The more Lumian listened to the lady in front of him, the more he concurred.
He was uncertain about what would happen at a higher Sequence. Among the few Beyonder creatures he had interacted with, the threat posed by the fellow with the vortex-shaped proboscis was far inferior to the monster carrying a shotgun.
Although he had become a Beyonder, significantly improving his close combat ability and exploitation of the environment, the problem primarily lay with the Contractee monster.
Firstly, it did not display a relatively strong pursuit ability. Secondly, it lacked long-range attacks. Thirdly, its invisibility ability was not ridiculous. It was completely countered by a Hunter's grasp of the surrounding environment and minute traces.
Moreover, it had the common problem of monsters. It did not have high intelligence and was not as combat-intelligent as the shotgun monster. It had easily stepped into the enemy's trap.
With all of this combined, the final outcome was obvious. Lumian just never expected it to be equivalent to a Sequence 7.
He didn't even compare it to the shotgun monster, recognizing the vast difference between the two. The shotgun monster was a force to be reckoned with, while the mouth orifice monster was weak.
Ability, intelligence, preparation, improvisation, environmental factors… There are too many variables that can affect the outcome of a battle… Lumian concluded inwardly and asked without much hope, "Can I directly pray for Contractee powers?"
The lady chuckled. "That's a good way to kill yourself."
She casually explained, "In theory, it's possible. After all, the power sealed in your body isn't limited to the Sequence 7 equivalent. But can your body withstand such a tremendous boon or rather, corruption? If you don't mind turning into a monster, a puppet of that existence, or transforming into another creature, then go ahead. Tsk, then it won't be long before I see you personally turning your sister into a sacrifice."
Lumian's hair stood on end from the woman's words, and a chill ran down his spine, realizing that he wasn't ready to advance beyond his current level.
He cautiously asked, "So, the most significant boon I can handle right now is a Dancer?"
"Yes, that's why I waited for you to become a Beyonder and digest some of it before telling you about it," the woman explained, taking another sip of her green liquid. "Only when your mind, spirituality, and body have improved significantly will you have a chance of resisting the corruption attached to the boon. Then, you can slowly control the power.
"As your Soul Body and Body of Heart and Mind strengthen, and your body adapts to the slight changes brought about by the power of the boon, you can consider Alms Monk."
For Lumian, the most crucial thing was to learn the mysterious dance. Initiating the incomplete activation of the thorn symbol would significantly improve his ability to explore the dream ruins. Therefore, he nodded slightly, no longer thinking about Alms Monk and Contractee.
"How should I pray?"
He had already learned the duality ritual, but he still didn't know the target's honorific name, domain, and corresponding ingredients.
"Ahem," the lady coughed.
Then, she spoke solemnly, "What I'm about to say shall leave my mouth and enter your ears… You must not tell anyone, or you'll harm them."
Leave my mouth and enter your ears… This is a sentence Aurore likes to write… Has this lady read one of her novels? Lumian thought.
"I understand."
He thought for a moment and asked, "Will anything go wrong from hearing it?"
The lady took a sip of absinthe fennel and smiled.
"When did you have the illusion that there's nothing wrong with you?"
Lumian was stunned for a moment before looking down at his left pec.
The lady scoffed.
"You belong to the group of individuals who are on the brink of being corrupted. Luckily, the mark left by that great existence was activated, and the corresponding power descended upon you, sealing the source of corruption and establishing balance.
"Next, you will perform a ritual to confront the power within the seal and pray for the corresponding blessings. It is akin to proactively withstanding a certain level of corruption.
"So, why should you be afraid of minor issues that you hear?"
The more I hear, the more I feel that there's a huge problem… Lumian wasn't too confident.
The lady shook her head and smiled.
"Do not fret. When I reveal the corresponding words, I will provide you with a sufficiently concealed environment and secure protection. In the future, it would be best to perform the ritual in the ruins, where there is gray fog and the protection of the great existence. It will not directly draw the attention of that entity.
"Furthermore, before the ritual, scramble every segment and description. Attempt not to piece them together and analyze them in a complete manner. Otherwise, heh…"
She chuckled and did not elaborate on the outcome, but Lumian could imagine what would occur.
Observing that he did not inquire further, the woman nodded slightly.
"Let us commence.
"The first part is the Power of Inevitability.
"Using it is sufficient. It corresponds with your black thorn symbol. The complete name of that being is not something you can comprehend at the moment. Even I must provide some concealment before daring to contemplate it."
For some reason, Lumian felt the light around him diminish slightly, but he was unsure.
At that moment, the woman controlled her expression and said solemnly, "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 enunciated each word with precision, Lumian felt his senses spin. He realized that a vortex of dark wind was enveloping him.
