When the plot-skips players into the game world

When he made contact, a deep red array standing vertically was instantly formed.

That red crystal, which was two circles larger than Aiwass, was not even half as high as the radius of the array.

Under the illumination of the array, the silvery-white sealing runes were instantly lifted.

But from the red crystal, no blood overflowed. Instead, it was riddled with cracks and disintegrated directly.

At the instant the red crystal vessel disintegrated, the array roared and passed through the sleeping Yulia, appearing behind her.

In the large blank circle at the very center of the dark red array, a complex pattern of a deep red butterfly suddenly emerged. It was as though it had brought something out as it passed through Yulia's body.

A pitch-black circular mark was branded onto the center of the circle, covering the butterfly.

Aiwass subconsciously caught Yulia with one hand, while the other hand continued to reach forward, maintaining the array perpendicular to the ground.

The next moment, the array began to collapse from the outermost circle.

Contracting circle by circle, only a deep red ring about the height of a person was left in the center. The butterfly pattern within it was still faintly moving, as if it was breathing.

Then, the ring suddenly shrank to its limit—and Aiwass awoke from his illusion.

The deep red chains retracted into Aiwass's body.

And the butterfly ring, which had previously only appeared in illusions, was now suspended between the two, about the diameter of a palm, and parallel to the ground.

Two brand-new Tarot Cards were slowly printed out of thin air, one above the other, emerging above and below the ring. Red lightning linked the two cards, as if some magnetic force was drawing them gradually closer to each other.

The one below, The Sun, should originally depict a naked child sitting atop a white horse, basking in the brilliant golden sunlight, holding aloft a flag symbolizing victory.

But now, it had turned into a swirling, magnificent, and holy golden Sun. Two little angels were on either side, lifting their hands high in praise of the Sun, with the phantom images of the twelve zodiacs emerging around the rotating golden flame stream.

The Hanged Man originally featured a saint who was bound hands to back and suspended upside down from a tree. An aura emerged above his head, which, despite the apparent agony, seemed peaceful.

The reborn Hanged Man card was predominantly blue-green, maintaining Balance with the golden "The Sun" card. One of his feet was hung by a snake from the Ankh cross descending from the Sun; his other foot was nailed with holy nails. Below his head, there was also a giant snake, dwelling in a pitch-black pit devoid of light.

The Hanged Man's hands were freed, stretching as far as possible toward the bottom left and bottom right corners. His palms too were nailed with holy nails, all three emanating a faint glow.

Though he was hung upside down, with the bottomless abyss containing the giant snake below him, his feet and hands together formed a holy arrow, proudly pointing toward the Sun in the sky.

As the two cards gradually formed and moved closer to the middle,

Mana continued to pour out of Yulia's body, streaming into the butterfly array at the center.

Ultimately, as the two cards merged together, they abruptly burst forth with a dazzling radiance.

And Yulia, with her empty eyes, also seemed to suddenly awaken from the illusion.

Her eyes snapped open as if she wanted to say something.

But all the strength in her body had been drained, leaving her exhausted. Before she could utter a word, she fell into unconsciousness.

Yulia's body leaned backward, and Lily rushed over to catch her in time.

She put her hand on Yulia's neck, feeling her normal pulse…and normal body temperature.

She nodded to Aiwass with a hint of joy.

—It was a success!

Lily, too, wanted to cheer but feared disturbing Aiwass's ceremony.

"This is simply a miracle…"

Shadow Demon murmured softly, "It really is the complete Sin Ritual!"

Having witnessed the complete ritual, it felt as though it had gone mad.

Where on earth had its master learned about the Sin Ritual?

A sacrilegious ceremony capable of sealing a Superior Phantom actually worked...

...Oh no.

Next time, it wouldn't be the one getting sealed in there, would it?

Shadow Demon fell into contemplation.

And the three-in-one card had now turned into a deep red, crystal-like, beautifully transparent card. A butterfly pattern was outlined in black upon it.

It seemed as though it had come to life, dancing in the air and finally spinning to a stop in front of Aiwass.

Aiwass extended his right hand, lightly touched the card, and wrote down his name on it.

The card also displayed the corresponding attributes:

[Sin: Defiant Flame Butterfly (The Sun, The Hanged Man)]

[Energy Level: 28 (Juvenile)]

[Path of Devotion, Attribute Fire]

This was the first Great Sin Beast tamed by Aiwass.

As Aiwass had expected, the Defiant Flame Butterfly's level was not high, and its temperament was not volatile. The character of a Juvenile Phantom Demon is closely related to its host... after all, their experiences are the same, and their memories are shared.

In a way, it was like another sister to Aiwass. Or you could say it was another personality of Yulia.

Perhaps for this reason, Aiwass's sealing met with no resistance.

Normally, a Phantom Demon would have to be beaten to nearly its last breath to be sealed. Aiwass had specially prepared a contingency plan... but in the end, it was completely unnecessary.

The Spirit Sphere was thrown, and it simply caught it.

No wonder in the original history, even after the Defiant Flame Butterfly went out of control, devoured Yulia's soul and personality, it still maintained restraint in the face of players...

