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Chapter 969: Conspirer's Sensitivity
Circle of Inevitability

Star Dream Provisions Store.

With Ludwig tagging along, Anthony received the reply letter from the Major Arcana card holders from the shop owner.

"In reality, Rozanne is under strict protection from the Church of Evernight Goddess. As long as she's asleep, there will definitely be Beyonders monitoring her dream state. The Church of Evernight Goddess are experts in this area…"

"On the Future, Frank Lee hasn't shown any more abnormalities so far. He's the same as before. Regarding Li Keji in the dream, our bottom line is that we can't let him be corrupted by the power of the Great Mother, nor can we let him become a puppet of the Celestial Worthy through death and rebirth…"

Reading this, Anthony seemed to hear the inner thoughts of the Major Arcana card holders: "If necessary, you can actively eliminate Li Keji and destroy the body. In any case, we can't let him be corrupted or exploited. Death won't affect the real person in reality."

Lumian thought the same… Anthony hadn't personally witnessed Li Keji's mushrooms, he had only heard Lumian recount the other's ideas, which he found somewhat reasonable but also permeated with bewildering madness.

He continued reading the rest of the letter.

"We can only confirm that Anderson Hood is currently in Anderson, the capital of Lenburg, but we can't find him. We will communicate with the Church of Knowledge later."

The fact that even the Major Arcana card holders from different pathways can't find him proves that Anderson Hood is hiding very well. Perhaps he has even received protection from higher powers… Is the communication with the Church of Knowledge a way to confirm if they had provided help to Anderson Hood? If not, things would be even more complex and troublesome… Anthony folded the letter and stuffed it into his jeans pocket.

He then immediately dropped the letter he had written in advance into the silver-trimmed black mailbox.

…

Tech Building.

Lumian was already at work. While patrolling the floors, he pondered how to more effectively monitor Zaratulstra's situation, and where to go tonight to observe this enemy's state—Lumian wanted to see if Zaratulstra would still encounter hostility in his dreams at night after Luo Shan reminded Zhou Mingrui again, deepening the latter's impression of Zaratulstra.

Reaching the seventh floor, taking advantage of Old Xia's trip to the bathroom, Lumian took out his phone, opened the online shopping platform Franca had mentioned, and typed a few words using voice input: "Pinhole cameras…"

He felt that although Zaratulstra was also suppressed to Sequence 7, he was essentially still an Angel with many mysterious and bizarre abilities. Relying solely on the mirror world to spy on him was obviously unrealistic; this could only be done occasionally.

So, Lumian planned to try scientific methods, to try pinhole cameras and bugs. Even if Zaratulstra later discovered these little devices, as long as he couldn't trace them back to Lumian, there wouldn't be any problem.

After completing the input, Lumian didn't press the "search" button.

He remembered Franca saying this was illegal, part of the black and gray industry.

Let's not even mention whether regular platforms sell these, but as a Child of God, why should I personally get involved in the black and gray industry? I'm a law-abiding citizen… Lumian half-jokingly, half-mockingly closed the app and switched to WeChat, entering the conversational window with "Intis Group Grimm".

He calmly input: "Prepare some pinhole cameras and bugs for me, preferably with user manuals.

"Also, give me Zaratulstra's itinerary for the next two days."

Zaratulstra's safety in the dream city was jointly managed by his personal bodyguards and the Intis Group's security department, so Lumian knew last night that Zaratulstra was most likely at the hotel, and headed straight there to observe the situation. Of course, this wasn't entirely certain; Zaratulstra could change his itinerary at any time. He was the one in control, just like when he suddenly decided to visit two tutoring centers, Lumian hadn't received any warning from Grimm beforehand.

"Alright." Grimm quickly replied to Lumian.

By the time Lumian finished patrolling the floors and returned to his office, opening the drawer that belonged to him, he immediately saw two sets of pinhole cameras and bugs quietly placed inside.

Lumian pulled out the paper placed on top of them and memorized Zaratulstra's itinerary from 5 pm to 10pm today.

As the sky approached complete darkness, he found an excuse to go to the bathroom and teleported away.

He first used the mirror world to hide the pinhole cameras and bugs in inconspicuous places in Zaratulstra's room, erased traces of his presence, and completed anti-divination using Mirror Substitution. Then he returned to the Tech Building and arrived at Mr. Huang's exclusive 16th floor through the mirror.

Tonight, Mr. Huang would host a business dinner here to entertain Zaratulstra and his entourage.

Lumian was very grateful for Mr. Huang's fondness for mirrors and gold foil decorations, which allowed him to easily find the best position to observe Zaratulstra from behind a mirror-like object on the ceiling.

The elderly man had just toasted a glass of red wine with Mr. Huang and appeared completely normal, while outside the window it was truly night.

Time ticked by, and Lumian quietly watched them drink wine, eat, and chat casually.

Suddenly, Mr. Huang leaned back in his chair, raised his head, and as if pondering a question, cast his gaze towards the mirror-like object where Lumian was hiding.

Lumian instinctively withdrew his body, moving away from the mirror surface.

Did Mr. Huang sense me?

Can he detect spying from behind mirrors?

He's just a dream projection, not Emperor Roselle… Was that just a pure coincidence just now, or in Mr. Fool's subconscious cognition, is Mr. Huang hiding Beyonder powers? Thinking of this, Lumian suddenly remembered a piece of information Franca had told him: Louis Gustav of the Emperor faction has been very irritable lately because he couldn't contact a key figure, and that key figure was suspected to be the mirrored Emperor Roselle.

