Chapter 470: 87. Earth Spirit
Beneath the seemingly unchanged continent, a small creature, flickering like an eye, cautiously surveyed its surroundings, as if something terrifying had suddenly appeared in this usually quiet wilderness.
The beings residing in the southern part of the Dragon Continent were very familiar with these creatures that liked to bury themselves underground. Legend has it that these cute little beings were among the creations of the great deity Ramastia. They are known as “Earth Spirits” and enjoy digging caves under loose soil.
Although named after the morally substantial element “earth,” they are actually the most timid among the four types of spirits. Whenever a living being passes by, they hide in the soil in fear, yet cannot help but peek out with their twinkling eyes.
At this moment, the southern end of the Dragon Continent was peaceful, with only a gentle breeze blowing, making their vigilance seem unnecessary.
After several seconds of silence, round, chocolate bean-shaped creatures with pea-sized milky white eyes slowly emerged from the ground.
“Chirp chirp!”
They greeted each other, their pitch-black bodies bouncing in place like the size of potatoes. From afar, they appeared as a cluster of darkness, making it hard to tell it wasn’t just the ground quaking.
However, at that moment, the jubilant Earth Spirits suddenly noticed that a shadow on the ground was growing, until it obscured the majority of them.
They turned their heads toward the sky, where they saw a wooden boat rapidly descending from the heavens, with an angel in a white dress and a crooked halo standing at the back, laughing maniacally.
“Dear passengers, ‘Helaire’s Ship’ has arrived at its destination on schedule, and the ground temperature is pleasant. Oh, look! From the lower right of the wooden boat, we can see the adorable local specialty of Dragon Continent, known as Earth Spirits.”
“Chirp chirp!”
As the wooden boat landed abruptly, the force sent the screaming “big chocolate beans” flying far away, but luckily, their vitality, much like the vast continent, made it hard for them to die. Fisher remembered that in the future, after the Mother Goddess split the Dragon Continent in two, this group of Earth Spirits would still be bouncing around on the Southern Continent’s land.
“Boom!”
With a loud crash, the long wooden boat slammed into the ground, dragging a long tail mark.
Fisher silently grabbed Tang Zeming Asuka, who was almost flying out, and shot a glare at Helaire, asking,
“Can’t you land a little more gently? Didn’t we slow down when heading to the Tree Continent?”
Helaire seemed a bit troubled by his words, then looked at Fisher with a pitiful expression, pouting and saying,
“But then, can it still be considered an emergency landing?”
“…”
Fisher could no longer be bothered to argue with Helaire about why it had to be an “emergency landing”; he figured that even if he asked, there would be more absurd reasons, so he simply chose not to speak.
“Where are we now?”
Fisher glanced around the expansive wilderness and only saw a wide river; he couldn’t spot the place called “Ideal Nation.”
Gouwen, who had just jumped off the wooden boat after clearing his throat, said to Fisher,
“The Dragon Continent is divided into three parts: the southernmost peninsula, also called Dragon Tail Island, the central continent with the most creatures called Dragon Heart Continent, and the northern continent, opposite the Dragon Heart Continent across the sea, called the Snowy Realm. The Dragon God generally doesn’t manage his territory, so the creatures here grow wild.
“There are many settlements and kingdoms in Dragon Heart Continent, while Dragon Tail Island has much less because Feima Baharon often digs himself a hole to rest when he returns from the crevice, and it always feels like an earthquake. The nation built by the Trans, ‘Ideal Nation,’ is located on Dragon Tail Island, so we should also be on Dragon Tail Island; otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to see the Earth Spirits.”
One must say, Gouwen, this whale person, is truly worthy of being invited by Lord Bai to treat the Elf King. Besides the ever-drifting Helaire, he is the only suitable guide in this team. Fisher didn’t belong in this era, while Tang Zeming Asuka and Mikhail were crossovers, and couldn’t understand this well either. As for Neceria… well, she was a bit too dull and rarely spoke even in the Tree Continent.
Fisher speculated that Dragon Tail Island might be the future Southern Continent or part of it, because the term “Snowy Realm” is too obvious and likely refers to the place where the Phoenix Race would flee en masse in the future, while Dragon Heart Continent would be the Western Continent where humans reside.
