Chapter 488: Goddesses’ Origin

For good reasons, I developed a habit of using the bronze coin to divine my short-term future.

Cling-!

Sou-!

I opened my palm, revealing three sets of lines corresponding to four, twelve, and sixty-four—youthfulness, stagnation, and before completion, respectively. The result made me pause, the slight trembling of my kidneys ceasing.

The reading suggested there is a pending matter I have to attend to, and based on the results, I know who it pertains to—

Leylah.

After fishing her out of the Sea of Data, I brought her back to her Cave Heaven in Mars. I had Seele check her condition out as her experience in Alchemy far surpassed mine. That was the downside of paying attention to reaching Formlessness. I never focused much on my side arts, save for divination. 

Her findings did not show much abnormality aside from weakness of her true body. To be sure, I left behind a trace of my mind to keep out on her changes. Taking control of it, my vision headed straight to her residence’s entrance. It was a huge, gray-bricked castle about ten storeys tall. The kind one would see at a medieval age. A castle for the richest nobility, or so I would say. In this regard, she bested Theresa, a genuine vampire.

A quick glance at it revealed a stable fluctuation from the highest tenth-level—at the bedroom I dropped Leylah into.

My sight receded back to my true body, back to the entrance of my residence.

I habitually stretched my upper body, feeling slightly more refreshed. The week-long cultivation allowed me to recover from my injuries. That was how exaggerated the Perfected Five Elements Spirit Root is, not to mention my two high-grade Tao Bodies still fusing together. Despite them being incomplete, its recovery effects far exceeded my expectations.

More importantly, it wasn’t recorded on the golden orb. It is an entirely new, suspected-to-be ultimate-grade Tao Body. Fortunately, its information was included in the ‘memories’ handed out by Leylah. Unfortunately, the ‘memories’ themselves are broken and fragmented. I could only put together pieces to see the general gist of events—the ones leading to my death.

I shook my head, determined to think about these later, and began making my way to Mars. Using the trace of my mind I left behind, I arrived in an instant. There are, however, two newcomers I did not expect. I hadn’t seen them earlier, which meant they only arrived now.

Kiana’s star-like purple irises met my glance. This time, she wore the white-orange jacket layered atop her Neko Charm battlesuit. Her long ponytail turned into a twin fish braid.

“Why did you come out so early? You haven’t recovered…”

Her words came to a grinding halt as she sensed my current situation. 

“As you can see, I have already recovered.”

“...Mn.”

Though she passed it off as a nod, I saw that familiar eager look flash by in her eyes. The moment I saw it, Kiana saw it too. The level of our tacit understanding made it too hard to hide each other’s thoughts.

She came close to my side, pinching the hem of my sleeve, and gave a ‘naughty’ smile.

This Tuna couldn’t hold back any longer…

“Am I interfering with you two?”

A self-depreciating comment came from Vita who watched us from a distance. Kiana wasn’t immune to her words, a trace of embarrassment appearing on her face. I helped her out by shifting the topic of our conversation.

“What brought you two here? I suppose it is Leylah’s Goddess status.”

“That’s right.” Kiana spoke up beside me. “Leylah came from the Cocoon. I should have spoken with her earlier. It might have prevented everything from happening…”

 Her voice carried a clear tone of guilt. Kiana saw Leylah as her responsibility, more so when her life revolved around the Honkai, ultimately being destroyed by it. Kiana, as the one Embraced by the Cocoon, found it to be her responsibility to mitigate the damage caused by the Honkai whenever she could.

I did not offer any consoling words, opting to pat her head instead. Actions gave meaning more than words, at least in this moment. Kiana’s shoulders relaxed visibly, enjoying my touch.

“What about Miss Vita?” I turned around to look at the elegant Vita and asked.

“Is it surprising to see me console someone else?”

“No, not really. It’s understandable.”

I wasn’t shaken by her quips. I know Vita’s story. Leylah’s position is similar to Vita, with Senadina as Sa’s. Only, Vita had it better, while Leylah did not. 

Seeing my reaction, Vita dropped her joking act.

“I came here to make sure of something.” She paused, her eyes turning complex, before continuing, “Senadina once asked the help of Sa. I want to ensure nothing is left behind.”

I understood her words. Although we thoroughly defeated Sa, going as far as to grind the Path of Abundance she held to dust, Vita wanted a closure.

And so, with the Tuna and a Pathstrider, no, an Emanator of Elation, we stepped inside Leylah’s private residence.

*****

It all started with a consciousness deep within the planet. Like a fetus gestated in its womb, it slowly grew. This time, however, the one who took the role of a womb was none other than the Cocoon of Finality. 

Before long, Mars greeted its very first Honkai Beast—

Entropy.

It wasn’t long until it met the visitors from beyond the sky. Among the twenty-two people was the last princess of Laquandar, a planet blessed with Abundance. THEIR gaze granted its people the immortality they longed for. There was no more death in life. A truly fantastical, fairy-tale-like ending.

However, that was not the case. Grasping eternity fed nothing but greed in the people’s hearts. It brought nothing but war, famine, and hunger throughout all of Laquandar. Thus, its last princess received the blessing of her father to venture out of the sky. To throw away the immortality gifted unto her.

Their feet touched Mars’ red soil. The planet’s hospitality was far worse than imagined. Only those who had become Pathstriders could tolerate its harshness. As for the rest, they were forced to remain inside their ships, never to leave. 

The most logical choice was to terraform the entire planet to reduce its harshness, and so they did. Unfortunately, it was rife with troubles… and dangers.

Mars was completely under the Cocoon’s influence. The power of Honkai ravaged every single attempt of theirs to rebuild civilization. It also caused everyone—including the princess—to face dangers in the face of rogue honkai beasts.

Bam-!

Rumble-!

The red-haired princess looked at the distance. A towering monster swept the smaller honkai beasts with a swipe of her tail. It was eighty percent similar to another dragon companion she has—one who was currently busy fighting other honkai beasts.

Looking at its eyes, Senadina saw consciousness within.

Thus came the first meeting of the former and current Martian Goddesses.