Chapter 743: Identification

"What's another kind?" Lu Mi asked, seeing Ludvig hesitate as if wary, pressing him for an answer.

Ludvig stared at the remnant of the umbilical cord before Lu Mi, then hesitated and said:

"It can alter your aura and bloodline to some degree, causing certain creatures lacking sufficient intellect to regard you as a divine child of the 'Great Mother'."

Lu Mi's expression grew heavier.

"So it truly can let me fuse even a trace—nearly negligible—of that divine child's bloodline?"

And this could deceive creatures with low intelligence or those acting purely on instinct?

"Yes," Ludvig nodded solemnly. "That trace of bloodline won't change you at all. Only creatures directly created by the 'Great Mother' or blessed by Her can sense it."

It sounded useless—but in special circumstances, it might prove critically important. Compared to curing infertility or boosting self-healing, it offered far greater potential… Lu Mi pondered and asked:

"What negative effects might it bring?"

Could it cause a change in gender? After all, the divine child of the 'Great Mother', Oumibera, seemed female.

Ludvig tore his greedy gaze away from the divine child's umbilical cord and said with evident regret:

"For others, it might cause the divine child of the 'Great Mother' to gestate and grow within their body—but not you. You need only fear the 'Great Mother' turning her gaze upon you, truly observing you."

Lu Mi fell silent for twenty seconds, then slowly returned Oumibera's umbilical remnant to his "Traveler's Satchel."

He did not rush to have Ludvig craft food from the divine child's remnant; he planned to consult the "Magician" first before deciding.

He was willing to take risks—but not reckless ones.

"Can I have it now?" Ludvig gazed longingly at the matte "Deprivation Bullet."

"One last question," Lu Mi smiled again and pulled another item from his "Traveler's Satchel."

It was a small glass vial containing powdered, aged bloodstains.

It came from the Devil Wizard Borman, who, guided by Harrison from the Island of Resurrection, summoned a malevolent spirit named Yadun from the depths of death, easily killed it, and collected its blood for a future ritual. Lu Mi had taken a pinch of the bloodstain powder from Borman's room.

Previously, Lu Mi had asked Fulanka to investigate using "Magic Mirror Divination," which only confirmed the powder truly originated from the depths of the Spirit Realm—nothing more. Now, he wanted the "Gourmet" to taste it and see if he could extract more vital information.

He remembered clearly: the people of the Island of Resurrection claimed they could die and resurrect endlessly, never aging, never dying—and their secret lay in controlling the marks within the depths of death.

This might be a true path to resurrecting the dead.

"Can you eat it?" Lu Mi kept his smile and pushed the vial of aged bloodstain powder toward Ludvig.

Ludvig studied the powdered bloodstains carefully, then uncapped the vial and touched them with his fingers.

"Yes," he answered, unenthusiastic.

"Then eat half," Lu Mi urged, watching as Ludvig shook the small amount of powder into his mouth, leaving just a trace behind.

Ludvig chewed, savored, and after a long while offered his "gourmet review":

"Strong aura of death and eternal slumber, from the depths of the Spirit Realm.

"Originated from a man in his thirties, possessing traits of both the 'Seeker of Secrets' and 'Death' pathways, with extremely poor mental state and volatile emotions…"

Hearing this, Lu Mi couldn't help raising an eyebrow:

This sounded exactly like the Devil Wizard Borman himself!

But this powder came from the depths of death—it belonged to Yadun, the spirit Borman killed!

"From the Winter Province of Intis?" Lu Mi confirmed his guess.

"Yes," Ludvig clicked his tongue.

He added more details drawn from the powder—each one matched Borman's condition perfectly.

This couldn't possibly mean Borman summoned himself, killed himself, then collected his own blood… Lu Mi felt a chill.

The powder couldn't be leftover from Borman's own injuries, because both Fulanka and Ludvig confirmed its deep connection to death and the Spirit Realm—and Lu Mi had fought Borman twice, certain he was alive then.

"Did Borman, following Harrison's teachings, summon a spirit that was himself—his own mark?"

"Did he kill his own mark in the depths of death, and think it was weak?"

"This sounds impossible…"

"What exactly is Harrison of the Island of Resurrection trying to do? What hidden truth lies behind their resurrection?"

Lu Mi's thoughts raced—he sensed the Island of Resurrection held secrets as profound as any high-level event he'd ever faced.

"Can I have it now?" Ludvig stared again at the "Deprivation Bullet," longing in his eyes.

