Ring of Fate

Chapter 923 Seems Real
Following Lumian's instructions, Franka quickly checked the surveillance video on the fourth floor of the mall within the previous three minutes.

During this process, Janna and Anthony hid in the area being burned by the "Flames of Destruction" to avoid the remaining occult pathogens and the power of decay.

The former also caused clusters of quiet black flames to leap out from other parts of the monitoring room, helping Lumian to eliminate the necessary traces. The only problem was that she could only create six or seven clusters at a time.

Ludwig relied on the fact that he still had a "mirror substitute" that had not been used, and hurried to eat snacks - flesh and blood that carried occult pathogens and the power of decay.

Soon, Franka retrieved the corresponding surveillance video.

In a scene that should have been dark, quiet and deserted, two figures were fighting fiercely. The red flames quickly ignited the area, causing thick smoke to rise.

However, there seems to be some inconsistency between the fighting scenes and the original scenes, as if they were forcibly implanted using backward special effects technology. The figures of both Lumian and his enemies are quite blurry, showing signs of interference.

"Your battle in the surveillance world has actually become a part of the surveillance video, but in fact nothing like this happened in the outside world. The fourth floor of the mall is intact..." Franca called up the current surveillance footage of the camera corresponding to that area on the fourth floor of the mall and started to compare them.

She took a breath and said:

"This, the surveillance world is really not just a world in the mirror. It clearly has the characteristics of the information world..."

Lumian nodded slightly and said:

"We still have a very superficial understanding of the mystical knowledge related to the alternate dimension and the virtual world. The abilities, authority, and knowledge in this area seem to be scattered among the 'Witch', 'Mystery Peeper', 'Apprentice', and 'Painter' paths. Among them, the 'Apprentice' path is the main one. I'm not sure if the 'Painter' path can be comparable to the 'Apprentices'."

"Those who are good at summoning should also have some understanding of alternate dimensions and the virtual world." Franka half turned around and said, "Such surveillance footage will not allow the police and Tianzun's men to restore your image. We don't need to deliberately destroy the surveillance equipment."

At this time, with the help of Janna, Lumian had erased all traces left by himself and others in the monitoring room, and Franka also began to use the black flame of the "witch" to clean the fingerprints she had just left on the equipment.

"Let's go back. We have to hurry up and communicate with the spirits." Lumian looked away.

"Yeah." Franka withdrew her palm covered with black flames.

Lumian immediately led his teammates back to the rented car through the mirror world. Franca had just fastened her seat belt and was about to start the car when she suddenly shuddered.

She began to feel cold, as if all the heat in her body was being drained away. Her head became dizzy and her vision went dark and golden stars appeared. She could faint at any time.

Franka understood that this was the negative effect of the "Spear of Inevitability" taking effect - if one of the two effects of "Inevitable Death" and "Inevitable Hit" was triggered, the user would definitely become seriously ill, and if an effective healer was not found later, he might even die. Even if an effective healer was found, the serious illness would continue for a while.

Similarly, every time Anthony used the "Winter is Coming" revolver, he had to find a "pharmacist" or "doctor" for treatment, otherwise he would suffer from a terminal illness that low- and mid-sequence Beyonders were helpless to treat.

Seeing that Franka’s face had instantly turned pale to an almost transparent color, Lumian reached into the “traveler’s bag” and pulled out two bottles of healing potions.

These are the operational resources provided by the Tarot Club. They are said to be items that the Fool Pharmaceutical Company does not sell to the public and whose production is extremely small.

For this operation, the Major Arcana gave Lumian and others a total of 25 bottles of general healing potions, most of which were kept with Lumian, the captain. Janna, Franka, and Anthony each carried two bottles with them, but Ludwig had none.

The child needs supervision, otherwise he will drink it secretly!

With trembling hands, Franka opened the bottle of healing potion and gulped it down.

The cool liquid slid down her esophagus and into her stomach.

Soon, the chilly feeling she felt quickly disappeared, and a layer of sweat broke out on her body surface without her noticing.

"Much better..." Franka breathed out, "Just a little dizzy, forehead is hot, and body has no strength."

Anthony, who had not yet fallen ill, also finished drinking the healing potion and was fine.

"Let me drive," Lumian said.

"Can you drive?" Franca didn't think she was fit to drive, but she was even more worried about Lumian, who had never learned to drive. "How about we take a taxi?"

Lumian smiled and said:
"I have carefully observed you driving today, and you have mastered the basic operations. It is the middle of the night now, and there are not many cars.

"More importantly, I have a driver's license from Ms. Justice."

"Okay, Li Ming." Franca weakly unbuckled her seat belt and pushed open the car door.

Li Ming is Lumian's pseudonym in the dream world.

As soon as Franca's feet touched the ground, her knees went weak and she almost fell. Fortunately, Lumian was waiting outside the cab and grabbed her arm in time.

“Is this what it feels like to be seriously ill… And this is based on the premise that the negative effects are suppressed to Sequence 7…” Franca supported Lumian and slowly walked towards the co-pilot, ready to give instructions later, while muttering.

