The cloth, jars, and eggs that were splattered with blood, along with the sickening stench, failed to elicit a reaction from Padre Guillaume Bénet. He turned his body and locked his gaze on a particular spot in the cathedral, where Lumian's figure was reflected in his blue eyes.
The color of the padre's eyes shifted, turning so ethereal that they appeared transparent.
Lumian was surrounded by complicated silver symbols that coiled around him like small rivers. He ran through an illusory river that was formed from these symbols, with blurry tributaries ahead of him.
Guillaume Bénet reached out his right hand and grabbed a mercury-colored symbol that encircled Lumian.
Lumian stomped his right foot, preparing to hurl himself through the stained glass and out of the cathedral.
But he slipped and couldn't muster enough strength, and his body was sent flying.
With a loud bang, whoosh, and cracking sound, Lumian shattered the stained glass depicting Saint Sith, but he failed to break through it and instead crashed back into the cathedral.
His body was covered in cuts, and blood flowed freely.
Shepherd Pierre Berry, who had earlier decapitated Ava with an axe, locked onto Lumian.
His gentle smile belied the ferocity in his blue eyes, as if a seal inside him had been undone, revealing his true nature.
Pierre Berry charged at Lumian with the axe, his body seeming to grow taller and stronger with every step.
Lumian leaned against the broken stained-glass window, his back facing the ruthless shepherd.
Lumian struggled to free himself from the pain of being stabbed as he fell heavily to the ground. As he propped himself up with his hands to roll out of the cathedral, an abnormal sense of danger washed over him.
Someone's behind me, he realized. Ignoring the pain and blood, he continued pressing down on the broken glass window frame and pretended to roll out, using it as a cover to quickly retract his body and fall back instead of moving forward.
Bang!
Suddenly, an axe smashed into the window frame, sending it flying out of the cathedral with a loud bang.
Lumian rolled backward, narrowly avoiding Pierre Berry's violent attack as he lunged past his feet.
But he didn't feel relieved. Pierre Berry had blocked his only escape route, forcing him back into the cathedral.
Despite having read countless novels, Lumian knew he couldn't rely on simply rolling to avoid getting hit. As he brushed past Pierre Berry, he quickly propped himself up with his elbow, exerted strength from his waist, and bounced up.
He surveyed the scene and realized that, besides Guillaume-junior and a few others, all the lads had lost their minds and turned deranged.
They ignored Ava's headless corpse and the blood that stained the ground, shouting excitedly, "Send the Spring Elf off! Send the Spring Elf off!"
Guillaume-junior and a few others stood in shock, staring at Ava's wide, smiling eyes without moving.
Fear, panic, and disbelief etched their faces, as if trapped in an unbreakable nightmare.
Pierre Berry loomed over Lumian, appearing taller than the cathedral dome.
His axe missed, but he quickly retracted it and swung at Lumian again. Lumian deftly dodged the attack and ran off despite not even finding his footing.
Thud thud thud!
Lumian fully utilized a Hunter's speed and agility as he ran in an arc.
Target: the padre!
He knew he had to deal with the leader, no matter how the others attacked him. He put on a fierce stance, determined to either let them allow him to flee or die trying with him.
Only in this way could a miracle be created in a very unfavorable situation.
Shepherd Pierre Berry didn't pursue Lumian. He stood in front of the broken window frame, holding his blood-stained axe and extending his left hand towards Lumian's direction.
The cathedral plunged into darkness, and Lumian's surroundings grew even more ominous.
Seemingly coming to life, the abyss swayed gently, like a curtain behind which pale-white, pitch-black, and strange arms were poised to strike.
Padre Guillaume Bénet's eyes were nearly transparent, with Lumian's figure submerged in an illusory river formed by shimmering mercury symbols. In front of him, he saw something similar but more surreal, as if representing the future or a tributary.
After experimenting, Guillaume Bénet's right hand finally grasped the key pattern formed by multiple symbols.
With a single move, he could rewrite Lumian's future and render all his efforts futile.
But suddenly, the padre's eyes froze, and he let out a scream. His eyes shut tightly as blood and turbid tears streamed down his face.
Amidst his scream, his body expanded like a balloon being filled with gas, and his white robe with golden threads cracked under the strain.
His skin turned nearly transparent, revealing the bizarre mark that had been hidden beneath his clothes.
The black marks that resembled a seal connected to an indescribable world. The terrifying aura they emitted filled the cathedral, leaving the lads who were still sending off the Spring Elf in a state of extreme terror. They either ran around the offerings, knelt on the ground, or prostrated themselves on the floor, afraid to look up.
Guillaume-junior and a few others fainted from fear, leaving pools of urine and a foul stench.
Shepherd Pierre Berry was about to use his mystic arts to grab Lumian when he threw away his axe and knelt on one knee, bowing his head and ceasing all movement.
Lumian was the only one who remained unaffected in the entire cathedral.
Although he felt an abnormal pain in his head, it was nothing compared to the mysterious voice that had nearly killed him.
He also felt a burning sensation in his chest, suspecting that the black thorny chain symbol had appeared, along with the bluish-black symbol resembling an eye and worms.
However, he had no time to check his physical condition or understand why he suddenly had the upper hand. He continued to run towards Padre Guillaume Bénet, determined not to let any opportunity slip by!
As he got closer, Lumian could clearly see the unique black marks resembling seals made up of strange symbols and words.
His gaze quickly swept around and he noticed something familiar: black symbols resembling thorns that drilled out of the left chest of Padre Guillaume Bennet and circled behind him.
It was identical to Lumian's chest, but much lighter.
He has one too?
Lumian's heart trembled.
Is this the root cause of the abnormality in the village?
Why do I have it? When did I get it?
…
...
Thoughts quickly surfaced in Lumian's mind, but he didn't let them distract him from his movements.
He ran towards Guillaume Bénet, stretched out his right arm, and wrapped it around the enemy's head.
Without pausing, he forcefully circled behind the padre, and with a snap, Guillaume Bénet's head turned and faced his spine.
Phew… Lumian breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the biggest problem had been resolved. He had to hurry home and escape with his sister, leaving the rest to the three foreigners to deal with.
But just as Lumian turned to leave, Guillaume Bénet, who was supposed to be dead, opened his eyes.
They were bloodshot, and a sharp buzz split Lumian's head in half, the intense pain preventing him from screaming.
Everything shattered before his eyes, and he was engulfed in darkness as he lost consciousness.
...
Painful!
How painful!
Lumian suddenly sat up, opened his eyes, and rubbed his head.
...
He saw the familiar surroundings of his bedroom: the wooden table, the reclining chair, and the wardrobe and small bookshelves on both sides.
I was saved by Grande Soeur? How long was I out? How is the situation in the cathedral? Lumian didn't have the time to think through it. Without wasting any time, Lumian got off the bed, held his head, and rushed out.
He found Aurore in the kitchen on the first floor, wearing a light blue dress and preparing dinner.
Lumian shouted, "Aurore! Grande Soeur, we need to run! The padre and many people in the village have gone crazy. They killed Ava at the end of the celebration!"
He wasn't sure if his sister knew about the incident, so he got straight to the point. After all, there were many ways to be saved, and it did not mean that she had to be at the scene.
Aurore turned around, looking confused, and asked, "Celebration? The Lent celebration?"
"Yes." Lumian nodded vigorously.
Aurore smiled.
"That was one hell of a story. Two sentences and you've got me feeling all kinds of scared. But listen, you gotta be more careful with your tales. Lent's still a few days away."
"…" Lumian was stunned.
-x-X-x-
Lumian gazed into Aurore's eyes for a moment before slowly asking, "How many days until Lent?"
He suspected his sister was trying to prank him, but he had never known her to be flippant about important matters. This was a crucial moment that would impact the whole village, and possibly even their survival.
Aurore sized him up and quipped,"Did you not take an afternoon nap? Are you still not fully awake? It's March 29, 1358. We still have a few days before Lent."
March 29… Lumian ruminated the date for a moment and wondered if he was dreaming.
He had vividly experienced Lent—a period of merriment that ended in a bloodbath. He had witnessed Shepherd Pierre Berry hack off Ava's head with an axe and blood spurt everywhere…
Was he dreaming now, or had his past experience been a dream? Regardless of which one it was, they both seemed too real. Lumian couldn't detect any signs of deceit on his sister's face.
Sure, Aurore could be an excellent actress, but Lumian believed she was not that kind of person.
They had spent five years together, and he knew every detail of her personality. There was no way she could have fooled him!
Lumian was perplexed as he considered the possibilities of his sister Aurore lying to him about the date.
Either she was being controlled by the padre or some secret entity or everything had been resolved and she was just messing with him.
If neither of these options was true, then it was likely that Aurore was telling the truth.
Time had rewound to March 29th, a few days before Lent.
