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The confluence of the Srenzo and Ryan Rivers created a fertile valley region in the Trier district, with villages and estates dotting it like jewels, strung together into what was considered the most beautiful and expensive necklace in all of Intis.

Vival Town was one of the most peripheral towns in the Trier district, quite ordinary in both geographical location and resources, and had never received much attention.

In the basement theater of the Wild Rabbit Cafe, though there was no puppet show at the moment twenty to thirty spectators had still gathered.

Some were clearly townspeople, while others seemed to have just arrived from the surrounding countryside, with mud spots still visible on their trouser legs.

Under the yellowish light of the gas wall lamps, the cafe owner Dalberro, standing at center stage, looked around before raising a black and white photograph in his hand.

In the photograph, a man in his thirties had his eyes wide open, frozen in fear, his face showing obvious signs of decay in several places, with white bone visible in many areas.

"Disease has long been scattered throughout this world. Through the great Malady God's grace, they haven't devoured most humans, only dealing with those who abandon the deity.

"I saw with my own eyes how Niel died in pain and regret, tormented to the point of breakdown by an incurable disease.

After completing the daily sermon and receiving offerings from each follower, Dalberro had the congregants leave in batches to avoid drawing attention.

Then, he returned to his bedroom upstairs and placed the newly acquired money in a metal safe.

After finishing all this, Dalberro was about to head for the door when he suddenly saw his reflection in the full-length mirror undergo a strange transformation.

The woman appeared to be only around twenty years old, with cascading black hair, each strand glossy but slightly thicker than normal, and eyes like highland lakes-clear, bright, and dreamlike, making Dalberro's soul seem to drown in them.

For a moment, Dalberro forgot to be surprised, forgot to be cautious, forgot to be afraid, and just watched as the lady in the mirror walked out and approached him, giving him the feeling that a beautiful dream had finally come true.

You Trieriens… even after worshiping an evil god. receiving boons, and having your personalities altered, it doesn't stop you from spreading your peacock feathers in situations like this? Lumian showed a slight smile.

Among them, Sequence 9 was Patient, also called Rotting Patient, Sequence 8 was Secretary, Sequence 7 was Vermin, also known as Corruptor, Sequence 6 was Disease Envoy, Sequence 5 was Child of Decay, and Sequence 4 was Doomed One.

Dalberro suddenly shuddered, breaking free from the beauty's charm through his faith in the Malady God. "I don't know what you're talking about." He knew he should try to find a way to escape contact or suddenly attack and control her, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"First, I used Magic Mirror Divination to determine the general area, then infiltrated official channels to get data on disease-related deaths from recent years for comparison. After that, I had inconspicuous Beyonders ask around bars and such about anyone who had fallen seriously ill but suddenly recovered in the past few months. Finally, I checked the bodies in the hospital morgue.

Dalberro swallowed hard with difficulty and complexity. "Wh-what do you want?"

"I am a Demoness, you know what a Demoness is, right?" Lumian asked with a smile.

Although the Church always emphasized that Demonesses were enemies, establishing connections wasn't impossible-any faction could cooperate briefly if their current interests aligned!

"Then you should also know that we Demonesses are classified as a cult by officials and suppressed everywhere," Lumian said with rather helpless eyes.

"We can barely stay in Trier anymore and want to cooperate with you."

Before Dalberro could respond, he slightly raised his chin and said, "Report to your superior. You certainly can't make decisions about this matter."

Final rationality made Dalberro control himself, and he said sincerely, "I-I will find an opportunity to report this."

"I can understand," Lumian said with a smile. "But I should warn you, diseases have little effect on Demonesses."

She's so nice, even warning me... Dalberro gazed longingly at the full-length mirror in the room and where the Demoness had stood, feeling that a faint fragrance still lingered in the air.

Dalberro lit a white candle, locked the secret room's door, and carefully checked his surroundings.

After confirming there were no abnormalities, he knelt down, assuming a posture of penitent prayer.

As Dalberro chanted devoutly, the already dimly candlelit secret room grew darker, the candle flame flickering, about to go out.

In a windowless secret room somewhere in the mirrored building, Dalberro was kneeling before an increasingly yellow and dim candle flame, praying devoutly.

In reality, the secret room in the building still existed. but there was no lit candle, nor was there Dalberro.

Dalberro immediately reported, "A Demoness has found me; she represents the Demoness Sect in seeking cooperation."

"Demoness..." Dalberro suddenly heard his superior curse with anger, "Idiot, damn it!"

The consciousness from afar instantly left traces in the mirror world.

Chapter Text

As soon as Franca tracked down the source of the traces in the mirror, Lumian immediately grabbed her shoulder and teleported to the location indicated by that scene.

In just two or three seconds, Lumian's figure materialized in a cemetery between mountains, appearing before a gravestone.

Franca had gone somewhere unknown.

Lumian cast his gaze toward the gravestone, seeing a memorial photo embedded in it and a name engraved: "Mocoxidos."

"So you've long been 'dead,' buried in a cemetery. No wonder the two Churches could never find the high-ranking members of the Sick Church, and who knows how you managed to avoid purification or cremation…" Lumian said mockingly while looking at the gravestone.

He had anticipated various methods of contact Dalberro might use, intercepting the corresponding information and establishing connections by placing him in the mirror world.

Before Lumian could finish speaking, the ground in front of the gravestone suddenly exploded with countless pieces of stone and soil.

At this moment, his field of vision was completely occupied by this hand. Compared to it, the shooting stones and soil seemed as tiny as dust.

Lumian began to tremble, his frost-white, cream-like skin instantly developing deep black spots.

These spots rapidly eroded inward, causing his flesh to quickly rot.

Lumian trembled in fear, his mind sinking into silence, unable to make any effective response, as if destined to walk toward the end of decay.

This allowed him to barely regain some self-awareness.

This current Lumian wasn't his true form, but rather a projection manifested through the mirror world!

Of course, Lumian was also nearby. After teleporting to the cemetery, he had concealed himself and thrown out a mirror.

As the ground's stones and soil quickly weathered, that cyan, terrifying, strange hand pressed against Lumian's projection.

The projection instantly shattered, each illusory fragment rotting and fading.

A series of cracking sounds came from Lumian, who was hiding behind a nearby tree—the sound of all his Mirror Substitutions breaking.

He fell in a highly decayed state, his Traveler's Bag raising dust from the weathered soil.

He died on the spot.

At this moment, the figure before the gravestone fully appeared.

Before Mocoxidos could check the situation, surging, quiet, indifferent gray-white appeared from behind the gravestone, rapidly spreading over.

Wherever the gray - white passed, whether floating dust or weathered ground, everything instantly became solid and heavy, losing all other colors.

Mocoxidos didn't panic, extending his left palm with its yellowish-green capillaries and cyan patterns toward this gray-white expanse.

From that mirror, Lumian, wearing a black robe with the hood down, appeared, walking back to reality with a smile on his lips.

His highland lake-like eyes had already captured Mocoxidos's figure.

Almost simultaneously, two black flames containing destruction and madness leaped from Lumian's pupils.

He hurriedly withdrew his left hand and tore open his abdomen, as if trying to pull out the source of the black flames, but this was a Demoness curse—the true source was with Lumian.

Lumian had disappeared, perhaps teleporting to somewhere distant, or perhaps hiding in the mirror world.

While Mocoxidos dealt with one threat, he couldn't handle the other - the previously suppressed gray - white became surging again, crossing the barriers and spreading to his side.

