Chapter 852 - 413: Ancient Secret Message
Li Ang didn’t open the door immediately because the blueprint for the Force Field Prosthetic Hand was still in the final stages, and if his train of thought was interrupted, it might take a while to pick it up again.
"Hmm?"
Zoe, outside the door, didn’t get a response. She hummed repeatedly, and the knocking gradually turned into a swishing rubbing sound, as if out of boredom, she started to rub the door panel with her fingers.
"Li Ang~ Li Ang~"
The young girl’s soft humming was filled with thoughts, no longer as pure as when she first left the Isle of Winds. Each rise and fall of her voice tugged at a fine thread connected to his heart.
"Alright, I’m coming."
Li Ang’s face peeked out from behind the door, and their smiles met each other.
Then, their cheeks genuinely touched.
Embracing each other, they kissed and collapsed onto the bed. The little head with chestnut hair nuzzled in Li Ang’s chest for a long time before looking up, eyes twinkling like stars.
"Li Ang, it’s so good to have you." Zoe giggled.
"Why say that all of a sudden?"
"I just wanted to say it, I want to say so much."
Zoe lay on his chest for a long time until their body temperatures completely synchronized, so familiar it felt as if it was the natural order of life itself.
"First, let me tell you what I saw in the Star Palace."
After their tender moment, the young girl’s eyes showed a calmness far exceeding the usual, and Li Ang realized that her emotions and thoughts were different, so he listened seriously to her account.
"When I was calling Hedaya, I saw things from her past."
"You sensed her memories?"
"Yeah, maybe more intensely, I ’saw’ them directly." The young girl gestured at her eyes with two fingers.
"What did you see?"
"I saw the birth of the Star Souls and those who created them."
Zoe, using her simple language, slowly painted for Li Ang the scene of Hedaya being molded from the molten Earth. Following this picture, more images seemed to appear before his eyes—
Endless primordial Power of Nature being shaped by a god-like existence into fully-formed beings possessing the true forms of beasts and the demeanor of humans. They embodied the divine avatars of celestial fire and thunder, flowing rivers, rainbows after rain, galloping wildlife, ripened fruits, lush woods, and wildlands.
The Star Souls, beloved children of the world, yet tightly bound in chains, becoming slaves and weapons serving the Deus People.
"Did you say the names given to the Star Souls were chosen?"
In Zoe’s narration, Li Ang caught a crucial point.
The cloud-dwelling Deus People mentioned the "Otherworld Ancient Stele," but Hedaya’s name wasn’t from there; she was the Power God’s Consort.
Power God, this term is from the ancient language of Nebis, but as the ancient tongue evolved into the modern common tongue, certain significant exclusive terms changed little, like "God," which is pronounced as Deus.
Without looking at the writing, just the pronunciation alone reveals that this Power God is the same one referenced by Alulu’s Power God Bloodline.
Furthermore, giving the name "Power God’s Consort" to the human form avatar, who was a Horned Race female, Hedaya, reinforces this point.
"Li Ang, what are you thinking?"
Through their time together, Zoe had already learned to recognize the appearance of Li Ang when he was deep in thought.
Li Ang pinpointed the key information he sensed for Zoe and continued speaking.
First, regarding Hedaya, since the Divine People directly called the name of the "Power God," it suggests that this "God" is not of the same rank as they are, perhaps even higher.
And those who consider themselves the remnants of the gods, the only ones with higher rank than them would be the Primordial Beings.
Is the Power God a match for the Primordial Being? Then, following Li Ang’s previous categorization, the Power God is an entity from the Golden Era, far older than the Deus People.
Perhaps, this Power God and the Primordial Being are at odds with each other, for if they were allies, the Deus People wouldn’t attach the name Power God’s Consort to the Star Souls they view as slaves.
"Indeed, they are truly wicked," Zoe remarked.
"Yeah." Li Ang chuckled, it was just like the little one to be so straightforward, whereas he had to ponder over a multitude of definitions in his mind.
And the second key piece of information from this segment is that "Otherworld Ancient Stele."
Li Ang immediately thought of his long-standing curiosity about why this world had so many things named after Earth’s mythology. Coincidence seemed nearly impossible.
If this world were seen as a game world, it would make sense; certain games love to borrow names from existing mythologies as titles.
But did he really cross into a game? He did not think he had been digitized. Earth’s virtual worlds mostly remained as concepts heavily hyped for capital expansion, with AI computation dominated by a monopolistic chipset from that certain leather-clad dog company.
He preferred to believe in the hypothesis of unlimited universes and parallel universes, where Earth and this world’s connection through the game had formed some kind of quantum link.
What is clear now is that the thing might be a record of Earth’s mythology, the reason for its presence here, however, still lacks any reference information.
To Zoe, Li Ang merely said it’s an object worthy of attention.
Then...
Zoe narrated seeing Hedaya’s battles and reflections, as well as the sudden appearance of the "Divine Child," and how she could summon Bahamut, lead the Star Souls to victory, and finally, perish on the Hill of Flowers.
