novelraw Chapter 567: Shelter in the Spirit World
Chapter 567: Shelter in the Spirit World
Inside the council chamber of the Frostwood Sycamore Tree, as Alajina's group exited the room, the space within was left with only Valentiina and several leaders of the six clans, excluding Clan Chief Dar.
Valentiina quietly looked at the Phoenix King Sword lying on the massive throne before her. She felt as if it were subtly calling out to her. Unable to control herself, she reached out, wanting to grasp the sword's hilt.
Unlike the Moon Princess dagger and the Ice Prince Sword, which was a rapier, the Phoenix King Sword had a much more formal shape. From its appearance, it looked more like a ceremonial sword. However, the intense cold constantly radiating from it could easily dispel such a ridiculous notion.
"That Alajina is clearly displeased with our Lord Phoenix. For a woman from the Sardin Woman's Country, this is tantamount to the hatred of having her husband stolen. I'm afraid this won't end peacefully. Today, she might endure it because she needs our help, but on the day she gains the power, do you think she can tolerate it for a lifetime? Moreover, Lord Phoenix's husband is still..."
Hamlia, the leader of the Cangniao-kin, had always been displeased with Alajina. The moment the other party walked out of the room, she seemed impatient as she said this to Valentiina. At the same time, her gaze discreetly shifted to the massive Slime, Barion, sitting behind her, dissatisfied with how he had subtly spoken up for Alajina earlier.
Barion couldn't be bothered to respond to her. Darivuvu also coughed and hurriedly looked at Valentiina's back, interrupting the words Hamlia was about to utter.
"Cough, cough... Miss Valentiina, I am very glad to see you again. Earlier, when Sister Ilos came over, we were still thinking of visiting you later. I didn't expect you to come up yourself..."
Hearing Darivuvu's words behind her, Valentiina's movement to grasp the hilt of the Phoenix King Sword paused slightly. She turned to face the leaders of the six clans, only to find that their expressions varied.
Although Darivuvu was a Giant Troll-kin, she was actually quite meticulous. Perhaps she had already known that Valentiina's husband's whereabouts and survival were currently unknown. Therefore, when Valentiina entered and questioned Alajina as a wife, demanding her to corroborate, her response had seemed somewhat hesitant.
It seemed she was afraid that this matter would deal a heavy blow to the newly awakened Phoenix, prompting her to cast aside the Frostwood Sycamore Tree and the six clans to recklessly search for Fisher. This was something the six clans absolutely didn't want to see. Yet, she hadn't expected the several people beside her to speak increasingly outrageously, as if they completely disregarded this matter.Forget about Hamlia; everyone knew she was missing a screw in her head. But what about Barion? Darivuvu didn't understand. Was he simply too old, causing his brain to deteriorate?
One must know that for several millennia since the fall of the Phoenixes until now, their six clans had strictly adhered to their loyalty and honor toward the Phoenixes. They had always hoped that one day, they would return and lead the six clans back to the Northern Border. This was also why, four and a half years ago, they had contributed their sigils to help Fisher, Valentiina, and their group.
Over these four and a half years, while gathering the remaining bloodlines of the six clans that had been struggling on the verge of death throughout the years toward the Frostwood Sycamore Tree, they were also worrying—worrying that this sole remaining Phoenix would evade the responsibilities that belonged to her.
After all, strictly speaking, all the leaders of the six clans knew that Valentiina had previously been a human. Her bloodline had merely been elevated now, which didn't mean she was no longer "Valentiina" as a person.
She lacked the guidance of a Phoenix and had lived in the Turan Family, a place that ate people without spitting out the bones. She was also a Phoenix born after the fact...
What if she came to the Frostwood Sycamore Tree only to cure her legs, and at most, to help the six clans expel the curse?
What if she didn't care at all about the restoration of the Frostwood Sycamore Tree's nation and only thought of running out of the Northern Border to other places far away from the Turan Family?
If so, then the hopes of the six clans over all these years and their help toward her would have all been completely wasted...
