Chapter 42: The Seventh Day and a Divine Revelation

It seemed to be the seventh day of Aldoran’s coma.

Qing Yu remained uncertain, hesitant to trust his own conjectures, for the world beyond the window remained shrouded in an impenetrable mist. It blurred the lines between night and day, painting everything in an endless expanse of white, devoid of any other color.

He wondered how much longer these days would stretch on. With the room’s provisions of food and water dwindling rapidly, Qing Yu could do little more than pace the room in anxious frustration, utterly bereft of any idea how to resolve their predicament.

To compound their woes, Thrud had also vanished without a trace. Since Qing Yu had awakened, he hadn’t seen her. There were no signs of disturbance within the room; even Thrud’s customary water cup rested undisturbed on the table, its slightly warm water mirroring the intricate pattern of a spiderweb on the ceiling.

Like Liliya before her, she had simply vanished into thin air.

With their last remaining combatant gone, Qing Yu could only pray for a miracle, for Aldoran to awaken swiftly and extricate them from this desperate situation.

“Oh, Aldoran, please wake up.”

Qing Yu paced the room restlessly, his prayers a fervent, desperate murmur.

His own strength was pitifully meager; he couldn’t even defend himself, let alone resolve their predicament. In this unforgiving environment, without protection, his demise was all but certain.

“Tick-tock, tick-tock.”

The clock on the wall continued its relentless march, its ceaseless second hand emitting an unnerving ‘tick-tock.’ The circular black ornament at its center now seemed to transform into a watchful eye, silently scrutinizing Qing Yu’s every anxious movement.

“Tick-tock, tick-tock.”

“Tick-tock, tick-tock.”

As the minute hand neared the completion of its second circuit, Qing Yu at last halted his pacing. He leaned over Aldoran’s bedside, his hands resting lightly on the quilt, his gaze fixed on her gently rising and falling chest. His teeth worried his lower lip, a nervous habit.

He clasped his hands together, his eyes tracing the serene lines of Aldoran’s face. The room was so profoundly quiet that Qing Yu could effortlessly discern the faint, rhythmic sound of her breathing.

“Aldoran, please, awaken soon.”

Murmuring softly, Qing Yu instinctively reached beneath the covers, hoping to grasp Aldoran’s warm palm and draw some solace from her touch.

Yet, what his fingers encountered was not the soft warmth of a palm, but the unyielding chill of a gemstone.

The instant Qing Yu’s hand brushed against the gem, a soft, pale blue radiance erupted from the narrow crevice between the quilt and the mattress, casting its ethereal glow upon his face.

Intertwining with it, a delicate pink and golden light emanated from the gem on Qing Yu’s collar, weaving and merging with the pale blue. A fragrant aroma once again filled the air, and a strange sense of profound peace settled over Qing Yu’s heart.

“Uh…”

Qing Yu instinctively released his grip, stumbling back a few steps.

He watched as two beams of pure white light burst forth from the crevice, spiraling upwards, merging, and revolving in the air. After completing two graceful rotations around the room, they settled before Qing Yu.

The peculiar aroma slowly faded, and the room became drenched in the pure white luminescence, its intensity forcing Qing Yu to squint.

“Lord Qing Yu.”

“Lord Qing Yu, please open your eyes.”

The blinding brilliance gradually softened, and two voices called out near Qing Yu’s ears. Amidst the receding light, Qing Yu slowly, tentatively, opened his eyes, glancing around with a bewildered expression.

His gaze ultimately settled upon the two young women standing before him.

Both young women possessed pointed, bestial ears, and cascades of glossy black hair flowed freely down their backs. Their hands, devoid of fingers, were instead tipped with five sharp, formidable claws. Thick fur extended from these talons, creeping up their arms until it receded at their elbows.

Outwardly, the two appeared almost perfectly identical, their only discernible difference being the color of their pupils.

One girl’s eyes glowed with a vibrant violet, while the other’s were a deep, obsidian black.

Furthermore, the violet-eyed girl held an instrument Qing Yu had never encountered.

“Y-y-you, who are you?” Qing Yu stammered, his voice laced with shock as he stumbled backward and landed on the floor, pointing a trembling finger at the two young women.

“Lord Qing Yu, greetings.” The black-eyed girl was the first to extend a graceful hand towards him. “I am Kills. Have you forgotten? We have met previously.”

“Met?” Qing Yu questioned, gesturing to himself as he regarded the girl named Kills with a curious gaze. “We?”

Kills nodded.

“Yes, it was I who delivered the news of Lord Aldoran’s injury to you before. Have you truly forgotten?”

Qing Yu suddenly recalled that during their time in Liliya’s tribe, this very young woman had indeed ridden through the night to deliver the urgent news of Lord Aldoran’s injury.

“Then, how did you suddenly appear here?” Qing Yu swallowed, a nascent flicker of hope igniting in his eyes.

If that were the case, these two young women must be allies of Aldoran. With two additional combatants, their chances of escaping this dire situation would surely improve.

“My name is Jess.” The violet-eyed girl stepped forward, introducing herself before exchanging a glance with Kills, then turning back to Qing Yu. She continued, “We are Lord Aldoran’s personal guards, tasked with assisting her.”

“R-really?!” Qing Yu exclaimed, springing to his feet, his eyes now alight with burgeoning hope.

