301 Devil
Criminal pathway… Lumian began to recall the contents of Aurore’s grimoires.
Sequence 9 Criminal possessed a formidable physique, sharp senses, and a range of criminal skills. They were adept at wielding various weapons and could even kill their targets using something as mundane as a spoon.
Sequence 8 Coldblooded were heartless and inhuman. Their bodies were further strengthened, and they gained mastery over spell-like abilities with a leaning towards the eviler domains. Different Coldblooded excelled in different aspects, making them challenging opponents to deal with with no one-size-fits-all solution.
Sequence 7 Serial Killer was well-versed in devilish knowledge and rituals. They could summon projections of devils from the Abyss and had a sick fascination with creating serial murders.
Turning to Madam Magician with a thoughtful expression, Lumian inquired, “What are the names of Sequence 6 and Sequence 5 on the Criminal pathway?”
“Sequence 6 is called Devil, and Sequence 5 is Desire Apostle,” Madam Magician readily shared her knowledge.
From worshiping the devil to becoming one—a fitting name for the Devil pathway. And Desire Apostle sounds like a Beyonder who would follow the Mother Tree of Desire. It’s a compatible match. They might as well rename it to Mother Tree of Desire Apostle… Lumian couldn’t help but criticize as he analyzed the information.
Madam Magician continued, “The first major qualitative transformation of the Criminal pathway is at Sequence 6 Devil. After the corresponding Beyonder temporarily transforms into a devil, not only will their strength, speed, and defense improve, but they become immune to most poisons and acquire a certain resistance to curses and flames.
“More importantly, they possess Malicious Perception. If someone can cause fatal damage to them in a short period of time and begin to take steps to make it a reality, and both parties are within the range of their abilities, the Devil Beyonder can sense the source of danger and the perpetrator. This allows them to take targeted revenge in a counterstrike.”
So powerful… Lumian couldn’t help but frown.
If the Rose School of Thought’s subsequent operations had members of the Devil families involved, the situation would become exponentially more dangerous.
Of course, the Prisoner pathway’s Zombie and Wraiths were also terrifying.
Most importantly, at a certain Sequence, Beyonders of these two pathways boasted formidable defenses against flames.
Dammit, Pyromaniacs would be in for a rough time! Lumian made a self-deprecating comment, infected by Franca’s and Jenna’s vulgarities.
After pondering for a moment, Lumian inquired, “How short can the period of time be for the Malicious Perception to be effective?”
Madam Magician smiled and replied, “The Devil pathway is highly individualistic. Devils from various races each possess their distinct abilities. Even among devils originating from the same race, differences arise due to their individual nature. The reason behind this lies in the requirement of ostentatious malice, which varies from person to creature.
“Unique wills, distinct hearts, and a penchant for desires all amalgamate to form the diverse nature of devils.
“Now, to your query. Some Devils can sense malice merely minutes before its occurrence, whereas others can foretell it hours or even more in advance. As they progress in Sequence, this ability only grows stronger.
“The range of this ability’s influence can span a few kilometers, an entire market district, or perhaps even encompass the whole of Trier.
“Furthermore, Devils wield an array of spells involving flames, poison, and filth.”
The more Lumian listened, the more serious he grew. Devils were truly powerful—just like Zombies countering Pyromaniacs, who were experts in fire spells and close combat.
After briefly explaining the Desire Apostle’s abilities, Madam Magician comforted him with a smile,
“Don’t worry too much. Even if the Rose School of Thought takes action in the future, their target will most likely be Gardner Martin. You’ll just be along for the ride. The Iron and Blood Cross Order, being a secret organization, has enough strength to resist the Rose School of Thought even if the Devil families send someone to participate.
“If the Bliss Society and the Rose School of Thought share intelligence, you may become their primary target, but they won’t launch a fatal attack on you paradoxically. They fear releasing an Inevitability angel like Termiboros. As long as you pay more attention to abnormalities and suspected conspiracies around you, you’ll have enough time and opportunity to seek help.”
Upon hearing this, Lumian retorted, “If the Rose School of Thought sends an angel to capture me, how will I have time to seek help?”
Madam Magician chuckled.
“Do you think Trier is a public washroom where an angel can descend and snatch someone away easily?
“If it weren’t for the alternate space of the Tree of Shadow with the Paramita World enveloping it, that brainless Abomination wouldn’t have been able to descend its power.
“So, remember to avoid such places and live under the sun in Trier.”
Lumian heaved a sigh of relief and asked in confusion, “Abomination?”
Could it be the power summoned by Susanna Mattise?
Madam Magician’s expression turned odd.
