Chapter 1147 - The Returning Deity Warden (1/2)
“W-What happened?”
Thomas gazed in disbelief. A few moments ago he felt the ground trembling like an earthquake and heard the bursts of anguished screams like the curses of evil spirits, which scared him into curling up instinctively. The soldiers also immediately aimed their guns ahead. Even though they knew that their weapons were no better than scrap metal in this situation, gripping onto them tightly gave them a sense of security, at the very least. No matter what, it was still better than them having nothing to rely on. After all, be it a misconception or whatnot, humans felt safer whenever they held a weapon in their hands.
Meanwhile, they realized that the thick, transparent, and sturdy ice layer emanated a dazzling white radiance. It was so glaring that some of them couldn’t open their eyes or look straight at it. Not only that, but also as this white brilliance erupted, the rumbles of the ground became stronger. They thought this place was about to collapse. Be it the floor, dome, or walls, all of them trembled as though they couldn’t withstand the overwhelming load.
“S-Say, is it better for us to leave this place?”
Gazing at this scene, Thomas couldn’t help but suggest anxiously. Well, he couldn’t be blamed. Like in Hollywood movies, this scene was as though the prior indication of a collapse and explosion after the battle between the protagonist and the final BOSS in the final juncture. Thomas admitted to being a geek, but was never as athletic as a Hollywood actor to escape in a matter of life or death.
But before anyone went along with his suggestion, Mini Bubble Gum’s ice-cold voice sounded and interrupted their thoughts.
“Hmph, trying to escape? Fine. Go ahead since you people love to die. Anyway, Big Sister and I will be waiting here. Scram if you’re leaving. I feel annoyed just looking at you people!”
“Ugh…”
Upon hearing her blunt words, the wavering crowd became speechless. They knew that without these two young ladies, they could never make it out alive. As a matter of fact, if it weren’t for the semi-circular defensive barrier in front of them now, perhaps they would have already fled. Since Mini Bubble Gum and Canary weren’t willing to leave, it wouldn’t work no matter how fiercely they yelled at the young ladies.
Meanwhile, the white radiance brightened. At a glance, everything seemed to be enveloped by it. This scene left the crowd increasingly nervous and even the silent Canary and Mini Bubble Gum who pretended to be calm also became rather concerned. After all, neither of them knew what this meant. They didn’t know if Rhode failed or succeeded. The only thing they could do now was to wait and pray for his well being.
At that moment, the white brilliance that enveloped the entire world dissipated into innumerable light dust that fluttered toward the ceiling. Shortly after, the crowd witnessed the mysterious black mist trapped inside the ice crystal dissolving and disappearing in the radiance. Not only that, but the ice crystal that even Lydia’s blade couldn’t slash also began to disintegrate. It gradually turned into bits of snowy crystals that swirled in the air along with the gales and disappeared entirely.
Kacha… Kacha…
Everyone turned to the sound of the cracks. The pyramid shrouded in white mist had revealed its original state. On its top, cracks began to appear over the surface of the enormous ice column that connected the ceiling. The cracks spread over the surface quickly and the huge ice column shattered in a loud bang. Then, a human figure emanating golden radiance appeared before Marybelle, opening her eyes and witnessing the happenings in silence. That human figure was also Marybelle, just that she was more illusory like a spirit and not a human.
“That is…”
Gazing at the young lady, everyone including Canary and Mini Bubble Gum muttered a few words and didn’t continue speaking. They lifted their heads, gazed at the fuzzy human figure, and waited patiently for an answer. They didn’t know what they would be facing next or in which direction the situation was developing into. All they could do now was to wait.
“…”
Marybelle remained equally silent. She scanned everything before her and extended her arm. Along with this movement, the magic wand and Akashic Key hovering around her landed into her palm. The young lady gripped the magic wand and tapped it forward lightly.
That was an unforgettable and mesmerizing scene. In an instant, the lifeless world sealed in ice restored its vitality. One by one, magical lamps lit up in vibrant lusters, illuminating the entire plaza. The verdant and lush vegetation grew over its surface with innumerable, beautiful flowers blooming fully. Historical dust faded away at that very moment. At a glance, the entire sacred palace was as though a brand new structure.
At that moment, the unconscious people who fell to the ground after breaking free from the restraint of the ice crystal crawled to their feet slowly. They widened their eyes, gazing at the surroundings in a daze. It wasn’t surprising that they had such bewildered expressions. After all, in the memories of these fighters, what they recalled was the battle against Chaos. Before they knew it, the enemies in front of them suddenly vanished for no apparent reason. Then, several streaks of golden radiance suddenly appeared out of thin air and Rhode’s group came walking out from within. At that moment, the nervous Canary and Mini Bubble Gum had already calmed themselves down. No matter what, it seemed like everything went well.
