Chapter 709: Pushing Fate (End of Month Request for Monthly Tickets)

In the dark, silent tunnel, Francca cradled the bone-carved statue of the "Primordial Witch," walking slowly forward, her footsteps nearly silent.

Jian Na and Lumian, holding the carbide lamp, followed behind her, one on each side, neither uttering a sound.

Relying on the "Hunter's" knowledge and memory of the terrain, the three had thoroughly traversed the entire area where they had previously obtained the classical silver mirror, even expanding their search to include several nearby underground tunnels and the abandoned quarries connected to them.

Yet the statue of the "Primordial Witch" showed no abnormal reaction, and neither Francca nor Jian Na felt anything unusual.

Francca sighed:

"What is this? This is starting with bold assumptions and ending in shameful failure!"

She wasn't ready to give up yet, but wanted to return to the surface first, contact "007," and use the official records of subterranean anomalies to locate areas where traces of higher Witch power might have leaked.

Having experienced many occult events, Lumian glanced around, thought for a few seconds, and said:

"We can search again—this time, I'll turn off the carbide lamp.

"In occultism, 'Witches' and the Mirror World are always linked to darkness, evil, profundity—perhaps, in complete darkness, some subtle reaction will occur."

"Subtle reaction… are you running a chemistry experiment?" Francca scoffed, but still chose to comply.

She turned to Jian Na:

"Hold your fragment of the Mirror World in your hand—if we're going to test, test everything."

After Jian Na retrieved the Mirror World fragment from the Tamara family tomb, Lumian turned the switch and extinguished the carbide lamp.

The quiet tunnel plunged into absolute darkness; as a "Hunter," Lumian could see nothing.

"You can hold onto my sleeve," Jian Na said calmly. "Or open your Spirit Sight and follow our spiritual radiance."

Lumian replied with a smile:

"That makes me look weak—I suspect you're showing off on purpose.

"Don't you remember? I can alter my life form to gain darkvision."

Jian Na fell silent for two seconds, then said:

"Fuck! Can't you say something nice for once?"

"Yeah, yeah," Francca fully agreed. "Jian Na 's trying to help you, and if you won't accept it, fine—but you still have to mock her."

"That's what a 'Hunter' is," Lumian chuckled, activating the black mark on his body and transforming into a shadow creature.

He merged into the shadows and followed Francca and Jian Na as they re-explored the area.

As they passed a corner of an abandoned quarry chamber, Francca suddenly felt the bone statue in her hands tremble slightly.

"It's reacting! It's reacting!" she exclaimed joyfully.

Lumian immediately broke from the shadows, reverted to human form, and let his blue eyes darken with silver-black hues.

In the absolute darkness, he saw the mercury-colored rivers of fate belonging to Francca and Jian Na.

After a prolonged scrutiny that rapidly drained his spiritual energy, Lumian deliberately located a specific possibility among the branching streams of Francca's future fate.

This was an event that might occur in ten seconds—or longer—with an extremely low probability of becoming reality: a "curse," or rather, an "amplification," beyond his influence.

Without hesitation, Lumian extended his right palm toward Francca.

Francca, possessing darkvision, saw his motion and noticed his silver-black eyes—she was startled:

"What are you doing?"

She did not dodge; she trusted Lumian completely.

Lumian surged his spiritual energy, turning it into a violent, illusory river that surged from his palm.

Francca's fate was instantly swept into a new future by this torrential current.

"Pushing Fate!"

Francca suddenly had a flash of insight:

"You're influencing my future, making the fragment of leaked contamination here become reality?

"Damn, I've got an idea—maybe we can try it!"

Lumian, whose spiritual energy had been massively depleted, laughed:

"Life is short—why not give it a try?"

"..." Francca clearly sensed the mockery; she gritted her teeth. "I'll settle accounts with you later!"

As she spoke, Francca placed the bone statue of the "Primordial Witch" atop a protruding rock in the quarry corner, then pulled out a mirror and positioned it before the statue.

Lumian conjured a blazing white flame, watching as Francca withdrew essential oils, pure essences, perfumes, and herbal powders from "The Traveler's Satchel," preparing for the ritual.

Uh… Lumian turned his head toward Jian Na; Jian Na was looking at him at the same moment.

At the same time, Francca turned around and faced Lumian and Jian Na.

All three froze for a moment, then burst into laughter together.

"You two thought of it too?" Francca said cheerfully. "Jian Na shouldn't stay here—soon, the 'Primordial Witch's' gaze might fall upon us."

As a pure female Witch, Jian Na being noticed by the "Primordial Witch" was certainly not a good thing—it could even mean death.

