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n734 My Weapon

nLumian stood at the quarry cave’s exit, wanting to work with Mr. K to take on Perle, but unsure of how to proceed.

nPast experience had shown him that without godhood, any action against an Overseer would only come back to haunt him, without affecting the demigod at all.

nWith his golden mask removed, Lumian could only remain in place, considering what items he possessed that might be useful and effective. He was left with no option but to watch the fight between Mr. K and Perle unfold as a mere spectator.

nAt the same time, he scanned the area, looking for a way to utterly destroy the existing mirror world.

nAnthony kept his posture and continued drawing on the blank painting album, which was missing a page.

nHis current subject was to be Madam Magician.

nAs he observed Mr. K’s movements and listened to each slash, Lumian sensed a slight corruption creeping into his mind.

nIt surprised him that Mr. K could hold the Overseer at bay to some degree, unafraid of her accusations and armed with a means to harm her.

nLumian silently hoped that even if Mr. K couldn’t defeat Perle, he would at least be able to drive her off.

nMustering strength from his waist and core, Mr. K swung his upper body as he descended, bringing the dark broadsword down on Overseer Perle’s head for the third time.

nPerle remained motionless, not using any Mirror Traversal-like ability to evade, nor rolling to the side. She stood firm beside the jutting rock, her body turning pitch-black and dissolving into a constantly dissipating shadow.

nThe dark, enigmatic broadsword plunged down abruptly, silently cleaving the shadows in two.

nThe shadows rapidly encircled the protruding rock, perpetually moving and merging once again. They writhed, striving to reassemble Overseer Perle’s form.

nWhere the Sword of Darkness had cut through, the shadows struggled to form proper connections, barely managing to stack together into a humanoid shape riddled with cracks and misaligned parts.

nMr. K sprang up, ready to swing the dark broadsword gripped in the gaping crack of his mouth.

nSuddenly, his body shrank rapidly, the cold black armor encasing him vanishing.

nHe reverted to his original form, dressed in a black hood and matching robe.

nThe precariously assembled shadow gradually shed its black color, revealing human skin and a vivid red dress inch by inch.

n…

nIn the shadowy cathedral at an undisclosed location, the mercury giant serpent phantom hanging in midair slowly faded away.

nThe Reboot was finished.

nPerched on a black wooden armchair, Loki abruptly thinned and shrank, transforming into a paper figurine.

nThe paper figurine and chair then crumbled, disintegrating into dust.

nLoki materialized in a far corner of the cathedral. Magician, appearing to still be airborne, quickly conjured an alternate self behind him.

nAs Loki reached into the void to pull out an assistant, his jet-black eyes suddenly shifted to blue.

nThe blue rapidly stained black, then reverted to blue, the two colors continually alternating.

nLoki was paralyzed, unable to summon an aide, allowing Magician to stretch out her right hand and grasp with all her might.

nThe dark void warped, swallowing Loki. Then, the two shattered into fragments, ultimately buried in a bottomless abyss.

nThroughout this, Loki’s body instantly became ethereal, unreal, as if he were a projection or puppet that had been swapped at some moment.

nHermit, Judgment, and Magician simultaneously heard a regretful sigh and witnessed the shadowy cathedral itself turn ethereal and slowly disintegrate.

nIt, too, seemed to be a projection.

nAn aged, ethereal voice then echoed from the distance.

n“My wish is for all the demigods present to be lost for three minutes.”

nThe shadowy cathedral fully collapsed, and darkness engulfed the surroundings, devoid of starlight or boundaries.

n…

nIn the special mirror world, realizing Mr. K could no longer maintain his godhood-enhanced half-giant state and Overseer Perle was close to returning to her human form, Lumian’s first instinct was to shape-shift into a shadow being and flee through the growing rift in the mirror world to find other allies.

nHowever, he was unsure if Mr. K had employed any mystical items upon entry, and whether Shadow Transformation alone would allow passage through the mirror world’s fissure.

nAs Lumian watched Overseer Perle’s face gradually come into view, her eyes and nostrils both vertically misaligned, a sudden realization struck him.

nI, too, can wound an Overseer…

nIf Mr. K can do it, so can I!

nMy fate is intertwined with Termiboros. To a degree, we can be considered one. I’ve long known I possess a fake angelic level!

nThe powers and items I wield won’t hold godhood and can’t touch an Overseer, but I should be able to do it myself.

nI will become my own weapon!

