Chapter 845: Black Tear

Seeing genuine fear in Ludwig's eyes, Lu Mi looked down at himself and noticed the plain white robe embroidered with brass thread.

He let out a laugh and said to his godson:

"Don't be afraid—there's no exam, and no studying."

Ludwig's eyes brightened, his expression gradually relaxing.

Just moments ago, he'd thought his godfather had joined the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, and felt as if the sky were collapsing.

Lu Mi glanced at Lu Jianuo, who had hastily risen to his feet, then pulled the stomach sack of the former owner of "Carnivore" bar from "The Traveler's Satchel" and tossed it to Ludwig:

"This is a gift for you."

After his journey to Morola, Lu Mi was no longer bound by his promise and could now acquire divinity, so he decided to accelerate the development of his hunter team—Ludwig being its most crucial member.

One of the rituals to tame the sealed angel was to bestow favors.

Ludwig's expression instantly became extraordinarily vivid, as if he had been lifted from the abyss straight into heaven.

He eagerly reached to bite into the "Depriver's" stomach sack right then and there.

Lu Mi rubbed his temple and warned:

"It's infected with a mystical pathogen—best disinfect it first, to prevent the disease from spreading."

"Mystical pathogen…" Lu Jianuo jumped back, instinctively putting distance between himself and Ludwig.

As a professional "physician," he activated his "Spirit Sight," stared at the sack for two seconds, and indeed detected traces of disease.

Ludwig bit into the gastric region and mumbled:

"If I swallow it, the disease won't spread."

"And what about you?" Lu Mi asked, amused.

"At most, my stomach will ache for fifteen or twenty minutes," Ludwig replied carelessly.

So I won't purify the food inside "The Traveler's Satchel"? After all, you eating it won't really hurt… Lu Mi muttered, then turned toward his bedroom.

After tearing off a couple bites, Ludwig lifted his head amid his meal, hesitated, then said:

"Thank you, thank you, Godfather."

Lu Mi smiled and nodded approvingly:

"Good—you've made great progress in manners."

Ludwig suddenly shivered.

His godfather's tone and expression now resembled those of the people he feared most.

His teachers!

Lu Mi said no more, entered his bedroom, spread out a sheet of paper, and wrote a concise account of his journey to Morola, detailing the problems he'd encountered.

Then he summoned the "Doll" messenger and handed it the letter along with "The Traveler's Satchel."

The "Doll" messenger pinched "The Traveler's Satchel" between two fingers, complaining bitterly:

"Don't just shove everything into it!

"It's filthy! Filthy! It's become a trash bin!"

Lu Mi chuckled awkwardly:

"What else can I do?"

Should I carry those sealed items directly?

Their negative effects combined might kill me on the spot.

After sending off the "Doll" messenger, Lu Mi collapsed onto his bed without even tidying the desk that had become an altar, closed his eyes, and let his body relax.

In Morola, he'd not only stayed up late reading, but also slept uneasily—after all, a mad "witch" lived next door, and enemies could strike at any moment, leaving his mind perpetually tense and his spirit constantly on guard.

Now, for the first time in a long while, he finally felt safe.

Lu Mi fell asleep quickly, slumbering deeply until he awoke at six a. . the next morning.

"Phew—refreshing, invigorating," Lu Mi sat up, stretched, and saw "The Traveler's Satchel" and a reply letter on his desk.

"The messenger came, and I didn't wake up… That means I still trust her…" Lu Mi muttered, then walked to the desk and pulled back the curtains.

In the morning light, he sat down and read the reply from the "Magician" lady:

"For now, leaving a mark and becoming an agent is sufficient; other matters can wait. At least on the matter of '0—01,' you've already outpaced the Witch Cult and the 'Red Angel.'

But nothing comes without cost—this marks your formal entry into the arena to compete for the 'Red Priest' divine seat. You'll attract greater attention and face greater dangers. Previously, the Witch Cult might have viewed you as a potential ally, and the Red Angel might have considered using you. Now, eliminating you swiftly to free the '0—01' agent position is a real option they'll seriously consider.

"You should also warn 'Holy Grail II' about this, so she doesn't accidentally get manipulated by the Witch Cult.

"Of course, since both the Witch Cult and the Red Angel have gained something—each left a drop of blood on '0—01'—their urgency to target you isn't yet extreme.

"Regarding the 'Pus-Weeping Hand,' because major disasters occurred in the Fourth, Third, and Second Eras, many folk legends were lost. Moreover, the Hand bears signs of high-rank contamination possibly originating from the 'Great Mother,' making direct divination impossible. We must rely on indirect methods, making it difficult to obtain the most effective information. Thus, we've been unable to determine when the earliest legends appeared, only confirming its existence by the early Fifth Era.

