A deep crimson glow, like congealed blood, flashed before Luo Shu and Sharon's eyes, engulfing their entire field of vision.
After a brief moment of blindness, Luo Shu was the first to regain his sight.
Only now, the scene before him was slightly different.
Luo Shu stared at the figure clad in a black suit standing mere inches away, noticeably a full head taller than himself, his gaze briefly losing focus.
As his vision cleared, Luo Shu became aware of tactile sensations—he could distinctly feel his own arm draped around the neck of the person before him.
He could even sense their body heat at such close proximity.
And then—
[Ding!]
The system's notification chime rang out.
[Interference force judged as Hero Rank. Interference component identified as soul. Commencing negative effect removal... Removal successful!]
With the system's prompt, Luo Shu gained another perspective.
This time, he was looking down a corridor shrouded in grey mist, at the slender, pale arm that held him in a firm embrace.
Subconsciously, the corners of Luo Shu's lips curled upwards into a Light Yagami-esque smirk of triumph.
"It seems... it worked!"
Controlling this alternate viewpoint, Luo Shu watched as his other self slowly raised that delicate, pale arm and pressed it against his own chest.
'Hmm... soft to the touch, definitely the tactile sensation of a female body.'
That's right—Luo Shu's second perspective was Sharon's own vision.
"I've won, Sharon!"
The system had previously informed Luo Shu that appraising Abyss Artefacts didn't require points.
Thus, upon obtaining the Demon Incantation, his first instinct—honed from years of gaming—was to immediately cast an appraisal.
The results had been as follows:
[Artefact: Exchange Contract (Hero Rank).]
[Created from the sacrificed hide of a Hero Rank Parasite Beast, fashioned into a contract scroll.]
[Primary Function: Activates a single exchange, allowing the user to swap bodies with a designated target.]
[Side Effects: 1. After exchange, the minimum cooldown period is 1 year. Only after this duration can the effect be reversed. 2. Post-exchange, user emits a distinctive odour that triggers instinctive revulsion in members of their original species.]
[System Advisory: This ability cannot target the host. If the host voluntarily activates it, the exchanged target becomes a secondary entity under the host's control.]
[System Advisory: As a secondary entity, the exchanged individual cannot actively harm the host. However, significant disparities in mental strength may result in residual resistance. Please be advised.]
Though Luo Shu couldn't fathom what schemes the Demon Warlock had been plotting with this body-swapping artefact and the Demon Heart used to hypnotise women, the warlock was now dead.
Both high-tier artefacts had fallen into Luo Shu's hands. Through careful planning, he'd resolved Sharon's predicament in one decisive move.
This Seven-Star Demon Hunter of the Demon Hunters, caught off-guard, had been thoroughly outmanoeuvred by Luo Shu's underhanded tactics—even losing control of her own body.
Just as Luo Shu made his declaration of victory, Sharon seemed to finally regain awareness. Straining against her stiff, unresponsive form, she managed to speak:
"What... have you... done to me?"
"It was just a despicable scheme." As Luo Shu spoke, he gave another firm squeeze.
Oh, apologies—it seemed the one he was squeezing was Sharon's body.
"Mmm!"
Having her weak point grabbed, Sharon's skin flushed faintly with colour. Powerless—or rather, under Luo Shu's control—she released him.
Seeing this, Luo Shu quickly distanced himself.
Though he'd managed to counter-control her, he was well aware such control had its limits.
In fact, Sharon's mental fortitude far exceeded Luo Shu's expectations. Just manipulating her body through a few movements had already sent a dull throbbing pain through his brow.
Knowing delays bred complications, Luo Shu immediately raised his gun, aiming it at Sharon as he commanded:
"Just to be safe, take off your clothes, Sharon!"
At this, Sharon's body trembled, as if resisting Luo Shu's control.
Yet at such close range, under the influence of the deep red eye—now vanished into the backs of their right hands as a Demon Contract—Sharon's hands slowly, inevitably, began to reach for her nun's habit.
First, the dark blue outer robe, then the symbol of purity—the nun's veil.
When it came to removing the veil, Sharon visibly struggled. She fought desperately against Luo Shu's manipulation, trying to resist the urge to take it off.
