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317: Summoning Target

Author: Cuttlefish That Loves Diving Word Count: 12623 Updated: 2025-06-07 09:58:45

Summoning Target

In the Cordu days, Lumian might have snatched up that invitation and made his way to the Salle de Bal Unique by month's end, all to unleash a prank to return the shock.

However, this time around, Lumian's grip on the mystical world was firmer, a result of his brush with countless otherworldly aberrations. He conjured a flicker with the snap of his fingers, sending forth a crimson spark that alighted on the ebony paper before him.

Amidst the swiftly burgeoning flames, Lumian departed the quarry cavern, his carbide lamp casting its light, guiding him towards the nearest exit of the Underground Trier.

Yet, on this journey, an unshakable paranoia seized him. The moss on the rocky walls, the unseen insects within the shadows, even the intangible entities that traversed the air—it was as if Monette's eyes bore into him from all angles.

It wasn't mere illusion but rather a reality that wound Lumian's mind taut, each heartbeat a gallop of unease.

Termiboros's unwavering quiet provided the lone solace, a lack of agitation hinting that the quandary hadn't escalated—yet.

A quarter-hour's passage led Lumian to ascend the steel stairs, emerging onto solid ground once more.

As sunbeams pierced the sky, penetrating a sea of white clouds and bathing his visage in their glow, he felt as though he'd been reborn.

Phew, no wonder Madam Magician said to live under the sun in Trier as much as possible… Exhaling a sigh, Lumian snuffed the carbide lamp, locked in his bearings, and charted his course back to Rue des Blouses Blanches.

Upon reentering the safe house, he immediately summoned Madam Magician's messenger, apprising the holder of the Major Arcana card of the developments that unfolded.

Madam Magician's reply was simple:

"Exemplary work. Steer clear of Salle de Bal Unique.

"The Lord's Angel of Time shall keep vigilant watch over this affair."

Why would Mr. Fool's Angel of Time direct His attention toward Salle de Bal Unique? Is there indeed an Angel of Time? The angelic entity whom the charlatans of Salle de Bal Unique revere bears a link to Mr. Fool's Angel of Time. Or perhaps, an animosity? Lumian ruminated, momentarily adrift in the murk of comprehension.

With a measure of relief prevailing, he reclined upon the bed, surrendering himself to sleep's embrace—an interlude wherein his mental fortitude and vitality underwent reinvigoration.

At noon, Lumian ate two savory meat pies and drank a glass of Apple Whiskey Sour. Seated at the table, he engaged in earnest perusal of the bestiary chronicling the spirit world creatures.

As he raced through the pages, a sleek black fountain pen danced in his hand, crafting purposeful circles on the paper to accentuate potential candidates.

After over an hour of intense scrutiny, Lumian distilled a preliminary list of 50 to 60 spirit world entities boasting suitable attributes and modest threat levels. Following the breadcrumbs of indicated page numbers, he retrieved the source manuscripts and embarked on meticulous research.

Intermittent breaks punctuated his reading. As evening painted the sky in hues of twilight, Lumian at last concluded his meticulous perusal of the source materials, now in possession of their profound knowledge. A final selection had been forged.

First in line was the Abscessed Hand. This enigmatic spirit, once shrouded in legend across the southern and central parts of the world, had been conjured by aficionados of mysticism, leaving a trail of lifeless bodies in its wake.

From crime scene accounts, the fallen were strewn across the forest expanse. With the exception of those initially claimed within a hunter's lodge, the remaining deaths occurred nearly simultaneously. This revelation hinted at the Abscessed Hand's swift transitions between victims, throttling one soul and in a heartbeat, lunging towards its next quarry.

Dream divinations unveiled a bluish-black, gangrenous hand, swollen and oozing with putrescence. Its appearance was always abrupt, snapping a victim's neck within two to three seconds before vanishing to assail another, irrespective of the distance.

Based on the hand's traits, Lumian inferred its considerable aptitude for traversing the spirit world.

