305 Test
Lumian took his time with the thick stack of information on spirit world creatures. He stowed them and Aurore’s grimoires in an iron cabinet he had acquired earlier.
But now, there were other pressing matters at hand.
Unscrewing the lid of a wide-mouthed bottle, he reached into the green liquor to retrieve the Scotch Broom brooch known as Decency.
His plan was to test the Sealed Artifact’s abilities and its negative effects.
Waiting for a real battle wouldn’t do; he needed to familiarize himself with it now. Figuring it out on the fly during a fight would be disastrous, leaving him unable to coordinate his Beyonder powers and attacks effectively.
He also wanted to test the extent of the brooch’s adverse effects while he was still in good shape. After a battle that had taken a toll on his body and mind, it would be too risky to face those effects hastily.
Understanding the brooch’s negative effects in advance would allow Lumian to make better choices when forced to use Decency, minimizing its influence on him.
A Hunter who wasn’t familiar with their weapon was bound to fail!
Lumian placed the Scotch Broom brooch on the table before him, focusing his mind to sense its power.
As he did so, a gust of wind blew in from the open window, making his heart race. He quickly stood up, extended his right hand, and shut the window tight.
The moment the window closed, the room fell eerily silent, as if it had been sealed off from the outside world.
Lumian then walked over to the door, gently opening and closing it.
It seemed like the safe house had turned into a secluded sanctuary.
Seating himself again, Lumian exuded an aura that could provoke disgust and hatred in small animals—this was an application of Provocation.
Almost instantly, a rat appeared from nowhere, snarling and attacking him with its claws.
Without much effort, Lumian flicked his index finger and thumb, and a crimson spark shot out, incinerating the rat as it squealed in pain.
The rat desperately tried to escape while suffering the scorching pain, but the invisible force sealed all exits, leaving it trapped.
It lacked the ability to open a door.
Lumian nodded with satisfaction, using the rat to test the other abilities of the Decency brooch.
The test lasted for about 12 to 13 minutes, but Lumian couldn’t be sure without a pocket watch. He decided to proceed with caution and removed the Decency brooch, throwing it into a container of green liquor.
Then, with another small crimson fireball, he ended the rat’s life, filling the room with the smell of roasted fat.
After stowing away the container, Lumian left the safe house, ready to test the brooch’s repellent effect on others.
The gas street lamps were already lit as he stepped out, and he immediately noticed the glares of pedestrians and vendors around him.
It felt as if they despised him deeply, wanting to attack him with knives, bottles of alcohol, or even an iron pot filled with food.
However, “Lion” Ciel’s trademark golden-and-black hair seemed to deter them from acting on their impulses.
Th-this effect is equivalent to a large-scale Provocation… However, it’s not within my control… Lumian assessed roughly, realizing that he couldn’t fully control it. Under the unfriendly gazes, he walked along the roadside and made his way towards Avenue du Marché.
At that moment, two police officers dressed in black uniforms, their shoulders adorned with silver epaulets, and armed with revolvers strolled by the area.
Catching sight of Lumian, they immediately pointed at him and bellowed, “Halt right there! Routine inspection!”
The effects are truly potent… Lumian didn’t waste a breath and swiftly turned on his heels, dashing away.
“Stop!”
The two officers shouted, drawing their revolvers and taking aim at Lumian.
He skillfully evaded a pedestrian’s sneaky attempt to trip him, making a sharp turn into an alleyway blocked by a barricade. Without glancing back, he hurried into Underground Trier.
He hadn’t brought his carbide lamp, nor did he possess night vision. However, as a Pyromaniac, he could conjure light in any environment.
Crimson fireballs materialized above Lumian’s head and on his shoulders, illuminating his path. Easily outpacing the police officers, he made his way toward another Underground Trier entrance near Rue des Blouses Blanches.
As he walked, Lumian abruptly twisted his body, narrowly avoiding a black shadow that lunged from a corner.
It was a snake-like creature with bluish-black scales.
The creature reared up, flicking its bright-red forked tongue in an aggressive stance, challenging Lumian.
It doesn’t only arouse disgust and disdain from humans… They need to see or make contact with me to be influenced… Lumian sighed and shook his head, allowing one of the fireballs to shoot out and reduce the venomous snake into three charred pieces, emitting a burnt fragrance.
Having already gauged the strength and reach of the negative effects, he decided not to take any more risks. He found a nearby empty cave, extinguished the fireballs, and sat in the darkness, quietly waiting for the effects to wear off.
After what seemed like an hour, he stood up and conjured three crimson fireballs above his head, left shoulder, and right shoulder to illuminate the tunnel ahead.
In no time, Lumian found himself at an exit near Rue des Blouses Blanches. There, he spotted a figure with a carbide lamp emerging from a nearby tunnel.
