The Pureblood Marble vibrated violently and glowed brightly, redder than the red ice. The red ice around the Pureblood Marble warped into the marble and shattered. The shattered ice compressed and disappeared into the Pureblood Marble that released the [Blood Singularity]
This created the space for the [Duality Thermometer Spectrum] variable artifact to manifest. Both of the ends of the spectrum of the thermometer flared up because of the differential temperature that's actively occuring around itself
The Curse of Eternal Permafrost Imprisonment pulled the temperature down into Absolute Zero. Not only that, the Pureblood Marble also activated the 101st Pureblood ability that Philip received as the 101st Pureblood Inheritor, the [Blood Flames] which reached temperatures above 9999°C, which is hotter than the surface of the Sun
「 Blood Inscriptions: Ice Breaker and Zero Point 」
「 Blood Writing: Eternal Analysation and Reverse Snap Freeze 」
「 Blood Runes: Ice Age and Hellfire 」
「 Blood Enhancement: Superfluidity and Terminal Fluidity 」
「 Blood Manipulation: Rooting 」
「 Blood Hex: Pierce and Devour 」
「 Blood Overload 」
The [Blood Flames] bursted and immediately melted the red ice. This was possible, even though the red ice is born from a mortal curse, because of the [Blood Writing] and [Blood Inscriptions]. Due to [Blood Enhancement] and [Blood Runes], the blood didn't immediately freeze
After the red ice has been melted and evaporated into superheated gas as the [Blood Singularity] ate it, blood was manipulated to create a root system around him. The blood pierced the sphere of red permafrost and shattered the ice
At this point, all blood was overloaded as it glowed golden and blazed in high temperature, shattering and melting the entire curse as the [Blood Singularity] devoured the rest. The [Duality Thermometer Spectrum] distributed the temperatures of both spectrums into each other before disappearing
The First Moonlight of the Soulblood Moon on the Soulblood Marble invigorated Philip's soul and prevented him from freezing and dying
Due to this, Philip quickly regained his consciousness and his [Regenerative Ivory] armor, [Blood Armor], and Darkness Veil reacted
All of this happened in just a few seconds and he escaped the Curse of Eternal Permafrost Imprisonment
The fox girl spirit was stunned as the curse exploded and rendered useless in no time at all. Cold sweat began to pour down her forehead, even though she's a spirit, and she felt deep fear that she hasn't felt for a long time since she was sealed inside the sword
[...!]
She slowly turned her head towards Philip with stunned eyes while cold sweat pours down her face like bullets. Her body became stiff from fear
She could see a dense blood red root system originating from Philip as it was glowing red and burning with crimson and dark red colors
The root system immediately dissipated and condensed back into Philip, revealing his blood armor, spikes of [Regenerative Ivory], and a veil of darkness around his body
His iris are blaring with blue and inverted blue colors due to [Bullet Time], surrounded by [Blood Eyes of Truth] as it glowed with golden light, and his sclera is black from darkness
[!!!]
The fox girl spirit then realized Philip's true identity, at least one of them, and as to why Ao Hai gave up in the first place and did a dogeza
[A ah ah...]
The fox girl spirit realized her mistake and immediately bowed down into a dogeza
[I-I-I am sorry!! I didn't know!!]
The fox girl spirit shouted and tears formed at the corner of her eyes
Philip contorted and flicked his limbs as he flexed his muscles to wake them up since he was kust about to die. The feeling was satisfying because it's like he hasn't moved for a long time
In doing so, he looked like monster or possessed demon and this made Ao Hai and the fox girl spirit even more scared
Eventually, Philip approached both of them closer and straightened his body. His glare was overwhelming and his aura grew bigger
[I'm sorry! Im sorry! Please don't exorcise me!! I just want to go home!]
The fox girl spirit began to cry as she couldn't catch her breath while speaking. It was like she's like a crying child trying to reason to save herself from an impending punishment
[I've been trapped in here for so long! I just want to meet my family again!! I don't deserve this! Waaah!!!]
