Chapter 765: The Source of Folk Customs

Lu Mian "followed" the promise and only sat by the two "Witches'" dining table for a few minutes before politely saying goodbye and leaving, which made the men nearby feel a bit confused and puzzled.

Shouldn't you strike while the iron is hot?

Could this be the advanced technique of an Intis playboy, a Dandyist?

Walking back to his own dining table, Lu Mian happened to see the waiter carrying a high stack of plates, leaving with an expression of confusion, astonishment, and fear.

All the dishes on the whole menu were really eaten!

The way they looked at Ludwig and Lugano was like looking at two monsters crawling out of the abyss.

"If you knew that two-thirds of those dishes and staples were eaten by Ludwig just now, and Lugano and I only shared the remaining one-third, you would be even more afraid, worrying about being eaten too. Well, such worry is reasonable..." Lu Mian muttered silently and sat down.

In front of him, Ludwig, and Lugano, an apple cake and a scoop of ice cream with rich milky flavor had been placed.

Ludwig's face was full of undisguised satisfaction. This was the fullest and most satisfying meal he had eaten in a long time. This was not only because the portions of Feysac food were large and the taste was good, but also because Lu Mian didn't feel bad about spending other people's money.

Lu Mian pushed his apple cake to Ludwig, seemingly focused on digging the milk ice cream with a spoon and putting it into his mouth.

While feeling the melting of the frost and the spreading of the milky flavor, he lowered his voice and muttered to himself:

"Did you notice any abnormalities around 'Cup Two' and 'Cup Seven'?"

After a short silence, a dreamy and ethereal voice rang in Lu Mian's ears.

It came from "Knight of Swords" Maric:

"I discovered a little bit. From Chaban Street to when you approached 'Saint-Emilion Restaurant,' but I only sensed slight abnormalities and didn't find where they came from."

It matches Franca's description and my speculation, confirming each other... The demigod of the Temperance Faction couldn't find the target even when Osseto had already started following Franca and Jenna... Can only wait for Osseto to take the initiative? Lu Mian thought for a few seconds, took out a pair of flat-gold-rimmed glasses used for disguise from the "Traveler's Bag," and put them on the bridge of his nose.

He then saw the figure of "Knight of Swords" wearing a shirt and vest highlighted on the lens, and disappeared in a flash.

The voice of Maric in his ear became clearer:

"Similar slight abnormalities and corresponding traces, we have discovered them from time to time. This is also one of the main reasons why we are sure Osseto is still in the Rakle area."

Can 'Other Shore World' do this kind of thing alone, being able to come and go quietly without being 'seen' under the nose of a demigod of the 'Prisoner' pathway with very strong spiritual intuition? Lu Mian lacked in-depth understanding of "Other Shore World" and could only speculate through his past experiences.

He had entered "Other Shore World," more than once!

In Cordu Village, whether it was reality or a dream, he entered "Other Shore World" many times, but at that time, there was no high-level power involved, so he couldn't judge the state of "Other Shore World" at ordinary times, and whether it could hide from the demigod's senses and intuition after unfolding;

In Trier, during the "Shadow Tree" disaster, he was passively entered into "Lady Moon's" "Other Shore World." That "Other Shore World" isolated the inside and outside well, so that the demigods of Trier didn't discover that the "Shadow Tree" was growing, and that there was a battle in that area. Later, it was Franca who used the "Judgment" card and Lady "Judgment's" special nature to establish contact with the outside world, allowing the demigods of the "Tarot Club" to locate and descend into "Other Shore World." But at that time, the demigods of Trier were very far away from the chaotic street and didn't discover that things were hidden there, which could be understood and accepted...

Fragments of memories flashed in Lu Mian's mind. He always felt that "Other Shore World" couldn't do this:

When "Other Shore World" is closed, even if the Temperance Faction demigod is right next to it, it can't be sensed, which is normal. But after it unfolds under the nose of the Temperance Faction demigod, how could it still not expose any problems?

Is it that strong?

I feel that "Lady Moon's" "Other Shore World" shouldn't be able to do this, only able to cover up the movements and protect itself from being discovered through distance...

Lu Mian cast his gaze out the window and saw two local residents among the pedestrians coming and going. One had a human skull painted purple hanging on his chest, and the other used a rope to tie a white skull on top of his head.

"Death worship...

"'Other Shore World'...

"Perhaps, the things Osseto did in the Rakle area made her 'Other Shore World' possess some kind of special nature, and it is precisely by relying on this special nature that she can unfold 'Other Shore World' in front of a demigod without being discovered, until there is a substantial interaction between the two sides..." Lu Mian compared the similarities and differences between the local undead kingdom and "Other Shore World," vaguely grasping something.

Lu Mian ate another scoop of milk ice cream and asked in a low voice again:

"Tell me in detail about the origin and situation of the skull Prayer Festival."

