The astronaut laughed enough, and a calm voice rang out.

"No... it's not the time yet. Names hold magic power, and I still can't say mine, as it would draw others' attention."

To summon a devil, you must first know his name.

Bologue noticed this, realizing that the astronaut had reasons not to be discovered.

"But rest assured, I'll soon see the light of day again... with your help, Bologue Lazarus."

The astronaut gently patted Bologue on the back, like a treacherous boss encouraging his employee.

Bologue was fed up with this damned unfolding. In his imagination, seeing the devil should lead to a battle. But now, he was caught in a strange conversation and a game of chess with him. Bologue didn't want to follow the devil's rhythm any longer and pushed the astronaut away, keeping a safe distance between them.

Bologue questioned, "Who the hell are you?"

The astronaut said nothing, just tilted his head, watching Bologue. Through the golden glass visor, Bologue could sense a sinister face smiling at him with a mocking look.

"Your attire doesn't belong to this era but rather to memories of my 'past life'... Surely, my birth is also related to you, isn't it?"

Bologue questioned again. His crossing over wasn't a mysterious coincidence but part of some grand scheme, and now he finally glimpsed a dark corner of it.

"You took my soul and bestowed upon me such a blessing..."

The more he spoke, the more an indescribable fear pressed on Bologue, a fear stemming from the absolute unknown...

Like standing in a dark, obscure alley, where flickering yellow light can't illuminate what's lurking in the shadows, no matter how hard you look, you can't capture its hazy outline.

Bologue suddenly stopped, looking around this desolate dark world, an utterly unfamiliar, transcendent knowledge of the afterlife world, where an astronaut leisurely watched a movie.

In the ultimate death appeared the ultimate pioneer in human exploration of the unknown.

"What exactly do you want to do!"

Bologue unleashed all the questions in his heart, with lingering anger.

The astronaut was silent for a moment, and just like before, he did not directly respond to Bologue's question. Instead, he asked Bologue another thing.

"Bologue, do you think there's an omniscient and omnipotent existence in this world?"

"Are you referring to yourself and your brothers and sisters?"

Bologue tried to control his emotions, facing the astronaut, even the always rational he could not help losing control.

In this afterlife world... Between Nothingness, he did not possess the power to harm the devil. Besides venting his anger, all his attacks were meaningless.

Bologue did not like doing meaningless things. What he needed was information, more information related to the astronaut, at least trying to figure out which of the seven deadly sins the astronaut was, so he could continue his target.

The astronaut countered Bologue, "Me? Why do you think so?"

Bologue mocked, "You are devils, omnipotent devils. Look at me, am I not your work?"

The mockery didn't last long. Bologue remembered his previous speculations about the devil, and under the astronaut's words, Bologue realized that what he thought might be correct.

Devils couldn't interfere with reality, relying instead on debtors to act. Rather than omniscient and omnipotent beings, devils were more like the embodiment of laws.

Bologue's voice became low, "You are not omnipotent... you are but slaves, slaves of some power."

Sudden laughter rang out, and Bologue's eyes carried a hint of madness; his mood swings were like a roller coaster.

"It reminds me of a fabled story."

"What story?"

Bologue showed an arrogant look, "Beg me."

The astronaut simply said, "Please."

Bologue's expression froze. A devil was begging him, but unfortunately, Bologue felt no pleasure, only an indescribable emptiness.

Bologue murmured, "It's meaningless."

"As long as you know, such things are meaningless to us." Like a tyrant, the astronaut was extremely casual.

Devils are not humans, and Bologue's provocation was meaningless.

The game continued, and Bologue began to tell a story, "In legend, a boy found a lamp pot, inside which lived a powerful lamp god who could grant the boy three wishes. But after the three wishes were fulfilled, the lamp god would gain freedom."

Moving his body, Bologue leaned on his head, looking at the astronaut with a face of ease and mockery, "You and your brothers and sisters are like imprisoned lamp gods, but unlike the lamp god, the wishes you can grant are unlimited, except they require the price of a soul."

"Continue."

"With the power to change heavens and earth, but having to rely on others' wishes to act, how is that different from a prisoner?"

