Chapter 399: An Invitation from the Goddess of Holy Light
Huh?
Shaye’s words puzzled both Athena and Sylph.
While they wanted their conditions resolved quickly, today didn’t seem like a good time.
They had both suffered injuries from Augustus’s Reverse Prophecy, their bodies still weary despite Angelica’s healing.
And Qin Chu, after battling Loseweisse, had rushed to Sage Mountain. They could sense the lingering energy fluctuations from that encounter.
He must be exhausted, both physically and mentally. He needed to rest.
And both of them receiving treatment simultaneously?
Wouldn’t that be too much for him?
“Is this Qin Chu’s idea?” Athena asked after a moment of hesitation.
Shaye smiled, shaking her head: “No, it’s mine. But just go along with it. He won’t refuse. Oh, and don’t bother with a sound barrier.”
She waved her hand dismissively and returned to her other self, leaving Athena and Sylph exchanging puzzled glances.
So, they should go?
“What did you tell them?” Little Shaye asked suspiciously.
A mischievous glint flickered in Big Shaye’s eyes: “Nothing much… just… you know, Qin Chu is a young, virile man with… considerable needs.”
“I have to keep my promise to you, so I can’t… attend to him myself. I’m just sending them to… keep him company,” she explained, feigning honesty.
“You wouldn’t forbid him from being with other women, would you? That would be too cruel.”
“Hmph, of course not.”
Little Shaye scoffed.
Disgusting man. Can’t he live without it?
But she was pleased her other self was keeping her promise.
“Then tell me what’s wrong with Nagath,” Little Shaye said, bringing up the matter that truly concerned her.
“That… I’ll tell you later. But first, that pale red liquid he gave you…”
…
Meanwhile, Qin Chu was still examining the Scepter of Holy Light.
According to Augustus’ instructions, it was a gift from the Goddess of Holy Light, a symbol of the Pope’s authority, capable of communicating with her directly.
“After Phyllis’s… ordeal, I tried countless times to contact the Goddess through the Scepter, to report the Evil Gods’ crimes, but I never succeeded.”
“I’ve searched through all the Church’s records, but no Pope in the past thousand years has ever managed to contact her.”
“It seems legends are just legends.”
“Perhaps she has abandoned this corrupted world, withdrawn her light, no longer guiding us.”
The words were filled with sorrow, pain, and helplessness.
After Phyllis’s ordeal, Augustus’s first instinct hadn’t been revenge. He knew the vast gulf between a mortal like him and a god.
He had prayed for divine intervention, for justice.
But his prayers had gone unanswered, his hope fading, leading him down a dark path, a mortal seeking to challenge the gods.
No wonder you couldn’t contact her. She’s imprisoned. How could she guide you?
Qin Chu grumbled inwardly. But even without its supposed ability to contact the Goddess, the Scepter was still a powerful artifact, its ability to amplify magic far surpassing any other staff.
He caressed the smooth surface, a thought crossing his mind: Could he contact her?
He had contacted her before, without the Scepter, but the beings in the Void had noticed him, making such attempts dangerous. He could easily end up like Wadsworth.
He hadn’t tried in a while.
He sat in his chair, tossing the Scepter in his hand.
If he dropped it, it might shatter.
It was a risk.
But he needed answers.
During the First Prince’s transformation, when he had summoned the Lord of Pleasure’s avatar, the Goddess had also sent her avatar to intervene. And she had protected him during the several attempts to corrupt him.
But during the recent chaos at the Holy See, when the God of Blood, Darkness, and Slaughter had empowered Loseweisse, she hadn’t reacted. That was strange.
After a moment of thought, he decided to try.
While Augustus didn’t believe in the legend, he had still meticulously recorded the ritual: the magic circle, the incantation, everything.
Qin Chu cleared a space in his room, then, following the instructions, drew a complex magic circle on the floor with Saint Quartz powder.
He stood within the circle, holding the Scepter, channeling his mana into the array, and began chanting… The incantation was more like a hymn, praising the Goddess of Holy Light, begging for her mercy and blessings.
And it was long.
He, who rarely used incantations, stumbled several times.
After several attempts, he finally managed to recite it perfectly.
Then, he looked around, puzzled. Nothing had changed. He was still in his room, holding the Scepter, standing within the magic circle.
So, it was just a legend, after all.
He was about to give up when he felt a sudden heat on his wrist. His eyelids twitched, and he saw the Goddess’s Hair, glowing faintly, detaching itself from his wrist, swirling around his hand, then… wrapping itself around the Scepter.
Buzz…
A dark vortex, like a black hole, appeared above the Scepter.
It was like a portal, leading to an unknown destination.
Huh?
He was surprised. Had it actually worked?
It seemed to be… inviting him to enter. Was this the path to the Goddess of Holy Light?
As if he could simply step through it, bypassing the constraints of space.
But he hesitated.
This wasn’t how he had imagined contacting her.
He had expected a mental connection, a divine message echoing in his mind.
But this seemed to require his physical presence.
This wasn’t good.
He had to consider the implications. If he met her physically… where was she?
In the Void, within that cage.
That wasn’t a pleasant place. He hadn’t forgotten its massive bars, the countless chains wrapped around it, each held by an Evil God.
What if he entered and couldn’t return? The Goddess could withstand the Evil Gods’ influence, but he couldn’t.
So, despite having seemingly achieved what Augustus had failed to do for a lifetime, he decided against it.
He wouldn’t go, despite his curiosity.
He was about to leave the magic circle when the vortex above him suddenly began to spin rapidly, pulling him towards it with a powerful force.
It seemed intent on swallowing him whole. He channeled his battle qi, trying to resist.
But just then, a slender, pale hand, its skin flawless, radiating a faint light, reached out from the vortex.
