When the plot-skips players into the game world

At this moment, the melting old assassin suddenly raised his head.

In that instant, a strong premonition of death overwhelmed his heart. It felt like wearing thin clothes as a chilling wind surged with a storm approaching.

He looked up in the direction the crisis came from and saw an incomparably divine and magnificent stag.

It was none other than—Aiwass.

His appearance was just like Aiwass, only more imposing and solemn. There were a few black-gold patterns on his face, resembling a primitive sacrifice.

He was draped in the black robe of a Cardinal Archbishop, and his bulging muscles filled the loose black robe, making it look like a tight-fitting garment.

On his head were enormous antlers. One of the antlers was mighty like a long halberd, while the other seemed previously severed, smaller by more than half. These antlers radiated a gentle shine like mutton-fat jade, with faint black-gold auspicious cloud patterns visible.

Sin Thorns hung from Aiwass's back to the ground, covering his body like a cloak woven from thorns.

As the stag advanced, the surroundings brightened.

It was like a new sun running on the ground, the boiling heat and august brilliance akin to the blazing summer sun made everything around a blur. Yet the stag itself appeared somewhat darkened within that radiance, like the wick of a candle.

"What is... that?"

"Thomas" murmured.

Of course, he could recognize Aiwass's face—as a top assassin, he would not forget the appearance of his target. Even if the other party were in disguise, he could directly identify the true identity.

But this sacred and resplendent form...

For a moment, Thomas felt it was hard to accept. Perhaps due to the price paid for the "White Rainbow Secret Continuation," his already aging brain utterly couldn't think... he had the sense something was wrong, but couldn't identify exactly what.

But at that moment, his well-honed body acted faster than thought to launch an attack—

Time froze again.

Aiwass's sense of time was infinitely extended.

And at this very moment, he saw clearly—a completely melted old Thomas, burning with an illusory silver-white fire, a brilliant rainbow with an iridescent core and a dazzling silver shell surged straight from his body towards the sky!

However, this time, it failed to pierce the sun. In fact... it deviated too far.

Because the determination wasn't enough, nor the price paid.

The next moment, time flowed once more.

The prior sense of obstruction instead served as a reminder. Aiwass promptly turned and leaped, just dodging the sequentially fired four Godslayer Arrows.

And Aiwass simultaneously extended his right hand—

This was a new ability gained the moment three arrows pierced him, and black patterns emerged on his body:

[Current conversion rate 60%: The Sin Beast can condense light or fire into the wooden parts of longbows, shortbows, long spears, giant swords, transforming Sin Thorn into steel]

With the previously acquired ability, capable of shaping Sin Thorn into an indestructible Sacred Weapon, gaining toughness, sharpness, and penetrating traits... Aiwass already knew how to correctly harness the power of the Sin Beast.

As the Holy Flames ignited, golden-red flames condensed into a longbow in Aiwass's right hand.

And slender golden light turned into a string.

He did not release an arrow, only pulling the bowstring—a pitch-black Sin Thorn emerged from the palm of Aiwass's right hand, twisted into a spiral arrow.

Aiwass gently released.

The spiral arrow whirred as it shot out.

Like a swarm of hornets attacking, with the release of the arrow—the old Thomas, melting into some inhuman form, was instantly pierced through the chest by the Sin Thorn Arrow!

The power of the Sin Thorn spread within him in an instant.

The thorn embedded in his body absorbed the Path Power and rapidly grew, black thorns pierced through flesh, sprouting outside. And by absorbing the sins in his soul, clusters of white flowers bloomed from the thorns—that was the Carefree Lily capable of making 'Washing Water,' completely cleansing a person's Path Level.

The elder's lifted gun barrel weakly sagged, and next, his arm was devoured by the activated Sin Thorn... those thorns tore at his body like rabid dogs, dissolving his flesh with the speed of a grinding mill.

In that instant, Aiwass suddenly had an epiphany.

Why the "date" grown from Sin Thorn could treat Amberfication caused by Path of Dusk's deviation, why Carefree Lily from the Illuminator's Sin Thorn could be made into Regret Medicine dissolving a person's Path Level...

—because that inherently belonged to the Path of Nihility!

It is precisely because it dissolves the power of the Source River that it causes the excess power of the Path of Dusk to dissipate and cleanses the levels of the Transcendents…

And at this moment, the old man's pupils briefly return to clarity.

