Chapter 747: Pact Experience |
747 Pact Experience
Ding-ding.
The object resembling a steam train whizzed past Lumian, its presence nearly obscured by the thick, dark mist. Yet, Lumian managed to discern some details: both carriages were blue and seemed to be crammed with passengers standing and facing the street, their expressions blurred and their forms lacking clear outlines.
This is more than what I had witnessed in Fourth Epoch Trier—it isn't powered by steam. As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Lumian noticed someone at the other end of the street, hunched over, pulling a black, two-wheeled cart with a canopy.
A lady sitting in the cart, holding a round fan and dressed in a long skirt, was hidden by the thick mist, which obscured the finer details of her and the puller's attire.
Lumian found himself staring as the black cart approached.
At that moment, the lady in the cart lifted her fan to her face, turned slowly, and looked back at Lumian.
As if the mist had thinned, Lumian could see the back of the lady's hand holding the fan: swollen and shiny with dark, bluish patches.
The puller, with a towel around his neck, stopped, and the lady, who seemed about to step down from the peculiar cart, looked towards Lumian.
Then, he heard a panicked whisper—it was his own voice, although he harbored no such thoughts!
Standing on the edge of the street, enveloped in the dark mist, Lumian felt a sharp tension as if his true self wasn't entirely present.
Lumian’s heart tightened as he attempted to step back.
He suddenly found himself floating up, soaring into midair.
He saw the core of the dense mist, a vast city with a bizarre, shadowy high tower beneath which lay unspeakable horrors and gloom.
Unwillingly, he flew towards it.
Almost at the same time, he saw specks of starlight appear.
Lumian abruptly exited his Cogitative state; the city and tower wrapped in the dark mist, the segmented train, and the lady with the floral fan vanished from his “vision.”
He opened his eyes to see Madam Magician and Mr. Hanged Man.
"You were a bit off just now, showing signs of losing control, so I had to wake you," Madam Magician briefly explained.
Lumian thanked her, extinguished the enticingly fragrant corpse wax candle, and detailed the scenes and characters he had witnessed during his meditation.
Madam Magician nodded thoughtfully and remarked, "It’s similar to a pact-making ritual.
"This has established a connection between you and some unknown entity, progressively aligning with it. However, unlike a true pact ritual that is directed towards deities, angels, demons, or evil spirits, your pact seems to be with a city.
“If I hadn't interrupted the process earlier, you might have accessed some higher knowledge or power through this pact experience, though it likely wouldn't have been somethingpositive."
Lumian, no novice in mysticism, understood the nature and implications of such rituals.
He pondered and then countered, "So, you're saying that the city in the fog, closely related to Fourth Epoch Trier and very special, has formed a connection with me through this corpse wax candle, despite the vast distances and the layers of seals between us?"
"Yes, it's not an illusion," Madam Magician replied, looking towards the candle encased in a small glass vial with a light yellow and red hue. “Besides the corpse oils of the lron-blooded Knight and Demoness of Despair, this candle likely contains some special materials to which its origins I'm not aware of. There are two other locations where it could be more effective, allowing you to see and experience more. But those are far too dangerous; you already showed signs of losing control, so I wouldn't recommend trying it now.”
“The other two locations..." Lumian's curiosity piqued. "Is one of them Fourth Epoch Trier?"
In Fourth Epoch Trier, he could already partially see that misty city. Lighting the candle and entering a Cogitative state would surely reveal much more sights and experiences!
"Yes," Madam Magician affirmed Lumian's guess.
“And where is the other place?" Lumian inquired further.
Unless the School of Truth’s vortex project could unlock Fourth Epoch Trier's seals, it would be a long time before he could re-enter that version of Trier.
Madam Magician eyed Lumian for a few seconds before simply stating, "Bansy.”
Bansy... Bansy Harbor? The harbor that had been destroyed by the Church of Storms due to some corruption, where no one had escaped? That was also the former home of Red Angel Medici... Lumian nodded almost imperceptibly.
Considering the Red Angel's gains in Fourth Epoch Trier and the pathways He took, Lumian had no doubts about the special nature of Bansy Harbor being akin to that of Fourth Epoch Trier.
