Chapter 329 327-Daphne Awakens
With Phito's disappearance, Alvin's body deflated like a balloon.
His towering form shrank, returning to its ordinary size.
Back in his original body, Alvin was gasping for breath, his complexion extremely pale.
He tossed the spear to Ethan: "Here, your divine artifact. I didn't expect an outsider like you to possess such a thing."
Ethan shrugged nonchalantly, "Just luck. But to the matter at hand, where did Phito go?"
Alvin shook his head slightly, looking into the distance, and said slowly:
"I don't know, but it's definitely not good. Phito's escape is akin to releasing a tiger back into the wild. But killing a Demi-god is near impossible; you'll understand in time."
Seizing the opportunity, Ethan asked:
"Phito is of the Demi-god realm, and are you as well?"
Alvin, regulating his breath, took a long while before he exhaled deeply:
"Me? I'm no Demi-god. I'm just a 10th-rank warrior, nothing more. When I reach the 11th-rank, then we can talk about Demi-gods."
"Not a Demi-god at the 10th-rank?" Ethan frowned. "Then how could you fight on par with Phito?"
Alvin, looking at the somewhat dimmed Lord's Manor, clarified:
"It's all thanks to the power of the Lord's Manor. It has accumulated divinity for hundreds, even thousands of years, which allowed me to break through the mortal realm and momentarily step into the divine to catch a glimpse of its essence."
Ethan gazed at the grand Lord's Manor, its facade carved from a kind of metal that resembled stone, adorned with various intricate and sacred runes, through which divinity flowed like rivers along their paths.
The entire Lord's Manor, like a precious relic, was situated at the heart of each Orderly City.
Ethan could imagine what the purpose of this Lord's Manor might be.
Surely it was created when 11th-rank warriors entered the Divine Realm, and the Deityforsaken Land began to experience the mysterious reversal of day and night, of sun and moon.
The entire continent of the Deityforsaken Land turned chaotic and eerie...
To resist the strangeness, the powerful had established Orderly Cities, but the strength of the warriors within each varied greatly.
Thus, they needed something like the Lord's Manor, akin to a divine artifact, to physically elevate their realm.
It was meant to be used against the bizarre, but today Alvin had used it to counter Phito.
Ethan could sense the depth of Alvin's camaraderie.
Though this camaraderie had come suddenly, Ethan was not one to forget a good turn.
Alvin had essentially helped Ethan, so the promise made to Alvin could not be overlooked.
Ethan raised an eyebrow, setting aside his thoughts for the moment:
"About finding a divine crystal that you mentioned earlier, tell me more now. I'll retrieve it for you as soon as possible."
Alvin looked deeply at Ethan and pointed towards the southeast:
"Santos Tower, there you will find divine crystals. That's the most precise location I know of. There are other places with divine crystals, but you will have to find them on your own."
Ethan noted this down calmly, and said aloud:
"I thank you for everything today, Mr. Alvin. Since I've promised, I will certainly deliver."
A strong sense of weariness surfaced in Alvin's eyes as he waved his hand slightly:
"Make it quick. If you take too long to bring back the divine crystal, it will be of no use."
Ethan wanted to ask more, but Alvin had already retreated into his room and with a bang, closed the door behind him.
It was clear Alvin did not wish to be disturbed by Ethan.
Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly as he pondered the meaning behind Alvin's words.
Lana Mokos, having clearly heard the entire exchange, volunteered her guess:
"Perhaps it's because the Lord's Manor has consumed too much of its essence. If it's not replenished in time, the Manor might just collapse into ruins."
Ethan didn't respond, merely nodding slightly, leaving it ambiguous whether he was expressing agreement or simply acknowledging he had heard.
At that moment, Daphne, cradled in Ethan's arms, murmured softly and slowly opened her eyes.
Confusion flickered in her gaze at first, then gradually focused as she recognized Ethan:
"Ethan, that was quite a long sleep! I even dreamed about you."
A smile curved on Daphne's face, sweet and pure.
Ethan's eyes sparkled with excitement as he said:
"It's good that you've woken up, Daphne, welcome back."
Daphne stood up straight, looking at Ethan's excited demeanor, her expression puzzled:
"Ethan, what's the matter with you?"
