Chapter 500

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Chapter 500: Doubles

“Bai Yan!”

A text bubble appeared near Alan, and he was flooded with a mix of surprise and disbelief. The scene before him was utterly baffling.

To Alan’s astonishment, Bai Yan, who had been missing for so long, suddenly appeared here! The question arose in his mind—what could explain this? It seemed truly impossible!

Then, it struck Alan.

Bai Yan being here could only mean one thing…

“Could it be, Bai Yan, that you are actually a member of the Babel Tower?” Alan asked, his voice filled with curiosity.

Bai Yan, his expression serious, responded sincerely through a speech bubble:

“Um, you’re right, Alan… I have always been sorry. In fact, I’ve hidden so many things from you… so many things…”

“Even now, I don’t plan to confess everything. There are reasons for keeping those secrets buried within my heart.”

Bai Yan paused, realizing that some things—like Babel Tower and the mysterious “Savior”—might be better left unknown. He had come to understand that “unbearable information” often carries a dangerous poison.

Alan stayed silent for a moment, contemplating.

“It’s okay,” he finally said. “I’m actually very happy right now, happier than I can express… You know, Bai Yan, deep inside my heart, there’s always been this lingering fear since the Doomsday Crisis.”

“I once felt like I had lost everything. If it weren’t for my companions in Babel Tower, if it weren’t for the responsibility to save the world… I might have taken a much darker path.”

“But you’re still alive, and that’s the greatest thing. That’s enough. We’re friends. And between friends, we don’t need to ask each other about every secret.”

Bai Yan wanted to say so much more. He wished to confide in his best friend, to share the burden of his past. But as he thought about it, he realized that there were so many things that were difficult to express.

Had a barrier already formed between them?

He didn’t know.

Though he was surrounded by people, admired, relied upon, and worshipped by countless others, Bai Yan’s inner loneliness continued to grow. No one truly understood him anymore.

In the past, Alan understood him completely. But now, how could Alan possibly grasp his true nature after all they had been through?

“What are you thinking about, Bai Yan?” Alan asked, sensing the shift in Bai Yan’s mood.

“I was just thinking about some boring things,” Bai Yan replied.

In that instant, seeing Noa, anger surged within him. He recalled that during the previous battle cycle, he had discovered that Noa was the murderer responsible for killing Lin Bian’s daughter all those years ago.

In the midst of his anger, Bai Yan realized something vital—his true nature hadn’t changed.

There was no barrier between them.

Even without knowing each other’s secrets, companions could still understand one another’s thoughts and beliefs.

“I’ve been through so much chaos,” Bai Yan thought with a wry smile. “My mind just got a little shaken, that’s all.”

Amicio’s voice broke through, once again appearing in a speech bubble.

“You’ve been talking with Alan this whole time, ignoring me completely, Bai Yan… You really are a profligate, aren’t you? I’ve had this suspicion for a while, but now it finally makes sense.”

Bai Yan didn’t reply, his silence speaking volumes.

So that was it! Alan was surprised, but now he could see things more clearly. The kid was just too good at fooling people! His anger grew, mixing with embarrassment and frustration.

So… Bai Yan had been pretending all along? Watching Alan get angry and helpless every day?

“Curse it,” Alan muttered, the realization stinging.

Amicio then asked with curiosity: “Hedonist, what do you mean by saying ‘come a second time’ to save him?”

Bai Yan’s speech bubble appeared, but he didn’t directly answer the question.

“Do you know what the amazing powers of the Almighty are?”

Amicio paused, thinking for a moment before guessing, “To foresee the future, to perceive all possibilities. The Almighty can choose the best path… She even used this power to obstruct the Heart of Radiance.”

Bai Yan knew Amicio had understood, and at that moment, he realized his enemies were nearly unbeatable from the start.

The Almighty’s true trump card was time manipulation—a “rewind” of sorts—but more importantly, it wasn’t a natural ability. It was derived from the technological knowledge of the annulus civilization, something she had already mastered.

If the enemy were aware of this, there might be a chance to counter it. But since they knew nothing, it was an enormous advantage.

In battles between extraordinary beings, information often became the most decisive factor.

Suddenly, both Amicio and Noa vanished without a trace, leaving the dimension behind.

The next moment, Bai Yan and Alan followed, without hesitation, in pursuit of Amicio, the Son of God.

They arrived in a dimension made entirely of black and white. They transformed into characters resembling realistic figures from a black-and-white comic book.

Bai Yan and Alan stood in silence. Alan closed his eyes, no longer looking ahead. His sight had already been lost, as the Pupil of Mystery had reached its maximum capacity.

Despite this, Alan remained one of the most powerful beings, a master of magic.

