Chapter 723: Shattering the Substitute

The "Muse of Pleasure" has no active seduction ability, but can maximize her own charm, which even in ordinary circumstances makes most men unable to look away, their breathing grow heavy, their minds filled with fantasies—let alone that Morane Avini was never a "hermit," and had already been stirred into lust by "Beatrice's Necklace."

Under these conditions, Morane Avini's eyes saw only Flanqa, his mind entirely filled with imagined scenarios of what might happen next.

His heartbeat quickened, his blood surged, his movements became affected—swift yet bizarre.

A dawn-like radiance flared across his body, marking Flanqa as the target of retribution, which would comprehensively enhance his influence over this "Muse of Pleasure" and the power of his attacks.

With the selection of the retribution target, Morane Avini's body seemed to grow slightly taller, filling Flanqa with instinctive dread, making her feel this was a great figure who could control her life.

This caused her to slow her movement as she broke from invisibility and rapidly shifted position.

Morane Avini, his breath now burning hot, seized the opportunity, raised his right hand, and pushed it toward Flanqa, speaking in Ancient Hermes:

"Imprison!"

Around Flanqa, thick, viscous transparent liquid surged forth, forming a massive amber that encased the "Muse of Pleasure," freezing her in place.

Crack!

Flanqa's body shattered, transforming into a compact makeup mirror no larger than a palm.

She used this to escape the "Imprisonment" of the "Knight of Retribution."

At that moment, Morane Avini felt a strong premonition of danger; relying on the "Knight of Retribution"'s formidable physique, he tore free from the invisible spider silk wrapping him and rolled violently to the side.

Jianna, who had circled to his oblique rear, thrust forward an ice spike sheathed in the Black Flame of the Witch, but missed.

Morane Avini's eyes caught sight of this "Witch," dressed in a black dress and soft hat, and suddenly thought she was quite appealing too.

Of course, having both would be better.

Morane Avini immediately dropped into a half-crouch, his palm hovering over the spot where Jianna had stood, and intoned in Ancient Hermes:

"Lockdown!"

Without sound or warning, an invisible wall formed around Jianna, one even spirits could barely penetrate.

It did not attach directly to her body, but instead created a transparent prison with slight spatial volume centered on her, thus avoiding triggering the "Mirror Substitute."

Seeing this, Jianna did not attempt to attack the invisible walls; instead, she condensed a layer of frost over her body.

Another layer of frost formed outside it, with a thin vacuum between them, turning Jianna into a statue of ice and snow.

"Lockdown!"

Morane Avini did not immediately act further against Jianna; his eyes, already slightly bloodshot, turned back to Flanqa, sealing the space around this "Muse of Pleasure" as well.

Flanqa made no other response; within her body, a torrent of black flame erupted.

Outside the black flame, layers of frost solidified, like crafting a semi-transparent, sturdy coffin.

The surrounding transparent spider silks retracted and coiled, winding round and round, enclosing the frost into a massive cocoon.

This... Morane Avini was both puzzled by the "Muse of Pleasure"'s abnormality and delighted that his "Lockdown" had taken effect, bypassing the "Mirror Substitute."

He moved toward Flanqa with twisted, unnatural strides, his mind already rehearsing the abilities he would use next and what would happen once he subdued her.

He nearly forgot there was still another "audience" present, but Anthony had vanished again into some blind spot.

Forget it—first, subdue both witches! Morane Avini had just flashed this thought when a sharp melody suddenly sounded in his ear.

Lu Mi stepped out from the shadows of the corner, the blackened "Chant of Hatred" bone flute at his lips.

He had not been forced out of hiding by the "Prohibition of Invisibility" because he was never invisible—he had merely transformed himself into a shadow creature, merging completely with the shadows!

Lu Mi gazed at Morane Avini's face, twisted by lust, smiled as he approached, and blew harder on the flute.

Given Morane Avini's current state, Lu Mi was certain the "Chant of Hatred"'s weakness attack would inevitably ignite his desire—no need to coordinate with the "Hunter of Fates" ability.

Amid the light, sharp music, Morane Avini's body suddenly stiffened.

Crack! He used the "Mirror Substitute" to take this near-fatal attack in his stead.

Morane Avini's figure immediately materialized behind Lu Mi's side, but Lu Mi's playing had not ceased, and Morane Avini's near-explosive lust had not faded.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Morane Avini's body kept shattering like glass, only to reappear again and again in the increasingly brisk melody, unable to escape this area, too late to cover his ears.

In every corner of the space behind the mirrors, the beautiful music of the "Chant of Hatred" echoed.

Anthony huddled in the corner, plugging his ears with pre-prepared tools, ready at all times to use the mirror to self-hypnotize into sleep, avoiding Lu Mi's death melody that made no distinction between friend or foe.

