Divine Remains and a Demonic Proposition

The ‘Gossip’ compiled by the Starfield Observers recorded that an Outer God usurping control over a host’s body very easily causes repulsion in the host.

If the host’s will to resist is exceptionally strong, severing the intricate network of their soul connection, it is possible for the body to be destroyed.

She did not want X, in a fit of pique, to bring about a mutually destructive end, as that would be a significant loss.

While she herself would not perish, merely be exiled beyond the world, this particular body would undoubtedly shatter.

Moreover, no matter how insignificant a Tier 10 body might seem, it represented the pinnacle of what mortals in this world could create, thus possessing some inherent value.

Having scanned the entirety of the Sistia World, she had yet to find a suitable backup body capable of containing her soul.

To ensure the smooth execution of her plan and to avoid the trouble of pioneering another remote world, Gloria decided to adopt a more subdued approach, interacting with X as a collaborator.

‘Very well then.

On Earth, isn’t there a popular genre of novels about soul transmigration?

I shall condescend to act as a soul transmigrator, albeit reluctantly, and guide the original owner of this body to help me locate my lost physical form… Yes, let’s call it the ‘Divine Remains’.

Once my objective is achieved, I will then assist her in elevating her soul.

If all proceeds smoothly, allowing her to fill the vacant position of World God in Sistia would not be out of the question.

Mortals could hardly refuse such an opportunity to achieve godhood, could they?’

Beyond this verbal agreement, Gloria also held a contingency.

She had studied a method of soul control favored by the abyssal demons, known as Demonic Edict.

This represented a coercive force far superior to ordinary laws.

By merely extracting a sliver of greed from a bargainer’s mind, a soul contract could be forcibly established, just as she had once done with the Dustfolk, compelling the descendants of powerful civilizations to willingly serve her.

Once the Demonic Edict took effect, neither party could violate the contract.

Should one contravene it, their soul would be forcibly controlled and their power absorbed by the other, proving a highly effective means of restraint.

Yet, this was merely the extent of it, for Gloria was a meticulous Great Demon God who always preferred to keep contingencies.

The Demonic Edict would undoubtedly only be unilaterally effective against X, as Gloria’s Tier 45 soul, combined with her vast experience and seasoned methods, was sufficient to unilaterally alter the terms of the agreement.

This was also a safeguard to prevent X from harboring ill will towards Gloria and exploiting any loopholes in the Demonic Edict.

‘After devising such an elaborate plan, I still hope she won’t come to despise me; no one enjoys the feeling of being disliked…’

The grey-haired girl hovered within the vast emptiness of the mental space, her head slightly raised, her clear eyes gazing into her own past.

‘But I no longer remember how to play the part of a good person… I only wish you can forgive my transgressions, for I truly need a new beginning.’

‘So cold… so hot… so cold… so hot… Am I dead?’

Her body felt as though one half was plunged into liquid helium at over negative two hundred degrees Celsius, while the other half plummeted into scorching magma exceeding a thousand degrees, with extreme cold and searing heat assailing her nerves in relentless waves.

The sensation was akin to being abandoned amidst a furious battlefield, subjected to successive bombardments from both warring factions’ heavy artillery, and then repeatedly crushed by armored vehicles traversing the lines of fire.

‘Why do I still have consciousness?

Or is this the world after death?

When will this hell of ice and fire end?’

None of these excruciating pains could deter X’s will to survive.

However, the nerve-wracking agony emanating from her chest still made her profoundly uncomfortable.

‘Could the people of the Heart of the Galaxy still harbor intentions towards a corpse?

That’s far too bizarre!’

Just as she was disoriented, a warm sea breeze brushed across her face, instantly dispersing all the pain throughout her body, including her mental anguish, save for the discomfort in her chest.

It was as if a max-level cleric had cast a powerful healing spell, not only mending her physical form but also purifying her spirit, bringing her back to life in an instant.

‘Whoa, who’s so amazing they just healed me to full?’

Detecting that all her bodily functions had returned to full capacity, even reaching a state of abundant vitality, X’s eyes snapped open.

Within the hazy white mist, where visibility was extremely low, a petite figure floated less than two meters away from her, hands clasped together, radiating an aura of sacred devotion.

‘Is this an angel?

Have I arrived in heaven?

But the pain from my chest and buttocks, as if they’d been twisted three or four times, doesn’t feel fake.’

“Are you an angel sent by God to save me?”

“Though I don’t believe in deities, I still thank you.

If you truly can save me, then perhaps I could be persuaded to believe.”

Unlike the angels of popular imagination, this particular angel before her lacked pristine white wings; instead, a cluster of writhing, translucent tentacles extended from its back, flailing menacingly, an utterly bizarre sight.

Furthermore, the angel’s mirror-like grey-blue eyes held not a trace of divine aura.

These eyes were profound and oppressive, like an ancient, moss-covered stele hidden deep within a shadowy forest—mysterious yet captivating.

As for the angel’s attire, it was far from the traditional robe and halo.

This tentacled angel’s clothing was undeniably cute, yet it also exuded a subtle allure.

Her semi-transparent, delicate gauze dress, the faintly visible indentation on her stomach, a flowing cape that covered only one shoulder, and her slender, jade-like feet beneath the grey-white forest—all presented a feast for the eyes.

This design, which appeared to cover everything yet revealed so much, left one wondering which genius had conceived it.

The translucency of the garment’s material was simply too high.

Most captivating of all were the bare feet! Did anyone truly comprehend the allure of partially bared feet?

The ribbons tied around the small feet were like the foil wrapper of a chocolate bar, easily peeled away.

This entire ensemble seemed to deliberately play upon X’s specific preferences.

Thus, the somewhat Cthulhu-esque angel, paired with this outfit and a loli-like physique that could condemn blasphemers in any world, stirred a flutter in the heart of the sixteen-year-old girl.

“I am no angel.

I can only tell you that you have already died once.”

Her small feet slowly hooked the gauze ribbons that had floated to the side, a hint of disdain in Gloria’s eyes.

“I am a Demon God who has traversed from another realm.

Now, make your choice: surrender to death, drown in illusion, or be reborn from the ashes!

I shall grant you one opportunity to decide.”

‘Little girl, are you perhaps suffering from chuunibyou?

Even if you’re adorable, you shouldn’t spout nonsense.

How could I have died once?

For a mechanical lifeform like me, it’s either complete annihilation or localized paralysis; there’s no such thing as ‘dying once.’

You probably just salvaged my gravity core from the wreckage after the Phase Wave Cannon bombardment and restored my mechanical body, didn’t you?’

‘After all, my true form is a gravity core.

As long as there’s enough energy, my beautiful girl form can be reconstructed no matter how many times it’s destroyed.’

The reason X didn’t believe Gloria was because she hadn’t yet found a way to connect to her mechanical body, making it impossible to ascertain if it had truly been repaired.

She suspected she was likely trapped within some kind of mental space, and that this ‘angel’ was, at its core, a completely virtual construct.

The operator behind this mental projection was probably some bald programmer.

How many years had scams involving virtual avatars been around?

Would she fall for it?

Since that was the case, as long as she was brazen enough, even a trickster couldn’t do anything to her.

“May I have a third option?”

Gloria nodded gently.

“Speak it.”

“I want to get frisky with you.”

Although her expression remained unchanged, her prominent cowlick visibly stiffened into a rigid spike.

The little cat was displeased.