With Lumian's understanding of the world, this was clearly impossible and shouldn't have happened. However, his sister's attitude left him at a loss.
I have to think of a way to confirm it… Lumian tried to recall everything that had happened during that time period and realized he could easily remember most of the details—Aurore was wearing a light-blue dress on that day on the 29th March corresponding to the "successful" celebration of Lent. He also remembered meeting Leah, Ryan, and Valentine that night before taking them to the cathedral to catch the padre in the act.
"What's wrong?" Aurore stretched out her right hand and waved it in front of her stunned brother.
Lumian quickly gathered his thoughts and said, "Aurore, I just remembered something. I need to go out for a while. I'll be back soon!"
Lumian realized that the only way to confirm if time had really returned to March 29th was to find Ava.
If she was still alive, he would have to come to terms with this unbelievable change.
He didn't wait for Aurore's response and hurried to the door, bypassing her.
"Call me Grande Soeur! Don't be late for dinner!" Aurore shouted after him.
As he ran towards Ava Lizier's house, Lumian feared that if he were even a second slower, he would be caught in an indescribable nightmare and completely devoured.
Along the way, many villagers noticed him, but they were afraid it was a prank directed by him and didn't stop to ask for a reason.
Finally, Lumian reached his destination.
Guillaume Lizier, Ava's father, was a famous shoemaker in the village of Cordu and the surrounding mountains. Although they weren't particularly rich, they weren't too bad either. They lived in a subterranean grayish-blue two-story building with an empty space at the back where grass and firewood were piled up, and a goose house was repaired.
It was almost dinner time when Lumian arrived, and several figures were busy in the kitchen of the Liziers' household.
Lumian walked through the open door and immediately saw Ava.
This brown-haired girl with aqua-blue eyes was wearing a gray-white dress and preparing dinner for her mother. Her hands and feet were nimble, and her eyes were lively. Lumian could tell just by looking at her that she was alive.
She's really not dead… Lumian thought to himself as he looked at Ava's neck, trying to find signs of stitches.
In one of Aurore's horror novels, there was a scene where a corpse was stitched up to act as a living person.
But Ava's neck was long and smooth, without a single scar.
Guillaume Lizier, the shoemaker, noticed Lumian standing in the doorway and asked, "Lumian, what's the matter?"
He stood up from his kitchen chair and faced Lumian, his brown hair disheveled, and a slightly greasy brownish-white apron hanging in front of him.
Ava, who had been busy in the kitchen, turned around in surprise and looked at Lumian.
She saw Lumian standing there in a daze.
"What's the matter?" she asked.
Lumian was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his composure and planned to make up a random reason to explain his visit.
However, Guillaume Lizier inspired him with a question.
He deliberated for a moment and asked, "Monsieur, did Pierre of Berry order a pair of leather shoes from you?"
He remembered that he and Reimund were supposed to meet Shepherd Pierre Berry the next morning and were surprised when he had abandoned his flock to rush back to participate in the Lenten celebration despite the dangers of the long and difficult journey.
By that time, Pierre Berry had already put on a new pair of soft leather shoes.
Unless he went to a shoe shop in Dariège that sold finished products, it would take time to make a pair of leather shoes. This meant that Pierre Berry had been back in the village for at least two or three days!
Guillaume Lizier was surprised by Lumian's question and said, "Pierre Berry came back a few days ago, but not many people in the village know about it. He also told me not to tell anyone else."
As expected… Lumian made up a reason and said, "I saw someone who looked very much like him and thought I was hallucinating.
"Because the man was wearing new leather shoes, I came to confirm it with you."
"It's him." Guillaume Lizier gave an affirmative answer. "He was still herding three or four sheep that he claimed his employer had given him."
Don't they only let the sheep return to the village in early May to shear and milk them? How are they to be grazed if a few sheep are brought back now? Grazing in the highland pastures is still prohibited… The more Lumian thought about it, the more he felt that Shepherd Pierre Berry's behavior was extremely abnormal.
And his performance at the end of the celebration proved Lumian's judgment.
However, he had no idea what he, the padre, and the others wanted to do, or what they had already done.
Lumian smiled at Guillaume Lizier and Ava and said, "I'm relieved that it's really him. I thought I was having problems with my brain and eyes because I drink too much."
He then waved at the Liziers and said, "Goodbye."
As Lumian left the Liziers' house, the smile on his face disappeared quickly.
He was now very confident that today was really March 29th.
Did I go back in time, or did I have a precognitive dream? Dreams can't be that real. They're so real that every detail is there… Lumian thought hard as he walked.
Either way, it was something he had only read about in Aurore's novels and never imagined would happen in reality.
...
On his way home, Lumian circled the square and came to the side of the Eternal Blazing Sun cathedral.
The stained-glass window, which should have been completely shattered, was perfectly embedded in the wall, and the Saint Sith missionary illustration on the surface shone brightly under the sunset.
Lumian watched this scene with mixed feelings. Many thoughts threatened to emit smoke from all the friction against each other in his mind.
On his way back to the square, Lumian saw a familiar figure walk out of the cathedral's main entrance.
It was the padre, Guillaume Bénet, who had a slightly hooked nose and a dignified aura, and he was wearing a white robe with golden threads.
Lumian's heart tightened, and he arched his body slightly, preparing himself for an attack or to flee.
Guillaume Bénet glanced at him and nodded expressionlessly.
"Come again tomorrow for prayers."
Uh… That's right. He hasn't been caught red-handed by me during the early evening of March 29th. He hasn't fallen out with me, nor is there any worry that his secret plot is about to be exposed… With this in mind, Lumian instinctively reacted.
He stood up straight and spread his arms.
"Praise the Sun!"
...
"Praise the Sun!" Guillaume Bénet replied with the same pose.
After leaving the village square, Lumian habitually recalled what had just happened.
Suddenly, he discovered a point that he had neglected previously because he was shocked by "time reversal."
He still had his superpowers!
He was still a Hunter!
He had not needed to catch his breath from running all the way to the Liziers, and he had immediately put on the best posture when facing the padre. This meant that his physique and corresponding condition far exceeded the time before he consumed the potion.
From this, Lumian made a judgment that the previous experience was not a precognitive dream, and he was already a Sequence 9 Beyonder!
I'll try entering that special dream at night to see if I can still enter and if there are any changes… Lumian quickly came up with the next step of his plan.
After returning home, Lumian pretended as if nothing had happened and had dinner with his sister, Aurore.
As he often acted this way because he didn't want her to help clean up the mess every time he got into trouble, Aurore didn't ask any further despite sensing that something was off.
After washing the cutlery and cleaning the kitchen, Lumian informed his sister and went straight to Ol' Tavern.
He wanted to confirm if the foreigners who didn't hail from Cordu would appear.
After entering Ol' Tavern, Lumian sat at the bar counter and greeted the boss and bartender, Maurice Bénet, and the thin middle-aged man, Pierre Guillaume.
"A glass of Whiskey Sour," he said with great familiarity.
Whiskey Sour referred to low-quality alcohol brewed from apples. It was only more expensive than some beer in taverns. People often hawked it on the streets of the city.
Maurice Bénet nagged, "Stingy brat, don't you like the pain of absinthe?"
Lumian said the familiar words, "Is it on the house?"
This made his mind feel a little adrift.
Maurice Bénet immediately stopped talking and poured a glass of Whiskey Sour for Lumian.
Lumian sipped his drink as he waited.
Not long after, he heard tinkling sounds.
He turned around to see Ryan wearing a rough dark bowler hat, a drab duffel coat, and pale yellow strides.
Leah attracted the attention of almost all the men in Ol' Tavern with her white pleated cashmere dress, off-white coat, Marseillan boots, and small silver bells tied to her boots and veil.
Similarly, Valentine wore a white vest, a blue tweed jacket, and black trousers, with his blond hair covered in a little powder.
The three of them walked to the bar counter under everyone's gazes and sat down beside Lumian.
Lumian didn't look up as he thought to himself, A glass of Dariège red wine, a glass of rye beer, and a glass of C?ur épicé…
Ryan took off his top hat and put it aside. Then, he said to Maurice Bénet, "A glass of Dariège red wine, a glass of rye beer, and a glass of C?ur épicé."
Lumian let out a long sigh, and Ryan asked, "What's wrong?"
Lumian took a sip of his Whiskey Sour and said in a deep voice, "I'm a nobody, with no time to notice the brightness of the sun…"
-x-X-x-
Lumian intended to observe, so he went through the entire process of getting to know Leah and her companions until they arrived outside the cathedral of the Eternal Blazing Sun.
He confirmed that these three foreigners really didn't know him and weren't on guard against his corresponding prank.
Has time really rewound… Lumian was momentarily in a daze.
