The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 122: "The Arsonist"

In an instant, Lumian's entire body seemed to ignite.

From his body to his soul, every part of him was consumed by the burning pain.

This sensation wasn't unfamiliar to Lumian. Whether it was the severe injuries from hunting fire monsters or the near-loss of control when receiving blessings, he had truly felt like he was being set on fire before.

But at this moment, this burning pain couldn't suppress the fire in his heart — the fire that desired to defy fate, to change everything, to burn away all the oppression and despair.

This kept Lumian from collapsing to the ground, curling up to relieve the pain. Instead, he stood straight, gritting his teeth, his face contorted, refusing to bend.

He gradually couldn't bear it anymore, his back bending slowly, but just like when he faced Father Guillaume Benet or the catastrophic Teremiebolus, who brought destruction to Kordu Village, Lumian fought with all his might to straighten his back.

His body bent lower, then rose slightly again. The smell of charred flesh lingered at his nose, and terrifying sounds, as if coming from a distant void yet also close by, echoed in his ears.

A familiar, intense pain pierced through his entire head, causing him to let out a low, painful groan. Cracks appeared on his skin, and magma-like liquid faintly flowed from them.

Lumian pressed his hands against the desk in front of him to support his body.

The places he touched quickly turned black and charred, and the scent of burning wood filled the air.

His instinctive scream was soundless, his mouth wide open, spewing hot gas.

He didn't immediately open the bottle of gray amber perfume. Instead, he relied on the fire burning in his chest to resist the pain and the increasingly hazy thoughts.

As time passed, with his teeth clenched tightly, Lumian felt the fire in his chest erupt and merge with the burning sensation that engulfed his entire body.

The various pains began to fade, and his hazy thoughts gradually cleared.

Lumian propped himself up with both hands, stood straight again, and looked into the full-length mirror in the room.

In the mirror, his blond hair still had hints of black. His clothes were tattered, and his body was covered in scorched marks, which were quickly scabbing over and falling off, revealing pale skin beneath.

At the same time, Lumian saw that his blue eyes still had two crimson flames burning within them. Only after he calmed down and steadied his condition did they slowly fade away.

The next moment, Lumian raised his right hand, and a crimson flame suddenly condensed in his palm.

He had successfully advanced to Sequence 7 of the Hunter pathway, becoming a "Pyromaniac"!

Flames continued to emerge from Lumian's palm, intertwining with the original crimson fire, constantly compressing inward.

After ten seconds or so, the color of the crimson flames turned a blinding white. Both the temperature and the explosive power had increased by more than one level compared to before.

"You can directly use the weaker crimson flames, or after compressing for a while, release the more powerful white-hot flames..." Lumian's hand didn't seem to fear the burn, letting the white-hot flames burn quietly in his palm.

He had initially examined his condition and the mystical knowledge he had gained, forming a relatively complete understanding of the Pyromaniac's abilities: First, the Pyromaniac's spirituality had greatly improved, which brought a qualitative change to Lumian's "spirit vision" — not only could he set up more hidden and quicker activation methods, but he could finally see the colors of the different parts of the "Aether Body" that his sister had described. No longer was it just a chaotic, monochromatic image.