Circle of Inevitability

Dammit! Lumian couldn't help but curse inwardly when he saw Monette.

A mix of anger and fear washed over him, a reaction to the stress of the situation.

Why is it him again?

Why did he appear underground in front of me at such a critical moment?

What is he up to?

Why is he like the bedbugs at Auberge du Coq Doré, the cockroaches in the trash, and the rats in Underground Trier, ubiquitous and unavoidable?

"Who are you?" Hela asked coldly.

Her deadpan demeanor swiftly soothed Lumian's emotions. His mind raced as he analyzed the intentions of the Islander swindler, Monette, and the Salle de Bal Unique dance hall backing him.

Monette, with a sly smile, pinched the monocle in his right eye socket and replied,

"Like you guys, a tomb adventurer."

Tomb adventurer… You make grave robbers sound so honorable… Madam Justice once said that the higher a Sequence, the more dangerous it is to enter the catacombs… Therefore, the angel Monette believes in can't provide him with any assistance here. The saints with godhood in Salle de Bal Unique don't dare enter either… In other words, if Madame Hela and I join forces, we have a high chance of keeping Monette here forever, preventing him from roaming around like a cockroach! Lumian narrowed his eyes as he gazed at Monette.

The fear in his heart dissipated significantly, and the dangerous thoughts of using this opportunity to eliminate the swindler in front of him rapidly multiplied.

Lumian smiled and looked at Monette.

"Tomb adventurer? Do you know this place well?"

Monette smiled and said, "Of course."

He raised his right hand and pointed at an ancient tomb at the edge of the candlelight's range.

"That belongs to a member of the Fourth Epoch's Zoroast family."

Immediately after, Monette pointed to a few nearby tombs.

"That's a member of the Jacob family, a member of the Abraham family, a member of the Blood Legion…

"Unfortunately, there are no Beyonder characteristics left behind."

Lumian's surprise and puzzlement grew as he realized that the Islander swindler had genuinely answered his question. This raised even more questions about Monette's motives.

He cautiously pointed towards the ancient tomb from which Monette had emerged.

"Whose tomb is that?"

Monette took a few steps forward, noticing the subtle shift in Lumian's demeanor. He stopped and maintained his enigmatic smile.

"A member of the Fourth Epoch's Amon family."n-.(1,/),

This swindler's knowledge of the Fourth Epoch families and the catacombs' fourth level is far more extensive than what should is written on the road signs…. Amid Lumian's bewilderment, Hela spoke again.

"Then do you know where the Samaritan Women's Spring is?"

Monette stroked the outer edge of his monocle and wore a smirk.

"Why should I tell you? What kind of reward can you offer?"

"Why should we believe you have the exact location of the Samaritan Women's Spring?" Lumian asked instinctively.

He suspected that Monette was about to embark on his habitual deception.

Monette chuckled lightly.

"I really don't know. The name Samaritan Women's Spring isn't that impressive. It seems to come from an ancient book I once read. However, after coming to this level many times, I discovered some strange phenomena. Some occasionally animated bones will automatically gather in this area, enter a tomb, and never come out."

The undead animated by the environment will be affected by this tomb's abnormality and drawn to it automatically? Or is that the Samaritan Women's Spring? Western side, some ancient tomb. The conditions match… Lumian's heart raced as he became even more vigilant.

Monette, the Islander swindler, voluntarily disclosed such crucial information without receiving any payment ?

This was completely out of character for him!

Any anomaly that occurred meant that something was wrong!

Lumian suspected two potential scenarios: either Monette was luring him and Hela into the ancient tomb where the undead gathered, hoping to lead them into a trap, or he was using them as scouts to navigate this dangerous territory.

Both possibilities were equally plausible. Although the former didn't benefit Monette, some people did enjoy seeing others suffer.

"That's all I know." Monette pinched the monocle in his right eye socket and said with a smile, "I'll search the other tombs. If you can find the so-called Samaritan Women's Spring, remember to leave a note for me in the tomb of the Amon family member; tell me what's so special about it."

As he spoke, he advanced toward Lumian.

In Lumian's tense state, poised to strike at a moment's notice, the Islander swindler sidestepped him and headed for the distant tomb, carrying a lit white candle.

Soon, his silhouette disappeared at the crossroads, plunging the area into darkness once more.

Has he truly left? Lumian remained vigilant, his attention focused on Termiboros's reaction.

