As You Wish

Listening to Mr. Black Spider's gloating laughter, Lynch finally understood why he had been so cooperative in answering their questions.

A choice between two bad options.

It was a cruel attempt to crush their spirits, utterly malicious.

Lynch slammed the picture frame face-down, but amid the muffled laughter, his face grew somber.

Miss Valente stood dazed on the spot, her eyes staring blankly at Lynch. After a long while, she murmured, “It really... is possible. Judging by the rules of the occult world, what he said aligns with occult knowledge and is internally consistent.”

Lynch had not actually doubted the truth of the method. Twenty years ago, Charles had battled evil god avatars twice and was an expert in archaeology, with occult knowledge far richer than both of theirs combined. Since Charles had endorsed this theory, the likelihood of it being fabricated was slim.

However, this meant that one of them had to offer themselves to the evil god, only to be killed by their companion in the end, while the other would have to bear the guilt of killing their teammate in order to survive.

Damn it. Should they choose? How could they choose?

“The more I analyze it, the more feasible I find this method,” Miss Valente explained solemnly, as if seeing the hesitation in Lynch’s mind. “And that’s often how it is in the occult world—every goal is accompanied by immense pain and sacrifice. Nothing can be gained without paying a price.”

“But this isn’t just about the two of us. This is a major matter that will affect all of Lande, perhaps even half of Middle Earth. We must study this carefully before deciding.”

“No, we don’t have that much time. Don’t forget we’re right next to the evil god’s avatar.” Miss Valente sighed and gave a helpless smile. “Perhaps you don’t feel it as strongly yet, but I can feel the corruption eroding my will more and more severely. I’m not sure how much longer I can hold out. So this method is our only life raft. We have no choice, Mr. Levive.”

Yes, I know that too. A choice must be made.

Heh, I've only known this woman for two days. Besides, this had nothing to do with me in the first place—it's the business of the people of this world. Naturally, she should be the one to sacrifice herself. And I am someone who walks the path of immortality, destined to become a supreme existence in the future. My life is so precious; how could she possibly compare to me? I can only apologize to her.

His mind made up, Lynch shook his head solemnly and said, “Still, I don’t think this method is feasible.”

“Why?”

Lynch said with a somber expression, “We don’t know how to attract the evil god’s avatar into our bodies. Even if he offered a method, I wouldn’t dare trust it—it’s far too easy to tamper with. So this method is meaningless. We should still...”

“It is meaningful—because I know how, Mr. Levive.”

“Hmm?”

“A mortal entity holds a strong attraction for a will from the Dreamlands, so as long as...” Miss Valente’s voice suddenly halted. She looked at Lynch with a strange gaze, whether angry or touched, red veins showing slightly in her eyes. With a faint nasal tinge, she chided, “You’re too much! To use such a despicable... trick on me again.”

Lynch’s expression became a little subtle.

“You wanted to pry out the specific method, trick me, and then take on the burden of becoming the vessel yourself, giving me no chance to choose, didn't you?” Miss Valente gripped her folding fan as if about to hit him with it, yet she looked deeply moved. She whispered, “But you lack sincerity. You used the exact same trick to fool me less than ten minutes ago. How could I fall for it again?”

Tsk, how did this girl suddenly get smart at such a crucial moment?

His true intention exposed, Lynch could only sigh. Although his rational side had laid everything out clearly, his emotional side refused to listen. Forcing himself to let this girl rush forward to become a vessel in exchange for a chance to destroy the evil god was something Lynch simply couldn't bring himself to do. He would rather be the one doing it; otherwise, he would spend the rest of his life living in self-reproach.

“Heh, Mr. Levive, you really are a good person.”

Why was she insulting him again?

“Truly, I am so grateful to you. You accompanied me on this adventure, helped me delve deep, and even wanted to die in my place. Honestly, this has already far exceeded my expectations. I never thought I could make it this far, let alone have a real chance to destroy the evil god’s avatar and throw off the thousand-year shackle of the Valente family. You cannot imagine how deep my gratitude is.”

Miss Valente spoke softly, then suddenly took a few steps forward and gently hugged Lynch. Lynch instantly froze, completely at a loss. He could feel this noble lady’s body trembling slightly, clearly terrified as well. This softened his heart, and he reached out to pat her trembling back.

“Actually, I’m terrified. I can’t stop shaking. I don’t want to die at all—I haven't seen enough of this fascinating world.” Miss Valente’s voice choked slightly as she whispered, “But someone has to do these things. As a noble, protecting my people is my duty. Besides, I am human. I must never bow my head before an evil god. I’ll make these damned evil gods see that mortals have courage too.”

“Miss Valente...”

“Call me Diana.”

Lynch sighed. “Alright, Miss Diana.”

