Chapter 584 Negotiation (1)
The Eye cannot talk to me directly but by using everything its possessor had, it was desperately conveying how it didn't want to perish along with her.
If it could speak, it would probably say something along the lines of 'Spare her. She'll be of help to you!'
Maybe that pillar it sent down lacked the power to kill me. However, at the very least, it would weaken me enough to blow the wick on my thought of taking the path that involves killing the troublesome woman.
It's sly or it's simply that selfish. If it just wants to survive, it can just offer to be gouged out of the woman's eye sockets, no? Nah. There's probably a limitation to it. No matter how mysterious it was, it was bound to her.
Transplanting that pair of eyes to someone else won't make one its new possessor. Hence its desperation to keep her alive.
I could feel all the cells in my body churning from the cold. If it wasn't for my uniqueness and wariness that I might fall prey to its ability again, my Source Energy could've been frozen again.
At this distance... I could further sense its will – the veiled woman couldn't defy it anymore. That few seconds of clarity was all the chance she had because of her injury and her triggering the self-destruct sequence.
In any case, this situation is undoubtedly strange. Did the Eye of Destiny also exhibit this kind of ego before? I cannot remember any instance. Yuko had it under complete control. And even if she didn't always rely on it on every occasion, it would always be activated whenever things proved to be troublesome for us.
Regrettably, Yuko died because of me without being able to appeal using her Eye of Destiny. I hastily decided to take them all with me because of the hopelessness of the situation.
Right. I wasn't any different than this Eye of Nihility. I was worse and yet my Companions continued to believe in me.
Time quickly passed while I was lost in my thoughts.
At one point, the Glacial Energy Storm started to calm down, however, the cold being emitted by the woman's body concentrated only on me. Like chains binding me to the place, it's preventing me from moving away again.
Her white-as-snow hair fluttered freely but with her body already out of her control, she was nothing but a doll this time.
But thanks to that, The Eye was in its last legs as well.
In its desperation to not lose its possessor, it forgo maintaining the Energy Storm to keep me chained like this.
With its control, even the feeling of the sword in my hand became numb. I could see Momo frantically jumping up and down on its surface, controlling the flame-like Swordforce to melt whatever was restraining me.
Alas, she was unable to pry me out of the Eye's influence.
I've already arrived at an answer.
If I continue taking this choice of killing the veiled woman, this Eye of Nihility wouldn't hesitate to ensure my death and satisfy its possessor's last wish to kill me. Since it was denied, it also wouldn't want to just disappear without giving us a setback. And obviously, losing me would be the biggest setback for us. Not just for my Companions but for every living being connected to me.
As I value my life and I know when it's inevitable to take a step back, I have to lay down my arms and negotiate with this mysterious Eye.
With difficulty, I raised my arms to show my willingness before vocalizing my thoughts through the only part of me that could freely move.
"Fine! I hear you. But you have to hear me out too. Even if I take her with us, not only will she be imprisoned, but I will always keep in mind to find a chance to kill her before she can do that to us. You are a special and mysterious existence. You can't just think we'll keep a threat and someone who has a vendetta against me unbound and unfettered. Unless you agree to wipe her memories and current attainment completely, there's nothing that can be done."
Right. This is a gamble. A gamble where I lay my advantageous cards on the table while putting them in the most disadvantageous position.
I'm already down on my luck after getting saved by Noelle. I have to lower the risk as much as possible.
And as mysterious as it was, the Eye of Nihility had only one motivation. To continue existing.
That's why, by making it believe that its path is that narrow. Even if I make a concession by taking back some of the advantageous cards that I set up, it will be a win for us.
Time once again trickled.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three.
The Glacial Energy Storm gradually subsided and the blanket of pure white blocking my vision slowly returned to normal.
The sky that was tinged with red and the ground of the floating island with blackened rocks down below once again appeared in my view
My Companions were all in the vicinity of the Kingfisher. If something unexpected happens, they'll be able to escape right away. But as always, their looks of concern and trust mixed in with their gazes.
Up above, the incarnation of the World's Will was watching closely. However, having gotten a taste of my power,?it didn't dare to do something else other than wait for the organization's reinforcement.
I paid it no heed earlier to make it believe that I wouldn't go after it once we're done here. I could subdue it easily but I had to exert significant Energy Control to do so.
The surrounding captured Transcendents all watched on in horror. They already resigned themselves to being captives but when they also got subjected to the woman's storm-like rage, they also feared for their lives.
At the moment, they're actually rooting for me to resolve this peacefully.
If only they knew what was in store for them, they'd probably struggle for the slim chance to live.
Hummmm~
Around half a minute later, like a winter morning breeze, the Eye finally responded.
That humming sound made by the sliver of the woman's Source Energy delivered it.
And its first demand not discounting the conditions I set is…
To bring up the woman back to her peak after wiping everything away from her – even her identity.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