Circle of Inevitability

The sour lemon flavor, tender fish texture, scorching aroma, and subtle sweetness with hints of fish and oil burst forth in Lumian's mouth. The taste exceeded his expectations.

He had anticipated dishes like this would be unpalatable and jarring, similar to a potion, but he never thought they would be considered delicious.

When given a choice, Ludwig has a genuine preference for delicacies and doesn't fool himself… Lumian chewed and swallowed the seven or eight fish slices.

A mild burning sensation spread from his throat to his stomach, reminiscent of drinking a glass of liquor.

The sensation quickly faded, and nothing unusual happened.

"That's it? It worked?" Lumian glanced at Ludwig.

Ludwig shook his head.

"Give it another two to three minutes for your stomach to absorb it."

"So fast?" Franca asked, surprised.

She respected mysticism, but having taken potions before, she knew they worked instantaneously. Ludwig's delicacies, however, seemed to require digestion and absorption by the stomach, contradicting how the organ typically functioned.

Plus, the stomach didn't absorb everything!

Ludwig responded seriously, "A Chef's creations can be rapidly absorbed by the stomach."

Chef… Lumian nodded, deep in thought.

He remembered Ludwig frequently commenting on various things like a food connoisseur.

Without further explanation, Ludwig buried his face in the soup pot before him and polished off the remaining Ice Lemon Fish fillets.

Jenna and the others promptly finished the fish slices on their own plates.

Two minutes later, Lumian felt his body growing warm, with a tingling sensation in his skin and flesh.

The effect on him was minimal. It paled in comparison to drinking a potion, let alone the pain of burning himself with flames.

Soon, Lumian returned to normal, his expression unaltered.

He glanced playfully at Franca, Jenna, and Anthony, waiting to see how the Ice Lemon Fish fillet would affect them.

A minute later, Jenna and the others suddenly flushed, as if they had eaten incredibly spicy food from the Feynapotter Kingdom highlands.

"Hiss…" Lugano let out a pained gasp, feeling a searing sensation in his breath.

Originating from within his body, he couldn't have treated it even if he wanted to.

Frost enveloped Franca's body, seemingly trying to soothe the pain in her skin and flesh.

It was futile.

Jenna and Anthony grimaced but made no unnecessary movements. They bore the discomfort, waiting for the Ice Lemon Fish fillet to finish transforming their bodies.

This lasted for ten to twenty seconds before the quartet's expressions relaxed.

"How does it feel?" Lumian asked with a smile.

Franca instinctively recalled the sensation and said, "It was like every inch of my skin and flesh had been burned. Hmm, not quite that intense—relatively mild…"

While speaking, she took a matchbox from her Traveler's Bag and experimentally lit two matches. She held them to the back of her left hand for a bit.

Franca's expression gradually contorted. She endured the pain in her left hand momentarily before pulling it back and shaking it.

The matchbox fell to the ground.

"It still hurts!" Franca reported the experiment results to Lumian and Jenna through gritted teeth.

Ludwig hastily replied, "It doesn't reduce pain."

"How's the wound?" Jenna asked, concerned.

Franca immediately checked the back of her left hand, seeing only slight burn marks on her pale skin with minimal physical damage.

"It works, even though the flame temperature wasn't that high, to begin with…" Franca's expression eased.

Across the dining table, Anthony carefully considered his words before saying, "I think I'm a bit more irritable than usual, but within reasonable limits."

Jenna added, "I'm grumpy too, but not drastically."

Franca and Lugano confirmed experiencing the same thing.

Swallowing the Ice Lemon Fish fillet, Ludwig explained, "That's to be expected. Effectiveness comes with corruption."

Jenna and Franca turned to Lumian.

Lumian spread his hands, smiling. "I don't feel any different."

For him, the Ice Lemon Fish fillet's corruption was negligible.

Franca wasn't sure whether to feel envious or sympathetic. After a moment's thought, she said, "This is like a milder version of being a Contractee—tolerating certain negative effects in exchange for corresponding Beyonder traits. Sure, the effects are noticeably weaker, but the upside is it's passive. Plus, the negative effects are minimal.

"Going forward, when you get similar ingredients, you need to clarify the permanent and negative effects. You can't just eat everything. Choices have to be made. Otherwise, things can easily go wrong."

Lumian glanced at Ludwig and said, "That depends on the individual."

Maybe a Chef, or the Gourmet pathway, had Sequences that mitigated the corresponding impact, akin to Alms Monks and Ascetics who were Contractees.

