ties worked?" Madam Magician asked, both surprised and amused to hear that Lumian wasn't permanently kicked out of the dream city and could enter once more.

If she had known this earlier, she might have been able to obtain a better outcome previously!

Madam Justice glanced at Madam Magician, reading her true thoughts.

In Madam Justice's view, this actually reflected a difference in personality:

Being permanently kicked out of the dream wouldn't result in death, and one could still follow the guidance of fate to give away the lucky coin, find new helpers, and continue exploring and experimenting in the dream city. Therefore, Madam Magician couldn't have had the mindset of being on the brink of perishing and struggling desperately, so she more easily accepted the corresponding outcome.

Lumian was different. He had experienced being a tramp, and in such a life, every bit of resource and every opportunity was extremely important. Therefore, he wasn't used to giving up and would instinctively struggle until failure truly arrived.

"It works," Lumian recalled. "Chief Yagates had the strongest reactions to things related to the Abraham family and protecting the dream city from invasion by evil gods. His feedback on these was also the most positive. Hmm, the names of the Blood Emperor and Amon also stimulated him to some degree, giving him a sense of familiarity. But he didn't have an obvious reaction to the matter of the Great Mother's corruption."

"Related to the Abraham family… protecting the dream city from invasion by evil gods…" Madam Magician suddenly sighed.

Madam Judgment then said to Lumian, "After experiencing Amon's deification, the Great Mother's corruption probably doesn't have much manifestation in Chief Yagates anymore.

"And only you could elicit certain reactions from Chief Yagates through the names of the Blood Emperor and Amon."

Lumian understood Madam Judgment's meaning.

Only someone like him, carrying the residual aura of the Blood Emperor and Amon's boon, could say such words with credibility and bring about genuine stimulation.

"Let's hope that the things you mentioned can make Mr. Door's spiritual imprint on Chief Yagates more active and maintain it for a while. This will be very helpful for subsequent probing and experiments." Madam Justice nodded in agreement.

She vaguely felt that the lucky coin ending up with Lumian after all its twists and turns was indeed the guidance of fate.

There was only one person who simultaneously embodied the concepts of Hunter, Demoness, demigod, Amon's boon, residual aura of the Blood Emperor, Omebella's bloodline, Underworld Daoist's seal, relative of a transmigrator, and having a connection to the Abraham family.

At this point, Jenna, more concerned about another matter, raised a question, "What's the deal with that baby Omebella that Madame Pualis was holding?"

What impact would this have on Lumian?

"When I arrived in Cordu, the crib was long empty. All I know is that the Child of God has already been born in the spirit world. The initial root of all this was indeed the child Madame Pualis 'lost'." Madam Magician slowly shook her head.

Lumian recalled and said, "Last year, in Trier, Madame Pualis said that the child had died long ago, killed by her father—the padre—who didn't know it was his child…

"This time, Madame Pualis said again that the child's father was ostensibly the padre, but actually someone else. Who could it be?"

Madam Magician pondered for quite a while, then said with a slightly peculiar expression, "Perhaps, at that time, baby Omebella had to die because she didn't yet have sufficient conditions to truly be born into the real world. Being killed by her father might be an important symbol for her future rebirth and arrival in reality."

"You have a guess about her real father?" Madam Justice looked at Madam Magician, not hiding her curiosity.

What kind of guess could make Madam Magician's expression change so obviously and strangely?

Seeing Lumian, Jenna, and others also looking at her, Madam Magician cleared her throat and said, "It's just a guess, I can't guarantee it's correct."

"Who?" Madam Judgment asked cooperatively.

Madam Magician looked up at the sky and lowered her voice. "Eternal Blazing Sun."

What? Jenna and Anthony were stunned.

Madam Justice and Madam Judgment were equally surprised.

Eternal Blazing Sun? Lumian looked at Madam Magician with only one thought in mind, How did she make that connection? Is this what it means to be a novelist?

Madam Magician stood up and began to pace as she spoke, "Guillaume Bénet was the padre of the Eternal Blazing Sun Church in Cordu Village, essentially the representative of the Eternal Blazing Sun in this parish. Is there any problem with this statement?"

"No." Jenna instinctively shook her head.

This was basic theological knowledge.

Madam Magician looked at Lumian.

"You saw Madame Pualis and the padre having an affair in the cathedral at that time, right?"

"Yes." Lumian nodded slightly.

"Having an affair and conceiving a child in the Eternal Blazing Sun cathedral, near the altar, with the representative of the Eternal Blazing Sun could indeed point to the Eternal Blazing Sun as the child's father. But the premise is that the Eternal Blazing Sun Himself agreed or acquiesced, which is impossible, right?" Madam Judgment felt this was something a High-Sequence being of the Sun pathway wouldn't do.

