NOVEL NEXT Chapter 41: The Divine Realm
That was a peak unreachable by ordinary beings.
It was the supreme, immaculate sanctum of pure white.
"Holiness," "grandeur," "divinity"—these were its synonyms.
[Abyssal Court], the sovereign force presiding over all existence on the planet [Thunderstar] since its inception, was led by the current deity of the star. Under its banner were powerful god-angels, a divinely ordained force revered by all beings.
The Abyssal Court's domain hovered just above Thunderstar's surface, near its atmosphere. Its structures were abstract creations, vastly different in style from the civilizations on the ground.
Within a suspended circular palace in this pure white sanctum, an eight-winged angel observed three humans through the jewel in his hand.
"Two humans and that boy—they're rapidly approaching the Gate of Heavenly Prayers."
The angel's solemn voice echoed through the palace, tinged with a hint of concern.
"The fact that the Empire of Celestial Judgment has sought help means... the empire is facing a grave crisis," a female angel standing beside him said with a heavy tone.
"An empire with two god-tier combatants being driven to such desperation—it can't be a natural disaster or internal strife. Only external invasion could achieve this. And among the forces capable of such an assault, apart from the Empire of Staff ruled by the [Sovereign of Divinity] and the Nation of Changlong overseen by the [Nine-Dragon Regent], there's only—"
"The Exceptional Ones, led by [Kuzumetsu], isn't it...?"
The eight-winged angel rose from his pristine throne and approached a hollow, intricately patterned window. Through it, he could gaze upon the fantastical landscape of the Abyssal Court.
"Should we intercept them?"
"No, let them come."
He stared into the distance, lost in memories of bygone days.
After a long, high-speed flight, we finally approached our destination.
The most striking feature was a towering pentagonal spire piercing the clouds.
The tower rose straight from the water, broken into three segments, with the upper two floating midair. Its surface was inscribed with countless glowing runes, radiating a spectrum of colors and exuding a powerful sacred aura.
"That must be the Tower of Heavenly Prayers. What's the next step? Where's the 'special token' Krizz mentioned?"
"Yeah, where's the token?"
"Right here!"
Somehow, Savoie pulled out a pure white key adorned with two white feathers. As we got closer to the tower, the key's glow intensified until it became almost blinding.
"Just use the token already. My eyes are starting to hurt," Avik muttered, his presence always giving off an odd mix of resilience and fragility.
"Stop whining. Are your eyes really that delicate?"
Savoie conjured a flame to block Avik's view, silencing him.
"I'm going to start the incantation. Don't make a sound."
Raising the token high, Savoie hesitated briefly before beginning:
"Humanity's three great desires are hunger, sexual desire, and the desire for sleep. Among them, uh, hunger is a necessity for life preservation and, for animal species, provides pleasure, prompting prioritized action. Eating brings satisfaction, and consuming delicious food brings joy, which has positive effects on the psyche. Moreover, there are individuals who passionately pursue this, uh… They are generally referred to as gourmets. At this restaurant, the overflowing array of—"
"Is that an incantation…?"
"...How would I know! Lord Krizz told me to recite this, so it must work."
"By the way... the tower's moving," I interjected, pointing to the second segment of the Tower of Heavenly Prayers. The tower section began to spin rapidly as Savoie finished her chant, while the other two segments dimmed completely.
"It really is..."
Savoie seemed just as surprised, as though she hadn't expected such a bizarre chant to work.
Suddenly, an intense light burst from the spinning tower segment, engulfing the three of us completely. As the light faded, we found ourselves in outer space, surrounded by abstract structures of various shapes.
"...This is the Abyssal Court?"
"Probably..."
Like Savoie and Avik, I was awestruck by the sight before me—an unimaginable scene unlike anything I had ever witnessed.
Twisted yet aesthetically pleasing high-rise buildings, an expansive circular platform at the center, and the slow-flowing white starlight surrounding us...
"You must be the envoys sent by the Empire of Celestial Judgment, correct?"
A woman with two angelic wings and pale skin floated before us. She bowed emotionlessly.
"Please follow me. The Fourth Archangel, Ayush Banerjee, will meet with you in person."