Chapter 538
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Chapter 538: The Flaw of Quick Mastery
Tatsumi City, eleven o’clock in the morning.
Enormous black mud creatures erupted from the ground, their dark tendrils reaching out to touch and influence the World. There were simply too many of them.
Inside the city, thousands of these creatures rampaged, most of them relentlessly chasing after the fleeing crowds, while a few grew smaller and hid in the shadows.
High above in the sky, the radiance of Mu Ling’s Imperial Light Execution flickered and faded from her hands. With a wave of her blade, the world was instantly engulfed by the darkness of night.
Countless monsters were consumed by this darkness, vanishing without a sound as if they had never existed. This only lasted for half a minute before the sky returned to daylight. Mu Ling, standing high in the air, had already withdrawn the Imperial Light Execution.
“Sorry, I just took a little longer to solve it.”
Mu Ling, holding the Imperial Light Execution, walked into the café with calm steps. Mr. Profligate and Maryse were already seated, sipping their coffee and looking relaxed. In reality, they had just visited several cities around World to deal with the ongoing crises.
Bai Yan glanced towards Mu Ling, and Maryse set her cup down, her eyes meeting his.
“Mr. Profligate, you should just watch me,” Maryse grumbled, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
Bai Yan felt a slight guilt, but his expression remained neutral. He smiled slightly and shook his head, saying, “I was just looking at you for a while, you know?”
Maryse pouted, clearly unimpressed.
“Never mind, go ahead and see for yourself,” she huffed. “Anyway, her heart only belongs to that ‘person.’ No matter how much you think about it, it’s pointless. Black chocolate ice cream is very delicious, but some people will never get to taste it.”
Black chocolate ice cream?
Bai Yan looked over at Mu Ling, her black clothes and white hair, and couldn’t help but connect her to the description. He fell into deep thought, wondering why Maryse’s perceptiveness was still so sharp, even when his own psychic abilities didn’t work.
Could it be that she had been observing his every move for a long time?
Mu Ling, unaware of the dynamic between the two, calmly spoke, “How is the situation? I’ve already cleaned up all the monsters in Tatsumi City.”
“Cleaned up nicely, well done, Mu Ling.” Bai Yan nodded with a smile.
His tone inadvertently carried a touch of condescension, though Maryse didn’t seem to notice. Mu Ling glanced briefly at Bai Yan.
Why did the Savior and Mr. Profligate have such remarkably similar powers?
After the battle with the Giant Hive, Mu Ling had been pondering this very question. Had the Savior shared a portion of his power with him? If that were the case, he was indeed fortunate.
Mu Ling remained silent.
“Chocolate… Mu Ling, you’ve become so strong, like a rocket shooting up into the sky. You’ve grown so much stronger than before,” Maryse remarked in a sour tone.
She stood and embraced Mu Ling tightly, clinging to her.
“This isn’t my power, but the power of the Savior. I’m merely using it on His behalf,” Mu Ling replied, but she subconsciously hesitated to push Maryse away.
“Nonsense, Naigao, remember—what is given to you is yours!” Maryse exclaimed without shame, her voice full of conviction. “For example, the power He gave me is now mine! I won’t give it back even if you kill me!”
“Mu Ling, it’s important for you to realize this,” Bai Yan suddenly interjected, drawing the attention of both girls.
His words were earnest, and they both looked at him with surprise. “Actually, in terms of power, you are no less than me now… but still, you haven’t truly become a god. You haven’t taken the final step yet.”
“The key is that you haven’t been able to fully harness the power within you, and your heart is not yet in tune with this immensely surpassing force.”
“In the end, this power doesn’t entirely belong to you.”
Mu Ling was momentarily taken aback.
“My cold heart?” she asked, confusion flashing across her face.
“Yes,” Bai Yan nodded gently. He was reminded of his recent conversation with the Anomalous Star.
“Let me kill someone who silently helps me, someone who is willing to sacrifice for others… I can’t do it.”
At that moment, Bai Yan met her gaze, speaking with an unsettling calmness.
“Let me see the Anomalous Star; it’s very important.”
Just as Ji tried to say something to persuade him, the Anomalous Star suddenly possessed Ji’s body.
“You and we are different,” the Anomalous Star’s voice, through Ji’s body, echoed coldly.
“Any one of us would choose to kill Ji—even the Heart of Radiance.”
“Instead of the fate of World, you care more about your own ‘feelings.’ For you, being happy inside might be the most important thing.”
“Saving the World is just an extremely important game for you.”
Bai Yan had no words to offer in response. Perhaps, that was the truth.
