Looking at this series of generous rewards and new tasks, Steve was delighted.
"The paranormal creature cultivation roadmap is finally in my hands."
He was just worrying about how to cultivate Alex and the other paranormal creatures; he didn't expect the system to send the textbook directly.
Also, that Neural Potential Development Potion is of the utmost importance for America.
"It seems the pace of playing games with them and proselytizing needs to be accelerated."
Steve took a deep breath and temporarily suppressed these thoughts.
"After the testing is finished, I'll give these blueprints and formulas to Old Yun."
Snapping back to his senses, Steve looked at the small Zombie figure not far away.
"Alex, let's begin. Use the Twin Paranormal Domain on me."
"Mm-hmm."
On the reef, the black light in the eyes of the Zombie controlled by Alex intensified.
Buzz!
An invisible ripple instantly erupted, covering the massive Abyssal Condenser on the sea surface.
However, after only a few seconds, the ripple began to tremble violently, as if it couldn't bear the burden.
"Brother."
Alex's somewhat strained voice came through.
"It can be copied, but while analyzing the structure, this Zombie body's energy core couldn't hold up. The Abyssal Condenser's energy level is too high, and this body is too weak to carry the energy consumption required for copying."
She paused and then added.
"If my original body were here, relying on the Peak SS-level soul power and paranormal origin, I should be able to copy it directly. Do you want my original body to come over?"
"No need."
Steve decisively refused.
"Since we've confirmed the principle is feasible, that's enough. The original body shouldn't take risks lightly for now."
He warned himself inwardly.
Although everything seemed to be going smoothly, the Western Fantasy World was, after all, a high-magic plane.
Unless it was a safe zone that had been completely and thoroughly controlled like the Zombie World, he must never let his original body be easily exposed to unknown risks.
If he were to be caught by some paranormal curse or law, it would be too late for regrets.
"Alright, since the testing is done, it's time for us to withdraw."
Steve was just about to release the Abyssal Condenser and bring Alex's consciousness back.
Suddenly.
"Hmm?"
The countless compound eyes of the Abyssal Condenser turned simultaneously, their vision penetrating layers of sea mist to lock onto a certain direction on the distant horizon.
A vast and oppressive aura was approaching rapidly.
No, more than one.
"Three, four..."
Steve's heart tightened.
"Such strong energy fluctuations. Are they all Rank 6?"
"It seems the Abyssal Condenser stayed here for too long, and that unique aura eventually attracted the top predators of this world."
Instead of being afraid, Steve controlled the Abyssal Condenser to slowly surface. Its massive tentacles waved in the air, letting out a deafening roar.
"Alex, hide and watch for now."
On the surging sea surface, the atmosphere froze.
The Zombie controlled by Alex was small and agile. With a few jumps, it landed steadily on the Abyssal Condenser's hard shoulder, gripping a protrusion tightly.
Steve didn't mind the little fellow on his shoulder; all his attention was focused on the sky.
There, three streaks of light tore through the clouds, descending with unparalleled pressure.
As the light dissipated, three holy and majestic figures were revealed.
"Six-winged Angels. They really are Rank 6 powerhouses."
Through the Abyssal Condenser's numerous compound eyes, Steve carefully observed these uninvited guests.
On the left was a female angel with six pure white wings, her whole body bathed in pure holy light, as dazzling as the sun.
On the right was a male angel, also with six wings, but they were fallen wings as black as ink, emitting a deep and powerful dark aura.
"The extremes of light and darkness..."
Steve marveled inwardly.
But what shocked him the most was the girl in the middle, who looked the youngest.
She also bore six wings, but her wings were strangely white on the left and black on the right.
One half emitted a warm holy aura, while the other half was wreathed in quiet dark power.
The two completely opposite powers had actually reached a perfect balance within her body. Not only was there no conflict, but they also wove together into a more noble and mysterious chaotic aura.
"This setup... light and darkness coexist?"
Although Steve's main stage was the paranormal World, he also knew the basic common sense of the Western Fantasy World.
The angel race usually could only possess one attribute. A being like this, who combined light and darkness, was simply unheard of.
"It seems this little girl's status in the Church of Light is definitely extraordinary."
High in the sky.
"As expected, an evil entity has descended."
On the left, the Six-winged Holy Angel Mikaela's eyebrows furrowed. A Holy Sword instantly condensed in her hand, its blade pointing directly at the Abyssal Condenser below.
"Such a strong evil aura. If he's allowed to escape from here, who knows how many innocent lives he will harm."
"Indeed."
The Fallen Angel Luke on the right coldly agreed. His black wings slowly unfurled, blotting out half the sky, as the Black Greatsword in his hand emitted an aura of destruction.
"An abyss monster of this level, once it loses control, will surely cause devastation wherever it goes. It must be ended here."
