The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 184: The Witch Sect

"Are the dogs around this monastery so devout?" Lumian withdrew his gaze and inwardly muttered to himself.

He then left the woods.

For him, what was important was knowing the route from Red Swan Castle to the Sacred Heart Monastery and the environment he could use along the way. As for what the Sacred Heart Monastery looked like or whether it had any unique features, he was completely unconcerned.

By the time it was mid-afternoon, around three or four o'clock, he had scouted the terrain around Red Swan Castle and found several emergency escape routes. Some followed the main roads, with a cargo railway running alongside, while others required traversing forests, lakes, or hills. These were not only well-hidden but also had natural traps in multiple places.

Lumian initially considered whether to infiltrate Red Swan Castle in the form of a dog but soon discovered that security there was tight. Any stray dog daring to approach would be shot.

"Too bad the 'Animal Creation Spell' can only turn me into larger animals, with the hidden requirement that the fur must be big enough to wrap a human body if curled up. Otherwise, I could turn into a rat, and there's no way they'd stop me!" Lumian sighed as he left the area and found a nearby secluded spot.

Then, he used his spirituality to vibrate the air within the dog's skin, muttering two Hermetic words:

"Your Eminence!"

Producing sound in this way wasn't difficult for Lumian. What was challenging was that the "Animal Creation Spell" restricted his spirituality, limiting not only its extension beyond the body and dog skin but also reducing its amount. As a result, the corresponding sound was confined within the dog's skin, inaudible to others, and he could only say a few words—just enough to recite the dispelling incantation.

A flash of dim light, and the brownish-yellow dog skin split open, revealing Lumian's body.

He crawled out, folded up the fur, and held it in his arms.

The skin no longer possessed any mystical properties and would need to be activated through a ritual again. Lumian had no intention of discarding it—after all, such a large, intact dog skin was hard to come by.

"One ritual dog skin left; I'd better use it sparingly," Lumian muttered as he made his way along a familiar path toward the nearest town.

In a big city like Trier, ritual dog skin was more useful than ritual sheep or cow skin. If he donned the latter two and turned into the corresponding animals, Lumian would become the center of attention instead of avoiding notice. After all, if you saw a lone sheep wandering the streets, anyone would want to quietly take it home and make it into a delicious meal. Besides, there were even perverts in Trier who had a thing for sheep's behinds.

By the time Lumian returned to apartment 601 at 3 White Coat Street, it was already dark outside.

Franca had changed back into her usual attire and was sitting cross-legged in the armchair, eyeing the "Lie" necklace placed on the corner of the coffee table with a wary look, as if it might jump up and slap her at any moment.

"What happened?" Lumian asked casually, closing the door that had been left ajar and putting away the "Lie" necklace.

Franca's expression shifted a few times before she sighed and said:

"After I came back, I had nothing to do, so I tried to make some minor adjustments to my face, and then...

At this point, she gasped in both fear and wonder:

"I became mesmerized by my reflection in the mirror!

"I've never seen such a perfect woman before. Just looking at her face, I could gaze at her all day long—no, for a lifetime!"