Chapter 410: Chapter 183: Sublimation Theme
"What... did you do?"
Bologue stared at Aimou with a somewhat dazed look. Various negative conditions enveloped him, but the most lethal was the paralysis of nerves and the escape of ether.
"An alchemy warhead prepared specifically for you, I call it the Forbidden Spirit Bullet. As for its effect, you can feel it, right?"
Aimou spoke softly as she walked towards Bologue, the firearm precisely firing shots, repeatedly hitting Bologue’s chest, turning him into a sieve.
"The poison contained within can paralyze nerves and will affect the Alchemy Matrix, penetrating to some degree the defense of the Rectangular Soul Critical."
Bologue’s eyes were filled with bloodshot veins, his heart pounding violently, his breathing becoming rapid as he slowly knelt down, his limbs numb and cold.
"You should know about the Rectangular Soul Critical? Derived from the Alchemy Matrix, it’s a defensive mechanism that protects the Condenser’s dominion over themselves and their ether.
The Forbidden Spirit Bullet can penetrate the Rectangular Soul Critical, causing an ether outburst, letting the ether escape from your Alchemy Matrix."
Aimou made an analogy, "Like a bucket with a leak, you can continue to draw ether from the outside world, but it’s certainly slower than the rate of loss."
"You actually reserved such a lethal weapon just for me?" Bologue rasped.
Paralyzing nerves while also interfering with the Alchemy Matrix and penetrating the Rectangular Soul Critical—the power of this alchemy warhead is truly terrifying; if used properly, it can completely change the course of a battle.
Yet Aimou used this alchemy warhead on him, and Bologue didn’t know whether to feel honored or something else.
"No choice, it only affects First Stage Condensers and needs to directly hit the target. For an ordinary First Stage Condenser, being hit directly by the bullet would mostly mean death; it wouldn’t even be worth paralyzing nerves or causing ether chaos... Only you would still be jumping around."
Aimou pulled the trigger for the last time, sending the final Forbidden Spirit Bullet into Bologue’s body.
Bologue felt a sharp pain. Even though he was losing the fight, he still taunted, "I’m truly flattered."
Aimou coldly responded, "Just treating you seriously."
This place was set with countless traps by Aimou. If lucky, even the Prayer Believers could have a chance to kill, but when used against Bologue, it’s a completely different outcome.
With these traps and Aimou’s full combat capabilities, they barely managed to restrain Bologue. What Aimou hadn’t mentioned was that the Forbidden Spirit Bullet could only reduce Bologue’s own ether, and it’s time-limited.
Once the duration ends, it won’t be long before Bologue returns to his peak state.
Fortunately, Aimou was impeccably prepared; she wouldn’t give Bologue any chance.
During the damage, the self-healing of the Time Reversing Axis was also occurring simultaneously, rendering Bologue in a state of heavy injury yet not dead.
For Bologue, this state was unfavorable; he couldn’t take effective action nor die to reset.
Bologue made no hesitation, decisively ordering the Deceitful Snake Scale Liquid.
Cold serpents slithered up Bologue’s neck, ready to bite through his throat to use death for resetting his state.
A black, scratched, and dented hand stretched out, grabbing the snake. Aimou appeared like the wind in front of Bologue.
"You’ve already used this trick."
Aimou looked down at Bologue. The negative effects from the Forbidden Spirit Bullet slowed Bologue’s reaction, preventing him from taking the next step. Before he could react, shadows swept past, and Bologue felt severe pain in his hands.
"I know you too well! Bologue."
Two daggers pierced through Bologue’s arms. Aimou understood the nature of Secret Energy·Summoning Hand; the venom on the dagger further consumed Bologue’s perception, making it difficult for him to precisely release the Summoning Hand.
Out of control, the Deceitful Snake Scale Liquid boiled relentlessly.
"I didn’t expect you to deal with me so earnestly..." Bologue felt he was truly at Aimou’s mercy this time; from the beginning, she had calculated everything precisely.
Aimou taunted, "Do you feel humiliated? Even experts have a day of defeat?"
"Humiliation? I just feel a bit sad," Bologue remained nonchalant, "You prepared this weapon... Because you guessed it, right? I would definitely come to find you."
Aimou’s actions paused, then she softly said, "I’m sorry."
She had apologized enough today but still felt it wasn’t enough.
While speaking, Bologue opened his arms, "Rather than saying sorry, why not chat with me properly? I’m quite generous."
Aimou ignored him, remaining in a low mood, "You’re very professional; it was just that I cheated."
"Cheated?"
Aimou didn’t intend to explain anything. She reached out, laboriously dragging Bologue, fearing that he might completely die. She somehow found an Alchemy Potion and poured it down Bologue’s throat. Worried about Bologue’s self-healing speed, she occasionally patched him with a few more cuts.