Madam Magician smiled. "The Eternal Blazing Sun certainly didn't agree or acquiesce at the time, and might not even have known about it. This is also one of the reasons why that baby had to die after being born in Cordu Village—the corresponding symbolism wasn't established yet.

"But do you remember what happened afterwards? The Eternal Blazing Sun pretended to cooperate with the Great Mother, letting Lady Moon of the Nightstalkers conceive a Child of God.

"Later, the birth and advent of that Child of God helped Red Angel Medici successfully kill Vermonda Sauron and obtain that Conqueror Beyonder characteristic.

"Not long after that Child of God was sacrificed, Madame Pualis—who entered Fourth Epoch Trier disappeared—unaffected by the subsequent cleanup.

"These events, when viewed separately, don't seem problematic. But when connected, they point to something."

Madam Justice nodded thoughtfully.

"The Eternal Blazing Sun used the Great Mother to make Red Angel Medici's plot succeed, but was also used by the Great Mother?"

Madam Magician sighed and said, "What the Great Mother wanted from the beginning wasn't the baby in Lady Moon's womb, but the act of the Eternal Blazing Sun making Lady Moon conceive a Child of God—this symbolism.

"Once that Child of God died, the long-deceased baby Omebella, who had the basic symbolism, inherited this relationship, gained new life, and helped Madame Pualis escape the subsequent cleanup.

"It wasn't until then that baby Omebella was truly born, but she wasn't complete enough yet and needed to find a medium to descend into reality. After that, whether it was Father Montserrat or that bird egg in the depths of the Underworld, they were probably preparing for this."

"Now, I'm the best medium?" Lumian suddenly understood why Madame Pualis wanted him to come over, saying the child needed him.

Jenna listened in a daze, taking quite a while to sort out the relationships.

She asked confusedly, "But letting the father-child relationship of Lady Moon's child be inherited by the long-deceased baby Omebella doesn't seem like something within the Great Mother's authority."

"The Celestial Worthy—if the two great existences were already cooperating at that time." Madam Magician answered concisely.

"Reasoning it out this way, the Eternal Blazing Sun really could be the father of that baby Omebella in Madame Pualis's arms…" Lumian couldn't help but mutter, "The padre wasn't wrong when he said the affair was an action of the holy church… Although he himself didn't know the true meaning… Is this also a manifestation of symbolism?"

The room fell silent.

After quite a while, Madam Judgment broke the silence. "We need to report this to the Eternal Blazing Sun Church."

This wasn't to let the clergy of the Eternal Blazing Sun Church know about the "scandal", but to remind the true god Eternal Blazing Sun to pay attention to the relevant issues.

The Great Mother making Omebella's father a deity was certainly not just to make the child's status more noble, to become a true Child of God. There must be hidden purposes!

"But how should we explain this to the clergy of the Eternal Blazing Sun Church? With their fanaticism and purity, I'm afraid they might purge me on the spot." Madam Magician expressed a troubled look.

Indeed, we can't just tell those padres, bishops, and archbishops that their god was seduced by an evil god, can we? Lumian grumbled inwardly.

"Just say that Madame Pualis has appeared again, with a child between reality and illusion named Omebella, and that Omebella's father is ostensibly Guillaume Benet, the padre of Cordu Village, but actually someone else," Madam Justice said, choosing her words carefully. "Then mention that the baby had actually already died in Cordu Village, killed by the padre. With the Red Angel Medici's intelligence, it wouldn't be hard to make the relevant associations and come to similar conclusions."

"Alright." Madam Magician nodded solemnly.

After agreeing, this Major Arcana sincerely sighed. "I've realized that everyone who tries to use the Great Mother ends up being used by the Great Mother."

-x-X-x-

Hearing Madam Magician's sigh, everyone turned their gaze towards Lumian.

Smiling, Lumian replied, "Well, it's not just the Great Mother using us. When the time comes, let Them decide the victor first."

This was his usual attitude towards issues that couldn't be immediately resolved but weren't life-threatening. Otherwise, his mental state and emotions would have exploded long ago.

"But we should still be vigilant and try to stay away from the Great Mother's followers," Madam Judgment specifically reminded him.

Lumian smiled wryly. "Sometimes, it's not a matter of whether I want to avoid them or not."

His spiritual intuition told him that even if he didn't return to Mushu Hospital, even if Madame Pualis and baby Omebella were forced to leave the dream due to Chief Yagates' attention, he would encounter them again in the real world in the near future.

This seemed to be a predestined fate, ever since he ate the remnants of Omebella's umbilical cord and truly came into contact with that bird egg in the depths of the Underworld and the Sealed Artifact—Gift of the Land.

