“…A conduit? Hah.” Breath smoked as Lucimia cupped her aching head. Her own sentiment had tripped her, like silk snagged on thorns.

She let her mind drift, a leaf on cold water.

What next? Reversion back to Wasan Village, reclaim the hair clip?

But if I can think of it, how could they not? With an army stirred, they wouldn’t leave a seam that wide.

What curse did they stitch into my Reversion? If it only makes Reversion harder, their plan still leaks. My error margin stays wide.

What to do? Try Devouring to scrub Ment’s curse first? Wait—wouldn’t that be in their weave too? They’ll expect me to use Authority Power. And Authority drains energy, like blood from a cut.

“Psych war, huh? Make me wary to try?”

But… not trying is no path.

After chewing it over, she steeled herself. Use the Devouring Authority, strip the curse on Reversion.

At least confirm if they’re bluffing, or if a real shackle’s there.

Devouring stirred. When shadow veiled that corner of her mind, a strong pressure pushed back, blocking the Fuzzy Orb’s bite.

It felt like legs sunk in river water. You try to sprint, but strength slips like sand.

You inch forward, step by icy step. Then a wave crashes at the key moment, shoving you back.

The taste was familiar. The Purification Deity’s Authority Power was thwarting her Devouring.

And the input never stopped. Not a fire-and-forget concept—just a steady stream of force.

Meaning, if Lucimia kept Devouring, she’d lock into a stalemate with Elyssus. Neither side would break, like antlers tangled.

“…As expected.” Lucimia kneaded her temples, headache pulsing like frostbite.

She’d guessed it. Vosh and Ment wouldn’t script a fool’s plan. No holes for her to slip through.

“If that’s true, Ment’s valley fog is likely bolstered by the Purification Deity too. Forcing through with Devouring won’t be easy.

Their energy outmasses mine. They can grind me down. The external Teleportation Array is screened.”

Reason advanced, and her heart cooled like a lake sealing with ice.

“This really is a trapped beast’s bout.” She told Desty, voice low as snow.

“A… dead end?”

“Not sure. Let me think.” Lucimia bowed her head, teeth on a fingertip, mind wringing like wet cloth.

There must be a crack to flee through. There must.

Calm down. Sort it. What do I have?

First, Devouring Authority in limited use, the Disguise Power, and a burn-the-boats Devouring for special cases.

Second, Reversion, now under unknown influence.

Third, ninth-tier magic, sharp as winter lightning.

Fourth, monster control, a leash on wild shadows.

Fifth, spatial rifts, jagged wounds in the air.

Sixth, Desty’s support, nimble and steady as a sparrow.

Now, their layout and tools.

First, a smoke barrier fed by Purification Power, like a holy mist net.

Second, a Purification Magic Array, still setting, but wide as a field.

Third, a curse nailed into my Reversion.

Fourth, experts with Purification-imbued arrows, plus the unkillable Lev.

Fifth, soldiers ringed round the valley, shields like a palisade.

Sixth, a plan built to exhaust, a millstone turning.

Seventh, no fear of the rat swarms, proof against gnawing chaos.

Eighth, other traps, dark and unseen.

And other facts.

First, the rat swarms encircle the valley like a living moat.

Second, heavy snow, sky and earth smudged white.

Third, the Cross still unfound, a thorn in the heart.

Laid out this clean, the picture froze hard. Smash the Cross and escape? Very hard. Too hard.

Just looking at it, odds shrank to a sliver. They prepared too well. Two Dark Deities stepped down to crush her.

For now, the best path seems Reversion. Go back to Wasan Village, retrieve the hair clip, keep Reversion clean.

Then my tolerance for error soars. Their setups become knotted threads I can untangle.

After all, Reversion is cursed, not forbidden. Maybe I can still use it a few times, short-term.

But, that line… they’ve surely thought of it too.

With a little thought, Lucimia could guess how they’d bar a Reversion to Wasan Village. Or make going back useless.

Reversion sits above Blessing, below Authority Power. Its effect isn’t conceptual. Authority-level powers can meddle with it.

Like Reversion resets everyone’s memory. Yet Lucimia can Devour to keep Desty’s memory from resetting.

The Purification Deity can do the same. Use Purification to prevent a curse from vanishing due to the reset.

Even if Lucimia retrieves the hair clip, the curse is already set. You can’t peel it off.

She no longer assumed things, like back in the Town of Tranquility.

Back then, she might’ve jumped to Reversion, burned energy, solved nothing. Worse, they might lay a snare, make you think it’s fixed.

Then at the critical moment, you use Reversion, and the sky flips. Game over.

But if that’s true…

“It’s almost a true dead end.” Lucimia’s voice iced the already white world.

“…” Desty’s silence fell like snowdust.

“I did have a plan. Use the Disguise Power to become a tree, a bird, or packed snow. Wait it out till they leave.

But they’re still setting the Purification Magic Array. An AOE sweep will flush us. Hiding won’t hold.”

Irritation pricked her heart. She sighed, a ribbon of mist. “There is one scrap of good news.

At least the rat swarms won’t scatter. They can’t escape either.

We can use Invisibility Magic to dodge their tracking. Just don’t step into them. Touch the swarm and they’ll sense us.”

“But bad news too. That magic expert should have a Magic Eye. Lev as well. We won’t slip past those eyes.”

“That’s… brutal.” Desty pressed her brow. “They really go that hard for us?”

“No choice. To them, we’re the biggest threat. Even if I don’t want to fight them. I only want a quiet life.”

Lucimia brushed snow from her coat. She held out a hand to Desty. “Let’s go.”

“Where? You’ve got a plan?”

Lucimia shook her head, regret like ash. “No. One step at a time.

First, try to find the Cross. Don’t go to the upstream zone. That’s a trap. We need a new path.”

“Okay.” Desty stepped close and took Lucimia’s cold, small hand.

The moment their fingers met, Lucimia felt a sting in the air.

Two azure arrows screamed down from the high sky, like icy comets.

Lucimia moved on instinct. She yanked Desty close, then leaned forward, shoulder bumping her, hands breaking apart.

Her shift slipped past the arrow meant for her. The one aimed at Desty, she’d take herself. One arrow’s Authority energy was enough.

“Devouring!”

The Fuzzy Orb bloomed from nothing and swallowed the incoming azure arrow whole.