n

n

n102 Transfer

nClang! Clang! Clang!

nRyan retreated, barely managing to parry Shepherd Pierre Berry’s relentless onslaught.

nPierre Berry’s eyes were bloodshot, the gentleness gone, replaced by a ferocious rage.

nAs sinister arms, either pitch-black or ghostly white, reached from the shadows to ensnare Ryan, Pierre Berry swung his axe at Ryan’s head.

nThis time, Ryan didn’t parry or retreat. He didn’t even raise the Sword of Dawn.

nInstead, he twisted his body, allowing the eerie arms to grasp his legs and Pierre Berry’s axe to strike his shoulder.

nClang!

nSpiderweb-like cracks spread across the silver pauldron, light flaking off and dissipating.

nGrimacing in pain, Ryan genuflected, plunging the Sword of Dawn into the floor.

nHe knew he’d been separated from his allies for too long. He needed to regroup at any cost.

nThe strength of a team surpassed that of any individual!

nIn a split second, the light-infused two-handed broadsword detonated.

nIt shattered into countless light fragments, morphing into a hurricane that barreled towards Pierre Berry.

nPanic flickered in Pierre Berry’s eyes at the devastating blow.

nIgnoring the malevolent arms, he retreated into his own shadow.

nA fierce storm of pure light engulfed the area, slicing shadows and evil into shreds.

nAs an area-of-effect attack, Hurricane of Light inevitably impacted Ryan’s surroundings, despite his best efforts to direct it towards his enemy.

nSilently, the walls of Lumian’s and Aurore’s bedrooms crumbled, reduced to tiny fragments in the terrifying storm.

nNear the balcony, pitch-black vines hanging from the roof writhed like tortured weeds. Even Padre Guillaume Bénet, suspended in midair, had no choice but to hastily dodge.

nBloodied scratches marred his body as he fled Aurore’s house.

nRumble!

nHalf the roof had been obliterated, the second floor pockmarked with gaping holes. In many places, the stove below was visible.

nLeah was also caught in the storm of light, her figure rapidly withering and shrinking, transforming into a paper figurine.

nWhen the tempest subsided, she reappeared in the study, barely intact.

nRyan knew she had Paper Figurine Substitutes, allowing him to unleash such a brutal attack on Pierre Berry in a confined space.

nAs for Aurore, Lumian, and Valentine, their positions offered some protection from the attack. Ryan had tried to control the storm’s direction, with limited success.

nAfter assessing the situation, he decided to use this decisive attack.

nCrimson moonlight and faint starlight streamed through the ruined roof. Ryan scanned the area but saw no sign of Aurore or Lumian. Leah, pale-faced, was rushing towards him. Valentine lay unconscious on the balcony, numerous wounds from the Hurricane of Light, but none lethal.

nSeeing his battered allies, Ryan stopped searching. He grabbed Leah’s shoulder and leaped to the balcony.

nWith one hand, the Warrior hoisted Valentine and jumped from the Lumian residence.

nRelying on his not-yet-shattered Dawn Armor to withstand further ambushes, he raced towards the edge of Cordu Village, fleeing to the nearest mountain pasture.

nThey had a plan: if they couldn’t defend Aurore and Lumian’s homes, they’d retreat to the pasture.

nThere, they could use the terrain to their advantage, escape by leaping off the cliff, and trigger the cycle.

nPadre Guillaume Bénet hovered above, unable to match the Dawn Paladin’s top speed.

nBeneath him, Shepherd Pierre Berry emerged from the shadows at the edge of the house.

nHis dark robe was shredded, the hood long gone. His face, chest, and legs bore deep gashes, blood oozing relentlessly. It was a chilling sight.

nHad he not swapped his shadow with that of a villager at the crucial moment, he’d be dead with his body torn to shreds!

nThe villager who had served as his pawn was now undoubtedly a mangled heap of flesh and blood.

n…

nAs Ryan obliterated the Abyss Demon Flower with his Hurricane of Light, Valentine’s paralysis waned. He regained consciousness before they left Cordu Village.

n“What’s the situation?” he inquired, his voice muffled by the wind.

nRyan, running at full speed, couldn’t elaborate. He replied tersely, “Help Leah first!”

nValentine glanced at Leah, cradled in Ryan’s other arm, and noticed her pallid, ashen face.

nWithout a moment’s hesitation, he stretched out his hand with great effort and placed his palm on Leah’s shoulder.

