Chapter 751: The Conjugate Captain and Member (Thank You, Friend Zhu Junyu, for the Silver Alliance Donation)

After surprise and confusion, Francia carefully pondered the idea.

This line of thought doesn't seem impossible…

Didn't I originally intend to become the "Blood Iron Knight"?

But the problem is Jian Na…

Seeing Francia fall silent, Lu Mi smiled with implication.

"There's no need to take certain things too seriously—we've all used 'lies,' become different forms, and adapted just fine. I once turned into a dog and suffered no psychological trauma; as long as it's not permanent and you can revert, occasionally changing your appearance or state is actually quite interesting."

"Remember, you're just playing a role."

Lu Mi knew Jian Na had long been aware that the "Witch" path caused men to become women, while the "Hunter" path did the opposite—one node at Sequence 7 "Witch," the other at Sequence 4 "Blood Iron Knight."

Similarly, Lu Mi knew Francia suspected Jian Na already knew these things.

But since this "Joyful Witch" still wished to deceive him, he had no objection to helping out by speaking vaguely.

"Temporary… as long as the 'Eternal Witch' ritual isn't evil, you can revert… 'Eternal Witch' doesn't sound that evil…" After muttering a few words, Jian Na said, "I think Lu Mi's suggestion is worth considering."

Francia nodded along, opening her mouth but holding back.

Then, Jian Na gave a self-deprecating laugh:

"I'm only Sequence 7, just a 'Witch'—why should I be thinking about becoming an Archon, or jumping back and forth?"

"Damn, I feel like I've gone back to when I first became the 'Exaggerated Woman'—even though I was saving every coin to pay off debts, I still imagined how I'd spend thousands or tens of thousands of Ferkins annually once I became a famous stage actress…"

"Me too, me too." Francia chimed in, attempting to explore feasibility: "If we're going to switch, how do we complete the 'Blood Iron Knight' ritual with only thirty people?"

Lu Mi clicked his tongue:

"Pray that by then I've already become a 'Blood Iron Knight.'"

"A 'Blood Iron Knight' serving as your member can effectively reduce the required number."

"Besides, we've already developed great synergy."

"Is that even possible?" Francia first instinctively felt something was wrong, then muttered to herself: "The ritual is just a ritual—after it ends, there's no need to maintain the previous state. That means the captain and members can swap positions and re-form a new team. What's this called? Circular reuse. Sustainable development!"

The more Francia thought about it, the more excited she became:

"Once I become a 'Blood Iron Knight,' Jian Na will have two Archon members—plus Anthony and Lu Jianuo, she won't need anyone else."

"If, if Ludwig still hasn't broken free from his seal and is still with us by then, things will be even simpler—we can be his godmothers!"

We'll be Ludwig's godmothers, and Lu Mi will be his godfather… Though it's not unusual—there are many similar cases—but still… Jian Na glanced at Francia, wanting to warn her, then ultimately said nothing.

The more such details were discussed, the more awkward it became—ignoring them was the best choice.

With a way to avoid the "Despair Witch" ritual now in mind, Francia and Jian Na's moods improved noticeably.

The former said to Lu Mi:

"There's a mysticism gathering in a couple of days—get in touch with the 'Professor' and the others, probe them to see if any are members of the 'Moss Ascetic Order.' This isn't urgent—the 'Judgment' Lady told me the 'Tarot Society' has informants inside the 'Moss Ascetic Order' who can provide necessary intelligence, but I'm unsure if that informant is in the Trier region or even understands local conditions, while 'The Man in the Mirror' Griffiths is clearly in Trier."

Lu Mi nodded:

"We also need to ask about Lu Jianuo's 'Harvest Priest' potion formula and its materials—boosting our teammates' strength will help us complete the rituals later."

Jian Na listened quietly for a while, then spoke up:

"Can you help me sell that 'Dream Thief' extraordinary characteristic? My mysticism gatherings aren't high enough—no one can afford something of this sequence."

She was thinking the "Joyful Witch" potion ingredients were nearly secured from the "Eternal Sun" Church, Francia's "Joy" was nearly digested, and owing her companion money wasn't ideal—besides, she couldn't use the "Dream Thief" characteristic herself.

Lu Mi could roughly guess Jian Na's thoughts and deliberately made a tiny gesture toward his "Traveler's Satchel."

He meant: You've seen my "Blood Iron Knight" and "Despair Witch" potion formulas—why haven't you thought of owing me a massive debt?

Lu Mi hoped this would make Jian Na stop worrying about owing money—better to borrow more and have a "Craftsman" turn the "Dream Thief" characteristic into a magical item.

The stronger you are, the better your ability to repay!

Jian Na, leaning back on the sofa, turned sideways to Francia and gave Lu Mi a mocking "huh" expression.

