Chapter 49: The Player’s Revelation

Pant… pant….

Having barely escaped death, Ariana gasped in terror. She found herself in an underground cavern, more than a hundred meters beneath the surface.

Moments before the light-sword could cleave her, she had invoked a secret art, teleporting herself to the earth’s ley lines—a technique colloquially known as ‘Earth Evasion Magic’.

“Damn it!”

The undignified escape left Ariana seething with indignation.

She gnashed her teeth in fury; never since becoming a Bishop of the Abyss had she endured such humiliation.

Yet, within seconds, she regained her composure, recognizing that facing such an opponent would merely be an act of suicide, leaving her no choice but to concede.

Spreading her consciousness, she confirmed the current state of the magic array.

All the nodes and channels of the array had been purged by the moonlight torrent, and the main conduit, originally intended for corruption and transmission, had been severed by a single sword stroke.

Their years-long preparations had been utterly reset, reverting instantly to their initial state, as if formatted.

“Fortunately, we still have a backup plan.”

A flicker of hope ignited in Ariana’s eyes.

Manipulating the mystic stone in her hand, she followed the earth’s ley lines to a location beneath the mountain range north of the town.

The confined space suddenly opened up.

One hundred meters deep within the earth lay an ancient altar dedicated to an evil god, the very genesis of their entire scheme.

From this pivotal point, she could reactivate the array and, by harnessing the power of the Lord’s worldly descent, if only for a fleeting moment, eliminate that troublesome ‘milk cow’.

Though the Lord’s form would be incomplete in such a state, His mere presence would allow them to offer the entire demon race as a sacrifice, a means to perfect His physical manifestation—a notion far from mere fantasy!

Then, the entire world would be enveloped by the shadows of the Abyss!

Ariana’s eyes blazed with fanaticism.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she lay down in the center of the altar, surrounded by defiled and malevolent murals and statues, evoking the sinister ritual of a live sacrifice.

She tightly closed her eyes, preparing to offer herself as a vessel for the temporary descent of the Lord of the Abyss, when suddenly, the words of that pure white ‘milk cow’ echoed in her mind:

“You are merely a lost, wandering soul.”

“To contend with me, you must at least understand what it is you truly desire, mustn’t you?”

The sudden intrusive thoughts caused her to frown slightly.

She hastily shook her head, as if to banish those vexing echoes.

‘No, no, the Lord’s descent is the utmost priority now.’

She forced herself to clear her mind, her hands clasped before her.

Complex and obscure ancient incantations spilled from her lips, their essence being an offering of herself.

Yet, Noah’s words persisted, like bothersome ants, causing Ariana to misrecite the spell twice.

Fortunately, these errors occurred only in the prelude, making their impact negligible.

An error during the transitional phase, however, could transform her into a twisted, irrational monstrosity, neither fully human nor fully divine.

‘This time, I must succeed!’ Ariana silently resolved.

Just as she was about to chant the incantation upon this altar, hidden from all eyes and undisturbed by any, Ariana suddenly felt her body lighten, experiencing a sensation of rising as if freed from gravity.

However, it wasn’t she who was ascending; rather, everything around her, including herself, was moving upwards.

“No way!?”

Ariana remained firmly fixed to the altar by gravity, while the surrounding statues and murals disintegrated under the immense rising force.

The potent magic unleashed by an ancient spell was causing the entire mountain to ascend.

Once the entire underground cavern was swallowed by the ascending earth, Ariana found herself soaring into the air, where Noah, clad in a Western dress and wearing a serene smile, watched her while gently fanning her dragon wings.

It was akin to a beautiful young doctor smiling benignly at Ariana on a hospital bed, almost saying, ‘You’re awake! You’re a girl now.’

A pristine full moon floated behind her, the boundless night sky dotted with faint stars, all serving to accentuate Noah’s beauty, making her appear as sacred as a goddess.

‘Does this woman toss forbidden spells around like toys?’

Ariana tilted her head, glancing at the mountain peak, which now sat nearly a hundred meters lower.

Despair flickered in her hollow eyes.

Forbidden Spell: Mountain Shift and Ridge Removal.

Such a feat was utterly beyond the capabilities of any single human or demon mage; its caster would be drained entirely before completion, hence its classification as a forbidden spell.

Yet, the woman before her, smiling so charmingly, bore no discernible burden.

Her flawless, pretty face remained as fair and rosy as ever, and her soft, plump bosom bounced subtly with vibrant elasticity, as if proclaiming a maiden’s playful exuberance.

Thus, Ariana closed her eyes in utter despair, feeling as though she had burned out, turning into pale ash.

‘What more could she possibly do against such an unearthly monster?’

‘All she could do now was pray that whatever came next wouldn’t be too strangely severe.’

A coffin of white jade now imprisoned Ariana within.

Its rather girlish decorations made it seem less like a coffin and more like a bridal carriage.

Noah hummed a little tune, the white jade coffin floating behind her.

The full moon night sky had once again transformed into a cloudless blue sky, a beautiful day perfect for an outing.

“Well then~, the ritual’s been ruined~, the mastermind’s been caught~, so I’ll leave the aftermath to those loyal knights~. I’ll also check where Clennina is, and then I’ll go back to the Demon Lord to claim my reward~.”

Descending onto the quiet town streets, now devoid of evil aura, Noah walked towards the blood-red coffin nearby.

Her exaggeratedly voluminous, ‘bursting’ bosom jiggled tantalizingly with each step, swaying up and down with Noah’s humming.

It seemed as though they might leap free at any moment, her pristine white bandeau barely restraining the unrestrained ‘waves’.

“Hm?”

Suddenly, Noah’s humming ceased, her smile froze.

With alarm bells blaring in her mind, she swiftly dodged a hand that reached out from the void.

“You actually detected me. How incredible.”

The man, who had materialized from intangibility, appeared in the air as if stepping into reality, the same man who sought Clennina’s soul and collaborated with the Abyssal Church.

The man possessed a refined and amiable countenance, a subtle, fleeting smile playing on his lips.

Clad in wine-red trousers and a waistcoat, a white shirt, and square, black-rimmed glasses, he resembled an affable artist.

However, while Noah’s smile conveyed sincerity and purity, this man’s smile seemed to conceal something; though outwardly cordial, it carried the unsettling impression of a flimsy mask.

“You are… a Player?”

Noah gazed at the man before her, speaking with a hint of astonishment.

This was the first Player she had encountered since becoming Noah.

“Indeed. A pleasure to meet you, or rather, it’s been a long time, Bai Tong.”

The man’s face held a pleasant smile as he revealed Noah’s other identity with a single remark.

Ordinarily, having one’s identity exposed would evoke tension and wariness.

Yet, the carefree Noah merely tilted her head in confusion, asking, bewildered,

“And you are… who, precisely?”