Without the influence of the surplus Path Power on his mind... without that unquenchable fire of love and hate, without that burning impulse for dedication, without the madness to live at all costs, without that abnormal inscribing heart—Thomas instantly realizes what he had done wrong:

His grandfather was right, he was never truly a pure Cherioux, let alone a qualified assassin.

Because he never had such a strong Heart of Devotion.

He actually never understood the spirit of the assassin, merely making himself "adapt" to this requirement.

Just as assassins, by mimicking the Shadow Demon, learned a degraded version of Shadow Stealth… he also, by mimicking his grandfather, learned a degraded version of the Heart of Devotion.

In his heart, he constructed a "perfect Thomas" and then mimicked what he did… Precisely because of the emptiness in his heart, because he had no ideals, he could become any shape… Ultimately, he was more adaptable than his family members, becoming the only assassin to reach the ceiling of the Sixth Power Level.

Stealing scales and feathers…

He finally understood why the Lord of Scalefeather would be the Pillar God of the Path of Adaptation.

It is precisely because there is nothing, that one can "adapt" to the power of other Paths.

But through this method, he acquired the power of other Paths… yet was seduced by the path bias brought by other Path Powers on his mind. Because he had no level in those paths, had not undergone the corresponding trials… he was unaware even when he became another person.

In a daze, the old man seems to see the Lord of Scalefeather waving at him—even though he has no idea what the Lord of Scalefeather looks like, he just feels that the person in front of him is the Lord of Scalefeather.

However, he no longer has the chance to enter the Dream Realm.

No time to rejoice that Aiwass isn't dead, everything can still be salvaged in time.

Just before his death, Master Thomas, who finally regained his clarity, only had time to express his last understanding before his body and soul were completely consumed by the frenzied Sin Thorn:

"Beware of Path Power! It will confuse the mind—"

His soul was wholly dissolved by the Sin Thorn and not even transformed into Aiwass's experience. Just like Professor Moriarty.

Aiwass first calmed the terrified crowd with Radiance, urging them not to run randomly and avoid a stampede.

He looked at the bundle of now tranquil Sin Thorn on the ground with a complex expression, whispering in response, "Ah, I knew about this long ago."

He silently glanced at the Sin Thorn, attempting to devour them. Taking a bite and finding the texture acceptable, Aiwass slowly consumed the remaining Sin Thorn.

After all, leaving them here would only cause them to devour others who came into contact with them. Only his body as the Sin Beast could safely contain these dangerous Sin Thorns.

The Candle Master… did he do the same? Such a thought suddenly appeared in Aiwass's heart.

The good news was that the conversion rate did increase, but not by much. Only just over 3%… bringing Aiwass's conversion rate to 63%.

This indicated that the old man indeed did not have any unforgivable Great Sin. At his age, the Sin Thorn yielded from his soul was only one-ninth of Professor Moriarty's.

He did not know what complex psychological activities ran through Thomas's mind at that moment.

But he could sense that Thomas was being saturated and invaded by the power of Dusk… and his final warning to Aiwass out of goodwill—though it was of little use, just like the outdated information gap between him and his granddaughter, lagging behind by a long version.

Though it's said that as a person approaches death, their words are kind… such contradictory actions and words could also prove that he was influenced by some sort of "thought."

——To infiltrate the mind, making a person firmly believe in the correctness of their actions, thus silently altering others' will.

Not many people are fair and objectively doubting, interrogating themselves. And not many people can remain clear forever.

Whisper of Nihility…

Is it because the progress of the Ring of Ouroboros weakens the power of the Wall of Balance?

Aiwass clearly realized that the power of the Tenth Source River is infiltrating the Material Realm. In the past decade, occurrences of "Nihility Invasion" were rare, but now several such incidents can happen in a week…

"What are you planning to do, Ahuan…"

Reverting back to his human form, but with strange black markings appearing on the antlers on his head, Aiwass gazed at the sun and murmured softly.

However, Thomas, seduced by the Void, gave him a wake-up call.

He needs a mirror to remind himself whether what he does is right, whether it's excessive… and whether he is still the original self.

For example, his lover, Isabel.

——Isn't the Pillar God of the Path of Beauty a Gemini Mirror?