Chapter 570: 48. The Gate of Emotions
In her dreams, Raphael’s consciousness seemed to be sinking, falling into an endless darkness.
She didn’t know where she was going, only feeling that everything around her was retreating. Finally, what slowly materialized before her eyes and ears was an endless darkness mixed with a foul odor that carried some kind of fishy scent.
Raphael seemed to have seen this scene many times before, but each time she woke up, she would forget. Only in this moment, in her sleep, could she find a trace of memory.
“Trans.”
Before her was a building far more magnificent than the Red Dragon Court, where countless dragonfolk were wailing and running, while a twisted, tsunami-like black mire chased after them.
The black mire had no fixed shape, yet it displayed grotesque faces during its whirling advance—those faces belonged to dragonfolk and other subhuman races, maintaining the cruel expressions from the moment before their victimization, mouths agape as they gnawed at each other, all emitting sounds of agony.
“No! My wife! My daughter!”
“Where are you all going?”
“Come back! Hurry back!”
“Everything is deceiving me! Why? Why? Master of Souls, why are you so cruel? Why must you torment me like this?”
“Why? We can’t go back! Why?”
The moment Raphael heard those voices, she didn’t have time to distinguish what they were saying, as “herself” had already emitted an extremely furious dragon roar. From the body of “herself,” an incomparably terrifying power spread out in an instant, transforming the heavens and earth, turning them into a force of barbarism and flames, ready to fight to the death with the shapeless black mire before her.
It was then that a calm, wispy voice, whose nature, gender, or existence she could not discern, suddenly rang out from behind Raphael,
“Stay away from him.”
In her dreams, Raphael was momentarily taken aback, and then she detached herself from the massive and strong dragon form, turning to look back, only to see in the darkness a gaping mouth from which an enormous, all-encompassing eye filled the space between the lips, quietly gazing at her.
And that calm warning came from its mouth as it repeated,
“Stay away from him.”
“From whom? Who are you?”
The big eye did not answer Raphael’s question; instead, it suddenly burst like a balloon, emitting a kaleidoscope of colorful mist that quickly filled all of Raphael’s vision.
Then she seemed to catch a glimpse of Fisher’s figure.
His shadow standing there immediately captured Raphael’s attention, as if it provided her with support and a sense of safety in this darkness.
Her expression brightened, and she subconsciously called out for her husband,
“Fisher.”
But she had only spoken half the name when beside her, a blue-haired whalefolk with a broad, soft, and elastic chest dove into Fisher’s embrace first, tightly holding onto him, replicating a classic scene that left Raphael momentarily stunned in place.
“Boom!”
Raphael abruptly woke up from her dream, her body covered in cold sweat as if she had just undergone a torturous ordeal.
“Hahaha.”
Then her eyes met the dimly-lit room and the very worried Fisher, who was looking at her closely.
“Raphael, thank goodness, you’re awake.”
Fisher’s worried expression relaxed slightly, but at that moment, Raphael, lying in bed, was furious. She was momentarily baffled, then puffed up her cheeks and leaned forward a bit, warily sniffing the scent on him, confirming it was all her scent and not the ocean breeze, before retracting her head.
At this moment, Raphael could only remember the latter half of the dream, as if that was truly the dream she had just wanted to have, while what she had seen earlier was merely a phantom, not worth counting.
However, midway through, she recalled the scene of Jasmine hugging Fisher in the dream, and her anger flared again. With a “growl,” she sank her teeth into Fisher’s collarbone, leaving him utterly confused.
“What are you doing?”
She didn’t verbally respond, only gently released her bite and then licked the spot where she had bitten.
“Did you have a nightmare?”
“Uh-huh.”
“What was it about?”
“It was about you and Jasmine in front of me.”
“…”
Fisher couldn’t help but pat her head, silently changing the subject.
“You’ve only slept for three hours; do you want to rest a bit more?”
“No.”
“Then should we get up and check the military camp?”
Raphael gently wrapped her arms around Fisher’s shoulders and shook her head, breathing out warm air softly as she said,
“No.”
“Then what do you want to do?”
“I want you.”
“…”
No, didn’t you just—
Fisher raised an eyebrow, leaning back a little, looking at Raphael, who was still holding onto him, unsure of what to say for a moment.
It seemed that every time she, as a dragonfolk, would be defeated first, so she was ever eager to challenge Fisher’s physiological limits.
However, for Fisher, who had been strengthened by the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans, all such challenges were mere light showers, utterly ineffective.
