Chapter 710: The Desperate Cheetah Woman
A Fatal Test
The cameras were off, and the cell door was wide open—a perfect chance to escape.
Yet, Barbara didn't dare to move. After a long hesitation, she tentatively asked,
"Are you... the Red Ghost?"
"The Red Ghost is a nickname the public gave me. It sounds okay, but I'm not really interested in it."
"Miss Minerva, aren't you going to run? The opportunity is right in front of you. Take me hostage, or bite my major artery with your fangs, turn me into your servant, and escape this prison. What a perfect chance. Aren't you tempted?"
Barbara fell silent, her mood sinking rapidly.
"What exactly are you plotting?"
"Ten seconds left."
10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5...
When he reached 5, Barbara's right foot twitched, but she ultimately did not take the step.
Luke sighed with a mix of surprise and pity. "As expected of a god. Your senses are remarkably sharp."
"You know, I don't want to save you at all. For a fool like you, death would be the perfect ending. Unfortunately, Diana disagrees. She wants you alive, to revert to the old Barbara Minerva."
"She's too soft-hearted. That's what gives me a headache."
Barbara understood immediately, her face turning ashen.
"You opened the cell door just to trick me into running, so you could seize the opportunity to kill me."
"Luke Shaw, you... you..."
Barbara swallowed, her back breaking out in a cold sweat. This man was too sinister to use such a malicious trick.
"Since you don't want to escape, I won't waste any more time talking nonsense. Let's be clear: you have two choices. One: Give up the daydream and return to your former self. As for the Cheetah Goddess, I will figure out how to handle her. Two: Stay as you are. I'll explain things to Diana."
Barbara hissed,
"You're telling me all this—aren't you afraid they'll hear?"
"It doesn't matter if they hear or not. You should be grateful I wasn't on Earth these past weeks. Otherwise, you'd already be a corpse."
"Make your choice. One or Two."
Barbara clenched her fists, then finally let go. She didn't dare to gamble. After a moment of thought, she spoke slowly,
"If I choose Two, what will the result be?"
"I suggest you choose One. The value of life is far greater than good looks and a great figure."
"You are not me. You don't understand the pain."
"It seems you choose Two."
Barbara nodded, stating deliberately, "Compared to the old Barbara, I'd rather be the Cheetah Woman."
Luke shrugged. "Just as expected. A normal outcome."
"Since you choose Two, there's nothing more to discuss."
A green flame-dragon roared out, crashing heavily into Barbara. She didn't even have time to scream before collapsing straight to the ground.
The Interrogation of the Soul
The others, hearing the commotion, rushed in and were utterly shocked by what they saw.
"Luke, you..."
"Don't worry, she's not dead."
Luke walked over to the unconscious Barbara. He clenched his fist, and a faint, illusory figure was yanked out of her body. A green vortex appeared in his palm, swallowing the phantom, and then dissolved into nothingness.
"Ava, perform a comprehensive analysis of her physical condition. Blood samples, bone marrow samples, DNA samples—none can be missed."
"Understood, Young Master."
Diana quickly approached, her eyes questioning him. Luke shook his head slightly.
"She made her choice, and it wasn't the one you wanted. To solve this problem permanently, we have to deal with the root cause. Even if we succeed, she can't go back to being the old Barbara Minerva. You need to prepare yourself for that."
With that, he left the disheartened Diana and walked away alone.
Barry checked her breathing.
"She's not breathing."
"It's likely suspended animation," Linda explained. "Don't you remember? Luke used to be like this, too."
"This time is different."
Diana sensed Luke's attitude. He didn't want to save her; he was even slightly disgusted with Barbara.
Confronting Urzkartaga
Inside the Lakeside Villa, Luke returned to his room, sat cross-legged on the floor, closed his eyes, and entered the soul realm.
In the endless sea of green fire, a small island floated alone. In the middle of the island sat a single person—a woman paralyzed with terror.
Her appearance was strange. Her lower body was human, but her upper body was feline. She had two faces on her head: one belonging to Barbara Minerva, and the other a strange, tightly-closed face.
Luke concealed himself in the void, looking down at her.
The soul is a person's foundation. Bloodline and body can change, but the soul is unique.
The moment he saw her, Luke realized that Barbara Minerva had disappeared. She had been replaced by a hybrid entity, like a stitched-together monster from the Underworld.
"Welcome to my world."
Luke materialized and approached Barbara in an uncanny manner.
"How should I address you? Miss Minerva, or the Cheetah Goddess?"
Barbara instinctively stepped back. If the surrounding flames were hungry wolves, Luke was the abyss. The soul-searing pain made her feel deep despair and fear.
"Who... who exactly are you?"
"I introduced myself before. Just call me Luke."
Barbara took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "What do you want? Why did you bring me here? What is this place?"
"I have nothing to discuss with you."
Luke suddenly reached out and touched her brow. The soul-form instantly split in two. Simultaneously, the other face opened its eyes. The amber pupils had a vertical slit, emitting a cruel, violent aura.
She stared intensely at Luke, as if she wanted to devour him whole.
"Mortal! How dare you!"
Luke didn't speak. Green flames flew in from all directions, circling her.
The fire burned. The soul was the fuel. The pain was agonizing, and the woman couldn't help but scream shrilly.
"The pain is killing me!"
"Mortal, I will kill you!"
"I must kill you!"
Angry roars echoed around the island, terrifying Barbara, who retreated repeatedly. Luke, however, remained unfazed. He intensified the flames and continued the burning. Gradually, the screams grew fainter, and her demeanor changed from initial resentment to absolute despair.
She finally couldn't take it anymore.
"Stop it! Damn you, stop it right now!"
"What do you want? We can talk!"
"Stop burning! I'm dying! Ahhh! "
Her soul was fading away bit by bit. If the burning continued, she would likely vanish and die.
Urzkartaga did not want to die. She had waited thousands of years for this chance. How could she willingly perish? Finally, the flames vanished. Exhausted, she collapsed to the ground. Just as she was about to speak, Luke raised his finger.
A continuous stream of soul power was injected into her soul-form. Her soul quickly solidified, becoming stronger than before.
The woman sneered coldly.
"Don't think that will make me forgive you, mortal. I will never forget the humiliation you just put me through."
Luke curled his lips, smiling strangely.
"Don't misunderstand. I didn't intend to help you. I only did that so the next round of torture would be more comfortable."
As his words fell, the sky-high flames surged again, and familiar screams once more echoed across the island.
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