Chapter 642: 120. Breaking the Defense
“Valentina?”
Looking at the figure in front of the carriage, Fisher finally couldn’t help but call out to the girl who was whispering away. When Fisher’s voice rang out, Valentina’s body trembled slightly, and she quickly turned back in disbelief.
What met her eyes was a man who seemed to dissolve into the air but was only visible to him.
She was stunned for a second, and then her eyes subconsciously reddened. She hurriedly stood up and ran towards Fisher.
“Fisher! You’re really here?!”
“Thud!”
Fisher instinctively opened his arms, but although Valentina had transformed from a phoenix back to a human form, her rank was still firmly Fourteenth Rank. At this moment, he had returned to the level of an ordinary person and failed to catch Valentina’s momentum as she flung herself at him, landing him on the ground, causing him to gasp in pain.
“Fisher! Are you okay? I didn’t mean to!”
“Fisher? What Fisher? What are you talking about, you miscellaneous fish?”
Seeing that she had knocked Fisher down, Valentina hurriedly apologized in panic, but at the same time, she suddenly heard the incredulous voice of Duke of Peach in her mind.
Valentina paused for a moment and explained, “Uh, Fisher is right in front of me…”
“You idiot miscellaneous fish! Talk to me in your mind, don’t say it out loud!”
“Oh,” Valentina quickly communicated with the Duke of Peach in her mind, making their conversation extremely quick, quite similar to internal dialogue, “Fisher is right in front of me; I accidentally knocked him down.”
“.Do you miss your dead husband so much that you’ve gone crazy? I didn’t see anything.”
“Huh? How is that possible?!”
Valentina felt a bit flushed; she hurriedly leaned down to touch Fisher’s body, making him feel her cool hand before he could react. He quickly grasped her hand and questioned,
“Wait, Valentina, what are you doing?”
“Uh? I…” Valentina blushed when she heard this and looked down at her hand, which had intrusively reached into Fisher’s clothes to check his authenticity. She felt like a rogue and became embarrassed, “I was just checking if you really appeared before me.”
Fisher smiled and then reached into his bosom to pull out the invisible Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans and retrieved the necklace he had been entrusted to keep, belonging to Valentina’s mother. When the necklace appeared in his hand, Valentina became even more certain that the person in front of her was indeed Fisher.
“Now can you believe me?”
“…”
Valentina looked at Fisher beneath her, and after a second, she pouted and smiled at him,
“.Great! I’m so happy to see you again, Fisher.”
“I’m happy too, Valentina.”
Fisher lay on the ground, but looking at Valentina who had transformed into a human, he felt a familiar aura about her, though at that moment, his senses seemed to have dulled significantly under the blessing, making it difficult to identify.
So, he could only voice his questions straightforwardly,
“Valentina, after you awakened, weren’t you supposed to turn into… a phoenix? Why are you still in human form? And just now, what were you whispering about?”
“Uh, well…”
Valentina stood up awkwardly, but after hesitating for a moment, she shook her skirt at Fisher and explained,
“I am indeed a phoenix, but I was worried that you might not be used to seeing me in phoenix form, so I…”
However, her words trailed off abruptly, and she blinked as if she was talking to someone in her mind, which caused her external actions to pause.
“.Valentina?”
“Ah, I’m here, Fisher!”
“What’s wrong? What were you trying to say just now?”
“Um, actually, there is a legacy of a spirit named ‘Peach’ in the roots of the World Tree. I grasped a part of her power while I was asleep, and then I suddenly found I could perform some simple manipulations with my body.”
Valentina blinked, somewhat reluctantly stating this.
“Peach? That ill-tempered, petty, and disgusting spirit has a legacy in the roots of the World Tree in the Northern Region?”
Fisher frowned, expressing concern. After all, the powers related to the Duke of Peach were chaotic in nature, and he didn’t want Valentina to get involved with anything related to chaos, especially since she was originally tied to the Apocalypse Prophecy.
But Valentina simply blinked, looking at Fisher with a clueless expression, saying nothing, as if her mind had erupted in a noisy storm that distracted her,
“…”
“Have you been using that power frequently during this time? Have you experienced any auditory hallucinations in your mind, like the specter of the Duke of Peach speaking to you and inciting you to do something?”