There's a whiff of conspiracy… Lumian's Conspirer's intuition immediately gave him a suspicion: Could it be that the mirrored Emperor Roselle has also entered the dream?

She had previously cooperated with the subordinates of evil gods and Celestial Worthy, did She enter the dream with the help of the Celestial Worthy's side? After all, She's not a true god, hasn't accommodated the Uniqueness, and doesn't have special items, so it's unlikely She could come in on Her own…

Is She working with Zaratulstra, attempting to erode and influence Emperor Roselle's dream manifestation, Huang Tao, until they control and replace him?

She is essentially a Mirror People, so it's only natural that She can detect someone spying from behind mirrors…

If She and Zaratulstra control the Intis Group, given the Group's influence and terrifying cash flow, the balance of victory will surely tilt rapidly!

While we focused on Zhou Mingrui, Li Keji, and An Xiaotian, Zaratulstra quietly raided our vault…

Normally, given that Princess Bernadette seems to still be able to enter the dream, Mr. Huang should be on our side…

But why did Mr. Huang so obviously look in my direction?

She could have pretended not to notice and waited for an opportunity to suddenly attack…

The more Lumian thought about it, the more he felt cold sweat breaking out on his back.

Zaratulstra isn't a Conspirer, but he's as good as one!

Indeed, my initial idea wasn't wrong—we should actively attack, assassinate him, or trade one for one, kick him out… As these thoughts raced through Lumian's mind, he pressed against the mirror surface again, looking down.

At this time, Mr. Huang had already withdrawn his gaze.

But Zaratulstra noticed his previous behavior and glanced at the ceiling, asking, "What were you looking at?"

Mr. Huang gently swirled the red wine in his glass and smiled, answering, "Thinking about some things."

Zaratulstra didn't ask further and started talking about other matters.

Lumian observed for several more minutes, confirming that Zaratulstra showed no abnormalities after nightfall.

In other words, after being punished once, Mr. Fool's subconscious will consider this person completely marionettized. Even if Zhou Mingrui hears the corresponding name again, deepening his impression, it won't alert the dream's subconscious, unless Zaratulstra does something new to stimulate him, bringing new changes? Lumian speculated about the reasons for the current situation as he left using Mirror Traversal.

"What took you so long?" Old Xia casually asked when he saw him walk back into the office.

Lumian sighed and said, "Ah, I'm the kind of person who gets diarrhea when I eat excessively spicy stuff, and gets constipated when I don't eat spicy food."

Old Xia enthusiastically started chatting about the topic of "spicy food".

…

Late at night, Lumian teleported to the vicinity of Crimson Moon Hospital, continuously flashing between the glass windows of different special wards through the mirror world.

After a minute, he stopped.

Before him was a dark hospital room with only a bit of moonlight, and his spiritual intuition told him that the person in the room was An Xiaotian, whom he was looking for.

Lumian looked down at the hospital bed from above and saw a person connected to many machines and tubes.

The person's head was immersed in darkness, only vaguely showing decent facial features, but the beard seemed to have been only trimmed short due to not being shaved for a long time, growing up to just below the cheeks, thick and black, in tufts.

Lumian observed for a while, then walked out of the glass window and approached the bedside.

He saw that the comatose patient's head was shaved bald, with multiple suture marks on top that looked like giant centipedes.

A scene spontaneously formed in Lumian's mind: the head forcibly split open, the brain violently extracted, then something unknown placed in the emptied space before suturing shut…

A symbol? Just as this thought flashed through Lumian's mind, he saw on the monitor that the heartbeat became intense, with peaks and valleys rapidly alternating, bringing a beeping alarm sound.

Lumian instinctively stepped back, moving to the window, ready to leave at any moment.

At the same time, he saw that all of the patient's monitoring data had changed, becoming very active.

As soon as I arrive, there's an anomaly? Is it caused by something on me… There are too many possible reasons, I don't even know which one it could be… Lumian once again turned his gaze to the patient himself.

The patient's fingers suddenly moved imperceptibly.

Circle of Inevitability
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Comments 24

  1. Offline
    Unaffiliated_Busines
    Unaffiliated_Busines
    + 0 ⋅ 0 -
    Dude's a walking alarm of convergence cheerful
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  2. Offline
    Jack_Nat_Mikhail
    Jack_Nat_Mikhail
    + 2 ⋅ 0 -
    MC = one man hostel
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  3. Offline
    Good_Night
    Good_Night
    + 15 ⋅ 0 -
    Bro has too much corruption pressure
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  4. Offline
    Максим Довбняк
    Максим Довбняк
    + 34 ⋅ 0 -
    (98)Chapter 982: Exploiting Loopholes

    Lumina had returned to normal and looked at Jenna with her clear eye, asking suspiciously:

    "What do you mean by turning into a man?"

    Before, when her other eye was blinded, the healing potion’s effect was limited to a Sequence 7, so her recovery was slow, and her vision was still blurry.

    Jenna’s mind raced as she realized Lumina didn’t fully understand. She quickly came up with an excuse:

    "Did you forget you like to dress in men’s clothing and pretend to be a man?"

    Lumina looked down at her clothes, then accepted Jenna’s explanation:

    "Yes, I still like it now."

    She believed it. Has she fully accepted this character setup? Jenna vaguely sensed an opening and probed further:

    "It seems like you’ve been confused and disoriented. Don’t tell me you’ve even forgotten that we’re lovers, raising little Li Lu together?"

