Chapter 709: 9. Lele Lele Renee
At this moment, Lady Bojiang’s synthesized voice did not sound like she was asking a question, but rather like a butcher sharpening his knives, waiting to carve a piece of flesh from Fisher with a vicious intent.
Fisher sensed the hidden meaning behind Lady Bojiang’s question, reminded suddenly of what Gouwen had said when introducing Lady Bojiang to him—she was once a follower of the former Mother God.
Although it could not directly prove any link between her and the current Renee, much like the Chaos Race, who also worshipped the Mother God yet had no connection with Renee at present.
In essence, Renee is a new consciousness independent of the Mother God, yet Fisher could not guarantee that Lady Bojiang had no relation to Renee whatsoever.
Currently, still in the Spirit Realm, it seems that Lady Bojiang was solely questioning Fisher. If the issue were to be addressed based on the difficulty of resolution, then whoever asked the question should simply respond, but behind him, Gouwen who represented Jasmine…
Speaking of which, Gouwen had mentioned the moon in the Spirit Realm earlier, though it was uncertain whether he knew of the relationship between Lady Bojiang and Renee. If he did, it would mean he was specifically waiting for him here.
Fisher took a deep breath. In just a few seconds, countless thoughts surged in his mind, but outwardly he showed nothing, contemplating instead,
“An acquaintance of the female variety?”
Fisher’s mind was racing quickly, and after a moment of silence, he looked up at Lady Bojiang’s lowered head and softly said,
“Nun Teresa.”
Behind him, Gouwen rubbed his forehead, while Lady Bojiang’s slightly turning head shook gently, as if expressing denial,
“You know what I’m asking, this is a form of avoidance regarding the question.”
“Exactly, exactly!”
Before Fisher could even begin, as the “new Jasmine enthusiast,” Emhart floated up, speaking in a righteous tone,
“Though you’ve never said it out loud, surely you have the answer in your heart. I vote for Jasmine! I’ve been by your side for so long, I already know exactly what you’re thinking!”
Fisher raised an eyebrow, looking at the principled Emhart before him, unsure where he had derived this conclusion.
He raised his fist towards Emhart, instantly frightening him into sticking out his tongue and floating away a bit.
But turning back to Lady Bojiang, Fisher simply said,
“I’ve answered all your questions honestly; now it’s time for you to fulfill your promise.”
“No.”
“Where was the honesty? Shouldn’t you just say ‘Jasmine’?”
“Alright!”
Just as Lady Bojiang shook the red thread in front of her head and Emhart seemed about to say something indignant, a figure with faint fragrant black hair appeared behind Lady Bojiang unbeknownst to them.
The witch-like woman sighed, stepped over Lady Bojiang’s body, and suddenly spoke to halt the conversation.
Partway through the words, Emhart was so startled by the sudden appearance that the entire book turned pale. He didn’t care about Fisher’s reckoning, rushing to hide behind Fisher’s head, his voice shrinking,
“I think it should be Lady Renee, um… just like that.”
“Renee?”
Fisher was a bit surprised as he had originally only speculated that Lady Bojiang might have a connection to Renee, not expecting Renee to be right here.
Renee’s purple eyes focused on Fisher, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, and her expression soon broke into a curved smile.
In light of Fisher’s surprise, Gouwen raised an eyebrow, walking to Fisher’s side, glancing at the newly appeared Renee, and spoke to Fisher in an exasperated tone,
“I wondered why Lady Bojiang was asking you without even opening that relic; it turns out the embodiment of the moon is here.”
“Every time I go to seek the moon, she repeatedly confides and inquires about these boring things until I’m sick of it, yet for some reason, she seldom asks in front of him. I might as well ask on her behalf.”
Renee was just about to say something with a smile when Lady Bojiang, pulling back a few strands of red silk into herself, suddenly spoke softly, causing Renee’s words to catch in her throat as she shot a slightly blushing reproachful glance at Lady Bojiang.
Fisher, however, paid no heed; he quickly stepped forward, gazing at the Spirit Realm space wrapped in crimson mist outside the passport, and could not help but ask,
“Renee, what’s the situation on the Ultimate side? Have you come nearby as your true self, or…?”
