Chapter 407: 24. Unresolved Gender
“Is there no demon?”
“Ah, I’m quite sure there isn’t such a race at all.”
Fisher blinked and carefully examined Gouwen’s expression at that moment. After confirming that he wasn’t joking, a jolt ran through his heart once again.
The history of demons should be very ancient. Demons were imprisoned in the Abyss during the Mythical War between three thousand to four thousand years ago, while the Phoenix Race fought against the invasions of Chaos in the Northern Region about five thousand years ago.
Before that, Fisher was unclear about the specific divisions in history. The only thing he knew was that the World Tree’s roots had once been stolen by a giant dragon. It was only after that incident that the Phoenixes migrated from the Eastern Continent to the Northern Region.
So, if demons were not created by Ramastia in the first place, when did they actually appear?
Fisher’s expression subtly changed, wanting to ask a few more questions about demons and the World Tree to determine the exact timing now. But at that moment, a female voice suddenly rang from behind him.
“What demon? Is this some interesting human story?”
Fisher felt his words stuck in his throat as he turned to look. He was surprised to see Hela, smiling, having quietly appeared behind him. Looking at Gouwen and Tang Zeming Asuka, they also had expressions of surprise, completely unaware of when she had arrived.
Fisher paused for a moment, shook his head, and said, “No, it’s nothing. Are we ready to depart?”
Hela’s beautiful face showed a hint of disappointment. She crossed her arms, looking as if it were a pity that she hadn’t seen the excitement, and said, “Humans really like to bury their little secrets in their hearts. How could I help you if you don’t try to please me?”
“What is there about us humans that would interest Lady Hela?”
“Ah, ah, I wouldn’t dare presume to be a lady.”
Though she said that, Hela smiled and covered her mouth, showing no sign of evasion. Instead, she walked forward and continued, “To be precise, it’s not just me; Lord Salie and Lord Remiel are also quite concerned about you. I just met Lord Salie, and she assigned me many, many tasks, which are quite troublesome.”
Fisher kept pace with Hela toward the cylindrical passage at the end of the Judgment Place, and behind them followed Gouwen and Tang Zeming Asuka.
In Fisher’s mind, images of the Archangels flashed. Soon, he noticed many areas worth pondering, such as, apart from the completely mindless Gabriel, the remaining six seemed to be at odds. Michael was the most arrogant, while Salie and Remiel appeared to be in cahoots, and the other three formed another group.
At this moment, Gouwen stroked his chin and, stepping ahead of Fisher, speculated, “Hmm, is it because of Archangel Michael?”
Hela smiled at Gouwen, looking approving. “Very clever.”
Gouwen shook his head and replied, “Flattery. According to the division by days, Archangel Michael holds the most important power in the Holy Realm, that is, crafting sacred objects and war. This not only shows that he possesses remarkable abilities in these two areas but also indicates that he has almost absolute authority on the matter. It’s rare for kin to turn weapons against each other, but regarding the forging methods that all angels cherish and excel at, his autocratic nature will clearly make it difficult for other angels.”
Hela nodded, continuing Gouwen’s line of discourse, “Exactly, since you already understand the reasoning behind this, I won’t beat around the bush. I’ll convey Lord Salie’s intentions to you: she wants the forging methods handed over to her rather than to Michael. In return, she will ensure your safety and grant you another condition to request later.”
Gouwen fell silent, and Tang Zeming Asuka couldn’t find a chance to speak or make a decision. They all looked at Fisher.
He pondered for a moment and asked Hela, “But we’re about to see Michael on the Fifth Day; I fear we won’t have the chance to choose, right?”
“Don’t worry. As far as I know, he still has a treasure he hasn’t finished forging. He is always focused on his crafting and won’t study the next item until he’s completed the one at hand. Before that, you can drag it out with an almost impossible forging condition to deceive him, like, say, the tears of the World Tree or something. Just don’t be too definitive; you just need to emphasize that you can create it, and isn’t that what I’m here for?”
“…”
Fisher’s body stiffened slightly, but he didn’t express his interest or shock at the idea of the World Tree’s tears to Hela. He worried that the angels might make the connection between the Sacred Object of Wisdom and the tears of the World Tree, and he decided to ask Gouwen later.
But if Hela said so, didn’t that mean that the tears of the World Tree were extremely precious and not easily obtainable? Such tears were stored in his Supplement Handbook.
After a brief pause, Fisher continued, “So, are you under Lord Salie?”
“Not exactly. I’m an angel who walks independently of the Seven Heavens, responsible for serving as a bridge between them. It’s just that all the angels in the Holy Realm have been suffering under Archangel Michael for far too long, so I must show a little inclination. If I had to say I have a purpose, it’s just to find a bit of fun.”
“Fun?”
Fisher seemed to completely fail to understand her words, but Hela had already led them to the entrance of the cylindrical passage. She didn’t respond to Fisher’s questions and merely extended her hand, saying, “Please.”
Before Hela could take any action, Gouwen had already jumped into the cylindrical passage as if it were natural, transforming into a stream of light and vanishing. Tang Zeming Asuka also raised her hand, saying, “I’ll go myself this time.”
