Chapter 61

After exploring for two nights, Lumian discovered that the monsters in the outer area of the Dream Ruins were not as numerous as he had imagined.

After eliminating the skinless monsters, the shotgun monsters, and those with black marks, he circled around and found no more targets for hunting, only a few pieces of flesh that could still move to some extent.

Their only use was probably as food.

Lumian had long realized that he did not need to eat in the dream.

Each time he entered, he was full of energy and did not feel hungry. After exploring or fighting for a while, as his spirituality was consumed and his fatigue deepened, a slight feeling of hunger would appear, but it was so mild that he did not need to replenish his energy.

When this hunger became somewhat noticeable, Lumian's spirituality and physical strength were often exhausted, and he was very tired, needing to leave the dream.

After eating and resting in reality, he would undoubtedly enter here again, full of energy and without any hunger.

During his exploration, Lumian observed the environment and searched through the collapsed buildings, finding some coins, but not many, totaling less than one gold Louis.

The only items with writing were a few small blue books.

With no choice, Lumian attempted to delve deeper into the ruins.

He slowly advanced through the faint gray mist, the dark environment, and the collapsed or remaining walls.

Suddenly, he noticed a set of shallow and strange footprints.

It was hard to call them footprints, as the left one was normal, but the right one was a handprint.

Another monster? Lumian followed the footprints quietly, not forgetting to examine his surroundings and imagine the most suitable battle scenarios for different environments.

Finally, he heard some movement and stopped, circling around and climbing to the top of a collapsed building, using the chaotic and heavy stones to hide his body.

Then, Lumian cautiously poked his head out and looked toward the source of the sound.

It was a barren land, completely clean and free of debris, with a creature standing in the center that was hard to call human.

At first glance, it looked human, but upon closer inspection, it was full of inconsistencies:

Its eyes were on its nose, its mouth above, and its ears below. Its nose was embedded in the temples, one leg and one arm were on the shoulder area, and another leg and arm were below the waist, as if different parts of a human had been haphazardly assembled.

This made Lumian instantly understand why the footprints were that shape.

At that moment, the monster was wearing a brown short-sleeved shirt and dark blue pants, common among the lower class of Intis, with no shoes or hat, walking back and forth on the barren land.

Lumian did not rush to hunt, but patiently observed.

Soon, the monster raised its arm and assumed a posture with its body bent backward and its head touching the ground.

Good flexibility, suitable for dancing... Lumian chuckled to himself.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, the monster really started to dance.

Its movements were sometimes powerful, sometimes graceful, and sometimes bizarre, but always rhythmic.

More importantly, it seemed to have no bones, as its arms could bend backward and its legs and arms could intertwine.

As the prankster of Cordu Village, Lumian instantly thought of a nickname for it:

Noodle Man!

Based on this discovery, he had a plan for the upcoming battle:

"Can't assume that getting behind the target will avoid attacks; the Noodle Man can do the same from the front and back...

"Be cautious of the snake wrap...

"Uncertain if it has a vital point, but since it has a head, cut off the head first..."

As he thought, the monster's dance became more intense, occasionally extending an arm and a leg, jumping up as if to embrace the sky.

Lumian was almost infected by the dance, eager to twist his body and bounce along.

He couldn't help but recall a melody his sister often played in his mind:

Boom-chick, boom-chick...

Suddenly, Lumian felt a warmth in his left chest, and a faint, almost non-existent voice echoed in his ears.

This made his scalp tingle and his body tremble slightly, as if he would hear the mysterious voice that brought him to the brink of losing control.

Uh... Lumian quickly used his free left hand to pull open his leather jacket, unbuttoned his gray cotton shirt, and looked down at his chest.

He saw the black thorn symbol that locked his heart re-emerge, and the greenish-black symbol, resembling eyes and insects, slowly appeared, pressing down on the former.

Lumian was initially stunned, then a series of thoughts flooded his mind:

"I haven't meditated, let alone maintained that state for several seconds...

"Was it triggered by the Noodle Man's dance?

"Does his dance involve the mystical realm, containing extraordinary power?

"Fortunately, when the thorn symbol is triggered this way, the terrifying voice is almost inaudible, not enough to push me to the brink of death or complete loss of control. It just causes a throbbing headache and slight tremors, and my mind is a bit confused..."

