Charm

Franca and Jenna's first reaction was to get out of the way. In this deep Underground, in the deathly silence filled with corpses, encountering any living person was something to be wary of.

However, they had no choice but to hold a lit White Candles to prevent themselves from being swallowed by the darkness of the Catacombs. In such an environment, the candlelight was so conspicuous that it could be seen from afar. The only way to truly Concealment themselves was to enter an Ancient Tomb Chamber and completely seal the entrance.

Similarly, they dared not "Invisibility" themselves, dared not hide in the shadows, unsure whether this counted as extinguishing the candlelight.

After exchanging a glance, Franca and Jenna chose to take a detour, trying to keep a sufficient distance from the approaching ball of candlelight.

In the oppressive atmosphere where time seemed to stand still, the two "Witch" cautiously made their way westward along a wide road that was not littered with the remains of the dead and was surrounded by Ancient Tomb Chamber, relying on the road signs and the black lines on the cave ceiling.

When they were almost parallel to the candlelight, Franca turned her head and looked Past the Tunnel between the two Ancient Tomb Chamber.

Thanks to her exceptional night vision, she saw the person holding the Burning Candle.

He was a man dressed in a long black Robe, with dark black hair, a light layer of hair, soft profile, Paleness skin, and Deep Brown Eyes, giving him a different feel from the Intis people.

Feynapotter person? They do look similar, but there are still some differences... Why do I have this feeling of familiarity... When have I seen this person before? Did the original owner of this body see them and leave an impression Depths within fragments of memory? Franca suddenly felt an urge to Past and talk to them.

She took a breath and endured it.

In the deathly dark environment of Catacombs, approaching a stranger without warning could easily lead to unnecessary conflict.

Moreover, she had spent a considerable amount of time investigating the original owner's cause of death and his life experiences, confirming that there were no problems and that there was no need to care who he had met in the past.

The man in the Black Robe also glanced at the two "Witch," and seeing that they showed no intention of approaching, he continued forward and disappeared behind an Ancient Tomb Chamber.

"Doesn't seem like a college student." Jenna looked away, ruling out one option.

If that person wasn't just a college student entering the Fourth Level of the Catacombs out of mere curiosity or a desire for thrills, then it meant he had his own, rather clear, purpose... Was he Commission to find antiques, or was he visiting Tomb Chamber on this level to pay respects to his Ancestors buried there? Or was he Beyonder with a deep understanding of Mysticism, studying the Catacombs ' unique features and the composition of their seals? Or perhaps, like Jenna and me, was he chasing the revelations given by those three Night Pillar? Franca's mind raced, considering a variety of possibilities.

On the Fourth Level of the Catacombs, there are two more Night Pillar: the "Marian Night Pillar" and the "Lius Night Pillar".

The former was the Pope the Church the "Goddess of Evernight" in the Fourth Epoch Age, and the latter was Attendant of the ancient Death God. They both perished in the "War of the Four Emperors" and in Trier in the Fourth Epoch Trier.

After sharing her analysis with Jenna, Franca waved her right hand, which wasn't holding the Candle, and said, "Don't worry about his purpose; as long as it doesn't affect our search for Krismona's Shadows, that's fine."

I didn't intend to interfere, but you were the one who considered a bunch of possibilities... I sensed your inner impulse; you really wanted to investigate that person from earlier... Based on her understanding of Franca, Jenna keenly grasped her companion's thoughts, but she just chuckled to herself and didn't expose her.

Sometimes, Franca is quite concerned about saving face!

After walking along the current road for nearly fifteen minutes, they arrived at a natural Cave called "Mad Mushroom Cave".

The entrance here was blocked by a dense mass of Paleness, blackish Mushrooms.

"How can so many Mushrooms grow?" Franca looked at them curiously.

Before Jenna could speak, she added, "Okay, okay, I know, now is not the time for exploration and adventure."

"Damn it, I didn't stop you. Maybe Krismona's Shadows is inside the Mushrooms cave." Since entering the Fourth Level of the Catacombs, Jenna had felt extremely oppressed and like she was in Confinement, so she vented her discomfort with profanity.

Franca was about to respond when she suddenly saw a figure standing around the corner ahead.

The figure was dressed in a simple and plain white robe, with smooth black hair, delicate features, and a pure and holy aura. She was so beautiful that she seemed to have stepped out of human imagination.

She was a Women, and simply standing there, she stood in stark contrast to the darkness, deathly silence, and filth around her.

Krismona! The name flashed through Franca and Jenna's minds simultaneously.

They really did encounter a Shadows resembling Krismona, the High-Sequence "Witch"!

After calming herself down, Jenna stared at the figure and tried to say in Ancient Hermetic, "Hello."

The Women's beauty, almost unreal yet incredibly captivating, gradually curved into a faint smile.

This allowed her Charm to fully shine.

