Chapter 839: Each Has Their Own Scheme

Lumian did not directly "teleport" behind Albus Medich, nor did he approach the shattered corpse of the monster Gei; his figure swiftly materialized at the edge of the region atop the corpse-peaked summit.

Before this, while observing the battle from the mountain's base, he had already halted the brass talisman crafted by Archbishop Hera Beige from reciting knowledge, removed the corresponding earplugs, and placed them inside the "Traveler's Satchel," fearing the coming fierce battle might destroy them.

Likewise, he fastened the "Mirror Clasp" to his sleeve, ready to use it.

The moment Lumian appeared atop the summit, he saw the pus dripping from Gei's severed chunks seep into the bodies and bones forming the ground, igniting countless nearly invisible, colorless flames.

Those flames instantly consumed Gei's fragmented corpse, reducing it to ash, denying it any chance to writhe or regenerate.

At the same time, Lumian noticed that the previously existing, nearly invisible residual flames atop the summit had mostly extinguished, and the remainder were nearly burned out.

He had also noticed earlier, from the mountain's base, that the scattered residual flames across the wasteland were successively dying out.

Of course, this did not affect the illumination of the corpse-peaked summit and its surrounding area—the light came from the purple fire radiating through the massive vortex high above, from the burning corpses, bones, and wasteland spots ignited during the battle between Albus Medich, Sylister, and the monster Gei, and from the increasingly rapid trembling and shaking of the charred banner.

"The original residual flames are dying out? They weren't always here—they were triggered by '0—01' in response to the appearance of this godlike figure, the Old Man with the Severed Hand?" As this thought crossed Lumian's mind, he gripped the ordinary straight sword resembling the "Sword of Courage," and dashed toward Albus Medich, ten meters away.

With a whoosh, the straight sword burst into blazing white flames.

Albus, his brow mark vividly dripping, bent his back, letting his hands touch the bodies and bones composing the mountain.

Parts of the corpses' flesh suddenly melted, turning viscous, while countless bones instantly surged toward him.

Albus then straightened his back, forcibly wrenching from the corpse-ground a massive, bone-white sword formed from countless spines and cervical vertebrae, its surface entwined with melted, sticky flesh, exuding blood and unnaturalness.

Albus dragged this grotesque, horrifyingly evocative great sword toward Lumian.

Crack—the white-boned, wax-like flesh sword struck once, cleaving Lumian's blazing white-flamed straight sword into two halves.

Lumian's figure vanished, reappearing instantly behind Albus.

He drew another iron-black straight sword, resembling the "Sword of Courage," from the "Traveler's Satchel" with his other hand, and brought it down hard upon the neck of this Medich family member.

Albus spun rapidly, swinging his grotesque great sword, once again shattering Lumian's weapon into fragments.

Lumian used "teleport" again, reappearing behind his enemy.

But the moment his figure materialized, countless sharp ice lances crystallized in midair, falling like a rainstorm.

Sylister, having vanished and circled unseen, launched a ranged attack targeting both Albus and Lumian.

Lumian immediately saw thick fog.

It surged from around Albus, instantly engulfing the area, reducing visibility to ten meters, cutting Lumian's ability to sense spiritual coordinates beyond the fog, making direct "teleport" impossible.

"War Fog!"

Immediately after, Albus, now out of Lumian and Sylister's sight, pressed a densely compressed, still massive blue fireball into the ground of the corpse-peaked summit.

Boom!

A terrifying explosion, momentarily deafening, swept across the area, dispersing the thick "War Fog," vaporizing the falling ice lances, destroying some corpses and bones, and igniting others.

Almost simultaneously, Lumian's figure reflected onto the black breastplate of a dead body on the wasteland.

Just then, unable to "teleport" due to restriction, he had immediately pulled a mirror from the "Traveler's Satchel" and activated the "Mirror Clasp" on his left sleeve.

Using this extraordinary item, Lumian slipped into the mirror world before Albus triggered his indiscriminate explosion and the dense hail of ice lances, escaping the summit of the corpse-peaked mountain.

It was the same choice he made when escaping Albus and Guxin's ambush inside that underground cavern filled with War Fog.

Lumian leapt from the smooth, black metallic breastplate; the glass-like ornament on his sleeve instantly turned gray-white, crumbling into dust that drifted softly to the ground.

The "Mirror Clasp" had used its final activation.

On the summit of the corpse-peaked mountain, Albus had turned and rushed toward the increasingly violent trembling and shaking of "0—01."

At this moment, Julie's pool of filth was only one meter away from the charred banner's surface.

—Since the battle between Albus and the monster Gei began, the filth had lost the sensation of being held up by invisible hands, continuing its descent, albeit ever more slowly.

As "0—01" drew near, a mirror of ice, two or three people tall, suddenly surged before Albus.

The mirror instantly reflected Albus's figure.

