An arm, as if molded from decaying mud, appeared beside Irminsul, exuding a twisted and despairing aura that caused the powdery white fur beneath Yu Jin and Nahida's feet to noticeably roughen.
Fortunately, the arm only appeared for a moment before vanishing again. The powdery white fur merely lost its luster.
"Hmph!" Although Yu Jin instantly concealed the arm back beneath his armor, Nahida still caught a glimpse of what was inside.
Human faces, fleshy masses, and intertwined flames.
"That thing… is it human will?" Nahida said, her eyes tightly shut and her face pale. Those images began to appear in her mind, but she was suppressing them.
Yu Jin was somewhat surprised by this. Kutri, after all, had been so disgusted by his arm that she'd rolled around on the ground.
Yet Nahida, so young, stood upright after seeing his arm, even managing to spare the mental capacity to ponder the sight. She was quite something.
Nahida now opened her eyes, the green in her pupils slightly dimmed.
"Perhaps in other aspects, I am far inferior to my colleagues, but if we're talking solely about the strength of consciousness, I should be quite capable," Nahida said, offering a small smile and pointing to her head.
As the overseer of Irminsul, a small head capacity simply wouldn't do.
"So, those things… are they human will?" Nahida's gaze was fixed on Yu Jin, seeking an answer from him.
Could humanity truly give birth to such terrifying things? This was information Nahida had never known before.
"Mm… you could say that, loosely," Yu Jin nodded, then continued, "But you don't need to worry. It will only stay with me; it won't come out."
The Dark Ring would not appear in this world, and humanity would not be lost.
"With… you?" Nahida looked at Yu Jin, whose entire body was hidden within his armor, and suddenly felt her head throbbing.
She had never felt so ignorant as she did today. Yu Jin was like a black hole; any information about him could only be revealed by him personally.
"I knew it. How could someone so small have no problems at all? If your head's throbbing, then stop thinking about it and get some good sleep!"
Yu Jin flicked his hand, and Nahida's figure became ethereal—she, who oversaw Irminsul, was being repelled by Irminsul!
"Wait…"
"Haha! I know you have many questions. Fulfill your duties as a god, stop avoiding them, and you will know everything!"
After Yu Jin finished speaking, Nahida's figure completely vanished from this pure white space.
Yu Jin then looked at the massive Irminsul before him, shaking his head and sighing, "Tsk tsk, what a bother. You're out of commission, and now you're asking me to guide this little one."
..."Wait!" Inside the silent Sanctuary of Surasthana, Nahida suddenly woke up. She sat up from her emerald cradle, gazing somewhat blankly at the familiar small room, or rather, small cage, before her.
Soon, her gaze fell upon her lower leg. Nahida felt a premonition; she subtly circulated the power within her body, and strands of golden patterns appeared on her lower leg.
"What's the matter, Lesser Lord Kusanali?" A slightly weathered male voice came, and then a weathered man in a dark blue robe and wearing a monocle walked in.
Accompanying him were five other middle-aged men, also dressed in luxurious attire.
They were the six sages of the Akademiya, the true controllers of Sumeru.
Although Grand Sage Azar harbored no affection for Nahida deep down, he still maintained outward courtesy.
"N-nothing, Azar," Nahida gently caressed her chest, speaking to the Grand Sage, whom she was finding increasingly difficult to comprehend.
Although successive Grand Sages had confined Nahida to the small Sanctuary of Surasthana, previous ones would at least inform Nahida of what was happening outside and the Akademiya's upcoming plans.
But after Azar took office, all of that disappeared. Nahida had once questioned Azar about it, but received only one reply:
"These mundane affairs are not for Lesser Lord Kusanali to trouble herself with. Your Excellency only needs to study diligently within the Sanctuary of Surasthana."
Actually, Nahida had wanted to ask then, 'Doesn't understanding the Akademiya's governance count as studying?'
But in the end, a hint of self-doubt overcame her curiosity, and Nahida silently accepted this change.
However, the situation worsened afterward. Not only could she not learn about the Akademiya's affairs, but the Akasha device also seemed to have undergone some peculiar changes.
The Akasha seemed to be constantly operating at overcapacity. This made Nahida's dream-entry even more difficult than before.
"Azar, I think I can come out now. After five hundred years of study, I should be able to fulfill my duties as a god."
Nahida looked at Azar. This was her first time wanting to step outside. Whether it was the origin of the Golden Tree or the changes in herself, none of these could be understood by staying in the Sanctuary of Surasthana.
"Haha, Lesser Lord Kusanali must be joking. Governing a nation is an extremely complex matter. Have you forgotten the lesson from before?"
Azar couldn't help but laugh upon hearing Nahida's words. A bird in a cage wanting to fly? Well, it would depend on whether it had the strength to break free from the cage.
Nahida's expression dimmed at his words. Back then, the sages had hopefully enthroned her, the newborn, hoping she could revive Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's power.
Alas, they were disappointed, and Nahida herself was disappointed. The newborn her possessed less than a tenth of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's power, only able to erect large trees to block the sandstorms that leaked through Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's massive sand barrier.
Thus, the sages pulled Nahida from the divine throne, and Nahida herself offered no resistance.
However, those unbearable memories of the past did not linger in Nahida's heart for too long. She extended her small hand, and a green glow Bloomed from within.
"Azar, the past me failed to live up to the sages' expectations, but after five hundred years, I seem to have grown a little stronger."
"So, I want to go out and see!"
By the end of her statement, Nahida's eyes held a determination she hadn't possessed before.
A faint green light shone through an invisible barrier onto Azar's face, leaving him somewhat startled.
Lesser Lord Kusanali seemed to have changed a bit?
But what did it matter? The plan was already smoothly underway, and there could be no mistakes.
Azar's expression grew cold. He looked down at Nahida, "Lesser Lord Kusanali, in these five hundred years, Sumeru has also changed a great deal. You should wait a little longer."
"As you said, I am changing, and Sumeru is also changing. Perhaps Sumeru's changes over five hundred years are even greater than mine..." Nahida paused here, then said with a smile:
"That's why I need to go out even more. If you're worried, I can go to Gandharva Ville, to Pardis Dhyai, or even to the Desert."
Looking at Nahida, who was insistent on leaving the Sanctuary of Surasthana, Azar felt a sense of difficulty for the first time.
However, so many years of preparation had not been in vain. He had long considered the risk of Nahida's resistance.
Lesser Lord Kusanali? How many people in Sumeru even knew about her now?
Azar stared coldly at Nahida, saying sinisterly, "Lesser Lord Kusanali still has a bit of a childish temperament. Calm down for a few days before reconsidering what you just said!"
"Sumeru is perfectly fine with the Akademiya!"
With that, Azar flicked his sleeve and quickly left the Sanctuary of Surasthana. The expressions of the other sages were also uncertain, but in the end, they followed Azar out.
"Azar!" Nahida leaped from the cradle and ran towards the exit of the Sanctuary of Surasthana.
Soon, a light green barrier suddenly appeared before Nahida, isolating her from the outside world.
Nahida reached out to touch it; the seemingly transparent and thin green barrier was incredibly tough, preventing her from moving an inch forward.
"Akademiya… Azar… what are you plotting?"
Helpless, Nahida sat back down on the cradle, recalling the recent anomalies in Sumeru. A bad feeling gradually welled up in her heart.
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