Chapter 60: Purchase
"Very good."
Under Isabella’s extremely strange gaze, Sylvia nodded.
In fact, she did not hold much hostility toward this Puppeteer from the Kingdom of Ulpus, who had caused explosions and staged an attack.
After all, just moments ago, the other party had dealt with a border demon and protected the residents inside this building.
However, that was not the only reason.
Because from Buolanke’s letter, she had learned that the functional core had already been repaired, and in the letter, that Reformer pointed out that the attacker was likely innocent:
"I sensed some rather interesting aura at the scene. In addition, there were traces of fate being disturbed. Therefore, I believe that the attacker’s actions were not voluntary but guided. I suspect that standing behind this matter might be one of our old friends."
Those were the exact words in the letter.
Recalling this, Sylvia could almost confirm that the interesting aura Buolanke mentioned was very likely the prototype of Original Sin.
Bringing her thoughts back, she moved her fingers, weaving strands of starlight before her, which eventually formed a sheet of paper.
On the paper were written words such as debt, mortgage, one hundred thousand gold Luthers, confidentiality, and so on.
"Alright, you can sign at the very bottom... hmm, just trace it with your finger."
Adela pressed her lips tightly, hesitated for a moment, then finally made up her mind. She extended her right hand and used her finger to sign her name on the paper that had flown to her and stopped before her:
"Adela Tuya."
As the final stroke was completed, she suddenly felt an extremely subtle connection form between herself and the puppet sitting across from her.
At the same time, a trace of doubt flashed through her heart:
The Lord of Radiance’s symbolic color was white, and the God of Death’s was purple.
Yet this person before her looked like a Death Herald Crow, but claimed to be with the Church of Radiance. Why, then, was this one using a blended starlight of spiritual colors?
Was this... some kind of Outer God’s sign?
At that moment, a chill climbed up her spine.
Am I... being tricked?
Forget it, I’ve already signed, what’s the point of worrying now\...
No, of course I should worry!
If this person was an agent of an Outer God, why repay the debt—she should report them immediately!
At this thought, her expression began to twist.
Regret, unwillingness, fear, humiliation.
Hmm... quite an expressive face.
With a glance through the Authority of Greed and Power of Lust, Sylvia reached this conclusion.
However, she did not mind it.
Bound by Sylvia’s edict, even if the other party noticed something, it would be of no use—because now the other party was entirely under her control—
Both in soul and body.
If she used this spell on mortals without divinity, she could play all sorts of tricks with it.
Without further thought, the gray-haired puppet slowly stood up and cast her gaze toward Isabella, who had buried herself under the covers, leaving only half her face exposed:
"I’m going out for a bit. I might be gone for a while. You should get some sleep first."
"Okay."
The blonde girl gave a muffled reply, but she clearly sounded a bit disappointed.
Seeing this, Sylvia almost twitched the corner of her mouth.
But at that moment, Adela’s somewhat dazed voice broke the rather awkward atmosphere:
"You’re going out? Where to? And what about me?"
The gray-haired puppet turned back to glance at her and spoke with a half-smile:
"To purchase supplies."
"And you’re coming with me."
"After all, you’ll need to choose the materials yourself."
"Huh?"
Just as Adela looked utterly confused, a deep purple radiance burst forth from Sylvia’s right eye, enveloping herself—and wrapping Adela in it as well!
...
Light. Countless lights.
Of all different colors, weaving through the vast and boundless space.
Suspended in mid-air, Sylvia reached out to hold Adela—who had no ability to fly—and tilted her gaze upward toward the illusory sea hanging above their heads.
"This, this, this is—!"
Having recovered from her dizziness, Adela widened her eyes in disbelief at the scene before her.
Just then, a green beam of light plunged straight into the illusory sea overhead.
The next second, a figure swiftly took shape within the sea.
Its face looked as though it had been burned by a strong corrosive liquid, yet its eyes glowed with a ghastly green light.
A border demon! A newly formed border demon!
"I—you—this—this—"
At that moment, Adela was practically incoherent, while Sylvia, smiling, pointed at the newly formed figure:
"A border demon roughly at the second-stage level. Its traits include pain and poison. Do you need this kind of spiritual material?"
At this, Adela cried out with a miserable expression:
"No!"
"Why did you bring me into the Manifest Realm!"
"You know how terrifying this place is!"
"Even powerful third-stage Extraordinaries can easily get lost here!"
Her voice was full of fear, and her body kept shrinking upward.
Hearing this, Sylvia glanced at her with a half-smile:
"When did I ever say that I was a third-stage Extraordinary?"
"No, you can’t possibly be second-stage or lower..."
Just as Adela was about to retort, her voice abruptly cut off, her eyes widening instantly:
"You—you’re... an Apostle?"
Her voice clearly trembled, and her body began to shiver as well, causing the arm that Sylvia was holding to shake along with her.
In response, Sylvia did not answer directly; she simply smiled ambiguously.
Then, using her free left hand, she pointed first to the illusory sea of memories above, then to the shifting continent below their feet, and said:
"You have one hour to designate and search for the spiritual materials you need."
"Hmm... freshly chosen, freshly harvested."
"Alright!"
Adela nodded vigorously, her tone tinged with excitement, but Sylvia could detect a hint of pretense behind it.
Beneath the excitement lay intense unease.
Thus, she offered a word of reassurance:
"Don’t worry, I’m not some villain."
Hearing this inexplicable reassurance, Adela could no longer hold back and showed a smile uglier than a sob.
This isn’t some Outer God’s agent—this is an Outer God!
Coming from a fallen noble family and having progressed quite far on the Extraordinary path, she had a decent understanding of the occult world—at the very least, she knew the level at which Outer Gods existed.
Perhaps noticing that her words had backfired, Sylvia leisurely added:
"You should think of it this way: since you can’t resist, you might as well enjoy it."
"......"
"Fine."
At this moment, Adela’s expression turned even uglier.
Then, she bit her lip and pointed toward a figure on the rising continent beneath them, saying:
"That one!"
"Alright."
The corners of Sylvia’s mouth lifted slightly. A flicker of dark light flashed in her left hand, and a silver-black hand cannon materialized—
Bang!
With a booming shot, the human-skin monster fluttering in the air exploded on the spot.
At the same time, Adela’s near-wailing voice rang out:
"I want that intact skin!"