Chapter 435 – 52. Hela
In the dense primitive jungle, the deep purple invisible fragrance slowly spread, laying out an overwhelming killing intent that made Fisher’s heart pound.
His thirteenth rank physical strength seemed to revert to the level of an ordinary human at zero rank at this moment; no matter how he ran, he could not escape the confines of this forest, even though he clearly had not traveled such a long distance to get here.
“Fisher, where do you want to go?”
At the same time, the lady’s voice behind him, resembling a death warrant and filled with pure malice, made his scalp tingle. He couldn’t understand why he had ended up in such a predicament. Was he truly about to be divided by the women behind him, like wolves?
Fisher covered his chest, where Renee’s mark still shone brightly. Feeling its effect in driving away the pursuit of death, his panicked heart gradually calmed down.
Calm down. This was a long time ago, far from the era he lived in—it was impossible for Raphael, Elizabeth, and Valentina to appear.
They were all illusions; he should focus on how to escape this situation rather than worrying about the misfortune of being cut by a machete. Alright, maybe that was something for Fisher to think about later, but definitely not right now.
“Fisher!!”
In the midst of his thoughts, a rumbling sound of steam suddenly reached his ears. His pupils contracted as he turned his head to see Raphael, wrapped in a mass of air, suddenly diving down from beside a giant tree. With lightning speed, she fiercely grabbed him with her claws, rolling on the ground and breaking several trees.
“Don’t you even want to explain? Who are those women? When I was in the Southern Continent, I only heard of someone named ‘Renee.’ How did so many people pop up? What about the wedding ring? Clear things up for me!”
Raphael angrily gripped the white robe on Fisher and desperately pointed at Valentina, who was exuding frost from a distance, questioning him.
“This… explaining is complicated.”
Fisher replied perfunctorily, knowing that everything before him was an illusion, he certainly wouldn’t explain. He only diverted his gaze, looking around in attempts to find the flaw in this illusion.
So far, he didn’t even understand what this illusion was formed from. Explaining it with death seemed a bit pale, after all, using such a lowly means to settle his own affairs was rather speechless, especially coming from the True God Heya.
“Huh?”
Raphael glanced at the incredibly perfunctory Fisher, tilting her head. The steam surrounding her became hotter, almost as if it could roast someone alive. Meanwhile, the grip on Fisher’s white robe grew tighter.
“Well then, do I not deserve even a single explanation from you, Fisher?!”
“What does he need to explain to you? He is my husband! Who are you to him? Why should he explain to you?”
Valentina, with a cold face and flapping wings, flew over, suddenly grabbing Raphael’s shoulder in an attempt to pull her away from Fisher. However, just as she tightened her grip, the scalding steam from Raphael’s body made her retract her hand.
“Husband? You say he’s your husband?!”
“Yes! Do you have a problem with that?”
Raphael looked at her with an expression as if seeing a corpse, while Valentina glared back, the terrifying atmosphere of ice and fire made Fisher feel as though he couldn’t insert himself into their confrontation, even within the illusion.
He didn’t look at the terrifying showdown between the two ladies; he only raised his head to look at the sky of the forest, only to suddenly notice that a faint bright light was appearing in the sky above, revealing layers of purple mist he had not seen before, as if under the Tyndall effect.
The light revealing the true appearance of the purple mist spread across the treetops, seemingly pointing towards a certain direction in the forest, as if hinting to him the specific reason behind the appearance of this illusion, guiding him forward.
“Get out of the way!”
Just as Fisher squinted and carefully observed the faint purple mist above, a bloodthirsty female voice suddenly exploded in the direction he was facing.
Fisher quickly pulled his gaze away and saw Elizabeth with red eyes, wildly charging at him with a knife held high. She abruptly raised the blade directly towards her neck, as if intending to cleave him in two.
Faced with that bloodthirsty glare, Fisher’s body suddenly stiffened. For some reason, his thirteenth rank physical quality felt inadequate before Elizabeth’s strike. Even though she had integrated the qualities of the Godlin sword, which only barely broke through the extraordinary rank at five, and whether it was Fisher’s slow reaction or her murderous intent gaining the upper hand, as he struggled to turn his head, the knife perilously grazed his cheek, leaving a dangerously red scar.
