Chapter no.45 An Ego Artifact / A Spirit Weapon

[ POV Change ]

The battlefield was a wasteland of ash and rubble, the once-verdant fields now nothing more than a graveyard of war. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and death, the bitter tang of blood, and the acrid stench of burning flesh. The ground was slick with the spilled blood of both friend and foe, the earth was stained a dark, almost black color. The sky overhead was obscured by dark clouds, the sun hidden behind a veil of smoke. The only sound was the mournful wail of the wind, as it blew through the ruins, carrying with it the ashes of the dead.

In the midst of this chaos stood Zhongli with the front giant black blade, which seemed to reach up to the sky, and was slung over his shoulder, the weapon was massive, its sheer size intimidating even to Zhongli.

But Zhongli looked around trying to discern who had just told him to stop.

" Behind you."

The voice called again, causing Zhongli to freeze as he turned back and gazed upon the black blade.

There was no one there and he couldn't sense anyone nearby.

" Come out! " Zhongli shouted but was met with an eerie response.

" I am in front of you."

Zhongli stared in shock as he gazed upon the source of the voice; the black blade.

" .... " Zhongli's jaw dropped as his mind blanked out.

" Oh, have never seen an ego artifact?"

" Ego artifact?" Zhongli questioned, as images of giant battlefields began to form all around him. "Forged in the days of old, refined from the ashes of man, bathed in the blood of the fallen, and souls of the slain; I was born!" the voice from the giant black blade exclaimed in an extremely dramatic manner.

Zhongli felt his beast blood martial skeleton instinctively call out to him, urging him to absorb the ego weapon. As Zhongli took a step forward, the voice of the ego artifact called out. "Hey, hey, we don't want to do something we'll regret now, do we?" Zhongli physically stopped, hearing the fear in the artifact's voice. "Tell me, where are we?!" Zhongli shouted as he took another step forward, causing ethereal crimson skulls to emerge from the central edge. The crimson skulls merged into a giant ethereal skull of a demon as it roared at Zhongli. "You shall not pass!"

But Zhongli wasn't the least bit intimidated as he took another step forward, causing the skull to quickly shout out, "You're in an interconnected mindscape!"

Zhongli stopped and smiled.

" Now that's more like it. Tell me, why am I here?" he asked, ready to uncover the secrets of this mysterious place.

"Ahhh, didn't you use the master ring to connect your mindscape to the artifacts?" The voice of the artifact echoed through the chamber. Zhongli frowned as he tried to remember what the artifact was talking about.

"What master ring?" Zhongli asked, his voice filled with confusion.

"It's a ring that contains an inscription array that has been etched into me, it causes an individual to go into a dream-like state where anything they want comes true," the artifact explained.

Zhongli felt a shiver run down his spine as he remembered the Dao symbol that Lin Lai, had thrown at him. He had a feeling that this was not a coincidence.

"What happens to the physical body?" Zhongli asked, his tone serious.

"It becomes a puppet," the artifact replied, its voice emotionless.

The words of the artifact seemed to click something in Zhongli's mind.

' Lin Lai was aware of my growth in power, that weird attitude and request she gave me were to get me into this position so I can be her mindless puppet.'

"How can I get out of here?" Zhongli asked, his voice filled with determination. But the artifact remained silent.

With a frown, Zhongli took a step forward, causing the inscription array beneath him to glow brighter. The artifact spoke again.

"You can't," it said, its voice echoing through the chamber.

Zhongli's eyes narrowed as he outstretched his hand, which began to glow. He was determined to find a way out of this situation.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the artifact warned.

"And why not?" Zhongli asked, his voice filled with curiosity.

"Even if you absorb me, the inscription array will be absorbed into your Abyssal Strigoi's Martial Skeleton," the artifact explained.

"What?" Zhongli asked, confused by the artifact's words.

"Even ...." the artifact began to say, but Zhongli interrupted it.

"No, no, what did you call my martial skeleton?" Zhongli asked, his voice filled with confusion.

"The Abyssal Strigoi's Martial Skeleton," the artifact replied.

Zhongli looked on in absolute confusion at the artifact's words. He had never heard of this name before and had no idea what it meant.