“Uh, no! I’m fine. Although I just woke up, everything is on track. The Parasol Tree doesn’t need my concern either. More importantly…”
As she spoke, Valentina seemed to suddenly think of something. The joy of reuniting with her lover slowly faded, and her eyes reddened as she began to complain,
“Fisher, aren’t you more worrying? Even though I’ve been asleep for so long, I’ve always stayed at the Parasol Tree! What about you? You hid your injuries from me before I fell asleep! Do you know how heartbroken I was when I woke up and found you missing, possibly dead in the snow?! The slimes searched for a long time and didn’t know where you went! Even when you showed up, if the slimes hadn’t set up a watch in the Southern Continent, I wouldn’t have known you were there!”
As she spoke, she angrily raised her pink fist, seemingly wanting to vent her frustration. But recalling the matter of knocking Fisher down, he now seemed to have the same strength as an ordinary human. If she really struck him, she might end up becoming a widow herself.
So, she angrily waved her fists in the air a few times to express her dissatisfaction,
“Hurry up and apologize to your wife! I’m really mad right now!”
“.Sorry, Valentina. But even if I told you back then, it would only add to your worries inside the egg. Rather than that, it’s better to let you be at ease…”
“Nonsense! Couples should be honest and supportive of each other! How can you only report good news and not the bad? Anyway, don’t let that happen again next time!”
“Okay.”
Fisher smiled helplessly, unable to refute such a serious Valentina, and could only agree.
At this moment, the voice of the priest outside also rang out; they could barely hear some sounds from backstage, even though the priest’s voice had been amplified numerous times by magic.
Fisher looked toward the prayer hall and began to scan for a suitable spot to attend his teacher’s funeral.
“Valentina, the funeral for my teacher is about to begin. I know you have a lot of questions for me, and I have many things I want to say to you too. Including Elizabeth; she probably thinks this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Although I don’t want to evade it, at least let’s wait until after the funeral to talk… Let’s find a suitable spot to attend the funeral first.”
Valentina looked at his profile and also heard the emotionally charged prayers from the priest ahead. She said nothing else, just smiled and replied,
“Yes, as your teacher, Mr. Heilson deserves my respect. I have no intention of disturbing this farewell ceremony for Mr. Heilson; I only came here to find you.”
As she spoke, she seemed a bit unnatural. It was as if she remembered something and quietly took a few steps back, stealthily stepping on the “Pamphlet Against Elizabeth” she had written while squatting on the ground.
Because the cart that insulted the old woman Elizabeth had been taken away by someone unknown, she initially intended to compose another one on the spot but heard Fisher calling her while she was writing.
For a moment, she felt a bit shy, afraid that Fisher would see her aggressive side.
Like a shrew arguing, that wouldn’t do. Miss Valentina was quite a gentle lady… Uh, all of this was taught to her by the Duke of Peach.
“.I found it. There’s a platform on the second floor over there, just beside the Mother God Statue. If we’re careful, we shouldn’t be discovered.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
Valentina silently kicked the pamphlet under a gift cart, then nodded and followed Fisher’s pace, heading toward the platform on the side of the second floor amid the serene hymn and the priest’s introductions.
This used to be the second-floor corridor of a small church, but after renovations needed for expansion, they dug through the original walls and built new rooms to make the overall space look much larger. But specifically, there wasn’t any utility here; at least when Fisher and Valentina came in, they could still see some stones left over from the construction.
Fisher quietly leaned against the wall, looking down through the gap between the wall at a height of five or six meters, able to see the entire venue where the ceremony was being held.
He saw the side of the Mother God Statue, the crystal coffin resting beneath it that held his teacher, and the seated guests below, including many reporters in the back row setting up cameras. He also saw the first row, which included Damien, Vaili, Elizabeth, and beside her, a particularly anxious Alicia cradling a slightly trembling Emhart, as well as the empty seat next to Elizabeth.
That seat bore his name.
His heart stirred slightly; at this moment, he felt that it wasn’t a trap. Who would be so foolish as to sit beside Elizabeth in a trap?
