Chapter 186: Perfect Body
"Oh? You want to handle all three of us by yourself?"
The aggregate and the slender young man simultaneously looked at Lin Ye, while the black and white filaments in the vehicle began converging toward the driver's seat.
They obviously knew that only Lin Ye, sitting in the driver's seat, could stop the bus.
"No, I'm just an ordinary person. I can't handle any of you three. But since I am the bus driver after all, let me do the driving."
Ignoring the hesitant middle-aged bald man outside who was deciding whether to board, Lin Ye skillfully started the bus.
The bus slowly moved forward. Sweat soaked through Lin Ye's prison uniform as he struggled to use his mental energy to reach the deepest part of the bus, activating its fundamental function.
"...What is this place?"
The environment instantly transformed. The aggregate looked at the strangely shaped plants outside the window, developing an uneasy feeling.
"You wanted to leave that world, didn't you? Now you can get off here."
Lin Ye opened the door. Outside was a wilderness with sparse vegetation, and thick Abyssal energy flooded into the vehicle. "Dammit! This is the Surface Layer of the Abyss! You're insane!"
The young man was the first to recognize the problem. Unlike Lin Ye who frequently contacted the Abyss, they had only heard of the Abyss's reputation and sensed its energy, but never encountered it this closely.
"Drive us back immediately! Or I'll kill you!"
The aggregate waved its slender creatures, aiming them at Lin Ye's head.
The surrounding black and white filaments also grew restless—it didn't want to stay here either.
"I don't have the ability to drive back. And don't scare me, otherwise if I get frightened and step on the accelerator again, we might end up driving deep into the Abyss."
When Lin Ye activated the bus's function, he had anticipated possible destinations, and the Abyss was one of them—after all, the bus's depths were filled with Abyssal energy.
"...What do you want?"
The aggregate withdrew its slender creatures. It now had to admit that the initiative was no longer on its side.
"Simple. Deal with whatever you put inside the bus. I can't control the bus to return, but as long as we eliminate this creature affecting the bus's operation, the bus will automatically return to its proper route."
Lin Ye had already figured out the solution.
"...Fine. But you have to help too."
The aggregate thought for a moment and finally agreed to Lin Ye's solution.
"Okay, but I suggest you hurry. It's about to hatch."
After speaking, Lin Ye controlled the nearby rune traps to shred the surrounding black and white filaments.
The aggregate also began working, and they quickly cleared all the black and white filaments from the bus.
Lin Ye opened the Coin Slot Space. Through it, they could sense the egg-shaped object hidden deep within the bus that was about to hatch.
"Cut me off and throw me in. I'll lure it out. You prepare to attack."
The young man suddenly suggested.
"You're not planning to take control of its body, are you?"
The aggregate immediately saw through the young man's intention.
"Let it go in. At least it can still communicate normally. Otherwise, if whatever's inside hatches or gets noticed by nearby Abyssal creatures, we might not be able to leave."
Lin Ye didn't care who controlled the monster about to be born below—he just wanted to eliminate all of them.
"Fine. You'd better not trick me, or you'll regret it."
The aggregate cut off the slender creature containing the young man and threw it into the Coin Slot Space.
Lin Ye glanced at that slender creature.
The young man certainly didn't plan to control the egg-shaped object just to come out and get beaten. Those 'eggs' were originally backup bodies it prepared for itself, but their quality was mediocre—the things hatched from them couldn't compare to the monster that would emerge from this egg-shaped object.
"I truly am the chosen one. Even being chased to such a place, I can still obtain a perfect body."
The young man controlled the slender creature to approach the egg-shaped object, after which it was easily torn apart by the egg-shaped object.
"Hehehe, now this body is mine. Once I finish hatching, all of you will die here, especially that damned driver. I'll definitely trap him inside my body and torture him slowly."
The young man fused its consciousness with the egg-shaped object's original awareness. As for whether the consciousness remained pure—it had long stopped caring.
"Aren't you afraid it will hatch and kill you?"
The aggregate leaned against the door and chatted casually with Lin Ye.
"Isn't that what you're here for? After you and it mutually destroy each other, I'll drive home."
Lin Ye said with complete sincerity.
"...And what if we don't mutually destroy each other? Do you think you can handle whoever remains?"
The aggregate looked at Lin Ye suspiciously. This was the first time it had encountered such a strange human.
"You will destroy each other. I've prayed to the gods. This is divine will."
Lin Ye said devoutly.
"You believe in gods? But this is the Abyss, a place where divine light cannot reach. You don't worship the Abyssal Evil God, do you?"
The aggregate didn't think so. Lin Ye seemed too normal, nothing like an evil god worshipper.
"I don't believe in gods, but I've been occasionally praying to them recently."
Lin Ye occasionally revealed answers to his enemies. He knew it wasn't good practice, but he just couldn't help himself.
"If you don't believe in gods and aren't even a follower, what's the point of praying?"
The aggregate looked outside the bus. It was still daytime, and the Surface Layer of the Abyss was relatively calm, but it needed to leave before nightfall.
"Sincerity brings results. Prayer is just a way to communicate with gods. If the gods are willing to listen, they'll naturally bestow divine will."
Lin Ye closed his eyes to rest. This simulation mission had lasted quite long—it was time to end it.
"It seems to be coming out."
The aggregate looked toward the Coin Slot Space. Strands of black and white filaments poured out from within, and finally a fleshy tumor mass woven from black and white filaments crawled out.
"Hehehe, you fools actually delivered such an excellent body right to me. Now, I'll give you the chance to voluntarily merge into my body."
The young man said arrogantly.
Although it hadn't managed to hatch a complete entity due to insufficient materials, its current form was more than adequate.
Black and white filaments surged toward Lin Ye and the aggregate. It intended to deal with both troubles simultaneously.
Lin Ye activated rune traps to shred the filaments rushing toward him, while the aggregate offered no resistance, allowing the black and white filaments to flood into its body.
Not just the filaments—after they made contact, even the main tumor mass itself seemed to lose control and was pulled into the aggregate's body.
"What did you do! Why is my body being absorbed by you!"
The young man panicked. It could no longer control its body at all, only watching helplessly as its perfect form was devoured by the aggregate.
"Even with some impurities mixed in, this is still part of me. I am the aggregate—what makes you think you can use my own body against me?"
The aggregate looked contemptuously at the completely helpless young man within its body and spoke.