The table, on which his absinthe fennel rested, writhed as if imbued with a life force of its own.
Suddenly, a sharp sound echoed.
An ebony worm, as long as an adult's index finger, slithered out of the wooden board, and an ominous aura spread instantaneously.
Before Lumian could observe the worm's features, the woman sitting across from him lowered her cup filled with the green liquid and slammed it onto the grotesque creature, reducing it to a pulpy mess.
Next, the woman produced a patterned napkin, wiped the glass's base clean, and wrapped the worm's remains in it.
She took another sip of the absinthe fennel, as if nothing untoward had occurred, and emphasized, "Remember, the first and second parts must be recited in ancient Hermes. Jotun, Dragonese, and Elvish are acceptable as well."
Similar to how the initial "I" in the rite that worships oneself cannot be in Hermes… Lumian nodded to indicate his comprehension.
Although he had always been audacious, he felt slightly discomfited and uneasy when confronted with the strange phenomena that kept manifesting during their conversation. His heart raced, but the enigmatic woman acted as if she had merely detected some impurities in their meal. She continued,
"The third part can be spoken in Hermes. The text is as follows:
"I implore you,
"I beseech your benediction.
"I plead with you to grant me the power of Dancer.
"Remember, the three sentences are progressive."
These words did not elicit a new environmental shift. The anomalies that had caused Lumian's unease and trepidation gradually subsided.
Lumian committed them to memory earnestly and followed the woman's instructions to scramble the words, to prevent any potential issues.
The woman savored the remaining absinthe fennel with satisfaction.
"The rest of the ritual is similar to common ritualistic magic."
"The corresponding ingredients are gray amber, tulips, cloves, and deer musk. Choose any two to make candles. The remaining two can be used as herbs, essential oil, and extract during the ritual."
Lumian furrowed his brow as he recalled the dualistic ritual he had learned.
"The spot representing the deity should have an item that's closely related to the deity, but my thorn symbol is on my chest. I can't skin it, right? Besides, I doubt it's useful even if I skin it."
The power was sealed in his heart and Spirit Body.
The woman nodded slightly.
"Didn't I tell you to make candles?
"When making the candle, take 5 milliliters of blood from your chest. It doesn't matter if it's more or less. In any case, fuse it into the material and let it become a part of the candle.
"In the ritual, the candle is placed in the deity's location. There's only one candle.
"Because of your blood, the candle is 'awakened' by ancient Hermes. After becoming a symbol, it will point directly at you. Then, with the subsequent description, it will activate the power sealed in you to a certain extent."
It feels like a special variant of the dualistic ritual. Aurore didn't mention that it could be done like this, so not many people know about it… Lumian thought for a moment and asked, "Can I use perfume with gray amber?"
He remembered that his sister had it, and she liked to call gray amber 'ambergris.'
The woman nodded. "Sure, use it like an essential oil."
I possess the gray amber in that case. I have some cloves at home… Lumian pondered where he could acquire tulips and deer musk.
After much contemplation, he could only come up with three possibilities:
Firstly, Aurore, being a Warlock, might have already prepared the required materials. Secondly, the materials could be found at the administrator's residence. Thirdly, the padre's house could be a potential source.
Lumian decided to inform his sister about the ritual and break down the instructions into individual words. He planned to learn the corresponding ancient Hermes and Hermes words from her and inquire about the availability of the materials.
If she didn't have them, he would explore other options.
As the lady was about to depart, Lumian hastily questioned, "What was that lizard that crawled out of the deputy padre's mouth?"
The lady smiled and replied, "I cannot explain it to you."
Lumian struggled to maintain his composure and thought, Why not just say you don't want to tell me…
After the lady left, Lumian retrieved the pen and paper he had brought and jotted down the ritual instructions in a disordered manner. He then numbered them in the correct sequence.
...
Upon leaving Ol' Tavern, Lumian scoured the village for the trio of foreigners.
It didn't take long before he heard a faint tinkling sound.
Lumian's lips curved into a smile as he quickened his pace. As expected, Leah wore two bells on her veil and boots, Ryan donned a dark bowler hat, and Valentine had sprinkled powder on his head.
Lumian had an urge to open his arms and exclaim, "My cabbages, I missed you so much!" but he quickly remembered that he had not interacted with the foreigners in this cycle.
He kneaded his face to appear more serious and strode towards Ryan and the others.
As he brushed past them, he lowered his voice and said, "I know who you're searching for."
Ryan, Leah, and Valentine gaped at him in astonishment.
Lumian didn't pause; he continued walking forward.
The three foreigners exchanged glances, suppressed their peculiar expressions, and followed behind Lumian as if nothing had happened.