From the end of the world

Chapter 105 Shadow Changer 8
Although I can interfere with this cause and effect now, this kind of interference is different from the "catch" I want to achieve. I can only "burn" it.

This is a result that has no benefits for this operation.

You should know that there is a decisive difference between the Shadow-Changer's "shape-changing" and the Undead's "damage transfer".

Although both of them can transfer the bad karma that happens to themselves to their clones, the causal transfer of the damage transfer ability transfers the bad karma outward to the clone far away, while the passively triggered shape-shifting ability leaves the bad karma in place, and at the same time the main body escapes by modifying the causal relationship, leaving the clone to bear the bad karma that remains in place.

In other words, the invisible abstract entity that I feel is escaping now does not symbolize "the fatal injury I inflicted on the Changeling" but "the Changeling itself."

Although it is always cause and effect, I still don't have any objective evidence to prove that this is "cause and effect". I just borrowed the words that Zhu Shi used to describe the ability of shapeshifting. At least I feel subjectively that this is indeed a metaphysical conceptual existence that can symbolize the shapeshifter's body, and I really can't find a more appropriate word than "cause and effect" to express this thing.

I want to suppress it under the pillar of fire. If the pillar of fire is my finger, what I am trying to do now is like trying to suppress the dust escaping with the wind under the fingertips. However, the thing trying to escape is not even dust, but air. No matter how hard I suppress it, the air will only be squeezed out by my fingers.

Yes, the abstract thing of cause and effect is as colorless and invisible as air, and even air is not in the same dimension as it. So it is impossible to touch it with your hands, let alone grasp it in a physical sense.

Burning is actually a physical concept, so I can't explain why I can burn it in words. In short, I can do it. But the reason why I can do this is because my superpower is burning. If my superpower is "telekinesis" or "telekinesis", I might be able to catch it, but unfortunately I don't have it.

Or… although it’s completely groundless, I think that the only thing that can’t grasp it directly is “the me now”. As long as my power continues to evolve… no, to be more precise, as long as my understanding and use of my own power rises to a higher level, then it will no longer be impossible for me to “grasp the cause and effect” by taking over the responsibility.

Let's get the topic back on track. The reason why I think I shouldn't burn the cause and effect that symbolizes the Shadow-Changer's body is because our combat goal is to at least keep the Shadow-Changer's head.

As for this colorless and shapeless abstract thing, my flame cannot distinguish which is the head and which is the torso. It is like using a gas stove to burn a cotton ball the size of a fingernail. If you really want to burn it, it will probably just burn to ashes. That won't work.

Instead of wasting time like this, it is better to let it run away first, then re-plan the tactics, and then track it down based on the thermal energy mark I left in the target's body.

Of course, it's not time to give up this battle completely. At least Zhu Shi hasn't given up yet. When I decided not to burn this cause and effect, the silver sword light followed closely and cut into the huge fire column. My flames will not harm my own people, so Zhu Shi didn't get burned even if he ran into the fire column. The sword light pierced the jaw of the shadow-changing monster's head.

Her purpose was definitely to destroy the Shadow-Shifter's ability itself, but unfortunately she was still a beat too slow.

I clearly saw that the cause and effect that symbolized the body of the Shadow Changer flew away like a swift sparrow. Just as Zhu Shi had said before, the speed of the Shadow Changer ability was too fast for her. She only had a 10% chance of success, so it was natural that such a result would occur.

But I think the 10% probability is high enough, because we will have countless opportunities to chase after him, and if the Shadow Change Monster fails once, it will be doomed. After that, it will be a slow process. If there is anything wrong, it is that it is quite cumbersome, and Zhu Shi should only have a moment to cut off the connection between the monster and the Seed of Heart. If there is any failure in the subsequent operations, we will still return empty-handed.

I exited the fire elemental form, then removed my power, and the huge pillar of fire suddenly dissipated like the flame of a gas stove with the valve turned off. Zhu Shi fell beside me, and his cold lake blue eyes seemed to reveal his dissatisfaction with his own failure.

The monster's head with a pierced jaw fell to the ground nearby. Due to the modification of the cause and effect by the ability of shapeshifting, the head changed from the flesh and blood of the original body to the state of "the one being attacked from the beginning was the shadow clone". Therefore, it gradually melted into black ink and was about to be degraded to a pure shadow and disappeared on the ground.

I plan to sense where the Shadow-Shifter's real body has gone.

Just then, Ma Zao arrived here belatedly. She looked down at the head on the ground.

Then, she did something unprecedented.

