430 “Reckless”
Sensing Albus and Elros’s gazes, Lumian cautiously approached the injured black spider with the carbide lamp in hand.

As a Hunter, he had a clear grasp of his two teammates’ current mindsets.

It was akin to navigating a dark forest. Everyone assumed the role of the hunter, but the moment one revealed their vulnerability, they became the hunted, vulnerable to collective assault.

Albus and Elros desired insights into Lumian’s condition and capabilities.

They harbored doubts that Lumian could easily dispatch the wax statue artisan, believing he must have paid a significant price. Moreover, they aimed to decipher the precise Sequence of the previous winner of the King’s Pie game and the mystical items he carried.

Lumian had no qualms about eliminating the severely injured black spider, but he was reluctant to unveil his trump cards—Spirit World Traversal and the Spell of Harrumph—to Albus and Elros.

As he closed in on the black spider, his thoughts raced, pondering the most efficient strategy that would incur minimal cost and time, making the task as straightforward as possible.

Lumian’s gaze swept from the torn-open side of the black spider, which remained trapped in the hall like its kin, dark-red blood oozing out. With his left hand, he casually retrieved a silver earring from his pocket and fastened it to his left earlobe.

Lie!

Having fully digested the Pyromaniac potion, Lumian’s emotions steadied. He could now covertly wield the Flog boxing gloves and employ Lie.

Crimson flaming ravens materialized around him.

Almost simultaneously, the colossal black spider reacted. The shriveled heart within it emitted a dark-red glow, conjuring a plethora of menacing fireballs, as if weaving a protective crimson net.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! The Fire Ravens encircling Lumian shot out, each following a distinct trajectory towards their respective targets.

Over a hundred crimson fireballs erupted from the black spider’s form, hurtling forward with menacing howls.

Rumble!

In an instant, some Fire Ravens were intercepted by the fireballs, while others detonated them, setting off a series of explosions around the black spider, causing flames to erupt one after another.

At that precise moment, a brilliant fireball streaked towards the hall’s exit.

Lumian had been awaiting this opening. He raised his left hand and snapped his fingers.

With a resounding crash, the bright fireball lost its trajectory and plummeted to the ground.

Instead of detonating, flames billowed upward, revealing the black spider’s figure.

Lumian charged forward, his left hand ablaze with crimson flames.

They coiled, layer upon layer, compressing until they almost turned white.

Upon reaching the black spider’s side, which lay stunned from the impact, Lumian leaned in and swung his left arm, pressing the blazing white fireball against the grotesque laceration, allowing it to penetrate the creature’s body.

Amid the frantic thrashing of its limbs, the black spider barely managed to turn around. Lumian had already capitalized on the moment to lean back and roll, increasing the distance between them.

His form materialized beside the crimson sea created by the Fire Ravens and the fireball, distancing himself from the creature’s violent aura.

Boom!

The white-hot fireball detonated within the black spider’s body. The incineration might not have been visually apparent, but the swift expansion of gas tore through the Beyonder creature entirely, ejecting its chitinous shell along with its flesh.

The colossal black spider emitted a spine-chilling screech as its eight hairy legs frantically recoiled.

Lumian wasted no time, preventing it from regaining its composure. He condensed a crimson spear that gleamed nearly white and hurled it toward the creature.

The flaming spear soared through the air, piercing the gaping wound and pinning the giant black spider to the ground.

The spear disintegrated, setting its insides ablaze. The black spider writhed a few times before falling silent.

Lumian didn’t rush to approach his fallen foe. He turned to Albus and Elros. With a smile, he removed Lie and said, “It’s settled.”

As he spoke, he summoned dozens of crimson Fire Ravens and sent them swooping toward the seemingly lifeless black spider.

Boom!

The black spider leaped once more, self-destructing.

It had been pretending to be dead!
Unfortunately for it, Lumian had maintained his distance and didn’t fall into the trap. He only sacrificed a dozen Fire Ravens.

The remaining crimson Fire Ravens swarmed the battered body of the black spider, restoring “peace” to it.

Upon witnessing this, Albus nodded slowly and grudgingly admitted, “Not bad.”

Elros observed thoughtfully, offering no immediate response to Lumian’s proclamation.

Lumian turned to the motionless black spider, waiting for an iron-black light to emerge from its body before he approached.

After assessing the black spider’s condition, he decided to exploit its severely injured state. Potential weaknesses included a probable decrease in Flame Controlling ability and agility. Therefore, he activated Lie and harnessed its Flame Controlling attributes to match his own speed and agility.

The iron-black light didn’t converge on the black spider’s compound eye as Lumian had anticipated. Instead, it flowed into the shriveled, blackened heart embedded in its back like a stream.

Lumian halted beside his prey, puzzled by the unfolding scene. After the Beyonder characteristic seeped out, he decided to collect it before drawing any conclusions. He carefully removed the shriveled heart, black compound eyes, and poison glands from the mouth, stashing them in separate concealed bags and metal canisters.

“Don’t tell me you’re merely a Pyromaniac and haven’t advanced to become a Conspirer?” Albus taunted.

