Let You Witness True Light!

Lango smiled because he knew he was facing a splendid opponent. To fight such a foe and ultimately sink a blade into his heart—the outcome was secondary; the journey itself was sheer pleasure. Neo smiled because he felt the process didn't matter at all; only the outcome did. Because his heart had long since been moved elsewhere. And worried that constantly shifting it back and forth between left and right would cause him insomnia, he simply hadn't bothered to move it back. Therefore, where Lango's blade had pierced, the inside was completely empty. Not long ago, Neo had sustained an injury, and this area was still recovering. It was like repairing a room—during renovations, one naturally cleared out the furniture and other belongings first. Thus, aside from letting out a little of Neo's blood, Lango's stab accomplished nothing. Especially when Lango saw the ink-black blood seeping from the wound, his pupils contracted violently. His mind instantly recalled the scene earlier where Neo, brushing dust from his clothes, had spat a mouthful of "bright red" blood onto the ground. That body of his wasn't normal! Yet this realization seemed to have come too late. Neo lunged forward, sliding along the angle of the scimitar. Raising both arms, he reached forward, a bloody gleam swirling in his pupils as two fangs emerged from his mouth. The nails on all ten fingers sprouted and lengthened, gleaming with a terrifying, frigid glint. Neo had said he didn't like using weapons. Of course, an inescapable, objective reason for that was... he was broke. Another fundamental reason was that his body was his finest weapon; he had no need for extra burdens. Lango had no time to dodge. Neo's ten claws plunged into his chest, tearing it open with a sickening rip. Neo opened his mouth and sank his teeth straight into Lango's neck. *Squelch!* The two fangs pierced Lango's flesh with utter smoothness, and a look of faint intoxication appeared on Neo's face. In truth, the thirst for blood was ever-present, but like Karen, he resisted the sensation that could drag him into madness. They weren't afraid of indulgence; they simply refused to become slaves to an impulse. However, when external circumstances demanded it, it was quite wonderful. One could cast aside every psychological, moral, and self-conscious burden, savoring this raw ecstasy and delight without reservation. The victor, in fact, had already been decided. Even life and death were on the verge of resolution. Yet right at that moment, the corners of Lango's mouth curled into a smile. "Seal... release." Engaged in drinking Lango's blood, Neo suddenly felt a terrifying burst of soul power erupt. In that instant, it nearly crushed his conscious mind. It was like standing before a volcano as magma erupted, the scorching heat and smog threatening to engulf him in an instant. Neo was forced to retreat. But just as his fangs pulled free of Lango's neck, he felt a monstrous force strike his body. *Boom!* Neo flew backward, scraping, smashing, and tumbling violently across the ground for nearly a hundred meters before coming to a halt. Standing up, Neo glanced down at himself and discovered that, in addition to the puncture wound from earlier, a vast portion of his chest displayed signs of rot. It was a curse—an extraordinarily gruesome one. Its baleful properties were able to penetrate straight through his bloodthirsty aberrant demon bloodline. One had to understand that the bloodline of a bloodthirsty aberrant demon was essentially an "aberrant demon constitution," an already tainted body. Yet now, even it was being corrupted. Across from him, gray matter was filling in the gashes on Lango's chest and the puncture holes left by the fangs in his neck. "You're quite something, forcing me to undo a layer of my self-imposed seal." Lango also looked down at his chest and shook his head with mild helplessness. "Using soul power to repair the physical body is like paving a country lane with gold. Positively extravagant." Neo raised a hand and rapped his forehead twice, as if knocking on a door. "Old man, lend me a bit more strength. I've kicked a real iron plate this time—definitely high-grade stock straight out of the Gate of Samsara." The moment the words left his mouth, the aura of the bloodthirsty aberrant demon around Neo surged. The wounds on his body began to knit together, while the corrupted flesh rapidly sloughed away—a "manual," repeated cycle of scraping bone to purge poison. Yet even in the face of such agonizing torment, Neo didn't so much as blink. As Karen had noted before, if Neo possessed the power of Richard's parasite, he might even pull out his own intestines when bored to play cat's cradle. When mental torment had numbed him long ago, physical sensations felt trivial by comparison. Much like Karen now: even after suffering extensive burns across his body, he hadn't screamed upon waking, remaining remarkably calm instead. Having endured the agony of roasting his own soul with the flames of Light, his pain threshold had long been elevated. "A believer of Light possessing the bloodline of a bloodthirsty aberrant demon... how fascinating. By my understanding, these two elemental powers ought to conflict. They couldn't possibly coexist in symbiosis." Neo chuckled. "There are plenty of things in this world beyond your understanding. I know of even more miraculous ones. Too bad I have no interest in trading secrets with you." "Wouldn't that be rather lonely? Can you fathom that feeling of solitude? I can. I imagine that once you sign a soul contract with me, with me there to