    "Ah...," Lumina hesitated for a moment, "That’s why he calls me 'mother' and you 'mom.' I remember now, it’s like that!"

    Did she just 'remember' that? Jenna's lips twitched slightly.

    Lumina’s reaction confirmed Jenna’s suspicion: Due to the conflict between Lumina's true gender and her backstory, a gap had appeared in the Dreamscape. Until the gap was patched, whatever background story Jenna fed Lumina, she would become that character.

    Of course, this gap couldn’t relate to anything supernatural or affect the actual people around Lumina — she clearly remembered them.

    Realizing that she had brought Lumina and Ludwig back through the mirror world, Jenna felt a headache coming on, unsure how these intricate details would affect things moving forward.

    She decided not to mention the mirror world or how Lumina was injured for the time being, waiting until Lumina brought it up before fabricating an excuse.

    Jenna pointed toward the bedroom:

    "You look really tired, and you’re not fully recovered. Let me help you get some rest."

    Lumina nodded gently.

    Jenna immediately helped her up, then said to Ludwig:

    "You did well today. You can take a break and study again later. There’s food in the bag."

    "Got it," Ludwig replied, clearly waiting for this cue.

    He quickly grabbed Jenna’s Traveler’s Bag."

    Once everything was arranged, Jenna helped Lumina onto the bed, covered her with a blanket, and after making sure she was comfortable, went to the bathroom to wet a towel to wipe the blood from Lumina's face.

    Just as Jenna picked up the wet towel, she saw Anthony’s reflection in the bathroom mirror.

    Jenna breathed a sigh of relief and twisted the faucet, saying, "I was just about to settle Lumina and the others and come find you."

    "Are you alright?"

    She used Lumina’s name to quickly signal Anthony about what had transpired.

    Anthony confirmed by asking, "Where is Zaratulstra?"

    "The third part of the plan was successfully executed," Jenna replied succinctly.

    Anthony then shared his ordeal:

    "I was transported to a prison where they were clearly prepared for Mirror Projection. I hypnotized my cellmate, making him feel sick so he would cry for help. After that, using Psychological Invisibility, I escaped, using the mirror and the Ice Amulet to get out of there.

    "When I returned to the hot pot restaurant corresponding to the mirror world, I found you had already left, so I came to check on you. The police are there now, and the area behind the mirror might not be safe."

    "You can remove your disguise and return to your original appearance," Jenna said while throwing the Lie into the mirror. "I’ve already used mirror magic to reflect fortune-telling, and Queen Mystic will help clean up the mess. You don’t need to worry. Go rest, leave Ludwig with me for now."

    "Got it," Anthony replied, taking advantage of the Ice Amulet’s remaining power to return to his apartment at Red Trust Complex.

    His Ice Amulet could only be used once more.

    Jenna sighed in relief, wrung out the towel, and left the bathroom, entering the bedroom to wipe Lumina's face.

    On her way, she glanced at Ludwig to see how much he had eaten.

    ***

    Back at the hot pot restaurant, police had cordoned off the area, separating the corpse and the surrounding space.

    Franca, looking visibly shaken, was being questioned by officer alongside Luo Shan and Zhou Mingrui.

    She nervously said:

    "We weren’t eating very fast, just waiting for the next act. I went to the bathroom, and when I came back, I found the body!"

    "Were you not in the main hall when the crime occurred?" Officer Le An pressed.

    "No, I was in the restroom," Franca explained.

    Officer Le An took note of this detail and planned to later review surveillance footage to verify whether Franca had indeed gone to the restroom and for how long.

    He then turned to Zhou Mingrui:

    "You saw a woman and the deceased come out of the screen?"

    "Yes," Zhou Mingrui replied, glancing at Franca.

    After observing for a while, Zhou Mingrui began to think Franca didn’t seem like the culprit.

    Or, was her skill so good that I couldn’t see through the trick? Zhou Mingrui wondered, then added:

    "I thought it was part of a magic performance, but now that I think about it, there was something off. That woman had blood on her face."

    Le An continued questioning, then approached Detective Dunn, summarizing the key points of his investigation.

    Dunn, holding a pipe, didn't light it due to the public setting, but simply inhaled its scent to stimulate his mind.

    "Captain, we found something." Another officer approached Dunn, reporting his findings.

    This officer was in charge of tracking down the mysterious woman from the surveillance footage.

    Dunn nodded and followed the officer to the back of the restaurant, entering the changing room used by the performers.

    The actors huddled in the corners, frightened, watching the police move about.

    "The last place the target appeared was here," the officer said, pulling back a curtain and pointing to the costume area.

    Dunn scanned the room and his gaze fell on a shattered mirror on the ground.

    ***

    In a luxurious mansion in Trier…

    Lumian opened his eyes and found one of them void of light, while the other was tinged with a faint red hue.

    All his joints ached, and his thoughts occasionally stalled, as though trapped in darkness, even though he had achieved his goal. Yet, he still felt a deep-seated sense of despair, as if he was sinking into a void from which there was no escape, and a violent urge to tear everything apart.

    This was the corruption caused by Zaratulstra’s mythical crature form, which affected reality and caused real damage as well.

    Slowly, Lumian stood up, confirming the presence of the Traveler’s Bag and other supernatural items, then stumbled out of the room, heading down the stairs.

    He didn’t immediately take the healing potion, as his injuries were more mental corruption than physical harm.

