Chapter 360: Chapter 360 Overwhelming Advantage_1
To stay in prison?
Upon hearing this, Joey couldn’t help but sense the irony, "You look like a hired assassin or a mercenary, yet you speak like a Heretic Inquisitor."
"The feeling’s mutual, I know you are the real Heretic Inquisitor," Aiden replied without a trace of emotion in his voice, "but the things you’ve been doing indeed lean more toward a man witch who flouts the law. I’ve heard about your past deeds, and what you’re doing now, many of which are enough to land you in prison, even in Nidhogg."
"The reason for power’s existence is to allow people to transcend rules and enjoy more freedom, to live as they please," Joey glared at Aiden, "You can accuse me like this not because of any reason but because you rely on your own authority."
"Don’t get me wrong, I have no intention of educating you, I’m just giving you a choice," Aiden raised his hand toward Joey, "Transfer your divinity to me, or... let me strip your divinity from you in another way."
"Ha, the way you obtained your authority must have been very lucky, huh?" Joey suddenly laughed, "Otherwise, with your soft-hearted style, aside from rotting in the wilderness, there’s no second path for you!"
He raised his hand, pointing the short-handled Magic Wand at Aiden.
The other’s authority only limited his manipulation of matter; his "All Things" power was invalidated, and he couldn’t use his specialty, elemental dark magic either. But this didn’t mean he didn’t know other offensive magic -- for example, dark magic that attacks the spirit directly!
The mysterious youth who appeared before him wasn’t in a battle-ready state at all; whether it was a firearm, a cold weapon, or a casting tool, he hadn’t drawn any.
As for the command that had just appeared in his mind, it was probably an authority exerted by the opponent. But this authority, apparently, followed certain rules and as long as he didn’t violate that command, it wouldn’t directly affect him.
In such a flawed state, he still had a chance to fight back.
He still had one more ace up his sleeve, the "Emptying" power. Before using this last resort to protect himself, he could make one more gamble!
However, just as he prepared to recite the incantation, he suddenly felt his magic power turn into a stagnant pond; no matter how his spirit called out, it elicited not the slightest response.
"Throw away your weapon, this is a warning," Aiden told him.
He had been made invisible by Qiqimora’s "Concealment" authority, which was why Joey Lawson had been unable to see him until now.
Before he appeared to block Joey’s path, he had already deployed the domain of the "Return" power.
Joey hesitated for a moment, then finally dropped the Magic Wand.
"Wise choice," Aiden commented.
But no sooner had he spoken than Joey drew a gun from his body -- after becoming a Heretic Inquisitor, he’d also learned a few other ways to fight.
Almost without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.
The gun fired, but the bullet didn’t come out; the smoke from the gunpowder seemed to rewind back in time the moment it appeared.
"I take back what I said just now," Aiden quickly drew his own gun and aimed.
He drew his gun much faster than Joey; in fact, he could have acted before Joey even had a chance to draw his weapon.
The only reason I didn’t do that was simply because it wasn’t necessary.
"Since you’re so stubbornly resistant, you must have considered the consequences," Aiden said in an icy voice.
Joey realized that now was the time to play his trump card.
He opened his mouth to recite the divine word of "Nothingness" authority—With the power of "Vacuity," he could make himself an existence that couldn’t be interfered with by the outside world, only observed—a "fictional" existence.
Then, he would be able to escape from here!
But just at that moment, a new command surfaced in his mind: "Prohibition of eradicating any physical entity’s existence, violators to be punished with corporal punishment."
Damn this order!!
An attitude of defiance was instantly ignited, and this time, Joey, driven to a corner, chose to fight desperately.
He forced out the divine words, but before he could finish, thorny patterns appeared on his neck and tongue, and the excruciating pain that normal people couldn’t bear turned his divine language into screams before he could complete it.
Watching Joey cover his mouth with his hands, Aiden showed no mercy as he fired a shot at each of Joey’s legs and his gun-holding right hand.
Joey nearly fell to the ground, unable to maintain his balance, but he didn’t immediately check the wounds on his hands and feet because the pain in his neck and tongue was much more intense. Although this "punishment" didn’t cause him any substantial harm, the pain it brought was far greater than those two gunshot wounds.
"One authority cannot directly interfere with another, but when the effects of two authorities conflict, the higher authority suppresses the lower one, so even if you completed that divine word, it would be meaningless," Aiden said slowly, eyeing Joey, "It seems you haven’t really fought against opponents stronger than yourself. I’m giving you a choice not because of compassion, but because I can."
As long as one had prior knowledge about the opponent, the "Wordless Code" could basically seal the abilities of anyone below a ruler.
With the intelligence provided by Sophie, Aiden actually had a sure-win in this battle. Controlling the mercury golem to attack Joey Lawson was mainly to collect information about the abilities as thoroughly as possible.
"This is your last chance, transfer the divinity, and then surrender," Aiden gave his final warning.
Joey Lawson, almost in pain to the point of unconsciousness, nodded towards Aiden—he finally gave up resistance.
"Your Excellency, may I make a suggestion?" Qiqimora, too, dispelled her "invisibility" and stood beside Joey Lawson, "I’ll pay a portion of the divinity from my side to you, and this person—can he be handed over to the council of witches for trial?"
"Qiqimora!?" Joey Lawson exclaimed in surprise.
"It’s been a while since you were expelled, huh? I guess now I should call you... Mr. Lawson?" Qiqimora mocked Joey while smoking a cigarette, "You, once powerful enough to rival the Great Witch, have become this because of a woman."
"So it was... you guys pulling the strings," Joey said between gasps.
"Hand him over to the council of witches?" Aiden shifted his gaze to Qiqimora. "What kind of scheme are you plotting now? Don’t tell me you’re saying he once killed a witch from the council, so you have a reason to put him on trial," Aiden asked.
"I wouldn’t try to fool you with that kind of nonsense, but your Excellency, the crimes he has committed in this world are far more severe than anything he has done in your world. Just putting him in prison, I think that’s too lenient for him," Qiqimora persuaded, "The authority he possesses is also beyond your learning. In comparison, I would suggest that you... ’sell’ this person to the council of witches."
