Circle of Inevitability Chapter 495 - 495 Distribution

495 Distribution

Oh, merciful Father, I implore your mercy for the transgressions Ive made.

In Apartment 601, 3 Rue des Blouses Blanches.

Lumian, Franca, Jenna, and Anthony fell silent as they stared at the gleaming full-body silver armor before them.

Before delving into the details, they had already sensed the power emanating from the Sealed Artifact. The brief yet potent Hurricane of Light it unleashed was a deadly force. Even Gardner Martin, a Sequence 5 Reaper, was willing to trade other mystical items for its might. However, upon scrutinizing the information provided, their initial enthusiasm waned, and they instinctively distanced themselves from the armor named Pride.

Within the Sealed Artifact information was a stark warning in red ink:

The curse of betrayal originates from a deitys intense aversion and hatred before Their demise. Even Angels cant fully escape its grasp, only mitigating the negative effects to a certain extent. The sole solution is to shatter the armor and restore it to a pure Beyonder characteristic. However, this means losing its uniqueness. For instance, the ability to use Hurricane of Light again in just two minutes without delay. Moreover, those Beyonders who advance by consuming a potion derived from that Beyonder characteristic will endure reasonable but not-too-severe betrayal for an extended period.

Recalling Gardner Martins tragic end, Franca, initially skeptical, now felt an unexplained fear. The betrayal curse seemed more formidable than she had imagined.

Lumian observed the hesitancy in Franca, Anthony, and Jenna, realizing none were eager to claim the particular spoils of war.

With a smile, he declared, Ill go first.

Pointing at Gardner Martins remains on the coffee table, he stated, I choose Reaper.

The Beyonder characteristic had fused into a finger, creating an unusually sharp, bone-blade emitting an icy glint. The holder needed to be cautious to avoid accidental injury.

Immediately afterward, Lumian shifted his gaze to the charred bone flute originating from General Philip.

Ill trade the Hypnotist Beyonder characteristics and the Decency brooch for this. You guys wouldnt be able to handle it anyway.

Per Madam Magicians intel, while the bone flute held significant power and uniqueness, it carried the risk of bringing misfortune in the form of injuries, death, and other grisly calamities. Only Lumian possessed the resilience to withstand these negative effects and mitigate them without succumbing to excessive misfortune.

In truth, if General Philips grudges before his demise hadnt been so potent, and if the curse of misfortune stemming from the Deceased pathways boon hadnt been so exaggerated, Lumian might have struggled more to endure it. After all, enduring perpetual misfortune wasnt anyones wish. Even if it wasnt lethal, it would still lead to considerable trouble.

Experiencing excessive bad luck was akin to tempting the fate intertwined with Termiboros, a fate deeply connected to Lumian. The potency of the bone flute wasnt sufficient to affect an Angel.

As per Madam Magicians detailed description, Lumian, naming the bone flute the Symphony of Hatred, discovered it possessed three abilities:

With a simple blow, it emits a sharp, ear-piercing sound. This not only damages the Spirit Body, inducing dizziness, nausea, and convulsions in the target, but it can also directly impact Beyonders with weaker physiquesthose equivalent to ordinary adults. They might suffer temporary blindness, paralysis, or internal organ damage.

It appears that a symphony resonating from the depths of the river of fate inflicts a weakness on the enemys mind. Those with unstable minds may experience symptoms akin to madness. Those with psychological issues might have latent problems triggered. Theres even a chance that excessive desires could cause them to explode on the spot. Individuals with illnesses or old injuries will inevitably face severe consequences. Those less fortunate may find themselves extremely unlucky. Of course, the player needs some knowledge about musical instruments to play the bone flute effectively; otherwise, theyll only create noise, similar to the effect of a simple blow.

While this bone flute is brittle and cant be used for blocking, wherever it stabs is equivalent to hitting a vital point. If it strikes a true vital point, the enemy will either be killed in a single blow or face the fate of social death for an extended period.

Franca observed as Lumian placed the colorless colloid with numerous bubbles and the Decency brooch, crafted into a Scotch Broom, on the coffee table. She nodded imperceptibly.

That seems like a fair trade.

Observing the lack of objections from Anthony and Jenna, Lumian produced a deep-black cloth bag resembling a coin pouch. He carefully placed the Reaper Beyonder characteristic and the Symphony of Hatred bone flute inside.

This was one of Madam Magicians true rewards for him: Travelers Bag.

Crafted personally by Magician, it was a Beyonder item devoid of characteristics. At first glance, it seemed to hold only up to two hundred coins, but it concealed another dimension within, equivalent to the entire Apartment 601. It could accommodate a vast array of items, including the Pride Armor.

Magician had also placed a specific seal inside the item. While within the bag, Beyonder characteristics didnt require regular relocation, and the negative effects of mystical items would significantly diminish.

The Travelers Bag needed resealing and reinforcement every six months; otherwise, it would lose its mystical abilities and become ordinary. In such circumstances, if the items inside werent retrieved promptly, they would be lost to the spirit world and nearly impossible to recover.

