Endless Debt

For Aimou, this was absolutely the worst day of her short life.

First, Teda suddenly revealed the Key and chose to attend the Gray Trade Association's auction. Aimou didn't know the details of these events, but could tell from Bologue and Teda's reactions that this was a bad thing, even something that could make them hostile to each other.

To persuade her mentor, Aimou and Bologue came here together, only to witness the beginning of this madness.

After releasing the Shared Chord Body and co-existing with Bologue, Aimou felt like she was watching a movie.

Yes, a movie.

A bloody, violent, first-person perspective movie.

This must be the most realistic movie in the world. You can even feel the emotions of the protagonist in the movie.

Aimou watched herself smash one skull after another, swinging her sword to cut through twisted flesh, in the crimson ecstasy, pressing a switch like a terrorist, detonating pre-placed bombs.

All in one go.

From Bologue's emotional feedback, it seemed like he had no hesitation, decisive and fierce.

Is this the real Bologue?

Aimou felt she had gotten to know Bologue again, and also understood what his so-called Field Staff job was, as well as... this world.

This mad and chaotic world.

Aimou was too well-protected by Teda, completely ignorant of the darkness of this world. Now Bologue showed it all to her, unreservedly and brutally, exposing her to this bloody panorama.

"Are you scared?" Bologue suddenly asked.

"I..."

"It's natural to be," Bologue instructed Aimou, "You need to hold a sharp sword to reason with people," Bologue counseled Aimou, "and only by holding a sharp sword can you prevent seeing some things you don't want to see."

"Letting all of this happen, will it lead to terrible things?" Aimou asked.

"Hmm? I'm not really sure," Bologue looked around at the collapsing buildings, the continuously growing fleshly fungi, "but it seems so."

The emotions Aimou had painstakingly stirred up vanished thanks to Bologue's damn tone.

"But... unrelated to the current situation, sometimes you need to understand a principle, Aimou."

Bologue suddenly started talking about a principle in a very serious manner, knowing that Aimou was ignorant of this world's cold rules.

Even if she had some understanding from books, those were just fictional stories in books, she had never truly ventured into Hell, even now it was the same.

She was just hiding under Bologue's shell, Aimou had never truly faced all this.

Bologue didn't believe there is any absolute perfect protection in this world, not even for Aimou. In the future, there will come a day when she has to face all these.

"Pleading won't bring you mercy, if you want something, you must take it with your own hands."

Bologue's voice was severe.

"Destiny is only in your own hands."

Aimou seemed slightly disoriented, she asked back, "Can one decide their own destiny?"

"I don't know," Bologue replied bluntly.

"Huh?"

These fluctuating words left Aimou puzzled, but he continued, "But letting destiny control you, versus resisting it yet still being manipulated, are two different things."

"Isn't the result the same?"

"But the process is different," Bologue argued, "like how everyone will die, then why not just die early? Since everyone is going to die."

"You won't die."

"Then I'm an exception."

The dialogue fell silent, but during the conversation, Bologue had not stopped fighting, he fully assumed the role of a terrorist, fiercely engaging with the monstrosities around.

Aimou suddenly laughed, in this critical situation, the two were actually discussing such serious matters, it seemed quite absurd no matter how you looked at it.

"Why did you suddenly say these things?" Aimou asked, puzzled.

"Job training."

"Job training?"

Upon hearing Aimou's doubts, Bologue seemed more confused, saying, "Wasn't it agreed to join the Field Operations Department?"

Aimou was stunned, damn, this lunatic was serious!

…

The booming explosions escalated the site's chaos to a new peak, everyone was fighting with bloodshot eyes, either striking each other or panicking to escape.

In the midst of the collapsing stones, Latis also put away his composure, quickly ascending the high platform, wanting to embrace the Immortal Heart in his arms, but just as he was about to approach the Immortal Heart, it was as if he suddenly woke up, forcibly suppressing the fervor in his heart, swallowing his saliva, he called out silently.

"Protect the Holy Relic!"

The scattered cultists moved towards the high platform, while the knights obviously couldn't follow orders; they only acted on instinct, attacking nearby living creatures.

Chunks of flesh covered the ground, quickly blanketing most of the venue with a sticky fungal carpet. Some Condensers conjured intense flames, but the fire could not completely burn the flesh; it regenerated rapidly, shedding its charred black crust and growing more resilient scarlet branches.

"Ignore those rotten roots!" Latis shouted.