    As Lumian entered the living room on the first floor, the Madam Magician in a yellow and white dress was already waiting for him.

    Madam Magician had a sudden glint in her eyes, conjuring an illusory book and quickly flipping to a certain page.

    Accompanied by a fleeting and mystical sound, a brief rain fell upon Lumian, cleansing his bloodstains, yet not wetting his clothes.

    Lumian's blinded eye gradually recovered its sight, and the discomfort in his body quickly dissipated.

    "The best way to deal with your current condition would actually be to seek Mr. Sun to purify you a bit. But the things that need purifying in you are too many, and the status involved is too high, which may be more disadvantageous for you," Madam Magician said with a smile. "For now, your spirit and soul definitely still have some remaining corruption. Later, Miss Justice will come and perform targeted healing on you. Fortunately, the dream corruption has also been suppressed to Sequence 7, so as long as you don't encounter the Celestial Worthy, there shouldn't be any big problems."

    Lumian pushed back his black hair behind his ear and briefly explained the group's choice of action against Zaratulstra and the help they provided to Queen Mystic.

    During the conversation, Madam Magician had him sit down on a single sofa.

    "I don't know if Franca ultimately killed Zaratulstra's dream manifestation or not, but there shouldn't be any major issues. At the time, Zaratulstra's bodyguards were all on the second floor of the theater. As for the Seer demigod, he stayed in the inn. Even though Mr. Fool subconsciously believed that Zaratulstra also possessed supernatural powers, he was just an ordinary Sequence 7 and did not have any special abilities, nor did he possess the rank of an angel," Lumian concluded.

    Madam Magician smiled and said:

    "Yes, seeing the situation in Mr. Fool's dream was an extraordinary disaster, extremely dangerous. For now, I’m not clear whether the “Two of Cups” succeeded or not. Let's wait for the 'Justice' lady to arrive and ask her. She can use her Dream Weaver abilities to glimpse some details of the dream."

    "What you need to pay attention to now is that what you did had a strong impact on Zhou Mingrui. No one knows how the dream will change from now on."

    Lumian nodded thoughtfully and said:

    "This time, our greatest gain wasn’t kicking Zaratulstra out of the dream, which we’ll likely resolve later in terms of his dream manifestation. What we actually showed to Zhou Mingrui, that was something important."

    Madam Magician gave him a look, and Lumian slowly continued:

    "As long as we show any profound involvement with the supernatural in front of Zhou Mingrui, making him feel threatened, whether it's the Celestial Worthy's subordinates or us, we'll be cast out of the dream and quickly lose our true selves."

    "In this respect, no matter where one stands, everyone is treated the same."

    ***

    Due to the injury affecting the dining table, Zhou Mingrui, Franca, and Luo Shan could no longer continue eating hot pot.

    Since much of the food hadn’t been touched, Luo Shan hesitated on how much to pay.

    At that moment, the restaurant manager approached them and said:

    "No need to pay, no need to pay. President Huang of Intis Group said he'll cover everything. He said that because of the customer issue, no one was able to enjoy their meal, so he's paying for everyone."

    "President Huang is as generous as always," Zhou Mingrui commented.

    Luo Shan wholeheartedly agreed.

    Seeing Rafu in bad condition, Zhou Mingrui did not suggest they go somewhere else to eat. Instead, he politely escorted the two women to their ride.

    Franca held on until they returned to Dechuang Garden. After entering the elevator, she suddenly felt weak and leaned on Luo Shan.

    "What's wrong?" Luo Shan asked in surprise.

    "I think... I might be coming down with something. Why all of a sudden?" Franca herself was puzzled.

    Luo Shan didn’t stop at the 15th floor but helped Franca up to the 23rd.

    When she saw the door of apartment 2303, Franca suddenly "realized":

    The sickness was due to using the Inevitable Gun with the 'Certain Death' effect!

    I really killed Zaratulstra...


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    1. Offline
      TempestUknow
      TempestUknow
      + 9 ⋅ 0 -
      damn you dropped this early today
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      1. Offline
        Error404
        Error404
        + 4 ⋅ 0 -
        Only chapter for today.
        Read more
      2. Offline
        Максим Довбняк
        Максим Довбняк
        + 10 ⋅ 0 -
        It's easier to wake up when you don't have to work)
        So I just didn't oversleep swim
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    2. Offline
      Error404
      Error404
      + 6 ⋅ 0 -
      Hypnosis? When she pull the trigger hypnosis started? No it should be after seeing Zaratual is dead.
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    3. Offline
      Req
      Req
      + 7 ⋅ 0 -
      Looks like Franca was hypnotized by Adam rather than Anthony
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    4. Offline
      Shuhmen
      Shuhmen
      + 6 ⋅ 0 -
      Reasonable development
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    5. Offline
      purple_emperor
      purple_emperor
      + 9 ⋅ 0 -
      I'd at least expect Zaratul to be killed in a higher sequenced fight but damn this man is a total fraud, hopefully he can still revive since he's a Miracle Invoker.. nose nose
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      1. Offline
        Максим Довбняк
        Максим Довбняк
        + 20 ⋅ 0 -
        This is the only thing that saves him... His pathway and sequence. Paper Figurine Substitute, Historical Void, Historical Projection, Substitution with a marionette, Resurrection. It seems like an ancient Angel, but it seems like a loser at the same time)

