Soul Trigger

Chapter 719 No Responsibility
Birmingham city center.

Blood mist billowed into the sky, and the phantoms of the other world intertwined and flickered throughout the city, shifting dimensions back and forth. The streets were deserted.

Three streaks of blood-red light and three streaks of spiritual light darted through the shimmering city, sometimes colliding with each other, causing their spiritual energy to vibrate. At other times, they chased each other, racing against each other, and soon arrived outside the San Martin Museum.

"Hahaha... Not a single guard? It seems San Martin has completely fallen..."

"Evil!"

A burly knight in golden armor descended from the sky, raised his hand and pressed down, the golden light transforming into a cross that crashed down on the grinning Mud Knight.

The latter laughed heartily, transforming into a dark blue, chaotic mud that collapsed the entire museum, seeping into every nook and cranny:

"Governor Marin...it's too late to resist. St. Martin's Treasury has fallen completely. Both Birmingham and the Remains of God belong to the Tower of Babel!!"

“Order: Lockdown”

With a calm male voice, a beam of white light shot into the sky, instantly sealing off the entire museum. The dark blue, chaotic mud was expelled in an instant, and the mud exploded.

But in an instant, crimson spread, and the entire surface of the San Martin Museum began to flash wildly:
"Malicious reversal."

Under the influence of the inner world's cover, a bizarre spatial transformation occurred, with all the spaces inside being visually flipped and reversed, exposing the entrance to the St. Martin's Vault and turning it into a spatial spectacle.

An oil painting inexplicably appeared on the vault door, depicting the bewildered knight's wooden and unsettling figure:

"Should we continue without trying to save the citizens?"

"You demons, how dare you launch a large-scale attack on Saint-Germain-de-Champaign and storm the Saint-Martin Museum? Aren't you afraid of incurring a full-scale suppression by the Ludwig family?"

The painting speaks: "Ask the curator of the Bertrand Museum next to you, does Archduke Ludwig really have the capacity to govern Saint-Gernsky County now? The situation is already settled..."

"Don't even think about it!"

A giant cross sprouted forth, and Governor Marin stomped down hard, causing a huge hole to burst open in the ground as he carried the cross and smashed it towards the painting.

A grotesque laugh echoed through the sky, and the once-gathered deep blue sludge surged toward Governor Marin like a pillar, gold and deep blue colliding and splashing like a waterfall.

But a dark shadow appeared beneath the vault door, rising abruptly, its shadowy blade piercing straight at the painting—

Bang!
Sparks flew as a figure emerged from the red shadows, wielding a sharp king's sword. The two collided hundreds of times in the blink of an eye, their spiritual energy exploding outwards.

A dark figure leaped out, swiftly dodging the constantly exploding oil painting space on the ground, and was met by a white light, revealing a figure dressed in black.

His soul was armed with a hooded, tight-fitting outfit, with black leather armor protecting him beneath the fabric, and his face shrouded in shadow.

With a clang, the greatsword was hoisted onto the tombstone's shoulder, and it strolled out with leisurely steps. One tombstone after another rose from the ground with each step, forming a protective ring around the entire Saint Martin Museum amidst the surrounding silt.

"Head of the Meursault family, Jude Kane. Instead of staying put, you insist on getting involved in this mess. Are you not planning to continue your street vending business here?"

"The Knight of the Inscriptions... if there's no market, where will the business come from? Are we going to do business with you vile monsters?"

"Can't you?"

Jude Kane didn't reply, but instead ejected and landed.

Governor Marin and Bertrand Ludwig also appeared in a flash, landing on the dimensionally shimmering ground.

Across from them, silt gathered and transformed into the figure of a Mud Knight, appearing beside the tombstone with a sinister grin. Above, an oil painting hung high, its portrait gazing intently at the three figures opposite.

The six people looked at each other in silence, a profound stillness filling the air, before suddenly exploding—

"Enter."

Six spiritual energy fluctuations erupted simultaneously, all rushing towards the vault.

The mud transformed into countless forms, attempting to block the three behind, but only managed to entangle Governor Marin. Bertrand and Jude Kane each displayed their unique abilities and broke through, heading straight for the oil painting space torn open on the surface of the vault.

A glint of light flashed in Bertrand's eyes, and the space behind him tore open as a silver spear burst forth and pierced the tombstone.

The latter, who was speeding towards the oil painting space, chuckled, raised his royal sword and casually blocked backward, while the bewildered knight shouted sharply:
"Don't be so arrogant with that tombstone! That's an A-128!"

Before it could react, the shoulder of the tombstone was instantly pierced, and it slowed down and crashed into the painting space.

The gold and silver figures behind them accelerated without hesitation, directly passing over the tombstone and heading straight for the painting space. Compared to severely damaging the tombstone here, entering the vault immediately was clearly a better choice.

Clearly, the bewildered knight thought the same thing. The oil painting instantly dissolved, revealing its form, and it moved towards the two people, intending to block them from entering the door.

In that instant, a large amount of red light appeared in the tombstone's eye, and a sudden change occurred:

"Do it."

In an instant, a sense of alarm arose in the hearts of the three—

An unfamiliar aura of an immortal erupted from the vault, and jet-black ice spikes instantly pierced through Jude Kane's shadowy form. This sudden attack shattered his spiritual essence, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.

"The Illuminati...the Black Saintess?"

The bewildered knight, sensing something amiss, was about to use the oil painting's spiritual energy to teleport dimensions, only to find that the surrounding dimensions were like being stuck in mud:
"A black old man!?"

A chaotic shadow, completely different from Jude Kane's, soared into the sky, rapidly assimilating the surrounding spiritual environment. A black and a white figure flashed by.