The only one he possibly felt inferior to now or even in the future might be that bad angel named Hela.
Fisher keenly sensed her real underlying need; perhaps she was just jealous of Jasmine, wanting to possess him through this means rather than genuinely craving him. Though, of course, she might still be genuinely craving him, just not so intensely.
He touched Raphael’s face and then softly said,
“I’ve seen your mother.”
“Uh-huh.”
Raphael puffed out her cheeks, chewed on Fisher’s words for a moment, then gently released Fisher from her grasp. She stretched lazily and sat up, saying,
“What were you doing just now?”
“… Studying magic.”
“Studying magic? Aren’t you already quite proficient in magic? Do you still need to study?”
“Learning is endless; no matter how much you learn, it’s never enough.”
Fisher smiled slightly and replied.
In fact, having just read the Soul Supplement Handbook and met Jahl Uzz, he did gain some inspiration, having formed a potential hypothesis for enhancing the power of magic.
The highest power of single-ring magic is merely at the Fourteenth Rank, and to explore further enhancements, humanity currently knows only the method of multi-ring heads. The problem, however, is that the number of ring heads isn’t something a magician can simply add; Fisher believed he lacked the unique insight into magic like Tang Zeming Asuka, which would allow him to judge the structure of multi-ring head magic intuitively.
If given enough time for research, Fisher could immerse himself in this, trying various methods for three to five years to advance academic levels within the magical realm.
Yet the problem now was that he was in urgent need of magical power on a mythic level; he simply didn’t have that much opportunity and time for experimentation and error.
However, in this world, there are some beings whose understanding of magic may be as deep as that of the Mother God or Tang Zeming Asuka.
He remembered when Fisher first read the Grimoire, he encountered something called “Star Magic.” Essentially, it was something granted by the Mother God to connect humanity with the Chaos Race, allowing the blessings of the Chaos to manifest in human women, endowing them with some of the traits and powers of the Chaos Race.
Though each sorceress had differing traits, they all shared a singular commonality: extraordinary magical circuits and talent, which is the origin of the name “sorceress” as a race.
From Jahl Uzz’s words, it could be gleaned that the power of the soul comes from beyond the world, belonging to the chaotic side, which also explains why magic is a chaotic power.
And the Chaos Race is an entity formed from the confluence of soul power; they once had some form of accord with the Mother God; otherwise, they wouldn’t assist in forming contracts with humans to create sorceresses. They might know the secrets of magic.
Yes, Fisher planned to use Star Magic to see if he could find multi-ring head magic or something more common from the Chaos Race that could enhance magical power to exceed the mythic level.
This method had a potential chance of success because Fisher knew he carried a strong essence of the Mother God’s reincarnation, which might garner their goodwill and assistance.
This idea was not unfounded; one piece of corroborating evidence was that, in the Northern Region, that group of Chaos had shown an unusual interest in him. At least, he could ascertain that this interest did not bear malice, and this was the basis for his attempts.
Upon hearing this, Raphael rubbed her shoulders, smiling as she was about to say something when a gentle knocking sound suddenly came from the door.
“Knock, knock.”
“Emhart, wait a moment, I’ll get up right away.”
Fisher thought it was Emhart, as he usually had a stern face at this time, ready to bang his head against the door. Raphael was used to this, so when the knocking came, she didn’t react with surprise, just preparing to reach down and pick up the clothes that had been flung to the floor.
But when Fisher spoke, the voice from outside was not Emhart’s quacking tone, but a soft voice as sweet as cotton candy,
“It’s me, Jasmine.”
That voice—
It was Jasmine!
Fisher was momentarily taken aback, and for some reason, cold sweat immediately broke out.
He instinctively turned his head to look at Raphael beside him, only to see her, who was just about to rise from the bedding, pause momentarily, and then her expression turned dangerous, as if she were suspicious of the innocent Fisher and whether he had done something bad behind her back.
“Ra—”
Raphael didn’t listen to Fisher’s explanation. She silently pulled the blanket up again, covering her body, and expressionlessly pointed toward the door at Fisher, as if wanting him to open it.
She wanted to see what those two could do in here!
Raphael raised a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture and then waved her pink fist, implying “Don’t expose us, or there’ll be trouble.”
Then she turned to lie down, and her long red hair cascaded down like a waterfall, pretending to still be fast asleep.
“Is there something wrong, Jasmine?”
Fisher had no choice but to stand up to open the door. As he spoke, he held the doorknob and slowly opened it, revealing a narrow gap completely filled by Fisher’s muscular form.
