Upon seeing Lumian's blatant shock, Guillaume Bnet straightened up with satisfaction and said to Pons Bnet, "Keep an eye on him!"

With that, the padre strode towards the altar.

As he left, the villagers around them seemed to come alive, engaging in animated conversations.

"The horoscope is about to change."

"Our good fortune is coming!"

"It won't be long before we're wealthy!"

"When the time comes, I'll drink a bottle of wine every day and eat a pound of meat every meal!"

"I want to find a beautiful woman."

"I'm going to watch a play."

"..."

Lumian's mind was a whirlwind, and he barely noticed when Guillaume Bnet departed.

The padre's words were like a boulder tossed into a placid lake, sending ripples through Lumian's thoughts.

How is that possible?

In the previous cycle, I killed him because he didn't understand what made me special!

Back then, I didn't even know what was so special about myself. It was natural for him not to know... After that battle, he didn't have any conflicts with me in the subsequent cycles until Aurore began acting strangely...

But he didn't seem to know about the loop at all. The cursing he did when I led the rest to catch him in the adulterous act, him being knocked out by Leah after we infiltrated the cathedral, and being spied upon by Aurore using White Paper didn't seem fake at all!

If he was putting on an act, his level of restraint would be bone-chilling...

Moreover, he knows that Madame Pualis retains her memories in the loop and might know something about the abnormalities in the castle. Yet he still had an affair with Madame Pualis at the beginning of each loop, allowing no one to suspect him.

If it were me, I wouldn't even have desires after finding out what Madame Pualis had done, let alone sleep with her!

The more Lumian pondered, the more he found the padre terrifying. This fear was unlike the terror he felt from Madame Pualis.

Questions swarmed his mind:

Why didn't the padre with his memories sacrifice the three sheep from the beginning and obtain the corresponding boon to take full control of Cordu? Why didn't he complete the twelfth night ritual on the first day?

This could have prevented any accidents!

What was he waiting for? The sacrificial ritual only takes place near Lent every time...

Does that ritual have a date and time requirement?

The Lent celebration is an integral part of the twelfth night's ritual. So, the padre will only have a chance to advance the subsequent ritual after Lent is over?

But he could just control everyone from the beginning and wait for Lent to arrive...

Also, didn't the hidden existence find it odd that they prayed for a boon twice across three cycles? Yes, He might have done something, like helping the padre recover his memories!

No, if their sacrificial ritual had truly been completed, the three sheep wouldn't have entered the loop again. Their spirits and Beyonder characteristics should have gone to the hidden existence.

Could it be that, like Reimund, the spirits gathered around the altar and didn't escape the loop?

Who were the padre and the others praying to, and who bestowed their power...

As Lumian considered this, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his lower body.

He instinctively curled up, but the ropes binding him prevented the motion.

Pons Bnet pulled his foot back from between Lumian's legs, smirking as beads of cold sweat formed on the young man's forehead. Lumian couldn't even make a sound.

He squatted down, raised his right hand, and slapped Lumian.

"Did you enjoy zat? Tell me, did you enjoy it?"

Without waiting for Lumian's response, he swung his arm and slapped the right side of his face, causing his ears to ring. Lumian felt like his head might fly off.

Seeing Lumian being beaten by Pons Bnet, Reimund's father, Pierre Greg, approached and squatted down. He sighed and said, "Bear with it. Just endure it for a while. Our fortunes are about to change. Good luck is on its way. If you leave now, you'll miss the opportunity!"

Ignoring Lumian's reaction, he repeated the same words, trying to persuade and console him.

Lumian paid no attention to Pierre Greg. He gazed at Pons Bnet without anger, as if he were looking at empty air.

He completely disregarded him, ignoring the pain and humiliation this villain had inflicted upon him.

Only one thought occupied his mind:

The situation is dire!

Ryan, Leah, and Valentine are unlikely to trigger the loop and restart everything prematurely before confirming the padre's intentions. Besides, they just fought; who knows when they'll recover. They probably won't sneak back to the village until tomorrow or the day after.

This way, no one can stop the padre from conducting the ritual in advance tonight...

Slap, slap, slap. Pons Bnet continued slapping Lumian's face and kicking his lower body, intensifying the pain he endured.