Fisher knew he could no longer hesitate; if he continued to indulge in this illusion, death would truly catch up with him.
“Puff!”
He silently apologized to Raphael one more time, gritting his teeth and taking advantage of Raphael’s distraction as she was confronting Valentina, he suddenly kicked her in the abdomen, sending her flying. He then rolled on the ground and looked towards Elizabeth, who was about to stab him again. He dared not face her blade head-on; instead, he turned and sprinted toward the direction where the purple mist enveloped the sky.
“Fisher!!”
Elizabeth’s scream behind him almost shattered Fisher’s eardrum. For some reason, her actions in this illusion felt consistently flawed compared to the other ladies, but the sense of dread Elizabeth brought him was undeniable, as if even in reality she would commit such terrifying acts.
The hot blood dripping from his face reminded him of his current peril, and he could no longer afford to linger in this strange illusion, sprinting towards the direction of the spreading light.
“Teacher Fisher!”
“Tang Zeming?”
Hearing that name, which had not been spoken for a long time and was just recently awakened, the faint voice seemed to overlap with that of Tang Zeming Asuka. Connected to the past he was in now, he first thought of Tang Zeming Asuka. But just as he uttered the name, he suddenly felt his body grow immensely weak, as if all of his life force was draining away into the outside world.
“Tang Zeming? Who is Tang Zeming? Is he a new student of Teacher Fisher?”
As Fisher ran, he found it hard to breathe and collapsed to the ground. He looked down at the pure black liquid spreading out beneath him. Looking up again, he saw Jasmine, whose once silky blue hair was now completely dyed black, watching him quietly. The ability that had drained Fisher’s life force just now seemed to have been the curse she used.
But, is that really the case?
“Today is quite lively.”
Fisher looked at his palm, feeling the sensation of life force gradually disappearing. He became increasingly clear that the cause of all this was not those ladies chasing him, nor death that had crossed from the future to pursue him in the past.
Someone else was truly behind this.
He had experienced the sensation of being cursed by Jasmine in Nali, and despite the discomfort of remembering that momentary aging, it had helped Fisher make a distinction regarding Jasmine’s strange actions now.
Fisher suddenly realized something. He touched the wound on his face that “Elizabeth” had grazed, leaving a fresh red bloodstain on his hand. He stared at the blood on his palm and suddenly raised his hand to expose it to the light in the sky.
Under the warm light’s illumination, Fisher watched as the blood on his hand gradually changed colors, revealing layers of brilliant purple.
Indeed, it seemed he had been hit.
Yet the illusion before him had still not ended. Even though Fisher was already aware of the tricks of the person who had attacked him, it was still of no avail.
From the primordial jungle, several silhouettes of those ladies walked out, all possessing their most dazzling attributes from his memories, which had once so captivated him. Even amidst the current atmosphere filled with killing intent, Fisher couldn’t help but want to admire them all.
“Fisher, won’t you explain to me? Who are they?”
“Fisher, I won’t show mercy this time like last time; all I want is your head. This is better for everyone; this way we will never be separated.”
“Teacher Fisher, who exactly is Tang Zeming?”
“Didn’t expect that after such a long time away, you are still greedy—more than I, this demon; all I can say is that you’ve brought it upon yourself.”
Fisher苦 smiled, feeling increasingly heavy. As his life force was gradually consumed by that wound, the mark left by Renee on his chest suddenly brightened, and the death that had been suppressed by it hungered and wrapped itself around him, making him feel extraordinarily cold.
“Renee.”
He whispered her name, but being in a time without her, there would be no response.
“Renee?”
But just as the next second, a playful casual voice suddenly exploded in his ear. He opened his eyes and found that the illusion was still present. However, a beautifully golden-haired woman wrapped in a thin layer of warm morning light was squatting beside him, seemingly unaware of the circumstances.
She was barefoot, treading on the dust but not touching a speck of it. In the gaps of her white robe, her pale arms were exposed. She propped her face with one hand, playfully looking at him with a bright smile, asking curiously,
“Who is Renee? Your other female companion?”
“Hela, how did you… No, you aren’t even female. Isn’t it too untimely for you to appear here?”
