Listening to the self-satisfied remarks of the black mist, Calvin gradually understood what had happened to him.
In simple terms, when he was resurrected with 'resurrection of the dead' without any defense, the group of black mist in front of him, along with his subordinates, took the opportunity to seize control of his body. They attempted to use his body as a vessel for their resurrection.
As for when these guys infiltrated into his body, Calvin had some guesses. He spoke cautiously, trying to find out more.
"When did you sneak in? Was it the mischief of the Basilisk Temple guy?"
Recalling his life, Calvin could only think of the mysterious and unpredictable Basilisk Temple as the most likely cause for him to end up in this situation.
"Hehehe... You're quite clever. You guessed it so quickly."
The black mist emitted a sinister laugh, and the self-proclaimed world's first demon didn't hesitate to affirm Calvin's answer. Moreover, he seemed to enjoy Calvin's lack of anxiety or panic, or perhaps, he enjoyed having an audience to narrate his glorious past. He continued in a triumphant and eerie tone.
"Basilisk Temple, it brings back memories. That was five hundred years ago."
"Back in those days, the rulers of the world were not humans, but dragons soaring in the sky."
"At that time, humans around the world were all in fear and hatred due to the existence of dragons. For me, it was simply the best era, entirely my age."
"Whenever fear and hatred filled the world, it was the time for demons like us to resurrect and descend upon the world. Basilisk Temple was the perfect vessel for carrying my power."
"Suffering from tragic experiences, coupled with his innate and inexplicable arrogance, as well as his unique soul, I easily deceived him, invaded his mind, used his soul as nourishment, and stimulated his growth. Then, as the world's strongest demon, I descended once again, bringing fear and disaster to everything!"
The excited voice of the black mist echoed, but Calvin remained calm, listening slightly pityingly. Only at this point did he speak softly.
"But you lost, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't appear in such a miserable state inside me."
"Hehehe! You're right. I lost again. The Angel Saint appeared again, revealing holiness. I just regret that Basilisk Temple lacked the qualifications to fully unleash my power, unable to play his part properly."
"But it doesn't matter. This time, I won't fail again! Because I found you, Calvin!"
Calvin became more serious, as he had been concerned about certain things from the beginning.
"Earlier, you mentioned Basilisk Temple's peculiar soul. What does that mean, and does it have any connection to your purpose in using me?" Calvin asked coldly, effortlessly expressing his doubts. Calvin knew the demon ancestor would answer because of the evident confidence in his attitude, as if Calvin was already helpless.
Indeed, at this moment, Calvin was truly helpless, and the Demon Ancestor didn't hide anything. He arrogantly said,
"I don't know the reason, but your soul and Basilisk Temple's soul are fundamentally different from others. Compared to others, it's as if you two were born in different worlds..."
With these words, Calvin understood. If his guess was correct, the Calvin in Edolas was also one with a 'unique' soul.
"Seems like Basilisk Temple is also someone who traveled through time. No wonder he was described as having 'innate and inexplicable arrogance'..."
Then, the black mist continued to boast in a dazzling manner.
"Let me tell you, this is how I manipulated Basilisk Temple back then..."
"Basilisk Temple was undoubtedly a genius in magic but overly foolish. I just told him, 'My purpose is to make you the greatest person in the world,' and he easily believed me. He even thought it was entirely reasonable, without any defenses."
"I only needed to use the excuse of the 'price of getting stronger' to manipulate him into doing various things. I don't know why, but this guy was inexplicably excited about these tasks."
"So, I invaded his mind step by step. In the end, he gained powerful strength through me and became my pawn. Whatever I ordered him to do, he treated it as an inevitable task."
"Even though I didn't personally appear, I brought disaster and fear to this world. Unfortunately, that guy Angel Saint sensed my existence and once again descended to this world!"
At this point, the voice of the black mist was full of resentment, and the low, hoarse tone sounded even more bitter.
"It seems like Michael-Di really beat you guys up back then, huh~?" Calvin, hearing this, couldn't help but mock.
The black mist emitted a 'hmph,' and the voice, filled with hatred, continued.
"Despite that, Basilisk Temple didn't die. He used the ultra-magic I taught him to escape and survived in a dormant state for five hundred years. However, his strength has greatly diminished. Otherwise, you wouldn't have defeated him so easily."
"You know, his strength back then was not inferior to that Jeffrey, who was known as the most evil Black Mage. Hehehehe..."
Calvin continued, "Then you encountered me, and you targeted me. I can't figure it out. When did you manipulate me?"
The black mist burst into a wild laugh, containing a triumphant and mocking emotion, like the smile after a successful conspiracy. After a while, it calmed down slightly and continued to speak.
"In the first place, I need to correct you. It's not 'we,' only I did it!"
"After losing, I understood that Basilisk Temple was no good at all, so I abandoned him."
"After nearly five hundred years of sleep, although that guy's injuries healed, his strength was greatly damaged. So, I told him to abandon his body and find other excellent mages to occupy their bodies."
"I waited for many years until I finally waited for your appearance, Calvin."
"It was truly a surprising day when I saw your soul split into three other parts. I understood that you would come back to find Basilisk Temple one day because only he, taught by me, had the ability to prevent the troubles that would eventually erupt from you."
"My predictions were completely correct. Just over a year, and you came back."
"Remember the soul-splitting law that Basilisk Temple taught you? Haven't you wondered why you had to split another personality into seven parts?"
"It's because these seven pure soul powers are the nutrients prepared for my subordinates, the Seven Deadly Sins."
"Remember when you defeated Basilisk Temple? Your own strength was already at its weakest, which was also my plan. I had Basilisk Temple force you into this situation."
"The purpose was to smoothly bring the Seven Deadly Sins and me into your soul. Ironically, Basilisk Temple thought I would help him occupy your body with his soul."
"After that, I waited quietly. Although your strength is good, it won't always be so smooth."
"I have to say, I'm lucky. It didn't take long before I waited."
"It's incredible; you actually died and then came back to life. It's the situation I've been dreaming of!"
After listening to the black mist's self-praise, Calvin's deep-seated disgust was about to seep out.
"It's really infuriating. I was actually manipulated by a guy like you." He silently cursed in his heart and swore that he would do everything possible to prevent the other party from succeeding!
This was Calvin's only remaining pride.
From that moment on, Calvin and the Demon Ancestor engaged in a seven-year-long tug of war."