The fox girl spirit's tears flowed rapidly down her cheeks and into the ground that she could make a puddle
In this moment, Philip stepped his right foot just a few feet in front of the fox girl spirit
"..."
[Waaaaah ah ah!!]
"..."
Philip looked down at the fox girl spirit. His eyes doesn't have any emotions and his expression doesn't reveal anything, but in his mind has a soft emotion
He knelt down and pulled the fox girl spirit's hood off and revealed her braided brown hair
[Uuu uuu uwaaah~!]
She became even more scared as she was startled and her heart broke
"Calm down, stop crying..."
[...]
Philip ruffled her head softly and spoke in a soft tone. Ao Hai was surprised and he ever so slightly lifted his head and took a peak to the right
He saw Philip looking down at the fox girl spirit with a soft gaze as the red armor, white spikes, and dark veil began to disappear and dissipate. His eyes also turned normal, except for the golden glow
His eyes widened from surprise as his fear somehow mysteriously lessened just by looking at Philip's calm demeanor
[...]
The fox girl spirit stopped crying, but the recoil of her hiccups makes her body convulse, as well as her sniffling
"Stand up... You as well, Ao Hai, correct?"
[...]
Ao Hai slowly stood up, at least with hesitation, until he stopped midway while his knees are bent because he saw th efox girl spirit is not moving
[I-I-I'm scared! I-I don't want to die!!]
"Don't worry... I'm not going to do anything. I forgive you for what you did"
[R-really???]
The fox girl spirit began to calm down a bit as she could only sniffle now
"Of course! What's your name?"
[Lulu... Just Lulu]
"Lulu... It's a nice name..."
[...]
The fox girl spirit, named Lulu, quickly calmed down and became quiet. Her tears stopped flowing and she wiped off her tears
"Listen, Lulu, I won't hurt you, okay? Even though you tried to hurt me, I won't hurt you back"
[P-promise?]
Lulu sat on her legs as she wiped her eyes with her knuckles and wrists
"I promise!"
Philip showed his right pinky finger and showed it to Lulu to perform a pinky promise
[...]
Lulu was hesitant, but seeing the pinky finger, she couldn't help but extend her right pinky finger also
In the end, they locked pinky fingers
『 Affinity with Lulu has increased to 10! 』
'Right, I forgot... This system has been restored...'
Philip gave a wry smile internally. He also remember that the Affinity System is a subsystem of the Dating Simulator System. He felt strange if he would be "dating" this fox girl spirit if the Affinity System is counting their affinities
「 The Affinity System is only an indicator on which level of relationship you will have on that person and the Relationship Gauge System will measure the relationship you have on that person. The Likability Meter System measures how that person likes you with no restrictions 」
'Example?'
「 There are different milestones of affinity you can have with a person... An affinity of 1000 means that you can be lovers. The Relationship Gauge System will measure your relationship with that person in percentage... 100% relationship gauge will open the Desired Gifting System, Marriage System, and Pleasure System depending on the level of affinity you have on that person. Affinity can be classified as enemy, rival, strangers, acquaintances, friends, best friends, comrades, partner, mutual understanding, lovers, engaged, married, and many more 」
'I see...'
「 If the relationship gauge is below 50%, there will be certain conditions that will happen... So, you have to keep those relationship gauge at 100% for certain people in different methods 」
'That sounds too troublesome...'
「 I may not understand relationships completely yet... But I kinda understand 」
'You can take your time...'
「 ... 」
Philip then looked at Lulu straight in the eyes as his eyes glowed with warm white light this time
"Alright, Lulu, rest for a while and collect yourself... I'm going to talk to Ao Hai for a while, okay?"
[...!]
Philip pointed to his right and Ao Hai was startled as his fesr mysteriously dissipated after seeing the scene in front of him
[Okay...]
"Alright..."
Philip stood up and slowly hovered towards Ao Hai as his body rotated towards him
"Ao Hai, correct?"
