Circle of Inevitability

The word "swindler" hung in the air, leaving Lumian and the others in stunned silence as similar thoughts raced through their minds.

Surely they couldn't be that unlucky, right?

Jebus had warned them about the possibility of running into swindlers during an Under the Table deal, but Franca's previous experiences with Authority Holder's Under-the-table Transaction had always been reliable. Plus, the Blood Gold ring had been accepted this time around.

If Lumian hadn't been personally overseeing the transaction, he would've used the Eye of Calamity to assess the likelihood of it being finalized and look for ways to interfere.

But for now, the four of them had no choice but to wait patiently. Hidden behind the dark, watery light, they watched the scene unfolding in the study through the glass mirror.

As the night wore on, Lumian and his companions nibbled on the rations he'd packed for Ludwig in his Traveler's Bag to keep their hunger at bay.

Close to 10 p.m., Moran Avigny strode into the study, leaving the wooden door wide open. He sank into an armchair beneath the gas wall lamp, grabbed a book from a nearby pile, and began casually flipping through it.

The Purifier team tasked with his protection remained stationed at the door as usual, never setting foot inside.

Moran Avigny had always insisted on this arrangement. He'd even signed contracts with the Purifiers, Machinery Hivemind members, and Bureau 8 team, acknowledging that he was willing to take on the associated risks.

The security detail understood. A politician's study likely concealed all sorts of shady secrets. Keeping people with Beyonder powers from entering was a way for Moran Avigny to protect himself.

As was his custom, Moran Avigny left the study door open instead of shutting it, making it simpler for the Purifiers to keep an eye out for any potential trouble.

While perusing the books, Moran Avigny would occasionally glance up at the full-length mirror positioned just out of the Purifiers' line of sight, his thoughts seemingly far away.

At the same time, Lumian's eyes, hidden within the mirror, glinted a silvery-black.

Peering through the glass, he studied Moran Avigny's river of fate.

Looking closer, he confirmed that the Minister of Industry had indeed gained several new fate tributaries involving stepping into the full-length mirror. One of them was even cloaked in a thick, black hue.

Seizing the moment when Moran Avigny ducked his head to resume reading, Lumian slowly reached his right palm out from the mirror, pressing it firmly against the glass as if it were merely a reflection.

Then, he unleashed his remaining spirituality, transforming it into a raging, phantom river that surged toward the mercury stream symbolizing Moran Avigny's fate from a few meters away.

The main trunk of Moran Avigny's fate swallowed up the other tributaries and rushed into the dense, black one.

Compelling Fate!

Channeling the spirituality he'd accumulated using his Ascetic abilities, Lumian quickly withdrew his palm to avoid tipping off Moran Avigny.

He gave Franca and the others a nod, signaling that both the Under the Table deal and his Compelling of Fate had been successful.

As for the exact way Moran Avigny would embark on this fated path, Lumian couldn't say. The details were beyond his sight.

Franca and Jenna let out sighs of relief.

Not daring to speak lest they alert Moran Avigny, who possessed mirror-related abilities, they shared their understanding with Lumian through gratified smiles and relaxed nods.

They retreated to their positions, preparing for the upcoming ambush.

Just as fate was being compelled, Moran Avigny's spirituality abruptly sensed a warning, filling him with a feeling of impending danger.

The mirror message he'd received at dusk sprang to mind, and he started to suspect that the unknown enemy the Overseer had mentioned was plotting something that could put his life at risk.

Unable to resist, Moran Avigny glanced at the full-length mirror once more, debating whether to flee into it and abandon this place before the Purifiers had a chance to react. He yearned to shed his current identity and vanish completely from the hidden enemy's radar.

Fighting back his impulses, he turned his head to look at the Purifiers standing guard at the door.

There could be a trap lurking behind the mirror. His best bet was to pray that the official Beyonders would be able to shield him!

This is Trier, and I'm a minister of the country!

Right then, his valet appeared at the door, carrying a glass of warm milk.

Drinking warm milk before showering and brushing his teeth was part of Moran Avigny's nightly routine to help him sleep.

The Purifiers carried out their standard checks before permitting the valet to enter the study.

"Your milk, Sir," the valet said deferentially, extending a white porcelain cup brimming with the liquid.

Moran Avigny had made immense contributions to Intis's industrial growth and had been awarded the Legion of Honor medal, earning him the rank of Knight.

Nodding his head slightly, Moran Avigny reached out his right hand to accept the glass.

All of a sudden, he noticed his valet's eyes cloud over, an indescribable agony lurking in their depths.

A heartbeat later, the valet's mouth flew open and he vomited.

What he spat out was a solid, writhing chunk of blood-colored flesh, hurled directly at Moran Avigny!