Her movements were crisp and tidy, completely different from the girl who once feared strangers; Aimou was as cold as a butcher, while Bologue was the lamb to be slaughtered.
Was it really like this?
Bologue secretly clenched his fist, understanding what Aimou meant by cheating. She had used Time Reversal, knowing he would come.
Aimou was fully prepared for this encounter, so much so that Bologue felt Aimou hadn’t even considered an escape plan or the pursuit of the King’s Shield Guard.
In this Time Reversal, everything Aimou did was aimed at confronting himself.
Why? Sacrifice a precious opportunity for Time Reversal just to beat himself up?
Bologue couldn’t quite understand, but he felt he would soon know the reason why.
Aimou took a decidedly irrational action; instead of fleeing, she dragged Bologue to the living room of a building.
Bologue thought this might have been a spur-of-the-moment decision by Aimou, as she seemed to be picky about her choice while on their way here.
The place had been abandoned for years, dust was everywhere, and under the corrosion of the fog, the wood and bricks looked dilapidated.
Bologue was thrown onto the sofa and panted in pain, while Aimou sat steadily beside him, and they both fell silent.
If they forgot about the preceding events, the injuries both of them bore, and the hellish environment, the atmosphere might actually be quite cozy.
"What now? Truce?"
Bologue shifted, leaning back into the sofa in a comfortable position.
He reckoned himself Aimou’s captive now; unable to mount any effective resistance, yet he felt no shame in being a prisoner... More precisely, from the moment when they were alternately cursing and fighting, Bologue felt the nature of things had changed.
This was no real battle, more like a quarrel, even now.
Aimou coldly said, "Do you think it’s meaningful for the two of us to continue fighting?"
"Meaning? I find meaning unimportant... Honestly, I quite enjoy the process."
Bologue’s reply remained true to his character; once in work mode, he’s a consummate violence enthusiast, like a child on the beach reveling in the destruction of sandcastles.
Aimou chuckled coldly a few times, then Bologue continued, "Why didn’t you flee, Aimou? Ready to face all this head-on?"
There were several daggers stuck in Bologue, his chest was a bloody mess, and blood kept dripping all over him, yet he felt his condition was not too bad; hence, he wore a grim smile.
Aimou didn’t answer Bologue’s question, instead, she queried, "What are you laughing at?"
"I’m laughing at our current situation. I feel like I’m a negotiation expert trying to pull you back from the brink of destruction."
As Bologue spoke, animation filled his brow, grateful for the time spent with Palmer, Bologue was no longer as cold as before, there was a hint of humor about him now.
"Not long ago, our conversations had to be conducted through brawling, but now we’re able to calmly engage face-to-face and talk without resorting to violence."
Bologue looked over his own body again, "Of course, if you’re willing to help pull out these daggers, I believe it would be more beneficial to our dialogue."
Aimou gave Bologue a deep look, though she was covered with Bologue’s blood, she still adopted a look that friends might exchange — a mix of helplessness and reprimand.
"Bologue, do you think Palmer is a normal person?"
"Probably... not." Bologue thought carefully and shook his head.
"Then stop imitating Palmer’s way of speaking, it only makes things worse... and you aren’t as entertaining as Palmer."
"Why am I not as entertaining as him?" Bologue suddenly felt a strange sense of competitiveness.
"When Palmer jokes, his tone is exaggerated, and his expressions are theatrical, much like a comedy actor, whereas you? With that icy demeanor of yours, saying such things only comes across as provocation."
Bologue nodded, sinking deep into thought, actually considering how to make his speech more entertaining.
Then Bologue followed up with, "Provocation? I believe using provocation at this time isn’t incorrect either."
Their conversation flowed smoothly, like banter between friends, although mere minutes ago they were fighting to the death, and even now, Bologue’s miserable state would make one’s skin crawl.
Everything in the current scene was bizarre — an abandoned building dead silent, poisonous fog pervasive, a rebellious Alchemy Puppet wounded all over, and an Undead filled with daggers, covered in blood, but still able to calmly crack jokes.
These elements together prompted Bologue to murmur, "I feel like we’re shooting a movie."
"It indeed feels like we’re shooting a movie."
Aimou gently touched the Fantasy Species on her chest, the Time Reversal triggered by the Fantasy Species akin to repeatedly reshooting a movie, regrettably, never capturing Aimou’s desired scene.
"If you were the director, how would you shoot this movie?" Aimou asked Bologue.
"Hmm? For me..."
They naturally transitioned into this absurd conversation, chatting casually.
"Start with a lavish amount of blood and violence, follow with a bit of love and hatred, appropriately add some deadpan jokes, and my favorite rock music."
Bologue murmured, and then seemed to think of something, promptly adding.
"Oh, right, also elevate the theme of the movie!"