Perhaps that seat was genuinely saved for him, allowing him to participate in the funeral from the front.
Unfortunately, he could only remain on the second floor, observing everything quietly and invisibly.
“Now, let us bow our heads with the most sincere hearts and offer our condolences for the great Mr. Heilson Lacazette, praying that he may rest in peace eternally under the light of the Mother God.”
After a moment of silence, everyone below bowed their heads and clasped their hands in prayer.
Fisher also lowered his gaze and clasped his hands in prayer, while Valentina, who did not believe in the Mother God, was somewhat awkward in her movements.
At this moment, she was still in conversation with the Duke of Peach in her mind,
“Duke of Peach, why don’t you allow me to tell Fisher about your existence?”
“I want to ask you, don’t you think it’s strange that only you can see him? I thought you encountered a ghost. But even if both possibilities exist, you don’t need to reveal my existence to him. If he is fake, revealing me would undoubtedly expose your hand; if he is real, then his every action will be evidently exposed to chaos, and if a creature that has lived for tens of thousands of years knows things they don’t want Fisher to know, you could be in danger. Understand?”
“Well, but Fisher does seem a bit strange now… Not in terms of his behavior, but his body seems to have reverted to that of an ordinary human, and it feels like his presence has decreased.”
“Isn’t that great? If only you can see him, you won’t have to worry about that miscellaneous human Empress competing with you for him. And earlier, you were so worried about that human Empress and even spun various conspiracy theories about her possibly having miraculous powers. From my perspective now, she’s simply an ordinary human.”
Through Valentina’s gaze, the Duke of Peach also surveyed Elizabeth, who was praying in the first row below, and commented thus.
“Is that so…”
Hearing the Duke’s words, Valentina felt a wave of relief wash over her, her confidence swelling.
There were many rituals happening below, plenty of eulogies spoken, but they were all inevitably leading to the final resting place. The last part of the ceremony was to carry Heilson’s coffin out of the church, proceeding from the inner venue into the crowded outer venue, and finally burying him in the pre-designated grave.
“Now, following our lead, let us accompany this great man on the last part of his journey!”
At the end of the ceremony, guided by the priest’s words, the people in the first row stood up first, watching the sturdy strongmen lift Heilson’s crystal coffin. Elizabeth took hold of Alicia’s hand and led her to follow the coffin as the remaining people formed a long, slow, and orderly procession out of the church to bury Heilson’s remains.
Watching Elizabeth depart, followed by everyone rising and leaving in turn, Fisher sighed in relief. After silently murmuring “teacher” in his heart, he stepped back from the wall and turned to look at Valentina, who had a comforting expression on her face.
“Fisher, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. At least I’ve seen my teacher off for the last time, and it looks like Elizabeth hasn’t taken any action during this time, though that might not hold true later. Alright, let’s go to the grave to visit the teacher later. As for now, I also want to talk to you about things from the years you’ve slept… Do you have anything you want to ask first?”
“Um, Fisher, I’m not sure if it’s just my illusion, but I feel that there’s something strange about you now. Your body shouldn’t be this weak, and it seems like your presence has decreased. Sometimes, I even forget you’re by my side. Is this a side effect of you dispelling death?”
“Ah, about that…”
Fisher thought for a moment and said,
“Valentina, what I’m going to tell you next, don’t let a third presence know. As you can see, I am currently concealed under an extremely hidden blessing that cannot be voluntarily turned off. This blessing protects me from being discovered by others, but at the same time, it deprives me of any extraordinary powers. So now I am a bona fide human, seeming extremely weak even to you, a high-ranked phoenix.”
“But why can I still see you?”
“I’m not entirely sure of the specifics, but perhaps it’s because you love me that you are exempt from the influence of this blessing.”
Upon hearing this, Valentina’s face flushed slightly, and she seemed a bit shy as she played with the hem of her skirt. This posture made the Duke of Peach in her mind even more curious about the reason behind Fisher’s statement,
“So, what exactly is the reason that allows you to see him?”
“I can’t tell you, Duke of Peach.”
“.So annoying, you miscellaneous fish.”