He returned the last trace of powdered bloodstain, still in the vial, to Lu Mi.

"Sure." Lu Mi tossed the "Deprivation Bullet" to Ludvig.

Ludvig caught it and immediately shoved the matte bullet into his mouth.

"Eat it raw?" Lu Mi smiled. "No cooking? No cocktail?"

Ludvig mumbled:

"No need. It can be absorbed directly."

As he spoke, he pulled the bullet from his mouth like sucking on an ice pop.

Compared to before, the bullet's matte metal casing was visibly thinner; the complex engravings on its surface were now pitted and scarred with tooth marks.

Ludvig sucked it three times, then finally swallowed the bullet whole, its inner powder now faintly visible, chewing it with wet, crunching sounds.

Lu Mi winced, his own teeth aching—he now understood more deeply how hunger altered everything.

After swallowing the "Deprivation Bullet," Ludvig closed his eyes, face filled with Huiwei and longing.

Lu Mi, meanwhile, grieved for the supernatural bullets he'd taken from Ye Busi:

The "Weakening Bullet," "Deprivation Bullet," and "Implosion Bullet" had all failed to serve their purpose; the "Poison Bullet," "Rot Bullet," and "Pregnancy Bullet" had been given to Fulanka.

"How do you feel?" Lu Mi asked Ludvig.

"Delicious. Famously delicious," Ludvig replied, eyes half-closed.

After sighing, he snapped his eyes open, sharp and bright:

"Father, can you find the organization that made that bullet as soon as possible?"

You brat—that's the cult devoted to your god… but I can't blame you; you've lost your mind… and for a demon god, sacrificing even more devotees is worth it if it frees the Jianglin angel from its seal—returning the angel to the god's stomach is returning to the god's heaven… Lu Mi muttered silently, nodded slightly, agreed, then slowly rose and walked back to his bedroom.

Lying on the bed, he stared at the dark ceiling with its hanging lamp, utterly sleepless—even the faint scent of absinthe still lingered in his nose.

After silently gazing for who knew how long, Lu Mi gave a self-deprecating smile and tried meditation to help himself fall asleep.

Slowly, he sketched in his mind a sphere with eyes and a cross through it.

His state settled; drowsiness began to rise.

At that moment, Lu Mi froze.

Meditation was taught by his sister—the image was drawn by her, casually…

Lu Mi laughed softly, his body trembling with quiet mirth.

Minutes later, he let himself go, recalling every detail of his life in Kerdou Village—including the dreams of their time together.

Even those dreams, now looked back upon, carried a certain indescribable warmth.

As his thoughts drifted, Lu Mi remembered his sister's pact creature: "White Paper."

"I wonder what state 'White Paper' is in now…"

"Technically, Aurora hasn't fully died—her pact with 'White Paper' should still exist…"

"Too bad pact creatures aren't messengers—you can only summon them yourself. Otherwise, I'd summon 'White Paper' just to see how it is…"

"In Aurora's words, this is seeing something left behind and remembering the person? Or loving someone so much you love their pet too?"

"Hmm… I could summon it. Since Teirmipolos sealed inside me is one with me, then Aurora's soul fragment must be too—so if I summon it, it's as if Aurora herself is summoning…"

Thinking this, Lu Mi sat up abruptly.

In the dark, he arranged the altar and chanted the incantation in the proper tongue:

"I!

"I summon, in my name:

"The spirit wandering in illusion, a friendly being under command, a fragile sphere attuned to my will…"

As the incantation echoed, the candle flame flickered gently—nothing happened.

Lu Mi, with his "Spirit Sight" active, saw no sign of "White Paper" as he had in his dreams.

He sighed, defeated, and lay back down.

Time passed second by second. Still unable to sleep, Lu Mi suddenly became fully alert—no trace of fatigue remained.

It was six in the morning.

Lu Mi rose in silence and began dismantling the altar.

At that moment, the "Doll" messenger, dressed in a pale gold dress, stepped out of the void and dropped a dark coin pouch and a folded square of paper onto the table.

Had the "Magician"'s reward arrived? One of them was the "Traveler's Satchel"? Lu Mi perked up and grabbed the dark coin pouch.

The "Doll" messenger glanced at him, pinched its nose, and said:

"Drunkard!

"Your clothes smell awful!"

Er… Lu Mi, who hadn't bathed or changed since last night, coughed awkwardly and muttered thanks.

Once the "Doll" messenger left, he continued inspecting the rewards.

(End of Chapter)