Even a mere glimpse of that hand was enough to inspire awe, its beauty otherworldly.
The hand grabbed his collar and pulled him into the vortex.
Chapter 400: Completely Drained
Wait, what the…?
Before Qin Chu could even utter a sound, an irresistible force emanated from that delicate hand, pulling him into the swirling vortex.
The sensation was unpleasant, like riding a roller coaster at a hundred, a thousand times the normal speed. Even he felt a wave of nausea.
A kaleidoscope of colors flashed before his eyes.
He lost all sense of time, unsure of how long he had been traveling, or how far.
It felt like an instant, and also like an eternity.
Then, he felt a soft, warm light on his face, and he slowly opened his eyes.
A brilliant, white light filled his vision, and he instinctively raised his arm to shield his eyes.
He looked around. Beneath his feet was a smooth, white surface, like porcelain, gleaming faintly.
Above, the endless expanse of the Void, its vastness and grandeur almost incomprehensible, making him feel utterly insignificant.
Like a grain of sand in the desert, a krill in the vast ocean…
Massive metal pillars, like a silver river, stretched across the void.
He was awestruck, standing motionless on the smooth, white surface. After a long moment, he finally turned his gaze towards a figure beside him.
And his heart skipped a beat, his body instinctively recoiling.
It was like a normal human encountering a thousand-meter tall statue…
Except this wasn’t a cold, unmoving statue, but a living, breathing being.
Despite her immense size, her figure was perfectly proportioned, her skin flawless, like polished jade, clad in a flowing white dress.
Her long hair cascaded down her back, swaying gently.
He felt as if his mind, his very soul, had been captured, held captive by her beauty.
He stood there, mesmerized.
He knew who she was.
The Goddess of Holy Light.
He had seen her before, but her beauty, her otherworldly presence, still made his heart skip a beat… no, his heart almost stopped.
Her face, shrouded in holy light, was indistinct, but he knew that no matter how beautiful he imagined her to be, it wouldn’t compare to the reality.
He now knew where he was.
The Void.
The Goddess’s prison.
The massive metal pillars were the bars of her cage.
And he was standing… damn it… on her palm. The smooth, white surface he had mistaken for porcelain.
Compared to her, he was smaller than an ant.
He felt a pang of guilt. Was this… sacrilege?
He had contacted her with the Scepter, and she had brought him here, into her presence… he wondered if Augustus would be turning in his grave.
He knew he had been able to contact her so easily because of the Goddess’s Hair.
It was like a conduit, connecting him to her.
Despite his usual boldness, he felt a strange shyness in her presence, unsure how to address her.
But she didn’t seem offended, even emanating a faint… happiness.
She hadn’t seen another living being in a long time, aside from those seven grotesque creatures.
She shifted slightly within her massive cage, her hand gently adjusting her dress as she leaned against the bars, sitting down.
The movement stretched the fabric of her dress, accentuating her curves.
Her hand had seemed so small when it had pulled him into the vortex. Why was it so large now? It was slightly terrifying.
She raised her hand, then, as if fearing she might crush him, she curled her fingers, extending only her pinky, gently stroking his head, as if he were a… toy.
Perhaps she was simply bored.
The sensation was… strange.
He had so many questions.
But as he opened his mouth to speak, she raised a finger to her… lips, or rather, where her lips would be if he could see her face.
“Shhh…”
Her voice echoed directly in his mind. It was the first time he had heard her speak.
Did she want him to be quiet?
He glanced around, wondering if she was worried about being overheard by those seven creatures.
He sensed a faint regret emanating from her.
She hadn’t seen another living being in so long, but those creatures were constantly watching her.
Her hand, which had been stroking his head, now cupped him gently, lifting him towards her… chest.
Then…
Buzz…
His vision went black.
All the energy within him was instantly drained.
The sudden emptiness made his head spin.
What… what was that?
He felt a faint apology from her.
Then, her hand opened, revealing him, pale and drained.
He felt utterly exhausted, more so than after treating both Sylph and Athena simultaneously.
As he lay there, gasping for breath, her hand lifted him again, towards her… lips.
Was she going to… eat him?
Fortunately, she didn’t.
He felt a tickling sensation in his ear, and he heard her voice, a soft whisper: “Seven days.”
Seven days?
What did that mean?
Should he meet her again in seven days?
Before he could understand, the world spun, and he was pulled back through the vortex.
He opened his eyes. He was back in his room, the magic circle still on the floor, the Scepter lying beside it, thankfully undamaged.
And Sylph and Athena were there, their faces filled with concern. Seeing him reappear, they both relaxed.
He swayed, almost falling.
Sylph quickly caught him, helping him sit on the bed, her brow furrowed: “Can’t you just… rest for a while? And why didn’t you have anyone guarding you?”
He forced a smile, his breathing ragged.
“Sylph, Athena, what are you doing here? How long was I gone?” After a while, his exhaustion subsided slightly.
Being completely drained of energy was dangerous for any mage or warrior. Even if their Mana Core and Battle Origin remained intact, it would still take months to recover.
But he recovered much faster, the second heart within him beating rapidly, replenishing his energy. He would be fine within a day.
Sylph and Athena exchanged glances: “Three days.”
Three days? That was… acceptable.
They had many questions. They had come for treatment, as Shaye had instructed, but he had vanished, leaving only the magic circle.
Sylph had immediately informed Shaye.
Shaye hadn’t known the cause, being separated from him.
She had instructed them to stay and guard him.
Seeing his pale face, they had assumed he needed time to recover, so they hadn’t disturbed him.
Qin Chu replayed the events of the past three days in his mind, finally understanding.
The Goddess of Holy Light… was incredibly weak!
