Goliya (2-in-1)

Li Shuyi always followed Bai Xiaowen's lead without question, and Qiao Rui, being Bai Xiaowen's teammate, would never voice any objections.

Bai Xiaowen used the S+ item: Book of Ascension on the "Broken Slave Contract," and as he watched the light shine, his thoughts wandered for 0.1 seconds.

Originally, Bai Xiaowen requested an upgrade to the reward for this S+ Elite Tier mission, which the behind-the-scenes "big shot" coldly refused. However, in the end, the reward was still upgraded, transforming the Divine Gift Page into the Book of Ascension. Paying an extra 10,000 Psionic Points for this was well worth it.

Judging from this, the mastermind behind the scenes must be in a very good mood to have obtained the Death God's Hand Bone.

What Bai Xiaowen wanted to complain about was that this "big shot" seemed a bit arrogant... He said he wouldn't give her an upgrade, but he did in the end.

A burst of Psionic Particles enveloped the object, and then the light dissipated, revealing that the Broken Slave Contract had undergone a complete transformation.

[Enhanced Follower Contract: S+ Rank Item. Forms a contract with a humanoid creature of Boss Template or lower (including Boss Template) to make it your Follower. The creature must be completely willing to sign the contract (it cannot be in a state of confusion, charm, or mental impairment, and must not exhibit any resistance). Otherwise, there is a chance of failure, and the higher the creature's level and the stronger its template, the higher the chance of failure.]

There is another special note following:

"If your template or level is lower than the target humanoid creature, the chance of the contract failing increases further. The greater the gap between the two, the higher the chance of failure."

The term "Follower" was new to Bai Xiaowen, so he looked up Follower meaning.

After completing the SS-Tier Elite Tier Scavenger mission, Bai Xiaowen's Scavenger title was upgraded to intermediate level. Perhaps for this reason, the Spirit Realm Rules quickly provided an answer.

Generally, an awakened being can choose a Spirit Realm figure or another awakened being to enter into Follower Contract, making the other person their "Follower".

Unlike summoned creatures, Follower possess independent personalities and wills. They can use equipment and items and learn skills, essentially making them an additional teammate. Furthermore, Follower do not benefit from their master's Divine Might bonuses.

As a master, one cannot force or distort the will of Follower to act. However, a master holds the power of life and death over their Follower; with a single thought, they can eliminate Follower.

Furthermore, if the master dies, the Follower will also die. Therefore, generally speaking, the loyalty of Follower is not a concern.

However, signing Follower Contract is not an easy task. If the other party is rebellious, it is necessary to force the signing, which may result in failure unless the user's strength far exceeds that of the target.

Qiao Rui added that if Follower Contract is used on an awakened person, no matter how much stronger the user is, it cannot be forcibly signed. As long as the other party has the will to resist, the signing will inevitably fail.

"I'll keep it for now... Let me think about how to use it."

Bai Xiaowen put away the Enhanced Follower Contract and then looked at Goliya, who was standing stiffly on the altar.

"So much time has passed, it's time to check on Goliya."

The three of them walked up to the altar and observed it carefully.

Goliya's face, neck, and other exposed skin had turned an eerie, deathly white, as if she had contracted some kind of skin disease. Black energy constantly circulated across her body, causing large areas of skin tissue to necrose and peel off with each passing patch.

This is the terrifying power of the Death God's Curse.

If it were someone else, they would have been Death God's Curse and rotted away, dead beyond any hope of survival.

However, faint, blazing white flames also flowed across Goliya's skin, constantly chasing the black mist. When they passed over the necrotic skin tissue, the blazing white flames made a "sizzling" sound, like boiling oil scorching flesh.

Although the light has a purifying effect, halting the aging of the skin and turning it into a bloodless white, the pain it causes is terrifying to even think about.

Goliya had been standing there frozen for a long time; every second of that time felt like purgatory.

Her blue eyes were bloodshot, especially the whites of her eyes.

Bai Xiaowen stood opposite Goliya, sighed softly, and murmured in a voice only he could hear, "I'm sorry."

At the time, Bai Xiaowen Stealth nearby, while Goliya was deceived by the fake Prince Richard to retrieve the Sealed Holy Coffer. Bai Xiaowen and Li Shuyi were the only two people present who knew the whole story.

If Bai Xiaowen had spoken up to warn her, perhaps Goliya wouldn't have fallen for the trick and ended up in such a tragic state.

