novelraw Chapter 413: Pandora
Chapter 413: Pandora
"In my original world, the Novosibirsk Wind corporation was world-renowned for its smart particle beam weapons. The high-energy intelligent armaments designed by engineer Karlov Petrovich Shalik stood out among a sea of live-ammunition weapons... Never mind, even if I tell you guys this, you probably wouldn't understand. Anyway, the machine tool I'm currently constructing is a simple prototype for manufacturing this kind of particle weapon. Later, I'll even be able to use the microcomputer in my cybernetic eye to design their applications offline."
Fisher explicitly recognized the Energy Moonstone which would be used to manufacture Cardinals in the future. In other words, the present Mikhail hadn't officially begun constructing the Cardinals that would become his hallmark in the future. Fisher also didn't know the degree of similarity between the products of his original world and the subsequent Cardinals, so he could only start with the machine tool he was presently building.
Mikhail didn't conceal anything, revealing everything about the machine tool's purpose and the weapons it manufactured. Yet not only was Gou Wen, a doctor, completely bewildered after hearing it, Fisher also completely failed to understand.
Fortunately, Mikhail also seemed to discern the limited comprehension capabilities of the two before him. He didn't provide too much explanation, merely wondering why Asuka Karasawa still hadn't finished checking the wiring outside.
"Has she still not finished checking? The wiring is affixed to the exterior wall, it should be very clear..."
"Help! Help! Wu wu wu wu! Help, can someone save me!"
As a result, the moment Mikhail mentioned Asuka Karasawa's name, her screams instantaneously reverberated from downstairs. The complexions of Fisher and Gou Wen changed. They hastily got up and arrived before the tightly-shut window. Who would've thought that right after opening the window, that semi-transparent viscous mass larger than the building violently crashed into their line of sight.
"Gu lu lu!"
"What is this thing?"
Fisher frowned, sizing up the constantly squirming giant monster before their eyes. Gou Wen leaned against the windowsill and patted Fisher's shoulder, pointing ahead to say,"Look quickly, Little Karasawa is up ahead. This thing is chasing her."
Fisher subconsciously reached into his clothes for the Fluid Sword, but ended up grabbing empty air. It seemed his Fluid Sword was still taken by them and hadn't been returned. While feeling speechless, he practically didn't forget to carefully observe the freakishly massive, eerie Relic before his eyes. He roughly perceived the Tier of the object before his eyes wasn't low, likely around the Fourteenth-Tier. He immediately spoke up,
"I'll go save Karasawa. Who among you will go call Helaire over?"
"I'll go, it'll be a bit faster this way. You be careful, this thing's level is very high, though its offensive capability seemingly isn't considered too strong. It even seems to quite relish the process of chasing Little Karasawa..."
Yes, Fisher also discovered it actually. The stamina of Asuka Karasawa, whom it was chasing, was very poor. The longer she ran, the slower she got. And the behemoth behind her despicably ran slower and slower as well, but simultaneously the terrifying bubbling sounds from its mouth grew increasingly loud. Frightening Asuka Karasawa so much she didn't even dare turn her head, sprinting frantically around this building.
"Ha wu wu wu, he... help—"
Looking at Asuka Karasawa's pitiful sight of running while crying, Fisher sighed and leaped down from the second floor, sprinting toward her location. Gou Wen also followed closely behind, sprinting frantically in the opposite direction, preparing to go find Helaire for help. Meanwhile, within the room, Mikhail, being merely a human, wisely refrained from rashly heading out to help.
He only had one eye and one hand. Even if he went out, he'd only be a hindrance. It was better to sit here.
"Gu lu lu~"
That giant semi-transparent monster continuously spat bubbles within its stomach. The tentacles continuously extending from its body whipped against the ground, causing the nearly exhausted Asuka Karasawa ahead to close her eyes and accelerate anew out of sheer terror. Fisher truly suspected that if things continued like this, she really might run herself to death right here.
As she practically couldn't run any faster despite exerting herself, the giant object from behind seemingly felt unsatisfied. It violently reached out a tentacle and prodded her back. In just an instant, her black school uniform jacket was corroded with holes like those battered by raindrops. It unveiled her pale back and the straps of her cute, pink, teddy-bear-patterned undergarment.
