Chapter 1007: The Shadow Heavenly Envoy’s Welcoming Gift
The Shadow Heavenly Envoy only took three steps before she was close to Eivass.
Eivass was one meter eighty-two, and with the height of his antlers, he exceeded two meters. But when standing on the ground, his head barely reached the Shadow Heavenly Envoy’s waist.
The Shadow Heavenly Envoy curiously touched Eivass’s antlers, then grabbed the hem of Eivass’s collar like picking up a kitten, and lifted him up. She then generously held him in her arms, like a mother embracing her child.
She let Eivass sit on her forearm. Although it was an awkward, unsupported posture, her arm was sturdier than steel, unwavering. Even so, Eivass didn’t feel the hardness of tensed muscles at all; instead, he felt the softness and warmth of her skin.
—Eivass’s first reaction was that the Shadow Heavenly Envoy was incredibly hot. Her skin temperature alone exceeded fifty degrees Celsius, baking Eivass like a steam cooker.
“I’ve heard about you for a long time, Eivass.”
The Shadow Heavenly Envoy looked at Eivass with eyes that were half pity and half longing.
She enthusiastically invited, “Want to stay here and play for a while? My warriors are very hospitable! You can also leave anytime—there are many beautiful fairies and witches here, shall I introduce you to them?”
…I wouldn’t dare stay here.
“—No need, Your Majesty.”
Eivass was about to politely refuse when Viness’s icy voice cut in: “We are just passing through and have important matters to attend to. We likely won’t have much time to linger.”
The Shadow Heavenly Envoy looked up at Viness.
The smile on her face turned cold and majestic the moment her gaze left Eivass. A ferocious, murderous aura seeped out, a brutal instinct capable of tearing people apart without hesitation.
Sizing up Viness, the Shadow Heavenly Envoy frowned slightly. “You Night Demon… have I seen you somewhere before?”
When the Fallen Heavenly Envoy died, she had been watching events unfold in the Material Realm through that lightning-observing platform. Therefore, she wasn’t particularly curious about Viness, who had fused with the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s fragment.
Although she was somewhat jealous of Viness—
That was, after all, a Heavenly Envoy Fragment, and moreover, a Heavenly Envoy Fragment of the Transcendent Path. Eivass undoubtedly deserved to have it.
If Eivass had obtained the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s fragment, he would soon become a new Heavenly Envoy.
The Shadow Heavenly Envoy’s own fate had been changed by a Heavenly Envoy Fragment, so she understood the value and weight of such an item extremely well—or rather, she valued it too much.
But Eivass had unhesitatingly given it as a “gift” to that Night Demon. This surprised her to the point of jealousy… Even though she had no relationship with Eivass, his calm demeanor in discarding such power so readily captivated her. Because of this, the Shadow Heavenly Envoy couldn’t help but feel some surprise and skepticism towards that Night Demon—just a mere Night Demon, what qualifications did she have to receive such a gift!
Mortals might not see it, but as a Heavenly Envoy of the Path of Love, she could see it clearly.
This Night Demon had not engaged in any intimate acts with Eivass; they were not even considered lovers. Yet, the contract bound their fates together. If Eivass were to ascend to Heavenly Envoy or Pillar God, he could bring these Phantom Demons along with him…
—How unfair!
Wasn’t this enjoying someone else’s love without doing anything?
It was precisely because of this that the Shadow Heavenly Envoy felt more confident in luring Eivass away—
But now, looking closer, she felt a familiar sensation emanating from the other party.
Logically speaking, Night Demons did not reside in the Shadow Realm. Powerful attendant demons like Night Demons, Succubi, and Punisher Demons were generally found in the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s domain. Only a few, summoned by reckless Demon Scholars and then breaking their contracts, remained in the Material Realm. Other Heavenly Envoys rarely kept them.
What she had the most of here were Shadow Demons. As pure elemental demons, Shadow Demons disliked areas with excessively intense light, even the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s domain. They could quickly recover their spirit and power only in the Shadow Realm.
