The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 39: Changes

Lumian had previously given Ryan and the others a brief overview of several things: the black thorn symbol that had appeared on Guillaume Bénet's chest, the secret entity whose revered name included "Fate," and the corresponding materials like gray amber, tulips, cloves, and musk. However, he had attributed all of these occurrences to the parish priest, keeping his own involvement out of the explanation.

Now, as soon as Lumian reminded them, Leah, Ryan, and Valentine immediately became alert, each of them forming their own suspicions.

"A sacrificial site?" Ryan muttered softly to himself.

As he spoke, everyone turned their gaze toward the basement.

By the faint light trickling down from the staircase, they could barely make out the interior of the space: the area beneath the church was slightly larger than the entire first floor of Lumian's house. The floor was covered with grayish-white stone slabs, and the surrounding walls were shrouded in darkness due to the dim lighting. In the center stood a stone platform about half a person's height.

The top of the platform was slightly concave, seemingly holding something, but it was difficult to discern.

As he pondered, Lumian whispered, "This is likely where the parish priest and his followers prayed to the evil entity for a 'gift.'"

"They actually built a shrine to an evil god beneath the church!" Valentine was so furious that Lumian wondered if he was about to burst into flames and turn into holy light to cleanse everything.

"Calm down," Ryan patted Valentine on the shoulder, "Be ready to ignite the flames."

He then signaled Leah to perform a reconnaissance.

Maintaining her sweet smile, Leah sniffed her upturned nose and remarked, "That secret entity with 'Fate' in its name seems to really like pleasant scents..."

As she sighed, Leah began to walk deeper into the basement, her mouth moving as if silently reciting something.

The four silver bells attached to her veil and boots began to jingle again, sometimes intensely, sometimes softly.

One step, two steps, three steps... Leah turned back and said to Ryan and the others, "There's nothing unusual near the entrance."

Ryan, Lumian, and Valentine then passed through the old brown wooden door and entered the basement, stopping where Leah had paused.

Leah continued forward.

After only a few more steps, the silver bells on her veil and boots began to jingle violently.

Ding-ding-dong-dong!

The sound reverberated rapidly in all directions.

Immediately, points of light resembling the dawn appeared around Ryan, gathering together to form a silver-white suit of full-body armor around him.

At the same time, a pure sword of light appeared in Ryan's hand.

Meanwhile, Valentine half-opened his arms, allowing one golden, illusory flame after another to burn beside him.

One of the flames suddenly elongated and widened, and Leah's figure emerged from within it.

She had returned from the altar's vicinity to where Lumian and the others stood.

So amazing... Lumian was once again astonished by Leah's performance. Compared to the somewhat understandable "Sun" pathway abilities and Ryan's combat state, Leah's abilities were more bizarre and mystical. For example, the ability she demonstrated yesterday to transfer his wound from his thigh to the edge of his calf was utterly inconceivable.