Is this a Phantom Demon from the Path of Devotion?

Immediately after, the card revealed its two uses.

[Upright Summon · Flame Butterfly]

[Requirement: Fire 5]

[Maintenance: Fire 5 * per minute * per butterfly]

[Instant, Summon, Echo]

[Effect: Summons a Flame Butterfly of a different category, which is regarded as a summon. Once locked onto a target, the Flame Butterfly automatically chases and explodes upon contact, creating an explosion/high temperature/healing/purification effect. The power increases with the level of "Great Sin: Defiant Flame Butterfly". The Flame Butterfly will be reborn at its original location if dispersed; it can be dissolved and reborn by your side at any time.]

[Reversed Summon · Defiant Flame Butterfly]

[Requirement: Fire 5]

[Maintenance: Fire 5 * per day]

[Action, Summon, Recitation]

[Effect: Summons the Beast of Sloth · Defiant Flame Butterfly to fight for you, regarded as a summon; in non-combat state, the Beast of Sloth · Defiant Flame Butterfly can transform into the Flame Butterfly and enter a following state; only one Great Sin Beast can exist at a time.]

[Effect: Use again to command the Defiant Flame Butterfly to be reborn or to explode.]

—This was the first time Aiwass obtained a Phantom Card with "Echo" and "Recitation"!

Echo means that this card can be used countless times in one day, each time with the same effect; while Recitation allows it to be used again for a different effect.

However, the upright and reversed positions of this card are respectively considered as "The Sun" and "The Hanged Man," which means they can each be used once.

That is to say, Aiwass could summon different types of Fire Butterflies as he needed, to serve as his method of attack. Since the upright summon can be used infinitely, it's as if Aiwass has acquired a new growth skill—he can choose from explosion/high temperature/healing/purification effects, and it seems to be an area effect, too!

Although each butterfly requires five points of Mana, this is an instant-cast spell.

This means Aiwass could instantly summon seven or eight butterflies, unleashing a terrifying burst of power. Plus, he now had long-range healing abilities... something even Priests didn't have.

Besides, he could also directly summon the Defiant Flame Butterfly itself.

But Aiwass felt that the third-level Defiant Flame Butterfly's combat power might not be too high without the enhancement of other cards, at least for the time being. It would still require some nourishment.

Unfortunately, Aiwass didn't have the nourishment at the moment, so he would have to sacrifice something else—his own flesh and blood would be the nourishment.

With just a little saving, even the Shadow Demon could make ends meet!

Though that's the case, the Shadow Demon still needed to be fed. Without feeding it, Aiwass couldn't seal it again.

Both the Little Butterfly and the Great Butterfly were considered summons.

Being considered summons meant that they could receive the effects of other cards' enhancements whenever they met the conditions!

[Enchantment Card: Blade of Shadows] specifically requires binding to a Weapon, so the weaponless Defiant Flame Butterfly can't use it for now. But if Aiwass can summon Great Beasts with their own weapons later, they could also benefit from the Blade of Shadows enhancement. And Aiwass wouldn't need to touch its weapon; he just needs to overlay the two cards.

For now, only [Spell Card: Shadow Cloak] can be used by the Little Butterfly.

If the Defiant Flame Butterfly itself was controlled, Aiwass could target it with a spell, aid it in breaking control, and make it invisible—if he needed to.

However, the Defiant Flame Butterfly could be revived or explode once, so there might be no necessity.

Theoretically, the reversed summon should have a special effect.

That is, effects like domain or aura that are triggered immediately upon summoning. But perhaps since the Little Butterfly is still in its juvenile phase, it hasn't acquired this attribute.

It's just a shame that Aiwass has no Mana left. He can't immediately summon the Defiant Flame Butterfly to see the specific effects.

When he wakes up tomorrow, he'll summon the Little Butterfly!

Since he still has some Light attribute Mana, why not feed it to the Shadow Demon. It also worked hard during the advancement ritual.

But before that...

"...I'll first use Illumination Art to treat Yuli."

Aiwass looked at Yulia lying in Lily's arms, his face showing a relieved and gentle smile of pleasure.

He stroked Yulia's smooth hair, feeling her body temperature now back to normal. For a moment, he felt an overwhelming urge to cry.

Lily whispered, "With this, does Miss Julia break free from the Phantom Demon?"

"Ah... Yes."

Aiwass replied softly, "Her fate, from now on, belongs only to her."

As he uttered these words, he even felt somewhat dazed for a moment himself.

Memories from the past decade and a half with Yulia surfaced, causing him a momentary tingling in his nose and moistness in his eyes.

But the palpable feeling of changing a predetermined destiny, now firmly grasped in his hands, made Aiwass thrill with excitement.

Yulia's fate had indeed been changed.

The matter Aiwass had long been concerned and anxious about turned out to be so simple, so effortless...

The feeling of saving others was indeed wonderful, especially those he cared and worried about.

Aiwass realized something crystal clear:

—I seem to be capable of doing more. I seem to be truly amazing.

I seem...

to actually be able to change the world.