Every fierce-looking tree by the street could potentially be a Shadow Demon in a state of stasis.
In the Shadow Realm, shadows and matter could sometimes transform into each other. Humans could turn into ethereal shadows, and shadows could form tangible matter. If one observed carefully, they would notice that some of the dark trees cast no shadows during thunderstorms… This was precisely their characteristic as Shadow Demons.
“You do know me.”
Viness replied calmly, “I was once a Shadow Demon under you.”
“A Shadow Demon that evolved into a Night Demon?”
The Shadow Heavenly Envoy was somewhat puzzled.
Her impression was that Shadow Demons should evolve into Flame Demons. The Fallen Heavenly Envoy did not wish for her demons to delve too deeply into any path outside the Transcendent Path. Therefore, She would forcibly deviate them onto another path during their evolution to interfere with their power accumulation.
Thus, after a Shadow Demon on the Path of Love evolved into a Flame Demon on the Path of Devotion, they would no longer be able to reside in the Shadow Realm. Newborn Flame Demons would only live in volcanic furnaces, which was where they belonged.
However, after considering Eivass’s many wonders, the Shadow Heavenly Envoy felt at ease.
She had been coveting this young man for a long time. But it could only remain coveting.
She could recognize the characteristics of the Child of the Candlemaster—this meant that even if Eivass passed away, she wouldn’t have a chance to get Eivass. After all, she couldn’t compete with the Candlemaster for a person… That old deer of the Path of Devotion was actually quite formidable.
“Just last year,” Viness said somewhat earnestly, “when I left here, you were still chatting with me.”
“Last year… when was that…”
The Shadow Heavenly Envoy didn’t have a strong sense of time.
After all, the Shadow Realm had no day or night, and the flow of time here was completely chaotic.
“You were dressing up in front of the mirror, and I had turned into a black snake coiled on top of the hat stand. When I was summoned away, I even said goodbye to you.”
The Night Demon said softly, “Do you remember, Your Majesty? The first time we met, you mocked me… saying you had never seen such a weak Shadow Demon, stripped of its Mark of Sin, pitifully starving. Then you bestowed some Shadow Brew upon me… I only then recovered.”
“…Beyad?”
The Shadow Heavenly Envoy faintly recalled the Night Demon’s name and exclaimed, “So it was you! No wonder you never returned after being summoned away this time. You’re still alive! I thought you had entered the rebirth sequence when you didn’t return to the Shadow Realm for so long… So you hitched a ride with the Child of the Candlemaster.”
That weak Shadow Demon from the past, who could barely reach the Fourth Tier, had now become a candidate Fallen Heavenly Envoy…
She thought it was some unknown demon who had picked up this opportunity… but it turned out to be an acquaintance.
Thinking of this, the Shadow Heavenly Envoy’s jealousy and dissatisfaction lessened slightly, replaced by a touch of pleasant surprise.
“So we have such a connection. In that case…”
The Shadow Heavenly Envoy gently placed Eivass, whom she was holding, down. She took the opportunity to tear off a piece of her cloak and handed it to Eivass.
“This is the Shadow Cloak—although it’s just a fragment, it’s still material.”
The Shadow Heavenly Envoy smiled, showing off. “This is a rare treasure, the fur of a ‘Bone Beast’ that feeds on Shadow Demons. Its bone is the spear in my hand. You can take this fur to a Demon Craftsman to create a genuine stealth cloak. It will allow you to transform into a shadow, thus evading most adverse effects below the Sixth Tier… whether it be sealing, burning, or freezing, you can escape them at will. Take it, this piece is yours, enough for you to make a cloak.”
—This was the origin of Eivass’s “Shadow Cloak” spell!
And Eivass hadn’t expected that Viness and the Shadow Heavenly Envoy had a past acquaintance. Although it was a relationship that required a reminder to recall the name, considering Viness’s weak state back then, this was considered quite a good relationship!