Even with preparation, gray-white dragon scales involuntarily surfaced across his skin.

Crack! Crack! Morane Avini's "Mirror Substitute" was finally exhausted.

His mind instantly roared, overwhelmed by ultimate pleasure, violently detonating.

His body trembled, wracked with both agony and ecstasy.

Blood oozed from his nose, eyes, ears, and lips; his saliva, mucus, and tears flowed simultaneously—he looked on the verge of fainting.

Lu Mi appeared behind him, lowered the "Chant of Hatred," and hummed a tune.

Two beams of white light fell upon Morane Avini, sending the "Knight of Retribution" into complete unconsciousness.

Lu Mi gave Morane Avini no chance to awaken via any possible special ability; he pulled a ritual dogskin from "The Traveler's Satchel" and draped it over the head of the slowly collapsing enemy.

"Dog!"

Lu Mi whispered in Hermes.

A flicker of dark light—and Morane Avini vanished; in his place stood a large, brownish-yellow-furred hound.

With no solid thud, the hound collapsed sideways, unconscious.

Lu Mi smiled, bent down, and picked up the dog.

Seeing this, Anthony removed the earplugs he had fully inserted; Jianna dissolved the two layers of frost on her body.

Flanqa was slightly slower—several seconds passed before the cocoon shattered, the ice coffin silently disintegrated, and the black flame scattered and vanished.

She looked at Lu Mi and Jianna with astonishment and delight, saying:

"Just now, my 'Pleasure' potion underwent massive digestion!"

As soon as she spoke, she pinched her nose, gazing at the spot where Morane Avini had stood and at the large hound in Lu Mi's arms:

"I understand now..."

"He just experienced true pleasure—ultimate pleasure—and this pleasure originated from me."

Lu Mi thought for a moment and said:

"He even risked his life to pursue the pleasure I offered, endured equal ultimate pain, and ultimately obtained the pleasure he desired—even if not in the way he hoped, and at the cost of his greatest sacrifice."

"He's still equivalent to a Rank 5 adept," Flanqa sighed with a smile. "Too bad it wasn't me who played the 'Chant of Hatred'—otherwise, my 'Pleasure' potion might have nearly completed digestion. Pleasure brings pain, pleasure leads to downfall, pleasure for the target is like candlelight to a moth..."

Here, she lowered her voice and muttered in a strange tongue:

"Lust is a blade above the head..."

Flanqa was not too disappointed, for among them, only Lu Mi could bear the negative cost of the "Chant of Hatred."

Anthony surveyed the surroundings and calmly reminded Flanqa:

"Since we've succeeded, let's leave quickly."

At this moment, Jianna had approached Lu Mi, and Lu Mi had put away the "Chant of Hatred."

"Mm." Flanqa nodded, stepped over, and grasped Lu Mi's upper arm.

Simultaneously, vast patches of black flame ignited across this mirror-realm.

Seconds later, the four emerged from the fixed entrance of the mirror world within the quarry, and Flanqa completed the anti-divination and anti-prophecy finalization.

Then, they "teleported" back to the safehouse in the administrative district.

Only then did Flanqa sigh:

"Beatrice's Necklace can no longer stimulate 'lust'..."

Each type of desire the "Beatrice's Necklace" can trigger can only be used twice; the previous target of 'lust' was Gardener Martin.

For the "Muse of Pleasure" Flanqa, this meant losing a powerful auxiliary tool.

Jianna nodded slightly:

"What a pity—it seems the 'Muse of Pleasure' and the 'Desire Mother Tree' path's 'Sex Addict' could form an extremely perfect, highly effective synergy."

"Yes, too bad I can't obtain the 'Desire Mother Tree''s blessing, otherwise..." Flanqa suddenly fell silent, and Lu Mi and the others all flashed the same phrase in their minds:

"Sex Addict Witch!"

Cough, cough. Flanqa cleared her throat and said:

"We can only hope the 'Desire Mother Tree''s blessed ones will send more similar items."

She turned her gaze to the unconscious hound, still weakened from his ordeal, and mused:

"First, administer a truth serum, then have Anthony befriend him—dual-pronged approach?"

"Hmm... 'Mirror Spirit Communication' as a contingency option..."

Lu Mi nodded, recalling Flanqa's recounting of the "Black Witch"'s "criticism" of him, and suppressed his inner greed:

"Don't rush. I'll interrogate him after visiting Mr. K."

"Mr. K's sudden assassination of Morane Avini must have had his reasons. Once we learn what he knows, we can extract information more effectively."

"Agreed." Flanqa and the others nodded in turn.

………

19 Scher Street, headquarters of the "Spiritualism" magazine.

Lu Mi, wearing a thinner blue cotton coat and dressed differently, stepped down from the carriage and entered the six-story white luxury building.

(End of Chapter)