A Consciousness in the Cracks / This Beam of Light Is a Great Path Through the Darkness

"Smack—"

Multiple streaks of blood bloomed from his chest and abdomen.

The Sixth Herrscher suddenly flew downwards, dodging the remaining bullets, and then fled in one direction.

"The bullets worked?" Even Kevin found it unbelievable. He had just seen the Sixth Herrscher get hit by nearly ten bullets, and those shields couldn't even stop a single one.

Elysia, however, was thinking about something else entirely. She instructed Titan to follow the Sixth Herrscher: "The Sixth Herrscher's condition is not right..."

The Sixth Herrscher stared at the bullet holes in his body, bleeding profusely, his mind racing as he tried to figure out what went wrong.

The shield deployed, but only half of it, and that half was positioned behind her, which is why she was hit by the bullet.

The Authority of Creation is still unusable. No, she has clearly invoked the power, but it seems to be interfered with by something, like a shield. Half of her power is no longer under her free control.

Half...

"Tap tap tap..."

Bullets flew towards her, but this time she blocked them all with the shield behind her. However, the Sixth Herrscher was slowed down by her injuries, and she could feel the same weakness as the humans in her memories on this body.

She has no sense of pain, but that doesn't mean her body has no weaknesses. It has been said long ago that the weaknesses of Herrscher's body are almost identical to those of a human.

As a result, her speed undoubtedly slowed down. She suddenly turned around, and the Black Mist collided with Kevin, who was chasing her. However, after the machinery in the Black Mist exploded, several penetrating bullets rushed out from the Black Mist and were about to hit her, forcing her to use the Phase Transfer Device again to move to a distance of several tens of meters above.

Kevin and Elysia surrounded the Sixth Herrscher from the front and back, right at the limit of her current Black Mist range.

Hmph... So stupid.

She sneered inwardly. Now that the Phase Transfer Device was in her hands, they had no way to quickly get close to her. As long as she slightly overdrawn her power to expand the range, she would be safe even without a shield. Then these two self-righteous fools would be caught off guard and killed.

After coldly glancing at their positions, the Sixth Herrscher released Black Mist without warning, which surged towards them.

Just as Kevin and Elysia were about to dodge, two vines extended from the Sixth Herrscher's arms, instantly transforming into massive, surging tendrils that wrapped around the Black Mist, forcefully halting Black Mist movement.

"What is this?" Kevin was stunned by the contradictory scene of the Sixth Herrscher launching an attack and then stopping it herself. He then concluded that this was the Sixth Herrscher's plan, and that this most cunning Herrscher so far must have another plan to implement.

However, the Elysia noticed something amiss. She saw the look of surprise on the Sixth Herrscher's face and told Kevin, "Something is wrong with the Sixth Herrscher."

"Damn it, what's going on?!" The Sixth Herrscher tried to shake off the plants created by her Creation Authority, but it was as if she had completely lost control of them, and no matter how hard she tried, it was no use.

The coexistence of two conflicting and completely opposite powers in her body was originally a way to enhance her abilities. However, water and fire are inherently incompatible, and the inherently conflicting nature of the Creation Authority and the Withering Authority means that her own abilities can neutralize each other. As long as the creative power emanating from these vines remains, she will be unable to disperse the Black Mist.

Could it be that the original consciousness of this body still exists within it? Impossible, from the moment I was born, my consciousness should have been overwritten by her.

In a practical sense, she should be considered Herrscher of the personality contamination type; it's not that she has two consciousnesses, but rather that her original consciousness has become one with her.

So isn't it a problem of consciousness?

"No... there's another consciousness inside this body!"

When the Sixth Herrscher activated the Creation Authority, he thoroughly felt a consciousness seizing the power!

Chapter 109 Consciousness in the Cracks

The existence of two consciousnesses within one body is a terrifying story, even for Herrscher.

It's not multiple personality disorder, but rather the existence of two distinct consciousnesses that can be described as "souls" in some sense.

Imagine a tiny room that can only fit one bed, where guests with opposite personalities move in. The bed can only sleep one person, and they will inevitably fight over where to stay.

Now, this is the case with the Sixth Herrscher.

Another consciousness is interfering with her control over the Creation Authority!

As the true Herrscher consciousness, she should have absolute control over her powers. Even if the soul's consciousness were to be resurrected, it would have to engage in a tug-of-war with a huge power imbalance if it wanted to use its powers. It would be extremely easy for the dominant Herrscher consciousness to control its powers and prevent them from being controlled by another consciousness. It's like having four-fifths of the rope in a tug-of-war, and she only needs to exert a little more force to win the game.

However, after obtaining the Phase Transfer Device, her consciousness had relaxed considerably, and the surprise attack by Kevin's grenade caused her to momentarily lapse in control of her powers.

This unfamiliar consciousness did not let the opportunity pass; with a mere moment of relaxation, less than a breath, it forcibly interfered with her use of the Creation Authority.