        And you can't find fault with Cuttlefish, the character is well-written, it's just that everything is always bad for Him. He should consult with Will Auceptin or Ouroboros, obvious problems with fate
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        1. Offline
          Error404
          Error404
          + 3 ⋅ 0 -
          No the problem is with the person, the choice he make, first time he tried to capture Klein by joining hands with Loen King, the king died and his plan failed, he wasn't even able to do anything unlike Amon who waited till end to capture Klein. Second time he team up with Amon, he even "give up" Hope for seq 0 and was happy with being a King of Angels, ended up dying like bitch he was, third time he joined CW thinking this Ancient guy will bring him power, got owned by a seq 4 and bunch of seq 5. This ducker is joining anyone who seems "strong", he doesn't even have deep motivation to go against fate and become True God, that's why we call him fraud.
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  5. Offline
    Максим Довбняк
    Максим Довбняк
    + 36 ⋅ 0 -
    Thanks for the chapter Brandon Estiven Sanchez Narvaez hokage
    (97) Chapter 981: Wrapping Up

    Approaching the stage near the table, Zhou Mingrui spotted Zaratulstra along with the unnamed beautiful woman from the screen coming down. He continued observing them.

    Compared to the vast majority who were distracted by the woman’s strange yet captivating beauty, with bloodstains on her face and a dazed expression, Zhou Mingrui paid more attention to Zaratulstra's movements and behavior.

    Naturally, during this process, he would still glance at the woman out of the corner of his eye, curious about her condition and what she might do next.

    After just a few seconds, he noticed a strange child emerging from behind Zaratulstra. The child grabbed the bloodstained woman’s hand and led her down the stage, heading toward the actors' makeup rest area. Zaratulstra’s expression was also confused, and he slowly followed them off the stage, heading toward the stairs leading to the second floor.

    Zhou Mingrui observed Zaratulstra starting to walk faster, his expression gradually becoming more relaxed, even showing some joy.

    Just then, he heard a "bang" and saw Zaratulstra's head explode like a watermelon dropping from a height.

    As red and white substances splattered everywhere, the applause, cheers, and chatter in the hotpot restaurant suddenly stopped, as if someone had hit a mute button.

    Everything froze or paused in a moment of shock, except for the remnants of Zaratulstra’s head, with red and white fluids splashing like fireworks.

    Thud!

    Zaratulstra’s body collapsed, not far from the staircase.

    “Zaratulstra is dead… He was shot…” At that moment, Zhou Mingrui was extremely confused and bewildered, feeling like a scene from a movie had abruptly intruded into real life.

    He had never, in his entire life, witnessed someone get shot and killed in front of him.

    He usually felt an overwhelming sense of security, believing in the safety measures around him.

    A second later, Zhou Mingrui remembered Li Ming, Luo Fu, and Luo Shan, who had warned him to be careful around Zaratulstra. He recalled that a few minutes ago, Luo Fu had also been eating hotpot at the restaurant and had gone to the restroom.

    “How coincidental… she wasn’t in the main hall at the time… Could it have been her?”

    Just as this thought crossed his mind, screams erupted, and chaos ensued throughout the restaurant.

    Everyone finally reacted.

    A bloody, gun-wielding murder had just occurred right in front of their eyes!

    Some people immediately called the police, while others tried to flee the restaurant, fearing another shooting. Some were so scared that they vomited or wiped at the stains on their faces.

    “What happened?” Zhou Mingrui suddenly heard Luo Fu’s voice.

    The woman, wearing a shiny black T-shirt and sunglasses, had returned to her original spot nearby.

    Luo Shan stood up abruptly, pointing at the spot where Zaratulstra had fallen, stammering in shock: “Dead, he’s dead! Zaratulstra was shot!”

    Seeing Luo Shan’s reaction, Zhou Mingrui began to doubt his earlier assumption.

    Luo Shan didn’t seem prepared for Zaratulstra to be shot and killed at all.

    “Huh?” Franca, relying on her relatively tall frame, stood on tiptoes to peer at the scene of the death.

    After glimpsing the exploded head and the body, her face paled, and she quickly averted her gaze.

    “Was it really Zaratulstra?” she asked Luo Shan.

    At this point, Luo Shan also began to suspect that Luo Fu was responsible, because Luo Fu had been the one who suggested they eat at this hotpot place, and she had chosen the seats near the stage. Just a few minutes before Zaratulstra was shot, Luo Fu had gone to the restroom and wasn’t in her seat.

    However, Luo Fu’s reaction and expression made Luo Shan uncertain.

    Luo Shan nodded gravely: “Yes, it was him.”

    She had been truly frightened. Despite becoming a supernatural being, Luo Shan had, at most, killed some monsters in the Shaman world and subtly influenced a few individuals in real life. She had never actually fought a human, let alone killed one.

    She understood Luo Fu’s purpose and their target, but she hadn’t expected such an extreme method.

    As they spoke, Luo Shan moved closer to Franca, attempting to mimic what she had seen on TV by sniffing Franca to see if there was any trace of gunpowder residue, but all she could smell was a pleasant and intoxicating fragrance.

    Franca’s expression darkened slightly, and she muttered to herself, “How did this happen… why is he dead?”

    Amid the chaos in the hotpot restaurant, Zhou Mingrui shifted his gaze from Luo Shan and Luo Fu back to the actors’ makeup area.

    He hadn’t forgotten that Zaratulstra had exited the screen along with a beautiful yet dangerous woman.

    ***

    In the restaurant's rest area:

    Lumina was being led by Ludwig to a secluded corner, pulling a curtain as if to change clothes.