The knights were merely vessels that restrained them. Once damaged, these rotten roots grew wildly like plants, absorbing all available nutrients nearby.

These wicked creations were flesh constructs devised by the Scarlet Sect, and under the insatiable hunger of the Crimson Queen, these constructs imbued with her power possessed the same voracious appetite. Even sheltered followers, if too close, would be devoured by them.

One landed on the ground would trigger a calamity of flesh, and today Latis had released many rotten roots.

These creations were extremely dangerous but also immensely valuable. If it were not for reclaiming the Immortal Heart, Latis wouldn't have paid such a high price.

Most importantly, without these rotten roots, with his current power, he truly had no confidence in reclaiming the Immortal Heart.

Not only were there enemies from the Gray Trade Association here, but also guests who desired the Immortal Heart, as well as the land's rulers, the Order Bureau.

For now, the Scarlet Sect controlled the scene, but that didn't mean they had won. The Order Bureau had yet to enter, and no one knew how they would appear.

A cultist stepped forward, and without hesitation, sliced open his abdomen with a dagger. His intestines spilled onto the ground, but as if unable to feel pain, he reached to grab the Immortal Heart and stuffed it into the wound in his abdomen.

Latis understood the power of the Immortal Heart better than anyone and knew how bizarre it was. To safely transport it, various seals and protections were needed, but clearly, there was no time to do so now. They had to use a flesh body to transport it.

This could only temporarily stabilize it, but for Latis, this was enough.

"Construct the Blood Gate!"

Latis ordered once more.

Another group of cultists carried a large quantity of flesh, piling broken limbs and organs into a shape resembling a door.

The entire venue was concealed within rocks and soil. Latis found its precise location through resonance with the Immortal Heart.

It was easy to come, but difficult to leave. This place was within the Great Rift, where unknown forces constrained the land, making the Key of the Crooked Path unusable. Only devil's power could barely break the rules.

The Tyrant obviously wouldn't be so kind as to open the door for them, so they could only call upon that gluttonous existence.

Still within the venue... no, the Beast Fighting Arena, the Condensers were all wearied handling the continuously growing rotten roots. Latis also showed no restraint in using his Negative Power User abilities, as the Ether hovered around him, warning any malicious individuals.

Thus, the Scarlet Sect's actions proceeded unexpectedly smoothly. Until now, nobody interfered. But no one noticed that the previously deceased host was slowly rising, the headless body searching all about, finally finding its head within a mass of rot.

"Everyone!"

A piercing voice rang out, overshadowing all noise, accompanied by an undeniable force.

Everyone stopped moving, even the rapidly growing flesh froze. All eyes fell upon the source of the voice.

The headless body held up its head high, the voice issuing from the golden mask covering the head.

"How do you show your devotion to a god?"

The voice questioned, then answered itself.

"Ascetic practice, celibacy, day after day of prayer, continually inflicting pain upon oneself to prove one's piety."

Everyone listened, forced to listen.

"I don't need such devotion, I don't want your pain, nor require your sacrifice. What I need is value.

Show your value.

Offer your value to me, to my lands."

The voice was like a storm, sweeping over everyone, not just echoing within the Beast Fighting Arena, but across every inch of land the Void Realm could encompass.

"In return, I shall bestow my protection, and the one of the greatest value will receive the fruit of imagination...

fulfill his wish."

The words ceased, and the headless body lost all strength, collapsing, the power vanished, and it truly died.

Everyone remained silent. Strangely, they didn't need to ponder the content or the truth of the words; the moment they listened, they could confirm the reality of it all and the promise of that voice.

The silence was shattered by a piercing howl, and then a sharp Iron Spear traversed a great distance, accurately striking the yet incomplete Blood Gate, shattering the limbs and flesh into countless fragments.

At the end of that trajectory, Bologue slowly retracted his spear-throwing hand, carefully inspecting the patterns on his palm. Aside from his own and Aimou's Alchemy Matrix, a layer of ghostly blue arc glimmered faintly.

Bologue confirmed something, and so did everyone else.

From this point, everyone believed the words of that voice.

...Protection had descended.

"Tyrant!"

Tiras roared angrily, he knew who the voice belonged to and understood what was happening; yet he couldn't comprehend why the Tyrant would intervene in all of this.

The Tyrant's power should be limited, unable to directly influence this world. But just as the Crimson Queen could use sacrifice to grant protection to her followers, the Tyrant possessed his privileges, and these privileges belonged solely to this land.

This was a land where wishes could come true.