Chapter 538 539-The upied Body


    ??There was no room for further dialogue.


    In the face of such a creature as a devil, any attempt atmunication was futile.


    This was the lesson imparted by the boy''s teacher and reiterated by priests and bishops in the church.


    Crouching to inspect the segmented corpse, the devil rose once again, its crimson eyes settling on the boy lying on the ground, breathing more out than in, and abruptly stood up.


    "Since you''ve destroyed my human body, I might as well make use of yours! It''s only for a few months. After I''m done, I''ll give it back to you. I doubt that detestable creature would have much to say about it."


    The devil sneered, positioning itself beside the boy, bending down to examine his face closely.


    "I didn''t notice before, but now that I''m looking, you were born with a fine skin."


    "If it weren''t for that guy constantly watching me from the mana ocean, I might consider getting a skin like yours to try on."


    The feeling of being wanted, whether as a devil or as a human, was something this pitiful creature had never experienced.


    "Ha, if you want it, take it! In the end, you''re just a monster, too scared to show your true face among the crowd, aren''t you?"


    Scratching his head, which bore mes instead of hair, the devil flicked the boy''s forehead with a gesture.


    "That''s why I said you''re all skin and no substance! Are you still unwilling to face reality? From the beginning to the end, it was you who attacked me baselessly. If it weren''t for my intervention, thepanions who were with me would likely not survive."


    "Which is more important, your personal vendetta or the lives of many?"


    "If you truly are a believer, then you should know the answer."


    The doctrine is clear: one should not let personal desires guide their actions, nor wield a de driven by selfish motives.


    "If I had my way, I would have killed you the moment you showed yourself! But that guy has been watching me, just waiting for me to slip up. Viting our bet would ultimately disadvantage me."


    With a gesture, aplex rune matrix, the size of a palm, materialized instantly.


    "But simply using your body like this would be too easy for you, almost a form of release."


    "If I''m not mistaken, you''ve lost someone very close to you, haven''t you? It''s impossible to exhibit such conviction otherwise, especially for someone with as little talent as you."


    A moment of bravery consumes nearly all one''s courage, and a brush with death bes a nightmare remembered for a lifetime.


    This is something most people cannot ignore, after all, those with talent are always in the minority.


    "How about this! I will take over your body but leave your consciousness intact!"


    "Let''s see who the real monster is!"


    The moment the words ceased, a true, unmistakable devilish smile spread across the devil''s face.


    The rune matrix descended, and from the devil, a burst of crimson mes surged, wrapping around the boy''s body!


    Rather than a scorching agony, the boy felt afort akin to soaking in warm water.


    Warmth, softness, boundless darkness, a deep-seated sense of safety and rxation enveloped him.


    Was this what they called the ultimate resting ce?


    "Hehehe, so this is your deep consciousness? Quite straightforward, really, just like a child... No, that''s wrong, I forgot, you are indeed still a child."


    The devil''s voice echoed in the boy''s ears, and in the endless darkness, he suddenly opened his eyes!


    They were incandescent, shining with the brilliance of the sun, yet unable to illuminate the mist-like darkness surrounding him.


    The boy looked around but found nothing.


    "Stop looking; with your current abilities, you cannot see me." The devil''s voice sounded again.


    "I am hidden in the deepest darkness of your heart, tsk tsk, truly pitiful. If I were one of those hungry ghosts that feed on negative emotions, I would probably have burst by now."


    The voice resonated right by the boy''s ear, but no matter how he turned, he saw nothing.


    Eventually, he gave up and sat down.


    Perhaps it wasn''t even a floor; did this expanse of darkness even have directions like up, down, left, or right?


    He lifted his head, and suddenly, a small screen appeared at the end of his gaze.


    The screen wasn''trge, just enough for him to see all the details within clearly.


    After a quick mental calction, he realized the scope disyed on the screen was exactly what his eyes could cover.