    The actors in the rest area were all captivated by Lumina’s appearance, aura, and dazed eyes. None of them questioned why she was there.

    Away from prying eyes, Ludwig pulled a mirror from his pocket.

    In the mirror, Jenna was already waiting.

    Jenna extended both hands, grabbing Lumina and Ludwig, pulling them into the world within the mirror.

    Lumina didn’t resist. She remembered that this was Li Lu’s mother.

    What puzzled her was that, despite clearly being Li Lu’s mother, there was another figure who was also called Li Lu’s mother. Her memories and consciousness told her this was true.

    Crack!

    The mirror fell to the ground, engulfed in a quiet, eerie black flame before shattering into pieces.

    Jenna, having passed through the mirror near Dechuang Garden, began cleaning off her makeup and removing the “Lie” earring from Lumina’s ear.

    Their plan was divided into three parts:

    The first part was an assassination attempt.

    The second part, if the assassination failed, was to launch a siege.

    "The third part is as follows: if they are still unable to kill Zaratulstra, then they will bring the enemy in front of Zhou Mingrui. Using methods related to occult knowledge and extraordinary powers, there is a high chance that Zaratulstra, along with the one accompanying them, will be kicked out of the Dreamscape.

    Then, Franca, who has not yet participated in the battle, seizes the opportunity and, hiding, assassinates Zaratulstra. In her ordinary Dream Realm form, Zaratul is without the status of an angel and temporarily lacks bodyguards, which leads to the character's exit from the stage, preventing Zaratul from using her again to exploit Huang Tao's connections and collect wealth and resources through the company’s mergers.

    Furthermore, this might even force Zaratul to take a long time to re-enter the Dreamscape city under a new identity, which Lumian and the others will use to try even more things during this window of time.

    Because of the possibility of being exposed in front of the audience or the plan failing, with Zaratulstra successfully escaping, they take precautions. Lumian, Franca, Jenna, Anthony, and Ludwig all adjust their appearances with 'Lie', perfect disguises, and use of Lumian's Mystery Prying Glasses, enhancing the power of suggestion for their disguise. Everyone who sees them will believe that this is their true appearance.

    —The Mystery Prying Glasses are not higher than Level 7 Sequence, so the effects related to occult knowledge have not diminished.

    Inside a hotpot restaurant, Mr. Huang, who was chatting with his daughter, heard gunshots and chaos from the main hall. He leaned around the staircase and looked down below.

    With a faint smile on his face, he saw Zaratulstra's nearly headless body, and his expression immediately darkened.

    He took his phone from his ear, glanced at the interface showing the name 'Beibei,' and, after a few seconds, brought the phone back to his ear, softly saying:

    'Something happened here, I need to handle it. I’ll call you back later.'

    As soon as he hung up, Zaratulstra's followers panicked, terrified and furious, rushing from his side to surround the corpse.

    Intis Corporation's vice president, Edward, approached Mr. Huang and whispered:

    'Besides Zaratulstra, a bodyguard and a negotiator are also missing.'

    Mr. Huang slowly nodded, looked at the chaos in the hall, and sighed, saying:

    'Report to the police and have them handle it.'

    Having returned to the Dreamscape city’s daily routine, Jenna, Lumina, and Ludwig went back to room 2303 of Dechuang Garden.

    She used the 'Ice Amulet' one more time, leaving her with only one final use.

    She immediately placed Franca’s Traveler`s Bag on the tea table.

    Franka spied on Zaratulstra as he entered the restroom, and using a mirror above the water tank, shot Zaratulstra. Afterwards, she immediately drank a healing potion provided by the Tarot Club to delay the side effects of using the Inevitable Gun.

    After this, she quickly handed over the Traveler`s Bag and all related extraordinary items to Jenna, allowing Jenna to take them away from the scene to avoid being discovered by the police.

    Jenna pulled out a healing potion and handed it to the dazed Lumina, speaking softly:

    'First, heal your wounds.'

    Lumina accepted the potion, trusted her completely, opened the lid, tilted her head back slightly, and drank it.

    Seeing this scene, Jenna felt somewhat anxious.

    She had discovered an issue that she hadn’t anticipated:

    Lumian had left the Dreamscape in a female form, Lumina, but the true identity of the woman was Li Ming, a male.

    Typically, when outsiders are kicked out of the Dream Realm, they revert to their woven identities, just like 'Luo Fu.' But now, Lumina and Li Ming are clearly different—different genders.

    This leads to a conflict between Lumina’s self-perception and her real identity!

    Does this mean the creator of the Dreamscape inadvertently created a loophole? Jenna noticed that Lumina was recovering rapidly and asked hesitantly:

    'Can you still change back to a male?'"

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    1. Offline
      MysticalCat
      MysticalCat
      + 9 ⋅ 0 -
      I wonder if Klein felt Aurore's soul inside Lee Min when talking to Lee Min? And if so, who is standing in front of Jenna now?
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  6. Online Offline
    equilibrium
    equilibrium
    + 3 ⋅ 0 -
    I think Anderson is under the influence of Red Angel Medici. Since both hunter and demoness pathway are critical for awakening of fool. It doesn't make sense if Medici isn't involved. Almost all the gods are involved in the dream except we haven't seen Medici. Maybe he is in a cooperative status with OGs and CW. Just a speculation though.
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      Spectator_d
      Spectator_d
      + 6 ⋅ 0 -
      Knowing the Medici, He would not have acted to his own detriment. I smell a CONSPIRACY.
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  7. Offline
    Максим Довбняк
    Максим Довбняк
    + 35 ⋅ 0 -
    (96) Chapter 980: Together

    Faced with Lumian's fiery serpent attack, Zaratulstra's historical projection had not yet fully emerged from the Historical Void, making it impossible to effectively counteract. Meanwhile, Zaratulstra’s true form, inside the dark vortex filled with countless transparent worms, merely observed, without taking any action.