Fisher’s mind was hazy as he glanced at the group of ladies approaching him with threatening glares. He shook his head, dazedly saying.
Hela paused for a moment at his words, and after a second of silence, she laughed heartily as if she had heard something unbelievable. She covered her stomach, her pure feet lifting Fisher’s chin, gradually raising his dim gaze until he looked at her.
Following the loose, slightly wrinkled white robe, Fisher could only see her delicate calves, while what lay deeper was shrouded in the shadows of the robe, making it even harder for his hazy sight to capture specific details.
If one overlooked her excessive actions—whether they were punishment or reward—and disregarded the mischievous smile across her face, Hela, surrounded by gentle morning light, would undoubtedly fit the traditional image of a pure angel.
It’s just too bad there was no “if” involved; Hela seemed unconcerned about how her actions mirrored those of the legendary pure angel.
Her pale toes jabbed at Fisher’s chin, and then she pulled back her right leg, looking at the misty environment behind her while speaking to Fisher.
“You look unexpectedly cute in this foolish appearance, Fisher. Much better than your usual sulky face. If you can show a similar expression when you wake up later, I might just reward you.”
“Reward?”
“Well, for instance, I could choose to turn into a female angel. How about that?”
“…”
Fisher didn’t respond because in the next moment, all the “ladies,” upon seeing Hela, became grotesque. Dense, terrifying purple patterns grew on their bodies and faces, transforming them into something monstrous, as they pounced toward Hela with claws bared.
“Buzz buzz buzz!”
But apart from the blinding morning light, Fisher could see nothing else.
In that dazzling yet not piercing light, Fisher closed his eyes. After one or two seconds, when he reopened them, all traces of the illusion had vanished.
Raphael, Elizabeth, Jasmine, Valentina…
Except for Hela still beside him, all the other ladies had turned into some completely dried and twisted branches, one of which still bore a bloodstain, seeming to indicate that “Elizabeth,” had just used it to stab herself.
The sensation of life force rapidly draining from him also vanished instantly, bringing his previously murky consciousness up until he quickly regained clarity.
“What just happened to me?”
Beside him, Hela crossed her arms, watching as the “cute” Fisher reverted back to his original “sour face.” She imperceptibly pouted, then squatted down in front of him, laughing as she spoke.
“You just got attacked by an unknown existence. It is estimated that the attacker has a mythical rank.”
“Mythical rank?”
Fisher rubbed his extremely pained head, seeming a bit incredulous, he questioned,
“Does a mythical being need to go through such trouble to kill me?”
“Indeed, it shouldn’t have been necessary, but here I am, along with another existence.”
Hela glanced at the grand palace atop the giant tree in Phoenix Dwelling, seemingly implying something.
Fisher took a breath, touching the mark of Renee on his chest.
He had guessed correctly; although the rules of death had changed, because of Renee’s mark, it had no effect on him, at most just making him increasingly unlucky. To truly kill him, someone else was needed.
But what puzzled Fisher the most was, who exactly wanted him dead?
He looked at the smiling Hela, feeling for the first time the terrifying nature of this seemingly carefree angel.
The mythical being was so cautious in attacking him, evidently wary of Hela and the unnamed presence she mentioned. If Fisher’s guess was correct, that existence should be related to the Phoenix Race. Yet even with such care, it was still discovered by Hela.
Fisher suddenly realized something and suspiciously asked Hela,
“You knew I was about to be attacked? Who was the attacker? A certain angel from the Holy Realm?”
“Well, I did say you were cuter like this. Oh, by the way, the reward I mentioned earlier is real~”
“Reward? Cough, cough, what kind of reward?”
Fisher didn’t have a clear memory of what had just happened after getting hit, but it didn’t prevent him from realizing the enticing nature of her words. At that moment, she seemed no longer a pure angel but rather a demon skilled in seduction.
Upon hearing Fisher’s question, Hela smiled and nodded, then grabbed the hem of her garment that looked like a robe and skirt. With a slight upward movement, her bare feet and calves were once again revealed to Fisher’s eyes, triggering the lingering desires within him that hadn’t eased after the recent “machete nightmare.”
She simply said,
“Take a guess?”
(The end of this chapter)