The Inevitability angel remained silent, seemingly unperturbed by Monette's reappearance.

Hela took a few steps back and positioned herself beside an ancient tomb, pushing open its rickety stone door.

Confronted by the pale-white bones strewn at the tomb's entrance, Hela raised her right hand.

As if pulled by invisible threads, the bones swiftly converged, morphing into a swaying humanoid skeleton with a creaking sound.

Hela refrained from issuing any commands to the undead creature she had summoned. She observed coldly as it slowly departed from the tomb, drawn by an unseen force into the darkness.

Is Madame Hela from the Corpse Collector pathway, or does she possess a corresponding mystical item? Lumian roughly discerned Hela's intentions. She intended on utilizing the undead creatures' characteristic—the automatic attraction to the problematic ancient tomb—to chart their course.

The most probable anomaly in this region was the Samaritan Women's Spring!

Holding their burning white candles, the pair followed the humanoid skeleton through the westernmost tombs.

Suddenly, another figure emerged from the darkness around the corner, a candle flame accompanying him.

A crystal monocle adorned his right eye socket, and an enigmatic smile graced his face.

It was that Islander swindler Monette once more!

As Lumian jumped in fright, Monette asked with a smile, "Is that Samaritan Women's Spring interesting? Can I accompany you?"

Why didn't you ask previously? Lumian's killing intent surged.

Without batting an eyelid, he said, "We haven't even located it yet. How would we know if it's interesting? Why didn't you conceal yourself in the shadows, awaiting the completion of our exploration and confirmation of any dangers or traps before venturing forth? That way, the risk would be considerably lower. And even if we succeed, we won't be able to remove the Samaritan Women's Spring in its entirety."

Monette pressed the back of his right index finger against the monocle and nodded in agreement.

"You make a valid point."

The swindler grinned and retreated into the darkness around the corner.

The candle's flame promptly dwindled until it vanished.

He left so easily? Lumian's thoughts raced, but he couldn't quite decipher Monette's intentions.

He glanced at Hela and noticed that she was sipping liquor again, but her complexion had a pallid, almost bluish hue.

She resembled a corpse even more now.

"Do you have any idea what's up with these monocle-wearing folks?" Lumian inquired.

Hela placed the empty military flask back into her hidden pocket. As she continued to follow the humanoid skeleton, she replied in a cold, ethereal voice, "It's tied to the Fourth Epoch's Amon family."

Fourth Epoch's Amon family… The ancient tomb Monette emerged from belonged to a member of the Amon family… They control the Marauder pathway, much like Franca mentioned the Demoness family's control over the Assassin pathway. Seeing that Hela wasn't inclined to share more, Lumian had no choice but to keep silent and follow.

Monette's reappearance pushed aside any thoughts of idle chatter to ease his restlessness.

As they proceeded, the candles held by Lumian and Hela took on a faint, eerie shade of dark green.

The "resurrected" skeleton turned into a massive, decaying tomb with a partially open stone door.

Lumian's spirits soared, sensing that the Samaritan Women's Spring lay ahead.

At that moment, another figure poked its head out from the side of the tomb.

Under the yellowish candlelight, the crystal monocle gleamed with an unsettling brilliance.

It was the Islander swindler, Monette, once more!

He grinned and inquired, "Do you have any messages for your family and friends? I can help convey them."

Lumian was so startled that he almost couldn't contain the urge to strike down Monette right then and there!

There couldn't be a better place to deal with him!

"No," Hela replied icily, choosing not to engage.

Lumian exhaled slowly and said, "Neither do I."

"What a shame." Monette returned to the dark tunnel beside the tomb, looking disappointed.

The yellowish candlelight flickered slightly, indicating that he hadn't gone far and was waiting nearby.

Lumian couldn't help but glance at Hela and gesture with his right hand as if cutting a throat.

He was asking if they should eliminate the Islander swindler in advance.

Hela remained silent for a few moments before gently shaking her head.

"We'll leave as soon as we obtain the Samaritan Women's Spring."

She intended to stay focused on their objective and avoid stirring up further trouble.

Yes, once I've collected the spring water, I'll teleport away with Madam Hela… Lumian agreed and replaced their candles with fresh ones.

After some time, the skeleton still hadn't emerged. Cautiously, they entered the massive tomb through the partially open stone door.

At that moment, a raspy, elderly voice echoed from the depths of the tomb.

"Halt!"

Within the perimeter of the yellowish candlelight, a figure trembled into view.

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