In just one day, the forest, shrouded in night, seed to have lived through centuries. The trees had grown taller and more stately, and a wider variety of plants had taken root.
By noon, the wooden cabin built by the Church was already enveloped by the expanding forest. Yet, the Church saw this as a positive developnt, for the forest held no hostility toward humans. Indeed, just last night, an eruption of its life spirit had healed the grievously wounded dragon and the Enchanters.
Despite the heavy guard, it would have been difficult for anyone to spot a small cat darting through the woods on such a night. Even without using its extraordinary abilities, the cat's tiny size and the faint scent of Jenkins it carried were enough for the forest itself to conceal it.
It soon reached the center of the forest, but the tranquil clearing was not empty. Moonlight, glinting off the pool beneath a great tree, illuminated Hathaway's slightly tense face. Evidently, she too had snuck in without permission.
The cat felt as if the cake it had its eye on was about to be snatched by soone else.
The red-haired girl wore a robe and a hood, carefully concealing her brilliant red hair. Seeing that no one was around, with only the rustling of leaves to be heard, she summoned a music box and placed it at the edge of the pool beneath the tree.
She left the music box where it was, took a step back, and knelt on one knee. Clasping her hands before her chest, she assud a posture of prayer.
A breeze stirred, making Chocolate, perched high on a treetop, feel a little cold. But Jenkins wasn't around, and with nowhere to shelter from the wind, the cat's mood instantly soured.
As the girl prayed in a low voice, the music box on the ground burst into a rainbow-colored light. It slowly rose into the air, its white brilliance intensifying until a sweet lody drowned out all other sounds. It was an ancient lullaby.
Fallen leaves and blades of grass were swept up by the wind, swirling around the clearing and montarily obscuring the cat's view. When the light and the sound of the wind subsided, a woman appeared by the pool to the tune of the lullaby. She was clad in a white robe and radiated a pure, white light.
Her face was invisible from any angle, and her arrival seed to make the forest wind hum a soft tune. She looked utterly divine. When she turned to Hathaway, who was still praying with hands clasped, the young woman's body trembled involuntarily.
"My Lady..."
This was clearly the God of Music, but she had not descended in a mortal vessel like a saint. Instead, it seed she had answered a believer's prayer to a holy relic, temporarily constructing a body of energy. Only a wisp of her consciousness had entered the material world.
She had the form of a slender, willowy woman. The goddess smiled gently at the displeased cat in the thicket, then raised a hand to rest it on Hathaway's bowed head before turning toward the towering tree.
The white light extended to her right hand, which glowed like white jade. Her hand sank directly into the tree trunk, and a few seconds later, she pulled out a plain, unadorned bone fragnt.
The bone seed to absorb light, exuding a terrifying aura in the darkness. Its blackness stood in stark contrast to the goddess's sacred, white hand, but the great being quickly suppressed it, completely overpowering the force of its divine domain.
The Righteous God of Death and End was not the only deity with domains like 'Undeath' and 'Death,' but a fragnted, materialized divine domain was a rare sight indeed. The God of Music had co into being long after this sword was forged. Though its origins were unknown, it had truly nurtured the domain of 'Undeath'.
The cat looked on with so regret as the God of Music took the item—it was the dessert Chocolate had already claid for itself. Still, it was for the best. After all, Chocolate had no desire to beco a god and had no need for a divine domain. As for Jenkins, he couldn't acquire the 'Undeath' domain right now; it would conflict with his bloodline and prevent the World Tree Seedling from fully awakening.
Hathaway dared not raise her head, so she had no idea what her goddess was doing. Thus, she missed her chance to see Chocolate. The cat had already padded out of the dense woods and was quietly eting the deity's gaze.
"I know you believe this belongs to you, but my dagger was one of the key reasons it was able to appear. Besides, he already has the sword."
The goddess's elegant voice echoed through the air, and Hathaway knew the words were not ant for her.
"ow~"
She heard the ow, and it sounded faintly familiar. But she had no energy to dwell on it now; the presence of the goddess she worshipped had left her in a daze. When the music box had acted strangely earlier, it had been her first ti directly receiving a divine oracle. She never imagined it would culminate in her guiding a goddess's descent.
Jenkins could barely resist Chocolate's ntal influence, but it was clear Hathaway could not. Even if she were to look up, she likely wouldn't recognize the cat as it was now.
"I can offer you so compensation."
"ow~"
Hathaway didn't know if this bizarre night held any historical significance, but she understood one thing at least: a cat that could converse with a god was surely a being of no lesser stature.
"I know you need a great deal of divinity to recover. I believe this should be enough."
Sothing that shook the very soul seed to materialize in the air, but Hathaway dared not look up. She recited prayers in her heart, which was overflowing with excitent and exhilaration.
"ow~"
She couldn't discern any emotion from the mysterious visitor's cry, but she assud the transaction had been a success. Hathaway felt she was bearing witness to a montous occasion, one she could never speak of to anyone.
A long mont passed without another sound from the cat. The red-haired girl remained with her head bowed, not daring to move. Suddenly, she felt that soft, warm hand rest upon her head once more, and the spirit within her surged.
"You have done well, Hathaway Isabella Hersha."
"My Lady..."
The girl's voice trembled.
"Continue on your current path. It is the right one."
Hathaway was speechless.
"This is your reward."
A new power flowed into Hathaway's soul. She closed her eyes, striving to commit the experience to mory. When she opened them again, the ancient and sacred presence of the goddess was gone.
She cautiously raised her head. The clearing beneath the great tree had returned to its tranquil state. The serene light of the twin moons filtered through the dense branches, casting a faint glow over the open space. Shadows swayed and a gentle breeze rustled the bushes. It was as if nothing had happened.
But the music box by the pool had vanished. It had been an artifact crafted solely to allow a deity's temporary manifestation. Hathaway felt a headache coming on, wondering how she would explain its disappearance to Jenkins, but the thought was soon overshadowed by the joy of her newfound power.
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