…

Dream city, at the entrance of the Police Department.

Two imposing lawyers had secured bail for the pitiful Lumina.

On one of the floors of the Police Department's main building, Deng stood behind a window, watching Lumina bow and get into a car. He frowned and said to Chief Yagates, "Chief, why didn't we refuse her bail request?"

Yagates, also standing by the window, smiled helplessly and said, "I wanted to refuse too, but she really didn't kill Zaratulstra. There's both witness and physical evidence. At the time, she and that child were still in the face changer's line of sight.

"As for her possible accomplices, haven't you tried already? You couldn't get anything out of her. She seems to have truly lost her memory, with no corresponding memories even in her subconscious.

"After this, start from her social relationships and conduct a thorough investigation."

"Yes, Chief," Deng agreed with this investigative direction.

Yagates thought for two seconds, then said slowly, "Secretly list Mushu Hospital as a key investigation target as well."

"What happened?" Deng asked vigilantly.

Yagates turned his gaze back to the street below.

"After Li Keji was transferred back to Mushu Hospital, he turned into a monster. I cleaned it up. His transformation into a monster is closely related to the new dean at Mushu Hospital.

"Before long, Mushu Hospital will probably report Li Keji as missing."

"Yes, and last time, that corpse walked to Mushu Hospital's morgue." Deng nodded with a grave expression.

…

Trier, inside a luxurious villa.

Jenna pushed open the door to the top floor sunroom and saw Lumian sitting on the spacious balcony, intently gazing at the quietly flowing Srenzo River not far away.

At this time, the sun was setting, draping the classical buildings on the opposite bank in a golden-red coat, making bright, scattered spots of light race away along the dim water surface.

The whistles of steam ships returning to port sounded occasionally.

"What are you thinking about?" Jenna asked curiously as she walked towards the balcony.

Lumian's initially unfocused gaze gradually sharpened. He said thoughtfully, "I'm thinking about two things Amon said."

"Which two?" Jenna stood at the edge of the balcony, leaning on the railing, also admiring the Srenzo River under the setting sun.

Lumian recalled and said, "One was that what Peng Deng really wanted to hint at was something else.

"The other was that we need to learn how to filter out the interference of complex information and see the most fundamental facts."

At this point, Lumian murmured to himself, "The most fundamental facts…"

Jenna half-turned her body, about to discuss whether such words from Amon, a top-tier con artist, could be trusted and to what extent, when she saw Lumian suddenly stand up and walk out of the solarium.

She was stunned for a moment, then quickly followed.

Lumian came to the living room on the first floor and said to Madam Magician, who was reading a book, "I have some guesses and ideas. When I return to the dream, I plan to organize an action soon to weaken the Celestial Worthy and awaken Mr. Fool. At that time, please fully cooperate with me."

Madam Magician stood up abruptly, not bothering to ask Lumian what new guesses and ideas he had, and directly confirmed, "How confident are you that the direction is correct?"

Lumian chuckled. "Not very, it's more to verify the guesses.

"We've already collected a lot of information and obtained some resources, and Zhou Sasa is about to arrive in Yangdu. This symbolizes that the situation in the dream has developed to a turning point. It's time for us to take initiative and do something, we can't always be passive.

"When the time comes, if we succeed, everyone can rejoice. Even if we can't fully awaken Mr. Fool, it shows that we've found the right path, and we can continue to push in this direction afterwards. If we fail, we can eliminate some incorrect guesses and wrong directions, and we won't need to waste time on these aspects in the future. Hehe, I only have one last chance to enter the dream, if we do encounter failure, it's just right to pass on the lucky coin, and not hinder the efforts of those who come after."

Jenna was about to ask about an important detail when Madam Magician had already asked for her, "What about Two of Cups? She hasn't fully digested her Despair potion yet."

Lumian chuckled in response.

"She won't directly participate. If the attempt fails, the dream will continue to exist, not affecting her subsequent digestion of the potion. If it succeeds, her Despair potion should be directly digested, as will mine.

"Well, to be safe, please ask Mr. Sun to stand by Franca's bedside in advance, ready to help her extract the Demoness of Despair Beyonder characteristic."

"Alright," Madam Magician agreed to Lumian's request.

She then asked, "What are your new guesses and new ideas?"

"I can't tell you for now." Lumian smiled.

He then explained, "All of you are closely connected to Mr. Fool, which also means all of you are closely connected to the Celestial Worthy. Although most of you won't be influenced by this, you might be secretly watched by the Celestial Worthy, allowing Him to grasp some information.

"I'll tell you my thoughts when the operation officially begins."

