Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Cheating Ability (3)
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“Can't you gather the spirits and sprinkle water like rain?”
A large number of elves might be able to pull it off.
They're the race that raises the earth to build walls, after all.
But Serena's answer was negative.
“It's possible in a narrow area, but the entire mountain? No way.”
“Because it's too vast?”
“Yes. To keep the rain going, you'd need an enormous amount of water.”
Now that she mentioned it, that made sense.
Even sprinkling just one or two drops across the whole mountain would amount to a staggering volume.
Swoosh—
Lifting his head, the sky was perfectly clear.
Dazzling sunlight poured down through the gaps in the pristine white clouds.
No sign of rain anywhere.
He wished there were at least some rain clouds—it would ease the pressure a bit.
The cumulus clouds were a small mercy, at least.
“How am I supposed to pray for this...”
The object of this rainmaking ritual was none other than the Spirit King.
A being even the elves had never met face-to-face.
With no prior connection to Chris, it was natural to feel anxious.
“It's not like there's no connection.”
There was one thing he could pin his hopes on.
The events that had unfolded every time he encountered spirits so far.
They were definitely not ordinary occurrences.
“The elves?”
“They're about to start climbing the mountain.”
“Tell them to hold off for now.”
The timing was decent, but there was an even better moment coming.
The flows of energy would intertwine at some point.
Judging from the situation, that would likely be when...
“They should go up once the rain clouds start gathering.”
“I'll relay it right away.”
“No need to play the flute.”
Serena's serene eyes turned toward him.
She looked worried that he might overexert himself again.
It would be nice if she played the flute, but Serena had her own role to fulfill.
“Instead, can you summon a water spirit for me?”
Nod.
Serena extended her hand into the air and uttered a voice.
“Undaine.”
Slither—
Water gathered, forming a figure.
Unlike the tiny undine, this one was about human-sized.
It manifested in a translucent form, radiating an aura similar to an undine's.
Bow.
The undaine greeted him with graceful poise, then gazed at him steadily.
This was precisely why he was confident his offering would reach the Spirit King.
“The fact that you keep greeting me means you all already know who I am, right?”
Smile.
The undaine's single smile served as its answer.
He didn't know the exact reason the spirits greeted him, but it was proof enough that a divine gaze was upon him.
Serena took a step back.
“The Spirit King's name is Elaim. You're not planning to summon the Spirit King, are you?”
Him summoning the Spirit King, which even elves couldn't?
Absolutely impossible.
He was someone who couldn't even handle mana.
“A rainmaking ritual isn't like that. It's done with utmost sincerity and heartfelt devotion.”
When seeking aid from the divine, one must always keep those two in mind.
It wasn't about wielding power like magic or spirit arts here.
It was closer to moving the gods with pure, earnest emotion.
Something akin to the expression, 'The god was so moved that tears flowed.'
“Summon more undines too.”
Water spirits were water incarnate, far more reliable than setting out holy water.
The more, the better.
“Luna, come down for a sec.”
Shake shake.
“Kyau...!”
“Good girl?”
Luna clung to his back with arms spread wide, as if refusing.
Poof.
This was awkward.
It would look utterly bizarre like this.
Baby strapped to his back, rattle in one hand.
Holy sword in the other, and he'd have to dance.
Quite the sword dance...
“Habu...!”
“Alright, alright!”
“Auuu! Habu...!”
Luna seemed to sense it instinctively.
That Ilya's gaze would soon reach this place.
After patting his back a few times to soothe her, he raised the rattle.
It was time to begin the rainmaking ritual.
Ting-a-lang— "Spirit, I beseech you for rain." Ting-a-lang— "Please accept this ritual."
⟨ Rainmaking Ritual ⟩
Swoooosh—
A single gust of wind swirled around the candle flame.
Whoosh!
A damp scent wafted from beside it.
The pure, pristine smell of water.
A presence so transparent it felt see-through.
His prayers would carry through the water.
He leaped high with vigor, swinging his arms wide.
Ting-a-lang—
Ting-a-lang—
Trance settled over him.
He chanted endlessly in his mind.
The faces he'd seen before departing for this place.
