[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-ring-of-fate":3,"chapter-the-ring-of-fate-the-ring-of-fate-chapter-844":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Ring of Fate",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2298813,4496,"Chapter 844: Leave","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-844",844,"\u003Cp>“Omirabella...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the voice of “Pus-Swollen Severed Hand” and hearing it call out that name, a chill surged up Lumian’s spine, racing to the back of his skull, leaving erect body hair and beads of cold sweat in its wake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he didn’t know when the “Pus-Swollen Severed Hand” had regrown bones and flesh from the ashes to return to its original form, he had already prepared for the possibility that it might behave abnormally as it passed him, given the contract forged through the Path of “Fate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lumian wasn’t overly concerned—now they were essentially “colleagues,” and the situation shouldn’t turn dangerous—but he hadn’t expected the “Pus-Swollen Severed Hand” to call out “Omirabella” to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was straight out of a horror story!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a fleeting instant, Lumian couldn’t help wondering whether he had already been subtly corroded by Omirabella, the Divine Child of the “Great Mother,” and was gradually being replaced by it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Pus-Swollen Severed Hand,” standing in pure darkness without revealing any form, paused for several seconds, then continued walking with its pile of iron golems and undead soldiers, stiff and expressionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Lumian snap back to awareness, pondering the cause of what had just occurred:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“According to Ludwig’s account, certain beings created directly by the ‘Great Mother’ or granted her blessing—those lacking the necessary wisdom—can sense the trace of Omirabella’s bloodline within me and regard me as the ‘Great Mother’s’ Divine Child...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The severed hand first revived, only for the divine descent to interrupt it; later, it was controlled by ‘0—01’ and became its puppet. That feminine transformation trend seemed to halt because of it—meaning it hasn’t truly revived, has lost its self-will, and indeed lacks the necessary wisdom.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it one of the ‘Great Mother’s’ direct creations, or did it receive her blessing? Hmm... was the corruption that turned it female, pushing it toward the extreme of beauty, originally from the ‘Great Mother’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It does seem plausible—just a single drop of blood grew a complete body, with a strong sense of rebirth...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But that doesn’t make sense—if this logic holds, the severed hand should address me as ‘Respected Divine Child’ and show some degree of submission. Heh—he dared to call the Divine Child by name! That’s blasphemy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lumian muttered a few curses inwardly, growing even more puzzled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, if “Omirabella” is truly an honorific title, the severed hand should only know that I am the Divine Child, not know the Divine Child’s real name. The “Great Mother,” being a demon goddess, surely doesn’t have just one Divine Child—she might be giving birth constantly. How could a being lacking proper wisdom distinguish between them, or even know their names...?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Unless... unless Omirabella is the most unique Divine Child—or unless the severed hand knew Omirabella in life, that former Giant Queen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lumian raised his right hand, stroking his chin, deciding he must report these events to the “Magician” lady as soon as he stepped outside, to see if they could investigate the “Pus-Swollen Severed Hand’s” original identity—perhaps some historical records in the new White Silver City held clues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few seconds of thought, Lumian’s figure vanished from the spot—he “teleported” back to the peak region of the Bone Peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After being interrupted by the “Pus-Swollen Severed Hand,” he remembered he still hadn’t collected his spoils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the “Pain Witch” Exquisite Trait extracted by Sylvestre—later usable by Jianna.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Julie’s portion, after the divine descent and the descent of the tainted blood, Lumian had no idea where it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dead, pure darkness, Lumian placed the formless “Pain Witch” Exquisite Trait into the “Traveler’s Satchel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even stuffed two chunks of Sylvestre’s corpse inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe they can serve as auxiliary materials—if not, I can give them to Ludwig. The old man’s been away so long, he deserves a gift. I just wonder if this counts as ‘dirty’ in Ludwig’s eyes...” Lumian muttered, then “teleported” to the edge of the wilderness, leaving the region slumbering in dead darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leveraging his status as the “0—01” Proxy, he swiftly and smoothly exited the underground mausoleum and returned to the entrance area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lumian immediately opened his eyes and saw the blue sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the morning sun shone bright but not harsh; the air, fresh after rain, carried a faint scent of char.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having spent over ten hours in the eternal darkness of the underground mausoleum, Lumian felt as if he’d stepped out of another lifetime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he saw dozens of heads—each dragging a white, blood-stained spine—hovering in midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were countless, numbering in the thousands, their gazes fixed on the entrance of the underground mausoleum, on Lumian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some of these heads, Lumian had seen before—they were regulars from the “Carnivore” Bar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The aftermath of ‘0—01’s’ activation?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are thousands, maybe tens of thousands...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this some kind of sacrifice?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The ‘Red Priestess’...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Lumian’s thoughts flashed, he raised both hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His third eye grew hot, prickling slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A violent hurricane erupted, blowing the thousands of heads dragging white spines away from the graveyard, hurling them back into the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those flying heads seemed to sense Lumian’s will—drifting with the wind, they descended, settling back onto their headless bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So this was the Proxy’s special ability? Too bad—it only works in Morola... Lumian lowered his hands, studied them for several seconds, and walked out of the graveyard with regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the graveyard gate, a banished man was pressing his returned head and twisting it hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His head rotated from facing the spine back to the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Lumian watching him, he smiled and spoke like a normal person:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Today, the weather, is really nice, ah...