Chapter 661 - 419: Divine Usurpation

Chapter 661: Chapter 419: Divine Usurpation

"You don’t seem surprised at all."

Lu Cang’s expression was placid, his emotions completely unshaken by Kumironi’s transformation.

"Have you not yet processed what’s happened?"

Lu Cang simply shook his head, his gaze distant. "No. I know what this means."

’Kumironi has been taken over by Sophia.’

’Or rather, she’s been possessed.’

An expression of pity surfaced on Kumironi’s face. She asked condescendingly, "Are you incapable of emotion?"

"This child, Kumironi... she was a dear friend of yours, wasn’t she?"

"Are you truly unmoved by her death?"

Lu Cang’s expression remained impassive.

His tone was perfectly steady. "If something like that had truly happened, I imagine I would be very sad. And very angry."

"But right now, I just want to know why."

"I want to know your reason for doing this."

Rhine stood to the side, not daring to breathe.

Sophia met Lu Cang’s gaze.

"You... you’re very cunning."

"I can’t even see through you. Who do you represent?"

"You don’t seem to be with Zuya. You have one of Yakadikto’s lackeys with you, but Aigemisa never mentioned anyone like you."

"Or perhaps... some other god I don’t know of wants a piece of the Secret Sea’s pie."

’A piece of the Secret Sea’s pie.’

’What pie does the Secret Sea even have to offer?’

’Didn’t you all release the Lord of the Sea yourselves? Didn’t you break the Seal on the Original Sea and let it out?’

’Come to think of it...’

Lu Cang still had no idea who was behind all this, or what they hoped to gain by unleashing these things.

’It couldn’t just be destruction for destruction’s sake, could it?’

’Besides the Moon of Death and Destruction, who else would do something so vile?’

Kumironi’s tone turned flippant as she commanded, "Child, state your origins."

"And I might not necessarily make things difficult for you."

Lu Cang had been the one asking the questions, but now the roles were reversed.

Hearing her question, Lu Cang hesitated for a moment.

He replied, "You tell me first. What is it you’re trying to do?"

Kumironi’s eyes narrowed, her gaze like one might bestow upon a pathetic insect.

"Do you really think you’re in a position to bargain with a Moon?"

Seeing this, An Su, in Lu Cang’s mind, couldn’t help but let his lips twitch.

’You’ve got some serious nerve, kid.’

’Daring to provoke a reigning Moon... do you have a death wish?’

’It’s not that I have a death wish,’ Lu Cang replied coolly in his mind. ’Besides... I have you, don’t I?’

An Su cursed inwardly.

A torrent of curses flooded Lu Cang’s mind.

’Dammit! We just made a pact and you’re already picking a fight with a Moon?’

’I knew you were trouble!’

Although Sophia was currently inhabiting the body of a mere Level 6 Healing Mage, she was, regardless, still Sophia.

A true, bonafide Moon.

Even Aertemi, who had descended using a mortal vessel, was merely the God of Skinning and Transformation; at best, she only had the qualifications to contend for a Moon Position.

Compared to Sophia, who had already held her Moon Position for tens of millions of years...

The gap... was simply unfathomable.

"Do you think..."

"...that because Kumironi is only a Healing Mage, I’m helpless against you in this body?"

"Child."

"You sorely underestimate a Moon."

The moment the words left Kumironi’s lips, Lu Cang saw her palm press against his heart.

In the instant they made contact,

information about Kumironi flowed into Lu Cang’s mind.

Hidden Origin brought information.

However, the information revealed that this was no longer Kumironi.

But—

「Sophia’s Second Body」

「Sophia’s Mortal Form」

「The Most Perfect Incarnation Vessel in the World—Bearer of the Immortal Body」

Lu Cang looked at her Date of Death.

The Date of Death was... infinite.

There was no end in sight. She was the only being he had ever encountered whose death he could not foresee.

All of Lu Cang’s victories against higher-level opponents,

all his triumphs over seemingly unbeatable foes,

had relied on one method: striking at their Date of Death.

Without a Divine Artifact,

facing a Level 8 Reincarnator, the most effective way to bypass their defenses was to attack their Date of Death... rather than trying to kill them with direct damage.

"Child."

"Did you know that life is a substance that flows like a liquid...?"

"Your Regeneration Ability is quite strong."

"But if the very essence of your life were to change, even the strongest Regeneration Ability would be meaningless, wouldn’t it?"

TAP—

But in the instant before Sophia could make her move,

VMM!

Kumironi’s mouth suddenly flew open, and a wisp of jade-green soul shot out!

Soul Dominator.

’The condition to activate Soul Dominator is for a soul to be inside a body other than its own.’

’She used Kumironi as a vessel for her descent.’

’Naturally, that meant putting her soul inside it.’

’And that process just so happened to meet the condition for me to extract her soul.’

’What a...’

’...perfect coincidence.’

SNAP—

Lu Cang reached out to grab her soul, but the instant he closed his hand around the jade-green wisp, it exploded.

BOOM!

Lu Cang’s body was engulfed in jade-green light.

"Lu Cang!"

Kumironi’s voice was her own again. She raised a hand, and a viridian light enveloped Lu Cang’s body.

"Kumironi, are you all right?"

Kumironi pressed her temples, her gaze fixed seriously on the ugly body in the distance.

"I’m fine..."

"Thanks to you."

’If Lu Cang hadn’t pulled Sophia’s soul out, I would probably be dead by now.’

’Sophia...’

’To think she would set a trap in my own soul over such a long time.’

’When the conditions were met, she could just take over my body.’

’The Divine Spirit I worshiped... actually did something like this.’

A chill went through Kumironi’s heart.

In the distance, Sophia slowly raised her head, a look of disbelief on her face.

’This person... he actually pulled my soul out of Kumironi’s body.’

’Even if I couldn’t use the full power of a Moon in Kumironi’s body, my soul shouldn’t be something a being below Level 9 could extract.’

But after just one glance,

"Oh, I see," Kumironi said from beside Lu Cang, her voice once again not her own.

She had reverted to that same, piteous tone.

"Get... out..." Yet, mixed in with the piteous tone was a hint of struggle.

Kumironi clutched her head.

Half of her body twitched and fought for control.

"It’s a separation that only targets the soul. An innate Talent. Which means, as long as it isn’t a pure soul takeover..."

"...you are helpless against me."

Lu Cang could see the internal structure of Kumironi’s body changing. It was as if a seed of different flesh and blood had been planted within her, and Sophia was beginning to take root and sprout.

Her goal wasn’t a takeover.

It was a rebirth. And after this rebirth... she would completely replace the original Kumironi.