87 Catharsis
Aurore carried the plate of lamb chops to the table and said, âIâm not sure if ordering them under those circumstances will work. After all, Iâm not a Dancer, and I donât have any relevant mysticism knowledge. However, you wonât lose anything by trying.â
âThatâs true.â Lumian took over at the stove and said with a grin, âItâll just be another wound while I bleed a little. Iâll recover after a nap. What do you think the three-headed giant at the top of the mountain is? What does it have to do with the hidden existence and the corruption in my body?â
Aurore set the plates down and turned around.
âDonât you think youâre overestimating me? Iâve never encountered or heard of such strange things.â
Without waiting for Lumianâs response, she added thoughtfully, âHowever, there are many similar concepts in the myths and legends of my hometown. They have three heads and six arms, gods or demonsâŠâ
She continued, âAnd according to our guesses, the dream ruins are closely related to the corruption in your body. Thereâs a high chance that the giantâs image reflects some aspects of the hidden existence.
âYou said that the honorific name or description of that person is different from the usual ones. Every segment contains three aspects and three forms that symbolize a certain authority. Therefore, itâs very normal to correspond to three heads, just like how the three-faced monster has faces that represent the three stages of humanity.
âAs for why it has six arms and why it sits atop the blood-colored mountain, thereâs too little information. I canât guess.
âHmm⊠Focus on the circle of âwallsâ for the time being. I feel that we can find many useful clues.â
âAlright.â Lumian followed his sisterâs instructions and placed the sliced shredded potatoes into the pot, stir-frying them with oil.
Aurore ended the topic regarding the dream ruins and said to Lumian, âWhen you went to bed in the afternoon, I thought about it seriously and decided to invite the three foreigners to stay with us.â
âWhy?â Lumian was puzzled.
Aurore watched her brother bustling around and sighed.
âWe assumed the padre would react like a normal person, but we canât forget that some of his followers have already accepted a boon. In a way, theyâre corrupted.
âAccording to the mysterious lady, the boonâs effects concentrate on the body and mind. So, besides gaining abilities, oneâs personality will shift. The more boons a person takes, the more severe the change will be, especially if they canât handle it.â
âRight.â Lumian recalled the mysterious ladyâs words.
She warned that if the body couldnât endure such a massive âboon,â the recipient would either turn into a monster, become a puppet of an unknown entity, or transform into someone else whoâd treat things they cherished in the past with indifference.
Aurore concluded, âThus, Shepherd Pierre Berry and his followers, whoâve received the boons long ago, might disregard the padreâs plan and seek greater vengeance.
âIf the five of us stick together and support each other, we can effectively improve our chances of survival until the twelfth night.â
Lumian pondered her proposal and agreed.
But he raised a logistical issue.
âSo, where do they stay? In the living room downstairs?â
âIt wonât work as well if weâre on separate floors.â Aurore glanced at her brother, who approached with a plate of stir-fried shredded potatoes. âYou can move into my room, and weâll let the three foreigners use your bedroom and the study upstairs. They can divide the rooms among themselves.â
âHuh?â Lumian didnât expect such an arrangement. âIâll share a bed with you?â
Aurore couldnât help but laugh.
âNo big deal. Strong, independent women donât sweat the small stuff!â
âHuh?â Lumian didnât grasp his sisterâs last remark.
Aurore chuckled, explaining, âIâm saying that given our situation, letâs not get hung up on trivial matters.
âDo you want to share a bed with Ryan and Valentine, or should I sleep with Leah?â
âTrue, I canât fully trust them.â Lumian nodded.
The three official investigators only cooperated with the siblings because they were trapped in a loop. Who knew if theyâd secretly manipulate the situation while they slept together, planning to capture the two wild Beyonders once the loop ended?
Aurore chuckled and suggested, âIf theyâre concerned about us and decide to share a room, you can sleep in the other one.â
âBetter to stay in the same room.â Lumian felt the walls offered little protection.
Aurore said no more, only adding, âRemind me to restock our food supply tomorrow. After Lent, the villagers will grow stranger. We might need to defend this place or hide in the nearest high mountain pasture.â
Then, she urged her brother to eat dinner.
Before sunset, Lumian left the semi-subterranean two-story building, ready to invite Ryan and the others to move into his home.
Upon seeing Olâ Tavern in sight, Lumian spotted a few familiar faces.
Pons BĂ©net was strolling down the villageâs main road with his three thugs.
Almost instantly, the black-haired, blue-eyed, musclebound villain noticed Lumian.
He couldnât help but clamp his legs together, as if recalling some excruciating agony.
