Chapter 31: Preparing for Tomorrow
"Yo, are you talking about me?"
Aurore draped her heavy golden hair over her shoulders, walked to the dining table, and addressed the two gentlemen before her.
"Indeed, Lumian has something to tell you," Ning Lu lifted his bowl of Meat Sauce Noodles and speared a bite with the fork beside him.
Compared with the Intis‑style Meat Sauce Noodles—still bearing many local tweaks despite Huang Tao's improvements—Lumian's sauce was the one Aurore had taught him, much closer to the Chinese Meat Sauce Noodles Ning Lu ate before his transmigration.
"Yes, Aurore," Lumian spread his arms innocently and said to the Aurore in front of him:
"I and Mr. Ning Lu discovered some clues in the village..."
Yesterday, while investigating Cordu Village (actually gathering evidence to confirm the ending he already knew), Ning Lu exchanged some intelligence with Lumian, giving Lumian a clearer picture of the village's grim situation.
"...you're right. Aside from the Parish Priest, there really are shadows of unknown presences looming over the whole village."
After hearing Lumian's brilliant "deduction," Aurore, the true "Cryptologist," digested part of Ning Lu's Potion along with his conclusions.
"I think we can't stay here any longer. We must leave right now, or when the Lent erupts tomorrow, this place could become even more dangerous..."
Aurore frowned and said, "But if that's the case..."
"If that's the case, we should have warned you yesterday when we reached this conclusion and left together," Ning Lu continued Aurore's speculation.
"I've already scouted the area around your village, but unfortunately we currently have no way to leave by normal means."
"—What do you mean?" Hearing Ning Lu's words, Lumian felt a chill run through his blood and asked anxiously.
"I told you before, the entire Cordu Village is now shrouded in a massive 'Ritual.'" Ning Lu extended his hand, placed the plate he had barely tasted onto the table before Lumian and Aurore.
"Based on the information we have, Cordu Village is like this plate, being held by a 'Chef' and placed beside a great being that intends to collect offerings. Everyone in the village are the noodles inside, while the meat sauce is the special part."
"...so we are the meat sauce?" Lumian fell silent.
"I think I understand your point... How can a starving diner watch his food slip away right before his eyes? Unless..."
No, actually you are the plate... Ning Lu muttered silently in his heart, then nodded and continued along Lumian's line.
"Unless, when you fork the noodles, the noodles and sauce slide off together. Now, Lent is that 'fork,' the process by which the great being collects offerings."
"So tomorrow's Lent... is the pivotal moment of the whole ceremony, and the hope of escape lies within it."
—Ning Lu solemnly continued his "decoding."
However, without having experienced a "Reset" or a "Loop," Ning Lu cannot yet grasp the nature of the dream, so his "decoding" does not reveal the truth of Cordu Village.
And "decoding" is not divination; it cannot conjure conclusions that should not exist.
Since Lumian has no awareness of his own condition, Ning Lu does not intend to tell him the truth of the dream.
Because the current dream actually serves as Lumian's self‑protection. If this protective layer were ripped away without a buffer, only a bloody wound would be exposed.
Doing so would almost certainly cause Lumian to lose control.
Hearing Ning Lu's words, Aurore and Lumian fell into deep thought, and the dining table fell silent. Ning Lu didn't mind the eerie atmosphere; he picked up the still‑warm Meat Sauce Noodles and savored the dream's flavor... Speaking of which, does stealing food from someone's dream make you a "Dream Thief"?"
"When I become a 'Dream Thief,' I'll sneak up on Klein..."
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Ning Lu also fell into contemplation.
Soon, Lumian clenched his teeth, gathered his thoughts, and said to Aurore:
"Aurore!"
"I—I'm actually already a Beyonder!"
Hearing Lumian's words, Aurore suddenly lifted her head, her expression resembling a "huh" cat.
"...huh?"
This kid was just shouting the day before that he wanted to become a Beyonder?
So was he pretending all along, or did he spend half a day finding a Beyonder characteristic and Potion formula, thus becoming a Beyonder?
"I provided a little assistance, Ms. Li," Ning Lu smiled at Aurore, giving his beloved disciple a little wrap.
"You should understand your brother's thoughts—he's your only family, and he sincerely wishes to protect you."
"Lumian's extraordinary power comes from his special dream; these powers perhaps belong to him, and I only offered some harmless help."
Aurore stared wordlessly at Lumian before her, watched him silently for a moment, then sighed:
"Fine, fine—little brother's wings have hardened, you've been hiding things from sister!"
Lumian became embarrassed: "It's not that I haven't found a chance to tell you..."
Before he could finish, he saw a hint of relief in Aurore's eyes. She inhaled and said:
"Alright, I won't say more—after all, you're thinking of your sister. The path of a Beyonder is too insane and painful, which is why I've kept you from the Beyonder power..."
"But under the current circumstances, becoming a Beyonder is indeed more beneficial than harmful for you... So, should we escape during tomorrow's Lent celebration, or sabotage the celebration?"
A decisive glint flashed in Aurore's eyes.