Chapter 505
Next time you bait the hook, call me.
After Eivass confirmed his choice, the other two entries vanished into dust. His spirit slowly rose, overlooking the dark land. A searing radiance bloomed in his chest like the sun, and his spirit expanded towards the entire world as if drunk.
The remaining golden radiance arced gracefully and flew into Eivass’s chest. It was like a key inserted into a lock, or a chemical reagent reacting with it. After it merged into the radiance in Eivass’s chest, the light boiled and exploded like cold water poured into a pot of hot oil. Eivass’s entire body began to glow, turning transparent like crystal.
Particles shot rapidly outward from within his body, condensing into lines that continuously burst forth. Upon contact with Eivass’s skin, they immediately bent and flew back, forming rapidly moving broken lines within him. Like a slowly kindled fireplace, the radiance in Eivass grew more intense.
Eivass’s eyes widened, and the intense pain made him want to cry out. But he couldn’t make any sound—there was no sound in the entire world, only a dark, profound silence. He raised his left hand, only to see a dark golden radiance shining beneath his skin, which had already turned a transparent vitreous color. As the bright particles continuously collided with Eivass’s “shell,” they seemed to shatter, gradually becoming vague. From shining particles, they turned into golden lines, and then into a mass of vague golden mist.
Eivass looked up at the dark sky, suddenly enlightened. He raised both his arms, as if praising the sun. The next moment, Eivass’s entire form suddenly collapsed. He transformed into an amorphous mist of light, about to dissipate outwards. At this moment, he suddenly opened his eyes and instantly woke up from his bed.
Eivass’s system panel also popped up automatically, with the changed sections updated:
Illuminator LV30: [Basic Prayer – Level 5 (55%)], [Fire Worship – Level 6 (30%)], [Illumination – Level 5 (15%)], [Shepherd (Flesh and Blood) – Level 7 (21%)], [Dawn Fire – Level 2 (45%)], [Blessing – Level 5 (0%)]
Mana Pool: 59/59 (Light), 68/68 (Dark), 57/57 (Fire)
Path Traits—
Lit Paths: Devotion – Fourth Layer, Transcendence – Third Layer
It was clear at a glance that Eivass’s “Blessing” skill level was directly boosted with experience points before his ascension. “—In short, let’s raise them all to level five first.”
“…Ugh!”
After Eivass opened his eyes, intense pain came after a brief delay. His body began to tremble violently, and he clutched his chest. It was so hot… The blood pumped by his heart was now scorching hot like lava! His skin immediately became scalding hot, turning red all over. It was as if he had been soaking in a very hot spring for a long time; Eivass’s whole body turned red visible to the naked eye. He gasped for air, clutching the bedsheet tightly in intense pain. Sweat dripped from his body, but he gritted his teeth and endured in silence.
Lily heard the commotion and suddenly woke up. She hurried over, and upon seeing Eivass’s condition, she immediately retreated to get hot water and a towel. Red flames blazed in the depths of Eivass’s pupils. He looked down at his arms tightly gripping the bedsheet, his skin “cracking” open, suddenly appearing with fissures like dried earth. Golden radiance seeped out!
“Ah—”
The pain instantly turned into an itch, and Eivass could no longer bear it. He couldn’t help but groan, subconsciously wanting to scratch his skin. But then, his original skin turned black and wrinkled, rapidly withering. Eivass scratched harder, tearing off a piece of his own skin! He was startled. But it felt like peeling off a layer of dead skin, giving Eivass a strange sense of liberation. The other skin beneath was not the pink of the dermis, but a pure, translucent white, like jade.
Eivass paused. He vaguely realized something and began to struggle violently, as if bound by invisible ropes he was now trying to break free from. But what he was trying to break free from was none other than his own skin. Eivass’s body became extremely flexible… flexible like a snake. He twisted and folded his body, struggling to completely shed his old skin, much like how the remaining half of an eggshell comes off easily after half is peeled. Eivass tore his upper body skin to shreds, but the skin from his waist down peeled off almost completely, as if he were taking off pants.