Valentine said his 'lines' as he looked at the magnificent building in front of him that had blended into the night. "We've been here before. There's no one here."
!!
Lumian composed himself and stopped following the procedure.
He said directly, "That's because the padre doesn't want to bother with you."
He planned on leaving the impression on these three foreigners, who were suspected to be official Beyonders, that he liked to joke but meant no harm.
Leah thought of several possibilities and asked, "You're saying that the padre is in the cathedral but isn't responding to the knocks due to certain matters?"
Lumian smiled.
"It's not suitable to have others see you having an affair in the cathedral."
After saying this, he instinctively muttered in his heart, Unfortunately, I can't hear the classic line 'You've ruined the holy church's plans!' this time.
Of course, after learning more about Madame Pualis, he felt that what the padre said was not entirely unreasonable.
Perhaps padres could be like the main characters in Aurore's spy novels, who were willing to endure temporary humiliation and betray their bodies to infiltrate the evil forces represented by Madame Pualis to complete an important mission.
Valentine's cold attitude changed as he asked anxiously, "Having an affair in the cathedral?"
Lumian spread his hands. "What's the problem? The padre does this every day. Relax. Isn't there a saying that goes, 'throughout the ages, it has remained unchanged: men will always pursue women?'"
Valentine snapped, "But this is a cathedral!"
Lumian thought for a moment and asked curiously, "So, as long as the clergyman doesn't have the affair in the cathedral, it's acceptable?"
"This is blasphemy against God!" Valentine was on the verge of exploding.
Ryan placated him with a pat on the shoulder, and the most composed foreigner in the group asked, "Do you know who the padre is having an affair with tonight?"
Lumian shook his head.
"There are too many possibilities. His mistresses include Madame Pualis, Madonna Bénet, Philippa Guillaume, and Sybil Berry…"
"Madonna Bénet? She has the same last name as the padre?" Leah interjected.
Lumian nodded. "She and the padre are cousins twice removed."
"…" Valentine was stunned for a moment. He gritted his teeth and asked, "Is Guillaume Bénet a servant of God or a servant of the Demon?"
Do you only know this line? Why don't I see you blowing up his head… Lumian deliberately defended the padre, "It's actually nothing. In Dariège, we have a saying: 'Distant cousins, feel free to sleep together.'"
Leah laughed, tinkling the silver bell on her head. "Why do you have so many sayings?"
Lumian spread his hands again. "That's just how it is in the countryside."
Ryan interjected thoughtfully, "How do you know that we're not from Dariège?
"You wouldn't have said, 'in Dariège, there's a saying.'"
You told me this yourself… Lumian had been quick to shoot off his tongue and actually treated what had "happened previously" as information that he already knew.
He had no choice but to make up a reason.
"You don't look like Dariège locals."
He pointed to the road leading to the village and said, "I've already helped you find the padre. I have to go home now."
Leah smiled faintly and said, "I thought you'd follow us."
"I don't dare offend the padre," Lumian casually mentioned. "The villager who snitched on him previously has been missing for a long time."
Without waiting for Ryan and the others to respond, he waved his hand and ran to the other side of the square, saying, "Remember to keep my secret, my cabbages!"
...
Lumian walked along a starlit country road, the crimson moon obscured by clouds.
He pondered recent events, his hands in pocket.
As he neared his home, he looked up at the roof of the semi-subterranean two-story building.
As expected, Aurore sat there, hugging her knees and gazing at the cosmos.
In the darkness, she seemed lonely and distant.
It has really repeated… Is there a possibility that what happened previously is real and I'm dreaming now? Lumian had just come up with a new guess when he suddenly realized the difference between the two March 29ths.
He realized that the woman who had given him the Wand card and taught him mysticism knowledge was absent from Ol' Tavern, preventing him from determining if he was dreaming or not.
I'll do a confirmation tomorrow… Lumian composed himself, walked to his house, and pushed the door open.
Just like last time, Lumian climbed to the roof using the ladder on the second floor and sat beside Aurore.
"What's so interesting about this view?" Lumian said deliberately.
Aurore turned her head and sighed. Just as she was about to speak, Lumian added, "I mean, what does the cosmos mean to you?"
Aurore sized him up.
"You're being rather direct today?"
She then looked at the cosmos and said faintly, "As you know, I'm not from Cordu or Dariège. I don't know if you've ever heard the saying that home is where you can't return to…"
Lumian didn't joke as he looked into the cosmos.
Aurore proceeded to fly into her bedroom and write a letter to her pen pal. Lumian didn't reveal his newfound Beyonder status. He returned to the second floor, chatted with her sister about her pen pal, then closed Aurore's door and returned to his bedroom.
Upon seeing the white four-piece bed, Lumian's heart skipped a beat. He lifted the pillow and found the Minor Arcana tarot card representing the Seven of Wands!
...
Looking at the man in verdant attire with a determined expression on his face, his hand holding a wand, poised for battle his enemies, Lumian remembered the woman's interpretation of the card: "Crisis, challenge, confrontation, courage…"
The more Lumian thought about it, the more he felt that these four words truly revealed his current situation.
Before drawing the card, there was a high chance that he would enter a crisis and face challenges!
What I need to do next is to muster my courage and confront the problem? Wait, hasn't time already turned back? I haven't even met that lady or drawn the card. Why is it here? Lumian was alarmed. He wasn't too confident about his previous guesses.
All kinds of thoughts and deductions quickly emerged in his mind, like bubbles bubbling in boiling water.
This made Lumian's head hurt; he felt like he was about to go crazy.
In the end, Lumian decided to treat the woman and the item she gave him as an "exception" for the time being.
With that lady's mysteriousness and uniqueness, it was considered normal for her to be unaffected by time reversal!
If I can find her tomorrow and she still knows me, it means that there's nothing wrong with my deduction… Lumian exhaled, feeling mentally exhausted.
He went to the washroom to wash up and went to bed early.
...
...
Lumian woke up in the familiar, faint gray fog and sat up, seeing the wooden table and chair in front of the window.
He had once again entered the special dream.
Upon discovering that the Wand card still existed, Lumian knew he could enter.
Lumian subconsciously touched the inner pocket of his clothes, and his expression froze.
The gold coins were gone!
All the gold coins were gone!
Lumian hurriedly jumped off the bed and searched his entire body and the spot where he had been lying, but couldn't find them.
He didn't even have 1 coppet worth of copper coins.
Time has reversed here, too? Lumian suddenly had such a guess.
He looked around and didn't see the shotgun, axe, or pitchfork that should have been there.
He calmed himself and walked down to the first floor, where he found the pitchfork and hand axe in their original locations, identical to his first exploration of the dream ruins.
Similarly, the bucket of corn oil had not been placed beside the stove.
As for the shotgun, Lumian searched everywhere but didn't find it.
Lumian believed more and more that time had turned back in the dream.
I'll check the ruins and see if the two monsters are still there… Lumian muttered to himself silently. He picked up his axe and opened the door.
Not long after, he passed through the wilderness filled with crevices and weeds and arrived at the edge of the ruins.
Unlike the first time he explored this place, as a Hunter, he noticed many traces left behind by living creatures, including two that often appeared in the area when he put his mind to it. He followed one set of footprints to the half-collapsed house.
If I had such superpowers in the past, how could I have nearly been ambushed during my first exploration? Lumian carried his axe and entered the building.
He went straight to his "destination" and arrived in front of the shattered pottery jar.
A sliver of gold seeped out from inside.
Lumian bent over and picked up the Louis d'or.
It was the same lustrous color as the first time Lumian picked it up.
Indeed, time has reversed. With very few exceptions, everything has returned to the original state… Lumian sighed.
Suddenly, he took two quick steps forward, twisted his waist, and half-turned to the right.
As he exerted his strength, the axe in his hand cleaved out.
The skinless blood-colored monster lost sight of its target just as it pounced from the roof. What greeted it was an axe.
Pfft!
Its head flew out, and its headless body fell heavily to the ground amidst the blood and pus.
-x-X-x-
It's about as strong as the 'last time'… Lumian muttered to himself as he looked at the corpse of the skinless monster.
Before the time reversal, he had been evenly matched with the monster, relying on his intelligence to defeat it. Now, as a Beyonder, he only needed one swing of his axe to finish it off.
Of course, he had the advantage of already experiencing the same sequence of events and knowing the monster's attack strategy. This allowed him to anticipate its moves.
The contrast between before and after made Lumian feel that he had undergone a significant improvement after becoming a Beyonder.
After pondering for a moment, he moved the monster's corpse and head to a corner but did not hide it under rocks, wood, and mud, leaving it exposed along with the blood on the ground.
Lumian then quickly searched the half-collapsed building and found the remaining 197 verl d'or and 25 coppet, categorizing them into different pockets.
He flipped through the livre bleu again but found nothing out of the ordinary.