At least that was the case, on the surface.
“I didn’t expect you to actually succeed, Your Majesty.”
Upon landing softly on the ground, Marybelle gazed at Rhode and said. This was the first time she spoke to him in her true self. She stooped over slightly and gave a respectful bow.
“I’ve acknowledged you, Your Majesty. Perhaps you’re already aware of who I am, but I must formally introduce myself again. I am one of the seven deity wardens, the Presence Deity Warden, Marybelle. By order of the former Void Dragon, I arrived here to open up a new territory. If you don’t mind, I would like to continue and complete my task.”
“No, wait up, Marybelle.”
Rhode forced a smile and extended his arm to stop the deity warden before him.
“Before that, I suppose you aren’t aware of how long you’ve been asleep and the current situation. I think we should catch up with each other before deciding on a plan,” Rhode said and glanced at the surroundings.
The situation here was apparently chaotic. Be it Marybelle or Rhode, none of them had figured out the exact situation. At that moment, they needed time to arrange their thoughts before making a decision. Upon hearing Rhode’s remarks, Marybelle agreed without hesitation.
Rhode had to admit that Marybelle was indeed a meticulous and detailed person. After making her decision, she gathered the survivors who had followed her to this world and requested that they continued to watch over the sacred palace and restore its functions. Meanwhile, Rhode’s group followed Marybelle into a meeting room for a discussion. As for Thomas and the rest, even though they hoped to join in, it was a pity that Rhode apparently had no intention of getting them involved. First, they didn’t understand the spoken language of the Dragon Soul Continent, so communications were out of the picture. Second, Rhode didn’t see them as people who carried great weight. They didn’t have the right to make decisions on behalf of humans in determining their fate, which was why it didn’t make sense to let them join in the discussion.
But before that…
“Conclude a contract?”
Upon hearing Marybelle’s words, Rhode gazed at her in astonishment. The former twitched her brow in response.
“Yes, Your Majesty. To tell you the truth, as my body was used to seal off the sinister and cunning Chaos over this long period of time, it is on the verge of crumbling. Even if I were to return to my body now, I can’t revive in perfect condition. Besides, I have doubts over the possibility of my body being in perfect condition. I suppose you’ve already seen what happened in my memories. Frankly, I don’t think my body used to seal off Chaos can avoid the fate of being contaminated by it. For safety’s sake, it is better to abandon my body. Besides, you’re a Spirit Swordsman, Your Majesty. After concluding a contract with you, I can be baptized by Order again and stop Chaos from infiltrating me entirely. Also…”
Marybelle said and gazed at Rhode.
“… I think this will be beneficial for our mutual understanding and trust.”
“…”
Rhode couldn’t help but remain silent. It was obvious that Marybelle was a meticulous person. In order to prevent the possibilities of resurgence from Chaos, she would rather destroy her body. This wasn’t an easy decision achievable by anyone. But Rhode understood why she acted this prudently. After all, Chaos became rather sinister after entering this world. Rhode also wasn’t willing to let history repeat itself where Marybelle was ‘betrayed by a traitor’, which caused her plan to fail completely. Even though Marybelle mentioned that Chaos manipulated and contaminated undead creatures based on their unique characteristic of having separate soul and flesh, the matter of fact was that there were records of humans, angels, and elves being contaminated by Chaos apart from undead creatures too. In this case, it was hard to determine if there were any exceptions. If Chaos lurked inside her body, there would be huge troubles after she returned to her body and Chaos attempted to stain her soul.
But it was equally a risk for Rhode. It could also be said that this was a test of trust between them. Unlike Alice and the other deity wardens, Rhode and Marybelle had no unique relationship at all. This was their first meeting and Marybelle didn’t know what sort of a person this Void Dragon was. On the other hand, Rhode had a hard time judging if Marybelle was still the same deity warden that his younger sister described. And now, concluding a card contract required both sides to interact spiritually. If Marybelle’s soul was stained by Chaos and seized the opportunity to enter Rhode’s body, he would have to suffer a double loss.
“… Alright then, I agree with your request.”
After some consideration, Rhode eventually nodded. Although there were some risks involved, he decided to give it a shot. Of course, he was prepared beforehand. After all, he wasn’t fighting the battle alone. When necessary, he could let his younger sister observe for abnormalities to prevent any potential accidents. This was considered a double insurance for him.