Original God's Dark Priest

The painting depicts a man and a dragon. The tall man is the father, and the gentle and mature woman is the mother. In front of them are two girls, one big and one small, who are Mavica and her sister.

It's clear that Mavica adores her younger sister, as she's holding her tightly with a bright smile on her face. Mavica's hair is a darker shade of fiery red, while her sister has orange-red hair.

Their little dragon was just an ordinary little leaf dragon, and it also smiled.

Mavica's father was skilled at stewing meat, so her sister often brought her a large pot of stew, and the two would sit on a blanket and eat together.

Once, when they were eating meat, the door wasn't closed properly. Little Yelong smelled the aroma of the meat his sister had brought and barged in, accidentally knocking over the jar.

The younger sister burst into tears upon seeing this, and the two little ones, who were about to eat the meat, froze, too afraid to move.

Later, they lay on the ground looking particularly aggrieved, which made Mavica both angry and helpless. In the end, she had no choice but to give up.

Instead of punishing the two little troublemakers, we should focus our energy on comforting the younger sister.

Listening to Mavica's account, Paimon was astonished: "Incredible..."

Ying nodded: "The God of Fire is actually so lenient towards the two little dragons."

“After all, they’re family. Isn’t that what family is like?” Mavica laughed heartily. “Haha, I think it’s quite an interesting story.”

It is because of this experience that I am always able to remember what exactly the so-called guardianship of Nata is protecting.

"And then what happened? This painting looks quite old, she should be all grown up by now?" Paimon didn't know that Mavica was actually from five hundred years ago, and thought the person in the painting was still alive.

After a moment's thought, Mavica said, "I remember she was an architect and an artist. She built many houses and created many beautiful works of art."

As she spoke, she smiled and shook her head: "Let's not talk about that now. The dust has settled, so we can begin. Ianshan, Marani, and Chaska, come here."

She called out to everyone, "Once you've put the ancient names on, we'll begin."

Ianshan and the others immediately went to a ritual array in the center of the room to begin the ritual.

Mavica looked around to make sure everything was ready, then reached out her hand toward the formation. Azure flames began to burn, representing the power of the Night God's Kingdom.

“The echoes of life reach to the heavens and the earth, and the story’s legacy has never been broken.” Mavica said, taking out the ancient name of Katsina: Ushaboti, which means strength. “Ancient name, please let the one destined to answer the call of this place.”

As her words fell, a small figure appeared in the flames. The pale blue, translucent little figure appeared here, like a soul wandering in the world.

It was Katina.

The little girl looked around in confusion at first. After confirming her surroundings, she didn't feel the expected joy. Instead, she rubbed her eyes and muttered to herself, "Hmm... am I hallucinating again?"

"Kazina! Are you alright?" Marani immediately stepped forward and asked with concern.

Startled by Marani's question, Kazina seemed about to back away, adopting a defensive stance: "Eh? I... I didn't see wrong, did I? Is this... is this another trick of the Abyss?"

Marani felt a pang of pain in her heart upon seeing this, but she suppressed her emotions and forced herself to remain calm: "Calm down, Katina, it's us! We're trying to find a way to bring you back!"

“Marani…” Kazina couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. “Luminous, Paimon, and everyone else…” But she wiped away the tears that had fallen from the corners of her eyes, took a deep breath, and then said, “Listen to me, I’ve been investigating in the Kingdom of Night Gods, and I know that it was the Great Spirit who was affected by the Abyss!”

I thought the Great Spirit could send me back, but I encountered a very powerful abyssal monster and was almost killed by it…”

She couldn't help but want to express her grievances, but she held back. Everyone knew how dangerous the situation she was in was, and to be able to remain calm in the face of such a situation, Kazina truly deserved to be called a strong and resilient person.

"The Great Spirit protected me with its meager power. I've been dodging monsters while searching for a way to rescue the Great Spirit." Kachina tried to report only good news, but she really had nothing good to say. "But this place is too chaotic. I often hear terrifying sounds and see horrifying scenes..."

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes again. For Kazina, such a depressing environment and dangerous situation were indeed too heavy. She was still young and a child spoiled by her parents. She dared not face these things alone.

Chaska spoke up at the right moment: "Don't listen to those voices, Kazina. That's the abyss trying to break your mind."

