Chapter 27: A Transaction?
Shaya’s calm words echoed in everyone’s ears. The once noisy and chaotic campus instantly fell into an eerie silence, with only the crackling sound of the surrounding fire pillars remaining. No one had expected Shaya to say such a thing, not even the arsonists of the Ash Cult. The tense, on-the-verge-of-exploding atmosphere had been perfectly set, and they had already prepared for a fierce battle – only to have the leader opposite them suddenly surrender. It was like a punch thrown with all might landing on cotton, leaving an indescribable discomfort.
The leader of the arsonists also froze for a few seconds before a trace of anger appeared on his ugly face, seemingly corroded by sulfuric acid, beneath his black robe. “Are you playing with me?” Even ants cling to life; who would willingly rush to their death? Even the most naive child in the Empire understood one principle: when facing an enemy, the only choice is to grip the weapon in their hand. The more one compromises, the more one abandons resistance, and the more one hopes for the opponent’s mercy and false promises, the faster they will perish. Moreover, the Ash Cult had nothing to do with mercy, and they themselves had never expected to deceive anyone with flowery words. He did not believe that Shaya, a senior student at Saint Roland Academy, would not understand this.
“You actually saw through my deception? Not simple.” Opposite him, Shaya raised an eyebrow in surprise. “It seems my previous judgment was correct; you are indeed different from ordinary arsonists. You are a high-spec arsonist who understands logic, a smart one.” For some reason, even though Shaya’s words were meant as praise, they sounded more jarring to the arsonist leader than the curses and roars of the other students. A glint of anger flashed in his eyes, and just as he was about to lash out, he saw Shaya press his hands together. “Alright, since you’re a smart person, I won’t hide anything anymore. Then, let’s make a deal.”
Shaya turned sideways and pointed to Diris nearby, her fair neck held by a sickle. He also gestured to the group of dust-covered civilian students behind her, trembling under the strict surveillance of the arsonists. “Lift the fire formation blockade and let them go free. In exchange, I will give up resistance and voluntarily enter the altar to become your sacrifice for the fire ritual.”
The leader of the arsonists glanced at the pathetic Diris beside him, then at Shaya. A flash of inspiration struck him, and a realization dawned upon him. So that’s how it is. This way, everything makes sense. Although Shaya and Aerora possessed the ability to forcefully attack the altar, even if they managed to break it and shatter the fire formation’s blockade, countless students were still confined. In such chaos, how many students could be rescued would be left to fate; saving half would be considered lucky. Especially this maiden named Diris, who was almost certainly doomed…
Now that he thought about it, although they were elite students of Saint Roland Academy, they were, after all, just impetuous youths. Still immature, living in the ivory tower of an extraordinary academy, they had never faced the cold and cruel reality of society, nor had they tasted the bitter wine of betrayal. Therefore, the other party still believed in the ethereal so-called love. They still held illusions about words concocted by bards like “salvation,” “sacrifice,” and “comrades,” dreaming of becoming heroes who could protect everyone and save everyone. In an instant, looking at Shaya, the arsonist leader’s mind was filled with countless associations. In Shaya, he seemed to see his own past. He saw the village youth who once dreamed of becoming a partner of justice, and he remembered the village girl named Cuihua at the village entrance.
But soon, the arsonist leader’s gaze turned cold again, dispelling all distractions. There was no such thing as love sworn to the sea; it was all sweet talk designed to manipulate human hearts. Only ashes and flames were the eternal and unchanging existences in this world. And if you want to be a hero, you have to see if you have the qualifications. The arsonist leader looked at Shaya and said hoarsely, “Exchanging just you for the lives of hundreds of them? What kind of joke are you playing…” But before he could finish, Shaya interrupted him mercilessly.
“You’re saying… I’m not worthy?” “I—” “Not worthy of exchanging these weaklings?” Before Shaya could finish speaking, the arsonist leader sensed that this young man, who had always seemed shrouded in mist and difficult to fathom, had suddenly removed his restrictions. The layers of mist vanished. His brilliant, blazing soul origin was exposed to the arsonist leader’s spiritual perception without any concealment. Instantly, the arsonist felt a sense of immense awe. It was like an ant facing a mountain… No, even that comparison felt too pale. It was like an ancient ape looking up at the sky for the first time and seeing the boundless star sea.
Before the arsonist leader could recover from his shock, he heard an urgent telepathic message from his own Prelate. “Quick, agree to him.” Outside the wall of fire, the Ash Cult Prelate, who rode a lava giant and had not spoken even when fighting two Fourth Ring Masters, finally made a sound for the first time. For a student not even reaching the Third Ring. As a High-rank Fourth Ring cultivator, whose spiritual power was strong enough to command a King Tier familiar, his spiritual perception was far clearer than that of his Third Ring subordinate. Although it was only a fleeting glimpse, in that instant, the Ash Prelate felt as if he had seen a shining star. Brilliant and scorching, yet so clear, deep, and mysterious.
This discovery made the Prelate’s hands tremble with excitement, and even his control over the lava giant beneath him faltered, allowing Lieutenant Colonel Sieg’s Earth Bear to seize the opportunity and unleash a combination of Earth element attacks. Large fragments of lava fell to the ground, burning huge pits, but he paid no attention. Although the essence of the Lord of Ashes was indeed somewhat insane, and the spirits of his subordinates in the Ash Cult were also somewhat abnormal – the fact that he developed the Ash Cult as a force indicated that the God of Ash indeed had needs for worldly interests. And among them, the greatest need was for intelligent souls. The more mysterious, the more powerful, the purer the soul… the higher its value as a fire offering.
That was why they went against the usual trend this time, not attacking remote areas, but directly targeting the unsuspecting Saint Roland Academy. This was because, compared to adults who had been weathered by life, or whose hands were stained with the smell of money by life, or whose souls were dusted by prolonged hardship – only the students in these ivory towers had purer souls. And in fact, the quality of the students at Saint Roland Academy had not disappointed the Prelate; the maiden who could form a contract with a pure white unicorn was an unexpected joy. But—compared to Shaya. Everyone else seemed insignificant.
“Agree to him, his value to the Master alone is far greater than the sum of all others,” “His soul is the best tonic for the Master… I will do my best to hold off these two Fourth Rings outside.” “Remember, even if we all fall in the end, we must drag on until the fire ritual is complete.” After leaving a few telepathic messages, the Prelate redirected his attention to the battle. He was already fighting two opponents, and he had just been distracted, allowing Lieutenant Colonel Sieg and Professor Kahn to seize the opportunity and beat him soundly. If he continued to be distracted, he would likely be defeated soon. His own death was a minor matter, but if it caused the Master to lose an opportunity to complete himself, he would not rest in peace even after ascending to the divine realm.
On the other side. The arsonist leader, who had received the telepathic message, turned his head and saw the black-haired, black-eyed young man looking at him with a half-smiling expression. His spiritual power had been retracted at some point, once again shrouded in layers of mist, making him difficult to discern. Only his deep black eyes remained profound, reminding the arsonist leader of the silent star-filled sky from before. “Then—” Shaya yawned. “A transaction?”
