Amidst the motionless rain, Jenkins let out a long breath. In his mind’s eye, he witnessed the entire journey of the raindrops that had struck him: condensing from mist into dewdrops, slipping into the soil, joining subterranean rivers deep within the earth, flowing into lakes and seas, evaporating into vapor, and then becoming raindrops once more.
After a few brief seconds, he felt the dazed sensation of waking from a long dream. He ntally reviewed his abilities, and sure enough, a new one had appeared:
[Prayer for Rain (Yellow Spell)]
The na was simple and unadorned, and its effect was just as straightforward. Jenkins had heard of this ability before. Even in the modern era, a few followers of the Earth Mother and the Spirit of Nature possessed it. A ritual of the sa na, passed down from ancient tis, was even recorded in the archives of the major churches.
The ability allowed one to pray for rain, though not always successfully, summoning precipitation in a very small area. This could temporarily alter the battlefield environnt, amplifying certain abilities and rituals. The ritual of the sa na, on the other hand, relied on a massive formation of several thousand people praying for at least a month. It could completely change the climate in a given region and was typically a last resort during tis of drought.
"It could be paired with my ice ability, but... it seems useless... And it took up my last empty bubble."
If simple rainfall could suppress that fog, the Church of All Things and Nature and the Church of Ocean and Exploration would have done it long ago. After all, even the powerful winds stirred up when the Cursed Item, the [Suffocating Praying Maiden], transford had failed to disperse the fog over Nolan. Ordinary rain would be even less effective.
As he was thinking this, he suddenly looked up to see a golden light rushing toward him. For a mont, an almost suffocating sense of humidity made him think he was being subrged in water, but he soon realized this was the true gift from the woman with her back to him:
[Prayer for Rain (Yellow Spell)]→[Summoning Wind and Rain (Golden Divine Art)]
He had been standing in the heavy rain for so long that he was soaked through. Even with the rain now frozen in place, his clothes clung to him uncomfortably. But after that golden light entered his body, the moisture on him was inexplicably dried up.
But Jenkins paid no mind to that. He was focused intently on the newly appeared ability and asked tentatively:
"Is this your divine art?"
"It is. But be aware, in your mortal form, you won't be able to maintain this ability for very long. However, I believe it will be enough to counter Nolan's 'infant'."
Jenkins nodded. After a mont's hesitation, he said quietly:
"Thank you."
"Is there a need for such politeness between us, Jenkins?"
the woman with her back to him asked. Then she added:
"As for the World Tree Seedling, that is a question you must find the answer to yourself. No one can help you with it; it is your own affair."
"Very well, then I..."
"Don't be in such a hurry. The end of the material world's epoch is approaching. I believe you can face it all, but I think you still need so help. As a priest of the World Tree, no matter what your own thoughts may be, your connection to cannot be erased."
Jenkins agreed with that. Besides, the Lord of Blossoms had always treated him well, and he had no intention of severing his ties with her power.
"I have a few more trivial gifts for you. You won't have to pay any price for them. I simply hope they will help you overco the trials ahead."
Three golden orbs of light hovered before Jenkins. He took a mont to compose himself and process the situation. Gazing again at Sigrid's back, he lowered his head in a daze. Then, in silence, he touched the first orb on the left. The sphere shattered, scattering golden light, and a tiny vine clung to his fingertip before burrowing into his spirit.
Two empty bubbles appeared.
"This is likely what you need most right now."
the woman said.
He touched the orb in the middle, and a small silver vial, no bigger than his little finger, fell into his hand. The tal bottle was cold to the touch, but it radiated a holy light in the darkness of the Mysterious Realm. The vial alone was likely a remarkable item:
"Inside is a potion that only you can drink, and only once. After you drink it, for one hour, you will be the strongest mortal in the material world."
A Saint could still technically be considered a mortal, which ant this was an opportunity for Jenkins to turn the tables without using his divinity.
Finally, he touched the golden orb on the right, but there was nothing there. It wasn't that he couldn't perceive it; there was truly nothing.
Sigrid's voice seed to drift in from a great distance:
"The last is a chance. If you ever find yourself with no way out, then call my na and pray to with your entire soul."
"And you will help save the material world?"
"Then I will take you, and those you choose, away from the material world to my domain. You can consider it an escape, but it's better than dying without even a corpse left behind, isn't it?"
Jenkins was a practical man, so he considered this final offer of help more important than anything else that had happened in the Mysterious Realm today. He wanted to thank her again, but she had already insisted it wasn't necessary. So, he asked instead:
"I'm not an ungrateful person. While I can't make any promises about what happens after I ascend to godhood, if there is anything else you need to do, I will do my best."
"I have no other requests for you. Just continue on your current path. I am quite satisfied."
Jenkins breathed a sigh of relief. He blinked, and seeing that she hadn't left yet, he knew she was aware he still had more questions:
"Actually, I'm very curious about Professor Burns..."
"He was soone chosen to guide you onto the correct path. It might seem like a redundant asure now, but you did receive so help from it, I imagine."
"Is that all?"
"Yes, rely a pawn to help you."
"So that's the truth about Professor Burns..."
Jenkins thought to himself, feeling a bit dazed and disappointed, probably because the reality was different from what he had imagined. The professor's mystery and power had helped him a great deal; he never expected the truth to be so simple.
Gathering his thoughts, he asked another question:
"Excuse , but what just happened— picking up the infant and placing it at the church door—was that real or not?"
"Regarding that, why not ask this lady here?"
The woman finally turned around. Though it was Sigrid's face, Jenkins, who had unconsciously raised his head, found he could not look directly at her. He instinctively lowered his gaze again, and in his daze, he felt as if he had forgotten what Sigrid truly looked like.
"Then why did you choose to speak with , and not Sigrid? We are both of the World Tree..."
"Because she is not qualified. In fact, even Jenkins Williams is not qualified to speak with . But you are."
Hearing this, Jenkins shook his head. He wasn't surprised by the answer:
"Very well, then. I have one last question for you."
He cald his spirit and let out a breath. Then he took his cat out of his pocket. Cupping his hands, he let Chocolate settle into his palms, then held the cat out before him.
Reviews
All reviews (0)