nThese thoughts raced through Lumian’s mind as a slightly manic grin spread across his face. His blood seemed to boil, as if set aflame.

nIn a flash, he disappeared and reappeared before Overseer Perle.

nHis eyes had already taken on an iron-black tint, revealing a few pale spots that marked Perle’s vulnerabilities.

nOne such spot was just below the left side of her face!

nBefore Perle’s shadows could fully reconstruct the Overseer, a multitude of incandescent white flames burst forth from Lumian’s body.

nLike a rushing current, they poured out from Lumian’s eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, skin, and pores, completely enveloping him, transforming him into a raging inferno.

nLet’s do this!

nLet us burn as one!

nLet us explode together!

nLumian, now one with the blazing white flames, swung his right fist at Perle’s left cheek.

nPerle’s vertically-misaligned eyes betrayed a flicker of confusion before understanding dawned.

nBut it was too late for her to protest or react. She had not even fully returned.

nBang!

nLumian’s right fist collided with Perle’s left cheek, caving it in.

nAs he struck, a ghastly wound appeared on his own chest and abdomen, but it was quickly consumed by the blazing white flames.

nPerle felt the pain, but it was not a mortal blow.

nAt that instant, Lumian’s face, wreathed in blazing white flames, displayed a sinister and frenzied smile.

nIt actually works!

nI can truly use myself as a weapon to strike an Overseer!

nBoom!

nHe detonated his right arm, using the incandescent white flames he had pre-injected to make it explode.

nHis right fist, propelled by a fierce, blazing white wave of flames, pierced Perle’s left cheek and penetrated her skull.

nCull!

nCrack! The special mirror world, with its dark barrier and numerous cracks, let out a shattering sound. It rapidly disintegrated and fell apart.

nLumian’s head took an invisible blow, his skull caving in and teeth falling out.

nDeprived of his right arm, he was hurled through the air, his entire body wreathed in blazing white flames.

nHis face twisted in agony, yet his eyes shone with elation.

nSuccess!

nHe beheld a horrific, blood-red wound on the left side of Overseer Perle’s face. Within the wound, a pale-white fog intermingled with the grayish-white brain. The shattered fist had ripped it asunder and set it ablaze.

nAs the blazing white flames faded, Overseer Perle’s remaining right eye dulled, and her body slowly crumpled.

nThe cage imprisoning Franca and Jenna quickly disintegrated.

nMr. K, observing this, nodded approvingly.

nLumian is like me!

nThe fighting style is quite alike!

nThe only shortcoming is that he did not loudly praise the Lord during the final blow.

nAt the same time, Lumian’s head buzzed, and he nearly blacked out. He collapsed to the ground, on the verge of losing consciousness.

nHe managed to stay awake only because he had undergone significant digestion of the Reaper potion. It felt as if he had completed another massive cull by the ancient tomb during the Dream Festival.

nWh— Lumian was initially thrilled, but then he forced himself to stand, shocked and suspicious.

nHe knew the digestion must have resulted from his Culling of Overseer Perle, but shouldn’t a demigod suffice for him to fully digest the Reaper potion?

nLumian extinguished the incandescent white flames burning within and without. With his left hand, he retrieved the healing agent and Lie earring obtained from Jebus from his Traveler’s Bag, all while examining Overseer Perle’s corpse.

nJust then, the special mirror world completely collapsed, and they found themselves back in reality, inside the quarry cave with a fixed mirror world entrance.

nNext to the protruding rock where Perle had stood, there was no corpse or white fog to be seen.

nLumian spotted an oil painting hanging on the corresponding rock wall.

nThe painting looked torn and ruined, but one could faintly discern that it had once portrayed a woman in a red dress.

nPerle?

nWe weren’t facing the true Overseer, but a painted figure she created using a Pixie pathway item?

nThis oil painting grants the depicted demigod a short lifespan, but no freedom of movement?

nIs that why Perle never budged and always took the attacks head-on?

nAmid his bewilderment, Lumian drank the healing agent Jebus had procured from the Great Mother’s followers to ensure he would survive past 6 a.m.

nAt that moment, Perle’s smiling voice resonated from the depths of the shattered oil painting.

n“I didn’t anticipate my painting person failing.

n“But no matter. What’s important is that the vortex is about to manifest. It won’t be long before you’re officially consumed.

n“Everyone will be caught up in it…”

nPerle’s voice gradually faded into the depths of the oil painting, thwarting Mr. K’s attempt to track her through teleportation.

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