Bologue continued according to his speculation, "Therefore, you need a batch of deputies, to intervene in reality for you, and I am your deputy, your debtor."

"All my actions directly or indirectly help you, but these purposes ultimately lead to one result - freedom."

The astronaut clapped, praising, "You really are the best, Bologue."

"Why me? Why did you choose me?"

The astronaut tacitly acknowledged Bologue's speculation, yet Bologue's mind still had many unanswered questions.

This damned Devil before him seemed to fear something, remaining silent about his own identity, selectively answering Bologue's questions, as if, just as he said, certain words should not be spoken, lest they be discovered by something even more sinister.

Even the astronaut felt reverence, so what was it that he revered?

Slave.

Indeed...

Since the Devil is a slave, what they revere must inevitably be the master who rules them.

Bologue's breath hitched, looking anxiously at the astronaut, who held up a finger as if knowing what Bologue was thinking.

"Shh..."

Bologue could sense the astronaut smiling at him, the golden visor closing and then opening again, revealing the deep darkness beneath, now filled with many things.

Scarlet hundreds of eyes, within which Bologue's visage reflected.

"Who exactly am I?"

Since the astronaut refused to answer anything about the "master," Bologue hoped to gather more information about himself.

"Why do you shield me like this?"

Having received the Blessing of the Time Reversing Axis, an almost perfect undying body, Bologue must play a crucial role in the astronaut's scheme for these

"Why is it me?"

Facing Bologue's series of questions, the astronaut, as always, asked Bologue another question.

"Amongst my siblings, we are not united; for thousands of years, we've fought amongst ourselves, ceaselessly in strife. As you know, none of us can take down the other nor interfere in reality; in such a predicament, how do you think we can determine victory?"

Bologue whispered, "Proxy war."

"Agents, deputies, debtors, believers... whatever, call them what you will. They're as numerous as cattle, their value extracted completely. Do you think they're truly able to affect the strife between us?"

The astronaut extended his hand, placing it on Bologue's shoulder.

"I take from them coldly, or based on equivalent exchange, but you're different.

Bologue Lazarus, you are unlike them; you represent me, you are my 'White King' on this chessboard, while everyone else are mere sacrificial pawns.

I place my bets on you, if you lose, it means I lose too."

Gradually, the astronaut tightened his grip, Bologue felt himself restrained by steel clamps, flesh and bones compressed, immense pain unceasing, as meanwhile sinister words infiltrated his ears, perpetually impacting Bologue's psyche.

"You are the 'Chosen One' representing me in this strife."

The astronaut articulated Bologue's mission.

"End this conflict, bring victory to me."

The astronaut was seeking something from him, yet Bologue was somewhat doubtful he had misheard. A scornful expression emerged in his eyes, "You think I will cooperate with you so easily?"

"Hm? Why wouldn't you?" the astronaut said, "You are full of hostility towards me, but have you forgotten? Bologue, it was you who voluntarily chose this Blood Contract."

"The Devil never lies nor forces; every choice is in your hands. You willingly chose all this, why now blame it all on me?"

The astronaut's words made Bologue feel as if plunged into an icy abyss; Bologue had always struggled to avoid pondering this issue, but now the astronaut laid it bare and bloody before him.

Bologue wanted to say something more, yet in a daze, he heard someone calling to him, incessantly chanting his name.

"Bologue!"

The voice was very familiar, Bologue whispered her name softly.

"Aimou?"

"It seems time is up, Bologue."

The astronaut slowly rose, bidding farewell to Bologue, "I look forward to our next meeting."

"What do you..."

Bologue reached out to grasp, thinking the astronaut was about to flee, but in the next second, Bologue's pupils became vacant, losing consciousness.

He maintained the last gesture, his body turning ashen-white, and before falling, the astronaut seized Bologue, observing the colorless, statue-like visage, he remained silent, merely dragging Bologue towards the faraway Ring Mountain.

Upon reaching the edge of the Ring Mountain, the astronaut hurled Bologue into the shadow-shrouded pit, joining the mound of corpses.

Between nothingness, a new Bologue was born again; after a brief delay, he was extracted from this void, returning to the mortal realm.

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