The whale slowly advanced inside the castle. Bruno made sure to listen to everything they talked about outside and was stunned. He realized that Alm had changed Ruri a bit, especially in the lower parts, but he never imagined this.
Bruno muttered, ’You...’
’Silence,’ Alm cut in sharply. ’It was just an extra, in case you lost your head. I don’t want her to have any complaints.’
’You still can’t admit that you like her?’ Bruno replied coldly. ’How can I think about moving forward if you, who are my other half, don’t accept it? We’re already used to the loneliness and pain that brings. If you’re not honest once, she’ll be the one to suffer, not us.’
Alm sighed. Getting too close to her is already enough to mess with them; she knows them well, and she’s developed to complement everything we’re not good at; she still acts mature and seductive. It’s a fatal attraction... for both of us, who have always carried that inside them.
’Starting a relationship in the midst of hunting the queen? That seems doomed to a dark end, the result of which will destroy us,’ Alm replied emotionlessly.
’So what? In theory, we’re all going to die one day. Are you going to be afraid to enjoy it, even if it’s short?’ Bruno retorted quickly. ’I’d rather live intensely. Life is a cycle, cycles end and begin all the time. Hers is linked to us. If it ends one day, I want to have seen her smile as much as possible before then.’
Alm fell silent. He knew this all too well, so much so that he was the first to make a move. Fate was strange, they who sought and walked the dark and bloody path... now they were simply going to try to be happy?
Bruno sighed, feeling what Alm was thinking. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to fully accept her, but internally they both didn’t think they deserved it. Maybe only Ruri personally could change Alm’s thoughts.
The two fell into a strategic silence. As the whale entered the room, he sat on the bed and focused mentally. The message on the green screen appeared:
[Accept Rewards?] [Yes / No]
They quickly accepted. The rewards from the Golden Optional Quest were to be carefully analyzed with total focus.
[Access to the celestial knowledge options menu unlocked!]
[Received special reward for recovering the divinity of a missionary.]
[01 Free Mortal Level Celestial Knowledge!]
[Available knowledge: 04]
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freewebnσvel.cøm.
[Upgrade points for use: 0]
[Mortal Level] [Celestial Laws - The faith of life in a god] [75 Upgrade Points]
[Divine Level] [Laws of the Earth - Everything that lives originated in itself] [95 Upgrade Points]
[Divine Level] [Laws of Chaos - The great mist from which the beginning occurred] [120 Upgrade Points]
[Immortal Level] [Yin and Yang Laws - From life to death, the mortal cycle] [250 Upgrade Points]
Alm and Bruno read everything attentively; this was the disturbingly expensive gold menu. They barely earned 100 points after completing the side quest and the main quest. It was currently impossible to forgo raising their skills to purchase these knowledges. But... the future was always uncertain.
’Mortal, divine, and immortal levels; those are the three realms of cultivation,’ Bruno commented calmly. ’The Chaos Seed technique we received gave us a high-level basic understanding of these laws, as well as the laws of the earth we received from the behemoth; that’s why we surpassed the mortal level in them.’
’We don’t have any other options; there’s only one at the mortal level. Let’s get on with it,’ Alm retorted dryly.
Since they had one for free, they were going to gain something from this menu. The benefits of purchasing something like this seemed endless; but they had no idea when they would be able to purchase again. Without delay, they quickly accepted the mortal level knowledge of celestial laws; what they called the power of faith.
A sea of knowledge entered their minds. Alm just ignored it; he couldn’t use it at all. He just let Bruno study and opened the menu of miracles.
[Miracles available: 03]
[Celestial Points for use: 20]
[NOTE: Each use of a miracle multiplies the points of that miracle by 3]
[Natural Life Miracle] [10 Celestial Points]
[Miracle of Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Rebirth] [10 Celestial Points]
[Space-Time Miracle] [30 Celestial Points]
The twenty celestial points came from the optional quest. Using a miracle a second time was very difficult. The space-time one already cost 30 points; they couldn’t rely on it at all currently. But the other two that they hadn’t used were available.
