novelraw Chapter 570: The Door of Emotions
Chapter 570: The Door of Emotions
In her dream, Raphaela's consciousness seemed to be constantly sinking, falling into endless darkness.
She didn't know exactly where she was going; she only felt everything beside her receding. Finally, what slowly appeared before her eyes and echoed in her ears was a boundless darkness mixed with some sort of fishy stench.
Raphaela seemed to have seen this scene many times, but every time she woke up, she would forget. Only right now, within her dream, could she find a tiny trace of the memory.
"Transferred Person..."
Before her was architecture hundreds and thousands of times more glorious than the Red Dragon Court. Wailing and running around inside were even more Dragon-kin than there were today. And constantly chasing after them was a twisted, tsunami-like black mire.
That black mire had no fixed shape, but as it surged forward, it revealed ferocious faces one after another. Those faces belong to Dragon-kin and other Demi-humans... They maintained the ferocious expressions from the moment before they became victims, with their mouths wide open, biting each other, all simultaneously letting out sounds of agony.
"No... my wife... my daughter..."
"Where are you going..."
"Come back... quickly come back..."
"Everything was a lie to me... Why... why... Master of Souls, why must you be so cruel... why must you torture me like this...""Why... It's impossible for us to go back... why..."
The moment she heard those voices, before Raphaela even had the time to discern what exactly those voices were saying, "herself" had already let out an extremely infuriated dragon roar. From within "her" body, an unmatched and terrifying power instantly spread out, causing the color of heaven and earth to change, turning into a barbaric and burning power, preparing to fight to the death with the shapeless Black Mud before her.
And it was exactly at this moment that behind Raphaela, a calm murmur—from an unknown creature, of an unknown gender, and of an unknown existence—suddenly sounded.
"Stay away from him..."
In her sleep, Raphaela was slightly startled. Then, she detached from that massive and strong dragon body and turned her head to look. In the darkness, she saw a slightly open mouth, and within its oral cavity, an enormously large eye that filled the entire space between the lips was quietly looking at her.
And that calm warning was exactly coming from His mouth. He repeated once again,
"Stay away from him."
"...Away from who? And who are you?"
"..."
That large eye didn't answer Raphaela's question. Instead, it suddenly burst open like a balloon, blooming with colorful mist from within, quickly filling Raphaela's entire field of vision.
Then, she seemed to see Fisher's figure.
His figure standing there instantly grabbed Raphaela's eyeballs, as if it gave her support and a sense of security within this patch of darkness.
A look of joy appeared on her face, and she subconsciously wanted to call out to her husband,
"Fishe..."
But halfway through her words, beside her, a Blue-haired Whale-kin with a broad, soft, and bouncy chest plunged into Fisher's embrace one step ahead of her, tightly hugging him. It was as if it was a classic reproduction, causing Raphaela to instantly freeze on the spot.
"Rumble!"
Raphaela fiercely opened her eyes from her dream. Her body was covered in cold sweat, as if she had just experienced a torture.
"Haha..."
Subsequently, what entered her eyes was the dimly lit room under the first light of dawn, and Fisher, who was close at hand, looking at her with deep concern.
"Raphaela, thank goodness, you're awake..."
Fisher's worried expression relaxed a little. However, the Raphaela lying on the bed at this moment was furious. She was slightly startled, then puffed up her cheeks and leaned forward a bit. After vigilantly sniffing the scent on his body and confirming that it was entirely her own scent and there was no fresh fragrance of the ocean, she finally pulled her head back.
At this moment, Raphaela only remembered the latter half of the dream, as if that was the true dream she had just had. What she had seen earlier was merely a groundless illusion that couldn't be counted...
But halfway through pulling back, she recalled the scene in her dream where Jasmine tightly hugged him earlier. Thus, her anger rose again, and with an 'Aowu', she took a bite out of Fisher's collarbone, making Fisher even more confused.
"...What are you doing?"
"..."
