บท 22: "Granted."
In an unassuming part of the vast ocean, an island far away from any land, any shore, from the reach of any creature stood. On its shore, a giant scaleless serpent laid. "His" body coiled in itself, with "His" head wearing an expression of extreme pain and fear.
What… even happened? This was a question that constantly echoed "His" mind, ever since "He" had regained a shred of consciousness. Incapable of moving "His" own body, the Scaleless Serpent could do nothing but remain laying on the coarse sand, slowly recovering.
Thanks to "His" accumulated 'Good Luck', and probability manipulation "He" hadn't encountered any danger despite being in such a vulnerable state for months already. It's also because of my good luck that I even managed to escape that 'Calamity'… Thinking back to that day, one where "He" and a Calamity Elf, alongside "His" army of Elves had attempted to attack the Human base at the great shore, bringing forth a calamity that would sweep their enemies, only to be annihilated by an even bigger calamity, bearing the aura of the very Tyrant.
The Scaleless Serpent shivered. Merely thinking back to that day, remembering the very scene of that Calamity, made "Him" feel as if "He" was right in the clutches of the giant palm, slowly being torn apart head to tail, incapable of doing anything except scream.
No need to ruminate over the past! I have managed to escape from my death; that's all that matters. The Scaleless Serpent assured himself, before letting out a sigh of relief.
"His" body that was ridden with wheels of varying shape, all representing the possibility of a future, suddenly began to crack. Having already coiled in itself, it began to melt, turning into a stream of pure golden liquid, before converging in itself, forming a humanoid body.
"He" had blue messy hair, pointy ears, and deep blue eyes with a hint of gold and a wheel shaped pupil. The wheel shaped pupil made a turn, before morphing into a simple oval one.
"He" had finally recovered enough for "Him" to start moving again!
Standing on "His" two legs, the Snake of Mercury, the God of Luck of the Elves, one of the many subsidiary gods of The Tyrant, shook "His" head while letting out a deep breath. I need to report that calamity to the Lord… and also bear the punishment I might get for stepping over the Queen's arrangement.
"He" gulped under fear, before slapping "His" head on a nearby rock. If only I hadn't listened to that brainless war addict! " He" cursed the Calamity Elf with all "His" heart.
Worst of all, that bastard and his team died! Not even their remains were left! I am the sole survivor so I'll have to bear all the punishment by myself! My only hope is the Queen, otherwise God's wrath will be my end! Vigorously shaking "His" head and gritting "His" teeth, the Snake of Mercury grunted before approaching the sea, so as to return back to the Elven Kingdom.
Just as "He" was about to dive in the water, shaking off "His" rising mild fear from remembering the past, "He" suddenly felt "His" surroundings shift, the cloudy sky switching to a bright clear blue. The crashing waves halted to a deadly stillness, reflecting the blue of the sky. The island on which "He" was standing, disappearing into nothingness.
What lay in front of "Him" now, was the vast, azure expanse with a tall rocky peak not too far from "Him", rising towards an endless sky. Its texture was all black, with wheels encircling its entire length, and a giant scaleless serpent coiled around the peak—its tail at the very bottom, and its head disappearing into the sky as so the top of the peak.
The Snake of Mercury witnessing this heavenly sight, immediately looked up at the sky and "His" gaze pierced through the endless blue, before "He" grit "His" teeth in frustration and anger.
Within the endless space, soaring in the endless skies, were creatures with gigantic wings, stretching out from their hard, scaly bodies which appeared almost like rocks.
The Snake of Mercury immediately recognized the gigantic creatures to be Mind Dragons, and the place "He" was in was his subconscious, adding up to "His "annoyance. Stomping "His" foot on the still blue space, the Snake of Mercury forcefully stepped out of the sea of collective subconscious, returning to the real world. With "His" return, the mind dragons also descended into the real world.
Looking back up, the Snake of Mercury slowly began to revert to his Primal Form, morphing into a scaleless serpent, when "He" suddenly halted his transformation. This was because "He" quickly came to notice that the mind dragons only soared past him, not bothering to fight against the weakened God of Luck.
From their trajectory, "He" quickly deduced their destination which only made "His" eyes widened and his facial expressions to twist into a shock.