[Y-yes!]
"It's also a nice name... Before I ask questions, do you have anything for me?"
[Uhm... What are you?]
Ao Hai began to tremble as Philip is being humble despite what happened earlier
"Personally, I'm not certain..."
Philip gazed in a distance, away from Ao Hai
"A human. A monster? An unknown... An inheritor of a powerful weapon! A time traveller? The God of Darkness. The Fate Controller. The Sword Concept"
[!!!]
As soon as Philip revealed and put an emphasis on him being the Sword Concept, he slowly turned his gaze towards Ao Hai
"It's strange... But you can call me anything what you see fit"
[Sword Concept]
"..."
Philip smirked that Ao Hai chose to call him the Sword Concept rather than either the God of Darkness or the Fate Controller. He then turned towards Ao Hai
"What is your story?"
[...!]
Ao Hai was surprised and emotion instantly swelled up from deep within. This is the first time in a very long time since he was sealed in the katana that someone is taking the time to ask about his story. He felt relieved and happy at the same time
[My name is Ao Hai that means Blue Ocean... I possess the bloodline of the Lung Dragons and I was sealed to be a Sword Spirit the moment this sword was forged...]
『 You have discovered a new stage of weapon mastery! 』
『 Spirit Stage Mastery has been discovered! 』
「 Spirit Stage is just below the Angel Stage and above Saint Stage 」
[I was born in what the humans call China and I was taken to the foreign country, the Promised Lands, also known as Japan, to be forged with one of the Seasonal Katanas...]
"..."
[That was over 10,000 years ago...]
"Were you forged with the sword or were you sealed?"
[I was sealed against my own will after I cultivated and awakened my Lung Dragon bloodline of the ocean...]
"Why?"
[There are four Seasonal Katanas that were forged in each season of the world; Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer. These four seasons also represents the elements of Earth, Water, Air, and Fire respectively... I, as the Lung Dragon that has the power over the ocean with a name that literally means Blue Ocean, was sealed into the Winter Katana to be a legendary sword... Thus, I became this katana's Sword Spirit]
"..."
Philip's eyes were sparkling this entire time the moment Ao Hai mentioned the Seasonal Katanas and how they were forged. Even then, he's still listening intently to his story so that there will be no information to miss
"So, this katana that you are currently sealed is the Winter Katana?"
[Fuyu No Ame... That was the name that was given to it. It means Winter Rain]
"I see... How does Lulu tie into all of this?"
[Lulu... She was sealed a few years after I was sealed...]
"Why?"
[That... I do not know...]
Ao Hai's face became grim
"What's the matter?"
[She... Lulu wasn't originally a spirit... She was brutally murdered as a child with this sword...]
"..."
Philip subconsciously narrowed his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows as he turned his body toward Lulu and looked at her
[...?]
Lulu noticed Philip's gaze and looked back at him with innocent eyes, different from her aggressive demeanor earlier
"..."
Philip didn't feel any emotions initially, but the longer he looked at Lulu, the more his skin could crawl
Him seeing dead people wasn't affecting him too much. He couldn't sympathize or emphatize with the feeling of losing someone, just like how his grandparents from his mother and father's side, he didn't even shed a tear nor moved his heart
Though, he could feel an unidentifiable pit in his stomach
But seeing Lulu, if what Ao Hai said was true, she should be dead, but she's here. There is also a concept of ghosts and spirits or if this Lulu is her actual soul trapped in the katana
Even then, these are trivial knowledge, but there is something that Philip couldn't quite figure out. Like how a part of his body is itchy, but he can't scratch it
"...!!!"
Just then, he realized, Lulu's words earlier and how she wanted to be free and meet her family again
"..."
[...]
He turned towards Ao Hai and his face is full of pity and regret
Lulu wasn't aware that she's already dead, that her family and probably her entire clan or race was slaughtered. She wasn't filled in with the news and she was just imprisoned in this katana without answering her question nor the reason for it
A lost soul, clueless to the truth behind the reality