Madam Magician felt this most deeply. She nodded slightly and said, "The problems for me and Mr. Pallez mainly come from our own pathways and status, but others do frequently enter and exit above the gray fog, occasionally praying to Mr. Fool.

"Alright, you guys are the ones in the dream city now, and you're the captain, so you lead."

…

Dream city, late at night.

Jenna, who had returned, left Room 2303 of Building 5 in Dechuang Garden with Ludwig, while Franca stayed behind to take care of Lumina.

Although Franca had observed Mushu Hospital in the afternoon and found that there were many people around who seemed to be plainclothes police, believing that the cultists inside would behave for a while, she still thought it necessary to guard against the possibility of Lumina being drawn by Omebella's bloodline and sneaking over there.

She hadn't seen any news about changing the dean on Mushu Hospital's website, official account, or video channel.

In a hidden place not far from Crimson Moon Hospital.

Jenna took out the Ice Amulet that Franca had given her from the Traveler's Bag—Franca, who had become a Demoness of Despair, no longer needed external help to directly enter the area behind mirrors and travel through the mirror world, so she had given all the corresponding charms to Jenna.

After setting up a makeup mirror, Jenna held Ludwig's hand with one hand and gripped the Ice Amulet with the other, activating the latter.

In the flickering light of the glass, the two instantly dove into the mirror hidden in the corner, traversing to behind the mirror-like object outside Li Keji's original hospital room.

After observing for a few seconds, Jenna led Ludwig out of the mirror-like object and nimbly leapt into the corridor.

Because the room was empty with no patients staying temporarily, the iron door wasn't locked. Jenna opened a small gap and slipped inside.

Then, she said to Ludwig, "See if there's anything edible here?"

Ludwig quickly pointed to the blanket on the bed.

"It can be eaten."

A second later, he pointed at the bed itself and said, "This can be eaten too."

"…" Jenna was speechless for a moment, then after a few seconds said, "I mean better food, like mushrooms."

Ludwig looked around, not neglecting the ceiling and gaps between floor tiles.

19:50

"There isn't."

There isn't any… Jenna, taking advantage of the remaining effects of the Ice Amulet, left the place with Ludwig.

Before long, she repeated the process, appearing with Ludwig in Li Keji's room in the psychiatric ward of Mushu Hospital.

"Is there any better food here, similar to mushrooms?" Jenna looked at Ludwig again.

Ludwig searched carefully, sniffing around, and said, "There isn't."

Li Keji's final product isn't in either place… What to do now? Jenna didn't dare stay in the Mushu Hospital room for too long, quickly leaving the psychiatric ward and coming to the tree-lined road outside, planning to circle to the front of the main building to catch a car home by the roadside.

The power of the Ice Amulet to traverse the mirror world had completely faded, and Jenna didn't want to unnecessarily use another corresponding charm.

Walking neither fast nor slow while holding Ludwig's hand, Jenna pondered the possible whereabouts of that therapeutic mushroom.

Did it fuse with Li Keji and vanish into thin air under Chief Yagates' gaze?

Or did Li Keji throw it into some corner of Mushu Hospital's basement before receiving 'treatment'?

The basement of Mushu Hospital doesn't welcome unrelated personnel… How to search?

Use the 'Leodero' spell to split it open, but that would destroy the mushroom too…

As Jenna thought about this, she suddenly had a spiritual premonition.

She abruptly turned her body halfway, raising her head to look at the main building of Mushu Hospital close by, towards a room high up.

A face suddenly appeared behind the glass sleeping in darkness, a face wrapped in white bandages with only the eyes and nostrils exposed.

In Jenna's moment of terror, something passed through the glass, falling down lightly.

The bandaged face retreated from the window.

With her Night Vision and eagle-like eyesight, Jenna quickly identified what was floating down.

It was a dried, shriveled, lifeless jellyfish-like mushroom.

This mushroom corpse fell much faster than leaves, and in just a few seconds, Ludwig reached out and caught it.

Seeing this, Jenna had a thought and blurted out a question to Ludwig, "Can it be eaten?"

-x-X-x-

Jenna had noticed that the jellyfish-like mushroom was already withered and dead, unable to treat An Xiaotian, which was why she asked Ludwig if the mushroom could be eaten.

Of course, she didn't mean for An Xiaotian to eat it. As a vegetative patient, An Xiaotian no longer had the ability to chew and swallow. And grinding the mushroom into powder or juice to provide to An Xiaotian via intravenous drip was an area she didn't understand and couldn't judge whether it would be effective—Demonesses had always only dealt with spreading diseases and plagues, lacking knowledge and abilities in medical treatment.

What Jenna really wanted to ask was whether Ludwig could eat this mushroom, and if after eating it, he could gain the ability to treat vegetative patients.

