Chapter 1152 The Demon's Transformation <TOC> Chapter 1154 Accelerated Collapse
Translator: SumTLMan
“I am under no obligation to accept you as a Devotee.”
Upon the completion of this sentence, Angel sharply turned his gaze towards the Cruel Scholar.
At that instant, its statue, wings unfurled, hung grandiosely before Angel, its imposing presence casting a colossal shadow. Those eyes, brimming with wisdom and cruelty, gazed down at him.
“All I require is your compliance to one request, and you will be spared,” the Cruel Scholar declared, standing aloof, peering at Angel from on high.
“And what might that be?” Angel eyed the Cruel Scholar suspiciously. He could not fathom any possession of his that the Scholar might desire… save for his soul.
His thoughts, evidently, did not escape the Scholar’s discernment.
Indeed, it harbored a keen interest in Angel’s soul, but having existed for an eternity, the Scholar was acutely aware of the constraints universally set by formidable beings across different worlds. Angel’s soul, being clearly marked as a possession of a powerful entity, deterred even the Cruel Scholar from staking claim on him or daring to designate him as its Devotee, let alone seizing his soul.
However, while claiming Angel’s soul was off the table, it didn’t discourage the Scholar from intending to study its essence.
From its previous probes, it deduced that the powerful entity would not intervene unless the soul was in jeopardy.
The Scholar even observed the mark of the Abyssal Flame Dragon on Angel, suggesting that his physical form was not under the protective wings of that formidable entity.
Given these circumstances, it could attempt to imprint its own mark on Angel’s physical form. However, the Scholar refrained; it noted something peculiar about Angel’s right hand, where the green rune had also merged. This indicated that both Angel’s physical form and soul had some form of connection with that great entity, with the soul being a much graver matter.
After weighing the pros and cons, the Scholar eventually chose not to imprint him with its true name.
Instead, it devised another approach to observe Angel.
…
After Angel voiced his doubt, the Scholar did not respond; it simply flapped its wings gently, slowly lowering its previously upturned tail.
The tail of the Cruel Scholar, a hook adorned with books, started to lower, causing the books to fall naturally, floating in the air in front of Angel.
These were not real books but figurines crafted from some sort of material.
Bewildered, Angel stared at the Cruel Scholar, failing to grasp its intention.
In response, the Scholar lightly tapped its pile of book figurines with its tail. A clear chime resonated, and a crack appeared in the book statue in front of Angel.
As fragments of aged stone fell away, Angel saw what was concealed at the center of this book sculpture.
A palm-sized statue emerged, depicting a demon with folded wings — the very initial form of the statue before him. It was easy to imagine that, once its wings were spread, it would become a miniaturized version of the Cruel Scholar statue.
“Once you carry it, I shall spare you,” echoed the voice of the Cruel Scholar directly in Angel’s mental labyrinth.
“What is this?” The query from Angel remained unanswered.
He could only question further, “How long must I bear it, if I comply with your demand? And, what impact does it carry for me?”
“I’ve never maintained an interest in any research subject for more than two centuries,” The Cruel Scholar commented. “As for its influence on you… that depends on your utilization of it.”
Its words came with a somber chuckle. A grim suggestion to Angel — the consequences of employing this statue could be unpredictable.
But till now, Angel is oblivious of even the nature of the statue, let alone employing it.
Moreover, was the Cruel Scholar suggesting that “I” was considered a research subject? Thus, should the statue be carried for at least two centuries?
“You’ve caught on,” the Cruel Scholar nodded in approval, echoing Angel’s thoughts.
For the Cruel Scholar, Angel was merely an ant in comparison to humankind. It found Angel intriguing, but the interest wasn’t directed at Angel himself, purely for research… No, correction, not for research — it dared not for now — but for observation.
“And what if the statue gets damaged?” Angel inquired.
“If the statue indeed gets damaged, then good for you, be blessed with an early release, no need to wait for the end of two centuries,” the Cruel Scholar paused, its icy voice transitioning into a profoundly suggestive tone, “I look forward to the day you shatter it.”
Apparently, the Cruel Scholar grasped Angel’s plan to destroy it.
However, this “gift” is a manifestation of his duties as a Demon God, a more profound law of the Abyss, per se. Be it Angel or even the Profound Lord, shattering it might not be achievable.
If Angel indeed manages to shatter it, the Cruel Scholar wouldn’t persecute; anyone capable of shattering the gift would undoubtedly possess power far superior to it.
“So, have you reached a conclusion?” The Cruel Scholar could perceive Angel’s internal scales beginning to tilt. However, the pledge’s outcome, merely thought or voiced, differed significantly.
