671 Discovery; Moving Forces
Even without the equivalent exotic candles, there was a soothing scent that calmed Mary's nerves as she silently laid on her bed with Nik sitting beside her. She appreciated the fact that Nik didn't continue in his roguish way and let her cover herself. This action greatly reduced her misgivings and due to their past relationship, Mary still held a bit of belief and faith in her former boyfriend.
"What's that scent? Lilies? No... it's strangely sweeter," Mary inquired with a confused expression as Nik smiled and softly spoke, "No, this is my natural body odor. Before you freak out, my body has certain 'calming' qualities. To remove your 'blessing', or the technical term for it, seal, I would need you to be extremely calm. Even if the situation turns dangerous, the seal usually targets the outsider and since the goddess wished to grant you strength, she must have also placed a few methods to resist from being stolen... or used as the means to target the deity who cast the seal itself."
"I just understood that you smell nice..." Mj mumbled and closed her eyes, "But I guess, I want to believe you... Tiger. Don't screw it up for me." She whispered as Nik's smile broadened.
"I'm back to being 'the' Tiger? Glad to hear that," Nik gently held Mary's hand as she shuddered for a moment. "You won't feel any discomfort, that I can assure you but my methods provide a certain sense of satisfaction. Please, if you feel like it, I can put you to sleep."
"No," Mary stated unhesitatingly. After joining the Hand, even if for a few months, she knew that despite trusting others, she should never place her entire initiative in someone else's hands. Nodding at Mary's words, Nik slowly started to let his neutral energy enter her body through her palm.
Back then, when Nik was ravaging the knowledge given out by Strange as the means to enforce his own information bank, he found a strange book that depicted luck as an aspect that can contain both— negative and positive charges. In essence, Luck in itself is nothing to be considered but the situation of the world and one's own actions can either give rise to greater luck or reduce one's luck and be titled unlucky. Similarly, Newton also depicted a similar theory. He stated that the bloodline would be in the 'positive' direction the closer it is to the origin while it would move in a 'negative' direction when growing closer to the opposite aspect of origin dubbed as nothingness by Newton.
The meaning of this concept was deep and Nik felt like he could apply the same for the various forms of energies. His neutral energy doesn't perform any action, it is only through changing the nature of his energy can he take actions. If neutral energy is to be considered a 'zero' on a number line then elemental forces can be considered on the positive side. In fact, every form of affinity within Nik could be considered a positive force or negative at the same time. After all, he hasn't clearly defined what's a positive and what's a negative charge in the case of the energy system.
But, by using the neutral form of energy, Nik could actually investigate various forces around Mary's body that didn't hide too deeply. This was one of the many measures Nik had slowly developed with the girls to counter seals and curses. After all, Nik had to prepare for everything while creating the spiritual system. The world is vast and his enemies have deep accumulations. Seals and curses are the few methods such individuals have already shown. How can Nik not take such techniques into account?
As Nik's energy began investigating Mary's body, he also began preparing massive waves of purification to wash Mary's body as a failsafe against any hidden means he failed to locate.
Soon, Nik did find the source of energy within Mary. What Nik visualized was an extremely beautiful crystal. Milky white in color as it was shaped in a flattened circle with a reflective surface. Around the crystal was a perimeter of sapphire-like, carved out shell that continued to support the existence of bikini armor and the steel sword that Mary had on herself.
Meanwhile, Mary's body was soaked in sweat already. This time, the waves of purification did not clean her up. It was a special intention left by Nik since the sudden eruption of purification might disrupt the process itself. Her breathing was deep as she looked towards Nik. Unconsciously, a layer of cold sweat had already covered Nik's forehead while his expression was the very definition of calmness.
His hold of Mary's hand was firm and his breathing remained paced.
Suddenly, Mary's eyes widened when a pure golden glow slithered out of Nik. Unlike an outrageous wave, the way Nik usually uses his purification, a golden river coiled around Nik's arm that was holding Mary's palms. Much to Mary's surprise, the golden river slowly grew scales as a faint growl echoed. In turn, Mary's bikini beneath the bedsheet began crumbling in beautiful golden pearls and slowly sprinkled over Mary's body, giving her another round of purification.
Mary couldn't help but sigh in relief for two reasons. A, she had something to cover herself. B, she finally got rid of the stupid outfit.
Now, Mary couldn't help but think of Nik. In all honesty, she found Nik's current, concentrating form with sober intentions extremely attractive and enticing. As her gaze continued to follow the contours of his body, Nik's gaze suddenly opened wide. No longer violet pupils grace his eyes as everything within his eye sockets looked like molten gold. In fact, from the corner of the eyelids, the golden eyes strangely rippled as if they were a small surface of liquid.
"I got it!!" He exclaimed, and even when Mary felt that all of her secrets were exposed under Nik's current gaze, which made her heartbeat increase in pace, much to Mary's astonishment, Nik disappeared suddenly. Even though Mary felt extremely light and free, and was more than willing to reciprocate Nik's actions as a reward for the roguish youth, just for the moment, and low-key because she was still feeling petty against Anna, Nik himself disappeared. His words still rang within Mary's mind.
"Got it? Got what? You're really dumb, Tiger..." She stretched slightly and began finding clothes for herself.
---
The ground was cooked red and the sky was filled with flashing lights. Nik had returned inside the realm that allowed only the holder of beyonder bloodlines to enter. Once again, Nik was sprawled over his draconic belly with epic whiskers waving without a hint of wind.
