I am the Archmage

Chapter 140 Linsa

The feeling of being reborn was truly incredible. Every meridian and every muscle in my body pulsed with vitality, overflowing with the energy of life—it felt amazing.

Finally, I had awakened from my coma. The searing, heart-wrenching pain from before had been completely replaced by the rhythmic pulsations of life energy. Surging power returned to my body. I, Wu Lai, the Demon God King, had been reborn at last.

Wait, what about Lai Lai Worm and the others? They were the ones who risked everything, even the danger of their souls being obliterated, to use their own soul energy to pull me back from the brink of death. Could something have happened to them?

I quickly sent out a message through telepathy, but only Jinzi responded. The other six—Lai Lai Worm and the others—were completely silent.

The joy of narrowly escaping death instantly evaporated. I opened my eyes and sat up, only to see Aya still slumped against the wall, motionless.

Terrified, I rushed over and pulled Aya into my arms. A quick check revealed that her body was alarmingly weak, with significant injuries to her internal organs and meridians—her condition was dire.

Looking around, I was surprised to find that we were back in the small room Linsa had arranged for me when I first arrived in the Celestial Realm. The most dangerous place is often the safest one. Aya, this clever girl, had chosen a hiding spot no one would suspect.

We were now deep within the heart of the Divine Race’s territory. To avoid detection, we couldn’t use powerful magic, which explained why Aya had painstakingly used the Death-Soul Transfer spell to gradually shift my injuries onto herself. If she had tried to transfer all my injuries at once, I would never have been able to forgive myself.

This girl, so devoted that it broke my heart…

I first created a spatial distortion around us to block any leakage of energy. Then, carefully, I cast the holy light spell Radiance of Life, the ultimate healing magic. A pure, gentle white light enveloped Aya’s delicate body.

Aya’s condition was truly dire. Earlier, she had pushed her limits in her blade-transformed state, exhausting all her power to resist the devastating force of the God-King’s Judgment, leaving her gravely injured. And then, this foolish girl had used Death-Soul Transfer to take on part of my injuries with her already fragile body, leading to her current state.

A soft, drawn-out sigh escaped from Aya’s lips. Her long, delicate eyelashes, as fine as two little fans, fluttered slightly. Then, her enchanting eyes, as beautiful as the stars in the night sky, slowly opened.

“Master…”

The moment Aya awoke and realized she was cradled in my arms, she was overcome with joy. She cried out softly and wrapped her slender arms tightly around my neck, her voice trembling with relief as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Master, you’re finally okay. You scared me so much…”

I kissed her delicate face and said, “You nearly scared me to death! You actually used Death-Soul Transfer. If I hadn’t woken up in time… Aya, from now on, you’re absolutely forbidden to do something like this again!”

Aya’s beautiful eyes, brimming with deep, ocean-like affection, locked onto me. She gently said, “Forgive me, Master, but I can’t obey that command. You are Aya’s soul, Aya’s heart. If you’re no longer here, then what meaning does Aya’s existence have? So, Master, if you don’t want me to do it again, the only way is to ensure you never put yourself in such danger again. Do you understand, my Master?”

My eyes burned, and I nearly shed tears. I sniffed and forced a smile, saying, “Alright, you little Aya, you’re actually threatening me now. Deserves a spanking! Fine, I accept your threat. We’ll both stay safe and sound from now on.”

“Deal! Neither of us is allowed to go back on this, okay?”

Aya nestled her soft face into my chest, refusing to move away.

“By the way, Master, what about your injuries?” Aya suddenly remembered and asked with concern.

I let out a long sigh and said in a deep voice, “It was Lai Lai Worm. Lai Lai Worm and the others sacrificed themselves, transforming into pure energy to break through the spatial barriers and enter my body. They repaired my damaged meridians and internal organs. While I’ve recovered, they’ve gone completely silent. They used their lives to save mine. I owe them everything.”