With a grin, Lumian raised his right hand in a wave.
“Well, well, look who’s wandering in Underground Trier like a rat.”
It was Jenna.
As she caught sight of Lumian, her brow furrowed.
“Did you use Provocation on me? Why are you so irritating?”
Lumian replied vaguely, “Something like that.”
Jenna couldn’t hide her annoyance and blurted, “Dammit! Why did you use Provocation on me?”
Not bad. You didn’t come over to beat me up. That means you still treat me as a friend… That’s probably how strong the negative effects are when they’re about to disappear… He smiled and explained,
“I encountered something that left me tainted with a dreadful aura, but it will soon fade away.”
Shifting gears, Lumian examined Jenna, who wore a light-white shirt and a faded yellow dress. Her hair cascaded down her back, and she wore a small Sun Sacred Emblem around her neck.
“What brings you to Underground Trier?”
Jenna, now looking more like a college student in Quartier de la Cathédrale Commémorative, pursed her lips and replied, “Meeting the two Purifiers. I wanted to show my devotion to god as you suggested. So I dressed in a way that the Church advocates, even wearing a Sun Talisman. But they guided me to Underground Trier, claiming it was to avoid crowds. Dammit, it’s just absurd to go around here dressed like this!”
As the negative effects of Decency waned, Jenna understood why she reacted strongly and calmly shared her experiences with Lumian.
“Did it work?” Lumian glanced at the brown wooden box in Jenna’s right hand but didn’t rush to ask what it contained.
Puzzled, Jenna inquired, “Yes, it did. Valentine, the Purifier, became much more receptive to me. Imre also changed, but they seem to be cautious and suspicious of me for some reason.”
“Maybe they think you’re trying to ingratiate yourself and have ulterior motives,” Lumian speculated, attempting to analyze the Purifiers’ mindset. He pointed at the wooden box Jenna was carrying with his chin. “Is that their reward for you?”
Jenna couldn’t help but smile.
“Exactly. They verified the information about Deep Valley Quarry and acknowledged its importance. As compensation, they gave me two main ingredients and one supplementary ingredient for the Instigator potion. I’ll collect the rest myself.”
“Franca probably has the rest of the supplementary ingredients.” Lumian mused. “The main ingredient for a Sequence 8 potion isn’t cheap, it’s precious, you know. Is the information about Deep Valley Quarry really that important?”
What did this entail?
Jenna tersely acknowledged his words.
“They didn’t elaborate much. The only thing they said was that the Purifiers can’t directly enter the quarry due to issues between the Churches. But they’ll keep an eye on it to prevent things from escalating.”
“They also want me to keep contacting the client to get more information from him. Apparently, part of the main ingredients for the potion is an advance payment,” Jenna explained.
Lumian nodded approvingly. “Makes sense.”
Jenna sighed. “I’m such a degenerate.”
“Why do you say that?” Lumian raised his eyebrows.
Jenna grabbed her hair. “I should have asked for enough money to pay off my debts before even thinking about the ingredients for the Instigator potion.”
“When you become an Instigator, that money won’t be a problem,” Lumian scoffed. “You’re not planning to stick around as a local singer forever to repay your debts, are you?”
Jenna fell silent for a moment before admitting, “But I don’t want to harm anyone.”
“Why not just target villains?” Lumian tried to ignite Jenna’s determination.
“Damn it, you’re the Instigator, not me, right?” Jenna muttered, adding, “How much should I pay Franca? We got the information together; it’s not fair if she doesn’t get anything.”
Lumian chuckled. “Considering the potion formula she gave you, even with a friend’s discount, you should pay her a minimum of 20,000 verl d’or.”
“20,000 verl d’or minimum…” Jenna’s face showed a hint of pain. “For now, I can only owe her. Do you think I’ll accumulate more debt the higher my Sequence? The potion formula and ingredients are so expensive…”
“But your earning potential will increase,” Lumian half-instigated, half-comforted.
He extinguished the three fireballs on his body and headed toward the exit of Underground Trier, Jenna’s carbide lamp lighting their way.
After a few steps, Jenna asked with curiosity, “Why did you create fireballs above your head and both shoulders? What’s the point?”
“Haven’t you heard of people carrying three lamps—one above their head, one on their left shoulder, and one on their right shoulder?” Lumian asked.
“No,” Jenna shook her head, intrigued, “Is it some mystical knowledge?”
“Nah, just folklore,” Lumian smiled. “I thought it looked cool, so I went with it.”
Jenna couldn’t help but curse, “Dammit! You’re so childish!”
As they chatted, they left Underground Trier and entered Apartment 601, 3 Rue des Blouses Blanches, where Franca gave them a suspicious look.
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om