    The highly compressed scarlet fire serpent hadn’t yet approached Zaratulstra’s true body when it suddenly changed direction, avoiding conflict with this complete mythical creature.

    This was the power of a "Miracle Invoker."

    Zaratulstra's earlier wish, "Let no one disturb him," was still effective, preventing Lumian from directly affecting Zaratulstra’s true form and causing his attacks to miss their mark entirely.

    At this moment, Lumian suddenly lifted his head.

    What he saw was not Zaratulstra’s mythical form but a crystal mirror not far from Zaratulstra.

    His bloodshot eyes, due to ruptured blood vessels, turned a deep iron black, reflecting the mirror and revealing a pale spot.

    This was the mirror’s weak point.

    With a grin, Lumian raised the "Sword of Courage" in his hand.

    The fire serpent, avoiding Zaratulstra’s true form, immediately shifted direction, charging toward the pale spot on the crystal mirror.

    The distance was short, and before Zaratulstra could react, the highly compressed fire serpent hit the target.

    Zaratulstra, composed of countless worms, turned toward that location, seemingly surprised by Lumian’s choice.

    Once the mirror shattered, the corresponding region beyond the mirror would collapse. Anyone or anything not able to escape through the tunnel in time would be consumed by the chaotic currents within the mirror world, dragging them deep into a dangerous void. For someone like Lumian, who was not a complete mythical being, this would be fatal!

    Even for a complete mythical angel, unless they were on the "Door" or "Demoness" pathway, the depths of the mirror world were a place they would avoid.

    Seeing this scene, Lumian's grin grew even more crazed:

    “I never intended to attack you! My goal from the start was to break the mirror, pulling you into the chaotic currents of the mirror world!”

    By pretending to attack directly, Lumian had deceived Zaratulstra, saving a considerable amount of his energy, thanks in part to the strange interference.

    Boom!

    The scarlet fire serpent, boosted by Lumian’s "Cull" and "Mighty Blow", exploded upon hitting the weak point of the mirror, unleashing a violent storm.

    Amidst the chaos, the sound of cracking glass was drowned out. The mirror shattered into fragments, and the entire area beyond it collapsed with a roar.

    This dark, empty world was breaking apart.

    Neither Lumian nor Zaratulstra could enter the web-like tunnel in time; they both plunged into the deep, dark void.

    The collapse of the mirror world also shook the Historical Void that had previously filled the area, causing Zaratulstra’s historical projection to fade away before it was completely drawn out.

    As they fell, Lumian’s body became incredibly light, and his descent slowed significantly.

    He could now see the dark storm below, capable of tearing everything apart. He was on the verge of being swept into it.

    He activated the black mark on his right shoulder and disappeared from the perilous void just in time.

    However, he didn’t reappear in the outside world. Instead, using the powers of the "Demoness" and his connection to the mirror world, Lumian blinked next to Zaratulstra.

    Invisible threads of spider silk suddenly appeared, wrapping around the dark vortex of worms that was Zaratulstra’s true form.

    After escaping from the "Realm of Mysteries," Lumian had been secretly weaving these threads, waiting for the collapse of the mirror world. As soon as it happened, the transparent threads wrapped around Zaratulstra’s true body, ignoring the pollution and influence of the mythical creature form.

    Using these threads as his guide, Lumian was able to locate Zaratulstra in the chaotic space-time and teleport to his side.

    The threads slowly tightened, entangling Zaratulstra, while Lumian, connected to the threads, drew his "Sword of Courage" and struck the dark vortex of worms.

    The black sword, previously engulfed in scarlet flames, turned pitch black, filled with destructive energy.

    "Fire of Destruction!"

    However, as Lumian approached Zaratulstra, even with his eyes closed, his thoughts began to slow, and the strike from his "Sword of Courage" became sluggish.

    This was the pollution from the mythical being, another form of entrapment.

    It normally took Zaratulstra 20 seconds to control someone’s "Spirit Body Threads." However, with the addition of the mythical creature’s influence, it now only took 7 seconds!

    From the moment Lumian had escaped the "Realm of Mysteries," Zaratulstra had been secretly manipulating his "Spirit Body Threads!"

    “As expected…” Lumian’s beautiful face, twisted with a crazed smile, showed no signs of retreat.

    Once again, he activated the black mark on his right shoulder.

    This time, he used the invisible spider silk to teleport Zaratulstra along with himself.

    He intended to take Zaratulstra “somewhere else”!

    Sensing the impending danger, Zaratulstra abandoned his attempt to control Lumian’s "Spirit Body Threads," trying instead to use his "Paper Figurine Substitutes" to escape the threads and "Sealed Artifacts" to leave the collapsing mirror world before it was consumed by chaotic currents.

    At the same time, in a distant tunnel within the mirror world, Bernadette, seated on her pea-green vine, watched the battlefield through a mirror.

    This mirror was Lumian’s substitute, closely linked to him. Bernadette used this connection and her powers from the "Mystery Pryer" pathway to monitor the battlefield.