His clothes quickly took on the gray-white color, turning to stone.

This pus instantly covered Mocoxidos's body, causing him to decompose into countless pathogens and disappear on the spot.

At this time, the gray-white color symbolizing Petrification grew more intense, engulfing many pathogens and turning them to stone fragments that drifted to the ground.

Lumian's figure materialized at the side of the gravestone, smiling as he raised his right palm.

Throughout the entire valley cemetery, from sky to earth, strange and quiet black flames ignited silently.

And due to the burning of a Demoness's black flames, the other's spirit would completely dissipate in the next few dozen seconds, unable to channel his spirit or do anything else through those means.

Lumian flipped his hand, using the mirror to pull the area around the gravestone and Mocoxidos's spirit into the mirror world, thereby affecting the return of the boon powers.

He and Franca then crossed through the silver mirror surface, arriving in the corresponding area behind the mirror.

That cyan - green swollen left hand was like one belonging to a true deity - merely seeing it and being pressed by it from afar completely crushed Lumian's resistance, making even dodging impossible.

This definitely surpassed Sequence 3, reaching the power level of an Angel, perhaps even higher!

Moreover, other Demoness of Unaging couldn't manage this so easily - they would likely have their normal Mirror Person die along with them, only able to revive through a pre-placed mirror in a hidden location, largely disconnected from themselves, containing a sleeping Mirror Person. This would take dozens of minutes or even hours, making further participation in this battle impossible.

Lumian had something special in his right palm, and thanks to the stimulated residual aura of the mutated Blood Emperor, he managed to break free from that left hand's influence slightly earlier to some extent, actively using Mirror Substitution.

Even so, all his Mirror Substitutions were destroyed, and his true form had to die once, though it didn't affect his self in the mirror.

But aside from the left hand, Mocoxidos's other aspects seemed quite ordinary, even inferior to the Sequence 4 demigod of the same path I killed before…

Did the existence of that 'left hand' suppress the manifestation of Mocoxidos's other abilities, causing his thinking and reactions to decay to some extent?

Since Amon could modify the ability manifestations of various sequences in the Marauder pathway, surely the great existence using 'Malady God' as an alias can do the same. When bestowing power, He deliberately adjusted the sequence abilities, lowering the rank of His own or a left hand projection of some Angel near the divine throne to Sequence 3, but had to reduce other abilities as a result and make the bestowed pay an additional price?

For the upcoming theft and manipulation, they would definitely need to beseech Mr. Fool's help!

Lumian himself didn't have such abilities. If he could control Mocoxidos and have enough time to use large-scale black magic, using this Saint as a medium to slowly establish contact with all Malady God believers, he might barely be able to take over the Sick Church by himself, but now, less than thirty seconds remained

Chapter Text

As Lumian watched the cemetery turn gray-white and the faintly visible fragmented spirit, he quickly lit three candles. With one hand holding The Fool's Sacred Emblem and the other holding the Chariot card, he began chanting in Hermes, "The Fool that doesn't belong to this era,

"The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck.

"I beseech your assistance..."

Regarding the Sick Church matter, Lumian had already reported to Mr. Fool beforehand, explaining his thoughts, so there was no need for detailed descriptions now, nor for setting up an altar.

After completing the imitation ritual's supplication, Lumian and Franca's thoughts became slightly sluggish, like when they had to study after pulling an all-nighter before gaining their supernatural abilities.

Then, they seemed to see a hand wearing a black glove.

Around this soul body, illusory points of light appeared one after another, while from its body extended an insubstantial cyan-green yellowish line stretching infinitely upward.

That line suddenly wavered, pulled back by an invisible force, connecting its ends to form a closed system, no longer maintaining contact with the outside world.

Only this way could Lumian and Franca's theft of the Sick Church's faith avoid being corrupted by the corresponding horrifying will.

Since no one had preached in the name of Malady God before, and this title "Malady God" had subsequently established a connection with Him over time, this was Him, just not as closely bound as His true honorific name.

After the illusory line connecting the anchor and object of faith entered a self-cycling state, those points of light surrounding Mocoxidos's remnant spirit quickly floated toward Lumian.

Scenes then appeared before Lumian's eyes, representing each bestowed who knew Mocoxidos's honorific name.

This was also an anchor, but wouldn't have such points of light.

Lumian quickly scanned through them all, discovering that among these bestowed, only one possessed godhood, and clearly didn't have "God's Left Hand" like Mocoxidos.

Only one Sequence 4? The rest are all mid to low Sequences... Is this all the power the Sick Church has in the Trier region? Must pay extra attention to the Sequence 4 demigod, he might see through my and Franca's disguise, realize it's blasphemers deceiving for faith... He must possess part of the Malady God's honorific name, maybe even the complete name... Just as Lumian had this thought, he saw the Doomed One in the light point take out a pair of black gloves from somewhere, put them on, and gently nod across the void.

Is he controlled by Mr. Fool? Parasitized? Lumian's confidence doubled. He put on the Lie earring, altered his throat structure, and began issuing commands to each bestowed represented by the light points in Mocoxidos's voice: "The situation has changed. From now on, the great Malady God will gradually descend into reality in twin form. They are the 'God of Plague and the 'God of Disease;' They are both male and female..."

Lumian continued speaking rapidly, "Spread the new doctrine to believers quickly, urge them to master the honorific names of both deities and pray to Them.

Here Lumian borrowed his sister Aurore's uniqueness, then pieced together his own specialties-whether "Serving Calamity," "Child of Plague and Disease," or "Destroyer," all came from the top powers of the Hunter and Demoness pathways that had given him the boon and caused his palm to mutate somewhat. This matched the explanation of the Malady God's division and wouldn't make the bestowed suspicious.

This way, even without using his true name but referring to himself with the false God of Plague, he could be precisely indicated, because even without the last line, the previous five lines in standard format could lock onto him.

This would point to Franca.

To ensure these descriptions combined with precise accuracy, Franca also imitated Mr. Fool, incorporating her uniqueness as a transmigrator into the description.

Currently in the Northern and Southern Continents, only she and half of Aurore were both transmigrators and Demonesses of Unaging.

Of course, Franca didn't dare bet that no other high- ranking beings in this world matched just the two descriptions of "Ancient One who transcends time" and "remains forever young." In the depths of space and various alternate dimensions, there might truly be beings who had lived from before the Primordial One's awakening until now and didn't age, since apparently only Earth's living creatures had encountered the apocalypse back then.

But such beings surely could no longer be called "human."

This could effectively distinguish her from Aurora while remaining neutral, potentially serving as an entry point for her and Lumian to gradually transform the Sick Church's doctrine later.

And with these five honorific names, "the great God of Disease" became optional.

Of course, this wasn't permanent, and Lumian hadn't intended it to be.

If he hadn't needed these bestowed to preach and change the believers' understanding, he would have eliminated them all on the spot, leaving no survivors.

"I'll need to watch them constantly. Once most of the Malady God believers in the Trier region establish connections with me and Franca, I'll immediately eliminate these bestowed... The Grafting of faith anchors can last at least a month, that's enough..." Lumian slowly exhaled, sincerely thanking Mr. Fool for his help.

According to Lumian's previous estimation, after entering the mirror world, Mocoxidos would completely pass away in just over thirty seconds, unable even to channel spirits, but now it seemed he could still hold on for about twenty seconds.

