[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-ring-of-fate":3,"chapter-the-ring-of-fate-the-ring-of-fate-chapter-58":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Ring of Fate",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2298027,4496,"Chapter 58: Arrangements (Requesting April Base Monthly Votes)","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-58",58,"\u003Cp>Aurora recalled the situation at the time and believed it was exactly as her brother described.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She sincerely remarked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just knowing Him causes such terrible contamination… The hidden entity worshipped by Shepherd Pierre Béry and the others is truly terrifying—many ancient texts describe demonic gods that don’t behave like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Otherwise, how would we be trapped in this time loop?” Lu Mi wasn’t surprised at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more Aurora thought, the more her mind spiraled, muttering to herself:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could it be that by the Twelfth Night, we’ll have to face that hidden entity head-on, crush it, and only then break the loop?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And that would require you to gather materials, digest the elixirs, and become a deity through repeated cycles…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his sister’s thoughts growing increasingly absurd—ideas even someone as bold as he dared not entertain—Lu Mi interrupted her:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It probably doesn’t go that far.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora hummed in agreement and nodded slightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True—we’ve got at most one more cycle left. Becoming a god in twenty days is clearly impossible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She then shrugged:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No hope. Just wait to die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…“ Even Lu Mi’s mind, which always conjured brilliant pranks, couldn’t keep up with his sister’s train of thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh.” Aurora exhaled, turning to her brother. “Alright, I’ve vented. Let’s continue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?” Lu Mi’s face was blank with confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It took him a few seconds to realize what his sister meant by “continue”:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The three people turned into sheep were clearly sent back to Kordu as offerings—no wonder we didn’t wait until early May.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is the Twelfth Night actually a day of mass sacrifice to that hidden entity?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora’s eyes flickered as she said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I originally thought so too, but what about the varying blessings the parish priest and his group received before Lent? In my understanding, those should have been exchanged for sacrifices.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the perspective of someone who excelled at mischief, and combining it with what had happened in the last cycle, Lu Mi boldly speculated:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A small sacrifice, and a grand ritual?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At the end of the Lenten festival, the parish priest no longer hid his abnormalities—he was clearly preparing to do something huge!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora pondered for a moment, then said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Lenten festival might be part of the grand ritual.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the grand ritual, the parish priest finally made up his mind: he offered his soul to that demonic god, along with certain offerings, and received a massive influx of blessings—revealing his true nature completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If that’s true, then from the start of the Lenten festival, everyone in Kordu will be drawn in—no one can escape.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The siblings exchanged glances, both feeling their earlier speculation was close to the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the problem was—if the abnormalities erupted fully from the Lenten festival onward, stretching to the Twelfth Night, how could they possibly “stay quiet” until the final ritual to find the loop’s key?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the village, except the dead and those turned into offerings, would almost certainly be contaminated!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m only Rank 7…” Aurora couldn’t help covering her face with her hands. “And you’re barely Rank 9.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now they had to face this!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Based on Lu Mi’s description of the final battle during the Lenten festival and his recent hunts against the Black Mark monsters, Aurora was certain she couldn’t defeat the blessed parish priest—even Shepherd Pierre Béry would require serious preparation before she could even consider fighting him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, Lu Mi had managed to take down the mutated parish priest alone—she had no idea what luck he’d stumbled upon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if they tried to stop the parish priest and his group from gaining supernatural power before the Twelfth Night, the loop might not even occur—it would likely restart prematurely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hell difficulty! Absolute hell difficulty!” Aurora groaned, slapping the table in front of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Lu Mi could respond, she raised her hands and rubbed her golden hair, as if releasing some inner pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After completing the motion, Aurora calmed her expression and spoke to Lu Mi with cool clarity:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tomorrow morning, go find those three outsiders. You can subtly reveal the village’s abnormalities—don’t hide too much the fact that we’re extraordinary beings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s dangerous…” Lu Mi instinctively replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aren’t rogue extraordinary beings naturally guilty when they encounter official ones?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora exhaled slowly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Under these circumstances, we can’t afford to care anymore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aside from that mysterious lady, those three are likely the least problematic and most trustworthy people left in the village—and each possesses strength equal to or even greater than mine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re all tied to the same rope—no one gets to complain. Whether rogue or official, we must unite.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for whether we’ll be hunted by the authorities later—we’ll worry about that later. Right now, we focus on escaping the loop.