Chapter 466: 83. Throwing a Stone to Get a Reaction
Fisher stared intently at the arrow held by the other party, and in a moment, his chest roared like a rumbling engine, and his breathing became heavier as if pushed by flames. Then, the heat from those flames created an almost irresistible force of rationality, making Fisher’s body instinctively stand up, his gaze locked onto the evil angel lying in the hammock.
In just a second, the distance between Fisher and Hela had already shortened to mere inches, and the thread connecting them shifted from taut to bent.
Fisher grabbed her pale wrist with one hand, lifting it above her head, passing through the slightly flickering, seemingly void-like halo above her. In her almost aged-like smile, Fisher finally couldn’t help but lower his head and bite her lip fiercely, while Hela tipped her head back slightly as if unfazed, gently responding to Fisher’s advance.
The fire of procreation surged uncontrollably, urging Fisher’s actions to cross into dangerous territory onto Hela’s skirt. As he was about to go even further, one of Hela’s hands gently pressed against the back of his hand.
Fisher froze slightly, his gaze darkening as he tried to indicate his dissatisfaction by lifting his head a little, but Hela’s other hand gently caressed his cheek, pulling his kiss back toward her like a weak magnet.
This kiss filled with interaction was brimming with magical power, almost making Fisher’s soul leave his body. Everything that her fingers touched seemed to detach from him and no longer belong to Fisher.
That nearly toxic feeling made Fisher experience leg weakness for the first time. Surprised, he couldn’t even control one hand from pressing against the hammock that hung in mid-air to avoid the awkwardness of not being able to stand.
Until Hela’s eyes, full of laughter, blinked a little, as if she had sensed Fisher’s condition. She pressed her finger gently against his chest, pushing him a bit away from the vortex-like kiss.
Fisher panted for a moment, retreating a little while breathing heavily, while Hela, lying in the hammock, smiled sweetly, her expression turning innocent and flustered as she covered her chest, exclaiming,
“Oh dear, are you going to do something bad to an injured patient?”
“… Isn’t it all your fault?”
In the face of Fisher’s accusation, Hela neither avoided it nor hesitated, and her innocent expression suddenly halted.
She smiled and reached out her finger to touch Fisher’s chest, tracing the spot where Cupid had shot him, the touch almost ethereal and lingering.
“You were just too cute a moment ago, I couldn’t help but want to tease you. Who knew your desire for procreation was so overwhelming, nearly explosive, unable to be contained for even a moment. It must be very uncomfortable to endure under such pressing desire all the time, right? This desire is not just a physical torment, but also a great test of your heart.”
“…”
Confronted by the smiling Hela before him, Fisher for a moment couldn’t find the words.
In fact, he had realized long ago about the enhancement from the desire for procreation. Just as Hela had said before, the desire for procreation wasn’t merely a feeling of physical pressure; if that were the case, he could simply resolve it himself every time he felt something.
The problem lay in the fact that the essence of the desire for procreation wasn’t just wanting to engage in that sort of activity, but an insatiable possessiveness over the opposite gender.
When he previously thought of it merely as a bodily poison and resolved it with Eil, he found himself unable to forget Eil, with whom he had previously had relations. He also discovered that only that kind of possessive behavior, akin to conquering territory, could satisfy the roaring fires of procreation within him. This meant that if he did nothing and just left it unaddressed, he could only alleviate the procreation fire for at most a few dozen minutes. Given Fisher’s Fourteenth Rank body, he could engage in such activities for an entire day.
Only a complete psychological possession could satisfy Fisher, allowing a long respite from the burning fires of procreation… Well, if the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans didn’t further enhance his procreation abilities.
This almost beast-like thought constantly battled with Fisher’s rationality, causing him torment and confusion. Hela had just refused Fisher’s further advance, and he hadn’t pressed the matter, instead taking deep breaths to suppress himself, which was evident in his struggle.
And that silent struggle fell entirely into Hela’s blue-golden prismatic gaze, her smile deepening slowly. Then, she turned her body slightly toward Fisher and said,
“Unfortunately, it’s not possible right now because I haven’t completely transformed into a female yet. It’s only been a few days, but there’s no need to rush; it will only take about another week.”
“I understand.”
Hearing a specific time frame from Hela made Fisher’s heart warm instinctively, but he quickly calmed down as he met her smile. With just a glance at the arrow linking him to her, the thought he had on the first day resurfaced.
If one day in the future the Holy Realm was about to collapse, and Hela would ultimately meet her demise, how would it be if he shared the future with her now?
According to Gouwen’s words, if he mentioned the future, there was a high possibility it would be sensed by fate, and he would certainly be held accountable.
Conversely, if he didn’t say anything, and considering he had never heard from Emhart about an angel named “Hela” still being alive, did that mean Hela would definitely perish in the future?
