In the form of a corpse?
Lumian's heart sank upon hearing that.
If Reimund's body had left the loop due to the sacrifice, he wouldn't be able to revive through the loop. Once the abnormality in Cordu was resolved, he would truly be dead and not just missing.
Although Lumian wasn't willing to admit that a foolish chap like Reimund was his friend, they had known each other for almost five years. They had played together, pranked together, and experienced many things together. Regardless, he couldn't treat him as a stranger.
Recalling the past, he realized that other than Aurore, Reimund was probably the person he interacted with the most.
Didn't Aurore often say that the fools are the lucky ones? Why is this happening? Lumian couldn't help but retort, "Even if he became a corpse, there will still be a spirit. It will trigger the cycle."
Aurore sighed softly.
"Perhaps the entity receiving the sacrifice isn't interested in spirits and only wants flesh and blood? Perhaps He didn't want to trigger the loop and only wanted flesh and blood instead of Reimund's spirit, leaving him in Cordu or directly destroying him?"
In that case, Reimund's corpse was equivalent to pure matter without any spirituality. It could leave the loop without triggering a reboot.
Upon hearing his sister's retort, Lumian's mind instantly replayed what might have happened.
After everyone left the water, Reimund swam further away. Suddenly, an invisible force grabbed his legs, covered his mouth, and dragged him to the depths of the river, where he drowned.
After that, his spirit would remain at the bottom of the river or be destroyed. His corpse would drift to an unknown place and become a sacrifice…
At this thought, Lumian suddenly became inspired.
"Regardless of whether Reimund's spirit was left behind or destroyed, once the cycle restarts, he should appear in the form of a ghost."
"Logically speaking, that's correct." Aurore nodded thoughtfully. "After dark, I'll hold a psychic ritual and see if I can find Reimund's spirit. Yes, it's best if we have something he often uses as a medium."
Lumian replied without hesitation, "After exploring the castle in the afternoon, I'll go to Reimund's place. His parents are looking for me to ask about his whereabouts anyway."
When the time came, with his Hunter skills and Lumian's vigilance, it wouldn't be difficult for him to obtain an item that Reimund had used.
"Okay." Aurore didn't object.
Lumian exhaled and asked, "Aurore, uh, Grande Soeur, are you capable of channeling spirits?"
"As a Mystery Pryer, I possess knowledge on various subjects," Aurore chuckled in self-deprecation. "How did your conversation with the three foreigners go?"
Lumian quickly recounted his discussion with the enigmatic lady and his conversation with Ryan, Leah, and Valentine, but he avoided mentioning the entity's prayer.
Aurore listened attentively and let out a sigh.
"It's perilous to actively resist corruption, but it's the only way to explore the dream ruins, uncover their secrets, and find the key to break the cycle. It'll be a difficult journey for you…"
"What's so terrible about it?" Lumian patted his chest. "I'm saving myself."
Aurore nodded slightly.
"You can use my gray amber perfume. We have lilac at home, and I also have deer musk and candle-making ingredients. Only tulips need to be acquired elsewhere.
"I remember Madame Pualis has a garden, but I don't know if it's blooming."
"It has bloomed," Lumian affirmed with certainty.
During the last cycle, when he and Aurore visited the castle to borrow the carriage, they noticed that many flowers in the garden had already bloomed, which was unusual for early spring in the mountains.
Aurore acknowledged tersely.
"Regardless, you must explore the castle in the afternoon. You can pick a few flowers while you're at it. Will that woman send those items into the dream ruins for you?"
"Yes," Lumian replied, feeling confident in his assumption.
Aurore pondered for a moment before saying, "I'll give you the Integrity Brooch before you depart this afternoon. Madame Pualis' castle is filthy, and it might involve the undead. It could be very useful."
"It's not necessary. Keep it with you to protect yourself from Madame Pualis," Lumian insisted, anticipating his sister's objections. "Valentine is a fanatical believer of the Eternal Blazing Sun. According to you, as a Beyonder, he should have chosen the Sun pathway. He would be more useful than the Integrity Brooch."
Based on Aurore's observations over the past few years, fanatical believers of the Eternal Blazing Sun typically chose the Sun pathway.
This also made sense. Eternal Blazing Sun believers who chose the Sun pathway tended to become more and more fanatical unless they didn't believe in this true god from the beginning.
"That's true," Aurore conceded. "You can practice the simplest way to activate Spirit Vision. Afterward, take a nap at noon to replenish your energy. I'll teach you the ancient Hermes and Hermes words required for the ritual tonight."
Upon hearing his sister's words, Lumian suddenly recalled something she often said when she was rushing her manuscripts: "The schedule is tight, and the task is enormous."
...