n“Sun!”

nHe cried out in ancient Hermes.

nGlistening golden droplets materialized out of nowhere, raining down on Leah.

nHer expression contorted, and steam rose from her body.

nWithin seconds, Sybil’s ethereal figure was expelled, her face filled with shock and terror.

nShe couldn’t fathom how she’d been ejected from Leah’s body.

nImmediately after, ghostly golden flames erupted from the void, engulfing the bizarre spirit like a candle, reducing it to liquid droplets.

nSybil shrieked and cursed, but couldn’t evade her fate of being purified.

nThis time, she failed to reincarnate in Valentine’s body.

n“Vile creature!” Valentine muttered under his breath.

n…

nShepherd Pierre Berry looked up at Guillaume Bénet, who hovered above, and asked, “Should we chase them?”

nDespite his injuries, he refused to surrender.

nGuillaume Bénet pondered for a moment and responded, “No need. Our priority lies here.

n“They won’t make any moves in the short term. They’ll only observe and assess the situation. That’s enough for us.”

nAs he finished speaking, he furrowed his brow and whispered, “Sybil’s dead.”

n“Can’t she be ‘reborn’?” Pierre Berry asked, surprised.

nHe wasn’t particularly distraught over his sister’s demise.

nGuillaume Bénet couldn’t help but curse, “I warned her not to use Rebirth in front of the three official Beyonders. Rebirth at this level is inherently countered by the power of the Sun pathway, but she didn’t listen.

n“Imbecile! What a waste of the Lord’s gift!”

n…

nLumian’s eyes snapped open, taking in the wispy gray fog and the familiar ceiling above.

nHe had awoken within the dream ruins after losing consciousness.

nGasping for breath, Lumian struggled to sit up straight.

nAs Aurore’s attack struck him, he had been filled with despair, thinking it was better to just surrender.

nShe could reclaim the beautiful life she had granted him, along with the five years she had given him.

nPhew… Lumian exhaled sharply as two realizations pierced his thoughts.

nThat wasn’t Aurore. She was possessed by a monster!

nTo give up now would be to abandon her to the creature and snuff out her last hope!

nLumian rose to his feet, his resolve steeling within him.

nHe glanced toward the window and spotted a bottle of liquor, a honeysuckle flower, some grapevines, and fern powder.

nHad that woman sent these materials? Had she witnessed the attack? Why hadn’t she… Lumian shook his head, dispelling his intrusive thoughts.

nIn this dire circumstance, he could only rely on himself and his allies. No matter how powerful others may be, they were useless to him now!

nWasting no more time, Lumian retrieved the instruments he’d used to brew the Hunter potion and poured 50 milliliters of liquor into a beer mug.

nHe added the honeysuckle flower, grapevine powder, and fern powder, one after the other. Lastly, the repulsive “stone” with its dark, flowing liquid surface.

nA sizzling sound accompanied the dissolution of the Provoker Beyonder characteristic, and the honeysuckle flower vanished.

nThe colorless liquor in the mug turned a deep black, becoming viscous. The mere sight of the potion made Lumian want to hurl it away and stomp it into oblivion.

nHe steadied himself, using shallow Cogitation to calm his nerves and focus.

nMoments later, Lumian snatched up the beer mug without hesitation, gulping down the foul, pungent Provoker potion.

nSetting the mug down, he immediately felt his insides grow heavy, as if plummeting.

nDrawing on his experience, Lumian sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed, bracing for the next transformation.

nHis breaths became heated, his emotions veering wildly between anger, sorrow, frustration, and exhilaration.

nSimultaneously, a voice—infinitely distant yet intimately close—assailed his ears, drilling into his temples like an iron spike.

nFamiliar, searing pain engulfed Lumian’s mind, but he couldn’t shake certain thoughts.

nI must succeed!

nI must unlock the secret of the dream!

nI must save Aurore!

nI must shatter the loop in Cordu!

nEnduring the scorching, tearing sensation and the illusion of losing control, Lumian didn’t open his eyes or alter his posture.

nHe felt like a tiny vessel in a tempest, battered by waves and gales. Powerless, but not yet submerged.

nAfter what felt like an eternity, the pain began to ebb as the bloodthirsty, insane thoughts receded from Lumian’s consciousness.

nHe opened his eyes, knowing he had ascended to a Sequence 8 Provoker.

n