She didn't open her mouth to answer. She merely gently let go of the spot she had bitten Fisher, and then gently extended her tongue to lick that place.
"Did you have a nightmare?"
"...Mn."
"What did you dream about?"
"I dreamed that you and Jasmine, right in front of me..."
"..."
Fisher patted her head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and silently changed the subject,
"You've only slept for three hours. Do you want to rest a bit more?"
"No."
"...Then do you want to get up and go take another look at the military camp?"
Raphaela gently hugged Fisher's shoulders. She shook her head again, exhaled hot air, and said softly,
"No..."
"Then what do you want?"
"I want you..."
"..."
Wait, didn't you just before falling asleep...
Fisher raised an eyebrow, took a step back, and looked somewhat speechlessly at the Raphaela hugging him without letting go. For a moment, he also didn't know what to say.
It seemed that because as a Dragon-kin she would always be the first one to admit defeat, she was very untiring in wanting to challenge Fisher's physiological limits.
However, for Fisher, who had now been strengthened by the Demi-Human Completion Handbook, all challenges in this regard were nothing but a passing shower to him, completely useless.
The only one who made him feel willing to bow to her superiority now and perhaps even in the future was probably only that bad Angel named "Helaire".
Fisher keenly noticed the true need beneath her demands. Perhaps she was just jealous of Jasmine and wanted to possess him through this method, rather than truly craving it... Of course, it was also possible that she was still craving it, just not that much.
He stroked Raphaela's face, then said softly,
"I have already met your mother..."
"Mm..."
Raphaela puffed up her cheeks and chewed over Fisher's words. Only then did she gently release Fisher, whom she had grabbed. She stretched her waist from the side and sat up,
"Then what were you doing just now?"
"...Researching Magic."
"Researching Magic? Aren't you very powerful when it comes to magic? Do you still need to research?"
"Knowledge is infinite; no matter how much you learn, it is never enough..."
Fisher smiled slightly and replied in such a manner.
And in fact, reading the Soul Completion Handbook and meeting Caleb Uz just now did bring him a bit of inspiration, giving him a possible conjecture that could elevate the power of magic.
The highest power of single-ring magic was only the Fourteenth-Tier. If one wanted to grope further upwards to increase their capabilities, humanity currently only knew of the multi-ring method. But the problem lay in the fact that a magician couldn't just add a plurality of Circle Heads whenever they wanted. Fisher believed that he didn't possess Karasawa Asuka's cheat-like comprehension ability toward magic, where she could judge the structure of Multi-Ring Prime Magic purely by intuition.
If given ample research time, Fisher could very well immerse himself in it, spending three to five years to try various things and pioneer the academic level of the magic world.
But the problem was, he urgently needed to use Mythic power magic right now. He simply didn't have so many opportunities and so much time to experiment and trial-and-error...
However, in this world, there were some existences whose understanding of magic might be as deep as the Mother Goddess or Karasawa Asuka.
He remembered the first time he read the "Source Magic Book"; he read about a thing called "Star Magic". Fundamentally, this was something bestowed upon humanity by the Mother Goddess to connect with the Chaos-kin, allowing the Blessings of the Chaos-kin to be born onto human females, granting them a portion of the Chaos-kin's traits and abilities.
Although every Witch's Traits were different, they all had a no different commonality—a Mana Circuit and talent different from ordinary people, and this was also the origin of the race name [Witch].
From Caleb Uz's words, it could be known that the power of the soul originated from outside the world and belonged to the chaotic side's power. This could also explain why magic was also a chaotic power.
And Chaos-kin were consciousness entities formed by the culmination and condensation of soul power. At the same time, they had some sort of agreement with the Mother Goddess in the past; otherwise, they wouldn't have helped the Mother Goddess pact with humanity to form Witches. Perhaps they knew the secret of magic.
Yes, Fisher planned to use Star Magic to see if he could find Multi-Ring Prime Magic or a more universal method to elevate the power of magic above the Mythic Rank from the Chaos-kin.
