Chapter 852 A BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE (3)
AN UNWANTED guest.
That was how Neoma would describe Astrid, the Goddess of Beauty, who visited her residence unannounced.
It wasn't the first time that the goddess did something like that.
However, this was the first time Astrid came alone.
[She usually brings an entourage of her attractive lovers.]
"To what do I owe this visit, Lady Astrid?" Neoma asked sarcastically. "We don't have the kind of relationship where we can visit each other without a valid reason, do we?"
It wasn't like she hated Astrid.
Hatred was a luxury for jaded people like Neoma.
[I simply do not give a damn anymore.]
But she would admit that she wasn't fond of the goddess who tried to seduce Commander Yoan before.
[The commander didn't even turn to look at the Goddess of Beauty, though.]
It was actually funny remembering how Astrid was humiliated by Commander Yoan on several occasions.
"Are you not even going to invite me inside your house?"
"You're not a guest, so why would I?"
"Cheeky brat."
"Why, thank you."
"Here," Astrid said, handing her a box. "Take it."
Neoma just moved her finger to make the box float, then she did the same thing to lift the lid of the box. She raised an eyebrow when she saw the gift that Astrid brought for her. "Are you telling me to go to another war?"
After all, the goddess' gift was a set of armor.
And it wasn't just any armor– it was the armor that Astrid used the first time she participated in a war.
Astrid smiled arrogantly. "You recognized my armor right away."
"Who wouldn't?" she asked back. "Even back in the human world, several replicas of your armor were displayed in different museums."
"Good," the goddess said, still looking smug. "Then you know how valuable that armor is."
"I don't want it."
"Excuse me?"
"I don't want it," Neoma repeated lazily. "You can take it back."
"You–"
"I know what you want, and I'm not giving it to you."
Astrid's face turned red from anger. "What do you mean by that?"
"You want me to clean the pollution in your residence, don't you?"
The fact that the goddess kept her mouth shut as if she was guilty was enough answer.
Although Neoma was shut in her manor, she still had eyes and ears in the Divine City. Hence, she already knew that the gods were already aiming at her.
She didn't regret getting rid of the pollution in her residence, though.
[After all, it's for my baby.]
"I won't do it," Neoma said coldly. "Go home."
"If you don't want the armor, then tell me what you want," Astrid said firmly. "I'll give you anything and everything you want as long as it's within my power."
"No can do."
The goddess closed her eyes for a moment before she opened them just to glare at her. "Fine. You can have my title as the most beautiful goddess in the world."
"I don't need that stupid title."
"Excuse me? Do you know how many girls and goddesses would kill just to have my title?!"
"I'm already the most beautiful woman in Yoan's eyes, so I don't need other people's validation."
She liked addressing Yoan as 'commander' because it reminded her of their time in their human world.
But, when talking to other people, she would address Yoan by his first name.
[Because I need to let them know that Yoan is mine.]
"You insolent brat," Astrid said in a growl, her red eyes glowing menacingly. "How dare you turn me down when I'm asking nicely!"
Neoma sighed, then she snapped her fingers.
That mere act was enough to send the Goddess of Beauty flying.
But Astrid was still a god, so she managed to stop herself from getting thrown into the polluted beach. The goddess was now suspended in the air, throwing curses at Neoma.
[Her high-pitched voice is so damn annoying.]
"Get out," Neoma said in a tired voice. "Stop bothering me."
And then she created a powerful Dome around her entire estate.
***
BLERGH.
Darkness.
Neoma threw up Darkness.
[I ate too much of it…]
Cleaning up the polluted air in her entire residence took a toll on her body. It was too much for her. Perhaps it was because she hadn't used her power for the last two years since the war ended.
[Yoan did everything for me back then, so I didn't have to move on my own.]
"But I need to get back in shape if I want to protect my baby," Neoma whispered to herself. "Astrid won't be the last person to bother me now that the entire Upper World knows I can permanently get rid of the air pollution here."
To be honest, she knew that the other gods would leave her alone if she just agreed to clean up the air in the Upper World.
But she couldn't because that would be bad for her baby.
"My baby is more important than anyone or anything else in this world," Neoma whispered, clenching her hands tight as her red eyes glowered in the dark. "I'll ask Yoan to leave this place with me as soon as he returns."
***
"COME OUT, NEOMA de Moonasterio!"
Neoma stood on the balcony of her room with knitted eyebrows.
She didn't really need to come out of her manor.
Her eyesight was good enough to see Arien, the God of War, standing in front of her estate even though there was a huge distance between them.
[He came out of his training room?]
After the war ended two years ago, Arien locked himself up in his training room to train his body again. Apparently, he had to be prepared in case another war came up.
"I can see you, brat!"
[Well, I can see you, too.]
And it was unsightly because the God of War only wore a pair of trousers and nothing else.
Arien was a nine-foot-tall man with a huge build. His tanned skin was full of scars that he considered badges of honor. The god had flaming red hair that seemed to signify his hot temper.
Apparently, Arien was very handsome.
Neoma couldn't tell because she liked her man neat and simple.
[Like my Yoan.]
Moreover, even in the Upper World, no one could match Rubin Drayton's handsome face. Hence, her standards for a man's attractiveness were really high.