    "From now on, this will be your window to the world," the devil''s voice carried a hint of mockery.


    "Trust me, through this viewport, you''ll see far more than you could imagine."


    At least much more than you could see before!


    Meanwhile, in the real world, the boy on the ground suddenly opened his eyes, a fleeting sh of red light vanishing from his gaze.


    He stood up, his face breaking into a sunny, mischievous smile.


    "From now on, call me Zeno!"


    On a certain day, in a certain month of a certain year, in an unnamed corner of the Av Continent, Zeno was reborn, at the cost of his body being upied by a devil.


    ...


    Let''s set aside for a moment the events on the other side of the continent.


    They might have a significant impact, but like ripples in water, no matter howrge, the time and distance they spread limit their reach.


    Perhaps, Ali will never feel the effects of these events in her lifetime.


    Warm sunlight filters through the trees onto a clearing, where three figures stand in confrontation.


    Ali, Roronora, and Code 19, or rather Gick wearing Code 19''s guise.


    Three individuals with different stances but fates inevitably intertwined, three distinct yet ovepping beliefs.


    Everything mingles together, like a soup with too many ingredients, resulting in an unsightly mess.


    Ali lowers her long sword, its descent aided by the force of gravity, the metal de easily piercing the soil and standing askew on the ground, its edge reflecting the sunlight.


    Ali lowers her long sword, its descent aided by the force of gravity, the metal de easily piercing the soil and standing "Have you decided to give up?"


    The voice came from Code 19''s body, but the will behind it belonged to another soul.


    "Why would you think that?"


    Ali lifted her head, her eyes sparkling with a brilliant golden light.


    "Ifying down arms means surrender, then why do so many still die!"


    Her raised palm was the center of a swirling golden radiance.


    Under Ali''s unreserved control of her spirit, the mana within a fifty-meter radius was drawn in!


    Bands of light formed directly in the air, binding towards the figure of Code 19, who stood frozen in ce.


    Although Gick had somehow taken control of Code 19''s body, Ali was sure of one thing, which was also the reason she had not attacked directly until now.


    To confirm whether Gick''s soul was actually inside Code 19.


    Was Gick controlling Code 19''s body through some form of consciousness maniption, or had he directly lodged his soul within Code 19?


    Without rifying this, acting rashly would only alert Gick and miss the opportunity.


    As for what Gick had just said? Unfortunately, Ali is neither a naive child nor a hot-blooded young girl.


    Of course, she hopes that subhumans will one day achieve true freedom, and she has considered the feasibility of Gick''s ideas.


    However, regrettably, Ali hase to her own conclusion.


    Not everything Gick said could be true.


    If what Gick ims is true, his very presence here constitutes the greatest contradiction since Monka is the sessor designated by Kurot himself.


    Even in the current situation, Monka''s absence implies his preparations are still inadequate.


    On one hand, there is the chosen sessor, who traveled across half the continent with Kurot, and on the other, a figure who seems more like a power-hungry war fanatic.


    Any rational individual would choose the former.


    The bands of light appeared instantaneously, their movement speed defying intuition, as if slicing directly through the air.


    One end of the light band materialized beside Code 19''s body, binding it tightly in a mere moment! Mana binding is not a particrly powerful restraining spell, but it is especially effective against spiritual entities.


    Regardless of how Gick managed to control Code 19''s body, it is clear that Code 19 is in a state of unconsciousness, meaning Gick cannot mobilize the mana within Code 19.


    The likelihood of Gick using his own soul is slim; while it would grant himbat capabilities, a soul without the protection of a body is exceedingly fragile, and any ident could lead to significant trouble.


    Therefore, she theorized, Gick must be using some spiritual entity as an intermediary to control Code 19''s body.


    In such a scenario, Gick''s options are limited to utilizing the physical strength of Code 19''s body forbat or escape.


    However, if limited to mere physical strength, Code 19 poses no threat to Ali and Roronora.