However, Bai Xiaowen had reservations and chose to remain silent. This was where he felt guilty—after all, Goliya was one of the few noble people he had ever met in the Spirit Realm, kind, upright, steadfast... possessing all the virtues of a Western knight in the conventional sense.

[And she's also beautiful and has a great figure...] Bai Xiaowen silently added in her mind.

Of course, even if Bai Xiaowen had been bursting with a sense of justice and stood up to stop Goliya, Richard Prince Richard was an imposter, it would have been difficult to gain Goliya's trust. If he had given up the invisibility of the Night Raven Feather, he might have been attacked by Richard, Glandis, and others, which would have been far too dangerous.

Having undertaken two Elite Tier side quests of S-Tier or higher and completed the final step, Bai Xiaowen absolutely could not allow himself to make a mistake.

That said, how can I help Goliya in order to make myself feel better?

Bai Xiaowen gazed into Goliya's blue eyes. Goliya was also looking at him.

"Hiss..."

A hoarse voice came from Goliya's throat, but unfortunately, it was completely incoherent.

This level 8 Boss Tier, tormented by both the Death God's Curse and the Light Power within him, was unable to utter a single word; his vocal cords were likely damaged.

Bai Xiaowen sighed and said, "This shows that Goliya's actual condition is more serious than it appears. It's not just skin damage on the surface; her internal organs are probably necrotic as well."

"How pitiful." Li Shuyi turned her head away, feeling a pang of pity.

"Her soul is crying out," Qiao Rui said, her eyes slightly closed as she rubbed her temples. "She wants you to end her suffering yourself."

Although unable to move or speak, Bai Xiaowen could still discern three words in Goliya's blue eyes:

Kill me.

"Alright." Bai Xiaowen sighed. Perhaps killing Goliya and ending her torment was the best option.

At that moment, Delifa's voice came from the Black Soul Stone, resounding directly in Bai Xiaowen's mind:

"Master, I must remind you, if you kill her, the power of the Death God's Curse may very well transfer to you."

"Huh?" Bai Xiaowen was startled and lowered her raised hand. "Are you sure? How did you know?"

"I have been analyzing fragments of the Vampire Overlord Marcus's memories, and in the process, some of my sealed memories have been restored," Delifa said softly, seemingly different now. "The Death God's Curse embodies the unyielding will of the Death God Naraku and will not disappear with Goliya's death."

"Then what should we do?" Bai Xiaowen asked.

"Master can choose to leave directly, the farther the better. According to my assessment, Goliya is blessed with the power of light, which will continuously erode the power of the Death God's Curse. It should be a stalemate for a long time... Perhaps by then, the power of the Death God's Curse will be completely worn away."

"If the power of the Death God's Curse is completely worn away, can Goliya still live?"

Delifa's tone held a hint of helplessness. "Master, a mortal cannot survive when their body is decaying and dying."

Bai Xiaowen frowned slightly.

Li Shuyi said in the Team Channel, "Xiao Wen, I have an idea... Didn't you get a bottle of Resurrection Divine Water before? Why don't we kill Goliya and then use the Resurrection Divine Water to revive her?"

Bai Xiaowen shook his head and refused. "No, the Resurrection Divine Water is too precious. It's like a second life for creatures in the Spirit Realm. We can't just use it up like that. Besides, killing her will cause the Death God's Curse to transfer to us."

Bai Xiaowen is very rational and wouldn't use this precious Gold Item out of momentary sympathy. He does feel sympathy and even guilt towards Goliya, but not to the point of risking everything to save her.

When Bai Xiaowen drew the Resurrection Divine Water, he had an idea: this Gold Item should be left to Cecilia of White Stone Fief as a safeguard.

Bai Xiaowen would only consider using it ahead of time if he encountered a benefit far exceeding that of the Resurrection Divine Water.

Reviving Goliya would certainly be beneficial, but the benefits are too small. If Goliya meets the conditions for using the "Enhanced Follower Contract," Bai Xiaowen might consider doing so and gaining a Divine Grace Champion Knight as Follower.

However, the Follower Contract requires that the target's level and template cannot be higher than the user's; otherwise, there will be an additional chance of failure. Goliya's level of 8 makes her unsuitable for the Follower Contract.

Delifa said, "If Master wants to end her suffering, she can consider another way."

"Explain."

"Master can transform Goliya into Death Knight!"

Delifa said, "After Master killed the Death Knight Kael, didn't he obtain a ' Frozen Heart '? That's the source of the Death Knight's power. Master can place the Frozen Heart into Goliya's chest cavity to replace her necrotic heart."

"And then what? What about the Death God's Curse?"

