The Lent Festival Begins

The lady turned her head to look out the window of the Old Tavern. "Time is just about up. Let me share one last bit of basic knowledge with you. "Based on the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Indestructibility, we know that when a human fuses with a Beyonder characteristic, they become a Beyonder; when a creature fuses with a Beyonder characteristic, it becomes a transcendent creature. What happens, then, when an object fuses with a Beyonder characteristic?" Without giving Lumian a chance to answer, she said directly, "Those are called magical items. "Because an object itself possesses no concepts of will, psyche, or self-control, and combined with the influence of other factors, fusing with a Beyonder characteristic gives them special abilities while also imposing severe negative effects. The major Churches tend to seal them away, unsealing them with appropriate methods only when necessary. "This has also led magical items to be known as Sealed Artifacts. "Any magical item that has been sealed by the major Churches receives its own designation, divided into four grades: 3, 2, 1, and 0. The smaller the prefix number, the higher the danger. Among them, Grade 1 and Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts are limited in number and immensely hazardous; their numbering is shared among the major Churches and never duplicates." "Grade 0 Sealed Artifact..." Lumian murmured the phrase. Having formed a deep impression of the fact that Sequence 0 equated to a true deity, he made a natural association and asked, "Are these Sealed Artifacts formed from deities who fell in the past, or evil gods who were eradicated?" Considering that all twenty-two pathways had a Sequence 0 and each corresponded to a true deity, the current number of deities was clearly insufficient. Of course, Lumian also admitted that this perception might simply stem from his utter ignorance regarding evil gods and hidden entities. "Not entirely," the lady said after a moment's thought. "The vast majority possess the status of Angels, with only a small number capable of slaying gods." Lumian nodded. "I understand. I won't underestimate the items people carry." The lady added, "Nor can you underestimate the negative effects of Sealed Artifacts. In the future, you will certainly possess Sealed Artifacts of your own. "Hmm, in mysticism, there is another category of items known as Beyonder items. They are crafted by Beyonders of the relevant Sequences using their own abilities and spirituality, or with the aid of the Spirit World or deities. They contain no Beyonder characteristics, yet they possess a degree of extraordinary effect—though their power gradually dissipates over time. Among them, charms and potions can only be used once. "By comparison, Beyonder weapons are more stable; many can be used for years at a time. "As a Hunter, before Sequence 7, you lack the means to deal with spirits and ghost-like creatures. If you have the opportunity later, consider acquiring a suitable Sealed Artifact or Beyonder item." After listening intently, Lumian asked inquisitively, "The Spirit World?" He had seen the term in the magazine *The Secret Veil*, but had never found an adequate explanation. The lady spoke at a slightly brisk pace. "From the perspective of mysticism, this world is divided into three realms: first is the real world, second is the Spirit World, and third is the Astral World. Everything else is derived from and attached to one of these three—for example, the Underworld. "The real world requires no explanation; you know it well enough. The Spirit World is the realm where spirits dwell, where many concepts of reality cease to exist. You will come to understand it in time. As for the Astral World, it originally referred to the realm of the gods, but nowadays it encompasses the entire starry sky." Lumian had only asked offhandedly, and upon receiving a preliminary answer, he immediately steered the conversation back to the earlier topic: "Can a Hunter craft Beyonder items?" He felt that a sorcerer ought to be able to. The lady shook her head at first, then said, "A Hunter cannot do so relying solely on the Sequence itself. However, because your spirituality has been enhanced, you can learn ritualistic magic to pray to a deity or hidden entity, borrowing Their response to craft Beyonder items such as charms and weapons. "But I must warn you: the vast majority of hidden entities are exceedingly dangerous. It is best never to attempt praying to Them, or else death would be the best possible outcome. And the seven orthodox deities will rarely answer you unless you join a corresponding Church and become an official Beyonder." "Simply put, it's completely impossible for a Hunter to craft Beyonder items?" Lumian felt rather disappointed. The lady smiled. "Not necessarily. On one hand, you can use the blood, saliva, and other materials of certain transcendent creatures to craft virulent weapons, which in a sense can also be considered Beyonder items. On the other hand, once you unravel the secrets of the dream, I will tell you the honorific name of a great existence. You may pray to Him." *A great existence?* This was the first time she had used "great" as an adjective—she had not even used it for the Eternal Blazing Sun or the Hidden Sage... *Who could it be? And praying to Him won't carry any danger?