As the door opened, it revealed Jasmine outside, dressed in the red priestess robe of the Dragon Court. At that moment, she was nervously looking around, scanning the quiet corridor, as if afraid someone was coming.
When Fisher opened the door, exposing his strong upper body, Jasmine’s eyes were immediately caught.
Her little face turned slightly red as she hid while cherishing this view, then she swallowed hard and was about to step into the room.
“Fisher, can we go inside and talk?”
“…”
Inside, the reclining Raphael trembled slightly, obviously having heard Jasmine’s soft voice.
Fisher didn’t turn around, but he felt the danger. He didn’t make way but knowingly took a step back, which consequently revealed more of the room’s scene through the gap occupied by his body.
For instance, the scattered mismatched armor and clothing on the floor.
Jasmine froze for a moment, her gaze flickering as she captured the sight of Raphael lying on the bed, “asleep.” Instantly, she realized what had just occurred here, and her face turned even redder.
Her voice dwindled to barely audible levels, as if worried about waking Raphael, and she murmured,
“Is Raphael in there?”
“Uh-huh, is there something wrong, Jasmine?”
Fisher also lowered his voice slightly, seemingly afraid of waking Raphael, but he was still considering how to remind Jasmine that Raphael was awake at this moment to prevent her from saying something startling that might ignite a powder keg.
“Uh, I… um, what was I going to say?”
But Jasmine was already frightened by the unexpectedness of the situation. She was still too young and inexperienced; perhaps she really had come here to discuss something with Fisher, but under the influence of the disorderly clothing and Fisher’s powerful physique, her mind had completely disconnected.
Seeing her current flustered appearance, Fisher relaxed from his previous worries about her words and helped her organize her thoughts.
“Where did you come back from just now? You didn’t rest here yesterday, right?”
“Ah, I was preparing logistics outside, so… I remembered! I came here to tell you that a man from the Western Continent has arrived at the beach this morning, claiming he is here to find you.”
“A man from the Western Continent?”
“Uh-huh, he seems to be a Cardu man. He’s very tall and thin, looking as if he hasn’t slept for many days, with a very poor mental state. He was found by fishermen at the shore and is currently held outside the shoreline’s defenses, so someone came to inform me, and that’s why I…”
Raphael’s ears perked up a bit more. Initially thinking it might involve some scandalous content, it was now clear that it wasn’t the case.
Her guarded and volatile heart gradually relaxed, as she continued to listen to the unfolding details.
Upon hearing that description, Fisher instantly knew that the call he made to the Death Lord Holland a week ago had finally paid off. His landlord had delivered the news to him, and he was quickly directed here.
That was impressively fast; he managed to arrive from the Western Continent within a week?
However, even if the Creation Society had been depleted, they still had some foundations, and both the Mechanism or Fate Lord could wield such capabilities.
“Ah, he is a friend of mine and plays a vital role in this war. You haven’t told anyone about this matter, have you?”
“Of course not! Because the presence of a man from the Western Continent here is very dangerous. I’ve properly settled that Ingrid too. She’s being taken care of by Aunt Aria, so she won’t be in any danger for the time being. Furthermore, exposing them to the eyes of the Dragon Court would affect Raphael and the morale of the upcoming war.”
Jasmine smiled slightly, having quietly arranged everything. Yes, Fisher had completely forgotten about the existence of Ingrid. Raphael might also be busy with that, but despite Jasmine having a lot of things on her plate, she still remembered such trivial matters.
Though they had sneakily agreed to keep each other close, enabling secret visits to her room, Raphael’s possessiveness dictated that every night, she must remain by his side, leaving Fisher unable to meet Jasmine for fear of igniting any conflicts amidst rising tensions.
But in this moment, Jasmine’s arrival didn’t bear accusations or frustrations, as if all could be comprehended in her eyes.
“Thank you, Jasmine, this was my oversight.”
“It’s fine, Fisher. Raphael has also been very weary lately; she has to personally lead the army to face that general from a few years back. Honestly, I think… the odds might not be in our favor. She might think the same, but she has never revealed it in front of outsiders—only hiding it deep within. That feeling can be exhausting. I’m quite worried about her state; I just don’t know how to approach her because of your situation, so let her rest well. She will feel more at peace by your side—just like me.”
Jasmine had stopped looking at the room’s awkward scene; she quietly shared everything, but at the very end, she slipped in a dangerously “over-the-line” remark.
Yet strangely, at this moment, Fisher didn’t notice. Instead, he deeply focused on her, noticing how she appeared somewhat shy and awkward.
