The colossal explosion was visible even to Anaxa within the Barrier. Hyacine had only intended to blast the Moon, but some other creature suddenly lunged in at the last moment and got caught in the blast.
This strike would likely keep the Mother of Flesh dormant for a while. The Moon would need time to recover.
Over the next five minutes, the Floating City cleared away the remaining aerial monsters. Under the Prophecy Tower Master's control, it slowly descended, heading back to its original launch point.
With Hyacine single-handedly powering the entire Floating City, the Prophecy Tower Master, who was both piloting the city and monitoring the pink-haired girl's relentless output of divine power at the core, couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his brow.
Sensing his anxiety, Hyacine smiled reassuringly, her expression utterly adorable. "Don't worry," she said. "This amount of energy consumption is nothing to me. We can take our time flying."
No, no, no! That's not the problem at all! the Prophecy Tower Master raged inwardly. The real issue is that such a powerful god is powering the Floating City! Every second of her effort means we'll owe her an even greater debt later!
After all, it was Hyacine's timely appearance that stabilized the Floating City and saved everyone within it. Even if she didn't ask for compensation afterward, the Arcane Federation would insist on providing it regardless.
A Priest in this situation might thank the god for intervening, marvel at the divine power of the miracle, offer their faith, and that would be that. But Wizards were different; they adhered to the principle of equivalent exchange: for every debt owed, a corresponding favor must be repaid!
Finally, after a brief flight, the Floating City returned to its original launch point. The Prophecy Tower Master aligned the towers on either side, and the city slowly descended with a low hum, landing smoothly on the ground.
Hyacine finally released her grip on the Earth Element Crystal, which had become a mere decoration in her hand, and ceased her output of divine power. She touched down, patted her chest, and said in her soft, endearing voice, "Anyway, I'm just glad everyone's safe~!"
The Prophecy Tower Master fell silent for a moment. It was truly difficult for him to imagine that the deity who had just wreaked havoc in the skies—wielding flames, storms, and lightning, even breaking through the Barrier to battle the Evil God on the Moon—was merely an avatar of this pink-haired girl standing before him.
The Prophecy Tower Master had always believed that gods were aloof and superior beings. But seeing Hyacine now, he felt something completely different. She was gentle and kind to mortals, yet merciless and powerful against Evil Gods.
Soon, Hyacine and the Prophecy Tower Master left the core and emerged outside, where the Necromancy Tower Master, Conjuration Tower Master, and Pela were waiting. Pela, in particular, looked hesitant when she saw Hyacine. "L-little... Little Hyacine?"
After all, it was absurd to realize that her best friend and sister-in-arms of the past year was actually a True god. The vast difference in their status inevitably made Pela feel a twinge of inferiority.
But when Hyacine heard Pela's words, she clasped her hands behind her back, leaned forward slightly, and flashed a warm smile. "I'm here, Pelie. What's on your mind?"
Hyacine showed no trace of divine arrogance, acting instead like a sweet and understanding little girl. With just those words, she dispelled nearly all of Pela's lingering feelings of inferiority, instantly bridging the distance that had formed between them.
Perhaps the distance between true gods and mortals was indeed vast, but with Hyacine, she effortlessly made others forget her divine status. She was simply too approachable.
In any case, the Floating City would likely need a period of rest and recuperation. Having just endured a major battle, many buildings within the city had suffered varying degrees of damage, and various supplies needed replenishment. As for Anaxa and Hyacine, after some deliberation, they decided to stay a while longer. The reason was simple: Anaxa hadn't finished reading all the Magic Books yet.
But this time, things were different. In his report confirming his safety, Heinrich specifically instructed that Anaxa and Hyacine be granted the highest-level guest privileges, with every request to be met without hesitation!
For Anaxa, this meant little change; he continued reading his books as before. But for Hyacine, she finally no longer needed to pretend to be an ordinary student or wear that dowdy Wizard Robe. Instead, she could finally return to her adorable outfits.
Of course, she also no longer needed to stay by Anaxa's side pretending to study Magic. Now she could pursue other interests, like the singing and dancing she had practiced for so long. Perhaps now was the perfect opportunity to start livestreaming and officially become an idol.
-
The perspective shifted to Okhema. After Heinrich and Melly left, Tribios returned to her desk, sat down with her legs neatly together in a very ladylike manner, propped her chin on one hand, and began to mentally review every detail of the recent events.
In essence, the Outer God's influence on this world was growing ever stronger. They had just repelled one wave of attacks, but there was no telling when the next would come.
It was fortunate that Anaxa and Hyacine had been present. Had they not been, dealing with the aftermath would have been exponentially more difficult.
"Ah, right," Tribios suddenly remembered something. She mentally called out to the System she hadn't checked in ages. She genuinely hadn't checked the System Page in a long time, as it offered nothing beyond lotteries. And with the Fame required for the next draw being astronomically high, there was no point in constantly checking it.
But this time, after such a monumental event—repelling an Evil God and mending the heavens—all before the wizards of the Floating City, she must have earned a significant amount of Fame, right?
Tribios stared at the System Page with wide-eyed curiosity:
[Flame-Chaser Identity System at your service.]
[Currently unlocked Identities: Cipher (Cifera), Mydei (Mydeimos), Castorice, Tribios, Aglaea, Anaxagoras, Hyacine (Hyacinthia).]
[Increasing your Fame will unlock the next opportunity to draw Identities. Current Fame: 5,110,000/2,000,000.]
Tribios: "???"
Wait, how much?
