Malevolent – Chapter 7 – Familiar Aura and Gradually Awakening Memories

“Nooooooooo!!!”

Little Ailiya let out a desperate, throat-tearing scream.

In this critical moment, the Augury Force suppressed within Ailiya suddenly burst forth, blasting toward the black silhouette.

Although the Augury Force was the nemesis of Corrupted Beasts, Ailiya at merely the second tier naturally couldn’t harm the Terran Malevolence. The spreading Augury Force didn’t even touch the black silhouette before being directly swallowed by the dense curse power surrounding it.

However,

The release of Augury Force caused the black silhouette to abruptly halt its actions, tremblingly turning its head to look at Ailiya. Not only that, the countless Crimson Spectre Eyes that had locked their gaze on Boloni unanimously looked toward Ailiya.

“Hmm?”

In those consistently hollow and even somewhat dull eyes, an unusual expression appeared for the first time.

Not the usual hostility specifically directed at Divine-Graced Maidens.

But rather… a more indescribably complex expression.

…

When the Terran Malevolence’s attention shifted, the black liquid gathered around Boloni suddenly collapsed and sank into the ground…

However,

This seemingly didn’t change Boloni’s fate.

Even without the Terran Malevolence’s attack, due to exhaustion of power and excessive blood loss, Boloni had already reached the end of his life. After giving Ailiya an ‘encouraging’ look, Boloni fell powerlessly to the ground.

“Master…”

Looking at those eyes that had lost their focus, tears fell drop by drop from little Ailiya’s face.

Recalling that final look Boloni gave her,

The silver-haired girl involuntarily clenched her fists tightly, clutched the infant basket in her arms, and with hatred-filled eyes, stared fixedly at the terrifying black figure.

…

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Meanwhile, due to Ailiya’s angry shout and the eruption of Augury Force, the black silhouette directly cast aside Boloni as the game’s loser. Its attention was now fully concentrated on Ailiya.

Moving its body continuously, the Terran Malevolence slowly approached Ailiya.

For a Malevolent One,

Destroying or corrupting people who weren’t infected by corruption was its instinct.

Except for certain special existences, humans in its eyes were no different from livestock.

Therefore,

Smashing this child to death, then going back to continue sleeping, was what the black silhouette should normally do. This was also the most instinctive thought in its consciousness.

However, facing this crying silver-haired girl, in the black silhouette’s simple mind, some strange thoughts sprouted.

Harboring such thoughts,

The Terran Malevolence came before Ailiya.

Seeing that little Ailiya could still maintain consciousness kneeling on the ground, the black silhouette felt a slight surge of surprise. After all, in the past, if children appeared near it, they would have died from the dense miasma in the vicinity.

However,

More than this small matter, the black silhouette seemed more concerned about the tears continuously falling from Ailiya’s eyes.

Under instinctive guidance, that arm constructed of black liquid slowly raised and reached toward Ailiya’s face.

…

Faced with the Terran Malevolence’s demonic claw that wanted to “crush” her head, Ailiya’s consciousness almost collapsed due to the terrifying curse power and horrible pressure.

But after thinking of her two sisters,

Ailiya suppressed her fear with extraordinary willpower. She tried her best to stay awake and with a firm and resolute gaze, stared fixedly at the Terran Malevolence before her. Though her eyes were full of fear, they were also very determined.

Master,

I won’t let you down! I will survive with my sisters!

The next moment,

Under the somewhat surprised gaze of the black silhouette,

The silver-haired girl tremblingly raised her hand, pointing at the Vega Disk still floating in the air.

“I, I, I want too! I also want to play your Salvation Game!”

The girl’s courage, at this moment, suppressed her fear.

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As these words reached its ears, an unusual light flashed in the black silhouette’s eyes, and its movement came to an abrupt halt.

Over these thousand years,

For various reasons, countless people had wanted to play the Salvation Game with it—reckless explorers, scientists trying to investigate the Veiled Domain, greedy gamblers thirsting to change their fate, and vengeful people seeking power to settle old scores…

However,

A little child proposing to play the Salvation Game? This was the first time the black silhouette had encountered this.

But startled as it was,

Since the other party proposed to play this game, the black silhouette wouldn’t refuse. As for why it was so obsessed with this game? The black silhouette wasn’t quite clear itself; it was just following its instincts and acting accordingly.

So,

After little Ailiya shouted this, the Terran Malevolence nodded somewhat obediently.