"Take it off!" Luo Shu barked, firing his gun at Sharon's arm.
Bang!
The bullet struck Sharon's right arm, yet instead of the expected pain, Luo Shu only felt as if his arm had been lightly tapped by a stone.
Realisation dawned on Luo Shu. "So the veil is the true Abyss Artefact?"
This explained why Sharon had resisted removing it so fiercely.
Without the veil, given Sharon's physical capabilities, she'd clearly be no match for firearms.
And this was precisely why Luo Shu had ordered her to undress.
It wasn't some lecherous whim—he had a far more critical reason: ensuring his own safety.
Trembling under his control, Sharon reluctantly removed the veil, her emerald eyes blazing with fury as she glared at Luo Shu:
"To have a man strip me of the veil symbolising purity... What utter humiliation..."
"I'll remember you... man!!"
As a sharp pain lanced through Luo Shu's brow, Sharon finally relinquished the veil, dropping it to the floor before giving it a light kick towards him.
Luo Shu glanced down at the veil. Before crouching to retrieve it, his gaze swept over Sharon—now clad only in her undergarments and white thigh-high stockings—lingering on her right hand and leg:
An automatic pistol was holstered on her right thigh, and judging by the sensation underfoot, there were likely blades concealed in her shoes.
Considering the wrist strength that could seemingly snap an adult's neck with ease...
Bloody hell, another ruthless woman?
"Toss over your gun and the Mist Eye!" Luo Shu ordered, even as he actively manipulated Sharon into disarming completely.
Sharon continued to resist, so Luo Shu fired another shot—this time at her leg.
Bang!
The bullet pierced through her calf, embedding itself in the floor. The pain of being shot made Luo Shu cry out, while Sharon merely grunted, dropping to one knee.
Under such brute force, Sharon lifted her head to glare at Luo Shu. Gritting her teeth, she removed the Mist Eye and flung it towards him.
The moment the Mist Eye was thrown, the fog shrouding the corridor immediately began to dissipate—it seemed this was an item that would deactivate once released from one's grasp.
The silver bracelet tinkled softly in mid-air.
Luo Shu's gaze, involuntarily drawn to the bracelet, caught a fleeting image.
It was Sharon, tumbling backwards as she fled the villa.
"Damn it!"
The vision flashed through his mind, and Luo Shu immediately raised his gun to aim at Sharon.
Yet at that moment, Sharon, still crouched low, decisively reached for the blade hidden beneath her foot.
Slash!
The searing pain of his palm being pierced made Luo Shu instinctively recoil, but he didn't drop the gun—instead, he steeled himself to keep firing at Sharon.
But in the brief moment Luo Shu was distracted by the pain, Sharon had already scrambled out of the villa, vanishing from his sight.
Luo Shu frowned, gritting his teeth against the pain as he prepared to give chase—when suddenly—
Bang! Bang!
A rapid succession of gunshots rang out from outside.
The fresh wave of agony wracking his body forced another muffled groan from him.
"Fuck!"
"Didn't it say she couldn't actively harm me? How the hell can she still hurt herself?"
Luo Shu cursed under his breath, retreating several steps before crouching on the ground.
At the same time, he felt both exasperated and relieved as he muttered:
"Whatever. In a way, it's better she escaped on her own. At least this way, I can keep all the profits for myself."
Thinking this, Luo Shu hurriedly picked up the veil and Mist Eye from the ground before his reinforcements arrived, then spent 5 points to send them to the Astronomy Club's base. Just as he finished, he heard faint footsteps approaching.
"You alright?" Takina Inoue walked in, gun in hand, and visibly relaxed upon seeing Luo Shu.
At that moment, Luo Shu took a step back at the sight of Takina's firearm before asking:
"Where is she?"
"Took two shots but climbed over the wall and escaped. She moved too fast—I couldn't keep up and just emptied the magazine by instinct." Takina paused, sounding slightly guilty.
Hitting an arm, a hand, and the stomach just by instinct... Luo Shu recalled the earlier pain and couldn't help but twitch his lips.
After a moment, he said, "Tell Kurumi to report the situation to the Chief."
"Got it!"