Chapter 36: You are useless

The possessing soul in Elliot’s body looked at itself in terror, discovering that it was now the remaining one that had not completed its transformation yet and was still trapped in the hybrid form, while the other soul had fully finished its transformation and settled into the completed male form.

A cold shiver of despair ran through its joints; its partner had succeeded easily while it was still struggling and floundering without achieving any progress worth mentioning.

A sick smile of superiority formed on the face of the soul in Michael’s body, inspecting its new male strength coursing through its joints, saying in an arrogant tone of contempt:

"Oh.. do we have to wait now? Tsk, useless piece of trash! It is extremely easy, and I believe I am far more valuable than you. I expect you will fail and perish in the end!"

These words fell like a thunderbolt upon the heart of the soul in Elliot’s body; its chest tightened with grief and was squeezed by fear.. was its chance truly gone after failing to transform? Was it really just a useless entity condemned to destruction?

It turned with eyes full of terror toward the glowing luminous screen, asking in a fearful tone begging for reassurance:

"Is it really.. is what this man says really true, O Guide? If I cannot transform, will I lose in the test and not regain my life?"

Its heart was beating with sharp disturbance while waiting for a single word from the System to reassure it or give it a motive to continue, but the System’s response came devoid of any mercy:

[You are being far too soft asking this stupid question! I believe you ought to try harder instead of wasting time.. you are stupid for asking this while your whole life depends on this exact moment! You must try with everything you possess, otherwise it will end in nothing but your complete and eternal regret!]

The cornea of its eyes trembled and its lips parted from extreme dryness, as if its throat had become a barren desert from the terror that invaded its entity. A painful, harmful cold seeped into its weak limbs, paralyzing its ability to think and act.

However, the System did not stop at this, but followed up with another malicious text:

[And an additional note.. if you fail, your partner will naturally fail with you! You will both be considered losers, with no chance for you to return ever again!]

Upon hearing this sudden condition, astonishment prevailed and shock stripped the soul residing in Michael’s body!

His face turned pale and he felt the shock permeate him completely, screaming in a panicked tone of protest:

"Wait! What do I have to do with her?! I am special, good, and I did my job to the fullest! If she is flawed and lacks ability, I have nothing to do with her! She is vile and incompetent, so what do I have to do with her?!"

The eyes of the soul in Elliot’s body widened in unbelievable shock; it had never imagined he would label it as "vile" even though they were in the same boat! How could it allow anyone to call it vile while willingly permitting him to sleep with it in the end?

It rushed out saying with anger and tears of helplessness welling up in its eyes: "You are the vile one! Instead of helping me, you stand there saying such words?!"

However, it never expected the brutal reaction that issued from him in the very next moment..

SLAP!..

A sharp, violent slap echoed across the place!

The soul in Elliot’s body staggered from the force of the slap, rebounding backward to crash into the hard wall. Meanwhile, the mark of sacrifice carved on their necks began to glow and throb anew with a rising ethereal gleam!

The soul in Michael’s body fixed its fierce gaze upon it, screaming in a threatening tone brimming with aggression:

"You are not allowed to object! Thank your God that I am waiting instead of raping your other hole and making you cry from pain until you transform completely, and then taking pity on you to lay you in your vagina!"

Those arrogant, brutal words were harsher than even the fiercest monsters would utter; how could he speak in that sick tone as if he were bestowing affection and kindness upon it, while exercising the utmost forms of violation and oppression?

It asked inside its secrecy with bitterness and agony: How could those in charge of this dark ritual turn a blind eye to this explicit violence? How could they leave it to be humiliated and tortured like this despite its desperate, painstaking attempts?

Its resistance collapsed and it burst into tears, hot tears of helplessness streaming down its cheeks, then it screamed in a shaky tone pleading for justice:

"O Guide!.. I am filing an official complaint against this soul for physically and mentally abusing me! Is there no law governing this test? Is this not a blatant violation of the ritual?!"

Upon hearing this complaint, a fleeting shiver of anxiety ran through the joints of the soul residing in Michael’s body; he was slightly flustered while awaiting the System’s reaction, apprehensive about whether it would respond to its claim or impose some punishment upon him.

However, the System’s screen popped up in the air to crush its last hope with a decisive text dripping with vileness:

[This is happening because you are a useless entity! Do you want us to intervene to protect you when you have no value here? This slap should serve as a real alarm urging you to wake up! If you succeed, you ought to give thanks to your partner who must not be lenient at all, because his life too is hinged upon how serious you are.. do you understand?!]

These harsh words were enough to make the soul living in Michael’s body release a crazy, explosive laugh; his chin raised high as he cackled with evil, the echoes of his hysterical laughter rebounding throughout the dark suite.

He advanced toward it with heavy steps and a sick smile drawn on his face, while it desperately tried in terror to flee and rise off the floor to avoid him reaching it. However, the mark of sacrifice carved on its neck was faster than its plan; for it responded to its desire to flee and restricted the body’s movement completely, paralyzing its limbs from the top of its head to the soles of its feet, leaving it thrown on the ground motionless!

The pupils of its eyes quivered with overwhelming terror as it saw him drawing near, before his brutal palm extended to drag it fiercely by its hair, raising its head and body upward to stare into its eyes with gazes dripping with evil and menace:

"Come on, you damned bitch!.. Transform quickly before the last drop of my patience runs out!"