God's Will

"So, the sub-talent is useful for creating portals that lead to this place. Am I right?" asked Aaron, stepping forward slowly.

Aerith simply responded with a smile. She rose from her seat on the black rose throne and stepped down, not flying but walking like she was descending stairs.

Through her vision, Aerith read that Aaron's level had already surpassed level 35. That was a significant improvement for the young man. 

Aerith was happy to see that Aaron was getting used to using his dark elemental power.

"How did you level up so quickly?"

"When I was on the road, I met a bunch of level 30 monsters. There were ten, and they had a fairly large amount of EXP. That helped me enough," Aaron replied.

"Ten level 30 monsters died by a single adventurer? If it was anyone else, he would've been completely killed."

"Show me your servant."

Aerith asked for something Aaron couldn't do. The young man explained his current situation. Servant Jack the Ripper had been deactivated for a few days due to being injured in the fight against Denis.

"Denis? Is he the one I crushed the head of?"

"That's right. At least tell me that you were about to crush his head. I'm really sick of seeing that."

"Didn't I tell you to close your eyes?"

Aaron wanted to reply to Aerith's words, but his mouth was locked by the fact that Aerith had already warned him. This was purely Aaron's fault.

Aerith stepped closer to Aaron, her lithe and white hand reaching forward as she rubbed the young man's cheek. It made a feeling of calm spread throughout Aaron's body.

"With your level, it makes the servant menu open."

"The servant menu will be useful for you to know the situation and condition of your servant. You can see the countdown of Jack the Ripper's deactivated servant there."

"Not only that, the servant menu is useful for adding servants."

"You said you were going to help me get Rasputin's soul?" asked Aaron; Aerith nodded.

Aerith's hand stretched out to the side. With her authority in this place, she pulled out Rasputin's soul cage and brought it right beside her.

Aaron was distracted, watching as Rasputin's soul seemed to rebel even though it was still inside the red cage. Aerith tapped on the cage wall for a while, revealing the full identity of the soul.

[WARNING!]

[Contacting a pure evil soul can affect the mind and heart]

[Soul Identity]

[Name: Gregory Rasputin]

[Form: Soul]

[Soul Lv: 25]

[Talent: Reality Persona]

[Rank: S-R]

The soul identity panel was clearly displayed before Aaron, displaying a list of Gregory Rasputin, from soul level, talent to talent rank.

His abilities were almost on par with Jack the Ripper, especially the similarities in talent rank. Gregory Rasputin is stronger than Jack the Ripper in terms of his own strength.

"Right now, your strength is enough to challenge and seize Rasputin's soul. If you succeed, you can perform the servant contract ritual again."

"If you fail—"

"He will enter my body and control it, then live a second time in the world," Aaron interrupted. 

Aerith turned her head and smiled, feeling happy and satisfied to see that Aaron understood the consequences of fighting with servants.

"Since you've understood it enough, I don't need to explain further."

[Initiates opening the soul cage]

[WARNING!]

[The detached evil soul could potentially invade the real world]

[Extra precautions required]

Again, Aerith brought up the purple-colored orb generated from the dark energy in her palm. With a quick upward gesture, she released that power into the sky and exploded to create a purple dome capable of protecting the world from the escaped evil soul.

"Do it quickly. Be careful with his Reality Persona talent."

Aaron didn't respond. He jumped quickly backward with both hands raising purple flames. Aerith was impressed to see Aaron's skill.

'It hasn't been a month since he possessed the dark element, but he's already able to manipulate dark energy to such a point. Impressive.'

From within the red cage, the soul that was only a human in red light now began to take on the appearance of his face and the shape of his clothes. It came out with steps accompanied by maroon-colored energy fluctuations.

"Ah, it feels good to be free," Rasputin said, taking a step while stretching his body.

"You, we can work together. You, with your dimensional powers, and I, with my persona."

"No! I have come to defeat your soul. You won't be able to—"

[Talent Activated]

[Sub Talent Activated]

[Mind Reality Power]

Suddenly, the area surrounding Aaron turned into a beautiful garden, like a paradise, with birds chirping beautiful and soothing water fountains. Sturdy trees stood with branches swaying in the gentle breeze.

"Where am I?" shocked Aaron, simultaneously amazed.

A man sat on a metal chair with crossed legs, his hand lifted to let a bluebird land on his finger. Long black hair, dressed in a matching long robe, soft-spoken with an authoritative charm.

"A beautiful place that no human can ever reach if his heart is still filled with arrogance and lust," he replied, seeming to be gentle with the bird perched on his finger.

Aaron thought back to Rasputin's talent persona. He guessed that the man before him was Gregori Rasputin.

Yet, another turmoil arose in Aaron's heart at the sound of his gentle voice full of wisdom. The desire to fight and kill slowly began to subside as he heard more words from the man.

"Aren't you tired of all you seek? Skills and strength do not define the world, but faith in God's will."

"By following His will, then surely people can find the peace of mind and soul they seek," Rasputin explained.

He flew the blue bird into the sky and turned gently to the side while gazing thoughtfully at Aaron. Aaron was confused, Gregori Rasputin's reality persona being enough to make him helpless here.

"I need the power to save my mom."

"If you want to control the future, you must heal the present."

"Come here, take my hand, and let us walk together in the path of God's will," Rasputin pleaded, standing as he reached out, his image truly wise and pious before Aaron, like a saint.

He smiled with an aura of eerie calm, capable of persuading anyone to follow what he said.

Aaron's steps lifted forward, following voice after voice that hypnotized his mind. Aaron's hand rose gently, willing to shake Rasputin's hand.

"Aaron! Wake up. He's trying to kill you!" someone shouted from outside, breaking the restless reverie in Aaron's mind.

Aaron shook his head and stepped away from Rasputin. Thanks to the mysterious voice, Aaron managed to escape the reality of Rasputin's persona. 

He clasped his hands as hard as he could until he was injured; only by being injured, he could be free from Rasputin's fake reality.

The situation surrounding Aaron began to return to normal, a space scene with a purple dome trapping them.

Surprisingly, Rasputin, with horrible bulging eyes, stood right before Aaron. Aaron reflexively punched the man in the stomach and threw him far back.

[Damage +120]

"Impressive. You escaped my persona easily."

"How dare you mess with my mind with words like that?!" said Aaron.

"Don't you believe in God's will? I came into the world with God's will."

"I saved and blessed many children. People were saved from deadly diseases because of me. Bad things didn't happen because of my advice. Am I not convincing enough for you?" asked Rasputin.

"If you are indeed a man of God's will, you won't be an evil soul!"

Aaron immediately activated his talent. Now, it was time for him to defeat Rasputin's soul and make him his servant.

With the power of his reality persona and Rasputin's ability to use several inciting words, Aaron could gain a great advantage in negotiations and so on.

[Talent Activated]

[Sub Talent Activated]

[Dimensional Explosion Orb]

[MP -72000]

A dimensional portal with a purple orb appeared around Rasputin, precisely above his head. Rasputin smiled, showing no anxiety on his face.

"I will not die easily!" Rasputin explained.

"Let us prove it together."