Lumian's thoughts were repeatedly interrupted by pain as he stubbornly tried to focus, refusing to waste even a second on Pons Bnet.

This only infuriated Pons Bnet further, causing him to strike even harder.

My specialness has already been discovered and targeted. They won't give me a chance to disrupt the ritual...

What should I do...

What can I do?

Lumian endured the pain and searched for a way to escape his current predicament.

Pons grew tired from beating him up. He stopped and panted.

"If ze padre hadn't forbidden me from killing you, I would've sliced off your flesh piece by piece, including what's down below!"

Hearing this, Lumian was taken aback as an idea flashed through his mind.

Kill me?

Kill me!

He suddenly raised his head and glared at Pons Bnet, his face contorted into a twisted smile born of pain.

"Is that all you've got? Are you using that pathetic little knife of yours to pick lice for me?"

He fully embraced his role as a Sequence 8 Provoker.

...

In the alpine meadow nearest to Cordu.

Ryan, clad in tattered armor, stood guard at the entrance and asked Valentine and Leah, "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine," Valentine responded immediately.

Leah added, "My spirituality has almost recovered."

Ryan nodded and dissolved the Dawn Armor.

"After I rest and recover a bit, we'll return to Cordu."

"Now?" Leah sounded surprised.

They hadn't been gone from Cordu for long.

Ryan exhaled slowly and said, "We need to find out as soon as possible why Guillaume Bnet's group attacked us tonight and not on the twelfth night. Besides, they captured Lumian and Aurore, but they didn't pursue us. Experience tell me that something's off."

Leah nodded slowly. "But we're not in the best shape."

After all, they had just fought a massive battle.

"That's why Guillaume Bnet doesn't expect us to return to Cordu tonight," Ryan explained. "Also, we left that item at Lumian and Aurore's house. We have to retrieve it as soon as possible. We can't let Guillaume Bnet and the others get their hands on it."

Valentine and Leah's expressions turned grave at the mention of that item.

They agreed to Ryan's plan.

...

Pa!

Pons Bnet slapped Lumian's face again, making his nose throb. Two streams of bright red blood flowed down to his mouth, bringing with them a foul and salty taste.

"How about zis?" Pons Bnet asked with a smile.

Lumian studied his expression and actions, realizing that his words hadn't had the desired effect.

He sniffed his blood-filled nose and replied with a smile, "Any other woman could hurt me more than you!"

"Is zat so?" Pons Bnet's expression darkened.

With a slap, he struck Lumian's mouth, sending two of his teeth flying with blood.

Relying on Provoker's insight and his experience at pranking, Lumian acutely sensed that Pons Bnet's reaction was different this time.

Familiar with all sorts of scandals and rumors in Cordu, Lumian vaguely thought of something and grinned.

"You don't seem to have a mistress."

His mouth was swollen from the slap, and two of his teeth were missing. His words came out slightly muffled.

Hearing the word "mistress," Pons Bnet's expression shifted subtly as he kicked Lumian's groin.

Lumian nearly blacked out from the pain. He couldn't speak for a few seconds.

Forcing a smile, he said with a boisterous laugh, "And the padre's mistresses are all over the village. Can't get it up?"

Pons Bnet's expression instantly darkened.

Lumian knew he had guessed right.

He endured the pain, his eyes narrowing.

He hadn't dared use Provocation earlier, fearing that he would be discovered if he used it too often. Now was the time!

Lumian laughed out loud.

"Did the padre sleep with your wife too? Are all your children his?"

Pons Bnet's eyes turned bloodshot.

He suddenly reached out and grabbed Lumian's neck, yelling with all his might, "Why don't you just die!"

Lumian heard a cracking sound from his neck and found it difficult to breathe.

Yet, he wasn't afraid. Instead, the corners of his mouth curled up as he calmly awaited the excruciating pain and inevitable death.

He had done his best to enrage Pons Bnet so that he would kill him.

Once he died, the loop would be triggered, and everything would restart immediately. Everything would return to the beginning, leaving room for recovery!

Not only had Lumian considered provoking Valentine to commit suicide to verify the nature of the loop, but he had also thought of sacrificing his own life in an emergency!

Compared to the current situation, what was there to fear?

He gazed at Pons Bnet, whose expression was vicious, and his purple lips quivered as if to say: "Please, kill me quickly."