As for its danger level, Madam Magician's accounts deemed it commonplace, bound by the constraints of the summoning ritual.

Nevertheless, a significant detail stood out from the Major Arcana card holder: "It's suspected to be a fragment of something greater."

Severed hand? Could its kindred comprise severed legs, heads, torsos, and innards? What would happen when these fragments converge? If reassembled, what would manifest? Lumian scoured the index in vain, failing to unearth analogous entities. His focus rested on abilities, traits, and threat levels, with little heed to nomenclature.

An alternative theory remained afoot. The remaining Abscessed Hand counterparts might reside within the powerful and dangerous categories, evading the scrutiny of Franca, Jenna, and the Rabbits of Knowledge.

Should the anticipated spirit world traversal prowess prove elusive, or if the cost demanded an untenable toll, Lumian had an arsenal of alternatives at his disposal.

With regards to disguising abilities, he found a peculiar fondness for a spirit world creature known as the Headless Bride.

This mythical tale was woven within the heart of the Haagenti Kingdom in the Southern Continent. It began with the story of a young girl who dared to elope with her beloved.

In the shadowed chambers of their hidden nuptials, her kin unveiled the shrouded ceremony. Amidst the assembly of family and kin, her own brother exacted a swift, brutal end, severing her head in the name of matrimonial transgression and ancestral decree.

Perhaps this girl was special to begin with, or perhaps she had come into contact with something related to the spirit world during her elopement. Thus, ignited by the agony, fury, and rancor that gripped her before her demise, she imbibed the essence of the spirit world, transmuting into a creature akin to an evil spirit.

Dressed in scarlet bridal raiment adorned with gilded motifs, she hunted and hexed her lineage, subjecting them to an unending torrent of catastrophes spanning three decades, until the tapestry of their lineage was all but erased.

In the present, the Headless Bride prowled the spirit world, shape-shifting with calculated artistry. Its transformations beguiled unwary beings and unsuspecting travelers, drawing them closer to their doom in its relentless embrace.

For a Pyromaniac, this was an easy target with the protection of a ritual.

Headless Bride's alternative was Human-Faced Mantis:

"This is a unique creature from the spirit world. When he was alive, he was a playboy with elegance and good looks.

"As an educator in Sion within the Intis Republic's Hornacis Province, he was embraced by admiration and ardor from both distinguished dames and youthful maidens.

"He was gifted in literature, skilled in poetry, and had numerous lovers.

"This idyllic existence found an abrupt termination when a spurned spouse denounced him to the Church as a Warlock, accusing him of employing sorcery to control his wife.

"Agents dispatched by the Eternal Blazing Sun Church probed into the matter, gathering accounts from a multitude of local men. Astonishingly, their testimonies echoed the allegations in the complaint letter. Strangers to one another, these men's narratives converged in unsettling symmetry.

"In contrast, the dames and young maidens adamantly attested to their willing involvement, fervently defending the playboy's actions.

"Amid simmering resentment from the local men, the trial raced to a conclusion. The playboy met his end at the stake.

"Upon later investigation, officials confirmed his innocence, unveiling the accusations as a construct of collective envy and enmity.

"It's suggested that an Instigator was behind the scenes.

"In the spirit world, the playboy's essence metamorphosed into a mantis bearing a human visage. Festering within him was an all-consuming loathing, mingling with a mastery over metamorphosis and relentless predation…"

Lumian turned emotional as he read the two pieces of information.

Six years in the countryside had acquainted him with the ignorance that shadowed village life.

From this, he deduced that not all spirit world denizens sprang from nature's womb. Rather, under exceptional circumstances, the souls of departed humans could transmute into enduring spirit creatures. A plausible explanation for hauntings.

Pondering meticulously, Lumian relinquished his aspiration for invisibility and concealment. Instead, he earmarked his final contract slot for traits with direct influence over his Spirit Body.

His choices boiled down to the Thousand-Eyed Evil and the Shadow of Shriek.

These two entities were quintessential 'natives' of the spirit world, venturing forth only in the realms of nightmares and tomes of authentic Warlock craft.