There was a possibility of this method succeeding because Fisher knew he had a strong aura of the Mother Goddess's reincarnation on him. This might earn their friendliness and help.
This thought wasn't Fisher pulling wind from a hollow cave. One piece of corroborating evidence was that when in the Northern Border, that group of Chaos-kin also generated an unusual interest in him. At the very least, Fisher could confirm that kind of interest wasn't malicious, and this was also his proof for attempting this.
Hearing this, Raphaela rubbed her shoulders. Smiling, she was just about to say something when, at this moment, a soft knocking sound suddenly drifted from the door.
"Knock, knock..."
"Eimhart, wait a minute, I'll be up right away."
Fisher thought it was Eimhart. Usually, at this time, he should be flying over with a stinky face using his head to bump the door. Raphaela was also used to it, so she didn't show a surprised expression when the knocking sounded; she merely prepared to reach out and pick up the clothes that had been flung off and landed under the bed earlier.
But after Fisher opened his mouth, what came from outside the door wasn't Eimhart's drake voice, but a voice as soft as Cotton Candy,
"Fisher... It's me."
This voice...
It's Jasmine!
Fisher was slightly startled. For some unknown reason, cold sweat instantly popped out on his forehead.
He subconsciously turned his head to look at Raphaela beside him, only to see her movements of just about getting up from the bedding pause slightly. Following that, her expression instantly became dangerous, as if doubting whether the innocent Fisher had done some bad things behind her back.
"Ra..."
Raphaela didn't listen to Fisher's explanation. She simply silently pulled the bedding up again, covering her body while expressionlessly pointing her finger at Fisher in the direction of the door, as if telling him to go open it.
She wanted to see what those two could do here!
Raphaela raised her index finger at Fisher and placed it in front of her lips. Then, she raised her small fist, meaning, "Don't expose me, or else you'll get it good".
Afterward, she laid down on her side. Her long red hair cascaded down the edge of the bed like a waterfall, pretending to be fast asleep.
"...Is there something the matter, Jasmine?"
Fisher could only stand up and go open the door. While speaking, he grabbed the door handle and slowly opened the door, revealing a small crack completely filled by Fisher's body.
The door opened, instantly revealing Jasmine standing outside wearing the Red Dragon Court priest robe. At this moment, she was looking around, examining the extremely quiet corridor, as if afraid someone would come over.
When Fisher opened the door, revealing his lean and muscular upper body, Jasmine's eyeballs were instantly caught and pulled back.
Her small face flushed slightly. While dodging her gaze, she cherished taking everything in. Soon after, she swallowed a gulp of saliva and made as if to enter the room,
"Fisher, can we go inside to talk?"
"..."
Inside the room, the Raphaela lying on her side trembled slightly. She had clearly heard this gentle and soft voice.
Fisher didn't turn his head back but sensed the danger. He didn't yield the path but very appropriately took a step back. Because of this, more of the scenes within the room appeared within the crack of the door that was filled by his body.
For example, the messy armor and clothing scattered on the ground...
Jasmine was instantly stunned. Her flashing gaze caught the Raphaela lying on her side on the bed "fast asleep." Thus, she almost instantly realized what had happened here just now, and her face became even redder.
Her voice instantly shrank to the point of being imperceptible, seemingly worried about waking Raphaela up. She was heard mumbling,
"Is... is Raphaela inside?"
"...Mn, is there something the matter, Jasmine?"
Fisher also lowered his voice a bit, seemingly also afraid of waking Raphaela. But he was still considering how to remind Jasmine that the current Raphaela was awake, lest she say some shocking words and instantly ignite the powder keg.
"M-matter? I... um... ah... what was I going to say again..."
But Jasmine had already been frightened by the things leaping out of the syllabus before her eyes. She was still too young and too green. Perhaps she did originally have something to say to Fisher when she came over, but under the impact of the scattered clothes in the room and Fisher's body, her brain had completely disconnected.
