87 Catharsis
Aurore carried the plate of lamb chops to the table and said, “I’m not sure if ordering them under those circumstances will work. After all, I’m not a Dancer, and I don’t have any relevant mysticism knowledge. However, you won’t lose anything by trying.”
“That’s true.” Lumian took over at the stove and said with a grin, “It’ll just be another wound while I bleed a little. I’ll 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?”
Aurore set the plates down and turned around.
“Don’t you think you’re overestimating me? I’ve never encountered or heard of such strange things.”
!!
Without waiting for Lumian’s response, she added thoughtfully, “However, there are many similar concepts in the myths and legends of my hometown. They have three heads and six arms, gods or demons…”
She continued, “And according to our guesses, the dream ruins are closely related to the corruption in your body. There’s a high chance that the giant’s image reflects some aspects of the hidden existence.
“You 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, it’s very normal to correspond to three heads, just like how the three-faced monster has faces that represent the three stages of humanity.
“As for why it has six arms and why it sits atop the blood-colored mountain, there’s too little information. I can’t guess.
“Hmm… Focus on the circle of ‘walls’ for the time being. I feel that we can find many useful clues.”
“Alright.” Lumian followed his sister’s 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, “When you went to bed in the afternoon, I thought about it seriously and decided to invite the three foreigners to stay with us.”
“Why?” Lumian was puzzled.
Aurore watched her brother bustling around and sighed.
“We assumed the padre would react like a normal person, but we can’t forget that some of his followers have already accepted a boon. In a way, they’re corrupted.
“According to the mysterious lady, the boon’s effects concentrate on the body and mind. So, besides gaining abilities, one’s personality will shift. The more boons a person takes, the more severe the change will be, especially if they can’t handle it.”
“Right.” Lumian recalled the mysterious lady’s words.
She warned that if the body couldn’t endure such a massive “boon,” the recipient would either turn into a monster, become a puppet of an unknown entity, or transform into someone else who’d treat things they cherished in the past with indifference.
Aurore concluded, “Thus, Shepherd Pierre Berry and his followers, who’ve received the boons long ago, might disregard the padre’s plan and seek greater vengeance.
“If the five of us stick together and support each other, we can effectively improve our chances of survival until the twelfth night.”
Lumian pondered her proposal and agreed.
But he raised a logistical issue.
“So, where do they stay? In the living room downstairs?”
“It won’t work as well if we’re on separate floors.” Aurore glanced at her brother, who approached with a plate of stir-fried shredded potatoes. “You can move into my room, and we’ll let the three foreigners use your bedroom and the study upstairs. They can divide the rooms among themselves.”
“Huh?” Lumian didn’t expect such an arrangement. “I’ll share a bed with you?”
Aurore couldn’t help but laugh.
“No big deal. Strong, independent women don’t sweat the small stuff!”
“Huh?” Lumian didn’t grasp his sister’s last remark.
Aurore chuckled, explaining, “I’m saying that given our situation, let’s not get hung up on trivial matters.
“Do you want to share a bed with Ryan and Valentine, or should I sleep with Leah?”
“True, I can’t fully trust them.” Lumian nodded.
The three official investigators only cooperated with the siblings because they were trapped in a loop. Who knew if they’d secretly manipulate the situation while they slept together, planning to capture the two wild Beyonders once the loop ended?
Aurore chuckled and suggested, “If they’re concerned about us and decide to share a room, you can sleep in the other one.”
“Better to stay in the same room.” Lumian felt the walls offered little protection.
Aurore said no more, only adding, “Remind 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.”
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 Ol’ Tavern in sight, Lumian spotted a few familiar faces.
Pons Bénet was strolling down the village’s main road with his three thugs.
Almost instantly, the black-haired, blue-eyed, musclebound villain noticed Lumian.
He couldn’t help but clamp his legs together, as if recalling some excruciating agony.
Eyeing Lumian, Pons Bénet faced a dilemma.
He craved revenge, but feared history would repeat itself with him and his men beaten to a pulp.
As Pons Bénet wavered, Lumian flashed a brilliant grin.
“Hey, isn’t this my rebellious son?”
He strode towards the villain and his three thugs who had drowned Reimund, poised to pummel them.
Pons Bénet saw this and didn’t 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 thugs’ attacks to miss.
Lumian grabbed the target’s 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 thug’s vision darkened. His whole body ached, and he couldn’t rise for a moment.
...
At that instant, Lumian landed behind the other two, only seven or eight steps from Pons Bénet.
He crouched slightly and charged at the villain. As Pons Bénet frantically dodged, he shouted, “Quick, quick! Stop him!”
The remaining two thugs hastily turned and chased after Lumian. Pons Bénet 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 target’s back, but because they couldn’t halt in time, they lost their balance and collided with Pons Bénet.
Lumian pounced like a tiger and grabbed the two thugs’ necks. He lifted their bodies and smashed their heads together.
Bang!
The two thugs’ 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 party’s arms and bent them backward.
With a cracking sound, Pons Bénet let out an extremely pained scream.
...
“How is it? Does it feel good?” Lumian asked Pons Bénet 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 Bénet’s head, and forced him underwater.
As bubbles surfaced, Lumian lifted Pons Bénet’s head, turned his face, and asked with a smile, “Does it feel good to bully others?”
Pons Bénet’s face was soaked, and he looked to be in extreme agony. Snot and saliva flowed out, making it impossible for him to answer.
“Doesn’t it feel great?” Lumian’s voice suddenly intensified. He grabbed the villain’s head and smashed his forehead into the water, hitting the cobblestones.
Bright crimson liquid seeped out of the water. Pons Bénet 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.
“I’m asking you, does it feel good to bully others?”
Pure terror filled Pons’s eyes. He didn’t 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, “We’re all from the same village. Enough. You want to kill him?”
Lumian immediately released Pons’s head and stood up. He grinned at Pierre Berry, replying,
“I’ll listen to you. Make sure this jerk doesn’t bully others again.”
Without waiting for Pierre’s response, Lumian strode past the shepherd into the village.
……
On the second floor of Ol’ Tavern, in Ryan’s room, Lumian relayed his sister’s thoughts to the three official investigators.
Ryan exchanged a look with Leah and Valentine and nodded.
“Smart thinking. In a situation like this, spreading ourselves too thin just makes us an easy target. We can move into your house now.”
As they headed to Lumian and Aurore’s house with her luggage, Leah asked Lumian amidst her tinkling sounds, “So what’s the plan for the tomb?”
“The plan?” Lumian snorted. “You think we can just waltz in there?”
Leah smiled, relieved. “Good, you’re still being cautious.”
Ryan chimed in, “What we mean is if whatever’s in that tomb really leads to the cycle’s key, it’ll show up during the twelfth night ritual. And if it’s got nothing to do with the source of the cycle, why take the risk going in?”
“In short,” Lumian said, catching on, “we just wait patiently for the twelfth night?”