Chapter 391 – 8. From the Spirit Realm (5.5k)
Accompanied by a hint of fragrance, Fisher’s consciousness began to sink deeper into the boundless darkness, and it seemed he dreamt a familiar dream again.
In the dream, amidst the enveloping and tearing darkness, in his painful endurance, a clear and watery moonlight suddenly occupied all of his vision, dispelling all the darkness that dragged him down.
“Buzz, buzz, buzz!”
Fisher gasped continuously, squinting his eyes, slowly raising his head amidst an inexplicable weariness. The first thing that caught his eye was an extremely pure starry sky, countless stars sparkling with their unique brilliance, but the one thing that made Fisher unable to take his eyes off, like a black hole with an irresistible pull, was the massive white disc of the moon in the center of the sky.
It was the moon, incredibly bright yet chillingly cold.
The moment his eyes locked onto the moon, an extreme fear instantly filled his heart, and even Fisher’s soul seemed ready to be crushed by it. Yet, even so, the obsession lingering before his sleep never dissipated. Before losing consciousness, he desperately shouted, “Renee!”
In the next second, propelled by the force of his shout, Fisher sat up straight. He opened his eyes wide and gasped, but there was no moon before him, only the salty sea breeze and the sound of waves crashing against the ship. He stared blankly at the sunny scene before him, not understanding how he had suddenly gone from the cold northern region to the ocean.
Fisher saw that he was surrounded by white sand scorched by the sun, lying shirtless on a wide beach, with Emhart, who had lost consciousness, lying beside him. What was most critical was that when he looked down, he suddenly found that his body had returned to its robust form, the way it was before being chased by death, and his life level had also returned to around the thirteenth rank, but the coldness from being pursued by death remained unshaken.
How did this happen?
He looked at his robust body in surprise, trying to find the reason, but he only saw a purple symbol shaped like a “horizontal eight” on his chest. The symbol pulsed as if it were alive, continuously ebbing and flowing on his skin, but when Fisher reached out to touch it, he felt nothing.
“You’re awake! How do you feel? Do you want something to eat? It seems there are many coconuts here!”
Just as Fisher furrowed his brows in thought, a profound fragrance suddenly filled his nostrils, along with the charming voice of a lady that entered his ears. He looked up and found Renee, who had somehow changed into a set of white casual clothes, standing barefoot on the white sand, gazing temptingly at a tall coconut tree.
Fisher glanced at the bizarre symbol on his body and suddenly narrowed his eyes, asking Renee, “We were being chased by the Sorceress Research Society yesterday. Did you help us escape? Did you fix my body? Why did you suddenly appear in the northern region? What exactly…”
Seeing Fisher awake, Renee, looking as alluring as an elder sister, bounced back to his side, surveyed his condition up and down, and nodded, “Not bad, not bad. You could ask so many questions right after waking up. And I actually wanted to say, despite being so weak, your reproductive ability hasn’t diminished at all. Looks like you’re doing quite well~”
“…”
Fisher looked at the smiling woman before him, full of mysteries, and guessed that she would answer nothing, making his inquiries pointless. So, he sighed and shook his head, “Forget it, as long as you’re okay, we should…”
“It’s me! I took care of the people chasing us yesterday. I also helped with your body. Now we’re resting on a small island in the eastern ocean. As for why I suddenly appeared in the northern region… you’ve been looking for the Undying Sorceress, right? Although I don’t know your true purpose, probably the Undying Sorceress you’re looking for is me. My previous disappearance and sudden appearance in the northern region are related to this.”
Fisher paused for a moment, looking at the smiling Renee squatting in front of him with disbelief, slightly raising his brows, seemingly unable to believe that this person would openly admit it. After all, given her extremely bad character, it would be reasonable for her not to answer, let alone admit it so honestly.
After a brief pause, the first thing he said was, “Where did you hide the real Renee?”
“Go die!”
Renee flew into a rage and punched Fisher. Since Fisher’s body had become strong again, her soft fist no longer needed to be controlled for power, even though it wasn’t heavy to begin with.
“I’m the fake Renee! Go find the real Renee and confess! Idiot, idiot, idiot!”
Renee floated up and began to beat Fisher wildly as usual, but Fisher paused for a moment and suddenly reached out to hold the “fake” Renee tightly in his arms. She seemed a bit caught off guard; her beautiful face flushed instantly, and she breathed rapidly as they lay together in the sand.
“…”
Fisher panted, not letting go or speaking, while Renee blushed, neither phasing out nor fighting back. The two quietly embraced in perfect harmony on the beach.
After a long time, feeling the temperature, breath, and fragrance of the person in front of him, he suddenly said, “Welcome back, Renee.”
“…Idiot, are you even listening to me?”
“Um, go ahead.”
Fisher reluctantly released the soft and fragrant Renee, who slowly floated up, her face flushed as she coughed lightly, and said to Fisher, “Before I tell my story, I need to mention something about the origin of sorceresses… Don’t you want to know why sorceresses, although subhuman, are so much like humans, and can even inherit sorceress traits across generations? It’s because…”
“It’s because of the Chaos Race in the Spirit Realm, or rather the stars, right? Their observation of certain special humans created this unique subhuman race.”
