Roy unleashed the full power of his holy light, channeling it into Miss Jay's body in an attempt to expel Alma's consciousness. But Alma's mental strength was formidable, capable of resisting the holy light of a ten-winged angel and even faintly overpowering Roy.
Fortunately, after Adrian used his music to deal with the surrounding clones, he flew to the ship to assist Roy. With the healing angel's musical buff, Roy's holy light grew stronger, but it still couldn't drive out Alma's consciousness. They were only able to hold her at bay temporarily.
Realizing she couldn't overpower Miss Jay quickly, Alma decided to retreat. But not without leaving a parting message.
"Roy Black, you're truly special! Come find me—I'll be waiting!"
With that, Alma's consciousness left Miss Jay's body, leaving her unconscious from the severe mental strain.
"She's finally gone! I didn't expect her mental power to be that terrifying," Adrian said, wiping sweat from his brow. Alma's mental strength exceeded anything he'd imagined.
As a healing angel who relied on mental attributes, Adrian's mental prowess was likely even greater than Roy's. Yet, even with their combined efforts, they only managed a stalemate against Alma. Roy couldn't help but wonder if her mental attribute had already reached 300.
"No matter how terrifying, some things still have to be done," Roy said. "Adrian, let's get this ship moving first, then plan our next steps."
Though fifty or sixty people on the ship were still alive, they'd been knocked out by Alma's overwhelming mental power and couldn't operate the vessel. Roy started the ship and activated its distress signal. Once they sailed out of the signal-jamming zone, the Pacific Fleet should be able to locate them.
Back on shore, Roy, Adrian, and Vanguard discussed their next move. Alma's mental strength made them wary of confronting her directly in the lab. They needed a better plan.
"Vanguard, does your mother have any weaknesses?" Roy asked bluntly.
Vanguard hesitated before answering. "Her mental power is incredibly strong, but her body is just as frail. After giving birth to me and Paxton, an accident during childbirth left her reliant on life-support equipment to survive."
Roy and Adrian's eyes lit up. If Alma's body was truly that weak, they had a chance.
"Roy, find the location of the energy facilities in the Armacham Research Park!" Adrian said.
Roy pulled up the military terminal Miss Jay had given him and quickly located the energy facilities. A massive research park like Armacham, filled with cutting-edge equipment and even a clone production line, required substantial energy and specialized substations to handle high-voltage experiments.
"Wait! Are you planning to destroy the energy facilities?" Vanguard asked, realizing their intent. His face showed a mix of conflict and hesitation.
If the energy facilities were destroyed, Alma would likely die.
"Vanguard, don't you see how serious this is?" Roy said, looking at him. "Alma's completely out of control. She's already destroyed a city, and she could destroy more in the future!"
Killing millions in one go? Even a demon lord from hell would have Alma's name tattooed on their back—most of them hadn't done anything that extreme. Someone with her dangerous abilities couldn't be allowed to live.
Vanguard fell silent. Knowing the truth was one thing; accepting it emotionally was another.
"You two go to the energy facilities," Vanguard finally said. "I'll head to the lab alone. I want to talk to my mother one last time."
Since Vanguard had made his decision, Roy and Adrian didn't stop him.
"Alright, it's your call," Roy said.
Following the terminal's map, Roy and Adrian headed toward the energy facilities, located at the highest point in the Armacham Research Park. Armacham had even built wind turbines there for power generation.
But as they approached, Adrian sensed something off. "Roy, something's wrong. I'm picking up the aura of hell!"
"Hell's aura?" Roy asked, puzzled.
Then, a familiar voice rang out. "Well, well, Mr. Roy Black! Didn't expect to see you here!"
The voice belonged to the blonde news anchor, but her tone was strangely off.
"Marian Megan?" Roy asked.
"That's me!" she replied.
"Oh, come on, Mr. Black, why mention only Marian and not me?" Another familiar voice chimed in, this one belonging to another anchor who'd once interviewed Roy. Her tone was equally strange.
"Gretchen Henderson?" Roy said.
Two scantily clad anchorwomen stepped forward, their beauty almost blinding. These were no ordinary women—played by Hollywood icons Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman, no less. After being altered by Adra, their bodies were practically succubus-like, radiating an allure that made Roy swallow hard.
"Roy, you know these women?" Adrian asked, unaffected by their charm. He noticed Roy's reaction and, recalling the lustful aura he'd seen on Roy at the Time Bar, realized Roy's weakness was being exploited.
No one's perfect, and Roy's only real flaw was his susceptibility to beauty. Adrian could understand—after all, a truly flawless human would practically be a saint. The last perfect human was named Jesus, God's own son.
"Yeah, I know them," Roy admitted, a trace of guilt on his face. "It's probably because of me that they ended up like this."
He knew the succubus from hell was targeting him, and he suspected Marian and Gretchen had been caught up in it because of him. Transformed into hellish creatures, they were beyond saving.
"Mr. Black, we've missed you so much!" Marian cooed.
"Yeah, why don't you come join us for some bliss?" Gretchen added, striking provocative poses that sent waves of allure toward Roy.
