Although I could interfere with this causality, the interference I was capable of was different from the "grasping" that I wanted to achieve—I could only "burn" it.

  For this battle, however, that was a completely useless outcome.

  It was important to note a decisive difference between the Shadow Swap Oddities "Spatial Swap" and the Immortal Oddities "Damage Transfer."

  While both abilities could transfer negative causality to their clones, the damage transfer ability pushed the harmful causality outward to a distant clone.

  In contrast, the spatial swap ability left the harmful causality in pce, while the main body escaped by modifying its causal retionship, forcing the clone to take on the harmful consequences left behind.

  In other words, the intangible, abstract entity I sensed trying to escape at this moment did not represent "the fatal injury I inflicted on the Shadow Swap Oddities," but rather "the Shadow Swap Oddities himself."

  Although everything revolved around the concept of causality, I actually had no objective proof that this was indeed "causality."

  I was merely borrowing the term from Zhu Shi’s past descriptions of the Shadow Swap ability.

  Subjectively, this abstract conceptual existence indeed symbolized the Oddities true self, and I couldn't think of a better term than "causality" to describe it.

  I wanted to suppress it beneath the pilr of fire.

  If the fire pilr was my finger, what I was trying to do now was akin to pressing down on dust drifting in the wind with my fingertip.

  However, this thing trying to escape wasn’t even dust—it was air.

  No matter how much I pressed, the air would simply be pushed aside.

  Yes, this abstract concept of causality was like air—colorless, formless, and existing in a dimension beyond the physical.

  It couldn’t be touched, let alone physically captured.

  Burning, after all, was a physical concept, so I couldn't even expin why I was capable of burning it.

  All I knew was that I could.

  That was simply what my ability did.

  If my superpower had been something like "telekinesis" or "psychokinesis," then perhaps I could have grabbed it directly.

  Unfortunately, I didn't have that kind of ability.

  Or perhaps… Although I have no concrete evidence, I feel that the only reason I can’t directly grasp it right now is simply because of my current self.

  As long as my power continues to evolve—or rather, as long as my understanding and mastery of my own abilities reach a significantly higher level—then achieving the feat of “grasping causality” will no longer be an unattainable goal for me.

  But let’s get back on track.

  The reason I believe I shouldn’t burn away the causality representing the Shadow Swap Oddities true form is because our mission requires us to at least preserve his head.

  As for this intangible, formless abstraction before me, my fmes cannot distinguish between the head and the body.

  It’s akin to using a gas stove to burn a tiny cotton ball—if I were to truly ignite it, it would simply turn to ashes in an instant.

  That wouldn’t do.

  Rather than wasting this opportunity, it would be better to let it escape for now, reevaluate our strategy, and track him down again using the heat signature I impnted in his body earlier.

  Of course, it’s not time to completely abandon this battle just yet—at least, not while Zhu Shi hasn’t given up.

  As I chose not to burn the causality, a fsh of silver sword light followed closely, cutting through the towering pilr of fire.

  Since my fmes do not harm my allies, Zhu Shi was able to charge through the inferno unscathed.

  Her sword pierced precisely into the Shadow Swap Oddities lower jaw.

  Her goal was undoubtedly to destroy the Oddities ability at its root, but unfortunately, she was still a step too te.

  I could see clearly—the abstract causality representing the Oddities true self flew away like a swift sparrow, escaping just before her strike nded.

  Just as Zhu Shi had warned earlier, the activation speed of his ability was simply too fast for her.

  She estimated only a ten percent chance of success, and with this result, it was no surprise.

  However, I believe that a ten percent chance is already high enough, because we’ll have countless opportunities to chase him down again, whereas a single failure for the Shadow Swap Oddities would mean eternal doom.

  What follows will be a slow war of attrition.

  The only drawback is that this method is highly time-consuming, and severing the Oddities connection to the Seed of the Heart must be accomplished in a fleeting instant.

  If any part of our future operations falters, we might still end up empty-handed.

  I exited my fire elemental form and withdrew my power.

  The towering fire pilr vanished in an instant, like turning off a gas stove.

  Zhu Shi nded beside me, and within her cold, ke-blue eyes, I could sense a trace of dissatisfaction with her failure.

  The Oddities head, which had been pierced through the lower jaw, crashed onto the ground nearby.

  Due to the modification of causality by the Shadow Swap Oddities, the head transformed from being the real flesh of the Oddities into the state of “it was a shadow clone that had been attacked from the very beginning.”

  As a result, it gradually began to melt into bck ink, about to degrade into a pure shadow and disappear into the ground.

  I intended to sense where the Shadow Swap Oddities true body had escaped to.

  Just then, Ma Zao finally arrived, albeit a bit te.

  She lowered her head and looked at the dissolving head on the ground.

  And then, she did something utterly unprecedented.

  Let me crify—I had previously asked both Ma Zao and Zhu Shi if they had any ways to deal with the Shadow Swap ability.