Renee smiled slightly at his words but did not answer directly; instead, as if to ease the embarrassment of Lady Bojiang’s earlier reveal, she said to Fisher,
“Do you want to see my true self that badly?”
Actually, to be honest, Fisher was somewhat curious about what Renee’s true form looked like.
He had encountered the cold, expansive moonlight in his dreams countless times but always felt that the moon’s appearance was vastly different from Renee’s true form.
“Indeed.”
Not expecting Fisher to respond so earnestly, Renee found herself momentarily at a loss for words. She glanced at Emhart, who was supposedly hiding behind Fisher’s head like air, her expression softening as she waved her hand, and his rectangular book flew into her grasp, scaring him to death,
“Well, Lady Renee… uh, um.”
“Oh, you know Fisher well, even knowing his favorite woman is Jasmine?”
“Hahahaha, not that well, really! Not as much as you know! Ouch, that hurts!”
In the violet light emanating from Renee’s power, Emhart seemed to be transported back to the time before meeting Captain Alagina in the Pirate Bay, painfully recalling the past while also remembering his loyalty.
Gouwen behind Fisher rolled his eyes; he had never seen the embodiment of the newly born moon, and the “enduring loneliness of the ages” that Renee spoke of was no joke.
Due to the mistakes made by the Mother God, since her consciousness was born, from the moment she began to observe the world fully, she had hardly seen any other beings apart from Fisher. Whenever she had free time, she would directly seek out Fisher, rarely wandering in this vast expanse of the Spirit Realm.
Thus, this should be Gouwen’s first encounter with this embodiment of Renee.
Just as Renee was admonishing the two-faced Emhart, Gouwen could hardly wait to get to the point, lest Fisher enjoy more of a nostalgic chat with Renee.
“Since that’s the case, Lady Bojiang, can you now tell us the exact coordinates of that refuge? As well as the contents you promised earlier?”
Lady Bojiang did not reply but waved her glowing, branch-like appendages to toss out countless light points carrying some sort of information. Gouwen reached out to catch one of these light points, closed his eyes, and began to visualize it. Although Fisher did not know what he was doing, the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans in his chest suddenly grew warm.
As he closed his eyes and the illusory interface materialized, the map of the Spirit Realm suddenly included several hidden coordinates amidst the darkness; upon careful counting, there were about a dozen, with one near a crevice shining with golden light—that seemed to be the refuge where Fisher had left the Fluid Sword.
“Thank you.”
Renee gently clapped her hands and, looking at Lady Bojiang behind her, added,
“I originally came to tell you about a temporary method to overcome the pollution of the Spirit Realm. After all, the Spirit Realm is different from reality; the spiritual pollution you suffered in that refuge before arose from being too far away, which almost went wrong. Fortunately, you managed to seal the refuge by yourself.”
Previously, when Fisher was engulfed in the tainted mist of the Spirit Realm, a beam of moonlight had come to scatter the pollution—probably Renee’s doing.
“However, this time, I have one bad news and one good news. Which would you like to hear first?”
As she spoke, Renee tossed the pitiful Emhart back into the air while stretching out her clenched fists towards Fisher and asked,
“The bad news?”
One of her pink fists blossomed open like a lotus flower, and she followed up with her words,
“The bad news is that currently, my true self and those of other deities cannot leave the Ultimate; furthermore, regarding the next step for resolving the Apocalypse Prophecy, it seems Ramastia has encountered difficulties—she hasn’t told me and probably hasn’t informed you either.”
Fisher nodded; indeed, when he had spoken with Ramastia earlier, she hadn’t mentioned the next steps regarding the Apocalypse Prophecy. It was as if after thwarting Heow and other deities’ assassination plans against Dalasgon, the whole prophecy was at an end.
Yet looking at the pervasive pollution in the Spirit Realm now, it was clear that it hadn’t ended.
Fisher also needed time to recuperate—not just from the recent numerous battles and grave injuries but also for the worries within his heart.
Concerning Elizabeth in the future, Asuka, and Jasmine…
“So, what’s the good news?”