“…”
Valentina pressed her lips together, as if sensing something from Fisher’s explanation, her eyes brightened slightly, and she hurriedly spoke,
“Wait, if that’s the case, does it mean…”
“It means that in the future, Fisher won’t be discovered by others, meaning that only a very few people will be able to find Fisher? So, even if he is confined to the Golden Palace for a lifetime, becoming my husband, it wouldn’t be a problem… As long as I eliminate those few women who can see Fisher?”
But in the very next second Valentina opened her mouth, a voice charged with barely contained excitement and joy suddenly rang out from behind a sealed wall in the room they were in.
Both Fisher and Valentina were momentarily stunned, then looked incredulously toward the adjacent area where there should have been a sealed wall. Suddenly, an extra room appeared from nowhere, and in that room was a single chair. Elizabeth in black clothing was smiling as she gazed at Fisher before her. Her voice trembled with excitement, and her face turned slightly red.
It was as if she had overheard something remarkable!
“And also, a Fisher who has reverted back to an ordinary person means that he can no longer resist me or escape anymore?”
“Elizabeth.”
“What are you doing? Weren’t you supposed to be out just now?”
Fisher was slightly taken aback and quickly turned to look at the group that had exited the church, but he could no longer see Elizabeth leading Alicia out. Even so, it was impossible for her to go out and come back at this moment; it simply could not happen unless—
“You were here from the beginning? But that down there…”
Elizabeth’s golden pupils flickered slightly as she looked down toward the front of the church. The Mother God’s originally kind gaze began to take on a faint golden hue as if the Empress’s eyes were scanning every inch below.
Was that the artificial eye of Pandora?
“Fisher, in the years you’ve been absent, I have also been changing. I’ve been getting better, preparing everything for your return. Surprised that this artificial eye has become smarter? Actually, from the very beginning of the funeral, everyone has been deceived by my artificial eye. I never entered the church; what they saw was merely illusions in their minds. And do you know why I know you are here?”
Elizabeth smiled, and when Fisher looked down at the church again, he found that, at some point, a “Elizabeth” was sitting in the chair that bore his name.
That Elizabeth’s golden eyes were scanning around, quickly locking gazes with Fisher up on the second floor.
“I enhanced the capability of the artificial eye on the chair next to me to help monitor the existence facing that direction.”
After five years apart, her artificial eye could now activate effects detached from its original host.
Although the ability to change desires still proved ineffective against Fisher, it now seemed that the artificial eye could create false illusions and add suggestions, not to mention any other unimaginable functions it might possess.
“…”
Watching Fisher suddenly become dumbfounded, Elizabeth seemed to savor the moment. It was as if a famished person was served a feast before them, causing an uncontrollable desire to arise. She licked her lips, and her voice became slightly hoarse with extreme excitement,
“Though seeing that you have other women beside you makes me furious, hearing that you can see me because you love me, right, my~ Fi~she~r~ It’s fine; once I deal with this woman, we’ll go back to the Golden Palace. I’ve prepared so much for you there. As long as you return with me…”
“Shut up! You old woman!!!”
Valentina couldn’t take it any longer. She pressed her hand against Fisher’s chest, shielding the restored normal Fisher behind her. The cold air in her hand grew denser, as if a frigid storm from the Northern Region was gradually brewing,
“She’s just a former lover! Even if Fisher loved you, that was over a decade ago! Still here, foolishly clinging on, is your imagination running wild to the point of daydreaming?! Fisher has married me now, so you’d better give up on any thoughts!”
Elizabeth continued smiling, but faint veins seemed to appear on her forehead; she was on the verge of furious rage, and even her palms tightened, shaking uncontrollably,
“What did you say?”
“I said, you old woman!!”
“Wait, Valentina, this human doesn’t feel right. If what just happened was an illusion, I wouldn’t be able to sense it, thinking it was just an ordinary human unless…”
“Wait, Valentina!”
Both Fisher and the Duke of Peach in her mind immediately sensed that something was amiss, but Elizabeth was clearly enraged. She suddenly opened her eyes wide, resembling a high and mighty angel from thousands of years ago as she gazed upon Valentina before her.