"Get rid of this barrier before I break it, Neoma de Moonasterio!"
Neoma let out a sigh while shaking her head. "I won't purify your residence, Lord Arien."
She knew that the God of War could hear her despite the distance between them.
[His sharp senses are unrivaled, after all.]
"Why not?!" Arien growled angrily. "How can I meditate in my training room if the air inside is polluted?!"
"That's not my problem."
"Then I'll make it YOUR problem!"
Arien's red eyes glowed dangerously, and then he yelled angrily before punching Neoma's Dome.
[Argh.]
Neoma felt the recoil of her barrier getting punched by the (physically) strongest god in the Upper World.
She had no choice but to get rid of her barrier.
It wasn't like she had weakened. Her strongest suit was her barriers, after all. But she had put 50% of her power to protect the child in her womb.
[This fight won't be easy.]
Her thoughts were interrupted when the ground started shaking because Arien was running at full speed to reach her manor.
[Scary bastard.]
Neoma didn't move her from her spot because she had no intention of fighting Arien with her own strength alone.
Not when she had a baby to protect.
"Veton," Neoma said, summoning the new "pet" that Yoan caught a few years ago. The Thunderbird, now in the form of a small bird, materialized and landed on her arm. "Yoan left a significant amount of his Mana for you to add to your power, didn't he?"
The Elemental Guardian chirped while bobbing its head in response.
She was glad that the Thunderbird seemed to like her. After all, it was willing to follow her order even though she wasn't its master.
[Yoan trained his bird well.]
"Very well," Neoma said, then she pointed at Arien who was already in front of her manor. "Strike that bastard."
A few seconds later, the sky turned dark.
And then the single strike of a very powerful and purple-colored lightning lit up half of the Upper World.
Neoma later heard that Arien barely survived the attack.
***
"LORD LEVI, this is too much!"
"The fate of the entire Upper World is in Neoma de Moonasterio's hands, but she refuses to help us!"
"That brat is being selfish!"
"She even attacked the gods who came to her residence to negotiate with her!"
"And now she created a powerful barrier around her estate!"
"Perhaps she thinks she's already on the same level as the old gods just because we're being lenient to her! We should put her in her place!"
Levi let out a silent sigh.
It had been months since Neoma de Moonasterio purified the air pollution in her residence. And since then, the young princess' residence had been free of corruption.
[It's proof that her purification abilities can get rid of the pollution permanently.]
No wonder the other gods were greedy to have Neoma de Moonasterio act as their personal Aether.
"Perhaps Yoan could help us convince Neoma de Moonasterio to cooperate with us?"
Levi's face hardened when his divine son's name was brought up. "What does Yoan have to do with this?"
The entire room suddenly fell silent when his cold voice echoed inside.
Levi reminded his colleagues that he was still the God Among Gods by almost crushing them with his mere presence.
That forced everyone in the room to bow their heads and lower their gazes to the floor.
"I will talk to Neoma de Moonasterio, so don't bother my son who's busy helping the humans rebuild their world," Levi said in a tired voice. "You may all leave now."
The gods who barged into his office to complain left one by one with heavy feet.
All except for one.
"Larissa," Levi said, calling the only goddess who didn't leave her seat. "What does the Goddess of Fertility need from me?"
Larissa, the Goddess of Fertility– and the one who allowed the birth of the de Moonasterio clan in the human world.
It was almost possible for two major gods to give birth to a child naturally.
But it was Larissa who helped Yule and Roxana do that.
"My lord, congratulations," Larissa said, smiling cheekily at Levi. "You're going to be a grandfather soon."
Levi, who was shocked by the news, broke the arms of his chair. "Are you saying that Neoma de Moonasterio is pregnant with my son's child?! How dare those children conceive a child without my permission!"
It was a disaster.
Yule and Roxana's union gave birth to the de Moonasterios– the god among men.
History shouldn't repeat itself.
"Calm down, my lord," Larissa said calmly. "Neoma de Moonasterio created the child herself."
"What?"
"It's entirely possible for a god to create their own child, just like how my lord made Yoan your divine son," Larissa said, then she casually sipped her tea before she continued. "But it seems like Yoan will take responsibility for Neoma de Moonasterio's child."
Levi fell silent when the big picture started to make sense.
Neoma de Moonasterio had stopped using her powers since the war ended, but she was never uncooperative.
Now he finally understood why the young god refused to clean up the Upper World.
"Neoma de Moonasterio is pregnant," Levi whispered to himself, tapping his fingers on the broken arms of his chair. "She refuses to cooperate in order to protect her child."
***
IT WAS a guest that Neoma couldn't push away.
How could she do that when the visitor just appeared out of thin air in front of her?
Tsk.
[So, my Dome is useless against this man.]
"I'm here to confirm one thing, Neoma de Moonasterio," Lord Levi asked bluntly. "Are you pregnant?"
Ah.
As expected, she couldn't hide her pregnancy for so long.
Neoma unconsciously hugged her belly. "What if I'm pregnant, Lord Levi?"
"Get rid of the child," Lord Levi ordered in a cold voice. "You cannot purify the polluted air in the Upper World if you're pregnant."
***
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