The aspect of Hedaya herself was not overly complex, it just made Li Ang profoundly aware of the humanity within the Star Souls.
The ability to reflect on their own situation distinguished them from mechanized creations. Their intelligence was high, but to achieve such reflection, they were qualified to be considered sapient life forms.
They were not just weapons. They were simply the children of Nebis and the Great Spirit, catalyzed into existence by the Creation Formula in an unnatural way.
So, it was only when the Star Soul realized the issue and began reflecting that the "Divine Child" appeared.
She is quite pivotal.
Li Ang pondered for a long time about the Divine Child who led the Star Souls in rebellion, connecting it to his experiences all the way from Satus Island, while Zoe quietly lay beside him, watching him silently contemplate and organize information.
"The core is a kind of power," Li Ang summarized.
"A kind of power?"
"Yes, that powerful young girl leading the Star Souls, you, and Ivynis, share significant similarities."
"I don’t have blue hair though."
"Hmm, that might be an expression of some power, possibly the power you all share."
"Then why is my hair this color?"
"Do you remember your father’s notes?"
Li Ang said, "Didn’t he mention that his child is special, believing you were born from the interweaving of his internal Power of Stars and the Divine Power your mother acquired from ’that great deity’? Perhaps blue hair is one aspect of this expression, and another aspect balances such an expression, thus your hair appears normal."
Zoe listened, somewhat understanding, finally concluding, "So who has blue hair, dad or mom? Wait, isn’t that wrong too?"
"Didn’t you say that her hair changed color when she died?"
"Oh right, that’s true!"
Zoe suddenly understood, "I’ve never seen my dad or mom go all out; maybe one of them turns blue?"
"Actually..."
Li Ang thought for a moment and finally said, "During the summoning of Bahamut in the City of the Ship’s Rudder, the edges of your hair had a hint of blue, which at the time I thought was a visual error caused by the starry light."
He carefully recalled the scene back then, confirming he did not mistake it before daring to say it out loud, fearing he might mislead the girl into holding incorrect expectations.
"So I have it too!" Zoe laughed, then began pondering, "Is it from dad or mom?"
"Perhaps your mom."
Although Li Ang had little information, from the way the couple exerted power, it seemed closer to her mother.
However, her father’s nature of power might not differ too much.
Zoe possesses the power of both of them, thus regarded by the Star Souls as the "Divine Child." Looking at it now, that girl who could summon Bahamut is already standing on a higher plane, observing this world, guiding the Star Souls—it isn’t as simple as the Star Soul Greenhouse.
And from the information Zoe provided, the Divine Child could also supplement power to the Star Souls like the Star Soul Greenhouse.
"Connecting to ’Star Soul Prototype Bahamut,’ ’Great Star Soul,’ and the Star Souls, the higher power you should collectively hold is the bond connecting you and that group of Star Souls, leading them to consider you both as the same existence as Divine Child."
"Li Ang is really great, I couldn’t have thought of this," Zoe laughed happily.
"You haven’t seen enough things; this is actually a habit, not that impressive." Li Ang patted her head.
"But I feel like she resembles mom; perhaps it’s a similar power?" Zoe continued.
Li Ang confirmed a detail: "You said the Bahamut summoned by that Divine Child and ours are different?"
"Yes, it’s the color of white and gold."
A Platinum Dragon God?
"Now it seems, the Creator God can indeed manifest avatars in different forms, currently known are four kinds."
Li Ang counted with his fingers, recalling: "The violet golden Star Soul Prototype Bahamut, the twisted full-body barbed Alien Dragon God with six claws and double wings, the golden-green Star Breaker, and this one—let’s tentatively call it ’Platinum Dragon God.’
"Currently, it is known that the form of Dragon God manifestation is consistent with the goals they wish to achieve."
Li Ang commented, "The true commonality between you and the Divine Child should be the connection with Bahamut, and not the supplementation of power to the Star Souls, as just like the blue hair, it is an external expression and not the fundamental reason."
"I see."
Zoe silently clenched her fist to her chest, "The first time calling out the dragon with Ivynis, I even saw mom."
Her mother, if memory serves correctly, was referred to by her father as "Lily."
Prior to this, Li Ang sensed from the magic she mastered that altered minds that she came from some ancient tradition—could it be the "sect" referred to by that Star Soul leader?
Nebis always had no shortage of people with distinguished backgrounds.
Li Ang noticed Zoe’s expression clenched together as if... as if exerting force towards a non-existent object.
"What are you doing?"
"I’m trying to see if I can force out that power."
"We don’t know exactly what it is, how would you go about it?"
Li Ang chuckled, "Don’t be in a hurry, as long as you keep moving forward, encountering more Star Souls, the secrets will gradually be unveiled."
"Yeah, yeah."
Zoe nodded, but suddenly thought of something, and her face fell.