And what they had just done couldn't have taken only ten seconds-just speaking the honorific names took longer than that!

There should still be time to ask one question!

Lumian wasn't worried this would lead to him being noticed by the entity worshiped by the Sick Church, because Mocoxidos's connection with that being had been cut off, its ends joined to form a cycle.

Regarding Mocoxidos and Sick Church matters, Lumian actually had quite a few questions: From those prayer light points just now, the Sick Church had only ten to twenty bestowed in the Trier region, clearly not a large scale.

Back then, 007 as a Church deacon for a district in Trier was only Sequence 5, with two teams of Beyonders under him-nearly fifteen people.

Perhaps very important secrets were hidden here.

Soon, Lumian completed the Magic Mirror Spirit Channeling Spell taught by Franca.

In the makeup mirror he took out appeared Mocoxidos's increasingly fading spirit.

Lumian asked quickly, "What incident led to you receiving a boon to that left hand?"

Obvious fanaticism appeared on Mocoxidos's increasingly pale and transparent face.

In a deep, hoarse voice, he mused, "After the Vortex incident…"

Chapter Text

After the Vortex incident…" Mocoxidos continued, "God specifically bestowed upon me, telling me to stay in Trier, not to do anything else, not to expose myself."

When he heard the word 'Vortex,' he thought he'd found a key point, but unexpectedly, Mocoxidos's answer was completely different from what he had imagined.

"Because I am devout," Mocoxidos said fanatically. "Compared to the Order of All Extinction, we are the overlooked faction, doing less. God specifically bestowing upon me could only be because of my devotion…"

Before he could finish speaking, his remnant soul had faded too much to sustain the spirit channeling.

Lumian and Franca could only watch helplessly as he completely dissipated.

Franca took out the Inevitable Gun and placed it where the cyan-green yellowish light points were gathering and floating upward.

Since this was an ordinary mirror world, the return of the boon was only partially affected. While it settled down again, most of it still broke free and disappeared.

Smiling, Lumian replied, "Didn't you notice this when you were in the Savoie Mob? If they suddenly give you a gun, it's definitely to make you do something dangerous, to use you as cannon fodder."

"Right, there's no such thing as a free lunch - the more free it seems, the more expensive it actually is," Franca understood Lumian's meaning. "The entity worshiped by the Sick Church gave Mocoxidos and others more boons, instructing them to lie low in the Trier region, because in the near future they'll be made to do something quite crucial, something they must do even if it leads to all their deaths?"

This could be seen from the names of the first few boon sequences of the Patient pathway—the followers of that great existence naturally tended toward infiltrating Trier's upper and middle classes, gradually corrupting the entire system.

At this point, her Inevitable Gun showed some changes, expanding slightly overall and taking on a faint cyan-green tinge.

Franca retrieved the revolver with spider silk and learned the final 'results' by querying her own spirituality.

The shots with either Certain Death or Sure Hit effects were restored to 13 times, and an additional new effect was added that could stun enemies, cause their thoughts to decay, and significantly affect their thinking and actions.

This didn't require actually hitting the target to take effect—as long as the target was locked onto and the shot was fired, they would experience similar conditions.

And if a bullet with this effect actually hit, unless the target had previously used a body double ability, their original body would inevitably decay and move toward death, though this wouldn't affect the mirror that the Demoness of Unaging had hidden away earlier with most mystical connections severed.

"It can't compare to the original left hand—it won't make targets truly feel like they're facing divine descent, completely unable to move or even think. Let's just say it can be useful in split-second moments, leaving enemies no time to react…" Franca casually explained.

She quickly named this effect 'God's Gaze,' which could only be triggered once.

Franca then sighed.

"It's a pity we were too rushed—if we had brought Anthony's Winter is Coming, his weapon could have been replenished too."

Franca and Lumian had originally thought Dalberro's superior would at most be a Sequence 4 Doomed One. Although they had made contingency plans for encountering a Sequence 3 Saint, that wasn't their main focus, so the execution was inevitably somewhat hasty. Many preparations they should have made weren't done, and they could only rely on the Demoness of Unaging's bizarre unkillable trait to forcefully confront and block the target.

He was referring to the Sequence 4 demigod currently under Mr. Fool's control.

Of course, this was assuming Mr. Fool didn't plan to use that puppet for something else.

Franca made an affirmative sound, then said, "The gathering time is set for 10 pm Saturday. You got the message, right?"

"I did." Lumian nodded.

Saturday night at 10pm, in the ancient and dilapidated palace of the Nation of the Evernight, Lumian's figure quickly materialized.

He was once again dressed as a warlock, wearing a silver-white half mask.

After waiting another five minutes, Hidden Blade Franca, still wearing her assassin outfit, walked to the huge stone chair and cleared her throat.

Her voice wasn't loud, but it transmitted through the mirror items carried by many Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society members, allowing everyone to hear clearly.

"That's a nice trick, Hidden Blade," someone immediately praised.

Hidden Blade's past actions and previously established image meant people didn't respect and revere her like they did Hela and Gandalf, instead treating her more like a friend they could tease.

Franca's lips curled into a smile. "You're right. The first thing I want to announce is:

As the many Research Society members stared in shock, unable to believe it and about to express their emotions with profanity, the flaxen-colored long hair extending from under Franca's hood floated up, becoming slightly darker and thicker.

This made the vast majority of Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society members inexplicably alarmed, instinctively lowering their heads as if threads of electricity were coursing through their bodies.

This wasn't displaying an incomplete Mythical Creature form-Franca wouldn't dare do that. She was merely showing a hint of her godhood's aura to make her words more convincing.

After a moment, when everyone came to their senses, they instinctively wanted to express various opinions and use different tone words, but instantly remembered Hidden Blade's previous display and closed their mouths again.

That was the aura of godhood.

Hidden Blade was now half-god, half-human.

Franca's deliberate showing off was mainly to strengthen the persuasiveness of her subsequent words. Seeing their reaction, she smoothly continued, "We're still brothers and sisters, don't be so formal.

"After all these years, don't you know what kind of person I am?

"If you don't curse a bit, don't marvel at how Hidden Blade suddenly became so powerful, don't express your inner shock and admiration, wouldn't my showing off be for nothing?"

Right, right, right, Hidden Blade's air is back! The Research Society members immediately relaxed considerably and, like those people in the telegram group, began expressing their shock and admiration.

She had to admit that a small part of her deliberate showing off was for the showing off itself.

When everyone's discussion had somewhat subsided, Franca said in a low voice, "The second thing I want to announce is that I've received intelligence that those evil cults across the Northern and Southern Continents and the Five Seas will do something big in the next year or two, which might bring apocalyptic scenes.

"If you have chances to advance your Sequence, try your best to do so. If not, that's fine too—just enjoy life and when the time comes, hide in places like the cathedrals in major cities.

The Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society members looked at each other, both bewildered and confused.

If Hidden Blade hadn't become a demigod Demoness, they would have thought she was joking, playing a prank.

How could the apocalypse come so suddenly?

Were there no omens or prophecies?

Everyone turned their gazes toward Hela and Gandalf - compared to the newly-made demigod Hidden Blade, these two had more authority and were more trustworthy.

The Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society members immediately erupted, asking all at once, "What exactly is going to happen?"

"Which places will be safer?"

"The specifics aren't clear.

"Just treat it as a prophecy made by a prophet—there might not be only one interpretation."

As everyone discussed, she and Hela walked down the steps.

