Chapter 1096: A Divine Messenger, Calculated Gamble
Chapter 1096: A Divine Messenger, Calculated Gamble
Uncertain of how long the battle would last, Orion sat comfortably on the ground, continuing to watch the live screen.
Seth and Zogar followed suit, doing the same.
Wanderlust Travelling Tortoise Runaway City
Within the Queen's Palace,
Eleanora, Ballesha, Sy'ra, and all former Wanderlust Travelling Tortoise Runaway City leaders sat quietly in the meeting hall. They had debated and argued over the reason Paradise had ordered the return of their representatives and instructed them to distance themselves from its territory. Yet, no one could figure out why!
What made matters worse was the strange phenomenon that had appeared out of nowhere, seemingly the catalyst for these sudden orders.
Although they had witnessed several astonishing phenomena within Paradise, they had never been asked to leave. Usually, they were simply told to remain calm. This unusual order made them question whether the phenomenon was natural or signalled the arrival of an enemy of Paradise.
They dared not think about the strength of such an enemy capable of triggering a
phenomenon upon their arrival. Nonetheless, if given the choice, they wouldn't hesitate to
stay.
At this point, they realized that they would much rather remain under Paradise's protection than return to their previous lives. For the first time in a long while, they had experienced what it felt like to live without constant worry about the state of the world.
Paradise made them feel safe and secure!
Suddenly, the room dimmed, and a bright ball of light appeared a short distance from the entrance door.
"What's going on?" Ballesha's voice trembled through the room. As the weakest among them, she was more anxious about a sudden attack, and the current situation only heightened her fears.
"Stand behind me," Eleanora said, pulling her sister close. Her eyes were fixed on the expanding ball of light.
The leaders stood beside one another, preparing to attack if the figure before them proved hostile. Their foreheads were slowly drenched with sweat.
Commander Sy'ra stood at the forefront, her hand gripping her newly enhanced Gearweaver. The figure gradually became clearer until it revealed a beautiful young woman with dark skin and long, golden hair streaked with black and white, flowing downwards in waves.
She wore a golden dress adorned with numerous gems and crystals, and her neck, arms, waist, and ankles glittered with golden and gemstone jewellery. On her feet were golden shoes set with rubies and other precious stones. The woman exuded an otherworldly aura.
A wave of oppressive energy immediately descended upon the meeting hall.
Sy'ra and everyone else instantly collapsed to their knees, unable to raise their heads or move any part of their bodies. A sudden thought flashed through their minds, sending a shiver down their spines.
Is this the enemy Paradise is facing?
However, the woman's following words brought both relief, but the tension remained.
"I've come to deliver a message from the Supreme Leader of Paradise..." Ilse said, her gaze sweeping over the kneeling figures of the former leaders of the Wanderlust Travelling Tortoise Runaway City as she relayed her message.
It hadn't taken much effort for her to find them, apart from reading a few memories of the city's inhabitants. Even so, she was astonished by what she had learned about the current state of the world. This made her opinion of Orion and Paradise rise to another level.
After finishing her message, Ilse added, "That's all. Continue along this path, and you'll encounter them. Be sure to prepare for any ambush. That's all I have to deliver to you."
Just as Ilse began condensing into a ball of light once more, Eleanora's voice echoed in the air, "Since you've personally come to deliver such important information, surely you won't leave without telling us your name so we may properly greet you next time." She swiftly stepped forward and bowed before Ilse.
After learning that the woman before them had come to deliver a warning about the Stowaways approaching, she was no longer worried about Paradise sending them away. Instead, she focused on understanding why Paradise had given such an order.
As for dealing with the Stowaways, they encountered them lurking during their journey into this territory. The Stowaways were weak and easy to handle, so she wasn't concerned about them.
"I am Ilse, the goddess of treasures. You may address me as Goddess Ilse in the future," Ilse replied, her form condensing into a ball of light before vanishing from the room.
The meeting hall regained its brightness, but it was so quiet that the only sounds were the former leaders of Wanderlust Travelling Tortoise Runaway City's heavy breathing, which echoed throughout the room as their chests heaved rapidly, their minds reeling from the information they had just received.
