Chapter 280 Code Red



Somewhere completely unknown and not of this world, there was a completely pitch-black room with the exception of a dimly lit computer screen. Behind that computer was a blonde Kitsune, seemingly panicking over something.

<Rea POV>

"Sht, shit, shit!! This isn't meant to happen, their souls were not meant to merge yet! Fuck, he is going to be so mad." I frantically typed on my keyboard, trying to connect myself back to Shaman. Unfortunately, it was of no use as once she entered the soul domain, I lost all connection to her mind.

'I should have stopped her getting into that fucking cube, but here I thought the system would have done its job and declined entry.' Browsing through the settings of the system and the things Shaman had obtained over time, there was a skill that stuck out to me.

'Blessing of the fox, wasn't this from that bitch Akrone?' Reading through the description, nothing seemed out of the ordinary until I saw that there was a hidden effect.

[If you are reading this, you must have lost connection to my dear Shaman, and they are doing something they shouldn't. Well, I'll tell you it is most likely me that's stopping you teehee~. Have fun, my little Rea. Consider your betrayal paid back now. xoxo~ Akrone.] As soon as I finished reading the message, it disappeared from the system leaving no traces.

"YOU CAN'T BE FUCKING SERIOUS!!!" Slamming my fists onto the desk, I almost snapped it in half. I gritted my teeth, seething at Akrone for this disastrous system failure, trying to tell myself there was nothing I could have done to prevent it. I didn't have the authority to remove the blessing, not to mention she pretty much forced it into the system, not exactly leaving me room to negotiate.

"Can't she just keep her dumb kitsune ass in the seal and stop interfering with the experiment? At this rate, Shaman's body will collapse from all the power... There has to be a way to stop her." It was frustrating that this entire thing could go to shit, but I needed to at least try before he appeared.

'How am I even meant to drag Shaman out? That soul realm is almost god-tier in complexity... How did this fucking Tyso even get his hands on one?' I couldn't directly interfere with the world as we are meant to stay hidden. If I were found doing such a thing I could be executed.

'If I can just get my hands on it, this whole thing would be over in a flash.' It would be simple to transport the soul realm into my hands, but due to the Shaman's soul being present inside, I couldn't risk it being damaged or separated from her physical body.

"What's going on, Rea?" My breath hitched as the sound of a male's voice echoed in my head.

"Ahh... Z-Zeus, it's you." I lowered my head, not daring to look up, hoping that he wouldn't question it further.

'Fuck, fuck, FUCK! Out of all times, he appears now? At least give me some time to find a solution!' My heart raced, knowing Zeus would find out regardless of what was happening.

"Rea... What happened with Shaman, and why is there a soul realm in front of her?" Zeus turned his attention towards the camera that directly showed Shaman revealing the current situation. His voice developed a growing undertone of anger, seemingly ready to strike me down at any moment.

"She is currently merging with this timeline's Shaman, which also means she is inheriting the conduit you placed inside her before the transportation." Despite the severity of the situation, the room stayed silent for a few seconds.

"WHAT?! HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY ALLOW SUCH A THING TO HAPPEN?"

*Crack* *BOOM*

Lightning struck right beside me alongside Zeus' scream of anger, almost destroying my ears. My head rang while my vision started to contort, bringing me to the verge of passing out.n0Velusb.c0M

"I-it was Akrone's fault, she tampered with the system by giving Shaman a blessing." Trying to explain myself proved useless since Zeus is a stubborn old man.

"AND YOU LET HER DO SUCH A THING?! SHE IS SEALED FOR A REASON, YOU DAMN FOOL. ARE YOU STILL CONSPIRING WITH HER EVEN AFTER BETRAYING YOUR OWN GOD?" His anger and voice grew in tandem, making it harder to stay conscious. His words were so loud in my head that it made it impossible to think of any way to get out of this situation.