"Wu aaaaaah!"
"Gu lu lu~"
Looking at the pitiful sight of Asuka Karasawa crying and running away while covering her back, countless semi-transparent tentacles instantaneously extended from the semi-transparent behemoth's body, excitedly wrapping around her left calf and ankle. In an instant, it corroded away the lower half of her long black stockings and shoe entirely, before yanking aggressively, making her fall flat on her face.
"Wu wu..."
Aggrieved, she sniffled. With a pale complexion, she turned back to look, only to see countless twisted semi-transparent tentacles still aggressively closing in on her. Frightened, she directly closed her eyes, awaiting the arrival of death...
Yet exactly at this critical juncture, Fisher, rushing over from behind, aggressively reached out a hand and grabbed one of her hands, violently pulling her out from the tentacles' encirclement.
"M-Mr. Fisher..."
"Are you okay?"
Fisher dragged her and abruptly retreated quite a distance. Hearing her minuscule voice that seemingly almost passed out, he raised his eyebrows. Subsequently, he looked at her back, thinking she had been injured by the thing that touched her just now. However, looking down, there practically wasn't any wound whatsoever; just an expanse of smooth skin completely unharmed...
While feeling dizzy, Asuka Karasawa also sensed Fisher's scrutinizing gaze. She immediately covered her back with a blushed face. Remaining terrified, that chilly sensation made her so ashamed she truly wanted to faint, even her eyes beginning to erratically dart around.
"I-I'm fine... just my clothes seem..."
I was seen... I was definitely seen...
She still remembered back during swimming class in school, she was teased by the girls in her class for liking this childish-styled undergarment. To think it would actually be seen by Mr. Fisher in an alternate world...
Haha, struggling to survive at school was already miserable enough. Who would've thought it'd be like this in an alternate world too... I really want to die.
Fisher didn't understand why the face of the Asuka Karasawa before him grew increasingly red, seemingly feeling as uncomfortable as someone lacking oxygen. But looking at her clutching her back and retreating, he assumed she was merely feeling shy. Thus, he took off his jacket and said to her,
"Wrap this around yourself first."
"Ah, than... Watch out! Mr. Fisher!"
"Gu lu lu!"
Receiving Fisher's jacket, Asuka Karasawa's complexion instantaneously underwent a massive change before she could finish expressing her thanks, hastily yelling at Fisher as such. Fisher also raised his eyebrows and lowered his head to look at his feet. A gargantuan, expansive shadow was continuously expanding and shifting, turning to encapsulate him entirely within the blink of an eye.
Fisher shoved Asuka Karasawa away first. Simultaneously, bounding off his feet, he vaulted away, evading the giant semi-transparent tentacles grasping at him from behind. Focusing his gaze anew, the eccentric object before his eyes didn't seem infuriated in the slightest. Rather, Fisher felt it was somewhat hyper? Based on its previous behavior, if it wanted to attack him just now, a strike or slap would've been a far superior choice. Yet strangely, it chose the inferior move of extending tentacles to grab him.
Could it be... this thing is playing a game with them?
Fisher cast a bizarre look at Asuka Karasawa, who was draping his clothing to cover her upper body. Sweeping a glance over her black stockings full of corroded holes and jagged edges, the perplexity on his face intensified by several degrees.
Exactly what type of Gospel Relic did Michael build this thing before his eyes into?
"Gu lu lu!"
However, the semi-transparent Relic before his eyes couldn't care less about the thoughts Fisher harbored. It let out a strange cry. Unpicky, it instantaneously switched the target of its attack to the Fisher before its eyes. Along with the rapid squirming of its body, several tentacles swiftly surged forward like lightning, rushing toward Fisher in overwhelming numbers. Be it speed or quantity, it was completely incomparable to when it was dealing with Asuka Karasawa.
Evidently, this thing also adjusted its attacks by observing the target's strength.
Lacking both the Fluid Sword and magic, Fisher didn't dare rashly use his body to touch the potentially corrosive Relic before him. He resolved to lure the Relic away from here, heading over toward where the other angels were.
"Mr. Fisher, hiss..."
