Chapter 64 of 100
Chapter 64
15 min read3,770 words
As the lady in front of him spoke, Lumi'an found himself increasingly agreeing with her:
He didn't know what higher sequences would entail, but from the few extraordinary beings he had encountered, the one with the spiral mouthparts posed far less of a threat than the monster with the hunting rifle.
While his transformation into an extraordinary being had greatly enhanced his close combat skills and ability to utilize the environment, the problem lay more with the monster itself.
It lacked strong pursuit capabilities, had no means of ranged attacks, and its "invisibility" was not particularly impressive, being completely countered by the hunter's grasp of the surroundings and subtle traces.
Additionally, it suffered from the common ailment of low intelligence among monsters, lacking the combat wisdom of the hunting rifle monster, and easily fell into the enemy's trap.
All these factors combined, the outcome was predictable, leading Lumi'an to never have considered that it was a Sequence 7 monster until today.
He hadn't even compared it to the hunting rifle monster, believing the gap between them to be significant—the hunting rifle monster was strong, while the mouthparts monster was weak.
"Abilities, intelligence, preparation, adaptability, environmental factors... There are too many things that can influence the outcome of a battle..." Lumi'an summarized in his mind, asking with a mix of anticipation and little hope:
"Can I directly invoke the power of the 'Bound One'?"
The lady laughed:
"That's an excellent way to commit suicide."
She casually explained:
"Theoretically, it is possible, after all, the power sealed within you is not just Sequence 7.
"But do you think your body can withstand such a significant 'blessing,' or rather, pollution?
"Of course, if you think becoming a monster, a puppet of that existence, or a different creature is acceptable, you can consider trying.
"Tsk, before long, I should be able to watch you turn your sister into a sacrifice with your own hands."
Lumi'an's hair stood on end, and a chill ran down his spine at the lady's words. He dared not think about "ascending beyond his sequence" anymore.
He cautiously asked:
"So, the greatest blessing I can currently withstand is that of the 'Dancer'?"
"Yes, that's why I waited until you became an extraordinary being and had initially digested the power before telling you this," the lady took another small sip of the green liquid in her cup. "Only when your spirit, soul, and body have significantly improved can you hope to resist the pollution that comes with the blessing, and then gradually control that power.
"As time goes on, as your mental and spiritual bodies further strengthen and your body adapts to the slight changes brought by the blessing, you can consider the 'Beggar Monk.'"
For Lumi'an, the most important thing at the moment was to learn that mysterious dance, to be able to partially activate the thorn symbol at will, thereby greatly enhancing his ability to explore the ruins of the dream. Therefore, he stopped thinking about the "Beggar Monk" and the "Bound One," nodded lightly, and asked seriously:
"Then, how do I invoke it?"
He had already learned the binary ritual method, but the revered name of the invocation target, the corresponding domain, and the required materials were still unknown to him.
"Cough." The lady couldn't help but cough a little.
Then, she said seriously:
"What I'm about to tell you, it goes from my mouth to your ears, and you must not tell anyone, or you will harm them."
From my mouth to your ears... This is a sentence Aurore likes to write... Has this lady read one of her novels? Lumi'an responded solemnly:
"Okay."
He thought for a moment and added:
"Do I not have to worry about any problems from hearing it?"
The lady took a sip of absinthe and smiled slightly:
"When did you start thinking you were problem-free?"
Lumi'an was taken aback, then looked down at his left chest.
The lady then chuckled:
"You are already heavily polluted, fortunately, the mark left by that great existence was activated, and the corresponding power descended upon you, sealing the source of pollution and creating a balance.
"Next, you will perform a ritual, facing the power within the seal, invoking the corresponding blessing, which is equivalent to voluntarily enduring a certain degree of pollution.
"So, what are you afraid of a little problem after hearing it?"
The more I listen, the bigger the problem seems... Lumi'an wasn't too confident.
The lady shook her head and laughed:
"Don't worry, when I tell you the corresponding words, I will provide a sufficiently secret environment and very safe protection. Afterward, if you want to perform the ritual, it's best to go to the ruins, where there is gray mist and the protection of the great existence, so you won't directly attract its attention.
