Volume Five: Return from the Other Shore, Chapter 456: The Self-Willed Person (Part One)

"As expected... if violence is ineffective, we'll have to find another way..."

Nid muttered to himself.

If he still doesn't understand the true nature of that monster by now, then he's incredibly foolish.

There were initially three pillars of light, two of which merged together to form this monster.

Three beams of light.

--Three Goddess.

In other words, under the ultimate defense mechanism of order, the three Goddess became sacrifices, and two of them merged into one to become this monster.

Which two are they?

Judging from the monster's physical outline when it first appeared, it was undoubtedly the figure of a mature woman, which could only be consistent with the laws of nature.

Who is the other one? Prayer or a sacrifice? Judging from the current situation, the former is more likely, because he knows that even among Goddess, the Prayer holds a very special position.

So it seems... that solitary pillar of light over there must be the sacrificial spirit, right? She didn't directly participate in the fusion into the monster, but she is indeed a component of the final defense mechanism. In that case, her role is similar to a stabilizing device installed on the outside.

She isn't the most crucial element, but she's indispensable; otherwise, there would be no point in using three Goddess.

"Could it be considered a blessing in disguise? Precisely because she was always marginalized, Miss Sacrifice didn't evolve along with us... or rather, she degenerated into that ugly thing..."

A stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

However, this "fortunate stroke of luck" is now turning into misfortune.

"Sacrificing the individual for the greater good, huh? All that talk of righteousness and justification is really annoying, but..."

Nid abruptly stopped moving and charged straight towards the side entrance of the Cathedral of the True God —where the pillar of light was located! The force of each push he made off the ground would circle back to his feet as an attack, propelling him faster and faster. Combined with his own physical enhancement, his speed could only be described as lightning-fast!

"Nid!?"

Where are you going?

"There's an easier way to beat it! You guys hold it off here, I'll be right back!"

Leaving the three behind to face the raging monster, Nid headed alone towards the pillar of light.

This may be the best solution, and it may also be the worst solution.

"... Well, I'm sorry, Miss Jiling, but putting aside any sense of righteousness or justification, objectively speaking, killing you is indeed the best solution."

Side entrance of the Cathedral of the True God --

A black curtain covered in pink and purple light patterns, riddled with cracks, slowly disappeared under the man's manipulation.

The aftershocks of the Cross Boundary Monument Great Burial also reached this place. Although Yu Jie judged that this level of impact would not harm him, he still used defensive measures to protect someone.

He was no longer as at ease as before; his brows were furrowed, and his fists were clenched tightly. With his enhanced vision from the darkness, he clearly saw the entire process of the monster's rampage from its birth to the present.

The final defense mechanism was more powerful than he had imagined; the sheer audacity of raising his hand to unleash the third Super Divine Spell was enough to demonstrate its danger.

"Damn it... If this thing had a little more sense, it could definitely be a member of the higher ranks... Damn it! Monsters of this level aren't something you can just kill off so easily!"

More importantly--

"Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it! People are already dying because of this monster! It's draining life force way too fast!"

If you look closely, you can still see countless intangible, transparent threads coming from all directions, all ending at the monster, with each thread ending at an innocent civilian on the West Saint Continent. The reason that monster can unleash its Super Divine Spell without preparation or consumption is definitely because it can directly extract the lives of civilians as fuel for its Super Divine Spell!

Just maintaining the monster's existence would be enough to keep the civilians alive for more than an hour.

If we also need to support monsters unleashing Super Divine Spell--

"Twenty minutes... no, I'm afraid they won't even last fifteen minutes! Mass deaths will occur in less than fifteen minutes!"

Adding to the time wasted at the beginning... if we want to save hundreds of millions of lives on the continent, we must eliminate the monsters within ten minutes, and completely obliterate them!

Ten minutes.

Take down a monster comparable to a high-ranking official.

Is it possible?

Is it possible to do that?

Yu Jie gritted his teeth.

"Is that all? Is there no other solution!? Kill that monster, rescue the innocent, and it can be done quickly--"

Why deceive yourself?

A small voice sounded in my mind.

It was his own voice, but his tone was extremely cold.

--How long are you going to keep lying to yourself? Didn't you notice the simple and easy solutions from the beginning?

"..."

Yu Jie slowly turned his head and looked at the pillar of light standing behind him.

And the girl, enveloped in a pillar of light, who had fallen into a deep sleep.

"Offering sacrifices to the spirits..."

Yu Jie had successfully spiest on the Vatican's secrets.

In that case, he naturally saw the explanation of the final defense mechanism.

The three Goddess each played a different role.

"The messenger of God"—that is, the monster—is modeled after the body of the Heavenly Law, while Prayer is the core that enables it to move. Only the Sacrificial Spirit does not participate in the fusion into the monster; she remains an individual in the outside world, serving as the monster's stabilizing mechanism and allowing the Heavenly Law and Prayer, whose self-awareness has been erased, to achieve harmony.

In other words, although it is an outer component, without the spirit offering, this monster cannot continue to exist.

Multiple attempts have proven that it is impossible to hack into the order using assimilation capabilities.

In this way--

"No way... Don't tell me, is this really the only way...?"

Killing the monster within ten minutes is really too difficult.

But killing a sleeping girl would be incredibly easy.