Furthermore, the Shadow Heavenly Envoy seemed to have a life-saving grace towards his Little Crow…
Under such circumstances, it should have been Eivass who gave the Shadow Heavenly Envoy a gift. Yet, it had been reversed…
—You didn’t tell me about this, I didn’t prepare a gift. Eivass said to Viness in his heart.
—It’s okay, the Shadow Heavenly Envoy doesn’t like receiving gifts. Viness replied.
Eivass was taken aback and suddenly understood.
Because she needed to maintain absolute initiative—she could give gifts, invite people to dine, offer lodging, and spend the night with others… but these relationships could not be reversed. Regardless of the relationship formed between the two parties, she had to maintain the initiative within that relationship; she had to be the one to invite and the one to bestow.
Seeing Eivass accept, the Shadow Heavenly Envoy immediately revealed a bright smile. It was an unreserved happiness.
She glanced at Arsen, who was kneeling beside her, afraid to say a word. She seriously examined his appearance and then nodded with satisfaction.
She lifted Arsen as well, brought him close to her mouth, and gave him a fierce kiss before putting him down. It was an aggressive and damaging action, like seeing a cute puppy or kitten—if not for maintaining appearances in front of an acquaintance, she might have acted even more irrationally without restraint.
—In fact, the Shadow Heavenly Envoy knew deep down that Eivass, as the Child of the Candlemaster, was probably beyond her reach.
But this complimentary gift was quite good. Although he likely had the inheritance of a Heavenly Envoy of the Path of Play, that god of mirth didn’t like taking disciples, so… perhaps she could abduct him!
With that thought, she generously tore off another piece of the same size from the cloak on her back and unceremoniously handed it to Arsen.
“To each according to their share—when I first met my warriors, I always gave them a gift. This is our meeting gift, and also our token of commitment.”
The Shadow Heavenly Envoy boasted about her attendants’ treatment, with implicit meaning in her words. “These are usually made by my own hands, or hunted by my own hands. If you want to find me, you can perform a ritual using this as a medium.
“—Just one thing. You absolutely—absolutely cannot give it to anyone else, nor let anyone else use it. It can be damaged, but it cannot be taken away. Can you promise?”
“Naturally, Your Majesty.”
Arsen replied respectfully.
After being amazed by “I can actually meet a Heavenly Envoy,” he was again amazed by “I actually qualify for such an incredible encounter!”
But with so many astonishing events, Arsen even felt somewhat accustomed to it.
And it was all thanks to Eivass.
Being able to converse with a Heavenly Envoy… was this the true value of the former Pope?
Arsen’s respect for Eivass grew.
“Good child.”
The Shadow Heavenly Envoy patted Arsen’s head, then casually stroked Eivass’s antlers and said heartily, “Remember, the gifts I give you must never be given to anyone else. If someone tries to snatch them, you’d rather destroy them than comply. If it breaks, it breaks; I’ll give you new ones—understand?
“All right, children—no matter where you’re going, since you’ve arrived on my territory, stay for a meal before you leave. I still need to introduce you to others for your bravery in defeating the monsters! It’s okay if you’re in a hurry; I’ll have the Moon Deer escort you to other places. It’s faster than walking yourselves, isn’t it?”
The Shadow Heavenly Envoy burst into hearty laughter. “My dear husbands are already preparing food and fine wine for you, don’t let them go in vain! Drink to this—you’ve entered the Dream Realm with a mortal body, it would be a waste not to have some Dream Realm fine wine!”
Arsen gradually gained some understanding and realized why the other warriors showed her no respect.
Compared to the noble queen of the Shadow Realm, the Shadow Heavenly Envoy was more like a female warrior, a female captain.
There were no such strict rules here—it wasn’t a true kingdom; rather, it was like sailing on land.
—The Shadow Heavenly Envoy simply enjoyed the feeling of being surrounded by her warriors as they set sail.
(End of this Chapter)