Aya’s expression turned equally heavy. The wild and brash Hell Dragon Lai Lai Worm, the loyal and straightforward Earth Bear Lanzi, the silent Deep-Sea Dragon Bluefin, the cold and aloof Silver Magic Wolf Dagger, the gentle and beautiful Fire Phoenix Chacha Bird, and the ugly-but-caring Thunder Beast Dumbbell were like family to her. Knowing they were gone forever brought tears to her eyes.

Suddenly, a warning flashed through my mind. Frowning, I quickly picked Aya up and dashed to the corner of the room. I cast the highest-level Invisibility Spell on both of us, concealing all traces of our presence.

The wooden door creaked open, and a graceful figure stepped lightly into the small room, accompanied by a soft sigh. It was none other than Princess Linsa.

The sight of the brilliant mind who had toyed with me in the palm of her hand rekindled my anger. My fists clenched and unclenched as I fought back the urge to lash out in frustration. I reminded myself that we were deep within the Celestial Realm, and Shanon and the others were still in their hands. I couldn’t afford to act rashly.

Sensing my turmoil, Aya placed her jade-like hand over my clenched fist, silently urging me to stay calm.

The small room was modestly furnished, with a simple bed and basic furniture occupying most of the space. Linsa was only two or three meters away from us, close enough that I could catch the faint scent of her fragrance.

With elegant steps, Linsa moved to the bedside. Her slender, jade-like fingers gently caressed the sheets, her beautiful eyes clouded with complex emotions.

Seeing this, I felt a sudden jolt of unease. Through our telepathic bond, Aya said to me, “Master, it seems Linsa’s feelings for you might not be entirely insincere after all.”

I neither confirmed nor denied her feelings, but I couldn’t deny that her words soothed my heart. My anger toward her began to dissipate imperceptibly. Well, what could I say? My male ego had just been unexpectedly gratified.

Linsa suddenly murmured to herself, “Wu Lai, Wu Lai, what has happened to you? The God Warriors have searched the entirety of Heaven but found no trace of you. Could it be that you’ve really… No… impossible! Misfortune lingers for a thousand years. You, you wicked scoundrel, there’s no way you could’ve perished so easily…”

Crystal-clear tears, like pearls, began falling uncontrollably from her beautiful eyes, silently landing on her jade-like hands, shattering upon contact.

Her tears struck a deep chord within me. Though her words carried a sharp edge, it was easy to hear the worry and affection beneath them. Could it be that she…

No! I couldn’t let myself be deceived by her words or softened by her tears. I had nearly met my end in the trap she had set. Even if she did harbor some feelings for me, I could never forgive her!

A wicked thought crept into my mind. Aya, ever perceptive and razor-sharp, immediately noticed the shift in my expression. Yet, she said nothing—she simply tightened her delicate hand around my fist.

Her silent, heartfelt gesture filled me with shame for even entertaining such an idea, and the dark thought quickly dissolved.

I expanded my mental energy outward and confirmed that Linsa was alone and had not brought any guards with her.

Retracting my mental probe, I made a decision. After quietly consulting Aya, I suddenly activated my magic and cast a spatial barrier around the entire room.

The surge of magical energy was immediately detected by Linsa’s keen senses. Startled, she instinctively adopted a combat stance, and her slender Purple Lightning Sword materialized in her hand.

Linsa truly lived up to her reputation as Heaven’s most brilliant tactician—calm, intelligent, and composed. Without hesitation, she charged directly toward the door with her sword in hand. She understood that when facing an unknown enemy, retreating outside would be to her advantage. After all, this was her Phantom City.

I didn’t stop her, confident that my spatial barrier was beyond her ability to break.

As expected, when her sword struck the barrier, it immediately rebounded. I deactivated my invisibility spell and flashed forward to catch her as she stumbled back, smiling as I said, “Hello, Linsa.”

The moment my hand touched her delicate frame, she instinctively thrust her sword backward. But hearing my voice caused her to freeze entirely, her body stiffening as she stood in shock.

“Wu… Wu Lai, you’re alive after all…”

Though her expression was one of utter astonishment, I caught a glimmer of relief and joy in her eyes. This girl clearly wasn’t entirely heartless toward me.

