Switching accounts was necessary to activate the "special function" that came with Swallowing Heaven.
Sterl pointed in the air a few times and indeed found a helpful feature—[Automatically return to the original location after the instance ends].
The effect of this feature is exactly as the name suggests; if the instance fails, players can log off, and their bodies will automatically return to the original location.
However, the rules in Swallowing Heaven and [Tanscendence] state that dying in an instance means you're dead; there's no chance to return to the original location.
Thus, this function had been hidden until Sterl had upgraded the game pod core twice.
If this function could be triggered, could it allow him to exploit a bug?
Sterl couldn't help but ponder.
Even if he perished in Inquire Within, could he possibly use this support feature to resurrect?
He was merely thinking carelessly when the disk tattoo suddenly trembled.
It signaled to Sterl.
This bug could indeed be exploited, but it would require 100 blood-colored documents to cover it up, and the resource cost for the next bug exploit would double.
"Then let's do it."
Sterl's eyes gleamed with a hint of excitement. If the disk authentication was a bug, it meant he could indeed survive in the Inquire Within instance using this method.
Moreover, the portal had no way to be collected; if left to linger in the air, it would soon dissipate on its own. Not taking this opportunity would be a waste.
Additionally, since it was a soul-related instance, there might be soul-related materials produced.
How could Sterl not be tempted?
With a life-saving plan in hand, he felt no hesitation.
He then charged into the portal.
Continue reading at m|v-l'e -novelhall.net
Sizzle, sizzle.
Accompanied by a faint crackling sound, he suddenly found himself...
Wait...
What am I doing??
[Face Your Regrets...]
A soft voice echoed.
Sterl realized that he was surrounded by a rainbow-colored glow, which gradually solidified into a towering flood of Blood of Contamination!
Have I returned to the past?
Wait, where have I returned to...
No! No!
This is not the time to think about such chaotic things.
Unless I deal with the Will of Hell, I won't be able to escape.
Though Sterl felt he had entered a bizarre state, he remained calm in the face of crisis.
He looked into the distance; the gods of the two main worlds were already heavily injured.
Even the temptation to capture Solomon had left them immobile, as they actively hid within the Blood of Contamination. While this would hasten their demise, at least it allowed them to survive a few seconds longer against the Will of Hell.
The lifeforms made of thunder armor were strutting about, relentlessly pursuing him.
Sterl felt helpless; his cheat still needed a little more time to upgrade, so he had to use his final piece.
He glanced to the side, where Licitris, the embodiment of all beauty in the world, was gazing at him intently. The eyes of the Succubus Queen were exceptionally clear, as if reflecting an entire world.
Sterl felt that Licitris seemed to have seen through everything.
A wave of inexplicable regret surged within him.
Was he really going to do this, to betray the feelings others had for him?
It was clear that if he took just a slight risk and acted a bit earlier, the Will of Hell wouldn't have been a match for him at all.
Why sacrifice others? Didn't he himself feel he was making a mistake?
Yes, maybe it was time to change!
Yes, shouldn't he reflect on himself?
Countless thoughts flooded Sterl's mind at lightning speed.
Those were his own voices, continuously shouting.
Behind him, the Will of Hell was gathering an endless wave of spikes and torrents made of Blood of Contamination!
A voice within Sterl echoed with grandeur and conviction—no matter if you commanded Licitris, it would be of no use; you know very well that this move is a wide-area attack!
You cannot escape!
Sterl's face turned ashen, clearly affected by the insidious voice.
Sterl thought to himself, but his mouth was still busy.
"..."
"I will always love you!"
He had finished speaking.
Licitris perished in vain, and Sterl, filled with rage, continued to slay through hell.
...
Then it was the fourth time.
The fifth time.
The sixth time...
A certain emotion echoed increasingly within Sterl's heart.
"Why can the Will of Hell influence my decisions by fabricating memories?"
"It shouldn't be possible; I didn't originate from this layer of hell."
"Could it be that Swallowing Heaven granted it some special ability?"
While pondering these thoughts, he commanded Licitris to her demise.
He completed the kill.
...
The thirty-fifth time...
"What a terrifying technique; has it twisted my mind to this extent?"
Sterl sighed. He now felt an intense resistance to sending Licitris to her death.
Thus, he decisively resisted while trying to manipulate the Succubus Queen with his words, leading to yet another meaningless sacrifice.
...
The sixty-sixth time.
"Why do I feel like I'm getting a bit used to this?"
"Wait, what am I getting used to?"
Sterl had a puzzled expression, regret swirling within his heart, yet he felt as if nothing had happened.
Following the plan, using Licitris's life to delay...
Unfortunately, this delay was utterly meaningless.
Sterl remained calm, relying on the Blood of the Holy Spirit to immunize himself from the contamination, slaying the Will of Hell once more, and everything restarted again.
...
The ninety-ninth time.
Sterl felt countless waves of regret swirling around him.
It seemed he had done something very wrong to the Succubus Queen.
Below, Licitris had tears in her eyes, as if she wanted to say something?
Sterl resolutely shouted that familiar phrase again, allowing Licitris to die in vain...
As he struck down the Will of Hell once more, the scene continued to twist...
Yet Sterl merely smiled coldly.
"So that's it; it's not the Will of Hell that's behind this."
"I'm trapped in some sort of illusion!"
His logic told him that the Will of Hell couldn't possibly have such power, manipulating feelings of regret to the point of nearly destroying his mind and spirit.
If the Will of Hell were that formidable, why would it take so long to fight?
It could have wiped out Sterl and the five divine-level beings long ago!
As for Licitris's latest sacrifice...
Sterl felt a twinge of sorrow, but so what?
Repeating it a thousand or ten thousand times, he would still make the same choice!
Finally, the entire scene shattered!!
Sterl found himself standing in a void, the memories of 99 cycles flooding his mind, making him a bit dizzy. Yet this very process made him feel as if his soul was undergoing some strange transformation.
Before him, a hint of light flashed.
Brilliant golden text shimmered:
[Congratulations on completing the first phase of the Inquire Within trial.]
[Task Evaluation: Even if all things perish, your heart, as steadfast as steel, will not waver.]