Chapter 73: Stella?
[Survival rate: 2%↑]
Something was rising….
“Hisss!!”
But then… Hearing the displeased sound from the snake prompted an immediate reaction from Delphine, who swiftly moved away from Aether, her face flushed with embarrassment as she glared at the serpent.
“Shrink back to your smaller form,” Delphine commanded, but to her dismay, the snake disregarded her order and instead flaunted its elegant white-scaled body to Aether.
Veins bulged on Delphine’s forehead, a clear sign of her growing frustration. This scenario had been repeating itself for the past few days… the snake consistently ignoring her commands, despite her superior strength and she could even kill it within a second and yet…. It seemed determined to maintain its own course of action, oblivious to Delphine’s authority.
On the other hand, Aether’s attention was fixated on his survival rate, which increased out of nowhere just because of small likeable points towards him.
‘But according to the log, my survival rate depends on seduction,’ Aether puzzled over this sudden spike in his survival rate. It wasn’t just a marginal increase like the usual 0.01% but a significant jump of 1%. This deviation from the norm left him questioning the mechanisms governing his survival and the significance of his recent experiences.
‘Does she somehow relate to my survival?’ Aether’s thoughts turned to Delphine, considering the possibility of her involvement in his newfound resilience. However, a sharp glare from someone redirected his attention to the snake….
“I-It’s awesome,” Aether exclaimed, breaking free from his contemplations and focusing on the snake that was clearly trying to show off.
“~SSSS~”
The snake sounded delighted as it affectionately licked Aether, its tiny tongue tickling his skin in a playful manner.
[+1000 Affection]
“Haha…” Aether couldn’t help but chuckle softly at the sight of his affection points skyrocketing without him having to do anything.
Delphine, noticing the growing bond between Aether and the snake, couldn’t hide her annoyance. “Could you please ask it to shrink back to its normal size?” she requested with a tinge of impatience, her eyes fixed on the now larger-than-life serpent.
“Of course,” Aether replied, understanding Delphine’s concern as he also started to feel the suffocation. He turned to the snake, his voice gentle yet firm. “Would you mind returning to your smaller form, please?”
“~sss~”
The snake complied without hesitation, its body shrinking down to a more manageable size and settling comfortably in Aether’s palm. Delphine’s expression softened slightly, although a hint of annoyance still lingered in her features.
As Aether stroked the snake’s scaled back with his pinky finger, he couldn’t help but smile at its adorable demeanour, yet the trauma of seeing someone getting swallowed by it…. Truly traumatizing for him.
“So, how long have I been unconscious?” Aether inquired, his gaze shifting to Delphine as he sought answers to the time he had lost.
“It’s been five days since I found you. Now, please tell me everything,” Delphine responded, her demeanour a mix of concern and curiosity as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes focused intently on Aether, waiting for his account of events.
Aether took a moment to collect his thoughts, his gaze drifting to the small paper in his hand, a note left by Stella and the Friendly Snake. Considering Delphine’s earnest demeanour, he decided to trust her to some extent and began recounting, “I’m truly sorry, but all I remember is hearing someone call my name. The next thing I knew, I was surrounded by dark clouds, and I instinctively ran towards the source of the calling. The clouds dissipated….. and I found myself standing in the forest. The rest of the details match what you’ve heard.”
“I see…” Delphine nodded in understanding, though her mind was racing with questions. ‘So, it appears that someone was manipulating the situation, but who could it be?’ she wondered, unable to sense any significant energy disturbances during the previous night. The mystery deepened, leaving Delphine with more questions than answers.
“Where have you been hiding all this time?” Aether directed his question to the snake, curious about its whereabouts during his unconscious state considering its size… He wondered if it sneaked under the bed or what.
The snake tilted its head, fixing Aether with a stern gaze before redirecting its attention towards Delphine, who appeared lost in contemplation. With a deliberate movement, it pointed towards her… Big Bosom!!
Aether’s eyebrows shot up in surprise as he followed the snake’s indication, nodding in realization. “Ah, yes, It is enough to hide a snake,” he murmured absentmindedly.
Upon hearing Aether’s comment, Delphine’s face flushed crimson with embarrassment.
“BOOM!!”
In a swift motion, she delivered a powerful punch to Aether’s gut before storming off, leaving him doubled over in pain but not before warning, “Mind your words little brat!!”
“~HIISS!!!!~”
The snake hissed disapprovingly at Delphine’s reaction, its gaze filled with resentment.
