Circle of Inevitability

Lumian slumped to the ground, gasping for breath. He could barely muster the strength to move a finger.

Silently, he observed the crimson flames flickering on the ground, their intensity gradually diminishing until they snuffed out.

During this time, Lumian managed to lean forward and grab the Fallen Mercury with his left hand, while his right hand tightly gripped the iron-black axe, ready for any unexpected threats.

His focus was unwavering, and he remained on high alert.

Inwardly, he prayed to the Eternal Blazing Sun and the unknown, great being, hoping They would shield him from harm.

In his current state, even a mundane foe like the skinless monster could easily take him down, let alone the possibility of the flaming creature reviving itself unexpectedly.

As time ticked by, Lumian's spirituality and stamina gradually improved, but his injuries only worsened, leaving him disoriented and unfocused.

Hunters need to be cautious, level-headed, and patient--capable of using their environment to their advantage. Above all, they require courage.

Courage to confront the unexpected, to persevere in the face of crisis, to steel oneself when escape seems impossible, and to find a path out of the jaws of death...

Distracted by these thoughts, Lumian suddenly felt as if the Hunter potion coursing through him had been fully absorbed.

It was as if a barrier had shattered, and a tiny spark had merged with every fiber of his being.

All traces of Lumian's loss of control vanished, and his condition immediately improved.

Slowly, he rose to his feet and heaved a quiet sigh.

I've actually digested it...

This meant he was ready for the next potion.

Lumian, clutching the pewter-black dirk in his bandaged left hand, scanned his surroundings. Occasionally, he fixated on the flaming monster's remains, patiently awaiting the appearance of the Beyonder characteristics.

Unlike the shotgun monster's swift transformation, Lumian waited for half an hour. He wondered if the flaming monster still lived and whether he should strike it a few more times.

Finally, on the verge of collapsing from his injuries, red sparks burst forth from the monster's body.

Like fireflies, they swarmed around the corpse before gradually coalescing into a scarlet object resembling a heart.

The "heart" pulsed, its surface pocked with countless tiny holes, from which indistinct flames seeped.

Is this the main ingredient for the Pyromaniac potion? Lumian mused, reaching down to pick it up.

A searing pain radiated from his palm straight to his mind, making him instinctively want to fling the "heart" away to escape the agony.

Luckily, Lumian's skin had been numbed by the flaming monster's burns, allowing him to barely tolerate the relatively minor pain.

He tried wrapping the "heart" in a strip of cloth, but it instantly incinerated the fabric, reducing it to ashes.

After a moment's thought, Lumian set the Beyonder ingredient on the ground, wrapped the Fallen Mercury in the remaining black cloth, and secured it at his waist.

Next, he emptied the contents of the cloth bag containing the lead bullets into his pocket.

He then filled the bag halfway with soil from the area before tossing in the flame-wreathed heart.

But Lumian didn't stop there. He continued shoveling soil into the bag until the "heart" was entirely encased in layers of inflammable earth.

Exhaling, he carried the bag to the edge of the ruins, pondering a newly discovered problem.

I'm only a Sequence 9, and this is the main ingredient for the corresponding Sequence 7 Pyromaniac. I can't just advance to Sequence 7, can I?

This will make me lose control!

I initially thought the flaming monster would yield a Pyromaniac, Provoker, and Hunter Beyonder characteristic, but it's all mixed together...

Uncertain of what to do, Lumian stumbled away.

Miraculously, he didn't encounter a single monster on his way back. In his weakened state, any confrontation would have spelled disaster. His only hope was to rely on his keen observation and sharp senses to detect danger early and avoid it.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Lumian exited the dream ruins and traversed the barren wilderness, arriving back at his semi-subterranean two-story dwelling.

Laboriously, he climbed to the second floor and removed the Fallen Mercury, the cloth bag with the Pyromaniac ingredient, and the iron-black axe. He placed them on the bedside table or tossed them to the floor before staggering to the full-length mirror embedded in the wardrobe.

In the mirror, Lumian saw his ghostly pale face, marred by flame scars and faint silver-black patches on his skin.

His blue eyes flickered with an illusory silvery hue, entwined with darkness.

This was a sign that he had sustained severe injuries and nearly lost control.

If not for his home-field advantage in the dream ruins or the acquisition of Fallen Mercury and Invisibility, Lumian would have had no chance of defeating the flaming monster.

Munching on jerky and cheese to stave off the intense hunger left by his possession, he collapsed onto the bed.