Eyeing Lumian, Pons BĂ©net faced a dilemma.
He craved revenge, but feared history would repeat itself with him and his men beaten to a pulp.
As Pons BĂ©net wavered, Lumian flashed a brilliant grin.
âHey, isnât this my rebellious son?â
He strode towards the villain and his three thugs who had drowned Reimund, poised to pummel them.
Pons BĂ©net saw this and didnât hesitate. With his eyes, he signaled to the three brutes beside him, ordering them to charge.
The three thugs immediately rushed at Lumian and pulled out short sticks, iron rods, and other weapons.
Lumian sped up too.
Just as he was about to collide with the three thugs, he abruptly leapt at one of the enemies.
This unorthodox move caused the three thugsâ attacks to miss.
Lumian grabbed the targetâs shoulder and did a somersault.
His back seemed to flex like a spring, helping him grab the enemy and build up enough force for the roll.
In an agile, exaggerated forward somersault, Lumian hurled the enemy and smashed him into the ground.
Bang! The thugâs vision darkened. His whole body ached, and he couldnât rise for a moment.
At that instant, Lumian landed behind the other two, only seven or eight steps from Pons BĂ©net.
He crouched slightly and charged at the villain. As Pons BĂ©net frantically dodged, he shouted, âQuick, quick! Stop him!â
The remaining two thugs hastily turned and chased after Lumian. Pons BĂ©net composed himself and brazenly charged at the bastard, preparing to stall him before they surrounded him.
Just as the two thugs were about to catch up to Lumian, who had deliberately not run at full speed, suddenly stopped and squatted.
Amid grinding sounds, not only did the two thugs fail to hit their targetâs back, but because they couldnât halt in time, they lost their balance and collided with Pons BĂ©net.
Lumian pounced like a tiger and grabbed the two thugsâ necks. He lifted their bodies and smashed their heads together.
Bang!
The two thugsâ foreheads instantly swelled and they fainted on the spot.
Immediately after, Lumian tossed away the burden and exerted strength with his feet. He twisted his body and slid behind Pons, who had just risen.
He grabbed the other partyâs arms and bent them backward.
With a cracking sound, Pons BĂ©net let out an extremely pained scream.
âHow is it? Does it feel good?â Lumian asked Pons BĂ©net with a smile as he hoisted him and marched out of the village.
Before long, he arrived beside the river, grabbed the back of Pons BĂ©netâs head, and forced him underwater.
As bubbles surfaced, Lumian lifted Pons BĂ©netâs head, turned his face, and asked with a smile, âDoes it feel good to bully others?â
Pons BĂ©netâs face was soaked, and he looked to be in extreme agony. Snot and saliva flowed out, making it impossible for him to answer.
âDoesnât it feel great?â Lumianâs voice suddenly intensified. He grabbed the villainâs head and smashed his forehead into the water, hitting the cobblestones.
Bright crimson liquid seeped out of the water. Pons BĂ©net struggled uselessly with his legs, unable to lift his head.
Gulp. Gulp. As time dragged on, his struggles weakened.
Only then did Lumian haul him up. He thrust out his left hand and smacked Pons across the face.
âIâm asking you, does it feel good to bully others?â
Pure terror filled Ponsâs eyes. He didnât know how to respond.
Just then, a figure ambled over to the riverside. It was the hooded Shepherd Pierre Berry.
He glanced at the pathetic Pons and gently told Lumian, âWeâre all from the same village. Enough. You want to kill him?â
Lumian immediately released Ponsâs head and stood up. He grinned at Pierre Berry, replying,
âIâll listen to you. Make sure this jerk doesnât bully others again.â
Without waiting for Pierreâs response, Lumian strode past the shepherd into the village.
âŠâŠ
On the second floor of Olâ Tavern, in Ryanâs room, Lumian relayed his sisterâs thoughts to the three official investigators.
Ryan exchanged a look with Leah and Valentine and nodded.
âSmart thinking. In a situation like this, spreading ourselves too thin just makes us an easy target. We can move into your house now.â
As they headed to Lumian and Auroreâs house with her luggage, Leah asked Lumian amidst her tinkling sounds, âSo whatâs the plan for the tomb?â
âThe plan?â Lumian snorted. âYou think we can just waltz in there?â
Leah smiled, relieved. âGood, youâre still being cautious.â
Ryan chimed in, âWhat we mean is if whateverâs in that tomb really leads to the cycleâs key, itâll show up during the twelfth night ritual. And if itâs got nothing to do with the source of the cycle, why take the risk going in?â
âIn short,â Lumian said, catching on, âwe just wait patiently for the twelfth night?â
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