Lord of Mysteries 2: Circle of Inevitability

In Fourth Epoch Trier, shrouded in a dense gray fog, Voisin Sanson, with thick blond locks, a well-kept beard, and deep-set features, yielded to the whims of destiny. He threaded through the chaotic streets, drawing nearer to the faintly discernible grand palace.

Abruptly, the stone slab beneath his feet shattered, and with swift precision, a skeletal hand shot up, seizing his ankle.

At the same instant, a knight adorned in jet-black armor charged on horseback. Wielding a broadsword ablaze in ghostly white flames, he slashed diagonally at Voisin Sanson.

Voisin Sanson’s form swiftly morphed into an ethereal state, resilient against the onslaught of the pitch-black knight. However, with the passage of time, it gradually faded until it dissipated entirely.

His true self materialized almost 20 meters distant, fixating on the adversary.

Beneath the black visor of the knight, two dark-red flames flickered like candlelight. A grotesque wound, with pale-white intestines protruding, adorned its chest and abdomen. Perched on a desiccated white horse resembling a skeletal corpse,

the knight presided over a vast square wilderness. Within this expanse, myriad figures roamed. Some draped in white linen, their faces pallid and vacant. Others reduced to mere skeletons, while some concealed their visages behind masks of white paper.

On the fringes of the wilderness, a dark-red cradle-shaped carriage advanced, drawn by two abyssal, Demon-like creatures boasting goat horns.

Seated within the carriage was the regal Madame Pualis. Adorned with a flower crown and a green dress, her long brown hair was elegantly tied high. Bright brown eyes gazed forth as she held a small bowl crafted from green jade in one hand and an oak branch entwined with mistletoe in the other.

“What do you want?” Voisin Sanson inquired with a calm, resonant voice.

Madame Pualis responded, her smile unwavering, “Revenge, naturally.”

Her eyes, once warm, gradually turned cold, but the grin on her face endured.

“Revenge…” Voisin Sanson echoed the word, a note of confusion in his voice. After a brief pause, he furrowed his brow and questioned, “For Aurore?”

In that moment, the undead and several Death Knights scattered across the wilderness withheld their attacks on Voisin Sanson, as if anticipating the emotional release sought by the Madame they served.

Seated within the carriage, Madame Pualis offered a self-deprecating smile.

“For a Villain, one-sided love is destined to be fleeting. Passion inevitably wanes quickly. Yet, she met her end during that brief period, becoming a thorn lodged deep in my heart, unextractable. The mere thought of it is painful, fueling my anger and resentment.

“And all of this was caused by you!

“I desired to strike when we crossed paths earlier, but the circumstances weren’t conducive. Lady Moon had yet to make her entrance, and I couldn’t afford to delay the Great Mother’s affairs for a personal vendetta. But now, in this quiet moment…”

Voisin Sanson narrowed his eyes. “After receiving the Great Mother’s boon, shouldn’t these delicate and easily shattered emotions be eradicated? Aren’t you worried about undermining the grand objectives of the great entities?”

Madame Pualis chuckled and replied, “There are more fitting and potent individuals for that task. Like Lady Moon. As for me…”

Her expression softened, revealing a trace of wistfulness.

“In the past, I put my faith in the Great Mother to attain strength and break free from the constraints of the antiquated Churches. I didn’t have to concern myself with moral judgments or public opinion. No need to fear being attacked by some past victim at any moment, free to do as I pleased. Now, what I desire is vengeance!”

As Madame Pualis concluded her words, a pair of ethereal wings unfolded behind her, adorned with brown feathers of human size.

“Ah!”

A sharply discordant and anguished scream escaped her lips.

The remaining glass in the nearby structures shattered. Voisin Sanson’s mind reverberated, as if he could sense his Spirit Body wailing.

…

In the rundown square, suspected to be the whereabouts of Krismona Night Pillar, Lumian zeroed in on his feminine “mirror self.”

Only he comprehended the extent of the trouble he posed!

He might not be the most formidable presence among the gathering, but his unique skills and array of items could swiftly tip the scales in his favor. It was imperative to neutralize him in advance!

As for the mirror version of Gardner Martin, it was suspected that he possessed Mirror Substitution—proving challenging to dispatch swiftly. Lumian’s strategy was to eliminate the auxiliary threats first before zeroing in on him.

When the moment arrived, the combined effects of Psychiatrist’s Frenzy, Flog’s strikes, and the arousal triggered by Beatrice’s Necklace would exploit the psychological vulnerabilities of the Mirror People. Their abundance of negative emotions and the potent desire to achieve and supplant made them susceptible.

A dark mark on Lumian’s shoulder illuminated, and his form abruptly vanished, reappearing behind the heroic-looking female Lumian, similarly attired but with black hair.

Almost simultaneously, the blue eyes of the female Lumian gleamed with a mocking glint.

Then, she vanished.

Her figure materialized behind Anthony Reid, mostly concealed by the grayish-white stone pillar.