The flesh swiftly ballooned, morphing into a cloak of flesh and blood that wrapped around Moran Avigny. It wriggled inward, seemingly trying to force its way into the Minister of Industry's body.

In the mirror, Lumian was stunned.

This aura…

It's Mr. K!

Why had he shown up out of nowhere to try to assassinate Moran Avigny?

With a sharp crack, Moran Avigny, cocooned in the flesh-and-

blood cloak, transformed into a mirror and shattered.

Nearly simultaneously, the Purifiers at the door sprang into action. A column of pure light wreathed in flames plummeted from the sky, bathing the cloak and causing it to visibly start melting.

Witnessing this, Moran Avigny spun around without hesitation and lunged at the mirror nearest to him.

He had already revealed Mirror Substitution to the Purifiers. Short of eliminating every witness without a trace, he would undoubtedly face intense scrutiny later on and lose the protection of the contract.

His only option was to take advantage of this chance to escape through the mirror world while the Purifiers tangled with the assassin!

As he watched Moran Avigny's figure loom larger and nearer to the full-length mirror, a thought abruptly struck Lumian.

Could this be fate?

He instantly retreated and disappeared.

A moment later, Moran Avigny's figure passed through the mirror, emerging behind the hazy, shadowy, and nearly vacant looking glass.

The Purifiers outside were shocked to see this. At the same time, they grasped that something was seriously wrong with the target under their protection.

Their attention wavered briefly. Taking advantage of the distraction, Mr. K changed Grazing targets and teleported away from Moran Avigny's residence.

In the space behind the mirror, Moran Avigny didn't linger. He promptly activated Mirror Traversal, rapidly changing positions to throw off any would-be pursuers.

Just then, he felt his body grow inexplicably heavier, his movements oddly constricted, stopping him from successfully slipping into an empty, dark tunnel.

It was as though someone had seized him.

Right after that, Moran Avigny sensed invisible threads coiling around his limbs and torso, layer upon layer.

With his Sheriff powers, he pinpointed the source of the sinister threads. They were close by.

Moran Avigny angled his head marginally and peered at an empty corner. His eyes flashed with two blinding "lightning bolts."

Psychic Piercing!

The "lightning" lanced out, hitting the empty spot. A sharp cracking rang out, scattering shards of shattered mirrors.

At the same instant, Jenna, dressed in a black gown and veiled bonnet, materialized behind Moran Avigny, gripping a small, elegant revolver.

Bang!

She squeezed the trigger, targeting Moran Avigny's vest.

The yellow bullet, wreathed in silent black flames, struck the target's body with precision at close range.

Crack! Moran Avigny deployed Mirror Substitution yet again.

As broken mirrors rained down, his figure rematerialized in a different corner of the hazy space. Franca and Jenna vanished without a trace.

Feeling the intangible threads enveloping him, Moran Avigny thrust out his right palm and intoned in ancient Hermes, "Invisibility is prohibited here!"

The instant he uttered the final word, innumerable transparent spider silks undulated throughout the area, resembling seaweed blanketing a section of ocean. Franca, garbed as an Assassin, and Jenna, clad in dark attire, circled or advanced, respectively, poised to strike again.

Realizing that the two foes couldn't touch him for the moment and that the invisible spider silk hadn't constricted, Moran Avigny had no time for a counterattack. He immediately sought to use Mirror Traversal to flee the area.

Out of nowhere, Moran Avigny's eyes bulged, his expression contorting with viciousness.

His body shattered once more, assuming the shape of a mirror.

Not far off, Anthony Reid, dressed like a veteran, "appeared."

He had just cast Frenzy on Moran Avigny!

The Prohibition of Invisibility rule didn't constrain him since he wasn't invisible. However, Moran Avigny himself hadn't been looking in Anthony's direction!

After employing Mirror Substitution multiple times, Moran Avigny rematerialized on the far side of the space, putting distance between himself and Franca, Jenna, and Anthony.

Grasping that yet another enemy had entered the fray, he fled with intensified urgency.

Right as Moran Avigny was poised to activate Mirror Traversal, Franca lowered her hood, unveiling her radiant, refined features.

As she did, the diamond necklace adorning her neck emitted a subtle glow.

Beatrice's Necklace!

Moran Avigny's body flushed with heat, his gaze magnetized to Franca's lake-blue eyes, her high, delicate nose bridge, her fair, flawless skin, and her lush, crimson lips. For an instant, his desire to escape slipped his mind.

The activation of Beatrice's Necklace didn't pose a direct threat to Moran Avigny's life, so it failed to trigger Mirror Substitution. Moran Avigny lacked the time to deploy it himself. His cravings had already swelled beyond his control!

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