Chapter 216: Embracing the Hero’s Thigh
Thick chains pierced the stone slabs at the top of the pillars, seemingly extending into the abyss, and at the foot of the pillars, a circular altar.
This had once been a sacrificial square, but time had taken its toll, and the altar had crumbled.
Only a half-body statue remained in the center of the altar, about three meters tall, holding a scepter, wearing a silver helmet.
It was a male figure, clad in heavy armor, with dark red markings.
His body was pyramidal, with six arms on each side, holding various weapons: axes, hooks, shields, swords, bows…
His fierce expression and bronze-bell-like eyes were intimidating, even in stillness.
“A wicked god.”
Lena walked behind the statue, noticing a wolf-like tail, her gaze falling. “Mehmet?”
A tablet inscribed with the legend of this fallen god.
The indomitable wolf god, bringing good fortune, dispelling evil, controlling frost and the north wind.
“What a tragic death, stabbed by the woman he loved, then discovering his child wasn’t his, a true cuckold.”
Lena sighed, but also felt a sense of luck. “Let me take this fragmented consciousness…”
She sat before the towering statue, her fingertips touching the stone, feeling its aura.
The aura was similar to hers, but more condensed, more powerful, a world-destroying force, far beyond her current abilities…
“A being of this rank, even a fragment of its soul, is probably enough to kill all those scumbags outside.”
This was a legendary being, on par with the gods.
Snow walked over, standing quietly behind Lena.
The process of taking the fragmented soul was smooth, Lena using her abyssal power to crush it, converting it into pure magic power, which flowed through her body, becoming her own.
“Let’s go.”
Lena stood up, her appearance unchanged.
But Snow could clearly feel Lena’s increased power, like a new forest growing on a mountain, the vibrant green color like a filter in Snow’s eyes.
“You’re about to advance.”
Snow tilted her head, her expression cute.
Lena couldn’t help but touch her face. “It’s all thanks to you.”
If it weren’t for Snow, she wouldn’t have found this place.
The hero’s luck was like triggering a hidden quest in a beginner’s area, the high-level equipment, which should have been restricted, now hers for the taking.
Even the world’s consciousness wouldn’t have anticipated such a loophole.
And all Lena had to do was follow Snow, taking what Snow couldn’t handle, a simple escort mission.
This was much easier than painstakingly cultivating her own strength.
“What did you find? There are many treasures here.” Lena asked about Snow’s progress, seeing her empty-handed, she offered comfort. “It seems there wasn’t anything suitable, don’t be discouraged…”
“This.”
Snow held up her right arm, revealing a magic rune on the back of her hand, glowing with a strange light.
“When…” Lena stared, the food in her stomach suddenly tasting bland.
“Just now.”
Snow had felt an itch on her hand upon entering the ruins, like something was growing, she had tried to rub it off, but to no avail.
She didn’t understand, so she asked Lena, “What is this?”
Her small, white hand was soft and delicate.
Lena gently stroked the back of Snow’s hand, her fingers lingering on the mark, then she said softly, “A Divine Artifact!”
“A Divine Artifact?”
Another term Snow didn’t understand. Lena was so amazing, she knew so much…
“Every god possesses a unique authority and power. After their fall, these scattered powers spread across the land, becoming the various races we see today.”
“Of course, there are exceptions, some gods, unwilling to die so ignominiously, prepare a place for their fall, and a corresponding trial, their spirit enduring, the one who passes the trial gains their power, a kind of inheritance.”
Lena explained, and Snow listened attentively, nodding occasionally. “So, this is a Divine Artifact?”
But there was no trial, she hadn’t encountered anything.
“It’s probably because your profession and conditions met the requirements…”
Lena didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
She was so envious, getting a Divine Artifact without doing anything.
As expected of the protagonist, finding a divine artifact just by walking around, and a Divine Artifact at that, something mortals couldn’t even touch.
“Quick, see what kind of Divine Artifact it is!”
Lena was more anxious than Snow.
She couldn’t stand seeing her brother suffer, but she was also afraid of him getting a Lamborghini, that’s how she felt.
Remembering the treasure map in her possession, Lena’s desire to see a Divine Artifact intensified.
[Frozen Territory]
Frost energy gathered at Snow’s fingertips, then erupted.
A torrent of cold swept through the ruins, her silver hair whipping in the wind, her small body struggling to stay upright, Lena barely managing to hold her ground.
The world turned white, like a canvas splashed with white paint.
White, a color containing all the colors of the spectrum. Milk, freshly fallen snow, lambs, doves, and blooming lilies… the primordial white, the source of all colors, covering everything…
“…”
Lena exhaled, warming her hands, then searched for Snow.
But the ground was covered in fifty centimeters of snow, a winter wonderland in just a few minutes, finding someone in this vast expanse of white was difficult.
“This is the power of a god…”
Lena clicked her tongue.
If she had such power, she could easily destroy a country.
“Lena.”
Suddenly, a soft, cold voice called out.
In the icy snow, a pair of pale eyes were hard to spot, but Lena found Snow immediately.
The cold, frost-like girl was looking up at something.
“Your eyes…”
Lena walked over, turning Snow’s shoulders, and gasped.
Snow’s crimson eyes had turned completely white, clear and translucent, like colorless glass, incredibly beautiful.
Now, Snow was completely devoid of color.
Her silver-white hair, her long, white eyelashes, and her pale, milky skin, a true ice beauty, without a hint of blood.
“It’s cold.”
Snow spoke, her breath like ice, making Lena shiver.
“Please hug me, Lena.”
Snow looked at her, her voice pleading, like a cry for help. “Cold…”
After merging with Mehmet’s power, Snow’s body had undergone a dramatic transformation.