Gandalf came to where they had just been standing, showing no surprise or shock about the apocalyptic matter.

The successive confirmations made the gathering's atmosphere suddenly heavy, though not to the point of freezing or despair.

The Academy group's gathering spot had the same atmosphere.

Professor, wearing a butterfly bow tie, looked at Lumian and asked, "Muggle, you're quite familiar with Hidden Blade. Have you heard more details?"

After Periodic Table, Isotope, Associate Professor and others discussed for a while, Lumian thoughtfully said, "I have something to remind you about. After becoming a Warlock, I was infused with quite a bit of knowledge by the Hidden Sage, some of which was about summoning special creatures from the spirit world.

"This had significant problems. It took me a long time to resolve them, so I have some experience.

"Have you been infused with knowledge in this area? Something about weak balls of telepathic connections."

Chapter Text

Lumian deliberately spoke very clearly to ensure no one would overlook it.

Moreover, he pointed out that this matter was dangerous, and he had experience in how to resolve it.

This way, if any of the present Warlocks had been infused with mystical knowledge about summoning White Papers and hadn't yet undergone complete personality alteration, they would surely be alarmed. become fearful, and then either openly or secretly seek him out to discuss whether the problem truly existed and what solutions there might be.

Professor, who represented the Academy group's Warlocks, thought for a moment and shook his head. "I've never been infused with knowledge in this area."

After the other Warlocks gave similar answers, a man who had spoken little in the previous discussion suddenly said, "The weak ball that can telepathically connect with me, right?

"I received related knowledge."

Lumian's heart leaped with joy as he looked at this Academy group member who was also dressed as a warlock, remembering his codename: Condensed Matter.

Soon, in a corner of the ancient palace, with Hela witnessing, Lumian questioned Condensed Matter, "Have you used those descriptions to summon the corresponding spirit world creature?"

"I have," Condensed Matter couldn't help asking. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Does being particularly charming count?" Condensed Matter answered honestly.

"It does," Lumian smiled behind his silver-white half mask, "When did you first summon that spirit world creature?

"After being infused with this knowledge by the Hidden Sage, you didn't try it immediately?"

Condensed Matter shook his head. "When I received the related knowledge, I was traveling-traveling with family; so I couldn't try it. Later, I was infused with more knowledge and also traded for a grimoire, so I forgot about it until remembering much later."

This wasn't for Condensed Matter, but for Aurore.

He then said, "Can you describe what the contracted creature you summoned looks like?"

Condensed Matter described his contracted creature's appearance in detail, which was almost identical to the White Paper Lumian had summoned.

"When you first summoned it, did it have slightly milky and pale yellow clear liquid inside its body? It might have disappeared later," Lumian asked as if confirming something.

Condensed Matter thought carefully before saying, "No."

At this point, Lumian added, "But I can't be completely certain yet. There are still a few questions I need you to answer. This might involve your privacy, but you don't need to be too detailed-I just need to grasp the general situation."

After hesitating for a few seconds, influenced by multiple factors including his desire for a definitive answer, the other party's extraordinary charm, and Madame Hela's presence as witness, Condensed Matter finally nodded and said, "Ask away."

Finding the question simpler and less awkward than imagined, Condensed Matter quickly answered, "Eternal Blazing Sun."

Eternal Blazing Sun... Is this the common point? On the surface, they're all casual believers of the Eternal Blazing Sun... But surely among the Warlocks in Trier like Professor and the others, there must be some who praise the sun daily to conceal their identity... Are they deliberately concealing it, not mentioning it? Also, Condensed Matter is male, Aurore is female, so gender clearly isn't why the Hidden Sage targeted her... Lumian was initially pleased but quickly sank into deep thought.

"How old were you when you transmigrated, and how old was the body after transmigration?" Lumian further asked.

"My last memory was lamenting that I was almost thirty and had achieved nothing." Condensed Matter for a moment before saying. "When I occupied this body, he was just twenty-five."

"Yes," Condensed Matter clearly didn't want to say more.

There really aren't any common points with Aurore... At this moment, Lumian recalled something Condensed Matter had said earlier and thought for two seconds before asking. "You said when you were infused with the corresponding knowledge, you were traveling with family-which family members?"

Condensed Matter nodded slightly. "Yes, the sister who raised this body of mine."

Lumian stared at Condensed Matter, falling completely silent.

He felt he had found that key point.

He kept repeating two names.

Omebella, Zedus...

Omebella, Zedus...

Suddenly, Lumian remembered something else from the past.

This meant that in the eyes of this Angel who had a relatively deep understanding of the Cordu Village incident, according to her spiritual intuition, the cradle was empty because the child was "lost," which wasn't exactly equivalent to death.

And the subsequent intelligence from Madame Pualis and everyone's deductions indicated that baby Omebella had died early on, killed by her father, her direct relative the padre.

At the time, neither Lumian nor Madam Magician thought there was anything wrong with this-death was indeed a form of loss.

But now, Lumian had a new conjecture:

Then, one was killed, one mysteriously disappeared, achieving some purpose through the ritual of the Inevitability believers?

The killed baby Omebella has now returned to Madame Pualis's embrace but can't come to reality yet-what about the mysteriously lost child?

Thinking of this, Lumian suddenly smiled.

He felt this might have something to do with himself.

He began to suspect that his selection of the Abscessed Hand profile from such a large collection of spirit world creature materials, making it the first creature for a Contractee to sign with, wasn't coincidental but stemmed from some mystical connection.

Similarly, when he first arrived in Trier, his choice of the market district and the Auberge du Coq Doré wasn't just because that's what the deity worshiped by the Aurora Order arranged, but perhaps also because of the Poison Spur Mob supported by the Nightstalkers there.

If this was true, then later meeting Father Montserrat and obtaining Omebella's remaining umbilical cord was destined, an inevitable fate!

Ignoring Condensed Matter's surprised and confused gaze, Lumian half-closed his eyes and silently said to himself, Hand Bro, I'll bring Omebella's remains to see you as soon as possible!

…

Trier, fourth level of the catacombs.

Lumian held a lit white candle, accompanied by Jenna who also had yellowish light spreading from her hands, as they walked step by step toward the ancient tomb containing the Samaritan Women's Spring.

"Can't Franca come here anymore?" Jenna asked curiously.

Lumian nodded. "After obtaining godhood, one should visit Trier's underground-especially places like this-as little as possible. Unless absolutely necessary, it's best not to come."

"Aren't you a demigod too?" Jenna asked, both amused and concerned.

Lumian chuckled. "It's different.

"For me, entering the catacombs feels as comfortable as returning home.

"If I weren't worried about making others nervous, I wouldn't even need to light a candle."

Then he blew out the candle in his hand, suddenly enveloped by darkness with only Jenna's candlelight revealing his silhouette.

"Don't take risks!" Jenna was startled.

"You scared me to death!" Jenna glared at Lumian.

As they talked, they finally reached the ancient tomb chamber.

Lumian looked at the tomb door for two seconds and sighed.

Lumian paused, then said in a low voice. "Evil."

Chapter Text

In front of the grayish-white fog surrounding the area of the Samaritan Women's Spring.

Lumian and Jenna both lowered their heads, pressed their hands to their chests, and recited Mr. Fool's honorific name.

When they raised their heads, they had already arrived on the other side of the gray fog.

The two followed the slope downward, and soon heard faint, ethereal splashing sounds.

A few steps later, they saw the figure of a beautiful and holy woman in white robes.