The voice of "Knight of Swords" Maric echoed in his ears relatively clearly:

"This has to be traced back to the fall of 'Death' and the fundamental change in the situation in the South Continent.

"The fall of 'Death' caused abnormalities in the Netherworld, and the vast majority of undead could no longer sense the Netherworld and enter it, only able to wander outside it, wandering in the Spirit World and the real world.

"In this way, after intelligent creatures died, it was very easy for them to become corpses, or turn into wraiths or evil spirits, which was a huge threat to the living, bringing one disaster after another.

"The response of the North Continent countries was purification plus mandatory cremation. Among them, the 'Eternal Blazing Sun' Church and the God of War Church had significant purification effects, and people who had been purified didn't have to be cremated."

Hearing this, Lu Mian truly understood and realized the series of measures such as pre-death comfort, post-death purification, encouraging cremation, and giving rewards for discovering the death of homeless people.

Their source was actually the fall of "Death" and the abnormality of the Netherworld!

No wonder the old bones in the lower layers of the catacombs were all bones, no ashes... In the Fourth Epoch, the Netherworld hadn't had abnormalities, and the undead still had a place to return to... Some mystical knowledge says that corpses are prone to abnormalities, which is the influence left by the "Pale Disaster" when "Death" invaded the North Continent at the end of the Fourth Epoch. Uh, it is indeed the influence left by the "Pale Disaster." "Death" fell in that disaster, and the Netherworld changed because of it... Lu Mian suddenly realized and understood some mystical knowledge more thoroughly.

"Knight of Swords" continued:

"The same problem also appeared in the South Continent. This wasn't difficult to deal with. The Balam Empire, which possessed a large number of Beyonders of the 'Death' pathway, quickly had several plans, which calmed down the corpse disaster in some areas without mandatory cremation, allowing those places to return to normal.

"And in other areas, because countries like Hagati, Pass, and Highland were striving for independence, the belief in 'Death' began to decline, and there was a period of corpse disaster flooding and power vacuum. People in different regions could only find ways themselves."

Lu Mian nodded gently:

"The method in the Rakle area is the skull Prayer Festival?"

"The skull Prayer Festival is just a manifestation." "Knight of Swords" explained simply, "According to the materials left by the Highland Kingdom, Rakle people should have established a small kingdom belonging to the souls of the dead with the help of a local official of the former Balam Empire, allowing the souls of the deceased to enter there, not come out again, and obtain peace.

"But that is not the Netherworld after all, and it's impossible to truly achieve peace, nor is it possible to completely restrain the undead. They can only wait for them to slowly die out by themselves.

"The annual skull Prayer Festival is a festival for the undead to come out and revel and release, and keeping the skulls of relatives at home can allow the undead who accidentally leave that small kingdom to avoid them and not harm them."

Simply put, they made a simple, regional Netherworld, letting the undead have a place to return to...

A place to return to... "Other Shore World's" concept is that souls return to the earth and wander in the wilderness. These two ideas are very close...

Also, in "Other Shore World," on special days, the souls of the dead can return home and enjoy the joy of reunion, which is very similar to the skull Prayer Festival in the Rakle area...

The only difference is that the undead here have no path to rebirth and can only slowly die out... Lu Mian compared the similarities and differences between the local undead kingdom and "Other Shore World," vaguely grasping something.

He remembered some words that Louis Longde relayed from Lady Pualis:

The small, miniature Other Shore World currently established is a component of the complete Other Shore World...

Hiss... Lu Mian took a breath and muttered to himself:

"Osseto wouldn't be trying to integrate the local undead kingdom into her own 'Other Shore World' to make the latter more complete, right?

"She, no, she has already initially succeeded, so you couldn't find her?"

"Knight of Swords" Maric was silent for a moment and said:

"Possibly."

He paused and added:

"We didn't see that undead kingdom either."

See... Lu Mian was stunned for a moment, then understood what "Knight of Swords" wanted to express.

The "Prisoner" pathway can become a wraith and can directly see the undead kingdom, but they didn't find corresponding things after arriving in the Rakle area this time.

Lu Mian didn't respond but thought of another question:

"If Osseto has indeed initially integrated the small undead kingdom, she is equivalent to the local Death. She must have sensed the Omebella bloodline on me just now...

"What will be her reaction?

"Is it instantaneous anger, or does she feel this can be utilized?

"Why didn't she act directly? Right, she also used the bird-clawed monster infant to discover the 'Mother' aura of the corpse on Ludwig beside me. Adding the two together, it looks like bait at a glance, it looks like a trap at a glance!

"This made her, accustomed to indulgence, hold back. What she needs to do now is request reinforcements?"

Thinking of this, Lu Mian took off his glasses and stood up with a swoosh.

(End of chapter)