Sacrifice's Rise: I Became Invincible After Entering Godslayer Temple Chapter 689 The Devil's Proposition

"You cannot do this! If you proceed, it won't just be me in trouble—my companions will be implicated in a massive predicament too! Should you truly take up residence within me, I will end my own life the moment I get the chance!"

Ali's gaze was unwavering, her finger, crackling with mana, pointed directly at her temple.

A mere surge of mana would cause the tightly gathered beam to pierce through her brain.

Not even a deity could possibly rescue her then.

This presented a difficult situation.

Diabolos stroked his chin, finding it rare to encounter such a fascinating subject for observation, and he had no desire for Ali to perish just yet.

However, returning empty-handed was simply not an option.

To encounter such an anomaly in Ali and then depart without any gain would make him the subject of ridicule among his fellow devils.

When had Diabolos ever endured such humiliation?

No, no, a compromise was necessary.

One that Ali could accept and that would prevent him from losing face.

Perhaps a soul could be substituted?

But that would render Ali no different from any ordinary human, which would be a regrettable outcome.

Yet, substituting it with something else would clearly not equate to the same value, thereby violating his own principles.

Although Diabolos was not overly concerned, there was no certainty that those who spent their existence within the mana ocean might not intervene.

Diabolos had already detected the mark of an old acquaintance upon Ali's soul.

"Brave"?

Indeed, an intriguing designation.

He pondered what expression this young one would wear upon discovering the truth.

But, being someone he had taken an interest in, surely she would not falter?

Finally, Diabolos devised a compromise.

It involved a slight bending of the rules, but still remained within their framework.

"If you are unwilling for me to reside within your body, then you may select a personal item for me to inhabit. Let me be clear, returning is not an option. This expedition has yielded nothing for me thus far; it is a complete loss."

This was the resolution Diabolos proposed.

With his vast experience, he certainly understood Ali's apprehension.

Although he mentioned residing within her, he would not exert any direct control over Ali.

In reality, due to their constitution alignment, it might even enhance her affinity with mana.

However, this would inevitably brand Ali with the mark of a "pseudo-devil," an outcome Diabolos could not circumvent.

He might be able to deceive the perception of humans, but if confronted by a deity, complications would arise.

Yet, if the object of his habitation were an artifact, the circumstances would differ.

Surely, one would not hold a son accountable for his shoes being snatched by a stray dog and punish both the son and the canine.

Despite appearing distressed, Ali was, in fact, quite composed.

She had a general understanding of Diabolos's operational methods.

His core principle was equivalent exchange, with his non-negotiable point being to avoid any loss of dignity.

While applying such terms to a devil might seem peculiar, is this world not replete with all manner of strange beings?

If he were to reside not within her but in one of her possessions, she would at least possess a means of managing the situation.

That made the proposition somewhat more bearable.

"You won't say this now and then act according to your own whim later, will you?"

If this devil genuinely intended to forcefully inhabit Ali, self-destruction seemed her sole recourse.

"Do not underestimate a devil's honor, you impudent mortal!"

Diabolos's eye twitched in irritation, astonished that his significant concessions still did not bring satisfaction.

This quality made humans such perplexing creatures.

He wondered if those who had impulsively created this race eons ago now harbored any regrets.

Though his presence here was brief, it afforded Diabolos ample opportunity to implement numerous strategies.

As an entity that stood on par with deities, his negotiations with Ali constituted merely a fraction of his attention; his avatars had already conducted reconnaissance across half of the Silverwind Empire.

He had acquired a rudimentary comprehension of this world's present condition and even noticed a few intriguing individuals along his path.

Beings that did not belong to this realm, and more than one at that.

Were those entities commencing their machinations once more?

"Then, how about this? Will this suffice?"

Ali retrieved a damaged pocket watch from her upper pocket.

A cheap acquisition from Breeze City, it had seemed a worthwhile purchase initially, only to break after less than three days, causing her to be tardy on one occasion—a fitting associate for dealings with a being like a devil.