“Yes, Abomination—the child of the Chained God whom the Mother Tree of Desire worshipers and the Rose School of Thought originally worshiped. He’s a Sequence 1 angel and the current leader of the Rose School of Thought.
“I won’t tell you His real name. This guy is covered in curses. If you say His real name often, you might become a frog that needs a prince’s kiss to recover. Or worse.”
“Why a prince?” Lumian had read the Intis Fairy Tales Collection published two years ago and remembered that the protagonist of the story was a princess.
“Why else would it be called a curse?” Madam Magician wore a matter-of-fact expression.
Lumian was speechless. He asked, “The spawn of the Mother Tree of Desire are angels, already roaming our world. And to descend, the child of the Great Mother requires a ritual. Is one more special than the other?”
“They’re equally special,” said Madam Magician, her expression taking an odd turn once more. “The crux of the matter is that it wasn’t the Mother Tree of Desire who gave birth to the Abomination, but a high-ranking existence in our world known as the Chained God.”
Lumian’s heart filled with trauma as he immediately thought of Louis Lund, Administrator Béost, and his valets.
“Can the Mother Tree of Desire impregnate creatures of all races and genders through the barrier?” Lumian asked with a hint of fear in his voice.
Madam Magician shook her head.
“She doesn’t have authority in that regard. That belongs to the Great Mother.
“However, if you’re enticed by Her and end up interacting with the power She has descended or the aura that seeped into our world, She has plenty of ways to impregnate you. Furthermore, the Chained God pathway—the Prisoner pathway—is rather special and has a close connection to the Mother Tree of Desire.
“If it weren’t for Mr. Fool’s protection, the temperance faction members would have more or less been influenced by Her in the past year or two.”
Lumian nodded, then brought up the issue of the indulgence faction and the temperance faction.
“I believe the temperance faction’s philosophy is correct, but why can the indulgence faction still grow and possess such strength? Is it because there’s no fear of losing control when they are already crazy?”
Madam Magician chuckled and responded, “The temperance faction’s philosophy is correct, but it doesn’t mean that the indulgence faction’s viewpoint is necessarily erroneous.
“You have to remember that acting based on the potion’s name is like tarot cards. There’s a difference between the upright and reversed position. And even if we act in the upright manner, the acting principles summarized by different people will vary according to their unique minds and experiences. After all, we’re just acting. Our goal is to deceive the mental imprint left behind by that entity and digest the potion bit by bit. It would be troublesome if we were to completely align with Him.”
Lumian nodded in understanding.
“So, the phrase ‘remember that you’re only acting’ not only prevents us from losing ourselves to avoid mental problems but also helps avoid such problems altogether?”
“That’s right,” Madam Magician affirmed.
Lumian then steered the conversation back to matters pertaining to the Mother Tree of Desire.
“Mr. Poet mentioned that there are multiple organizations that worship the Mother Tree of Desire?”
“Poet…” Madam Magician’s lips curled up slightly. “They’re all relatively small organizations that haven’t formed a large cult. They’re far inferior to the Rose School of Thought and the few Devil families, but they’re relatively hidden. Currently, we are aware of three. One is the Bliss Society, the other is the Naturism Sect, and the third is the Tree Worship Sect.”
After pondering the matter for a while, Lumian finally brought up the idea of crafting a mystical item using the Shadow Branch.
“Madam, once I receive the reward from Mr. K, I’d like your help in finding a saint-level Artisan to craft the item. Do you happen to know the price?” Lumian inquired.
Madam Magician grinned and replied, “I haven’t rewarded you yet for successfully joining the Iron and Blood Cross Order. How about using that reward to cover the cost?”
“That sounds perfect,” Lumian happily agreed.
Receiving three rewards for a mission was truly a remarkable thing.
Madam Magician nodded thoughtfully and said, “A friend’s relative knows a demigod-level Artisan. I’ll check with them first. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll find another option.”
She then smiled and asked, “With the gap between the Lucky One and the potential reward from Mr. K, are you sure you want to use one of them to create a mystical item?”
Lumian responded with certainty, “I won’t have any regrets.”
His approach had always been to utilize available resources as swiftly as possible.
It had to be known that the padre was already a Sequence 5 bestowed when he left Cordu. He might have even taken a potion to boost his abilities. Dealing with him on one’s own was akin to embracing death for Lumian.
He needed to make use of every available resource to enhance his skills quickly and gather more allies to increase his chances of success!
During his early days as a wanderer, Lumian once stumbled upon a wild apple tree laden with fruit. He intended to wait for the apples to grow larger and less sour before figuring out how to pluck them. However, to his surprise a few days layer, someone else had managed to harvest all the small and sour apples.
This incident left a profound mark on Lumian, significantly influencing his approach to handling things.