Ludwig stared at the dried mushroom in his palm, licked his lips and said, "It can be eaten."

He paused for a moment, hesitated for two seconds and added, "But I don't know what can be gained from it."

Even a professional food analyst can't tell the cooking method and effects—this mushroom is indeed very special… Jenna suddenly realized this and quickly said to Ludwig, "Put the mushroom away first.

"Give it to me, I'll put it in the Traveler's Bag."

Ludwig immediately clenched his fist.

He shook his head while stuffing the mushroom into his coat pocket, as if it were a little hamster, his pet.

Jenna didn't have any intention of forcibly taking away the jellyfish-like mushroom. She held Ludwig's hand and quickly walked towards the exit of Mushu Hospital.

Only now did she have the energy to think about what had just happened.

Li Keji's jellyfish-like mushroom actually fell into the hands of that person wrapped in white bandages, and that person even gave the mushroom to us…

Right, Lumian mentioned that after his colleagues Old Wang and Old Ding were struck by lightning, they now have this scary appearance. When he came to visit Mushu Hospital last time, Old Wang seemed to be asking him for help… This time at the entrance of the basement of Mushu Hospital, he encountered Old Ding again…

Was Old Ding hinting at him to pay attention to the 'no entry to unauthorized personnel' sign at that time?

Was it Old Wang or Old Ding who threw down the mushroom just now? If it was Old Ding, it would make sense, as he was there when Li Keji was sent to the basement for 'treatment'…

But if he could stay in the basement for so long, it means he's no longer an unauthorized personnel…

What exactly do the current Old Wang and Old Ding symbolize in the dream city?

Why are they helping us?

I wonder if this dried mushroom is Li Keji's final product…

Amid these thoughts, Jenna took Ludwig back to Room 2303 of Building 5 in Dechuang Garden by taxi. She told Franca about their encounter and asked Ludwig to take out the withered mushroom to show.

Franca gazed at the mushroom, pondered for a moment and said, "My spiritual intuition tells me that this should be the final version of the therapeutic mushroom created by Li Keji, but its specific effects are unknown. Even divination methods won't provide an answer."

This was not only because the treatment subject was An Xiaotian, but also because the mushroom itself was very special.

"Should I eat it now?" Ludwig asked eagerly.

He had an expression that suggested the finest ingredient should be cooked in the simplest way.

Eating it raw!

Franca and Jenna exchanged glances before saying, "Wait until your godfather returns before eating it."

It wasn't that they weren't worried about changes happening to the mushroom in the next dozen or so hours, but the current situation was indeed not suitable for such a stimulating "experiment".

At present, Lumian and Anthony were outside the dream, Lumina had been frightened and needed close monitoring, and Franca herself couldn't withstand major accidents and couldn't attempt anything too risky. So, if Ludwig ate the mushroom now and something unexpected happened, the entire situation might collapse.

"Okay." Ludwig reluctantly stuffed the withered mushroom back into his pocket with some reluctance.

Jenna glanced towards the bedroom direction and asked Franca in a lowered voice, "How is Lumina doing?"

"Being 'inexplicably' arrested by the police, she was definitely shocked, has been somewhat dazed, and a bit overreactive. She only truly fell asleep two minutes before you returned to the dream," Franca answered softly.

She then said to Jenna, "You should go visit An Ruide now and confirm his situation."

After Anthony was kicked out of the dream, Franca had actually been worried about his dream manifestation, An Ruide, but she was really too busy to observe and protect him—in the morning she had to take care of Ludwig and look after Luo Shan, in the afternoon she first went to Mushu Hospital to provide support, then was busy asking Queen Mystic to help bail out Lumina. She didn't even have time to care about Jenna's dream manifestation, let alone An Ruide.

"Alright." Jenna also had these concerns, but she had to prioritize finding the mushroom that Li Keji might have left behind.

Since returning to the dream city, she had been constantly on the move without rest.

…

At Xinhong District, in a rented apartment.

Jenna's figure emerged from a dark corner.

She looked towards the smallest bedroom closer to the kitchen and heard relatively long breaths.

Her spiritual intuition told her that the person sleeping inside was An Ruide.

Jenna relaxed a little and surveyed the situation in the room.

She saw a wine glass on the dining table, a plate with crumbs of salted crispy peanuts, a plate of unfinished cold sliced pork head meat, and a plate with only remnants of mashed potatoes.

This was consistent with An Ruide's cooking level.

Mashed potatoes were a delicacy both inside and outside the dream, while cold sliced pork head meat and salted crispy peanuts could be bought from street vendors outside.

A scene immediately appeared before Jenna's eyes: An Ruide was in a good mood, bought himself a bottle of wine, and had a couple of glasses with peanuts, pork head meat, and mashed potatoes. Afterwards, he was a bit tipsy and decided to clean up the dishes the next day.

