He wanted it, but safety had to be ensured first.
Just then, Susan's voice came from up ahead. "Come take a look, what we've found."
This was supposed to be the boudoir of Cherry, the Island Master of Flame Island.
The high ceiling, made of delicate wood beams and stucco ornaments, allowed sunlight to seep through stained glass, casting mottled shadows that danced on the smooth marble floor.
Various weapons hung on the surrounding walls, their blades exposed, emanating a fierce and deadly aura.
In one corner of the living area was an exquisitely crafted vanity, its cosmetics and jewelry now covered with a layer of dust.
"Cherry used to love dressing up. For her to abandon her vanity table, her mind must have been clearly distorted by the Evil God," Conni said, shaking his head and looking at a meteorite on the bed. "Is this it?"
"Yes." Poseidon Hawke tapped the meteorite with his trident. "It's broken?"
This was a fist-sized, fiery red meteorite, said by the islanders to have been found in magma.
Ever since obtaining this meteorite, Cherry's temperament began to change.
It wasn't just her. All the people on the island became dazed and confused; only a few who regularly left the island retained their sanity. But as soon as they returned to the island, they would act strangely, and the longer they stayed, the more apparent it became.
The surface of the meteorite was pocked and pitted, and its interior had many cracks; it shattered easily with a light touch.
Conni stepped forward.
"Careful!" Susan warned hastily.
"It's fine." Conni shook his head. "Whatever was inside must be gone by now."
"Something?" Lula asked curiously. "What kind of thing?"
"The Evil God's breath." Conni, holding a piece of the meteorite, lifted it towards the sunlight and squinted, scrutinizing it. "According to my guess, hundreds of years ago, this extraterrestrial meteorite, carrying an Evil God's breath, fell on this island, where Cherry eventually found it."
"The Evil God's breath beguiled her, causing her mind to twist and morph step by step until she became a monstrous creature."
"However, with Cherry's death, the Evil God's breath also dissipated, causing this stone to crack open."
"That's right." Hawke nodded. "According to Cherry's former pirate comrades, ever since she found this meteorite, she always kept it on her person."
"When eating, sleeping, or fighting, she would never be without it. Only recently did she finally let it go."
"The Evil God's breath…" Carl also picked up a fragment of the meteorite and examined its material with an analysis spell. "An ordinary meteorite."
An ordinary meteorite, merely tainted with a hint of the Evil God's breath, was enough to almost annihilate everyone. How terrifying must the real Evil God be?
"Look!" Lula pulled back a curtain, revealing what was behind it. "What is this?"
Behind the curtain, on the floor, a bizarre pattern was drawn in blood, with various items placed in each corner. The whole scene was very eerie.
"An altar," Conni said, crouching down to inspect the ground. He explained, "In rumors, Divines receive countless prayers from believers every day, yet they choose to respond to only a very small number of lucky ones."
"If an altar is set up and offerings are made, the believer's voice will be prioritized and perceived by a Divine, who will then respond."
"But..." He stood up, kicked over the items on the altar, and continued, "Our world has a barrier. Because of this, the Evil God's power cannot penetrate it, nor can it hear believers' voices. Cherry probably intended to use this method to contact the Evil God's true form."
"No!" Carl shook his head. "It wasn't Cherry; it was the Evil God."
"It was controlling Cherry to set up the altar to channel its own power."
"Right!" Conni's eyes lit up. "Who would have thought, Carl, that you also have a certain understanding of Divines. We should communicate more in the future."
Carl smiled. "I'm curious about all knowledge."
"Destroy it!" Conni straightened up and, grabbing some books from nearby, tossed them onto the ground. "They're all about communicating with Divines, things that delude people's hearts."
"What if we keep them?" Lula stroked her smooth chin, her eyes flickering. "Maybe we could communicate with a Righteous God and receive blessings."
"The Gods have fallen." Conni shook his head. "Even the most devout followers of Divines cannot elicit Their response. We're even less likely to."
"What if..." After witnessing Cherry's power, Lula couldn't help but hold on to a sliver of hope. "What if we could?"
"If you did receive a response, that would be even worse," Conni warned. "Because you'd have communicated with an Evil God. As mortals, you must never try to comprehend Divines."
"I'll do it." Carl stepped forward. "Mortals shouldn't pry into the domain of Divines, but simply looking over a few descriptions of them should be fine."
Saying so, he picked up a book.
Conni frowned unconsciously. He knew better than anyone the temptation of these things; very few could resist trying them out.
It's one thing if there's no response to an attempt, but if there is... that's trouble! Find the newest release on novel✦fire.net
Brown looked at the shattered crimson moon in the sky, his eyes shifting. The Guardian is unwilling to go to the Holy Hall. Why would the Goddess choose someone with no faith as Her Guardian? Could this also be the will of a god?
No matter what, the news about the Guardian must be sent back to the Holy Hall. It would be best if a Desecration Knight could come to ensure the Guardian's safety.
Brown carved lines of text onto a strange stone.
The text flashed briefly, then disappeared.
Divine Domain Fragment.
Sure enough, Carl thought, looking at the light screen in front of him.