Similarly, Franca received a Travelers Bag as her reward.

After claiming his share, Lumian turned his attention to Anthony Reid, indicating for the Psychiatrist to make his selection.

Anthony smiled wryly. I contributed the least. Ill take this Hypnotist main ingredient. I feel that my psychological problems have been alleviated. I can contemplate advancing.

In his interactions with Lumian, Franca, and the others, he often heard words and sentences infused with mystic knowledge. Though he refrained from direct inquiries, over time, he vaguely grasped various patterns and the essence of things he wouldnt have considered before. It was as if a new world had unfolded before him.

No problem, Franca replied, not insisting on Anthony choosing another item. She turned to Jenna and said, I want the mirror fragment left behind by the fake Martin.

Madam Magician referred to this item as the Mirror World Fragment. It served as a crucial clue for Francas subsequent investigation into the state of the Primordial Demoness, and it possessed a unique quality: Using it to reflect a target allowed the user to create a corresponding Mirror Person. However, they couldnt replicate entities with godhood, and the mirroring effect could only be maintained for a maximum of five minutes.

The fragment produced two types of Mirror People. The first was a shallow mirror image, replicable in ten seconds. The second was a deep conversion that took a minute to complete. The former retained the original bodys state, as long as the body hadnt undergone a gender changesimilar to those Franca and Lumian had encountered before. However, these Mirror People were relatively weak, equivalent to the original body at a certain past stage and lacked abilities like Mirror Substitution. The latter was a nearly perfect replica, akin to the ones recently encountered, possessing special traits.

Of course, for a Demoness of Pleasure, this wasnt practical. If she could already capture the other partys figure with a mirror, why not directly cast a curse instead of creating a Mirror Person?

Lumian interjected, You can take another one, Franca. No need to be modest. Your contributions in these battles are second only to mine.

What do you mean second only to you? Franca scoffed, pushing the Decency brooch in her direction.

The only remaining spoils of war were the small dark-painted wooden box, each side adorned with a membrane curtain, and the Pride Armor. Jenna swiftly made her choice and selected the Authority Holders Under-the-table Transaction.

According to Lumian, her lucky gold coin no longer carried any additional luck. Its usefulness was now limited to specific situations. Recognizing this, she didnt believe she could resist the betrayal curse of the Pride Armor. Jenna understood the importance of not being overly prideful and blindly relying on luck, taking Gardner Martins fate as a sobering lesson.

The usage of Authority Holders Under-the-table Transaction involved grasping valuable items with ones hand, inserting them into the dark wooden box through the side curtain, handing it to the outstretched palm-like object, and stating ones requirements. This process simplified complex matters and eased difficult transactions.

However, one needed to have a clear, achievable targetno vague requests were allowed. For example, directly stating a desire for a specific Beyonder characteristic or mystical item was useless. Users had to find the corresponding Beyonder characteristic or mystical item, fail to reach a deal, and then make their request. This approach involved changing the sellers mind, with a high chance of securing a steep discount.

The Under-the-table Transaction had various applications, even allowing two individuals with deep grudges to reconcile by shaking hands inside the boxthough the individual shaking hands wasnt actually the other party.

Authority Holders Under-the-table Transaction was an active remnant of boon powers, and without Beyonder characteristics, it could only be used nine more times. The downside was that each use increased the likelihood of encountering evil creatures like Demons in future transactions.

As Jenna stowed away the Authority Holders Under-the-table Transaction, Franca smiled and said,

I wish to use the Decency brooch to exchange for the black Primordial Demoness figurine, or would you prefer to zero your debt as an exchange?

Following Madam Judgments suggestion, Franca intended to use this unique figurine to gauge the Demoness Sects reaction and potentially exchange it for their rewards.

T-this is everyones spoils of war, Jenna responded in confusion.

Franca grinned and explained, No, its yours. Back then, only you with the lucky gold coin could hold it, so its rightfully yours. To put it simply, this is a gain from luck.’

Jenna glanced at Lumian and Anthony, finding their nods of agreement. She muttered, Dammit, youre making me feel embarrassed... I want the Decency brooch. Only by personally paying off a debt does it become meaningful.

As she spoke, Jenna handed the black Primordial Demoness figurine to Franca and stowed away the Decency brooch, carved into a Scotch Broom.

Finally, the group directed their attention to the silver-white Pride Armor, and a contemplative silence ensued once again.

After a lengthy pause, Franca exclaimed, Ciel, keep it. Treat it as a communal item that anyone can use. Only the both of us can carry it conveniently now. Besides, youre about to head to Port Santa in Feynapotters Gaia Province. You cant borrow my Mirror Substitution anymore. This armor will be very useful in critical moments.

Lumian had already made the decision to investigate the sea prayer ritual in Port Santa, Feynapotter Kingdoms Gaia Province, and search for traces of the April Fools key membersBard and Ultraman.