Miss Valente pulled Lynch’s collar with both hands to bring his head down, whispering in his ear, “Mr. Detective, listen to me. I’m not impulsively throwing my life away. I believe the method he provided is real, but the vibe he gives me still makes me very uneasy. I feel like he has another scheme.”

Lynch nodded silently; he felt the exact same way.

“Since we can’t guess his scheme, we can only take action to force the follow-up plot into the open. But once it’s exposed, I might not be able to handle it myself. I believe you can, though—you’re far more treacherous... intelligent than me. Besides, you said from the very beginning that you had a way to deal with the evil god’s avatar, whereas I have no confidence in that. So I can only leave the hardest task to you. I hope you can forgive me for slacking off.”

“I understand. Then let us each do our part.” Uncapable of refuting her logic and knowing it was nearly impossible to change her mind, Lynch patted the noble lady’s back once more. “Some things are hard to explain, but trust me—don’t give up hope. I have a few ideas right now. Though success isn’t guaranteed, I promise you that as long as there is even a sliver of a chance, I will do my utmost to pull you back from death.”

“Mm, I trust you, Lynch.”

Miss Valente hugged Lynch tightly with both arms, then slipped off her bracelet and shoved it into Lynch’s hands along with her folding fan. Gritting her teeth, she turned and walked toward the canyon and the orb of light.

‘My idea should have a chance, right, neighbor?’

【Not doubting me anymore?】

‘Why are you gods throwing tantrums and holding grudges just like human women? Fine, although you are indeed very suspicious, every word from Mr. Black Spider has an utterly malicious intent and extreme aggression. With a guy like that, there’s no need to analyze whether his words are true or what his motives are—the right approach is simply not to believe anything he says. Besides, I wasn't planning on hiding anything from you, right?’

【Mm. It's hard to say how big the chance of saving her is, but it is indeed possible. It depends on how you handle it.】

Lynch nodded and followed Miss Valente, walking all the way to the edge of the canyon's cliff, facing the icy avatar of the evil god at close range.

Miss Valente spread her arms and glanced back at Lynch. Then, facing the orb of light, she closed her eyes. It was unclear what she did, but a few minutes later, a mist-condensed tentacle reached toward her body and tightly wrapped around her.

Lynch's heart leaped into his throat. Gripping his cane tightly, he stared at Miss Valente's condition, watching as more and more tentacles reached out, wrapping her up almost air-tight.

In the next instant, green light flashed, and the massive orb of light vanished abruptly. Miss Valente’s body took its place, emanating green mist and eerie light. When she turned her head, her eyes glowed with an eerie green light, carrying an indescribable wickedness.

Right now.

Knowing there was no time for hesitation, Lynch hardened his heart, raised his cane, and thrust it toward Miss Valente’s chest.

Pfft.

The cane, along with his arm, passed straight through Miss Valente’s body without encountering any resistance.

“Hehehe... Congratulations, Mr. Lynch Levive. You and her have finally succeeded in awakening Mordiggian,” came Mr. Black Spider’s voice from the picture frame.

“You tricked us?” Lynch pulled back his weapon, narrowing his eyes as he asked.

“The Shadow Alliance never falsifies information. However, if a client misinterprets it, that is not our responsibility.” Mr. Black Spider let out a sinister laugh. “Every word was the truth. As long as you can destroy the vessel, you can naturally destroy the evil god’s avatar. But what a pity! She has now fused with the deity’s avatar, becoming equivalent to a divine avatar in the mortal world. No mortal can touch a god. So as for how to destroy the vessel, you’ll have to figure that out yourself, Mr. Levive—otherwise, you can only watch as Mordiggian descends upon the mortal world.”

“So this was your true goal all along.” Remembering how he had been schemed against during their recent encounters, Lynch realized this person’s identity was far from simple. It was very likely that he represented a certain major god—perhaps even someone in a similar yet hostile situation to his own, which was why he understood Lynch's circumstances so well. What a headache. Were the gods planning to awaken all at once lately? Lynch gritted his teeth and asked, “So, targeting me at every turn... which deity stands behind you? Do we have a grudge?”

“Heh... sharp reaction. Unfortunately, realizing it now is already too late.” Mr. Black Spider dodged the question.

“So this is an unwinnable trap you laid out for me?”

“While it wasn’t crafted specifically for you, I’m afraid it is an unwinnable deadlock. Only a deity’s supreme will can contend with another deity. And even as the host of the thirteenth, you cannot possess a supreme will before becoming supreme yourself, so I can only apologize.” Mr. Black Spider said mockingly, “So give up, Mr. Levive. Your good luck has run out. Unless you become supreme right now, or some unfallen supreme entity descends, everything is already set in stone.”

“Alright then... as you wish.”