Looking at her currently silly appearance, the worries Fisher originally had about her words also laid down a bit. He had no choice but to help her sort it out,
"Then where did you just return from? You didn't return here to rest yesterday either, right?"
"Ah, I was outside preparing logistics, so... I remember now! I came here to tell you that another West Continent person arrived at the seaside this morning, and he also said he's looking for you."
"West Continent person?"
"Mn, it seems to be a Carduan man. He looks... um, very tall and thin, as if he hasn't slept for many days. His spirit is very, very poor. He was discovered by the fishermen on the shore and is now detained outside the shore's defense line. Then someone came to notify me, so I..."
Raphaela's silently perked ears relaxed a bit. She originally thought it was some dangerous content about a secret affair, but looking at it now, it wasn't the case.
Her wary heart that was ready to explode at any moment was put down bit by bit; she merely continued to listen to the contents over there.
And the moment Fisher heard the description, he knew that the phone call he made to Death Minister Holland a week ago had taken effect. His landlord had told him about his news, so he quickly came here.
It's really quite fast, rushing here from the West Continent in just a week?
However, even though the personnel of the Creator's Society have withered now, they still had some foundation. A Lord Cardinal or Lord of Fate probably had this kind of capability.
"Ah, he is a friend of mine and plays a very important role in this war... You didn't tell anyone else about this, right?"
"Of course not. Because West Continent people appearing here is very dangerous. I have also properly settled that Ingrid in the Myriad Flower Court. With Aunt Yali'er taking care of her, she won't be in any danger for the time being... Moreover, if we let them be exposed to the eyes of the Dragon Court, it will have an impact on Raphaela and the morale of the upcoming war."
Jasmine smiled slightly, silently arranging everything properly. Yes, Fisher had completely forgotten about Ingrid. Raphaela was probably the same when she became busy. But Jasmine clearly had a lot of affairs on her hands as well, yet she still remembered these trivial matters.
Although he had secretly agreed with Jasmine earlier that they were very close and he could totally sneak into her room, because of Raphaela's possessiveness—forcing him to stay by her side every night—it was absolutely impossible for Fisher to go see Jasmine. He was deeply afraid of sparking any further conflicts when a storm was brewing.
But the Jasmine who came at this moment didn't have any intentions of sending an army to hold someone accountable or any dissatisfied complaints. It was as if she could understand everything in her eyes.
"Thank you, Jasmine, this was my oversight."
"...It's okay, Fisher. Raphaela is also very exhausted these days. She has to personally lead the army to face that general from a few years ago. To be honest, I think maybe... there isn't much chance of winning. Maybe she thinks so too, but she never showed it in the eyes of outsiders, only hiding it in the bottom of her heart... Feeling this way will be very tiring. I am very worried about her state, but because of Fisher's matter, I also don't know how to face her anymore... So, let her have a good rest. She will feel very comfortable by your side... I... am the same way."
Jasmine didn't look at the blush-inducing scene in the room anymore. She only softly spoke everything out loud. It was only at the very, very end that she spoke a dangerous sentence that "crossed the line".
But for some unknown reason, Fisher at this moment hadn't noticed it. Instead, he took a deep look at her, who was somewhat bashful and embarrassed.
"Then let's leave it at that. When Raphaela wakes up, Fisher can go check the coastal defense line. I've already instructed them to entertain that friend... I'll be, off then."
Jasmine smiled and pursed her lips. She first looked through the door for one last time at the fast asleep Raphaela on the bed turning her back to her. Then she looked at Fisher before her. She carefully reached out her hand, originally aiming for the muscles on his body, but then bashfully changed direction midway, opting to stroke Fisher's hand instead.
She squeezed it for a few seconds, as if drawing energy hidden in his hand, before barely letting go.
"Take good care of yourself too, Jasmine."
"Mn, I will."
Jasmine smiled and nodded. Afterward, she finally let go of Fisher's hand and softly turned to leave, without making a single sound.
Fisher watched her back disappear at the end of the corridor before closing the door, sealing the space inside the room once again.