Then he thought of something interesting; he had obtained a scroll from the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans that recorded the location of the demons’ dwelling, the Abyss of Desire, through researching Eil. From there and what Eil had said, Fisher vaguely knew that the demons traditionally resided in the Southern Continent.
But now, there were no Demon races here; when would they appear and inhabit the Southern Continent?
They planned to stay here for a night, as it was nearing evening, and entering the Ideal Nation in the morning would be more suitable.
According to Helaire, the elves had basically surrounded Dragon Tail Island, and many surveillance traps had been laid near the Ideal Nation. It was hard to say whether the World Tree had recovered from the pain of losing its children, but both Helaire and Pandora believed that once the elves completed the reincarnation ritual of the slain Elf King’s handle by Fisher, they would wholly focus on dealing with that thief, the Trans.
“Tang Zeming, your ring.”
After deciding on the night’s arrangements and allowing everyone to have free time, Fisher called out to Tang Zeming Asuka, who was still retching beside him. With her ordinary human constitution, she indeed found it somewhat hard to bear Helaire’s prank, so she hadn’t recovered until now.
“Ugh, Helaire the angel is really… makes me feel like I’m on a plane without wearing a seatbelt… I… I’ve never been on a plane.”
Fisher didn’t ask what a plane was; he just looked at the drool trickling from her mouth and asked,
“Need any help?”
“No, no, I’m fine. Speaking of which, Fisher-sensei, you probably don’t know what a plane is, right? It’s a kind of machine that can fly in the sky. Just now, Helaire spoke just like a flight attendant.”
“… Your ring, I’ve engraved it.”
Fisher smiled slightly and handed her the engraved ring. Instinctively, she reached out her finger toward Fisher’s ring, causing Fisher to lose a moment as he watched her.
Tang Zeming Asuka still foolishly looked at Fisher, seemingly puzzled as to why he didn’t just present the ring, but after a second or two, she realized something, her face turning red as she changed her upright finger to an open palm, lowering her head deeper.
“Sorry… I… I watch too many comics and movies… I didn’t mean that.”
Fisher handed the ring into her palm, and as he noticed her lowered head and black hair, he perfectly saw her slightly flushed earlobes, feeling a slight stir in his heart. He quickly raised his hand to knock on her head, as if to knock away the unnecessary thoughts they each harbored.
After knocking, Fischer unceremoniously said,
“No problem.”
Though he didn’t know why he knocked her head to chase away his internal thoughts, Tang Zeming Asuka merely cutely pouted at him. Holding the ring in her palm, she felt a slight warmth and wanted to thank Fischer. Just then, the shiny mischievous angel behind Fischer approached with a smile.
While her words were about to come out, they got stuck in her throat, turning what should have been a clear thank you into indistinguishable mosquito-like sounds.
“Thank you.”
“Oh, Fisher-sensei, come and help me! Your student Helaire needs your assistance!”
Upon hearing the identical “Fisher-sensei,” Tang Zeming Asuka became even more embarrassed, hurriedly clutching the ring in her palm as she ran away, muttering something about wanting to practice the magic she had just learned.
Fisher didn’t pursue her with his gaze; he turned back to the smiling Helaire but didn’t see anyone else.
“Where are they?”
“Reporting, Fisher-sensei, Gouwen went to send a letter to his wife. Mikhail and Neceria are going outside to look for dinner, and I’m taking a break.”
She reported with a smile, a posture not quite upright like a student, and her irritating demeanor made Fisher feel exasperated. He rubbed his temples and muttered under his breath,
“Where do you get the nerve to claim you’re just resting?”
“I’m a leader, so I both take on the role of leading and the responsibility of leadership!”
“Aren’t you a student?”
Helaire pursed her lips, leaned a little closer to Fisher, and softly whispered in his ear,
“During the day, I’m your student; at night, I’m your leader.”
Fisher reached out to grab her cheek, pinching it gently, causing her cheeks to slightly deform and forcing her into a pout. But after a second or two, she stepped back and escaped from his grip.
“How bold of you to treat a mythical-ranked angel like this!”
Helaire said this with her mouth, but her face showed no signs of anger. She simply floated up with her hands behind her back, casting her peripheral gaze toward the distance where Tang Zeming Asuka was engraving magic, yet her gaze kept glancing over here.