Fisher felt a bit conflicted for a moment, his thoughts becoming increasingly chaotic until several seconds of silence passed and he felt the arrow in his chest shaking. He looked in its direction, and sure enough, it was Hela, lying on the bed, swaying the thread connecting them.
“What’s with the sudden frown? Can’t you last a few days? That’s troublesome. How about we do it like the night before?”
She sat up with a teasing smile, looking at Fisher, but he remained unmoveable in the face of her temptation.
“Am I that impatient?”
“Yes, you are.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Hela smiled sweetly, propping her chin with one hand, her bare feet resting casually on Fisher’s thigh, swaying back and forth as if leisurely relaxing. But with Fisher’s already anxious state, he couldn’t allow her to act so recklessly. He quickly reached out to grasp her delicate ankles, trying to keep her from moving, but when he took hold of her feet, the flames ignited again like adding fuel to the fire.
Great, there was no sign of it stopping while he was near her.
Fisher shook his head, seizing the opportunity while she wasn’t moving, he suddenly spoke.
“Hela, you know where I came from.”
This was a declarative statement, because she had already mentioned it to him before within the Duke of Peach’s barrier.
“I know.”
“Then, I want to tell you a story.”
Hela rested her chin on her hand, smiling and lifting her foot. Fisher’s hands, unable to maintain control, were suddenly jammed against his chin by her small foot, interrupting his forthcoming words.
Fisher hurriedly darkened his expression and regained control, harshly asking,
“Are you even listening?”
Hela squinted her eyes with delight, a very happy look on her face. Fisher couldn’t figure out what made her so glad, but he only heard her say,
“How cute, what future event could possibly lead Fisher to use such a clumsy method to tell me a story? And you should know the serious consequences this may entail, right?”
“…I have a rough idea.”
Hela’s smile deepened, and she straightened her body bit by bit, but the feet resting in Fisher’s palm curled up adorably, as if stretching lazily.
“Since you know, you should definitely not say it. You still have purposes that need fulfilling, right? If something goes wrong before that, wouldn’t you feel regretful? Moreover, as I mentioned before, I don’t like certainty because only the unknown has its fun. So, even if you want to tell me the future, I won’t listen.”
Fisher looked at her in disbelief, her heedlessness inciting anger within him. But after a moment of silence, he indeed realized that as she said, this course of action carried immense risk, possibly leading to significant losses.
It was like how he initially attempted to prevent Tang Zeming Asuka from learning magic to avoid the Creation Society being birthed from her hands in the future. But when she first showcased her apparently divine magical talent, he realized that no matter what he did, she would eventually learn magic. No matter how much he hid, with her ability to perfectly replicate by merely looking once, she could discover magic even while sleeping one night.
He could only try his best to guide Tang Zeming Asuka, attempting to steer the currents of fate with his meager power. Therefore, for Hela, this would also be the best choice.
Fisher didn’t plan to speak so plainly. He decided to leave afterwards or to resort to other methods to let Hela unknowingly know once everything was over. Well, thinking it over, he seemed to be letting Renee down again, breaking the promise he made to her before leaving.
He silently chastised himself again, but outwardly he merely smiled and shook his head, saying to Hela,
“You think too much. I really only want to tell a story.”
“Oh? What story?”
“It’s a fable: Long ago, there was a crow on a tree that sang every day, only thinking about present happiness without considering the future. One day, it saw fish in the water pool swimming away, but it kept singing; from that day on, it saw other small animals fleeing from beneath the tree, but it kept singing; on the third day, its brethren also fled away, but it kept singing; until the fourth day when a tsunami came, and it drowned in the water. That’s the end of the story.”
Fisher spoke expressionlessly, looking at Hela.
Hela froze slightly, and then the smile on her face became increasingly difficult to maintain until she finally couldn’t help but hold her stomach and lie down, telling Fisher,
“hahahaha. Fisher, has anyone ever told you that you tell stories poorly?”
“…You’re the first one to say that.”
“Then has anyone told you that you’re really cute?”
“…You’re also the first one to say that.”
Hela’s smile widened even more, her blue-golden prismatic eyes staring directly at Fisher. After a second, she cheerfully sat up again, inching closer to him.
Fisher still held her delicate feet, applying pressure to her toes and instep as if massaging, but at that moment, when she leaned closer, his body couldn’t help but stall slightly.
Fisher reacted more strongly to every action Hela took than ever, as if she possessed some magical power that rendered him defenseless despite his combat experience.
In this situation, Hela gradually embraced Fisher, her red lips inching closer to the side of his cheek.
First, she kissed Fisher’s earlobe until the kiss felt like an electric current rushing into his brain and then flowing like a river through his entire body. Afterward, with warm breath, she quietly spoke to Fisher,
“Would you like to experience unknown pleasures?”