"I-I'm sorry, I tried everything I could, but without interfering with the world, I can't fix it." I tried to reach for my desk as I spoke, but my hand missed just as I put all my weight on it. Falling out of my chair and hitting my head on the table, my head pulsed with pain eliciting a chuckle out of Zeus.

"Ha you incompetent bitch, do what you must without being found. If I return and she isn't separated from her other self, it will be you who pays the price. Meanwhile, I'll go pay a visit to Akrone and teach her a long-overdue lesson." Zeus, carrying a very heavy undertone of anger, tried to speak calmly, since there was still a chance for it to be fixed. Until then, I expected him to keep a very close eye on me.

Without bothering with goodbyes, Zeus' presence left the room, allowing me to get my bearings.

*

<10 minutes later>

I was still lying on the floor with my eyes shut. My poor head wanted more rest, but being conscious of the time, I needed to get up soon before Zeus came back. Knowing how most talks go with Akrone, Zeus will get nowhere and return here to check on me.

'After all this shit, I better be able to inherit Akrone's powers.' The only reason why I am complying in the first place was a promise from Zeus, which left me questioning if it's even worth all the pain and suffering anymore.

'Arghh whatever, just get back to work.' Dragging myself up from the floor and onto my chair, I tried to think of ways I could interact with the cube. Tyso was keeping a close watch, making sure nothing would go wrong, but surely after some time he would leave.

**

<12 hours later

'WHY ISN'T HE MOVING? Slamming my desk once again out of anger, I couldn't believe my eyes. Tyso had been sitting in the same spot the entire time, not even moving an inch. I thought surely he'd move, but no, it's well into the night and he still shows no intention of doing so.

Luckily Zeus had not made an appearance yet which made me think something happened with Akrone, but I could care less. Right now I needed to sort this issue out before it was too late.

'Maybe I can open up a portal right next to the cube... Surely he should be asleep by this point.' Getting impatient with waiting, I drew up a magic circle about the size of my hand. Writing down the runes of the circle, I tried to ensure the portal will open in such an angle that it won't be in Tyso's line of sight.

Once I finished the circle, I kept a close eye on Tyso and opened up the portal. Seeing no reaction, I began to put my finger through, but as soon as the tip was visible on the other side, Tyso disappeared.

Pulling my hand away and shutting the portal instantly, an explosion appeared on the screen right beside the cube. Once the dust settled, I witnessed Tyso with his sword in the ground, right where the portal was.

'This fucking bastard has been fully aware the entire time.' My nerves started to kick in, causing my legs to shake uncontrollably. Time was running out, and so far there was no solution on the horizon. Tyso was on high alert, and I couldn't teleport myself to the room without causing even more trouble.

'I think it's just a lost cause at this point.' Reality was kicking in, and there was no way for me to fix it. I could only pray that Shaman comes out alive, as the consequences of merging with the conduit too early may destroy her.

***

<Akrone POV>

"Hmm~ Hmm~ oh, my dear Shaman, you've done well. I wish I could see Rea and Zeus' faces when they saw you in the soul realm." Sipping on some wine, I hummed to myself, happy that Shaman was able to find a way to merge with herself earlier.

'If it had been any later, she wouldn't have had the chance to save her parents or defeat the pope. Those stubborn old men really need to listen to fate like I warned them instead of locking me up.'

'I guess they think if they don't hear it, then it won't come true, but oh how wrong they are.' Feeling satisfied with the current situation, I considered breaking out of this seal, as it was now pointless. The mission I set out to complete was over, and all I needed to do was wait.

"AKRONE!!" However, before I could plan my escape, it seems Zues just caught wind of the current news.

"Oh my, what could have happened, almighty Zeus, god of all gods, who is really just a lightning god with nothing going on in its head?" Twirling my cup of wine, I hoped his anger reached a boiling point causing him to finally fight me.

"YOUUU!!! It's time I finally taught you a very overdue lesson!"

"Ohhhh, so you're finally going to fight me now?" I sprung up on my feet, excited, as it seemed my wish to fight was about to be granted.