At this moment, the "tug-of-war" was pulled back by half.

"Who are you! Why are you in this body!" she roared at the air, a sense of humiliation washing over her. "You're not a soul! Her consciousness has completely vanished! How did you get in here!"

"What is she doing? Is she putting on an act?" Kevin frowned as he gazed at the Sixth Herrscher's "performance," unsure whether to attack or not. What if this was another of her traps?

"Wait a minute, Kevin, observe again. It seems that the Sixth Herrscher... has another consciousness within her body."

"Another consciousness? Could it be that the soul hasn't died yet?"

"No..." Elysia clearly heard the Sixth Herrscher shout "You are not a soul." She didn't know what was happening to the Sixth Herrscher. This was a special Herrscher had done everything beyond human expectations since her birth, so anything was possible.

But what they didn't expect was that the Sixth Herrscher, who was still roaring, suddenly stopped all her actions, and her expression quickly cooled down, turning into an indifferent look devoid of any emotion.

Deep red pupils moved silently, seemingly searching for something, which they then focused on Kevin.

Kevin immediately retreated a distance, thinking that the Sixth Herrscher was about to attack again, but she did something that made his eyes widen.

The Sixth Herrscher stabbed her in the chest, directly at the location of her Herrscher Core, without hesitation.

"What exactly is this—"

"Despicable human!" Just before her finger was about to pierce Kevin's chest, the Sixth Herrscher's expression changed again. She flung her hand away and glared at the bewildered Kevin.

For some reason, Kevin felt that the phrase "despicable human" wasn't directed at him.

"Because of this! You indestructible bug!" The Sixth Herrscher ripped the Phase Transfer Device off her wrist, shrieking, "You actually died in that place and retained your consciousness!"

Elysia's mouth gradually widened, astonishment filled her entire pupils as she stared in disbelief at the Sixth Herrscher was roaring at her as if she had gone mad.

The Phase Transfer Device operates based on the Second Herrscher, who is able to open the gates of the Imaginary Space, link to and draw energy from it, and use this energy to manipulate space in various ways.

In other words, according to Delta's design, this device was supposed to achieve spatial transfer by entering and leaving Imaginary Space. However, after activating the device, what was entered was not Imaginary Space, but a strange, nameless space devoid of the five senses.

Even Delta, the designer of the device, never figured out what that space was or why it was connected to that space.

But research on the Second Herrscher did not stop after that. Researchers at Moth of Flames gradually discovered that, in addition to the Imaginary Space, the core of the Second Herrscher seemed to be able to open a door to the "Dirac Sea".

The Dirac Sea, also known as the Quantum Sea, is a human conjecture about the universe and space. Before the Second Herrscher, no one would have imagined that its existence would be verified in this way.

"The material world is like being submerged in an ocean of negative-energy electrons," and that ocean is the Quantum Sea, which exists within the material world.

So, is the Phase Transfer Device connected to the Quantum Sea? Not entirely. Based on extensive investigations and in-depth discussions, they discovered that the space in question is not the Quantum Sea.

To be precise, it was a narrow crevice.

There are one or more layers of barriers between the material world and the Quantum Sea to prevent things from the material world from falling into it. The Phase Transfer Device is likely connected to one of these gaps, a place that is neither the material world nor the Imaginary Space nor the Quantum Sea, and it cannot even be really called "space".

However, the existence of this crevice means that it is simultaneously imbued with some characteristics of the material world and the Quantum Sea. If consciousness can survive outside the container, then the only place where it can survive is probably the Quantum Sea, which is speculated to be composed of pure energy.

If someone happens to die in that crevice, their consciousness survives in the crevice eroded by the Quantum Sea, enduring the torture of having no senses and not even knowing if their own existence can be verified, and then another "container" happens to use Phase Transfer Device to arrive in the crevice.

Besides the original body, the existence of this container also includes something that has been confirmed so far.

The Herrscher Core.

The consensus among most researchers is that the recovered Herrscher Core may contain Herrscher consciousness. They are unsure whether this constitutes another form of "survival," since a new Herrscher Core will be born after acquiring a new Herrscher's consciousness.

The fact that the Herrscher store consciousness not in the brain, but in the core, led them to abandon the crazy idea of using the core directly in the human body to try to give humans power.

But now, this idea has come to fruition under such a fortuitous circumstances.

Whether it was a coincidence or an inevitability is unknown, but what Elysia knows is that at this moment, inside this Herrscher's body, besides the crazed Herrscher, there is someone they know.

He took advantage of the situation when a Herrscher was injured and entered the gap, using his willpower to contend with the Herrscher's consciousness.

Forest.

Chapter 110 This beam of light is the Great Path in the Darkness

Within that body exist two consciousnesses: one is the embodiment of destruction and death, the Sixth Herrscher, and the other is Lin, whose consciousness has already died and left the body.