Fisher didn’t notice the gaze of his student behind him, but Helaire grinned at that direction, causing Tang Zeming Asuka to hastily shrink back like an Earth Spirit.
“Speaking of which, didn’t Margaret threaten the elves by saying she would refuse any mythical-ranked beings from entering? Are you exempt from this or not going in with us?”
“What, are you worried that after seven days I won’t be by your side?”
Helaire, floating in mid-air, reached out to rub his chin and smiled as she spoke.
However, Fisher became serious, responding sternly,
“Am I that kind of person?”
“Hahaha,” Helaire chuckled, covering her mouth as she spun around in mid-air, lazily commenting like she was sitting on a half-moon, “I will enter with you, pretending to be an existence on the same level as you. She won’t know I’m an angel.”
“Wrong. She should have seen us escaping in the Tree Continent, or rather, the truth she concealed about the Duke of Peach was deliberately shown to us. There’s no way she doesn’t know your identity.”
“That’s why I need to stay outside for a day and go in tomorrow. I’m quite skilled at changing forms; I will use my abilities to cover myself so she won’t recognize me. In her eyes, I will appear as someone else.”
She lifted her bare foot again and tried to lift Fisher’s chin, but he dodged, grabbing her ankle and yanking her down from mid-air, bringing her into his arms.
“Your abilities are that magical? But she has the Loom of Fate.”
“You don’t know much about my abilities. Even if she has the Loom, a true god’s artifact isn’t something a mere mortal can fully grasp; even the World Tree cannot. If she could manipulate the Loom freely, she wouldn’t threaten the elves but would directly engage in battle.”
Helaire’s body was as soft as a cat, and since she was floating, she was light like a feather. Lazily, she stretched her legs in Fisher’s embrace, her blue-golden scattered pupils comfortably squinting.
“By the way, your rank is rising rapidly; you’re about to reach the mythical stage. Do you remember the method I told you?”
Fisher touched the droplet that Renee had given him; that was the key for him to reach the mythical stage and was the tool she prepared for him to use in the Holy Grail to escape death.
One must say, Renee’s power had helped him a lot, from that time before the Duke of Peach, escaping death, and even reaching the mythical level.
And now he was…
Fisher looked at the lazily drowsy Helaire in his arms, suddenly blinking, but soon seemed to remember something and temporarily suppressed the stirring in his heart.
“By the way, about the game you mentioned before, what are the details? You don’t seem like the type to get excited about a game and then forget it, right?”
When this topic came up, Helaire’s eyes glinted with deeper meaning and joy. Leaning against Fisher’s embrace, she yawned and replied,
“Details…? Guess?”
Once again, she used the same phrasing; Helaire hadn’t made him guess about many things before, which made him increasingly curious about what this game was about.
So he pinched her waist as if pressing her for the truth,
“Are you going to say it or not?”
“Ah, you’re so annoying!”
Helaire struggled, nudging her head in Fisher’s embrace. The halo that was originally crooked even seemed to dodge away from him. Once she was done nudging herself, it slumped back onto her head.
But Fisher wasn’t done yet; biting her lip, she glared at him before suddenly grabbing the collar of his white robe. The power of myth instantly pulled him closer, and a deep kiss landed harshly on his lips, silencing him like a punishment.
“Have you calmed down?”
Helaire released his collar, smiling as she stretched like a cat, resting her head on his chest.
Fisher’s heart raced from the kiss, momentarily stunned, and then he wiped the corner of his mouth, glaring at the angel in his arms. But before he could act, he saw her pointing at the rising, somewhat dim moon in the sky.
Fisher didn’t understand her meaning; she opened one eye and closed the other, whispering to him,
“Shh, it’s night now; I’m the leader, quiet, obedient.”
“…”
Fisher stopped speaking, silently allowing her to rest in his arms.
Meanwhile, Tang Zeming Asuka had been stealing glances, and upon suddenly witnessing the intense kiss, her face instantly flushed red. Although she had some knowledge about such matters, witnessing it in person was undeniably shocking.
This left her small heart—no, the heart of a high schooler—greatly impacted, though more out of curiosity.
What would it feel like to kiss Fisher-sensei?
She couldn’t help but lick her lips, thinking this.
