Abyssal Chronicles

Chapter 603 - 604: "..."

Huiming: ’No, this can’t be possible?’

’This, this aura? Does it really belong to the Goddess?!’

Staring at the seed in Kael’s hand, enveloped in dark red divine energy, Huiming’s eyes were filled with disbelief.

Her massive body trembled with shock.

’That rich divine aura... was it really the Goddess? Did the Goddess truly help Kael defeat Higanbana?!’

After a moment of stunned silence, Huiming didn’t question Kael’s words.

After all, such rich divine power was genuine.

And,

This could also explain why Kael, with his strength, was able to defeat Higanbana. She remembered the despair and trembling fear that monster had given her, still occasionally waking her from nightmares.

Huiming "The Goddess, did she really abandoned this world?"

Huiming muttered to herself, dazed.

...

Seeing Huiming like this, Kael was extremely pleased with himself.

"So now, Huiming, what complaints do you have? This is the directive of the Goddess herself, just follow it."

Huiming: "The Goddess told you this?"

"Yes. Huiming, you must understand, I am acting under the Goddess’s instruction. I represent the will of the Goddess. As a divine beast, you shouldn’t go against the Goddess’s directive, right?"

Kael responded with a smile.

To this,

Huiming had no doubts. As a divine beast who had interacted with Kael for decades, she could see there was no deceit in his eyes at this moment.

He wasn’t lying to her.

"The directive of the Goddess..."

However,

Even after knowing it was the Goddess’s directive, Huiming still didn’t straightforwardly surrender her power.

Instead, she hesitated and lowered her head.

Once, she was an unquestionably devout follower of the Goddess...

Even knowing the Goddess had severed her connection with this world, Huiming still hoped for that legendary existence. After all, it was she who had led the Kirin lineage to the pinnacle of the continent three thousand years ago. Huiming always believed that as long as she served the Goddess devoutly, one day the Goddess would return to the continent, eradicate the evil of the world, and lead the Kirin to the peak again.

However,

As time passed, Huiming’s hope gradually shattered.

In her years of battling abyssal demons, Huiming witnessed countless devout followers die under their claws. No matter how they prayed, the Goddess never responded. This inevitably led to Huiming’s growing disappointment in the Goddess...

After being defeated by Higanbana and imprisoned by Kael, Huiming prayed constantly in her heart, hoping the Goddess would save her from this suffering.

Unfortunately, her day-and-night prayers remained unanswered.

What she received instead was increasingly cruel treatment from Kael.

Could it be said,

’These treatments were the Goddess’s instructions? Her tacit approval?’

That was something Huiming could not accept.

After dedicating so many years to the Church, not only did she not receive proper care after being injured and disabled, but she was also treated as trash, imprisoned in the Heavenly Garden for a hundred years. Even her child was forcibly taken away. And now, they wanted to force her child to devour her own flesh and blood to gain power?

’Wasn’t the Goddess described in the scriptures gentle and compassionate? Why would I condone such cruelty from Kael?’

Not just towards her,

Huiming was well aware of the many heinous acts Kael committed to expand the Church after becoming the Pope. Countless families were destroyed, many small nations wiped out, and numerous human tragedies born from his actions.

Before today, Huiming always thought these acts were Kael’s schemes and ambitions, contrary to the Church’s doctrines.

’But now? If what Kael said was true, and he could really communicate with the Goddess?’

’Then his actions, even if not instructed by the Goddess, must have been tacitly approved by her.’

’A Goddess who agreed to such things’

Was utterly different from the grand image Huiming held in her heart.

’This is not the Goddess! Calling that being a demon or an evil goddess would be more like it?!’

With these thoughts, Huiming’s faith in the Goddess gradually collapsed. Doubts began to spread in her heart like a virus.

That’s why Huiming didn’t respond immediately but fell into an eerie silence.

However,

Seeing Huiming like this, Kael gradually lost his patience. His grip on the little divine beast tightened, causing the pink dumpling to let out pitiful whimpers.

Kael’s eyes narrowed, a cold murderous intent slowly directed at Huiming:

"Are you trying to defy the Goddess’s order?... Huiming, considering our past as comrades,\\I’m warning you one last time. Cooperate willingly, or bear the consequences."

"..."

Faced with Kael’s menacing oppression and murderous intent, Huiming finally nodded.