Even the somewhat slow-witted Kevin could tell that the Sixth Herrscher's actions weren't an act, but rather that Lin had successfully entered the Sixth Herrscher's Herrscher Core through a narrow opening.

"Lin!" Kevin shouted to the Sixth Herrscher.

"I'm not that idiot!" The Sixth Herrscher gritted her teeth, veins bulging as she roared at Kevin like a demon. "I am... I am..."

Who I am?

She suddenly realized something.

Before Lin exposed her, she was a confused soul, but after that, she was nobody.

Even that bug, whose body and memories didn't belong to him, had the name "Lin," but she only had a code name given to her by humans.

"I am the Herrscher of Death!" The Sixth Herrscher crushed the vine in her hand with a single blow, her crimson eyes flickering erratically. "I am nobody! I am neither Soul nor Forest!"

Lin's consciousness was ultimately in a weaker position. Even in a weakened state, his control over power was unmatched by any human. He could only interfere with the use of power, but he could not freely use this body, and he couldn't even communicate with the outside world.

His appearance just a second or so was his last chance. Now she could feel Lin's interference weakening. In the end, he had wasted too much time in the cracks. No matter how strong his willpower was, it was not enough to confront her head-on and fight for power.

In my memory, this guy had no other merits, except that he was relentless in his pursuit of enemies. He would either defeat them or die, completely disregarding his own safety.

She either needs to deal with Kevin and Elysia first, or she needs to deal with Lin first. She prefers to eliminate Lin first. Otherwise, if she has to endure Lin's sudden and insidious attacks while facing Kevin and the others' attacks with incomplete powers, the chance of her being caught off guard will increase by more than 50%.

Oh, and we can also use the fact that Lin is inside her body to make Kevin and Elysia stop, and then...

"Elysia, what should we do now?"

Kevin met the Sixth Herrscher's gaze. He knew perfectly well that it was the Sixth Herrscher now, and that fierce, ruthless, and somewhat contemptuous look in her eyes was definitely from the Herrscher, not Lin.

But in that brief and shocking glance, he saw Lin's all-too-familiar expression. Even though it was indifferent, it wasn't the inhuman and utterly apathetic indifference of Herrscher. Lin's unique composure was conveyed to his heart through that one look.

"..." Hearing Kevin's words, Elysia snapped out of her long thoughts. Of course, she knew that the current situation was that Lin was inside the Herrscher Core the Sixth Herrscher, a situation that was unprecedented and unparalleled, and even she did not know how to deal with it.

However, there was one thing she understood.

"Let's get started, Kevin."

"..."

This time, Kevin did not show any surprise or resistance.

Even though he had just lost Lin not long ago.

Years ago, in the ruins of the Fifth Branch, May stood behind him, watching Spasi's heart-wrenching cries and his own trembling as he raised his gun.

Mei said the same thing to him.

"Let's get started, Kevin."

At this moment, he and Elysia no longer needed to exchange words.

Lin had already conveyed his thoughts and actions to them when he used his last chance to destroy the Sixth Herrscher's body.

Because this is... what Lin wanted.

"Bang!"

Just as the Sixth Herrscher was plotting how to deceive Kevin and Elysia, a gunshot that struck straight to the soul rang out from Kevin's gun. Having learned her lesson once before, the Sixth Herrscher reacted in time this time and dodged the shot, looking at the expressionless Kevin with suspicion.

In that moment of distraction, Lin's consciousness once again frantically seized power, leaving her only able to concentrate fully on fighting against Lin.

This was a great opportunity for Kevin and Elysia. The distracted Sixth Herrscher was unable to use her powers as she wished, resulting in several more wounds on her body that could not heal.

Left with no other choice, she activated Phase Shift and hid in the crevice.

"Bang!"

The Sixth Herrscher snarled at Lin, who stood on the other side of the darkness. His figure was the only thing emitting a faint light in this space where there was nothing and no light, like the silhouette of the sun, extremely conspicuous.

"You damn cripple! Why don't you just die a normal death!"

Lin coldly stared at the Sixth Herrscher not far from him. Even though the darkness was constantly encroaching on him, he stood firm like a leaf in a storm, his light resisting the invasion of darkness.

"Even if you're dead, you still want to get in my way? You're nothing, you're worthless, and you're going to let these humans, who use you as a tool, wear down your consciousness!"

"..." Lin's eyes and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

The Sixth Herrscher's expression froze, because she seemed to have seen this expressionless man reveal... a look of contempt.

Unlike the contempt she used to break down the enemy's psychological defenses, he seemed to genuinely smile at her with disdain.

The person who has always been expressionless, emotionless, and even voiceless... is actually mocking her?

"Nothing about me belongs to me. I can't find any part of 'Lin' in that body." Lin remained expressionless, and even his voice didn't change, as if it were just an illusion.

"But this heart is 'Lin,' and this light is proof of my humanity."

The light gathered around Lin emitted tiny specks of light.