Next, Eivass touched his face with both hands, confirming something. As if finding a seam, he suddenly exerted force with both hands and tore his facial skin apart. His hair also fell off and quickly regenerated. The newly grown, translucent skin steamed with heat, pure and flawless. As time passed, that translucent, jade-like skin gradually “solidified,” turning into a pure white color like a boiled egg.
The next moment, all the skin Eivass had shed began to spontaneously combust. They burned with golden flames but did not ignite the bedding. The flames seemed to possess sentience, flocking towards Eivass, burning quietly on his body, and then being reabsorbed into him. The only thing left on the bed was Eivass’s long hair. After being tempered by the flames, it became slightly finer but even more brilliant. Now, it didn’t look like hair at all but like threads of white gold. His hair had returned to the length it was when he was first featured in the newspaper. To grow it longer, he would have to start over.
Lily rushed back in with hot water and a towel. Seeing Eivass with clear eyes and a calm expression, she was taken aback. “…You don’t need the towel?”
“No, thank you,” Eivass said gently. After Eivass ascended to Illuminator and completed his first advancement, he gained new abilities, and even his status panel gained a new section.
[Profession Traits—]
[Enhanced Blessing: Your “Blessing” has evolved into “Enlightenment”]
[Enlightenment: The upper limit of blessings you can cast on the same person +2; each time you complete a blessing, your next “Radiance” is free and instant]
[Enhanced Illumination: Your “Illumination” has evolved into “Radiance”]
[Radiance: When you use “Radiance” on a target within your “Enlightenment” range and who has been “Enlightened” by you, physical contact is no longer required; your “Radiance” changes from focused casting to resonant casting]
Eivass’s panel changed again.
Illuminator LV30: [Basic Prayer – Level 5 (55%)], [Fire Worship – Level 6 (30%)], [Illumination·Radiance – Level 5 (15%)], [Shepherd (Flesh and Blood) – Level 7 (21%)], [Dawn Fire – Level 2 (45%)], [Blessing·Enlightenment – Level 5 (0%)]
“Very smooth,” Eivass said with a smile to Lily. “Isabel and I both returned alive…”
But at that moment, Eivass suddenly heard a peculiar notification, interrupting him—
[You have felt the gaze of “Adaptation.”]
[You have obtained the trait: Adaptation – Enyo’s Essence]
[Adaptation – Enyo’s Essence: A potion refined from the essence of “City Breaker” Enyo. Storm Vessel LV+2 (Wind attribute mana cap +42)]
“—This is for you.” The deep, hoarse voice sounded in Eivass’s ears again. The attribute panel that had just changed was about to change again. Mana Pool: 59/59 (Light), 68/68 (Dark), 57/57 (Fire), 42/42 (Wind)
…Huh? Eivass was stunned. “Holy cow!” he blurted out. He had just been thinking about not receiving the “spoils” from the Lord of Scales and Feathers, or rather… the “project bonus.” He said he wanted to compensate him, but he didn’t know what he would get. He also wasn’t sure if he had to pray and earnestly request the final payment… or if the Lord of Scales and Feathers was just being polite and shouldn’t be bothered for it. Unexpectedly, the Lord of Scales and Feathers was quick to deliver the final payment. He hadn’t even gotten out of bed yet, and the final payment was already in his account! And so generous—two levels of Vessel, which was equivalent to a Purple Tier Slot! And it was wind attribute mana that Eivass hadn’t obtained before!
Eivass immediately clasped his hands together and prayed fervently: “I praise the Lord of Scales and Feathers, the God of Sacred Number Six…”
For a moment, Eivass felt a surge of emotion— This boss is great, he really shares the soup with his subordinates when he eats meat! And Eivass wasn’t even considered his subordinate—currently, Eivass’s bosses were the Candlemaster and the Fallen Heavenly Envoy. Once the Demon Scholar advances to Great Sin Scholar, he would be considered a subordinate of the Candlemaster and the Ring Heavenly Envoy. Just collaborating, and he received such tangible benefits! Eivass, who had been complaining about the Lord of Scales and Feathers using him to bait the hook, immediately changed his expression, and his smile became sincere. —Boss, boss, next time you go fishing, remember to call me when you bait the hook!
(End of this chapter)
