Chapter 243

After hearing Lu Mian's words, Franca blurted out:

"Damn! Is it related to that group of people again?"

"What exactly does Auguste Artois want to do?"

"I also don't understand what the point of creating such a chemical plant explosion is... Maybe it's just a coincidence. Bono Goodville has a fairly good relationship with Auguste Artois, so visiting is normal, and it just so happened that the chemical plant exploded today..." Lu Mian said, pondering.

One cannot underestimate every coincidence in life, but one also cannot treat every coincidence as a problem.

Franca nodded slightly:

"Indeed."

"But I must remind you that the chemical plant explosion is not meaningless. It may have already caused quite a few deaths, and this is very important for many evil rituals. Living people are always the third-best sacrifice."

"This can also be a ritual?" Lu Mian was quite astonished.

Franca corrected him:

"Part of a ritual. Killing a sacrifice with a knife and killing a sacrifice with a chemical plant explosion have no essential difference to the god the ritual host wants to pray to. Your understanding of ritual magic is still too one-sided. Of course, some rituals might just require creating a similar explosion to be effective."

Is this like in the "Art of Substitution," where before holding a ritual, the "substitute" lives as the person being substituted for a sufficient amount of time? Lu Mian roughly understood.

Franca then sighed:

"This is just a guess of mine, not necessarily the truth. Maybe the coincidence you mentioned is the correct answer. But regardless, we have a necessity to remind the official Beyonders to pay attention to traces of rituals and focus on the role the MP's office played in this disaster."

"Damn, if that weren't a Member of Parliament, I'd go grab him tonight, hang him from the ceiling, whip him, and force him to confess what exactly he wants to do and what his relationship is with those evil god believers."

"Sigh, in that explosion just now, I don't know how many people lost their parents, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, or children, and I don't know how many people are praying, worrying, and suffering for their injured relatives."

"Like Jianna." Lu Mian said, following the flow.

Franca froze for a second:

"What did you say?"

"Jianna's mother works at the Goodville Chemical Plant. You didn't know?" Lu Mian asked back.

Franca was stunned for a moment, then asked with concern:

"How is her mother's condition now?"

Lu Mian briefly recounted how he had sprinted with Jianna to Saint-Gilles Street to find Elodie and used the remaining healing potion to save Elodie from the brink of death.

Franca breathed a visible sigh of relief, then said with heartfelt pain:

"Why wasn't I at the scene! Why wasn't I at the scene!"

Lu Mian's mouth twitched, and he said calmly:

"You still have a chance now. Jianna is currently worried about the subsequent treatment costs."

"I'm going to Saint-Palais Hospital right now!" Franca's eyes lit up, and she was about to rush out of the apartment.

Lu Mian hurriedly called her back:

"Don't forget to bring the Stingers' healing potion. I'm worried that the condition might recur."

Just like Mr. Ruhl.

Before Franca could respond, he added:

"Also, help Jianna bring the dress she wore this morning."

"Hm... I want to borrow 4000 verl d'or from you, using half of my share of the 'Harvest Festival' as collateral. I have already collected all the auxiliary materials for the 'Pyromaniac' potion."

"So fast?" Franca looked shocked. "I haven't even started helping you look!"

Lu Mian smiled:

"I met the Big Boss at the entrance of the MP's office last night, confessed to him that I was about to advance and had pre-drawn a sum of money, and asked him to help me keep an eye out for the auxiliary materials for the 'Pyromaniac' potion."

The more Franca listened, the more complex her expression became:

"Your kid's mind is more devious than I imagined... Confessing this matter to Gardner is indeed the best way to handle it."

"However, couldn't you have considered me? Do you know that I also wanted to help you collect the auxiliary materials for the 'Pyromaniac' potion through Gardner? He is a Sequence 6 'Conspirator' or Sequence 5 of the 'Hunter' pathway, and he has a group of 'Hunters' around him; he wouldn't lack such things. Fortunately, fortunately, I didn't go to him these past two days, otherwise he would definitely have suspected that you and I were having an affair."

Lu Mian had always thought Franca would search for materials through the Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society. He hadn't expected that she, based on the principle of proximity and convenience, had intended to find Gardner Martin for help, which almost led to the exposure of their private relationship.

Franca returned to her room, took out banknotes worth 4000 verl d'or from somewhere, handed them to Lu Mian, and solemnly urged him:

"After getting the main materials, don't rush to concoct the potion. You must ensure that your state can withstand the impact of the advancement, otherwise, it's best to delay it for a period of time. Main materials are much easier to preserve than the potion."

"I am very clear on that." Lu Mian replied calmly.

He thought for a moment and added:

"You'd better contact the official authorities before going to find Jianna. The explosion hasn't happened long ago; there might still be some clues left behind."

"Mm." Franca agreed.

Before Lu Mian intended to take his leave, he curiously asked:

"Living people are the third-best sacrifice, then what are the second-best and first-best?"

"The second-best are creatures possessing Beyonder characteristics, and the first-best are..." Speaking of this, Franca smiled, "Demigods."