The Thousand-Eyed Evil comprised fleshy forms, exuding a pink ichor, each adorned with an eye bereft of lashes.

Gazing into the ebony pupils of these multitudes, whether human, beast, or mere Spirit Bodies, led to swift slumber.

Their connection to dreams was palpable; they occasionally manifested in the darkest recesses of the most harrowing nightmares.

The Shadow of Shriek, on the other hand, manifested as a confluence of translucent shadows. With frequent outbursts of shrieks, they induced unconsciousness in those who dared to draw near.

Beyond their shrieks, they bore the attributes of ordinary shadows.

Lumian meticulously transcribed all the details concerning the alternative contenders onto fresh paper, folding it as he slipped the paper into his pocket.

He lingered within the precincts of Salle de Bal Brise for a period, eventually departing from Avenue du Marché around 10 p.m. Navigating the pathways along Rist docks, he ultimately gained entry into the two-story edifice he had once reduced to smoldering ruins.

Though the inferno that had previously ravaged the building had long since been quelled, the structure now stood cloaked in inky darkness and utter desolation.

Recognizing that his intended audience was none other than Mr. Fool, rather than the entity called Inevitability, Lumian had no intentions of executing the summoning ritual underground. This strategic choice was to avoid any potential encounters with the odd and dangerous swindlers of Salle de Bal Unique.2

His primary objective was to locate a secluded enclave, far removed from prying eyes. This calculated approach would ensure that even in the event of an unforeseen mishap during the conjuration, should the summoned entity lose control, the collateral damage would be contained, thereby facilitating a swift resolution.

Having meticulously arranged a relatively unscathed chamber ensconced within the obsidian heart of the decrepit building, Lumian proceeded to meticulously arrange the altar.

Relying on the insights gleaned from his role as a Contractee, Lumian diverged from the norm by invoking two additional candles, each symbolizing a deity.

In this ritual, Mr. Fool was both the focal point of supplication and the solemn observer.

With a wall of spirituality set in place and candles aglow, Lumian didn't rush to commence the incantation. Instead, he extracted an iron-gray flask from the inner pocket of his worn brown jacket.

Within this flask, Lumian had ingeniously affixed a slender thread, its counterpart connected to the Decency brooch that lay submerged within a pool of absinthe.

This ingenious design facilitated Lumian's swift and precise retrieval of the Sealed Artifact. No clumsy maneuvering was required; a simple hook of his index finger and the Scotch Broom brooch was within his grasp.

As he tugged at the brooch, a burst of crimson sparks erupted, severing the knot binding the Sealed Artifact.

Without a moment's hesitation, Lumian adorned the resplendent Decency brooch upon his chest.

He harbored the belief that brokering a contract with a denizen of the spirit world carried an inherent cost, akin to a form of bribery. In this context, Lumian hoped the Decency brooch would assume a role of significance.

Securely fastening the brooch, Lumian's gaze shifted to the trio of candles, silently ablaze before him. Drawing a deep breath, he steeled himself for the upcoming ritual.