After becoming a "Hunter," Lumian had not tried meditating in the dream again to display his special abilities, as he felt the risk was much greater now.

Before, it was just near-death, and he could recover. Now, in a near-death state, he would likely lose control, which would be irreparable!

Moreover, he suspected that hearing the mysterious and terrifying voice too often, even if he was lucky enough not to die or lose control and become a monster, would leave him with an incurable mental illness.

There were other ways, and he would not take the risk again.

After just a few seconds, Lumian was no longer surprised by the thorn symbol being triggered by the Noodle Man's dance, and a sense of indescribable joy welled up inside him.

He could endure this adverse state!

"So, is there a possibility that if I learn this Noodle Man's dance, I can perform it before hunting powerful monsters to partially trigger my special abilities in the dream, then charge at the stunned target and finish it off in a few moves?

"Even if the special abilities are not fully triggered by the dance, they should still have some effect. I don't expect the target to give up resistance like the shotgun monster, but greatly weakening them would be enough..."

Lumian's thoughts raced, and the more he watched the dancing Noodle Man, the more he liked it.

What were eyes on the nose, a mouth on the forehead, and an arm serving as a leg compared to the magical dance?

In an instant, Lumian felt a strong desire to "recruit" the Noodle Man and found a reason:

"Aurore said that talent should not be selected by a uniform standard, so why must it be a human and not a monster?"

He decided not to hunt the Noodle Man until he learned the dance, coming every night to observe and master it as soon as possible.

Of course, he now planned to use it as an experiment:

He wanted to see what effect partially triggered special abilities would have on the monster!

Lumian quickly made up his mind, unbuttoned his shirt, and exposed his left chest. He circled around the obstacle and jumped from the collapsed house onto the barren land.

The Noodle Man's dance abruptly stopped.

It began to tremble.

It turned toward Lumian, fell to the ground, and lay flat.

Lumian stopped, not trying to get closer, maintaining a safe distance.

The Noodle Man remained motionless.

Lumian nodded slightly and muttered to himself:

"Even with partially triggered special abilities, this lower-level monster directly gives up resistance and shows submission...

"Higher-level or extraordinary monsters might react differently...

"But it's clear that the effect is not as good..."

Lumian looked at the Noodle Man and smiled:

"Come, dance again."

The Noodle Man did not dare to raise its head and might not have understood what Lumian was saying.

Seeing that gentle persuasion was ineffective, Lumian raised his voice:

"Quick, dance for your grandpa!"

The Noodle Man trembled all over but remained prostrate.

Does the monster not understand human language? How can I communicate with it? Lumian felt a bit helpless.

He used a few Hermes words he had just learned:

"I.

"Need..."

Lumian then used body language to indicate dancing.

The monster did not even look at him, pressing its face firmly against the barren land.

"Are you an idiot?" Lumian couldn't help but curse.

He himself felt the curse was unjustified, as all the monsters he had encountered were foolish.

Even the most combat-wise shotgun monster was suppressed by human intelligence!

At that moment, Lumian felt the warmth in his chest disappear.

He instinctively lowered his head and saw that the thorn symbol and the greenish-black symbol had vanished.

Almost instantly, Lumian turned his gaze to the Noodle Man.

The Noodle Man was just lifting its head, using its nose-located eyes to look at him.

Man and monster, they stared at each other, both stunned for a second.

Thump, thump, thump, Lumian turned and ran away.

The Noodle Man leaped up and pursued him viciously.

Lumian was very familiar with the environment and ran faster than the monster with mismatched limbs, easily shaking it off and circling back to the barren land, hiding in his original position.

He was not running out of fear but worried that if they really fought, he might lose control and not be able to find another dancing Noodle Man in the Dream Ruins.

Before mastering that mysterious dance, he did not plan to hunt this strange monster.

After waiting for a while, Lumian saw the Noodle Man return to the area.

He nodded and silently said to himself:

"Indeed, monsters have their own 'territories' and are accustomed to moving or patrolling in certain areas...

"This is very similar to wild beasts..."

Next, Lumian patiently waited for the possible dance.

Nearly two hours passed, and his spirituality was somewhat depleted, causing a slight feeling of hunger.

The well-rested Noodle Man returned to the center of the barren land, raising its arms and legs.

PS: Requesting April monthly votes~