Path of the Extra Chapter 420: Two Monsters, One Stone

Azriel lowered himself, bringing his gaze level with Pollux, and tilted his head slightly.

"If all you ever desired was the skill bestowed upon me by the Goddess of Death, why didn't you simply ask for it from the beginning?"

A soft, almost endearing chuckle escaped from Lia.

No, it was from Pollux.

And for that very reason, the sound became all the more unsettling.

Azriel fought to quell the growing fury within him.

"It truly seems you are not yourself," Pollux stated. "No matter. Once you relinquish this skill, my victory will be absolute."

Azriel’s eyes narrowed.

"And if I refuse, you will kill Jasmine?"

His voice was remarkably quiet.

Far too composed, considering the inescapable blackmail he faced.

Pollux lifted a small hand, pointing a finger directly at Azriel’s chest.

Aiming for his heart.

"With every tribulation you endure, your soul is set aflame, then refined, then tempered, and finally reborn into something far greater. In essence, your soul adapts." A wider smile spread across his face. "The designation [Soul's Crucible] is not merely for decoration."

Azriel met his gaze directly.

Then, abruptly, the smile vanished from Pollux’s features.

"You do not wish for her demise," Pollux declared. "And, to be perfectly honest, neither do I. Therefore, I present you with a proposal."

He tapped Lia’s chest.

"Transfer [Soul's Crucible] into this vessel. This body already houses the core of that Imitator, and at this very moment, it also contains the core binding your sister's life to this little girl's."

Azriel’s brow furrowed instantly.

"What are you implying?"

"The only path to awakening your sister lies in this girl's death."

Pollux gazed upward, his eyes no longer his own.

"So, you are presented with a choice. Retain [Soul's Crucible] and adhere to your cherished principle of never harming children. If you choose this, your beloved sister will remain in her slumber forever."

His tone softened, becoming unnervingly gentle.

"Alternatively, transfer [Soul's Crucible] into this current form. End this child's life. By doing so, the skill will be annihilated, the core sustaining that imposter will shatter, rendering him vulnerable and your sister significantly safer. Furthermore, it will eliminate the core that prevents her awakening."

His smile reappeared.

"And then, you can spend your final moments with your cherished sister."

Azriel remained silent, his gaze fixed upon him.

Pollux then emitted a soft, quiet laugh.

"I believe this is what you mortals refer to as killing two birds with a single stone, is it not?"

Azriel’s jaw clenched tightly.

Then, without any forewarning, he seized Pollux’s arm.

A torrent of mana surged through Azriel's being, flowing into him.

No, it flowed into the child's body.

In the succeeding moment, a panel materialized before his vision.

[Status Update!]

[You have successfully transferred the skill: Soul's Crucible]

Pollux regarded him with an expression suggesting he had anticipated nothing less.

"Anything for her," he stated.

"Everything," Azriel responded instantly.

Without the slightest hesitation.

Pollux settled into a seated position.

Azriel looked down at him, his eyes like ice.

"Now," Pollux began, his voice dripping with mockery, "there is but one final task to accomplish."

Azriel paid no mind to his taunting gaze.

He merely summoned Atropos’ Elegy and leveled the Desert Eagle at Pollux’s head.

His index finger rested against the trigger, poised to fire at a moment’s notice.

Yet, Azriel simply stared at him.

As if deep in contemplation.

Then, at long last, he seemed to reach a decision.

"If I were to ask you..." Azriel spoke slowly, his voice measured, "why? Would you speak the truth?"

Pollux ceased smiling.

He met Azriel’s gaze with an expression of lethal seriousness. Despite the firearm pointed at him, he seemed utterly unaffected.

A few seconds passed in profound silence.

Then, Pollux answered in a voice devoid of emotion, utterly flat.

"...No."

Azriel's eyes darkened.

"This entire charade was orchestrated for my benefit," he declared. "I am the sole genuine player in this game. This world was meticulously designed to inflict torment upon me. Your objective is to break me. You cannot obtain the key without shattering me."

Pollux offered no response.

Azriel's features contorted into an expression of profound sorrow.

A fleeting glimpse of pain flickered behind his eyes, though he endeavored to conceal it.

"Do the gods..."

He faltered in his speech.

Then, he rephrased his inquiry.

"Does the Goddess of Death also seek my destruction?"

Pollux looked up at him, his expression unreadable.

Once more, he paused for several seconds before replying.

"The entire concept originated from her."

Azriel felt as though a sharp object had impaled him directly through the heart.

"Oh..."

The word escaped his lips softly.

Almost devoid of any substance.

"Then... why did she appoint me as her apostle?" he inquired. "Why bestow [Soul's Crucible] upon me in the first place? Back then... what were her intentions when she spoke those words to me...?"

"Who can say?"

Pollux uttered it plainly.

A sigh escaped Azriel. For reasons unknown, a sense of disappointment emanated from him.

"You know, Pollux... you are truly a coward."

Pollux offered a smile once more.

Then he uttered words that mirrored their past exchange in the Forest of Eternity.

This time, however, the dynamic seemed altered.

"And you...?"

A wider smile spread across his face.

"You’re nothing but a hypocrite, Azriel, aren’t you?"

As Pollux spoke, Azriel found himself smiling.

It lasted only for an instant.

His gaze then shifted to Jasmine, sleeping soundly on the floor, followed by Celestina, still unconscious and bound by chains.

Eventually, his eyes reconnected with Pollux.

The grip on his Desert Eagle intensified.

He suppressed everything.

Every thought.

Every emotion.

The last vestiges of hesitation vanished.

He then raised the firearm once more, aiming squarely at Lia's head.

A chilling breeze permeated the oubliette.

Azriel shivered, uncertain if it was from the cold, fear, or something far more sinister.

The chains securing Celestina gave a faint rattle.

A deathly silence descended upon the chamber, the air growing thick and arduous to breathe.

Azriel’s hand began to shake.

Subtly.

Almost imperceptibly.

Yet, it was enough for him to notice.

He clenched his fist with all his might, compelling his arm to remain steady.

Then, as if time itself were stretching with each passing second, his finger started to squeeze the trigger—

"Actually, I have a question too."

"…!"

Azriel flinched violently.

His finger halted its movement.

"W-what...?"

He felt like a startled feline, every hair on its body on end.

His jaw tightened.

Strangely, this sensation offered more reassurance than terror.

He was beginning to feel like his old self.

No.

More than that.

He was starting to regain command.

Unlike before.

Unlike when he took Dorian’s life.

Pollux appeared unfazed, his demeanor completely calm as he inquired,

"Why did you have those specific words inscribed on their gravestones?"

Instantly, Azriel’s hand faltered.

His lips thinned into a tight line, and his jaw clenched to the point of aching. A flicker of rage crossed his eyes before he forcefully extinguished it.

"'Best mother, perfect daughter, and a kind human. Best father, troublesome son, and a kind human.'" Pollux tilted his head. "That's what was carved onto their tombstones, correct? Why?"