Their Four Pillars of Destiny, their auras—he poured them all out.
Mingled intensely with his desperate wish to save them all.
And as if they'd been waiting, responses erupted.
Flash!
Light pierced through the intervals of the rattle's rings.
Starting from his back, it extended to the holy sword, filling the surroundings.
Whirl!
The undines Serena had summoned flitted around him as well.
Shaking in time with the rattle's sound, it felt just like they were joining the ritual dance.
Splash!
Even on the parched ground, his footfalls sounded like they struck mud.
A fishy earth scent rose simultaneously, though the ground remained dry.
This was the response from Ilya, the god called the deity of the land.
“Habu!”
Ting-a-lang—
Swaaaah—
This time, a gentle, moisture-laden breeze blew in.
Unlike before, it carried dampness.
The undines were pushed by the wind, their water auras rippling softly.
Swaaaah—
The sound of leaves rustling came next.
The World Tree's branches swaying in reply.
Ting-a-lang—
“Ugh... Tree?”
He halted his leaping body mid-motion and stood still.
The gods had arrived, after all. A greeting was in order.
No sooner had he introduced himself than an oily taste spread through his mouth.
The body god's preference manifesting in him.
A blessing of fortune had descended.
From his back came Luna's delighted babbling.
“Hamu!”
Serena's voice joined in.
“Chris? Why is Luna suddenly...”
Normally, Luna was on the quieter side, but now she giggled mischievously, full of playfulness.
It was only natural for her to be thrilled.
The saint had met a god, after all.
“She's possessed by divine ecstasy.”
“Pardon?”
“People with spiritual power get all excited and dance wildly the first time they enter a ritual.”
Thinking back, he'd been the same.
During his Initiation Ritual, he hadn't been able to control himself at all.
Serena spoke in confusion.
“Why don't I feel anything? Aside from the branches shaking, that is.”
Serena had trembled faintly before.
But this time was different.
Too many major divinities had gathered for her to partake.
Likely the World Tree's consideration.
“You can't handle the energy flow. You probably couldn't even light a candle right now.”
“...”
She looked dubious, but there was nothing to be done.
Serena wasn't meant to lead the ritual, after all.
“Is the rainmaking ritual already over?”
“No, we're just getting started. I greeted the helpers first.”
Luna's laughter rang out nonstop.
Her tiny finger darted here and there, pointing at the presences.
“Mu! Hamu! Tree!”
Prurrr—
“Kyarruk!”
Prurrr—
He shook the rattle once more.
Ting-a-lang—
No direct aid came down.
His mouth didn't open, nor did visions flash in his mind.
It was closer to a rite of devotion than a divination session.
Ting-a-lang—
A thick water scent filled the air.
The breezes brushing his skin grew soaking wet.
A ritual was offering prayers infused with one's heart.
A gut was the rite of playing proxy for the divine.
Right now, the two coexisted in harmony.
Or rather, it was like frolicking with the water spirits.
Compared to traditional rainmaking rites, this was an odd format.
But it didn't matter.
The water spirits were the very objects of the rite—if they were enjoying it, that was enough.
Swaaaah—
Flash!
Ting-a-lang—
Receiving the gazes of three divinities at once brought immense pressure.
Even he felt his shoulders hunching.
As if his very insides were being thoroughly scrutinized.
“...”
But amid it all, something else was present.
A gaze pure, serene, and profound.
A presence like the ocean gazing down from the heavens.
Swoosh—
Instead of prayer, he raised his arm and swung the rattle.
The holy sword in his grip naturally lowered, pointing at the ground.
There was no need for words.
When a shaman shook their rattle, all sincerity poured into it.
The watching gazes would read it clearly enough.
This rattle shake was his greeting to the Spirit King.
Whiiik—
His whole body moved sluggishly, as if submerged in water.
Even shaking his shoulders produced no greater speed.
A single motion eked out with effort.
The rattle vibrated from his fingertips.
Ting-a-lang—
And in that instant.
Waves rippled across the sky gazing down upon him.
“...!”
The clouds had undoubtedly changed.
The edges of the once-pristine cumulus were dyeing gray.