    She suddenly reached out, summoning the "Black Crown" once again.

    The gemstones on the crown lit up simultaneously, using Lumian’s mirror to interfere with space-time.

    Zaratulstra first transformed into a paper figurine, but his true body quickly reappeared in the same spot, still bound by the spider threads.

    This was Bernadette's final act of assistance.

    Lumian vanished into the chaotic void, bringing Zaratulstra with him.

    The two reappeared on a large screen in a hotpot restaurant, breaking through the display.

    Zaratulstra immediately recognized his private room and saw diners enjoying their hotpot meals.

    "Still good, not the police station. Zaratulstra immediately curled up into the soft worm vortex, quickly transforming back into the form of an old man with white hair.

    He was worried that his mythical creature form might cause significant casualties and chaos in the public setting of the hotpot restaurant. If that happened, he would surely be noticed by the Dreamscape consciousness, forcefully expelled or turned into a marionette, making it impossible to hide using historical projections.

    As Zaratulstra returned to human form, he suddenly saw a pair of eyes, dark brown eyes.

    They belonged to Zhou Mingrui.

    Zhou Mingrui was sitting at a nearby table, not far from the stage, looking somewhat stunned at Zaratulstra, alongside a woman with blood stains on her face, a beauty so exaggerated it seemed unreal, stepping out of the screen. He sensed the dangerous aura still lingering around her, as if she had just been in a state that could kill everyone in the hotpot restaurant.

    This deeply disturbed him. The chopsticks in his hand, which were holding a piece of beef tripe, hovered frozen in midair.

    Outside the hotpot restaurant, the sky remained bright at 7 PM.

    Zaratulstra's gaze froze for a moment. A second later, he turned his head to look at Lumian.

    One of Lumian’s eyes had lost its focus, appearing dazed and vast, while the other, with its blue iris, was shrouded in a red mist.

    He sheathed his 'Sword of Courage,' the corners of his mouth curling up, revealing a dangerously beautiful smile at Zaratulstra.

    Both of them felt a simultaneous sense of agony, as if they were wrapped in invisible tentacles, being forcefully pulled away from the world they relied on for survival.

    Their thoughts were becoming increasingly entangled and stuck. Confirming the situation, just as he had guessed, Lumian smiled even more gleefully.

    Zaratulstra did not resist much more, knowing that doing so would prevent him from entering the Dreamscape again in the future.

    He took a deep look at the 'Demoness of Despair' before him, using the force that expelled him from the Dreamscape to escape this realm.

    Lumian did the same.

    Clap, clap, clap—applause erupted from all directions in the hotpot restaurant.

    Whether it was the magical nature of the scene where the beauty and the old man stepped out of the screen or just an application of [virtual reality technology], it was deserving of loud applause!

    What the audience didn’t notice was that behind Zaratulstra, a faint illusionary door appeared, and Ludwig, dressed in children's formal attire, stepped out.

    Exiled by the 'Secret Sorcerer’s' ability, both the exiled people and objects did not return to their original positions but instead appeared next to the one who used the 'Exile' ability.

    Ludwig glanced at Lumian and Zaratulstra ahead, then quickly restored his face to its original expression.

    He approached Lumian, grabbing his hand.

    Lumian remembered this was his child, and under Ludwig’s guidance, he left the stage, heading towards the back of the hotpot restaurant—where there was a resting area for actors to change.

    Zaratulstra curiously glanced at where he was standing. With the applause of the audience, he walked off the stage, heading towards the second floor.

    After taking seven or eight steps, he saw the stairs, and for some unknown reason, his mood suddenly lightened.

    At that moment, he heard a 'bang.'

    A dull green bullet flew from somewhere above, hitting the side of his head.

    On the second floor, outside a secluded window, Franca's figure briefly appeared.

    From a dead angle of surveillance, she had just pointed 'Inevitable Gun' through the glass.

    'Certain Death!'

    As the gun fired, Zaratulstra’s pupils suddenly dilated, and his head exploded, red and white matter splattering in all directions.

    Franca quickly retracted 'Inevitable Gun,' using the remaining power of the 'Ice Amulet' to calmly retreat from the window.

    Can't kill your true body? I’ll still kill your Dreamscape avatar.

    Without this identity now, let's see how you make money and gather resources. Let’s see how long it takes you to regain a new identity and return to the Dream City!"
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    1. Offline
      TempestUknow
      TempestUknow
      + 19 ⋅ 0 -
      all that big talk last chap and zara still nearly got owned

      mf never beating the fraud allegations
      (I was secretly hoping lumian would get a good beating this time mf dared to take on an angel)
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      1. Offline
        astront1553
        astront1553
        + 12 ⋅ 0 -
        Get a beating from zaratul? That fraud could never! cheerful oru2x
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      2. Offline
        Error404
        Error404
        + 22 ⋅ 0 -
        The only reason they won was cause their opponent was Zaratual, the greatest L taker fraud, the guy for some reason always pick the worst side in battle.
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          Spectator_d
          Spectator_d
          + 9 ⋅ 0 -
          Curse of Misfortune, Goddess burns.
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    2. Offline
      WebnovelSlave
      WebnovelSlave
      + 10 ⋅ 0 -
      fraudatul gets striked once again
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    3. Offline
      Mountain Speed bitch
      Mountain Speed bitch
      + 4 ⋅ 0 -
      A fraud will forever remain a fraud. FamilyGuy003
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