Because of the divine power, she now possessed some of Mehmet’s divinity.
Snow was no longer human, but a divine retainer—a famulus of the god, Mehmet’s representative in the mortal world.
Lena embraced Snow, her arms wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her close.
Snow’s body was trembling, her temperature low, like a block of ice.
“Feeling better?”
Lena’s voice was as gentle as possible.
Although she had never merged with a Divine Artifact, she could tell from Snow’s reaction how painful it was.
For a rank three, merging with a Divine Artifact was too much.
“If you’re cold, hold on tight, I’ll hold you~”
Lena couldn’t relax, at this critical moment, winning Snow’s heart was the top priority.
Snow had never shown weakness or asked for help, and Lena had broken through this barrier several times, gradually occupying Snow’s heart.
“Hold me…”
Snow’s cold cheek pressed against Lena’s neck.
“…Mm.”
Lena hesitated, then unbuttoned her shirt, their skin touching.
A clash of hot and cold, a strange sensation spreading through their bodies.
“Still cold… cold, Lena…”
Snow’s lips were frozen, chattering.
Lena quickly took off her clothes and wrapped them around Snow, like a cocoon, holding her tightly.
“How about now, better?”
A mist formed in Snow’s white eyes, her heart aching.
She couldn’t control the thoughts swirling in her mind, her chest tightening.
Like a lost child returning home, seeing her parents, trying to act strong, but their gentle words breaking her down.
This feeling of wanting to cry was unbearable.
Snow finally succumbed, burying her face in Lena’s neck, sobbing silently…
“If you’re upset, just say it, don’t keep it bottled up.”
Lena’s lingerie was beautiful, two thin straps holding up her ample bosom. Snow suddenly looked up, two tear stains on her cheeks, her expression blank. “You’re not cold…?”
Lena chuckled. “Of course I’m cold, but there’s someone colder than me here.”
Snow felt even more guilty.
Her ears flushed a deep red.
She wrapped the coat tighter around herself, her silver eyelashes fluttering. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, it’s not your fault, I understand your desire for power, because my wife is the same, always striving to help others, like a clueless little idiot, hehe~”
“…”
“Ah, I’m not calling you that, it’s a term of endearment.”
Lena quickly explained.
Snow nodded, she understood.
Lena’s kindness was genuine, not fake.
Nothing was more powerful than gentleness, and nothing was gentler than true strength.
A thunderous force, yet as light as a feather when it landed on you.
Gentleness was restraining one’s power for the sake of others.
Lena had never shown off her strength or looked down on Snow for being rank three.
A rank six Necromancer willing to play house with her, even helping her without asking for anything in return.
Honestly, no one could resist such a gentle approach.
Even an icy heart would melt…
“Let’s share.”
Snow unbuttoned the coat, sharing its warmth.
Lena smiled, scooping Snow up into her arms, one hand under her knees, the other around her back.
“This is better, I prefer being the one in control.”
“Mean.”
“A cold beauty’s scolding is the best~”
“Don’t awaken any strange fetishes.”
“Really? But I’ve always been like this.”
“Mean.”
Their lighthearted banter eased the tension.
The vast ruins were now covered in snow, Mehmet’s statue still standing, unmoved by the centuries…
“If there are any survivors, they’re probably in bad shape.”
Lena hadn’t forgotten their purpose, after finding the survivors, they had to return to the surface, save as many as they could, and hand them over to the empire.
But—
A man in a black raincoat appeared before them, his dark figure a stark contrast to the white snow.
“Lena Falmouth, and Your Excellency, the Hero, please come with me.”
Hecate removed his hood, his aura contained, his voice calm.
“Who are you?”
Lena narrowed her eyes.
“Hecate,” he introduced himself. “We met a few years ago, you threw a glass of red wine at me, because I refused to marry my sister to you, remember?”
Damn it!
Lena remembered now.
Her past indiscretions had come back to haunt her. Was Hecate here for revenge?
“Alright, alright, let’s calm down, we can talk about this.”
Lena didn’t want to fight Hecate here, their powers were evenly matched, a fight would be devastating, and Snow might get hurt.
“Ahem, I was wrong about what happened before, your sister is a brilliant woman, a pillar of the empire, her future is limitless, she doesn’t need to be associated with a scoundrel like me…”
Knowing when to be humble was a skill.
Lena tried to flatter Hecate’s sister, demeaning herself.
“You misunderstand, Miss Falmouth,” Hecate frowned, clearly not wanting to discuss this. “Her Highness, the Princess, has ordered me to escort you back, in other words, I’m here to help you.”
“Diana?”
Lena hadn’t expected the little devil to be here, and she had even sent someone to escort her through the dangerous bombardment.
She was quite thoughtful…
“It seems the person the empire is looking for is quite important, with all this bombardment and the Imperial Guard, they’re really going all out to silence them.”
Lena quickly analyzed the situation.
“Can you tell me about this person, the one you’re willing to kill civilians for…?”
Snow’s heart tightened, and she stepped down from Lena’s arms, facing Hecate without fear.
Lena’s words were now her command. If Lena showed hostility towards this person, Snow would draw [Dark Plum Blossom] without hesitation.
Seeing this, Hecate sighed. “It’s a long story…”
He recounted the history of the [Nea Cult].
Hecate turned, calling out into the distance, “Lian Lian!”
Suddenly, a fluffy, pink and purple creature emerged from the snow, its wary eyes scanning the surroundings, then it ran towards Hecate.
Leaving no tracks in the snow.
Its giant tail, like a fluttering banner, swayed in the wind, a streak of vibrant color.
