Chapter 278: Devil's Smile

“Crunch, crack.”

“Hmm, the taste is truly excellent.”

Feeling the vibrant, surging blood coursing through that internal space, Wang Yu did not hesitate to pull the remaining half of the golden apple from his pocket and chewed it down.

Crisp, sweet, and juicy, a refreshing sensation permeated his mouth, leaving him both satisfied and slightly regretful that he could only experience this once.

“It’s not so much that I’ve ‘learned’ something this time, but rather a spontaneous optimization. Now that my physique has reached the level of a Great Knight, its potential hasn’t diminished with my rise in strength; instead, as my body grows stronger, the things I am capable of doing have only increased.”

As the special components of the golden apple were absorbed into his body, Wang Yu recalled how his physique had previously craved the fruit. He had waited for the perfect moment to ensure its effects were not squandered.

The emergence of this new, imperfect space within him confirmed that the time was now.

Enhancing his knightly talent was the apple’s primary effect on him. These special components, which should have been dispersed throughout his body, were partially diverted to that “organ”—the space—combining with this new, essential part of his anatomy to fill its voids.

Invisible yet tangible vessels grew from the “blood pool,” extending and connecting to his physical circulatory system, integrating into the flow of his blood.

Blood produced by his body was injected into the “pool,” then flowed out through these intangible vessels to continue its endless cycle, carrying vitality to every corner of his frame. The pool acted as a massive “energy storage unit.”

The Blood-Rage Knight secret technique fused his battle aura with his blood, meaning his blood possessed not only extraordinary vitality and healing properties but could also store battle aura, sparing him the need to rely solely on a battle aura vortex like others.

This “blood pool” could hold roughly five times the volume of his previous total blood supply—twice as much as the now-destroyed Blood-Biting Ring.

While this significantly increased the amount of blood he could manipulate, it also indirectly boosted his battle aura reserves, which had been relatively meager compared to his peers.

“In that case, I’m becoming increasingly hard to put down. My defense hasn’t risen, but my recovery ability has taken a leap forward.”

Wang Yu finished absorbing the apple’s essence. There was no singular, dramatic sensation, but he was certain of one thing: his body had undergone a positive transformation.

This change was the result of his body being scoured by a torrent of vitality and then absorbing the apple’s unique properties. As for what this mysterious “talent enhancement” truly entailed, he would need time to explore.

However, some obvious changes were already apparent.

He extended his hand, and blood manifested out of thin air in his palm, churning and leaping under the guidance of his secret technique, shifting into various forms.

The next moment, Material Shaping was activated. The blood transformed into a sharp, sturdy longsword, which he gripped. He then tossed the blood-forged blade into the air, and in an instant, the sword—still essentially blood—vanished.

Within the blood pool, a scarlet sword fell into the churning liquid, reverting to its fluid state and merging back into his circulatory system.

The appearance of the blood pool allowed Wang Yu to manipulate his blood without needing to open a wound. The blood in that space was his weapon reserve and his backup health bar; filled with battle aura and vitality, it could serve as both a weapon and a restorative.

“Perhaps, if I keep growing stronger, I might eventually reach the level of the World Eater?”

A satisfied smile played on his lips. Wang Yu waved his hand, pulling his focus away from his body’s transformation, and uttered a slightly self-deprecating, unrealistic expectation.

“Maybe. But that’s a long way off. After all, my blood can still only be used to repair wounds and temporarily replace damaged organs; recreating a whole body is still beyond me.”

Muttering to himself, Wang Yu turned his gaze to Zig, who was observing the interior of the World Tree. The professor was using a page of magic text created from dragon-bone runes to record his findings.

“Professor, you said how were we getting out again? Waiting for the Elf Elders to come and fetch us? Logically, this place is a forbidden zone, but since we managed to take down the World Eater with the help of that Iron Giant, they shouldn’t mind, right?”

Wang Yu spoke as he wandered around the space inside the World Tree, finding no exit.

“Is that giant worm called a World Eater? No need to rush. Since it’s been dealt with, staying here a while longer won’t hurt. We won’t be trapped here forever, will we?”

Zig replied with a smile, his words grounded and practical.

“That’s true…”

Wang Yu scratched his head. Zig made sense, but his mind was still on the source of the disaster: the devils. The World Eater was merely their tool; they were the true architects of this chaos.

“Sigh, without the key, I’m helpless against those devils. I can’t even reach them.”