"From your confusion, I can see that you didn't know the name of the demon beast whose body was used to make your Martial Skeleton but I am surprised that the Abyssal Strigoi fell in battle," the artifact continued.

Out of curiosity, Zhongli asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, in the Ancient Era; a demon beast unlike any other at that time washed up on the shores of the Wind Monk Sect. Cultivators were deployed to kill it, they killed it but unfortunately for the Murim; that demon beast was winning a child who absorbed the essence of its mother and rose"

The artifact's words were followed by a beam of light passing through Zhongli's head causing him to relive a memory.

[ Zhongli's POV - Memory ]

As I crouch behind the crumbling wall, the sound of thunder ringing in my ears, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread wash over me as I felt no control over this body as if I was just an audience member gazing through the eyes of someone else.

This body peeked over the wall and there it saw it.

The Abyssal Strigoi.

It's massive, size dwarfed everything.

The creature had a lion's head and a crocodilian-like mouth that was just bone, with a powerful jaw filled with sharp teeth. Its eyes were large and yellow, and seem to change color depending on its mood. Its ears are large and pointed, and its mane is made of the same metallic crystals as its body. I could see the yellow of its eyes, cold and calculating, as it surveys the battlefield.

The attacks from the cultivators were relentless but they ricocheted off the creature's armored scales. But it doesn't even flinch, just keeps moving forward, relentlessly pushing toward us. I could see the cultivators falling, their bodies torn apart by the creature's sharp claws.

.....

Zhongli stood before the Ego artifact, his eyes wide with confusion and sweat dripping down his face. He had just experienced a vivid and terrifying vision, unlike anything he had ever encountered before. He turned to the artifact, which loomed before him, a large and imposing presence in the misty battlefield.

"What was that?" Zhongli asked, his voice trembling.

"That my friend was the Abyssal Strigoi," the artifact replied in a deep, ominous tone.

Zhongli furrowed his brow, still trying to make sense of what he had just seen. "No, how did you show me that scene?"

"I was made to absorb the essence of the soul from all those who fall to my edge. I have existed for hundreds of years, wielded by geniuses who reaped the lives of millions," the artifact explained.

Zhongli couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and fear at the artifact's words. "So you know millions?"

"Yes," the artifact confirmed.

Zhongli's mind raced with the possibilities of what he could learn from the artifact. But one question still lingered in his mind. "And why haven't you escaped from this prison?"

"To you, this may be a prison, but this is the only world I have seen. The memories and happiness of my wielders as they rot away in their dreams is enough to keep my ego satisfied," the artifact replied.

Zhongli nodded, understanding the artifact's perspective. He then asked, "Then why were you scared of my absorption if you are satisfied in this place?"

"Death is something unknown for the likes of me. My soul is just the conglomeration of pieces of souls left behind by my victims and wielders. Would such a soul be allowed in the cycle of reincarnation? Would such a soul be allowed in the world of hell?" the artifact responded, its voice heavy with fear and uncertainty.

Zhongli stood in silence, contemplating the artifact's words. He could see the fear in its eyes, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of empathy for the being. "I don't want to die," the artifact continued. "I don't want to be trapped in this place forever."

The mist on the battlefield seemed to grow thicker, enveloping them in a cloak of silence. Zhongli stared at the artifact, contemplating his next move. The reason he hadn't absorbed the artifact yet was because of its knowledge. If it truly knew millions, then he had found a way to equip himself with the necessary knowledge to battle against the Murim Alliance. But he didn't know what would happen to the knowledge if he chose to absorb it. Would it transfer to him, or would it dissipate?

Zhongli didn't know, and that uncertainty made him hesitant to make a move. "You want my knowledge right," the artifact said, breaking the silence.

"Yes," Zhongli confirmed.

"I will give it to you if you spare me. But how can I be assured that you won't absorb me when you gain everything I know?" the artifact asked, its voice trembling with fear.

Zhongli thought for a moment before responding, "Oh, I plan to escape right now. Ain't no way am I going to become a puppet?"

"But that's impos..." the artifact's voice died down as it felt the spiritual Qi in the mindscape getting torn to shreds. Zhongli's hand was covered in an eerie dark mist.

"D-D-Demonic Qi," the artifact stammered in terror as it realized what Zhongli was about to do.