Chapter 479 Matching Items
Bang!
The jet-black bullet, ablaze with fiery fury, slammed into Gardner Martin, who was gripped by desire, dead center in his gleaming silver armor once again.
It hit him like a battering ram, sending shockwaves through his frame.
A web of fractures sprawled out from the impact zone, causing Gardner Martin's advance to stagger, forcing him to lean backward.
This abrupt jolt snapped him out of his reverie. He witnessed General Philip, wreathed in black flames and encased in frost, while Lumian materialized behind the Deceased. Lumian's right hand acted as a revolver, launching a crimson fireball straight at the back of Philip's head.
Behind Gardner Martin's mask, his pupils dilated, and a shiver raced down his spine, as if an icy cascade had been dumped over him.
This abrupt awakening effectively quelled his desires. Without hesitation, he dropped to one knee and drove the hefty broadsword into the wilderness.
The broadsword shattered, breaking into myriad fragments of light that swept toward Franca, Lumian, and the others, including the lifeless form of General Philip.
Amidst a resounding crack, Franca, constantly shifting positions, remained enveloped by the Hurricane of Light, her body fracturing like a shattered mirror.
Lumian and Jenna met the same fate. Only Anthony Reid, lacking Mirror Substitution, instinctively lunged to the ground, curling up to shield his vital parts.
The luminous tempest rapidly dissipated before Lumian and his companions outlined themselves on the outskirts of the wilderness, facing the pale-black stone bricks.
They witnessed a brilliant white flaming spear hurtling towards the distant majestic city, covering more than a hundred meters in the blink of an eye.
As soon as the fiery-spear materialized upon impact with the ground, Gardner Martin, draped in silver armor, rose again, directing his focus towards the city veiled in a thin fog.
After several consecutive attempts, Gardner Martin distanced himself from Franca and the others, sprinting towards the dilapidated structures at the city's periphery.
Lumian chose not to pursue him. Instead, he sprinted to the edge of the Sunrise Gleam to check on Anthony Reid.
The Psychiatrist's body bore a multitude of bloody wounds, with the most severe on the left side of his back, revealing a glimpse of his beating heart.
Lying on his side, curled up and bloodied, Anthony Reid forced a smile upon seeing Lumian.
There was no fear of death in that smile—only relief, relaxation, and satisfaction.
The taste of revenge was indeed sweet.
Observing Anthony Reid's lips moving as if he intended to entrust something, Lumian scoffed and remarked, "Do you wish to utter your final words? Do you want us to dispatch your belongings to your home on the West Midseashire Coast?"
As he spoke, Lumian retrieved a silver earring, securing it to his left earlobe.
Squatting down, he pressed his left hand against the gaping wound on Anthony's back.
Abruptly, his palm slid upward, and the gruesome wound shifted to Anthony's shoulder.
In the blink of an eye, the most critical injury on Anthony's body vanished, leaving him as good as new. However, the initially minor wounds on his shoulder deepened, revealing white bones and causing blood to seep out.
This was Lie's Damage Transfer, capable of addressing one wound at a time.
Anthony was taken aback, feeling as if life had been restored to him.
Though the pain persisted, and his body weakened, at least the specter of imminent death had dissipated.
Then, Jenna approached, placing him in a supine position.
With a swift pfft, Jenna thrust an obsidian arrow into Anthony's chest.
The Arrow of the Bloodthirsty promptly absorbed the blood, turning Anthony's pupils red. The invisible flames in the sky seemed a bit blinding, and the scent of blood in the air proved enticing.
Simultaneously, the smaller wounds on his body swiftly healed, and the more severe ones showed significant improvement. In a matter of minutes, they should close up on their own, ceasing to impede his movements.
Anthony Reid, teetering on the edge of death, stood up, bewildered, examining his body with disbelief.
I've nearly recovered? I'm alright just like that? As a Spectator, his emotions visibly fluctuated.
"Not a bad combination," Franca praised. "As long as you don't perish on the spot and refrain from losing control and transforming into a monster, there's still a chance to save you. At most, you'll become weakened."
Lie's Damage Transfer, coupled with the formidable self-healing abilities bestowed by the Arrow of the Bloodthirsty, produced such a remarkable effect.
Franca turned her gaze to Lumian, questioning, "I thought you'd intercept Gardner Martin."
In that critical moment, the others couldn't match Gardner Martin's speed as he fled. Only Lumian, capable of Spirit World Traversal, had the potential to catch up and effectively hinder him.
"Do you think I didn't want to?" Lumian retorted, a note of mockery in his tone.
However, he lacked the ability!
Had he not been affected by Voisin Sanson's Circle Inhabitant during his first "teleportation" today, returning him to his original spot without expending his spirituality, Lumian wouldn't have maintained a stable state. He wouldn't even have been able to use Lie for Damage Transfer. He would have had to rely on Franca or Jenna. How could he possibly have caught up to Gardner Martin?