“Let’s do that; after Raphael wakes up, you should go check the shoreline with her. I’ve already instructed them to accommodate that friend. I’ll take my leave now.”
Jasmine smiled as she pressed her lips together. First, she peeked through the door for one last look at the sleeping Raphael, then turned her gaze to Fisher. Carefully she extended her hand, originally toward his muscles, but shyly redirected midway to touch Fisher’s hand.
Pinching for several seconds, as if absorbing the energy hidden within, she finally released it.
“Take care of yourself too, Jasmine.”
“Uh-huh, I will.”
Jasmine smiled and nodded, finally letting go of Fisher’s hand, quietly turning and leaving without making a sound.
Fisher watched her figure disappear at the end of the corridor before closing the door, sealing the room once more.
Looking back, with the sound of the door closing and Jasmine leaving, Raphael still maintained her slumbering posture, facing away from Fisher, utterly still.
Fisher raised an eyebrow, initially thinking she was angry. Due to Jasmine’s last slightly “over-the-line” ambiguous statement, he subconsciously began to coax her.
“Raphael.”
But the next second, Raphael naturally sat up, pushing aside her tousled red hair that had fallen onto her forehead and tucking it behind her pointed ear.
She glanced back, her green eyes reflecting Fisher’s image, harboring some inexplicable meaning. Fisher couldn’t decipher what she was thinking but knew she wasn’t upset by Jasmine’s earlier words.
She opened her mouth and then turned away, collecting the scattered clothes from under the bed while casually asking,
“Who is that Cardu friend of yours? The city lord we met on the Southern Continent? Your junior?”
She didn’t mention what had just happened, including Jasmine’s arrival, Jasmine’s words of concern for her, or even the slightly ambiguous remark she made to Fisher earlier, only spontaneously bringing up the matter at hand.
Noticing there were one or two items just out of her reach, Fisher helped pick them up and handed them to her, replying,
“No, you don’t know him. The person you’re referring to is Keken, who should be in Nali now. I haven’t seen him in a long time and owe him a lot.”
“Then what makes this Cardu man so special? Why do you say he’s so crucial for our war?”
“… Because he has some connections with the Demon Dynasty where the demons reside, and he can help me defeat that Barbatos.”
“I see.”
Raphael first donned her undergarments, then picked up her shirt with her tail, putting it on. The clothes wrapped around her face shielded Fisher from seeing her expression while changing. However, when she neatly dressed and descended from the bed, her demeanor appeared normal, no different from before.
Only her gaze subtly glided over to the currently closed door, seeming to look at something beyond the door.
Then she stretched vigorously, picked up the nearby armor, and smiled at Fisher,
“Well, I’m almost back to normal, so I should get busy. You keep an eye on the house, darling~”
Though spoken as a joke, akin to a wife saying farewell to a husband leaving home, hearing the word “darling” suddenly made Fisher’s mind flood with Hela’s smiling face, her image forcibly imprinted in his thoughts like a brand.
Delivering a reply to Raphael momentarily froze, finally reacting with,
“Okay, by the way, when do you plan to set off with the army?”
“In a few days. Barbatos’s troops are already on their way to the Southern Branch Mountain, so I need to get some preparations done. I’ll leave the matters here to the leader of the Batfolk to handle. Jasmine will go into battle with me.”
At this moment, she had walked to the door, and as she spoke, she glanced back at the closed door before adding,
“I’ll personally inform her of my arrangements. That’s it; I’m leaving now, Fisher.”
The door opened and closed, leaving Fisher alone in the room.
Raphael left first, while Jasmine came later; the two women, who had once been like sisters but had developed a rift due to him, had maintained a cold war for so long, yet this morning seemed to have laid the groundwork for some kind of unexplainable connection.
Fisher couldn’t clarify, for emotional matters are highly subjective, with many thoughts and feelings potentially unspoken in an instant.
However, for some reason, looking at the door that had closed after Raphael’s departure, a smile slowly graced his face.
It seemed that the second phase of the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans’ multi-race cooperation study had a glimmer of hope?
Just a glimmer, though; he hadn’t escaped the rift between the two, but at least he saw a hint of dawn.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
In the next instant, the door was suddenly knocked upon again, continuing the somewhat ambiguous and obscure emotional whirlpool in the room.
Fisher was slightly taken aback, looking toward the door and gently speaking,
“Who is it?”
“It’s your father, the great Sir Book Emhart!”
“…”
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(End of Chapter)