However, seeing Darivuvu hesitating to speak, and Hamlia also realizing after the fact that she seemed to have spoken the wrong words, Valentiina smiled helplessly and said,
"Everyone, there's no need to worry that I will abandon the Frostwood Sycamore Tree. Although I became a Phoenix later on, I have, after all, met the Moon Princess and received her teachings. It is also thanks to the sacrifices of your ancestors that I have today... I am a Phoenix. From now on, the Frostwood Sycamore Tree is my home, and you are all friends who have made a pact with me."
"...My apologies, Miss Valentiina, but we simply had to confirm this matter. After all, that woman... I mean Heidelin. Miss Valentiina, please don't take offense; we say what we have to say. To be honest, she has had some opinions about us over the years. She might think that, just like the Turan Family, we are actually only using you to achieve our own goals. Rather than staying in the Frostwood Sycamore Tree to lead us back to our past life, she hopes you can find your own life and freedom."
Darivuvu curled her lips. Looking at Clan Chief Dar of the Snow Fox-kin walking back from outside the door, she said,
"For this, Kokolia has argued with her more than once. Now, she even asked Sister Ilos to tell you about Mr. Fisher's disappearance as soon as you woke up. We are truly very worried that you might make the wrong choice and leave the Frostwood Sycamore Tree.
"Miss Valentiina, you have slept for a long time and don't know the current state of the world. Now, Naris is at the height of its power, and its influence is spread like tentacles across various nations and continents, with the Northern Border being no exception. In a place like the Northern Border, where faith is deeply rooted, an awakened Phoenix is an unbearable thorn in the side for them and the Turan Family, not to mention that you once had a grudge against the Turan Family...
"The ancestors of everyone sitting here once swore loyalty to your ancestors. Today, we have not forgotten this oath either. In the future, we will also become your most loyal subordinates, acting as your hands and eyes, doing our part to recreate the glory of the Frostwood Sycamore Tree. Of course, whatever requests Miss Valentiina has, we will try our best to fulfill. From four and a half years ago until now, we have made quite a lot of plans against the Turan Family. Barion's Slimes have also never given up searching for the missing Mr. Fisher..."
Valentiina nodded and spoke softly,
"I apologize to everyone on Heidelin's behalf. We have depended on each other since childhood within the Turan Family, and only we know the bitterness and sweetness of it. She means no harm; she is just worried that I will fall into a second devil's den like the Turan Family... Regarding this, everyone does not need to worry. I have my own convictions and will not easily change because of others. I also will not become utterly disheartened because of my husband's disappearance. I have always believed that he is still alive. He is very powerful and won't be defeated so easily. Therefore, please, Clan Chief Barion, continue to pay close attention and search for his whereabouts at all costs while I stay in the Frostwood Sycamore Tree."
Barion pinched his pacifier and gave a faint nod, indicating his agreement.
Hearing Valentiina's certain answer, the expressions on the faces of the several clan chiefs present finally relaxed. Their original misgivings were also completely dispelled. After all, they had spent too little time with this former eldest miss of the Turan Family and didn't know her true personality.
But now, from this short period of time, it seemed that the young girl standing before the massive throne already heavily bore the legacy of the ancient Phoenixes.
"Alright, next, Clan Chief Darivuvu, I want to know the current situation—of the Frostwood Sycamore Tree, the Turan Family, the Northern Border, and the Naris you mentioned earlier."
Next, Darivuvu briefly explained the current situation of the Frostwood Sycamore Tree to Valentiina.
Today, the Frostwood Sycamore Tree had four hundred and sixty-seven pureblood Giant Troll-kin, three hundred and twenty Slime-kin both inside and out, five hundred and eighty Cangniao-kin, seven hundred Snow Fox-kin, six hundred and twelve Cloud Cat-kin, one Moon Rabbit-kin, and one human, totaling two thousand six hundred and eighty-nine.
This number was actually within Valentiina's expectations; it was neither too many nor too few. Moreover, according to what Darivuvu said, the attitudes of the various nations of the Northern Border, excluding the Sardin Woman's Country and the Turan Family, toward the Frostwood Sycamore Tree were all very ambiguous.
After all, aside from those two powers, the rest of the small nations were either poor or suffering. Obviously, being sandwiched between the Turan Family and the Sardin Woman's Country wasn't a good life. The Northern Border was a small place, and natural resources like the climate were almost entirely grasped by the two major powers. The small nations had long been dissatisfied with this. The slightly larger ones remained neutral, their stance not very firm.