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi had heard his sister say “tied to the same rope” before—he knew it meant everyone shared the same predicament, faced the same threat, and if disaster struck, none could escape; unity was the only option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine. I’ll find them tomorrow.” He agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora shifted topics:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I now suspect the parish priest and Shepherd Pierre Béry are being controlled by someone else—someone who is the true origin, the source of the contamination.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Madame Pualis?” Lu Mi guessed. “She’s not only powerful, but also the parish priest’s lover—she could quietly control him and use him to influence others in the village.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But she has no visible connection to Shepherd Pierre Béry,” Aurora said, frowning as she studied her brother. “From the fate of those three sheep, Pierre and Niorel must have already possessed supernatural abilities—or at least the knowledge—when they moved to the plains last October, since they never returned to the village for supplies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That means the village’s abnormalities stretch back at least to last July or August. Hey—did you notice anything strange back then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi slowly shook his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had once believed he knew Kordu village inside and out—but now he realized dark currents had been flowing for over half a year, making the place feel alien and filling him with deep, primal fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where exactly was the problem? Lu Mi felt layer upon layer of fog before him—clear one away, another appeared, never revealing the true face of the matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It could also be that owl.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The dead wizard from legend might not be truly dead—he could still be hiding somewhere in the village, or even be someone we see regularly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He may have realized I’m also a ‘wizard,’ so he deliberately concealed the legend to keep me in the dark—while placing no such restrictions on you, an ordinary person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, Aurora spoke in a low, firm tone:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Next time that owl comes to see you, notify me immediately—I’ll send ‘White Paper’ to follow it and see where it flies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi hummed in agreement—he too was waiting for the owl’s return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, I’ll pluck every last feather off you! he cursed inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking a moment, Aurora made her third arrangement:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll invite Madame Pualis over for tea. While the administrator is still working, the castle will have only the steward and servants inside—you sneak in and see if you can find any clues. Oh, and if you’ve convinced those three outsiders by morning, you can ask them to help.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Madame Pualis was at home, she couldn’t send ‘White Paper’ over; when Madame Pualis was beside her, she couldn’t afford to be distracted—she had to rely on her brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi nodded first, then suggested:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t meet Madame Pualis alone—I’m afraid she’ll strike while you’re vulnerable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Invite Naarayiza and the others over for afternoon tea instead?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More people meant higher safety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good,” Aurora agreed—it was a better choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She then added, half-concerned, half-teasing:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be careful once you sneak into the castle—I don’t want to become an aunt right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi didn’t dare retort; he simply looked at her with his eyes, silently saying: “I’m more worried about you—Madame Pualis is with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During dinner, Aurora released ‘White Paper’ to monitor the sheep pen—it found the three sheep had licked all the blood off their faces, leaving Shepherd Pierre Béry none the wiser.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From then until sleep, Lu Mi received further occult instruction, mastering several Hermesian vocabulary words: “I,” “nominal,” “summon,” “need,” “light,” “sun,” and others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Light” was the incantation to activate the “Pin of Integrity,” spoken in three distinct segments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a room thick with faint gray mist, Lu Mi awoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked to the window and stared again at the dark red “mountain” and the concentric rings of ruined buildings surrounding it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wonder what secrets this place hides… Lu Mi muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he stared, a thought struck him:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ruins contained too many dangerous zones he couldn’t—or dared not—approach, like the area where the three-faced monster wandered—but if he could summon a spirit-world entity like ‘White Paper,’ form a pact with it, and have it infiltrate and observe for him, he could gather far more intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—His enhanced vision, smell, and hearing were all results of supernatural traits, technically a form of supernatural power, which could be carried by ‘White Paper.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he pondered, Lu Mi whispered silently:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The question is—can I summon a spirit-world entity within this dream-ruins?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If not, can I summon it in reality, form a pact, then use our connection to bring it into the dream?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And what effect would adding a new pact creature have on the loop? Could the corresponding spirit-world layer be added? If not, when the summoning time ends and the creature returns, the loop will restart…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more Lu Mi thought, the more his head throbbed—he developed deep reverence for the occult, and only hoped to quickly master enough language to perform even a basic summoning ritual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without delay, he took his rifle, loaded the few remaining lead bullets, strapped on his sharp axe, left his home, crossed the wasteland, and entered the ruins once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>ps: Requesting April base monthly votes~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1659,"2026-06-20T06:22:34.374Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","4aaf51008a73936a5bcfa47ac3b440d09a3310081edab79c427e6c4b53eec6aa","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-59","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-57",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ring-of-fate-cover.jpg"]