Meanwhile, Aether, still recovering from the blow, muttered through teary eyes, “T-That son of bit…”
Let’s be clear, Aether was truly innocent. He merely mentioned that white snake!! White Snake… He means real snake!! so it was Delphine who misinterpreted his words and reacted impulsively….. So never blame Aether who said nothing but an innocent word!
Aether was truly innocent!!
While Aether writhed in pain from Delphine’s unexpected punch, Far away from the Naiadae Empire… Yeah, Literally far-far away.
Elysiumis Aurora Empire
In a vast land brimming with tender love, radiant light, and untainted purity, there stood a grand temple adorned with layers of glistening white marble that seemed to radiate a brilliance beyond ordinary white hues. The air around the temple was charged with a sense of sacredness and serenity, drawing people from far and wide to its majestic presence.
Amidst this backdrop, a sternly armoured man, a guardian of the temple’s sanctity, halted his steps as he noticed a figure approaching with hurried determination.
It was a teenage girl, her appearance starkly contrasting the opulence of the temple. With whitish-grey hair cascading around her shoulders and piercing dark grey eyes hiding something, she wore a patched dress stained with traces of blood, giving her an almost beggar-like appearance.
It was none other than Stella!!
“Hey Child, who are you? You are not allowed to enter!!” the armoured man called out, his voice carrying authority and resolute as he addressed the approaching figure.
Without sparing a glance for the guard, Stella continued her approach, determined to enter the temple grounds. Anticipating defiance, the guard prepared to intervene forcefully, raising his weapon in readiness. However, before he could take action, a commanding voice halted his movements.
“Stop”
“Hmm… Who dares—Saintess?” The guard immediately flinched upon seeing the important figure standing before him and he immediately kneeled down.
“I will take care of that girl,” the woman said, dismissing the guard’s concern. Despite his curiosity about the mysterious beggar-like girl, he chose not to voice his questions. The Saintess held a prominent position in the temple’s hierarchy, so he chose not to question her authority and simply obeyed her order.
Stella proceeded to enter the Inner Sanctum of the temple, her steps carrying a sense of purpose as she made her way to the sacred altar….
“Oh, Mother… I have found the Light,” Stella whispered reverently as she knelt before the altar.
At the heart of the altar stood a figure formed from twisting roots, representing the nurturing aspect of nature intertwined with spiritual enlightenment. The roots entwined gracefully, forming the silhouette of a slim female figure. On one hand, the figure held a root-formed sphere. The other hand was outstretched towards the heavens as if reaching for the divine source of all life.
The nuns and priests around the Inner Sanctum cast disapproving glances at Stella, their expressions marred by frowns of disapproval. To them, she appeared as a dirty intruder in their sacred space, and they couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease as if her presence was somehow tainting the purity of their sanctuary and just about call the guards and throw her out,
‘Trrrrr’
A deep rumbling sound, like the earth itself awakening, echoed through the chamber.
The ground beneath Stella’s kneeling form began to tremble, and before anyone could react, the roots of the altar responded to some unseen force. They grew rapidly, weaving and winding around Stella’s figure until she was entirely covered in their embrace.
And then, as if in response to this mystical communion, a blinding light burst forth from the entwined roots, bathing the Inner Sanctum in a divine glow. The light was so intense that the nuns and priests had to shield their eyes, unable to withstand its brilliance.
After the blinding light subsided, what they saw rendered them speechless…
The figure that emerged was no longer the humble girl named Stella.
Her once unruly whitish-grey hair now cascaded down her shoulders like spun silk, each strand gleaming with a celestial radiance that accentuated her stunning features. As if touched by divine hands, her petite frame elongated and curved in all the right places, transforming into a tall, slender, and sensuously curvy silhouette.
The curves of her body, now accentuated by the ethereal light, seemed to beckon with an irresistible allure, capable of stirring sinful desires in any man who dared to look upon her. Her form was a symphony of feminine grace and beauty, a temptation that whispered of forbidden pleasures.
To cloak this heavenly temptation, a gown of pure white and shimmering silver enfolded her, its fabric clinging in all the right places yet leaving much to the imagination. The gown flowed like a cascade of moonlit waves, teasing glimpses of the curves beneath while maintaining an air of mystique and elegance.
“Archpriestess!!!”
The exclamation echoed through the sanctum, reverberating off the hallowed walls as all eyes turned toward the radiant figure that had appeared before them.
In a display of reverence and awe, the assembled crowd swiftly knelt on the marble floor, their heads bowed in humility. Their whispered prayers for forgiveness mingled with the hushed murmurs of astonishment at the sight before them.
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