[Vol. 8] Chapter 238: Flood of Arrivals
The silver-haired girl stayed silent for a moment, ignoring Constantius’s teasing and curiosity. Over the past thousand years, she had already heard this kind of question from her many times, probably more than ten. Each time, she had responded with cold silence, which only made Constantius scratch her head in frustration.
But this time, perhaps because of something that had happened far away and affected her emotions, the girl unexpectedly spoke in a calm voice.
“First of all, she’s not a fox. Second, being rational doesn’t mean having no feelings. And finally, everything I’ve done… it’s not just for her. It’s also for myself… for the belief I hold in my heart.”
“...Huh?”
Hearing this, the True Ancestor lady, who had thought she would get a cold shoulder again, was slightly surprised. But then she realized what was happening and couldn’t help letting out a small laugh.
“Oh my, oh my. Who would've thought! The mighty Lord Hen, who controls fate and has everything under control, actually has a shy side too? You say it’s not just for her, but your words are full of concern and care for her. Even if that’s true, how much of it is really for her?”
“You barely say anything most of the time, maybe one sentence in ten days. But when you recorded that video before, it was like you had ten mouths and couldn’t stop talking. Was that also because of your beliefs, Lord Hen?”
“......”
Hen glanced coldly at Constantius, and she instantly felt a chill down her spine. She realized she had accidentally said too much and quickly waved her hands awkwardly, trying to explain.
“Ahem! Uh, that... I didn’t mean to peek or anything! I just happened to walk by and saw... a tiny bit?”
Listening to the red-haired girl trying to make excuses, the goddess didn’t reply. She even turned her head away and didn’t look at her again. She simply lifted a hand slightly, and the mighty Vampire Ancestor Constantius was suddenly sucked into a silver crack that appeared beside her. It was like being flushed down a toilet. With a loud scream, she spun rapidly and disappeared without a trace.
In the end, all she managed to shout was, “You’re such a sore loser! That’s just you being mad because you’re embarrassed!”
After sending off the talkative and nosy Vampire Ancestor, the silver-haired girl’s cold expression slowly faded. She didn’t say anything more, just continued gazing at the distant stars. Her eyes, filled with divine light, seemed to pierce through space, looking toward some vast and faraway world.
There was a trace of gentleness in her gaze.
“It’s almost time, Violet… I’ll wait for you to come and find me.”
…………………………………………
Far outskirts of Saint Laos City.
Standing on a high slope, the priestess watched hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people pouring out from the outer halls of the tomb like a flood, scattering in all directions. She had triggered a strange chain of events without meaning to, and her expression grew more puzzled.
Standing beside her, the Sword Saint and the Dragon God both had different expressions on their faces. Everything that had happened so far had gone way beyond what they had expected.
“These people were probably adventurers exploring the ruins. But why are they all suddenly coming out? And there are so many! Were they all forcefully sent outside? Was it because of us?”
The Sword Saint stood with his hands behind his back. Even though the strange events kept happening, Bevis was someone who had seen many big situations and storms before. Naturally, he didn’t panic easily. After thinking for a moment, he quickly realized what the current scene might mean.
But Violet shook her head.
“It’s not that simple. I think the ruin itself has been sealed off. No one can enter for now. Otherwise, even if people were pushed out, some of them would still try to go back in. There shouldn’t be this many people leaving all at once.”
“So strange… Just saying a few words written on that carved stone caused all this to happen, and now even the ruin is affected? How can something called a ‘forbidden script’ have such incredible—”
Just as the Sword Saint was halfway through his sentence, he suddenly frowned. His greatsword, as if alive, flew out of its sheath on its own. With a sharp “zing!” it landed in Bevis’s hand, and he swung it in an instant!
“Wmmm!!!”
The sword aura shot out in all directions. Even though it was just a quick test strike, the air was torn apart by the sharp and overwhelming force. The slash aimed at a seemingly empty spot beside them. Yet a small, pale hand suddenly reached out from the air and grabbed the sword aura.
Then, with one hand, crushed it completely!
“Bang!”
