Chapter 621: Record of Observations

Franca couldn't make out the figure's exact form, but she faintly saw towering, unnatural buildings standing around it, lights flickering like stars reflected in thin mist.

Farther away, beams of light approached, their beeping sounds faint and intermittent.

This… Franca's pupils dilated, her gaze fixed.

Her heart was filled with overwhelming shock, leaving no room for the negative effects of Naporedisli's mad curses.

She instinctively strained her eyes toward the figure, trying to pierce through layers of gray mist and see his face and clothing, but the thin mist grew blurrier, and with it, the images vanished.

In just three or four seconds, the mirror on the altar returned to normal.

"What happened?" Lu Mi turned his head to look at Flores still lingering in the residual gray mist, asking about Franca's condition.

Franca stared at the mirror, silent for several seconds, then said:

"Did you see the scene reflected in the mirror?"

"I saw it," Lu Mi thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps it represents the 'Fool's' divine realm."

They had just been praying to the 'Fool,' performing the 'Exorcism Ritual,' so the mirror, meant to deceive Naporedisli but ineffective, likely showed imagery tied to the 'Fool' due to the ritual's influence.

Franca's lips trembled as she whispered:

"But the background… it's just like the city where I and your sister came from before we crossed over. I've seen thick fog like that before—every building turned into a giant, sleeping monster, covered in countless glowing eyes."

Lu Mi understood Franca's feelings, but the street scene didn't strike him as strange.

He reminded his companion:

"Have you forgotten that Celestial Lord?

"He's closely tied to your homeland, and he fought the 'Fool' in dreams—so it's perfectly understandable that similar scenes, through the ritual, have bled into reality."

Franca fell silent for a long while before sighing:

"True…"

She gave a self-deprecating laugh:

"I got overexcited for nothing."

Lu Mi calmed the negative effects brought by Naporedisli, extinguished the candles in order, and ended the ritual.

Once Franca dissolved the 'Spiritual Wall,' the wind's mournful howl swept away the last traces of thin gray mist, and Flores finally seemed to return to reality, no longer lost in fog, unable to find an exit.

Seeing Lu Mi and Franca, his face grew even paler.

He was about to beg for mercy when his body suddenly wracked with agonizing pain.

Flores instinctively lowered his head and saw black, nearly phantom-like sludge seeping from within him—its corrosive power rapidly dissolving his blood, flesh, and bones.

"No!"

"Save me!"

"Help me!"

Flores let out a piercing scream.

He shouted repeatedly, seeking aid, but Lu Mi watched with detached interest, as if studying the cost exacted by those who made deals with devils.

In less than ten seconds, Flores's body collapsed under corrosion, sinking into a pool of nearly phantom black sludge.

His head continued to wail and shriek, its voice growing fainter.

After a while, he lay there, eyes open, lifeless.

Even his relatively intact head soon dissolved into the sludge.

The sludge receded, losing its phantom, sinister aura; the remaining residue was nothing but foul-smelling, putrid mud.

"Those who make deals with devils never meet a good end…" Franca had barely finished her remark when she remembered her earlier temptation.

She let out a dry laugh and added:

"Good thing I didn't make a deal with that self-proclaimed ancient devil—but now I've lost the chance to eliminate the risk of using the 'Power Broker's Black Box.'"

Lu Mi chuckled:

"Think again.

"I recall the 'Magician' lady's 'Instructions' emphasized the possibility of encountering a single transaction from a devil or other malevolent entity.

"Remember? It says 'encounter a transaction,' not 'complete a transaction.'

"You already encountered it—you just didn't accept. The bastard didn't force you."

Franca pondered carefully and said:

"Come to think of it… you're right."

She clicked her tongue and looked at Lu Mi:

"You choosing the 'Lawyer' path must be promising too…

"Actually, I think this makes sense—the 'Power Broker's Black Box' is at best Rank 5, and each use reduces its availability. How could its negative effect be equivalent to a devil deal? As far as I know, 'Devil' is a high-rank title of the 'Criminal' path—that means Semi-God!"

"Hmm, just encountering a transaction, not completing one—that leaves room to maneuver. But it's still dangerous. Devils and other malevolent entities aren't philanthropists. If you don't deal with them, why would they spare you? And you can't predict when you'll encounter one, so you can't prepare in advance."

