Chapter 25: Electrolux

The sunlight was brilliant.

Warm rays streamed down onto a verdant carpet of grass. Unfamiliar wildflowers blossomed across the meadow, their leaves adorned with crystal-clear dewdrops. A plump, furry bee hovered lazily above the petals, buzzing softly.

The air carried a faint, moist fragrance. Not far away lay a lake, its dark green waters seemingly bottomless.

A squid reclined lazily at the water's edge, waving its tentacles, covered in suction cups, through the air.

On the hillside across the lake stood a majestic castle. Its towering spires rose high, and bright windows sparkled dazzlingly in the sunlight.

"What a beautiful spiritual world," an elderly man in white robes remarked, standing beneath a tree.

He was none other than Electrolux, a fragment of spiritual consciousness that had crossed into this foreign world. Now, having entered Wang Rui's spiritual realm, he could temporarily manifest a form using Wang Rui's tangible and substantial spiritual energy.

"Uh, thanks for the compliment," a red-haired youth suddenly appeared beside him.

"Oh? Is this your human form?" The old man raised an eyebrow. "It looks completely unrelated to your true form, but, well, I must say you've got quite a striking appearance, young man."

"Thanks. Your robes look great too," Wang Rui replied, scratching his head with a somewhat embarrassed expression. "May I ask who you are?"

Electrolux studied him for a moment, then shook his head with a chuckle. "I don't remember. As you can see, I hail from another world. In the fragments of my remaining memory, I know I died, but due to the overwhelming power of my soul, I tore through space at the moment of death, leaving behind this trace of my consciousness, which ended up in your world. Initially, I was drawn here by the immense spiritual energy of that giant bug, but upon sensing your presence, my curiosity was piqued. Thus, this fragment of mine took residence in your spiritual sea. As for anything more specific, I believe you may know more than I do."

Hearing this, Wang Rui felt a jolt of alarm in his heart, though he maintained a clear and innocent expression on his face. He feigned confusion, saying, "If even you don't know, how would I have any idea?"

"Cautious, aren't you?" Electrolux shook his head. "Look at the power of destiny surrounding you. Making predictions now and then, that's basic skill for you seers, isn't it?"

Wang Rui recalled that in The Legend of the Divine Seal, there was indeed a prophecy ability. It not only allowed glimpses into the future but also temporarily manipulated fate. This bore some resemblance to his own destiny power.

"I don't know anything about this 'prophecy' you mentioned," Wang Rui said, shaking his head, his golden eyes wide with innocence. "Is that a skill unique to your world?"

So, this kid is good at keeping things to himself...

Electrolux regarded Wang Rui with mild surprise. His instincts told him that Wang Rui was still withholding the truth—even his reactions seemed staged.

Generally speaking, those favored by the god of light were pure-hearted, kind, and straightforward, while those blessed by the god of fire were often hot-tempered and blunt.

But judging by Wang Rui's words, with not a hint of truth in them… Whether you call him cautious or shrewd, he resembled neither the pure-hearted champions of light nor the fiery-tempered chosen of the fire god.

While it might be hasty to judge someone's character based solely on their attributes, according to Electrolux's fragmented memories, gods typically selected their champions based on personal preference—or, to put it more bluntly, when someone's attributes reached a certain level of purity, they inevitably influenced their personality.

However, as the greatest necromancer, Electrolux was extremely perceptive when it came to good and ill intentions. He was certain that Wang Rui bore no malice, so a few harmless lies were inconsequential.

"Hmm? The ability to foresee the future isn't called 'grand prophecy' in your world?" Electrolux pondered for a moment. "Still, based on the concentration of destiny power you possess, I can safely conclude that you have the means to glimpse both the future and the past—at least, you must know something about me. Otherwise, why would you allow a stranger's spiritual fragment into your spiritual sea? I can sense that your spiritual power is nearly at the same level I was at in my prime. If you wanted to, you could have easily prevented me from entering."

Damn, that was close! Good thing I reacted quickly—he almost saw through me, Wang Rui thought, letting out a silent sigh of relief. For a moment, he had feared that Electrolux had caught on to something and read his mind.

But this old fox truly lived up to his legend as the Necromancer Saint and Harbinger of Death. Even while residing in Wang Rui's spiritual sea, he made no effort to hide his probing intentions. Arrogant indeed.

Wang Rui had long considered how to handle Electrolux—

He wasn't sure if the once-noble child of light would take kindly to someone so openly calculating.

Building a persona of pure-hearted honesty that aligned with the image of a light-favored champion might earn Electrolux's appreciation, but that approach was absolutely unwise.

After all, Wang Rui was not someone who valued honesty above all else. More importantly, with Electrolux constantly residing in his spiritual sea, it would be impossible to maintain an act forever, let alone change his plans for the sake of this old man. The path he intended to take was never going to be one of pure kindness and compassion.

Any inconsistency in his persona could lead to major trouble.

Yet, it wouldn't work to rely solely on deception either. Wang Rui didn't expect to fully fool someone like Electrolux, who had experienced betrayal, fallen into darkness, gone mad, and finally found redemption—even if the old man had lost his memory.

Thus, Wang Rui decided to offer guarded half-truths, knowing they'd be uncovered, and use that exposure as an excuse to reveal his intentions. This approach wouldn't conflict with his future plans and wouldn't make him seem too threatening.

After all, the Emperor Auspice Beast's true goal wasn't anything shameful.

"Alright, I admit it," the red-haired youth said, spreading his hands. "I did glimpse a fragment of the future. I saw that a gray presence from another world would be my clan's future hope—I guess that refers to you?"

"Oh? Your clan's hope?" Electrolux raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "If I'm not mistaken, you possess dragon bloodline. Back in my world, I encountered dragons from other realms. As far as I know, dragons are the mightiest beings across worlds. Why would I be your hope?"

"That has to do with the unique laws of this world," Wang Rui replied with a wry smile. He briefly described the situation on Douluo Continent and the predicament faced by soul beasts.

"No wonder, no wonder," Electrolux mused, stroking his beard. "I was wondering why someone would simultaneously possess two pure elements—light and fire. Aren't those two supposed to clash? But it turns out the gods of your world are quite different from those of mine. Regardless, your situation is indeed fascinating."

"And these world laws of yours…" Electrolux frowned deeply. "In my world, while practitioners could enhance their power by consuming magic beast cores, they could also advance without killing them. When slaughter becomes a necessity for advancement… there's something inherently twisted about such a rule."

The old man shook his head.

Though he had once fallen into darkness, his innate sense of judgment remained intact. "Each world's laws are unique, and ordinarily, I would respect them… But your world's laws give off a feeling of exhausting resources without replenishment."

"If this continues, both your practitioners and your magical beasts may face extinction."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Omake

Wang Rui: Acting.

Electrolux: I know he's acting.

Wang Rui: I know he knows I'm acting.

Electrolux: This little brat is exhausting with all his scheming. Fine, I'm done playing along—let's lay the cards on the table.

Wang Rui: Talking to this old fox is so tiring… (wipes sweat)

(End of Chapter)