Franca grasped Lumian's implication and continued excitedly,

"Dishes and concoctions without permanent effects are like various Apothecary pathway agents.

"I've always envied Contractees. I wanted the freedom to mix and match abilities, creating a unique character build. Now, without accepting an evil god's boon, I finally have a chance, albeit a diluted one."

Jenna's heart raced, and the two Demonesses gazed at Ludwig, eyes shining.

To them, he was no longer the gluttonous monster child Lumian had described, but a Beyonder chef deserving of their care and attention.

Ludwig concentrated on eating the leftover Ice Lemon Fish fillet, not reacting further.

…

In a quarry cave in Underground Trier.

Franca, Jenna, and Anthony stood beyond the spirituality wall, observing Lumian conduct the ritual to acquire new contract abilities.

Having thoroughly reviewed Madam Magician's information on spirit world entities and possessing the strange creature knowledge granted by the boon, Lumian swiftly identified two potential contract targets with mirror travel abilities.

The first was a spirit world being called Bloody Jack. According to the information, in the Loen Kingdom's south, some mysticism enthusiasts and folklore academics were playing a divination game when they spotted a blurry figure in the mirror wielding a large axe, drenched in blood. This figure would emerge from the mirror, assaulting and slaughtering everyone present.

The second was the Daratra Diamond Maggots, mentioned in the Contractee's mysticism knowledge. They could grant Mirror Traversal in exchange for sacrificing a crystallized meteorite. The drawback was that one's body would become denser and shorter.

Lumian undeniably wanted to summon Bloody Jack but wasn't certain if it possessed an ability akin to Mirror Traversal.

Gazing at the three lit candles, Lumian stepped back twice and chanted in ancient Hermes, "The Fool that doesn't belong to this era;

"You are the ruler above the gray fog;

"You are the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck.

"I beseech your shelter.

"I pray for your attention.

"I!

"In the name of the great Fool, I summon:

"The peculiar creature that wanders about the unfounded, the slaughterer hidden in the mirror, Jack from the bloody world…"

The bluish-black candle flame instantly swelled, forming an illusory door adorned with enigmatic patterns amidst the pervasive, eerie gray mist.

The door gradually opened, and darkness poured out, engulfing the mirror Lumian had placed on the altar.

The mirror abruptly levitated, pointing directly at Lumian. Within, an indistinct figure in a blood-stained old jacket dragged a massive axe.

Opening his mouth, Lumian made his throat and chest resonate as he spoke the Mystical Language of Fate.

Silver-black words akin to symbols materialized in midair, descending onto the faux goatskin at the altar's edge, forming a concise and ominous contract.

Upon the contract's formation, Lumian connected with Bloody Jack, comprehending its abilities and traits. He "listened" to its demands.

Bloody Jack possessed three mirror-related abilities and traits, which Lumian named Mirror Mark, Mirror Concealment, and Mirror Traversal.

Mirror Marks could invisibly mark a mirror, inverted from reality, to pinpoint a target. Mirror Concealment allowed the user to hide within the dark tunnels, avoiding being pulled into another mirror. Mirror Traversal enabled swift passage through the illusory tunnels.

Bloody Jack's demand was the sacrifice of 99 living humans.

Lumian pondered briefly, concluding that Mirror Mark was the optimal choice. Locating targets was paramount, and Mirror Traversal could be substituted with Spirit World Traversal. Rapid travel wasn't essential when he could arrive directly.

His eyes suddenly glinted silvery-black, mirroring Bloody Jack's river of fate.

He wasn't seeking information about Bloody Jack. Instead, under the ritual's protection, he aimed to verify something.

After a quick observation, Lumian switched to ancient Hermes and asked Bloody Jack, "Can I alter the request?"

He was unsure if Bloody Jack would comprehend or respond, but asking was harmless. If not, he would have to write to Madam Magician, inquiring about other suitable mirror entities.

Having asked, Lumian immediately employed Magnified Fate, gaining a sharper view of Bloody Jack's fate for the next ten seconds.

Feigning nervousness, he moved his right hand as if to touch his face.

He Magnified a fate tributary!

Two to three seconds later, Bloody Jack's thoughts reached Lumian through the connection forged by the Mystical Language of Fate.

"Pull me out of the mirror!"

Lumian raised his eyebrows and stepped forward twice, extending his right hand toward the mirror hovering above the altar.

The moment his finger touched the glass mirror, he felt it dissolve into nothingness.

As Lumian fully inserted his palm into the mirror, a cold, damp, and distinctly sticky hand abruptly grasped his wrist.

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