The child of the Primordial Demoness - Krismona.

Jenna examined the target's pale, transparent face for a few seconds and stepped forward on her own, to see if her special nature would elicit any additional reaction.

Suddenly, a gleam of light appeared in Krismona's empty, blank eyes.

It was sharp, cold, and extraordinarily vicious!

Almost simultaneously, around Lumian and Jenna, from the sloped ground, the gray mist above, and the air in all directions, emerged one thick, slippery black poisonous snake after another, each with distinct black and white eyeballs rolling on their heads.

In less time than it takes to blink, this place had become a forest of black snakes, obscuring the earth and piercing the sky.

With these changes, the temperature dropped dramatically, and the area around the Samaritan Women's Spring instantly became a world ruled by ice and snow. Icicles were interspersed among the dense black snakes, covering them with a layer of crystalline white.

For Lumian, blocking for this brief moment was enough. He raised his right palm, activating the residual aura of the Blood Emperor in his palm.

The splashing sound instantly intensified, and Jenna, who was already nearly frozen and petrified, immediately lost consciousness.

Both the Black Snake Forest that filled this space and the frost world that was cold enough to be almost unbearable even for a Sequence 3 Saint dissipated.

Everything returned to normal.

Jenna gradually regained her thoughts, and as the spring water began flowing again, she heard Krismona's fearful, hateful voice filled with intense cursing: 'Do not advance to Demoness of Unaging!

"Do not advance to Demoness of Unaging!"

The high-tier Demoness's figure lingering near the spring water repeated these words, Her voice shrill and terrifying.

Seeing that the world of ice and snow was about to descend again, and thick hair like black poisonous snakes was about to pierce from the ground toward the sky.

Krismona's figure no longer showed any abnormality, Her eyes once again becoming empty and blank.

"How do you feel?" Lumian had also heard what Krismona was shouting, but he was more interested in knowing if the pure female Demoness had any special sensations.

Jenna paused for two seconds, then recalled, "It's different from what I sensed during an advancement. The current Lady Krismona is more like the Primordial Demoness...

"This isn't about similarities in temperament or feeling, but rather that the malice toward pure female demonesses is almost identical—the kind of malice that would personally strangle the corresponding possibility. Well, there are still subtle differences—Lady Krismona's malice stems more from fear.

"She seems terrified of seeing a Sequence 3 pure female demoness..."

"Is the Krismona here a remnant of obsession and malice, so it manifests more directly and obviously?" Lumian nodded with understanding. "Looking at it this way, there shouldn't be much problem with pure female demonesses advancing to Sequence 4. The hidden danger and risk lie in reconciling with the Mirror Person when becoming Sequence 3."

Lumian gazed at Krismona's figure beside the Samaritan Women's Spring and said thoughtfully,

"What was Her relationship with Her Mirror Person— enslavement, infatuation, or reconciliation?"

"You suspect something went wrong with Lady Krismona before She perished?" Jenna asked, turning her head. After pondering for two seconds, Lumian said, "The one lingering around the Samaritan Women's Spring might be fine, but who knows what the one near the Krismona Night Pillar in Fourth Epoch Trier is."

Jenna nodded solemnly.

He then smiled and said, "This isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Through the thin gray fog, he saw the holy and beautiful high-tier Demoness continuing to wander beside the spring eye flowing with pale water, day after day, year after year, Her face pale and transparent, Her gaze empty and blank.

At this point, Lumian and Jenna finally abandoned their desire to continue probing and left the Samaritan Women's Spring.

...

The next morning, in the New City of Silver, at the bottom of the spire, at the end of the mottled stairs, in a room filled with morning light, black hair strands, various plants, and different mushrooms.

Under Mr. Sun's watch, Lumian walked to the brownish soil pile and placed both hands on the withered, huge grayish-brown tree trunk.

Lumian made a sound of acknowledgment, then exerted force with both hands to forcibly pull up Omebella's remains, known as the Gift of the Land.

The entire New City of Silver suddenly shook, as if experiencing a mild earthquake.

The morning light in the room grew brighter, and the surrounding black hair strands, plants, and mushrooms began to grow and multiply at a visible rate.

Madam Magician - wearing the previous silver-starred black robe-along with Jenna and Franca, were already waiting for him in the dark, pitch-black mirror realm.

Lumian and Jenna couldn't go to the City of Exiles through normal means, but the Church would create a gap in Morora's seal somehow, allowing them to enter using the power of the mirror world and high-tier beings of the Door pathway. "I borrowed it," Lumian said extremely concisely about the result.

Surrounded by brilliant light, Lumian and Jenna instantly arrived in the City of Exiles Morora, at the square outside the cathedral.

Using the authority of 0-01, Lumian gathered enough serious criminals to meet the ritual requirements - a sea of people. These exiles were already nearby, as if waiting for the reaper to arrive.

"Finally, let me tell you a fact." Jenna had already begun quietly spreading the plague using the Demoness of Despair's Beyonder characteristic and the Sequence 5 level charm given by Franca. "What?"

Lumian said seriously, "Even if you really become a Sequence 4 demigod, you won't be able to do much when the apocalypse comes. Whether you can protect your loved ones and friends is another matter entirely."

Jenna opened her mouth but couldn't refute.

She actually understood this clearly but was unwilling to accept it.

"Are you in despair?" Lumian smiled. "If you're in despair, then go ahead and advance. Advance with this despair, with the intense desire to change this reality."

Jenna understood Lumian's intention, sighed softly, and said with a laugh, "Dammit, good thing I'm relatively strong, otherwise I'd definitely lose control during the ritual. I wouldn't say this to someone who isn't strong," Lumian didn't delay any further and, relying on the mystical connection between himself and 0-01, directly entered the underground mausoleum.

Jenna turned around and looked at the criminals bound by commands in the square.

Her gaze was like water, both deep and calm, as if looking at the villains from her past life and their various endings, both good and bad.

After a while, Jenna walked through the crowd, heading outside the square.

This was to ensure that the serious criminals at the edges also received fair treatment, experiencing the same plague.

When thousands of exiles showed symptoms, growing weaker amidst violent coughing, Jenna took out the ingredients and began preparing the potion. As one wave after another of serious criminals fell to the ground, she drank the liquid in one gulp.

As soon as she began advancing, Madam Magician used the pre-given mental imprint to transfer her out through the beautiful dreamlike starry sky to an area in the mirror world shrouded in thin gray fog.

As long as the ritual was achieved and the time limit hadn't passed, advancement could occur anywhere - it didn't have to be in Morora!

Of course, this assumed the seal's gap still existed and Jenna's connection to the ritual hadn't been severed.

This thin gray fog was obtained by Franca through prayer to Mr. Fool, aimed at deceiving the Primordial Demoness and preventing Her observation.

During Jenna's advancement, Lumian also arrived at the mountain peak of corpses where 0-01 was planted, next to Hand Bro who patrolled back and forth like the steel puppets and undead soldiers, nearly perfect, like a work of art.

With time running short, Lumian directly pulled out the Gift of the Land from the Traveler's Bag and planted this withered, huge trunk in the wilderness.

The Abscessed Hand, who had been walking, suddenly stopped, His beautiful crystalline crimson eyes looking over.

His face, which was almost at the limit of beauty, instantly twisted, with emotions like pain, hatred, malice, pleasure, and mockery overflowing.

He opened his mouth and shouted fiercely in the Jotun,

"Omebella!"

I curse you!