Quartier des Nobles, sixth floor of Saint-Palais Hospital.

When Jianna returned to the ward from the restroom, she saw her brother, Julian, helping their mother, Elodie, tuck in the corners of the blanket.

Elodie was still unconscious, but her complexion had improved a bit more.

Julian stood up, pulled his sister aside, and said in a low voice:

"Cherry, don't worry about the subsequent treatment costs. I'll find a way. You continue to learn your drama performance at the Old Pigeon Cage."

Jianna felt a warmth in her heart and asked back:

"Did the doctor tell you?"

"Mm, just now." Julian nodded heavily.

Jianna pursed her lips and said:

"You don't have to worry. My friends have already agreed to lend me money, which can be repaid in three years with very low interest. My income as an underground singer and yours as a worker, if we save a little, should be enough, and it won't affect us being apprentices."

Julian was silent for a few seconds and said:

"That Charles?"

"Yes, he is one of them, but there are other friends. Mm, 'Red Boots' Franca, whom I mentioned last night." Jianna felt she had to explain this matter clearly, otherwise, she was worried her brother would go to extremes.

She remembered that the year before last, Julian had wanted to secretly sell himself to the Balam-Passe Import and Export Company behind their mother's back to become a reckless mercenary, in order to repay all the debts and send his sister to the theater as a performance apprentice. Fortunately, he was stopped later.

Just as Julian was about to say something, he saw a tall, slender young lady appear at the ward door.

She was wearing a lady's shirt, light-colored breeches, a fine-wool jacket with a white grid on a black background, and red boots. Her flaxen-colored long hair was simply tied into a ponytail, her eyebrows flew into her temples, and her eyes were bright and spirited, possessing a charm that made it impossible for people to look away.

Jianna greeted her happily:

"Franca."

White Coat Street, inside the safe house.

Lu Mian, having bought the Holy Star Lily and currently distilling the pure dew, sat down, waiting for a reply from Ms. "Magician."

Fire Salamander blood, Magma Luminous Stone powder, and Red-Crowned Phoenix Flower powder were lined up on the desk in front of him.

When the Holy Star Lily pure dew was about to be prepared, the small, forearm-high "doll" with exquisite but slightly eerie features, wearing a pale gold dress, appeared on the windowsill.

It put down a metal biscuit box and sniffed:

"Next time you summon me, use this kind of pure dew."

"Okay." The other party's request was too strange, and Lu Mian didn't react for a moment, so he could only respond instinctively.

Soon, the "doll" messenger disappeared before his eyes. Lu Mian opened the lid of the bright silver biscuit box and saw the small, crimson "heart" that was burning silently.

He didn't hesitate, took the prepared beer mug, and shook the "Pyromaniac" Beyonder characteristic into it.

Immediately after, Lu Mian poured the bottle of Fire Salamander blood, which was slightly over 50 milliliters, into the mug.

A sizzling sound rang out immediately, and much of the crimson liquid evaporated, turning into blood mist that lingered around the "heart."

The "Pyromaniac" Beyonder characteristic had softened much more than before, its surface appearing like a lake, rippling layer after layer.

As Lu Mian put the Magma Luminous Stone powder, Red-Crowned Phoenix Flower powder, and Holy Star Lily pure dew into the beer mug according to the potion formula, the blood mist lingering around the "heart" suddenly shrank inward, causing a yellowish liquid floating with red bubbles to appear there.

This was the "Pyromaniac" potion, which was reflected in Lu Mian's eyes.

Lu Mian didn't rush to consume it, but closed his eyes.

In his mind, the corpse of the madman Flamant hanging on the window frame and the white paper with his suicide note appeared, the image of Mr. Ruhl dying from full-body ulceration appeared, the image of Mrs. Michelle drinking heavily, singing songs, and finally hanging herself in the morning light appeared, and the cries and screams rising one after another in Whistle Square appeared.

He then saw himself, stubborn and obstinate while wandering, saw himself who hadn't given up after strike after strike, saw another ending for himself, saw the tragedy, unwillingness, powerlessness, and suppression of trying to pursue hope but being buried by darkness.

The mockery of fate rang in his ears, and the fire he had been trying hard to suppress in his heart suddenly shot up, burning more and more intensely:

If this is my inevitable ending;

If this is the destined fate of the dust;

If effort has no reward, if hope can never be reached;

Then I will use my life to resist, to change all of this!

Even if there is no light on the road ahead, even if hope is extremely slim, I will fight on until death!

Fuck your mother, MP!

Fuck your mother, Guillaume Bénet!

Fuck your mother, evil god belief!

Fuck your mother, Termiboros!

Fuck your mother, Fate!

Lu Mian opened his eyes with a snap and summarized his final "Provocateur" acting rule:

Provocation is a symbol of unyielding!

He didn't need this to help himself digest. Carrying the fire burning fiercely in his chest, he picked up the beer mug and gulped down the liquid inside.

It was like a mass of high-temperature flame, burning from his mouth all the way to his esophagus, his stomach, and his heart.

PS: Second bonus update, begging for base monthly votes~

(End of chapter)