Chapter 899: The Special

Lu Mi didn't fully rely on his spirituality; he meticulously searched the area behind the mirror and found nothing.

"Could this be the 'Mirror Person' of the 'Black Witch'?" Fu Lan Ka asked, puzzled.

"The 'Mirror Person' of the 'Black Witch' shouldn't be this weak," Lu Mi shook his head.

Both tried using the "Magic Mirror Divination," but received no valid revelations.

"Should we try asking the one who gives the most accurate divination results?" Fu Lan Ka suggested, her fear and aversion barely concealed.

Lu Mi thought for a moment and said:

"Let's consult the 'Magician' lady and the others before considering that option."

Perhaps the 'Magician' lady could learn from the Spirit World what the deceased 'Black Witch' truly was.

Fu Lan Ka exhaled in relief, turning her gaze toward the mirror's exit, speaking with lingering dread:

"Just now, the 'Black Witch' completely ignored the room being petrified—it terrified me! Such an obvious anomaly was right before her eyes, yet she acted as if blind. At least pretend to notice!"

Didn't I also diligently perform until the end, even though I knew the excuse I gave couldn't convince you?

Lu Mi paused for a moment and said:

"Perhaps she truly didn't notice."

"This… you're even better at telling horror stories than I am!" Fu Lan Ka shuddered.

"Maybe the death of this 'Black Witch' caused partial sensory or spiritual loss in the true 'Black Witch,' making her unable to detect corresponding signs for a short time," Lu Mi mused, offering a hypothesis.

Fu Lan Ka nodded thoughtfully:

"So the 'Black Witch' you killed was a fragment of the true 'Black Witch,' split off for unknown reasons?"

"If we could master all esoteric knowledge related to the 'Eternal Witch,' we'd likely find the answer," Lu Mi hummed.

"Not necessarily," Fu Lan Ka rebutted, as always jumping ahead in thought, "Maybe this isn't the 'Eternal Witch's' trait, but a unique quality of the 'Black Witch' herself. Didn't you say her status and role within the Witch Cult didn't match her Sequence?"

"That's a possibility," Lu Mi agreed with Fu Lan Ka, "Whether it's you, me, or Jian Na, if we want to advance further along the 'Witch' Path, we must understand and master these secrets—that's why we can't avoid the Witch Cult and must interact with them."

But I want to switch to the 'Hunter' Path in the future… hmm, Sequence 4 must be the 'Despair Witch,' and maybe at Sequence 3 I can leave the Witch Cult—but the 'Eternal Witch' sounds so appealing: eternal youth, hard to kill, skilled at resurrection, utterly resilient and immortal, never aging… Should I switch paths at Sequence 2? But becoming an Angel must be incredibly, incredibly difficult—I only know one Angel among the Major Arcana: the 'Magician' lady… Fu Lan Ka fell into self-doubt and inner turmoil.

She glanced at Lu Mi, then suddenly chuckled:

"I just resisted the 'Black Witch's' 'Enchantment'!"

Her eyebrows and eyes seemed to say: Praise me!

Lu Mi glanced at the fool:

"I remember when we first met—you were mature, sharp, charming, decisive, a trustworthy older sister—but now…"

"Pfft, trustworthy older brother," Fu Lan Ka instinctively corrected, "Everyone has different sides. Can you act the same way toward strangers as you do toward brothers you'd trust with your life? Can you handle daily trivialities and sudden crises with the same style? That'd be exhausting."

She regained her pride:

"That was a Sequence 3 'Eternal Witch'! Even though she didn't directly use 'Enchantment,' just her beauty, the inherent allure of a high-ranking Witch, and her ever-shifting aura—few men could refuse her. But I did!"

Lu Mi walked toward the dark exit leading back to the living room, saying casually:

"It's good you could refuse. Though becoming the 'Black Witch's' lover lets you enjoy her physical form and the 'Ecstasy' she brings, and gradually earn her true trust, it also slowly traps you, leading to irreversible corruption, making you abandon everything you once valued."

"Right," Fu Lan Ka automatically replied, then tugged at her ponytail, "But that's not the point! The point is—do you know why I could refuse the 'Black Witch's' offer?"

"You thought of Jian Na?" Lu Mi considered briefly.

Fu Lan Ka nodded happily, in the tone of: Of course you're the one who understands me best:

"Exactly!"

Lu Mi didn't ask for details; he kept walking, preparing to return to the real world.

At that moment, Fu Lan Ka, struck by sudden inspiration and impulse, added:

"I thought of you too…"

The moment she spoke, the 'Pain Witch' froze, as if struck by lightning.

Shit, why did I say that?

Fu Lan Ka instantly wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it; at the same time, she quickly reviewed her previous state to determine if she'd been manipulated—or if it was truly a momentary impulse.

Seeing Lu Mi stop walking, his expression now strangely complex, she finally confirmed: it was spiritual insight that had driven her to act, to try.

As Jian Na had said before: Lu Mi must clearly know he is still valued, loved, needed.

