When the plot-skips players into the game world

"What should I do?"

Yulia asked obediently, in a soft voice.

Even after hearing Aiwass was going to extract the Phantom Demon from inside her, she didn't think Aiwass wanted to kill her—despite the fact that, according to current technical knowledge, it was impossible to extract a Phantom Demon without endangering the host.

It wasn't that Yulia believed Aiwass genuinely possessed such a technique.

Rather, Yulia sincerely believed that Aiwass would never harm her, no matter what.

They had grown up together since childhood, relying on each other in the most difficult and lonely moments, and had never been apart since. Although they were not related by blood, their mutual trust was even stronger than that of most families.

"Take out that amulet, Yuli."

Aiwass took the still-warm amulet and smiled at Yulia, asking, "Aren't you quite curious about what's really inside?"

"I think it might be the Flame Spirit."

Yulia analyzed seriously, "Judging by the amulet's thickness, the stability of its temperature, and its heat retention, its main material should be a Flame Spirit that has been soaked in fire-attributed mana.

"It vaguely gives off a spicy sensation, so the maintaining materials might also include ginger or cinnabar; but after accumulating heat, it does not feel scalding to the touch, so there should be ruby or amber as stabilizing materials, or perhaps there is the addition of sapphire to provide a calming effect."

The girl's voice was soft and sweet, like a fairy tale, but her words were calm and rational.

"You are a genius, Yuli."

Aiwass praised her without stint.

With just a touch, she could roughly deduce the materials he had used.

Aiwass wasn't surprised. He knew that Yulia was just such a rational and mature girl.

Although she always acted soft and cuddly in front of him, it was just her being coquettish.

He had seen Yulia studying. She would earnestly use pens of different colors, writing down dense study notes in neat and elegant handwriting.

And when Yulia consulted her foster father with some questions, she was always very serious. She would earnestly discuss professional topics, her delicate little face always stern, and the pen in her hand almost never stopped.

There were hardly any toys in Yulia's bedroom.

The girls of this era were very fond of dollhouses and liked to fiddle with those delicate dolls. But Yulia's toys only included a strange little bear plush that looked like it had been cut in half from the front by a knife and then sewn up with thread.

Aside from a large number of books and study notes, Yulia's bedroom contained things that not even boys her age might be interested in.

Besides a complete set of the best alchemy equipment, her bedroom also housed an astronomical telescope, a large number of electronic components, and some woodworking tools. Yulia carved her own bookshelves, which were also engraved with intricate patterns.

She used to be interested in bicycles. But her body didn't support her riding a bike or going out. Moreover, her status as a young lady didn't permit her to play with uncouth, modern toys like bicycles.

So after doing her own research, Yulia made an Elven Style bicycle model from wood and chains. If the pedals were turned by hand, the wheels held up in the frame could even spin.

"After today, you'll be able to leave this body behind."

Aiwass said seriously as he pulled out two Tarot Cards that seemed blank on one side due to being stuck together face-to-face.

He held one of the cards between his right thumb and index finger, positioning the thumb on his side—keeping the upright Hanged Man on top and the reversed Sun on the bottom—and gestured for Yulia to do the same on the other side with her right thumb and index finger.

It was about to begin.

Aiwass took a deep breath. He couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

After all, this matter related to Yulia's safety. She completely trusted Aiwass, so she was calm. It was Aiwass who was somewhat uneasy.

But he knew he had to stay calm.

So he began to steadily pour his own mana inside.

Once Aiwass's mana input exceeded ten points, the whole card became burning hot. It radiated a red glow, like a red-hot iron bar.

And as Aiwass continued to pour fire-property mana, the Tarot Card that was still a mundane object was completely incinerated by the flames.

Yet even so, there seemed to be an invisible rope pulling between Aiwass and Yulia. They were pinching something in the void, and a golden-red stream of light flowed back and forth between them, swaying from side to side.

As Aiwass further poured his mana, he began chanting in a low voice, "I beseech the Candle Master, the God of the sacred number three, The God of Thorns Bound, The God Who Burns Body and Pursues Darkness.

"—I solemnly call upon you!

"Please look after the fire in my heart, as you would watch over the candle flame in the corner of the wall."

And Aiwass's chant didn't end there.

"I earnestly request the Fallen Celestial Marshal."

Aiwass immediately raised his voice without pause, solemnly declaring, "The Celestial Marshal of great sin, the fallen Celestial Marshal—

"I have recognized my sins, and I am willing to bear the brand of sloth!"

When Aiwass conducted dual prayers aimed at completely different targets at the same time, the ritual-casting collapsed directly due to the conflict.

The Great Sin Scholar most likely won't be a Priest, thus they don't hold Prayer Arts.

