That was a Beyonder ability belonging to the Monster Pathway (Wheel of Fortune Pathway).
"System."
[Mission: The Circus Magic Show]
[Your friend seems to have encountered a minor problem. Please do your best to help him escape danger.]
[Status: Completed.]
[Mission Reward: This is a phased mission. Rewards will accumulate. Note: If rewards are claimed in advance, the final reward quality will decrease.]
[New mission updated.]
[Mission: Seer, Clown, Magician]
[You seem to have entered a dimension that does not belong to the real world. Here, countless people are shouting for miracles. But what is a miracle? Is it the performers' comedic acts?]
[Warning: This mission is extremely dangerous. Proceed with caution, Host.]
[Current Progress: Phase Two.]
The lady from the Monster Pathway ultimately died under the clown's countless flying knives.
No miracle occurred. The female Beyonder, riddled with bloody holes, soon stopped breathing amidst the audience's cheers, becoming a corpse. Like countless failed predecessors, her figure slowly vanished.
Don glanced sideways and saw a tall woman in classical robes silently appear beside him.
Her expression was eerily identical to the surrounding marionettes. Countless Spirit Body Threads intertwined and coiled, rising toward the infinitely high dome, captured by some unknown force.
"System, appraise."
[Appraisal initiated. Automatically deducting 1 appraisal count. Remaining: 141.]
[Gratis Byrne]
[Monster Pathway, Sequence 7: Lucky One]
[Status: Marionette (—&…￥#)]
"What's with that string of garbled characters at the end...?"
[High-sequence interference. Strange—it's not just an ordinary marionette.] The System sounded curious. [A Miracle Invoker's miracle?]
"Resurrection is a miracle," Don murmured, lowering his eyes. "But even a Miracle Invoker only gets four such chances. More likely, they died and became part of history's pores, lingering here eternally. Or perhaps they never truly died—healed instantly at the moment of death and turned into marionettes."
"And becoming marionettes was their own wish."
As for what wish? Naturally, the wish to live.
Their wishes were granted, but in a terribly twisted form.
Becoming marionettes, existing as part of history's pores—who's to say that isn't living?
Thus, they too became part of the miracle.
This place was far more dangerous than he'd imagined.
Don scanned the surroundings. Only a handful in the crowd still seemed lucid, and their numbers were dwindling by the minute.
Every minute, names were called. Every minute, people died.
In this colossal theater, "miracles" were being showcased incessantly.
Before entering, Don had reshaped his face with his Shapeshifter abilities, so he wasn't worried about being recognized.
While he observed others, some noticed him too. But with everyone fighting for survival, causing trouble for others was pointless. They sat obediently in their seats, devising escape plans.
The sinister power in this place was growing stronger. If it fully erupted, all of Tingen might become a city of the dead in an instant.
Only a few in this panicked environment noticed something peculiar:
That Beyonder who'd requested to perform a magic show had never reappeared.
"Did he leave? Or was he killed while preparing his act?"
A sharp-eyed Beyonder, when called by the now-recovered magician, mustered the courage to also request a "magic performance." The magician, in turn, diverted the audience's attention and whisked him away.
However, before the acrobatic clown could finish its act, a bloodied, mutilated corpse fell from above, splattering spectacularly before the clown.
The magician appeared promptly, bowing to the audience.
"Apologies for disrupting your enjoyment. It seems this guest's performance didn't meet our circus's standards."
Though his tone was regretful, his lips curled into a grin, the ghastly white makeup accentuating his terrifying visage.
So it was the former.
Those who noticed this realization began pondering what "miracles" they could offer.
"What do you think this sealed artifact's containment method is?" Don asked inwardly.
[Mystical constructs above Sequence 2 cannot be deeply analyzed. However, based on deductions, it likely relates to fulfilling their miracles.]
By performing acts the clowns and magicians deem impossible—manifesting miracles—one can leave. Those who fail have their "wish to live" granted, becoming marionettes who remain forever as cheering spectators.
"Thus, one containment method might be..." Don smiled. "Making it impossible to fulfill my miracle."
Before the System could respond, an unusual sound came from the stage.
A demigod had appeared.
A Black Knight.
[Appraisal initiated. Automatically deducting 1 appraisal count. Remaining: 141.]
[The Hanged Man Pathway, Sequence 4: Black Knight.]
The magician assigned him an animal act.
When this Beyonder took the stage, his aura radiated corruption and heresy. His body suddenly expanded into a towering 2.3-2.4-meter giant.
Clad in black armor and wielding a straight greatsword, he took a step forward.
The stitched-together monstrosity of animal carcasses let out agonized shrieks as its shadow rose, coiling around it. A corrosive stench immediately filled the air.
With a sickening squelch, the creature—which had slain countless Beyonders—was cleaved into pieces, its writhing flesh chunks restrained by viscous black matter that prevented regeneration.
Don lowered his gaze and instructed the System to alert him immediately if his condition became abnormal.
"A Sequence 4 from the Hanged Man pathway. No doubt already corrupted by the True Creator."
That such a blatant heretic could appear openly in Tingen—whether by coincidence or design—only to be dragged into this sealed artifact composed of a Miracle Invoker's out-of-control characteristics...
"But does this count as a miracle?"
The question in Don's mind echoed among all present. No one knew the exact rules—whether slaying that abomination qualified as a "miracle."
(Chapter End)