The Sword Saint’s pupils shrank slightly. Without hesitation, he raised his sword and got into a battle stance.
“Who dares to spy on us!? Show yourself!”
“…Not bad at all. Your senses are sharp. Among all the mortals I’ve met, you’re probably the strongest in terms of pure skill. No wonder you’re allowed to stand beside my two sisters.”
As this pleasant and clear voice echoed, a golden flame formed a glowing door right where the Sword Saint had seen that small hand. The flames flickered, and a fair, bare foot stepped out lightly with the sound of tiny bells. Then an arm, then a body… slowly and clearly appeared as if the fire didn’t affect it at all.
Finally, a cute young girl wearing a fancy black dress, with golden hair like fire and little dragon horns on her head, fully stepped out and appeared in front of the three of them.
“But pointing your sword at me and even launching an attack, are you trying to challenge me?”
“!?”
Faced with the little girl’s emotionless, burning golden eyes, Bevis suddenly felt a heavy pressure on his chest, like a giant boulder crushing down. He could barely breathe, and his heart filled with shock.
This terrifying presence was far beyond anything he had experienced, even worse than when he once faced Tartanos alone. No, actually… there was no comparison at all.
The only reason he even thought of that name was because Tartanos had been the strongest enemy he’d ever faced. But compared to the pressure from this little girl with golden hair, even the aura of the so-called “Devourer of Magic” seemed as harmless as a baby snake.
The golden flames swirling around her body were so intense that just looking at them made Bevis’s eyes burn. Behind her, a mysterious glowing halo rose faintly, something only those with strong will could probably see. Even the way the girl had casually referred to herself hinted at a terrifying truth.
“A god… A real god… You’re a divine being! The dragon horns and tail, and those eyes… Are you the ‘Dragon God’ who appeared in the Sainz region not long ago?!”
The little girl didn’t respond to the shocked voice of the Sword Saint, who had forgotten all caution. Instead, she frowned with a serious air and let out a slightly cute “hmph.”
“You’re just a mortal. Yet without introducing your name or background, you dare to question a god’s name? You’ve got guts.”
“Okay, okay, that’s enough,” said another voice. “Look at you showing off like you're unbeatable or something. Typical kid, always acting cool. Why can’t you grow up a bit and be more mature, like me?”
Just as the little dragon girl and the Sword Saint were having their “friendly exchange,” the other Dragon God walked up without hesitation and gave the girl a solid knock on the head. Instantly, the golden flames, the divine halo, and all the overwhelming pressure around her disappeared, including the divine aura she had placed on Bevis. He finally caught his breath and relaxed, though his eyes were still full of shock.
At that moment, Violet also walked forward, smiling as she gently rubbed the little one’s head.
“Xiao Guang, you really used too much force just now. She’s still just a child~ Come here, let your sister comfort you. So, what brings you to find us all of a sudden? Did some bad guy bully you?”
Despite the bonk on her head from the dragon lady, the little Dragon God didn’t mind at all. She simply shook her head and gave the black-haired girl a gentle smile, one she wouldn’t show to outsiders.
“It’s okay, Sister. This is just one of my divine avatars. Even if it’s destroyed, it doesn’t really matter. And yes, it was my fault just now. I’ve gotten used to dealing with followers and outsiders, so I didn’t adjust in time. I should’ve been more gentle toward your friends. I apologize.”
As she spoke, the little girl respectfully lowered her head and gave a small bow to the still-shocked Sword Saint.
“I’m really sorry for the earlier offense. Yes, I am the one the world calls the ‘Dragon God,’ though that’s just a title. My name is Light. Since you’re a friend of my sisters, that makes you my friend too. So please, just call me by name, Uncle.”
“Ah? Uh…”
Even though it was just a polite gesture, Bevis was clearly frozen for a moment, unsure how to respond. He had experienced many intense situations before, but this one was clearly on another level, it almost knocked him over!
After a long pause, he finally gathered himself, quickly sheathed his greatsword, and returned the gesture with even greater respect.