“What?”
“Let’s play a game, okay?”
“Sure~”
Fisher casually brushed it off, thinking she was up to some mischief again, and began reading as if coaxing a child.
Seeing Fisher’s dismissive indifference, Hela’s smile widened further. She kissed his earlobe again to pull his attention back.
“There are rich rewards~”
Fisher’s heart warmed, he turned to look at her,
“Go on.”
“This game is called ‘Throwing a Stone to Get a Reaction,’ to be specific, it’s【one cost, three rewards】.”
“…What’s the cost?”
“Guess?”
“…What are the rewards?”
“Guess again?”
“Are you crazy?”
Hela looked at Fisher’s sulking face and couldn’t help but burst into laughter. She kissed him, smoothing out his expression, then seductively lay back in the hammock, asking,
“So, do you want to play?”
Fisher sighed, then feeling somewhat swayed by her nonchalance, nodded and said,
“Fine, whatever you say.”
Hela’s smile became brighter, and affected by her, Fisher surprisingly found himself developing a bit of interest in this random game.
When did he also become someone who enjoyed petty fun?
Indeed, being around this person too long was causing him to pick up habits. He previously would even unconsciously tease the adorable Tang Zeming Asuka, and he had to blame Hela for that.
Just as Fisher was about to say something, he suddenly felt a sharp gaze. He was taken aback, looking up to see Gouwen, frowning, not knowing when he had appeared at the door.
With a scowl, his eyes blazed like a knife, as if he wanted to dissect Fisher piece by piece.
The reason was that at this moment, Fisher sat in the hammock, ambiguously holding Hela’s feet beside him in a way that was far too obvious. Ridiculously, both of them had arrows casually resting on their chests, not knowing what they were doing.
“Huh, Gouwen, you’re here. Has the situation with Mikhail stabilized?”
Hela smiled sweetly and waved at Gouwen, looking as if she was greeting him. Fisher also glanced at him, only to see Gouwen’s hands clenched, his face growing darker, and his teeth gritted as he said,
“Yeah… he seems to be doing well. Looks like you both are doing quite well as well.”
“Not bad, not bad. Thanks to Fisher’s care.”
Hela waved her hand, feigning modesty, agitating Gouwen almost to the point of explosion.
But as Fisher watched the exploding Gouwen, he felt completely puzzled. It seemed this guy was inexplicably very concerned about his private life. Was it because he leaked that he might be involved with some whale folk in the future that it drove him crazy? Was there a gene network built like with the Phoenix Race for whale folk, causing such strong collective identification? To have a future whale named Jasmine, Gouwen was so concerned as if she were his daughter.
Yet since he was now with someone else, Fisher couldn’t simply continue like this with Hela. He slowly set Hela’s feet down, stood up, and walked toward the sullen Gouwen,
“I’m also planning to check on Mikhail on the Fifth Day. Since you’re fine, just take a good rest here and remember to see Pandora later.”
“Uh-huh.”
Hela waved goodbye, not reclaiming the arrow from Fisher, as it vanished without a trace, unsure of where it went. Just as Fisher slowly walked toward the moody Gouwen, Hela seemed to remember something and said to Fisher,
“By the way, Fisher, remember to remind me in seven days. Also, this doesn’t count as one of the three rewards~”
Only seconds had passed since Fisher nearly forgot about her joking game, but he remembered that seven days later was when Hela would completely transform into a female, revealing what she had meant by “remind me.”
Fisher nodded, about to say something when Gouwen had already dragged Fisher away with a dark expression.
Once they fully exited the corridor, Fisher looked puzzled at Gouwen, asking him,
“Wait, don’t you have a wife? Why are you so concerned about my private life?”
Gouwen was taken aback by his question, opening his mouth. After several seconds, with red eyes, he replied to Fisher,
“I’m a doctor. What’s wrong with caring about your health?! If you keep being promiscuous, you’ll eventually end up in trouble, you know? You can’t do this, you have to maintain your dignity!”
“…”
Fisher’s expression became abstract, unsure of how to respond.
Although Gouwen’s advice was indeed correct, he also knew that continuing like this was a path to self-destruction, yet something still felt off.
“… What about Mikhail? Has Michael treated him?”
Seeing he couldn’t continue the conversation, Fisher had to change the subject, asking about Mikhail, whom they were delivering to the Fifth Day.
He indeed wanted to check on Mikhail, with concern for his condition a priority. Additionally, he wanted to understand if he could reach the Sixth Day to see Emhart, who had been captured for a long time and check on his situation.
Though Emhart was foul-mouthed, he had a cowardly nature, being one who could shout a lot but had little resilience. Being with a crazy Nineteen Rank archangel every day, Fisher felt he wouldn’t have the same sense of “joy” as he did.