I took advantage of the situation, wrapping my arm around her slender waist and pulling her closer. With a mischievous smile, I said, “Didn’t you say that troublemakers live for a thousand years? How could a super troublemaker like me die so easily?”

Linsa finally snapped out of her initial shock. Realizing how intimate our current posture was, her face flushed pink. She quickly slipped out of my “devilish clutches,” raised her Purple Lightning Sword across her chest, and said, “Stop talking nonsense, Demon Lord! I won’t surrender without a fight. Come on, make your move!”

Her words were decisive, but the charming blush on her face undermined any semblance of killing intent.

I clapped my hands lightly and said, “You’re right, I almost forgot we’re still enemies. You’re the cunning girl who lured me into a trap designed just for me, almost getting me killed. Hmm, I really can’t let you off so easily!”

Linsa, puffing her cheeks in anger, retorted, “You’re such a villain, accusing me first! You were the one who shamelessly used Soul Capture to manipulate my mind. If it weren’t for my mother seeing through it and freeing me, I’d have become your slave. You deserve everything you got, and you still have the nerve to call me despicable?”

As she finished speaking, she realized her tone sounded just like a woman sulking at her lover. Embarrassed, she cursed herself inwardly. Why did she always feel a strange sense of femininity and vulnerability around this Demon Lord, unable to truly see him as her mortal enemy?

Her thoughts weren’t lost on me, of course. With a smirk, I replied, “Fine, fine, I’m despicable. Let’s just say we’re evenly matched—neither of us is any better than the other.”

Linsa pouted and playfully snapped, “Who’s even with you…”

She abruptly stopped herself, realizing her tone had once again slipped into coquettishness.

Behind me, Aya, who had been silently listening to our exchange, suddenly chuckled. Any hostility she’d once felt toward Linsa had completely vanished, and she now felt an inexplicable sense of closeness to this once-rival Heavenly Princess. “I say, you two should stop bickering. Flirting has its limits, you know.”

“Who’s flirting with this scoundrel?!”

Linsa’s face flushed even redder, almost as if it were on fire. She stomped her delicate foot in frustration, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t bring herself to say the words “flirting” and “with him” in the same sentence.

Raising my right hand slightly, I conjured a sphere of dark energy that hovered above my palm. With a regretful tone, I said, “To be honest, I do like you—very much. You’re someone worthy of my affection. But the truth is, we’re on opposing sides. Linsa, I won’t make things difficult for you. This dark magic will put you into a deep sleep for a few days. By then, everything should be resolved. You’d best not resist—it’s useless anyway, as you well know.”

The black energy orb spun gently above my hand, ready to be released. Just as I was about to unleash it, Linsa hastily cried out, “Wait, Wu Lai! Wait! I know what you’re planning, but you can’t do this! If you harm my mother, the first person to come after you won’t be anyone else—it’ll be your boss, Lucifer!”

Surprised, I clenched my fist, extinguishing the dark energy orb, and asked, “Can you explain that? Why would Lucifer come after me for hurting his mortal enemy? Shouldn’t he be thrilled instead?”

Aya also widened her beautiful eyes, staring intently at Linsa. Could there really be some hidden connection between her father and the Lord of Gods that even she didn’t know about?

“Because… because…” Linsa hesitated for a long moment before finally steeling herself. Fixing her gaze on me, she said, “Because my mother is Lucifer’s first wife! And because Lucifer is my biological father!”

My jaw dropped, wide enough to fit a large egg, and I stood frozen in place. Aya’s reaction mirrored mine. We couldn’t believe what we’d just heard.

The greatest traitor in Heaven and the sworn enemy of the gods—the Demon King who unified the Demon Realm—was actually…

Aya couldn’t help but blurt out, “That’s impossible! Linsa, don’t joke about something like this…”

Linsa smiled bitterly and said, “Why would I joke about something that concerns my mother’s honor? She told me this herself. Aya, we’re half-sisters, born of the same father but different mothers. You should be calling me ‘big sister.’”