He's quite leisurely; An Ruide knows how to enjoy life… Jenna silently marveled.

She then thought, Would An Ruide's character prototype—Anthony—also be like this in private, without the pressure of missions?

At this moment, Jenna felt that Anthony was no longer just the ever-calm Psychiatrist.

While marveling, she didn't let her guard down and quickly checked whether this situation was abnormal and whether the sleeping An Ruide in the room had any hidden issues.

After about seven or eight minutes, having sneaked into the corresponding bedroom twice, Jenna finally felt relieved and left.

…

The next morning.

After waking up, Jenna carefully got out of bed, afraid of disturbing Lumina beside her.

Unexpectedly, Lumina was a light sleeper. She immediately opened her eyes and turned her head.

Seeing it was Jenna, she visibly relaxed and revealed a still somewhat confused smile.

"I had a nightmare. I dreamed that I was arrested by the police. They said I committed murder and arson, spread cults, and did all kinds of evil…"

At this point, Lumina suddenly froze.

Soon, she propped herself up and muttered, "Nana, I was really arrested yesterday.

"I'm innocent! I just performed magic at the hot pot restaurant, and they said I killed someone!"

Seeing this, Jenna placed her knee on the edge of the bed, bent her back, and gave Lumina a warm hug.

"It's okay, you're out now.

"Later, there will be top lawyers to help you. The innocent will be cleared."

Franca, who had slept on the carpet last night and only came in when she heard the commotion, almost couldn't help laughing at Jenna's words.

The innocent will be cleared?

There was nothing wrong with this sentence, but we really did kill Zaratulstra—we're as guilty as can be!

She held back her laughter and joined in comforting Lumina.

After a while, Lumina calmed down. She looked at Jian Na and Luo Fu, furtively glanced left and right, and said in a lowered voice, "I didn't mention any of you at the police station."

She had a "Aren't I great and clever?" expression on her face.

"Great job!" Franca and Jenna very cooperatively praised her.

Seeing that Lumina's mood had improved considerably, Franca took the opportunity to tell her, "Miss Huang will come to pick you up later. You'll stay at her place for the next couple of days."

To prevent Lumina from implicating Franca and Jenna, when Queen Mystic hired a lawyer to bail her out, she had actually provided a new residence. But because Queen Mystic had to prepare for the matter of banishing the mirrored Emperor Roselle last night and had no time to look after Lumina, Franca, worried that Lumina might wander off, still took the risk of bringing her back and holding out for one night.

Now, Queen Mystic finally had time.

And by the afternoon, Lumian would return to the dream city.

"Mm-hmm." Lumina nodded obediently.

After Lumina was picked up by Queen Mystic, Jenna left for work at Hall Film Company. Anthony, who had returned to the dream, took on the responsibility of looking after Ludwig, and Franca finally had some free time. She took a taxi to the Tech Building, preparing to go through the resignation process.

For her, the process wasn't important; what was important was getting the salary for the half month she had worked!

In the Human Resources Department.

Perhaps because Miss Huang had given a heads up, Franca didn't even have a chance to take out her materials like the family surgery notice with the official stamp from Zhenjinqiao. She quickly went through the process without anyone giving her a hard time.

Finally, she took the certificate given by the HR department and went to the Finance Department to settle her wages.

After various deductions, she received 3,500 yuan.

Not bad… The first salary from a formal job in my life, although it's in a dream… With self-mockery, Franca left the Finance Department.

She planned to say goodbye to Luo Shan in the Administration Department and then leave the Tech Building, completely hiding in the shadows.

Just as she passed the Tech Department, not yet near the Administration Department, Franca, still wearing those old-fashioned black-framed glasses, suddenly heard a voice.

"Luo Fu."

Franca instinctively turned around and saw Zhou Mingrui coming out of the Tech Department.

"What a coincidence, I heard you're resigning?" Zhou Mingrui asked with concern.

Franca noticed a hint of determination in Zhou Mingrui's eyes, as if he had made up his mind to do something.

He's not going to ask about what happened at Mushu Hospital the night before last, is he? He's not going to ask about my real purpose for coming to the company, is he? Franca suddenly shuddered.

Oh no, I don't dare say anything now!

-x-X-x-

"Yes, there's been an issue at home," Franca first answered Zhou Mingrui's question, then had a quick idea and hurriedly said, "I'm going to find Luo Shan. Once I've dealt with the family issue, I'll treat you all to a meal and we can have a good chat."

She emphasized the words "good chat."

Zhou Mingrui looked at Luo Fu for a few seconds, as if weighing his options.

