When the plot-skips players into the game world

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To prevent Yulia from being awakened by her maidservant, Aiwass let her sleep in his own room after healing her, allowing her to get a full rest.

He had expended a whole fourteen points of light attribute mana just to bring Yulia's body back to a healthy level in one go.

Keep in mind that when she had a persistent fever before, it only cost him two points of mana. This showed that her current state wasn't very good.

Although the current state of Yulia could be considered the health of a normal human, her body had become accustomed to the low-temperature slow roast of the past dozen years or so. Losing the heat source abruptly, returning to normal would actually make her somewhat maladjusted.

By now, once she wakes up from her sleep, she should be almost there. Although her body will still need time to slowly adapt and adjust back... during this period, the mana Aiwass left within her would act as a soothing, healing, and pain-relieving effect.

This treatment could last for about half a week, and the next week Aiwass would heal her again... At most after two treatments, Yulia would be able to bounce around, completely indistinguishable from a normal person.

"How is it, my demon?"

As he watched Lily tending to Yulia and putting her to sleep, Aiwass looked down at the Shadow Demon with a smile: "I told you, didn't I? I wanted to show you my strength."

"You are so wise, great, and erudite..."

The Shadow Demon wasn't stingy with its flattery, immediately responding: "I tremble before your transcendent soul."

It was telling the truth.

As a demon, it didn't care where Aiwass had gotten such forbidden knowledge. The Shadow Demon was only looking forward to Aiwass's future... as well as feeling a subtle unease about its own future, which seemed to have been determined already.

It was undoubtedly a proper demon, a Phantom Demon of The Path of Transcendence.

When Aiwass revealed such clear traits of transcendence, it was so excited that it trembled all over. Manifesting outwardly, the shadow beneath Aiwass was currently trembling and slowly writhing.

Although Aiwass's goal was to save Yulia, this was not the kind of repetitive labor called "redemption" that demons scorned.

But rather, it was reversing what was supposed to be an inevitable fate!

The hatching of the Phantom Demon Egg was irreversible and unbreakable. Considering that the newborn Phantom Demon would have the personality and memory of the host and would forget their previous experiences, it could also be seen from another perspective as the hosts themselves shedding their shells and ascending into the Dream Realm in the form of a phantom demon.

Therefore, interrupting the hatching process of the Phantom Demon Egg was equivalent to directly changing fate and breaking the world's rules of rebirth after the death of a phantom demon.

And it was done using the audacious method of desecrating the Fallen Celestial Marshal!

"As a demon... You should be aware of the Fallen Celestial Marshal, right?"

Aiwass asked with a light laugh.

"Indeed."

The Shadow Demon answered: "Although I was resurrected from a Phantom Demon Egg, in my previous life, I was also directly transformed by the Fallen Celestial Marshal himself."

Or rather, all demons should be familiar with the Fallen Celestial Marshal, as he is the highest tier of demons. He is also the origin of the "demon" species of phantom demons.

The "Mark of Sin" itself is a power and a mark bestowed upon demons by the Fallen Celestial Marshal, and the demons who are branded with the Mark of Sin evolve to the next stage; humans might also be secretly branded by the Fallen Celestial Marshal, so that upon death, they would become different types of demons. This is the most common and the original birthing method of demons.

For example, "Shadow Demons," who were once nobles who fell from high places, or upright people who were betrayed and framed. Because of their own experiences, they fell from grace, filled with hatred, and were determined to drag others down with them into the abyss for revenge.

They are marked by the Fallen Celestial Marshal with the sin of "wrath," and granted the power of shadows. In return, once they die, they turn into formless Shadow Demons, never to see the light again.

"Do you understand now?"

Aiwass nonchalantly took out a red card and smiled, "The first is the Defiant Flame Butterfly, followed by you."

"...Of course, I understand,"

The Shadow Demon, in the stolen voice of Croix, said pleadingly: "My respected master... even if you do not seal me into that tiny card, I will still obey all your commands."

Because the Shadow Demon was a Ritualist itself.

It took one look and understood Aiwass's ritual.

Aiwass first requested the blessing of the Nine Pillar Gods to ensure he wouldn't draw the Fallen Celestial Marshal's attention.

After deceiving the Mark of Sin, with the protection of the Nine Pillar Gods to ensure it wouldn't directly fall upon him immediately, the ritual confounded the target with the fate linked to the phantom demon, and he directly reversed it onto the phantom demon.

As long as the phantom demon didn't resist during this phase and was successfully branded... then the power of the Mark of Sin would be sufficient to override the ritual's judgment of the opponent's intrinsic path characteristics.

Those phantom demons originally belonging to other paths would then be considered by the ritual to be "phantom demons with adaptability to the path of Transcendence." As potential demons, they would be sealed by the ritual of the Path of Transcendence, pressed into cards that matched their power.

——And it was Aiwass himself who personally inquired from the Angel Envoy of the Candle Master which cards were suitable to seal the phantom demons of the Path of Dedication.

This was daring!

Although phantom demons cannot be killed, they can be sealed. And sealing demons is one of the most common and stable rituals.

To seal a demon into a crystal ball, mirror, tarot card, or other mediums to create cursed objects, and then gift them to others, is a frequent method of assassination used by demon scholars. It could also be employed to "forcefully part ways" with a demon they could no longer control.