Spirit World Traversal!

She knew the technique as well!

Dammit! Lumian cursed inwardly. The dark mark on his right shoulder emitted another shadowy glow.

He had to hurry to his aid.

While he had considered the possibility of his mirror self possessing teleportation abilities, he had anticipated that the other party would target him, prioritizing his elimination—the most significant threat. At worst, they might exchange positions. However, he hadn’t expected the female Lumian to focus on Anthony Reid.

In that critical moment, Lumian pieced together the rationale.

Primarily, the Mirror Person harbored an intense resentment toward the original counterpart, driven by a desire to supplant them. Given their profound psychological issues, these could be effectively countered by Psychiatrist’s Frenzy and similar abilities. Secondly, Anthony Reid lacked proficiency in evasion and lacked diverse substitutes. His defense wasn’t substantially superior to that of an ordinary person, rendering him susceptible to swift elimination, thereby reducing their team’s strength.

As Lumian engaged in discourse with the Mirror Gardner Martin, Anthony Reid remained concealed behind a nearby grayish-white stone pillar. He observed his surroundings and assessed the enemy’s mental state, strategizing his actions for the impending battle.

He had noticed the appearance of his feminine version, as well as the Mirror Gardner, male Jenna, and male Franca to either hide in the shadows or vanish. The complexity of the situation intensified, and he instinctively sensed the impending challenge posed by these formidable adversaries.

As the figure of the female Lumian vanished, Anthony Reid, familiar with Lumian’s Spirit World Traversal, quickly discerned the monster’s intentions and thought process.

She was employing “teleportation,” with him as her target. Her primary focus was dealing with the Psychiatrist!

As these realizations raced through his mind, Anthony didn’t attempt to evade to either side.

Given the proximity and his limited physical abilities, escaping the danger zone before female Lumian unleashed her subsequent onslaught was an impossibility.

Instead, he opted for an offensive approach, intending to disrupt any forthcoming storm of attacks with his own strikes!

Anthony forcibly twisted his body, his eyes widening in silent determination, a faint golden hue tinting his gaze.

Then, he confronted the captivating and seemingly welcoming figure of female Lumian.

The other party harrumphed.

Spell of Harrumph!

Two beams of white light shot out from female Lumian’s nostrils, striking Anthony.

As the white beams reflected in Anthony’s eyes, he made no attempt to dodge or evade. Instead, he invoked Frenzy.

With a thud, he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Female Lumian’s facial muscles contorted, and dark-red blood vessels emerged beneath her skin, resembling tiny fire serpents coming to life.

Her blue eyes radiated violence and madness, while crimson flames bordering on white emanated from her body.

Lumian materialized beside her and the unconscious Anthony. Choosing not to employ the Spell of Harrumph, he clenched his right hand, enveloped in almost blazing-white flames, and delivered a punch to his “mirror self’s” head.

With a cracking sound, female Lumian’s body shattered like a mirror.

She, too, possessed Mirror Substitution!

Upon witnessing this, Lumian cursed inwardly once more.

Dogsh*t!

Despite anticipating that these Mirror People were closely related to mirrors and might have multiple Mirror Substitutions, thus opting for a flaming punch instead of the Spell of Harrumph to conserve spirituality, the confirmation left him frustrated and angered.

Only by facing it personally did he realize how repulsive abilities like Mirror Substitution and Paper Figurine Substitutes were!

Now, there were a total of five enemies with Mirror Substitution. Four of them had even replicated their team’s abilities. How could they possibly prevail in such a situation?

In that moment, the flames dissipated from Lumian’s fiery fist, precisely as expected, landing on Anthony Reid.

The scalding pain abruptly snapped the Psychiatrist out of his stupor. Reacting instinctively, he rolled to smother the flames.

Suddenly, Mirror Gardner Martin’s cold, smiling voice echoed from an unseen location.

“How does it feel? Are my aides proving stronger than you expected?

“Unfortunately, they hail from profound mirror images, and their genders have been reversed. They can’t replace you and return to the real world.

“What do you say? Surrender the figurine in exchange for my friendship and an opportunity to depart this place? It’s of no use to you.”

If you’re so powerful, why don’t you just kill us and take the figurine? Are you wary of something? For example, Termiboros’s escape? Or are you deliberately using such words to weaken our resistance and ensure your own safety to the greatest extent? Or are you actually not strong and are stalling for time for some development? A series of guesses raced through Lumian’s mind.

Meanwhile, Anthony Reid, having extinguished the flames, rose to his feet and coughed.

Lumian’s throat itched as he heard that.

Soon, Franca and Jenna emerged from invisibility amid uncontrollable coughing, having intended to encircle the female Anthony.

The voice of the Mirror Gardner resonated, accompanied by evident laughter.

“I neglected to mention that the Fire Raven I initially employed carries an Affliction disease. Igniting and detonating them only aids the spread of the disease.

“Those two figurines can only suppress non-conscious diseases, but this—this is under my control!”