Chapter 570
The Precognition of the Lord of Scales and Feathers
“…The Lord of Scales and Feathers?”
Pure White was clearly surprised by this answer. She had never expected this name.
In her opinion, it would have been normal for Eivass to choose the Silver Crown Dragon, as he was the future Prince of Avalon. It would have also been normal for him to choose Candlemaster, as he was a chosen of the Path of Devotion whose divine art mastery speed was a miracle. Even choosing the Twin would have been normal, as she, as a Saintess, could see the blessings bestowed by the Twin imprinted on Eivass.
But the Lord of Scales and Feathers—she couldn’t fathom his connection with Eivass at all.
However, since Eivass had already made his decision, she wouldn’t presume to try and change his mind.
While the greatest hurdle of High-Tier Divine Art mastery was indeed acquiring the skill itself, creating a hollow in one’s soul and leaving space for one’s will to hide was also a craft. The former was like obtaining a piece of high-quality jade, while the latter was like carving and shaping that jade into various ornaments. The former was a matter of presence or absence, while the latter depended on individual skill. Even for the most skilled masters, there were limits when dealing with jade of different materials and sizes.
Take Pure White herself as an example… If she had signed a contract with any other Heavenly Envoy or Apostle mid-way, her aptitude would have made it impossible for her to achieve the feat of connecting with the Nine Pillar Gods. Some Cardinals also exhausted their potential after completing two or three contracts, making every choice crucial and not merely a matter of sequence.
This was something only one could decide for themselves—and only they could bear the responsibility.
Thus, Pure White reiterated the risks of High-Tier Divine Art to Eivass. After Eivass confirmed again, she began to impart the ritual for signing a contract with the Lord of Scales and Feathers.
After explaining the general procedure, Pure White took Eivass to the ninth level.
She led Eivass to a room within the depths of the Ninth Ring, where they found another Cardinal—
When they found him, he was sitting within a complex ritual formation.
Eivass had never seen such a complex Ritual Array. It shimmered with flowing light, resembling a starry sky, covering the entire room of over twenty square meters. It was on the floor, walls, and ceiling… In addition to parts that seemed painted, there were also metal and jade embedded in the walls.
The ritual array hummed and vibrated, and the visible Path Power of nine colors transformed into iridescent fragments of light, filling the space.
And Eivass was startled when he saw him.
Because the man looked anything but alive—
He was an old Elf.
From his aged and withered face, one could still clearly discern the handsomeness of his youth. His amber pupils shone brightly, as if a flame burned at the bottom of them. He had two long strands of hair hanging down from his temples and a long goatee on his chin. He sat cross-legged in the center of the ritual array, his hands clasped before him with fingers interlaced and hanging naturally, appearing as if he were meditating.
If not for the silvery Cardinal robe he wore, Eivass would have felt his demeanor was akin to that of an old Taoist priest.
But contrary to this spirited and vibrant feeling.
The old Elf extended his clasped hands. One was completely withered and blackened, clearly petrified; the other had transformed into a beautiful gemstone, with a gradual gradient from deep red to amber.
—Petrification and gemification.
The two great incurable afflictions of elves, manifesting simultaneously in one person.
“This is Cardinal Cyril.”
Pure White introduced Eivass, “He is the Cardinal in charge of the Ninth Ring.
“Actually, generally speaking… if you wait for the other Bishops to gather and then learn High-Tier Divine Art, you would also come to the Ninth Ring to receive Cardinal Cyril’s teachings.”
“I know.”
Eivass nodded. “Cardinal Matilda told me. Although our accommodation is in the Fifth Ring, the place of learning is in the Ninth Ring.”
“It’s good that you know, Eivass.”
Pure White nodded with relief. “Cardinal Cyril is one of the very few Elves who has mastered ritual arts. It would be more stable for him to preside over your first ritual.”
Upon hearing the name “Eivass,” the old man, who had been silent, suddenly spoke leisurely, “Long time no see. Or should I say, first time we meet?”
Eivass was stunned by this remark.
This sentence inexplicably reminded Eivass of the Lord of Scales and Feathers.
When that entity had seen him in his dream, he had said the same thing. Almost word for word.
…Could he be an avatar of the Lord of Scales and Feathers?
Seeing Eivass stunned, the old man’s lips curved slightly, revealing a pleased smile. He chuckled heartily, “Or rather, I’ve heard a lot about you… Mr. [Fox].
“—I am Quicksilver. We have met before… I knew back then that you were a genius and would definitely come to the Church. But I didn’t expect you to master High-Tier Divine Art so quickly. You’ve only been in the Church for at most two or three months.”
“…Mr. Quicksilver!”
Upon hearing the name, Eivass immediately remembered. His uneasy heart finally settled. He bowed politely, “Long time no see, Mr. Quicksilver.”
