Griffith was silent. This was not a choice he could make. He didn't even know what to do.

"You should ask Elodie directly about this question."

Connix nodded slightly and chanted an unidentifiable spell. Under the influence of the spell, the barrier blocking Griffith suddenly disappeared.

"We can take two steps closer."

Connix and Griffith slowly approached and asked the girl who was in pain from time to time:

"Did you hear that? As long as you move forward a little further, you can replenish your energy. Mr. Death Knight and I will serve you at your side."

Elodie was convulsing, and her flesh and skin were being torn apart and then healed quickly.

Every second is horrific torture.

"As long as, as long as I do what you say," Elodie struggled to say, blood and tears merged into a non-stop stream, "will this pain disappear?"

"Without a doubt, my lady."

"As long as I do what you say, I can survive?"

"There is no doubt, my lady. Not only will you survive, but you will also have eternal life and youth. You will become the brightest star."

Elodie was tortured by severe pain and kept twitching. Her hair was constantly falling off, breaking into pieces when it fell to the ground. Then, new long hair grew on her head, and the cycle started again.

"Without further delay, let's act quickly," Connix breathed a sigh of relief, "The Beyonders and the garrison have been severely damaged in the previous offensive. With the protection of me and the Death Knight, your evolution will be completed soon.

"My lady, please begin."

Elodie looked at Griffith with painful eyes. The latter was so guilty and sad that he could not raise his head, but his eyes finally met the girl's.

At this moment, Griffith felt like he was struck by lightning, and he already knew her answer.

"My lady, please hurry up," Connix urged excitedly, "let us start your promotion ceremony! All pain will end, and perfect eternity belongs to you!"

Elodie looked at the Necromancer and wiped away the blood and tears on her face:

"No, I refuse."

"!!!"

Connix was stunned.

"If my life is going to be based on the suffering of innocent people, I will be more than happy to face destruction."

Elodie raised her head stubbornly, pulled out a sharp dagger from under her skirt and stabbed herself in the heart.

"No!" Connix exclaimed and rushed forward immediately. However, he suddenly fell to his knees stiffly and could not move an inch.

"This, this terrifying aura, I was suppressed again," Connix exclaimed, "That power is breaking free from the shackles of the body."

The girl wearing a blood-stained gauze dress decisively twisted the dagger, gritted her teeth and pulled it out. The dagger had pierced her heart, and blood spurted out.

Griffith was wrapped in despair, and his heart ached as if it was being torn apart.

Elodie's extraordinary characteristics gave her a strong vitality. Even though she still maintained the fragile appearance of a girl, the fatal wound on her chest was still healing rapidly, causing her to endure inhuman pain.

"Elodie, stop!" Griffith was completely tortured by this scene and collapsed. He took out the healing potion and ran to the girl frantically to hold her arm, "Quick, drink it."

Connix lay on the ground, not quite understanding how Griffith moved.

The girl raised her weak hand to cover the potion on her lips. She struggled and let out a low and rapid gasp:

"No."

"An extremely dangerous psychic signal has been detected," Minos, who had been silent during the battle, suddenly sent out a message. His cold voice was devoid of any emotion of fear or surprise, as if he was executing an order that had already been formulated.

Griffith suddenly saw the phantom of a plant with bright red flowers in full bloom and red fruits looming in Elodie's body. In the blink of an eye, the plant stretched out its stems and leaves towards Griffith.

Like snakes and tentacles, they attack and roll in.

Elodie's wound was quickly stopping bleeding, and her weak heartbeat was beating rapidly. There were streaks of blood oozing out from under her skin, which was spreading rapidly.

The weird plant waved ferociously like a beast and made an invisible roar. The unimaginable horror captured Griffith's mind, and he watched blankly as this monster between an animal and a plant rolled toward him.

.

His skin and flesh began to crack, as if being burned. Powerful spiritual energy was tearing his body apart.

"The absorption of life essence has exceeded the upper limit," Minos's voice became urgent. "An inestimable leakage of mutated essence has been detected. Evacuate quickly. No, pray to the supreme existence."

Griffith was already trembling under the tide of fear. The existence of that plant surpassed all life he knew, and it only took a thought and an action to capture the tiny human being.

Suddenly, Griffith understood the astonishing things before him.