He sighed. He truly had no way to deal with the devils—he couldn’t touch them, couldn’t see them. Even if a devil possessed someone, Wang Yu could only kill the host, unable to harm the devil itself.

“Creak…”

As Wang Yu pondered, a section of the wall in their space slowly opened, revealing a passage. It seemed the World Tree had noticed their conversation and opened a way out.

“Let’s go.”

Zig dissipated the magic page in his hand and walked toward the passage. Despite the brevity of his observation, he had gained much from this wondrous environment.

“Wait.”

Just as Wang Yu was about to follow, he remembered something. He pulled several large reagent containers from his gear, ran to the edge of the Source Pool, scooped up the liquid several times until the containers were full, and carefully sealed them with stoppers.

“I recall the Elves explicitly forbidding the use of water from the Source Pool, don’t they?”

Zig’s expression was subtle. What Wang Yu was doing was a grave violation of Elven law; being caught would mean immediate exile.

“This is what Professor Moira deserves. Aside from her ‘Wish Coin’ potion, I can’t think of anyone else who could have brought you and that Iron Giant back. If they hold onto rules so tightly after we saved Liah-Heim, that would be truly disheartening.”

Wang Yu shrugged, unbothered. He tucked the bottles of Source Pool water into his belt. Since the World Tree itself didn’t seem to mind, he didn’t believe the Elves would come after him for this.

“Haha, fair enough.”

Zig nodded, knowing Wang Yu’s logic held water.

The two walked out through the passage and arrived at the “Eden Plains” courtyard. The moment they emerged, the atmosphere startled them—Legends, several of them, and many Great Knights were present.

“Rumble.”

Several massive War-Ents approached Wang Yu and Zig. Standing on the shoulders of these legendary-tier trees were several Elves clad in silver armor and carrying greatswords; their strength was undoubtedly legendary as well.

These top-tier Elven warriors were the guardians of the World Tree. Because their connection to the tree was deepest, they had been most severely bound by its corruption when the World Eater attacked, preventing them from fulfilling their duties.

“We thank you both for your aid. You are the benefactors of all Liah-Heim. The Elven race will never overlook the help you have provided.”

“Please give us some time. Liah-Heim needs a moment to recover its resources. Once that is done, we will prepare a reward sufficient to express our gratitude!”

A legendary silver-armored Elf leaped from the shoulder of a War-Ent and performed the highest human salute to Wang Yu and Zig. His expression was earnest, and the gratitude in his tone was devoid of any pretense.

The surrounding Elven guards, and even the massive War-Ents, bowed to Wang Yu and Zig as the legendary Elf spoke. The gestures were not perfectly standard, but the sentiment was clear.

“I helped where I could.”

Wang Yu waved his hand with a smile. He had no particularly noble reason for helping—it was within his power, and he hated devils, so he lent a hand.

Led by these Elven powerhouses, Wang Yu and Zig exited the Eden Plains and reached the canopy platform of the World Tree. It was in shambles, having been corrupted by the World Eater and then blasted by a cannon, which was to be expected.

Along the way, every Elf they encountered offered a salute in the human style they knew, bowing with sincere respect. Zig could feel the genuine gratitude radiating from them.

Wang Yu scanned the surroundings and spotted his teacher, Moira, standing next to Gawain. He walked over with Zig.

“Teacher, this is for you. I need to go find Avia, so I won’t stay long. I’ll come back later to continue my studies in alchemy.”

He handed the containers filled with Source Pool water to the stunned Moira and waved, preparing to depart.

“You brat, it’ll be a while before you can study alchemy with me again. My home was smashed by that damned giant worm. Even with the World Tree’s help, rebuilding a treehouse takes time. And this thing you gave me…!”

Moira spoke with a hint of annoyance regarding her destroyed home, but as she looked at what Wang Yu had handed her, she fell silent. It was the water from the Source Pool she had mentioned to her students. The boy had actually gotten it for her.

She instinctively glanced at Gawain standing nearby. He clearly noticed what Moira was holding, but he deliberately turned his gaze away, pretending not to see.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Gawain, too, was finally changing a little. Sometimes, even rules needed a bit of flexibility.

These two disciples, in all these years, have been a greater harvest than completing the wish-coin potion or witnessing Gawain’s discomfort.

She tucked away the vials of liquid from the Source Pool; with these, her life, once nearing its twilight, would be extended, granting her more time to advance further in the alchemy she had long found stagnant, and more time to mentor these two pupils who, in her eyes, possessed boundless potential.

