stjorthotic Chapter 2 First Encounter with the Sea of the Spirit: Madness and Redemption
Chapter 2 First Encounter with the Sea of the Spirit: Madness and Redemption
Dozens of meters from the battlefield, on a towering ancient tree, a figure was hidden among the dense branches and leaves, blending perfectly into the shadows.
"Shadow One" is a top assassin sent by the Assassin's Temple to secretly protect and record Cai'er's trials.
At this moment, the eyes of this eighth-tier expert, who had seen countless life and death, were contracting violently beneath his mask.
Just now, at the moment when Cai'er's life hung by a thread, the dagger in his hand was already drawn.
After all, this is just a trial. No matter how ruthless the higher-ups are, they would never allow the Holy Maiden of Reincarnation to die at the hands of a few lowly wolf demons.
However, he abruptly stopped moving.
Because he saw a miracle.
Looking down at the corpses of the werewolves scattered on the ground, and the marks from each cut that precisely pierced vital points, Shadow One took a deep breath.
"To unleash such terrifying potential in dire straits, and even to gain a deeper understanding of the true meaning of killing... truly worthy of being called the Saintess of Reincarnation, a born queen of assassins!"
There was no sympathy or pity in his eyes for a seven-year-old girl suffering such torment; there was only fervor and awe for that extraordinary talent.
Assassins don't need emotions.
……
Below, as the last bit of spiritual energy was completely drained by Bai Ye, the mysterious power that had enabled Cai'er to dominate the battlefield receded like a tide.
The girl's frail body suddenly went limp, and she couldn't even hold onto the dagger, which fell to the ground with a clatter.
She didn't even have time to glance at the pools of blood around her before her vision went black and she fainted in the mud.
The real world fell silent, but in Cai'er's spiritual sea, a storm was brewing.
This is a strange, gray space.
Cai'er's consciousness refocused here. Like a frightened young animal, she was tense and wary, staring ahead.
At the end of her line of sight stood a handsome young man.
He looked to be no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, with soft black hair casually falling down, and gentle, handsome features, like a friendly older brother next door with no aggression.
However, when Cai'er met his eyes, her soul trembled violently.
What kind of eyes were those? Deep and lifeless, as if they contained endless death and reincarnation; a single glance could drag a person's soul into the abyss.
"Where is this? And who are you?!" Cai'er instinctively took a step back and questioned sharply.
She was stunned as soon as she finished speaking.
I... I can speak now?!
You must know that she is going through the excruciating "Six Paths of Reincarnation" trial, and as the Reincarnation Spirit Furnace backfires, she will gradually lose her six senses.
What she has lost at this stage is her sense of taste, and her vocal cords are also blocked, making it impossible for her to make any sound! But now, her voice is so clear.
Seeing her shocked expression, the young man remained calm and spoke slowly in a voice that was somewhat weak yet dignified:
"This is your spiritual sea. And I am Death."
grim Reaper.
These two words were like a rusty iron hammer, striking Cai'er's most vulnerable nerves.
At first, she was shocked, her eyes widening in disbelief. Then, her clear eyes were instantly consumed by intense resentment and madness.
"Death? You're Death?!"
The icy girl who had remained unfazed even when facing the werewolf demon's blade had now completely broken down.
Like a madwoman, she lunged at Bai Ye recklessly, waving her small fists and roaring at the top of her lungs.
"You are the root of all my suffering!!!"
She hates it!
What utter nonsense about reincarnation and inheritance, what kind of favor from the Grim Reaper!
When she was three years old, her nightmare began after she was diagnosed with an innate spiritual power of over ninety and awakened the so-called "Saintess of Reincarnation" physique.
In order to fuse that damned Sword of Reincarnation and the Furnace of Reincarnation, she was taken away from her parents' embrace by her great-grandfather and thrown into a dark and sunless cave.
She lost her childhood, lost her family, struggled in excruciating pain every day, and was even losing her sense of the world one by one!
