Choice

The time seemed to slow down. Instead of the weird buzzing alerting her about the incoming attack of headache, it simply rang along as her head exploded with pain.

Right before her entire self would be overwhelmed with pain, the lock on her memories came undone. For a slight moment, Aina could recall all the questions that she had yet forgot in the past. All the times when she doubted her own loyalty towards the Gloryhouse sect.

Sure, it was the major power in the entire area. By joining their ranks, she could finally take her revenge. Even if not direct help, just the resources she could obtain from it would let her grow to a sufficient level.

But it was nowhere like if there was no other powers she could opt to join.

Sadly, the wave of pain quickly overwhelmed Aina's suddenly tranquil mind. In an act of sheer desperation, she looked towards the stranger. This strange man acted as if he came to declare war against common sense. But before she could even ask for help, before she could even infuse her eyes with this message…

Sebian was already on the move.

Uncorking the potion that he just made with his teeth, he grabbed Aina's chin before forcing her mouth apart. But just as he was about to feed the girl his medicine, the pain intensified.

"AAAGH!" Screaming her throat out, Aina curled up. Under the onslaught of the mind-frying pain, she actually managed to wrestle her head out of the alchemist's grab.

"WHOA…" Standing on the side, Sheeren was stunned by the sheer shock that he received while seeing the sudden event.

"No, you fucking don't!" Fires exploded in Sebian's eyes. This girl, just slightly interesting at the beginning, performed way beyond Sebian's expectations. Even though he put her to trial many times over, on every single occasion, she struggled but made exactly the type of decision that the alchemist wanted to see. And right now, she laid her trust in him. Even if she was unable to even ask for his help.

Driving his cultivation, Sebian managed to force his hand on the girl's chin again. But just as he was about to pull her head up, a sudden weakness overwhelmed him. Pushing himself to the limit for the nth time in a single streak managed to tire even the ruler of the world. With his cultivation still at the relatively early third stage, he was already several times weaker than the elder before him. Adding the stress from everything he did so far, just the strength of the girl's muscles managed to best his entire cultivation!

'I don't give a fuck.' All the way to this point, the only reason for Sebian's worries was his lack of strength. Judging from everything that he saw in this place, as long as he would reach just the level of awakening, he would stand atop not only the local community but several stronger places as well. With the abundance of high-grade stones in his bags, he only needed to get rid of the mana poisoning, reaching the local peak in less than a few hours.

Right now, Sebian had no potion to alleviate the poisoning. But just the sight of the girl groaning in pain before him instantly reminded him of all the reasons why he was so attracted to her. And this alone allowed the alchemist to be honest with his own desires. Because what was this second life of his if not a chance to make everything right?

Sebian reached for his bag.

In a flash, a heaven's-defying surge of energy coursed down Sebian's weak flesh. Burning everything in its path, it instantly obliterated his entire cultivation, swallowing it whole.

But the momentum of Sebian's drive, the momentum of Sebian's own mana, managed to slightly angle the raging current of the godly might. The blood in his veins turned blue, shining right through his skin under the influence of the mana in it. Crashing all over his body, the mortifying force from the grade eight stone finally reached the breaking point… And started flowing along Sebian's cultivation path.

This method of breaking one's limits was extremely costly. Both in terms of resources and backlash. But just a single memory from his past managed to instantly push the former ruler of the world into such a risky scenario.

His fingers gently pushed against the convulsing muscles of the girl's upper body and neck, bringing her face up. Right now, Sebian could easily do whatever he would want to the girl. Prying her mouth open or throwing her several miles into the air to let the air current do the job, both of those actions laid well within the scope of his momentary power. The problem was, he was too strong. Right now, his body wasn't used to his strength.

"If you will excuse me, then." Drinking the content of the vial without hesitation, Sebian lowered himself over the girl. At this point, her eyes were bloodshot, her body convulsing, her heart rate racing dangerously close to the limit. But in his current state, Sebian could perfectly see the annoying bug that made its nest right in the girl's soul.

The waves of the negative energy that activated whenever the girl feel a certain set of precise emotions continued to spread through her body. Just a single look at this abhorrent parasite managed to rile Sebian to no end.

This kind of torture struck too close to home.

'Begone.' Pushing his lips against the girl's mouth, Sebian gently pried Aina's jaws open. Unable to resist the power that coursed through Sebian's body, the negative waves that continued to fry small parts of her brain simply dissolved. With the pain replaced by the warm relaxation of Sebian's lips, Aina suddenly regained her consciousness. Then, at this moment when she could still remember everything, a warm liquid flow down her throat.

But as soon as the warm and pleasant flow concluded, the force that kept the parasitic energy away, disappeared. Parting his lips from the girl's mouth, Sebian grasped her hand.

"It will end in just a moment. Hold." Informing the girl with the gentlest voice that he ever used so far ever since descending to this world, corner's of Sebian's lips curled up. And as soon as the familiar buzzing appeared, the warmth of whatever the man feed the girl instantly rushed to the source of the negative waves. Directly condensing in the area around the parasite, the warmth suddenly exploded. With the energy from the stone already leaving his body, Sebian fell weekly to his knees. But he still managed to tighten his grasp on the girl's hand.

Pop.

For the shortest of moments, Aina lived through absolute hell. But due to how short this moment was, her mind simply failed to even register it. And just like that, the part of her soul already consumed by the parasite filled with the warmth that remained after this strange moment. Once the gap was filled, a strange shiver travelled down the girl's spine, turning the medicinal power of Sebian's potion back into the fabric of the girl's soul.

And then, for the first time ever since the parasite was implanted in her soul, Aina could think clearly. Without the bias imposed on her thoughts. And then, she saw Sebian's unconscious body.