Just make sure you stay safe and wait for us; we'll be there shortly.

"It's okay. I'm much better now that I can talk to you all, so don't worry about me..." Kazina said with great strength, her words tinged with a hint of self-deprecation. "Because I'm weak and have a low profile, it's normal for me to be forgotten and abandoned. Hehe, thank you for your concern for my safety."

“At a time like this, this child still has the mood to comfort others…” Saffir outside couldn’t help but glance at her when he heard this. “Ying has good taste, taking on such a little apprentice.”

Hmm… Come to think of it, Kazina is kind of my grand-disciple, isn't she? Should I prepare a gift for her when we meet?"

Saffir racked her brains. Kazina was currently in the Kingdom of Night, and Mavica's power was limited, preventing her from personally rescuing her. Even if Ying and the others went, their chances of survival were slim. She had to stand guard in Mavica's place, but she couldn't go in directly…

Saffir decided to make a small pendant for Ying to take to Kazina, which could be considered a way to help her avoid some risks.

Without hesitation, she took out a piece of amber and began carving it with a small carving knife that Veronica had transformed into.

She wanted to carve a pendant with the meaning of protection. In the mythology of various countries, there are many gods with the meaning of protection, such as Heimdall in Norse mythology or Horus in Egyptian mythology.

But this time she didn't choose those two. Instead, she chose the Four Symbols of Chinese mythology, namely the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. She cut a piece of amber into a square column shape and then carved different images on each of the four sides.

Then, it was infused with four elemental forces transformed from the Seven Transformations of the Serpent.

The Azure Dragon belongs to the Wood element and is associated with the East. It embodies the vitality of all things reviving, and the elemental power of grass is infused into the facets of the Azure Dragon's image.

The Vermilion Bird belongs to the element of fire and is associated with the south. It embodies the image of vigorous and prosperous development, and the element of fire is infused into the facets of the Vermilion Bird's image.

The White Tiger belongs to the element of metal and is associated with the west. It embodies the image of aggressive advancement, warfare, and conquest. While metal is not one of the seven elements, the wind element is infused into the facets of the White Tiger image because clouds follow the dragon and wind follows the tiger.

Xuanwu belongs to the water element and is associated with the north. It carries the image of protection that conceals darkness, and the elemental power of water is infused into the facets of Xuanwu's image.

After doing all this, in the room, Marani had convinced Kazina to promise them that she would wait for rescue in the Kingdom of Night and would protect herself.

They didn't get to say much before communication was cut off.

Mavica told them that they would have to enter the Kingdom of Night with their bodies, which was a very dangerous thing, and even a short time would cause them to be corrupted.

That's why she contacted Aiko; in the entire Nation, probably no one is better at handling this kind of thing than Aiko.

Of course, this excludes Ying and Saphir.

It's still uncertain whether Ying's abilities are harmful to the body, and given Safiel's awkward position, it's naturally inappropriate to discuss this at this time.

Chaska's face showed an unnatural expression after hearing the name Kuiko.

Seeing her like this, Mavica teased, "Judging from your expression, you two had another fight?"

“…I’m sorry to trouble her again.” Chaska turned her head slightly, a blush appearing on her face.

At this moment, Ian Shan suddenly spoke up: "Lord Vulcan, let me go too. The more people there are, the more strength there will be."

Mavica nodded slightly to her, which was taken as agreement.

Marani looked at the group preparing to depart and at Mavica, who was fully cooperating with her, and was deeply moved: "Thank you all for going through fire and water for me and Kazina. Without further ado, let's set off."

"Although I have lost my power and cannot provide any practical support, I will stay here to observe the changes in the Kingdom of Night God."

"What if..." Mavica said, frowning, then shaking her head, "There won't be any 'what ifs.' Be careful on the road, I'll wait for your safe return."

After everyone responded, they opened the door and went outside.

But in the outer room, they saw an unfamiliar figure, a bespectacled girl in a khaki dress. Who else could it be but Saffir?

Ying and Paimon were also seeing Saffir dressed like this for the first time and were almost unable to recognize him.

Ian Shane and the others looked at her with suspicion.

When Sapphire saw the group come out, he waved to them and then took Ying's hand affectionately: "It hasn't been that long since we last met, and you don't recognize me?"