"I curse you to die by the hand of your direct descendant!"

Chapter Text

Lumian had advanced too quickly and hadn't yet mastered many mystical languages. He had only learned part of Jotun so far, but he had a contractual connection with the Abscessed Hand, allowing him to directly understand the meaning through the thoughts transmitted by the other party.

At that moment, he was completely stunned by the Abscessed Hand's reaction and words.

He had originally imagined that after thousands of years, the reunion of brother and sister would be sad yet heartwarming, like when Hand Bro had just become a 0-01 soldier and called out the name "Omebella" with such depth.

Instead, there was not a trace of warmth, only bone- deep hatred.

As the Abscessed Hand's voice echoed, the area around Him lit up, as if crimson moonlight was falling from an unknown place onto this wilderness-evil, cold, and bloody.

On the wilderness ground, countless plants sprouted, creeping toward the withered trunk that had evolved from Omebella's remains.

The Gift of the Land, stimulated by this, also reacted, with the soil below splitting apart, leaving nothing growing.

This power, rich with death and return, met the lush scene of new life.

Standing between Omebella's remains and the Abscessed Hand, Lumian was instantly affected, uncontrollably regressing into a mirror that cracked with a snap.

This influence continued to expand rapidly, not giving Lumian, who was trying to redraw his silhouette, a moment's peace.

At this moment, streams of invisible flames shot up from various parts of the wilderness, the sky above taking on the color of burning, as a terrifying will that could conquer everything suddenly descended.

The flesh in the middle of the Abscessed Hand's brow writhed, pulling at the skin.

As the invisible flames extinguished, this blood- stained wilderness before the mountain of corpses was once again shrouded in darkness.

However, there was nothing he could do about it- after all, 0-01 was the boss, and he was just the proxy.

Lumian muttered for a while, then put away the Gift of the Land which had been suppressed and become quiet, with no random effects likely to appear for some time, and teleported back to the square in front of the Church of Knowledge.

At this time, Jenna had just completed her advancement, her hair slightly darker and thicker, her eyes an even more beautiful blue.

"This time I'll need a signed book." Lumian laughed, then said to Franca and Jenna, "Let's go to the New City of Silver first."

…

He immediately created a ball of blazing white flame, letting the light fill every inch of space inside the confessional, then began telling Franca, Jenna, and Mr. Sun, who had come specially to listen, about his "brother-sister" speculation, the names Omebella and Zedus, the Abscessed Hand's recent reaction and His spoken words.

"Perhaps with the help of Omebella's husband, the ancient god-Giant King Aurmir. They were worried about Zedus's resurrection, so they deliberately dismembered Him into multiple pieces and sealed them in different places. This is also why the Sanguine never heard of such an Angel of the Moon pathway.

Mr. Sun offered an explanation on behalf of the Sanguine, "The Sanguine don't consider such monsters as their kin."

"So it's Sanguine ancestor, not Vampire ancestor?" Lumian thought that if Mr. Moon were present, there might be some unpleasant incidents.

After one divine assembly and one small gathering, he had gained a preliminary understanding of Mr. Moon's personality and concerns,

But you people of the New City of Silver think vampires and the Sanguine are essentially the same? Lumian, Franca, and Jenna, all three Demonesses. could hear what Mr. Sun left unsaid.

What a considerate person... Lumian sighed inwardly before continuing, "Before His death, Zedus cursed His sister Omebella, cursing Her to die by the hand of Her direct descendant, and this curse came true."

When he had stolen the power of Inevitability, he had no clear understanding, but the more he learned, the more he felt that inevitability was an issue that even Angels, true gods, and great beings couldn't avoid.

After discussing for a while longer, Lumian stood up and said, "I need to report to Mr. Fool; he might provide new revelations."

He began praying right there in the confessional.

Suddenly, thin grayish-white fog appeared before his eyes, and his ears seemed to hear terrifying chaotic sounds.

In just the blink of an eye, Lumian saw himself sitting at the bronze long table, in the position representing the Chariot, while at the head of the long table, in that huge stone chair, Mr. Fool's figure, wearing a top hat and coat, was faintly visible, hidden in the mist.

"Good morning, Mr. Fool." Lumian Immediately stood up and bowed.

Lumian sat down. "I have become a Demoness of Unaging, borrowed the Gift of the Land, and went to see the Abscessed Hand in the depths of Morora..."

After repeating Mr. Fool's previous revelation, he shared all the information he had collected and all his speculations, finally asking. "Mr. Fool, did Madame Pualis deliberately hide the infant Zedus in Cordu to use the ritual that the Inevitability believers would ultimately perform?

Lumian suddenly smiled, laughing for several seconds.

Then, he sighed and asked seriously, "Mr. Fool, the infant Zedus's soul fragments are within my body, right?"

Since the one worshiped by the Aurora Order could use that ritual and Mr. Fool's seal to let Amon return within the barrier undetected and steal Termiboros's power and identity, the Great Mother could do something similar!

Lumian gave a self-deprecating smile. "No wonder I encountered matters related to the Great Mother as soon as I reached Trier, met the priest who had nurtured Omebella as soon as I went to sea, and the first contract creature I selected was the Abscessed Hand."

He sighed softly for a few moments, then looked back at the table before The Fool.

The special quality possessed by Aurore's soul fragment was obviously also possessed by the infant Zedus's soul fragment.

The two of them were different from other villagers-if one had merged, the other would certainly not be an exception.

"Will he affect Aurore's resurrection?" Lumian asked the question he cared about most.

The Fool shook his head slightly. "He has a different gender from Aurore; he will only replace you in the future.

The Fool looked at Lumian for several seconds, his voice suddenly becoming somewhat drifting, as if narrating fate, "This is a hidden danger, a risk, and also a variable, an opportunity."

Chapter Text

It's both a hidden danger and a risk, as well as a variable and an opportunity? I understand what the hidden danger and risk are, but how is the variable and opportunity manifested? Lumian did not ask further; his spiritual intuition told him this was a revelation, a scene that Mr. Fool had seen in the river of fate, something that could not be explained in detail.

After a moment's thought, he decided, "What should I do next?"

This was about what to do after clarifying the situation with the infant Omebella in Madame Pualis's arms and understanding what Zedus represented.

The Fool looked at Lumian, his voice still somewhat drifting. "Calamity needs to stay away from the mother."

Stay away from the mother? Does this mean avoiding meetings with Madame Pualis and the infant Omebella? I can't even touch the Great Mother unless the barrier fails, and if the barrier does fail, touching the Great Mother would be meaningless... Lumian pondered the true meaning of Mr. Fool's latest revelation.

Suddenly, he thought of more possibilities.

The mother might not only refer to the Great Mother, but also Earth Mother of the Feynapotter Kingdom!

Does this mean I have to stay away from Earth Mother and Her proxies, and even avoid touching any sacred objects that could point to Her? After all, as the Sanguine ancestor and the former ancient god of the Moon pathway, using the identity of Omebella, with the true god status of the Earth pathway. She has existed for thousands of years. Even now, after removing the "theft" and abandoning the corresponding identity, there would inevitably be a very strong mystical connection with Omebella... Lumian nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, Mr. Fool."

Regarding matters related to Omebella, he already had a very deep understanding, long knowing that the Sanguine ancestor Lilith, with the help of the Ancient Sun God, had killed Omebella, "stolen" Her identity, and then assumed Omebella's name to become Earth Mother, playing a crucial role in the war a few years ago.

