Chapter 666 - 422: Life’s Struggle (2)

Chapter 666: Chapter 422: Life’s Struggle (2)

"Did you really expect someone to come and save you? Your friend has already fled, he’s gone!"

"Or did you hope your friend would come back just to die?"

The flesh and blood inside Kumironi’s chest cavity began to madly compress her heart. Sophia was still trying to seize control of Kumironi’s body.

But Kumironi’s understanding of life was somewhat beyond Sophia’s expectations.

With a transformation of flesh and blood, Kumironi forcefully resisted her conversion.

The flesh that had already become Sophia’s own was being taken back by Kumironi. She was studying her own life structure, actually managing to decipher Sophia’s Life Creation Technique.

She was even turning the flesh that was gradually gaining Divinity into nourishment for herself.

Using another’s life to nourish one’s own.

’My dear Kumironi, haven’t you learned so quickly?’

"O Source of life, witness me!"

CRACK—

In that instant.

Kumironi’s heart shattered once more, and with its destruction, she lost her Healing Mage Level.

She had crippled her own Profession...

Such a method did exist, but no one in this world would ever do it.

There were only downsides and no benefits.

This action was almost equivalent to forsaking the path of her Profession.

But when Kumironi’s Profession was destroyed, the essence of life within her did not dissipate. Instead, it grew even richer with the shattering of her heart. Countless bits of flesh compressed as her heart broke apart.

SQUELCH!

It squeezed Kumironi into a solid person.

There were no longer any cavities inside her; everything was filled with flesh.

Pure flesh.

Disgusting flesh.

Writhing flesh.

Then, this flesh gradually formed into organs, into human organs, and also gave birth to some organs that were not of human origin.

Kumironi opened her eyes again.

Her expression was no longer one of pained struggle, but filled with compassion and Divinity.

She looked down with pity at the speck of emerald essence floating in mid-air. This was Kumironi’s life crystal, the proof of her existence.

It was also... her life, a testament to her entire existence as a Healing Mage.

It was Kumironi’s Casting Source, Kumironi’s heart.

If Sophia wished, she could use this wisp of life crystal to completely grant Kumironi Rebirth.

But...

’Why would I do that?’

Kumironi grasped the speck of green.

"Kumironi, my dear Kumironi, my faithful and lovely believer..."

"What exactly were you trying to prove in the end?"

"And what were you resisting?"

Suddenly, Kumironi looked up at the sky and saw only an expanse of emerald green.

The Source of life shone down.

This was a promotion Ritual.

Before she died, Kumironi had actually awakened a promotion Ritual.

But what was the point of that?

"Begone."

Kumironi’s tone was both compassionate and icy as she stared at the sky.

The emerald color in the sky trembled slightly but did not disperse.

Kumironi snorted coldly and said nothing more.

No, she was no longer Kumironi. From now on, she was Sophia... Kumironi no longer existed in this world.

As for what Kumironi did in the end?

Heh.

’What was the point?’

In Sophia’s eyes, it was nothing more than the death throes of an ignorant and weak insect.

A desperate act in a desperate situation.

If one could gain the means to fight a Divine Spirit just by shouting a phrase, shattering their Profession, and scattering their power, then gods would be far too cheap.

Not to mention, there was a considerable gap between Moon and ordinary gods.

’Trying to play the old "shatter and be reborn" game?’

’A pity...’

’Rebirth isn’t something you can achieve just by talking about it.’

"You did waste quite a bit of my time, though."

Sophia gazed down into the Abyss of the Sea.

"It’s time to prepare for the integration."

"Otherwise, even after obtaining this vessel, the weakening connection will just turn this body into an empty shell."

If she could have used Kumironi’s body indefinitely, she would have done so long ago.

...

BOOM!

A colossal pillar of light shot toward the heavens, piercing through the Abyss of the Sea and erupting from the ocean’s surface! This pure beam of light struck the very firmament!

A ripple went through Lu Cang’s Perception.

He abruptly witnessed this scene.

