Chapter 27 – Lumian the Hunter
Looks like my "crossing" this time has really made a splash… Ning Lu nodded silently and said casually to Lumian in front of him:
"Looks like I did help you just now."
The observation power of the Error Path let Ning Lu catch the subtle changes on Lumian's face; he could tell the wariness toward him had faded a lot, and the words "For big sister!" that had first prompted the cry of "Godfather" now sounded much smoother.
Ning Lu guessed that his return "crossing" had stirred the power of Sefirah Castle sealed here by the Fool, delivering a strong shock to the Hunter Monster Lumian had been hunting and naturally leading Lumian to believe Ning Lu had just saved him.
"You're right."
Lumian caught his breath, unconscious thanks showing the style of a Hunter:
"Godfather, thank you for helping me kill this Monster… but what do we do now?"
"Easy." Ning Lu smiled, stepped forward, and laid a hand on the Monster.
—with the power of Sefirah Castle still lingering, he tried to drive the thin mist around as he intended:
"What you desire will soon appear… before that, mind if I try something?"
Lumian shook his head. "Of course not."
"Good." Ning Lu's lips curved slightly; grey mist flowed round his fingertips as he seemed to grasp a certain "knack," twisting his wrist:
"Then let me speed things up."
The moment he turned his wrist, the grey mist shot out like fine threads, spreading through the Monster's body and drawing something into Ning Lu—next second he flipped his hand, presenting a thick, dark-red lump to Lumian.
With the ache of drained spirituality, he smiled and said:
"Hunter's Beyonder characteristic—the key to making you a Beyonder."
Watching Lumian stare fixedly at the Hunter characteristic, Ning Lu gave a heartfelt chuckle.
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Just now he had tried, through Sefirah Castle, to borrow a high-level Error-Path power and "stole" a short span of time from the Shotgun Monster.
Because the Monster was effectively dead and he'd only snatched a dozen seconds, the attempt succeeded at once.
—the instant the theft succeeded, he felt a large chunk of his Marauder characteristic digest; one or two more thefts that met the acting standard would finish it completely.
Still, even that small "time theft" had drained all his spirituality; although it was recovering quickly, the sudden emptiness still ached.
"This is…"
"Exactly what I said—what you need to advance as a Beyonder." Ning Lu spoke calmly:
"Taking this characteristic will let you become a Hunter of Sequence 9 on the Red Priest Path—your only choice right now."
With a faint smile he added:
"Of course, you can also give it up and wait for a possibly better chance later."
"Of course I choose this, Godfather." The title now rolled off Lumian's tongue; what ability he gained didn't matter, what mattered was… "What matters is that it lets you protect your big sister, right?"
Ning Lu sighed softly, the ending of the Cordu Village dream surfacing in his mind:
"Fine. Then remember what you feel now; I hope you keep it always. The Hunter Path Potion suits your needs exactly."
Lumian caught the word "Potion," and asked modestly:
"Godfather, how does a Potion differ from a Beyonder characteristic, and how do I use this one?"
"Don't rush." Ning Lu said off-handedly:
"You've probably guessed part of it—no need to deny it; my powers let me roughly read what's on your mind."
Er… shouldn't you praise my modesty in this situation? Lumian muttered inwardly, unable to stop a retort.
"Saw that too."
Though Ning Lu wasn't a Spectator, Lumian's micro-exposure still betrayed his thoughts.
Lumian immediately said with utter sincerity, "Godfather, I'm very sorry."
But he didn't plan to change next time.
"All right, your time in the dream is limited—back to business."
Ning Lu pulled the topic back, stressing the word "dream":
"Since you've roughly guessed, I'll keep it short: to humans, a 'Potion' is a refined Beyonder characteristic, easier on the human baby constitution and simpler to digest."
"So Potions have recipes, and a recipe is basically the characteristic—or items that can form it—plus complementary materials. After brewing, the characteristic fuses more readily with other things or life."
He paused:
"As it happens, I know the Hunter-Path recipe; I checked my treasury and found most of the supplementary ingredients, borrowed the rest from the ruin Monsters. Once you're a Beyonder, remember to pay me back for the materials."
Shouldn't a Godfather wave a magnanimous hand and gift them? Lumian stared in disbelief, hoping words might save him.
"Of course, you can swallow the raw characteristic and save that bit of money—at the cost of higher risk of losing control and slower digestion."
Lumian instantly gave up bargaining.
"Looks like you've made your choice."
Ning Lu glanced at him, drew a Goblet out of Sefirah Castle, and dropped the Hunter characteristic inside:
"First, the main ingredient: Hunter's Beyonder characteristic."
"Then ten drops of Red Chestnut-Flower Oil, five grams of White Poplar Leaf Powder, ten grams of Roelle."
It took Lumian only a moment to realize Ning Lu was reciting the names on purpose; he memorized them carefully.
"Finally, eighty millilitres of Red Wine."
Ning Lu produced a newly stolen vintage and poured it in slowly.
The Hunter characteristic and the other materials melted and merged; a blood-red hue swirled in the clear glass like the innocent blood spilled over centuries.
"Hunter Potion—drink up."
Ning Lu spread his fingers and offered the stem glass to Lumian.
Lumian stayed silent for a while, then took the glass.
And then—
he drained it in one.
——————
"Welcome to the cruel world of Beyonders."