“The other good news is…”
Another pink fist blossomed open, but before she spoke immediately, when Fisher curiously gazed at her face, she cutely and enticingly winked her left eye,
“My embodiment will be free during this period, and a young and lovely girl will be with you for some time! How about it? Isn’t that good news?”
Fisher opened his mouth, but his gaze inevitably lowered, traveled from her wine-like enchanting eyes all the way down to her slightly parted red lips.
Suddenly, Fisher felt a bit parched as if he hadn’t had a drink of water in a hundred years, and the only place that could quench his thirst was those lips that vaguely revealed her little pink tongue.
Why is it that merely an embodiment can be so adorable?
Fisher pondered this, and instinctively shifted his gaze a bit before turning back to ask,
“What’s the situation on the Ultimate side really like? Ramastia is anxiously rushing back, meaning that none of your true selves can stay there too long?”
Renee blinked, mischievously floating a little closer to Fisher, and whispered,
“Feeling shy?”
Fisher redirected his eyes back, meeting the sparkle in her eyes. Just as he was about to say something, he saw behind her that Lady Bojiang’s trunk-like extended and spiraled head was slowly inching closer, those gold spiraled eyes resembling two bulbs, making Fisher feel a bit uneasy.
Noticing he hadn’t responded, Renee was slightly taken aback, and her gaze caught sight of Gouwen behind Fisher, who wore a dark expression.
Gouwen looked at the now close proximity of Renee and Fisher, his resentment seeming like it could materialize, as if he were about to transform into an evil spirit and swallow Fisher whole.
Renee chuckled but didn’t continue their playful game, turning serious to explain,
“This is quite difficult to explain, as things related to the Ultimate involve the outside world and secrets; you’ll need to cross the Sea of Souls with your own eyes to understand.”
“The Sea of Souls, huh?”
That which the gods had stolen, and where he truly originated from.
He recalled a dream he had earlier, of someone seemingly pulling him from that ocean-like vastness, and he could even remember the murmurs of the Subhuman Girl Enthusiast.
He would go there; don’t forget he still needed to obtain pure souls for the two fetuses in Raphael’s womb.
Fisher withdrew his gaze, turning towards Gouwen. Gouwen shot him a glare, and before Fisher could innocently explain, Gouwen turned and left, coughing as he said,
“Ahem… Let’s rest here for a while. I’ll try to contact reality to check the situation there, then we’ll set off for the refuge you mentioned, finally deciding whether to head to the base of Hamon Hamon. Ahem.”
Fisher nodded, watching Gouwen’s figure coughing while covering his lips. He couldn’t help but frown.
Only after Gouwen had walked a bit further did Fisher pick up the fallen Emhart who was playing dead on the floor, glancing back at Renee, who was conversing with Lady Bojiang.
Fisher had originally intended to head over to Renee, but as he thought about it, he was somewhat concerned about Gouwen’s current physical state, and he wanted to contact reality to understand the situation there.
The other ladies had been kept safe thanks to his all-out efforts; that was why he risked his life to prevent the crack from breaking.
But above all, he still worried about Elizabeth’s safety.
At this moment, she had just lost her artificial eye, yet he was still unable to use Chaotic Being to restore her sight immediately.
She was most afraid of the dark, and Fisher knew that very well.
Thus, Fisher changed his course midway, spoke to Renee, then walked toward the direction Gouwen had left, familiarizing himself with the environment of this hiding place in the Spirit Realm.
“Ahem… ahem…”
At this moment, in a basement beneath the small island forest, the lights suddenly brightened, revealing the spacious area filled with various potions, maps of the Spirit Realm, and stacks of scrolls as decorations.
This was Gouwen’s laboratory, and also where he rested.
He covered his lips, struggling to lean against the nearby railing as he coughed, crimson mist continuously oozing from his body.
“Ahem! Ahem!”
He hurried to a table filled with potions, rummaging through his concoctions. The tabletop had many photos recorded by a mechanism camera, including those of his beloved Xu; expressionless Michael and smiling Mikhail; a just-born whale folk baby; and a young girl with black hair holding a wooden staff and standing between Xu and Gouwen, smiling and making a “V” sign.