* Lumian's eyes narrowed slightly in surprise and doubt. The more he learned, the more he felt the poverty of his mystical knowledge. Lumian gave an "Mm," and adopting the mindset that asking wouldn't hurt, said, "What are Sequence 8 and Sequence 7 for a Hunter?" The lady replied nonchalantly, "Sequence 8 of the Hunter pathway is Provoker, and Sequence 7 is Pyromaniac. "Alright, that's enough for today." With that, she rose to her feet and walked toward the entrance to the second floor. After a few paces, she paused, turned back, and said, "I forgot to remind you. "Remember: you are only acting." *Only acting...* Lumian turned the phrase over in his mind, then asked thoughtfully, "What happens if you take the role you're acting as real?" "You will become less and less like yourself, until one day..." The lady offered a smile, then fell silent. She turned, walked to the staircase, and vanished from sight. *Leaving her words half-finished again...* Lumian muttered silently to himself. He could sense that failing to remember that he was only acting would almost certainly lead to grave consequences. Lumian was in no hurry to leave the Old Tavern. Sitting quietly in the corner, he thoroughly reviewed all the basic knowledge the lady had just imparted several times so as not to forget any of it. The more he pondered, the more he appreciated the importance of the two laws and the single method: *They are like the structural framework of the grand building that is mysticism; everything else is built upon them...* *I wonder if Aurore knows about this...* *Once we leave Cordu, I'll discuss it with her...* *Uh, I don't know if that lady will allow me to tell Aurore directly, either...* ... Stepping out of the Old Tavern, Lumian looked back over his shoulder and muttered silently, *Why haven't those three outlanders made a move yet? Today is already the Lent Festival...* Lost in thought, he made his way to the village square. After inquiring whether any reply telegram had arrived, he stepped out and saw Ava, Raymond, and the others arriving. Ava had changed into a pure white gown, wearing a circular wreath woven from twigs and flowers upon her head, with a similar oversized garland draped around her neck. Brown branches and green leaves adorned her back, arms, waist, and legs, making her look like a fairy from the woods. This was the protagonist of the Lent Festival: the Spring Spirit. Raymond and the other youths clustered around Ava, each carrying a basket woven from twigs filled with grass, soil, stones, leaves, and other such items. "Lumian, the blessing parade is about to start!" Ava's aqua-blue eyes shifted, catching sight of him. Her face beamed with unreserved joy. Raymond and the others looked just as thrilled. "Quick, let's go collect the offerings together!" Since *Novel Weekly* had not yet sent a reply telegram, Lumian had nothing to do for the moment, so he simply joined the blessing parade procession. The youths burst into loud song, surrounding Ava as they made their way out of the square. After just a dozen or so meters, they came to a halt before the first house. Lumian walked up to the door and banged on it repeatedly. "The Spring Spirit has arrived!" With a creak, the door swung open, and Naaraiza appeared before everyone. She was another female family head in the village bearing the title "Naa"—in her forties, with dark hair pinned up and smiling blue eyes. Seeing the door open, Ava stepped forward, spread her hands, and began to sing: "I am the spirit of spring, Fair and sweet of face. ... Sing aloud, dance away, Only then shall a harvest come your way..." Having sung a verse, Ava took a clod of earth from Raymond's basket and handed it to Naaraiza. "Thank you, Spring Spirit." Naaraiza took it with a smile and handed a piece of fabric to Ava. "Abundance! Abundance!" Lumian and the other youths responded in unison. This was a ritual of blessing: the Spring Spirit used singing and the bestowing of natural items—soil, grass, and stones—to bless the villagers with an abundant harvest for the year. In return, the villagers had to offer something back, making an offering of sorts; otherwise, the blessing would turn into a curse. Once Raymond beside her took the cloth, Ava heartily sang another verse. Only then did they bid Naaraiza farewell and set off toward the next household. Part of the offerings collected during the blessing parade would be cast into the river during the waterside ritual, while the remainder would be laid out during the final ritual. Once the Lent Festival concluded, the young woman serving as the incarnation of the Spring Spirit had the right to select some of them to take home. It was a fairly substantial bounty. Moreover, if Cordu Village truly had a bountiful harvest this year, Ava, having served as the incarnation of the Spring Spirit, would be widely considered favored by the spirits and blessed by spring. Whichever family wed her would be seen as having secured years of bountiful harvests. If so, she genuinely had a chance to marry someone of good means. The blessing parade procession walked along, singing as they went, until they reached Lumian's home. The one opening the door was, naturally, Aurore. She had also changed into relatively formal attire—a light-colored, ruffled, stand-collared long dress paired with her golden hair swept up. Ava stepped forward and sang the same song once more: "I am the spirit of spring..." Aurore listened with a smile. Taking a leaf, she handed a small earthenware jar to Ava. "Thank you, Spring Spirit." *Animal fat scooped from the large jar?* Lumian took a glance and thought his sister was being far too generous. Aside from a tiny vegetable patch behind the house, their household owned no fields whatsoever; they had no need to care about whether there was an abundant harvest or not.