This was the person he had met from Pure White the first time he saw her in his dream. Wisteria should have been Cardinal Matilda, and Quicksilver was Cardinal Cyril. As for Topaz, he had yet to meet him in reality.
However… even this follow-up sentence was exactly the same as how the Lord of Scales and Feathers had greeted him back then.
…Is it prophecy?
Eivass recalled what he had seen and heard after his Ascension Ritual ended. Although his dream memories had faded considerably now… he couldn’t even clearly recall the appearance of the Lord of Scales and Feathers… but those few sentences, and the feeling of his handshake, remained vividly in Eivass’s heart.
He chose the Lord of Scales and Feathers not just because they were the “God of Lightning-Fast Final Payments” and the “God of Generosity.” A significant reason was that Eivass felt a sense of respect and importance from that entity. This was also why Eivass subconsciously referred to the Lord of Scales and Feathers as “Boss”… He had a sense of déjà vu, like an employee meeting their boss.
While strictly speaking, this relationship wasn’t equal from a societal perspective… from a higher perspective, it was at least like two humans chatting.
Whether it was Candlemaster, Silver Crown Dragon, or Twin, their attitudes towards Eivass were friendly. But that feeling was always from a position of superiority, undeniably the gap in status between humans and gods—it was compassion, curiosity, pity. Of course, since they were truly immortal gods, Eivass had never felt anything amiss.
However, the Lord of Scales and Feathers was an anomaly. Perhaps due to “Adaptation,” they were exceptionally good at speaking appropriately to anyone they met… but they were willing to adapt to “human” for Eivass! When conversing with the Lord of Scales and Feathers, Eivass felt as if he were chatting with a person… like when he met the Heavenly Raksha and the Heavenly Candlemaster Envoy, the conversation was much more relaxed. There were no riddles, and the conversation was clear and highly efficient.
And the last sentence.
“—I hope we have a pleasant cooperation in the future.”
Cooperation. Eivass liked that word. In his previous life, precisely because he disliked his former boss’s condescending attitude, he had resigned. That guy treated Eivass like a tool, disposing of him when he was no longer needed, and then demanding results when talent was required. In the end, the praise went to him, and the blame fell on Eivass… leaving him in a no-win situation.
Rather than a tool, he was more like a dog. He would be kept leashed with occasional treats, let loose to bite when needed, and taken for walks when the boss was in a good mood… Although the compensation was generous, and Eivass could clearly see himself reaching a high position before the age of thirty-five, he still gave up that job. He later applied to Nameless God Studio as a screenwriter because he had a very pleasant conversation with the renowned game producer, the boss of Nameless God Studio. Through his roommate’s introduction, the boss saw his resume, added his contact information, and they chatted for an entire afternoon. Although ultimately, due to issues of salary and work experience, he still advised Eivass to work as an HR Manager at his company.
But that feeling was completely different from the previous boss—even if it was just an act, Eivass genuinely felt sincerity and respect. Even though he wouldn’t end up in the screenwriting department, when he offered suggestions for the game’s plot and mechanics to the boss, he received very serious feedback and they talked for a full eight hours… and he was extremely earnest and enthusiastic, while also maintaining appropriate boundaries. It was an extremely strong, optimistic, and cheerful infectiousness. It felt as if just talking to him could dispel feelings of depression; it was as if he could become friends with anyone, possessing immense cohesive power for any environment and serving as an absolute center of leadership.
At that time, Eivass even had the illusion that “perhaps the boss and I could become friends”—of course, he knew it was an illusion. After all, he had never even met the person in person. This might be charisma, or leadership. That boss, much like the Lord of Scales and Feathers, gave Eivass ample respect.
…It was precisely because they had such a pleasant conversation that Eivass was hit by a truck and died while looking at his phone while crossing the road, leading him to this world.
—Even if it was just acting from the “Path Adaptation,” Eivass was willing to choose him because the entity was willing to perform seriously in person. Perhaps the Lord of Scales and Feathers had seen through Eivass’s essence, which was why he had spoken those seemingly disconnected words at the time.
The first three sentences were how Quicksilver greeted him when they met.
“—When applying for a job, if both parties reach an agreement… what should be said? Congratulations?”
“—Then congratulations. I hope we have a pleasant cooperation in the future.”
The latter two sentences were about Eivass eventually learning “High-Tier Divine Art” and choosing Him as the first. Because only the ritual of High-Tier Divine Art could be considered an “application.” And the attitude of the Lord of Scales and Feathers was clear—He had already agreed in advance. When He said “pleasant cooperation in the future,” He was referring to Eivass forming a contract with Him using High-Tier Divine Art.
—All these events had occurred within the Lord of Scales and Feathers’ precognition. He had generously laid out His precognition for Eivass to see. In a way that wouldn’t offend Eivass’s pride or make him feel threatened, He had laughed and shown off the power He possessed. Answering the question from the future with the past.
(End of Chapter)