Lu Mi smiled:

"If you can't predict it, reverse the approach—after using the 'Power Broker's Black Box,' immediately prepare and actively create an opportunity to make a deal with a devil or other malevolent entity, keeping control over the pace and risk. For example, 'invite' the devil to Saint Vief Church for negotiations."

The Saint Vief Cathedral, the main cathedral of the Eternal Sun Church in Trill!

Franca burst out laughing:

"Devils aren't brain-eaten zombies—they wouldn't go to Saint Vief Church to die…"

Here, Franca suddenly froze:

Saint Vief Church was out of the question, but they still knew a few similar, hidden locations—perhaps it was possible.

For instance, the sacrificial square on the third level of the underground crypt, or the Clismanna Night Pillar…

"Good," Franca praised Lu Mi. "When we faced negative effects from magical items before, we always passively endured and waited—we never thought of triggering them actively. The 'Hunter's' style is truly distinct."

"Actively" meant preparing in advance, minimizing danger.

Of course, "active" didn't guarantee success—but this mindset was essential.

Lu Mi lifted his head and glanced out the window:

"Flores's screams seem to have drawn attention from neighbors—someone called the police. Let's leave first, then examine this notebook."

As he spoke, he gathered the ancient notebook and candles from the dining table.

"Alright," Franca looked around and summoned black flames in various corners of the room.

As the flames burned silently, Lu Mi and Franca "teleported" away, returning to the guest room in Pedro's five-story house.

"You go through the notebook first—see if there's a way to lift the 'Love Curse.' I'll check on Sara's condition and tell Pedro about Flores's situation and fate—he'll handle the Earth Mother Church and local police." Lu Mi tossed the ancient notebook to Franca, opened the door, and stepped into the hallway.

Franca settled comfortably into the armchair and opened the notebook.

Suddenly, she muttered to herself:

"Something's off. Given Lu Mi's nature, he should've flipped through the notebook the moment the ritual ended, searching for a way to lift the 'Love Curse.' Why did he spend so long chatting with me about other things, only rushing to leave when the police arrived?

"He shouldn't be unable to distinguish the priority here…"

In a flash of insight, Franca suddenly understood:

Naporedisli's terrifying mutterings and mad curses had still affected Lu Mi, stirring strong fluctuations in his desires and emotions. Though he endured them with his 'Ascetic' ability, some external signs were unavoidable.

Thinking of this, Franca's eyes flickered, a smirk forming on her lips as she chuckled softly.

…………

Lu Mi met Pedro in the downstairs parlor.

Before he could explain Flores's situation, the captain spoke with delighted surprise:

"Mr. Berry, Sara came to me a few minutes ago, crying in fear and pain—she'd had a dream of falling in love with Flores and couldn't wake up, but tonight she suddenly awoke, realizing it was a nightmare, and now she wants to break off the engagement.

"How did you do it?"

Pedro unconsciously switched to a respectful form of address.

Awakened? Because Flores was dead? No—more likely because Naporedisli had been driven away by the 'Exorcism Ritual,' so those affected by the 'demon' naturally returned to normal… Lu Mi smiled and said:

"Flores is dead."

"You killed him?" Pedro showed no aversion to murder—he was more curious that Flores's death had truly awakened his daughter.

"The devil killed him," Lu Mi briefly recounted the events, avoiding direct mention of Naporedisli's name, and handed Pedro the slip of paper with the 'Love Curse' tucked inside the ancient notebook.

He concluded:

"You handle the rest.

"For the next one or two months, it's best to have Sara stay at a church or convent—I don't know if that devil will return to check on his former victim after recovering."

"Understood," Pedro muttered, alternating between gritted teeth and grim expression.

After receiving twenty thousand Jin Lisuo as a reward, Lu Mi returned to his own guest room.

Franca, holding the ancient notebook, frowned and said:

"This isn't the notebook of an evil sorcerer—it's more like a curious observer's record of sightings, documenting legends of demons and devils across the Northern and Southern Continents over a thousand years, with the last entry dating back over a century.

"Hmm… it contains strange, seemingly fabricated incantations.

"One entry mentions a devil legend on Hante Island in the Stormy Sea."

Lu Mi immediately understood Franca's focus:

Naporedisli had said the devil's descendant he wanted to kill lived somewhere in the Stormy Sea!

(End of Chapter)