Chapter 846: The Body

Lu Mi pressed his hand against the mirror's surface and activated the contract ability of the "Mirror Mark."

He immediately sensed multiple marks he had left behind—some clear, some faint, others like distant glimmers beyond the horizon.

The clear ones originated from Morlan Avini's study and the apartment where Franca Jiana rented; the faint ones shifted constantly, moving locations, stemming from the treasure vault of the "Azure Avenger"; the rest, like glimmers beyond the horizon, gave Lu Mi a sense of being separated by darkness, impossibly distant and unreachable—they were the marks Lu Mi had left on mirrors across Morola.

At the same time, Lu Mi felt a powerful summons, sensing a strange, firm, intimate connection between himself and the "City of Exile."

Before his eyes, a dim, dark, illusory world and a mountain of corpses faintly surfaced; the acrid stench of rust and blood filled his nostrils; his third eye throbbed slightly.

"If I wish, I can now use 'Black Tear' to step through the mirror and 'teleport' back to Morola…" Lu Mi suddenly realized this.

Of course, such "teleportation" would require passing through that peculiar mirror world, which for Lu Mi was extremely, extremely dangerous.

Lu Mi withdrew his attention and examined the changes within himself since becoming the Proxy of "0—01."

Soon, he reached a conclusion:

"In Morola, '0—01' would help me absorb part of the damage, and I could shift the weather toward similar conditions, or intensify the current weather into a disaster; I could also generate localized war mists and use abilities like 'Battle Roar' and 'Battle Song' to enhance myself and allies while weakening enemies…"

"Additionally, I can temporarily become equivalent to a Sequence 4 'Ironblood Knight,' lacking only divinity and an incomplete mythic form—everything else is present, though weaker than a true 'Ironblood Knight.' In truth, this resembles receiving a Sequence 4 Blessing, yet higher-level Blessings carry divinity as well…"

"If I abandon my self, I could briefly approach Sequence 3…"

"Heh, all of the above can only be achieved in Morola—'0—01' is sealed; outside Morola, it cannot exert any influence."

"But the Proxy status—or rather, the physical changes brought by this corruption—is undeniably real and will not regress."

"My body's resistance to blunt trauma has significantly improved; though still not on par with a 'Warrior' Path Sequence 6 'Dawn Knight' clad in armor, I no longer die instantly from a single bullet to the head. Unless the enemy targets my weak points or uses 'Harvest,' it takes two or three shots to crack open my skull…"

"Strength, speed, reaction, constitution, and agility have all improved similarly; my body has also shifted toward a more masculine, rugged form. Thank goodness I can burn away facial hair—otherwise, within half a day I'd be sporting a scruffy beard?"

"My spirituality has increased by roughly forty to fifty percent; after one more daily accumulation, I no longer suffer from spiritual depletion anxiety…"

"Hmm, following my sister's and Franca's habitual phrasing, my fire resistance has also greatly improved—flames below a certain temperature can barely harm me; at least a Sequence 5's blazing white flame is needed for any real effect. Heh, after using 'Demon's Whisper,' the damage and pain from sulfuric flames will drop noticeably… Wait, I've grown three or four centimeters taller…"

Lu Mi felt he was now a giant, hardened version of a "Harvester."

"All that studying wasn't in vain…" he murmured, opened his bedroom door, and stepped out.

Ludwig had just woken up, wearing a blue cap with yellow stars, cheerfully sipping milk.

Lu Mi glanced at Lu Jianuo bustling in the kitchen and smiled as he asked his godson:

"What magical dish did you make from the 'Depriver's' stomach? How much is left?"

Ludwig froze for a second:

"I ate it all."

"..." Lu Mi raised an eyebrow. "I thought you'd save some to make a dish with special effects and share it with us."

After a few seconds of silence, Ludwig spoke with perfect honesty:

"I couldn't resist the temptation."

Lu Mi stared at the boy until he lowered his head, guiltily.

"This time I'll let it pass—I understand your craving—but knowing your mistake means you must correct it, understood?" Lu Mi's expression softened again.

He wasn't angry that Ludwig had devoured the 'Depriver's' stomach and left him nothing; to him, such things were lost once missed, insignificant. His sternness stemmed purely from his duty as an educator.

Whether as godfather or team leader, he bore responsibility to act this way—only then could he complete the ritual and ascend to 'Ironblood Knight' as soon as possible.

"Yes, godfather," Ludwig whispered.

Lu Mi sat down, waiting for his breakfast while asking Ludwig:

"Have you reached 'Depriver' yet?"