He struggled to swallow several unknown medicines from different bottles; as the drugs entered, the crimson mist enveloping him slowly dissipated, as if it had never existed.
Simultaneously, his terrifying cough symptoms alleviated significantly.
Gasping, he reached for a fluid crystal on the table, which was a creation of Ramastia, used as a tool for communication between him and his wife. Its flickering indicated that Xu had sent him a message.
He quickly held the crystal, and in an instant, a ripple spread out, audible only to the whale folk.
As Gouwen listened, his expression grew colder, his brows furrowing increasingly deeply. By the end, the fingertips gripping the crystal turned pale from the intense pressure.
“Bang!”
The next moment, Gouwen coldly smashed the crystal away, striking it forcefully against the descending stairs, producing a loud crash.
However, the crystal’s strength was high; that alone wasn’t enough to destroy it. It merely bounced several times in the confined underground space before rolling into a corner.
“Huff, huff.”
Gouwen lowered his head to breathe heavily, when suddenly, a hand fell down, calmly picking up the crystal that had flown to the corner.
Gouwen’s eyes moved upward, revealing Fisher standing at the entrance of the basement, holding the crystal.
Gouwen was momentarily stunned, a hint of a smile curling at the corner of his mouth as he asked,
“The moon has come; this is rare. Aren’t you going to keep her company?”
Fisher did not respond to that, nor did he ask why Gouwen smashed the crystal. He merely inspected the Ramastia’s crystalline creation in his hand and asked,
“What the heck is going on with your body?”
Gouwen took a deep breath, covering his chest with his hand, and softly replied,
“It’s nothing.”
“You say it’s nothing, yet you look as fragile as a human with tuberculosis. Aren’t you the famous wandering doctor? Don’t you know that the symptoms of disease can’t fool anyone?”
Gouwen remained silent for a moment, and the smile that had been raised drooped slightly, revealing a bitter meaning,
“It’s a residue of spiritual pollution. I had too much contact with it. No matter how careful I am, it eventually becomes a problem day after day. Moreover, several thousand years ago when Asuka fell into the Sea of Souls, I deliberately entered the pollution to try to save her; in the end, I was saved by Ramastia, not to mention the hidden ailment that was inflicted at that time.”
He spread his fingers, crimson mist still seeping out continuously, a sign of authority.
“The pollution inside me has thickened to the point of potentially breaking the rules of reality; if I enter reality, the symptoms might worsen. So I’ve had to stay here for so long, deepening the degree of pollution while being separated from Xu. It’s just a vicious cycle that seems irremediable.”
“Just because it seems irremediable doesn’t mean there’s no solution.”
Fisher set the crystal down, looking at the densely stacked scrolls in the laboratory; casually unfurling one revealed records of Gouwen’s experiments to eliminate internal pollution.
He’d tried various methods; he should understand deeply in that regard.
“There’s one unique way.”
Fisher stared at the scroll in his hand, squinting slightly before putting it down and finishing the rest of the sentence,
“To completely eliminate the pollution from the Spirit Realm, the authority of dreams needs to leave, and the pollution inside you will then self-dissolve?”
“Yes.”
“At least that offers a glimmer of hope.”
Fisher nodded, moved in front of Gouwen, and returned the crystal he had thrown away earlier.
“Thank you.”
Gouwen expressed gratitude, extending his pale hand to grasp the crystal still warm from Fisher’s touch. After rubbing it a few times, he furrowed his brow and suddenly said to Fisher,
“This crystal was given to me by Ramastia to communicate with my wife; just moments ago, I received news from reality.”
“Oh? What did the Ocean Emperor say?”
Gouwen’s eyes lifted slightly, and the words he spoke next became increasingly cold, uttering,
“Ramastia is preparing to have Jasmine enter the Spirit Realm.”
“What?!”
Fisher found it hard to believe, hastily asking,
“Isn’t Jasmine the very soul the spiritual pollution is searching for? Bringing Jasmine into the Spirit Realm would be akin to putting a sheep into the den of wolves, and the most critical part is that it would place her in entirely unnecessary risk.”
Gouwen sighed and nodded,
“That is indeed the case. But Ramastia states,
“She must confront her past.”
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(End of Chapter)