"Based on your description of its appearance and state, we reasonably suspect the 'Pus-Weeping Hand' was once an angel-tier vampire. According to rumors within the bloodline, none of the three vampire dukes—including the ancient elder from the Second Era, 'Duke of the Full Moon,' Almer—has any memory of such a kin.

"Remember: a Rank-2 angel equals a vampire duke. Even across the bloodline's long history, the total number of dukes that ever existed was extremely limited; it's impossible for them not to know or remember each other.

"The New Silver City is currently searching historical texts related to Oumibera for possible clues. I'll inform you once we find anything."

So the Hand isn't from the bloodline… No wonder the "Magician" lady called it a vampire. Hmm—high-rank beings of the 'Moon' Path aren't vampires, just like the 'Rose Sect's' 'Primordial Moon' worshippers are never recognized as vampires—they're all just called "artificial vampires…" Lu Mi leaned back in his chair and continued reading:

"You might also try inquiring with the 'Aurora Society.' Their deity holds secrets that rank among the greatest even among true gods.

"According to my divination, Albus Medici hasn't died. His ancestor, the 'Red Angel,' after entering Trill during the Fourth Era via the Inn Project, may have formed some tacit understanding with one or more entities within the Special Mirror World, significantly reducing Albus's risk of being trapped in Morola.

"Don't regret it—it's a good thing. At least we now know the 'Red Angel' may cooperate with powerful beings in the Special Mirror World on certain matters.

"The '1'-rank sealed item is called 'Black Tear'—it's the tear shed by a dead 'Despair Witch,' fused with her transcendental essence.

"'Black Tear' continuously generates the same mystical pathogen you were infected with, causing it to spread endlessly without stopping.

"Wearing 'Black Tear' will significantly enhance your charm and make it slightly more feminine, but won't change your gender.

"'Black Tear' can help you master part of mirror magic, including transmitting messages through the Mirror World, traveling within mirrors, and creating mirror illusions.

"It also makes your 'Harvest' deadlier, allowing you to channel all your power into a single 'Harvest.'

"In locations with a Special Mirror World, 'Black Tear' lets you preliminarily harness the corresponding special power.

"These are its effects. The negative effects are:

"The wearer will also be infected by the mystical pathogen; the 'Pain Witch' suffers less and has stronger resistance;

"The wearer will periodically experience 'Ecstasy,' every 45 to 90 seconds;

"Even merely carrying it will make you more emotional, more easily moved or persuaded;

"Possessing 'Black Tear' also carries a chance of encountering unwanted love—based on the dying curse of the 'Despair Witch.'"

Reading this, Lu Mi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow:

This sealed item seems more suited to appear in forbidden books like "The Monk Chasing the Dog."

Experiencing 'Ecstasy' every 45 to 90 seconds during combat is a major problem!

Fu Lan Ka can't use it either—unless she finishes the fight instantly. But mystical "disease" infection takes time… For now, I'll treat it as an infinite-use 'Mirror Lock'—use it once, then immediately reseal it… Lu Mi pondered for a while, then read the "Magician" lady's sealing method:

"The most universal solution is to find a 'Sun' Path sealed item capable of continuously purifying its surroundings, and place it alongside 'Black Tear.' How to mitigate the negative effects of that 'Sun' Path item is another matter.

"The simplest but most restrictive solution is to place 'Black Tear' inside a mirror, so its mystical pathogen affects only the area behind the glass. Don't worry—the pathogen can't traverse mirrors; the disease won't spread. The problem is: if you have no other item capable of using the Mirror World, once you put it in, you can't take it out. And if the mirror sealing 'Black Tear' shatters, it will be lost forever in the Mirror World, wandering somewhere unknown.

"The most customized solution is: I've isolated a separate, disconnected space inside 'The Traveler's Satchel.' You just need to periodically toss in a flame that burns continuously for over half an hour, burning away the mystical pathogen.

"I've already purified all other items inside 'The Traveler's Satchel'—no need to worry about infection."

After finishing the letter, Lu Mi exhaled deeply.

This is the benefit of the "Tarot Meeting."

After burning the letter, he inspected "The Traveler's Satchel," confirming that Shaliste's extracted "Pain Witch" essence was a beautiful eye, which, along with the corpse fragments, had also been sealed into the isolated space for 'Black Tear'—if he ever wants to use it, he must first purify or "disinfect" it.

He hung up "The Traveler's Satchel" and walked toward the full-length mirror in his room.

(End of Chapter)