Once he had completed his search, he snuck deeper into the ruins. However, after only 20 to 30 meters, he changed course and returned to his starting point. Following the path the skinless monster had taken while alive, he nimbly climbed onto the half-collapsed roof.
After making the necessary preparations, he hid himself.
Minute by minute, Lumian waited patiently like an experienced hunter.
After an unknown period of time, a figure emerged from the ruins.
It was the same monster that had previously given Lumian a Hunter Beyonder characteristic, with its half-human, half-beast appearance, bent knees, greasy black hair, and shotgun on its back.
The shotgun monster approached cautiously, as if on a daily patrol.
Suddenly it sniffed the air and detected the blood in the distance.
It quickly changed direction and headed towards the half-collapsed, burnt building.
Following the trail of blood, the monster found the skinless monster's corpse and head.
It squatted down to examine it carefully.
On the half-collapsed roof, Lumian shook his head and muttered to himself, You can't even smell me from such a distance? Even with the smell of blood, you shouldn't have missed me!
As he muttered, he raised his axe and struck hard at the crevice in the stone beside him that he had prepared earlier.
Crash!
The half-collapsed roof shook, and heavy rocks crashed down.
The shotgun monster reacted quickly, twisting its waist, kicking its feet, and lunging towards an uncollapsed area.
Lumian smiled and swooped down from the intact roof like an eagle grabbing its prey in midair.
In the midst of the howling wind, Lumian and the shotgun monster clashed in the air. Lumian raised his axe with one hand while the monster desperately tried to turn around and block.
Lumian clenched his left hand into a fist and punched down. As the monster extended its arm to block, Lumian opened his palm and reduced his strength, grabbing the monster's arm.
As Lumian pulled back with his left hand, he suddenly cleaved down with his axe in his right hand.
The blade struck the monster, and they both fell to the ground in a pool of blood.
Lumian, who had a buffer pad, was not affected by the impact. He raised his hand and cleaved the monster's head from its body with his axe once again.
Despite its unwillingness, the head rolled twice and separated from the body.
Standing up, Lumian looked at the monster and sneered, "You've weakened!
"All you have is a terrifying shell, nothing more than a stuffed scarecrow inside!"
As a Hunter, he was confident in dealing with the shotgun monster again, but he hadn't expected it to be so easy.
Looking at the corpse on the ground, Lumian patiently waited for the Beyonder characteristic to appear.
However, after waiting for a long time, he saw no sign of the dark-red light.
"Nothing?" Lumian muttered to himself in puzzlement.
He wasn't surprised, though.
Last time, he had obtained the shotgun monster's Beyonder characteristic and turned it into a potion that he had already consumed.
Since the time reversal didn't turn me back into an ordinary person, and the Beyonder characteristic in my body hasn't disappeared, it means that there's one less Hunter Beyonder characteristic here. The shotgun monster is only back in its living state, but it essentially lacks what's important. The question now is, why am I still the same before the time reversal? He couldn't come up with an answer, so he decided to loot the copper coins from the shotgun monster and leave the ruins.
...
The next morning, Lumian didn't feign a headache in front of his sister like he had on March 30th. Instead, he got up early and prepared breakfast, including toast, fried poached eggs, sliced bacon, and more.
Aurore was surprised to see Lumian's diligence. "Oh, you're so diligent? I thought you wouldn't be able to get up this morning after drinking so much yesterday."
Lumian casually replied, "Just a glass of Apple Whiskey Sour and a glass of absinthe. How is that too much?"
Aurore shook her head and smiled. "What's there to be proud of? Other than wine, other alcoholic beverages are unhealthy and affect our brains. No wonder you're becoming more and more stupid, my drunkard brother."
Lumian, who couldn't argue with his sister, muttered to himself, "Why is wine an exception?"
"Because I like it," Aurore replied, challenging Lumian to retort.
Lumian had no response.
After breakfast, he stayed home and kneaded dough instead of going out.
Aurore clicked her tongue in wonder.
"Did you cause any trouble? You're so obedient…
"Tell me, I won't beat you up. At most, I'll give you an additional combat class."
"Nothing." Lumian deflected the question and said, "I find things in the village getting weirder and weirder. Some people are acting more and more abnormally. Aurore, do you feel that way?"
Lumian had observed that his sister didn't have any memories related to the time reversal, but the abnormality in the village had to have started before March 29th. As a Mystery Pryer, Aurore might have sensed it but didn't pay enough attention to it.
Aurore's expression turned serious.
"Even you can sense that something is amiss?
...
"Tell me, who were the ones who made you feel this way?"
As expected, Aurore knew that there was something wrong with some people, but she didn't expect the problem to be so serious… Lumian washed his hands and thought before responding, "Madame Pualis, the padre, Pons Bénet, and the shepherd, Pierre Berry, who returned to the village early."
"There is indeed something wrong with Madame Pualis. I knew something was off about her when she came to Cordu with the administrator, but she was very restrained. Apart from constantly having extramarital relationships, there was nothing evil about her. I saw something on her…"
Aurore stopped herself, not wanting to drag Lumian into the supernatural world.
Constantly having extramarital affairs? Before Lumian found out that Madame Pualis was having an affair with the padre, he found Madame Pualis a decent lady. He was surprised to learn that Madame Pualis had affairs with men other than the padre.
Of course, this was in line with Lumian's stereotypical view of Madame Pualis.
"As for the padre, he has the same strong desire for superpowers as you, but he has never received the blessings of the Eternal Blazing Sun Church," Aurore continued. "A guy like Pons Bénet, whose brain is nothing but muscle, can't do anything strange. As for the shepherd, Pierre Berry, rushing back a few sheep seems a little off, but I can't tell what's wrong, and I don't dare to look deeper…"
As one would expect from a Sequence 7 of the Mystery Pryer pathway… Before the time reversal, I hadn't conversed much with Grande Soeur about such topics. In fact, I overlooked the crucial hint that there could be an issue with Pierre Berry's sheep… Yes, I didn't suspect Pierre Berry much back then. I just thought it was a bit odd for him to hurry back early to take part in Lent… Just as Lumian was about to speak, there was a tinkling sound at the door.
The doorbell rang.
Lumian walked over to the door and asked, "Who is it?"
"A telegram for Aurore!" the person outside replied loudly.
...
"A telegram?" Aurore was confused. "Who would send me a telegram? There's nothing urgent recently…"
Lumian was also puzzled.
They hadn't received any telegrams before the time reversal on March 30th.
Wait, Lumian thought. I went to the village square early on March 30th to wait for Reimund. Perhaps Grande Soeur received a telegram but didn't tell me. Lumian quickly opened the door.
Outside stood Bertrand, the administrator's subordinate in charge of telegrams. He handed a piece of paper to Lumian and said, "1 verl d'or."
The brown-haired, brown-eyed Bertrand was not from Cordu and had come here with the administrator from Dariège. He looked warm on the outside but was actually quite greedy.
Lumian tossed a silver coin worth one verl d'or to Bertrand and looked at the telegram.
The contents were simple. Lumian quickly browsed through it.
"The author salon mentioned before is in June. If you're willing, Miss Aurore, you can set off for Trier now. Leave enough time for a tour. We guarantee that this will be a very beautiful journey."
It was signed by the editorial department of Novel Weekly.
Wh… Lumian's eyes widened.
Was this a reply from Novel Weekly?
"When did I say I wanted to attend the author's salon?" Aurore leaned over and read the telegram. "What's wrong with the editorial department of Novel Weekly? It's annoying having to meet so many people at once!"
Bertrand was well away from the door by now. Lumian was stunned and suddenly had a bold guess. The telegram in his hand was indeed a reply from Novel Weekly, but it was a reply to the telegram he would send in a few days!
To be more precise, the telegram he had sent before going back in time had received a reply after the time reversal, and in his current experience, that telegram had yet to be sent out!
-x-X-x-
Lumian reached a conclusion that if his guess was true, Cordu and the surrounding area were the only places affected by the time reversal. Other places were not affected.
Lumian's thoughts raced, wondering if leaving this place would allow him to return to his normal life. He turned to Aurore and pretended to be guilty.
"Well, uh, this telegram is my doing."
"You?" Aurore was both angry and amused but, more importantly, at a loss.
!!
She wondered if her brother had pranked her.
This was akin to being pecked in the eye by an eagle despite being an experienced hunter!
Lumian explained 'sincerely,' "Here's the thing. Haven't I always wanted to go to Trier to take a look? So, two days ago, I secretly sent a telegram to Novel Weekly at the telegraph office. I wrote it in your style to ask when the nearest author salon is. As expected, they warmly sent an invitation."
Aurore showed a look of enlightenment, as though the mystery was finally solved. "So that's how it is…"
The next second, she picked up a wooden stick beside her and gritted her teeth.