She meant: When I need those two potion formulas to advance, I'll pay you back!

Francia, unaware of the silent exchange between Lu Mi and Jian Na, said:

"We can start gathering auxiliary materials for the 'Blood Iron Knight' and 'Despair Witch' now—like soil soaked in soldiers' blood from major battlefields and the blood of seven plague victims—so we won't be caught unprepared later. Hmm, by then, maybe another way to bypass the plague ritual will emerge—better prepare now."

Hearing talk of potion preparation, Lu Mi first nodded, then remembered something.

He stood up, walked to the full-length mirror in the room, and pressed his right hand against it.

He immediately activated the contract ability from "Bloody Jack," sensing the mirror imprint he had left earlier.

Soon, through the mirror and the Mirror World, Lu Mi detected two imprints far away—one clear, one blurred.

The clear one belonged to the full-length mirror in Morane Avini's study; the blurred one constantly shifted and changed position, making it hard to pin down.

"I can sense it… This must be the imprint on the mirror inside the 'Azure Avenger's' treasure chamber… Through the connection between the imprint and myself, no matter how blurred or how it changes, I can directly 'teleport' there—provided I can step into the mirror…" Lu Mi pondered for a while, then chose not to borrow the "Mirror Clasp" from Francia for testing.

His spiritual intuition and warnings from fate both told him that if he now "teleported" to that imprint, he would never return—or what returned would be Aristar Tudo.

He withdrew his hand and told Francia and Jian Na the result of his attempt.

Afterwards, Jian Na left, planning to visit hospital morgues—seeking opportunities to perform as a "Witch," and also checking for corpses killed by virulent infectious diseases.

—Under the current situation where the "End of All Things" and the "Plague Cult" had not yet been eradicated from Trier, people who died of plague certainly existed, though not in large numbers or widespread transmission.

Standing by the window, Lu Mi saw Jian Na appear on the street, then turned to Francia:

"You may have no choice but to become the 'Despair Witch'—in daily life, think more about finding a substitute for that ritual."

"Me? Why must I?" Francia looked stunned.

"I? Why must I?" Francia looked stunned.

"Haven't you noticed that all high-ranking witches in the Witch Cult are 'Witches'?"

"Is it because they can't get the 'Blood Iron Knight' potion formula or extraordinary characteristics?"

"But the Witch Cult doesn't forbid 'Witches' from switching to the 'Hunter' path…" Francia frowned.

"That's indeed contradictory." Lu Mi speculated: "I think it's because those Angel-tier 'Witches' can't find higher-sequence 'Hunter' path extraordinary characteristics to revert to men, so they're unwilling to let subordinates reclaim their original selves. This has become an unwritten rule. Heh, you know—most high-ranking figures on the 'Witch' path are mentally twisted, psychotic, enjoy watching others suffer, and can't bear to see others happy."

—According to intelligence Lu Mi and Francia received from the "Magician" Lady and the "Judgment" Lady, starting at Sequence 4, "Hunter" and "Witch" can switch genders based on the higher sequence; consuming a neighboring path's potion at the same sequence to enhance power causes serious problems.

—According to the intelligence Lu Mi and Francia obtained from the Lady Magician and the Lady Judge, starting at Sequence 4, Hunters and Witches can switch between each other, with gender determined by the higher Sequence; consuming a different adjacent Path's Elixir of the same Sequence to enhance power poses serious problems.

"If I finish digesting the 'Pain' potion without finding a substitute for the Despair Ritual, I'll ask the 'Judgment' Lady to end my mission in the Witch Cult. She should understand me and won't allow me to spread terrifying plagues."

After saying this, Francia visibly relaxed, muttering to herself:

"Besides, if Jian Na becomes a 'Blood Iron Knight' and I'm still a Witch, wouldn't that be weird?"

"Life is short—why not give it a try?" Lu Mi joked.

Then, before Francia could react, he stepped over the sofa and walked out the door.

A few black flames pierced the wooden door, chasing after Lu Mi's back—but they gradually veered off course, missed their target, and dissipated in midair.

Francia's scolding still rang clearly in Lu Mi's ears:

"You dare try it!"

Lu Mi walked onto the street, smiling.

Back in his rented apartment, Lu Mi's smile faded.

Watching Ludwig eat, he pulled out a chair and sat opposite him, feigning casualness:

"What ingredients or seasonings are needed to cook the umbilical cord remnant using the third method?"

Lu Jianuo, beside him, paused in surprise:

"What umbilical cord remnant?"

Lu Mi smiled:

"The umbilical cord remnant of the divine child carried by Father Monserrat."

Lu Jianuo's expression froze instantly.

ps: Early month, requesting double moon tickets~

ps2: Thank you, friend Zhu Junyu, for donating two Silver Alliance rewards!

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