When Mr. Fool indicated he could leave, Lumian made his final request, "Can you help me remove the seal on my chest?"

Since the soul fragments of Aurore and the infant Zedus had already initially merged with himself, they would not perish whether the seal was protected or not. This would allow the villagers of Cordu to find peace!

They had no hope of resurrection and would only exist in the form of Lumian's puppet soldiers, which he was unwilling to do.

"Okay" The Fool agreed to Lumian's request.

Before Lumian could speak, this great existence leaned back in his chair, speaking in a calm voice, "The seal will be automatically removed in three minutes."

"Praise you, Mr. Fool!" Lumian stood up, pressing his hand to his chest in a salute.

Glancing at the blood-red pillar that wasn't particularly high yet had a mountainous feel, and then looking at his family house some distance away, Lumian walked into the buildings surrounding the pillar.

He surveyed the house ruins, some completely collapsed, others burned, trying to discern their original appearance.

Walking step by step through the broken walls and ruins, a pure and brilliant starlight emerged from Lumian's chest.

As the starlight dispersed, fragments of radiance flew out from his body, falling around him and materializing into blurry figures.

These were Naferia, Nazélie, and other elderly women, various Pierres and Guillaumes. Some gathered together, basking in the noon sun, chatting about village matters; others carried farming tools, returning home; some playing with children, chasing and frolicking, or herding a group of white geese...

The ruins suddenly became lively.

Those figures were slowly fading.

Lumian smiled, nimbly climbing onto the top of a nearby building's ruins, lying down, letting his black hair pile beside him.

It was noon, bright and sunny, almost dazzling. White clouds drifted slowly across the blue sky.

The scent of spring grass and building stones,accompanied by sounds of conversation, chasing, and laughter, quickly penetrated Lumian's mind, making him feel warm in the sunlight, drowsy.

He closed his eyes, letting his thoughts drift.

The surroundings gradually became quiet, returning to silence.

…

In the previously rented apartment in Trier.

Lugano, with his handsome features and robust build. was reading the latest medical journal while skewering a piece of sausage to eat.

The only issue was that he could still only access the mystical circle he already knew, unable to obtain higher-sequence potion formulas or corresponding items.

He had recently discovered that the activities of that mystical circle had completely stopped, with the official forces in Trier unprecedented in their strength.

Ah, I both want the boss to come back quickly, yet fear his return... Lugano couldn't help but sigh.

At that moment, he saw the bedroom door open, and his long-awaited employer walked out, as if he had never left.

"Good evening, boss!" Lugano jumped up, reflexively greeting him.

Lumian, who had been secretly observing him for some time, nodded slightly.

"I have something for you to do."

Lugano, dazzled by his employer's appearance, instinctively asked, "What is it?"

The boss seems even more beautiful, his charm greatly increased. What happened... he muttered inwardly.

Is this a cult?

Lumian chuckled in response.

"Don't worry, the authorities have given the go ahead.

"If any of the Malady God followers have any illnesses, just treat them. The consultation fee depends on the family's situation-charge normal rates for the wealthy. and nothing for those without means."

The people on this list were all Malady God followers in Trier. Their previous Blessed had recently informed Lumian through prayer that the Beyonders from the two major Churches were watching closely, and they didn't dare to make contact.

Lumian had responded in time, granting them death.

Then, through the Church of The Fool, he communicated that a Saint from the Church of The Fool had taken over these followers to the Eternal Blazing Sun Church and the God of Steam and Machinery Church, and would be responsible for reforming them, so they no longer needed to keep watch.

This matter of openly poaching followers, after private communication and promises, had finally been tacitly approved.

Since Lumian couldn't personally preach, and couldn't do everything himself, he thought of Lugano.

He was a genuine Doctor who could treat illnesses while preaching, truly embodying the authority of the Malady God!

Lugano suddenly understood. "The Sick Church is going legitimate?

"Are you now a follower of the Malady God?"

Lumian glanced at Lugano and said with a smile, "I am the Malady God."

"…"Lugano was stunned again.

"And also the patron saint of the Church of The Fool." Lumian continued.

This was something he couldn't hide from Lugano.

My boss has become a patron saint? Become the Malady God? What am I now? Lugano was bewildered and fearful for two seconds. "What should I tell these followers?"

Do I have scriptures to read, a mass to conduct?

Lumian took out a stack of documents.

"The Malady God has now split into the God of Plague and the God of Disease-one is me, the other is Franca. When preaching to these followers, do not mention our real names or the Church of The Fool for now. Follow what's written on these papers.

"These doctrines are still quite simple, and those followers won't understand anything complex. We'll slowly modify and add to them once they truly believe in me and Franca."

"Yes, boss, no..." Lugano suddenly knelt on one knee, head lowered, "Yes, great Lumian Lee."

This is also an anchor-an anchor with potential risks... Lumian nodded satisfactorily.

"Several on the list were originally bestowed of the Malady God, I've already punished them, and they're now dead. Go to the addresses on the list to collect their bodies and take away their ill-gotten gains.

"In the name of me and Franca, return these funds to the followers, especially those living in difficult circumstances. The remainder can be used as expenses for your preaching.

"Afterwards, don't mention donations to the followers, but if they actively donate and the money won't affect their family's life, don't refuse.

"After completing this task, I'll help you find the potion formula and corresponding Beyonder ingredients for the next sequence."

Still kneeling on one knee, Lugano's heart leaped, and he blurted out, "Praise you, great Lumian Lee!"

Lumian gestured for him to rise while saying, "Franca and I are now Sequence 3 Saints. Our honorific names are in these documents. God of Plague is me, God of Disease is her. If you have anything, contact us by reciting the honorific name."

"I shall obey your will," Lugano quickly responded.

As the boss was about to leave, he instinctively asked.

"How is Ludwig? You must be very busy and have no time to take care of him. If he gets too hungry, he might eat people."

Is this the Mother pathway? Lumian thought to himself, then said with a smile, "Don't worry about him. He can now cook for himself using the ingredients we prepared."

Moreover, Ludwig was about to have a big feast.

Chapter Text

In an apartment with insufficient lighting, the classic clock's hands ticked away.

Lumian, Franca, Jenna, and Anthony were gathered around a corpse, watching Ludwig tie a white napkin around his neck.

"He's quite well-mannered..." Lumian quipped.

The corpse in the room belonged to the remaining Sequence 4 demigod from the Sick Church in the Trier region, named Sathipo Eir. Previously controlled by Mr. Fool, he had recently completed the task of making his followers pray to the God of Plague and God of Disease. Then, Lumian received a revelation from Mr. Fool, instructing them to come to this apartment at the current time to handle the subsequent matters.

As soon as Lumian and the others knocked on the door, they saw Sathipo Eir collapse and die in front of everyone.

Fortunately, Lumian had already pulled this apartment and all its contents into the mirror world, and had Anthony quickly place the Winter is Coming pistol on the corpse.

Thinking about Sathipo Eir, who had been busily helping himself and Franca connect with followers and spread new doctrines and was essentially Mr. Fool's avatar, Lumian felt something was off.

Isn't it strange that the god he believed in would go to such lengths, meticulously and diligently running around to recruit followers, preach doctrines, and spread his honorific name.

"Can I eat now?" Ludwig raised his head, looking eagerly at Lumian.

"Should we first channel the spirit?" Lumian turned his head and asked Franca.

