"What method?"

There was a pause on the other end before the voice continued, "If humans accepting the perception of devils carries risks, then how about turning the devils into humans?"

"You mean—transferring the soul?" Roland quickly grasped the key point.

"You once mentioned that devils exist in the Dream World, which means that the heir of Falling Star City has used abilities like extracting souls on devils. This at least proves that they can also be affected by soul instruments," Zoe explained. "After that, just transfer the high-ranking devil into the body of a God's Punishment Warrior, and all the perceptual risks can be borne by this guy."

"I see," he nodded, involuntarily. Using a God's Punishment Warrior as a vessel would be equivalent to forcing the devil to adapt to humans, and the sensory feedback received by the mind connector would all be familiar information. In the other party's confused state, it would be easier to gain an advantage in the clash of consciousness. It did sound like a good idea. "But you would also lose a transferable container."

After the Church's demise, there were fewer and fewer God's Punishment Warrior shells available.

"Compared to a cold, insensible prison, we would rather slumber in your dream... so it's not a bad thing."

"Cough, cough—" Roland almost choked on his tea. Although he knew the other party was female, the impact was still too shocking when he heard a deep male voice utter these words in a ghostly manner.

"Just kidding," Zoe chuckled for once. "In fact, our collection has several defective products, which can be used for this transfer. Moreover, compared to the possible gains, the cost of a shell is not worth mentioning at all."

"Defective products?" He cleared his throat and asked.

"Getting from Hermes to our original hideout requires crossing the Impassable Mountain Range, which is not an easy journey, especially during the Month of the Evil Moon. Some God's Punishment Warriors even crawled there—because their feet had been gnawed off by evil beasts. Naturally, such shells cannot be used as warriors. We originally planned to use them as containers for longevity, for those nobles to enjoy."

Roland twitched the corner of his mouth inwardly. Could living like that really be considered enjoyment?

"But even if it's a defective product, it should still possess abilities similar to God's Punishment Stones, right? If it's used during the connection process, will it cause any problems?"

"Please rest assured, even for us, it takes decades to skillfully master an unfamiliar body," Zoe replied. "And the time to stimulate the God's Punishment Domain is even longer. Many people even have to wait until the second transfer to use this ability. Even if the devil has unimaginable talent in this area, it is unlikely to do so during the interrogation period."

Agatha added, "To put it another way, even if the resonance is interrupted, the pain caused is only temporary—a similar situation has been personally verified by Sylvie during reconnaissance."

"By the way, have you discussed this matter with Ms. Camilla?" Roland suddenly thought of a key question.

"We've already talked about it. She initially held a negative attitude—after all, this is something that has never been tried before, and no witch serving as an interrogator can be said to be completely without risk, but Zoe persuaded her."

"Is that so..." he doubted. The other party was not a persuasive person.

"It's actually very simple, Your Majesty," Zoe continued. "I just told her that the person connecting minds with the devil is none other than myself."

Roland couldn't help but be taken aback.

"I am both a transcendent and the first God's Punishment Witch to be awakened... In this state, most people are more confident in dealing with devils." She said calmly, "Of course, most importantly, I am the proposer of this plan, so I should naturally bear all the risks."

This is probably why the ancient witches have such a high opinion of themselves, yet are hard to dislike... Roland thought. When it comes to dealing with devils, they are indeed the group of people who shout "Follow me!" This alone is better than many people.

"I understand, do as you said." He replied after a moment of silence, "Remember not to relax the monitoring of the high-ranking devil on the return journey."

"Ah, I will take good 'care' of it, Your Majesty," Zoe laughed.

Perhaps the escort process was what she was most looking forward to, more than the final interrogation.

After ending the call, Roland fell into deep thought for a while.

Do humans and devils really have souls?

If not, how did these Taquila witches change bodies at will? What is the principle of soul instruments?

If so, why can't the soul exist separately from the body? After all, if you can freely strip and grant souls, it's no different from being immortal.

And the Dream World... how is such a realistic, yet non-existent illusory space realized? What exactly is at the end of the so-called pillar of light leading to the God Realm in the ancient books of the underground?

Thinking about it, it is probably only possible to solve this mystery after understanding the essence of the magic power and the War of Divine Will.

But no matter what, he now had a chance to witness the transfer of souls with his own eyes.

...

Compared to the worries when setting out, the time on the return journey seemed to pass much faster.

Due to the increasing maturity and growth of the City Hall, there were now very few government affairs that required Roland to personally intervene. Therefore, he spent most of his free time on several key industrial projects.

The glider's test flight work was steadily progressing. Tilly's written flight manual gradually turned from a few thin pages into a book as thick as A Textbook of Chemistry. When adding the cover, Roland specifically used gold as the title color.

The steel ship was also becoming more and more proficient in the hands of Thunder. Although the power and control systems were initially unsatisfactory, with constant minor faults, after several improvements, it finally looked like a real seagoing vessel.

In addition, the mage tower specially built for Agatha was also completed in the last month of autumn—this five-story concrete building became a new landmark of Neverwinter City from the moment it was completed, with its unique style and a height exceeding the Lord's Castle. Undoubtedly, before the Miracle Building is completed, it will be the most eye-catching scene in the city.

Besides these, the oil fractionation tower and the factory building for assembling the new generation of power sources were also nearing completion. In the past, the closer it got to winter, the more silent the Western Region became, as if the towns fell into hibernation along with the land. But since Neverwinter City was established, this phenomenon has gradually been reversed, and it has reached a new peak this year. From the North Slope Mining Area to the Shallows Harbor, busy crowds and newly built houses can be seen everywhere. The prosperity and vitality shown in the streets and alleys amazed all the merchants who came here.

A month and a half later, the First Army finally returned to its long-awaited starting point.

The people of Neverwinter spontaneously formed teams in the suburban grasslands to welcome them, and their cheers almost resounded through the clouds.

On the same day, snowflakes began to fall in the sky.

The long winter... had arrived.