I'd like to explain that I had asked Ma Zao and Zhu Shi if they had any way to deal with the ability to change shape and shadow, but seeing that Ma Zao looked troubled and remained silent, I tentatively concluded that she had no way. And she didn't offer any more suggestions on the battle afterwards, so I was convinced of my judgment.

However, her current actions did not say so.

She raised her right hand and pointed at the head that was gradually melting and disintegrating into ink on the ground.

"All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows--" she chanted.

The shapeless head suddenly disappeared from the spot, and was replaced by the intact shadow-changing monster.

After doing this, Ma Zao seemed to become very tired. Zhu Shi and I were stunned, and the Shadow Changer seemed to be at a loss, standing there stupidly. I tried to sense it, and the heat energy mark was in the body of the monster in front of me. The other party was undoubtedly the real body of the Shadow Changer.

Ma Zao used her power of returning to catch the shadow-changing monster who had escaped to who knows where!
The Shadow Changer reacted immediately, and I thought he might want to use his Shape-Changing ability again. Almost at the same time, a silver sword light burst out, pierced his chest, and knocked him out directly.

Like a doll pierced by an arrow, his body was nailed to a tree in the distance by the sword, and he spat out a large mouthful of blood.

I released a flame centered on the heat mark left in his body, and transformed it into a huge palm again, tightly grasping his entire body and the tree trunk behind him.

He was unable to escape, and his ability to teleport seemed to have failed.

Zhu Shi's eyes changed from cold lake blue back to normal black. She breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Compared to the passively triggered form, the actively triggered Shapeshifting ability is much easier to destroy.

"Compared to this... Ma Zao, you were able to catch him back?"

When she finished speaking, she turned to look at Ma Zao, unable to hide her surprise and astonishment on her face.

"Well, now that I know that he didn't use the clone as a smokescreen to divert attention and the real body took the opportunity to sneak away last night, but used strange power to directly swap the positions of the real body and the clone, I should be able to use the power of blessing to reset the result of his ability and exchange the spatial positions of him and the clone again." Ma Zao explained, "But I don't have confidence in how much power I can use in my current state. Before I actually try, I don't know if I can do it."

"Is that why you didn't say anything before?" I said knowingly.

Having said that, I think it's better to talk about this kind of thing in advance. After all, Zhu Shi didn't have confidence in his own approach, but he still said it. In the absence of a perfect solution, luck can also be used as a tactical factor. This kind of prior communication is also a part of teamwork.

Compared to Zhu Shi, Ma Zao seems to have a serious lack of teamwork awareness. In fact, I am also the pot calling the kettle black, because I did not say anything about my attempts. It's just that my attempts are not so much specific methods as vague explorations of methods, which are not enough to be put forward as a case. And Ma Zao seems to be even more serious than me. Considering her inferiority complex about her unlucky physique, she should have taken the initiative to avoid cooperation with others as much as possible. The only person following behind her, No. 2 Xiaowan, was not an equal cooperation relationship with her.

Maybe what she really lacks is not even the sense of teamwork. Living in the apocalyptic era, she may not even have a normal social collective consciousness. In this way, she does occasionally give me the feeling of a wild animal.

Ma Zao hummed, then whispered: "Because I don't want you to be disappointed in me..."

"Hey, what about me?" Zhu Shi came over and asked.

"You obviously don't believe me." Ma Zao seemed to be bothered by Zhu Shi's doubts about the approaching doomsday.

The first reason she gave me when she left me last time on the rooftop of the unfinished building was that I believed in the end of the world on the surface, but in fact I didn't even ask when the end of the world would come. It seems that although she always pretends that it is normal for others not to believe in her, in fact, she still cares about others' hidden or explicit suspicion.

Zhu Shi showed the shocked expression typical of a cat lover who wanted to touch a stray cat but saw the target turn around and run away without hesitation, and could only reach out and grab the air.

"Remember to tell me in advance next time." I reminded myself, and then said, "Now let's go deal with that weirdo first."

Ma Zao nodded seriously and then looked away. Zhu Shi regrouped and looked at the strange man in the distance with Ma Zao.

The shadow-changer was trying to break free from the flaming palm, but the sharp sword that pinned him to the tree seemed to not only destroy his ability, but also suppress his strength. His struggle was not only unable to be destroyed by my flaming palm, but even the tree behind him could not be destroyed.

We walked up to him and he was breathing heavily and glaring at us fiercely.

In any case, he had already been defeated. The battle with him was over, and now it was time to unilaterally demand information.

Suddenly, he looked behind us.

There was a sound of unfamiliar footsteps coming from that direction.

(End of this chapter)