Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
Chapter 766: Notification Delivered
Upon entering the forging space, Xi Wei found it completely different from his last visit. A wave of intense heat washed over him, followed by a symphony of clanging hammers.
Before a massive forging platform stood two small figures. One was wielding a large hammer, holding a piece of sun god iron that glowed with a strange crimson hue, with his left hand. The other, clad in a pristine white dress, glowed with divine light, her cloud-like squirrel tail swaying behind her.
Hearing the commotion, Loli turned, but made no sound. Instead, she gestured for Xi Wei to be quiet and beckoned him closer.
Xi Wei tiptoed to the forging platform.
He saw Nina bravely swinging the God-forging Hammer. The sun god iron beneath it was already taking the shape of a shield. However, Nina was in a dire state, her eyes bloodshot, her face streaked with what could be sweat, tears, or both, dripping down her cheeks.
What troubled Xi Wei the most were Nina’s hands.
Due to the extreme heat from the forging furnace, Nina’s hands were constantly being burned. Her originally fair and delicate skin was visibly warped and deformed by the forging fires. Yet, a thread of life energy connected them, originating from Loli, healing Nina’s injuries.
“Master~” Loli whispered into Xi Wei’s ear, her voice low.
“This Divine Trial is too difficult. Sister Nina keeps getting burned. Although I can heal her, I cannot shield her from the pain. This means, until the Legendary-grade equipment is forged, she has to endure this feeling of being scorched by flames all over her body… *Sigh*…”
Loli gazed at Nina, who was completely engrossed in her work, with deep concern in her eyes, filled with heartache.
Xi Wei frowned.
This Divine Trial was pushing Nina to her absolute limits, almost beyond recognition…
But a Divine Trial was a Divine Trial.
The Earth Goddess had clearly considered Loli and Ruo Yi’s situations, and thus hadn’t granted Nina any undue leniency. A time acceleration and a full healing buff were already incredibly generous. If another inheritor were to undertake this trial, they wouldn’t receive such luxurious treatment.
Therefore, although Xi Wei found the Divine Trial somewhat overly harsh, he didn’t say much.
Gods needed to temper the will and perseverance of their inheritors.
This demonstrated that the god valued the inheritor and possessed the sense of responsibility befitting a deity, ensuring that divine positions wouldn’t be casually bestowed upon any passing acquaintance.
However, in the current situation, it seemed Loli would be unable to leave. If Loli accompanied him to the Northern Territory, Nina would have turned to ash within a minute from the forging fires.
“Master, what brings you here?”
After reporting Nina’s condition, Loli remembered the reason for Xi Wei’s visit.
“If you’re here for me, no ‘that,’ Master. Loli doesn’t have time for ‘that’ with Master right now.”
Loli held out her hand; a faint green lifeline was coiling around her wrist and palm, connected to Nina on the other end.
Xi Wei, with a slightly perverse thought, mused that as long as the lifeline remained intact, “that” wasn’t entirely out of the question.
But that would be too unfair to Nina, who was repeatedly suffering from the forging fires.
“The Titan God Race in the Northern Territory has invited me to their Winter Solstice Festival. Also, Bai Yao’s divine position inheritance ceremony is about to begin. I originally wanted to bring you and Ruo Yi along.”
Xi Wei playfully pinched Loli’s cute little nose, earning a playful glare from the Little Maid.
“Everything is happening at once,” Loli sighed helplessly. “Master, as you can see, I truly cannot leave. However, even if Loli is not by your side, I will do my best to protect your safety.”
With that, Loli placed the Staff of Life into Xi Wei’s hands, much to his bewilderment.
“Loli, this is…”
Holding the Staff of Life, Xi Wei found it strange that he possessed partial control over this divine artifact.
“Divine Artifacts are exclusive to deities and cannot be used by anyone else. But Master is different. I have granted you authorization. You cannot wield its divinity, but it will protect your life. Its effect is similar to me being by your side. However, the demigod level immunity to death has only ten uses. After ten uses, the stored divinity will disappear, and it can self-detonate once to send you away…”
Loli stood on tiptoe, straightened Xi Wei’s slightly disheveled collar, and said gently,
“But of course, I don’t want you to be forced to that point. Still, just in case, right?”
Xi Wei knew the situation was not as simple as it appeared.
If the divine artifact self-detonated, Loli would surely be severely weakened, her divine power possibly plummeting drastically.
“The Titan God Race is quite friendly towards Bai Yao; I can’t use this artifact…”
Before he could finish, Xi Wei was enveloped in Loli’s embrace, her lips sealing his own. After a deep kiss, the Little Maid licked her moist lips and pushed the divine artifact Xi Wei offered back. Then, she spoke a single sentence.
“If anything were to happen to Master, I wouldn’t live.”
This statement definitively sealed all of Xi Wei’s escape routes, leaving him no choice but to accept the divine staff imbued with such profound affection.
“Alright, I understand.”
Xi Wei met Loli’s gaze, nodding earnestly.
“I will be careful, and you don’t need to worry too much. Unlike the God of Thunder and Punishment and the Goddess of the Night, Bai Yao’s situation, at worst, will likely be similar to Nina’s.”
“Okay~ Then, Master, good luck! We’ll be waiting for your good news~”
Xi Wei observed Nina for a while longer before leaving the forging space. Nina had clearly entered a profound state. Despite enduring the agony of being burned by flames, her focus was entirely on forging. This level of absolute concentration and dedication was beyond ordinary people. He could imagine that initially, Nina wouldn’t have been able to reach this point. A burn from the fire back then would have likely made her cry. Her current state was the result of her own silent efforts.
Regardless, the joint Divine Trial by the Earth Goddess and Moradin was strict, but it was indeed effective in tempering a person. Patience, perseverance, willpower, belief, and forging skills – this single Divine Trial encompassed all five.
Afterward, Xi Wei found Ruo Yi. The time acceleration Ruo Yi applied in the forging space could be replaced by a spell array, and its absence wouldn’t be critical. Acceleration wasn’t a strict necessity; they could simply return and accelerate again. Therefore, upon hearing that Xi Wei planned to head to the Northern Territory, she immediately began making preparations.
The last person to be notified was Connie.
“…Going to the Northern Territory,咩?”
Silly Dragon blinked her large eyes and patted her slightly developed chest. “Master, don’t worry, it’s absolutely no problem! This little dragon will ensure you have a spring-like driving experience even in the cold wind!”
“Oh, and we also need to attend the Titan God Race’s Winter Solstice Festival,” Xi Wei added, rubbing his nose.
“What?! The Titans!!!! っﾟДﾟ)っ” Connie’s voice instantly elevated by eight octaves, shattering the windows of the adjacent room.
