Lord of Mysteries 2: Circle of Inevitability - Chapter 88
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88 EQ
Ryan nodded at Lumianâs confirmation.
âYou can interpret it that way, but if there are any other abnormalities worth investigating, we canât ignore them.â
âAlright.â Lumian actually shared the same thought.
He hadnât even planned on participating in Lent, just in case he couldnât resist attacking when he saw the âperformanceâ at the celebration.
!!
The four of them rapidly reached Lumianâs residence, where Aurore led them to the second floor.
Now dressed in a pure white cotton dress that accentuated her down-to-earth charm, Aurore pointed to Lumianâs bedroom and study, offering the three official investigators a choice.
âYou can choose either room.â
Ryan glanced at Leah, seeking her opinion.
After pondering for a few seconds, Leah raised her right hand, pointed at the study with a smile, and said, âThat recliner looks pretty good; I could sleep there. Ryan, bunk in that room with Valentine.â
While Aurore had the same question in mind, Lumian asked, âYou trust us that much?â
He assumed the three foreigners would opt to sleep in the same room on the floor, fearing an attack if they were separated.
Leah grinned and answered Lumianâs half-mocking, half-doubtful query, âMy divination tells me the two of you can be trusted.â
As she spoke, she walked into the study. Accompanied by tinkling sounds, she lay on the recliner with a contented expression.
Aurore found Leah intriguing and approachable. She smiled and advised, âA friend once told me that you can believe in divination, but not blindly. Divination is not all-powerful.â
âMy mentor said something similar, but weâre all in the same situation. If I donât trust it, what else can we do?â Leah replied with a grin, snuggling into the recliner.
Aurore didnât mind relinquishing her favorite seat. She pulled over a chair and sat down.
Their study also served as a small living room. It occasionally hosted afternoon tea parties, so there was ample space and chairs.
Ryan surveyed the corridor briefly before returning to the study. He said to Aurore and Lumian, âI have some suggestions.â
âPlease, go ahead.â Aurore politely assumed an attentive posture.
Ryan nodded and offered, âFirst, when you sleep at night, donât close any doors. Let everyone be in the same space. This way, no matter where an abnormality occurs, we can react promptly.
âSecond, considering weâve destroyed the altar, someone might attempt to deal with us before Lent. Starting tonight, everyone will take turns on night duty. Yes, from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. the next morning, two hours per personâŠâ
How professional⊠Aurore muttered almost silently.
Lumian glanced at her, as if asking why she hadnât thought of it.
Aurore spread her hands slightly, signaling her lack of experience in team operations.
She then turned to Ryan and Valentine, stating confidently, âLumian will cover the period between 10 p.m. and midnight.â
Leah and the others didnât object to this arrangement.
From their perspective, it made sense. Among the five present, Lumian had the lowest Sequence and least experience. He was most prone to mistakes on night duty, but from 10 p.m. to midnight, others would still be awake to cover for him.
Lumian knew his sisterâs intentions extended beyond this.
He had to explore the dream ruins undisturbed after falling asleep.
After finalizing the first schedule, Valentine volunteered, âIâm used to sleeping and waking early. Iâll take the 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. slot.â
âYou get up early to welcome the sunrise?â Lumian teased instinctively.
Valentineâs gaze on him softened.
âYes, I want to greet the rising sun and praise the light.â
His eyes seemed to say: âAs expected, only a devout believer of the Eternal Blazing Sun understands me.â
Hey, Iâm mocking you, brother! Lumian felt slightly defeated by Valentine.
In the Eternal Blazing Sun Church, âbrotherâ was a term used among believers. The two mainstream organizations within it, the Order of Preachers and the Brotherhood Minor, employed the term.
âIâm not used to being woken up mid-sleep,â Leah chimed in. âIâll take the midnight to 2 a.m. slot.â
Aurore nodded.
âI like to wake up late. I can take 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. And donât wake me for breakfast tomorrow. Iâll get up around noon.â
âLeave the rest to me.â Ryan claimed the worst period with satisfaction.
He also entered the study and found a chair to sit on.
A conversation flowed effortlessly. Aurore, though seldom venturing out, possessed a wealth of knowledge spanning from astronomy to geography. She had her finger on the pulse of the latest trends, scandals, and supernatural events in metropolises like Trier and Backlund. This left Leah, Ryan, and the others secretly in awe of her.