However, the Frostwood Sycamore Tree had a natural advantage over the various nations of the Northern Border, which was that most of the residents of the Northern Border believed in the Frost Phoenix.
And the fact that the Frostwood Sycamore Tree actually had a Phoenix was completely unexpected by all nations.
Even for the Sardin Woman's Country, previously believing in the Frost Phoenix had a hundred benefits and no harm. First was the tradition of cultural history, which was very difficult to change. Secondly, everyone believed in the same thing and had a common goal; for a feudal nation like the Sardin Woman's Country, this was also conducive to unification and could strengthen the connections between the various states. Why not do it?
Who could have thought that after believing in it for several millennia without a single Phoenix popping out, in recent years, one actually popped out of a rock with a "bang"?
The impact of this on the Northern Border was no less catastrophic than announcing the resurrection of the Mother Goddess in the West Continent.
Therefore, for the Frostwood Sycamore Tree, the various nations of the Northern Border were not all enemies; there was a large number of forces that could be won over and drawn in. Perhaps the only one they truly needed to face right now was just one Turan Family.
And speaking of the Turan Family, they naturally had to mention the colossus currently standing behind them—Naris.
"These years, the Turan Family has constantly been cooperating with Naris of the West Continent. Not only them, but the Black Chieftain of the Stormsea, the Green Dragon Court of the Southern Continent, and the numerous small nations in the east of the West Continent now all have more or less close ties with Naris. They have mastered a war machine called the 'Cardinal', which is much more powerful than all the ones the Turan Family previously had. I heard the technology came from the Stormsea. Over the years, they have put a lot of effort into magic and Cardinals, and their level of warfare has advanced by leaps and bounds. Even the Red Dragon Court of the Southern Continent has been beaten into suffering continuous defeats and is now clinging to a corner..."
"The Red Dragon Court..."
Valentiina chewed over this term from Darivuvu's mouth. It was as if intuition made her latch onto this special term, making her pay special attention to it.
At the same time, the surprised voice of Lord Tao came to her ears once again,
"Hm? I didn't expect the Dragon Court to actually still exist. Could it be because of Fafnir's protection... I have to say, fate loves to toy with people. The orthodox Mythical Species have all perished, but instead, that group of mixed-blood defective products have survived until now..."
But before Valentiina had time to reply to Lord Tao's words in her mind, Barion, who had been sitting in the back without saying a word, suddenly spoke up,
"Valentiina, Naris absolutely cannot be underestimated. It's not because of their strong ships and formidable cannons now, but rather... the feeling this nation gives me is very... strange."
"Strange... what do you mean by that, Clan Chief Barion?"
"The Slimes under me have infiltrated many forces pervasively—the Sardin Woman's Country, the Turan Family... Previously, we could also enter Naris, but not in recent years. Many of my clansmen within Naris have died violent deaths. Of course, outwardly, they still passed away under their original disguised identities—drug overdose, sudden death during sex, cardiac arrest... And the battlefield of the Southern Continent is even more dangerous. My clansmen simply disappear without a trace. They are probably no longer alive now."
Barion cracked his knuckles and continued explaining the situation on the Southern Continent to Valentiina,
"Ever since Naris formed the Human Allied Army with the Green Dragon Court puppet regime to attack the Red Dragon Court, I have planted clansmen within all the various factions. However, the clansmen in the Green Dragon Court and the Naris army disappeared the fastest, and the clansmen in the Red Dragon Court also died in the war; this is what I can confirm. Thus, there is a high probability that there is something within Naris that can discover the hidden items or living beings of my clansmen, resulting in us currently knowing absolutely nothing about the situation in the Southern Continent and Naris."
"Could it be that because of the Cardinals you just mentioned, the Slimes' disguises were discovered by them?"
Valentiina stroked her chin and expressed her suspicion.
"It's possible, but we still can't be sure either. We have the Turan Family's Cardinals in our hands, but according to intelligence, their Cardinals and the Cardinals used by Naris seem to be two different things. Naris's Cardinals come from the Stormsea, which is exactly where that captain from the Sardin Woman's Country came from. And conveniently, they have brought us some precious Cardinal samples. Furthermore, her team also has Elizabeth's biological younger sister in it. She might be a very important card for us...
