When the plot-skips players into the game world Chapter 1475 - 178: Such a Weak Curse

When Aiwass’s fingers touched Dongya’s waist, he clearly felt Dongya’s tension.

She dared not evade Aiwass’s touch, yet her body instinctively resisted. The tightened abdon, taut muscles... a lingering fear from the previous Salt Erosion Punishnt.

However, when Aiwass truly touched the petrified flesh, she couldn’t help but cry out.

A rapidly increasing heat spread instantly from the point of contact throughout her body. It was akin to touching skin with a scalding hot towel. The heat stored on the skin’s surface pierced through the petrified scales like a slow, steadfast needle, reaching the depths of bone and flesh.

Aiwass also very clearly felt sothing co to life.

The sensation was like reaching into a box filled with insects—stinging bites, unfamiliar textures... accompanied by a chilling contact feeling, spreading inward along the fingers touching Dongya.

With his special vision, Aiwass clearly saw wisps of orange-yellow smoke seeping out from the petrified scales, crawling slowly along his fingers to his upper arm, like holding a lit cigarette, the smoke making Aiwass’s skin feel noticeably dry and itchy.

"Quite interesting..."

Aiwass showed so interest.

To think a curse could have an effect on him. This was no ordinary curse; surely it contained so Divine Essence.

——aning this power likely originates from the Seventh Power Level.

Not just a Sixth Energy Level Ritualist, there’s a specialized equipnt or Path characteristic granting a level of priority beyond.

If not for Aiwass’s "Soul of Dissolution" granting powerful curse resistance, it might have succeeded.

But even so, Aiwass wasn’t really afraid. As long as petrification wasn’t instant, he could transform into a Sin Beast, relying on the additional curse to resist—if not enough, he could switch the Don Quixote he carried to Vinesse.

A Sin Beast can easily immune such curses and use the power of "Miracle" to forcibly lift it.

Yet, for Dongya’s curse, it’s unnecessary to be so troubleso.

When the curse’s power seeped into Aiwass’s skin, his golden liquid soul suddenly brightened——

As Aiwass exerted force, his fingertips lightly turned pale, with liquid soul surging beneath his skin, emitting tiny gold glimrs.

In an instant, dense golden mist penetrated out from beneath the skin, like a fierce tiger, completely engulfing the orange-yellow smoke, reversing to swallow every trace of the curse on the skin, then drilling into Dongya’s petrified skin.

Just like ink dripping into clean water, spreading a stain instantly. The originally grey-white scales and flesh suddenly gained color.

The grey-white world thus gained color.

Dongya looked at Aiwass in awe, feeling the intense pain and itch at her waist quickly diminishing until the heat completely dissipated.

No chanting, no prayer, no magic potion, no ritual.

Just a simple touch, and the petrification was undone!

"...How is this possible?"

To Dongya, it was simply unbelievable—entirely exceeding her understanding of the priest profession so far.

"Ha, easily done."

The corner of Aiwass’s mouth slightly curved.

Dongya, being both a follower of the Serpent Celestial Marshal and simultaneously a Contributor and Transcender, her amazent caused Aiwass’s enjoynt: "Such a weak curse."

Weak... really?

Dongya was montarily speechless.

Although Rock Cellar City was a very small city-state, it had no shortage of Fourth Level Transcendents beside the Benevolent Lords. It could rival any city-state without Fifth Energy Level Transcendents. They didn’t even have a chance to counter.

"Fifth Energy Level... and the gap with Fourth Level, it’s actually this vast."

Dongya murmured.

She could guess that Aiwass must be Fifth Energy Level. It was like Gods versus mortals.

Yet, she didn’t forget to thank Aiwass——

"I beseech the Serpent Celestial Marshal, Ouroboros Celestial Marshal, Infinite Celestial Marshal... may the Ring of Ouroboros bless you."

Dongya imdiately held her tail in front, respectfully kneeling on the ground, bowing her head to her tail tip: "May I in the afterlife beco your Stone."

Aiwass knew this was the serpentfolk’s highest etiquette, symbolizing placing oneself upon the Ring of Reincarnation.

——simply put, "willing to serve like a beast in the afterlife."

