Chapter 576 Soul, Division, and Pain
Without giving any heed to Professor Frances' complains, Alex suddenly took a seat in the nearby chair. He then made the Immortal Empress and Arcane Sorceress stand behind him, with the nearby professor watching with a confused stare.
[Alex]: What are you waiting for, Professor Frances? I need your Soul-Splicing Knife, so please let me borrow it. Don't worry, I will return it to you in one piece.
[Professor Frances]: You-
[Alex]: If you think that I am cursed, then so be it. Go pity me all you want. But for now, I need your help so that I can get stronger. Surely, you won't deny that to me, right?
[Professor Frances]: Seriously, you're getting more and more weird these days Alex. Tsk, tsk, tsk, is this perhaps related to your past?
[Alex]: …
[Professor Frances]: Fine, since it looks like you don't want to talk anymore, then I shall just assist you. You said that you're attempting to do something with your soul? Hmph, count me in and let me watch what happens to you…
[Alex]: Can you just stop talking and just show the Soul-Splicing Knife already? I need it now!
[Professor Frances]: …
With Alex's urgency clearly displayed on his face, the disgruntled Professor Frances let out a grumble as she placed her right hand inside her breast pocket. She then fiddled inside it for a few seconds before drawing her hand out, this time with a thin, golden-colored knife that she held primly between her fingers.
"Schwing schwing!"
The professor began swing the knife idly around her, as if she was testing is sharpness against the air. These actions caused countless whistling sounds to fill the area, something which seemed to have caused Alex some unease.
[Alex]: H-hey, Professor Frances… Don't just randomly swing that knife everywhere. That's the Soul-Splicing Knife after all.
[Professor Frances]: Hmph, you don't need to tell me about it, Alex. As far as I know, the Soul-Splicing Knife can cut off a portion of someone's soul, as long as that soul is within the range of the knife. That means that if someone's soul is near this knife, it will be inevitably affected. However, as you can see, nobody's soul is really that near me, so nobody is in real danger here.
[Alex]: I was just trying to lecture you, ok? W-why don't we just head on to the breakthrough process?
[Professor Frances]: You seem to be in a really great rush now, Alex. I wonder why you are this urgent…
[Alex]: Just help me out now ok? If you want questions, just ask it later!
[Professor Frances]: …
[Alex]: ….
[Professor Frances]: Fine, I already promised to help you out now, so I have no choice but to do this. So, what should I do first?
[Alex]: Um… actually, you should just stay still there and wait for me to reveal my Soul. Then once my Soul is out, I want you to use the Soul-Splicing Knife to divide my Soul into 9 parts…. Make sure that these 9 parts are as large as each other. If not, then I will be really f**ked. And then-
[Professor Frances]: Wait for a second right there, Alex. You… want me to use the Soul-Splicing Knife to cut your Soul into 9 pieces? Do you understand… what that means?
[Alex]: Yes, I understand. I will experience extreme pain, and in normal cases, I might be reduced into a broken person due to my soul getting split into 9 equal parts. After all, the Soul is the main source of life and consciousness for all sentient beings. So for me to be in great danger due to the soul-splitting is just norma-
[Professor Frances]: This is not normal at all, Alex! If you really will have your Soul divided into 9 pieces, you will instantly die! Seriously, why did you think of making yourself do this? Are you really that eager to be dead?
[Alex]: …
[Professor Frances]: I mean, just look at this!
"Snap!"
After saying these words, Professor Frances casually flicked her fingers, which in effect, has caused a nearby lizard to have its Soul revealed.
"Weng~"
As a small, orb-like ball filled with Soul Power floated out of the lizard's body, Professor Frances let out a tut as she tightened her hold on her knife. She then swung her knife towards this ball, with the sharp edge of the knife making a perfect contact with the ball's surface.
"Weng!"
Her knife stroke made a clean cut against the ball, which then forcefully cut the ball into two separate pieces.
"Kra!" Once this separation has happened, the poor lizard let out one loud howl of despair before its life went to a sudden end. Its body suddenly went limp onto the wooden slabs on the floor, while the ball of soul power above it quickly dissipated into nothingness.
[Alex]: …
[Professor Frances]: …
With just a look at what happened to the lizard, it was easy to surmise what had transpired.
The lizard was, in all cases, definitely dead, and its death was most likely related to the ball that Professor Frances had just cut into two
[Professor Frances]: Do you see that, Alex? I just used the Soul-Splicing Knife to divide this lizard's soul into two portions, and look what happened to it. The lizard died instantly, even when I made the cut so precise! That means that if I divide your soul even into just two parts, you will also most definitely die!
[Alex]: …
[Professor Frances]: And now, you want me to cut your soul into 9 separate pieces? Hmph, there's no way that I can do that! If I go on with this farce, there's high chance that you will die. And once you die, I will die too. If that happens, it will be not a good thing for me…
[Alex]: …
[Professor Frances]: At most, the best that I can do is to slice off small, thin portions of Soul out of your Soul. Only through that way that I can assure your life. So, please rethink your task to me. I can't…. lead you to your doom. If you die, I will die too!
[Alex]: …