Renee blinked her eyes and looked at Fisher, then continued, “Yes, but I am very different from ordinary sorceresses. Look at your chest; there is a symbol there, that is…”
“Representing the Spirit Realm?”
Renee blinked her eyes again, then exploded in anger, hitting Fisher, saying, “You’re not allowed to talk anymore! Otherwise, I won’t say anything; let you say everything!”
“Understood, Lady Renee.”
Fisher chuckled and nodded, no longer speaking, letting Renee finish her story.
In the next moment, her eyes gradually lit up, and countless Hart Birds in the distant grass also gradually shimmered with light, beautiful like scattered purple stars.
“I come from the Spirit Realm, a consciousness similar yet different from the stars, but you should know that neither gods nor beings from the Spirit Realm should interfere with reality; otherwise, it will lead to severe consequences. This is why I’ve hidden my identity for so long, daring not to interact with others, living alone in the world as a sorceress until I met you, Fisher.”
When she mentioned “severe consequences,” her purple eyes lowered for a moment before returning to their charming smile, and she continued, “Over the millennia, I’ve walked in the world under many identities such as the ‘Undying Sorceress’ and ‘Chameleon’, never interfering with the order. You should have encountered several counterexamples before, such as the ‘Completion Manual’, those ‘Trans’ individuals, and the previous Spirit Realm pollution. So when I first met you, I viewed you as an unstable factor due to that Completion Manual on you.”
The Completion Manual, huh? So she saw through the item I carried when I first met her, just like Eil did. This leads to the question of whether her real level is as close to Eil, imprisoned in the abyss, or perhaps even higher?
“So, I even deceived you with lies; my trait isn’t unlimited magic power. I don’t have sorceress sisters, I’m not a first-time magic learner, and my true form isn’t like what you see. I can transform my consciousness with Hart Birds at any time because they, like this form, also can carry my consciousness.”
“Sorry, but if you’re angry, just let it out. I’ll sincerely reflect on it. But since I’m being honest now, please scold me lightly; I’ll listen carefully!”
As she spoke, Renee covered her ears with her hands, while looking at Fisher with a pitiful expression. Fisher, who originally wanted to say something, suddenly couldn’t speak when faced with her helpless look. Seeing Fisher’s helplessness, Renee chuckled lightly but soon said softly, “But, being with you, Fisher, really makes me happy. Your previous guess was right; aside from you and Lady Martha, no one else in this world remembers me. I cherish the days spent with you, wishing every day could be like this. However, I sometimes have to leave, especially during the Full Bloom Period.”
Upon hearing this somewhat familiar term, Fisher furrowed his brows in confusion, “Full Bloom Period?”
It seemed this term was mentioned when Jasmine left Ramastia to sink into the underwater realm. Renee’s departure was also related to this.
“Yes, during the Full Bloom Period, the world’s rejection towards me reaches its peak. After all, I’m an outsider, so no one, except you, would welcome me as a guest. But if it were just the Full Bloom Period, I wouldn’t leave for so long. The real reason pertains to the pollution of the Spirit Realm.”
“Long ago, the pollution of the Spirit Realm suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It had no intelligence, was extremely destructive, and would consume living consciousness. Because of its appearance, the Spirit Realm was thrown into chaos; the stars hid the consciousness flow that cycles with earthly life, but it targeted the large stars, forcing the weaker ones into the world, where they clashed with earthly life, resulting in severe destruction.”
“A hundred years later, the base formed by the entire family of phoenixes gave us a chance to pin it down in the closest crevice to the base, so it wouldn’t move for quite a long time, allowing the environment of the Spirit Realm to finally ease a bit. However, eighteen years ago, its activities became more intense as the base in the world felt an increasingly thick Phoenix Blood, becoming excited and attempting to make itself whole again. It also began to move; six months ago, its activity peaked, which is why I had to leave for so long.”
Thinking carefully, it seemed that eighteen years ago coincided with Valentina’s birth; and six months ago happened to be when Valentina left the Snowflake Fortress to seek the Parasol Tree, right when she had just come of age. A lot of clues began to connect.
Fisher’s frown deepened with each word he heard. He looked at Renee, concerned, “But now the base of the phoenixes has been destroyed. Without a base, it will roam the Spirit Realm again, making things very difficult for the stars and you.”
“Fortunately, this time with Dalasgon and many stars’ help, it has sustained significant injuries and will stay put for a long time without moving again. But someday, it will move again. Before dealing with it, we should focus on you, Fisher. The next thing I need to tell you is very important; you must listen closely.”
“I don’t know how you caught the attention of Death, but it’s highly likely someone disturbed the rules of Death and imposed them on you. This is a serious problem.”
Renee’s amusement gradually faded. She pointed at Fisher’s body, which had returned to its strength, especially the symbol on his chest, “I’ve temporarily used my ability to help you evade Death’s reckoning, but Death won’t let you off so easily. In less than six months, its reckoning will break through my ability and totally kill you. So we must resolve it before then. The mechanism of Death’s reckoning is complex, but you only need to know that aside from the gods, only beings at the pinnacle of life can help you.”