After saying that, she took several deep breaths, closed her eyes, and dashed into the passage, soon disappearing as a stream of light.
Fisher remained still for a moment, suddenly looking at Hela’s back, realizing something.
He seemed to have temporarily forgotten about binding the angels. After all, the angels he had encountered so far weren’t friendly, whereas Hela was indeed a good subject for research.
Before his eyes, lines of ethereal text appeared, but the next second, he noticed that there was no identifiable golden glow in his gaze directed at Hela. It was not until several seconds later that the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans displayed a line of prompts that Fisher had never seen before:
[No detectable objects of Sub-Humans for research; please try again.]
Unable to bind for research?
Why?
Fisher’s pupils narrowed slightly. Before he could react, his body uncontrollably shot toward the passage. Along with that came Hela’s teasing voice, “What’s wrong? Is it because I didn’t catch you like I did when you came?”
“Buzz buzz buzz!”
In the next moment, Hela leaped forward, disappearing into the stream of light along with Fisher.
“Buzz buzz buzz!”
As the stream of light, containing Fisher, fell from the sky, they soon landed on a somewhat narrow floating road of white stone. The familiar dizziness made Fisher’s mind feel a bit hazy. Tang Zeming Asuka had already collapsed on the ground and was gagging, holding her stomach as she said, “It’s so hot here.”
“Of course, after all, this is the location of the ‘Solar Ring.'”
At that moment, the vast white structures floating in space before Fisher and the others were brightly illuminated by the sun’s rays. Tang Zeming Asuka looked up and immediately spotted a massive, unknown force-constructed circular ring still floating in the sky.
Each end of the ring connected to an extremely wide stone pillar. From Tang Zeming Asuka’s vantage point, that pillar, roughly a hundred meters wide, did not descend to the ground but seemed to stretch endlessly toward the horizon.
Quickly, Tang Zeming Asuka realized that it wasn’t a pillar at all but a strange structure floating in space, encircling the entire planet. In the very center of that ring reflected the star that served as this planet’s light source: the “Sun.”
Standing there, one couldn’t help but feel a sense of insignificance as if the universe was looking down upon them, causing Tang Zeming Asuka to be momentarily lost. She stood there frozen, looking up at the magnificent scene of another world for the first time. Yet before that vision could last a second, a stunning angelic face unexpectedly filled her view—it was Hela.
“Staring at the Solar Ring like that can hurt your little human eyes. Oh? What’s wrong with you?”
Tang Zeming Asuka was startled by Hela’s sudden appearance, blushing and retreating a few steps. Her flustered expression, somewhat like a frightened little animal, only deepened Hela’s smile, as though she had become interested in some kind of prey upon seeing a drop of blood.
It appeared she had spotted something interesting.
“Um, it’s not that; I just think the angel sister is very beautiful.”
“Sister? While being complimented is a delightful thing, I’m not actually a sister yet.”
“Eh?”
Tang Zeming Asuka suddenly didn’t grasp what the other party meant by that, and Fisher and Gouwen turned to look at her.
“The Heavenly Lock has granted us perfect bodies, so we have no clear gender separation like normal living beings. However, every angel has different personalities, leaning somewhat toward male or female. Therefore, we also have the opportunity to choose to become either male or female.”
“However, apart from Lord Gabriel and a few others who have already made their choices, most angels, including myself, have not yet chosen to transform because such matters are of little importance to us. Unless we encounter something worthy of such a change. But your taste is quite good, little one; I do lean toward being a female angel.”
I see, no wonder the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans couldn’t bind Hela earlier; it turns out she hadn’t fixed her body’s gender yet, hence not being classified as a “Sub-Human.”
Otherwise, even Eil, this 18th-ranked Demon God, could be bound, and there’s no reason that Hela, who should be of a lower rank, couldn’t be bound.
Hela cheerfully walked a step closer to them, seeming completely unaware of Fisher’s thoughtful gaze. She continued to explain to Tang Zeming Asuka, “As for the Solar Ring… we are the most forging-loving race in the world and the only beings capable of crafting the ‘Gospel Sacred Objects.’ Crafting relics has three prerequisites: a massive source of natural energy, superior materials, and profound forging skills and techniques. The Holy Realm is filled with a synthetic medium called ‘Aether,’ which was created by Lord Michael. It is the most suitable medium for forging sacred objects because any gas is too weak for it. Previously, many angels used water as a medium.”
“And the Solar Ring was also designed by Lord Michael; it’s an instrument that can most efficiently draw on solar energy. Ever since this thing was created, our speed in crafting sacred objects has significantly increased. The environment here might be a bit hot for other beings but should be just fine for the two of them.”
Gouwen stroked his chin, nodding, and said, “So that’s the effect attached to those miraculous items; it’s the ‘Gospel.’ I’m really curious how you manage to give items such miraculous effects.”
Hela shook her head regretfully and said, “Unfortunately, I might be the only angel in the Holy Realm who cannot forge sacred objects, so I can’t provide you with too many answers. This way, Lord Michael’s residence is right under the center of the Solar Ring.”
