“That guy... he should be dead for good this time, right?”
During the break while Po Kong-Mars was being treated, Starlight’s gaze fell upon Taros’s massive, fallen form as he spoke softly.
“He should be. I can no longer sense any power within that body through mana perception. Fortunately, His resurrection was rushed... otherwise, we would have been in grave danger. Thank you again for your help, Mr. Starlight.”
Moen finally breathed a sigh of relief, turning around with a smile. Her eyes, as clear as a spring, happened to meet Starlight’s gaze.
Caught in the sudden eye contact, Starlight couldn’t help but blush. Fortunately, the dim light of the underground helped hide his embarrassment.
He didn't know what to say at that moment. After thinking for a long time, he finally reached into his pocket, fumbled for something, and held it out.
Moen looked down with interest and saw the crescent-shaped hair ornament she had given him resting quietly in Starlight’s palm.
“Um... I’ve been thinking about returning this to you when we met again... but it might have gotten a bit bent during the battle just now... I'm sorry...” Seeing that Moen didn't reach out to take it, Starlight scratched his head and stammered.
Looking at the boy's endearing clumsiness, Moen couldn't help but chuckle.
“Oh, you mean this? I was planning to ask about it after we paid you back. Besides, we owe it all to the two of you this time. In the end, the favors we owe are only piling up~”
“Is that so? Then...”
Just as Starlight was wondering how to continue, he noticed the expression on Moen’s face suddenly change.
Her face turned deathly pale, and a trace of terror appeared in her eyes. In the reflection of her pupils, Starlight could clearly see a pitch-black vortex silently emerging behind him.
“Little Star! Behind you!” Noah’s weak voice suddenly rang out in his mind.
“Could it be...! Watch out!” Starlight instinctively pushed Moen aside, then spun around to face the sudden vortex.
At the same time, Xia Duo saw the anomaly and prepared to rush forward.
But after a violent contraction, the vortex exploded with a bang. An invisible wave instantly enveloped the four people nearby.
This vortex was condensed from pure mental power. Without exceptionally strong soul perception, it was impossible to detect, which was why they were only noticing it now.
Po Kong-Mars, already severely injured, didn't even have time to react before his eyes rolled back and he was knocked unconscious. Moen and Xia Duo, their stamina nearly exhausted, also collapsed weakly to the ground.
Even Starlight, who possessed the strongest mental power among the four, only managed to hold on for a single moment longer under the overwhelming impact.
Looking at the black shadow slowly appearing before him, Starlight fell over with a look of frustration. His final thought was...
“Damn it, I was still too careless! That guy actually...”
The tsunami-like impact made the entire catacomb tremble. Even the ceilings, already precarious from the erosion of dark elements, began to shake violently, showing signs of collapse.
At that moment, a slender and gloomy black figure, resembling a venomous snake, quietly appeared beside the four of them. It lowered its head, scrutinizing the unconscious group.
“Hmph... do you really think a god is so easy to kill? It’s just a pity about most of my soul form and that body...”
Taros’s voice echoed eerily from the strange figure. Although He was still alive, He was also severely wounded.
“This place... is about to collapse. I won't be able to get out with just this remnant soul... It seems I have no choice but to find a new physical body.”
He looked up at the small stones falling from above, then turned His gaze back to the people lying on the ground.
“Hmm... that fellow’s golden power... what exactly is it? I’m curious... but it’s not suitable for me. Moreover, his soul power isn't enough... These two women... they reek of the Usurper... they won't do either...”
Taros’s shadow drifted among the four, speaking slowly as He gradually approached Starlight.
“Not bad... to be able to hold out for over a second in a Soul Blast before reaching the Saint Rank... his body also seems to have been trained... and there’s a strange scent... Yes... not bad!”
As He delved deeper into the investigation of Starlight’s body, Taros’s satisfaction grew. Although this human was still weak on some level, his overall quality was exceptional. As a new vessel, he was undoubtedly more than sufficient.
Thinking of this, Taros wrapped His soul form tightly around the unconscious Starlight and pressed His head against the boy's forehead.
As time passed, the black shadow slowly sank into Starlight’s body, finally vanishing completely from the hall.
Simultaneously, the magic formations on the surrounding walls lost their glow entirely, turning dull. The underground world was instantly swallowed by endless darkness.
At that moment, Taros’s soul form appeared within Starlight’s consciousness realm, staring blankly at a massive cube before Him.
The mountain-sized cube was a magnificent deep blue, with points of starlight flowing across it, as if an entire summer’s Milky Way were locked inside.
On the outskirts of the cube, a giant mesh screen woven from fine black and white threads was faintly visible. It was light and thin, almost impossible to detect without careful observation.
Taros looked at the scene in confusion. He was certain He had successfully infiltrated Starlight’s consciousness realm, but what on earth was this cube He had never seen before?
He cautiously approached the translucent net on the outside of the cube, reaching out with a part of His soul form to test it.
To His surprise, the net showed no reaction. It was indifferent to the touch of an outside object, and the gaps in it were large enough for His soul form to slip through.
After the failed probe, He gradually lowered His guard and drifted toward the deep blue cube, quickly arriving before it.
Upon closer inspection, the contents inside the cube were flowing slowly. Not only that, but many strange graphics He couldn't understand were constantly shifting.
Even with His knowledge as an Ancient God of Darkness and the memories of His previous body, He had never seen such graphics. However, He knew that if He didn't enter, He wouldn't be able to seize this human’s body.
“Time is running out. I can't afford to be indecisive here...” Taros shook His head and finally pressed His soul form against it.
Judging by the reaction from His soul form, He felt as if He had thrust His hand into a pool of freshly melted ice water. Though the cold was bone-chilling, there was no resistance, so He delved deeper.
Rate on N.U.