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1: Foreigners 2: "Prank" 3: Dream 4: Shepherd 5: Card 6: Ruins 7: Naroka 8: Owl 9: Magazine 10: Blood 11: Madame Pualis 12: Undercurrents 13: Attempt 14: Different Monster 15: Getting Information 16: Letter 17: Suspect 18: "Straightforward" 19: Meditation 20: Customs 21: Response 22: Arrangements 23: Combat Intelligence 24: Gains 25: Sequences and Potions 26: Whistleblowing 27: Five Changes 28: Laws 29: Method 30: Lent Begins 31: Celebration 32: Anomaly 33: Confirmation 34: Sayings 35: Differences 36: Meeting Again 37: "Dangerous Forest" 38: Sheep 39: Sick 40: On the Carriage 41: Undead 42: Madame Night 43: Frank 44: Eavesdropping 45: Make-up Lesson 46: Ritualistic Magic 47: Truly "Illiterate" 48: Knowledge Pursuer 49: True Cogitation 50: Observation 101: Different Powers 102: Transfer 103: The Padre's Plan 104: Resolute Decision 105: That Person 106: The Ritual Begins 107: Shattering 108: Report 109: Minute Hope 110: Foreigner 111: Messenger 112: Charlie 113: Tenants 114: Life Experience 115: Legend 116: City of Fashion 117: Remuneration 118: Summoning 119: Strange Creature 120: Lunatic's Ravings 121: Salle de Bal Brise 122: Each With Their Own Plans 123: Organizer 124: Method of Self-Protection 125: Struggle 126: Finding Prey 127: Café 128: In the Dream 129: Neighbor 130: Tracking 131: Night Fight 132: Black Scorpion 133: Suffering 134: Courtesan 135: Confirming the Situation 136: Initial Summoning Attempt 137: Hooha 138: Letter 139: Mr. K 140: Painting 141: "Hostage" 142: Mother Tree 143: Lie 144: Conditions 145: Service Fee 146: Turf 147: Reaction 148: "Lord of the Motel" 149: Five Ritualistic Spells 150: Voice 51: Temporal Node 52: Entering the Ruins 53: Mark 54: Interpretation 55: Persona 56: Intuition 57: Arrangements 58: Cherishing Talent 59: Again 60: "Dancer" 61: Description 62: Date 63: Shocking News 64: Weapon 65: Third Floor 66: Crib 67: Evil Spells 68: Purification 69: Him? 70: Spirit Channeling 71: Underground 72: Sacrificial Dance 73: Tracking 74: Mute 75: Meeting Madame Pualis Again 76: Physical Examination 77: Changes 78: Traces 79: Sufferer 80: Joint Investigation Team 81: Key 82: Dream Divination 83: A Sudden Encounter 84: Dirk 85: Appropriating 86: Another Idea 87: Catharsis 88: EQ 89: Nothing Happened 90: Trying Again 91: Scheming 92: Stripping Fate 93: An Early Sacrifice 94: Attack 95: An "Out in the Open" Ambush 96: Prey and Hunter 97: Courage 98: After the Celebration 99: Guest 100: Hesitation 251: Giant Tree 252: Ancient Times 253: Root of the Problem 254: The Weight of History 255: Bridge of Communication 256: Crack 257: The Unfortunate 258: Assassin 259: Awe 260: Cracking 261: Escape 262: Review 263: Choice 264: Secret Organization 265: The Major Arcana Cards 266: Catacombs 267: Remains 268: Possible Encounters 269: Islander 270: Agreement 271: Acting 272: Charismatic Artist 273: Trader 274: Escape 275: Poaching 276: The Disappointed Susie 277: Guidance 278: Consultation 279: Deep Valley Cloister 280: The Knocker 281: Reflection 282: Treacherous 283: Idea 284: Entering the Order 285: Maxim 286: Magic Mirror Divination 287: Key 288: Self-Recommendation 289: Late Night Visitors 290: Lavigny Docks 291: Important Figure 292: Communion 293: "Pious" 294: Beyonder 295: Brains Are Important 296: Request 297: Informant Contract 298: Rose School of Thought 299: Interpretation 300: Another Symbol 151: Temptation 152: "Entrustment" 153: Strange Rule 154: Mini-Theater 155: Jenna 156: Landlord 157: Ancienne Cage à Pigeons 158: "Report" 159: Savage 160: Pervert 161: Special Traits 162: Fresh Corpse 163: Three Questions 164: Intelligence 165: Meeting Jenna Again 166: In Return 167: Convergence 168: Prayer Target 169: Battle in the Room 170: Nightstalkers 