The Rainbow Fruits possess mysterious powers, and even without this conflict, I had no intention of sharing them with Jack, this dangerous individual. With the Rainbow Fruits, even if I do not use them myself, I could exchange them for many incredibly useful treasures. I had considered seizing Snoke's share, but enhancing Jack, the Wolf King, and Maki Shinpu's strength would not benefit me; it would merely narrow the gap between us, and I might not be the ultimate beneficiary.
Moreover, I lacked the confidence and ambition to eliminate all five of them in one fell swoop. Snoke, with a grim expression, nodded in gratitude and quickly departed with Bullet; our collaboration had reached its conclusion, and remaining together any longer would feel perilous. Maki Shinpu and the Wolf King claimed their spoils without any sign of concern for Jack's exclusion. I patted myself down and murmured, "We don't know when that winged demon ape will return, and we cannot linger here for too long. I need to take a moment; you all go ahead without waiting for me."
Maki Shinpu was taken aback by my seemingly trivial remark, his face momentarily transforming into an expression of disbelief. The Wolf King, however, laughed heartily, "Wang Lin, you are truly amusing! Are you afraid we might see your backside? I'm not interested in little boys; just keep an eye out for that perverse Jack."
Jack offered no response to being drawn into such an undignified topic; he merely smiled faintly and departed first.
Once the three of them had left, I summoned the Book of Demons. Juliere fluttered her wings and gracefully floated up, pointing to a stone platform within the cave. "That is the Rainbow Altar; their demon announcers would never remind you of it—what incompetent individuals!"
I refrained from mentioning that the Wolf King and the others had already dispatched the demoness. While I suspected Juliere wouldn't be frightened, I harbored other concerns and preferred to avoid such disheartening topics.
As I stood upon the Rainbow Altar, the contract section of the Book of Demons revealed two new pages, detailing the wish capabilities of the two Rainbow Fruits.
The first, a thousand-year-old Rainbow-level fully matured wish fruit, offered transformations including a Rainbow Dragon, Demon Lord, Cyclops, Lord of Storms, Guardian God, Destructive Insect, and Water-Fire Serpent. Secondary wish capabilities included wealth, power, strength augmentation, and lifespan extension, while tertiary abilities pertained to enhancements in magical skills.
The second, a twelve-hundred-year-old Rainbow-level matured wish fruit, granted mastery over time and space, requiring eleven hundred points of mental energy for a wish. Its secondary wish capabilities included attributes across the board. "Damn it, it's clear they're leaving me with no options!"
What I desired most was to return home, and the primary wish capability of the second fruit perfectly aligned with my needs. I was indeed quite interested in transformations like the Rainbow Dragon or Demon Lord, but when a superior choice presented itself, I certainly wouldn't opt for the inferior one. "It requires eleven hundred points of mental energy? Thankfully, I still have enough to pay; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to use this fruit!" Without hesitation, I activated the second wish fruit.
Holding the Rainbow Fruit aloft, I proclaimed loudly, "Grant me the ability to master time and space!"
The fruit emitted a strange radiance, enveloping me in its glow. A powerful extracting force surged forth, instantly diminishing my mental energy by one-third. When the wish was fulfilled, the fruit transformed into a rainbow and vanished, yet I felt no change and was left perplexed. "Juliere, why don't I feel anything?"
The adorable little demon tapped my head in frustration, "Did you not check the earlier pages to see if you acquired a new ability?"
"I forgot!"
In a hurry, I flipped back through the pages, eager to discover what the use of this twelve-hundred-year-old Rainbow-level wish fruit had bestowed upon me when suddenly, a dull thud resonated as Maki Shinpu was hurled from the exit by an immense force. "What has happened now?" I reluctantly stowed the Book of Demons, while Juliere had already retreated into the pages. Observing Maki Shinpu's disheveled state, I swiftly brandished the silver spike I had acquired from Jack and lunged forward.
"Wang Lin, have you lost your mind? I am Maki Shinpu!"
Though appearing quite disheveled, Maki Shinpu nimbly evaded my attack, bursting into three hearty laughs. My laughter, filled with malice and cunning, incited a mix of surprise and anger in Maki Shinpu, prompting him to draw his weapon.
"Indeed, the bone knife Mikazuki will belong to me from now on."
"You wish to steal my treasure? We are allies! Wang Lin, wake up! Have you made some special wish that has backfired?"
"I haven't; I was merely joking!"
Did my previous lines sound like those of a great demon lord?
Maki Shinpu looked at me uncertainly, utterly baffled by my intentions. I raised my hands, revealing a silver symbol on each, intricate designs that seemed to penetrate from my palms through to the backs of my hands.
"What is that? Did you acquire a new ability?"
Seeing Maki Shinpu's astonishment, I felt an uncontainable pride swell within me and replied nonchalantly, "Indeed! If it weren't for these hands, you would have killed me just now. Jack, is your new ability transformation? Or perhaps an illusion?"
After my nonsensical remarks left him somewhat dazed, he suddenly heard my words and froze, then revealed Jack's signature smile. His form began to shimmer and fade, transforming into the visage of the murderous Jack.
"Indeed! I have long sought an ability that allows me to vanish without a trace after a kill. What capability could better suit my desires than to assume the appearance of anyone? I almost deceived you just now!"
"Next time, I might even transform into your most beloved person, or..."