You know perfectly well that I only recently became a Pyromaniac when I joined the Iron and Blood Cross Order… Lumian grumbled inwardly. He straightened up and offered a smile.

“That’s correct. I’m still just a Pyromaniac.”

“Pyromaniacs aren’t capable of taking down the wax statue artisan…” Elros mumbled softly.

Albus’s gaze briefly flickered towards Lumian’s pocket where Lie was concealed, but he said nothing more.

See, I’m speaking the truth. If you doubt me and suspect otherwise, there’s little I can do… Lumian chuckled, picked up the carbide lamp, and led the way to the exit of the hall.

After traversing another dark corridor, they arrived in a dimly lit room.

Within the yellowish light, iron-clad soldiers donned in blue coats adorned with golden threads came into view.

Unlike children’s toys, each one stood nearly two meters tall. The spears they held glinted with a frigid gleam and appeared exceptionally sharp.

“If they were to come to life, it’d be an entire army,” Albus remarked with a hint of significance.

Army, soldiers… Lumian suddenly recollected the desire for submission in the King’s Pie game. He remembered the wax statue’s actions when it attacked him and the evident hierarchy within the Iron and Blood Cross Order—Brigade Commander, Deputy Brigade Commander, Commanding Officer, NCO, and Soldier.

In the midst of his musings, Lumian made an educated guess.

Could the higher ranks of the Hunter pathway involve the military, obedience, and regimentation?

The wax statues resemble soldiers awaiting commands, as do these iron automata. Could a high-Sequence Beyonder of the Hunter pathway possess the ability to create specialized soldiers?

The underground palace of Red Swan Castle is indeed teeming with the essence of the Hunter pathway. It’s no wonder I encounter creatures from this pathway so frequently…

This meant that Lumian didn’t have to search. He merely needed to engage in combat to secure the corresponding rewards.

What a perilous hunting ground, one that could potentially make me the prey, yet offers substantial gains! He sighed deeply.

Lumian observed as Albus Medici summoned layers of compressed white fireballs and casually sent them gliding across the room.

The fireballs didn’t detonate; they hovered silently over the ground, resting on the shoulders and hats of the iron soldiers.

After the trio departed the room, Albus transferred the carbide lamp to his left hand, raised his right palm, and snapped his fingers, emulating Lumian.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

In the room behind them, the white-hot fireballs ignited one after another, setting each other ablaze and causing the ground to quiver slightly.

Delayed Explosion!

One of Pyromaniac’s abilities, Delayed Explosion!

Despite the fact that the iron soldiers in the room were constructed of metal, they either lost their limbs or internal components under the formidable shockwave. Some were even buried beneath stone bricks as a result of the collapsed wall.

Noticing Lumian’s gaze, Albus wore a satisfied smile.

“To eliminate concealed threats, just like how you handled those wax statues.”

“I thought you wouldn’t dare,” Lumian replied with a grin.

Upon witnessing Albus’s actions, Lumian discerned his intentions. He was taken aback that Red Swan Castle’s underground palace appeared to possess a form of self-defense mechanism. No matter how potent the explosions or flames, their effects were confined to a single room, preventing spillover.

Indeed, without such protective measures, Red Swan Castle would have likely crumbled long ago, given the rampant monsters dwelling within… Lumian observed another descending corridor ahead.

At the corridor’s terminus stood a pair of hefty iron doors, the dark surface marred by large splotches of red, as if someone had splattered blood on them.

Elros took a deep breath and moved ahead of Lumian and Albus.

She reached the door, carefully set down the carbide lamp, extended her hands, leaned forward, and exerted force.

Amidst a grating sound, the iron-black door slowly swung open.

Lumian’s eyelids twitched when he beheld a vast expanse of candlelight.

The bronze coffin from his nightmare was starkly reflected in his vision.

At that moment, nearly a third of the white candles surrounding the coffin had been snuffed out, while a substantial portion still burned brightly.

In the flickering candlelight, the door creaked open. Lumian rapidly surveyed the area but found no other individuals present.

The three Hunters remained rooted by the door for over ten seconds.

Finally, Albus Medici turned his head and tauntingly asked, “Why aren’t you guys going in?”

“Why did you stop too?” Elros Einhorn inquired instead of responding.

“We’re waiting for you to take the lead,” Lumian replied with a casual grin.

This hall was rife with danger and concealed profound secrets. Naturally, he wanted others to scout the path first!

Lumian realized he wasn’t alone in thinking this. Albus and Elros shared similar sentiments.

Albus withdrew his gaze and let out a soft chuckle.

“Since you’re all cowards, I’ll have to do it myself.”

With that, he abruptly dropped to one knee and placed his hands on the ground.

Silently, two crimson fire serpents darted toward the bronze coffin.

Hey! Lumian’s eyes narrowed. He hadn’t anticipated Albus would act so recklessly.

Assaulting the most problematic element without conducting any investigation?

Elros’s expression froze as she instinctively extended her right hand, as if attempting to halt Albus.