Bai Yan looked at Noa, and she met his gaze. There was hostility in the air, palpable and heavy.

Though Noa didn’t recognize this man, she couldn’t shake the strange sensation that lingered.

Standing beside Amicio, Noa noticed her master’s hand gently brushing her head.

“Hmm?”

She blinked in surprise, realizing the affection in his gaze. The emotions she had kept suppressed for so long began to overflow.

“Master…”

In truth, Noa hadn’t followed Amicio out of a desire for power. Once, she had been a formidable Black Wizardess, with her own power and dominion. She had lived for over three hundred years.

During the Crown Ceremony in Tatsumi City, Noa had inadvertently revealed some crucial information, leading to her territory being besieged.

The Crown Ceremony failed, and Noa was gravely injured, her power weakened. When her influence in Tatsumi City was eradicated, she fled, only to be captured by Lin Bian.

Pretending to be innocent, she was spared by Lin Bian, who had good intentions at the time.

But in a fit of rage, Noa killed Lin Bian’s daughter. That act triggered the Crown Ceremony’s conditions, leading to her ascension as a Crown.

After leaving Tatsumi City, Noa met the mysterious and unpredictable Amicio.

Powerful. Unpredictable. Within the games.

After spending a day with him, Noa realized she never wanted to leave his side.

But the gulf between them was vast, and if she wanted to stay, there was only one way—she had to become his loyal servant.

Bai Yan spoke slowly: “I promised you, Alan. I’ll tear her face off.”

“I hope you’ll keep your promise,” Alan replied. “I’m really angry right now, Bai Yan.”

As they spoke, they attacked together, with seamless coordination.

Crimson flames, born from their blood, erupted in a fiery blaze, consuming everything.

Red and black flames surged together toward Amicio, ready to strike him down.

“Noa, I’ve always known your heart,” Bai Yan declared.

“Amicio…”

In Amicio’s eyes, unspoken emotions simmered.

“I knew your love long ago, and that’s why I kept you here. Now I want to say… I’m so sorry.”

“Hmm?”

Alan’s words rang true—black magic was evil from the very beginning.

All those devoted to it were too valuable to be lost.

“Desire unfulfilled, love lost… Only the most twisted emotions can awaken such powerful dark magic.”

Amicio shouted: “I transformed into my weapon, my loyal love, and became my instrument of punishment.”

In that instant, Noa saw the depth of his emotions in his eyes—a genuine love.

So, that was it—he loved her too.

But still…

“Please, please, I don’t want to die like this…” she begged, eyes full of pain.

Amicio’s heart twisted with conflicting emotions, triggering the ritual he had prepared for years. It reached its peak.

With a scream, Noa’s body twisted, contorting into a pitch-black, eerie meat cleaver. It curved, both in body and soul.

Amicio smiled, grasping it gently.

“Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted? To stay by my side forever? Your wish has come true.”

The black cleaver spread outwards, summoning an endless horde of dark, shadowy creatures. They were intangible, incorporeal, and they showed no fear of the blazing crimson flames. Only the Fire that Burns Everything could destroy them.

This magical knife had the power to materialize dark sorcery.

The shadowy creatures hungrily pressed towards Bai Yan and Alan, leaving almost no room to escape. Those caught by them had their souls devoured instantly.

This was one of Amicio’s deadliest weapons—Deep Red, Divine Punishment.

In an instant, Bai Yan took Alan’s hand and broke through the encirclements. They arrived right next to Amicio. Thanks to the “tax” paid by members of the Giant Hive, both of them were filled with abundant spiritual power.

Power Possession · Nightsaber!

“So many powers of the Outer Gods…” Amicio muttered, surprised, but didn’t have time to react before swinging his forbidden weapon.

In that moment, the dark butcher knife vanished, just as Alan cast a modified “Reanimation Spell,” temporarily transferring the eerie weapon away.

Amicio didn’t have time to stop Bai Yan.

Deep Blue World.

With Gungnir in his hand, Bai Yan struck relentlessly. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.

Amicio’s body, far from fragile, shattered completely. His soul was thrown into the black flames, burning until nothing remained.

“I will not die like this!” Amicio laughed hysterically. “Today’s experience is absurd and amusing!”

His soul burned, yet he continued to laugh, seemingly unafraid of death—unaware of the true value of life.

“You must stay here and never leave!” Alan roared in fury.

Slaughtering the innocent—this, Alan could not forgive. As a Night Watcher, he could never accept such betrayal.

The fire of destruction burned fiercely, consuming Amicio’s distorted soul. Within moments, nearly half of his soul had been devoured.

Then, Bai Yan furrowed his brow, and Alan felt the air growing heavy, as if suffocating.

God, he intervened!