Diabolos's expression grimaced.

While he was not particularly selective about the object of his inhabitation, a broken pocket watch was...

"Very well," he relented, yielding yet another point.

Had he not had vital business here, why would he persist? While all events appeared coincidental, who could definitively state that unseen influences were not at play?

Taking the fractured watch into his hand, Diabolos turned it over for examination.

At first glance, it appeared decent, but a closer look revealed shoddy craftsmanship, a mere facade.

Clockwork is a true test of a craftsman's skill.

The quality of a clockmaker's work cannot be hidden.

With a touch of his right index finger to the face of the watch, without any noticeable action, crimson bloodstains spread across it.

Mana from the surroundings gathered around them under Diabolos's command, quickly forming a circle of dense, silver-white fog.

...

Two hundred meters north of the cavern, there lies an open field, the second concealment spot Roronora and Jelia had identified from the outset.

Should the enemy discover the cave, their plan was to retreat here for a temporary stay.

Despite the lack of cover, the area is always enshrouded in fog due to magnetic anomalies, disrupting mana perception and proving disadvantageous for magi.

"Roronora, do you think Ali will be alright?" Jelia, tightening the cloak around her, leaned against a tree trunk.

"She'll be fine."

Perched on a protruding branch, with her gaze directed towards the cave, Roronora squatted on the tree behind Jelia.

Though surrounded by thick fog, Roronora's vision, far superior to that of ordinary beings and enhanced further by her half-orc physiology and mana, allowed her to discern objects nearly a hundred meters away clearly—provided she remained still.

Movement would drastically reduce her field of vision to about thirty meters.

Even so, at this distance, she couldn't see what was happening at the cave's location.

It was too far, and staring in that direction served more as a psychological comfort than any practical use, a comfort not for herself.

Roronora was acutely aware of the potential dangers Ali might be facing.

If it were indeed a mana rampage, she would have sensed the mana fluctuations even from their position, but Roronora felt nothing.

Towards the cave, there wasn't the slightest hint of a mana rampage, not even significant mana fluctuations.

Except for the mana vibrations that had gathered at the beginning, the surrounding mana was in a natural state of even distribution—indicating that the possibility of a mana rampage was virtually non-existent.

Ali was facing a different kind of trouble, one that even he wasn't confident about resolving, which is why he had instructed them to leave with Jelia.

As Roronora left, he noticed the spell matrix atop the mound.

Despite his abilities, he couldn't decipher its purpose, but that didn't prevent him from speculating.

If the danger was external, fleeing with Jelia would be futile; the adversary would surely target Jelia, appearing more vulnerable.

In such a case, it might be wiser for him to hide in the cave with Jelia while Ali lured the enemy away.

This meant the likelihood of the danger coming from the outside was almost negligible.

Therefore, the most probable source of danger must be the spell itself.

A self-destructive spell matrix? Or a remote spell matrix deployed by an enemy? Without Ali's appearance, these questions remained unanswered.

Suddenly, Roronora's gaze shifted—mana fluctuations became intense, drawn by an elusive force toward the cave! Had the spell matrix unleashed its power?

Roronora grew anxious, the brief seconds stretching into what felt like an eternity.

Eventually, the convergence of mana ceased, a grandiose aura flashed by, and a figure appeared within Roronora's view as if by instantaneous movement—it was Ali!

16:05

However, Ali seemed somewhat different.

The most significant change was in strength.

If previously Roronora could confidently assert dominance over Ali, now, even from a hundred meters away, he could distinctly sense the dangerous aura emanating from Ali!

It was akin to a tiger ambling through the woods; seemingly languid but capable of earth-shattering ferocity once provoked.

What exactly had happened to Ali in those brief five minutes?

Despite being full of questions, Roronora knew only Ali could provide the answers.

He jumped down from the branch and patted Jelia's hair.

"Little master, stay behind me when the time comes."