They can't be serious… no way… This flock of mind dragons, from what the Snake of Mercury could deduce, were heading towards the Elven Kingdom.
They were heading to attack the Elven Kingdom!
In just some moments, the mind dragon disappeared from this Subsidiary God's view, while "He" remained rooted to the ground silently watching over. A singular thought ran across his mind, rushing him to return to the Elven kingdom immediately.
A war is about to ensue.
…
"How Interesting."
Smoke, steel, ashes and bodies. The abundant and prospering Moon City, the hometown of all Sanguines and the place bathed in crimson had seemingly undergone a regression. The arching pillars had fallen, the buildings had been torn from the ground, debris ridden everywhere for as far as the eyes could see, and the corpses of Mutants, Sanguines, vampires and humans littering the entire place.
Thick bushes covered the area, with roots, trees, and tendrils hoisting the entire city in its grip. It was like the warmth of a mother that covered her children, providing protection against those that dared cause them harm.
It was a mess but an interesting sight, especially so for a man in a clergyman robe, a cross dangling from "His" neck, "His" innocent eyes reflecting the sacked state of the entire moon city and beyond. "He" stood further away from the Moon City, at the edge of a cliff. "He" took in the furthest point of the city, noticing a tall imposing tower, seemingly made out of flesh.
The Sanguines have been on the winning edge in this war… The Sun God, Grisha remarked. "He" moved "His" gaze upwards at the sky, noticing the dark clouds that dampened the sunlight, struggling to illuminate the city. "He" chuckled, before controlling the weather, bringing more dark clouds, darkening the surroundings further.
"He" then looked before "Him", extending "His" hands, "He" softly declared,
"I, The Resplendent and Decadent Sun,"
"He" paused, grinning widely as he continued,
"Call forth,
"The Mother Crimson;
"The Sanguine Ancestor;
"The Crimson Moon that Shines atop this World."
Instantly, "His" surroundings began to undergo a rapid change. Small plants sprouted out of the decadent land, the flowers that have yet to bloom, suddenly blossomed completely with their bountiful seeds rapidly germinating into beautiful and fresh fruits.
It was a miraculous sight! The once barren land, now prospered with life! Grisha remained unfazed by this, as "He" slowly continued, already feeling a presence behind "Him". "Lilith."
The wind grew faster as vines and roots sprouted out from the ground, crawling towards Grisha's body. "He" did not attempt to resist, simply turning around, as the vines crawled up "His" legs, encircling "His" entire body, while the roots quickly took hold of "His" arms, fixing "Him" in a place.
While "He" was being spiritually, physically, and mysteriously trapped in "His" place by the vines and roots, a figure stood not too far from "Him". He quickly noticed the figure to be that of a beautiful and plump lady. She stood on the ground bare feet, with various small plants and ears of wheat growing from "Her" feet. "Her" white dress fluttered about in the air, outlining "Her" Voluptuous figure that exuded a maternal aura.
Just below "Her" large chest, was a miniature crimson moon floating on "Her" slender fingers, radiating a crimson glow, which seemed to want to grant "new life" to the beautiful land around.
"You…" The Mother Crimson, Sanguine Ancestor Lilith uttered, "Her" serene maternal voice trailing off at the end. She is attractive… A True Beauty Goddess… Grisha inwardly remarked, narrowing "His" gaze. "He" witnessed Lilith, slowly inching closer to him, "Her" beautiful emerald eyes reflected "His" handsome figure.
Grisha noted this figure to be the Sanguine from of the Sanguine Ancestor.
"Good Evening. Isn't the weather quite cloudy?" Grisha politely greeted, dawning a bright smile on "His" face. The Sanguine Ancestor remained unaffected by "His" calm demeanour and quite playful demeanour, coldly staring at "Him".
"She" did take note of one interesting thing; the sudden relief, and serenity in "Her" current mental state. "She" felt much lighter and relaxed than even in this "restrained" form of "Hers". Merely being in "His" presence is impactful… The thought crossed "Her" mind.
Grisha, on the other hand, rested "His" gaze on the miniature crimson moon floating on "Her" finger tips, trying his best to avoid examining her sensuality evoking figure. The Moon Uniqueness. He quickly identified the object, before swiftly taking note of the foreign presence, a sinister aura radiating from this Uniqueness.