"And the most important thing is to crack the mystery of Naris's Cardinals. We cannot limit ourselves to just the Turan Family we are facing right now. I have a premonition that Naris will definitely become extremely terrifying in the future. And the things brought by that captain of the Sardin Woman's Country definitely contain contents that are extremely valuable to me..."
Valentiina pondered for a moment, falling deep into thought as she listened to Barion's words. But at least, she already had a preliminary understanding of the current situation.
She also began to gradually realize what kind of difficult problem she was currently facing.
The terrifying intrusion of Chaos, Fisher's disappearance, the mysterious rise of Naris, the flames of war in the Southern Continent...
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, when she opened them again, only decisiveness remained in her eyes.
"I understand..."
Valentiina spoke softly. Then, she slowly reached out her hand and grasped the hilt of the Phoenix King Sword, which was lying on the throne quietly watching her. The instant her fingers made contact with it, an obscure sensation instantly pierced through her skin and crashed into her soul, causing even the azure down on her body to begin radiating light.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz..."
The joyful hum of the sword reminded Valentiina that this sword had been easily mastered by her.
She was the last pureblood Phoenix, and only a Phoenix.
"Right, Miss Valentiina, there is one matter I don't know if I should mention..."
Just as Valentiina picked up the Phoenix King Sword to examine it, Clan Chief Barion of the Slime-kin behind her suddenly spoke again.
"What is it?"
Valentiina turned her head and looked at Barion, who was pinching his pacifier and seemed somewhat hesitant to speak. But she heard him continue,
"Although my clansmen on the Southern Continent have all mysteriously disappeared in recent years, in reality, we aren't completely without eyes, ears, and information. It was just a short while ago. I suddenly received a bit of... well, not very certain news. It's about Mr. Fisher."
"News about... Fisher? What news?"
Valentiina was slightly startled, and she immediately pressed for an answer, wanting to know. Even a small Peach Blossom bud quietly peeked out from the back of her head, seemingly possessing a certain degree of interest in this news as well.
Barion hesitated for a moment. Then, he took the pacifier out of his mouth and asked Valentiina in return,
"Miss Valentiina, I wonder if you have heard of a merchant named... Keken from the Petric Family in Naris?"
"Keken? I... haven't heard of him at all."
"Hm... he is a graduate of the Royal Academy in Naris, considered an alumnus and junior to Mr. Fisher. Coincidentally, he has experience doing business in the Southern Continent from very early on. Also coincidentally, he evaded the Dragon Queen's northern expedition and returned to Saint-Nazareth; and coincidentally again, he is recently outwardly doing business and trading within the Green Dragon Court. Of course, he also has a bit of... business dealings with us.
"He said that he obtained a trace of someone suspected to be Mr. Fisher, right within the Green Dragon Court of the Southern Continent."
Inside Alajina's room, the door was currently closed. Alajina, while inspecting the equipment and items at hand, asked the small sphere floating beside her,
"Little David, are you... sure that if I encounter anything amiss after going over, you can instantly teleport me back?"
"Of course, esteemed Holy Progeny."
"I'm not some... Holy Progeny."
"Oh, that's fine. This is just the default form of address set for me by my creator. You can change it at any time, or you can use other default forms of address, such as Perverted Demi-Human Girl Lover, Little Darling, and My Dear..."
"Just call me Alajina. That is my name."
"Okay, Alajina."
Alajina took a deep breath. She then took another look at the only remaining Cardinal around her. This was the only bargaining chip she had right now while living under someone else's roof.
If she wanted to become stronger, then she had to take risks.
She also didn't know if her choice to trust a Cardinal that had only just awakened was right. But being betrayed by allies, hunted by Naris, and crushed by the person who stole her husband... all of these made Alajina, who originally had a laid-back personality, feel obvious discomfort for the first time.
She didn't resent Valentiina; she was even grateful that this Phoenix was taking them in at this moment.
She had merely been bitterly waiting for a method, and it wasn't her first time experiencing the miraculousness of the Cardinals from the Stormsea. Furthermore, a Cardinal like Little David, who could speak and take her to a mysterious location, was something she had never even heard of. Perhaps even Naris didn't have such a precious thing...
