[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-ring-of-fate":3,"chapter-the-ring-of-fate-the-ring-of-fate-chapter-99":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},2298068,4496,"Chapter 99: Courage (Requesting Monthly Votes)","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-99",99,"\u003Cp>Lu Mi sat on the ground, gasping for breath, too exhausted to even move a single finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He watched silently as the clusters of crimson flames around him swayed in the wind, gradually dimming from intense heat until they vanished entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout this process, Lu Mi leaned forward, picked up the “Fallen Mercury” with his left hand, and kept his right palm clenched around the iron-black axe, prepared for any possible emergency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not divert his attention; he remained exceptionally alert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, inwardly he could not help but pray to the “Eternal Sun,” to that great being whose true name he did not know, hoping they would protect him from further misfortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, in his current state, even if the flame monster had not truly died and suddenly revived, or even if a common enemy like the skinless creature appeared, it would likely finish him off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed second by second; Lu Mi’s spiritual energy and physical strength slowly recovered a little, but his injuries worsened, causing his mind to occasionally drift into daze, unable to maintain focus:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The ‘Hunter’ must be cautious, prudent, calm, patient, adept at using the environment, and leveraging his own advantages—and must also possess courage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The courage to face unexpected situations head-on, the courage to never give up in the face of extreme crisis, the courage to make a decisive choice when there is no retreat, the courage to charge toward death in search of a path to life…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These thoughts flashed through Lu Mi’s mind, causing him to involuntarily lose focus—and suddenly, he felt the “Hunter” elixir had been fully digested:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if a barrier had been completely shattered, as if tiny sparks had fused with every part of his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining signs of his loss of control vanished almost entirely; his condition improved instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slowly rose to his feet and murmured softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s truly digested…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant he was now ready to ingest the next elixir.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi, his left hand wrapped in bandages as he gripped the silver-black short knife, scanned his surroundings, occasionally glancing at the flame monster’s corpse, patiently waiting for the extraordinary characteristic to separate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the gun monster, which had shown immediate changes, Lu Mi waited a full half-hour—so long he began to suspect the flame monster might not be dead, wondering whether he should deliver a few more strikes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, just as his injuries grew so severe he was on the verge of fainting, tiny crimson sparks like embers flew out from within the monster’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They resembled a swarm of fireflies, tightly surrounding the corpse, then slowly contracting inward, coalescing into a crimson object resembling a heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “heart” expanded and contracted slowly, its surface covered in dense tiny pores, each emitting faint, nearly invisible flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the main ingredient of the ‘Arsonist’ elixir?” Lu Mi whispered as he bent down and picked it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Intense burning pain surged from his palm into his mind, making him instinctively want to drop the “heart” and escape the agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Lu Mi had already suffered multiple burns on his skin from the flame monster, leaving him numb enough to endure this relatively minor injury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried wrapping the “heart” in cloth—but the cloth quickly caught fire and turned to ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi thought for a moment, placed the extraordinary material on the ground, wrapped the “Fallen Mercury” in his remaining black cloth strips, and reattached it to his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he opened the bag of lead bullets, took out the few remaining items inside, and tucked them into his coat pocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately after, Lu Mi dug up the surrounding soil and filled the bag with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the bag was about one-third full of earth, he picked up the “heart,” its surface flickering with faint flames, and dropped it inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn’t enough—Lu Mi kept stuffing more soil into the bag until the “heart” was completely surrounded on all sides, top and bottom, layered again and again with this hard-to-burn brown material.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhaled slowly, lifted the bag, and walked toward the edge of the ruins, pondering a newly realized problem:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m only Rank 9, and this is the main ingredient for Rank 7’s ‘Arsonist’—I can’t just leap straight to Rank 7, can I?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d lose control!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I originally thought the flame monster would yield one ‘Arsonist’ extraordinary characteristic, one ‘Provocateur’ characteristic, and one ‘Hunter’ characteristic—but they’re all mixed together…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unsure what to do, Lu Mi walked back with slightly unsteady steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the way, he was incredibly lucky—not a single monster appeared. Otherwise, given his current state, things would have become extremely troublesome and dangerous; his only hope had been to use his keen observation and acute senses to detect danger early and hide or evade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After an indeterminate amount of time, Lu Mi exited the dream ruins, crossed the barren wasteland devoid of weeds, and returned to his two-story semi-subterranean home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He struggled up to the second floor, removed the “Fallen Mercury,” the bag containing the “Arsonist” main ingredient, and the iron-black axe, placing them either on the nightstand or tossing them onto the floor, then walked over to the full-length mirror embedded in the wardrobe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi saw his reflection: his face was unnaturally pale and ashen, marked by burns from flames, and patches of faint silver-black stains lingered across his skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within his blue eyes, a phantom silver-white glow faintly emerged, twisting around itself, stained with black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the external manifestation of severe injury and near-loss of control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had it not been for the strong “home-field advantage” within these dream ruins, and had he not obtained the “Fallen Mercury” and gained the “Invisibility” ability, Lu Mi would have had almost no chance of