Angel fell silent. He glanced at the floating statue before him and then at the demon, frozen in its terrifying glory.
Clearly, if he refused the Cruel Scholar, he’d fall prey to the demon in the next second.
If the Cruel Scholar wished him to become a Devotee, he might decline. But if it’s merely carrying a statue, it didn’t seem unacceptable.
However, Angel was apprehensive. Was there a catch to this statue? For instance, upon accepting the statue, he’d inadvertently become a part of some “ritual,” ultimately becoming a Devotee of the Cruel Scholar?
“If I intended to kill you, it would be effortless,” the voice of the Cruel Scholar whispered into Angel’s ear.
Angel was struck by an inexplicable sensation, understanding that the Cruel Scholar wasn’t threatening him with its words but conveying the vast chasm that existed between them. Like a droplet to the ocean, like dust to a mountain, in the face of such staggering disparity, the Cruel Scholar had no need for any underhanded tactics to accomplish anything it desired.
Angel pondered for a moment before looking at the Cruel Scholar, “If I agree to your terms, can I leave La Sutherland alive?”
The Cruel Scholar had no difficulty deciphering Angel’s thoughts. It understood that Angel had already made up his mind but sought to secure his survival before giving his commitment.
“Such greedy humanity. I can guarantee your safe exit from this hall, but whether you can survive in La Sutherland is none of my concern,” the Cruel Scholar paused, “Of course, you may try to use this.”
It extended its hand, pointing to a floating statue in front of Angel.
Angel was momentarily taken aback. From the Scholar’s words, it seemed as though the statue had some auxiliary function. However, Angel didn’t dwell on this thought. He knew that if he ever came to the point where he’d have to seek aid from a Demon God, the price demanded would inevitably be his soul.
“The time for a decision has come. My projected power has drawn the attention of some ancient gods. I need to retract my energy.”
Once the power is withdrawn, the currently frozen area would undoubtedly be freed. If Angel still couldn’t make a choice by then, his only path was death.
After giving it some thought, Angel nodded, considering the harsh reality, “Alright, I agree.”
The Cruel Scholar squinted, “Very well, the pact is sealed.”
…
Iadase had witnessed everything from Angel feeding Iuppiter to being chased by it, and then being frozen in the grand hall where the statue of the Cruel Scholar began to move… Each scene amazed Iadase.
Previously, the unexpected visitor’s arrival didn’t provoke much reaction from the Cruel Scholar. Why such dramatic movement now?
Could it be due to the owner of this Phantasmagoria boutique?
Iadase looked at Angel. From the moment Angel’s soul had left his body, Iadase had realized that Angel wasn’t a native but a human adept at camouflage.
However, Iadase was indifferent to Angel’s humanity. Whether they were natives or humans, there was no fundamental difference in his eyes.
But a human that could awaken a demon was indeed intriguing.
Iadase’s impression of Angel was limited to this, but now it seemed strange that a human could make the Cruel Scholar descend in consciousness for the second time.
Iadase studied Angel, trying to find out what was unusual about him.
However, he found nothing wrong.
In that moment, the room seemed to pause in time, held in a suspenseful stillness. Iadase was uncertain as to how long this frozen tableau might last, but conjectured that when the stillness broke, Angel was destined to be ripped apart by Iuppiter, if all things proceeded as expected.
‘If there were no unexpected occurrences’, was the premise… However, Iadase couldn’t help but intuit that this temporal freeze had not been coincidentally timed. The universe had chosen this exact moment to stand still, which implied that something unexpected was bound to occur.
Indeed, as Iadase entertained such thoughts, right at the heart of the grand hall, it appeared as if the Cruel Scholar had struck some kind of pact with Angel. As a word seal materialized into existence, an unexpected blaze suddenly ignited from the Scholar’s body.
With the dance of the flames, the statue of the central Cruel Scholar shattered into dust. Simultaneously, an even tinier Miniature Statue, trailing a stream of luminous particles, landed in the palm of Angel’s hand.
The spellbound hall, with the statue reduced to dust, regained its normal rhythm.
However, contrary to prior events, Iuppiter did not fly towards Angel to launch an attack as before. Instead, upon contact with the glowing dust particles, Iuppiter was swept off its feet, landing with a thud on the ground, leaving a deep crater in its wake.
And once again, Iuppiter fell into a state of unconsciousness.
Meanwhile, Angel, panting heavily, slumped to the ground.
At the same time, the glowing runes at the entrance of the hall dissipated, leaving no trace of their existence.
Chapter 1152 The Demon's Transformation <TOC> Chapter 1154 Accelerated Collapse