chat with you every day, neither of us will ever be bored again." "On that point, I completely agree. A home needs some liveliness. The guy who used to share a roof with me suddenly left, saying he was going off on a journey riding a sea turtle. Damn it all, after he left, I really was so lonely. "Fortunately, I'd already made another interesting friend by then, or I'd have bored myself to death. "Still, I don't want to live with you." "Oh? Why not?" "You're very strong, and unless I miss my guess, you're probably very old. I don't know if soul entities inside the Gate of Samsara count their age the same way we do out here. "The trouble is, you aren't sincere." "Not sincere? And what, in your eyes, counts as sincerity?" "Sincerity means that even if you only like drinking ice water, you can still claim your favorite drink is coffee or tea." "Does that count... as sincerity?" "See? You don't get it. Living with you would be thoroughly dull. I refuse." "However... you don't have a choice." "No, I do have a choice. You might get my body, but you'll never have my soul. "Ptui, even saying that makes me sick to my stomach. Enough chatter, let's get down to business, shall we?" Lango opened his left hand, and his body drifted into the air. From his form emerged a much larger silhouette of a man dressed in robes of Samsara, radiating an immense, profound aura. When he appeared, the faint murmur of devout prayers seemed to echo all around, cloaking him in sublime sanctity. "It is an honor to cross blades with you. Since emerging from the Gate of Samsara, this has been the most enjoyable fight I've had. Very intriguing." "Too bad I don't find it intriguing," Neo shrugged. "I want to win." There was one more thought Neo kept to himself: at the power level the man was now displaying, winning would be extraordinarily difficult. This had reached the tier of a Bishop of the York City Region—not a bishop in charge of administrative specialties, not merely a titular rank, but pure, raw capability. In truth, the foe was likely even stronger, since what he could wield now was only soul power, which was mismatched with the physical body he inhabited. A truly momentous figure who had stepped out of the Gate of Samsara. Neo was certain this person held immense standing within the Church of Samsara behind the Gate, likely someone who could speak directly with the Gatekeepers within. "Existing as a soul entity for so long has made me accustomed to appreciating the process. I dislike being overly utilitarian. Still, it is time for an outcome. "I will grant you a choice: will you strike first, or shall I?" "Me first, of course!" Neo cracked his neck with a string of pops. A Sword of Light condensed in his right hand, while a dense, bloodthirsty aura swirled around the long claws of his left. "Rayan, not only does he possess two completely different elemental powers, but he can manifest them simultaneously. Could he be the Body of Light spoken of in the records?" "I don't know, Lango. Light possesses the capacity to transform other elemental powers, but in essence, Light is the foundation of all things. Normally, even a Body of Light wouldn't exhibit this kind of condition. "Yet of one thing I am certain, Lango: his vessel is extraordinarily mysterious. That means once I claim it, I will bypass almost all rejection. It is truly an exquisite vessel. "Please, help me secure it, Lango." "I will, Rayan. We share a contract, but more than that, we are friends." "Here I come!" Neo let out a low shout, hurled the Sword of Light straight at the hovering Lango, and immediately turned and fled at maximum speed! When you clearly can't win, running away is just common sense—anyone who stayed would be an idiot! This sudden twist caught Lango off guard. He hadn't expected that after so much posturing, the man would strike a dramatic pose only to turn tail and sprint. He felt as though he suddenly understood the remark about ice water and coffee earlier. Heh. Lango reached out and pointed forward. In an instant, the silhouettes of numerous gates materialized around the hilltop, seamlessly interlocking to form an inescapable cage. "You cannot escape." Lango's form began to move, and the phantom towering over him moved in tandem, reaching out a colossal hand. His escape route blocked, Neo was forced to halt. As the giant hand swept toward him, the space around his body was completely sealed off, thoroughly depriving him of room to maneuver. Lango had indeed made good on his earlier words. This time, there were no clever tricks or schemes—he was crushing his opponent through sheer, overwhelming force. Every action he took burned through his soul power as an expendable resource; in a sense, it was its own form of risking his life. Under such immense pressure, Neo had no leeway left to counterattack. Of course, he had no need to counterattack, because Lango was already inflicting damage on himself. If Neo simply stood still, his opponent was actively wearing himself down. His seal was like placing a massive block of ice into a pool. The pool wasn't deep or wide, but because it held solid ice, there was no possibility of spilling over. Unsealing it was like melting the ice: the surplus water inevitably flooded out. Unused, it was wasted; used, it was spent just the same. For that reason, Lango had been unwilling to break this layer of his seal before now. But Neo had nearly turned the tables on him, leaving him no other choice. The giant hand seized Neo and hoisted him into the air, completely reversing the tables once more. As the giant hand exerted more force, both the power of Light