“Oh… alright… then…”

A hoarse and eerie voice slowly emerged from the black silhouette’s mouth, as a response to the silver-haired girl.

Then,

The compass shrouded in black mist silently floated to little Ailiya’s front.

Of course,

The skull at the nine o’clock position of the compass, previously chosen by Boloni, had already closed. Next, what little Ailiya needed to do was to spin the pointer and then leave it to fate…

At this,

Little Ailiya took a deep breath, directly raised both hands, and grabbed the huge pointer.

And then…

Tens of seconds passed, the pointer didn’t move at all. And little Ailiya kept panting, seeming to have exhausted all her strength.

Obviously,

The silver-haired girl’s little arms simply couldn’t turn this heavy pointer.

Black Silhouette: =-=

Enmm,

…

For a moment, the black silhouette blinked in a somewhat dazed manner.

But after a brief stupor, waves of black light rippled around the black silhouette. Curse power gradually gathered around the silver-haired girl. Of course, the black silhouette didn’t want to harm the girl, but to give her some power support to help her turn the pointer.

Realizing this, little Ailiya couldn’t help but glance at the black silhouette beside her with a complex gaze. At the same time, the girl’s arms, now enhanced by curse power, finally possessed the strength to pull the pointer.

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The next moment,

The pointer began to spin rapidly on the compass.

“Click click click~”

Tension-filled sounds continuously echoed throughout this place.

Finally,

Under the girl’s anxious gaze,

The speed of the pointer’s rotation gradually slowed, and it finally stopped at the three o’clock position of the compass.

“Click~”

Next,

With a crisp sound, the selected skull slowly opened.

And as the skull opened,

On little Ailiya’s face, which had been tense for so long, a hint of joy finally appeared.

Because at this moment,

Under the skull, it wasn’t empty, but there was a soul jewel gleaming with silver light.

Selecting this jewel meant that little Ailiya had won the Salvation Game.

“I, I selected it.”

The silver-haired girl’s body went limp, the stone that had been pressed so hard in her heart finally shattered at this moment.

Master,

Your judgment was right…

…

——”You… won…”——

On the other side,

Witnessing this scene, the black silhouette, without any hesitation, announced the result with its hoarse voice.

The black silhouette slowly came to little Ailiya’s front and spoke with the same hoarse and gloomy tone as before:

“So, what… do you… want?”

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The Salvation Game,

Kill the loser, fulfill one wish for the winner, this seemed to be the black silhouette’s action logic. For thousands of years, the black silhouette had acted this way.

The only unusual thing was that this time, the game’s winner was a little girl not yet ten years old. Vaguely, the black silhouette also seemed curious, what kind of wish would the little girl make?

However,

Just as the black silhouette was waiting for the silver-haired girl to make a wish, little Ailiya’s body reached its limit at this moment. As the blessing power in the pendant on her chest was completely exhausted, and both her physical and mental strength were depleted, the little girl exposed under the black silhouette’s pressure could no longer maintain consciousness, thus closing her eyes and fainting.

Faced with this unexpected scene, the black silhouette blinked, tilted its head, and somewhat confusedly looked at the unconscious little Ailiya on the ground.

???

She… fainted?

…

Actually, in the black silhouette’s fragmentary memories, people who won the Salvation Game but then collapsed from exhaustion were not uncommon.

Faced with such a situation, the black silhouette would generally choose to quietly withdraw, and contact the winner again after they woke up to understand what wish they wanted to make.

However, this time, the Terran Malevolence unusually did not leave, but silently watched the fallen Ailiya.

Countless Crimson Spectre Eyes also watched this little Divine-Graced Maiden, blinking one after another, seemingly observing something… or perhaps pondering something.

“Enmmm… wuwu… hmhm… wumu?…”

After hesitating for a few minutes, the black silhouette tremblingly extended its hand made of condensed black liquid, carefully stroking Ailiya’s face.

Carefully, carefully, and more carefully,

As if afraid that it might accidentally break this fragile human child.

And with the touch of skin, Ailiya’s unique aura was quietly absorbed by the black silhouette. Seemingly sensing something, in the hollow gaze of countless Crimson Spectre Eyes, a barely noticeable highlight flashed through.

Augury Force,

But not as dislikable as the power of other Divine-Graced Maidens…

Rather,

There was a sense of familiarity.

——”Child??”——