"If you dare to show your true form now, I'll take you out in an instant, you bastard."
The Replicator chuckled softly, then slowly floated into the air, his gaze fixed on Sylvia Zhang behind me.
"Little girl, although we roughly know where you come from, we have no idea who you actually are. What exactly do you plan to do?"
Sylvia Zhang didn't answer, still eating and drinking her beer. After a while, she wiped her mouth, cleaned her hands, and climbed down from the rooftop.
"You're done eating, huh..."
Immediately, Entity 001 glared at Sylvia Zhang, who gave an embarrassed smile before turning her head away.
"Let's buy some more later. After a bit of exercise, I still don't feel full."
Then Sylvia Zhang turned her head, and the moment she looked at the Replicator across from her, her gaze became razor-sharp.
"This is none of your business. Don't mess with me, or I won't be polite."
The Replicator nodded.
"I'll keep that in mind and relay it truthfully. But it seems you don't want to get involved in these matters."
Sylvia Zhang nodded, giving the Replicator a clear answer. The Replicator then sat quietly on the ground, watching me.
"Let's talk a bit more, there's still some time left. Ethan Zhang, you should give up those unrealistic, insane ideas in your head as soon as possible. You can't possibly accomplish them."
I sneered coldly, put away Endbringer, and sat down on the ground.
"Is that really how you see me after all these years? You don't seem as weak as you appear."
"Thirteenth seat of the Dark Banquet, Replicator... Remember this well. Someday in the future, I may become your greatest obstacle. Even though I still can't obtain your instinct, I've already glimpsed something—the way you wield Endbringer."
I laughed loudly, then my expression darkened.
"You're no match for me. Can you tell me what's going on with Ethan Zhang?"
As soon as I asked, Sylvia Zhang's eyes softened with emotion. Clearly, she was still very worried about her parents' situation. Over the past few days, she'd often shown this expression.
"Let me put it this way: Do you really understand Deathbane Aura? Maybe Ethan Zhang now understands its essence and reality better than you do. Soon, you might not be his match. The number nine always brings change, and this change may be enormous. He should have already gained the ninth Ghost Soul."
"Yeah!"
I tilted my head back and glanced at Sylvia Zhang. Her expression seemed a bit more at ease.
"I think your biggest mistake these past few years was helping Ethan Zhang. If you had taken the Blood Jade, you could have greatly increased your power. But leaving it with Ethan Zhang only makes it an emotional trigger for him—what a waste of such a treasure."
"Oh?"
I looked at the Replicator in confusion and asked.
"Are you after the Blood Jade too? Want to resurrect the Wraithlord?"
At this, the Replicator's face darkened. He shook his head.
"Let me warn you: we don't want that thing, and we don't even want to touch it. That guy is far crazier than you imagine, and he can't be controlled by anyone. The power he holds is beyond your reach and understanding. Now the Immortality Society and some sneaky types are trying to seize that immense power, which is laughable. If possible, you should advise Ethan Zhang to hand over the Blood Jade—it's safer if we keep it."
"The truth of your words remains to be seen. If you want to say something, tell him yourself. Next time I meet him, it might be in battle."
The Replicator stood up, looking toward the sky. A mass of black mist descended—a figure with messy hair, long black locks, and a body two or three times larger than the Replicator, looking extremely sturdy.
"You failed here too, Replicator?"
"Yes, I failed. The Mimic wants to know what's happening over there. If possible, let him know."
I quietly watched the two figures before me—the Replicator and the Mimic. If they become enemies in the future, it will be a tough fight.
"This guy is completely different from Ethan Zhang."
The Mimic's voice was deep and rough.
"What exactly happened at Hidden Falls Temple?"
"Nothing much. The Deathbane Ghost saw right through us. I was hoping to make a move when the Dark Banquet began, but now that's impossible. Nearly thirty years of work wasted—sigh..."
I stared quietly at the two figures before me. It must have been when I first had a shadow that my real shadow was replaced by these two, all the way until now.
"Let's go, there's not much time left."
The Mimic called out, and both figures floated up.