Franca instantly grasped Lumian's meaning—he had engaged in battles before and after entering this place, and his spirituality was on the verge of depletion.
"Alright." Franca shifted her attention to the two Primordial Demoness figurines, one black and one white, lying undisturbed on the ground, untouched by the Hurricane of Light. Frowning, she inquired, "Where should I toss these two?"
Them constantly causing abnormalities seemed like a scam!
"Take them with you." Lumian considered for a moment before smiling. "If it weren't for them, how could we have dispatched General Philip so effortlessly? We might need them to escape in the future. Yes, we can't entrust both to one person. You take one, and Jenna will take the other."
After a brief pause, Franca responded, "I'll still take the white one."
As a member of the Demoness Sect, holding the orthodox Primordial Demoness figurine was only natural.
Observing Jenna pick up the pitch-black Primordial Demoness figurine, Franca muttered in confusion, "Why is there such a figurine? According to the Purifiers' dossier and information from other secret organizations, members of the Demoness Sect only carry bone figurines. There's nothing that's so black."
While Franca spoke, she scrutinized the charred Primordial Demoness bone figurine, comparing it with her own.
Soon, she discerned differences in the details.
Aside from the stark white and pitch-black hues, the eyes at the tips of the Primordial Demoness's snake-like hair faced different directions. If one looked left, the other would undoubtedly look right.
"Like a mirror image, mirror… Is this the Primordial Demoness in the mirror?" Franca ventured a guess, amalgamating the abilities and traits of the Demoness pathway with her experience in the peculiar mirror world. "This shouldn't be possible under normal circumstances. It wouldn't be easy for the Iron and Blood Cross Order to find such a figurine…"
She now comprehended the reason behind their encounters with Gardner Martin and General Philip.
This was a manifestation of the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence. Except for Anthony, an unwitting Psychiatrist brought in by his companion, everyone present was either a Hunter or a Demoness.
Furthermore, Franca and Anthony had entered through the same method as General Philip. They would inevitably emerge at the edge of this wilderness, teeming with mirror fragments.
Primordial Demoness in the mirror… Lumian found the description ominous.
Without delay, he addressed Franca and the others, "Search General Philip's corpse and help me guard the surroundings. I'll set up a ritual to restore my spirituality."
Jenna expressed surprise. "There's a ritual that can restore spirituality?"
Her gaze naturally swept over General Philip's corpse, realizing it had been split into five or six pieces, each a gruesome mess.
The Beyonder characteristics had yet to emerge at that moment. The boon from the evil god couldn't return to its source, slowly sinking back into the lifeless form.
Lumian entered a dimly lit area with grayish-white stone pillars, found cover, and swiftly set up the altar. Franca could surmise who he was praying to, so she joined him to guard against any unforeseen incidents.
Jenna contemplated for a few seconds before approaching the altar. Retrieving the lucky gold coin, she said to Lumian, "This is the lucky gold coin that the boy gave me. I don't know if it's useful when given to others, but there's no harm in trying."
She delegated the task of searching the corpse to Anthony Reid, who was rapidly recovering.
Franca observed in silence for a moment before affirming, "True."
Lumian didn't hesitate. After all, Will had a close connection to the Tarot Club. Even if the lucky gold coin couldn't be lent to others, it wouldn't bring about any negative effects.
Placing the Loen gold pound on the altar, Lumian conjured a wall of spirituality, ignited all the candles, and took two steps back.
Rather than proceeding with the boon-seeking ritual, he attempted to recite Mr. Fool's honorific name.
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era, the mysterious ruler above the gray fog; the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck…"
As Hermes reverberated, the lucky gold coin on the altar illuminated. A thin gray fog emanated from the wall of spirituality, enveloping the wilderness's periphery.
The fog in the distant majestic city appeared to thicken.
Before long, just as Lumian began praying for a boon, a frenzied and terrifying roar echoed from the area where the weather was chaotic and faint giant figures lingered.
Despite the thin gray fog, the four of them felt dizzy. The blood in their bodies raced, and their hearts pounded.
"It's truly useful. It's genuinely lucky…" Lumian gazed at the dazzling golden coin on the altar, sighing sincerely.
Had it not been for the ritual and Mr. Fool's gray fog's protection, the roar could have inflicted severe damage, especially considering Lumian's nearly depleted spirituality. He might have lost control, putting Anthony Reid, still recovering from severe injuries, in jeopardy.
Phew… Lumian exhaled and continued to recite in a deep voice under the watchful eyes of Franca and Jenna, "Power of Inevitability!
"You are the past, the present, and the future;
"You are the cause, the effect, and the process…"