She vaguely remembered having just over 1,400,000 Fame after her last draw. With only 600,000 more needed for the next draw, Tribios had hoped this incident would be enough to bridge the gap. One draw should suffice, she'd thought. But five million? Was that even reasonable?
A single Floating City couldn't possibly contribute that much Fame, could it? But then Tribios considered: Perhaps... maybe... this Fame wasn't solely from the Floating City. Could the Mother of Flesh beyond the world have contributed as well?
Based on Tribios's earlier theory, the stronger the entity, the more Fame it contributed. If the Mother of Flesh, an Outer God, was indeed responsible for such a massive influx of Fame, it seemed to make sense.
Tribios's first reaction was, "Could things get any better?!"
She even considered opening another Century Gate to let Hyacine take a stroll, but after some deliberation, she dismissed the idea. It was simply too dangerous to risk an Identity for mere Fame; the cost far outweighed the benefits.
So, setting those thoughts aside, since she had enough Fame for a draw, she immediately clicked the button.
Her Fame instantly decreased by 2 million, while the cost for the next draw increased to 3 million. This meant she had enough for another System Double Draw!
Without hesitation, Tribios immediately initiated the second draw. The System Page then displayed:
[Flame-Chaser Identity System at your service.]
[Currently unlocked Identities: Cipher (Cifera), Mydei (Mydeimos), Castorice, Tribios, Aglaea, Anaxagoras, Hyacine (Hyacinthia), Hysilens (Helektra), Cerydra]
[Increasing Fame unlocks opportunities to draw new Identities. Current Fame: 110,000 / 4,000,000]
With a thought, Tribios conjured two new figures before her, granting her two fresh perspectives. One stood slightly shorter than Tribios herself, with long black hair that faded into purple, cascading past her hips to mid-thigh. This was Hysilens, the Demigod of the Sea.
From Tribios's vantage point, Hysilens possessed striking pale blue eyes. A scattering of scale-like marks at the corner of her left eye only enhanced her beauty, resembling a beauty mark that added to her allure.
Hysilens wore two fishbone-shaped hair ornaments and a pearl earring on her left ear. Paired with her nearly perfectly proportioned oval face, she was undeniably a beauty. In fact, among the twelve Demigods, whether male or female, there wasn't a single unattractive one.
Tribios continued to scrutinize Hysilens. She was dressed in a formal gown, a style characterized by its revealing design, exposing the shoulders, armpits, and back. However, Hysilens had cleverly paired it with black stocking sleeves that covered her shoulders and armpits. As for her back, her long, flowing hair completely obscured it from view.
Mihoyo's costume design is truly remarkable, Tribios mused inwardly. Exposed, yet not exposed.
The perspective shifted to Hysilens herself. She lowered her gaze to her hands, her first thought being that her Vision wasn't obstructed. Hysilens' bust was merely average, perhaps within the normal range—neither too large nor too small, just the right size to fit comfortably in one hand.
Hysilens glanced down at Tribios's chest. Whether it was Big Tribbie, Aglaea, Cipher, or Castorice, each was a heavyweight. In comparison, Hysilens was "normal".
What about Hyacine and Cerydra? They were kicked out of the competition right at the start, remember?
Hysilens shook her head, her long hair swaying behind her, carrying a refreshing, ocean-like scent that banished these thoughts from her mind. She continued to examine herself. Her right hand wore a red glove, while her left hand was gloved in black—a rather puzzling detail, yet another instance of classic Mihoyo-style asymmetry.
But wait... Hysilens has the title of "Dux Gladiorum" in the game. Could the red glove on her right hand be meant to prevent blood from splattering onto her hand while slaying enemies?
Moving further down, Hysilens's abdomen appeared semi-transparent, clearly revealing her ribs and even bubbles inside her stomach.
How to put it? Just this one detail immediately revealed that she wasn't a normal human. Even by game standards, it was an absurdly absurd design.
Hysilens rubbed her little belly, feeling no particular sensation.
Lowering her gaze, she bent slightly and pinched her thigh. It felt lean and firm, the complete opposite of Cipher's voluptuous curves—remarkably slender.
She wore a pair of black over-the-knee stockings, but the right one had a tear. In a game, this might be considered a positive buff, but in reality, who would wear ripped stockings in public? She resolved to change into a fresh pair of black stockings later.
Finally, she examined her feet, clad in black, high-heeled boots with white heels that resembled fishbones.
Overall, it was like receiving a new toy. Hysilens couldn't resist pinching her cheeks and rubbing her belly, her curiosity brimming over.
As for the other figure, Tribios turned to look. At eye level, she could only see a slender crown wreathed in blue flames. She had to lower her head to see Cerydra's full form.
At first glance, Cerydra's height seemed similar to Hyacine's. However, Tribios noticed that Hyacine usually wore flat shoes, while Cerydra was currently wearing high heels!
This meant that Cerydra might actually be slightly shorter than Hyacine in terms of true height!
The realization suddenly reminded Tribios of a saying: "It's best to be polite to Lord Caesar; after all, you'll be seeing him again sooner or later."
This is just too hellish, she thought. Who even came up with that? Aren't they afraid of being assigned missions where they have to single-handedly fight the Black Tide in five different directions?
While musing, Tribios glanced at Cerydra. From the front, Cerydra looked like a girl with short, white-to-blue gradient hair. But if Cerydra turned around, you'd see that she actually had long hair, all tied back into a low ponytail that was hidden from view when facing forward.
Tribios's first thought was, Ugh, another two people who will have to spend ages on hair care every day.
To be honest, she was more than experienced with managing long hair, so this was just a momentary sigh of resignation.