Mavuika descended from the sky. As she left, the colossal Blazing Sun that had dominated the heavens vanished. Fortunately, the golden light enveloping the warriors persisted, proving the Ode of Resurrection was still in effect.
During her brief time in the sky, Mavuika had roughly assessed the battle's outcome. If the Abyss received no further reinforcements, Natlan could secure a complete victory.
She could leave with peace of mind!
Even if her assessment had been unfavorable to Natlan, Mavuika couldn't afford to linger.
Her paramount task now was to find the Slumbering Place of the Goddess alongside Lumine and awaken her.
"Traveler, let's go!"
"Mm."
Lumine promptly stored Angie and Fidelle within the Serenitea Pot. Then, she soared toward Yohualtecuhtin, Lord of the Night. The two golden streaks vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving the onlookers below gaping in awe.
-
Flower-Feather Clan, outskirts
After hearing Lumine's request and description, and seeing Mavuika in her current state of heightened power, Yohualtecuhtin, Lord of the Night, immediately opened a passage, transporting Lumine and Mavuika directly to a hidden area within the Night Kingdom.
Unlike the rest of the Night Kingdom, this place still bore traces of the Abyss's corruption, though the contamination level remained relatively low.
Before them stood a massive, thick gate, slightly ajar just enough for one person to pass through. Wisps of Abyss Energy seeped through the narrow opening.
"Is this the Goddess's Slumbering Place?"
"We're still far from it," Lumine replied, "but we'll encounter the Abyss soon. Don't linger in battle—we must reach our destination quickly. I'll lead the way."
Mavuika nodded. "I can sense the Abyss's corruption here isn't too severe yet," she warned, "but the situation ahead will be different. This might be our last chance for a brief respite."
"What about Angie and Fidelle? Are you planning to bring them along?"
"Awakening the slumbering Goddess requires their help."
Within Lumine's Unrelenting Will, all five Pure Souls were fragmented, and Fidelle's soul showed signs of wear. Angie's soul, however, remained whole and intact!
Earlier, when the seven souls had converged in Lumine's mind, a vague premonition had surfaced: to fully awaken the Goddess, Angie and Fidelle must accompany them.
"Very well, then let's not delay. We should set out immediately."
"Mm."
Lumine transformed into a golden streak of light, charging through the gate. Mavuika swiftly followed.
The two luminous figures surged through the opening at breakneck speed, plunging into the darkness beyond.
-
Player World.
Chen Xiyao controlled Lumine as she dashed through the door. The screen went black, and when it lit up again, only Lumine remained.
Lumine now wielded the Unrelenting Will, a faint golden aura radiating from her body.
Aside from the golden glow, Chen Xiyao sensed that something had changed about Lumine, but she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.
A prompt appeared on the screen: Press and hold the spacebar to fly.
"Fly?"
Chen Xiyao pressed and held the spacebar. Wings instantly sprouted from Lumine's back, and she levitated into the air.
"Holy crap, she can really fly!"
Chen Xiyao soared forward, discovering that flying consumed no stamina, had no restrictions, and was incredibly fast with silky-smooth controls.
When she encountered monsters, Chen Xiyao simply slashed at them. Each strike unleashed a sword beam that didn't display damage numbers but instantly annihilated any enemy, even massive ones.
"Fucking awesome!!"
On the livestream chat:
[ This is the true Complete Lumine! ]
[ Why bother pulling for other characters? The Traveler is the strongest! Free stuff is always the best! ]
[ Look at Precious Lumine's expression, streamer! She's completely serious, not a hint of a smile. ]
[ Of course! Would you be smiling in this situation? ]
[ Waaah, I love Lumine's wings! When will they actually implement this? I'd be happy even if they were just for show! ]
-
Lumine and Mavuika moved with incredible speed, completely ignoring the monsters on the ground as they streaked past, fighting for every second.
At this pace, they estimated they would reach Gosoythoth's location (Jiang Mumu's version) in just half a minute.
But... could it really be that simple?
The moment Lumine and Mavuika reached a certain point, they abruptly stopped. Before them loomed a semi-transparent wall, its color a deep, purplish-black.
The moment Lumine saw the wall, her heart lurched.
Both its appearance and aura were identical to the barrier that had trapped her in the Dark Sea.
And Lumine distinctly remembered that even Morax and the other Archons had been unable to breach such a wall, even with all their might. Now, in this desperate situation, this damned wall stood in their way...
"Hyaaaah!"
Grasping Unrelenting Will, Lumine channeled every ounce of her strength into a blinding sword strike.
The blade slashed against the wall, but the barrier merely rippled like water.
"Traveler, together!"
Mavuika clenched her right fist, flames coalescing and compressing around it. Lumine gathered her energy once more, and their combined attacks slammed into the wall...
Boom!
A deafening roar shook the very space around them, the force causing the area to tremble violently.
The monster horde that had been trailing behind them quickly converged at the sound, charging forward with ferocious roars.
"Damn it!"
Lumine swung her sword backward in a swift arc, bisecting the charging horde in a single strike.
Scanning her surroundings, Lumine locked her gaze on the side wall.
If we can't go through, we'll dig through the side and go that way.
Acting on her plan, Lumine's golden-glowing sword carved through the stone like it was fried tofu. She quickly carved out a hole, but just as the depth of her tunnel matched the horizontal distance to the opposite wall...
Clang!
A crisp, metallic clang echoed through the chamber. Lumine's heart tightened as she immediately checked on Unrelenting Will. Seeing it unharmed, she resumed digging deeper into the side.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Five minutes later, Lumine began digging downward into the floor...
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Another five minutes passed before Lumine burst out of the hole in the floor.
"We can't break through! This wall is far too wide!"
Mavuika: "I've thoroughly searched the area, but I haven't found any mechanisms."
Lumine's face darkened. Is this it?
Morax and the others are waiting for me. I can't give up now!
Just then, the sounds of battle erupted from behind. Lumine, assuming it was those damned monsters, turned around in anger.
"Lumine!"
Aether, wielding a golden longsword in his bare hand, rushed toward them.
"Aether?"
Lumine's face lit up at the sight of him. "Quick, Aether, help us break through this wall!"
Aether nodded, ran up, and extended his right hand...
His right hand stretched further...
His right hand stretched one last time...
"The Abyss Energy in this wall is too concentrated, and the space beyond is exceptionally sturdy. I... can't break through it..."
Aether's face was apologetic.
Mavuika: "Traveler, shouldn't we let Angie and Fidelle try?"
Reminded by Mavuika, Lumine thought of Angie, Fidelle, and Paimon still inside the Serenitea Pot.
She immediately released Angie and Fidelle.
As for Paimon... she should probably stay inside. It's far too dangerous out here!