The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 106: Performance

Seeing Lumian and Franca in the dim light outside, the fake Aiv first froze for a moment. Then, he raised his right hand, pointed at Lumian, and loudly questioned, "Who are you? Why are you impersonating me?"

As he accused Lumian, he quickened his pace, pulling his body out of the makeshift tunnel and leaping onto the ground.

In a usual situation, Lumian would have already charged forward to engage in close combat or drawn his revolver to put a few bullets in his enemy, not even giving him the chance to speak. But this time, for some reason, Lumian felt a deep desire to perform, to see what his opponent would do, and to seize the opportunity to showcase himself.

Without an opponent, there's no performance!

Franca felt the same way, eager to respond on Lumian's behalf to the imposter, yet refrained from attacking immediately.

Behind the fake Aiv was Charlie, dressed in a waiter's uniform. He had just crawled out from the pile of rubble when he saw the dual glow of carbide and oil lamps illuminating the figures.

He froze in place, startled by the scene of two Charles confronting each other, unable to discern who was real and who was fake, who was trying to harm him and who was trying to help.

The only thing he was sure of was that he was once again in danger!

The fake Aiv glanced at Lumian, his face filled with urgency and anger. He then spoke to Franca, "Wake up! You've been deceived by this imposter!

"When have I ever worn clothes like that?"

Lumian, after reminding Charlie, had only removed his makeup without changing his outfit, still wearing the odd mix of a shabby suit and canvas trousers. In contrast, the fake Aiv's white shirt, black vest, brown trousers, and laceless leather boots were much closer to what Aiv usually wore.

Franca couldn't help but play along, "Really?

"Then why don't you tell me what my code name is?"

The fake Aiv, both frustrated and amused, retorted, "'Red Boots' lady, have you forgotten your own nickname?"

Franca couldn't hold back her laughter and took two steps back, blending into the shadows at the edge of the carbide lamp's glow. This underground realm dominated by darkness was perfect for a "witch" to fight!

Seeing this, the fake Aiv felt a growing sense of unease, realizing that his attempt at deception had most likely failed. He could no longer continue the performance and quickly changed tactics.

He dropped his oil lamp, lifted his head slightly, and looked at Lumian, his expression becoming extremely cold.

A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he chuckled, "I don't know whether I should pity you or congratulate you for seeing through my disguise. But trust me, this is not a good thing for you."

With that, the fake Aiv, now holding a lamp, suddenly exuded an overwhelming presence, like a terrifying volcano on the verge of eruption.

Facing him, Lumian felt as though he was standing before the terrifying giant with three heads and six arms back in Kordu Village. Though this time he wasn't mentally scarred, his reactions were almost the same.

He trembled, lowering his head, unable to look directly at his opponent. Yet, driven by his desire to perform and his natural stubbornness, he forced himself to lift his head, painfully inching his gaze toward the fake Aiv's face.

Meanwhile, the darkness beyond the light seemed to take on a greenish hue. Vines and branches stretched out from nowhere, spreading across the ceiling and walls.