Lumian entered the old tavern and was surprised to find that the woman had already gotten up and was enjoying breakfast at her old seat in the corner.
She changed her clothes again, and the brown long skirt with a stand-up collar and ruffles and the dark velvet hat placed aside made her look like she had just returned from a salon in high society.
“So early?” Lumian calmed himself down and walked over.
The lady raised her head and glanced at him:
"Is it possible that I didn't sleep all night?"
"Maybe." Lumian was not unfamiliar with this situation. After all, his sister Auror often stayed up late when the deadline was approaching. He was just wondering why the mysterious lady in front of him suddenly said this.
He glanced at the other party's "dining table" and found that the food on it was a cream soufflé dotted with some nuts, a very tempting muffin, a croissant, a cup of darker coffee and a cat's tongue biscuit.
What a good appetite... But these things don't seem to be something that Cordu can provide. Apart from Aurore, perhaps only the chef in the administrator's house can make them... Lumian sat down and said casually:
“They’re all desserts.”
The lady nodded seriously, which was rare:
"Intis's desserts are really delicious, and there are so many varieties. Even if you have some for breakfast every day, you can have the same ones for a month without repeating them."
After saying that, she took a bite of the cat tongue biscuit, half-closed her eyes, felt it for a while and said:
“This is one of the meanings of traveling.”
"You are not from Intis?" Lumian took the opportunity to ask.
The lady smiled:
"I'm from Loon, but that doesn't matter given the current situation."
The Loen Kingdom, a country with steam engines, factories, and a large army, whose only specialties were easy chairs, mint sauce, fried fish and potatoes, and beer brewed from red apples? As a pure Intis, Lumian immediately remembered the words that everyone usually used to mock the Loen Kingdom.
He said "hmm" and then said:
"I took care of that monster with the shotgun."
The lady took a sip of coffee and praised rather blandly:
"good."
For some reason, Lumian always felt that there was some strange emotion in the other person's eyes.
In the previous exchanges, he actually had a similar feeling, thinking that the other party had some kind of hidden emotion besides being playful and funny, but he just couldn't figure out what it meant.
He continued:
"I got a ball of abnormal crimson stuff from that monster. Holding it will make me irritable and full of anger.
"I thought it must be something involving supernatural powers, but it didn't follow me into reality."
The lady smiled:
"After so many times in and out, haven't you realized that you can't bring anything else with you except your own state?"
“Didn’t you say that except for supernatural things…” Lumian stopped talking before finishing his words.
He thought about the aches and pains in his body, the injuries he had sustained in his dream, and how the corresponding memories had not disappeared after he returned to reality.
After thinking for a while, he said carefully:
"You mean, after gaining extraordinary power through that crimson thing and becoming an extraordinary person, the corresponding state that is different from that of a normal person can be brought into reality?"
"Pretty smart." The lady didn't even raise her head and continued to enjoy the cream soufflé.
“But won’t the corresponding power be weakened?” Lumian frowned and asked, “The injuries I suffered in the dream are much lighter in reality.”
“The changes in status brought about by Extraordinary characteristics will not happen.” The lady raised her head and looked at Lumian. “That’s why I said Extraordinary things are an exception.”
“Extraordinary characteristics…” Lumian chewed on the term.
He thought of the "Extraordinary One" his sister had mentioned.
If you acquire Beyonder characteristics, you can become a Beyonder? Lumian probably understood a little bit.
Based on the explanation given by the lady in front of him, he had a further guess about the special nature of the dream:
That piece of ruins actually exists, or was originally located somewhere in reality, and later fell into the depths of the dream of some important person, so it has been developing naturally. And my dream is essentially a special channel, a special channel created by the symbols on my chest, connecting to that piece of ruins
According to this speculation, my home appearing there is equivalent to a mark left in my dream when we interact with each other. It is a reflection of the place that I subconsciously think is the safest. Therefore, it is not the same as the surrounding wilderness and the ruins. It is like being in a different world...
The monsters don't dare to come in because they really can't come in. They are in the real ruins, and my "home" is the product of the fusion of dreams and "reality". People who don't have special marks can't pass through the corresponding barriers...
That special mark only affects me. My own state will be recorded and brought back to reality. At this time, those not involving supernatural factors will decay, and those involved will remain unchanged. Death should also be...
If this is true, then there should be nothing scary in the house in the dream, but the origin of these symbols on the chest and the source of that terrible sound also symbolize some kind of horror...
Lumian was silent for a long while, while the lady opposite him was enjoying her breakfast leisurely, not minding at all.
