Chapter 74: It must be that Timmy
“Archpriestess!!!”
The cry of reverence echoed through the sacred halls, yet the woman paid no heed. Her dark grey eyes, swirling like a void, fixed upon the altar with a deep intensity.
“Yes, Mother, I have found the Light,” the Archpriestess spoke with a tone of elation, as if in communion with the very essence of the divine.
The gathered congregation in the sanctuary observed in puzzled silence, unable to decipher the cryptic dialogue between the Archpriestess and their god.
“Yes, Mother, His soul shined brighter than anything I witnessed in these worlds… As if he is purer than me,” she continued, her words carrying a sense of wonder and admiration.
A sudden shift in her expression revealed a playful side, “No, I never intended to play him… It’s just amusing to play along with him, Mother,” she remarked with a whimsical smile, adding an enigmatic layer to her demeanour.
“Understood, Mother… I shall observe his movements,” the Archpriestess affirmed, her tone taking on a more serious note. But then, a subtle change in her countenance betrayed a chilling resolve, “Understood, Mother… I will eliminate him if he proves to be a threat,” she declared with a cold, emotionless voice that sent a shiver through the entire temple, hinting at power and authority that brooked no defiance.
The nearby nuns and priests trembled in fear, their demeanour shifting to one of supplication as they lowered themselves even further, as if begging for mercy, while sweat poured down their foreheads.
After the commanding display, the Archpriestess rose gracefully and surveyed the sanctuary before fixing her gaze on a particular individual.
“Saintess,” the Archpriestess called out to the 15-year-old girl, who possessed silky golden hair and sharp golden eyes that seemed to penetrate the veils of falsehood.
“Archpriestess!” Saintess responded promptly, kneeling before the revered figure.
“I must attend the engagement of Empress Marisandra Naiadia’s Daughter. Prepare for my departure,” the Archpriestess commanded, her words carrying the weight of authority that brooked no dissent.
Though murmurs of surprise and curiosity fluttered among the gathered, none dared to voice their questions or objections. The Archpriestess held the highest position in the temple’s hierarchy, and her directives were unquestionable.
Saintess, displaying her unwavering loyalty, nodded in compliance, signalling the beginning of preparations for the impending journey.
As the bustling activity filled the sanctuary with a sense of urgency, the Archpriestess remained for a moment, her eyes drifting towards the silent altar. With a whispered under her breath, “I will protect…”
Coming to the Aether side, Who was happily eating fine food…
!~Ding~!
[Survival rate: 1.9%↓]
“PUFFF!!!”
Aether’s reaction was immediate and visceral. He spat out his food in shock, his expression morphing into one of horror as he realized what the notification meant…. His Survival Rate just dropped out of nowhere!
“W-What? What happened?” Aether exclaimed, his shock palpable as his for one second and with a horrified expression, he concluded, “Someone poisoned it!” and promptly discarded the tainted food into the dustbin.
He didn’t need to check anything else as he believed the food was poisoned…. only possibility!
“Thank Log… You just saved my ass,” Aether muttered with a mixture of relief and apprehension. He couldn’t fathom the idea that someone would try to poison him, and if not for his useless log that started to act useful, he would have already been deathbed to poison.
“It must be that Timmy, the bastard…” Aether gritted his teeth with sheer anger, his eyes burning with frustration. He had been cowering because of his bodily weakness, But now, “Hehehe…” Aether’s laughter was tinged with an evil edge, reflecting the darker thoughts swirling in his mind… a different side of him emerged… A former delinquent!
“Aether, come on, we don’t have time,” Delphine’s voice echoed urgently from outside the room where he had been staying, breaking through his reverie.
“I am coming!” Aether responded hurriedly, swiftly dressing in a normal T-shirt and pants. He didn’t bring any extra sack clothes or even Hotel have any extra so, Delphine brought him a new set of T-shirts and Pants.
“Sigh, finally a good dress,” Aether muttered a little happily, a smile playing on his lips as he adjusted his clothing. With a last glance around the room, he stepped out.
Aether arrived at the training area that was provided in the Hotel, an amenity one could access by paying extra… That was!!
“Whooosss~” Delphine whistled appreciatively upon seeing Aether in a more human-like attire.
As anyone could guess, appearance always mattered, no matter what bullshit others shit out.
Aether knew this all too well, having suffered to get a decent job and getting rejected in the past due to not having costlier coats and a neat appearance.
“Haha…” Aether awkwardly chuckled as he observed Delphine’s scrutiny, realizing she was likely no longer angry about yesterday’s incident. He muttered to himself, ‘I guess she’s not angry anymore,’ before stepping closer to Delphine.
“Hmm… You said that Stella girl taught you magic, right?” Delphine inquired, her gaze sweeping over Aether’s form. She couldn’t help but notice the visible changes in his physique… his body had become more muscular and… attractive?
She couldn’t help but wonder why.
Aether cast a wary glance around, fearing that someone might have snatched him to Mortimer.
“Don’t worry, no one is here,” Delphine reassured him with a smile.
‘Sigh,’ Aether let out a sigh of relief, realizing that any further delay in his magic training could lead to more complications in the future.
Given that they were scheduled to leave in the evening and the others were occupied with battles in the forest, Delphine made the decision to conduct their training here instead, away from the distractions of the ongoing skirmishes.
Aether shifted his focus to the target ahead, a dummy figure strategically placed a short distance away, which was intended for his training exercises.
He closed his eyes and pointed his fingers and just like before he envisioned the (Oxygen) acting as the medium while (Arcane energy) served as the fuel and Combined them then…
“Pufff”
A burst of yellow flames materialized at his fingertips. Opening his eyes with a squint, he released the flames,
‘ssshhh’
The flames shot towards the target, but Aether’s aim was off, missing the mark by just a single meter and hitting the wall instead.
“BOOOMM!!!!”
Aether awkwardly scratched his head, realizing his miss and silently thanking himself for hesitating earlier in forest, ‘Thank goodness I didn’t fire it at anyone!’ he thought, relieved that no innocent souls were harmed.
As the dust settled, Aether’s surprise turned to delight when he saw the target completely charred.
“I won…” he exclaimed with a smile, turning to face Delphine, who regarded him with a look of astonishment like she was seeing a…. Treasure?
“You didn’t chant?” Delphine muttered in shock.
“…” Aether froze, realizing his mistake, ‘Ah, Shit! I fucked up!’
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