Normally, the influence originating from the mental imprint within the characteristics and Uniqueness, was insensible. Since the very Uniqueness and Characteristics were the embodiment of the Original Creator's will, they themselves did not have a sensible presence; only exuding a mystical attraction, and the passive effect representing the corresponding pathway.
Grisha, could, for a fact, tell apart that the aura radiating from the Uniqueness and subsequently Lilith was foreign in nature, as if an external influence had a certain grip on the Sanguine Ancestor.
Suddenly, The Sanguine Ancestor felt a gaze land on her. No… The gaze wasn't just on "Her", but it seemingly landed on everything. Watching over every part of the world, emerging from the depths of every shadow in the world, even that of "Her". All these gazes, peered at the thick, invisible membrane that surrounded the world in its entirety. The Sanguine Ancestor took notice of this, looking down at the miniature Crimson moon and then at the world barrier.
"What do you want?"
Grisha returned "His" gaze back at "Her" face, as the roots slithered about on "His" body. "His" golden bright eyes observed "Her" voluptuous figure deeply, before "His" lips parted, as deep and solemn words ingrained into reality itself.
"Would you be interested in an alliance?"
…
Yawn
Amanises yawned loudly. Opening her eyes, she gazed at the room she was in, a perfect replica of her own. Nice. Inwardly remarking with a smirk, the relatively short demonic wolf lazily stood up from her cushion, before walking towards her mirror.
She stared at her image, comparing it to the one she was used to seeing back in the demonic wolf settlement. I have gotten smaller, almost the size of a normal wolf. She let out a sigh, before noticing the small night cap that rested on her head.
She stared at it for some moments, before breaking into a light laughter, smiling.
"You would look good with this nightcap. " She remembered the comment of a certain man, as he rested this nightcap on her head, before bidding farewell for the night.
Opening her door, the smell of freshly cooked meat entered her nostrils, jolting her from out of her stupor. Quickly, she rushed down the stairs, skipping some stairway steps, as she made her way towards the kitchen of the familiar house.
Just as she expected, there stood, leaned against the wall of the kitchen, a man wearing an apron, in his hands were occupied by modern kitchen utensils, his black hair slightly messy, with the sleeves of his shirt rolled up, revealing his slender arms.
He turned his head towards her, his black eyes slightly dilating, before flashing a smile. "Morning. I was about to wake you up actually!" Said Klein Moretti. Amanises looked at his figure deeply, her gaze softening as she spoke, "Thanks for that. What are you cooking, by the way?"
"Hmm, oh just some pork meat. Some villagers brought it as an offering to the house today." Klein explained as sizzle sounds escaped from the firewood burning in the kitchen, providing heat to the utensils.
Amanises closed her eyes and sniffed the air, before salivating. "You should clean yourself. I'll set up breakfast." Klein said as he leaned down towards the pan placed over firewood. Amanises stared at him for some moments before walking away, chuckling.
He would make for a pretty good husband. She remarked inwardly before suddenly pausing. Wait a moment, She looked down at the wooden boards. He can cook, clean, take care of kids, has a slender body, knows finances… As more and more facts flashed past her mind, Amanises mind inched closer towards a conclusion.
Klein was the perfect male wife!
What am I even thinking??? She shook her head vigorously, her small night hat threatening to fall off her head. Going back to her room, she quickly readied herself before stepping out back into the living room, no longer wearing her night hat.
Her mouth watered up, due to the scent in the air, as she jumped on the couch with Klein sitting in front of her on a chair, adjusting their plates. Looking down on the crispy texture of the tender pork with golden undertones, Amanises gulped. Her extra limbs as a demonic wolf had undergone a small change, specifically her paws morphing into more humanoid hands, which could now pick up and grip utensils like spoons and forks.
Her small knife ran through the tender meat, splitting it into two, before she slowly shaped one half into a small cube. Her fork soon pierced into the soft meat before picking it up and resting it on Amanises mouth. Just as she ate the meat, she threw away the knife and fork and leaned forward flipping the plate and swiftly gulping the entire pork in one swipe.