Sitting barefoot on the ground, Asuka Karasawa had already frantically sprinted a very long distance to begin with. Then, in a moment of desperation, she was pushed down directly by Fisher, accidentally twisting her ankle. The moment she shifted her body, she inhaled a breath of cold air from the pain.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
It must be said, the Relics forged by Michael were all decidedly not mundane. Although their purposes might be temporarily questionable, their quality absolutely couldn't be underestimated. Having a Thirteenth-Tier bodily constitution, Fisher unexpectedly appeared somewhat stretched to the limit when empty-handedly dodging the tentacles of the Relic before him, narrowly avoiding being struck multiple times.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
"Karasawa, if you can move, head to a safe place first. I..."
Fisher initially wanted to remind her to quickly leave after seeing her sitting in place unable to move, worried she'd be accidentally injured by the thing before him. As a result, before he could finish speaking, a robust semi-transparent tentacle viciously slammed against his white shirt. In a mere instant, it corroded away the shirt Renee gifted him completely, exposing his muscular upper torso.
Fisher stared with a face covered in black lines at the transparent tentacle stuck to his upper body. Subsequently, he fiercely retreated and dodged away.
Looking toward Asuka Karasawa's direction, he saw she—who was previously still struggling to move amidst hearing Fisher's words—was right now foolishly staring blankly in place. Pursing her lips with a flushed face, she stared at him motionlessly, posing an appearance of being rendered completely dumbstruck.
Regardless of what one says, a scene like this still seemed a bit too stimulating for a girl who just turned seventeen.
Namo Amitabha...
Thank goodness the Jodo Shinshu Buddhism I study isn't ascetic. Thanks a million.
Asuka Karasawa swallowed a mouthful of saliva, staring intently at Fisher's upper body as she thought so in her heart.
"Karasawa!"
Only when Fisher called out for her anew from the distance did she retrieve her gaze with immense difficulty. Hugging Fisher's jacket entirely tightly to cover her upper body, she walked toward the entrance of the house.
Having lost the rear-guard concerns regarding Asuka Karasawa, the bare-chested Fisher no longer entangled himself further with the Relic before him. He merely ran in the opposite direction of Michael's forging room, because there were more angels over there.
"Gu lu lu!"
To the rear, the roughly ten-plus-meter semi-transparent Relic rapidly squirmed to follow. It seemingly was completely devoid of a clear mind, merely executing its designed function like a Relic. Just like that, it unyieldingly followed Fisher and barged into the angels' forging area.
Many angels arriving at the Fifth Heaven to forge saw this scene. However, all of them merely expressionlessly paused their forging at hand. Standing motionlessly in place to spectate, they coldheartedly witnessed Fisher being chased.
"Over here, Fisher!"
Right when Fisher was frantically sprinting along the way, Gou Wen's voice abruptly transmitted from afar. He was standing beside a sublime furnace isolated from the numerous cosmic furnaces, constantly waving at Fisher. Not far behind him stood Helaire, who had just separated from their group prior.
Fisher immediately reversed direction, sprinting frantically toward their location, luring the giant Relic behind him toward the position of that forging table.
"Gu lu lu!"
Yet Helaire continued to smile with her hands behind her back, devoid of any intention to intervene. But exactly in the next second, a terrifying suction force precipitously transmitted from deep within the tower of that forging table. That giant Relic was effortlessly hoisted by that power, as if a black hole resided within that high tower. Unfolding in the blink of an eye, it sucked away that bubbling Relic. The Relic shrunk smaller and smaller, eventually gradually vanishing above the high tower.
"..."
The Fifth Heaven instantaneously grew dead silent. The spectating angels not far away had already quickly retracted their gazes upon seeing that high tower, yet they didn't immediately commence their respective forging either. In an instant, the entire Fifth Heaven fell taciturnly silent. Fisher could only hear his own breathing...
He raised his head down to look at the high platform above. He only saw Helaire still smiling away, making no indication whatsoever. Only Gou Wen nudged his chin toward the interior of the high tower, seemingly hinting for him to go up.
Fisher pondered for a moment before proceeding to climb the stairs of the high tower up toward this pristine white high tower erected at the edge of the Fifth Heaven. Similar to the other buildings in the Sanctuary, the style of this high tower was also exceedingly harmonious and beautiful, possessing a symmetrical beauty unique to angels alone. The temperature inside the high tower was extraordinarily high, providing proof that it was an operating furnace.