Gouwen’s expression became serious upon hearing, and he sighed, saying,
“I don’t know. Michael brought him alone for treatment, not letting me go with him. After I delivered him to the Fifth Day, I had no choice but to come down. By the way, where’s little Tang Zeming? Didn’t she say she was with you?”
“… She should be outside. Didn’t you see her?”
“No.”
Upon hearing this, Fisher immediately quickened his pace, and he and Gouwen scanned the area, finding no trace of Tang Zeming Asuka, initially thinking she was showcasing her traditional skills. However, they quickly spotted her beyond the Second Day stairs, beside Raphael’s forge.
“That’s right. You have great talent.”
“Eh, thank you.”
As Fisher approached, he noticed Tang Zeming Asuka conversing with Raphael at the forge. Concerned, he quickly called her name,
“Tang Zeming!”
“Teacher Fisher, I’m over here!”
Having heard Fisher’s call, Tang Zeming Asuka eagerly looked up, running towards him. Of course, she also spotted Gouwen beside Fisher,
“Mr. Gouwen, you came down from the Fifth Day? I didn’t see you just now.”
“Ah, I came in a hurry. I thought you were with Fisher, so I didn’t notice by the side.”
“I was just watching Lord Raphael forge a holy item, and he asked me to try it out, so I went over.”
“Forging a holy item?”
Fisher raised an eyebrow, turning to the nearby forge, only to see something taking shape in the blazing fire. Raphael smiled slightly upon noticing.
“She has exceptional talent and will soon master the method of forging holy items. Just with my help, she has already discovered the gospel hidden within the materials. With further training, she might become a forging master herself.”
“Hehe.”
Hearing Raphael’s praise, Tang Zeming Asuka bashfully scratched her head but being young, she couldn’t hide her excitement. Despite her humble expression, her nose was almost tilted sky-high, much to Gouwen’s amusement.
“However, you two should probably have other matters to attend to. Discussing forging can wait for later. Young lady, this is the raw mold you just forged. Keep it safe. It has no gospel yet, but can be added later.”
“Okay! Thank you, Lord Raphael!”
Tang Zeming Asuka stepped forward eagerly, and Raphael smiled, pointing toward the burning furnace.
With a wave of heat, the furnace opened a small hatch, quickly sending a very hot item soaring out.
Under Raphael’s guidance, the item cooled in mid-air until it reached room temperature, finally landing in Tang Zeming Asuka’s hand.
However, upon seeing the object, Fisher seemed slightly stunned, appearing surprised even when Tang Zeming Asuka happily displayed it to him.
Because he clearly saw that the raw mold was an unfinished ring.
“Mikhail, how about we leave this place in the future? Leave New Russia, leave New Siberia.”
In front of Mikhail, a shadow appeared, seemingly excited and only a voice echoed, familiar yet strange, making him feel momentarily dazed.
He remembered the words exchanged with that shadow, bringing him both joy and pain, causing him to both smile and cry upon recollection.
He could no longer recall that person’s appearance, for she had been gone for too long, and he was too far away from her.
He only remembered their feelings, recalling how he had addressed her.
He called her
“Dear.”
Before Mikhail could fully open his eyes, his right hand instinctively reached to touch her face. In the fleeting dream’s illusion, that smiling shadow drew closer and closer at his call, until tremblingly, he reached out his hand to grasp hers.
At that moment when their palms clasped, Mikhail’s restless heart finally settled down.
He felt tears welling up, although his lips involuntarily curled into a smile,
“Dear, I truly miss you.”
“…”
The hazy dream became gradually clearer, the blurry warm shadow slowly drifted closer until a tangible light revealed its true form.
Before him stood a strikingly beautiful, androgynous figure with red hair, looking at him with an expressionless face, gazing down at the chest held by his outstretched hand, as if time had quieted, yet neither made a motion.
Mikhail blinked his remaining left eye, still in disbelief he squeezed the outstretched hand, but only felt a flat, featureless chest.
Suddenly, a second later, his scalp tingled, and clear consciousness returned as the daze broke, realizing in this moment what he had actually done.
“Michael?”
“…”
Mikhail hurriedly withdrew his hand, attempting to retreat and sit up, but it felt as if he was shackled to the spot by countless chains.
He looked down and saw tubes connecting to him, their function uncertain.
Countless memories surged into his mind, including the moment he was struck by the Duke of Peach and fell into a deep coma.
“I survived? Or… am I dreaming? Dreaming of Michael?”
Michael scoffed, slowly standing up, and said to him,
“You better be dreaming; otherwise, you should think carefully about how to make up for what just happened.”
“… Which thing?”
Mikhail’s mind felt overloaded, glitching and foolishly asking.
But when he saw the crumpled white robe on Michael’s chest left from where he had grasped with force, he opened his mouth, rendered speechless.
“Oh.”
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(End of Chapter)