âAs expected of the renowned author, Aurore Lee,â Leah couldnât help but exclaim. âNo wonder you can tackle any theme.â
Aurore inquired with genuine curiosity, âHave you read my novels?â
Leahâs eyes sparkled as she replied with a smile, âIâve been reading your first novel since I was a young girl. By the way, Iâd love your autograph!â
As she searched for papers and fountain pens, the silver bells on her veil and boots jingled.
âAre those Sealed Artifacts?â Having heard Lumian mention Leahâs performance with the four bells, Aurore couldnât resist asking.
Leah produced a stack of post-it notes and a fountain pen, casually responding, âYes, they can proactively warn me and enhance my divination abilities. The downside is theyâre rather noisy and not exactly discreet. Plus, the wearer must dress fashionably, with a dress being mandatory. It has to look good, or itâll be not only useless but also potentially misleading or even dangerous.â
Aurore chuckled. âI canât decide if these bells were originally a man or a woman.â
Lumian agreed. If they were from a woman, it was a remnant of her vanity. If a man, he was undoubtedly a pervert.
Leah offered a faint smile.
âThat involves some confidentiality, so I canât say any more.â
She stood up, handing Aurore a post-it note and the fountain pen.
Aurore signed and asked, âWhich genre of my novels do you prefer?â
âRomance,â Leah replied without hesitation. âYour first novel, Eternal Love, left a deep impression on me.â
âI wrote that book too early,â Aurore admitted with a hint of embarrassment. âI was young, and my writing skills were unpolished. I lacked experience. Many scenes felt rigid, and much of the dialogue was overly emotional and unrealisticâŠâ
Lumian chimed in, âBut itâs sincere and original.â
Having read his sisterâs novel, he knew it dealt with a coupleâs separation through life and death, interwoven with adventure, misunderstandings, and terminal illness. It was a trailblazing piece in the Intis literary world.
Naturally, this drew criticism from conservative authors and critics. They echoed Auroreâs self-assessment and claimed it couldnât qualify as literature, deeming it a mere pedestrian novel.
âThatâs right,â Leah agreed, retrieving the paper and pen. She looked at Aurore and asked with a smile, âMs. Author, would you consider becoming our informant at Bureau 8?â
Seeing Auroreâs surprise, she continued, âOur primary objective in targeting wild Beyonders is that theyâre unpredictable and may lose control or cause disaster at any moment. Otherwise, they can use their Beyonder powers for all sorts of malicious purposes to satisfy their desires.
âOver the past few days in the village, Iâve carefully observed both of you and confirmed that youâre orderly Beyonders. Prior to arriving in Cordu, the information we gathered indicated that you havenât committed any wrongdoing on the surface.
âThis meets our recruitment standards. Moreover, once you become our informants, you wonât need to worry about being targeted by official Beyonders.â
Aurore found the proposition enticing. She glanced at Lumian and gave a slight nod.
âIâll think about it. Iâll give you my answer when the cycle is over.â
Lumian immediately understood why his sister had looked his way.
I donât have a problem, but will a heavily corrupted guy like you bomb the test?
After chatting briefly, the siblings bid adieu to Leah and the others and headed back to Auroreâs room.
Aurore perched on the edge of the bed and glanced at the door. She hushed her voice and muttered, âLeahâs socially adept.â
âWhat do you mean?â Lumian also sensed Leah had made the vibe harmonious in the study.
Aurore smiled and said, âShe took the initiative to bring up my novel and asked for my autograph to bond with me, so she could pitch recruiting me. The recruiting was to fix the distrust and barriers we have, easing teamwork the next few days.
âThe whole process seemed natural, not off-putting or wary. Thatâs a sign of high EQ. You should follow her lead!â
Lumian remembered the chat and said self-deprecatingly, âIf it were me, I mightâve been booted by now.â
Amused, Aurore leaned back and said, âAt least you know yourself!â
She ruffled her blonde hair and said, âIâll nap a bit. My eyes havenât fully healed so I need more rest. Rouse me at ten and Iâll keep watch over you. Itâs your first night shift, so better safe than sorry.â
Lumian didnât object and agreed instantly. He watched his sister lie on the bed unhesitatingly, pull the blanket over her and close her eyes.
The room instantly turned eerily silent.
Lumian quietly switched off the electric lamp and drew the curtains.
Then, he sat on the chair by the desk and quietly watched his sister sleeping peacefully under the crimson moonlight. His heart gradually calmed down.