Village Head's Debauchery

Chapter 1203  Unexpected Threat (3)

"If your children are still alive and choose to pledge their loyalty to Paradise, then we will consider your request," Aerialia added.

"Awesome! Just inform me when Orion awakens so I can show my sincerity," Margona responded cheerfully. However, her gaze could send a chill into the heart of any mortal rather than uplift them.

Aerialia ignored her words and asked, "And the last one?"

Margona clicked her tongue loudly at Aerialia's behaviour. She vanished with a bright flash of light, and Zera's figure emerged, hovering above the mixed golden and black pool.

"I will pledge my loyalty to Paradise," Zera said.

"Good. Now we've all agreed," Aerialia said.

Zera nodded. With a bright flash of light, she transformed back into the goddess of the Twilight Chorus and Fortune. "When do we start?" she asked.

"After we get those in the pocket dimension to safety," Aerialia responded.

...

Three hours later,

Approximately 30 million sanctuary residents, including the guardians, gathered at the centre with their belongings, painting the land and sky-like sands scattered across a beach. Since some had entered the Mirror Realm without any possessions, there wasn't much to carry except a few sentimental items. Despite several warnings since the Mirror Realm had been breached and the seal broken, they had yet to encounter the enemy forces.

Even Aerialia grew suspicious, wondering if they had made a mistake. "Do you sense anything?" she asked, looking at Zera.

Zera shook her head. "I haven't sensed anything," she responded, anxious about the situation and beginning to doubt her abilities.

She glanced at Orion, whose body was bathed in bluish lightning streaks, lying in a sealed bed container crafted by Aurora. The container floated beside four headless winged spawns guarding it protectively. One of them carried a crimson greatsword. Only those with divinity could perceive their proper form.

This scene deepened Zera's understanding of how much Aurora cared for Orion. Nevertheless, she was curious about Orion's power and felt sure that he would be no weaker than an individual about to touch the realm of godhood.

Suddenly, the space beside them cracked open, and Aurora stepped through. The fissure in space sealed up instantly. Her arrival caught the attention of the sanctuary's residents, who gasped in awe at the spectacle.

Aurora glanced at Orion before pulling out the golden key and placing it in the air. She unlocked the space leading to the Golden Palace, and a massive, square door radiating an immense golden glow emerged from thin air. The door expanded, stretching to ten thousand meters in every direction.

Aurora turned her head towards Zera and nodded.

Zera responded with a nod and stepped forward to approach the crowd.

The sanctuary's residents were once again astonished by the golden door's appearance, murmured among themselves. However, their voices fell silent when they saw Zera approaching.

"I've gathered you all here because there's something important I need to share," Zera said, her voice reverberating across the entire sanctuary. A danger far greater than anything we've ever faced is coming for our sanctuary. I know this may sound not very comforting, but please don't lose hope. The goddess has not abandoned us, and she never will. She's given us a way to survive and begin anew."

She paused, letting her words sink in as the crowd's expressions shifted between fear and uncertainty. Then, she continued.

"Before this enemy arrives, we'll leave this sanctuary behind. We'll move to a new home where the enemy can't reach us, a place that will protect us from whatever threats come our way. This new land is called Paradise, where we'll begin again, stronger than ever."

Soon, their fearful expressions softened, turning to relief, confusion, and curiosity.

"But there's something you need to know," she said. "In Paradise, we won't be the only ones there. You'll meet others who are different from us, who have never carried the Voidheart or endured the curse we've borne for so long."

"And you'll also find something else: those loved ones or close companions you had long forgotten—Your brothers, sisters, and familiars who stayed behind in the world outside from the sanctuary—they've already crossed over. They're waiting for us now, ready to welcome us."

"So, don't hesitate—cross over into this new territory, to Paradise!" Zera declared.