As Aldoran’s personal guards, they undoubtedly possessed formidable strength and exceptional combat prowess.

“Yes, that is correct. Kills and I have long observed the events you and Lord Aldoran have endured from within Lord Aldoran’s bracelet. Our inability to assist stemmed from the fact that no one had released us.”

Jess approached Qing Yu, her gaze unwavering.

“We are grateful for your liberation of us.”

“But… how exactly did I release you?” Qing Yu asked, a look of utter bewilderment on his face. He had merely touched Aldoran’s bracelet; how could that have freed them?

“To release us, someone merely needs to infuse the bracelet with a touch of divine power from the outside. Therefore, beyond Lord Aldoran, you, as the Divine Consort, also possess the ability to summon us.”

Kills elucidated, while Jess, after a brief glance at Kills’ expression, edged closer to Qing Yu and sniffed at his neck.

“Ah, well, Aldoran is still present. This feels… inappropriate.” Qing Yu’s cheeks flushed faintly as he met the young woman’s stern gaze.

“My apologies, Lord Qing Yu. I meant no disrespect to either you or Lord Aldoran, but my curiosity is piqued.” Jess retreated a few steps, her eyes sweeping over Qing Yu, a clear bewilderment etched upon her features.

“Lord Qing Yu, that power appears not to be your own, but rather that of another deity. Might I inquire if you have recently encountered or allied with a new divine being?”

“A new deity?!” Qing Yu froze, taken aback.

‘A new deity? Had he and Aldoran truly encountered a new god in this small town?’

‘That was utterly impossible!’

Qing Yu was momentarily plunged into profound shock.

Yet, after the initial jolt of surprise, he still sought to answer Jess’s query. After all, if another deity truly resided in this town, discovering and recruiting them would undoubtedly provide a formidable and reliable ally. However, after a thorough mental review, Qing Yu reluctantly shook his head, a hint of disappointment clouding his features.

“I don’t believe I’ve encountered any deities. Beyond Aldoran, my most frequent companions have been Liliya and Thrud—one an ordinary Harpy maiden, the other a demigod.”

“However…”

Qing Yu tapped his temple, lost in thought for a few more seconds.

“Upon our arrival here, we did interact with someone who introduced herself as Ms. R. We also had dealings with Aldoran’s former teacher, Mrs. Simpson, and subsequently, the landlady of a local restaurant.”

“Only those individuals?” Jess inquired. Qing Yu nodded in affirmation.

“I see.” Kills took Jess’s hand, meeting her eyes before turning her gaze to Qing Yu. After a few moments of contemplation, she nodded slightly. “Then it must be Ms. R. Only the two flowers she bestowed upon you and Lord Aldoran could have transmitted such energy.”

“The energy that summoned us, without question, originated from those two flowers.”

“Precisely. I sensed it as well. From the very first moment Lord Aldoran attempted to convert that energy, I felt it. Such pristine power could only emanate from a divine source.” Jess nodded resolutely, then began conversing with Kills, seemingly oblivious to Qing Yu.

“Wait, wait, wait!” Qing Yu interjected, halting their conversation. The sheer volume of information was overwhelming, leaving him momentarily unsure how to process it.

“Are you suggesting that Ms. R might be a new deity?”

“We are merely speculating. After all, we cannot definitively ascertain whether there are other forces at play behind her.” Jess offered a shrug.

“However, that was unequivocally divine power,” Kills added, her voice firm. “There can be no error; only deities possess such an unblemished force.”

‘A deity? Ms. R, a deity?’

‘This was utterly preposterous! He and Aldoran had simply arrived in this town, chosen a random restaurant for a meal, and by sheer coincidence, stumbled upon a god?’

“But as of yet, I haven’t observed any gems or other symbols of divinity upon Ms. R!” Qing Yu burst out, his voice laced with astonishment.

By all accounts, those chosen as deities were meant to bear their own Mark of Fate. Yet, he had detected no such emblem upon Ms. R.

“We are equally perplexed by this,” Jess responded. She tilted her head, a look of profound curiosity on her face. “Logically, if she were a deity chosen by the Mark of Fate, we should be able to perceive her name and corresponding information.

“However, we are entirely unable to sense any information related to this god; we cannot even ascertain her name. We know absolutely nothing about her.”

“This is truly strange.”

Qing Yu furrowed his brow, lost in troubled thought.

“More importantly…” Jess lowered her head, her eyes filled with a complex blend of confusion. She gazed at the unconscious Aldoran lying on the bed, her eyes narrowed, her brow furrowed. “Her power bears a resemblance to Lord Aldoran’s, yet it is entirely distinct. By all rights, such a thing should not be possible…”

“Similar to Aldoran?!” Qing Yu exclaimed, once again shocked by her words. He found himself increasingly bewildered. Could there truly be two Odins in this world, vying for supremacy?

‘Who would become the Lord of the Gods?’

Otherwise, how could such power, similar to Aldoran’s, be explained?

“Qing Yu! Qing Yu!”

Just as they were all grappling with this enigma, a violent knocking suddenly erupted from outside the door, accompanied by an unfamiliar woman’s voice.

“Qing Yu! Qing Yu! Open the door!”

“I am Roalsa! Commander of the Town’s Knights!”