The curator, Berant, who was about to extract the sustenance from the space behind him, also let out a soft exclamation, because in addition to the black old man's spiritual essence, there were other spatial spiritual essences hindering his spatial spell.

In that instant of multifaceted outburst, Tombstone pulled out the silver spear from its body and shot it towards Berant.

The latter dodged the retraction by sidestepping:

"Knight of the Inscriptions, you used my things to attack me, do you...?"

But before he could finish speaking, he realized it was just a feint, because the tombstone had turned into a crimson shadow, and his Dead Apostle spiritual energy exploded to its limit, piercing through Jude Kane, who was already hanging on the glacier, like lightning.

The bewildered knight chuckled, about to offer praise, but then noticed that the tombstone's speed not only didn't decrease, but it also exploded with crimson fury.

The sword, carrying the pierced Jude Kane, pierced straight through the black glacier. The glacier shattered as if in perfect harmony, revealing a bewildered knight behind him: "You?!"

Bang!

Black dust flew everywhere, and a flash of red light appeared beneath the tombstone helmet:
"The Stained Grail?"

The bewildered knight suddenly held a patina-covered metal chalice in his hand. The flying black dust completely blocked the explosive attack, and the look of astonishment on his face quickly returned to blankness.

"Tombstone, you have truly disappointed me..."

Without a word, the tombstone tore Jude Kane's body apart instantly, not even having time to check the results, and rushed straight into the door that the curator had opened:
"Black Saintess, go inside and fight!"

Regardless, at least one person's power has been broken. Now, the next challenge is facing the spirits of these two colleagues and two other people...

Odin, I'm risking my life to help you, give me a boost...
-
In the space containing the remains of the gods, Ji Li took a step forward:
"I didn't come here to listen to your nonsense."

"The Supreme Matrix, the Cleansing Protocol—weren't those memories just things you prepared to fob me off with?"

"That's ridiculous! You actually think I'm deceiving you?"

Pioneers take a step forward:
"In the end, I erased your memories so that you could forget everything and start over."

As long as you still possess everything from the World Tree and remember the Supreme Matrix, the Cleansing Protocol will be revived in this world.

It is destined to find you and kill you. Even if you continue to enter the cycle of reincarnation, everything you love, think, and know will be completely annihilated by it.

Ultimately, until you stumble through failure after failure, until the entire world reaches a technological tipping point and is fully observed by the Supreme Matrix, then everything will be over.

Turing will die, you will die, everything you want, everything you cherish is just a black box that can be discarded at any time, the freedom and spontaneity you desire, the transcendence of everything, will all vanish like a bubble..."

"None of my business."

Ji Li suddenly stepped forward and grabbed the so-called "pioneer" in front of him:
"If the purge agreement will come after me simply for taking back what is rightfully mine, then let it come."

I never imagined that a mere few hundred years of the wheel of fortune would turn you into such a timid and cowardly person.

"Time is running out. It's normal that you don't understand because of your memory loss. Let me tell you..."

"Then give me my memories!"

"No, you'll ruin the whole plan. I've been planning this for several cycles, and I can't let it all fall apart because of you."

"Get lost, I don't have time to waste with you right now."

The pioneer flew backward like a cannonball and was directly smashed away by Ji Li.

Ji Li's body suddenly expanded, his armor sprang up, then contracted, his body transforming into Odin:

"My life, my pursuits, are not about fulfilling the so-called mission Turing entrusted to me..."

"Once the civilization of this world reaches the level of the pre-era Earth, it will fall completely under the observation of the Supreme Matrix and become its black box. At that time, even the power of spiritual matter will be too late!"

"Why not just destroy the entire civilization?"

Ji Li had already transformed into the appearance of a destroyer of the underworld, letting out a cold laugh that was distinctly electric.

"...?"

He moved forward slowly, his steps heavy, the motor hissing.
"If the Supreme Matrix's ability is to hijack civilizations that meet the required technological level, then if I completely destroy a civilization before it meets the conditions, wouldn't I have time to continue dragging out this purge agreement with you?"

"you……"

"If the next civilization continues to develop and reaches a critical point again, then we'll go through that again. If we keep going like this, I'll definitely be the one who laughs last..."

Heavy footsteps, mechanical springs up:
"On the contrary, what have you become?"
"You can't even understand such a simple principle? You're stuck in your ways, timid and hesitant. It's a shame you've lived so many years longer than me; it's truly disappointing."

Odin walked forward step by step, and light began to rise from the boundless darkness before him.

It was a black hole with a white glow emanating from its outline. Ji Li knew that was what he needed—

The legacy of a pioneer, a part of what he left behind.

"Hesitation, stagnation, and even giving up your original personality... Do you really remember why you walked out of that street in the first place?"

Was it for Turing's mission? Was it to save the world? Was it to kill the Supreme Matrix?

Ji Li stopped and reached out towards the boundless light:
"No, I have never lived to save civilization and the world. I have never been that great."

My ultimate goal is to transcend everything and surpass everything.

As for Turing, the world, or the Supreme Matrix, these are merely processes in my journey of transcendence, not the destination.

If they are obstacles in my path, then let them be. I will not follow your plans; I have my own style.

"Destruction or loss, these things... if I become an existence transcending the Supreme Matrix, can't I take them all back?!"

Ji Li's hand plunged fiercely into the light, and endless memories began to flood his mind. Time seemed to lose its sense of duration, both long and insignificant, accompanied by the leisurely sigh of the "Pioneer":

"You... are not me."

"Of course I am not you, I am just a three-hundred-year-old young man."

More fragments of memory slowly pieced together in his mind, and the "pioneer" remained silent for a long time:

"Since that's the case... then let you give it a try."

The black hole began to expand.

(End of this chapter)