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n188 Confidence

n“Dammit!”

nFranca couldn’t help but blurt out her usual modal particle. With a quick swipe of her index finger across her nose, her hand revealed a bright red stain. The sight alone sent a shiver down her spine.

nFranca snorted.

nIn an instant, black flames flickered in her nostrils, fingers, and the blood on the ground, swiftly vanishing into thin air.

nCatching Lumian’s gaze, Franca, slightly contorted from the pain, forced herself to enlighten him.

n“We can’t leave our blood in this unknown place. Otherwise, unimaginable horrors may unfold. Hey, why are you unharmed?”

nFrom Franca’s perspective, she surpassed Ciel in terms of Sequence and experience. There was no reason for him to emerge unscathed while she suffered!

n“Perhaps I’m fine for now,” Lumian patronizingly responded, pondering thoughtfully. “Maybe the shadow we encountered represented the old you, not the old me.”

n“So why did we come across the old me and not the old you?” Franca eyed Lumian suspiciously.

nCould this bloke be hiding another secret?

nLumian pondered for a moment before answering.

n“Perhaps this space is more intertwined with Demonesses.”

n“Could be…” Franca fell into deep contemplation.

nAfter a few seconds, she pointed towards the footprints and blood droplets on the ground and suggested, “Let’s catch up and investigate. The current condition of those people could reveal our future and help us prepare in advance.”

nLumian responded with action, walking into the darkness that swallowed the footprints and blood droplets.

nThe yellowish-blue light of the carbide lamp quietly resisted the encroaching darkness.

nAs they tracked further, the abnormalities on their bodies became increasingly apparent. Warm blood began to trickle from Lumian’s nose, while crimson liquid seeped from Franca’s eyes, gums, skin, and ears.

nWith her black flames, not a drop of blood remained.

nFinally, they “returned” to the secondary well, where the tracks of the smuggling caravan and the slowly congealing blood abruptly vanished.

nWhether it was the tunnel leading to the secondary well or the path to other areas, there were no traces left.

n“They vanished again?” Franca, her face enveloped in black flames, frowned.

nLumian, his nose sealed by the black flames, took a deep breath and smiled.

n“This might be our end. When the blood reaches a certain point, our bodies will gradually fade away.”

nLumian chuckled.

n“So what if I do? Too many negative emotions will only cloud my thinking.”

n“Sometimes, I reckon you’re more mature than me.” Franca sighed.

n“Did you just figure that out?” Lumian naturally wouldn’t mention that he was both sincerely pondering the issue and confident.

nCompared to Cordu, trapped in an endless loop, at least there was no sign of terrifying power in this place!

nMoreover, Lumian didn’t need to rack his brain to come up with several escape strategies.

nThe first option was to take a risky move by using the Mystery Prying Glasses to explore the surroundings from different angles and locate an exit.

nSecondly, he could try throwing out Mr. K’s finger to establish a connection, hoping it would create a passageway.

nThirdly, summoning Madame Hela or the messenger of Madam Magician was another possibility. If it succeeded, it would mean that this place wasn’t entirely cut off from the spirit world. The two ladies might have a way to forcefully extract Lumian and Franca.

nFourthly, if all else failed, he could set up an altar and offer prayers to the mysterious ruler beyond the gray fog. Such a bizarre space couldn’t restrict a great entity. Even the cycle of fate orchestrated by the evil god couldn’t shield them from His watchful eye, let alone this place.

nLastly, if the great entity remained unresponsive, Lumian could perform a ritual and beseech for a boon. He could activate the black thorn symbol on his chest, allowing the sealed evil god’s corruption to amplify. This disruption might create a vulnerability in the workings of this space.

nYou can be as calm and composed as me when you have numerous untried methods and believe there’s a high chance of escaping this place… Lumian criticized inwardly, feeling somewhat perplexed.

nIt felt like he had forgotten something important, but it eluded his memory momentarily.

nFranca retrieved a light-gold makeup box, opened it, and placed it on the ground.

nHer form swiftly faded away, leaving no trace behind.

nThe aqueous light within the palm-sized mirror flickered, illuminating Franca’s figure.

nHow magical… Lumian sighed, marveling at the sight.

nFranca glanced around within the mirror for a few seconds before vanishing.

nShe reappeared across from Lumian, shaking her head, and uttered, “I can’t find a way out by relying on the mirror…”

nWithout awaiting Lumian’s response, the Witch attempted several more methods, but all proved futile.