If everything were to start over, and he was playing a game that destroys the World… After discovering the truth, would he continue playing?
He didn’t know either.
Bai Yan, who had grown tired of overthinking, simply stated, “To become a god, apart from fulfilling the requirements of the Ultimate Ritual and attaining the power of a demigod, are there any other important conditions?”
Even the Anomalous Star seemed momentarily stunned.
“Becoming a god?” The Anomalous Star mused. “Could Babel Tower really accomplish such a thing?”
“Becoming a god… Such a grand ambition,” the Anomalous Star added, silence falling for a moment.
“I didn’t know whether to be amazed that ‘the Babel Tower could easily reach the heavens’ or to think that ‘even the Babel Tower has things it cannot accomplish.’”
“The wonder of the Babel Tower truly amazed me.”
Throughout history, extraordinary rulers in Noah’s world were rare. Powerful beings of the Apocalypse level appeared and disappeared repeatedly, leaving only a few to remain as gods. But for Babel Tower, this was merely a somewhat challenging task.
It was too much… something that was impossible to accept.
Bai Yan continued calmly, “I’m sorry for being rude, but time is running out, and our fighting power is severely lacking. If they manage to rescue the Outer God, everything will be over.”
“I must know the final condition to become a god.”
“I see now.” The Anomalous Star nodded, understanding. “If the ceremony and abilities are already in place, perhaps the problem lies in the ‘heart’ aspect—experience, past encounters, and surpassing one’s limits.”
Heart?
Bai Yan caught the significance of this word. The Anomalous Star continued, “In fact, for most quasi-god powerhouses, this is already a necessary foundation. But perhaps it is the quasi-gods of Babel Tower who lack this fundamental quality.”
Bai Yan paused, realization dawning upon him. Now he understood why Mu Ling had been unable to take the final step. Strength came quickly, but she was not yet compatible with that power.
Although Babel Tower could bestow power, it could not change one’s character, nor could it alter a person’s state of mind.
Mu Ling’s challenge wasn’t just a matter of strength—it was about her heart, her essence. She couldn’t match the power of a god yet, because she hadn’t experienced enough to truly wield it.
But this gap was difficult to close. Throughout history, every quasi-god had lived long lives, filled with experiences. Mu Ling, at only nineteen, was still too young.
Placed in the realm of mortals, she was just beginning adulthood. The idea of marriage, even, seemed “immature.”
How could someone so young match the power of a god?
“Hmm, the Savior of Babel Tower has already explained to me… He has a plan that might just work,” Bai Yan shared thoughtfully.
The Anomalous Star listened carefully, remaining silent for a moment.
“I see now,” it said. “It could work, but it might also… completely ruin her.”
At this very moment…
Annottales.
The Temple of Dark Light.
The prayer room in the Temple of Dark Light had always been a sacred place, reserved only for the Divine Executors, where one could convey their prayers to the Savior of Dark Light. According to the ancient scriptures, the Savior had always been filled with love for all living beings, often listening to their pleas.
But as time passed, He discovered that most people were ignorant and selfish. Eventually, He ceased this thankless task and became someone who only listened to the ideas of past Divine Executors—wise and morally upright individuals responsible for overseeing the Kingdom of Dark Light on His behalf.
And so, the position of “Divine Executor” was created.
“Savior…”
The elderly man in black robes knelt in the prayer room, closing his eyes and speaking softly.
A voice responded from within the temple.
[I finally hear your voice… I should thank you for always protecting this part of me.]
“That’s what I should do, Savior.”
The old man opened his eyes slowly, a hint of joy flashing within them.
[I slept for a long time, and during this time, another part of me lost the battle.]
[It was something I could foresee.]
[Back then, the Steel Throne led me to that place, promising to share the opportunity to become a higher deity. But it turned out to be a trap.]
[I confronted the Outer God, Black Abyss Deep Sea, there… and became tainted.]
[So, I split myself in two, separating the untainted part.]
[The other part lost dignity and self… It was no longer the Savior of Dark Light, nor a deity. It had become a puppet.]
[I need your body to seek revenge on the Steel Throne, to destroy the fallen puppet… Become my vessel!]
The old man nodded, saying with satisfaction, “It is my honor.”
A dim light burst from the temple, enveloping the entire sky.
People across World could feel it. A domineering divine aura filled the air.
[Babel Tower did an excellent job, restraining and cleaning up a certain amount of pollution in the Black Abyss Deep Sea… Without them, I might still be slumbering.]
[But I will be the Savior of this world!]