Chapter 30: The Beginning of Lent

The lady glanced out the window of the old tavern.

“Time’s nearly up—I’ll tell you one last bit of common knowledge.”

“Based on the Law of Immortality of Anomalous Characteristics, we know that when a human merges with an anomalous characteristic, they become an Anomalous Being; when a living creature merges with one, it becomes a Supernatural Creature—what happens when an object merges with an anomalous characteristic?”

She gave Lu Mi no chance to answer and continued directly:

“That’s called a Magical Item.”

“Because objects lack will, spirit, or self-control, and due to other combined factors, when they bind with anomalous characteristics, besides manifesting corresponding special abilities, they also bring strong negative effects—major churches tend to seal them away and only open them with proper methods when needed.”

“This is why Magical Items are also called Sealed Objects.”

“Every Magical Item once sealed by the major churches has its own designation, divided into four tiers: 3, 2, 1, and 0—the smaller the prefix number, the greater the danger; Tier 1 and Tier 0 Sealed Objects are rare and extremely hazardous, and their designations are universally recognized across churches, never duplicated.”

“Tier 0 Sealed Object…” Lu Mi murmured the phrase.

He had a profound memory of Sequence 0 equating to a True God, and this triggered a connection—he asked:

“Are these Sealed Objects formed from fallen gods or destroyed heretical deities?”

Given that all twenty-two Paths have a Sequence 0 corresponding to one True God, the current number of deities clearly falls short.

Of course, Lu Mi also admitted this might stem from his own ignorance about heretical deities and hidden entities.

“Not entirely,” the lady thought for a moment and said, “Most are Angel-tier entities; only a few possess the ability to slay gods.”

Lu Mi nodded:

“I understand—I won’t underestimate any object someone else holds.”

The lady added:

“Nor should you underestimate the negative effects of Sealed Objects—you will inevitably possess your own one day.”

“Indeed, in the field of mysticism, there exists another category of items called Anomalous Objects, crafted by Anomalous Beings of corresponding Sequences using their own abilities and spirituality, or by drawing upon the Spirit Realm or deities—they contain no anomalous characteristics but exhibit certain supernatural traits, though their power gradually fades over time; charms, potions, and the like are often single-use only.”

“In comparison, Anomalous Weapons are more stable, many usable for years.”

“As a ‘Hunter,’ you lack the ability to combat spirit or ghost-like entities before Sequence 7; if you get the chance later, consider acquiring a corresponding Sealed Object or Anomalous Object.”

Lu Mi listened carefully, then asked with curiosity:

“The Spirit Realm?”

He had seen this term in the magazine *The Veil of Secrecy*, but received no sufficient explanation.

The lady spoke slightly faster:

“From a mystical perspective, the world is divided into three layers: the Real World, the Spirit Realm, and the Star Realm—all others are derivatives of one of these three, such as the Netherworld.”

“The Real World needs no explanation—you know it well; the Spirit Realm is where spirits dwell, where many Real World concepts no longer apply—you’ll gradually learn more of it later; the Star Realm originally referred to the domain of gods, but now must encompass the entire starry sky.”

Lu Mi had only asked casually; after receiving this preliminary answer, he immediately returned to his previous topic:

“Can a ‘Hunter’ craft Anomalous Objects?”

He felt a ‘Wizard’ probably could.

The lady first shook her head, then said:

“A ‘Hunter’ cannot do so through their Sequence alone, but since their spirituality has increased, they can learn ritual magic, pray to a certain god or hidden entity, and use their response to craft charms, weapons, and other Anomalous Objects.”

“But I must warn you: most hidden entities are extremely dangerous—do not attempt to pray to them, for even death would be the best outcome; the Seven True Gods rarely respond unless you’ve joined the corresponding church and become an official Anomalous Being.”

“So in short, a ‘Hunter’ is completely incapable of crafting Anomalous Objects?” Lu Mi sounded disappointed.

The lady smiled:

“Not entirely. On one hand, you can use the blood, saliva, or other substances of certain Supernatural Creatures to craft poisonous weapons—this, in a sense, counts as an Anomalous Object; on the other hand, once you unravel the secrets of dreams, I’ll tell you the true name of a Great Being, and you may pray to Him.”

A Great Being? This was the first time she’d used “Great” as an adjective—she’d never applied it to the Eternal Sun or the Hidden Sage… Which one could it be? Would praying to Him carry no danger? Lu Mi’s gaze sharpened, startled and doubtful.

The more he learned, the more he felt his mysticism knowledge was pitifully thin.

Lu Mi hummed in acknowledgment, adopting the attitude that asking wouldn’t hurt:

“What’s the Sequence 8 of the ‘Hunter’ Path? What about Sequence 7?”