Finally, he nodded and said, "Alright, we'll talk another day."

He could tell that Luo Fu didn't want to say much right now, and seemed to be afraid of something unknown.

Franca quietly let out a sigh of relief and waved sincerely. "See you again!"

After turning around, she muttered silently with relief, Thankfully Zhou Mingrui isn't one of those "stubborn" types people in Yangdu talk about. He can read others' expressions and listen to what they're saying!

…

Hall Film Company, Talent Department.

During a break in her physical training class, Jenna walked out of the classroom and turned towards the public restrooms.

On the way, she encountered Jiang Yue, who was responsible for her and the other new talents.

Seeing Jiang Yue busy there, she asked curiously, "What are you busy with?"

"The summer season is ending, 'The Great Pirate 3' is about to finish its run. We need to prepare for the celebration party, subsequent development, and a series of other things," Jiang Yue looked up and saw it was Jenna, her attitude fairly friendly.

The Great Pirate 3 is about to finish its run? Jenna was stunned for a moment.

Based on the common knowledge she had learned since entering the dream city, she thought this was a very normal thing, but it also felt ill-timed.

When Lumian returns to the dream, they were planning to try letting Ludwig eat that dried mushroom to see if he could gain special healing abilities to awaken the vegetative An Xiaotian. And An Xiaotian was related to the Gehrman Sparrow direction they were pursuing.

At this crucial stage, 'The Great Pirate 3', which further shaped Gehrman Sparrow's character and gave him widespread exposure, was about to completely end its run?

Did this hide some kind of symbolism?

Jenna chose her words carefully and asked casually, "Is the stage play for The Great Pirate 3 about to be officially scheduled?"

"Yes, you might be able to try your luck then. Who knows, you might get an important role," Jiang Yue hinted to Jenna.

…

In a spacious, bright, modern-styled apartment.

Bernadette had just entered when she saw Lumina reclining on the bay window, leaning against a pillow, basking in sunlight, leisurely reading a book in her hands.

"What are you reading?" Bernadette walked over and asked casually.

"A romance novel, one of those melodramatic ones." Lumina closed the book, looking a bit embarrassed.

She tried to explain, "I might be put in prison later. I've checked, most of the books there are for learning. I should read some leisure books while I still can!"

Bernadette looked out the window.

"You probably won't be sentenced. You really didn't do what they're accusing you of.

"Why don't you go out for some activity? It's windy today, not too hot."

"I went jogging in the community this morning," Lumina jumped down from the bay window, smiling as she flexed her arm, showing off her not-so-obvious biceps. "I love exercising."

At this point, she suddenly became a bit emotional.

"My mom has always been in poor health, and so was I when I was little. Maybe it's hereditary. So, they always didn't let me do intense exercise, didn't let me run around and play rough with my classmates…

"Later, when I became an adult, I rebelled. I often went running, cycling, playing badminton, and so on without telling them. And nothing bad happened!"

"When you grow up, you can do what you want." Queen Mystic seemed to feel something too.

Lumina's gaze gradually became unfocused, her eyes reflecting the brilliant sunlight outside the window.

"But now, I want them to restrict me again…"

Bernadette fell silent as well.

By the afternoon, Lumian had returned to the dream city.

The first thing he did was not to look at Queen Mystic Bernadette sitting on the single sofa to the side, but to check his own condition.

Queen Mystic calmly said, "After being kicked out of the dream twice, there will be several major restrictions when you come back in:

"First, you can't display Beyonder powers or obvious hostility in front of other dream manifestations, especially the Celestial Worthy's subordinates. That will also lead to you being kicked out;

"Second, some hints that wouldn't have gotten you kicked out before will now attract the Celestial Worthy's attention;

"Third, you being kicked out will implicate the outsiders around you."

Lumian already knew about these restrictions from the information provided by the Major Arcana card holders. He chuckled. "Quite troublesome."

Queen Mystic nodded slightly. "I've transferred that 500,000 to your bank card. We'll take action this afternoon. We can't wait until dark."

"Alright," Lumian stood up, "I'll go rent an item first."

…

Star Dream Provisions Store.

Lumian, in his Demoness of Despair state, walked to the checkout counter and politely said to the shopkeeper.

"I'd like to rent an item."

"Which one?" the shopkeeper raised her head and asked as the sky suddenly darkened.

Lumian thought for two seconds, and instead of answering, he asked, "Do you have any recommendations?"

He wanted to test if the shopkeeper of Star Dream Provisions Store would give any hints.

"That depends on your own needs," the beautiful shopkeeper answered with a smile.

No hints possible? Lumian looked towards the shelves, his gaze slowly scanning over mystical items like the magic mirror Arrodes, the brass book, the quill pen, and others.

