Chapter 30 – Salty Fish's Surprise
Inside the Old Tavern, Lumian unexpectedly saw that mysterious woman.
She was actually up?
He hadn't seen her for the past few days!
A number of rather rude remarks flashed through Lumian's mind, but he quickly adjusted his attitude and walked toward this lady who, contrary to her usual habit, had risen so early. Casually he asked:
"Up so early?"
"Or is it that I haven't slept all night?" Fors shot Lumian a glance; in her eyes a trace of surprise suddenly surfaced.
"...Wait—you've already become a Beyonder?"
She doesn't know about Godfather? A flicker of doubt rose in Lumian's mind; he reacted at once:
"Yeah. After I killed that Monster I saw something like a pool of blood ooze out of its corpse."
Lumian paused, rapidly checking whether what he'd said had any holes.
"Once that mess of blood congealed, the Monster lost the traits that terrified me. I figured that puddle of blood had something to do with the Beyonders."
Saying this, Lumian gave a grin and, feigning nonchalance, remarked to Fors:
"Then I swallowed the clot. It was agony, but in the end I succeeded."
He meant to cast himself as a hothead desperate for power; although his Godfather had helped him because of something special about him, the man had saved his life. Not knowing what relation this woman had to his Godfather, Lumian had no intention of revealing anything about Ning Lu.
"Looks like your luck really is good. Perhaps that's also the outward sign that this Pathway suits you."
Fors looked Lumian up and down, a pity in her eyes that he could not read.
"That clot of blood you ate—well, we call it a Beyonder characteristic. Normally you mix it with auxiliary materials to make a potion easier to swallow. I just never thought you'd dare eat raw what came out of a Monster."
"Fine. I was going to give you the potion formula that matches that Beyonder characteristic, but you've made that unnecessary."
Watching Lumian hopping about in front of her, Fors took a sip of coffee and gave a self-mocking chuckle. "Looks like there's still something I need to tell you—you're even more impulsive than I thought."
"First, let me explain your Pathway. The characteristic you swallowed belongs to the Hunter Pathway."
So it's my fault for not telling you everything before? Lumian pretended he hadn't heard the same facts from Ning Lu, nodding seriously as he listened to Fors.
Since this woman didn't know about Godfather, he mustn't let it slip—just as his sister had said: "A Hunter's self-discipline!"
The Sun rose and set again. After another foray through the dream and collecting some coin, Lumian rose early—now that he was a Hunter he could clearly sense the changes in himself.
His stamina had improved, his physique noticeably stronger; he had even instinctively mastered the use of traps and weapons. Though not yet beyond human limits, he was already extraordinary—utterly different from before.
"One portion for my sister, one for me..." Hearing Aurore in the washroom, Lumian tied on an apron and muttered—but his hand paused as he tossed more noodles into the pot:
"Godfather will probably come to discuss our next plan; better prepare a share for him too."
Ever since Ning Lu had saved his life—and Lumian realized this man never hid things the way "that woman" did—his way of addressing him had naturally shifted to "Godfather".
A moment later, before Aurore reached the table, Ning Lu's knock sounded at the door.
Lumian bounded over and opened it, spreading his arms in welcome:
"My dear Godfather!"
Of course Lumian kept his voice low to be sure Aurore couldn't hear.
"Rough night? I've made breakfast—any new discoveries?"
"Later." Ning Lu smiled, seeing through the little ruse. "Planning to tell Miss Aurore about our predawn plan?"
"Exactly." Lumian said shamelessly,
"Why don't you rest? Let me do the talking."
Clearly he wanted to show off in front of Aurore.
"Go ahead." Ning Lu chuckled.
"I've made some new findings; I'll share them once your sister comes out. By the way, have you memorized the basics and laws I told you?"
Ning Lu knew the moment Lumian appeared before Fors she would realize he had become a Beyonder, so after Lumian's transformation he had passed on the relevant knowledge.
"Got it." Lumian answered honestly, giving away Fors, who had repeated the same information the day before:
"The lady I met told me some of what you'd said—two Beyonder Laws and the Acting Method. I didn't mention that you gave me the potion formula; I said I swallowed the Beyonder characteristic directly."
Here Lumian's tone turned puzzled:
"She also said the Seal on me comes from a mighty being whose name can't be known unless one is strong enough—do you know where my Seal comes from?"
"More or less." Ning Lu nodded, whispered the Chinese word "Fool" and, seeing Lumian's blank look, smiled:
"The lady wasn't lying. In your current state, hearing that name would instantly twist you into a grotesque Monster—so don't go asking your sister what I just said."
"Unlike you, your sister and I come from the same place; she understands me, and the moment she hears you speak that name she would be instantly corrupted."
"I'm sure you don't want anything to happen to your sister, right?"
Ning Lu delivered this villainous declaration with perfect seriousness.