Fisher quickly ascended this high tower. Yet neither Gou Wen nor Helaire opened their mouths. Rather, an ethereal female voice transmitted from within the high tower,
"Just now, you ran all the way here from Michael's forging room. Along the way, seventeen angels saw you being chased, yet none intervened to stop it. Why do you think that is?"
Fisher knew that voice was asking him. He pondered for a second before saying,
"Because I am human. As beings of Mythical Species, angels have no need to rescue humans?"
"Apart from being human, you are also guests personally appointed by us seven to stay. The angels all hold the responsibility to protect your safety. Moreover, removing this layer of identity as a guest, except for myself and a scanty few angels, angels wouldn't intervene to assist regardless of what race it is, due to it having nothing to do with themselves... The true reason nobody helped you is that this object is Archangel Michael's possession. All the angels know he cherishes his creations, so they merely didn't dare to act rashly."
Fisher paused for a brief moment. Under Helaire's smiling, tacit consent, he and Gou Wen walked into the high tower together. They only saw that this top-floor high tower was completely empty; there was solely a furnace emitting a terrifying high temperature right in the middle. And sitting before that high-temperature furnace, was a powerful angel with a full head of silver hair, possessing fully a trio of pale silver wings on her back, facing away from Fisher...
Her Tier firmly sat at the Nineteenth-Tier.
And just beholding the back of this silver-haired angel standing before his eyes—who mirrored humanity to the utmost and held authority over the Holy Grail he yearned for—Fisher's breathing had already inevitably grown ever so slightly ragged. Using the momentum, he opened his mouth.
"Archangel Sariel."
"...Actually, compared to this name, I prefer the title other races refer to me as."
The Archangel before his eyes turned her head with a tranquil smile. Only till now did Fisher discover she wore a pale silvery-gold silken Relic before both her empty eyes, fully obscuring the missing ocular portion. It stripped the abruptness of lacking eyes away from her face, transforming her into a beautiful, amiable, and approachable look.
She held a tightly shut square iron box within her hands. It seemed what resided within was the semi-transparent viscous fluid Relic that chased Fisher for a large part of the day earlier. Hearing her words, Fisher hesitated briefly, probing,
"Archangel Pandora."
Hearing this title, the beautiful smile on her face deepened a few degrees. Subsequently, lightly tossing the iron box she held to Fisher, she rotated anew to face the direction of the surging, terrifying high-temperature furnace.
She seemed to be forging something.
"This is Michael's beloved personal little toy. Ordinarily, he likes searching for a desolate planet to enjoy himself with. I simply didn't expect it to be accidentally activated just now. It's quieted down now; simply place it back in his forging room later."
Fisher shot a glance at the little iron box in his hand, his face covered in black lines. Gou Wen also cast a remarkably curious look at that box, subsequently looking at the bare-chested Fisher. He asked him softly,
"How did you end up taking your shirt off while running? Were you too hot?"
"...It's this toy that corroded my clothes. Who could possibly know Archangel Michael designed this sort of thing to be used precisely for corroding clothing."
Gou Wen opened his mouth. Realizing after the fact, he glanced at the Pandora facing away from them before his eyes, finally comprehending exactly what this thing was used for. Plagued with deliberation for a prolonged time, not a single word sprung from his mouth. Scared of spouting something perverse, he could only sheepishly stick up a thumb to express his current state of mind.
"Mr. Fisher, Mr. Gou Wen... Hah, you guys are here."
And exactly at this moment, Asuka Karasawa, who was unable to rest assured regarding Fisher from afar, panted breathlessly running over after her sprained ankle improved slightly. Seeing her tightly bundled in Fisher's jacket with the long stockings on her feet in shreds anew, Gou Wen couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. Roughly grasping the situation, he retracted his gaze, stating with a smile,
"Ah my, looks like Little Karasawa was also subjected to the pranks of that boring clothing-removal toy."
