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Witnessing Phantylia merge into Bochang's body, Stelle felt despair creeping in. All she could do was stand nearby with her flame spear, uncertain whether to strike or not.
To be honest, her rational mind kept warning her:
Pierce Bochang's chest with the flame spear to prevent Phantylia from desecrating his corpse.
But...
Stelle didn't want to harm Bochang's body; even when he opened his eyes, the gray-haired girl only resorted to threats, hoping to drive away Phantylia.
The current "Bochang" claimed to be himself, but Stelle couldn't bring herself to trust him. She had checked multiple times earlier—
Bochang's heart had ceased beating entirely.
How could he still be alive?
"Why aren't the options popping up yet?!"
Facing this situation, Bochang felt quite troubled, unsure of how to explain himself.
After some careful thought...
He suddenly remembered possessing an item that could prove his innocence.
"Stelle, haven't you forgotten about my Super Flashlight? Shine it on my body, and you'll know for sure if I'm truly myself or not."
The flashlight was currently stored in his pouch.
Taking it out would be effortless.
Stelle pondered briefly before saying, "We can give it a try... Don't move."
With that, the gray-haired girl swiftly turned to search through the clothes Bochang had shed earlier. After all, during his rapid undressing, the storage pouch... had already been discarded.
As Stelle stepped away, she kept looking back at Bochang, vigilantly watching him to prevent "Phantylia" from escaping or launching a surprise attack.
Under Stelle's gaze filled with disdain, Bochang felt strangely perplexed. Normally, she wouldn't look at him with such an expression.
"Such a cute Stelle..." Bochang sat motionless, completely bare.
Stelle found her clothes and rummaged through the pouch until she located the ultra-bright flashlight.
According to its description, this item could dispel illusions and reveal the true shadows of living beings.
Initially, Bochang had used this very artifact to expose Phantylia's presence.
With one hand holding the ultra-bright flashlight and the other gripping the flame spear, Stelle approached Bochang again. She switched on the flashlight.
The blinding white light flooded over him.
Behind Bochang, a black silhouette appeared.
However...
At the head of the shadow, faintly visible were flickering flames, similar to Phantylia's.
Tightening her grip on the flame spear, Stelle asked, "Take a look yourself, what do you see?"
Bochang turned around.
As he saw the shadow cast from his head resembling burning flames, realization dawned upon him.
After all, Lord Ravager now resided within his body.
"Let me explain, Stelle. Since Phantylia is still in my mind, wait... I'll try to extract her," said Bochang.
After speaking, Bochang attempted to harness the power of the Sheep Talisman, trying to expel the azure flame from his mind.
He tried several times before succeeding.
The strength of the Sheep Talisman gathered in his hands, and an azure flame leaped forth from his palms, akin to igniting a gas stove.
However, this blue flame possessed no heat whatsoever.
Bochang glanced back at his shadow once more. The flickering, dancing flames around his head had indeed vanished, leaving his shadow normal again.
"See that? This is Phantylia. The arrogant Lord Ravager has been brought to the brink of death by me."
A slight smile curved Bochang's lips.
Although Stelle felt somewhat reassured, she remained puzzled.
"Is this really true?"
"Stelle, if you still doubt it, we can go see General Jing Yuan or Miss Herta. As Emanators, they would likely detect any deception by Phantylia, especially if prepared for it." Bochang extinguished the azure flame.
Stelle pondered for a moment before looking up and saying, "No need."
With those words...
The gray-haired girl discarded her flame spear and rushed into Bochang's embrace.
Having witnessed the test with the super flashlight, Stelle was already partially convinced. Additionally, she couldn't believe Bochang would perish so easily, leading to the scene unfolding before them.
Holding her tenderly, Bochang gently stroked Stelle's hair.
"Sob...I'm so scared, I was terrified you might die."
"It's alright...it's okay, Stelle. I just felt exhausted and fell asleep for a moment."
Bochang felt a pang of concern.
The gray-haired girl choked back tears, her sobs dampening Bochang's chest.
After comforting her with gentle words, Bochang lifted Stelle's chin and shared a deep kiss with her. The sight made Silver Wolf cover its eyes.
A moment later...
Lying in Bochang's arms, Stelle asked, "How do we leave this place?"
"We've defeated Phantylia, so this realm should collapse on its own soon..." Bochang glanced around, "But first, let me get dressed; I don't want to end up falling out naked."
Earlier, Stelle had only brought the super flashlight with her, not their clothes or pouches.
Now, Bochang would have to make another quick trip. With the Dragon Talisman's third-rated power, his speed was incredibly fast. However, each use left him with excruciating pain, causing his eyes to turn red—a significant drawback of this power level.
This was the biggest drawback of using the Dragon Talisman's third-rated power.
Hastily getting dressed, Bochang then explored further into this distorted space with Stelle.
Soon...
A shimmering portal opened.
Realizing that Silver Wolf had granted them passage, Bochang took Stelle's hand, and together they stepped through the portal.
Instantly, they reappeared at their previous departure point.
"So... Silver Wolf, you did it on purpose last time, didn't you!" Bochang internally grumbled.
The last time he exited this distorted space, Silver Wolf mischievously dropped him onto March 7th's bed, causing her to notice a lingering scent of another woman on him. Thankfully, after a thorough search, she found no conclusive evidence.
Otherwise...
Considering March 7th's penchant for stirring up trouble, Bochang silently shook his head.
"What should we do now?" Stelle asked.
"Head to the Seat of Divine Foresight," Bochang replied straightforwardly.
Stelle furrowed her brow slightly. "Why go there? I believe you're genuine."
After their brief interaction, Stelle once again affirmed her trust in him.
"I understand... By going to the Seat of Divine Foresight now, we want General Jing Yuan to know that we've captured Phantylia. After all, she is an Emanator of Destruction, and I'm unsure how to handle this situation. Our only option is to seek advice from General Jing Yuan." Bochang shrugged slightly.
A look of realization crossed Stelle's face. "Oh... So that's why! Let's hurry and set off then."
The gray-haired girl proactively took Bochang's hand. As for exploring the Artisanship Commission, browsing technological constructs, it was now completely unimportant.
Bochang and Stelle stepped onto the gray stone pavement, emerging from the alleyway.
Unaware of the recent battle, the people at the Artisanship Commission continued their post-disaster reconstruction work.
As Bochang followed Stelle's lead, his phone suddenly rang. Discreetly checking it, he found a message from the hacker girl:
Silver Wolf: The script called for Stelle to defeat Phantylia and awaken her Destiny of Preservation.
Silver Wolf: Don't you realize what you've done?
Reading this message, Bochang could only manage an awkward yet polite smile.