Magically, the plate landed back on its spot on the table without breaking. This went unnoticed to the demonic wolf who rested her whole body on the couch, munching on the delicious and delicate meat.
"…"
Klein's arm was frozen in mid air, while his eyes were fixed on the mythical beast. His face wore an unexplainable look, ranging between shock and surprise. What the fuck did I just witness!? Amanises was unbothered by his gaze, having gotten used to it.
"You are a good cook, much better than I ever could." She complimented, while displaying a pleased look. Klein tried to form some words, but ultimately failed.
So, he opted to focus on his meal instead.
He took a bite of his own delicacy, inwardly praising and commenting on his skills in silence, which was eventually broken by Amanises voice. "So, what's the plan? We have been living together for a while now." Klein looked up at her, munching on the delicate meat.
"Nothing much to be honest. We can't go on our little adventures due to the state of War the world is currently embroiled in." Klein explained, as he took another bite from his plate. "Understandable. I suppose that will remain the case until "That being's" plan comes to fruition?"
"Correct. Though, the world wouldn't really become any safer, following the war. The main difference would be that you and I would have the capability to actively participate, even if we were to come across a deity." Klein wiped off his mouth with a handkerchief, while resting his utensils on his now empty plate.
"We!?" More like "You!". I would at most be a sequence 1! Amanises cursed. Regardless, his exposition is factual. While the Mythical Races have always been at a war with each other, currently, it's almost as if a spark has been ignited on an ancient powder keg. It's no longer just an attack, but a full fledged war that would eventually lead to a Divine Battle… Amanises narrowed her gaze.
"The Mutants waged war on the Sanguins; Dragons on Elves. Death's Envoys have seemingly disappeared but they may be in an internal struggle with the Giants. Only the Demonic Wolves and Devils haven't jumped into this mess." Amanises spoke, stating all the facts about the world she was aware of.
"Any changes?"
Klein let out a sigh as he closed his eyes. Remaining still for a while, before he opened them again and shook his head in decline. "The God of War of Kvastir is heading towards the Moon City."
"Again." The God of War of Kvastir had led the first assault on the city of sanguines, commanding an army of over a thousand Mutants. While the surprise attack couldn't be exactly called successful, majorly due to the Blood Queen and Sanguine Ancestor swiftly stepping in. However, the city still suffered a massive blow causing several casualties.
Amanises was quickly reminded of Klein's state upon hearing about this attack. It was the first time she had seen him mildly panicked, and worried. He may have tried to hide it, but the worry on his face was evident… It's so weird. He is a being so close to achieving the status of True Deity. He doesn't even have to worry about believers much, as he can use his avatars for anchor. Yet, this is possibly the only being I have seen in this world, perhaps bar Grisha, that is actually worried over a human… Good thing, that guy, what was his name again? Fred! Yeah, good thing that Fred guy survived. Otherwise, Klein might have…
Amanises stared at him silently, confusing Klein. "The Blood Queen has gotten word of "His" incoming approach, and is heading to confront the Mutated army. I am sending some avatars to take a closer look." Klein continued, before retracing his attention away from his Avatars back to the demonic wolf. Noticing she had nothing more to ask, Klein contemplated on bringing up a certain topic.
Amanises took notice of his pondering expression, which sparked her curiosity. After a while, Klein came to a decision and leaned forward, curling his fingers together. "Actually, one interesting fact about this world is that it takes 365 days for it to complete one rotation over the Sun."
Amanises ears twitched. Interestingly, I have always thought of this world to be like a parallel of ours. Seems like that theory might be correct. When Amanises had newly transmigrated, she had spent an entire day mapping out the day and night cycle and discovered that, even on this planet, a day consisted of 24 hours. This allowed her to make an estimation of the size of this world, and found herself to be disappointed that this wasn't some cool Xianxia or cultivation novel sized realm.
Cringe memories, here they come! Amanises tried her best in concealing her emotions. "Since a year in this world also consists of 365 days and 24 hours in a single day, I was able to map out the weeks and months, so as to have a time estimate." He extended his hand, and took out a piece of paper. He straightened the paper, turning it into a sharp blade as he aimed the paper on her before throwing it at the demonic wolf. Amanises swiftly catched the paper with one pseudo paw, while extending her other as they shared a handshake.