Lumian smiled and replied:

"I'll take Jian Na back first. I'll come back after you finish the ritual."

Saying this, he reached out and gripped Jian Na 's shoulder.

Jian Na said to Francca:

"Be careful."

"Don't worry—I'm a professional," Francca said cheerfully, waving her hand.

As a member of the Witch cult, she had regularly, on schedule, prayed to the "Primordial Witch" through this bone statue, as instructed by the "Black Witch," and occasionally held solitary masses.

Of course, directly invoking the "Primordial Witch" through ritual was still her first time.

Once Lumian had "teleported" Jian Na away, the quarry chamber returned to darkness.

Because of the bone statue, Francca decided to use the binary ritual method.

After lighting the candle representing herself, she, rich in occult knowledge, drew symbols and patterns corresponding to her desire onto a parchment imitation.

Then she sanctified her ritual silver dagger, created a "Wall of Spiritual Energy," and dripped rose oil, musk perfume, and other substances into the candle flame in sequence.

The complex, alluring scent swiftly entered Francca's nostrils, stirring her spirit and making her involuntarily inhale deeper.

Having completed all preparations, Francca stepped back two paces, and amid the hazy, mystical atmosphere, switched to Hermesian to chant the sacred name of the "Primordial Witch":

"Origin of all calamities, symbol of destruction and apocalypse, Witch who commands chaos."

In the altar area, patches of moss suddenly sprouted, twisting into vines that rose high, as if watching Francca.

The ground softened beneath her, and a freezing wind howled, causing Francca to shiver lightly.

At the same time, Francca felt the scent permeating the area grow sweeter, carrying a warm, intoxicating fragrance that flushed her cheeks.

Her specific desires stirred vividly; scenes of sensual beauty surfaced in her mind.

Suppressing the heat within her body and shaking off the unsettling emotions, Francca first briefly recounted in Hermesian that Morane Avini was the "Mirror Person," and that she wished to capture this "Mirror Person," then followed the ritual's standard procedure:

"I beseech the power of the mirror;

"I beseech the power of chaos;

"I beseech the god's favor;

"I beg for a fixed entrance to the Mirror World to appear here.

"Rose, herb of the Witch, transfer your power to my incantation;

"Musk, herb of the Witch, transfer your power to my incantation…"

After finishing the incantation, Francca set fire to the parchment imitation and placed it upon the mirror before the bone statue.

As the parchment burned to ash, Francca felt the candle flame dim abruptly, as if a translucent frosted glass had risen around her.

A strange power was activated, converging upon the mirror.

The mirror, the size of a human head, suddenly turned black, becoming dark and illusory.

It then merged into the protruding rock beneath the statue and vanished.

The next instant, the candle flame returned to normal, yet the scent lingering in the air still unsettled Francca's spirit, conjuring fantasies—she had to exert great willpower to control herself.

After gathering the bone statue and other items, Francca took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

"Damn—it's just a trace of charm and pleasure leaking from the ritual, and I nearly couldn't tear myself away, wanting to draw near the source of allure, wanting to savor the bliss it bestowed."

"No wonder she's the 'Primordial Witch' who commands pleasure and feminine allure…

"Fuck! I'm an idiot—why did I take a deep breath? The scent hasn't even dissipated yet!

"Quickly confirm whether the Mirror World entrance has formed, then go find Jian Na …"

In a flash of thought, Francca saw Lumian's figure rapidly materialize at the edge of the quarry chamber.

"Why are you back again?" Francca was startled.

Lumian smiled:

"You're in good shape.

"Didn't I say I'd come after your ritual ended…?"

As he spoke, Lumian noticed Francca's lake-blue eyes shimmering faintly under the dim candlelight, as if capable of drawing souls into their depths.

Lumian's words halted.

After a two-second pause, he added:

"And Jian Na was worried about you—she told me to come check quickly.

"I think the 'Primordial Witch' would understand a 'Witch of Pleasure' having a friend who cares for her."

"Mm," Francca nodded slightly, bit her lip, and pointed at the protruding rock. "That spot seems to have become a fixed entrance to the Mirror World—let's try entering."

Lumian asked no further questions, walked to the protruding rock, and together with Francca, extended their right palms and pressed them against the cold stone surface.

A faint, dim glow flashed—and the two vanished simultaneously, in no particular order.

After a brief dizziness, a dark, illusory, and unreal road appeared before Lu Mi and Fu Lan Ka's eyes, and around them were many similar "tunnels," interwoven into a complex and mysterious vast "web."

PS: Beginning of the month, requesting monthly votes~

(End of chapter)