In less than a minute, he made up his mind.

"I'll rent that mirror again."

If it was purely for dealing with and constraining the mirrored Emperor Roselle, he would have chosen that brass book based on the brief description from the Major Arcana card holders. But tomorrow he still wanted to try weakening the Celestial Worthy and awakening Mr. Fool.

And that magic mirror's creation was related to the original God Almighty, having its own hidden aspects. Moreover, it was the only Sealed Artifact Mr. Fool carried with him, likely to play an important role in weakening the Celestial Worthy and awakening Mr. Fool!

Its history and the treatment it received were incomparable to other items!

The shopkeeper's smile remained the same as before. "Alright, how many days do you want to rent it for?"

"One day," Lumian answered without hesitation.

He had enough cash on hand to rent the magic mirror Arrodes for two days, but considering that his guesses, ideas, and action plans might not be necessarily correct, and the final result might not be as he expected, and after today, Queen Mystic would likely be completely kicked out of the dream, making it difficult for the team to encounter such a generous "patron" again, he deliberately left some money for Franca, Jenna, and Anthony.

This way, even if tomorrow's operation failed, causing him to be kicked out of the dream for the third time, the remaining people would still have money to continue making new attempts.

The shopkeeper didn't say anything, took out a POS machine, let Lumian swipe his card, and sign the contract.

After walking out of Star Dream Provisions Store with the magic mirror Arodes, Lumian's phone suddenly rang.

It was an unfamiliar number.

After using the Information Shredder to delete his contacts, all numbers were unfamiliar to him.

Lumian chose to answer and heard an annoyed voice from the other end.

"Why didn't you come for the night shift last night?

"Don't you know to apply for leave in advance? This is called absenteeism!"

So it's a call from the Intis Group… Lumian quickly switched to a male voice.

"I quit!

"Do whatever you want!"

The person on the other end was speechless for a moment, then after a few seconds said, "You don't want your last month's salary?"

"Donate it to those in need, thank you!" Lumian hung up the phone with a bang.

He then got into Miss Huang's car parked by the roadside.

Queen Mystic said while driving, "Later I'll be responsible for clinging on to her, getting kicked out of the dream together. You just need to hide in the shadows, guarding against her leaving the corresponding area in advance."

For this operation, except for Jenna who couldn't get away from Hall Film Company, Lumian, Franca, Anthony, and Ludwig would all participate.

Among them, Lumian would play the role that Queen Mystic had when dealing with Zaratulstra, not directly appearing but interfering and exerting influence from the shadows. Franca would decide whether to confront directly based on the specific situation, with Anthony assisting her.

If they could bring some despair to the mirrored Emperor Roselle, it would greatly help Franca digest the Despair potion.

"Do I need to ask the magic mirror some questions?" Lumian cautiously confirmed.

He felt that the core of Queen Mystic's plan was to use the rule that "the third kick-out will implicate surrounding outsiders".

"No need, I already know everything I need to know," Queen Mystic then told Lumian the relevant information.

She finally warned, "You can't hide behind mirrors later. She has much stronger control over the world in the mirror than you do."

"Understood," Lumian had confirmed this point when monitoring Zaratulstra.

In the time that followed, he didn't act humble or polite, but discussed the specific details of the plan with Queen Mystic and proposed some modifications.

…

In a palace-like villa.

After asking the butler, Bernadette took the elevator to the fourth floor and walked towards her father's study.

The CEO, Mr. Huang Tao, had gone to the company for a while in the morning and returned home at noon.

Arriving outside the study, Bernadette habitually raised her right hand and knocked on the door.

When she was young, she was spoiled at home and would open any door she wanted without ever asking if the person inside agreed to her entering. But after accidentally witnessing a few things she shouldn't have seen, she learned to knock.

"Come in." Huang Tao's voice came from inside the study.

Bernadette turned the handle and walked into the sunlit study, seeing her father standing by the window, gazing at something unknown.

This suddenly gave her a feeling of returning to the past.

Back then, she didn't understand why her father always gazed out of the west-facing floor-to-ceiling window, sometimes even holding her as a child while doing so.

"Dad…" Bernadette instinctively called out.

Huang Tao turned around, revealing a smile. "You came at just the right time."

"Why do you say that?" Bernadette immediately raised her guard.

Huang Tao smiled and said, "I'm going to leave this place."

"…" Bernadette frowned, "What do you mean?"

Huang Tao sighed with a smile. "How could I let my princess be in a difficult position?"

Wh— Bernadette understood her father's meaning and was a bit stunned.

Huang Tao looked at Bernadette for a couple of seconds, then smiled with both satisfaction and emotion.

"I'm very glad that you hesitated for several days."