"Almost. I can already use a small amount of 'Depriver' abilities," Ludwig said, gulping more milk.

Lu Mi gave a slight nod and asked no further.

…………

Trier, Memorial District, Aoluosaijie No. 9, Apartment 702.

After breakfast, Lu Mi went to visit Franca and Jiana.

He politely rang the doorbell—after all, at this hour, the two "Witches" might be half-dressed or in revealing attire.

—Winter had passed; given the "Witches'" resistance to cold, they could comfortably wear only a single layer indoors.

Ding-dong, ding-dong—Franca opened the door, wearing a woman's shirt, fitted trousers, and fluffy slippers.

She stared at Lu Mi in surprise:

"You're back from the 'City of Exile'?"

That was too fast.

Last time they spoke, you were still studying!

As Lu Mi stepped past Franca into the apartment, he smiled:

"Your 'Mirror Clasp' is gone—I used it up."

"No matter," Franca, now possessing the "Ice Talisman," waved dismissively.

Lu Mi was about to speak when he noticed Jiana standing by the dining table—her face skin appeared deeply cleansed, smooth and delicate; her crystalline eyes resembled autumn streams, brimming with countless emotions and unspoken words, drawing one irresistibly inward; her simple, light-colored, fitted dress outlined a perfectly proportioned yet unexaggerated figure; her exposed skin held an indescribable allure.

Lu Mi's throat tightened suddenly; his body ignited with uncontrollable heat.

After several seconds, he tore his gaze away and regarded Jiana thoughtfully:

"You've ascended to 'Pleasure'?"

"Yes," Jiana smiled mischievously. "Looks like that potion wasn't fake."

Lu Mi snorted:

"Were you just showing off your charm?"

"No," Jiana laughed softly. "Perhaps the potion's power is still leaking after my ascension. But your self-control isn't as strong as I imagined."

Uh… Lu Mi also felt his reaction had been uncharacteristic of a "Penitent." He suspected residual malice from using 'Demon's Whisper'—it would take time to fully fade—and the "Traveler's Satchel" now held the "Black Tear" forehead ornament—though this Level 1 Anomaly was isolated, the satchel couldn't fully block its influence; minor negative effects inevitably leaked out.

That was why he regularly burned the occult pathogens within that isolated space.

He gave himself an excuse, scoffing:

"It's because I'm still weak—my emotions and desires are more volatile."

Watching their interaction, Franca felt inexplicably sour. She changed the subject eagerly:

"When Jiana ascended, we got an important, unexpected piece of information. Guess what."

Lu Mi pulled up a chair and sat, pondering:

"Related to Crismanna?"

Franca sat beside him and clicked her tongue:

"Sharp. Guess who Crismanna's father is."

Lu Mi had intended to observe Franca and Jiana's expressions, but the two "Witches'" beauty shone so brightly he instinctively looked away.

He paused briefly:

"Given your tone and expression, I'll guess the most unlikely possibility:

"'Blood Emperor' Arista Tudo!"

Franca and Jiana's expressions froze.

Lu Mi blinked in surprise:

"Did I guess right?"

"Yes. Congratulations," Franca nodded solemnly.

"This… isn't occult logic…" Lu Mi voiced the same doubts Franca and Jiana had previously expressed.

The two "Witches" immediately recounted their discussion.

As Lu Mi listened, his brow furrowed slightly.

"What's wrong?" Jiana asked sharply.

Lu Mi rubbed his chin:

"I remembered something that happened in Morola."

"What?" Franca had wanted to ask about Lu Mi's exact experiences in Morola.

Considering the contamination risks tied to "0—01" knowledge, Lu Mi focused on his conflicts with Abris, Zhu Li, Wanack, and others, emphasizing the importance of books and knowledge.

"In short, I'm now the Proxy of '0—01,' but this power only functions in Morola," Lu Mi mused. "I'm puzzled: why did I survive and escape after Zhu Li summoned the deity and turned me to stone? Why didn't I die?"

Franca clicked her lips:

"You 'Hunters'—always circling, scheming, never straightforward!"

She laughed:

"I think the Primordial threw you out of the divine descent zone. It didn't want the last hope of the 'Blood Emperor's' resurrection to vanish. What's that? True love!"

Lu Mi didn't immediately refute this near-joke. After a few seconds, he mused:

"Maybe not love—just necessity.

"Perhaps the Primordial needs the 'Blood Emperor' to resurrect before the purpose of creating that special mirror world can proceed further…"

(End of Chapter)