Oh dear, how shameless!
Buddha, forgive my impure thoughts; Namo Amitabha…
Wait, that’s not right; doesn’t the True Pure Land Sect allow marriage?
The sutras she had just chanted vanished, and she dazedly lifted her head, only to accidentally see Helaire snuggling in Fisher’s arms, causing her face to flush again, feeling as if a mountain was pressing down on her, too afraid to lift her head any longer.
With her head lowered, she suddenly noticed a myriad of twinkling little creatures with blinking eyes had appeared at her feet, looking at her.
These cute, hiding creatures regarded Tang Zeming Asuka as a fellow kind, thus showing no fear of her whatsoever.
Hmm, indeed, they were Earth Spirits in a sense.
At this moment, in the late evening sky, the ominous Gabriel, accompanied by Emhart, silently followed them to the sky above the Dragon Continent, hiding among the clouds. Gabriel held a round crystal in her arms, which had the faint shadow of an infant, while Emhart continuously peered down below.
“Mommy, mommy, it’s right down there! But I can’t see it; is there any way for me to see a little clearer?”
The previous Emhart would never have called Gabriel “mommy” in such a cutesy way. However, ever since he discovered the role-play of “Nob,” Gabriel had been unusually nice to him, even taking him out for fun. This angel seemed incredibly powerful, boldly moving through the Holy Realm, and even after leaving the fearsome bad angel Michael behind, she wasn’t chased after.
Well, then Emhart found it “really fragrant” now, calling “mommy” without a hint of timidity; even that characteristic croaky voice softened a few degrees.
Gabriel wore an expression of concern as she quietly watched the constantly stretching Emhart, seemingly worried that he might fall from the clouds.
But just as Emhart called her “mother,” Gabriel visibly reacted, as though she had an unmistakable response to that name.
Gabriel thought for a moment before extending a mystical eye hovering behind her to Emhart’s front. At that moment when the mystical eye floated, Emhart suddenly found the scene before him became much clearer, and he could also adjust the focus.
“Wow, it’s really clear!”
Legend has it that the wise angel Gabriel had observed the ground and all things day and night like the stars in the spirit realm. With this observation paired with her unmatched wisdom among other beings, she discovered countless laws of everything and understood many secrets of this world, earning the respect of other angels and beings.
Perhaps no one would have thought, at this moment, Gabriel would lend her esteemed ability to break and… spy?
Emhart excitedly adjusted the focus closer, finally able to see Fisher, whom he had missed dearly, feeling both anticipation and concern.
Don’t forget, that damned Baemon was still by his side; what if he got schemed by Baemon?
But fortunately, before he left, he promised Renee not to flirt around anymore, so…
The next second, in the ever-closing view, Emhart clearly saw Fisher and the angel in his embrace, as well as their gradually approaching lips.
That ambiguous and unrestrained seeking, even at this altitude, could be seen very clearly, right?
The next second, Emhart’s form in Gabriel’s arms turned black and white, stiff like a dried corpse from which moisture had been drawn, nearly completely losing control of his body and leaning toward the ground.
“Nob.”
Gabriel’s expression changed slightly upon seeing this; she quickly reached out to catch the stiff knight of the book, returning him to her embrace.
“Huff huff… huff.”
Emhart wheezed painfully in Gabriel’s grip, seeming as if he would suffer a heart attack.
Oh dear, oh dear.
After so long apart, the first sight had indeed made Emhart feel like he was relieved of his longing.
No matter how bad it was, seeing him casually flirting with the nearby human girl would only cause Emhart to click his tongue and internally criticize his actions.
Even if he went mad, suddenly starting to fancy men—hooking up with the male nearby—would only frown and wonder whether he had some issues mentally.
But how could it be? How could he be with that guy?!
That single glance caused Emhart to explode internally, making his heart flutter as if he was having a cardiac episode, unable to believe what had occurred during his absence.
“Curse it.”
Even though Emhart couldn’t get his breath, he still muttered something, but Gabriel couldn’t understand him at all, thinking Nob wanted to sleep, thus slightly shaking him.
“Nob is sleepy; mommy will take you back to sleep.”
“No! No! I don’t want to go back! That damn executioner… wuwuwu.”
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(This chapter ends)