At that moment, Bruno woke up a bit dazed and saw the menu open. He immediately perked up. ’Now I understand... yes, this will favor my power of faith! Let’s use the Natural Life Miracle. We’ll completely change the entire desert, and turn this place into a sacred region.’
Alm nodded. They couldn’t know exactly the best uses for the miracle. Only after purchasing it would they receive the knowledge of everything they could do. If it would benefit the power of faith, there was no reason not to use it. Saving the celestial points seemed good, but those points weren’t easily gained. There was no way to know when they would receive more.
’Our greatest powers are completely suicidal; the Miracle of Rebirth will be useful,’ Alm said thoughtfully. ’Now we have to plan perfectly. Just seeking revenge against the twelve families won’t solve anything; the four Empyrean families will move. We have to create mechanisms to act and not get caught.’
***
The next day, as the first rays of sunlight appeared on the horizon, the whale left the castle. To his surprise, the whole night passed and Ruri didn’t enter the room to be with them.
’She can measure priorities, great. Her cultivation can’t be done recklessly,’ Alm said, satisfied. But Bruno knew, from her conversation with Rehvka, that the reason was different.
When the whale arrived in the city center, he saw almost a million cultivators waiting for him. Ruri, Rehvka, and Thea were together and very close. So close and smiling, talking, that Alm and Bruno felt strange.
Langrum and Loeus approached them excitedly. Then, they handed over a hundred spatial rings. All the electric laws runes, along with the celestial power they had from their last tribulation and everything they stole from the sea of infernal lightning, was given to them.
"Now that you’ve learned about your bodies, use all the electric laws you have to destroy the bodies. Then, split into groups and use the celestial power from inside one of the rings to rebuild yourselves," the whale declared.
Once everyone was divided and ready, Alm and Bruno focused, and their tattoos lit up. Everyone felt the massive formation covering the desert move... then they noticed all the laws and external QI being separated from within.
[Activate the miracle?] [Yes / No]
The window waited for their confirmation as they analyzed the information. Bruno felt excited about the uses of the Miracle of Natural Life; it was exactly what they needed right now. He then nodded.
Everyone felt a shock that made their hearts pound like drums. The whale, imposing, rose majestically into the sky, surrounded by a radiant aura. Bruno put on a grand show, radiating celestial laws echoing across the horizon.
"Let there be life!" he proclaimed with a firm voice.
Bruno’s words thundered through the heavens. Suddenly, the firmaments opened, and small multicolored particles began to fall like shooting stars. A spectacle of dazzling lights illuminated the desert, flooding those present with boundless natural power.
An overwhelming wave of life and divine laws descended upon the desert, sprouting from the void into the formation. In a matter of seconds, all the landscapes around pulsated and transformed before the astonished eyes of those present.
The green of life spread like a mantle over everything, majestic trees rose to the sky, their canopies touching the clouds. The earth trembled and opened up, giving way to a river of pure and sacred waters flowing with revitalizing energy. The celestial laws multiplied and complemented each other, creating an indescribable place where the magic of life flourished in every corner.
All those who only lived in the city were so stunned that they were paralyzed, the miraculous and divine power was before their eyes!
The whale took a deep breath. ’It’s definitely a power that can even change the divine world,’ Alm commented.
Then, everyone felt as if they were underwater. A dense and infinite amount of QI pressed heavily upon them. Ruri and Rehvka widened their eyes; it was very similar to the divine planet they visited.
The divine world was full of QI and laws, and yet there were deserts and dry places. This was due to many other factors, but with this miracle, everything could be reversed. Seeing this got Bruno excited; he concluded.
’If it can change the divine world, a mortal world needs a small part. The excess would go back to the heavens... but not anymore! Since it was given to us, we’ll accept it all.’
Thus, a density of QI capable of changing inhospitable divine lands was used halfway. The rest was trapped in the formation for them to enjoy. Everyone in the city could only think of absorbing that, and their cultivations would skyrocket rapidly. Now, all they had to do was advance and rebuild themselves.