Because the moment the ritual was constructed, a presence was already felt connecting—and because the ritual collapsed as soon as it connected, it wouldn't disturb the Nine Pillar Gods or the Fallen Celestial Marshal.

It was like a phone call that was just dialed but disconnected before it went through.

At the instant the prayer collapsed, the two completely distinct auras that were caused by the failed prayer surged into his cards.

Theoretically, that was a punishment.

But punishment itself is a form of strength.

——The Great Sin Ritual is the ceremony that simultaneously borrows the power of the Nine Pillar Gods to suppress the Phantom Demon and harnesses the power of the Great Sin to seal it away!

The Candle Master's brilliant and burning breath flowed from above, entering Aiwass's body through his eyes. His eyes suddenly ruptured, bleeding, and two streams of bloody tears slowly slid down.

And with Aiwass as the medium, the deep red breath flowed into the space above the ethereal bond between Aiwass and Yulia, following his lead.

The cold, pitch-black breath of the Fallen Celestial Marshal slowly rose, guided by Aiwass to the bottom of the bond—forming a tray.

The black and red breaths intertwined, continuously adjusting frequency. An increasingly wild and scorching storm howled out in all directions, causing Lily to instinctively step back repeatedly, shielding her cheeks with her hands.

And as Aiwass continuously infused his mana into the void slowly, the Phantom Demon within Yulia finally awoke.

Her inherently red pupils suddenly brightened, her expression changing, "What are you doing?"

The Defiant Flame Butterfly sensed a strong threat.

A powerful suction came from the void where their fingertips opposed each other, a very familiar yet incredibly warm sensation.

"Yulia" seemed as if she wanted to glare fiercely at Aiwass, yet she didn't look menacing at all at this moment.

However, Aiwass was just staring at it emotionlessly.

Soon, "Yulia's" expression turned pitiful, "Save me, brother, I'm going to die——"

"You won't die. Neither you nor Yulia will."

Aiwass replied softly.

Then, he called the name of the Phantom Demon, "Defiant Flame Butterfly!

"I now call your name and bestow upon you the brand of sloth!

"My life is your life, my fate is your fate——

"——Obey me, Phantom Demon of the path of dedication!"

Aiwass's voice boomed, authoritative like a deity.

The breath of the Fallen Celestial Marshal moved slowly from between them, pushing towards Yulia.

It was merely a bridge built of a hint of dark mana, yet it was enough to connect their spirits.

A deep red illusionary chain emerged from Aiwass's heart, quickly piercing into Yulia's body.

It was a chain constructed from Aiwass's "soul" and "fate," the extremely fragile substance of Aiwass's entire life experiences condensed.

Only this substance... after being driven into the body of the Phantom Demon, could resonate with it.

The moment it happened, Aiwass's vision went dark.

He seemed to experience an illusion, or obtained a part of Yulia's memories.

Or rather, those were the memories left behind by the "Defiant Flame Butterfly" when it controlled Yulia's body—

Most of which showed Yulia gasping for breath, curled up in a corner and coughing. Her clothes and blankets gradually charred to blackness, her body steaming with white smoke.

Some memories depicted her body uncontrollably bursting into flames with the vague outline of butterfly wings formed from the blaze behind her.

And Aiwass also saw the familiar "warehouse."

That was the warehouse where an explosion had occurred.

Yulia staggered forward, her body covered in cracks like a fractured porcelain, coughing violently, expelling large clumps of dark red powder.

And those powders floating in the air, like the scales of butterflies or fragments of rubies.

They were like red stars filling the night sky, strikingly beautiful against the pitch-black warehouse.

They continuously absorbed the flames gushing from the cracks on Yulia's body, becoming even brighter.

When their density and brightness reached a certain level, they exploded with a boom!

Yulia was blown away by the blast wave, falling to the ground.

She curled up on the floor in pain, coughing violently. But she couldn't cough up blood—only red powder and occasional flashes of flame.

Yulia's suppressed coughs filled Aiwass's ears.

"I want... to be healthy..."

Her voice, weighed down, resonated softly, "I want to live..."

And the next moment, Aiwass's vision plunged into darkness.

In the absolute dark, Yulia lay curled up, naked and asleep within a deep red crystal.

The crystal shell, seemingly filled with blood, was now covered in cracks. It bore silver-white runes, clinging to the crystal like tape desperately trying to fix a broken vessel.

Yulia, with eyes closed, floated within the crystal. Her body was marred with fierce wounds, and blood seemed to flow from them to quench the flames that surged out of the wounds.

So this was her suffering...

"I've come to save you."

Aiwass felt a stir in his heart, murmuring softly, "I've made it in time... Yuli.

"You will survive. I swear."

Aiwass, floating in the void, slowly raised his ethereal hand and gently placed it on the red crystal.