Zieg walked over and patted Gawain on the shoulder, finding the situation rather amusing; it was a rare sight indeed to see his rigid, rule-abiding old friend choose to turn a blind eye and break his own code.

...

A giant eagle, serving as transport, descended from the heavens with Wang Yu, depositing him onto one of the few remaining transit platforms in Liaheim, where he and Avia had agreed to reunite using the Perfect Fractal spell.

"Wang Yu!"

The girl waved at him with a radiant smile.

"I'm here."

Running to her side, Wang Yu bumped fists with Avia.

"Mr. Holo's efforts were not in vain!"

The girl said with earnest gravity.

"Indeed, his sacrifice had meaning. His homeland, the Sorenson Mountains, will remember the name Holo, and in time, I shall tell his story to the elves of Liaheim and that bard named Aslan."

Wang Yu hoisted the girl onto his shoulders and began walking toward the quarters Liaheim provided for outsiders, only to realize halfway there that the area had likely been pulverized by the shockwaves of the battle.

"It seems we have nowhere to go; Teacher Moira's home was blown to bits as well."

Wang Yu scratched his head, feeling a bit helpless; they were essentially homeless.

"It's fine, we can just camp out somewhere. When we first met, wasn't it just a campfire and a night under the stars?"

Avia patted Wang Yu’s head, unbothered by his concern; though she was a young lady, she had long been "corrupted" by this fellow and cared little for such luxuries.

"That’s true. Wait, is that Sif?"

Wang Yu replied, but mid-sentence, he spotted a figure approaching in the distance; his keen eyesight allowed him to identify their friend, the elven ranger Sif, at a glance.

"It looks like her, but how did Sif know we were here?"

Avia summoned her Perfect Fractal lens to magnify the distant scene, confirming it was indeed Sif, yet the sharp-witted girl felt a strange unease at the coincidence.

"No, that is not Sif, or at the very least, something is wrong."

Wang Yu’s brow furrowed slightly; the girl’s question drew his attention, and he quickly noticed the discrepancies.

While the figure looked identical to the Sif they knew, the minute details—the demeanor, the gait—were all off, inconsistencies laid bare by the knight’s terrifying perception.

"The body is Sif's, but the one piloting it is certainly not."

Setting Avia down, he began to channel his battle aura and blood, ready to strike; only one entity capable of possessing a host and seeking them out came to mind.

"A devil."

The girl spoke the terrifying truth with a solemn expression, black spheres of energy manifesting around her, pulsing and ready to be unleashed.

"Such sharp observation, Miss Avia Dolphin, and her... companion?"

"Sif" drew closer, her voice carrying clearly to them, and the words she spoke caused Wang Yu and Avia to frown deeply.

Avia had shared her given name with others, but never her surname; how could this suspected devil know it?

"A wizard as excellent as you, with talent so great you serve as a vessel for the Key, why choose such a wretched existence as a partner? It is truly beyond comprehension."

"You would be better off choosing me; at least my wizarding talent is decent, and I am quite handsome—oh, apologies, I forgot I am wearing your friend's skin, so you cannot see my true face."

"Do you know what your partner looks like in our eyes? A lump of soulless, rotting meat, disgusting and withered, devoid of any value. Choosing him as a partner is no different than choosing an alchemical doll; what could possibly be the point?"

"Sif" prattled on, her caustic, mocking tone designed to ignite the fires of rage, yet Wang Yu and Avia merely stared with cold, unblinking eyes, ignoring her provocations entirely.

"Oh my, how dull. No response to my opinion? Very well, let me introduce myself. I am a devil, you may call me 'Five,' and I have currently occupied your friend's body."

"Ha, do not worry. I have come to share more interesting news. After all, as the ones who indirectly thwarted our plans, I am quite curious to see how you will handle what I am about to tell you."

Seeing their silence, "Sif" continued her posturing, revealing her identity as the devil "Five."

"Miss Avia Dolphin, curious how I know your surname? It is nothing strange; your entire family is quite famous among us brothers and sisters."

"Your ancestors signed contracts with devils, hosting them within their bodies in exchange for potent wizarding talent, passing it down through generations to ensure the 'Key' chooses every heir of your bloodline."

"Originally, 'Four' handled this alone, occasionally sharing news of the Dolphin family with us. It just so happens that your wizarding talent is as brilliant as a shining sun in my eyes, and your name matches the new heir of the Dolphin line—Avia. How could there be such a coincidence in this world? Hehehe."

"And now, my brother does not seem to be within you. So, tell me, where do you think he is now?"