In Betyl, still in the night, Lumian was wrapped in a blanket on his bed under the darkness of his room. Suddenly, in his dream, he could see himself being intimate with his coworkers, including Rosanne, Alice, and even some of his close friends. Shockingly, he also saw Vincent!
In the middle of this absurd dream, his gaze suddenly shifted to the moon. It kept getting closer and closer until he saw a woman with long white hair sitting solemnly on it. As their gazes met, Lumian suddenly opened his eyes.
Lumian quickly sat up as he gradually regained his senses. He pulled up his blanket and realized he was still erect.
"What the actual f**k! Why did I dream about that? No — the better question is, why did I see Vincent?! Normally I may be a virgin, but I don't dream of scenes like this!"
Still feeling a sudden rush of dopamine, Lumian chose to stand up and sit on a chair.
As Lumian settled onto the chair next to the window, he opened it, letting the cool breeze brush against his face. Gradually, he began to feel like himself again.
He looked at the contents on the desk: a stack of notebooks arranged neatly to the left, and some pens to the right. He adjusted them aside, then placed his hand on the drawer, pulled it open, and brought out the black box.
He placed it on the table, took out a piece of paper and a pen, and then looked at the box as his eyes lifted slightly.
Lumian rubbed his mouth with the pen in his right hand as he solemnly looked at the box.
"I actually took the box because it had a strong sense of attachment to my spirituality and the environment," he muttered.
He sighed as he brought his face closer to it. "I've been noticing it craves spirituality, so I've been using that as a way to learn how to expel my spirituality gradually… hehe. So it's kind of a win-win situation."
He chuckled softly and expelled the pressure outward. As he did, faint particles drifted toward the box until they disappeared into it.
Standing up with a smile, Lumian began doing some exercises—running around the room, pull-ups, even squats—to settle his body. Gradually, fatigue set in, and he finally returned to the bed.
...
Morning soon fell, and Lumian bathed under the crimson sun. Moving through the streets, he tried out his new "vision" on several people, sensing their health and vague motives. Soon enough, he brought it down and simply enjoyed the scenery.
He walked past Mr. Walter's house and waved playfully at the quiet environment before moving on.
"What a good morning," he muttered. He paused as he recalled that he hadn't fulfilled the promise Kelvin made him give—which was dropping Laura off at school. Shaking his head, he let out a small laugh and continued walking.
After a few moments, he stopped when he noticed a sign in front of him.
"Hm? So Mrs. Tasty's shop is just near Cornerstone as well. No wonder she always makes sales, hehe," he chuckled as he walked on. "Cornerstone is a huge street—bigger than Blackhead—so of course it's crowded with people who wake up early to buy bread."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If I remember correctly, I told Laura about buying a house and moving to Blackhead, but she totally made a sad remark about my appearance," he said with a self-deprecating smile.
Still lost in thought, he suddenly bumped into someone.
As he stumbled forward, he caught sight of a car worth at least one thousand pounds. With surprising acrobatics, he twisted his body and landed safely—only to find himself falling toward another expensive car.
With another burst of grace, he pushed off and landed perfectly on a nearby garbage can, as light as a feather.
…phew. Lumian let out a sigh of relief, certain he didn't have the money to pay for any damages.
As Lumian finally escaped that "trap" he looked around and noticed the bank where Kelvin worked. He realized he was already in Blackhead, not Cornerstone.
He thought about heading to Lamenti, where his office was located, but quickly checked his pocket and found that he had four pounds and five coins.
Considering that the distance between Lamenti and Blackhead cost four coins—and knowing very well that they would probably scam him—Lumian found it completely unacceptable. His greedy nature simply couldn't allow it.
With that thought, he glanced at the bar beside him and made a firm decision. He would waste the one remaining coin there, leaving no room for change.
...
As Lumian walked into the bar, it carried a mundane atmosphere—quiet, with only the murmuring of people and a faint, pleasant soundtrack playing in the background.
To his left and right were people seated and chatting with one another. In front of him stood the bartender, wearing a white linen shirt with a black apron on top, mixing drinks with professional ease.
Lumian walked forward and sat on the front seat.
The bartender looked at him and, stroking his brown beard, asked with a small smile, "Good morning, boy. Isn't it a little early to be drinking, huh?"
Lumian chuckled and glanced around the room. "Sir, this place is already quite full."
The man laughed as he continued mixing drinks. "Of course it is. You just passed Cornerstone, and Blackhead has its own crowd as well. Being close to the border is actually quite nice for business."
"Hmmm… that's an effective way to make money."
"Alright, boy, what do you want? Milk?" the man said, chuckling as he interrupted himself.
Lumian shot him a look. "Sir, please—I'm twenty-two," he said with a small cough before continuing. "I'd like a drink for one coin."
The bartender chuckled again. "Alright."
He then turned and headed to the back.
...
As Lumian turned to his left, he suddenly saw a familiar figure with yellow hair. He quickly smiled.
"Mr. Hayes? You come to this bar? I thought the bank was in Metropyl?"
Inwardly, he added, Fuck… why is he here? Could it be he's realized the change in currency and wants me to pay?
Mr. Hayes smiled. "Yes. I normally like the drinks here more than those in Metropyl." He took a sip and continued, "But Lumian, for a young man like you, isn't it a little early to be drinking?"
Lumian's mouth twitched. "Sir, I don't think drinking ever has a time limit."
Hayes chuckled and took another sip.
Silence lingered between them. After a moment, Lumian decided to use his mystic vision on Mr. Hayes.
The instant he did, he saw Hayes burning with a dark color, black lines writhing around him. At the same time, Lumian realized he couldn't move— not even a single muscle.
Smiling, Mr. Hayes calmly placed his glass on the table.
"You know, when I first saw you, I thought you might be a threat. But feeling your aura now…" He chuckled softly. "You're nothing more than a weak sorcerer."
He paused and looked at Lumian. "You're soon going to experience the side effects sorcerers normally have. I know you want to ask questions, but well… you're frozen."
He continued leisurely, "I hope you understand that there are laws given to every sorcerer by the Creator. Normal mortals wouldn't know this, but by performing the role of your chosen order, you gain 'laws' that allow you to advance safely. That's why many people suffer complications while advancing—and why it's difficult to even reach phase six."
He took another sip.
"If I hadn't told you this now, you would've turned into a curse within three weeks or so."
Hayes sighed and stood up. "And boy, you need to advance quickly. The apex is coming. When it arrives, things you once thought were fantasy will appear—elves, gods, angels, vampires, giants, and more."
He adjusted his coat. "Until later. Perhaps fate will allow us to cross paths again. If you need anything, you can always come to the bank."
As Hayes stepped out of the bar, Lumian finally regained control of his body.
At that moment, the bartender returned.
Lumian forced a small smile and stood up. "Sir, may I use the toilet?"
The bartender nodded and pointed. "It's to the left."
"Thank you very much, sir."
Lumian walked off and chose the farthest stall, closing the door behind him. He sat down as his body began to tremble uncontrollably. His lips quivered, and a drop of liquid slid down his face.
Lumian had seen something he could not comprehend.
...
Meanwhile, Hayes had already reached his home. As he climbed the stairs, his figure seemed to disseapear and appear. Reaching another flight of stairs, he whispered a single word.
"Leochi."