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” Lumian replied with a relaxed smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He “teleported” directly back to the “Carnivore” Bar, his figure materializing at the door of Julie’s room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Les’s corpse on the bed was gone—even Julie’s collection had vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Enforcers have been here... Did they bury Les’s body in the graveyard?” Lumian vanished thoughtfully from the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, he appeared at the entrance of the Knowledge Church.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked in, approached Heraberg, who wore a plain white robe edged with golden copper thread, and smiled as he pulled out the books he had borrowed from the “Traveler’s Satchel”:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Archbishop, I’ve finished reading them all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Lumian felt Heraberg had aged slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really finished?” Heraberg smiled in reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lumian “uh”ed, then answered honestly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I haven’t listened to two yet—but I can’t listen anymore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heraberg nodded in satisfaction:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Know what you know, don’t pretend to know what you don’t.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he took the books, he said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Indeed, no need to read these anymore. I must warn you—these books are infected with disease. So are the other items in your bag. You must handle them properly—burn or purify them. Don’t let the disease spread.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is Sylvestre’s “1”-class artifact this powerful? Even inside the “Traveler’s Satchel,” it’s still generating “disease”... Lumian said sincerely:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll be careful. Thank you, Archbishop.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Archbishop, how do you seal an item that spreads fatal disease?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heraberg studied Lumian for several seconds, then laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed to another brass bookshelf:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That one, that one, that one—take them, read them, learn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course—the teacher never gives direct answers... Lumian didn’t resist further study, pulled out those books, and stuffed them into the “Traveler’s Satchel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he forced a smile:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Archbishop, how can I leave Morola?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The silver-haired Heraberg spoke with deep meaning:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No one has ever forbidden residents of Morola from leaving—only they don’t want to.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lumian paused, then asked with sudden understanding:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come the same way you leave?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heraberg gave an approving look, then pointed at Lumian’s body:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Would you like to change clothes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lumian looked down and realized his clothes, pants, and shoes were torn to shreds from the fierce battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to pull out spare clothes from the “Traveler’s Satchel,” but then remembered they too were likely infected with occult disease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heraberg pointed to a room near the staircase:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are clothes you can change into.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Archbishop,” Lumian sighed and hurried into the room, finding several plain white robes edged with golden copper thread hanging inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were the clerical garments of the Knowledge Church.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lumian glanced back at Heraberg, who was now flipping through books, then swiftly changed into a set matching his build.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he opened the heavy wooden door, slightly ajar, descended the stone steps one by one, and descended into the depths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corridor hadn’t changed since his arrival—the glowing gems embedded in the walls still provided dim light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That indescribable terrifying sound echoed again in Lumian’s ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lumian walked steadily toward the exit; now that he was the “0—01” Proxy, the more he walked, the more he felt this place truly resembled a long, endless esophagus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of creature could have such an esophagus? Lumian pondered for a while but found no answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this caution, he didn’t transform into a flame spear to speed through, nor did he teleport directly—he walked patiently for hours, finally reaching the pair of heavy brass doors again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He extended both hands, braced his back, and pushed— the massive doors groaned loudly as they slowly opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, no one was there—no guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lumian silently “huh”ed and stepped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t forget to shut the door behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dressed in the plain white robe edged with golden copper thread, he walked back, passing empty streets—but he felt invisible, sourceless gazes watching him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reaching the prison where he had been held, Lumian sensed it, then activated the black mark on his right shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He chose to “teleport” directly to Trill, to his rented apartment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body and spirit were still fine, but he felt a deep, overwhelming fatigue—he wanted to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Lumian materialized, he saw Ludwig enjoying afternoon tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ludwig looked up, his gaze suddenly freezing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy’s silver fork fell into the dessert plate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Recommend a book — Xiao Lang’s new novel, “Strange Tales of the Northern Qi,” a rare historical fiction about that mad bunch of Northern Qi figures, refreshingly original.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Summary: In the tenth year of Tianbao, the heroic Son of Heaven Gao Yang played the thigh-bone pipa, singing and playing himself; as the accompaniment sounded, it was bizarre, absurd, terrifying, desperate, and agonizing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That year, Liu Taizi, who lived by the Zhang River, caught some fish — and the story began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1729,"2026-06-20T06:22:37.987Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1d862e0d9b703bab9f6608927b322fac61da4a0daaf59e30b4a44ed883e9e074","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-845","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-843",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ring-of-fate-cover.jpg"]