Lumian laughed:
"If this were in the real world, I would probably have to carry you right now."

Franka imagined that scene and suddenly said:
"No, just carry it on your back!"

Lumian glanced at her and said nothing more.

Janna, who had come out from the passenger seat, watched the two people approaching step by step, listened to their conversation, her eyes a little dim, and her expression a little relieved.

After everyone sat down and closed the car door, Franka gave a brief explanation:
"This is the steering wheel. Turn it in the direction you want to go. This is the accelerator. Use it to control the speed. This is the brake. Use it to stop the car. It can also be used for emergency deceleration... In short, don't overtake. Change lanes when there are not many cars. Stop at red lights and go at green lights. Turn when you need to. Automatic transmission is very simple..."

Lumian stepped on the brake, released the handbrake, and adjusted the push rod to the corresponding gear.

The gray car started to move slowly, gradually gaining speed.

After passing two traffic lights, Lumian looked very skilled.

Franca's mouth slightly opened as she watched, and she said weakly:
"You've learned it now?"

You don't even need me to guide you?

"It's very simple." Lumian responded to her with a smile using Franka's words.

He then released one hand and pointed at his head:
"You have to trust the Hunter's spatial perception and hand-foot coordination."

Franka suddenly felt that being the only one who could drive in the team was not something to be proud of.

In this way, Lumian successfully drove the car back to the old residential area where he rented, and then under Janna's command, he finally parked the car after a long time, which made Franca proud again.

——In order to save money, they rented an older model car without an assisted parking system.

Inside the rental house, Lumian led his teammates into the mirror where the resurrected female corpse was hidden.

Except for Lumian and Ludwig, Franka and others did not dare to take a closer look, fearing new contamination. But even with just a quick glance, they found that a little bit of dim light flew out from the tattered female corpse and slowly gathered towards the right eye.

"Extraordinary characteristics emerge?" Janna blurted out.

Franka was a beat slower than her because she was weak, and said in astonishment:

"Isn't this dream too real?"

Can Extraordinary People also have their own characteristics?
Without waiting for Lumian and the others to respond, Franca suddenly had an idea and said:

"If I obtain extraordinary characteristics in this dream, mix it into a potion, perform a ritual, drink it, and successfully ascend, what changes will occur to me in the real world?"

After hearing this question, no one spoke in the area behind the mirror, and it was unusually quiet.

"I can't answer you." Lumian pondered for a few seconds and said, "Maybe I need to consult the Major Arcana cards, or take this Beyonder characteristic and exit the dream to see if it will 'follow' into reality."

After arriving in this city, Lumian and others no longer needed the help of Ms. Justice to exit the dream and re-enter it. They could arrive there by train and could do so directly with the help of lucky coins.

"Frequent entry and exit of dreams seems to attract the attention of the Celestial Lord." Anthony reminded Lumian.

Lumian said, “Hmm.”
"It's not like there's no other way. Try not to back out. We'll contact the Major Arcanas tomorrow morning."

Although the Major Arcana cards are subject to various restrictions in the dream world, and some cannot even enter here, there are still ways to penetrate the dream world and contact them, which requires going to a certain place.

As they talked, the dark Beyonder Characteristics gathered in the right eye of the resurrected female corpse, dyeing it black with a hint of blue light.

During this process, the three "witches" Lumian, Franka and Janna have created many clusters of black flames, burning the female corpse and the mystical pathogens spread by the characteristics.

According to the recipe of the "Despair" potion, Lumian collected the black eyeball, the bile of the resurrected female corpse, and a bunch of long and thick hair that had turned gray and had not returned to its original appearance, and gave them to Franka, asking her to put them in the "Traveler's Bag".

Ludwig, who had been patient for a long time, finally found an opportunity and pointed at the female corpse and said:
"Can I have a few bites?"

He has already obtained the ability of "mirror substitute" through "deprivation". If he eats a few more bites of the female corpse's flesh and blood, he will have a chance to fix this ability on himself.

Of course, due to the limitations of dreams and the fact that "Deprivation" is currently only at Sequence 7 level, he cannot permanently obtain the "Mirror Substitute" and can only use it for two or three weeks.

"Okay." Lumian nodded.

Ludwig ran over excitedly and got close to the female corpse's head, aiming for the delicate and small ears.

“After her death, the charm of the ‘witch’ was concentrated on her ears, and even Ludwig was attracted to her?” Just as this thought flashed through Lumian’s mind, he saw Ludwig lying on the ground, biting off the ear with a snap, and began to chew it with his mouth full of blood.

"..." Franca and the others were silent, turned their bodies aside and stopped looking.

After Ludwig ate the two ears of the "witch" and reluctantly returned to Janna, Lumian began to arrange the ceremony.

Because he had no object to pray to, he could only "communicate with spirits" in the simplest way, and was careful to guard against the strong contamination from the Heavenly Venerable on the target.

Soon, the blurry shadow of a female corpse emerged.

Lumian asked in a low voice:

"What did you do when you woke up in the morgue of Mushu Hospital?"

(End of this chapter)