Death… And Me

Chapter 4436: There is No Way

Clasou took a look at his RC, checking the whereabouts of the expert he mentioned. -Alright, I’ll have him meet you by the end of the day. You can decide there if he is worth your trust.-

Roan nodded. ’Very well.’

The call ended, and Rean, Kentucky, and Celis immediately turned to Roan.

”What are you planning to do?”

That sounded like a very weird request. After all, they would basically be trusting the expert coming to meet them and nothing else. Would they trust someone that easily, just because Clasou said they could? That simply wasn’t Roan’s way of doing things. If anything, he was usually the first one to question everyone’s intentions.

Roan, obviously, understood that. ”Don’t worry. There is a very easy way to confirm whether this guy will keep his mouth shut or not once he gets here.”

”There is?” Kentucky was still puzzled. ”How can you possibly verify something like that?”

”A Soul Binding Contract, perhaps?” Celis asked.

”No,” Rean shook his head before Roan could answer. ”There are no such things as Soul Binding Contracts here in the Celestial Plane, at least not here in the Besgol Region. Perhaps outside. Anyway, I checked. It seems like the Celestial Plane’s restrictions also apply to this kind of method.”

He then recalled the explanation he had received in the Arrays Guild.

”I asked a senior ascender why Soul Binding Contracts weren’t used here. According to him, the moment the contract is about to take effect, its binding power simply vanishes without a trace. If I were to guess, I’d say Celestial Plane Souls are on a level where this kind of binding simply doesn’t work.”

Celis nodded. ”That would explain why no one even bothers researching them anymore.”

Roan agreed with Rean. ”You are right there. And no, I’m not going to use a Soul Binding Contract. Instead, I’ll use Duze’s spirits.”

Everyone looked at Roan in surprise.

Those spirits were the same ones that had erased every trace of Rean’s Godly Pressure Arrays from the regions around, Besgol included. Not only had everyone’s memories been altered, but every written record, digital file, and stored piece of information regarding those arrays had disappeared as well.

Another thing to consider was that each member of the twins’ group still had one of those spirits inside their bodies. They acted as monitoring elements that would only react if Rean and the others attempted to spread the forbidden knowledge again.

”How do you plan to use them?” Rean asked. ”We can’t control those little guys.”

Roan appeared completely confident.

”The Spirits inside our bodies only awaken if they detect that the knowledge of those Godly Pressure Control Methods is about to be spread. Simply put, we can use them to tell whether we can trust this expert or not. If this guy is truly serious about keeping everything to himself, those Spirits should not react at all.”

Kentucky blinked several times.

”So... you’re saying they can somehow tell what another person intends to do?”

”They should,” Roan replied. ”Otherwise, they wouldn’t know the difference between someone accidentally revealing the information and someone deliberately trying to spread it. Since they can distinguish those situations, they must be able to perceive intent to some extent.”

Of course, Roan called them Spirits simply because they had no better name. The truth was that none of them knew what those pink spheres with tiny wings actually were. They seemed to be made of energy, but at the same time, they didn’t. Calling them spirits, faeries, or anything else merely happened to fit their existence.

Rean, however, still found Roan’s plan rather dangerous.

”Are you sure you want to try that? Those things are inside us to monitor us. Sure, they’re asleep and won’t record or remember anything unless we break the rules. However, you’re purposely trying to awaken them by telling this expert the truth, aren’t you?”

He frowned as he thought about the possible consequences.

”Have you considered what those spirits, faeries, or whatever they are, might do to us if they awaken? They could very well have the power to kill us on the spot.”

”Hmph!” Roan snorted. ”Who said I will tell him the truth? I told you, I’m only using them. You don’t actually need to reveal the truth to make those spirits react.”

”You... don’t?” Those words only made Rean and the others even more confused.

Roan nodded before calmly saying a single word.

”Insinuation.”

Silence filled the room.

Rean frowned as he thought about it, while Celis quietly pieced together Roan’s reasoning.

A moment later, Rean’s eyes lit up.

”I see... You don’t need to actually reveal anything. As long as you make it sound like you’re about to disclose the forbidden knowledge, those spirits should react if the other party intends to let that information spread.”

Roan nodded.

”Exactly. In any case, we will only know once the guy gets here.”

—

Lukay was in his residence in Xommin Country, located southeast of Besgol. He was a member of a quite famous Spirit Race in these parts of the Besgol Region. Recently, his race had become famous throughout the entire Region as well, the reason quite obvious:

A senior from the Voltari Race had successfully reached the Law God Realm!

Like all members of his race, Lukay’s body consisted almost entirely of energy condensed around a central core. Tiny arcs of lightning occasionally danced across its surface before disappearing again.

Yes, he was also a member of the Voltari Race, a race of Lightning Element Spirits, the same race as Aurundi.

Of course, that didn’t mean they were close friends, family, or anything of the sort. Spirits didn’t reproduce like flesh-and-blood races. At least, the vast majority didn’t. They were usually born under special natural conditions, and the Voltari Race was no exception.

That said, although Lukay could be considered one of Aurundi’s acquaintances, they were far from friends.

”Hum?”

Lukay suddenly noticed a reaction from the RC wrapped around his core. Sending his Celestial Sense inside, he answered the call. ’Tch... you again, Clasou.’

Clasou laughed on the other side. -Hahaha! What’s with that reaction? Don’t you like it when your friend gives you a call?-

’Friend your ass!’ Lukay shot back immediately. ’There’s only one reason you ever contact me, and it’s always because you need something. Better yet, it’s always something so annoying that nobody else wants to do it.’

Clasou didn’t even try to deny it. -True. However, I always pay you quite handsomely whenever I ask for your help, don’t I?-

’Because you don’t have another choice,’ Lukay replied without hesitation. ’Enough nonsense. Just tell me what you want.’

-I need a Zone God to act as a protector during an Elite Exploration Mission... and since you are a Middle Stage Zone God, I thought of you.-

Lukay found that strange.

’Elite Exploration Groups can be divided into those that investigate closer areas that don’t need a Zone God overseeing, and those who go deeper into uncharted areas that do need a Zone God. Are you asking me to protect someone from a low-level group in the safer areas? Who’s the little young master?’

-No,- Clasou shook his head. -You will be entering uncharted areas.-

’Hum? But Elite Exploration Groups that explore uncharted areas already have Zone Gods. What do you need me for?’ Lukay asked back.

-This one doesn’t,- Clasou explained. -You will be acting as protector of four Middle Stage Aura Gods. Also, you won’t receive any of the spoils during this time. Your only mission will be to protect them and nothing else.-

Lukay’s lightning crackled a little more intensely. ’What kind of bullshit mission is that? Forget it. I’m not wasting my time acting as a babysitter in those fucking dangerous areas. Find someone else.’

-I can pay you quite well again, you know?- Clasou insisted.

’Hmph!’ Lukay didn’t look moved in the slightest.

’What use is there in a reward if you are dead before you can spend it? Besides, why would I risk my life protecting four Aura Gods who insist on running into uncharted territory? If they have such a death wish, let them go by themselves.’

Clasou remained silent, allowing Lukay to vent.

Lukay snorted once more before continuing.

’Anyway, stop wasting my time. There is absolutely no way you can ever convince me to take this ridiculous task.’

—

A few hours later, back in the twins’ residence...

Rean smiled at the visitor.

”Thank you for having us, Senior Lukay.”

Lukay felt like crying...

’FUCK YOU, CLASOU!’