Chapter 1172: Meeting With The Goddess Of Twilight Chorus And Fortune


    ?


    "Are you sure?" Orion asked.


    "Yes," Aerialia replied, shaking her head. "However, there were many gods who made it through the gate, some of whom I don''t even know about. If she''s one of them, it''s believable. But I find it odd how she ended up in the pocket dimension after Naka abandoned it. Could she be one of his experiments?" she asked.


    Aurora''s expression twisted in displeasure at the mention of that name.


    Orion''s eyes widened, realizing how he had missed such an important possibility.


    It wasmon knowledge that Naka had experimented on numerous individuals before they began to utilize Vylkr energy more efficiently than others.


    However, he couldn''t understand why Naka hadn''t taken her with him when he left.


    Could it be that Naka foresaw she would never be a true god and deemed her an ineffective experiment? That seemed usible, considering this was the same man who had used his race as experiments, discarding them after they showed no progress in surpassing a certain limit of strength when utilizing Vylkr energy.


    Orion knew Naka''s ultimate goal was to break into heaven, still believing it hadn''t been destroyed, with the emergence of the ''divine mysteries.'' Anything that couldn''t cross that barrier was seen as a failure in Naka''s eyes.


    The only individuals who had the potential to cross that barrier were the ''great gods of humanity,'' but they were all Naka''s foes.


    Orion began to wonder if the madman had once again started working on a ''great god'' experiment this time, one that would be fully under his control. His eyes widened as a new thought emerged.


    The only entities he had encountered that wereparable to gods were the Vylkr spawns. Ever since encountering those divine beings, he had ced them on a pedestal, forgetting that others had already dragged them down.


    It would be foolish for him to jump to conclusions without proper evidence of Naka''s full forces, strengths, and weaknesses-lest he fall prey to ignorance.


    "Zera said she''s preparing for us to speak with the goddess directly, so we''ll find out who she is sooner orter," Orion said.


    "Alright. Keep an eye on that Priestess. I don''t trust her either. Before you speak to the goddess directly or receive any inheritance, summon me. I want to make sure you''re not being deceived. I won''t feelfortable unless I know you''re safe, and I have some questions to ask her," Aerialia responded.


    They both nodded in understanding.


    "I''ll leave now so I don''t interrupt your bonding session," Aerialia added with a smirk, ncing at Aurora''s flushed skin and the soft, breathy sound she made.


    She cast a brief look at Orion before disappearing in a stream of light back into the small crimson greatsword sword.


    Orion unsummoned the Crimson Greatsword.


    As Aerialia vanished, Aurora leaned in and kissed Orion''s lips. It was reckless to get intimate with each other and let their guard down where they might be watched, but that didn''t mean she was unwilling to shower her husband with a bit of affection and receive some in return.


    Orion responded to Aurora''s advances.


    After a few minutes, they pulled back and began discussing their ns moving forward. Morriel soon arrived with an assortment of dishes, carried on a trolley filled with trays of food.


    However, neither Orion nor Aurora was in the mood to eat or sleep, so they decided to take a tour outside.


    Morriel arranged for guards to act as their guides and informed Zera a few minutester.


    Three dayster


    Orion and Aurora spent thest three days touring the area outside Zera''s manor.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As they had been informed, no one followed them or kept a watchful eye on their movements.


    It almost felt as if they had be inhabitants of the sanctuary themselves.


    This wasn''t hard to believe, as the inhabitants of this Mirror Realm were already used to outsiders visiting, staying briefly, and leaving soon after. Some had chosen to remain and live out the rest of their days here.


    They had learned that this ce was simply called ''Sanctuary.''


    Orion and Aurora found it a fitting name, considering everything the inhabitants had been through.


    The inhabitants, upon discovering that Orion and Aurora had newly arrived from the outside world, were eager to learn more about the current developments outside.


    Orion and Aurora told them about their battle with the Harbingers, alongside the remaining three forces of the sea, and how they had now secured a safer location within their territory.