Looking back, with the sound of the door closing and Jasmine's departure, the Raphaela on the bed surprisingly still maintained that fast-asleep appearance, motionless, with her back facing Fisher.
Fisher raised an eyebrow, thinking she was angry because of the somewhat ambiguous sentence that crossed the line at the end of Jasmine's words. He subconsciously opened his mouth, wanting to coax her,
"Raphaela..."
But the next second, Raphaela naturally sat up, brushing aside some messy red hair that fell on her forehead behind her pointy ears.
She turned her head, and Fisher's figure was reflected in her emerald green eyes. There was some unclear meaning within it. Fisher couldn't read what she was thinking, but he knew she wasn't angry because of the words Jasmine had just spoken.
She opened her mouth, then turned her head to pick up the clothes scattered below the bed one by one, while asking in passing,
"Who is that Carduan friend of yours? The castellan we met in the Southern Continent previously? Your junior?"
She didn't mention what had just happened at all, including Jasmine coming over, Jasmine's words of concern for her, and that single somewhat ambiguous sentence Jasmine said to Fisher. She just suddenly spoke of business.
Seeing that one or two pieces were too far for her to reach, Fisher picked them up for her and handed them over, replying,
"No, you don't know him. The one you mentioned is Keken. He should be in Naris now. I haven't seen him for a long time, and I still owe him many favors..."
"Then is this Carduan person very special? Why did you say he's so important to our war?"
"...Because he has some connection to the Demon Dynasty where the Demons reside. He can help me defeat that Barbatos."
"I see..."
Raphaela first wrapped her underwear on herself, then used her tail to pick up her shirt, tossing it into her hands and putting it on piece by piece. Her face was enveloped by her clothes, preventing Fisher from seeing her expression clearly as she changed. He could only wait until she was free and finally got off the bed fully dressed; her expression had already become very normal, no different than before.
However, her gaze inconspicuously glanced at the currently tightly shut door, as if not looking at the door, but looking at something else.
Soon after, she stretched vigorously, picked up her armor nearby, and smiled as she looked at Fisher,
"Mn, my condition has recovered nicely. I should get to work... Watch the house, darling~"
It was clearly just a joking sentence, like what a husband going out would say to the wife seeing him off. But at this moment, upon saying that "darling," Helaire's smiling face suddenly occupied Fisher's entire brain. Like a brand, he was forced to recall her.
This even caused the words he used to reply to Raphaela to pause for a moment before he said,
"...Alright. By the way, when do you plan to set off with the army?"
"In the next few days. Barbatos's army is already arriving at the Southern Branch Mountain Range one after another; I must also make some preparations in advance... I will leave the matters here to the patriarch of the Bat-Man Species to handle. At that time, Jasmine will also march to war with me."
At this moment, she had already walked to the door. And as she spoke up to here, she glanced again at the currently tightly shut door, and suddenly continued,
"I will personally go tell her of my arrangements... That's it then. I'm off, Fisher."
The door opened and closed, leaving Fisher alone in the room.
Raphaela came first and left later; Jasmine came later and left first. The two women who were originally like sisters but had a rift because of him, after being in a cold war for so long, seemed to have an indescribable connection this morning.
Fisher couldn't explain it clearly either. After all, matters of feelings were very subjective, and many thoughts and ideas lay only in the unspoken words of an instant.
But for some unknown reason, looking at that door that had closed again because of Raphaela's departure, a smile slowly hung on his face.
Mn, it seems there's a tiny bit of hope for the multi-species combo research in the second stage of the Demi-Human Completion Handbook?
It was only a tiny bit. He still hadn't escaped the conflict between the two, but at least he saw a glimmer of dawn.
"Thump, thump, thump."
The next moment, the door was suddenly knocked again, continuing the somewhat ambiguous and unclear whirlpool of emotions in the room.
Fisher froze slightly. He looked at the door and softly opened his mouth,
"Who?"
"...It's your daddy, the Great Sir Book Artifact, Eimhart!"
"..."