Both Jenna and Franca were captivated by that smile at that moment, with only one thought in their minds:

Get closer to her, get closer to her...

They felt like moths, knowing full well that beauty was dangerous, yet still unable to resist the urge to approach and get close.

One step, two steps, three steps... The two "Witch" walked toward the Women in the simple white robe with mesmerized eyes and amazed expressions.

After walking for a while, Jenna instinctively felt a pang of pity and sighed:

"Her smile is so beautiful, it matches the Library so well, why did she sigh before?"

What sad things happened to her?

"Sigh..."

Jenna suddenly awoke, realizing that the Women in the white robe was not necessarily the same as Krismona had sighed and protected her and the others—at least not entirely the same!

Her vision instantly cleared, and she saw that the beautiful figure's smooth black hair was all flying up, each strand becoming unusually thick, with the tip splitting open like a snake's open mouth.

The dark, menacing mouth of the snake was aimed directly at Jenna and Franca, as if waiting for them to come within reach.

Jenna was startled and quickly grabbed Franca, whispering, "Something's wrong!"

Franca paused for a moment, struggled for a few seconds, and finally broke free from her reverie.

Seeing that they had all stopped completely, the holy figure in the white robe stared blankly for a few seconds, then turned into a side path and disappeared into the darkness.

"Phew..." Franca exhaled, still shaken, and said, "Why isn't there a rule in the Catacombs ' rules about not talking to people who don't have Candle?"

"Perhaps even if a normal human were to enter the fourth level, they would be affected by the environment here, unable to suppress their fear, and would leave quickly, thus avoiding these Shadows," Jenna, searching for a reason.

Franca glanced at her and said with a hint of frustration, "You actually managed to shake off that ghost's Charm before I did."

Jenna briefly recounted the thoughts that had just crossed her mind.

"But I also heard Krismona's sighs and words in Trier during the Fourth Epoch..." Franca raised her right hand and touched her face. "Am I really more prone to being seduced by beauty?"

At this point, she suddenly became somewhat puzzled:

"Actually, I've always found it strange that the ' Chrismona Night Pillar ' appeared in the Catacombs."

"The other two Night Pillar, one belongs to Marie Ann, the former Pope of the Church of the Evernight, and the other is named after Lius, the ancient god of Death God's Attendant. The latter is the ' Death Archon,' which Attunement very well with the Catacombs, while the former should be on the adjacent Pathway of ' Death God.' In other words, they are all closely related to death, destiny, and the dead. Krismona, on the other hand, is the ' Calamity Witch,' which is significantly different from them."

"I can understand the presence of the giant pillar representing Krismona within Fourth Epoch Trier, because it contains a special Mirror World and the divine power of the ' Primordial Witch ' left over from the ' War of the Four Emperors.' But why include the ' Chrismona Night Pillar ' when constructing the Catacombs? There was also Angel who followed the ' Blood Emperor ' who fell; why was it necessary to include him?"

Jenna slowly shook her head, turning her gaze back to the spot where the holy figure had vanished.

She tried walking a short distance in that direction and suddenly discovered that behind where the Women in white had been standing was an Ancient Tomb Chamber.

Unlike the other Tomb Chamber on the fourth level, its tomb door is open.

After leaving Aquinas Street, where the Solo Hotel was located, Lumian found an empty alley and tossed the "Lie" earring to Lugano.

"Find someone who can create a fake identity, not the one you're looking for now." Lumian pointed to the Café across the street. "I'll wait for you there."

"Yes, Boss." Lugano wasn't embarrassed at all.

Although he had never actually been to this city, he had several acquaintances who had settled there.

Moreover, he speaks fluent Highland Language.

After watching the translator-guide complete his disguise and return Ludwig "Lie," Lumian led Bar into the Café where every table had a bouquet of Flowers.

At this moment, the Sunlight was shining intensely on the earth, making everyone passing by seem lazy.

Lumian wasn't intimidated at all. Relying on her limited Vocabulary of the Highland Language and hand gestures, she successfully ordered two cups of Torelle coffee with Milk, a Santa egg yolk pastry with cream on top arranged in a tower shape, a roasted Piglet, and a duck stewed in pear juice.

Ludwig was very satisfied with this.

Lumian sipped his coffee and looked around. He noticed that all six or seven tables in the Café were occupied by couples on dates, mostly around twenty years old, with only one middle-aged Couple among them.

With Lumian's hearing, it wouldn't be difficult for him to catch the conversations at the nearby tables, but he couldn't understand most of it and could only extract a few Vocabulary:

"Ocean... prayer... board the ship... island..."

Are they talking about the Sea-Praying Ritual next month? Lumian turned his gaze to the window.

Two young men carrying Longsword started arguing in the street for some unknown reason, and drew their swords on the spot, seemingly about to have a duel.