A wave of emotions stirred within the people's hearts. Their lips sealed; they could not utter a word at the Priestess's revelation. They could sense the urgency in her tone and knew they didn't have much time to linger before the impending threat fell upon them. Even those who wanted to ask questions, like the guardian corps leaders, remained silent. They realized the Priestess's words were directly from the goddess, and they didn't even have the authority to question them.

"But… leaving the sanctuary? Can we really survive outside?"

"You fool… if the goddess herself has provided this path, who are we to doubt it?"

"Long-lost brothers, sisters and other familiars? Could it be true? Could we finally be reunited?"

"Other races? Will they accept us? Or will they see us as enemies?"

"Paradise? A new sanctuary? Could it really exist?"

"Cross over without hesitation? Hahaha! Let's see if Paradise is ready for us!"

Suddenly, someone took the first step forward, and like a wave, others followed behind. Some rode their beasts with their belongings, while others flew through the air.

Within moments, the ten-thousand-meter-wide golden door seemed too small to contain millions of individuals making their way forward. Aurora widened the door again by another twenty thousand meters.

Aurora also summoned her headless winged spawns to help move over 30 million sanctuary residents through the Golden Gate. The migration lasted for two days.

Finally, it was time for Zera to pass through.

"You should go first," Aurora said, her gaze fixed on Zera.

Zera nodded and walked toward the golden door. When she reached its edge, she clenched her fists and attempted to step through.

A frown crept across Zera's face as she could not pass through the door.

After several more attempts, she said, anxious, "It's not working. I can't pass through the door." She turned to look at Aurora, her expression filled with worry.

"Is this a joke? Don't tell me you plan on leaving me here after everyone else has crossed! We had a deal!" Zera shouted, a feeling of betrayal welling up inside her. As the two goddesses within her voiced their suspicions, her expression became tearful. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Aurora frowned and moved beside her. She stretched her hand into the golden door, and to her surprise, her hand passed through it smoothly. "Try again," Aurora urged.

Zera swiftly recomposed herself and tried again, but the result was the same: she couldn't pass through the golden door. They both realized something was wrong.

Suddenly, the golden door shook violently and shrank, scattering into specks of golden light and coalescing back into the golden key, which landed beside them.

Aurora quickly picked up the key and channelled her divine energy into it, attempting to unlock the golden door again, but to her dismay, it was ineffective. The golden key absorbed her divine energy but did nothing. Aurora halted her actions and attempted to tear open a space to leave the realm but discovered she couldn't. She realized that the dimension was locked by someone more powerful than herself who had intervened.

At this moment, no more snow was falling from the sky.

"We are trapped," Aurora said, her expression solemn. "It seems they were waiting for us to get the mortals out before attacking," she added.

Aerialia nodded in agreement, but they couldn't understand why the attackers had taken such an action. They could have sealed off a portion of the Mirror Realm containing the mortals and led them to the other side rather than waiting for two days. It seemed the attackers weren't confident in their abilities and didn't want to risk harming the mortals for some reason.

Aurora looked at Orion with a worried gaze. She had kept him by her side to aid in his recovery quickly, but now she regretted not handing him over to Brane and the others or sending him through the golden door first.

'I will protect you, no matter who we have to battle,' Aurora thought, summoning her sceptre and clenching her fist around it.

Upon hearing Aurora's words, Zera's expression fell. A look of fear and worry emerged on her face. The assurance of the two goddesses within her wasn't enough to calm her down.

Suddenly, the clouds overhead churned violently, and a commanding voice reverberated across the Mirror Realm. "It is by my will that you cannot leave this realm."

Zera froze as though cold water had been poured over her. A chill spread from her spine to every fibre of her being as she looked around in shock and fear.

"Who are you?" Aurora asked, her calm voice reverberating across the Mirror Realm as she looked up at the sky.

"It's the Divine Mysteries," Aerialia responded. Her words created a heavy tension that suddenly enveloped the surroundings.

"It makes sense that an anomaly would fail to recognize the Will of the Divine Mysteries, even if you have previously encountered one," the voice thundered across the Mirror Realm, heavier and more oppressive than before.