Chapter 1090: Aurora's Ascension Trial
"Yes, the warriors have noticed what appears to be a natural magical formation forming above the Vylkr alloy mine. It's similar to the formation that occurred during the Vylkr veil phenomenon," Seth replied.
Upon hearing Seth's words, Orion's expression froze.
A natural magical formation?
The last time something like this happened was during the birth of Morphic Puppet, which had attracted Vylkr spawns' attention. Without the Aegis of the Arctic Deity's protection and with Ilse still regaining her strength, if they attracted another group of Vylkr spawns, there would be no one capable of protecting Paradise's territory from the ensuing chaos.
"Goddess Ilse, how confident are you in facing another god?" Orion asked, turning his focus back to Ilse.
"Unless they've only just begun grasping the laws of the cosmos as I have, then my chances are close to none," Ilse replied, shaking her head in defeat.
She understood the gravity of the situation. The last time something like this occurred, a divine being had died protecting the territory from harm. If such a catastrophe happened again, it could spell their end.
Orion nodded, sighing as he had expected this response. Shifting his attention back to Seth and Zogar, he said, "You two should go and keep an eye on the formation. If anything unusual happens, report back to me immediately."
"Considering the current event, this formation will differ from the last one, so be vigilant. Also, inform all warriors outside of Paradise to return, including our representatives. It's best to ensure we are fully protected within the Primordial Barrier." His expression became solemn as he finished speaking.
"I'll help you go out," Ilse said swiftly, waving her hand. The front door shimmered with bright light as it slowly opened.
Seth and Zogar nodded in understanding, then turned and exited the room.
The light dimmed as the door closed again, returning everything to normal.
Orion summoned the miniature mountain, retrieved the mask, and resummoned it. He placed the mask over his face. Seraphina had already upgraded it, adding a camouflage function covering his entire body and other enhancements.
She hadn't yet figured out how to provide the spirit beast's base energy level. Orion focused on the cocoon suspended before him, his troubled expression hidden behind the mask.
Aurora opened her eyes wearily and looked at the surroundings with confusion etched on her face. "How am I here?" she muttered, clutching her head as she rose from the ground.
She scanned her surroundings with a deep frown. She was in her Garden, but something felt off.
Amidst the clouds, the Garden rested on a small floating island, similar to Paradise, with no other land in sight. She could see clouds hovering around, but none came close to the island, as though some invisible force kept them at bay.
"You are here?" a voice sounded behind her.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Startled, Aurora spun around to face the source. A small figure stood in her sight, no taller than a 12-year-old. The being was so brilliantly enveloped in a bright, pristine white light that Aurora instinctively turned her head away.
"Who are you? Where am I? How did I get here?" Aurora asked wariness in her tone. She did not attempt to flee, sensing that the being before her was far stronger than Ilse or her mother. Besides, she could only stand her ground with no place to run.
"Don't you already know my identity?" the being responded. "Hmm, though it has been a while since I've spoken directly, I suppose your question is valid."
Aurora gritted her teeth, tension building in her body with every second. "Can you tell me who you are, then?" she asked, a hint of confidence in her voice.
"I am the will of the Divine Mysteries. I am @#$%###@," the will of the Divine Mysteries replied.
Aurora trembled with shock and horror as she heard the being's response.
The will of the Divine Mysteries!
Aurora had expected the being before her to be an extremely powerful god, drawn by the heavenly phenomenon caused by the birth of her child, but never imagined it would be something even more powerful.
According to her mother, no one had ever seen or spoken to the Divine Mysteries. It was even debated whether they could be considered an entity due to the current state of the heavens. She couldn't tell if the being before her was lying or not, but Aurora frowned, realizing she hadn't heard the entirety of its voice.
"I'm sorry, but I could not hear the rest of your words. Could you repeat yourself one more time?" Aurora asked, her voice masked with confidence. She still kept her head to the side, her
body quivering.
Paradise was trying to understand the world's actual state, and she realized she might have just stumbled upon someone capable of providing her with valuable information, who could provide them with what they needed. That was, of course, if she managed to survive this encounter.
"Oh! So you couldn't hear that? That's strange. I thought you would, considering what you are," the will of the Divine Mysteries responded. "Nevertheless, you can simply call me the will of the Divine Mysteries. And suppose you're wondering why you are here."
"In that case, it's because you--a being neither god nor mortal, created for destruction but deemed a failure and cast into obscurity, neither the first, but the first and last of your kind-- have been allowed to ascend into godhood, not just for you, but also for your child. Rejoice!"
Aurora stuttered, hearing the being's words, "You... you know what I am?"
"Yes, I do. But it's not as you think. You see, your existence is an anomaly that should not have happened. That's why you are here. Such an opportunity is not something anyone has the privilege of experiencing. So don't be afraid; be glad, as you are among the few," the will of the Divine Mysteries replied.
"What do you mean by saying it's not as I think and that my existence is an anomaly?" Aurora asked, her mind reeling as she absorbed the will of the Divine Mysteries' words.
"You are a failed imitation of a goddess born out of anger and vengeance. Yet, you carry the essence of a goddess, something that shouldn't be possible for your kind. You were not supposed to reach the point of ascension, and yet, here you are - a living contradiction," the will of the Divine Mysteries said. "As for your child, a child born from the womb of an anomaly is, naturally, an anomaly."
Aurora listened solemnly. Though her body trembled, considering who her creator was and everything her mother and Ilse had informed her, she wasn't entirely surprised.
"If you're certain that my existence is an anomaly, then why are you granting me the opportunity for ascension? Wouldn't I become an even greater anomaly after attaining Divinity?" Aurora asked, her gaze focusing on the pristine white figure before her.
Having lived for so long, she was far from being a fool. Her naivety stemmed from being enclosed within the Garden for as long as she could remember. However, after being exposed to various other races and the outside world, she realized her mindset was better suited for conversing with existence like her mother and Ilse.
"I simply adhere to balance. Your ascension will allow you to transform into a fully realized Divine being, correcting the flaws in your creation and your child's. You've earned that by reaching this point, after all," the will of the Divine Mysteries responded.
"However, this doesn't mean you will cease to be an anomaly. Who knows-your ascension might create a new Divine Archetype. Nonetheless, you could say my presence here is a deliberate action to inform you that I'll be watching to see how far you'll go."
Aurora absorbed the explanation and quickly asked, "Are there other anomalies? You don't seem too surprised about my existence."
This time, unlike before, the will of the Divine Mysteries did not respond immediately. After a heavy silence, it finally spoke.
"That is something you will have to figure out for yourself. Anomalies always find ways to
stand out, just as you have. You will either attract others or continue to draw them to you, just as you've done before. As for the path they've taken, that will be for you to judge. Now, let's move on to the main reason for your presence: Aurora, are you prepared to face your ascension for you and your child?"
Aurora clenched her fist, indescribable emotions surging after hearing the information she
had just learned.
"Will the ascension trial be difficult?" she asked, her gaze fixed on the glowing, pristine white before her. As an anomaly, she knew her ascension trial wouldn't be ordinary.
"Yes. But I believe the outcome will be balanced," the will of the Divine Mysteries responded.
"In that case, I'm prepared to face the ascension trial and rid myself of this imperfection," Aurora replied with a resolute nod.