"During the time before the ritual, you should mix up each step and each description to reinforce them, and try not to think about them in a complete sequence, otherwise, well..."
She laughed, not saying the result, but Lumi'an could imagine what might happen.
Seeing that he was no longer asking, the lady nodded slightly:
"Let's begin.
"The first part is 'O power of destiny.'
"That's enough, corresponding to your black thorn symbol. The complete name of that existence is not something you can understand now, and even I must be cautious to think about it."
For some reason, Lumi'an felt the surrounding light dim a bit, but he wasn't sure.
At this moment, the lady's expression turned serious as she said:
"The second part is:
'You are the past, the present, and the future;
You are the cause, the effect, and the process...'
As the lady's words flowed out, Lumi'an felt a dizziness in his head and noticed a black wind swirling around him.
The table where his absinthe glass was placed began to move as if it had a life of its own.
With a snap.
A black, finger-length worm emerged from the wooden board, emitting an evil aura.
Before Lumi'an could clearly see the worm, the lady put down her glass, pressing the strange creature into a puddle of flesh.
Then, she took out a patterned napkin, wiped the bottom of the glass, and wrapped the worm's corpse.
She drank another small sip of absinthe as if nothing had happened, emphasizing:
"Remember, the first and second parts must be recited in ancient Hermes, or in Giant, Dragon, or Elvish."
Just like the first 'I' in the self-invocation ritual cannot be in Hermes... Lumi'an nodded, indicating he understood.
He was usually very brave, but the frequent strange phenomena during the conversation made him somewhat anxious, his heart racing. However, the mysterious lady acted as if she had just found a bit of impurity in her meal, and continued:
"The third part can be in Hermes, the content is:
'I invoke you,
I invoke your blessing,
I invoke the power of the Dancer.
'Remember, the three sentences are in a progressive relationship.'
These words did not bring new environmental changes, and the previously unsettling and frightening phenomena gradually subsided.
Lumi'an carefully memorized them, and as the lady suggested, mixed up the order and reversed the sequence to avoid any problems.
The lady finished her absinthe, savoring it, and said:
"The rest is similar to common ritual magic.
'The corresponding materials are gray amber, tulip, clove, and musk. Choose any two to make a candle, and use the remaining two as herbs, essential oils, or hydrosols in the ritual.'
Lumi'an recalled the binary ritual method he had learned, frowned, and asked:
'The position representing the deity should be placed with items closely related to the deity, but my thorn symbol is on my chest, I can't peel off my skin, right? And I don't think it would work even if I did.'
The power is sealed in his heart and soul.
The lady nodded slightly:
"Didn't I tell you to make a candle?
"When making the candle, take 5 milliliters of blood from your chest, more or less is fine, as long as it is mixed into the materials and becomes part of the candle.
"During the ritual, place the candle in the position of the deity, only one.
"Because it contains your blood, the candle is 'awakened' by ancient Hermes, becoming a symbol that directly points to you, and then, with the subsequent descriptions, it will partially activate the power sealed within you."
It feels like a special variant of the binary ritual method, Aurore didn't mention this, and not many people know about it... Lumi'an thought for a moment and said:
"Can I use a perfume with gray amber?"
He remembered his sister had it and liked to call it ambergris.
"Yes, use it as an essential oil." The lady nodded.
In that case, I have the gray amber, and I have cloves at home... Lumi'an thought about where to get tulips and musk.
After some thought, he could only think of three places:
One, his sister Aurore, who is a 'Sorceress' and might have the corresponding materials; two, the administrator's residence; three, the parish priest's home.
Lumi'an decided to first tell his sister about the ritual, ask her to teach him the corresponding ancient Hermes and Hermes words, and ask if she had the materials.
If not, he would consider other places.
Seeing that the lady was preparing to leave, Lumi'an hurriedly asked:
"What was that 'lizard' that came out of the deputy priest's mouth?"
The lady stood up and laughed:
"I can't explain it clearly to you."
You might as well say you don't want to tell me... Lumi'an barely controlled his expression.
After the lady left, he took out his paper and pen, wrote down the ritual details in the wrong order, and then numbered them correctly.
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