and the power of the bloodthirsty aberrant demon in Neo were thoroughly suppressed. He was like someone strung up by his limbs, his body bound and even his soul held under restraint. Yet even in this predicament, Neo urged, "Hurry it up. I don't care for this posture." Lango nodded. "As you wish. Rayan, go. Here is the body you have dreamed of." "Hahaha, here I come!" A bead floated out from between Lango's eyebrows, casting a radiant beam onto Lango's chest. Immediately following, a middle-aged man in white robes flew out from Lango's chest, radiating an extraordinarily rich aura of Light. It was like a white waterfall so rich it filled the air with sweet fragrance, cascading all the way before Neo. Rayan smiled. "I love your body. It is an intoxicating crystallization of Light." Unable to offer any resistance, Neo muttered with slight resignation, "I'm regretting how much care I took of my health in the past. If I'd known, I would've left you a few more chronic illnesses." "Are you ready? I'm coming in." "Gross. Hurry up!" ... "Let's vote Bart out. Bart voted for the fake Seer in the first round. Miss Pu'er has been siding with the good guys all along, so I have no choice—I have to cast my deciding vote for you, Bart." "Woof—awoo!" *(Begin exile vote.)* When the vote concluded, Kevin pointed at Bart and turned a dog paw downward, indicating Bart was eliminated. "Woof woof woof woof woof woof—" *(Now announcing final game results.)* Kevin sat on the ground, raised both front paws, and crossed them as they came down. "Woof!" *(Werewolves win.)* "Haha, meow! I won, I won!" Pu'er raised her cat paws, her tail swishing nonstop. "I got a Werewolf card this round, but I played entirely with a villager's mindset! The first few rounds I didn't even open my eyes at night—I didn't even know who my wolf teammates were! Hahaha!" The others around her could only sigh. Alfred chuckled. "You really played that deep-cover wolf well." Memphis stood up. While everyone else was analyzing the previous game's details—the losers passing the blame and the winners bragging—he walked over and sat down beside Karen in the distance. Karen was fishing. He had a specially made long basket into which he tossed each catch; the lower part of the basket was submerged in water to keep the fish alive and fresh for eating. "Captain." "Mm?" "There's something I've been worried about. Both you and Mota believe Samsara will attack the Mipos Archipelago, so..." "Are you worried about Richard?" "Yes. Perhaps I should have stayed there with him. I'm not a proper father—leaving instead of staying behind to look after my son when he was injured." "So do you regret that choice now?" Memphis shook his head. "No." "Don't worry. Richard is with Neo, and Neo will look after him," Karen said with conviction. "Neo might enjoy chasing after amusement and deliberately seeking thrills, but before he goes crazy, he'll see Richard properly settled." "I trust Neo's capabilities." Memphis nodded. "Try not to dwell on it. Fretting over gains and losses before knowing the outcome isn't worth it." Karen raised his fishing rod, pulling up a fish. Memphis stood, took the landing net to help Karen scoop up the fish, removed the hook, and dropped it into the basket. "Would you like sashimi tonight?" Karen asked. "Sure, it's very fresh," Memphis replied. "Though I get the feeling you aren't fond of sashimi yourself, Captain." "It's fine. I can use the fish heads to make soup." "Memphis, come on! A new round's starting—hurry, hurry, hurry, meow!" Aisli chimed in, "If I get the Seer this round, I'm checking Miss Pu'er first. I'm terrified of being tricked by her again." ... The white cascade was surging into Neo's body. From afar, it looked as though Neo were enduring a violent, torrential impact. In reality, his stance remained completely steady; the moment all that turbulent force reached him, it turned docile. Far from looking in pain, Neo's expression was one of pure enjoyment. Soon, Lango noticed something amiss. He called out, "Rayan, why isn't your soul consciousness entering?" Rayan answered, "I truly love this body. That's why I don't want to soil or clutter it." "Rayan, are you trying to give your spirit of Light to him for nothing?" "Yes, precisely." "Do you know the consequences of defying my will?" "Of course I know. You hold the power over my existence and dissolution." Rayan kept his back to Neo, continuing to channel his spirit of Light into Neo's body while locking eyes with Lango. Lango said, "I will obliterate you." "Heh, yet even if you obliterate me, Lango, you cannot halt this process. I have already marked all that I am as a gift to him. And because of the soul contract between you and me, obliterating me right now will automatically undo your final seal. "Once that final seal is broken, after a time, you will forever remain Lango, heh. "Oh, of course, after this bestowal concludes, you can leisurely erase me. I betrayed you; this is my deserved punishment and a fate I accept." "Why do this, Rayan? I considered you a friend." "Lango, I considered you a friend as well. Truly." "Then why?" "Precisely because I consider you a friend—and because we are both people who emerged from the Gate of Samsara. Both of us once harbored fantasies, hopes, longings, and yearnings for the real world outside the Gate. "Look at what your Church of Samsara has done on this island! Listen to that sinister laughter and the weeping of the dead! "Since what you behold, Lango, is a false Samsara, "then as your friend, "to comfort and encourage you, "I invite you to witness "what true Light... really is!"