Although Huiming’s instincts kept telling her that if Kael obtained her power, it would lead to catastrophic consequences, what could she do now? She was powerless to resist Kael. Her desire to save her daughter overshadowed her responsibilities as a divine beast.

"I understand, I will transfer my power to you."

"A wise decision."

"But, how do I give it to you?"

"Don’t worry about that, I have my ways."

Saying this,

Kael glanced sidelong at the ghostly blue seed floating in his palm, his gaze carrying a deeper meaning.

"This is the core of Higanbana, which I extracted from that woman’s chest. Higanbana had the ability to devour others’ power and transform it into her own, even transferring it to others. This seed, retaining Higanbana’s power, also possesses this ability. Using this seed as a medium, I can absorb your power smoothly, without causing a backlash. So, I believe, as a divine beast, you know what to do."

"I understand. And your promise?"

"You can rest assured, I am a man of my word. Once I’ve absorbed your power, I will grant freedom to you and your daughter."

"I understand."

Huiming, assured by Kael’s promise, dragged her curse-weakened and battered body up from the ground. Enduring the intense pain, she stood up again. The next moment, as the sacred energy within her surged, the sapphire on her chest began to emit a bright blue light.

A sphere of pure blue energy, compressed and gathered, was released from the sapphire, guarded by several magical circles. It slowly floated towards Higanbana’s seed under Kael’s satisfied gaze.

"Yes, that’s right, just like that."

A sinister smile crept across Kael’s ordinary yet authoritative face.

Gazing at the divine beast, as insignificant as an ant,

A flicker of mockery passed unnoticed in the depths of Kael’s dark red pupils.

’How foolish...’

Kael murmured inwardly.

While he outwardly made the pretense of granting freedom, he had never planned to spare the divine beast from the start. She knew too much. If she were to leave the Church and spread negative information about it, it would significantly damage the reputation of the Church.

Kael was not willing to take that risk.

To ensure these matters remained unknown to outsiders, he had to ensure that Huiming would forever remain silent.

As for the little divine beast, he thought to cultivate her for the time being.

The potential of the Kirin was widely acknowledged as one of the greatest in the world, and she might prove to be a reliable asset in the future.

However,

Just as Kael focused his energy on gathering the sacred energy around the seed, preparing to use it as a medium to absorb Huiming’s power, a sudden, explosive sound abruptly shattered his illusion.

"BOOM!!"

With a thunderous roar that shook the earth, the quiet night of Anvika was shattered.

A crimson meteor suddenly broke through everyone’s perception, crashing near Kael! It created a crater hundreds of meters in radius upon impact and kicked up a cloud of dust. The violent shockwave swept across the land, with cracks spreading rapidly in all directions like a moving disaster, putting the vast Heavenly Garden in a near state of ruin.

Fortunately, barriers set up around the Heavenly Garden to contain the divine beast prevented the shockwave’s remnants from spreading further.

The intense vibration and the oncoming wave of air caused several weaker Holy Knights to tremble violently, nearly falling into the vast fissures.

This deafening explosion undoubtedly forced Kael to stop absorbing Huiming’s power. He turned his head in anger and astonishment towards the billowing dust behind him.

’What in the world?!’

"Who’s interfering now?!"

Kael narrowed his eyes, revealing a serious and angry gaze. Two epic weapons, long and short, appeared out of nowhere, tightly grasped in his hands.

The Holy Knights, who had barely stabilized themselves, also turned their gazes towards the source of the disturbance. The event was so unexpected that they were utterly confused about what had happened.

’Was it a meteor falling to Earth?’

’Or some monster attacking?’

Without releasing any power aura and causing such a terrifying impact with mere physical force.

’If it was a monster, it must be a colossal creature on par with a demon dragon, right? Could it be the Sword Demon coming again?!’

At this moment, all the Holy Knights readied themselves for combat, preparing to face the terrifying creature emerging from the smoke.

However,

In the next instant,

The Holy Knights stood frozen in place, their faces under the helmets showing an indescribable look of astonishment.

Because,

To their surprise, emerging from the smoke was not a terrifying monster or the Sword Demon enveloped in violent lightning... but a slender black-haired girl wearing a veil and a black dress?

The girl walked step by step towards the Holy Knights...

Under the mask,

The girl’s crimson eyes were locked onto Kael’s hand.

No, more precisely,

They were fixed on the softly glowing seed…