On Albus's sides and behind him, similar ice mirrors abruptly appeared, revealing different angles of this "Red Angel" descendant.

As the giant ice mirrors formed, countless thick, blackened hairs, like slender snakes, emerged from the mountain's edge, carrying the quiet, sinister "Witch's" black flame, rapidly extending toward the mirrors.

Sylister intended to curse Albus with this!

Albus swiftly turned his body toward the source of the snake-like black hairs and saw Sylister, draped in a black robe, her face unnaturally flushed.

Boom!

Multiple white-blue fireballs rapidly coalesced, shattering the four giant ice mirrors—but the shards melted slowly, continuing to reflect Albus's figure from every angle, waiting for the snake-hairs wrapped in "Witch's" black flame to arrive.

Albus, wielding his grotesque great sword, suddenly transformed into a blazing white-blue fire-being, swelling to three or four meters tall.

This generated sustained heat, melting the ice mirror shards completely.

Soundlessly, Sylister retracted her black-flame-covered long hairs, vanishing again, her location unknown.

Lumian teleported over.

This time, he drew from the "Traveler's Satchel" the iron-black "Sword of Courage."

The true "Sword of Courage!"

Enduring the persistent burning pain of sulfur flames, Lumian was instantly filled with courage:

"What's there to fear in a Sequence 5 who can merely borrow a bit of 'Red Angel' power?"

"Why hide and dodge?"

Lumian swung the "Sword of Courage" toward Albus Medich—but only as the divine straight sword neared collision with Albus's grotesque bone-flesh blade did he ignite it with blazing white-blue flames.

Courage doesn't mean you can't use deceit!

Albus's iron-black eyes showed no surprise; instead, a faint smile curled his lips.

His grotesque bone-flesh sword burst into nearly blue flames.

You've been feigning weakness, using only ordinary straight swords—how could I not anticipate you suddenly unleashing a divine attack?

Albus's body instantly hardened into steel, his strength surging to its peak.

Boom!

The two swords collided, producing the sound of an exploding artillery shell.

The shockwave failed to shake Albus, whose skin now glowed iron-black; instead, it pushed Lumian and his "Sword of Courage" backward.

Suddenly, Lumian melted into a viscous black liquid, as if condensed from the deepest, most malevolent desires of the human heart.

He dissolved upon the ground, swiftly slithering beneath Albus's feet, shadow-like, covering them.

Crack—the illusory, viscous, chilling black liquid abruptly scattered, revealing a mirror stained silver-white and black, which fell onto the corpses and bones and shattered.

"Mirror Double"? Lumian's heart jolted.

Does Albus have a "Mirror Double"?

No—he never used one in any previous danger!

Albus's figure emerged from a mirror near the summit of the corpse-peaked mountain, smiling as he transformed into a blazing white-blue flame spear and flew back to the battlefield—the mirror was a remnant of Sylister's "Mirror Maze."

He had no "Mirror Double," but he too could traverse the "Mirror World" via the crystal necklace wrapped around his wrist; during Lumian's first attack, he had secretly prepared a mirror, hiding it beneath his tattered jacket at his waist.

That incomprehensible monster appeared so suddenly, so strangely, chasing after you—I wouldn't have failed to prepare against you in this regard, would I?

And how to quickly escape battle without a "Mirror Double," avoiding its effects—you've already demonstrated it twice!

Seeing the flame spear hurtling toward him, Lumian, still in viscous black liquid form, immediately seeped into the cracks between corpses and bones, escaping the summit.

His courageous self did not intend to flee, to avoid being trapped again by "War Fog" without the "Mirror Clasp"; he planned to circle around to the opposite side and seek new opportunities to corrupt Albus Medich.

He would never run!

At that moment, Lumian suddenly felt a strong wave of weakness.

Has my spiritual energy drained prematurely? No—it's not just spiritual energy… As he reverted to human form, he released his pent-up spiritual energy.

Ding!

His right hand inexplicably lost strength, unable to hold the "Sword of Courage"; he could only watch helplessly as the iron-black straight sword fell to the ground, striking a bone-white skeleton.

"Why didn't I first 'teleport' to create distance?"

"I—I seem to be sick…"

Lumian was startled, immediately activating the black mark on his right shoulder, vanishing from the area near the summit of the corpse-peaked mountain.

He left the "Sword of Courage" behind, temporarily not retrieving it.

He hoped the opponent would trigger one of its negative effects—in another dozen minutes, if the "Sword of Courage" remained unsealed, it would attack everyone nearby indiscriminately.

And now, those near the "Sword of Courage" were Albus Medich and Sylister.

The moment Lumian's figure materialized on the wasteland, Albus on the summit of the corpse-peaked mountain slightly furrowed his brow.

The "Red Angel" descendant's body swayed slightly, noticeably weaker than before.

He, too, seemed to be sick.

(End of Chapter)