"You still haven't told me!"
"Figure it out yourself. Ethan Zhang has already mastered the essence of Deathbane Aura."
In an instant, the two figures vanished. The black barrier around us gradually faded away. The entire courtyard was in ruins, but outside, I realized there was no sound at all. I could even sense many people—soldiers—who had blocked off every route nearby.
"How many times are they going to destroy my house?"
Entity 001 grumbled in dissatisfaction.
"Sorry, I have to go to the Instinctive Space for a while."
I said, sitting down cross-legged. Before Entity 001 could complain, I lost consciousness.
As soon as I opened my eyes, a red bolt of lightning struck down. I immediately floated up and sped toward the volcano.
I didn't feel any heat. Landing on a rock above the lava, I heard a rumbling sound. I sensed it was Endbringer. A fiery red lava man emerged from the surface and stood below me. I jumped down, standing on the magma itself.
"In the end, you still didn't hear me, Ethan Zhang. I've tried countless times to tell you about that guy, but you never listen."
"Sorry."
My mood was calm. Endbringer didn't blame me, just seemed a little helpless.
"Alright, now we can finally talk properly. Tell me, what do you want me to respond to?"
I asked, and Endbringer shook his head.
"You can respond, or not. It's up to you."
"I need all of Endbringer's power. Right now, I'm only using one percent of it."
Endbringer nodded slightly.
"It's not time yet. Complete the manifestation first."
I replied with an 'oh.' Ethan Zhang can already manifest instinctively, but I still can't. The only reason is that the Replicator is interfering. Now, manifesting Endbringer should be easy for me.
"Can I ask you a question?"
Endbringer grunted in response, and I sat down.
"What exactly is the Unreal? Is there a way to reach it?"
Suddenly, Endbringer's gaze sharpened.
"You've already noticed the existence of the Unreal."
I made a sound of realization. Ever since I returned from the Living World, I've been thinking about this. What are those powerful forces born from the Unreal? Why do they exist? If it's because those with instinct have deep desires, some things still don't add up.
"Just pretend I never asked. That place isn't somewhere I can reach yet."
"That's fine, Ethan Zhang. Grow as you wish, whether good or evil, or anything else. That's the best response you could give me."
I made a sound of acknowledgment, slowly floating up. There was no need for many words now—the wall that once separated Endbringer and me had completely vanished.
When I returned to the courtyard, the house had fully recovered, and the routes blocked by the military were open again.
"Ethan, it looks like they mobilized troops to block the roads just minutes after your fight. Otherwise, things would have gotten out of hand."
007 was holding a phone. The headlines and news were all reporting on this sudden large-scale military drill. Before the drill, they claimed there was intelligence about threats to public safety, but now the danger had been lifted. The news kept repeating the story.
"What are you thinking about?"
007 asked me, and I smiled.
"To pull off all this so seamlessly, the only possibility is the center of power. What that woman said about roots buried deep in the heart must be what she meant."
At this moment, Qi and Entity 001 were gone—probably out buying food again. I sat quietly. 007 poured me a glass of wine. I took a sip, and just as I was about to have a second, an extremely cold aura swept over, followed by a chill wind.
"Ms. Yi, Deathcurse hasn't shared a drink with you in ages. Would you like to join us?"
The moonlit sky was suddenly covered by dark clouds, as if it were about to rain. The yin energy causing the supernatural disturbance was released from those two.
"So, what do you want from me?"
Deathcurse asked coldly. It seemed the two were openly hostile toward me.
"I've just resolved some things. If you'd like, sit down and I'll explain, including news about John Chou."
Blindfolded Isabelle Frost's lips moved slightly, then she floated to the table and sat down. 007 had already set out wine glasses. His face looked pale, and there was fear in his eyes.
"If possible, could you both suppress your ghostly aura?"
I said, and instantly the extreme cold vanished. The sky cleared, and moonlight shone through again.
"Shouldn't you apologize to us, Ethan Zhang?"
After Deathcurse took a sip of wine, I nodded.
"Sorry, Ms. Yi. Sorry, Deathcurse."