Chapter 505: Penitent

Franca tried five times, changing to five different Spirit World creatures, and while all summons were successful, not a single Spirit World creature was willing to sign a contract with her to become her messenger.

This dealt her a "huge" blow, leaving her a bit dazed, and she showed her disappointment and frustration without hiding it.

However, she still had some reason left and didn't insist on trying to summon the remaining twenty-four types of Spirit World creatures.

The current situation already explained the problem well enough:

Those that could succeed would succeed in the first two or three attempts!

Jenna glanced at the disappointed Franca:

"Try again when you're a higher sequence."

"By the time I'm a higher sequence, I might be able to use mirrors and the Mirror World to pass messages; what would I need a messenger for?" Franca muttered, "Why aren't there any Spirit World creatures that would be seduced by a 'Witch's' charm and voluntarily become a messenger?"

Lumian smiled:

"I saw something similar in the previous Spirit World creature data. Do you want to try it?"

Franca was only stubborn with her words, but she was actually very clear-headed. Hearing this, she cursed:

"Forget it, forget it. That kind of Spirit World creature must be very dangerous, with its mind set on dragging a 'Witch' into the Spirit World. It would probably turn my friends into enemies just by delivering a letter."

Seeing that she had calmed down, Anthony Reid, who was also a novice at ritual magic, began his attempt.

He also tried five times; twice the summoning failed, and three times he failed to sign a contract.

"It seems I can't have a messenger for the time being either." Anthony smiled with a hint of bitterness.

This eased Franca's mood quite a bit:

She wasn't the only one who had failed.

"Which one do you want to summon?" she asked Lumian curiously.

"The coolest one." Lumian sanctified the ritual silver dagger again with an indifferent expression, creating a "Wall of Spirituality" once more.

Looking at the burning candlelight, he stepped back two paces and alternated between Ancient Hermes and Hermes:

"I!"

"I summon in my name:"

"A creature wandering in the Upper Realm, a penitent awakened from the flames of pain, a friendly person polluted by darkness."

This summoning incantation was the most unique one in the data Ms. Magician gave this time. First, it wasn't "a spirit wandering in the Upper Realm," but "a creature wandering in the Upper Realm," which meant the target wasn't limited to spirits. Second, the latter two descriptions combined both experience and characteristics.

Lumian felt its temperament and style were quite good and planned to try it first. Anyway, all he wanted was a creature that could deliver letters and traverse the Spirit World; he didn't care about other circumstances. Since that was the case, why not choose the coolest one?

As the incantation was chanted, the candlelight suddenly expanded, turning a deep green that bordered on black.

The fire grew larger and larger, and a figure emerged.

It was a tall "human" figure wearing clothing similar to the robes of the "Eternal Blazing Sun" Church's clergy, but deep black in color.

His exposed face, neck, and arms seemed to have been burned by flames for a long time, leaving only bone and a thin layer of charred flesh clinging to the bone. His eye sockets were completely hollow and pitch-black, with dark flames acting as pupils. Residual sticky, water-like strange black flames remained in multiple places on his body, burning quietly, keeping the spirit in constant pain.

Lumian looked at this "Penitent" and asked in Ancient Hermes:

"Are you willing to become my messenger?"

The "Penitent" replied in Ancient Futhark, the source of the languages of the Northern Continent nations:

"If you aren't worried about being implicated by me and slowly sliding into the depths of darkness, then I can help you deliver letters."

No reward requested, but there's a hidden danger? Since Ms. Magician gave the "Penitent's" data, it means it's something I can bear... Lumian, whose occult "debts" were so numerous that he was too lazy to worry, smiled and said:

"That depends on whether you and that darkness can win in a tug-of-war."

"No problem. I was mentally prepared for this before summoning you."

This time, he switched to Ancient Futhark to communicate with the other party. After all, it was quite troublesome to use Ancient Hermes, which could leverage natural forces, to say such a long string of words.

Soon, he drafted the contract and wrote down the four occult descriptions representing the Netherworld and the witness.

Under the illumination of the Ancient Hermes words igniting with murky green flames, Lumian used a clause to fix the summoning incantation as: "A creature wandering in the Upper Realm, a penitent awakened from the flames of pain, the messenger belonging solely to Lumian Lee."

Lumian didn't use a code name like Jenna and the "Knight of Swords." After all, those who knew his messenger might not necessarily need to know he was a minor arcana card of the "Tarot Club"—this was the self-cultivation of a veteran undercover agent. And it didn't matter if the name Lumian Lee and his corresponding background were known.

After writing his name, he saw the brownish parchment fly in front of the "Penitent" wearing the black robe.

The "Penitent" signed his name:

Bayinfeir.

The murky green flames immediately merged into one, burning the contract into ashes and merging it into the Spirit World.