171: Rapid Idea 172: Superintendent 173: Intelligence on the Boss 174: Reward 175: Hidden Blade 176: Property 177: Proselytizing 178: The Messenger's Response 179: Feast 180: Lazy 181: The Loyal Ciel 182: Truth Serum 183: Three Items 184: Painting 185: Missing Goods 186: Strange Footprints 187: Shadow 188: Confidence 189: Cooperation 190: Unexpected Development 191: Suspicions 192: Verification 193: Luck Enhancement 194: Triggered 195: Candidate 196: Elimination 197: Helper 198: Conciliation 199: "Unruly" 200: Spectator 351: Killing Intent 352: Spring Source 353: Crazy Figure 354: Palm 355: The Real Spring Water 356: Scar 357: Monette's True Identity 358: Negligence 359: Malady God 360: Physical and Mental Wellbeing 361: Farewell 362: Lie 363: Studying Leads to Improvement 364: Red House 365: Observation 366: Demoness Sect 367: Salon 368: Speculator 369: King? No, Emperor! 370: Sending Off 371: Wax Statue 372: Primary Mission 373: Summoning the Armored Shadow Again 374: Preliminary Speculation 375: Gathering Venue 376: Different Teams 377: An Earlier Transmigrator 378: Investigation 379: Bold Speculation 380: Bell Chimes 381: Elimination 382: Seizing the Opportunity 383: "Forced Storming" 384: Stagnation 385: Before and After Comparison 386: Caution 387: Vile 388: An Unquiet Night 389: Suspected God 390: Hidden Danger 391: Idiots 392: Switching Pathways 393: Information About Celestial Worthy 394: Eye of the Storm 395: Progress on the Other Side 396: Pure Evil 397: Execution Ground 398: Human Blood Bread 399: Mandrake 400: Transferring Burdens 201: Recalling 202: Analysis 203: Cooperation 204: Interrogation 205: Banshee 206: Communication 207: Organization 208: Countermeasure 209: Bad Luck 210: Performance 211: Spirit Channeling 212: Actor 213: Correct Interpretation 214: Encounter 215: Jenna's Worry 216: Acting Guidance 217: Notarization 218: Promise 219: Probing 220: Nightmare 221: Venting 222: Fliers 223: Choice 224: Disguise 225: Exposed 226: Sculpture 227: Agent 228: Sudden Digestion 229: Equivalent Exchange 230: Scapegoat 231: Mr. K's Purpose 232: Financing of Activities 233: Advance Payment 234: Sincerity 235: "Disease" 236: Morning Light 237: Concealment 238: Endure 239: Fighting Fire 240: Bewitchment 241: Indomitable Spirit 242: Pyromaniac 243: Visit 244: Red and Black 245: "Speech" 246: Resolution 247: Instigation 248: Visitors 249: Loophole in the Contract 250: Condolence Banquet 301: Devil 302: Mummy Ashes 303: Sparks of "Fire" 304: Decency 305: Test 306: Ambivalence 307: Instigation 308: Incomprehensible Choice 309: Restoring Confidence 310: Encounter 311: Strange Boy 312: Hint 313: Plans with Different Styles 314: Crowd-Sourcing 315: Anxious Termiboros 316: "Invitation Letter" 317: Summoning Target 318: Price 319: "Travel" 320: Mummy 321: Compensation 322: Pleasure 323: Psychological Profile 324: Which Is True and Which Is False 325: Visit 326: Substitute 327: The Real Guillaume Bénet 328: Bottle of Fiction 329: Metallic Creature 330: Forewarned is Forearmed 331: Spirit Channeling 332: Sinners 333: Gains 334: Clues 335: Another World 336: Armored Shadow's Origins 337: Magician's Speculation 338: Hela 339: Purpose of Visit 340: Black Cat 341: Branch 342: Fright? 343: Feedback 344: Boxing Gloves 345: Dream 346: Follow-Up Visit 347: Strange Theft 348: The Bustling Underground 349: Sacrificial Square 350: Negative Effects 401: Dreamwalker 402: Good Luck 403: Drawing From Experience 404: Patient 405: No Reservations 406: Inevitability-like Ending 407: Reward for Good Luck 408: Motive 409: Fire Execution 410: A Leisure Week 411: Review Committee 412: Purge 413: Cave Association 414: Reason 415: The Sinner Complains First 416: Suspect 417: The Importance of Intel
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