Chapter 497: Shattering? [ 1 / 2 ]
Hearing that he could enter, Rael didn’t hesitate to be the one to take the first step through the door.
In an instant, his vision shifted as he felt off-balance. However, just as quickly, that feeling passed as he was suddenly flung through space in zero gravity.
The stars from before surrounded him, but they were much closer now. And with each second that he was hurtling through space, the stars got closer.
But once it seemed like the stars were about to hit him, they stopped, and so did Rael as the zero gravity sensation finally ended, making him fall flat onto his ass.
The sight that greeted him upon arrival was extremely plain. There was a small wooden hut surrounded by tall trees just in front of him. He could feel the presence of someone inside the hut, and not only that, he could smell someone cooking a pie.
He didn’t wonder for long as Vatyra arrived shortly after, and then the guardian, Sylvia.
Neither of them seemed to be interested in what this place was, which made Rael feel like a child in a toy store.
Nonetheless, Rael stood up right away, waiting for Sylvia to give them a quick rundown of the place.
And soon enough, he got just that.
“Welcome to the core of the Silver Willow Tree. Inside is the madam, and she has been awaiting your arrival,” Sylvia said warmly. “There aren’t many rules. Simply maintain proper etiquette and d-don’t… don’t taste her pies.”
Rael spotted the wariness in Sylvia’s tone, especially at the end. He nodded in understanding, then turned to Vatyra.
“You hear that? Maintain proper etiquette.”
“Why should I?” Vatyra tilted her head, a faint grin appearing on her face. “The only time I act nice to someone is when they’re stronger than me. So, little baby dragon and the blind fugitive, don’t tell me what to do.”
Feels like I’m talking to a delinquent. Rael sighed. Oh well, not like it matters.
“So can we go inside?” Rael asked.
Sylvia smiled. “Indeed. I shall wait outside to escort you back to the Void Realm after you’re finished.”
“Alright…” Rael replied, and without wasting another second, he approached the wooden hut.
The door seemed slightly open, so Rael pushed it aside, revealing the rather cozy interior.
There was a bed, a kitchen, a toilet slightly to the side in its own room, and a living room with a massive fireplace.
In front of the fireplace was a golden-haired woman who impatiently tapped her foot on the ground as she stared at what was inside the fireplace.
“Come on… Why is it taking so long to settle…?” the woman muttered.
Upon closer look, Rael realized she was using this fireplace as an oven, drawing a faint chuckle from him.
That chuckle caught the attention of the woman as she slowly turned around, her sky-blue eyes meeting his. She seemed so incredibly plain, but her presence alone froze Vatyra in place. She couldn’t utter a word and only stared blankly, her hands trembling slightly.
It was an interesting sight. So much so that Rael couldn’t help himself from inspecting this woman.
Yet what he saw was a little unexpected.
—Tiamat, The Mother of Gods [Grade 10 Apocalypse Class | Level 982,747] – Vitality: Tier 100 (MAX) [100% / 100% HP]
“What the hell are you doing here?” Vatyra asked, wary. “Didn’t you die just like the rest of those bastards?”
Rael narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth, trying to speak. However, because of the invisible pressure Tiamat had begun to exude, he couldn’t even get a single word out.
And all that while she wasn’t even serious. She merely stared at the two of them, evaluating them carefully. At first, her expression was one of curiosity, but after that had settled, Tiamat looked at them with total confusion.
“I’m not sure who you’re talking about, but how did you get here exactly?” Tiamat asked, tilting her head. “Pretty sure I locked the door on my way in.”
“Don’t dodge the question,” Vatyra said coldly. “What are you doing here?”
Tiamat raised a brow at Vatyra’s attitude. “Do you always come off so demanding, or are you just so used to getting whatever you want? Either way, that has nothing to do with me. Stay here and watch my pie.”
She stepped forward, walking past them and to the door. Opening it slightly, she gestured for Sylvia to come in.
Although hesitant, Sylvia entered and walked toward the fireplace. When she stopped, she gave each one of them a bow once again.
“Sorry for the misunderstanding, madam. Kareth has requested that you allow this man to have an audience with you.”
Sylvia pointed at Rael. “His name is Rael Sutekh, or you could use the Altros surname. He’s one of the people who managed to survive the shattering.”
The what now? Gaia, any ideas? Rael mused.
[I’ve never heard of the shattering, sorry,] Gaia replied apologetically. [I’ll look through my mind though. I might be able to uncover something.]
“He survived?” Tiamat repeated, slightly surprised. “Well, that’s good to know. There should be many more. Have you found the rest?”
“Out of the 9,554,117 beings who survived the shattering, I’ve only managed to find 54,284, including this man here,” Sylvia replied curtly.
After taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she gestured toward Rael.
“Kareth cashed in his favor. He requested that you help Rael, or maybe even grant a wish of his. Aside from that, madam, I don’t know anything else.”
With another bow, Sylvia quickly turned around and began tinkering with the pie, as if to make sure it wouldn’t burn the wooden hut down.
As for Tiamat, she fell into thought for a few moments, unsure of how to act. However, her uncertainty was soon replaced with a sense of familiarity as she walked up to Rael and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“I believe we have a lot to talk about. Come, sit down.”