"What exactly are you repenting for?" Lumian asked his messenger, the "Penitent" Bayinfeir, curiously.

Bayinfeir didn't answer, silently watching a sticky, water-like black flame fall from his body and burrow into the soil.

Lumian asked several more questions, but the other party remained silent throughout.

"Very good. All barbers should learn from you." Lumian laughed and ended the summoning.

After he dispelled the "Wall of Spirituality," Franca looked over with a resentful expression:

"It succeeded on the first try?"

"It succeeded on the first try." Lumian didn't show any joy, as if he were talking about a very ordinary matter.

"Why, why are Anthony and I not welcomed by Spirit World creatures? Why?" While Franca sighed, she found it hard to let go.

It had to be said that the charm of a "Pleasure Witch" was quite significant. Seeing Franca like this, the "Ascetic" Lumian wanted to walk up to her, raise his right hand, and flick her forehead.

She was just so bullyable!

He thought for a moment and said:

"I think I understand the reason. Being a minor arcana card of the 'Tarot Club' only increases our success probability of summoning special Spirit World creatures. Even Anthony, a 'Psychiatrist' like him, succeeded several times during his first ritual magic, didn't he?"

"But to be favored, recognized, or obeyed by special Spirit World creatures, one either needs a high rank, a special pathway, or substantial items related to Mr. Fool. For example, Jenna's lucky gold coin, or the power of Mr. Fool on me."

Speaking of this, Lumian suddenly had a thought:

If this was the reason, did the "Knight of Swords," who also had a messenger, have something similar?

"So that's it!" Franca swept away her decadence and regained her confidence.

It wasn't that there was something wrong with her; she just lacked a few "props"!

She then looked toward Jenna, hesitating whether to borrow the lucky gold coin to complete the messenger contract.

In the end, Franca gave up this idea because "belonging to oneself" and "borrowed" were quite different in occult terms. And if she asked Jenna to gift it directly and then gift it back later, she was afraid she would lack the opportunity and couldn't afford it.

*Huu... * Franca exhaled and was about to ask Lumian when he planned to leave Trier and how he would leave, but she found this companion inexplicably silent, his expression showing a hint of dejection.

"What's wrong?" Franca asked with concern.

"Nothing." Lumian shook his head.

He just suddenly thought of how Aurora had once longed to have a messenger.

Anthony glanced at him without saying anything, while Jenna brought up the request of the "Purifier" deacon, Angouleme, asking Lumian if he wanted to sell the "Armor of Pride" to the official authorities.

Lumian was silent for two seconds, then laughed in a low voice:

"Let's talk about it after some time."

Although the "Armor of Pride" was dangerous, it was also extremely powerful and could threaten any Beyonder who hadn't pushed open the door to demigodhood. If he needed to wear it to have a chance to kill core members of the "Fool's Day" like "Loki," Lumian wouldn't hesitate to wear it and would be willing to bear all the consequences for it.

Before wiping out all those bastards, or until his own strength reached a point where he didn't need the "Armor of Pride," Lumian wouldn't give up this sealed artifact just because it was dangerous.

"Fine." Franca asked, "Are you leaving Trier tomorrow? By boat, by steam train, or are you going to ask Ms. Magician for Spirit World coordinates and 'teleport' directly?"

Lumian smiled:

"Both are possible. Let's decide tomorrow."

"How did you become so mysterious..." Franca muttered.

After waving goodbye to his three companions, Lumian put on the silver-white "Lie" earring, adjusted his hair color and appearance, and entered the Chaos Street along Market Avenue, arriving at the underground bar of the Golden Rooster Hotel.

It seemed unaffected by last night's disaster; the guests who often came to drink were still sitting in their familiar spots, either singing loudly, dancing wildly around small round tables, or playing gambling games with alcohol as prizes.

Charlie, who had changed into a black coat, stood on one of the small round tables, waving a beer bottle while saying excitedly:

"You might not know, but Charles Dubois and I are friends. Not the kind of friends who have just had a few drinks together, but friends who have experienced life and death together!"

"Look, look, his bounty has been updated to 60,000 Vergold! What a huge sum!"

You're quite proud of me, huh... Lumian let out a "heh," sat down at the bar, and ordered a glass of absinthe.

He listened to the clamor here, felt the liveliness, and quietly sipped the bitter, strong liquor.

The boss, Paval Paval Nisen, who was wiping a glass, saw it was a new face and asked with a smile:

"Just arrived in the Market District?"

"Yes." Lumian answered in a low voice.

Paval Paval Nisen said gently:

"You look like you have a story."

Lumian sighed, took a sip of the dreamy "Green Fairy," and laughed self-deprecatingly:

"I'm a failure..."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 506 =====

"I am a loser..."

(End of chapter)