"So the child has grown up!"
Lumian quickly added, "Aurore, no, Grande Soeur, listen to my excuses. No, listen to my explanation."
He didn't panic and even deliberately joked.
"Fine, go ahead," Aurore said as she held onto the wooden stick. "I've always made sure that others accept any punishment with my best conduct. How can I convict someone without listening to the suspect's statement? Even if you are to die, I'll make sure you die knowing why!"
Lumian quickly said, "In Intis, Trier has the most and best universities. I'm going to take the college entrance examination soon, and I want to visit them to decide which three to apply for."
Aurore nodded slightly, indicating for Lumian to continue.
Lumian praised his sister sincerely.
"I believe that as long as I make this legitimate request, you will definitely take me to Trier. However, you will have to spend your money. If Novel Weekly sends an invitation, not only will the steam locomotive ticket and hotel accommodation fees be reimbursed, but also various entertainment expenses in Trier.
"I know you don't need the money, but all the writing you've done was painstaking work, word after word. I won't let a way of saving money go to waste."
Aurore's expression eased.
"At least you care about me. But have you considered that I don't want to attend an author salon? I hate interacting with so many strangers."
Lumian smiled.
"Aurore, uh, Grande Soeur, have you thought that Novel Weekly invited you so warmly not to let you attend the salon, but to build a good relationship with you? You're a famous best-selling author. The salon isn't important; what's important is you. You can find a reason to reject the salon if you're willing to accept the invitation to visit Trier. The people at Novel Weekly will be glad that you accepted the first part of the invitation."
Aurore sized up Lumian.
"You're getting better at reading people."
She exhaled and said, "Alright, I'll handle some matters and pack our luggage. We'll leave for Trier in two days. Send a telegram to Novel Weekly before we leave and ask them to pick us up at the Trier train station."
"Alright!" Lumian couldn't hide his joy.
Although he suspected that it was impossible for him and Aurore to simply walk out of Cordu and find the corresponding source of the time reversal, he had to try. He couldn't trap himself in one place.
Having such thoughts, he had tried to convince Aurore.
Lumian didn't plan on telling Aurore about the time reversal because she had lost her corresponding memories. Lumian knew that it was unlikely that she would believe such a delusional speculation unless Lumian kept making prophecies that were eventually verified. However, he still pretended that he wasn't aware of the time reversal. He didn't plan on making prophecies for the time being to see if he could discover any clues.
Using reading as an excuse, Lumian returned to the second floor and entered the study.
He sat down and casually flipped open a book to confirm if he had it the right way up.
Then he sank into his own thoughts, hoping to make further sense of the current situation through the various details he discovered last night and today.
As his gaze shifted across the empty space, Lumian saw the livre bleu on the table.
His heart skipped a beat, and he retracted his thoughts. He stretched out his palm and took the livre bleu, flipping through it quickly.
The pages that were missing some words and had corresponding holes appeared before his eyes.
That letter… Lumian muttered silently.
He combined the "late" reply from Novel Weekly with the letter of help that Leah, Ryan, and the others had received, and he had a new guess.
Perhaps that letter was really written by me. I'm the murderer!
Time reversal might have happened more than once. According to the definition in Aurore's novel, this should be called a time loop.
In a previous cycle, I discovered a certain abnormality through certain exploratory actions and decided to seek help from the outside world by sending an anonymous letter without implicating Aurore. By the time officials realized the seriousness of the problem and sent Ryan and the others to deal with it, Cordu had already begun a new cycle. Like Aurore now, I lost all my corresponding memories and returned to my 'initial' state…
Now, that begs the question. Why are words still missing from this livre bleu?
Logically speaking, it should have returned to its "initial" state, just like the food I ate in the previous cycle.
There are two possibilities.
Firstly, if I discover an abnormality and ask for help before time starts to loop, then the relevant memories shouldn't be reset. Could there be another reason that caused me to lose a portion of my memories? This is getting more and more complicated…
Secondly, I had found a way to keep something from being affected by the loop during that particular cycle. What could it be? If there is, why don't I just find a piece of paper and write down what I found?
Lumian felt like he had cleared away a layer of fog and reconstructed the general situation, only to fall into even more confusion.
He believed that he had already experienced many time loops. However, in the previous cycles, his memories and physical condition would reset once he started from the beginning, so he did not notice it at all.
The reason why he could retain his memories and the Hunter Beyonder characteristic this time was that he had met the lady and obtained the Wand card. He had entered the dream ruins and activated the special trait in him.
Since the special trait brought about by the two symbols allowed Lumian to "bring" his Beyonder state in the dream to reality, it was completely possible for them to "save" his complete physical condition to the starting point of the cycle.
Therefore, even after the shotgun monster's condition reset, it still failed to retrieve the Hunter Beyonder characteristic… Lumian leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling as he slowly exhaled.
He then laughed self-deprecatingly.
I've just become a Beyonder, but I have to face such abnormal things. I don't even get the time to develop…
Uh, I can't confirm that the request for help was created by me. It might have been Aurore, and Madame Pualis is also a suspect. As Beyonders, they might have sensed something amiss during a certain cycle and tried to save themselves. With their mysticism knowledge, it's easier for them to find a way to preserve some traces than I can. Nonetheless, a time loop is indeed the best guess for the current situation.
As he pondered, Lumian realized a way to confirm the source of the letter.
...
The solution was simple. He would enter the dream ruins and flip through the same livre bleu at home.
If the livre bleu also had missing words, it meant that Lumian had created the letter of help himself. The home in the special dream was formed by his subconscious projection onto the mixed ruins. Everything he subconsciously knew would appear there.
If not, then it was most likely done by Aurore or Madame Pualis. Lumian's subconscious wouldn't know about this and wouldn't be responsible for it.
Lumian wasn't in a hurry to 'catch up on his sleep.' Seeing that it was about time, he sneaked out of the house and headed straight for Ol' Tavern.
In the corner of Ol' Tavern, he spotted a familiar figure.
It was the lady who had given him the Wand card and potion formula.
She was wearing a long orange pleated dress with a flounce collar and a light-colored frilly hat.
Lumian heaved a sigh of relief, feeling like a drowning person who had finally caught a lifebuoy.
He quickly walked over and noticed that there were not breakfast items on the table in front of the lady, but three stacks of tarot cards.
"Do you need me to draw a card?" Lumian probed.
"You've already drawn it." The woman shuffled the three stacks of tarot cards without looking up.
...
Lumian felt tears welling up in his eyes.
As expected, she was not affected by the time loop!
Without beating around the bush, Lumian sat down and asked directly, "I, as well as the entire Cordu Village, have fallen into a time loop?"
The lady looked up and replied with a smile, "Yes, you're one of the Circle Inhabitants."
Lumian repeated the term 'Circle Inhabitants' to himself and asked in confusion, "What does that refer to? People caught in a time loop?"
The lady smiled and said, "There are two explanations. The first refers to people that obtained a special power equivalent to Sequence 4 after praying to a certain existence. The second refers to your current situation."
"You can obtain strength by praying to a hidden existence?" Lumian was very surprised by the first explanation of Circle Inhabitants.
Wasn't it the case that all 22 Beyonder pathways relied on consuming potions to advance?
The lady nodded slightly and said, "In theory, the Eternal Blazing Sun can also bestow the gift of Beyonder powers without the need for a potion. However, it is a burden to Him. It can only be used as a temporary measure. The more people who need a blessing, the greater the burden. It might even affect His state.
"There are also disadvantages to those who are bestowed. They will slowly become closer to the Eternal Blazing Sun, be it in body, mind, or spirit.
"Moreover, as it is a gift from a superior being, They can take it back at any time unless you possess the unique power of certain pathways and secretly complete a certain level of stealing while still having the gift."
-x-X-x-
Lumian paused for a moment and then said, "So the body, mind, and spirit will approach the bestower because the power of the gift carries a corresponding brand?"
He made this inference from the Beyonder characteristics left behind by the Oldest One and the previous owners.
Although the bestowment was pure strength and didn't contain any characteristics, it was also likely to have been tainted with all the previous owner's quirks.
The lady held the tarot cards and nodded in agreement.
"Your logical ability is impressive. You should thank Aurore for giving you enough basic education."
Lumian muttered inwardly, No need for your reminder…
The lady continued, "Even if the bestower doesn't wish to affect the bestowed, it's difficult to prevent the other party from approaching Them physically, mentally, and spiritually. This is because if the power bestowed doesn't contain the bestower's will, it will be challenging for the bestowed to control it, and it will quickly dissipate.
"Therefore, the blessings of the orthodox gods in this aspect are basically temporary and limited to a certain extent."