“The three children of Ramastia, the God of Destruction from the ocean, are included, but Fei and Xu aren’t good at manipulating rules; they, like me, would hinder your help. The only two who can truly help you now are the Heavenly Lock and the World Tree, but they have been dead for a long time.”
Fisher’s expression stiffened slightly. Doesn’t that mean giving up on treatment? And it sounds like the gods won’t break the rules for him, just as he has heard many emphasize:
Interference by gods and beings from the Spirit Realm with the world will lead to severe consequences, which cannot be allowed under any circumstances!
“It sounds like I still have six months to live. Since those who can help me are already gone, let’s discuss your issue first. This is Emhart, a relic of wisdom made by angels. He told me about a terrible demon named Baemon, who may be related to the base formed by the phoenixes. Now that base is also in Baemon’s hands, so finding her might be a way to seal the pollution of the Spirit Realm.”
Renee shook her head and stood up, walking back to the tall coconut tree next to them, considering whether to eat coconuts, saying, “Don’t worry; I brought you here for a reason. I already have a way to help you escape Death. After all, if you’re still being pursued by Death, I wouldn’t have the mood to do anything else. Now we need to head further into the Eastern Ocean. We have to stop by the Pirate Harbor first; there’s something I want to buy. Ah, that coconut is so big! Fisher, come help me pick it!”
Fisher glanced at Emhart, who was still sleeping soundly, stood up, and looked at Renee helplessly. At this moment, she was as beautiful as before, but because of her honesty, the lingering doubts surrounding her had faded significantly, letting him feel very close to her.
“Aren’t you able to phase out? Fly up and grab it directly. Why do you need me? I’m still being pursued by Death.”
“Hey? Haven’t you heard a saying from Cardu? ‘Coconuts picked by others taste better.'”
“Did you just make that up?”
“Hehe.”
Fisher smiled as he looked at Renee, who was eagerly staring at the coconuts on the tree. Although she had the face of an elder sister, she often liked to do such adorable things. Fisher reserved most of his tolerance for Renee. Just as he was about to go and pick the coconuts, he suddenly remembered something and asked, “By the way, did you deal with the traces of those from the Sorceress Research Society yesterday? Make sure that your aura, similar to the Chaos Race, isn’t discovered by the Six Races. They have quite a few shadows over that.”
“It’s not the Chaos Race; I’m special, okay? Well, I might have handled the scene, disguising it as you battling them and dying together. No one will notice, and you can fake your death for a while, as I’ll need some time to deal with the death following you.”
“Like that.”
Fisher nodded, but a second later, he froze in place. He could not care less about his fake death, as many other ladies didn’t know his whereabouts now. However, he was the only one who had called Elizabeth, which made it difficult for him to relax.
With Elizabeth’s character, she would definitely send someone to check on him if she felt uneasy. Once she found out that he and those from the Sorceress Research Society had perished together…
She couldn’t accept even a distant separation when he was alive, let alone the permanent departure of death. She would surely do something foolish out of sorrow, which he didn’t want for her.
Fisher deftly leaped to the top of the coconut tree under Renee’s expectant gaze, considering the situation with Elizabeth, while also grabbing her favorite coconut.
“That one! By the way, could you grab a few more? Oh, that relic is called Emhart, right? After I knocked him out, does he need food?”
“He doesn’t need it; we should just think about ourselves.”
Fisher was preoccupied with thoughts of Elizabeth, figuring he couldn’t make a comforting call in front of Renee to let her know he was alive.
He grabbed the coconut and jumped down from the tree. Still pondering Elizabeth’s situation, he suddenly thought of another extremely serious problem.
That is, didn’t Renee seem to mention needing to buy something at the Pirate Harbor?
Going to the Pirate Harbor wasn’t the key point, but ironically enough, it was where the Iceberg Queen’s ship was stationed, and her relationship with him was quite significant.
“Shh! The Nali people living by the sea are staring at the ocean in a daze, thinking of what? Could it be someone at the Pirate Harbor wants to meet?”
Just as Fisher was thinking this, an enticing sound suddenly whispered in his ear. He calmly turned his head to see Renee looking at him very “innocently,” pointing at her red lips and seemingly inadvertently saying so.
Fisher nodded straightforwardly, looking as if he had been caught, “Yes, it’s true.”
Renee’s smile deepened, enchanting like a fine wine from an ancient barrel, “Oh? Can I meet them?”
“You can. When I was at Saint Nali University, there was a classmate who researched subhuman races before I did, named Little Jack. He passed away a long time ago but shared a lot of knowledge about subhuman races with me, which was very beneficial. His father escaped with me when you weren’t around. Later, since I wanted to find you and went to the northern region but couldn’t take him, I sent him to the Pirate Harbor. I feel a bit guilty reflecting on this now.”
“Is that so?”
Renee tapped her chin with her finger and floated up to hug the coconut Fisher picked for her, saying, “It’s fine. This trip to meet that elder can be postponed. I’m so hungry! It’s too bad there are only coconuts here. I really want to eat Lady Martha’s stew and blueberry cake.”
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(The End of This Chapter)