Guilt and desire clashed in Roy's mind, leaving him dazed. Adrian began playing his music, the soothing melody snapping Roy out of the seductive haze.
"Roy, I'll handle things here. Go destroy the power facilities," Adrian said, recognizing Roy's struggle without judgment.
Roy knew he couldn't bring himself to fight the two women. "Alright, Adrian, be careful. There might be a high-ranking succubus lurking around!"
"I've got this," Adrian replied confidently. Once he started playing his music, it was like activating a domain—Marian and Gretchen were momentarily frozen in place.
Roy nodded, transformed into his ghost wolf form, and used his explosive speed to dart between the two women, breaking through their "double team." Adrian kept playing, holding them at bay.
But the anchorwomen soon broke free from Adrian's control, their expressions darkening. "Since you let Mr. Black go, you'll have to play with us instead!" Marian snapped.
Adrian gave a faint smile. "Want to play? Then watch my performance!"
Roy, meanwhile, raced through a pitch-black corridor. Even with his ghost wolf's dark vision, the area felt unnaturally dark, and he sensed someone watching him.
Who could it be?
Heightening his senses, Roy spotted a figure with two heads. No, this wasn't human—it looked like two bodies forcibly stitched together, one head higher than the other, one side larger than the other.
Roy recognized them instantly: Henry and Claire, fused into one grotesque being.
"Roy Black, it's you!" Henry-Claire's eyes burned with rage as they spotted him.
Puzzled by their bizarre state, Roy didn't have time to react before they charged. "Roy Black, if it weren't for you, we wouldn't be like this!"
With a cold smirk, Roy felt no guilt for this father-daughter duo. He threw a punch, his terrifying strength sending Henry-Claire flying, their neck snapping with a crisp crack.
"Why don't you save your complaints for the innocent people killed by the dark web?" Roy said.
Though their neck was broken, Henry reached up and twisted it back into place. Clearly, they were no longer normal beings.
"Roy Black, don't act so high and mighty!" Henry-Claire snarled. "This world is dog-eat-dog! If I didn't consume them, someone else would've! You think you're justice itself?"
Roy drew his Leviathan Axe, activating its acid rune. For creatures with such resilient vitality, total destruction was the answer. "I never said I was justice. Everything I do is for one reason: a clear conscience!"
Henry-Claire let out a chilling laugh, sprawled on the ground. "It's pointless. Everything you do is meaningless. This world won't change because of you—it's sliding into the abyss, and no one can stop it!"
Roy closed his eyes, reflecting for a moment, then swung his axe. "Better than helping scum like you make it worse!"
Two swings severed both heads, the acid rune corroding their body into a puddle of foul sludge. The oppressive feeling of being watched vanished, and the surroundings brightened.
"Now, time to blow up those power facilities," Roy muttered. He pulled C4 from his inventory, planting it on the high-tech equipment and setting the timers.
As he ran back, the explosives detonated, destroying the power facilities. Most of the research park's electronics went offline, leaving only emergency lights flickering.
At the substation entrance, Roy found Adrian collapsed, a gaping hole in his chest, his heart gone.
"Adrian, what happened? Where are those women?" Roy asked, stunned that things had gone south in just ten minutes.
"I was holding off those two when someone ambushed me from behind and ripped out my heart," Adrian gasped.
Roy immediately channeled holy light into Adrian, activating his vitality aura. "Hang on!"
Adrian grabbed Roy's hand. "It's no use. They cursed the wound. If this were my true body, I might've held on, but this vessel…"
This body wasn't fully compatible with Raphael, Adrian's true form, just a temporary host, which limited his strength.
"Raphael, Iris is still waiting for us. You can't give up here!" Roy shouted, using Adrian's true name in his panic.
Adrian shook his head. "The rest is up to you. I can't go on. But before I go, I'll give you a blessing."
He placed his hand on Roy's forehead, unleashing a blinding burst of holy light, like a sun crashing to Earth.
[You've received a Mysterious Blessing: Memory +50 (temporary), Mental +50 (temporary)!]
Roy staggered, the world shifting around him. He could now sense the thoughts of nearby lifeforms, but it was overwhelming—everything around him screamed hunger, making him clutch his head in pain.
"Roy, don't worry about Adrian," Raphael's voice echoed. "He was already dying of cancer, which is why he agreed to be my vessel. Now, it's time to end this. Save Iris, and watch out for that succubus—she's up to something!"
With his final words, Adrian died. Roy, enduring the mental strain, watched as Raphael and Adrian's souls ascended to paradise. With Raphael guiding him, Adrian's soul was safe from the soul torch.
"Raphael, why the hell did you give me this blessing? I can't handle this!" Roy groaned. His perception had been finely balanced to avoid environmental overload, but the boost pushed him over the edge, flooding his mind with chaotic psychic waves.
"Tch, tch, tch! Such touching friendship," a voice mocked. "Mr. Black, want to cry in my arms?"
Marian and Gretchen emerged from the shadows, but Roy's blood-red eyes met them with fury.