816 Dark Forest

816 Dark Forest

On the edge of the district destroyed by the volcanic eruption, Lumians figure swiftly emerged, his gaze fixed on the site of the violent explosion.

The ground had collapsed into a massive crater, thin wisps of fog rising from it, though not yet dense.

Albus Medici leaped out of the crater, followed closely by a three-to-four-meter-tall iron soldier wielding a white-blue flaming spear.

Lumian transformed into a shadowy creature again, blending into the darkness untouched by the firelight.

He decided to observe the scene before taking action.

Almost simultaneously, he saw a figure emerge from the crater, half blending into the night, half illuminated by the firelight: long hair draping over shoulders, a chest protruding prominently, and a stomach appearing swollen as if from excessive beer.

At a glance, Lumian recognized the figure from its now feminine, motherly face-Gusain.

Gusain turned into a woman? And is pregnant? Lumian was initially stunned, then quickly pieced together what had likely happened.

He remembered adding a bit of Berserk Agent and Bark Agent to the altars oil lamp, both sourced from the Nightstalkers which were imbued with the power of the Great Mother.

So Gusain was the one who performed the ritual using the lamp? He already had some abilities linked to the mirror world, indicating his previous ritual knowledge and power were partly from the Demoness pathway. The Demoness pathway is closely tied to femininity in mysticism. So, with the divine effects of the corpse wax candle amplifying the Demoness experience, the Berserk Agent and Bark Agent linked his ritual to the Great Mother, resulting in this mutation?

Fascinating...

Lumian watched Albus Medici battle the motherly version of Gusain and the iron soldier, which was much stronger than previous soldier puppets.

He had no intention of helping either side at the moment.

A Hunter only struck at the most critical moment!

Frankly, if Albus Medici hadnt taken the head of the Abscessed Hand, Lumian wouldnt want to eliminate him right now. Even if Wanaks bait plan was a great success, trapping Albus and Gusain, he might still find an opportunity to let Albus escape.

This was to maintain a balance.

Until he finished his studies, Lumian didnt want any one competitor to dominate completely.

That would likely cause a sudden change in circumstances, forcing him to prematurely enter the underground mausoleum before finishing the books Archbishop Heraberg provided.

So, Lumian observed the fight, patiently waiting for an opportunity to get clues about the Abscessed Hands head from Albus Medici, while casually admiring Gusains transformation and the terrifying iron soldier.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

Hunter battles were always marked by violent explosions. Buildings, their foundations already hollowed out and walls damaged by the volcanic eruption, collapsed one after another, raising thick dust clouds.

Seizing an opportunity, Albus Medici leaped into the air, forming a white-blue flaming longsword and slashing it at the iron soldiers head.

Boom!

The sword exploded, splitting the iron soldiers head open.

But the iron soldier didnt collapse. Instead, Gusains right cheek instantly dented and deformed grotesquely.

In the next moment, Gusains skull and muscles quickly writhed and expanded, restoring themselves.

With this change, the iron soldiers head also rapidly healed.

Wh- self-healing power from the Great Mother pathway, combined with the Sword of Courages trait of sharing damage? Not only can they endure damage but they can also share abilities? Lumian felt a chill down his spine.

What kind of monster did my additives create?

Seeing this, Albus turned into a white flaming spear, shooting past the collapsing buildings to distance himself from the iron soldier and Gusain.

Thick fog enveloped the area around him, covering the streets for dozens of meters.

Seeing this, Lumians eyelid twitched slightly.

He sensed that Albus Medici intended to flee.

He would too!

Facing the mutated Gusain and a near-demigod iron soldier, a slight misstep could result in severe injuries or death on the spot. Even if he fought hard and won, he wouldnt emerge unscathed and would likely have to face villains attracted by the commotion. It was better to leave the two monsters for the enforcers or the Church of Knowledge to handle.

An enemys death was a good outcome, no matter who killed them.

As the war fog formed, Lumian saw a figure appear atop the nearby ruins.

It was Wanak, with iron-black eyes and blood-red hair.

He took a step forward, raised his hands, and lifted his head as if praying to a deity.

Ooo! Mororas already volatile weather suddenly whipped into a hurricane, uprooting trees and forming a vortex connecting the sky nearby.

Whoosh! The hurricane blew away the war fog, revealing Albus Medicis position to Lumian and the others.

A citywide hurricane? Only a demigod could manage that, and not even all demigods... Right, given Mororas extreme weather, and considering Wanaks connection to 0-01, its not as terrifying as I thought... Lumians gaze sharpened as he noticed Julie, clad in a cotton nightgown, appearing in the shadows about ten meters from Albus.

The Demoness held a mirror, reflecting part of Albuss image.

Julies acting now, perfectly coordinating with Wanak? Lumian was initially surprised, then understood why.

Everyone present sensed Albus was in trouble. Without prior agreement, they all made the same choice:

To ambush Albus-to nail his coffin shut!

This is the games rule, the rule of Hunter and Demoness conflicts: without powerful constraints like notarized documents, alliances are fluid, constantly shifting. But if someone shows weakness, everyone else will target them, giving no chance for recovery... Enlightened, Lumian saw Julie raise her right hand covered in demoness black flames, wiping it across the mirror reflecting Albus.

Almost simultaneously, Albus burst into flames, turning into crimson fire that shot out in all directions.

Some of the flames turned black, becoming calm from blazing, ultimately falling into the underground hollow still emitting war fog.

The remaining crimson flames regrouped about ten meters away, reforming Albuss body.

His aura weakened significantly.

In his eyes appeared a blazing white flame.

A white flaming spear shot from the shadows.

Lumian had joined in, attacking the downed dog.

Seeing this, Albuss short red hair instantly ignited, extending downward, as if turning into shoulder-length hair.

His face took on a faint iron-black hue.

Boom!

The white flaming spear exploded before hitting him, like a bursting firework.

Lumians figure appeared behind Albus, his eyes shining silver-black.

He swung a fist at Albus.

The fist slowed, as if bearing a heavy fate.

Lumian was attempting to exchange Albuss fate.

Of course, he didnt expect success. He aimed to quickly browse Albuss fate, finding fragments related to the Abscessed Hands head to locate it.

This was the most crucial task for him.

The silver illusory river of complex symbols quickly filled Lumians vision, materializing countless fate fragments flowing forward.

Ignoring the rest, Lumian searched swiftly for his target by the approximate timeline.

In a blink, a fate fragment enlarged before him: Albus holding the rotten blue-black Abscessed Hands head, walking to the underground mausoleum entrance, tossing it in from a distance, hearing it bounce around inside like a ball...

In the underground mausoleum? No wonder I couldnt sense it... Quite the hiding spot... Quite the provocation... At that moment, Lumian felt it wasnt a bad idea to kill Albus here.

This guy really knows how to annoy people!

The next second, before the fate exchange, he lost sight of Albuss silver river of fate.

The Medici descendant, realizing Lumian was behind him, turned into a blazing white flaming spear, shooting out of the ruins.

The iron soldier created white-blue Fire Ravens, chasing the spear like living creatures. Gusain raised his head, preparing to emit a shrill screech, friend and foe alike be damned.

Julie disappeared into the shadows again, but gray-white threads of spider silk appeared before and beside Albuss flaming spear, forming a resilient web waiting for him.

The hurricane hadnt stopped. Wanak leaped into the air, forming a massive white-blue flaming broadsword, ready to slash at Albus.