They traveled along a road similar to that of the other angels, floating or walking slowly toward the center of the Fifth Day. They were already some distance from the planet, and Tang Zeming Asuka looked at the massive planet below, with the sun and the Solar Ring above, and the universe and stars below. That sense of being squeezed from both sides made her feel quite uncomfortable, and soon she felt dizzy, staggering, ready to fall sideways.
Gouwen, caught off guard, saw her tipping over toward him and instinctively stepped back a good distance. Luckily, Fisher quickly reached out and grabbed her arm, preventing her from falling.
“Are you okay?”
“I-I’m fine. Thank you, Mr. Fisher.”
“Mm.”
Fisher released her arm and moved forward. Tang Zeming Asuka bit her lip, hurriedly focusing her gaze on the ground, not looking anywhere else.
The Fifth Day was obviously much livelier than the other days, with a multitude of golden ringing sounds continuously resonating. Fisher turned his gaze and immediately saw numerous angels in some buildings, making him feel like almost all the angels in the Holy Realm were gathered here. This also indirectly proved that angels were indeed a race that loved forging, though he didn’t know where that affection came from.
“We’re here.”
Hela soon led Fisher and the others to the front of a beautifully designed building, where no angels were on guard, but a terrifyingly scorching aura continuously seeped from within.
In the center of the room stood the tall Archangel Michael, dressed in a white robe, staring intently at a mysterious vessel in his hand that radiated terrifying heat, without uttering a word.
Just as Hela had said, most angels hadn’t fixed their genders and likely didn’t even lean toward either male or female, resulting in a very peculiar androgynous beauty in their demeanor and appearance, resembling an exquisite and complex artwork.
“Lord Archangel Michael, I have brought these Transmigrants.”
Hela did not step inside but stood at the entrance, greeting him respectfully with a slight bow.
But Michael didn’t reply at all; he simply placed the high-temperature vessel back on the forging table and picked up a golden short hammer placed beside his robe, then began to examine the vessel as if contemplating how to proceed with crafting.
“Hey, you all, it’s best not to stand outside when he’s forging. Find somewhere to hide; it’s dangerous to stand here. Even other angels dare not come close. Why…”
At that moment, a voice composed of very peculiar language suddenly rang out not far away. Fisher had never heard such a strange language before, but it seemed that since coming here, it wasn’t the first time he encountered such oddities, so he didn’t find it strange.
Hela turned around in surprise and said, “Oh dear, this is… If it were other angels, they might all know, but who can blame the only angel in the entire Holy Realm who can’t forge for bringing them here?”
Fisher and the others turned to look, and they saw a rather peculiar-looking man standing on the second floor of this building. The man appeared to be around thirty years old, tall with short black hair, prominent facial features, a scruffy beard, but what was strange was that his face had lines embedded in it that resembled mechanical structures, possibly tattoos.
One of his eyes was completely hollow, leaving a black hole without any eyeball structure; he wore a white robe similar to the angels’, but it was vaguely visible that he had no left arm at all.
He was indeed a very strange man.
But beside them, Tang Zeming Asuka was somewhat unable to hold back. She excitedly pointed at the man, stammering, “The language he spoke, I absolutely recognized… um, I saw it on TV before, during the Soviet Union’s collapse. It’s Russian, right?! You’re definitely speaking Russian! You’re also from Earth in my world, right?”
“Japanese?”
The tall man raised an eyebrow, mumbling to himself. However, before he could formally engage in conversation with Tang Zeming Asuka, he glanced over their shoulders and immediately ducked down to hide inside the room. Fisher also sensed something was off and turned to look behind. The androgynous Archangel had already raised the golden short hammer high with tension, ready to smash it down onto the object on the forging table.
“Buzz buzz buzz!”
“Careful!”
With a tremendous scream that temporarily rendered everyone’s hearing null, Fisher instinctively tried to grab Tang Zeming Asuka next to him, but before he could do so, a cataclysmic force surged forth, sending every person present flying away and attempting to engulf them completely in the blink of an eye.
“Hahaha.”
But at that final moment, Fisher suddenly heard a light laugh. The next second, the beautiful angel who had thrown back her head and laughed like a madwoman crashed into his vision. He instinctively pulled her, but the moment he did so, Fisher regretted it.
She looked at him with a smile, and in Fisher’s extremely abstract expression, she pulled him in the direction of the center of that immense power.
“Dammit.”
It seemed to be one of the very few instances where Mr. Fisher Benavides learned to use the catchphrase of the great Sir Book, but unfortunately, at that moment, Emhart was not present.
“Hahaha!”
With smiles, Hela and Fisher were completely enveloped by that blow’s force and vanished from sight. In mid-air, Gouwen was pushed back wildly by the force, but with the large whale-like tail coiling around him, he was surprisingly nimble. He gently tapped the ground, channeling the force he was subjected to into some unknown place.
Ahead, Fisher and Hela had disappeared, and Gouwen could only turn back to look behind. He saw that the future Magic Lord had been flung far away, hanging on the roof of a white building, completely unconscious.
“…”
(End of this chapter)
