304 Decency
Avenue du Boulevard, 19 Rue Scheer, basement.
Mr. K’s face remained hidden under the massive hood, but Lumian could feel the admiration and recognition in his gaze.
Standing behind a red armchair, Mr. K pointed to a narrow wooden table by the wall.
“Make a choice. These are Grade 2 Sealed Artifacts, as per the standards of various Churches. They have distinct characteristics but come with dangerous negative effects. Nonetheless, there are ways to resolve those issues and utilize them to some extent.”
Following the gesture of Mr. K’s raised right hand, Lumian spotted three containers on the narrow wooden table.
One was an exquisite wooden box adorned with rubies, emeralds, agates, and other precious items. Another was a rubber injector, and the last one was a wide-mouthed bottle filled with a dreamy green liquid with a golden object at the bottom.
Mr. K approached the table, picked up the wooden box with gems, and opened it.
Inside, there lay a thin and soft leather mask. As Mr. K lifted it to display, an exaggerated face outlined in red, yellow, and white oil paint emerged.
For some reason, Lumian’s mood took a plunge at the sight of the face, and his heart filled with sorrow.
“It’s called the Clown Mask,” Mr. K introduced in a low, raspy voice. “Wearing it enables you to create Paper Figurine Substitutes. You can ignite combustible objects within a 50-meter radius and leap between flames, allowing you to transfer wounds across your body and turn a fatal injury into a minor one. However, each wound can only be transferred once.
“It will also meld with your face, altering your appearance. This aspect is beyond your control, but it grants you strong expression control and sharp premonition for a short duration.
“To store it safely, you’ll need a high-value container. Otherwise, it will continuously bring frustration, pain, and sorrow to those around it, gradually driving them insane until they break down. For Beyonders, this often means losing control.
“That’s why you can’t wear it for more than ten minutes at a time. Additionally, you have to ‘watch’ a comedic performance once a week; otherwise, it will attempt to replace you when you wear it, truly becoming your ‘face.’”
Wound transference… This Sealed Artifact belongs to the Seer pathway. It corresponds to the Sequence of Bureau 8’s Miss Leah or higher, Lumian quickly deduced based on his experience.
He felt that the Clown Mask suited him well. With Pyromaniac and Flaming Jump, he could significantly increase his strength.
He was in need of changing his appearance, but the limitation of wearing it for only ten minutes made it similar to the Mystery Prying Glasses, albeit more convenient.
Moreover, Paper Figurine Substitutes and wound transference could effectively boost his survivability, but when it came to dealing with Zombies, Wraiths, Devils, or Desire Apostles, these abilities lacked specificity.
Emotional influences were currently a taboo for Lumian. While his psychological issues had been somewhat healed, the flames of pain couldn’t be fully extinguished. They still smoldered deep in his heart. If this emotional breakdown erupted, Termiboros would undoubtedly be grinning from end to end.
As Lumian pondered, Mr. K put the Clown Mask back into its exquisite wooden box and picked up an injector made of rubber hoses, a glass syringe, and a thin needle.
At that moment, a tube of bright red liquid quietly filled the syringe, as if it had just been extracted from a person’s body.
Mr. K gently shook the injector and said, “It’s called Lifeblood. Once injected into your body, it allows you to control your flesh and blood completely for a short period. You won’t need to maintain your human form deliberately, and your vital points will be safe. Moreover, you can envelop a target, corrode their body, and kill them from the inside.
“Simultaneously, you can transform into your own shadow and merge with the surrounding shadows. That way, you can secretly trail the enemy and avoid detection.
“With each injection, you’ll become closer to our Lord, closer to the most ancient appearance of humanity’s original form. Others and creatures won’t endure it well. Their bodies will collapse gradually with each injection, and they won’t be able to return to their original state. Their minds will be cloaked by shadows, making them crave flesh and blood, turning them into irrational monsters. However, we need not worry. As long as we devoutly believe in our Lord and remember to pray to Him always, there won’t be many issues with our bodies and minds.
“I’ve injected myself several times before. Am I not normal now?”
Lumian didn’t fully buy into it. I don’t think you’re normal… The flesh corrosion ability seems useful against Zombies…
Furthermore, he wasn’t devout when it came to the True Creator. He usually used psychological cues to seal the memories of His honorific name and didn’t pray at all.
“If you carry Lifeblood without injecting yourself, it won’t affect you other than making you crave flesh and blood,” Mr. K explained. He then picked up a wide-mouthed bottle filled with green liquid
filled with an alcoholic fragrance and retrieved a golden brooch carved into a Scotch Broom from it with his white palm that appeared sickly.
