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n328 Bottle of Fiction

n“Lumian Lee!”

nLumian found himself frozen in place, his gaze distant as he reacted to the ominous growl.

nIn a shadowy corner of the abandoned mine, a figure outlined itself.

nClad in a complete coat of brown dog skin, the figure’s torso and abdomen burst open, revealing a human form adorned in a white robe, embellished with intricate silver and black threads.

nWithout a sound, the canine skin dropped to the ground, unveiling a man of slight stature, barely reaching 1.7 meters.

nHis thin black hair framed a face with sharply intense blue eyes, and a slightly upturned nose added to his air of authority. This was none other than Guillaume Bénet, the padre of Cordu Village!

nAt that very moment, a smile graced Guillaume Bénet’s lips. He held a white human bone in his grasp, his eyes aflame with a fanatical zeal that suggested he was on the cusp of receiving a newfound boon from the forces of Inevitability, a boon that could reshape his destiny.

nGuillaume Bénet’s initial instinct was to flee from 50 Rue Vincent the moment he saw his decoy incapacitated by the strange spell, and his adversary vanishing through the aid of spirit world traversal.

nIn doing so, the decoy could fulfill its full potential of averting disaster. He would escape the looming catastrophe, embarking on a fresh start in a new location, unburdened by the present circumstances.

nYet, within an instant, his abilities as a Fate Appropriator alerted him to the anomaly in the assailant’s destiny and the lingering traces of a formidable entity aligned with the Inevitability pathway.

nFrom this revelation, he deduced that the individual responsible was Lumian Lee, the very person harboring the angel he had once tirelessly invoked!

nRapid thoughts raced through Guillaume Bénet’s mind. As a devoted adherent to the might of Inevitability, he was instantly consumed by zealous fervor.

nHe sought to capture or eliminate Lumian Lee!

nHe aspired to break the seal, allowing Inevitability’s angel to truly descend upon the land!

nHe yearned to obtain a godhood boon, breaking free from the constraints of mortality. He longed to stand as Inevitability’s chosen representative, guiding the troves of foolish humanity.

nHaving swiftly assessed the situation on both fronts, Guillaume Bénet ordered Paulina and the others to flee, luring any potential allies of Lumian Lee away from the scene. Meanwhile, he left behind the “substitute,” creating a trail of clues for Lumian Lee to follow—leading him into the basement to unveil a hidden door.

nWith his preparations in place, Guillaume Bénet entered the sacrificial chamber, deliberately preserving the sheepskin, cowhide, and dog skin. This would enable Lumian Lee, already versed in the Animal Creation Spell, to swiftly uncover the truth.

nSimultaneously, he shook off a tuft of dog fur, inadvertently revealing his escape route. He chanted the incantation he had prearranged, dispelling the Animal Creation Spell. Drawing upon his concealed power, Guillaume Bénet unlocked the door leading to Underground Trier—a contractual power known as the Bottle of Fiction.

nThis ability, a source of personal avarice, enabled Guillaume Bénet to convert designated, modest-sized spaces—those harboring symbolic elements like doors and windows—into realms encapsulated within the Bottle of Fiction. He could impose simple entry conditions, permitting only those who met the prerequisites to enter, while others would be promptly returned to their original positions.

nGuillaume Bénet’s stipulation for entry was “one bearing the power of Inevitability.”

nThis criterion was one he shared with Lumian Lee. Regardless of whether Lumian had embraced Inevitability’s boon, as a carrier of the Inevitability angel, enmeshed in the threads of fate, he undeniably possessed Inevitability’s power. This design ensured that Lumian’s allies couldn’t breach the Bottle of Fiction’s barrier without a boon of Inevitability. It left only Lumian Lee and himself secluded within. And if they had indeed embraced Inevitability, they would both remain influenced by the great existence—transforming them into equivalent companions during pivotal moments.

nGuillaume Bénet sidestepped the utilization of individuals hailing from Cordu as entry criteria into the Bottle of Fiction, as it posed a vexing challenge to confirm such origins. Such a determination demanded consultation with the spirit world, unlike the more direct assessment of one possessing a distinct power.

nFurthermore, should Paulina and the others manage to elude their pursuers and return to this very spot, they could provide essential aid through the opening of the bottle.

nHaving meticulously orchestrated his plan, Guillaume Bénet concealed himself, poised for Lumian Lee’s entry into the Bottle of Fiction.

nAs anticipated, upon seeing Lumian Lee, now under an altered guise yet devoid of any traces of the Inevitability angel’s influence, Guillaume Bénet took swift action, invoking the Soul Assimilation Mystic Spell.

nUnderstanding that Lumian Lee wasn’t the individual’s original name but had been assumed for nearly six years, recognized by all those around him, Guillaume Bénet was certain this identity held a mystic connection that could serve as the true name.

nEndowed with the knowledge of Cordu as its padre, he possessed a certain insight into Lumian Lee’s circumstances. With conviction in the efficacy of the Soul Assimilation Mystic Spell, he anticipated it would gravely disorient Lumian Lee.

nObserving Lumian Lee’s form, frozen at the threshold of the Bottle of Fiction, head bowed and body swaying with instability, Guillaume Bénet’s grin expanded.

nActing without hesitation or speech, he hurled the white human bone he clutched, intending to employ a curse spell capable of rendering the target comatose indefinitely.

nWith this achieved and Lumian Lee under his sway, his intention was to retrieve the pre-prepared ritual sheepskin, enshroud the captive, and intone the incantation, transforming him into a voiceless, nearly powerless sheep.