"..."
Below, Steve rolled his eyes.
"Good grief, isn't it just that this body looks a bit evil and is a bit big? Is it really necessary to label me like that and shout for my death as soon as you arrive?"
He complained in his heart.
"I'm a proper biochemical weapon, and I haven't even done anything bad yet, okay?"
However, despite his complaints, Steve didn't act rashly.
Although there were two Rank 6s opposite him, his Abyssal Condenser was also a genuine Rank 6. If they really fought, with Alex's control, he might not necessarily lose.
Just as both sides were at each other's throats and a great battle was about to break out.
"Brother, Sister, wait a moment."
A clear and melodious voice, yet one carrying an unquestionable majesty, suddenly rang out.
Mikaela and Luke, who were about to dive and attack, suddenly stiffened, their longswords stopping abruptly in mid-air.
"Saintess, what is it?"
Luke turned and asked, his tone carrying a hint of confusion and respect.
"Saintess?"
Below, Steve's heart stirred.
"As expected, her status is special."
The girl of light and darkness named Muriel, her heterochromatic pupils now emitting a soft light, quietly gazed at the Abyssal Condenser below.
Her gaze was crystal clear, as if it could see through all the falsehoods in the world.
"Brother, my Angels Heart does not sense any evil intent."
Muriel said softly. Though her tone was calm, it set off stormy waves in the hearts of the other two angels.
"What?"
Mikaela and Luke were both stunned.
Angels Heart.
That was the legendary supreme talent in the Church of Light. Its possessor was destined to become a top-tier angel who would lead the Church to glory.
One of the core abilities of the Angels Heart is the Eye of Truth, which allows one to peek into the deepest depths of good and evil in the hearts of all living beings.
Before these eyes, any disguise is laid bare.
"No evil thoughts detected?"
Mikaela's brow furrowed as she pointed incredulously at the monster below, which was shrouded in black mist and waving its tentacles wildly.
"Saintess, are you sure? This thing looks so... unique, how could it not have any evil thoughts?"
"Mhm."
Muriel nodded seriously, her gaze piercing through the Abyssal Condenser's terrifying shell to look directly inside.
"I felt his heart. It wasn't the chaos and tyranny of a monster, but more like... human reason and calm."
"It seems a human soul resides within his body."
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire scene fell silent.
Steve was even more shocked.
"Holy crap? What kind of cheat is this? Through the thick shell of the Abyssal Condenser, she can still see that I'm human? She can even sense my emotions?"
The insight of this Angels Heart was even more nonsensical than the Abyssal Condenser's Unspeakable nature.
Then, Muriel spoke again, her gaze shifting slightly downward to the inconspicuous little Zombie on the Abyssal Condenser's shoulder.
"Furthermore, I sense another person's heart within him."
The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, revealing a gentle smile.
"That consciousness is extremely pure, with a heart as simple as... a Little Girl of just a few years old?"
"?"
Alex, who was hiding behind the tentacles watching the excitement, instinctively poked her small head out and looked at the sky.
"I've been discovered?"
This scene completely confirmed Muriel's judgment.
Although the Zombie looked hideous, its current action of peeking around was clearly that of a child brimming with curiosity... The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat subtle.
The tragic battlefield originally prepared for exorcising demons instantly turned into a massive scene of social death.
The three angels looked at each other and then all turned their gaze toward Steve.
"This..."
Luke's mouth twitched; he was unsure whether to sheathe his black greatsword or keep it raised.
They trusted the judgment of the Angels Heart implicitly.
Since the Saintess said there were no evil thoughts, then there really were none.
Moreover, if it truly was a human soul controlling the body, then this wasn't an evil entity descending upon the world, but a human powerhouse wielding dark power.
The nature of the situation had completely changed.
As warriors of the Church of Light, their swords were only swung at evil and darkness; they would never strike a fellow human who harbored justice in their heart.
This was their bottom line and their honor.
"Phew..."
Luke took a deep breath and decisively sheathed his greatsword.
He straightened his slightly disheveled armor in mid-air, then solemnly performed an ancient and elegant knightly salute toward Steve, bowing slightly.
"Excellency, on behalf of the Church of Light, I apologize for our reckless behavior just now."
His voice was sincere and powerful.
"We mistakenly thought an abyssal evil had emerged and came specifically to prevent a massacre. We didn't expect Your Excellency to be cultivating here. Please forgive our offense."
On the other side, although Mikaela was still a bit awkward, she also sheathed her holy sword and performed a standard angelic salute.
"Apologies, Excellency. Since the misunderstanding has been cleared, the Church of Light is willing to provide appropriate compensation for the disturbance."
"..."
This series of actions left Steve completely dumbfounded.