hunting down the flame monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He chewed on dried meat and cheese, battling the intense hunger left by the possession state, then lay down on the bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He urgently needed to return to reality and rest for a while, to help his body heal quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Light pierced through the curtains, illuminating Aurora’s desk, cluttered with reference materials, reading notes, and stacks of manuscripts, as well as the wardrobe filled with dresses and the delicate full-length mirror beside it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Lu Mi opened his eyes, he saw his sister’s pale blue gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora, seeing him awaken, asked with concern:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How are you? Are you alright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew her brother had gone into the dream ruins to hunt the flame monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I succeeded,” Lu Mi muttered as he struggled to sit up, feeling his head hollow, his skin throbbing with pain, his bones as if they might break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But compared to the near-fatal injuries he suffered in the dream, this was nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He checked his body and found multiple patches of skin swollen and red, as if allergic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s good…” Aurora exhaled in relief. “You were convulsing and thrashing around nearly an hour ago—you kicked me awake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi gave a self-deprecating laugh:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was indeed in grave danger—almost lost control.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I hesitated whether to wake you up directly, but you calmed down quickly and stopped looking so terrifying,” Aurora said with palpable relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thought struck Lu Mi:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you just… watched me the whole time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course,” Aurora nodded frankly. “If anything happened, I had to shake you awake immediately, pull you back to reality before you died in the dream.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the hardship, pain, struggle, and terror of nearly dying in the dream were washed away by a warm current rising within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked instinctively:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You weren’t really woken by my kick—you never slept at all, did you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora smiled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I originally planned to stay awake, but then I thought—you might wait for that monster for hours, and I’d just finished my night shift. If I didn’t catch a little sleep, my mind would be foggy later, and I might miss the moment to wake you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So I decided to keep one hand on you while I snatched a few minutes of rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That way, if you moved, I’d feel it and wake up instantly. Heh—I really did get kicked!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, she pointed to her right calf, where a distinct bruise was visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Lu Mi could respond, she turned and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell me the details.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi lowered his voice and recounted how he set traps, ambushed in the middle of the road, had his clothes set ablaze and lost invisibility, and was forced to flee into the basement where he used meditation to fully activate the black thorn symbol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora listened intently, her expression tightening with worry at each perilous moment—clearly the kind of person who became deeply immersed in novels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he finished, Lu Mi asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How do I separate the ‘Provocateur’ characteristic from the ‘Arsonist’ one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he still didn’t know where to obtain the elixir formula.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora paused for several seconds before replying:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t know how to separate them—I’ve only heard that in similar cases, you might need help from a higher-rank Exceptional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A half-god?” Lu Mi guessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only people he knew who might be Rank 4 or above were three:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mysterious lady, Madame Pu Alishi, and the one lying in the tomb’s coffin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora nodded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Probably. Actually, you don’t need to worry—I suspect the mysterious lady will come to you soon and offer some help. She always appears at critical moments in your growth; this time should be no different, especially since the cycle hasn’t been broken and the secrets of the dream ruins remain unsolved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go to the old tavern to find her?” Lu Mi frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had agreed with Ryan and the others to avoid going out as much as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora made a soft “uh” sound:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait a bit—she might come to us directly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, Aurora sighed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For normal Exceptionals, elixir formulas aren’t much of an issue—but you’re different. You carry a sealed corruption; any mistake could trigger a loss of control. You need the complete, correct ‘Provocateur’ elixir formula.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why don’t normal Exceptionals need elixir formulas? Lu Mi asked, surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora explained:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They don’t need them because below Rank 7, you can advance by forcibly consuming the main ingredient.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Won’t that cause loss of control?” Lu Mi asked in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora hummed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A few years ago, doing this would almost certainly cause loss of control. But in recent years, Rank 9 and Rank 8 extraordinary characteristics can be used directly—though it’s about 20–30% more dangerous than properly preparing the elixir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the conclusion our chairman ‘Gandalf’ reached after investigation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why? Lu Mi was about to ask—when a familiar song drifted in from outside the house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brother and sister exchanged a glance, their expressions turning grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lent had begun—the “Spring Sprite” was passing through this area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Requesting monthly votes~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1800,"2026-06-20T06:22:34.374Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ea63cf4d0221812731caa32811d41b162524c02516be407ba6d81ef5ffaa4f05","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-100","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-98",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ring-of-fate-cover.jpg"]