To avoid shattering the image of Phito that might still linger in Daphne's mind, Ethan thought for a moment and then said with a light smile, "Really, it's nothing. You were just unconscious for a while, and I was worried you wouldn't wake up."
"How do you feel now? Do you feel any discomfort?"
Daphne took the hem of her skirt and twirled in front of Ethan, her smile blooming like flowers:
"I don't feel uncomfortable at all. Do I look like I'm sick? Maybe I just overslept a bit."
The corners of Ethan's mouth twitched slightly, but with affectionate indulgence, he said, "You little sleeper, we're off to the Santos Tower now. Do you want to come with us?"
Daphne hurriedly trotted to Ethan's side, taking his hand eagerly:
"Brother, we said we'd never part, no matter what."
Knowing Daphne's intentions, Ethan looked again towards Lana Mokos.
Lana Mokos's deep blue eyes twinkled slightly as she spoke with feigned nonchalance:
"We are a team, so naturally, we should stick together."
Touched, Ethan led the group, including King, out onto the street.
There, Ethan asked King about the "Santos Tower."
King slowly narrated to Ethan the history of Santos Tower.
The Santos Tower was essentially a tower where sacred relics had fallen.
It was steeped in mystery due to the sacred items it housed over the years, harboring its own little worlds within.
Ethan's eyes lit up, and he said lightly:
"So, it's like a secret realm within the Deityforsaken Land."
King's lips twitched as he wanted to object but couldn't find a reason to contradict:
"That's one way to put it, Master."
King led the trio towards Santos Tower, and along the way, Ethan occasionally spotted some curious symbols.
"What do these symbols mean?" Ethan asked again, curiosity renewed.
King's expression shifted, but he replied respectfully:
"Master, remember I had a companion? His name is Richard; he's sending me messages with these."
Ethan's eyebrows relaxed into a cheerful expression as he asked, "What does that mean?"
King, with his head bowed low, spoke in a voice just clear enough for Ethan to make out:
"This symbol means that he has found a piece of a divine artifact and is conveying the message to me."
"Where?" Ethan's interest was piqued; fragments of divine artifacts were exceedingly rare in the outside world.
King did not hesitate to reveal: "It's in the direction we're headed."
Ethan had already surmised as much, given that the markings continued along their path, obviously pointing them in this direction.
"Lead the way, will you? Let's go take a look," Ethan said, the corner of his mouth curling up with a hint of mischief.
King, of course, had no intention of refusing and respectfully responded:
"Master, I shall guide you."
The four of them moved swiftly forward, encountering some of the peculiar assaults of the Deityforsaken Land.
But the strangeness in the wilderness, especially during the day, was pitifully weak and posed no threat to Ethan and his companions.
It wasn't until Ethan and the others slowly entered a particular area that things changed.
Here, the trees were lush, the air misty. Walking further in, they reached a clearing where Richard's markings abruptly ceased.
Ethan stood still, observing a thick, sinister-looking tree in the middle of the clearing.
This ancient tree, which seemed to be centuries old, had its branches wrapped with red cloth strips. It appeared as though something was ensconced within them.
The bulging red cloths fluttered in the wind, and in such a desolate and silent setting, they seemed incredibly eerie and ominous.
Ethan surveyed the surroundings, his tone noncommittal as he said:
"What's the meaning of this? Richard's markings are gone."
King was on the ground, scrutinizing the other markings on the tree trunks, puzzled:
"This doesn't make sense. Even if Richard found a piece of a divine artifact, he wouldn't come near the Mother-Child Wraith Tree, would he?"
Mother-Child Wraith Tree? Ethan's brow twitched; the name didn't sound like anything auspicious.
"What tree is this?"
"The Mother-Child Wraith Tree!"
"Why such an ominous and dreadful name?"
"Ah, it's because many in the city can't control their baser instincts, and they end up impregnating females of various mixed races. Then, not wanting the monstrosities they sired, they bury the fetuses under this tree. That's the origin of 'Child' in the name."
Ethan's eyelids involuntarily flickered: "You mean there's more to these words?"
King let out a deep, helpless sigh, shaking his head:
"Of course, the most important part is still 'Mother-Child Wraith'. Some powerful beings forcefully impregnate females of certain races, but because the fetus's power is too great, both mother and child end up dying."
"A double death, hastily buried by the undertakers beneath this tree."
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