novelraw Chapter 76: Divinization
Chapter 76: Divinization
"What?" Lilian muttered slowly.
"But isn’t Orion supposed to be an otherworlder too?" she thought.
Orion wasn’t that surprised; he was more or less aware of this.
"I know the whole concept of an otherworlder is too much to take in. But the reincarnation cycle does exist, and it would be wrong to assume we are the only world in this vast galaxy," the angel said.
Lilian didn’t listen to a single word the woman said. She had her gaze fixed on Orion. She was beyond confused. Every description of that person fits Orion. He was tasked by the Red Dragon to free the Demon Queen, and he was also an otherworlder. She couldn’t make sense of anything anymore.
"Hello. Are you listening to me right now?" The woman waved her hand in front of Lilian’s face.
"Oh, sorry. It’s just... I was too shocked," Lilian said.
Then the angel woman looked at Orion, who remained calm.
"I gotta say, I expected you to be more shocked."
Orion turned toward the woman.
"Oh no, no, I am shocked. I mean, people from another world? How crazy is that?" Orion chuckled awkwardly.
The woman narrowed her gaze. She smelled something fishy in Orion’s words.
"By the way... ma’am," Orion said, struggling to address the woman.
The woman noticed this.
"Oh... I totally forgot to introduce myself. I’m Ariel. You can call me Ari for short," she said with a smile.
"Okay... Miss Ari. Do you consider the person who invented the train—"
Lilian’s eyes widened. He had told her about trains on Earth.
"Why... I don’t understand what you mean," Ariel spoke.
" What I mean is... I just feel like the invention of the train was too otherworldly. I mean, most of the things that were needed weren’t even available back then." He paused. "Anyway, it’s just my gut feeling. You don’t have to take it too seriously."
But Ariel narrowed her eyes. She had also felt the invention of the train came out of nowhere. And she also understood now Orion knew more than he was letting on.
"Anyway." Her eyes were fixed on Lilian.
"As you know, we don’t have information on how far that person is in the dungeon. So it makes no sense to send people after them. They could be just two or three floors away from the bottom."
"So what are we going to do?" Lilian said.
"That’s the big problem. You see, we want to perform the Revelation Glove again. But we spent all our divine supply to learn the information about ’that person.’" She paused and stared at Lilian. "You understand what I mean?"
Lilian’s eyes widened as she shot up.
"With all due respect... I would rather not." Saying that, she took her seat again.
Ariel sighed.
"I know the method is too risky, but you do realize we’re only asking you to do this because we don’t have any other choice, right?"
Lilian let out a deep breath.
"I do. But can you give me some time to think?"
Ariel’s expression became gentler.
"Yes. But don’t take too long. We don’t have much time. Please make up your mind before tomorrow afternoon."
"Okay," Lilian answered.
With that, they stood up and went to their designated rooms.
After settling down, Orion came to Lilian’s room.
"So what was that all about? I didn’t understand anything you guys said," Orion spoke as he sat on the sofa.
Lilian sat beside Orion.
"They want me to perform divinization on the dungeon."
"What’s divinization?" Orion asked.
"Well, you see, when a place is divinized, the goddess can interfere with that place more freely. She can then provide us with more information or even force people out of that place. And this is also the method the church uses to contact the goddess," she said.
"Wow... but I guess there’s some catch, otherwise you wouldn’t have denied doing this." Orion’s eyes narrowed.
"You’re right. Even the priests who perform divinization sometimes lose their consciousness while doing it. Furthermore, feeling the goddess’s presence can make a person mentally unstable for life. And I’m afraid of what scar it would leave on me," she said, her eyes conflicted as she struggled with what she should do.
"But I also want to do it. As it would also help you in some manner," she said, looking down, her face flushed red.
Orion chuckled.
"Don’t push yourself because of me. As you know, I’ll find some solution anyway."
Lilian looked up at Orion.
"No. I want to be of some use to you." Then her aura became ominous.
"So that you can’t help but be dependent on me."
Orion gulped.
"Don’t you think you’re being too possessive lately?"
Lilian laughed out loud.
"It’s like the pot calling the kettle black... You really are the biggest hypocrite."
"I know," Orion said. "But it really suits me, doesn’t it?" he spoke with a cocky smile.
Lilian chuckled and gave Orion a gentle punch on his shoulder.
"Anyway, I’ve made up my mind. I’ll do it." She stood up from her seat.
Orion sighed.
"Okay. But take care of yourself." His aura turned obsessive. "If anything happens to you, I don’t know what I’ll do."
"Okay."
Lilian went out of the room, leaving Orion alone.
He fell into deep thought.
Lilian went to the previous room where they had first arrived, and as soon as she reached there, Ariel materialized once again.
"So, did you make up your mind? What will your answer be?" Ariel spoke.
"I’ve decided to do it," Lilian said. "But I want to say beforehand, I will stop the method if it becomes too much for me to take."
Ariel sighed.
"That’s not how a hero is supposed to act—"
Lilian was offended by her words.
"So what do you want us to become? Lifeless vessels, so you can use us as weapons? I didn’t ask to be a hero candidate. So I would feel a lot better if you stopped treating me like your own personal tool," she snapped.
Ariel was taken aback by Lilian’s words.
Then she chuckled. This was exactly why she had specifically asked for Lilian.
She wasn’t some noble child with a bloated ego, always trying to prove their bravery and importance to the world. Those types usually rushed headfirst into any mission handed to them, never stopping to think.
But Lilian was different. She always spoke up against nonsensical commands from the higher-ups in the Church, and she knew her limits.
Ariel landed gracefully on the ground.
"I understand. Now come with me."