Although Mr. Fool had certainly grasped all of Sathipo's information through Parasitism. Lumian felt that they should still channel the spirit. They couldn't always trouble Mr. Fool with everything.

Franca looked at Sathipo's floating spirit and pondered, "The decay is slower than expected. Mr. Fool must have done some processing. Let's not rush to channel his spirit. Do we know what to ask?"

Jenna chimed in, "We might as well search the apartment first and see what clues we can find. Then we can channel his spirit, which will help us know exactly what to ask."

"Okay." Lumian said, seeing many green and yellow light points had settled on Anthony's Winter is Coming revolver. He smiled at Ludwig, "Go ahead."

He had previously asked Ludwig if returning to Sequence 4, or Sea Monster, would cause him to transform into a grotesquely sized sea monster, which would make it impossible for him to stay in Trier unless he constantly hid in the mirror world.

Ludwig had looked at his hands and body for a few seconds and unexpectedly became sad, crying, "Not yet."

He was clearly disappointed.

He told Lumian that his appearance shouldn't change much, but he would need to be taken to the ocean daily to have a proper feast-something easy for Lumian, who had teleportation abilities.

With the godfather's approval, Ludwig cheered and lunged at the corpse.

Franca and Jenna instinctively turned their backs.

Amid sounds of tearing, chewing, cracking, and crunching, the two Demonesses began examining every corner of the apartment.

Mechanical music boxes, classic clocks, fabric sofas, red desks, brass gas meters, and exquisite small statues passed before Franca and Jenna's eyes.

Suddenly, Franca walked to the desk and opened a drawer.

Inside were various denominations of gold coins, including several 20 Louis d'or coins.

It was a gold coin, but not of any current legal tender.

Franca brought the dark gold coin close to her eyes, noticing a male head profile on the front, with long hair, wearing a crown, with rigid lips and sharp facial lines.

On either side of the male head were layered doors and a raven with one eye large and one small, surrounded by changing lines, a vertical sword, and an extended hand.

Hmm... Franca had a vague guess.

She turned the coin over, finding a number "7" on the back.

Around the "7" were images of gathered soldiers, sharp weapons, and flowing blood.

Her spiritual intuition told her so.

The Tudor dynasty of the Fourth Epoch had issued its own currency, but perhaps due to the Blood Emperor's mental state or influence from the original pathway, its value and conversion were perplexing-unlike the normal 1, 5, 10, 20, but with seemingly random values like 2, 7, and 13.

These coins had long since disappeared over a thousand or two thousand years, either remelted into new coins or gold items, or buried in ancient tombs. Currently, one could only see them in museums or some collectors' vaults.

"How could there be a Tudor coin?" Jenna looked over.

"I'm also puzzled. You can't even use this thing. Were they planning to sell it as an antique?" Franca pondered for a few seconds. "We'll ask during the spirit channeling."

While the two Demonesses carefully searched the apartment, Lumian suddenly said to Anthony, "You can pick up the revolver now."

Of course, no matter how damaged, it would still be a weapon with Beyonder power, though the negative effects might change and become unbearable.

Anthony, who had already quietly cast Placate on himself, squatted down and picked up the artistic Winter is Coming revolver from the bloody, mutilated corpse.

"The Certain Death and Sure Hit charges have been enhanced to nine times....

"Even if this revolver shatters, it can be reassembled...

"No other changes..."

Lumian used Magic Mirror Divination to inform Anthony about the current state of Winter is Coming.

Anthony, who had received a Traveler's Bag as a bonus from the dream mission, breathed a sigh of relief and placed the revolver inside.

At that moment, they heard a loud, prolonged "burp".

It came from Ludwig.

Ludwig had only eaten half the corpse and seemed already full.

He sat there, with what felt like a mass of air in his stomach, occasionally distending his belly and causing crackling sounds in his chest.

Beneath his facial skin, countless insects writhed, creating multiple bumps.

At this moment, Lumian and the others distinctly felt that a terrifying beast was about to tear through Ludwig's skin.

Ludwig's body alternately stretched tall, causing skin cracks, and then swelled, nearly bursting his clothing.

The Church of Knowledge's seal is indeed of high quality... Lumian thought to himself.

Ludwig suddenly looked at him, his eyes filled with blood vessels and desire. "I want to go to the sea. I want to eat!"

Lumian nodded, grabbed Ludwig's shoulder, and disappeared from the room.

Somewhere in the Fog Sea.

Lumian's figure took shape in mid-air, throwing Ludwig toward the blue sea surface.

Ludwig didn't mind at all, already opening his mouth while still in the air.

That mouth kept opening wider, until eventually, his entire head and body seemed to become part of the mouth, with sharp teeth reflecting the brilliant sunlight.

With a splash, Ludwig fell into the sea.

Then, the seawater descended, and an inexplicable whirlpool appeared.

The whirlpool gradually expanded, and fish nearby Involuntarily rushed over, swimming toward its bottom.

These marine creatures numbered in the thousands, streaming endlessly.

Splash! The massive whirlpool's appearance triggered changes in this sea area, with water currents becoming turbulent and massive waves rising in the distance.

A large steam ship was passing near the sea's edge but appeared tiny beneath the towering waves.

The passengers were frightened and scattered, with the captain ordering the crew to change course immediately.

Splash! A huge wave approached.

It quickly disintegrated, each fragment like a snowflake or ice crystal, beautiful under the sunlight.

In Sathipo's apartment, Franca performed the Magic Mirror Spirit Channeling Spell.

Facing Sathipo's mirror image, she directly showed the Tudor coin. "Where did this come from?"

Since Sathipo had been Parasitized by Mr. Fool and his faith Grafted, she didn't need to worry about any corruption from divining this Sick Church demigod.

Sathipo's pale face responded mechanically. "A gift from God."

A gift from God... Wait, where did your god get a Tudor coin? This is within the barrier... Franca pressed, "Through what method was it given?"

Sathipo responded at a steady pace, "First, the great Malady God gave a revelation, telling us to wait before a mirror. Then, the coin fell out from inside the mirror."

Look at this, does this look like a gift from the Malady God? If you said it was from the Primordial Demoness, I might believe it... From what we know, the Malady God doesn't have authority over the mirror world... Franca asked again, "Besides you, who else has one?"

"Mocoxidos," Şathipo answered.

We hadn't found it back then... Well, Mocoxidos had used his rotting power to decompose himself into pathogens; everything on his body should have rotted away and disintegrated... Franca asked several more questions but couldn't get useful answers.

Sathipo didn't know what the Malady God wanted to do, only that he was instructed to wait patiently in Trier.

At this moment, Lumian returned with a soaking wet Ludwig.

"Ate about ten to twenty tons of fish and shrimp. Can't afford to feed him, can't afford to feed him," Lumian said, clicking his tongue.

Having just become a Sea Monster, his appetite had already instantly changed by orders of magnitude!

Franca echoed the sentiment, then told Lumian the spirit channeling results, adding, "Since it wasn't directly given by the Malady God, we can divine where this Tudor coin came from."

Being cautious about matters involving great existences, he specially sought Mr. Fool's observation and help before performing Magic Mirror Divination to inquire his own spiritual intuition, "Who was the previous owner of this coin...

"Who was the previous owner of this coin..."

Soon, the mirror's surface rippled with water, becoming profound.

In the next second, Lumian saw a pair of eyes, eyes so dark they were without light.

Wh-Lumian blurted out, calling a name in a deep voice, "Zaratulstra!"