Chapter Sixty-Six: Shattered Divine Spark and the Missing White Feather

【Dead?】

Vilyric didn’t quite understand.

【What does it mean to die? Is it that the consciousness residing inside has dissipated? Like when I smashed that thing underground in the Disaster Forest…】

【No, it’s a situation that’s hard to explain. It lost its origin, the very essence drawn from the Earth Mother Goddess was taken away. If I must compare, it’s like a magical beast losing its core—most of it is still retained.】

【Uh, so what you felt was a resonance…?】

【Yes, to be precise, the body experiencing this should be the ‘corpse’ of the fragments. This subtle difference is something I realized only when attempting to connect and communicate with it.】

【We, these fragments, in addition to our fundamental divine source, each carry a part of Xi Fu’s memory, and this book should have recorded it in written form, but due to the loss of its origin, it became what it is now.】

【Wait, wait, speaking of which, what is that immortal divine soul source you always talk about?】

Xi Fu Lin’s weak voice paused for a moment, as if pondering how to explain.

【You can think of it as a Divine Spark or Divine Position. It’s the fundamental object carrying the authority of the Earth Mother Goddess and the qualification to become a ‘God.’ Does that make sense?】

【Divine… Spark?】

Wait a second, the Divine Spark Xi Fu Lin mentioned, is it similar to the binding special equipment Divine Spark I hold from 【Illusory World】, could it possibly…

No, no, no, that’s too outrageous to even consider. Although there’s a divine race, I’m just a player from a game; there’s no way I could be connected to a native god of this world.

It must just be a coincidence of similar names.

Seeing Vilyric remain silent for a long time, Xi Fu Lin probably thought she was deep in thought, so she weakly continued to explain.

【Originally, I wanted to try to reclaim the memories and powers remaining in this ‘corpse,’ but the content far exceeded the carrying capacity of this body. That fragment… perhaps someone tampered with it.】

【Pfft, so you mean you overate and burst your belly?】

【…What a strange metaphor is that?】

Both Xi Fu Lin and Vilyric fell into silence. Even though the Priestess deliberately used a light-hearted tone to ease the atmosphere, it couldn’t change the fact that the former had suffered a significant blow.

After a moment, Vilyric tried to project her thoughts.

【Could it be the Winged People?】

【I don’t know, but anyone who can take the source must also possess part of the Divine Spark, just like when this body absorbed another fragment before.】

【Okay, then I’ll give you more Soul Power, can’t you recover quickly?】

【I’m afraid not. Your soul power is indeed pure and powerful, but ultimately, it belongs to Vilyric—it’s an external substance. You must have heard the term ‘the void does not accept supplementation,’ right? This body is in such a state now.】

The Priestess fell silent again. If it were a biological being, she would have countless methods to help them recover. But on the soul level, Vilyric was merely a novice just stepping into the door.

【Vilyric, I’m so tired… Soon, this body will fall into a slumber, and perhaps… I won’t be able to communicate with you again for a while, I’m sorry… You’re trying so hard to help, but I…】

【It’s okay, you can rest. It was indeed my oversight this time. I will investigate the clues regarding the person who took the fragment’s source. This matter is probably not simple.】

【Mm… take care of yourself. From the residual memories of this fragment, I saw something… Be cautious… beneath the Abyss…】

Xi Fu Lin’s voice gradually faded until it was no longer audible, and the faint green light swirling around the stone statue was completely extinguished.

After a while, the black-haired girl finally pulled her finger away from the statue.

“Beneath the Abyss, huh…”

“Master, are you done? What’s the situation now?”

Seeing Vilyric suddenly looking grave, the Little Dragon Daughter didn’t dare to disturb her until the light subsided. Then she blinked and spoke.

“Well, let’s just say it’s more or less done. But this matter is probably more complex than I imagined… How interesting, the divine soul source of the Earth Mother Goddess… Who would need something like that?”

Afterward, Vilyric briefly recounted what had just happened to Xiao Guang and retrieved the wordless book and the now motionless stone statue back into her inventory, letting out a sigh.

“All right, all right, things will surely work themselves out. There’s no use in overthinking right now, let’s just rest tonight. After all, this isn’t my duty or responsibility. If the sky falls… and the Abyss breaks out, there’s still that Wing Emperor and the Free Wings to rely on~”

The Little Dragon Daughter looked at her master with a strange expression.

“Is that so? I actually think that with your personality, when such an ‘interesting’ event occurs, you’ll definitely be the first to jump in and stir up some excitement.”

“Cough… what nonsense are you saying, sleep, sleep!”

And then, a night passed without incident.

In the next three days, the envoy group from faraway places stayed on the Island of Spris and had a good rest.

During this time, Vilyric also gained a deeper appreciation of the local customs.

The Winged People had simple and honest ways, with very few incidents of theft or plunder occurring in the city. Even if they did happen, they were basically from those foreign races, with humans and human hybrids being the most common. It’s no wonder Hilda had been suspicious of the plight of the Winged sisters following Vilyric.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that humans are especially malicious. The largest pure human settlement, the United Kingdom, is located in the southwest of the continent, separated from the Kingdom of Azure only by a Wasteland.

To the west of the United Kingdom lies the barren and backward Beast Kingdom, with the northern countries isolated by the continuous Mountains of Ten Thousand Demons, while to the east is the massive Holy Empire, the most revered for justice and order, located in the heart of the continent.

Every year, a large number of offenders are expelled from the United Kingdom for various reasons, or they flee the country. Compared to the other three directions, the chaotic Wasteland is undoubtedly the most suitable hiding place for them, and one of the key reasons for the region’s formation.

Among these, some people who couldn’t return to the United Kingdom due to being wanted, yet didn’t want to remain in the Wasteland forever, naturally gravitated toward the southern Kingdom of Azure due to the Winged People’s inherent kindness and hospitality, making them easy to trust.

The trafficking group that had initially taken advantage of the chaos to capture Leila and Renée are likely of a similar existence.

However, despite this, most Winged People still did not particularly discriminate against or exclude humans. Vilyric’s leisurely life over these three days in Spris City was still quite comfortable and enjoyable.

Only one thing troubled the Priestess considerably.

Ever since parting ways with Hilda at the Chanterelle Auction House three days ago, she had thought the latter would visit the next day, but she hadn’t shown up at all; for the following three days, Vilyric hadn’t seen the white-feathered Winged Woman again.

Even the 【Chanterelle House】 was inexplicably closed, hanging a sign for temporary suspension of business.

Vilyric thus sought out Philena, expressing her confusion, and when the Envoy Group Leader inquired at the liaison office with the Kingdom of Azure, the Winged representative responded that “Lord Hilda is currently handling important matters and has left the Island of Spris, and they are unaware of her whereabouts.”

Since even Philena, representing the official United Kingdom, couldn’t reach Hilda, Vilyric had no choice but to give up.

Although a sense of unease arose due to that wordless book, the Priestess also questioned whether something significant had happened, but considering that three days was the duration previously negotiated by the Winged People, it should have been anticipated.

I hope… nothing serious has happened; we’re just at the border of the Kingdom of Azure now.

   

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