In his impression, whether in novels or movies, weren't angels always those fanatics who would purify you first regardless of the circumstances as long as you had a dark aura?
How did the tone change so suddenly here?
Not only could they be reasoned with, but they also took the initiative to apologize? They even offered compensation?
This is way too freaking reasonable.
"Is this the breadth of mind of the Church of Light?"
Steve couldn't help but feel a hint of admiration.
This attitude of being constantly vigilant to protect the weak, yet being open about admitting mistakes once a misunderstanding was discovered, truly lived up to the name of Light.
Especially that Saintess named Muriel in the middle; not only was her strength unfathomable, but her insight and bearing were also truly impressive.
"No matter."
The Abyssal Condenser's massive body vibrated slightly, and Steve's voice came through via Spiritual Power, deep and calm.
"Ignorance is no crime. You were also doing it to protect the living beings of this region; I can understand."
Hearing Steve's rational and emotional response, the three angels breathed a complete sigh of relief.
If he could communicate and was rational, then there was no problem at all.
"Thank you for your magnanimity, Excellency."
Luke straightened up, a relaxed smile appearing on his face.
"It is a blessing for this world that there is a powerhouse among humans who can wield such formidable power. As long as this power is used for the right path, you are our ally."
"Excellency, since the misunderstanding is resolved, we won't disturb you further."
Luke saluted again.
"We will return now to report this matter to our superiors, confirming that this is not an evil disturbance but a human powerhouse stationed here, to prevent other colleagues from accidentally intruding and causing unnecessary conflict in the future."
"That would be best."
Steve responded flatly.
He was also happy to be left in peace; if it really attracted seventh-tier or even eighth-tier experts from the Church of Light, that would be a real problem.
Muriel took a deep look at the Abyssal Condenser, then at the little Zombie still peeking around curiously, an inexplicable glint flashing in her eyes.
"Then we shall take our leave."
She nodded slightly, her voice soft.
"I hope that one day in the future, we can fight side by side with Your Excellency to protect this continent together."
With that, the three angels flapped their wings.
The three angels, who were about to leave, had only flown a short distance when their figures suddenly halted.
"Brother, there's a situation."
Muriel stopped suddenly, her heterochromatic eyes flashing with vigilance as she turned to look into the distance.
"Several extremely strong energy fluctuations are approaching rapidly. There are many hearts full of tyranny and greed."
Just as she finished speaking, several figures appeared on the distant horizon, piercing through the sky.
The first to arrive were three burly werewolves emitting a silver moonlight aura—the royalty of the werewolf clan, the Silver Blood Wolf Kings.
Following closely, three blood-red figures emerged like ghosts—three pale and handsome Vampire Dukes dressed in ornate formal attire.
"Brother, warlocks are coming too."
Muriel's brow furrowed slightly, then relaxed.
"Uh... they ran away again."
Luke's mouth twitched.
Creatures like warlocks run faster than rabbits when they sense an angelic presence; this is common knowledge.
A warlock who doesn't run upon seeing an angel can be considered a warrior.
But Muriel's brow soon furrowed again, and her tone became more solemn than ever before.
"Brother, people from the Dark Church have also arrived."
From another direction, three figures shrouded in black robes slowly emerged. They stood atop an eerie cloud formed from countless white bones, and their bodies radiated a nauseating aura of necromancy.
"The situation isn't right..."
Mikaela's face instantly darkened as she looked at this luxurious lineup of villains.
The Silver Blood Wolf Kings, the Vampire Duke, and the Archbishop of the Dark Church—these three factions usually looked down on each other in private, with constant friction between them.
But in this world, there was an unwritten iron rule: once they encountered an Angel from the Church of Light, all factions of the dark camp must immediately set aside their prejudices and unite against the common enemy.
"Yo, isn't it that group of hypocritical birdmen?"
The leader of the Vampires, Duke Anrak, elegantly adjusted the ruby on his collar, a mocking smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"Were you also attracted by that powerful abyssal aura? What, planning to keep it all for yourselves?"
As he spoke, everyone's gaze followed the lingering fluctuations of the aura and finally noticed the massive entity below that they had been ignoring.
*Hiss*.
Seeing the overflowing evil aura of the Abyssal Condenser, all the dark creatures present gasped.
"Such pure dark power."
Ghostfire flickered in the eyes of the Lich leading the Dark Church, his voice raspy and excited.
"Your Excellency, although your aura is only at the sixth rank, your foundations are simply unfathomable. Why not join our Dark Church? Our place is a paradise for all dark creatures; it's definitely much better than being a lone beast."
"Lich, you're full of crap."
The werewolf spat disdainfully.
"Why join that place full of bone racks? This brother is strong and sturdy, clearly one who follows the physical path. Better to join our werewolf Clan; we eat meat in large gulps, wouldn't that be merry?"