The lady answered indifferently:

“Sequence 8 of the ‘Hunter’ Path is the ‘Provoker’; Sequence 7 is the ‘Arsonist.’”

“That’s enough for today.”

She rose and walked toward the second-floor entrance.

After a few steps, she stopped, turned back, and said:

“I forgot to remind you.”

“Remember—you’re only pretending.”

Only pretending… Lu Mi chewed on the words, then asked thoughtfully:

“What if you start believing the role is real?”

“You’ll gradually stop being yourself, until one day…” The lady smiled and fell silent.

She turned, walked to the staircase, and vanished.

Again, she leaves things unsaid… Lu Mi muttered silently.

He could feel that if he forgot he was only pretending, the consequences would likely be severe.

Lu Mi didn’t rush to leave the old tavern; he sat quietly in the corner, mentally reviewing every piece of knowledge the lady had just shared, ensuring he wouldn’t forget anything.

The more he reflected, the more he grasped the importance of those two laws and one method:

“They’re like the main framework of mysticism—all else grows from them…”

“I wonder if Aurora understands…”

“After leaving Kordu, I’ll discuss this with her…”

“Hmm, I don’t know if the lady will allow me to tell Aurora directly…”

…………

Outside the old tavern, Lu Mi turned back and murmured silently:

“Why haven’t those three outsiders acted yet? Today’s already Lent…”

He walked toward the village square, thinking as he went.

After asking if any telegrams had arrived, he saw Ava, Raymond, and others arriving.

Ava had changed into a white long dress, wearing a circular headdress woven from branches and flowers, a massive necklace of similar design around her neck, and brown branches and green leaves adorning her back, arms, waist, and legs—making her look like a forest nymph.

This was the central figure of Lent: the “Spring Sprite.”

Raymond and the other youths surrounded Ava, each carrying a basket woven from branches, filled with grass, soil, stones, leaves, and other items.

“Lu Mi, the Blessing Parade is starting!” Ava’s blue eyes turned and spotted Lu Mi.

Her face glowed with joy.

Raymond and the others were equally delighted:

“Come on, let’s go collect offerings!”

Since *The Novel Weekly* had not yet replied with a telegram, Lu Mi had nothing else to do—he joined the Blessing Parade.

The youths sang loudly, surrounding Ava as they left the square.

After only a dozen meters, they stopped before the first house.

Lu Mi walked to the door and knocked loudly:

“The ‘Spring Sprite’ has come!”

The door creaked open, revealing Na Ala Yiza.

She was another female head of household in the village bearing the “Na” prefix, in her forties, with black hair tied up and smiling blue eyes.

Seeing the door open, Ava stepped forward, spread her arms, and began to sing:

“I am the Sprite of Spring,

“With a face both kind and fair,

“…

“Sing and dance,

“Only then will harvest come…”

After finishing the verse, Ava took a clump of soil from Raymond’s basket and handed it to Na Ala Yiza.

“Thank you, ‘Spring Sprite,’” Na Ala Yiza smiled, accepting it and giving Ava a piece of cloth in return:

“Harvest! Harvest!” Lu Mi and the youths chorused in unison.

This was a blessing ritual: the “Spring Sprite” blessed the villagers for a bountiful year through song and the offering of natural elements—soil, grass, stones—while villagers must offer something in return, or the blessing would turn to a curse.

After Raymond took the cloth, Ava sang another verse enthusiastically.

Only then did they bid farewell to Na Ala Yiza and moved on to the next household.

—The offerings collected during the Blessing Parade were partly thrown into the river during the water ceremony; the rest were displayed at the final ritual, and after Lent ended, the girl embodying the “Spring Sprite” had the right to choose some to keep.

This was a considerable gain.

And if Kordu Village truly had a bountiful year, Ava, as the embodiment of the “Spring Sprite,” would widely be seen as favored by the sprites and blessed by spring—any family that married her would gain lasting harvest.

In that case, she truly had a chance to marry into a good household.

The Blessing Parade sang as they walked, arriving finally at Lu Mi’s home.

The door opened—of course, it was Aurora; she too had changed into more formal attire—a light-colored dress with ruffled collar, her golden hair neatly pinned up.

Ava stepped forward and sang the same song again:

“I am the Sprite of Spring…”

Aurora listened with a smile, accepted a leaf, and handed Ava a small clay jar:

“Thank you, ‘Spring Sprite.’”

Animal fat separated from the large jar? Lu Mi glanced at it and thought his sister was being too generous.

Their home had nothing but a tiny vegetable patch behind the house—no farmland at all, so there was no need to care about a good or bad harvest.

(End of Chapter)