"Give me back my mom and dad! Give me back my happiness! You big bad guy! You devil! Go to hell!!!"
Cai'er cried and screamed while hitting Bai Ye with all her might.
Although it was only a collision of spiritual entities and could not cause any substantial harm, Bai Ye truly felt that chilling killing intent.
This seven-year-old girl could only utter limited words like "bad guy" and "devil" over and over again, but if given a knife that could wound her soul, Bai Ye had no doubt that she would immediately plunge it into her own heart.
Bai Ye neither dodged nor resisted.
He just stood there quietly, letting Cai'er vent the grievances and despair that had been building up for four years.
Only when Cai'er's voice was hoarse from crying, her strength exhausted, and she collapsed to the ground, unable to utter another word, did Bai Ye sigh softly and speak:
"The 'Grim Reaper' you speak of as the source of your suffering is not the same person as me."
Cai'er suddenly raised her head, her tear-streaked face filled with wariness and mockery. She stared at him intently, her eyes clearly saying: Do you think I'm a three-year-old?
Bai Ye gave a bitter laugh, a trace of vicissitude and coldness flashing in his eyes that held the promise of death.
"I was once the true Grim Reaper. But in a world-destroying war long ago, I was severely injured and my divine body was shattered. A despicable false god seized the opportunity to steal my authority and impersonate my name. The incomplete, distorted 'reincarnation' you are enduring, which requires self-harm to gain power, is a deformed product created by that false god."
Bai Ye paused, looked at Cai'er, and said with a hint of helplessness, "Right now, I only have a wisp of divine consciousness left. I can barely survive by relying on your spiritual sea. Simply put, if you die, I will also be reduced to ashes."
Upon hearing this, a morbid light suddenly burst forth in Cai'er's previously empty and lifeless eyes.
If I die, will you die too?
Is there really such a good thing?!
Almost instinctively, Cai'er's consciousness fluctuated violently. She actually wanted to forcibly sever the connection with the sea of consciousness, return to reality, control her body, and stab herself in the neck!
As long as I can kill this guy in front of me, whether he's a real Grim Reaper or not, as long as I can end this painful fate, what does it matter if we perish together!
"Holy crap, are you crazy?!"
Bai Ye was startled, his composed demeanor almost crumbling. He never imagined this little girl could be so fiercely independent—a classic example of an antisocial, self-destructive personality!
He quickly mobilized his remaining spiritual power, grabbed Cai'er's shoulder, and forcibly suppressed her suicidal thoughts.
"Calm down! If you die now, it will only make that false god who stole power and cursed the cycle of reincarnation laugh out loud from his throne!" Bai Ye shouted sharply, then his tone quickly softened, carrying a hint of seduction, "We have a common enemy, and we should join forces. Are you willing to die such a cowardly death?"
Cai'er stopped struggling, but still stared at him coldly like a little hedgehog with its sharp quills raised.
I will help you.
Bai Ye gazed into her eyes, enunciating each word with utmost solemnity, making the most earnest promise: "I will teach you the true power of the Grim Reaper. I will make you strong, strong enough to kill a god! Strong enough to drag that false god who brought you all your suffering down from his throne and trample him underfoot!"
The boy's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable, absolute confidence that resonated in the hazy sea of his mind.
Cai'er was stunned.
She looked at the boy who called himself the Grim Reaper, and at the sincerity in his deep eyes.
Having lived in a cold hell for so long, she felt something called "protection" and "hope" for the first time.
Bai Ye slowly crouched down, reached out, and gently touched Cai'er's disheveled hair. He soothed her softly, "Live on, live for yourself. I promise, it will never hurt so much again."
Feeling the illusory yet warm touch from above her head, Cai'er's tense body finally relaxed little by little.
She was, after all, just a seven-year-old girl. After experiencing extreme despair, this sudden tenderness became her only lifeline.
Seeing that the will to die in Cai'er's eyes had finally dissipated and she obediently lowered her head, Bai Ye breathed a long sigh of relief.
Phew... I finally managed to save my life, along with my own.