How to say...

...They’re polite enough, but Aiwass feels uncomfortable all over when he hears "May the Ring of Ouroboros protect you."

"The afterlife, huh..."

Although Aiwass also knows that as a Third Level Priestess, Dongya knows almost nothing, he still sighs. Swallowing his words out of respect for her faith.

—There will be no such afterlife anymore.

And at this mont, those two temple guards were too scared to even move.

They pretended to be corpses, hoping Aiwass would forget their existence—this lord is not only the descendant of their own Angel Envoy but also an incredibly powerful Fifth Energy Level Transcendent. Even the curse that petrified a city is as fragile as a joke in his presence...

But unfortunately, Aiwass did not forget about them.

Aiwass glanced at them and asked, "According to your rules here, how should those disrespectful to be dealt with?"

Even though they were complying with his orders, Dongya, who was kneeling on the ground, replied without hesitation, "They should be subjected to the Cruel Punishnt."

"What kind of punishnt is that?"

Aiwass frowned, bemused and speechless at the various bizarre punishnts of Parthia.

Ritual Master Ibn on the side explained, "It’s when a person is sared with honey and ants and then hung out to be dried."

"...Making jerky?"

Aiwass almost couldn’t hold it in.

But he noticed that Ibn’s expression was very serious: "Yes."

"...Is it what I think it ans?" Aiwass was taken aback.

"Yes."

Ibn nodded: "In Parthia, while water is scarce, grain is relatively less scarce... But it’s still hard for the common folk to obtain. Such ’Blood Candy’ can fetch a good price."

"Do Parthians see cannibalism as common sense?"

Aiwass furrowed his brows, realizing he had underestimated the savagery of the Parthian Ancient Country.

Upon hearing this, Ibn couldn’t help but let out a montary sneer of pity—not a mockery of Aiwass, but a lant for his past and his holand: "Sir, this desert is not like Avalon and Star Antimony, where humans are the main inhabitants.

"Here, humans, Lizardfolk, Serpentfolk, Avianfolk, Dwarves, Elves, Trolls, Goblins, and even Dragons... all coexist. Cannibalism may be a taboo, but what about eating another species? Whether Lizardfolk, Avianfolk, Serpentfolk, or Trolls, none would refuse human at... And Avianfolk have always been on the human nu. Among all these races, Trolls do not refuse anyone—Trolls especially like this ’Blood Candy,’ and they usually pair it with the finest cactus wine."

"In this desert full of sin, Elves are called ’Vegetarians.’ This is not a derogatory term, but a respectful and distant label—because only Elves do not eat other species. And here... fresh vegetables are extrely expensive. Far more than human lives."

"Vegetarian? But..."

Aiwass stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing.

—No wonder Ibn said this desert isn’t lacking in food.

Aiwass looked at the two Serpentfolk on the ground.

They huddled together, not daring to move. Even as they discussed their execution and the consumption of Serpentfolk, they didn’t dare resist.

Seeing this, although Aiwass was the one offended, a fla of anger rose within him.

Pity for their misfortune... Anger for their cowardice.

One purpose of his visit to Parthia was because the Benevolent Lords of Holy Spring City had openly invited him, making Aiwass curious and cautious about their intentions; the other was to prevent the Abyssal Celestial Envoy’s arrival from causing a million deaths and the ensuing chain reactions from such scale of death.

But now, Aiwass suddenly understood why that Cardinal Archbishop had remained in Parthia for so many years.

—Because no Contributor could turn a blind eye to this.

"In that case..."

Aiwass glanced at the two Serpentfolk and said solemnly in his less-than-fluent ancient Parthian Language, "I pardon them."

"Yes."

Dongya did not ask Aiwass why he did it, nor did she question or show gratitude. Instead, she accepted Aiwass’s words as a matter of course.

Because no matter what, the strong are always right.

They can choose rcy or choose cruelty. They can kill or save. They can choose to let soone die, or they can choose to let soone live. The lives, freedom, and everything of others sway between their whims.

Here, strength surpasses authority. The beast surpasses love. Day surpasses the beast. Taboo surpasses dusk. Hunting surpasses adaptation.

—This is the core rule of this desert.