And the evil gods don't care what happens to the bestowed? Lumian nodded thoughtfully and asked curiously, "Beyonders, what I mean is, can people with Beyonder characteristics still accept gifts? Will the two conflict and cause them to lose control?"
The lady smiled and shook her head, "There may be some conflict, but not much.
"Think about it. The power of the gift will transform your body to match that of the bestower, but your body has already adapted to your Beyonder characteristics. So, there will be a conflict until you find a new balance. However, this conflict won't affect your mind or spirit, so you won't lose control unless you're on the brink of collapse. The only problem is that you might have to get used to seeing a third eye and a fourth hand growing on your body. Of course, the prerequisite is that the power bestowed on you will last for a long time. The corresponding level has to be very high as well. Otherwise, the little changes in your body can be ignored."
Lumian acknowledged the information in a terse manner.
"What if the gift is from the same or a neighboring pathway?" he asked.
The lady nodded.
"It won't cause any conflict."
She then chuckled.
"But that doesn't mean there won't be physical changes."
What does this mean? Lumian was confused and was about to ask for clarification when the lady interrupted him with a chuckle.
"I thought you'd be more interested in the time loop after learning about Circle Inhabitants. It's surprising that you're paying attention to this knowledge that may not be useful to you in the future. That's not like you!"
Lumian revealed a self-deprecating smile.
"I wanted to ask if you could help us break the time loop," he said. "But then I remembered what you said before. You claimed that the price for resolving the corresponding problem would be the complete destruction of Cordu. Everyone would die. If I wanted to achieve a better outcome, I could only rely on myself. I didn't understand it at the time, but now I can guess the reason. If you want to break the cycle and you're not a Circle Inhabitant, the only way is to destroy everything?"
The lady nodded in agreement.
"That's correct."
Lumian was confused and asked, "Then why didn't you make it clear before?"
It's not like it's something that would lead to destruction!
Or was this lady used to speaking in a half-concealed manner?
The lady immediately laughed.
"Would you have believed me if I had told you that the whole village was caught up in a time loop?"
Lumian thought about it for a moment and replied, "Probably not…"
It was difficult to believe such an absurd story without experiencing it firsthand.
The lady smiled and said, "That's why I didn't make it clear. I didn't want to spend a lot of time explaining it to you."
"…" Lumian fell silent for a moment before seizing the opportunity to ask, "Do you know what the key is to breaking this cycle? In what direction should I focus my efforts?"
The lady shook her head.
"Divination on certain matters is very dangerous here."
"Huh?" Lumian was confused.
The woman could only add, "If I knew the key, I would tell you," the lady said. "The sooner I solve this, the sooner I can end this journey." She sighed. "When can I have a work-free vacation…"
Work? Lumian couldn't obtain any inspiration from the mysterious lady, so he probed, "If the padre isn't killed, will time stop repeating itself?"
"No," the lady replied accurately. "There are many trigger points in the loop, including time reaching the twelfth night. You can figure out the rest yourself."
Twelfth night… There's still quite a bit of time to investigate… Lumian thought for a moment and said, "Because I triggered the specialness in my body, I can maintain my memories and Beyonder characteristics every time I loop, right?"
Seeing the lady nod, he further asked, "So, as long as I'm alive and continue to investigate, I'll be able to find the key to end everything sooner or later?"
This was an application of the "exhaustive method" that Aurore had mentioned.
"In theory, that's right." The woman's emotive eyes, which puzzled Lumian couldn't put his finger on, surfaced again. "But you should have realized that only Cordu and the surrounding area are in a time loop. Time is passing normally in the outside world, and the date is completely different from Cordu's.
"The three investigators will send telegrams to describe their situation and the village, and the officials will sense the abnormality here once they mention the date.
"Even if the investigators fail to send a telegram before the cycle restarts or they don't mention the date, as time passes, the officials will discover the problem. What do you think they will do to resolve the time loop in Cordu?"
Lumian fell silent for a moment before replying, "They'll destroy it directly, just like your alternative choice."
The lady nodded with mixed emotions. "That can effectively prevent the abnormality from spreading and affecting others," she said. "If you have the chance to go to the Sonia Sea in the future, you can ask about Bansy Harbor. It was destroyed by the Church of Storms due to some kind of corruption. No one escaped."
Lumian felt a renewed determination to find the key point of the loop on his own.
He mocked himself, saying, "Looks like I don't have much time left."
He knew he only had three or four more cycles, and he couldn't have it loop to the twelfth night every time.
The lady stood up and calmly said, "At least you still have a chance. Some people don't even have that."
...
After leaving Ol' Tavern, Lumian stood on the road and looked at the few pedestrians and houses around him. Everything in Cordu Village seemed normal on the surface. The villagers had the same emotions as people everywhere: joy and anger, desire and longing.
However, beneath the peaceful and noisy facade, this village hid an unimaginable horror. Everyone here had fallen into a loop and lived the same few days over and over again.
Aside from a few people like Padre Guillaume Bénet, Shepherd Pierre Berry, Pons Bénet, and Ava Lizier, Lumian was temporarily unable to determine who was innocent.
...
He wasn't even 100% sure that Reimund Greg, who was usually rather dim and unscheming, was fine.
The padre's superpower may have influenced the lads' strange behavior at the end of Lent, instead of them having issues beforehand.
For a moment, Lumian felt that Cordu was like a primitive forest, rife with unseen dangers. He couldn't tell who was the prey and who was the hunter.
Caution and patience were most important to survive in such an environment. Ability, courage, wisdom, and experience had to take a backseat.
This was somewhat similar to his vagrant days, yet clearly different.
As these thoughts surfaced, he felt the Hunter potion showing signs of digestion.
This is the first step of the 'acting method'?
That's pretty fast. I thought it would take a month or two to start.
He became excited at the possibility of digesting the Hunter potion.
Can I digest the Hunter potion in one or two cycles?
With the help of dream ruin's hunting, he might quickly become a Sequence 8 Provoker and increase his chances of solving the time loop problem.
...
Lumian pondered as he walked forward. Soon, he arrived at the village square.
His current plan was to "chat" with the padre to test him for abnormalities and obtain any clues.
As he looked around, he saw a figure walking towards the cathedral.
The figure was wearing a dark brown long coat with a hood, a rope tied around his waist, and a pair of brand new soft leather shoes. It was Shepherd Pierre Berry.
It's him… Lumian quickly approached Pierre and deliberately asked, "Pierre, why are you back?"
Pierre's black curly hair was greasy, and he hadn't shaved for a long time.
He happily replied, "Isn't Lent almost here? I haven't celebrated it in years. I can't miss it this year no matter what…"
His blue eyes were filled with a gentle smile, and he seemed completely different from the shepherd who had traumatized Lumian before.
Uh, the answer will be somewhat different from the previous cycle in a different place with a different questioner. Although the essence doesn't change, certain words will be different… Lumian listened carefully and looked at Pierre's new shoes before asking, "Did you make it rich?"
"Not really. I can only say that my current boss is not too shabby. He gave me quite a bit of things. Drinks are on me tonight." Pierre's joy was evident.
"Alright." Lumian agreed and pointed at the cathedral. "Are you going to pray?"
Pierre sighed and said, "Yes, it's been too long since I prayed to God in a cathedral."
Though the sentence didn't seem significant, the more Lumian listened, the more he sensed that something was off.
Shepherds weren't entirely isolated from human settlements. Numerous villages were scattered around the plains and pastures. High mountain meadows might be desolate, but shepherds would occasionally descend the mountain to resupply. How could he not find a cathedral?
Indeed, if Pierre Berry had ventured to Feynapotter or Lenburg, locating the Cathedral of the Eternal Blazing Sun would be a fruitless endeavor. However, Lumian couldn't shake the feeling that there was something amiss in every word Pierre Berry uttered.
Instead, Pierre Berry inquired, "Are you headed to the cathedral as well?"
"No," Lumian replied, shaking his head. "I thought there'd be people chatting in the square, but it was empty."
He then waved his hand.
"I'm going home."
"See you tonight," Pierre Berry responded, waving back.
After watching the shepherd head towards the cathedral, Lumian made his way back to the village.
He decided against having a chat with the padre. His next destination: the home of Shepherd Pierre Berry!
-x-X-x-
Over a dozen members of the Berry family were crammed into a ramshackle two-story house. Lumian seemed unfazed by the open door and carefully maneuvered around it to the vacant area enclosed by wooden fences at the back.
Piles of hay and firewood were scattered near the eaves of the clearing, and three filthy, white sheep, muddied with dirt, were lingering there.
Lumian remembered Aurore mentioning that the sheep Pierre had hurried back with seemed peculiar, but she couldn't quite pinpoint what was unusual about them. That's why Lumian had taken advantage of the shepherd's absence during prayer at the cathedral to inspect the sheep.