Delifa said, "I can help Goliya absorb all the negative energy of the Death God's Curse into the Frozen Heart. This will be a great tonic for her and can accelerate her transformation process."

After a pause, Goliya said, "However, helping Goliya transform into Death Knight will consume Soul Essence. The few hundred points of Soul Essence that Master gained in the battle in the Grand Mausoleum are probably not much left. Moreover, even if Master can gain Goliya's loyalty, there is no way to take her out of the Aaron Plane."

Bai Xiaowen nodded slightly. "End her suffering, and gain the help of a Advanced Boss Death Knight for the remaining time... Is it worth sacrificing an S-Tier special treasure, the Frozen Heart, and several hundred points of Soul Essence? I can accept that. Delifa, are you confident you can successfully complete the transformation?"

Delifa was confident. "Master, rest assured, I have analyzed all of Marcus's memory fragments. They contain the knowledge and steps for transforming into Death Knight. I will definitely succeed."

"Okay, let's begin."

Bai Xiaowen narrowed his eyes, took out the Frozen Heart, and then summoned Delifa.

The Soul-Siphoning Banshee, Delifa, dressed in revealing clothing, startled Qiao Rui the moment she appeared.

"Xiao Wen has another summoned creature, why is she dressed like this?" Qiao Rui looked at Delifa as if she were seeing a legendary seductive vixen...

"Well..."

"Emmm..."

Both Li Shuyi and Bai Xiaowen were a little embarrassed.

However, Qiao Rui was a few years older and more accepting. After her initial surprise, she looked Delifa up and down, and laughed, "Such an enviable golden ratio, and those measurements... I think most men would like this."

Looking at Qiao Rui's amused smile, Bai Xiaowen inexplicably felt the awkwardness of being caught watching an adult film by her sister, a feeling that was quite absurd.

"Ahem, I'm a decent person. Delifa said that this kind of attire is beneficial for her in battle," Bai Xiaowen said seriously.

"Ha, men."

Qiao Rui pouted slightly, "Why did you summon her?"

Previously, Bai Xiaowen and Delifa's conversations were all conducted through Psychic Sensing communication, Qiao Rui was unaware of.

Bai Xiaowen then explained that he planned to transform Goliya into Death Knight.

Li Shuyi hesitated for a moment. "Would Goliya be willing to become Death Knight? Her original profession was the Divine Grace Champion Knight."

Qiao Rui stared into Goliya's eyes, and after a few seconds spoke:

"That's strange, she seems... very willing."

"Alright, Delifa, let's begin," Bai Xiaowen ordered.

"Yes, sir." Delifa took the Frozen Heart, then removed Goliya's armor. A spirit dagger materialized in her right hand, which she used to cut open Goliya's chest, revealing the necrotic heart inside...

The scene was somewhat bloody. Bai Xiaowen, Li Shuyi, and Qiao Rui all turned their backs and walked down from the altar.

"I still don't understand why Goliya would be willing to be transformed into Death Knight," Li Shuyi, puzzled.

Bai Xiaowen said thoughtfully, "It's possible that she's driven by resentment and hatred. After Richard's betrayal, her values will probably be completely shattered and rebuilt. The more loyal she was to the Empire before, the more she hates it now."

Qiao Rui gently touched the curve of her chin with one finger. "I've heard that Death Knight are all transformed from genuine knights. The stronger a knight's beliefs were in life, the stronger they become after being transformed into Death Knight. I really wonder what kind of monster Goliya will be transformed into under the influence of the Death God's Curse."

"And there's the added benefit of Soul Essence," Bai Xiaowen silently added in his mind.

"Let's not talk about that..." Bai Xiaowen changed the subject, "Senior, I remember you said... if we meet again in the Spirit Realm, it means we're destined to be together. Can I invite you to join my team now?"

Qiao Rui giggled. This seemingly coincidental reunion was actually something she had deliberately planned to do, a fact she believed Bai Xiaowen was well aware of. However, Bai Xiaowen was smart enough not to reveal it.

Qiao Rui didn't mince words and readily agreed, "Sure. But, does your team have a third spot?"

Bai Xiaowen said, "Our team was only level 2 originally. After completing the raid on Northshire, we were just a few hundred team experience points away from reaching level 3. Now, after completing two Elite Tier missions of S rank or higher, we're more than enough."

Bai Xiaowen had previously checked and found that once the Elite Tier squad reaches level 3, there will be a general option for "Temporary Member," which would be perfect for inviting Qiao Rui to join.

One more chapter to come.