“This one’s called Decency.
“Once you wear it, you can acutely detect a target’s weaknesses. By symbolically giving them items, you can complete a Bribe, significantly weakening their attack, defense, or control over you for a certain period.
“In addition, you can Distort the target’s words, actions, and intentions. You can also Distort certain actions of yourself or others to create an environment that’s beneficial to you.”
Using Bribe to weaken the target’s attack, defense, or control… This ability is very versatile. It can be used against Zombies, Devils, or other Beyonders… If I use Distortion well, I can come up with all kinds of tricks… Lumian’s spirits lifted, believing this was what he wanted.
The next step was to see if the negative effects could be endured.
Mr. K continued, “It must be kept in liquor that exceeds 45 proof. Otherwise, it might result in arrest from official Beyonders or other factions at irregular intervals.
“You can’t wear it for more than fifteen minutes. In the following hour, you’ll become repulsive and disdainful. It’s best not to go out. Wait patiently until the negative effects fade.”
As a Hunter, how can I not be repulsed and despised? And it’s normal for regulars at Ol’ Tavern to carry two or three flasks of liquor with them… Sometimes, I can even use it to attract nearby factions to capture this characteristic for “fishing.” It’s a perfect part of certain traps… Lumian quickly made up his mind and said firmly, “I want Decency.”
Now, the question was whether this Sealed Artifact could be matched with the Shadow Branch to create a mystical item with both characteristics.
Mr. K respected Lumian’s decision and didn’t offer any persuasion.
He tossed the Decency brooch back into the wide-mouthed bottle of liquor, capped it, and handed it to Lumian.
Lumian swiftly caught it and mumbled, What if I’m not skilled enough to catch it and shatter the bottle? We’ll exchange looks and then flee before the official Beyonders come after us?
Lumian gripped the bottle of liquor suspected to be absinthe and deliberately said, “I have something to report.”
He briefly recounted the Werewolf incident and concluded, “The Rose School of Thought suffered repeated setbacks, yet they remain arrogant. I heard they also believe in the evil god, the Mother Tree of Desire.”
Mr. K’s gaze turned cold, and his voice carried an oppressive metallic quality.
“The evil god’s believers are indeed becoming more impudent.
“Since some deities can’t shoulder such a heavy responsibility, let us share Their burden.”
Lumian could sense Mr. K’s anger igniting as his Pyromaniac potion was showing signs of digestion.
After bidding farewell to Mr. K, he left the basement and closed his eyes in the corridor.
Through this experiment, combined with the fire in his heart when he advanced to Pyromaniac, Franca’s words, the various situations in the market district, and the actions of the people of Rapus and the Southern Continent, he concluded his first Pyromaniac acting principle: “Pyromaniacs not only ignite matter but also the mind and society.”
…
In the market district, Auberge du Coq Doré, Room 207.
Lumian gazed at the enticing green liquor bottle, contemplating the need for sturdy military flasks to prevent it from breaking during a potential fight. Simultaneously, he made the final decision—to utilize the Lucky One Beyonder characteristic and the Shadow Branch to create a mystical item.
He felt that Decency’s powers didn’t mesh well with the Shadow Branch, and its drawbacks were manageable. On the other hand, Sealed Artifacts offered decent effects and could be used independently.
Without any hesitation, Lumian penned a letter, seeking Madam Magician’s aid in locating a demigod-level Artisan.
Afterward, he made his way to the safe house on Rue des Blouses Blanches, summoned the messenger, and dispatched the Shadow Branch and Lucky One Beyonder characteristic, along with the letter, to the holder of the Major Arcana card.
In no time, Lumian spotted the puppet messenger materializing above the desk, dropping a thick stack of papers with a loud thud.
Bang!
The table groaned under the weight of the hefty object.
Lumian rose to his feet and noticed a response placed on top of the stack.
“No problem. I’ll assist you in making contact. The process will take some time, as will the crafting of the item. If you don’t mind, I’ll add a condition that the final product should be portable.”
“Additionally, while observing celestial phenomena, I sensed that you are on the verge of assimilating the Pyromaniac potion and can endure a new Inevitability boon. Here’s information about some creatures from the spirit world. You can study it beforehand and explore which contracts you might form to borrow their abilities.”
Madam Magician possesses knowledge of astromancy? Her predictions are remarkably accurate… Lumian felt a bit lightheaded as he glanced at the substantial stack of papers.
Having summarized the core principle of his initial Pyromaniac acting, he knew he wasn’t far from fully digesting it.