Reincarnated as both God and The Devil

"N…no.. Oh no, Baby Viel…"

"I-is that Grandpa Ling!?"

The souls watched inside Viel as they saw Grandpa Ling's head roll on the ground. They watched on as Viel laugh in madness.

Even with their tantamount of experience in life and death, what they saw still sent shivers down their spine. But this wasn't all because of the bloody scene in front of them. The darkness they were in that has remained stagnant ever since they can remember has changed.

There was a sudden drop in temperature as they felt the cold pierce through their skin. If they really had physical bodies, it would be frozen solid right about now.

But the three didn't seem to mind the pain the cold is inflicting them. They were too focused on the screen, afraid that they will miss anything.

[WARNING: Player's mental stability is reaching critical levels]

"Tch. Don't you think we don't know that!? Can't you do anything? You useless Voice!"

Xanthus gritted his teeth as he watched the scenes unfold infront of them.

He now felt what Lu Yi was feeling when Viel went on and tortured Li Zhao. He could not really remember much of it as his and Viel's consciousness became one, making everything hazy.

It was a feeling of helplessness.

He was about to punch the screen in front of him in frustration, when he noticed that Lu Yi was staring at him with her eyebrows raised.

"What!?", Xanthus shouted in annoyance.

"How are you feeling, Xanthus?", Lu Yi looked at Xanthus inquisitively.

"Huh!? What are you going on about now? Can't you see this isn't about me!?"

"No, I mean. How are you feeling? Are you not angry? Don't you feel like exploding from all the rage?"

Xanthus finally knew what Lu Yi meant with her question. Last time Viel felt an overwhelming emotion of rage, he was the only one that was affected.

But this time, aside from the piercing cold that he was feeling, he only felt the sadness and anger towards what happened to Grandpa Ling. There was no sign of him losing consciousness.

Xanthus stared at the screen with a face of confusion. Should Viel not be angry towards what happened to Grandpa Ling? To see your own grandfather decapitated right in front of you, without warning, will you not feel all the rage in the world and have the overwhelming wish to lash out to the world?

Xanthus once again looked back to the mirror. Viel was now hugging Grandpa Ling's head as he curled up into a ball.

No, they were wrong. What Viel was feeling now was not anger. It's not necessarily all sadness as well.

Xanthus closed his eyes, he concentrated as he tried to tap on Viel's inner consciousness. Yes, he could feel it now.

Desolation.

Viel felt lost and empty.

Lu Yi saw what Xanthus was doing and she was about to do the same, but as she was about to close her eyes. She caught a glance of something.

The Judge of Karma had blank look in his face as he stared at the screen. True, Jack was always quiet and usually just talks when someone asks him a question. But this was different.

"Judge of Karma? Are you alright?", Lu Yi slowly approached Jack.

Jack, however, did not respond. He just continued to stare at the screen, unresponsive. A spark immediately ignited in Lu Yi's mind.

It was the Judge of Karma. They did not notice it earlier, but it was the Judge of Karma, not Xanthus, who has merged with Viel's consciousness this time.

Lu Yi cracked her knuckles as she readied herself to hit the Judge of Karma. If their merging of consciousness is what's causing Viel's mental instability, then it must be severed no matter what.

Lu Yi was about to release the strongest possible slap she can muster when Jack started to move his mouth.

"Don't"

"W-what!? Y…you are awake?", Lu Yi immediately backed away as she pulled her hand, was she wrong? Was the Judge of Karma just lost in thought and not actually merged with Viel? Jack's next words, however, proved that she was right.

"Barely. My consciousness drifts as we speak", Jack said, his tone weak and fleeting.

"Then, you are merged with baby Viel? Then we should fully wake you up so his emotions can stabilize!", Lu Yi once again raised her hand.

"Don't. I can feel it… if our consciousness is severed, the boy will completely descend into madness"

"Are…are you sure!?"

"I am positive. The boy's young mind can not handle the stress it is feeling right now. For now, I am handling it all"

"T…then what should we do?"

Lu Yi waited for Jack's answer. Jack, however, no longer responded to her. Jack was now once again completely immersed into what was currently happening outside.

Lu Yi looked at the screen, she saw as Viel raised his hand and started to chant their spells. Lu Yi's face immediately stunned when Viel summoned three powers at the same time. One from each of them.

She knows that Viel was hiding an almost unfathomable amount of qi in his body. But this much? The one he summoned was one of her strongest skills, [Light of Eternal Imprisonment]. It is used to seal and destroy beings as powerful as demi-gods.

Lu Yi let out an exasperated breath. She presumed that the skills Viel summoned from the other two was equally as strong.

If Viel keeps this up, he would surely perish, and as if confirming her words-

[WARNING: Player is not capable of sustaining the current energy consumption. Immediate termination of skills is highly recommended]

"No!", Lu Yi punched the screen in frustration, "Mr. Voice, can you really not do anything!?"

[Negative. I am no longer allowed to overwrite Player's consciousness]

"Tch. You useless thing!", she once again continued to punch the screen in front of her several times.

Why not also her? Xanthus and the Judge of Karma has already managed to merge with Viel's consciousness. Involuntarily or not, they have helped to maintain Viel's sanity one way or another. If only she could also merge with Viel's consciousness, even if it is just for this moment. Then maybe she can also help with stabilizing Viel's emotions.

As she was contemplating, Mr. Voice's announcements once again resounded through the darkness.