A goddess! Paradise had sent a goddess as a messenger to deliver a message to them!!
Eleanora couldn't help but stumble to the ground, her hands pressed against it to keep herself
upright.
Suddenly, their thoughts circled back to their earlier concerns. If Paradise could send a goddess and a messenger and was so uncertain about their safety that they had ordered them to leave, didn't that imply their enemies were also on the level of a divine being?
Their breathing grew heavier as the realization sank in.
"Did everyone not hear what she said? Commander Sy'ra, shouldn't you be mobilizing our gods' chosens to capture those Stowaways and present them to Paradise?" Ballesha's voice suddenly rang out, breaking the silence.
"You are right, Princess Ballesha. I'll get started immediately," Sy'ra replied, rising to her feet. She quickly helped Eleanora and bowed toward her and Ballesha before swiftly leaving the meeting hall.
The other leaders rose to their feet one by one. Each turned and bowed to Eleanora and Ballesha before quietly exiting the hall, needing more time to calm their minds after their sudden encounter with a goddess.
"Let's go. I want to personally watch Sy'ra capture the Stowaways so we can properly thank her for granting us this encounter with a goddess," Eleanora said, glancing at Ballesha before turning and exiting the meeting hall.
Ballesha snorted but followed closely behind her. Despite her calm demeanour, her heart was still riddled with shock.
Ballesha suddenly realized that dedicating her life to Paradise might lead to more than just the satisfaction of killing her sister.
....
At the Edge of Paradise, within the Primordial Barrier,
Ilse narrowed her eyes at the live screen, which displayed the previous location of the two Vylkr spawns and the unknown woman, as she noticed a crack in space suddenly appear. It had been eight hours since they entered the mirror realm, and they were finally showing signs of
returning.
Ilse turned her head to the side and saw that Orion, Seth, and Zogar had fallen asleep.
She flicked her finger, causing a gust of wind to turn their bodies over and immediately wakeNôv(el)B\\jnn
them from slumber.
"They'll be arriving soon," Ilse said, refocusing on the live screen.
Orion, Seth, and Zogar quickly got to their feet, their eyes fixed on the trembling space within
the live feed.
Orion narrowed his gaze, understanding that the outcome of this battle could determine the fate of Paradise. He hoped the unknown woman would emerge victorious. Suddenly, a wide rift opened in space, and two figures appeared. The first was the slender dragon Vylkr spawn, battered with severe injuries that revealed her inky black internal organs, with a greatsword piercing through her stomach. The other was the unknown woman, missing both legs and her left arm, with only her right arm gripping the handle of the greatsword embedded in the dragon Vylkr spawn.
Noticing that the injuries of the slender dragon Vylkr spawn were slowly healing as Vylkr vines intertwined with her body, Orion frowned. "Can you eliminate the Vylkr spawn and capture the unknown woman?" he asked, shifting his attention to Ilse.
Now that he had the chance to execute his plan, he wasn't willing to let it go to waste.
"Are you sure? I can easily kill both of them in their current state and ensure that Paradise is safe from any threat," Ilse replied, frowning.
Although she found herself growing increasingly curious about the current state of the world, she understood the danger these two posed if left to recover. Killing them seemed like the
safest option.
Orion shook his head. "If we eliminate them, they'll just keep coming back to investigate. It's
better to take the risk and learn about her identity. Who knows, she might even lend us a hand in dealing with these Vylkr spawns," he reasoned.
Orion knew that, despite the numerous deaths of Vylkr spawns, this could serve as a warning
to whoever sent them. But he didn't want to risk an invasion of their territory in retaliation. Even worse, if Naka, whom he knew was still alive, were to come here himself, it would be disastrous for their territory.
Ilse furrowed her brows, pondering Orion's words. After a moment, she nodded. "I'll trust
your plan this time," she said thoughtfully, her eyes fixed on Orion.
Orion's heart eased in relief.
Ilse tore open a rift in space with her right hand and immediately walked through it. The rift
healed within seconds.