“I-I wouldn’t dare… You’re far too kind, Your Divineness Dragon God. I am but a mere mortal, how could I possibly call you by your true name? I’m already deeply grateful that you didn’t punish me for my earlier offense. It’s better if I use a respectful title.”
"Oh, then do whatever you want~"
Light answered casually, clearly not interested in continuing the conversation with the flustered Sword Saint. Instead, she turned her attention to the gentle-looking priestess and the eye-rolling dragon lady beside her and asked directly:
"Sisters, was that incredible power just now something you two did?"
Violet and Xiao Guang looked at each other, and in that brief moment, they both understood what the little one was really referring to.
The priestess paused for a moment, then asked a question instead of giving an answer:
"I didn’t expect even you, thousands of miles away, to notice it. In a sense… yes, it was us. But Light, can you tell us exactly what you felt at the time?"
When the forbidden words were accidentally read aloud earlier, causing the world itself to shake, both Violet and Xiao Guang were inside the temple. As the saying goes, "One cannot see the true shape of a mountain while standing on the mountain." If Violet was right, that disturbance shouldn't have spread very far. It was probably limited to the inside of the hall.
Otherwise, judging by how Aldrich reacted, if the shockwave had truly spread across the world, every living creature below level 20 would have died instantly. Not just a few top-tier fighters noticing something was off.
So the reason Light noticed it and immediately sent an avatar to appear here must be because what she sensed from afar was different from what Violet and Xiao Guang felt inside the hall.
"Well, how should I explain this..."
As both a little sister and someone Violet treated like family, Light naturally wouldn’t hide anything from her. She frowned slightly, looked up at the seemingly empty sky, and hesitated, unsure how to describe it.
Just then, a soft and gentle female voice, as comforting as spring breeze, followed:
"In that case, let me explain. The child still lacks life experience. Even though her level is high, she misses the finer details~"
As the words faded, a soft green glow drifted out from Violet’s body. It gathered around a green-blue statue and transformed into a long-haired girl in a flowing jade-green dress.
Endless life energy instantly spread out. The plants around them on the hillside grew wildly at a speed visible to the eye, as if dancing with joy. The girl’s eyes were as calm as water, and she smiled warmly as she nodded politely to everyone present.
…What the heck?!
Feeling the girl’s aura, the Sword Saint, who had only just calmed down a bit, felt his heart skip wildly again.
They say "once bitten, twice shy," and swordmasters are known for their sharp senses. Since he had just felt that overwhelming divine presence from before, it was now much easier to recognize something similar.
Another god?!
Bevis had thought that after the battle with Tartanos, his heart was at peace and his sword path was clear, nothing could surprise him anymore. Not even when the Dragon God suddenly appeared out of thin air did he lose control of his emotions.
But now…
He rubbed his eyes, just to make sure what he was seeing and sensing wasn't an illusion.
Come on, is this a joke? That’s a real god right there!
Even with his hundreds of years of experience, Bevis had never seen a real god with his own eyes. Yet here, within just a short moment, two gods had appeared in one place, chatting and joking like it was no big deal with Violet and Xiao Guang?
The stunned Sword Saint was too shocked to even remember to greet the green-haired girl or ask for her name. But someone else didn’t seem fazed at all and turned with a playful look toward the goddess of life.
"Oh wow, even the great Miss Super-Busy showed up. Did someone poke a hole in the sky or something that made you spare a bit of your precious time to drop by~?"
Hearing the slightly sarcastic tone from the priestess, Miss Sethlin, who had also arrived in the form of an avatar, clearly understood she was still annoyed about being stood up for the divine trial earlier. Pretending not to notice the hidden meaning, she just smiled helplessly and replied:
"Well, to be honest, if this matter isn’t handled properly, we really might poke a hole in the sky. But since Violet is already here, I can guess part of what’s going on."
Hearing that, the two dragon girls and the priestess all raised their eyebrows slightly.
"What do you mean?"
Sethlin didn’t answer immediately. She glanced briefly at the Sword Saint, who had just recovered from his shock, and then at Aldrich, who was still passed out beside him. She shook her head slightly and said.
"This isn’t the place to talk. Let’s head back to the nearby city first."