The Guiding Ritual.

Back when he was attacked by Aertemi, he had used this very Guiding Ritual to send a signal, allowing Iz and the others, who were far away in Kernoya, to see it.

It was Kumironi.

’Is she calling for help?’

’Is she calling for me to go help her? Did she break free of the control?’

Lu Cang looked at Luo Yan before him, then extended his Perception toward the Ritual soaring into the sky.

WHAP—

A Seal struck Luo Yan, and immediately after, sixteen spiked pillars pierced through her body—

rendering her immobile!

This was one of the Sealing Restrictions Lu Cang had mastered.

It could easily seal a Level 7 Reincarnator. Paired with Lu Cang’s Tier Six Seal Beyond Magic, it would be impossible for Luo Yan to break the Seal unless she had help from another Level 8 Reincarnator.

In the next instant, Lu Cang vanished on the spot, leaving behind only a brilliant "Core."

As for Lu Cang himself, he reappeared within the Abyss of the Sea.

WHOOSH—

Lu Cang gazed across the Abyss of the Sea, looking in the direction where the Guiding Ritual was rising.

The most peculiar thing about this Ritual was that the dazzling pillar of light remained clearly visible even from an extremely vast distance.

"Kumironi..."

The distance was too great.

When Lu Cang had fled earlier, he hadn’t left a Core there.

He was afraid Sophia would follow the Core to find him. The Core wasn’t in a state of complete Invisibility, and even though Lu Cang had methods of concealment, being discovered by Sophia seemed almost inevitable.

So, to go back now, he would have to travel a very long way.

BZZZ—

But immediately after, Lu Cang felt an extremely rich aura of life begin to spread.

In a flash, the entire Abyss of the Sea was filled with a sense of vibrant life.

The Source of life appeared in the sky.

It was a Source that resembled a tree of green algae—emerald and translucent, with infinite branches.

"Kumironi..."

’It’s probably... too late.’

That’s what Lu Cang’s Intuition told him.

’Maybe I shouldn’t have run?’

’Maybe I actually could have saved her?’

’But I just treated this as a repeat of a past timeline and didn’t even try...’

’No, it was the right thing to do.’

’If I had really died fighting Sophia, I would have truly entered Reincarnation. I can’t let my emotions affect my decisions.’

"Kumironi... I’m sorry. If this were the real world, I would have definitely gone to save you."

Lu Cang shook his head helplessly.

He turned and swapped places with the "Core."

Using the "Core" allowed for many different maneuvers... Directly regenerating his body from the "Core" was one way to switch positions.

He didn’t necessarily have to use a Space Spell; the simplest form of self-healing could also accomplish the position swap.

SWISH—

Luo Yan saw the "Core" before her vanish as the figure of a small child reappeared in its place.

Lu Cang was back at Luo Yan’s side.

Seeing Lu Cang disappear and reappear, Luo Yan was filled with confusion.

Lu Cang casually undid the Seal on Luo Yan, pulling out the spikes, and continued their previous conversation. "So, you’re saying,"

"that the war between the Dark Church and the Insect Swarm is actually already a rout, and the Nest will soon descend fully upon the world..."

"And you have to take this... egg of a Demon and a human."

It was impossible for Demons to mate with humans. Even if their bodies were physically compatible, they could not produce offspring.

It was just like the reproductive isolation he had learned about on Earth.

Beastmen and humans could have Half-Beastman children, and Elves and humans could produce Half-Elves.

But between Demons and humans, there was no such possibility.

Those evil churches had conducted similar forbidden experiments, but not a single such case had ever been recorded.

Luo Yan nodded. "This is an important sample."

Lu Cang nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "Will you turn into a Demon?"

However, upon hearing Lu Cang’s question, Luo Yan tilted her head in confusion. "Turn into a Demon? Why would I turn into a Demon?"

There was no sign of deception in her answer.

And just then... Lu Cang once again felt a dense aura of life sweep across the entire sea!

’Sigh...’

’Will this ever end?’