Chapter 1409: Chapter 1245: Don’t Ask—It’s Mutual Pursuit (Part 2)
The blackbird, already filled with fear, instantly lost its stable form and transformed into a smoke capable of traversing countless worlds in an instant, surging toward the "safe zone" several planes away, but unfortunately...
"Don’t rush."
A pale hand reached into the escaping smoke, gently tugging, and the mostly scattered blackbird miraculously solidified, staggering back from the smoke and crashing into the chair beside him.
"I... I just..."
"It’s okay, I understand."
Smiling gently at the blackbird who was visibly frightened and speaking incoherently, Fredri pulled him back with an understanding look and said softly:
"Your truth is based on [fear], and when the source of fear approaches you, it’s natural to be dominated by fear in return, that’s very normal."
"Phew..."
Seeing that Fredri, who could break [Disaster Avoidance], wasn’t planning to scrutinize his "retreat in battle", the blackbird couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, then awkwardly bowed under the strange stares of other True Gods and said:
"Thank you... thank you for your understanding, I... I just... sorry."
"It’s alright, I already said it’s a normal reaction, you don’t need to apologize for it."
Fredri smiled with anticipation as her calm eyes gazed at the blackbird with flickering "flames," sensing the aura that was just a step away from transcending, truly becoming a "root race," and then she waved her hand to upright the chair knocked over by the blackbird, motioning him to sit back down.
Once the occasionally trembling blackbird returned to his seat, settling on the left side of the main seat under the complex gazes of several True Gods and Pillar Gods, Fredri on the main seat lightly clapped her hands twice, drawing the attention of the gods, and then spoke with a cheerful smile:
"Well then, that was just a trivial interlude, what’s important comes next... The reason I returned to God Gathering Island and opened the hall, forcibly bringing you all back, is because there is a new task for you to accomplish."
"Shush shush shush"
Even before Fredri’s words finished, except for the blackbird still trying to calm his heartbeat, all the True Gods in the hall immediately stood up synchronously, respectfully bowing their heads to Fredri on the main seat.
"At your command..."
"Enough of that, let’s skip it."
After waving her hand to interrupt the pledge of allegiance from the True Gods, Fredri, seemingly in good spirits, first glanced at the blackbird struggling to get up beside him, then lifted her hands to motion them to sit back down, and said with a smile:
"There’s a rather troublesome fellow who’s about to cause trouble at Ring Time Mountain, and since I have things to attend to, I can’t handle him, so I plan to move the entire [God Gathering Island] to the mountaintop of Ring Time Mountain to have you deal with him temporarily, any problem?"
That troublesome fellow... could let [Father] call troublesome, can only be other root remnants, right? Plus the blackbird’s sudden "trick" just now...
Upon hearing Fredri’s words, the gods in the hall looked at each other for a moment, then one old-looking Pillar God cautiously asked among the frontmost few Pillar Gods:
"Father, the troublesome fellow you mentioned..."
"Leon, the Food God who awakened [Disaster Avoidance] in the blackbird."
"?!!!!!"
I fight the Food God?!!!
Listening to Fredri casually mention the name of that "taboo person," the gods couldn’t help but shake collectively, with more than ninety percent of the True Gods showing fear on their faces.
Even though except for the blackbird, all the True Gods in the hall had never seen the Food God, it further indicates the terrifying danger of the Food God, because not that no one encountered the Food God, but those who did can’t make it back.
Even other root remnants are terrifying, but that’s merely the oppression from power disparity, akin to a tattooed brute wielding a knife on the street at night, even with no animosity, it’s hard not to shiver upon seeing him, though briskly leaving generally resolves the encounter.
Not the Food God though; if one had to describe him, he not only roams the street with a knife but immediately chases upon seeing people, wildly swinging the knife while laughing madly and licking the blood splashed on his face, pursuing until the person is entirely cut and consumed.
This nearly food-chain level suppression, along with the one percent... or solely the blackbird’s surviving encounter ratio, brings fear incomparable to anything else, making merely hearing his name able to stop a small god’s cry at night.
Regarding having everyone join forces against the Food God... isn’t that outright risking our lives?
"Father..."
Unconsciously swallowing, the old-looking Pillar God who just spoke gritted his teeth and stepped forward, saying with a slightly panicked expression:
"As logic dictates, we should follow your command, but we fear that..."
"Rest assured, I won’t let you die in vain."
Glancing at the gods showing fear, Fredri, already anticipating their reaction, smiled, then pulled up the sleeve on her left arm, removed the old string of mixed-color beads from her wrist, and gently knocked it on the table in front of her.
With her motion, fourteen beads on the string half-lit, half-dim glowed, sending out resplendent radiant light overflowing in bulk, flowing along the wide table engraved with rugged veins towards all surrounding True Gods except the blackbird.
Upon contact with these diverse-colored glorious lights, feeling the infinitely broadened will, almost directly reaching the root’s wonderful taste, the hearts of several Pillar Gods in the hall rapidly accelerated, and breathing became urgent simultaneously.
"These are roots I haven’t yet absorbed, temporarily giving half temporarily for you to use."
After putting the considerably dimmed beads back on her wrist, Fredri kindly said:
"Leon’s power is the strongest among the remaining root remnants, but his grasp over the roots isn’t considered high, and the roots he holds are incomplete, without fully mastering any root.
So, having a small amount of root similar to his, he loses the ability to instantly crush and kill you, even if you’re still unlikely to defeat him, but cautiously engaging with him until I return is possible."
"..."
Seems like... indeed possible to fight the Food God?
We’ve become so strong now, and have the same roots at hand, even if eventually unable to defeat the Food God, contending with him somewhat surely isn’t impossible?
Feeling the mysterious and powerful root power just obtained from the beads, the confidence-boosted gods promptly pledged to complete the task.
And due to Fredri’s usual gentle nature, one Pillar God even boldly asked Fredri’s whereabouts, wanting to know how long to delay for her return.
"Relax, I’ll be quick."
Pulling down the sleeve on her left arm once again, re-concealing the half-lit, half-dim string of beads on her wrist, Fredri rose from her seat, smiling and replied:
"The avatar I sent to seek aid in the mortal world discovered something very intriguing two days ago, so I plan to retrieve those things while Leon is causing trouble at Ring Time Mountain... You all do your best, whether I can fulfill my wish relies on how long you can stall him~"