The extraordinary characteristic residing in Elodie's body has noticed Elodie's firm will and resistance, as well as the danger that is likely to come. It has been carefully hiding and has completely torn off its disguise, eroding the new host with the most ferocious power! Very soon

Quickly, it will invade Griffith's already confused mind and occupy his body as a puppet.

The vigorous blood energy of the trainee knight was activated by danger, like a raging fire, blocking the erosion of strange plants. Once the stems and leaves with veins and tentacles were contaminated with blood energy, they immediately turned into blackened fragments. However, the blood energy itself was also in contact with the Grind.

Faith's physical strength is also declining at an alarming rate, and it won't be long before this weird plant invades his body.

Griffith clearly sensed that this plant was incompatible with him, but at the critical moment when there was no suitable host, it had begun to expand crazily and assimilate regardless of its own losses!

In boundless despair, Griffith suddenly discovered that Elodie had broken away from him and rushed towards the billowing fire waves and flames on the altar.

This is... Griffith's pupils suddenly contracted.

Wait, wait, don't do this!

Griffith, Connix, and the parasitic monster who was struggling to escape all screamed.

Five meters, four meters, three meters... The scorching heat waves of the ground fire are already burning Elodie's skin.

Connix almost broke his teeth when he saw this scene. He also saw the crazy plant, which was the origin he was searching for! However, the undead body was completely disobedient.

It trembled and stood frozen like a frog encountering a poisonous snake, without any room for resistance.

Griffith wanted to catch up, but his exhausted strength prevented him from even moving his arms.

That weird plant is trying to escape! The plant has noticed Elodie's intention and begins to tear Elodie's body apart, trying desperately to get free.

Elodie's body was wrapped in the evil red light. Her movements were extremely stiff and jerky, but she was resolutely moving towards the flames.

"Why reject my power, why reject eternal life!?" The plant's thoughts were filled with despair and rage, and had converged into a clear voice. It was horrified to find that it was getting closer and closer to the flames, and it begged desperately, "Accept me.

, have eternal youth and beauty, accept your eternal life hymn!"

"No." Elodie's clear and weak voice appeared in Griffith's ears again. She could no longer take a step forward, the will of the plant and hers were fighting against each other.

"My hymn is a hymn of courage."

Elodie untied the flowing ribbon from her waist and threw it toward the flames.

"No!" Griffith and the plant screamed together.

The ribbon was ignited by the flames, and the flames flew along the ribbon towards Elodie's blood-stained dress.

At this last moment, the girl with a sad face actually looked at Griffith with a smile:

"Don't be sad, Griffith, don't forget, I left as a human being."

Elodie's slim body was wrapped in fire. The plant's consciousness began to shatter rapidly, and it let out a terrifying scream.

Griffith watched as Elodie, who had been burned into a human being, walked firmly to the edge of the fire and fell towards the raging waves of fire.

His eyes were blurred, and in his desperate sobs, Elodie seemed to appear in front of him again, raising her blood-stained hands and reaching for his cheek.

He heard sounds that could not exist in this world.

"If this is irresistible fate,

"Then I want you to live,

"because I know,

"The world will be brighter because of you,

"Let me stay by your side."

The cold little hands soaked in blood gently wiped the teardrops on the line and floated away.

…

A dead silence fell on the altar.

Connix, freed from the irresistible bondage, looked desperately at the terrifying flames of the underground fire, slightly opening his rotten lips, not knowing what to say.

Minos' consciousness was suddenly touched, bringing some knowledge into the trainee knight's mind, but he immediately fell into silence. Some unknown energy was dispersed from the flames, and part of it was consumed by the bone ring and the

The energy of the Philosopher's Stone was absorbed, and some of it repaired and replenished the bodies of Griffith and Connix.

Griffith stood up slowly, covering his eyes with his hands, trembling and crying.

After a while, Connix, who looked desperate, broke the silence: "Unfortunately, Mr. Apprentice Knight, this is not my wish. But the worst ending has happened, and we still have to think about the next thing.

"Shall we cooperate? There is no reason for hostility between you and me. We can explore the endless future together."

Griffith sobbed and slowly lowered his arms. When his hands left his eyes, the tears had stopped, leaving traces of blood and tears on the corners of his eyes and cheeks. He stared at the necromancer who had not yet become a lich, and opened his mouth.

He opened his mouth and said with a choked voice: "Let's talk about the future."

Following his sad words, a layer of chill enveloped the altar on the top of the mountain.
To be continued...