Chapter 605 - 96: Rank Advancement
When the Moon God and Jasper Pool entered the Divine Hall, they discovered that Calypso, who had been as excited as a hyperthyroid patient before, now looked like a drooping eggplant.
Her face was full of disappointment, and she muttered, ’Impossible, impossible!’
The Moon God looked at Shen Fei, wondering what had happened.
"I received Hecate’s Divine Authority, which struck her!" Shen Fei spoke frankly, yet it stimulated the dazed Calypso.
"Why, why!!"
"I am the priestess who has prayed to the goddess for so many years, I am her most beloved follower!"
Calypso grew more despondent with each word, even her pointed ears drooped down. Suddenly, Shen Fei said, "The goddess actually mentioned you."
"Really?"
Calypso immediately ceased her sorrowful demeanor and quickly lifted her little face to ask.
Shen Fei felt no guilt deceiving the little girl, after all, when they leave it will be up to the Saintess to give Calypso some Divine Authority, regardless of the cost.
Once Shen Fei and the others complete their mission, they’ll leave here, so no need to worry about it.
"What did the goddess say?"
Calypso was a bit expectant; after all these years without the goddess’s favor, if it weren’t for the continued usability of witchcraft, she would have thought the goddess was asleep.
Of course, ’asleep’ is a euphemistic term; in truth, it’s fallen. To the Divine Spirits, falling is sleeping, returning to the heavens and earth, becoming a part of it all.
"She said that what I am doing now benefits the world, and if you help me well, by the time I become a Divine Spirit, you too will have Divine Authority and become a true Divine Spirit alongside me."
Shen Fei learned from the Saintess that, given her current abilities, she couldn’t grant Divine Authority to a demigod, and Divine Authority couldn’t be given randomly either.
The power he possesses now is of Divine Authority.
"You’re not fooling me, are you? Just trying to trick me into working for you for free." Calypso looked at Shen Fei with some suspicion; she always felt Shen Fei was making false promises.
But Shen Fei remained calm, "You can ask the goddess yourself when the time comes."
"But the goddess didn’t ask me about anything just now." Calypso’s ears drooped again.
Being Hecate’s follower and priestess, it has been so long since the goddess manifested in the world, yet almost all communication was spent on Shen Fei, without a single word for her.
The Saintess actually planned to have Calypso assist Shen Fei directly, but time was tight, and with her current powers couldn’t sustain for long.
It’s better to clarify important things with Shen Fei before proceeding.
"Rest assured, I’ve already received the goddess’s Divine Authority power. Just offering sacrifices containing divinity can extract divinity.
As the strength increases, slay Charybdis to use as a sacrifice; the goddess will surely meet with you."
Shen Fei wasn’t promising in vain; promising in vain implies the outcome is impossible. As long as Shen Fei becomes a Divine Spirit, and the Saintess’s power returns to the divine realm, he will have the ability to grant Divine Authority to Calypso.
"Alright."
Calypso herself agreed to help Shen Fei kill Charybdis, then she’ll be able to communicate with the goddess in person.
...
"All the sea sirens nearby are here." Calypso clapped her hands, and on an open ground on Aia Island, half-dead sea monsters struggled but were bound by tendrils, unable to escape.
These were all the sea monsters Calypso could capture nearby; not all creatures are suitable for sacrifice; they must possess divinity within.
Divinity can only be passed down by Divine Spirits.
These sea sirens naturally lack Divine Authority and rank, but most are descendants of descendants of Divine Spirits. When Pontos, the ancient Sea God, fell, his body merged into the ocean.
It became the source of divine power for various divine monsters, plus Poseidon and various Sea Gods often led their charge in the seas.
This has led to monsters with divinity existing more abundantly in the ocean compared to the land.
"This is satisfying."
Shen Fei looked at the pile of corpses, feeling awe for the power gathering over the sea.
Although what Calypso slayed were divine monsters with divinity, even if their connection to Poseidon was distant.
However, divinity was still present.
Accumulated, the evil intent generated was comparable to what Shen Fei felt when he slew Cyclops before, though he was only filled with awe.
He was not afraid; he realized since successfully communicating with the Saintess last time, even the previously tumultuous sea near Aia Island had returned to calm.
Poseidon must have quickly realized Hecate turned her gaze back onto the mortal world.
Even Zeus treated Hecate with trepidation, let alone Poseidon who Zeus had suppressed in the past.
Before, Calypso stayed on Aia Island for so long and occasionally went to Sicily to cause trouble.
Given Poseidon’s concern for this illegitimate child, it’s unlikely he wouldn’t retaliate, especially with Hecate standing behind Calypso.
The previous audacity was due to noticing Hecate hadn’t shown power for a long time, sending Cyclops to probe, but now she has reemerged.
This led Poseidon to restrain himself again; Poseidon was inherently one to bully the weak.
Submissive to the strong gods, he attacked the weaker gods harshly.
This time, establishing the sacrifice array no longer required Calypso’s involvement; having received the Saintess’s Divine Authority power, Shen Fei could naturally manage these tasks.
In truth.
Currently, Shen Fei only surpassed Calypso in the proficiency of casting witchcraft, but his understanding of witchcraft was no less than Calypso’s.
In an instant.
Dark mist rose from the ground, enveloping the half-dead sea monsters, causing them to crack open, scales flaking off.
"Hiss!"
Many half-dead sea monsters twisted painfully, letting out sharp cries, attempting to call forth the sea with their bloodline’s talent to drown the island.
But with Shen Fei present, there was no way these sea monsters could summon the sea onto the island.
These half-dead sea monsters, continuously attacked by the dark mist, turned into black charcoal blocks.
Simultaneously, gold-red particles spewed from the twisted remains, transforming into streams of light, converging towards Shen Fei’s chest.
Accompanied by a wondrous heat, Shen Fei could feel he was completing some missing parts.
’Rank...’
Shen Fei realized his soul was transforming.
Complete Divine Skill requires rank and Divine Authority to unleash its full power.
The elements of heaven and earth are foundational, Divine Authority is methodology, and rank is the connection.
Now possessing Divine Authority but lacking the rank of a Divine Spirit caused his Divine Skill’s power to be less than a true Divine Skill.
Now his soul’s rank was advancing; as it increased, Shen Fei felt his grasp over the [Tsunami] Divine Authority grew tighter.
"So enviable..."
Calypso watched Shen Fei’s improvement with admiration; this was the favored of the goddess, power enhancement in such a short time rivaled years of her research.
As for the cost, it was just some dead sea monsters.
"So, it’s really Hecate behind you, though indeed, Hecate is also known as the Moon of the Netherworld."
A shadow emerged from the sky, speaking with tinges of surprise; Shen Fei turned to see the newcomer, a face both exquisite and filled with heroism, naturally it was Athena.
As Shen Fei expected, she sent him to find Calypso to test who was behind Shen Fei, yet she actually hoped Hecate would probe Shen Fei.
Unexpectedly, Shen Fei’s background was directly linked to Hecate.
Though she spent time in Ephesus researching Shen Fei’s life from birth there to becoming a priest, not even factoring in Hecate.
Shen Fei had undergone no special experiences, yet had a connection with Hecate.
Faced with Athena’s perplexity, Shen Fei didn’t respond, and Athena wisely refrained from questioning further.
Since discovering Shen Fei’s backer, she gained confidence in her arrangements, Hecate being among the most mysterious of the myriad gods, a goddess not even Zeus feared.
If Shen Fei wanted to do anything, at least he had the backing to support it.