She had to seize this opportunity!
Thus, in the next moment, Alajina said,
"...Teleport, Little David."
"Okay, initiating teleportation. Protective measures have already been added to your body to ensure adaptation to the environment of the Shelter within the Spirit World. Linking with the Shelter... Link failed. Initiating direct teleportation."
"Buzz, buzz, buzz!"
In the next second, the small sphere before her instantly erupted with light like a sun. The dazzling light easily enveloped her, turning her into a streak of light as well. In an extremely unimaginable manner, she instantly entered the Crevice.
"Haha..."
Alajina panted heavily. Enveloped by spiritual light, she tasted the feeling of weightlessness. The moment she entered the Crevice, she brushed past various kinds of resplendent subconscious minds as she continued to charge upward, heading toward the outer side and the deep layers of the world.
She couldn't examine the surrounding environment at all; she could only let the light carry her through, breaking through some sort of barrier, until she entered a magnificently brilliant place.
The next moment, the environment before her instantly became concrete, and she appeared out of thin air in a certain place...
An extremely empty, extremely silent, and extremely dark place.
"We have arrived, Alajina. Please rate Little David's service this time!"
"Wait, this is the Shelter of the Angels?"
The surroundings were completely dark and deathly still. Alajina wasn't missing; she was just relying on the light emitted by Little David beside her to examine the surroundings. But because the surroundings were too large and too dark, the light that had seemed extremely bright just a moment ago became so fragile here, only able to provide illumination for a small patch around her body.
"Thud, thud, thud."
Alajina stepped on some sort of sculpted stone bricks. Exquisite patterns were engraved on them, a kind that Alajina had never seen before... No, she seemed to have seen this kind of pattern before, right?
Right in the Stormsea?
"Right, huh, strange, why is it so dark and quiet here? According to my private database, this should be the Mooring Port of the Shelter, the place where the Holy Progenies are transferred to... Hm, let me scan the surroundings. Don't worry, Alajina."
Little David spun his spherical body in confusion, emitting faint rays of light outward. Soon, everything before them was deconstructed. They were wrapped in a fluorescent glow from the darkness, thereby revealing the outlines of various items.
The place was messy and chaotic, with various items scattered about, yet there wasn't a single corpse. The surroundings were all sealed tight by stone bricks, except for the fragments of the ceiling that had fallen all over the floor. From the gaps in the shattered ceiling, streaks of peculiar light, seemingly like starlight, poured down from above, attracting Alajina's attention.
She looked up, planning to see the scene outside the ceiling, or rather, the scenery of the Spirit World. However, the instant she looked up, just as she saw a faint smear of scarlet mist, a mechanical voice devoid of emotion yet slightly shrill suddenly boomed behind her, interrupting her next action.
"A friendly reminder from David: If you do not wish to die, please do not look up at the scene outside the Shelter."
"...David?"
Alajina was slightly startled. She quickly stopped what she was doing, turned her head, and looked very warily in the direction of the voice.
Right there in the darkness, borrowing the starlight leaking from the hole in the ceiling along with Little David's light, Alajina vaguely saw a human figure floating in midair. Bright blue light flickered on the shadow, completely no different from the light on Little David beside her.
Under Alajina's somewhat nervous and wary gaze, the floating shadow slowly became clear in the darkness ahead.
It turned out to be an existence that didn't look too tall, having the appearance of a young man. He had long, curly red hair, and his face was handsome, like a rare work of art in the world, making it difficult to distinguish whether he was male or female. Or perhaps, such an existence shouldn't have had a gender in the first place?
But what truly attracted Alajina's attention were the tattered or missing parts on his body. Beneath his ceramic-like cracked and fissured skin, what was exposed were complex and perfectly ordered parts and circuitry...
This forced Alajina to accept a reality: The existence before her was essentially a Cardinal, not a living, breathing creature.
"Yes, this is the name my mom and dad gave me, David... What about you, guest? What name did your mom and dad give you?"
The "Cardinal" before her spoke with a mechanical synthetic voice. As he spoke, blue sparks continuously flickered within him, indicating that he had long been out of repair and his condition had become extremely precarious.
Yet even so, like a miracle that originally shouldn't exist in the world, he displayed the legend of a certain civilization to Alajina.