Although he had never herded sheep himself, he had lived near the highland pastures in Cordu, so he had at least encountered 70 to 80 sheep. He was by no means unfamiliar with them.
After observing closely for some time, Lumian couldn't discern any differences between the three sheep before him and others of their kind. All he could do was mutter under his breath, "Can't see any issues with my naked eye—do I need some superpower?"
Sadly, Hunters didn't possess such abilities.
Lumian had already utilized his enhanced vision, sense of smell, and understanding of various clues, but he still couldn't identify any problems.
The only oddity he noticed was that the sheep's droppings were piled in one corner rather than scattered everywhere.
Of course, there was a high probability that the Berry family regularly cleaned the area to use the feces more efficiently.
After several more seconds of observation, Lumian murmured softly, "Looks like just looking and sniffing isn't enough… Do I need to get hands-on?"
Without any hesitation, he placed his hand on the fence and flipped over it, as if he was right at home.
The three sheep turned their heads simultaneously to look at Lumian, who greeted them with a grin.
"Come on, time for a checkup."
He wasn't concerned that their owner would discover his actions since he had done similar things more than once. Every family in the village knew that this guy enjoyed playing pranks in various ways. Using sheep as props was just part of his antics.
In Lumian's own words: When your reputation is already tarnished, there are some perks to being infamous.
With the title of "Prankster King," anything he did in Cordu Village wouldn't arouse too much suspicion. Even if those who were clearly abnormal caught him red-handed, they wouldn't be able to confirm that something was amiss with him.
Of course, under such circumstances, Padre Guillaume and Shepherd Pierre might try to silence him as a precautionary measure. As such, he needed to exercise caution when necessary.
"Baa! Baa! Baa!"
As if sensing Lumian's ill intentions, the three sheep hid behind the haystack, their cries barely audible.
But how could they escape a Hunter?
Lumian grabbed a sheep and patted its side while forcefully examining its teeth.
"No issues here either…" he whispered.
Seeing the sheep look at him, he added with a wicked grin, "You're in excellent health. You'd probably make a delicious mutton stew with peas."
He deliberately said this to test the intelligence of the three sheep.
When there were no problems with the target's body, he could only start from this angle.
The sheep's eyes glazed over momentarily.
Lumian chuckled.
"Pretty smart, huh? Do you understand what I'm saying?"
The sheep's eyes returned to normal as it turned its head and began eating hay.
"Ignoring me?" Lumian stroked his chin. "I'll buy you from Pierre Berry later and have you for dinner tonight!"
The sheep remained unresponsive.
It bit off a piece of hay and yanked it out.
The haystack suddenly collapsed, and Lumian's sharp Hunter's eyes caught a glimpse of something.
His expression darkened as he walked over and squatted down for a closer inspection.
It was a bundle of black hair containing a few severed fingernails.
"Why would this be outside the house?" Lumian muttered in surprise.
As a native of Cordu, he was well aware of the burial customs of the Dariège region. When someone died at home, their hair and nails had to be cut and hidden somewhere inside the house to maintain their horoscope and good fortune.
How could such an item appear in an outdoor haystack?
Lumian picked up the bundle of hair and nails, weighing it as he examined it.
It looks quite fresh, as if it had been cut only recently… He quickly made a judgment.
However, no one had died in Cordu Village lately!
Lumian could only suspect that this was some form of witchcraft similar to the funeral customs. He planned to consult his sister about it later.
To avoid arousing suspicion, he stuffed the nails and black hair back into the haystack and restored the messy scene.
Having completed that task, he walked towards the wooden fence.
As Lumian took a few steps forward, he turned to look back at the three sheep. With a hopeful attitude, he muttered to himself, "Pierre Berry seems off. He's back in the village before May. Did he commit a crime outside? As a good citizen of Intis and a devout believer of God, should I visit Dariège and inquire around?"
The three sheep just stared at him, unresponsive and unchanged.
Lumian sighed inwardly, feeling disappointed. These sheep aren't particularly intelligent, he thought.
He then raised his hands—thumbs pointing up, index fingers pointing down—making a gesture of disdain.
What's wrong with mocking the sheep when I'm in a bad mood?
Suddenly, the sheep that Lumian had examined took a few steps forward, looking hopeful.
It raised its hoof and started drawing on the mud.
Lumian was momentarily stunned, but soon approached the sheep to see what it was drawing.
The sheep seemed to be drawing letters on the ground. Lumian found them familiar but didn't recognize them.
He frowned and speculated, This language should have the same origin as the Intis language… But I only know Intis and some ancient Feysac languages…
...
At that moment, Lumian realized the significance of Aurore's words: "knowledge equals power."
The sheep finished drawing and took a step back, looking at Lumian with sincerity in its eyes. The other two sheep also had a similar emotional change and bleated softly.
Lumian looked at the word on the ground and fell into deep thought, wondering what it meant and how he should respond.
In just a second or two, he had an idea and nodded solemnly at the three sheep.
He stretched out his right foot and wiped away the word on the soil.
He may not understand, but he could pretend to understand it!
He would trick the sheep for now and ask his sister for guidance later.
Without waiting for the sheep to 'respond,' he nodded slowly with a heavy and thoughtful expression as he walked towards the fence, as if saying, "Be patient, I'll figure something out."
After leaving the sheep pen, Lumian didn't waste any time and went straight home. He found Aurore reading on a recliner in the study.
"Grande Soeur," he called out anxiously, "there's something."
Aurore immediately raised her guard. "Calling me Grande Soeur… What kind of trouble did you get into this time?"
...
Lumian took a deep breath and organized his thoughts.
"Remember when you said there was something off about Shepherd Pierre Berry's three sheep?
"Well, I went to the back of his house to take a look while he was praying in the cathedral. And guess what I found?"
Aurore's expression turned serious.
"If you're going to do something like that, you need to tell me in advance. It's dangerous now, and no one will protect you."
Lumian felt touched by his sister's concern but complained, If I told you in advance, you probably wouldn't have let me go…
"I'll keep it in mind for next time," he promised sincerely.
He had said similar words dozens of times.
Aurore understood the urgency of the situation and nodded, indicating that Lumian could tell her what he had discovered.
Lumian quickly recounted his experience in the sheep pen. The more Aurore listened, the more serious she became.
"Write down that word," she said, getting up from the recliner and finding a pen and paper to hand to Lumian.
Lumian had memorized the word, so he quickly wrote it down on the paper.
Aurore took a quick glance and said solemnly, "This is a big problem."
I know… Lumian responded inwardly.
Moreover, he believed the problem was even bigger than his sister had imagined.
"What's the problem?" he asked.
Aurore pointed at the word and said, "This is Highlander, the official language of the Feynapotter Kingdom. Like Intis, it comes from ancient Feysac.
"It means…"
Aurore paused for a moment, then spoke in a deep voice, "Help!"
"Help?" Lumian blurted out in surprise. "The sheep are asking us for help?"
Aurore tersely acknowledged, "I suspect they're not really sheep. They were probably humans!"
"Humans?" Lumian asked in shock.
This was beyond the scope of what he knew.
Before, Lumian had only thought that the three sheep were intelligent and had human-like emotions. They also seemed to have mastered some human language, but he had never thought of them as actual humans.
To him, turning into a sheep only happened in imaginative stories!
Just as he said that, Lumian was no longer shocked.
He realized that a time loop had already happened. What was so strange about people turning into sheep?
In the world of mysticism, there were plenty of bizarre and absurd things.
Aurore solemnly nodded at her brother's confusion and said, "I'm not sure if there's a secret art that can turn a person into a sheep, but all the details now point to that possibility."
"Indeed," Lumian echoed.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that the three sheep were probably humans.
Did this mean that the shepherd, Pierre Berry, was actually grazing humans?
Lumian then asked, "Why were those nails and hair hidden outside the house?"
Aurore pursed her lips and said, "This is one of the funerary customs of the Dariège region. However, it's not used under normal circumstances. Many people have forgotten about it.
"As a Warlock, I've studied this aspect to see if I could obtain some useful knowledge."
She then explained, "When a family member commits suicide or is murdered by a relative, or if they had a bad character while alive and exerted a negative influence on the entire family, the hair and nails that are cut after death have to be hidden outside the house to prevent the family's horoscope from being affected and bringing them bad luck."
Suicide or murder by a relative? Lumian suddenly thought of something.
During the last cycle, Pons Bénet entered Naroka's house without adhering to the funeral customs.
Could he have gone to take away Naroka's hair and nails?
-x-X-x-
If Pons Bénet had really entered Naroka's house to take away her hair and nails, there's a high chance that Naroka had been murdered by a relative. After all, Naroka had a good reputation and was the pillar of the entire family. Furthermore, she was relatively healthy, both physically and mentally, so it was unlikely that she had committed suicide. Lumian quickly came up with a series of speculations.