"Vulgar."
Anrak shook his head and interjected.
"Beast, look at his elegant tentacles, his profound temperament. If you ask me, His Excellency should come to our Vampire Clan. We can title you a Prince and share eternal life."
Faced with the competing invitations from these dark big shots, Steve controlled the Abyssal Condenser to slowly raise its head, a flash of impatience flickering through its countless compound eyes.
"Piss off."
A simple and crude command echoed across the sea.
"You!"
Everyone's faces instantly turned ugly.
Anrak narrowed his eyes, his tone carrying a threat.
"Your Excellency, it would be better to consider carefully. Right now, three Angels of the Church of Light are standing before you. If we leave, with you being all alone, I'm afraid you'll be purified into ashes by these birdmen."
"We are giving you a way out, don't be so ungrate—"
*Clang!*
Before Anrak could finish his sentence, an ink-black sword light slashed toward him without warning.
"Old Bat, how dare you appear before my eyes and try to force someone's hand? You're looking for death!"
The Dark Holy Sword in Luke's hand erupted with terrifying pressure. He was like a black meteor, charging directly at Anrak with an indomitable momentum.
Concepts like two-on-one or three-on-one simply didn't exist in the eyes of this irritable Fallen Angel.
When he saw dark creatures, he just killed them.
On the other side, Mikaela instantly sent a distress signal back to the Church using a secret technique, then unhesitatingly charged toward the three Silver Blood Wolf Kings with her sword raised.
"Do it!"
Muriel did not hesitate for a second. Her heterochromatic wings flapped violently, and she turned into a stream of light, rushing toward the remaining trio from the Dark Church.
"What?"
The side of the Dark Church was completely stunned.
The leading Lich Archbishop looked at the murderous Angels charging toward them with a bewildered expression, then looked down at the Abyssal Condenser, which was still leisurely watching the show.
"Have these Angels lost their minds?"
He couldn't help but roar.
"The monster below looks ten thousand times more evil than us, yet they don't purify that old evil thing first and instead come killing us?"
This was completely not playing by the rules!
But there was no time for further thought as Muriel's figure had already reached him.
"The Saintess of the Church of Light, it's actually you."
The ghostfire in the Lich Archbishop's eyes flickered violently, his voice turning greedy.
"Jie jie jie, perfect. Capturing you this time and offering you to the darkness will be a great merit."
"Undead Calamity, open!"
The three of them quickly pulled out their staves and swung them violently toward the sky.
*Boom!*
A massive black Portal appeared out of thin air. Countless Gargoyles with fleshy wings and Wraiths swarmed out, blotting out the sky as they lunged toward Muriel.
"Is this the extent of your methods? Too weak."
Faced with the overwhelming army of the undead, Muriel's expression didn't fluctuate in the slightest.
Her body, which was originally half-holy and half-dark, suddenly underwent a dramatic change.
The half of her wings that were pure white were instantly dyed a deep black. The holy aura emanating from her body completely vanished, replaced by a terrifying aura more pure than the abyss and more domineering than darkness.
[Fallen Form: Open]
At this moment, she was no longer the gentle Saintess, but a Valkyrie who controlled the darkness.
The Holy Angel Sword in her hand also transformed into a pitch-black Demonic Blade, wreathed in black flames that devoured light.
"Destroy."
Muriel swung her sword.
*Rumble!*
A black sword qi hundreds of meters long swept out. The Gargoyles and Wraiths that had just rushed out didn't even have time to scream before they were instantly annihilated into dust by this terrifying dark power.
Below, in the spectator's seat.
"Wow..."
Alex lay on the arm of the Abyssal Condenser, her small mouth slightly agape as she watched the battle in the sky.
"That big sister is so amazing, she actually transformed."
"Brother, should we go up and help them?"
Although the little girl was young, she could distinguish good from bad.
Although those Angels were a bit fierce at first, they later not only apologized but also offered compensation. Now, to prevent them from being caught in the crossfire, they had actively drawn all the fire.
In Alex's simple worldview, such behavior made them good people.
"Mm, let's wait a bit."
Steve calmly observed the battle, calculating in his heart.
"Alex, in a moment, you might need to take over the body of this Abyssal Condenser to fight."
"Your original body cannot enter this world, so you can only rely on controlling the Abyssal Condenser. When the time comes, activate the Twin Paranormal Domain to first copy an Abyssal Condenser, and if possible..."
Steve's gaze fell upon Luke, who was slaughtering in all directions.
"Try to see if you can copy an Angel as well."
Although Steve could easily take them out by relying on the strength of the Abyssal Condenser and the Totem of Undying,
He still wanted to test exactly how broken the Twin Paranormal Domain was.
What if he could copy all the sixth-rank beings up there?