  Seeing Ma Zao hesitate and remain silent at the time, I assumed she had no solution.

  Since she hadn't proposed any strategies afterward, I was certain of my judgment.

  However, her current actions suggested otherwise.

  She raised her right hand and pointed at the head, which was gradually melting into ink.

  "All conditioned phenomena are like dreams and illusions—" she chanted.

  In an instant, the formless head disappeared from sight, repced by the completely intact Shadow Swap Oddities.

  After performing this feat, Ma Zao seemed visibly exhausted.

  Both Zhu Shi and I were stunned, and even the Shadow Swap Oddities stood dumbfounded, seemingly at a loss.

  I quickly checked and sensed the heat signature I had left inside him—there was no doubt, the Oddities standing before us was indeed his true body.

  Ma Zao had used her power of return to bring the Shadow Swap Oddities back from wherever he had escaped to!

  The Oddities quickly snapped out of his daze—I assumed he was attempting to activate his Shadow Swap ability again.

  Almost simultaneously, a fsh of silver sword light erupted, piercing through his chest and sending him flying.

  Like a doll struck by an arrow, his body was pinned to a distant tree by the sword, coughing up a rge mouthful of blood.

  Using the heat signature I had left inside him as a focal point, I unleashed fmes that morphed into a massive hand, gripping his entire body along with the tree trunk behind him, holding him tightly in pce.

  He couldn’t escape—his Shadow Swap ability had seemingly failed to activate.

  Zhu Shi’s ke-blue eyes gradually returned to their normal bck color.

  She let out a breath and said, “As expected, his actively triggered Shadow Swap ability is much easier to disrupt than the passive one.”

  “More importantly… Ma Zao, you were actually able to bring him back?”

  As she spoke, Zhu Shi turned to Ma Zao, unable to hide the surprise and delight on her face.

  “Yes. Once I realized that st night he wasn’t using his clone as a smokescreen to divert our attention while his true body secretly escaped, but rather directly swapped pces with the clone using his supernatural power, I figured I could use my blessing power to reset the outcome caused by his ability and swap their positions back,” Ma Zao expined.

  “However, I wasn’t confident in how much power I could exert in my current state. I didn't know if I could actually pull it off until I tried.”

  “So that’s why you stayed silent earlier?” I said, suddenly understanding.

  That said, I still think it’s better to discuss things beforehand.

  After all, Zhu Shi also had no confidence in her approach but still shared it with the team.

  When there’s no perfect solution, luck can also py a role in our strategy.

  Open communication is an important part of teamwork.

  Compared to Zhu Shi, Ma Zao seems to ck a sense of teamwork.

  Then again, I’m not much better—after all, I didn’t share my own attempt either.

  But in my case, it wasn’t really a concrete pn, just a vague exploration of possibilities, not enough to formally present.

  Ma Zao, however, seems to take it even further than I do.

  Considering her deep-seated insecurities about her “jinx” nature, she has likely led a life of avoiding colboration with others as much as possible.

  Even the presence of No. 2, her loyal companion, doesn’t constitute an equal partnership.

  It’s possible that what she truly cks isn't just teamwork skills—having grown up in a post-apocalyptic world, she may not even possess a normal sense of social collectivity.

  Thinking about it this way, it’s no wonder she sometimes gives off the vibe of a wild animal.

  Ma Zao let out a soft “mm” and then quietly said, “Because I didn’t want you to be disappointed in me…”

  “Huh? What about me?” Zhu Shi leaned in and asked.

  “You never believed in me anyway,” Ma Zao replied, seemingly still holding a grudge over Zhu Shi’s skepticism about the impending apocalypse.

  The st time she left me, the first reason she gave on the rooftop of that abandoned building was that although I appeared to believe in the apocalypse, I hadn’t even asked when it would arrive.

  Despite her outward attitude that others’ disbelief was normal, deep down, she still cared a lot about both the subtle and overt doubts of others.

  Zhu Shi showed the unmistakable expression of a cat lover who had just reached out to pet a stray, only to watch it turn tail and flee without hesitation—her hand left grasping at nothing but air.

  “Next time, remember to tell us in advance,” I reminded myself as well, then added, “For now, let’s take care of that guy first.”

  Ma Zao nodded seriously and shifted her gaze.

  Zhu Shi, quickly pulling herself together, joined her in focusing on the distant enemy.

  The Shadow Swap Oddities was struggling to break free from the fming hand restraining him, but the sword pinning him to the tree seemed to have done more than just disrupt his abilities—it had also suppressed his strength.

  His feeble attempts at resistance couldn’t even damage the tree behind him, let alone my fire restraint.

  We walked up to him, watching as he panted heavily, gring at us with pure malice.

  No matter what, he was already defeated.

  The battle between us had ended—now came the time for one-sided interrogation.

  Suddenly, his eyes shifted beyond us.

  From behind, the sound of unfamiliar footsteps approached.

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