Despite the protection of the pillar of light, he could definitely break through the defenses and kill the sacrificial spirit if he forced his way through.

--So this makes it a simple multiple-choice question, doesn't it?

--Continue to protect this girl who may never regain her true self, while letting monsters run rampant and hundreds of millions of civilians sacrifice themselves?

--Or, should we kill a mere young girl to save hundreds of millions of innocent lives?

"Damn it... how am I supposed to choose?!"

Yu Jie roared in a rage, stomping his foot on the ground. The bricks that bore the brunt of his anger shattered into dust, but the turmoil in his heart was far from over. Even though he had experienced many things in his long life, this was the first time he had made such an extreme choice! He had met too many people and lost too many, and he thought that this time he could finally have a happy ending with the girl he truly wanted to protect, but now this had happened!

"What the hell...?!"

He roared hysterically, as if trying to break free from something binding him, his dry eyes darting around—before finally locking onto something lying on the ground.

That Sword of Judgment.

A third of the sword's blade broke off during the battle with Tianlu.

But it is still an excellent murder weapon.

"..."

He bent down, picked it up with his trembling hands, which were covered in barbed wire, and examined it for a moment—

Then he spat out a mouthful of blood, strode up to the pillar of light, and looked down at the sleeping spirit.

A beam of light enveloped her, her slender body suspending a meter above the ground, her flat chest rising and falling with her breath, her limbs hanging down naturally.

A very peaceful sleeping face.

Yu Jie hesitated for a moment, then gripped the Sword of Judgment. A dense darkness clung to the blade, and he easily broke through the pillar of light, reaching the girl.

The dark, swirling blade pressed against her fair neck.

Yu Jie clenched his teeth, trying hard to suppress the trembling of his hands.

Do we really have to do this?

With just a little force, the girl's throat would be slashed, killing her instantly.

All my previous efforts would have been in vain.

Then, everything will be saved.

The spirit awoke on the soft, large bed.

She stared blankly around, seeing embroidered quilts, a beautiful dome, and childlike dolls.

Familiar yet unfamiliar.

It took her a few seconds to realize that this was her home, her room, her bed—the place she lived in before she became a Goddess and moved into the Cathedral of the True God.

Why am I here?

She was stunned for a moment, then she remembered.

The Divine Law Cult was destroyed, and the Revolutionary Army took its place, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that at the end of that incredibly chaotic day, Yu Jie finally managed to escape with her to the civilian resettlement area outside the city to see her family—a once unremarkable noble family whose status had risen dramatically because of the Goddess she had produced. She threw herself into her parents' arms, crying and telling them about the grievances she had endured on her journey. Her parents comforted her with tears in their eyes, and the family had weathered that turbulent period together...

And then... what about Yu Jie?

"Oh, young lady, you're awake?"

A familiar voice came from the side.

It was Yu Jie, dressed in a butler's uniform.

After changing into a suit, shaving, and combing his hair, he was unexpectedly handsome. If he originally resembled a fallen aristocrat with a decadent aesthetic, now he was a dashing and handsome man moving freely in high society.

Although that smile still conveyed a carefree attitude.

Oh right, I remember now...

Since Yu Jie had nowhere to go, she extended an invitation—why not stay at her place? If he felt bad about it, he could find some odd jobs to do.

And that's how it turned out.

"Ugh... Good morning, Yu Jie... Wait, it's already nine o'clock!?"

"Seeing you snoring and drooling like that, I just can't bear to wake you up."

"Ha, I didn't drool!"

"Just kidding!"

The spirit puffed out her cheeks, looking like she was about to throw a tantrum, but Yu Jie turned his face away with a mischievous grin. It was an ordinary day, but she found it incredibly heartwarming.

"What are your plans for today?" Ji Ling asked as Yu Jie helped her comb her hair.

"Nothing particularly important. The period of turmoil has just passed, and your family's numerous businesses are still waiting for your father to manage."

"Now that you're working for us, you should call me 'Master'!"

"Yes, yes, Miss. There's something else, it's three blind dates."

"Oh, three blind dates... wait, are you kidding me?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Yu Jie shrugged exaggeratedly. "Although the Divine Law Cult is dead, you still retain the title of former Goddess. There are tons of young masters and gentlemen who come to see you because of your reputation, okay?"

"Sob... but I don't want to see anyone..."

"Just give me a casual response, cold words don't matter, there are far more men with masochistic tendencies than you think."

"What?! That's not what I meant... Ugh, do you even understand?!"

"What do you mean, 'understand' or 'don't understand'?"

"That is!"

The spirit, somewhat sullen, turned away, her face flushed, and spoke her heart—

"--I really like you the most, you idiot Yu Jie..."

The sleeping girl murmured in her sleep.

Her beautiful sleeping face was flushed and glowing.

Clang!!!

The sword, which was about to slit the girl's throat, suddenly stopped.

It lingered for a moment before being taken back.

"Holy crap..."

Yu Jie staggered back a few steps, Sword of Judgment fell to the ground with a clang.

"After being told all this... how can I possibly bring myself to do it?!"

"--If you can't bring yourself to do it, then I'll do it."

"Um!?"

Yu Jie immediately turned around to look--

Nid Bradwich was holding Greatsword, pointing it directly at him and the samurai behind him.

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The ultimate choice!

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