She took a look at the paper, which consisted of the info on the week and months distribution and a hand drawn calendar. She quickly noticed at the top, was a doodle of a man with a large tophat and a creature with 8 limbs, with a nightcap on its head. Amanises identified the doodled figures to be her and Klein.
How cute… She smiled and looked at Klein, who wore a stoic expression. Looking back at the calendar, Amanises quickly swiped her gaze through the various months, before resting it on the last month of the year. December.
Her gaze fixed itself on a red circled date on the December calendar, the 22nd of December which had been highlighted with a note: Amanises's Birthday.
Wait what?! Amanises looked back at Klein. "My birthday is on 22nd of December?" Klein nodded. "I am not aware of you, but the real Amanises's birthday falls on 22nd of December."
"Yeah, same as me. I was also born on 22nd of December." Amanises said in surprise, earning a light chuckle from Klein. "How interesting, 'Coincidentally' me, as in Zhou Mingrui and Klein Moretti also have matching birthdays on 4th of March." Klein wore a peculiar expression, as he pondered over the mystical connection that may be related to them and their current body.
Perhaps birthday is actually more significant than a mere coincidence. Well, there are no ordinary coincidences. Klein rebuked his head.
"What's the current date today then?" Looking back at Amanises, Klein replied Leisurely, "I was just getting at that, today should be the 22nd of October, two months from your birthday." Klein paused for a moment, noting Amanises surprised but slightly excited expression.
"This is important for you. A deity's birthday is treated as quite a significant day in religion. Considering we have a growing one that worships you, the info of their goddess's birthday approaching will spark a large religious event, which will acquire many prayers and growing faith… if everything goes right."
Klein displayed a genuine smile. "You might just gain a human body on your birthday." Amanises couldn't help but form a wide smile on her face, upon hearing this. "I see no problems." She simply stated, prompting Klein to shake his head. "It's not as simple as it may sound. The people would expect something big to happen on such a day, a bestowment or a miracle of sorts."
Amanises nodded understanding Klein's implication. She pondered over it for a moment, before looking back at him. "Why worry when I have the world's most renowned Magician in front of me." Amanises said in a delicate, teasing tone, earning a sigh from in response.
Just what I expected from you… Wearing a tired smile, Klein nodded and said, "Then, I suppose I can leave you to plan out your own birthday. Just make sure it aligns with the enigmatic figure of the Goddess of Misfortune, and the miracle that will be displayed is something you will be able to recreate, should there come a time when you and I will no longer be together."
Suddenly, Amanises felt her heart sting.
"Should there come a time when you and I will no longer be together."
The statement suddenly repeated itself in her head over and over. Would it? Will there be a time when you and I won't be together? Why? Why would we not? What could happen? Various questions surfaced in her head, with Amanises wanting to voice them out to him, yet just as she went to open her mouth, it closed in on itself.
She witnessed Klein stand up and take their plates away, as the man pondered what to make for the lunch. Amanises remained frozen on the couch, as she thought over his previous statement.
While we may be friends, sharing a distant past, Klein and I have different goals and ambitions. He wishes to rise to Sequence 0, while I simply wish to return home.
Would this difference in ambition lead to our eventual split up? She had never thought about this, or perhaps had consciously resisted the thought. Klein was her first friend, and naturally, Amanises felt deeply attached to him even if out of loneliness. But, she did enjoyed her time spent with him, for how troublesome he was, Amanises had enjoyed every moment of cursing, lampooning and silence.
Her life was flipped on its tail after meeting Klein. For better, and for worse. To Amanises, it was the best.
Yet, the realisation that the sweet dream might not last forever dawned on her, like a child realising he can't have fun all day with their favourite friend; in her case, her only friend.
And so, the Demonic wolf sat there, on the couch, staring at the table before her. Silently, she took the feeling of her humanity strengthening and opened her mouth, speaking in an inaudible low tone.
"I wish…"
Amanises made a wish. A wish to no one.
Yet, to her unawareness, the world or Amanises's most renowned magician in the kitchen, let out an audibly deep sigh, while chuckling to himself.
"Granted."
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