But if Naroka had really been murdered by a relative, what was the reason?
Seeing that her brother was deep in thought and hadn't spoken for a long time, Aurore thought that he was frightened by the idea of "humans turning into sheep" and "someone from the Berry family dying from murder". So she comforted him gently.
"Although the matter is serious, it doesn't affect us yet.
!!
"I need to reflect on such matters. It's easy for you to panic when you encounter something similar if you're always prohibited from coming into contact with real mysticism. Hmm, the frequency of supernatural events has been increasing in recent years, and I can't be by your side at all times. You'll grow up and have your own life…"
Lumian inwardly retorted that he had never heard of someone having to leave the family when they grew up.
He could feel that Aurore's attitude toward him coming into contact with mysticism had loosened up due to the matter of humans turning into sheep.
If I work harder, I can directly tell her that I've become a Beyonder… Lumian thought, but before he could speak, Aurore had already made her decision.
"Go pack your bags now. We'll leave Cordu immediately using Novel Weekly's invitation. We're really lucky. They sent us a telegram at the critical moment so that we can leave openly without being suspected. When we're on our journey, I'll teach you some true mysticism, but don't even think about becoming a Beyonder. It's too dangerous."
Lumian silently muttered to himself, We're not lucky. I sent the telegram because I discovered the problem. We only received a reply in this cycle. But he was pleased that his sister was still the same decisive person.
Although he didn't think they could successfully leave Cordu Village or escape the loop, he had to try.
"Uh, aren't we going to save those three sheep—three people?" Lumian asked.
Aurore shook her head.
"This could trigger a conflict between us and Pierre Berry, and I'm not sure how strong he is or how many helpers he has. It's too dangerous to save others without knowing anything.
"It's better to let the officials do it. This is their duty. When we reach Dariège and buy steam locomotive tickets, we'll send an anonymous letter to the officials and let them handle it."
"But what if they don't believe us?" Lumian deliberately pressed.
Aurore smiled.
"In terms of mysticism, you are indeed illiterate. In the letter, we'll describe the matter of turning people into sheep clearly. They will naturally find professionals to perform divination. Even if they don't obtain any detailed revelations, they will discover that there's something abnormal about Cordu."
"Got it," Lumian said, and he went upstairs to pack his bags.
Not long after, the siblings each came down with a brown suitcase.
Aurore looked out the door and said, "Let's go to Madame Pualis and borrow her carriage to reach Dariège as quickly as possible."
An ordinary person had to walk an entire afternoon from Cordu Village to Dariège. As a Hunter, Lumian didn't need to, but in Aurore's eyes, he wasn't a Beyonder yet.
After hesitating whether he should take the opportunity to confess to his sister, he realized that it was impossible for him to escape from Cordu. He might as well take the opportunity to search Madame Pualis's house for clues. Lumian tersely acknowledged, "Will do," and reached out to take his sister's suitcase. With two pieces of luggage in hand, he headed for the door.
Aurore nodded in satisfaction and relief, but then she said in puzzlement, "Your strength has increased. You're carrying it so easily."
She subconsciously wanted to raise her right hand and rub the sides of her eyes, but Lumian had already left. She could only give up and quickly follow.
On the way to the administrator's residence, many villagers saw Aurore leaving with her luggage and asked about the situation curiously.
Aurore, who had a valid reason, was very calm about this.
On the other hand, Lumian came up with seven or eight stories to deal with the different villagers: something about Aurore getting the Intis Legion of Honor medal and going to Trier to be honored, something about him being specially recruited by Trier Normal College and being able to be matriculated, or something about Aurore going bankrupt from investing in stocks with her creditors about to come knocking on her door, leaving her with no choice but to flee to other places. The ignorant villagers were stunned when they heard this, but thanks to Lumian's reputation, they chose not to believe him after coming back to their senses.
Not long after, the siblings arrived in front of the black building that had been transformed from an ancient castle.
Looking up at the two tall towers, Lumian smiled and said, "I wonder what's inside. Aurore, have you ever been inside?"
"Why would I wander around someone else's house?" Aurore rolled her eyes at her brother.
Lumian muttered softly, "I thought Madame Pualis would invite you to tour the castle. Don't people like them like to show their guests their big houses and precious collections?"
"What's there to see…" Aurore's voice became softer and softer as she thought about how this would be of great help to her description of a castle in her works. "Sigh, let's talk about it in the future. I wonder if we can still return to Cordu."
She then led Lumian through the colorful garden towards the castle door.
After taking a few steps, Aurore slowed down and looked around. She remarked in puzzlement, "The flowers in this garden bloomed very early…"
Cordu Village was in the mountains, and there was a highlander pasture nearby. Normally, the first wave of spring flowers would only appear in mid-to-late April.
"Perhaps Madame Pualis's gardener has a special method," Lumian said. He recalled that Madame Pualis was a Beyonder of an abnormal pathway and suspected that this was related to some supernatural phenomenon, but he couldn't say it out loud.
Aurore was just making an offhand remark, so she didn't think too deeply about it. They arrived at the castle and received a warm welcome from Madame Pualis.
The lady was wearing a blue corset dress today, and there was still a diamond necklace inlaid with gold hanging over her chest. Her long brown hair was half tied up, the rest cascading down, making her look even younger than usual.
She sat on an armchair in the small living room and quietly listened to Aurore's request. She smiled and said,
"You don't have to be so polite. We're friends."
Heh… Lumian mocked in his heart.
Who would introduce crappy marriage partners to a friend?
But he quickly saw Madame Pualis looking at him with a smile in her bright brown eyes.
He suddenly recalled their previous conversation and felt uncomfortable.
"Alright," Aurore said helplessly.
Every time she borrowed a carriage, she would offer to pay for it, but Madame Pualis would always refuse. So she would usually bring some gifts for the lady on the way back, which were neither expensive nor cheap, and also give the carriage driver a tip.
While waiting for the carriage driver to prepare, Madame Pualis invited the siblings to taste some desserts made by her own chef.
Lumian tasted a muffin and looked around.
"Where's Mr. Lund?"
Louis Lund was Administrator Béost's butler. He had followed him from Dariège to Cordu Village.
Lumian had evidence that he had an affair with a woman in the village and had sold some of the castle's items secretly. This was how he got the news that Madame Pualis was the mistress of the padre.
Chancing upon the padre and Madame Pualis having an affair in the cathedral? That was a lie for the foreigners!
At this moment, Lumian was looking for Louis Lund to curse him, saying, "You son of a b*tch, why didn't you tell me that Madame Pualis is a Warlock?"
...
Madame Pualis sighed.
"Louis is sick. He's resting in his room."
Sick? For some reason, Lumian felt that there might be a problem.
While his sister was chatting with Madame Pualis, he excused himself to go to the washroom, walked out of the living room, and went straight to the stairs.
This castle was huge, and the couple didn't bring many servants with them. It looked empty everywhere, and one could even hear echoes when walking in certain places. This gave Lumian better conditions to infiltrate.
Relying on his powerful senses, he easily dodged a valet and a maid. With light footsteps, he arrived at the second floor and found Louis Lund's room.
He was in no hurry to knock. He turned his head and pressed his ear to the wood.
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
…
Sounds of a man screaming in pain came from the room.
...
Is he really sick? It sounds quite serious… Lumian thought for a moment and walked to the side. He opened the door of the other servants—Administrator Béost and Madame Pualis lived on the third floor.
After darting into the room, he gently closed the wooden door, took a few steps to the other side, and pushed open the glass window.
Lumian looked down and saw that no one was around. He immediately propped himself up with both hands and nimbly flipped over, "hanging" on the outer wall of the castle.
Then, he leaped lightly like a wild cat and silently landed on Butler Louis Lund's windowsill.
Lumian stood at the edge of the glass window, turned his body, and secretly looked into the room.
He saw Louis Lund lying naked on the bed, his belly bulging, giving the impression that he might burst at any moment.
Seeing that the butler's black hair was drenched in sweat and his face was grimacing with pain, Lumian couldn't help but frown when he heard his tragic cries from time to time.
What kind of illness is this?
It looks scary. A stomach can actually grow so big…
At this moment, a woman in her forties stood beside Louis Lund's bed.
She had brown hair and brown eyes. She was pretty and didn't have many wrinkles. She wore a grayish-white dress and was shouting excitedly at Louis Lund.
"Soon, soon."
What's happening soon? Just as this thought flashed through Lumian's mind, he heard a scream and saw something holding up Louis Lund's stomach.
In the blink of an eye, that spot had burst open. Louis Lund's stomach had burst!
A small, bloody hand reached out.
"It's born! It's born!" The woman shouted happily.
She then leaned down and took out a wrinkled, dirty, and bloody baby from Louis Lund's stomach.
Lumian was stunned.
"…"