    Many snorted at their words, believing them to be lies. However, after learning that the two were staying in the Priestess''s manor, and hearing the news-spread throughout the Sanctuary by the Priestess herself-about the preparation of the goddess''s inheritance for them, their doubts were quickly dispelled.


    Nevertheless, this caused a ripple effect within the Sanctuary. Hundreds of thousands flocked to see Orion and Aurora when they left the manor on the second day, and over a million came on the third day.


    Because of this, Zera stationed guards to help them navigate through the overwhelming crowds.


    Orion and Aurora expected Zera to address the growing agitation within the Sanctuary, which, though generally peaceful, was disrupted by the excitement.


    Surprisingly, Zera did nothing and allowed it to continue.


    On the fourth day, Zera summoned them, informing them that the necessary preparations had beenpleted, and they could now speak directly with the goddess.


    Without hesitation, Orion and Aurora followed Morriel as she led the way.


    They moved from the north wing to the main wing, where Zera resided, arriving within ten


    minutes.


    Zera stood beside a closed wooden door, gazing at the vastpound before her in a daze. Sensing their arrival, she snapped out of her thoughts and turned to them with a smile.


    Morriel bowed and said, "I''ve brought them, Priestess."


    "Good. You can return to your duties; I will handle things from here," Zera replied.


    Morriel hesitated briefly but nodded, turned around, and left.


    Zera nodded at Orion and Aurora. "I''ve heard about your actions over the past three days. It seems you''ve enjoyed entertaining the residents with your stories. Several Arch-Knights and Knights have informed me of the challenges in maintaining order and peace when you returned to the manor, all while they were preparing for the divine inheritance," she said with


    a smile.


    "We apologize. It seems we might have caused you a lot of trouble," Orion said.


    "You don''t need to. The Sanctuary has be more invigoratedpared to before, so it''s a


    good thing," Zera replied, shaking her head with a light chuckle.


    "I''ve made all the arrangements so you can speak with the goddess."


    "Please follow me," Zera gestured for them to follow as she turned towards the wooden door,


    pushed it open, and walked inside.


    Orion and Aurora followed behind her.


    The door closed behind them.


    Inside was a dimly lit hallway leading to another room.


    After passing through, they arrived in a chamber illuminated by magical ss torches.


    At the far end of the room was a radiant mix of golden and inky ck pool, glowing like molten liquid, its unnaturally still surface reflecting no image.


    As they paused before it, Orion and Aurora looked on in surprise, sensing the dense divine energy radiating from within.


    "Wait here, I willmence the ritual," Zera said, ncing at Orion and Aurora behind her.


    They nodded in response.


    Seeing their acknowledgement, Zera refocused on the golden pool, took a deep breath, and


    stepped into it.


    As she entered the pool, it glowed with an intense golden and inky ck hue, illuminating the


    entire chamber.


    The golden and inky ck liquid clung to her feet as she descended, and a web of golden and inky ck veins spread from her legs to every part of her body.


    Zera let out a gasp but didn''t stop. She continued stepping forward as though descending stairs until she was fully submerged in the pool.


    After a few moments, the pool began to boil vigorously. Several minutes passed before it stabilized, and ripples began spreading from the centre.


    SWOOSSHHH!!


    A dense pressure descended upon the chamber, and a figure began to emerge from the pool,


    rising above it.


    Aurora quickly summoned her sceptre, creating a barrier around herself and Orion to shield them from the immense pressure that made her entire being shudder, her instincts screaming


    in fear.


    "Are you okay?" Aurora asked, her expression filled with concern.


    Orion took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to regain hisposure now that the suffocating


    pressure had been lifted. His body was drenched in sweat, and his legs trembled from the sheer force that had nearly brought him to his knees.


    "I''m... fine now," Orion replied with a nod. He swiftly summoned his morphic puppet,


    wrapping it around himself like armour, and then summoned the Crimson Greatsword.


    With a flicker of light, Aerialia appeared alongside it. He shortened the length of the greatsword and pressed it against the ground, using it to steady himself.


    Aurora exhaled in relief and nodded, then refocused her attention on the figure floating above the golden and inky ck pool, her expression turning serious.