Phantom demons will not die and thus will not be transformed into demons by the Mark of Sin.

So they will always carry this Mark of Sin, forever judged by the ritual as "potential demons." They will be securely sealed into tarot cards as the Great Sin Beasts.

At least the Shadow Demon itself couldn't find a way to break this seal from within.

The notion of the ritual belongs to the Fallen Celestial Marshal, and its core power comes from the Fallen Celestial Marshal—that is to say, Aiwass used the symbol of the Fallen Celestial Marshal, the ritual of the Fallen Celestial Marshal, to deceive the power of the Fallen Celestial Marshal himself.

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Without a doubt, this was an entirely new ritual!

It had never appeared in this world and was developed by its master, Aiwass!

If Aiwass had the slightest misunderstanding concerning the Fallen Celestial Marshal or the ritual itself, it could possibly incite the wrath of the Fallen Marshal; he might also choose the wrong Tarot Cards, leading to an inability to seal, or significantly weakening after the seal; there was even the possibility of attracting the Mark of Sin, but not being compatible, thus getting it branded onto himself.

One wrong step could mean destruction. Yet, he succeeded.

A person's fate could bear no more than six Marks of Sin, which meant Aiwass could still acquire five more such "Great Sin Beasts."

And all Aiwass did was for the salvation of a mortal, fleeting and fragile.

Even for an adopted sister with no blood relation to himself.

Aiwass had even previously told the Shadow Demon that his goal was to kill the Fallen Celestial Marshal.

The strongest aspect of this ritual was that even if the Fallen Celestial Marshal were killed, the seal would not be undone. Just as the fall of the Fallen Celestial Marshal would not lead to the extinction of demons... And if the Fallen Celestial Marshal were to fall, the ritual would only become simpler. For then, one would no longer need to beseech the Fallen Celestial Marshal for the Mark of Sin but could directly take the unclaimed power from the Dream Realm through the ritual.

Aiwass had even thought ahead to this step!

As a mortal with a short lifespan, no transcendent bloodline, and devoid of any divine power, he had conceived the ritual to steal from the Nine Pillar Gods and the Fallen Celestial Marshal at the first energy level and hoped to use the power of the Fallen Celestial Marshal to overcome It himself.

He even had the strength to spare in laying out an escape route for himself, to prevent the ritual based on the Fallen Celestial Marshal's power from becoming ineffective after Its fall.

As a mere mortal, yet being able to see so far ahead.

—How arrogantly ambitious and truly "Transcendent"!

From this perspective, the Shadow Demon actually felt no reluctance in linking its fate with that of Aiwass.

It grew more and more eager to follow Aiwass and see just how far he could go.

How far could Aiwass go?

To leave behind a legendary history? To become a renowned hero? An immortal Angel Envoy? A Celestial Marshal who is a candidate for a Pillar God?

...Or perhaps, among the Nine Pillar Gods?

The protagonist of the last era was Arthur.

The next one, could it be Aiwass?

But now, it was Aiwass's personal contract demon, in a relationship unique and inseparable with Aiwass. Yet, if it were to become one of his Great Sin Beasts, it would only be one-sixth of Aiwass, and the contract would end. Perhaps after defeating a mightier demon, Aiwass might expel it from the card and replace it with a more powerful one.

Besides, the Shadow Demon was somewhat afraid of that card.

Although Aiwass had currently reduced its activity by "not linking with the earth," the Shadow Demon could still always peek at the outside world, at least not getting too bored. But if it were sealed to such an extent... If it found itself trapped in that tiny card, wouldn't it be like being in a dark prison?

It would go mad.

Especially when such exciting things were happening outside and it couldn't see any of them!

"Alright, don't be afraid. Even if I decide to seal you, that would be a long way off... If you keep being this well-behaved, maybe I'll seal you last?"

Aiwass soothed the Shadow Demon in a low voice.

He smiled, like a compassionate Priest. His voice was tender and sweet.

He drew a new silver Ritual Dagger, expertly flicking it to create a flourish.

This was prepared specifically for the Shadow Demon by Aiwass, its very own "dinner plate."

"How about I feed you something first, okay?"

As Aiwass spoke, he skillfully lit candles and pulled out the Ritual Dagger, slowly applying essential oils to it.

Watching this, the Shadow Demon became so excited that it melted.

The desire to "become stronger" from Transcendence made it forget all previous worries and wariness, with its thought focused on tasting Aiwass's holy Dedication.

It coiled around Aiwass's legs, extending all the way to his elbows.

Looking at the Shadow Demon, Aiwass was reminded of a pet dog he had in a past life.

When he prepared dinner, it would stand like that, excitedly pawing at the table with its little claws.

"Although I haven't fed you in a long while, don't rush..."

The corners of Aiwass's mouth couldn't help but reveal a sincere smile.

"[I offer my blood, my bones, my flesh]."

Aiwass spoke soothingly, slowly gripping the silver Ritual Dagger that had just grazed over the candlelight, enduring the intense pain as he allowed the Ritual Dagger to slowly cut into his bones and his blood to seep out slowly, dropping into the pool of shadows: "Feast in silence...

"[—This is the sacred meal, this is the mercy]."

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