Asuka Karasawa pursed her lips, averting her gaze from the Fisher within mere arms' reach. Before she could speak, Helaire beside them was already laughing while clutching her stomach. Pointing at Fisher's body, she said,
"The purpose of that thing is much more than just that. How could a toy favored by Lord Michael possibly solely possess this tiny snippet of utility. Very soon, the areas you were struck by that thing will turn sensitive, searing hot endlessly. Furthermore, based on Lord Michael's tolerance, that sensation will definitively be considered rather intense."
"Eh eh?"
"..."
Fisher pressed his lips together speechlessly. He turned to glance at Asuka Karasawa. Unknown if it was a psychological effect, but in any case, ever since Helaire finished stating those words, he abruptly felt his body becoming searing hot. It felt as if a minuscule ripple of Aether brought about by the furnace's high temperature could enact a highly palpable reaction in his body, making his entire body ticklish.
However, it was still within a tolerable range.
Only Asuka Karasawa evidently lacked his level of endurance. Her complexion instantaneously flushed beet-red. Both her feet and her tightly-bundled back began to itch terribly in an excruciating manner, leaving her unable to stand still or sit safely in peace. Piteously looking at the smiling Helaire beside her who simply refused to extend a helping hand, she had no alternative but to rely on her willpower and endure through sheer force. Yet no matter what she tried, it still felt itchy and fiery.
Meanwhile, the comparatively calmer Fisher swept a glance around the surroundings. He rapidly discovered, to his surprise, quite a number of Magic Materials stored beside Pandora's furnace, seemingly acting as raw materials for forging Gospel Relics.
He narrowed his eyes, committing this matter to mind. Simultaneously, looking at that Pandora sitting quietly before the furnace who seemingly was awaiting something, he opened his mouth and asked,
"Archangel Pandora, Angel Helaire said earlier that there were original arrangements to bring us to the Fifth Heaven. If I haven't guessed wrong, the original arrangement was precisely allowing us to meet with you, right?"
Pandora extended a hand and warmed it over the high-temperature furnace as if afraid of the cold. Subsequently, she pinched her fingers and retracted her hand, speaking up.
"I had originally wanted to meet you when you were in the Seventh Heaven previously. Though it was delayed due to some matters occurring within the mortal world. I've merely finally secured an opportunity this time... My prior request has already been conveyed to you via Helaire's lips. Except going by her whimsical personality, I naturally presumed she likely hasn't delineated the details, so much so that you might all still be completely baffled regarding the future. Thus, I specially came here this time to discuss the trade."
The Helaire standing outside the tower behind them lowered her head with a smile. It lay as if apologizing for Pandora's verdict towards her "whimsicalness". Only it didn't look like an excessively sincere apology whatsoever.
Fisher looked at Pandora's back, seemingly considering whereabouts the Holy Grail she safeguarded was located.
"...Angel Pandora must've already known about employing the World Tree Teardrop for forging sentient objects, correct?"
"I indeed know of this matter, which is why I personally came to see you, to inform you of the situations revolving around a change in plans."
"Change in plans?"
Pandora lacked eyes, inherently devoid of the action of staring. As she conversed with Fisher's group, she merely faced the furnace thusly.
"A few days ago whilst in the mortal world, Archangel Remiel told me an intriguing piece of news. He said that the Elves' Jianmu Palace upon the Tree Continent has tightly sealed its doors roughly half a year prior. Even the worship and sacrificial offerings they love throwing the most are no longer orchestrated. The external reasoning is: the Elf King is feeling unwell and needs to recuperate and pray..."
Fisher rapidly chewed upon that somewhat familiar noun spilling from Pandora's lips. While Gou Wen expanded upon the World Tree Teardrop for him yesterday, he had heard this term prior.
"Jianmu Palace."
"Precisely, the Jianmu Palace is a site where the Elves hold countless ceremonies. Naturally, having a certain degree of knowledge regarding the World Tree Teardrop, you must incontrovertibly be aware that it also lays as the location safeguarding the World Tree Teardrop..."
Pandora flashed a faint smile. An abrupt yet exceptionally overt "gu lu" sound surfaced from within the furnace. It seemingly hinted at a sign of a certain entity maturing. Simultaneously, she vocalized her words.
"Archangel Remiel suspects that the one truly harboring a problem is neither that powerful Elf King nor the Elf Dukes and Marquises under his jurisdiction."
"He suspects, the World Tree Teardrop has already been stolen."