"Enough! I have said that when it comes time to eliminate certain individuals, I will not hesitate."
When Jack transformed and Maki Shinpu flew in, an inexplicable clarity surged within me, severing the chaos of causality. I saw through Jack's true identity and realized that he had just ambushed Maki Shinpu, seizing the wish fruit that rightfully belonged to him and making a wish. However, like me, Jack had not used the wish fruit to enhance his combat power; our strength comparison remained unchanged from before. I was quite confident I could eliminate this murderous maniac who might strike at any moment.
As the Platinum Glory infused into the silver spike, the weapon emitted a delicate, explosive sound, and a faint, shimmering aura swirled around it, making it appear as if it had grown an extra length. Upon seeing my full-force display of combat prowess, Jack's expression shifted dramatically; he could tell I was genuinely intent on killing him. He hurriedly shouted, "This is a misunderstanding! I promise I will never harbor any ill thoughts toward you again, Wang Lin! Please spare me!"
"I trust the assurances of a dead Jack even less." With a swift misstep, I unleashed the Flower Petal Sweep, my movements as quick as lightning. The silver spike shot forth in a straight line, aimed directly at Jack's forehead. Without a moment's hesitation, Jack bent down and transformed into a colorful venomous snake, causing my target to miss entirely. By the time I adjusted my angle for another strike, Jack had morphed into a bat and was flapping his wings furiously, making his escape toward the cave's exit.
Our chase quickly led us out of the treasure cave. Outside, the stormbirds had diminished in number compared to before, but there were still over ten ferocious raptors diving toward us. Jack, in his bat form, had a significant advantage due to his small size, which went unnoticed by the stormbirds. As I wielded the silver spike to pierce through the flock of stormbirds, Jack had already vanished without a trace.
I shook my shoulders, and two massive magical wings unfurled, propelling me into the air with a powerful gust. This nameless island was exceedingly dangerous, and I had no desire to linger. Once airborne, I attempted to contact Lilith and Mirinda using my comm card, but received no response; it seemed the three women had already left with Snoke.
"Wolf King, Maki Shinpu, where are you two?" The Wolf King's reply came swiftly, "I'm nearby the island, circling with those stupid birds. Lilith left the Red Spider helicopter behind, and Maki Shinpu is with me, though he's injured."
"Alright, I'm on my way to meet you!" The magical wings generated a fierce wind as I soared higher. Although I had a slight fear of heights, I unconsciously overcame this phobia while using the magical wings, feeling as free as a bird.
Before long, I spotted the vibrant colors and exaggerated shape of the Red Spider helicopter. The Wolf King was circling the island, clearly aware of the relentless stormbirds pursuing him. He leaned halfway out of the helicopter, waving at me with an expression of utter ease.
Once I boarded the helicopter, I saw Maki Shinpu covered in blood and hurriedly inquired about his condition. He must have used a healing card, as everything appeared fine, though his face was frighteningly pale. Maki Shinpu recounted how Jack had ambushed him, cursing loudly, "Next time I encounter Jack, I will not let that bastard escape!"
I replied calmly, "He has used your wish fruit to gain the ability to transform into the appearance of others or any kind of animal. Just now, he transformed into your likeness to ambush me."
Maki Shinpu gasped, "Does that mean he could transform into you or the Wolf King at any time?"
I shook my head, "He can change his appearance, but he won't possess our abilities. If everyone is vigilant, it won't be difficult to recognize him. However, this is limited to Demon Island; once he leaves this place, he could disguise himself as an ordinary person, making it impossible to discern him."
The Wolf King grinned menacingly, "I'm not afraid; I have no intention of leaving Demon Island and will remain vigilant against everyone. If Jack tries to ambush me, he will be courting death."
Maki Shinpu's expression changed, clearly realizing the terrifying consequences. He had to return; if Jack transformed into a likeness of his family, he would be utterly defenseless. A fierce killing intent flashed across his face as he coldly declared, "I must kill him; otherwise, he will surely become a relentless nuisance."
Having lost a third of my mental energy during the wish and expended a significant amount of Platinum Glory in the previous battle, I urgently needed to regain my strength. Therefore, I refrained from conversing with my two companions and closed my eyes, entering a meditative state.
The Wolf King's piloting skills were inferior to Lilith's, yet his bravery far surpassed that of the female mercenary. He executed an exaggerated maneuver, narrowly evading the pursuing stormbirds as we headed back to Demon Island. The Red Spider helicopter accelerated to its maximum speed, outpacing the stormbirds, and we no longer had to fight as we had on the way in.
Maki Shinpu was unable to fight, gripping the edge of his seat as the helicopter swayed violently. He weakly inquired about the Wolf King's vital organs but received no response. Despite the turbulence, I kept my eyes closed. During battle, I primarily relied on Platinum Glory, causing the true energy and mental power cultivated from the Nameless Martial Arts to become my reserve strength. The sudden loss of part of this power instilled in me an unshakeable sense of crisis.
"The progress of cultivating the Nameless Martial Arts is too slow. I need to study the Max Magic Spell Compendium more thoroughly upon my return. If I can master several effective spells proficiently, I could combine them with Holy Light Bullets to form a stable combat power. As for returning home… the pressing question is which method to use. What exactly is a Time-Space Sentinel?"
When I awoke from my meditation, the helicopter had already landed outside the Demon Island Grand Hotel.