[WARNING: Energy Consumption above Maximum]

[WARNING: HP is lower than 40%. Immediate termination of skills is highly recommended]

Hearing this, Lu Yi once again hit the screen, this time with all of her might.

"No! Viel, stop! Do you hear me!?"

"Judge of Karma, what are you doing!? Can you not stop this!?"

Jack was silent.

"Useless…useless… all of us are useless!", Lu Yi continued to hit the screen with her bare hands. Her frustrated screams resounded in the darkness.

"U..I…I'm…useless…", Lu Yi kneeled down in defeat, her fist still planted on the screen. Tears slowly flowing from her eyes.

"Baby Viel…I…I'm sorr-"

[Converting a percent of Lu Yi's Life Force to Player��s HP….]

"w…what..?"

[….successful]

As soon as she heard this, she immediately stood up.

[Error: Conversion was interrupted]

"What!? Why!? Do it! I am willing!", Lu Yi widened her arms as she shouted at the invisible voice. The voice, however, did not reply.

This once again made Lu Yi frustrated as she once again planted her fist on screen.

[Resuming conversion….]

"!!!"

Lu Yi released a heavy breath as she finally realized what she needed to do. She closed her eyes and started to calm herself down.

She gently opened her palm and touched the screen.

[Converting a percent of Lu Yi's Life Force to Player's HP….]

Hearing these words again, Lu Yi finally revealed a satisfied smile. She could feel her life force draining. It was very slow, but still, it was draining.

She once again opened her eyes and looked at the mirror, and then towards the two men beside her.

"You guys, take care of Viel for me, okay?"

She resigned to her fate. Maybe this was her goal here, to use her life in order to save Viel's. If it was, then it was not a bad end.

'Sorry, little Chen. It seems like I will be meeting you so-'

"Hey, don't go monologuing on us just yet. That's considered bad luck"

Lu Yi's monologue was interrupted when he heard Xanthus' voice.

"Tch. And here I thought you finally kicked the bucket"

It took a while, but Xanthus finally recovered from his stupor from trying to feel Viel's consciousness.

"Heh. Don't go killing me just yet, old hag"

Xanthus playfully scoffed as he slowly stretched out his arm towards the mirror, "So, like this, right?"

Lu Yi nodded in response.

[Converting a percent of Friend's Life Force to Player's HP….]

"Lu Yi, good job"

"Tch…", Lu Yi sneered in response, but she revealed as smile afterwards.

"Oh man, our boy is crazier than you are, Lu Yi. Actually releasing one of my most powerful curse to numerous targets. Even I have trouble in doing that, and he did it while casting to other powerful skills"

Xanthus stared at what was happening in the screen and he could not believe as to what he was seeing. 3 different powerful skills all in the same time. If that wasn't crazy, then nothing was.

"Just focus o-"

[Converting a percent of Jack's Life Force to Player's HP….]

Before Lu Yi can reply, she was interrupted by the Voice's sudden announcement.

"What!?"

Both Lu Yi and Xanthus could not help but look at the direction of Jack at the same time.

To their surprise, Jack had his arms stretched out towards the mirror now as well. How Jack was able to do that even with his consciousness being consumed by Viel's, was a mystery.

Xanthus was filled with amazement. When his consciousness was merged with Viel, he could not even feel the presence of his own existence.

And yet Jack even managed to move his arms.

"This guy… what a monster"

-----------

Back at the gates, the situation was still at an impasse.

General Diao could do nothing but wait and hope that the guards find the people that Guard Leader Bai mentioned.

General Diao's calculation was wrong. He thought that Viel would fall sometime soon, but for some reason or miracle, he was still alive and well.

His complexion was weak and dry, he was surrounded by a pool of his own blood. But Viel's constitution seemed to have somehow slightly recovered.

"This boy… what a monster"

He has been waiting for the guards to report to him for about 5 hours now. He was afraid that anytime soon, the people would start to question, and surely, a riot would arise.

If they somehow get past through one of the gates, and the people finally realize the direness of their situation, then things would get ugly fast.

Knowing that they had no way out of the city and that they will die if they try to leave, hysteria will commence. The people will immediately succumb to looting and violence. The General was quite aware of what people could do in situations such as this one.

He has seen this many times when he participated in the war against the Evil Monarch.

It only takes one spark to make friends go against each other. Such is the nature of man.

General Diao once again tried talking to Viel, but it was in vain. Viel was no longer responding to anything, he just kept on talking to himself and to Grandpa Ling's severed head.

General Diao tried to test the dome of light again to see if it has weakened, but no. It would still kill him if he tried to pass through it. He also ordered one of the guards to fetch for the Headmaster of Taizhou academy, the only being that was stronger than him in the city to help with the current situation.

But the Headmaster refused to leave the academy, saying that he needed to protect the students that were currently staying in the academy. That was his responsibility, outside of that, that was all on General Diao.

General Diao was about to refute, but he knew the old man of the academy. The Headmaster was even more stubborn than he is, and what's worse is that Headmaster was also cunning. Making him the worse kind of person to deal with.

Time was ticking, and all General Diao could do was wait.

He waited.

And he waited.

And finally, after another 3 hours…

"General Diao, sir. We have successfully apprehended the group of ruffians! They are currently waiting behind the gates!"

Guard Leader Bai came in bringing news. Whether this was good or bad…

No one knows yet.