But Nik didn't pay attention to his current form. Instead, he tried to form a connection with the 'other' part of the bloodline that tagged along the purification aspect. Instantly, the surrounding elements trembled and backed away, creating an empty space around Nik where he slowly underwent a transformation.
His scales packed tighter, losing their pink-gold luster and instead, shining silver. The whiskers receded along his claws as Nik's gaze turned a bit strange, too. Instead of soft roars accompanied by the dragon's natural form, Nik let out a hiss of surprise as he felt the pure terror from surrounding elements. These elemental particles were so deeply repulsed by Nik's current transformation that they couldn't even be commanded! Instead, Nik's serpentine body let out a bloody red mist from the gaps of gis scales while Nik coiled around happily.
He knew that from a dragon, he had transformed into a colossal viper but that wasn't the aspect that made Nik feel elated!
He understood his beyonder bloodline completely!
All this time, he had been trying to communicate with his bloodline through his spiritual world which was the only plane extremely close to his soul that powered the strange bloodline but after gaining a few hints, and the recent removal of Mary's blessing that allowed Nik to understand his weakness in not knowing any form of 'negative' charged energy, Nik simply comprehended what he needed to do.
"Hehe... even my voice has turned slighhtlhyyy creepy!" He hissed without any change in his heart.
From the very beginning, his beyonder bloodline had purged 'unpleasant' substances from his body. Then, Nik realized that not only Nirdai and his team of shameless ancestors but even Kaal had placed many methods on Nik in hopes of recovering himself one day. To this day, Nik wasn't sure if that was the only method Kaal placed but his gut shouted that it wasn't. Out of all the purification process, Khooni's mark stuck out like a sore thumb. In fact, it was from his earlier skill [Battle Arts] that Khooni's mark embedded itself deep into Nik's being.
But how did Nik understand his bloodline using these events as a reference?
First, to purge something, one must have the ability to investigate. Nik had already realized that his beyonder bloodline's greatest ability wasn't the purification itself. But the ability to investigate. His body was riddled with multiplayer seals and marks. His bloodline, or rather, the first half of his beyonder bloodline purged away every mark it could investigate aside from Khooni's for that Blood Fiend Progenitor was a rank 9 being holding a wild strength in every move of his!
However, Nik came to understand the second half of his bloodline after pondering on the newfound realization that everything can be easily categorized into positive and negative charges relatively. Even Newton admitted that Nik's body was riddled with various seals and curses. Emphasis on the plural aspect.
If Nik had to suppose that what he cleaned, or tried to clean till now was the 'positive' aspect, then what about the negative? He had no ability to categorize a negative form of energy and even if he had such a form of energy, he simply wouldn't know because he couldn't define the negative charge in this aspect.
However, the other half of the beyonder bloodline that has continued to show itself completely opposite of the first half might!
If the first is positive, then its opposite, by logic, should be negative.
"Alright... time to test it out..." Nik's slithering tongue flicked out in excitement. He couldn't wait to find if he was correct or not. If this method really worked, then the entire initiative of the game he had found himself becoming a pawn of would fall in his own hands.
With a thought, the flowing red mist plunged into his body once again, and even when Nik's beady blood-red eyes glowed with excitement, his heart couldn't help but shiver at the sight of his body and phantom physique.
He was completely covered with seals and curses!
In fact, the number of seals and curses was way greater than the ones Nik had purified!
---
"Heh!" Nirdai smirked as he looked at the unstable violet-colored portal in front of him. Beside him stood an incomparably excited Mirage while Khooni was nowhere to be seen.
"Our minds have dulled quite a bit and we've been out of the loop for too long. Many techniques are developed daily and only by continuously going through adventures can we carefully sharpen ourselves and prepare for the future..." Nirdai muttered. Unlike his usual residence filled with lustful men and women, his current stay was impeccable with naught a single drop of 'filth'.
"But..." Mirage licked her lips.
The two of them had died. This was an absolute truth. And if they wished to find an impeccable soul for themselves, then it would no doubt be their own souls that had entered the reincarnation cycle. To travel worlds while only being consciousnesses was extremely risky and the two might lose their 'existence' for real!
"Don't worry. My methods are surely outdated but using our connection with our incarnates, I have found the world that barely holds the scent of both our souls. This is a rare opportunity. Instead of working alone, we can support each other and once we have enough capital, we will start the search of our souls separately."
Mirage nodded after a moment of thought. In fact, she was quite excited.
A long lifespan came with its own disadvantages, especially in troubled times. Unlike Ray and others who would slowly temper themselves through constant adventures and planning, Nirdai and Mirage had grown 'obsolete' in a sense and knowing that Adapt would soon make a move against Supreme Seraphim and plunge half the existence into war due to years of grudges slowly accumulating over the entirety of the world, the two felt the need to get ready and have enough strength to not depend on others when it really mattered the most.
"Till then, let's hope that little hatchlings come to their senses and just submit. It would be far easier that way..." Mirage mumbled, knowing fully well the sheer nonsense of her statement. If it was her instead of Ray, would she have submitted?
No, in fact, she was in the same position as Ray once and now, the progenitor of Mirage's former bloodline was merely a tool of pleasure thrown far into the dumps of her palace.
This is exactly the reason why Mirage and Nirdai entered the portal one after another!
To survive, why wouldn't they work hard?
To reach their former strength, why wouldn't they take every and any action necessary?
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A/N: With the influx of devil and supernatural anime, I tried Chainsaw Man and it was a great manga. Guys who've been looking for something freaky should try it out.
