The Shepherds Are Dense

Chapter 153. Summoning the Butterfly of Paradoxical Flame Ch 153. Summoning the Butterfly of Paradoxical Flame

To Aiwass’s surprise, Isabel and Yulia—both usually isolated—hit it off remarkably well.Though he couldn’t gauge how much was genuine versus performative, they quickly bonded, chatting animatedly. Lily joined in, and the trio seemed to enjoy themselves thoroughly.

Aiwass sat quietly to the side, offering occasional nods and brief comments to show he was listening.

Their rapport made it natural for Yulia to leave with Isabel.

Though Isabel was aware of Aiwass’s plan from their painting sessions, he reiterated: if he went missing, she shouldn’t panic or intervene.

For some reason, this reassurance brightened Isabel’s mood.

After Yulia left with Isabel, Aiwass rose from his wheelchair and began setting up defensive rituals at home.

Though the shadow demon was his ace, he needed to fight back visibly. Using transcendent powers would leave Path traces. If only Transcendence Path traces from the shadow demon were found without Devotion Path traces, his plan would have a flaw.

Ideally, he’d annihilate the attackers using only Devotion Path powers. This would make his “abduction” by an unexpected shadow demon plausible.

Since the shadow demon would act, Transcendence traces at home were expected. Destroying the rituals before leaving would cover his tracks.

Thus, Aiwass could use rituals for defense and counterattack—after all, the attackers would be silenced permanently.

This was his first “prepared battle” as a demon scholar.

His first priority was countering curses.

Among the attackers were four demon scholars, at least third-tier, capable of curses. Without a medium, remote cursing was difficult and weak, likely targeting the entire house.

Aiwass adorned himself with sapphire accessories, which resisted curses, and burned black sage, using its ashes to draw an upward-opening “8” on the floor. He placed a strand of his hair wrapped around a sapphire ring at the circle’s center and scattered obsidian stones at the opening.

Obsidian attracted curses, drawing undirected ones to the stones, much like how weak curses in a house or area first affected the elderly, children, or the frail, often preceded by signs like dead rodents or silenced wildlife.

Avalonians knew little of curses, but Star Antimony nobles used obsidian statues to absorb them, doubling as wards against evil spirits.

Next, Aiwass prepared for snipers.

Though demon scholars typically used supernatural abilities, nothing stopped them from wielding guns. Aiwass could counter spells and demons but not bullets. He cast a ritual to blur his form, making his image flicker randomly, hindering both spell targeting and gunfire.

Then came “Life Storage.” Over two hours, he performed a complex ritual, storing a third of his vitality in a red apple. Using Ember Prayer, he healed himself afterward. If injured, he could destroy the apple to reclaim that vitality instantly.

Finally, the Butterfly of Paradoxical Flame.

After expending mana to summon it and feeding it blood via Nurturing, Aiwass could pray to restore his mana.

This was his first time summoning the Butterfly, and he felt a flicker of nerves.

“Butterfly of Paradoxical Flame…” he whispered.

A pure red card materialized between his thumb and forefinger, etched with a black butterfly outline.

He infused it with mana.

Flames streamed from the card’s center, startling him into releasing it. The card hovered, spewing fire that formed four blazing wings, their searing heat distorting the air.

The flames coalesced into four translucent wings, transitioning from red to deep crimson, purple-red, and black—like a sunset or ashes burning from the edges. Fully spread, they spanned two meters.

At their center was a girl, about eighty centimeters tall, resembling Yulia by half but younger. Her black hair, like burnt ash, mirrored Yulia’s style but reached her ankles due to her smaller stature. Her red eyes, unlike Yulia’s warm candy hue, were a dull, dried-blood crimson, set against matte black sclera.

She wore a black gauze dress, its edges smoldering like glowing embers, billowing with her hair in the rising heat.

Black and red. Fire and ash. Sunset and night.

This was the Butterfly’s impression.

She seemed drowsy, her gaze unfocused until it settled on Aiwass after a moment.

He felt a twinge of tension. Theoretically, he could control his Great Beast perfectly, but this was his first.

“Do you know who I am, Butterfly of Paradoxical Flame?” he asked softly.

“…Brother,” she rasped in a whisper unlike Yulia’s, hoarse and gentle, like a sick child reading a bedtime story. “I remember you.

“You said I wouldn’t die…

“I survived, Brother.”

Her form wasn’t far from the Butterfly Aiwass knew from the game. In the standard dungeon, it was a giant butterfly with a cracked, porcelain-like Yulia at its core.

Later, at levels fifty and eighty, players faced two alternate versions—not real events but dramatized “battle stories” crafted from players’ tales to an NPC.

The level-fifty version showed Yulia unleashing the Butterfly’s full power without restraint, implying a world without Aiwass.

The level-eighty version depicted a fully mature Butterfly, a limited-time raid. That Butterfly, resembling a grown Yulia in her twenties, wore a flaming black gown with ornate wings, boasting complex mechanics, higher frequency, and new skills.

Aiwass hoped his Butterfly could grow to that stage.

“Shrink down, Little Butterfly. It’s too hot,” he said gently. “Show me your companion form.”

She didn’t reply, merely igniting in a blaze. When the flames vanished, she was a true butterfly—a spark-like, golden-red flame dancing like a falling leaf.

It settled in Aiwass’s palm, warm but not burning, as he closed his hands. He felt no substance, no crushing—just a phantom’s warmth.

(Chapter End)