Kist looked at Saul with a sowhat complex expression.
"Very well, my dear master."
Both figures disappeared simultaneously, reappearing at the top of the Purity Wizard Tower.
"Let's make a deal." Saul raised his hand, and a dark red hardcover book suddenly appeared in his palm.
The Dead Wizard's Diary.
The first ti it officially appeared in this world.
Previously, it could only be seen by its own master.
But now, Saul could brazenly take it out without restraint, even making it public wouldn't matter.
Because now he finally clearly sensed the diary's existence.
It was a substantial power, no longer an untouchable phantom.
Actually, Saul had clearly felt the diary's transformation as early as when he successfully sealed the Storm Eye.
No longer the aloof, cold prophet.
But truly controllable power.
Although the diary's complete power level was at least fourth-rank, and his current strength couldn't fully command it, at least it wasn't like before when he knew nothing, acting blindly and passively following the diary's instructions.
Now, with Herbert dead, Pei'er out of this world, with no way to return temporarily, and Rhine Lake's pollution crisis resolved, Saul finally had ti to deal with the diary... and Kist's problem.
"Honestly, I didn't expect you to still be here." Saul opened the diary, this ti gently turning the white pages with his own fingers.
The pages felt delicate, like an infant's skin.
Saul looked at the text in the diary—his past adventures and death-defying experiences.
His heart was filled with emotion.
"If I'm not mistaken, when I erged from the Storm Eye, your connection with the diary had already been severed. However, before it was severed, the information transmitted to revealed that you were actually... originally a fourth-rank wizard, weren't you?"
"Yes."
Unlike when facing Ophelia's divided consciousness, Kist now appeared very honest.
As if he had beco a different person.
"While seeing the diary clearly, I also saw the chains binding you to it. So everything you did before was in service to the diary."
Kist touched his nose. "It wasn't quite that miserable."
Saul chuckled softly, not reminding Kist how many tis he had previously lanted his tragic fate.
"Now, all the chains binding you to the diary have been severed... but you haven't completely escaped the diary, have you? Otherwise, you should have imdiately left the diary's vicinity the mont you broke free, completely unsealing yourself."
"Having just mastered the diary, you've already discovered so much information?" Hearing Saul's blunt words, Kist exhaled. "My dear master, you're truly suitable to be the diary's new owner."
"The deal you want to make with is to help completely escape the diary, isn't it?" Kist had already guessed sothing and asked in return.
"Correct." Saul nodded. "I don't know how the diary's original controller sealed part of your soul within the diary, but I do indeed have a way to help you retrieve that part of your soul."
Saul extended his hand, and the diary in his palm flipped rapidly until reaching the last page.
After the fourth black page was turned, where the book's back cover should have been, a fifth black page suddenly appeared.
Unlike the previous pages, this page seed to have been torn in half by soone, leaving only half remaining.
But even this half was completely different from the other sowhat rough-edged black pages.
It was like carefully cut black obsidian, crystal clear throughout, yet with tallic elasticity.
Saul flicked it lightly with his finger, producing a clear, string-like sound.
"The wizard who created the Dead Wizard's Diary was truly remarkable, controlling consciousness entities as powerful as you. However, for , though you're powerful, you're uncontrollable and no longer suitable to continue residing in a diary that completely belongs to ."
Saul gently waved the black page in his hand, watching Kist's gaze follow the page's movent.
"Moreover, if I continue using this black page to control you, I will only be counterattacked by you who is now free control, right?"
Kist touched his chin. Since Saul had already discovered the truth, he no longer needed to consider how to deceive him.
Perhaps sotis, being sincere and straightforward could be more efficient.
"Well, you already know almost everything. So, what do I need to exchange for my freedom?"
After speaking, Kist sat down directly, elbows on his knees, chin resting on the back of his hands.
He was waiting for Saul to na his price.
"Of course, sothing of equal value." Saul put away the diary, and it disappeared from his hand as if it had never existed. "You help advance to fourth-rank, and you, the fourth-rank wizard, can regain your freedom."
Kist: "..."
He really wanted to ask Saul where the equivalence was between these two things.
But looking at Saul's deanor, he probably had no room for bargaining.
If Saul still didn't know about the part of his soul in the diary, Kist would have had opportunities for sches, but now...
"Then let's sign a contract." Kist's face once again showed a smile. "Otherwise, how can I trust you?"
Seeing the leisurely smile on Kist's face, Saul didn't feel the security of a completed deal.
Having dealt with Kist for so many years, he had gained so understanding of this person's character.
When he smiled like this, he was probably already scheming in his heart.
But Saul wanted Kist's assistance in continuing his advancent.
This task was difficult and full of danger. The slightest oversight could result in death.
He didn't want Kist to have any ulterior motives or leave any hidden dangers regarding this matter.
So, Saul summoned the Dead Wizard's Diary once more.
Kist looked up, seeing the diary in Saul's hand again, a flash of wariness passing through his smiling eyes.
This little master's actions often exceeded his expectations, causing Kist to maintain full vigilance when facing him.
However, when he saw Saul's next action, he was completely stunned.
Saul actually opened the diary to the last page again... then, he tore off that half page as crystal clear as black obsidian.
With a light flick of his index and middle fingers, the half page shot toward Kist's face like a dart.
Until the last second, until that half page was almost about to pierce Kist's forehead, he finally reacted and caught Saul's flying page.
This ti Kist was truly confused and stunned by Saul's operation.
Even after catching the half black page that sealed his soul, he couldn't believe what had just happened.
"You... why..."
The thing he had yearned for hundreds of years, the soul he thought would require decades more scheming, had just so lightly returned to his hands.
Unlike the wild joy when the chains snapped earlier, Kist now only felt... empty.
As if everything was just a dream that would end with a blink of an eye.
"No particular reason." Saul said calmly. "I've completed my part of the transaction. Now it's your turn to slowly fulfill your promise."
"I haven't agreed yet."
Kist pouted, his tense back also relaxing.
Though he hadn't agreed verbally, his hand tightly gripped his half black page.
Saul wasn't as relaxed as he appeared on the surface.
What he had just thrown out was probably worth half the Borderland.
He looked at Kist, slowly narrowing his eyes.
In his vision, he once again beca a complex tangle of light lines, while Kist's body also tremulously showed a semi-transparent light line, hesitant yet having no choice, extending toward Saul and connecting with one of the line ends from Saul's light tangle.
Fate Lines Second Application: Causality—Achieved!
(End of Chapter)
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