After coming to his senses, Lumian asked:
"Then how do we use that crimson thing? Is it the extraordinary property you mentioned?"
At the critical moment, he couldn't help but use the honorific.
The lady put down her coffee and looked at him:
"I can give you a potion recipe, and you just need to follow it."
The generous gift made Lumian a little uneasy:
"Why are you helping me like this?"
The lady laughed:
"If I say it's fate, would you believe it?"
I don’t believe it… Lumian answered subconsciously in his heart.
The abnormality in the village, the pressure of an approaching storm, and the desire for supernatural power made him suppress his inner uneasiness and said in a deep voice:
"I believe."
Once an opportunity arises, you must make an attempt decisively and try your best to grasp it. You cannot hesitate or think twice!
The lady smiled, and the emotion in her eyes that Lumian couldn't quite put his finger on seemed to grow a little stronger.
She took out a stack of notepaper and a silver-cased round-bellied fountain pen from her black handbag and began to write.
Soon, she stopped writing with the pen in her hand, tore off the top note and handed it to Lumian.
Lumian quickly took it and read it quickly:
"'Hunter' potion recipe:
“Main material: one copy of the ‘Hunter’ Extraordinary Characteristics;
“Supplementary materials: 80 ml red wine, one red chestnut flower (can be a specimen, or can be replaced with 10 drops of corresponding essential oil), 5 grams of poplar leaf powder, 10 grams of basil;
"Directions: Drink directly."
Lumian memorized the corresponding content firmly in his mind, then folded up the note and put it in the inside pocket of his brown jacket.
After doing all this, he asked curiously:
"What does 'hunter' mean?"
A hunter in the extraordinary sense
"It's the name of the corresponding sequence." The lady took another sip of coffee. "I know you don't know much about mysticism, so let me briefly explain it to you. The common extraordinary powers in our world are divided into 22 paths. They are obtained by obtaining materials with corresponding extraordinary properties and mixing potions. Each path has 10 sequences, from sequence 9 to sequence 0. The smaller the number, the higher the status and the stronger the ability.
"The Beyonder characteristic you obtained belongs to the 'Red Priest' pathway and can only be used to adjust the corresponding Sequence 9 'Hunter'."
Lumian listened very attentively and blurted out:
"Then which path does my sister Aurora belong to and what is her sequence?"
"She is a Sequence 7 Wizard of the Secret Voyeur pathway." The lady replied nonchalantly.
She didn't mention how she knew that.
Aurore is already Sequence 7? Yes, she has been gaining supernatural powers for several years... I am only Sequence 9 after taking the potion, which is still a long way from her... I just hope I won't be a burden to her when I escape from Cordu later... Lumian couldn't help but ask:
"Can I drink a higher-sequence potion directly? Or drink Sequence 9 today and Sequence 8 tomorrow?"
“Theoretically, you can.” The lady added after seeing Lumian’s delighted expression, “But most people who do this end up dead or monsters. Not even one out of ten million people will succeed.”
“Turn into a monster?” Lumian was shocked.
The lady laughed and said:
“Didn’t your sister tell you that the extraordinary path is dangerous
"After drinking the potion, if you fail to control the power, you will either die from the collapse of your body or turn into a monster. Why do you think the one you met was in human form?"
No wonder... Lumian finally understood what danger his sister was talking about.
But he was willing to face it.
"Is there no way to reduce this danger?" he asked.
The lady looked at him for two seconds and said:
"Yes, a strong will, good physical condition, and not too bad luck. As for the rest, you don't need to know now because you are the first one to take the potion."
"Good physical condition..." Lumian, who had been planning to go back to sleep and drink potion later, frowned.
He was still seriously injured in his dream.
The lady opposite nodded slightly and said:
"Don't worry, wait until night, until the pain in your body has basically eased, then go to the dream."
"Uh..." Lumian asked thoughtfully, "As long as my real body is almost healed, will the injuries in the dream be completely healed?"
You know, his body in reality was just a little sore, which was completely different from the injuries in the dream!
"Yes." The lady confirmed Lumian's guess.
She continued:
"There is a lot of common sense about the potion and the way of God. I will tell you after you drink the potion and become a 'hunter'."
God's Way... Lumian asked in confusion:
"Why not now?"
The lady laughed:
"If you drink the potion and die, or turn into a monster, wouldn't it be a waste of my time to talk so much now?"
“…” Lumian was speechless.
He stood up, said goodbye and left.
Before taking another step, he asked:
"Did you know there was something unusual in the village?"