“Of course, it must be a specific place in Bansy Harbor, not just anywhere,” Madam Magician added, then continued, "There's another place I'm not sure about for the candle's efficacy.”
“Which place?" Lumian asked, then had a sudden insight, "City of Exiles, Morora?"
“Correct, you're now clearly seeing the connections between things,” Madam Magician praised him, sternly advising, "If you do decide to venture to those places and use the corpse wax candle to aid your Cogitation and complete the pact, make sure someone is with you at all times to monitor your condition and wake you immediately if anything unusual occurs."
"I'll remember that," Lumian promised earnestly.
As Madam Magician gestured for Lumian to pack away the candle, she thought for a moment and said, "Use the Sword of Courage as a Sealed Artifact for now. When it's time to concoct the Iron-blooded Knight potion, I'll revert it into a Beyonder characteristic.
“By the way, the Sealed Artifact crafted by Hisoka’s Beyonder characteristics should be completed in a few days.”
“Thank you, Madam Magician," Lumian expressed his gratitude sincerely.
Although obtaining the lron-blooded Knight main ingredient so easily felt somewhat unreal, when he thought about how the Blood Emperor's residual aura came to be, which played a key role in it, and the issue of the Underworld Daoist's seal, he realized it wasn't that "easy" after all.
Lumian then discussed the remains of Omebella’s umbilical cord and Ludwig's three processing methods, finally asking, "Can I consume that piece of umbilical cord to gain some of the Great Mother's Child of God's bloodline?"
Madam Magician's expression turned slightly strange as she looked towards The Hanged Man Alger, seemingly seeking his opinion on the matter.
The Hanged Man looked at Lumian and asked seriously, "This will indeed bring you some opportunities, but with them, corresponding risks as well. We can help you, but we can't be there every moment. You need to consider whether you're willing to take this risk and if it's worth it."
Madam Magician added, "While the Great Mother's attention might sound nebulous and not tangible enough to have a real effect—after all, you're already under the scrutiny of the being known as Inevitability-having one more such entity's attention might not seem like a big deal. However, remember, the Great Mother's interference and permeation in our world far exceed those of the Inevitability entity. If you do consume Omebella's umbilical cord remnants, you might face unknown influences or attract special enemies without even realizing it.
“Of course, there's only a potential risk, not a certainty.”
What concerned Lumian more was another point.
“Madam Magician, Mr. Hanged Man, it seems you've already confirmed that consuming Omebella's umbilical cord will bring some opportunities?”
This must be a significantly useful opportunity; otherwise, Madam Magician's expression wouldn't have become strange, nor would she have consulted Mr. Hanged Man.
There's no need to hesitate on matters with only downsides; it's the presence of significantpotential benefits that causes Madam Magician to pause!
Madam Magician weighed her words carefully before responding, "The vortex project might involve a location tainted by the Great Mother's power, teeming with monsters spawned from this corruption. If you possess the bloodline of the Great Mother's Child of God, theoretically, you wouldn't need to worry about attacks from them, and you might even be able to command them simply.
“That's one aspect. Another is that once you meet two other prerequisite conditions, you should be able to touch and briefly use a Grade O Sealed Artifact.”
Grade 0 Sealed Artifact... Extremely Dangerous. Not to be inquired, disseminated, described, or spied; capable of destroying a country or even the whole world... Lumian's spirit lifted at the mention.
So far, he had indirectly encountered two Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts: 0-01 and 0-05.
“What's the number of that Grade O Sealed Artifact?” Lumian curiously asked. "Why would having the Great Mother's Child of God bloodline allow me to touch and briefly use it?"
Madam Magician glanced at Lumian and said, "I can't tell you the details yet. All I can say is, it's not the Child of God bloodline of the Great Mother that allows you to touch it, but rather the integration of Omebella’s umbilical cord remnants with you that helps you access it without facing severe danger, because it originated from Omebella’s remains.”
Omebella's remains... Omebella had remains before being born? No, that's normal, as there are already remnants of the umbilical cord before She was born... Ah, the one that shares the same name? No, obviously, it's more than just sharing names... Lumian pondered and then asked, "Are you referring to the remnants of the Goddess of Harvest from ancient times?"
times?"
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