He desperately needed to return to reality and rest for a while, allowing his body to recover swiftly.

...

Sunlight pierced through the curtains, casting the bedroom in a soft glow that highlighted Aurore's desk, cluttered with reference materials, reading notebooks, and stacks of manuscripts. It also illuminated a wardrobe filled with dresses and an exquisite full-body mirror.

Lumian opened his eyes to meet his sister's light-blue gaze.

Aurore watched him stir, her voice laced with concern. "How was it? Is everything alright?"

She knew that her brother had ventured into the dream ruins to hunt the flaming monster this time.

"I succeeded." Lumian sat up, his head feeling foggy. His skin tingled, and his bones threatened to snap.

But compared to the excruciating pain that had nearly killed him in the dream, this was nothing.

He lowered his gaze to examine his body. Red, swollen patches covered his skin, as if he were suffering from an allergic reaction.

"That's good..." Aurore sighed with relief. "An hour ago, you twitched all over and kicked me awake."

Lumian laughed, self-deprecating.

"It was indeed dangerous back then. I almost lost control."

"I was hesitant to wake you up, but you quickly calmed down and didn't scare me anymore," Aurore said, visibly relieved.

Lumian's heart stirred. "And you just kept looking at me?"

"That's right." Aurore nodded calmly. "If anything happens, I have to shake you awake and bring you back to reality. You can't die in your dreams."

Lumian suddenly felt the pain, struggle, and fear of nearly dying in his dream dissipate, replaced by a warm current surging from the depths of his heart.

He asked, almost without thinking, "You didn't wake up because I kicked you, did you? You haven't slept at all, have you?"

Aurore smiled and said, "That was my original plan, but considering how long you'd have to wait for that monster, and how I just finished my night duty, if I didn't catch up on sleep, I'd definitely be in a daze later. It'd be easy for me to make a mistake and not wake you up in time.

"So, I decided to put my hand on you and take the chance to catch some shut-eye.

"This way, I'd be able to sense any movement and wake up quickly. Heh heh, I was indeed kicked by you!"

As she spoke, she pointed at her right calf, where a visible bruise had formed.

Before Lumian could respond, she asked, "Tell me the details."

Suppressing his voice, Lumian recounted his ordeal, describing how he set up the trap, ambushed the monster, and how his clothes caught fire. Unable to turn invisible, he had no choice but to flee into the basement and fully activate the black thorn symbol with Cogitation.

Aurore listened intently, her expression occasionally betraying her worry for her brother's perilous situation. She was the kind of person who easily immersed herself in stories.

As the tale drew to a close, Lumian raised a question.

"How do I separate Provoker from the Pyromaniac Beyonder characteristic?"

He didn't know where to find the potion formula.

Aurore thought for a moment and said, "I don't know how to separate them. I've only heard that you might need the help of a high-level Beyonder for such a situation."

"A demigod?" Lumian guessed.

There were probably only three people he knew who had reached Sequence 4: the enigmatic lady, Madame Pualis, and the one lying in the coffin in the tomb.

Aurore nodded.

"I think so. Actually, you don't have to worry. I suspect the mysterious lady will come to you soon and provide some help. She always appears at critical points in your growth. This time should be no exception. After all, the loop hasn't been resolved and the secret of the dream ruins remains locked away."

"Go to Ol' Tavern to find her?" Lumian frowned.

Their agreement with Ryan and the others was to avoid going out as much as possible.

Aurore tersely acknowledged his words.

"Let's wait a while. She might visit us directly."

Aurore sighed and said, "For ordinary Beyonders, the potion formula isn't a problem, but you're different. There's corruption sealed in your body, and you can lose control if there's the slightest issue. You still need a complete and correct Provoker potion formula."

"Why don't ordinary Beyonders need potion formulas?" Lumian asked, surprised.

Aurore explained, "It's not that they don't need them, but anyone below Sequence 7 can advance just by consuming the main ingredient."

"Doesn't that risk losing control?" Lumian asked, astonished.

Aurore acknowledged tersely.

"Years ago, there was a high chance of losing control. But recently, Sequence 9 and Sequence 8 Beyonder characteristics can indeed be consumed directly. However, it's about 20 to 30% more dangerous than concocting a potion.

"Right, that's the conclusion reached by our president, Gandalf."

Why? Just as Lumian was about to ask, a familiar song echoed from outside the house.

The siblings exchanged solemn glances.

Lent had begun, and the Spring Elf entourage had reached them.

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