Start by logging into the Old Man's Ring at Hogwarts

Meanwhile, Michaela's sister, Malenia, was fast asleep, leaning against the base of the sacred tree.

She placed her only remaining hand on the roots of the sacred tree, as if only by feeling the lingering presence of Michaela on the tree could she peacefully fall asleep.

Zicomo's arrival undoubtedly alarmed Marlene.

She stood up and picked up her prosthetic knife and helmet from the ground.

He murmured, "I had a very long dream, my body lost its golden luster, my blood stagnated and decayed, piling up countless corpses, all to wait for that person to return..."

Before Marlenia could finish speaking, Zicomo interrupted, "Now you've got what you've been waiting for."

As he spoke, Zicomo took out a pure white crystal from his hand, on which Michaela's soul resided.

Zicomo summoned Michaela's spirit.

"Zicomo, is there something you need from me?"

Michaela, who had just emerged, was still somewhat dazed, clearly not yet fully recovered from her slumber.

But Marlenia realized what was happening.

She watched Michaela's retreating figure and cried out in disbelief, "Brother!"

Hearing the familiar voice calling her, Michaela instinctively responded, "Yes!"

Marlenia said, "Brother, is it really you?"

By this time, Michaela realized that Zicomo had brought him to the foot of the sacred tree.

The voice he heard was not a hallucination; it was his real sister calling him.

Michaela turned around and smiled, "Yes, I'm back."

Marlenia threw off her helmet and ran towards Michaela.

She came to Michaela, bent down and hugged her.

Just like everywhere outside the city of Abreifel, there are two people embracing a statue.

Marlenia felt Michaela's familiar embrace, but it felt less warm than usual.

She then realized that her brother was currently in a spirit state.

Marlenia asked, "Brother, why are you in a spirit state? Where is your body?"

"This story begins with my abduction..."

Michaela recounted his experiences after being kidnapped by Monger.

In conclusion, "And so, Monger's curse completely destroyed my already exhausted body. Fortunately, I met a kind-hearted Faded One who agreed to take me back to the Sacred Tree, which allowed me to meet you again as a soul."

Marlenia then realized that Zicomo was standing next to them.

She scrutinized Zicomo closely and realized that she couldn't fathom his true nature.

Marlenia turned to Michaela and asked, "Brother, are you sure he really is a Faded One, and not one of Mother's children?"

She sensed a familiar power and presence in Zikomo; Zikomo felt like one of her brothers or sisters.

This is not surprising, actually, because Zicomo absorbed the power of so many gods and demigods, and these gods and demigods were all Marika's offspring.

He carried some kind of aura with him, which is why Marlenia felt a sense of familiarity with him.

Michaela laughed when he heard this. If he didn't know about Zikomo's special ability, he probably would have thought the same thing.

He explained to Marlenia, “Zicomo has a special ability to absorb and master certain special powers. Before we returned to the Sacred Tree, he had already absorbed the power of several demigods.”

Marlenia nodded in realization.

She had no objection to Zicomo absorbing the power of her brothers; they had almost blown each other's brains out during the Broken War.

Family affection?

Sorry, Malenia only recognizes Michaela as her brother.

"correct!"

Michaela suddenly remembered the conditions he had agreed to with Zikomo: Zikomo would take him back to the Sacred Tree, and in exchange, Zikomo could take away Malenia's power.

Michaela looked at her sister and said, "Why don't you try having Zicomo help you peel away the crimson corruption from your body? That is, you might become a soul like me."

Marlenia thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

This greatly shocked Michaela, as his sister's personality seemed somewhat different from what he remembered.

He had considered having Marlene abandon her body to completely rid herself of the crimson corruption before.

But Marlene refused, saying that as her brother's blade, she needed this body to fight for Michaela, so she was unwilling to do so.

I didn't expect Marlene to agree so easily.

Zicomo noticed Michaela's confusion and shared his speculation about Malenia losing some of her qualities and personality.

"In conclusion, this may be the reason for Malenia's personality change," Zicomo concluded.

After listening, both Michaela and Marlenia showed an expression of sudden realization.

Seeing this, Zicomo asked her curiously, "Didn't you notice anything unusual about yourself?"

Marlenia nodded and said, "I've noticed it, but I haven't been able to find the root cause."

She always believed that she had become like this simply because she had been corrupted by the crimson decay.

Unexpectedly, the root cause was actually within myself.

Michaela asked worriedly, "What impact will those lost things have on her? Should we go and get them back?"

"There is definitely an impact; you can see that her personality has changed somewhat."

Zicomo said, "But there's no need to find them. Now those qualities and personalities have evolved into a person. Even if I find them, I don't know how to put them back into her."

Moreover, apart from Millison, the other four sisters have been completely corrupted by the Crimson Corruption.

Even if it were retrieved, it wouldn't be of any use; it would only increase the level of crimson corruption in Marlenia.

Zicomo also flipped through books on basic psychology when he was bored.

He learned from books that personality, character, and personality can all be changed through factors such as the environment in which one grows up, family atmosphere, and social experience.

What Marlene lacks can be cultivated and made up for.

Zicomo gave Michaela a brief explanation.

Upon learning that it could be made up for, Michaela breathed a sigh of relief.

Chapter 223 The Deep-Searching Corrosion of the Soul, the So-Called Blessing

Michaela urged, "In that case, please hurry up and help Marlenia get rid of the Crimson Corruption."

He and Malenia were both divine beings because they were offspring of a single deity.

However, Radagan is not yet a complete deity, and it has brought back crimson corruption from the Lake of Corruption.

Therefore, both siblings have their own flaws—one is forever young, and the other is corrupt and parasitic.

Michaela is alright, the only problem is that she doesn't grow up.

But his sister Malenia has been eroded by the crimson corruption since the moment she was born, and even Malenia's runes are affected.

Marlene's Great Rune should have been the most sacred of all gods and demigods, yet even so, it was still corrupted by crimson decay.

This demonstrates just how troublesome scarlet putrefaction can be.

Now that Malenia has finally been freed from the Crimson Corruption, Michaela naturally doesn't want to wait a moment longer.

Zicomo nodded, then turned to Marlenia and said, "Get ready, I'm going to extract all the power from your body. This process might be a little painful."

Zicomo didn't say anything like telling Marlenia to bear the pain.

As a battle-hardened Valkyrie, this pain was nothing to her.

Marlenia nodded and said, "Come on."

Zicomo used his left hand as a knife and plunged it into Marlenia's chest, beginning to absorb the power of the crimson corruption.

Despite having a hole punched in her chest and bleeding profusely, Marlenia only frowned slightly, truly deserving of the title of Valkyrie.

As her strength waned, Marlenia's once upright figure slowly went limp.

Seeing that she was about to fall, Zicomo reached out his other hand and caught her.

This action surprised Marlene, as it was the first time she had ever been held in the arms of someone other than her brother.

This embrace, like her brother's, gave her a sense of security, but it was wider and warmer.

It was an unprecedented experience for Marlene.

Marlene soon stopped feeling this sensation.

Zicomo's absorption of the Crimson Corruption was nearing its end, and the depletion of power within her body made Marlenia feel her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

She slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Before losing consciousness, a fleeting feeling of reluctance to leave this embrace crossed Marlenia's mind.

From Michaela's perspective, his sister closes her eyes in Zicomo's arms, her entire body turning to dust.