nFinally, she caressed the mirror inside the makeup box, seeking guidance from her spirituality.

nIn such a place, she hesitated to perform Magic mirror divination, fearing a perilous and dreadful connection.

n“The way out… The way out…” Franca repeated the divination phrase in Hermes several times, and the mirror darkened, resembling a moonlit lake.

nThe shimmering aqueous light reflected a figure.

nIt was Lumian—wearing a wide-brimmed round hat, a white shirt, a brown jacket, and dark pants. Black flames flickered subtly at his nose.

n“Uh…” Franca turned around, looking at her companion by her side.

nShe furrowed her brow slightly and stated, “Finding the exit with your glasses? Isn’t that too dangerous?”

nCongratulations on finally uncovering the simplest among my five solutions… Lumian pondered and remarked, “This is no longer the true Underground Trier, nor does it seem to be directly linked to the ruins of the Fourth Epoch. As long as we protect ourselves, we should be able to endure any peril.”

n“Protect…” Franca repeated the word with a smile. “I happen to excel at that!”

nWith a swift motion of her right hand, she extinguished the black flames on Lumian’s nose.

nAfter a few seconds, a drop of bright red liquid trickled down, caught by Franca’s open palm.

nThen, she conjured fresh black flames, sealing Lumian’s nostrils once again.

nThe mild burning sensation was tolerable for Alms Monk Lumian. He asked cautiously, “What are you doing with my blood, a curse?”

nFranca chuckled.

n“Do I need to go through all this trouble just to kill you? I’ll perform a Mirror Substitution to shield you from the danger of using those glasses.”

nAs she spoke, she retrieved a palm-sized mirror and smeared Lumian’s blood upon it.

nShe has so many mirrors… Are they the essence of a Witch’s spells? Lumian observed Franca’s busy movements, enlightened and slightly envious.

nFranca turned her head and addressed him, “Give me two strands of your hair.”

nWithout hesitation, Lumian plucked two strands and handed them over.

nA black flame appeared in Franca’s hand, incinerating the golden strands.

nShe sprinkled the ashes onto the mirror’s surface and stroked it with her black-flamed palm while murmuring an inaudible incantation.

nWhen the black flames suddenly receded into the mirror, the traces of blood and hair vanished.

n“Do not stray more than 30 meters away from me,” Franca cautioned, holding the seemingly ordinary mirror.

nLumian nodded and retrieved the Mystery Prying Glasses from his pocket.

nHe placed the brown gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose, but his right hand remained gripping the mirror holder, ready to remove the glasses at a moment’s notice.

nAlmost simultaneously, Lumian beheld a multitude of scenes:

nFaces concealed in darkness, pallid and ferocious, drenched in blood.

nA mass of dark hair floated amidst the shadows, comprised of hundreds or perhaps thousands of strands, extending in various directions.

nLingering figures, rock walls shimmering with aqueous light, and an impenetrable darkness.

nIn the pond-like puddle, a colossal, swollen, and pallid face lurked beneath the lightless surface, peering outward.

nThere was a glistening cave…

nLight… Cave… Lumian’s intuition instantaneously struck, compelling his dizzy mind to focus on the edge of the scene.

nThe luminous-filled cave rapidly enlarged, revealing a dimly lit passage beyond.

nAs the cave drew nearer, Lumian realized it was merely a reflection in a mirror. Its surface was solid and inaccessible.

nThe mirror sank to the depths of the lightless pool.

nSuddenly, the colossal, swollen, and pallid face swiftly expanded before Lumian’s eyes, consuming his field of vision.

nLumian’s sight darkened, and he nearly lost consciousness.

nVaguely, he “saw” his flesh attempting to depart from his skeleton.

nWhack!

nLumian heard a crisp shattering sound, and his mind cleared.

nHe swiftly removed the Mystery Prying Glasses and retched.

nAfter he regained his composure, Franca inquired with concern, “Are you alright?”

nAt some point, the mirror in her hand had shattered into countless fragments, scattered across the ground.

nLumian took a deep breath and replied, “I’m fine now.”

nHe extended his finger, indicating a specific direction.

n“Over a hundred meters from the tunnel, there lies a massive puddle. And at the puddle’s depths, you’ll find a mirror. That mirror reflects a cave, which leads to a path of light.

n“However, be warned, for within that puddle lurks a perilous monster. I nearly died when I beheld its visage.”

nFranca listened in silence, her mutterings a mixture of confusion and frustration.

n“Goddammit, could this place truly be connected to a Demoness?”

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