Since it was out, let's keep going! Fu Lan Ka stared at Lu Mi, lost in thought, deliberately speaking defiantly:

"I don't know why I thought of you then—I thought we were just a purely physical relationship. Maybe it's because you were just watching in the guest room."

Lu Mi instinctively let out a soft "Huh," as if wanting to refute.

He didn't say anything similar, but asked in a low voice:

"What exactly did you think of me?"

Shit, you're really asking? Brother, who says things like that out loud! Fu Lan Ka mentally screamed even as she smiled warmly, studying Lu Mi:

"For some reason, I feel you've become even more beautiful since touching the relics of Oumeibela—the sealed artifact. You're almost comparable to the Sequence 3 'Black Witch'—well, at least in one of her moods."

Normally, beauty can't be quantified—but on the 'Witch' Path, it can. Higher Sequence Witches inherently possess greater feminine allure and are more likely to be more beautiful, unless the lower Sequence Witch was already exceptionally attractive or improved her appearance through other means—like the 'Lie' earrings or exposure to the extremity of beauty's corruption—and Lu Mi met both conditions.

Before Lu Mi could respond, Fu Lan Ka deliberately sighed:

"Back then, I should've recalled you—the one whose charm rivals the 'Black Witch'—but strangely, I remembered the you from the beginning: stubborn, bratty, like a little brother. Maybe I didn't want to perform a bad show in front of my brother."

After a few seconds, Lu Mi glanced at Fu Lan Ka:

"Perhaps Jian Na and I have become your anchors."

Hey, don't say it so seriously, so textbook-like… Fu Lan Ka muttered, then asked:

"Could the 'Black Witch's' request for me to contact the Emperor Party's core members carry hidden risks?"

"I thought she'd assign me tasks related to the special mirror worlds—like the previous investigations into the 'Mirror Person'—but she hasn't recalled them either."

"The Emperor Party's new plan may be connected to the special mirror worlds," Lu Mi said flatly.

"Huh?" Fu Lan Ka looked utterly confused.

How did that connect?

Lu Mi explained simply:

"Have you forgotten who leads the 'Mirror Person'?"

"The Emperor Rosel in the mirror… the Emperor Party… I get it!" Fu Lan Ka suddenly understood.

She immediately scanned Lu Mi up and down:

"Why do I feel you've become smarter?"

"It's the result of blending the 'Witch' Path and the 'Hunter' Path," Lu Mi slightly smiled, "Before, I gathered clues and analyzed details through the 'Conspirator's' ability to deduce conclusions. Now, I first receive inspirations and ideas, then use the 'Conspirator' to analyze possibilities—this saves a lot of time. Just now, when the 'Black Witch' mentioned the Emperor Party worships Rosel and wants to restore the empire, I naturally thought of Rosel in the mirror, then connected the two."

"You're making me want to switch paths too…" Fu Lan Ka muttered, following Lu Mi back into the still gray-and-white Apartment 702.

She took 300 Fierjin from the 'Traveler's Satchel' and placed them under a small 'stone.'

It was compensation for the landlord.

After doing this, Fu Lan Ka turned back to glance at the full-length mirror, now tinged with gray, and said sadly:

"The 'Ice Amulet's' 'Mirror Travel' ability is used up, and the 'Black Witch' didn't give me another…"

"You'll get a new one soon—though it'll only work five or six times," Lu Mi said casually.

"What?" Fu Lan Ka frowned at her companion, "Where's the new amulet coming from?"

Lu Mi pointed at himself:

"Me.

"You forgot I'm the 'Despair Witch'—I can create similar talismans by praying to myself?"

"Oh right," Fu Lan Ka was momentarily captivated by Lu Mi's tone and expression.

Who could resist a beautiful girl saying that while making that gesture!

After Lu Mi opened the door and left, Fu Lan Ka suddenly realized:

His mood seems better—he's even answering my questions with a slightly lighter tone now!

Hehe… Fu Lan Ka hurried after him, her steps light and airy.

…………

Nighttime, Underground Trill, inside a disused quarry cavern.

Lu Mi and Ludwig watched as Anthony successfully summoned the Head-Bird Demon in the name of the 'Fool'—but failed to gain its recognition or secure a contract.

—The Head-Bird Demon is a component of the Sequence 5 'Dream Walker's' Ascension Ritual on the 'Audience' Path.

"If you'd summoned it by normal means, I could force it to sign a contract with you," Lu Mi said casually as Anthony lowered the 'Spirit Wall' and stepped out.

But now, summoned in the name of the 'Fool,' both sides communicated in peaceful harmony.

Anthony nodded:

"But normal methods won't work—it won't respond.

"I plan to pray again to the 'Fool' next month, hoping for his Angel's protection. This is another method provided by the 'Justice' lady—but such prayers should be spaced apart."

"Next month... In a few days we should enter the 'Fool's' dream. Having a 'Dream Walker' would help a lot..." Lu Mi's eyes flickered; he turned to Ludwig beside him, "What ingredients can help Anthony stay awake in the dream? Even briefly is enough."

ps: End of month—please vote for monthly tickets~

(End of Chapter)