nAt that juncture, Guillaume Bénet could lead the sheep elsewhere, endeavoring to shatter the seal and unleash the imprisoned angel.

nOnce successful, he would ascend to sainthood, becoming a potent human figure bestowed with godhood powers!

nSmack!

nAs the bone landed, Guillaume Bénet surged forward, rapidly enunciating a Hermes incantation.

n“Blind, d…”

nMidway through the chant, the padre—having made all of Cordu village a sacrificial offering—suddenly experienced a tightening within his chest, an uncommon premonition heralded by fate.

nFor him, such premonitions occurred rarely. Including this instance, it was the second occurrence. The prior occasion had led him to reassess his actions upon arriving in Trier, spurring him to execute the Substitution Spell and Transfiguration, generating a substitute.

nWith absolute faith in Inevitability, Guillaume Bénet ceased his chant and lunged to the side.

nIn the next second, he heard Lumian’s voice.

n“Hmph!”

nA nearly imperceivable white beam shot forth from Lumian’s nostrils, impacting the precise spot where Guillaume Bénet had stood. The beam streaked through the air, vanishing upon contact with the uneven gray-black terrain.

nLumian’s gaze lifted, his eyes extraordinarily clear, seemingly untouched by the Soul Assimilation Mystic Spell.

nConcealed beneath his elongated hair, his ears were snugly filled with soft paper balls!

nIn anticipation of residual effects upon entering the basement, he had taken precautionary measures, blocking his ears and altering his appearance to fend off the Soul Assimilation Mystic Spell’s influence.

nHow could I be affected if I can’t even hear you call my name?

nAdmittedly, the paper balls couldn’t wholly stifle sound. A faint shout did reach Lumian, though he failed to discern it as his name. The impact was but a mild vertigo, quickly dissipating.

nCapitalizing on this opportunity, he deduced the affliction he had confronted to be the Soul Assimilation Mystic Spell. With feigned gravity, he baited his lurking adversary into revealing himself, launching a surprise counter with the Spell of Harrumph.

nYet, Lumian hadn’t envisaged Guillaume Bénet as his assailant.

nUnwilling to flee just yet, he clung to his resolve to confront the foe and liberate the imprisoned angel!

nSuch a determination heightened Lumian’s intensity, a fusion of anxiety and exultation, an undercurrent of madness underscoring his elation.

nInstantaneously, Guillaume Bénet vanished upon landing beside him. Ebony tendrils, contorted like serpentine forms, descended from the mine’s apex, shrouding the Bottle of Fiction in an enveloping embrace, blossoming into colossal flowers as crimson as blood.

nCircling the entryway, Lumian retrieved the iron-gray military alcohol flask, uncapped it, and withdrew the Decency brooch.

nSwoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Emerald-green arrows exuding a pale pallor streaked forth from the rear of the black vine, piercing the space Lumian had just vacated.

nWhere these arrows connected, the rocks and earth seemed to undergo the assault of concentrated acid, manifesting glaring and exaggerated signs of corrosion.

nAfter donning the Decency brooch, Lumian’s form agilely evaded the Ghastly Green Arrows, targeting his cranium. Simultaneously, he genuflected and inclined forward, palms pressed to the gravel and dirt.

nAbruptly, vermillion flames surged forth, forging a crescent-like barrier.

nThis fiery barricade extended in all directions, kindling the obsidian vines in its path and inciting the vivid flowers, their fierce maws agape.

nAn inconspicuous, saccharine aroma permeated the air, inducing a drowsy haze, an inclination toward slumber.

nGuillaume Bénet, unveiling himself after launching the Ghastly Green Arrows, nimbly shifted his position. Inhaling the anesthetic gas engendered by the blazing Abyss Demon Flowers, he beheld the crimson wall poised to transmute the entire abandoned mine into an inferno.

nWhy would Lumian Lee ignite the Abyss Demon Flowers, knowing they induce sleep? A momentary bewilderment flashed across Guillaume Bénet.

nIn a flash, his insight converged with Lumian’s stratagem.

nLumian aimed to cultivate an environment saturated with anesthetic gas, an environment impartial to ally or adversary alike!

nIn essence, this would induce slumber in Lumian Lee as well as Guillaume Bénet. Lumian’s companions stood sentry outside the Bottle of Fiction. It was conceivable they would soon decipher a means to shatter the contract spell’s hold!

nComprehending this, Guillaume Bénet emitted a disdainful snort, his visage adorned with a metallic sheen.

nSteel Body!

nThis was also a contract ability he had never exhibited in front of Lumian Lee.

nTemporarily morphing him into a metallic entity, it rendered Guillaume Bénet impervious to the anesthetic gas’s effects!

nNaturally, metamorphosing into a metallic entity would curtail his capacity to wield most of his abilities.

n…

nOutside the Bottle of Fiction.

nUpon grasping that she and Jenna had returned to the sacrificial chamber while Lumian had mysteriously disappeared, Franca swiftly procured a mirror.

nStains of blood and black splotches marred the mirror’s surface.

nPuzzled, Jenna inquired, “Why are you employing Mirror Substitution?”

nWouldn’t it be more sensible to make another attempt at traversing the hidden door?

nWith an air of solemnity, Franca explained, “This mirror carries the Mirror Substitution spell I prepared for Ciel prior to our mission. It allows me to cast a reversed curse on Ciel.

n“Presently, I’ll employ a milder curse to assess if I can establish a connection with him.”

nShould she succeed in placing a curse upon Lumian, it would imply the connection remained intact. If the bond hadn’t been severed, an alternative resolution had to be pursued!

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