At 3:20 PM, Lumian stood on the hillside overlooking the administrator's castle when he spotted Madame Pualis approaching the village with her lady's maid, Cathy. Madame Pualis wore a stunning grayish-blue dress that had a slight fluffiness to it, and her hair was tied back in an elegant bun.
As soon as they were out of sight, Lumian hurried to the back of the hill where Ryan, Leah, and Valentine were already waiting. They appeared to be in their original clothes, having made no preparations for what was to come.
Lumian was surprised to see that they were unarmed and asked, "You're not carrying any weapons?"
Ryan, who was only slightly taller than 1.7 meters, smiled and replied, "I don't need to carry a weapon with me."
Valentine, dressed in a white vest and a thin blue tweed coat, echoed Ryan's sentiment, "I don't need a weapon."
Leah, on the other hand, pulled out a small, exquisite, silver revolver from her Marseillan boots. "This is my weapon."
She flipped open the barrel to reveal different colored bullets engraved with various patterns and symbols. "They have different Beyonder effects."
Pa! Leah snapped the barrel shut and asked Lumian with a smile, "What weapon did you bring?"
One of you doesn't need a weapon, the other doesn't need to carry a weapon with him, and one has such a good-looking and powerful revolver. It makes me look silly… He lifted the dark jacket on his back to reveal an iron-black axe tucked into his belt.
Without waiting for Ryan and the others to speak, he sighed and said, "You all act like Beyonders, and I'm like a gangster preparing for a fight."
Leah chuckled, her bells tinkling along, "You have a talent for self-deprecation."
"It's better than being mocked by others," Lumian pointed to the steep hill behind them. "Let's climb up now. We can't waste any more time."
"Alright." Leah, in her tight dress, was the first to climb.
She moved with agility and her balance was exceptional. Using the grooves in the terrain, she ascended the hill with ease.
What was even more remarkable was that the four silver bells on her person remained motionless and silent.
Lumian followed closely behind, using the Hunter potion to strengthen his body and scaling the previously unclimbable hill with the help of rocks and tree roots, although he wasn't as carefree and nimble as his companion.
After regaining his balance, he glanced back and witnessed Ryan seizing Valentine's shoulder and hoisting him up.
In a swift motion, Ryan vaulted onto a jutting boulder amidst the hill.
Without hesitation, he sprang forward once more, delivering Valentine to Lumian and Leah's vicinity.
Throughout the entire endeavor, his physique appeared to have expanded in size.
This left Lumian in awe.
Although the hill wasn't high, it was still too exaggerated to be scaled with just two jumps.
Hunters definitely couldn't do it!
After snapping out of his daze, Lumian looked at the castle-shaped building with two towers and the surrounding garden. He suggested to the three foreigners, "We'll go around to the back door."
"Wait a moment." Ryan stopped him and glanced at Leah.
Leah remained silent and strode two steps towards the rear entrance of the castle-like structure.
Her lips moved soundlessly, muttering something under her breath.
In the next instant, the four small silver bells attached to her veil and boots jingled.
The sound was not deafening, but it was urgent and intense.
Leah pivoted and addressed Lumian and the rest, "It's a treacherous path. A grave problem, indeed."
With that, she took two steps towards the front entrance.
Ding, ding, ding. The bells continued to ring, growing even more insistent and pressing.
"We'll likely encounter significant trouble if we attempt to enter through the front," Leah's tone was severe, but there was a hint of a smile on her face.
"What if we climb in through a window?" Ryan inquired.
Leah nodded and altered course, making her way towards the garden.
This time, although the bells rang, they were faint and slow.
Leah grinned and exhaled, "This route is safe."
Lumian, who had observed the entire process, felt bewildered. He couldn't fathom what the three foreigners were up to.
Is this how Beyonders operate? He recollected his sister's teachings and queried, "Divining the danger?"
"Indeed." Leah nodded and turned to Valentine. "I'll scout ahead. Be prepared."
"Understood," Valentine responded gravely.
"What preparations?" Lumian asked, confused.
Leah chuckled. "Prepare to cast divine spells and conjure flames."
Then, what's the purpose of creating flames? Before Lumian could ask, Leah had strolled into the garden and headed towards the castle.
She arrived at a window and signaled that everything was clear.
"Let's go," Ryan informed the group as he hastened towards Leah.
Valentine and Lumian followed closely behind.
As they passed a bed of tulips, Lumian reached out to pluck one, but Ryan stopped him with his forearm.
He didn't ask Lumian why he was doing this and only said gently, "There's no hurry. We can pick flowers later. If picking it causes some incident, our mission will be compromised."
That's true… Lumian fully drew upon this experience.
Soon, they arrived at a row of windows on the side of the castle.