Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 639 - 592 Rational Awakening
Hill’s Soul Guardian, wearing a Cassandra law enforcement uniform?
Lyle felt a bit... baffled. It was a pure black law enforcement overcoat, the standard trench coat of the Zwei Kingdom, plus the Cassandra’s characteristic pitch-black base and spire embroidery, forming a small circle around the shoulder joint. Lyle felt so familiar with it because he had seen Ralph’s silhouette many times.
Even now, he felt that it was Ralph’s silhouette.
Could it be possible? Was the Giant Twilight Dragon Hill’s Soul Guardian Ralph?
"I might... know that Soul Guardian; he could be an acquaintance of mine." Lyle couldn’t be too sure, but he was sixty percent convinced in his heart. Cassandra’s range wasn’t small, but due to a certain person, there was little demand for law enforcement officers, and the staff was quite sparse; Lyle had seen most of them.
Helena did not continue to dwell on the relationship between Lyle and that Soul Guardian.
"Are you sure? You know, a Soul Guardian is essentially an embodiment of Hill’s memory of a person. If you can identify the appearance of a Soul Guardian, then you could craft a disguise of the Soul Guardian. This is actually better, for blind adoration of the Soul Guardian can affect the judgment of the soul itself."
"I need to get a little closer, to take a careful look at that Soul Guardian."
Helena’s legs transformed into a serpentine tail that coiled around Lyle’s waist.
"Then you can test the guard range of that guardian to prevent accidents. In moments of danger, I will pull you back. That guardian’s mode of attack involves chains, which likely have the capability to restrain bodies and are specifically targeted at you."
"Thank you."
The Ominous Giant Lyle slowly drifted toward the humanoid form of Hill, toward that Soul Guardian. As he closed the distance, the outline of the Soul Guardian became increasingly clear, limbs, torso, standard trench coat, leather boots, black gloves... Lyle had the illusion that this Soul Guardian was gradually becoming the image of Ralph in his heart.
But he was a silhouette, his face unseen; Lyle could not decide.
Turn around... turn around... turn around.
Perhaps Lyle’s desire really had an effect, for that Soul Guardian actually began to slowly turn his head.
Yes, that’s it, a familiar feeling, the same movement.
He is... he is... my...
The tall law enforcement officer turned his head, and on his neck was a...
A snarling kobold with a ferocious gaze.
Its fur color was close to that of an Alaskan sled dog.
Who is this, exactly?
"Pull me back, Helena."
The serpentine tail pulled Lyle’s soul back. As the distance widened, Lyle watched the kobold glare at him with that vicious dog’s head.
"Discovered the Soul Guardian’s identity? Is it someone you know?"
The Ominous incarnation covered his face.
"It’s probably my illusion. That Soul Guardian has a dog’s head; I don’t know such a strange fellow."
"Well, that’s a character fabricated by a dragon’s subconscious, after all. There might be minor differences from a real person."
What does that mean? Is there someone in the real world who looks like a dog and wears a Cassandra law enforcement uniform? That’s terrifying. Next time, I’ll ask Mr. Ralph if he knows such a person. Lyle watched the increasingly grotesque dog’s head feeling somewhat uneasy.
[Helena, why is this Soul Guardian glaring at me?]
[He has marked you, and the recognition of souls is bidirectional. The Soul Guardian has tagged you as a foreign object, so your series of deceitful actions will also be seen through. It’s up to me now to lower Hill’s defenses.]
Following that, Helena made a series of attempts. She fabricated lies, distorted new memories with those floating recollections, filled the memory with knowledge related to dragon-kind, and even disguised herself as a true core of Hill, attempting to provoke self-doubt within Hill.
However, it was all in vain.
The Kobold chief with deep gloomy eyes could not only catch Lyle off guard but also saw through all of Helena’s disguises. Every tactic was exposed and destroyed. As the Kobold continued to pierce through the lies, the ominous gaze directed at Lyle became increasingly dangerous.
[Helena, his gaze is getting more and more dangerous.]
[Tch, this soul’s hostility toward us is deepening by the moment. If we fail again, we might have to leave before the Soul Guardian settles the score with us.]
Lyle found a familiar feeling within that sinister gaze. Ralph would lock him in an even darker gaze but without the intent to kill. Under such frightening oppression, Lyle began to think about methods habitually.
[Helena, do we really have to use deception to break through someone’s defenses?]
[What else?]
[Why don’t we just reveal our identities to her, tell her the truth.]
[That’s a dangerously stupid move, Lyle. We are within someone else’s soul, like a virus that has entered. Exposure would only lead to the most efficient cleansing by the Soul Guardian. When a person’s inner self hears a second voice, a normal individual will annihilate that second voice. It’s the soul’s mechanism to choke a secondary personality. You’ve thought of the fastest way to destroy yourself, fool.]
Facing the teacher’s criticism, Lyle was like a stubborn student.
[Helena, my intuition tells me that’s what I should do!]
The will from the Ominous giant’s mental fluctuations was conveyed, and Helena fell silent. The sculpture of the Soul Reaver embraced the Ominous, and their hissing sounds as they eroded each other became the most intense voices within the shadows.
[Then let’s try one more time. If we fail, I will do my best to preserve your soul.]
Without repeating his thanks and following Helena’s teachings, from within the mire that the Ominous had transformed into, a glowing soul emerged, enveloped by the power of the Evil God, the radiating soul of Lyle sent out its own message.]
[Lyle Butler, a Spirit Summoner from Cassandra and Andrei Academy. Hill, I am your friend. I, along with the Dragon Priest and the others, hope you can wake up.]
That glowing memory wasn’t sophisticated, not even capable of deception, just a voice. To the soul itself, it could even be considered a useless delusion.
The Soul Guardian noticed that orb of light.
An object that could easily be deemed foreign, the Soul Guardian did not attack. Its dog-face softened, revealing a comical grin like that of a Siberian Husky. The Soul Guardian reached out, drew the orb of light closer to itself, and fused with it.
The Soul Guardian disappeared. A burst of light illuminated the slumbering girl completely.
Her eyes opened, her amethyst pupils filled with pride and majesty. In an instant, the girl took command of the soul, towering splendidly against the wash of shadow. Looking down upon the two foreign entities, within the soul of the dragon, she was the deity who decreed life and death.
[Silvette.]
[What?]
An irresistible force threw the avatars of Lyle and Helena out.
[Silvette is my true name. Remember that, Mr. Little Butler.]