“You…” Ying was certain that she was Saffir, but she also knew that the other party must have a purpose in dressing up like this, and for a moment she didn’t know how to respond.

Saffir chuckled and quietly slipped the carved pendant into Ying's hand: "I'm Su Jin. I arranged to meet Miss Cetalari here yesterday. Oh, right, Lord Vulcan knows me too, but I think I'm a little early... I hope I didn't disturb you?"

Upon hearing the name Su Jin, Marani and the others immediately recognized her. They had heard of her before, and Cetalli even spoke highly of her.

At this moment, Mavica also poked her head out of the house. She had heard what was just said. Although she was shocked that Saffir was actually Su Jin, she did not show it. Instead, she said, "Oh, Teacher Su Jin is here. Please come in. I have something to talk to you about."

With Mavika's guarantee, even the wary Chaska had no more doubts. Because they still had to rescue Katsina, they didn't say anything to Saffir and left in a hurry.

Ying stroked the pendant in her hand and realized that this was probably the gift that Safiel had given to Kazina. That guy was generous, and the things he brought out were definitely not ordinary. She was afraid that it would be of great help in this operation.

The group quickly left, leaving only Saffir and Mavica in the house.

Saffir sat back in her original chair, casually crossing her legs, while Mavica looked her over with interest: "Teacher Su Jin's ability to dress up is truly astonishing; even I didn't recognize her."

"If you recognize me, can it still be called disguise?" Saffir chuckled, his tone nonchalant.

But soon, she changed the subject and suddenly said, "I did make an appointment with Cetalli, so there are some things I can't say after she arrives. Before that, we can talk about some more private things."

Mavica raised an eyebrow slightly: "She's a very loyal fan of yours. Are you even keeping this from her? You're a bit hard-hearted."

"Everyone who's an executive officer of the Fools' Clan has a heart of stone. How childish to use such words to annoy me?" Saffir rolled her eyes at her.

Then, looking at Mavica, who was now sitting across from her across the table, she sat up straight, leaned forward slightly, and said in a serious tone, "Tell me the truth, how long will your plan take?"

“Even if you ask me that, I can’t give you a definite answer. We’ve only found four of the six heroes so far,” Mavica said honestly.

Upon receiving this reply, Saffir leaned back in his chair, a hint of helplessness on his face, his eyes behind his glasses gleaming coldly: "So, your plan is only one-third complete so far, and this year's Holy Night Pilgrimage is still fruitless."

"..." Mavica was also a little embarrassed, but she still nodded.

“Heh…” Saffir shrugged and stood up abruptly. “Flip the table, Nata is beyond saving.”

Mavica immediately stood up to reassure her: "It's not that bad, there's still hope."

"How are we going to save them? No... are you playing house? You've been here for so many years and you've only found four people. There are so many people in Nata!" Saffir was also losing patience. She thought the captain's plan was already quite radical.

After learning what that wretched girl, Mavica, had done, she felt that the captain was still too conservative. All she wanted now was to find Kong, level this place, and rebuild a new kingdom.

It's better than blindly following that bastard girl and ending up dead without even knowing how.

Knowing she was in the wrong, Mavica refused to back down: "Look at you, so impatient. I do have a general idea of ​​what to expect."

“Speak.” Saffir turned and stared at Mavica. If the other party didn’t give her a clear answer this time, she was sure she would turn around and leave. No, before leaving, she would go to the Kingdom of Night God and bring back those troublesome people, and then leave without looking back.

Mavica looked at Safiel, sighed, and then said, "We all know that the six heroes come from six tribes: the Streamers are Marani, the Echoes are Shinonin, the Land of Worth is Ianshan, and the Suspended Woodmen are Kinich."

Now all that's missing are the heroes from the Flower Feather Society and the Smoke Mystery Master. And I've pretty much narrowed down the scope."

"Is the one who controls the smoke mystery Cecilia?" Saffir thought Cecilia was very likely.

Mavica chuckled and shook her head: "The ancient name of the Lord of Smoke Riddle should be Bidi (Dedication), and the ancient name of Sylvanas is Ukunboku (Memory)."

Saffir crossed his arms, about to press for more information, when Cetalli's voice came from outside the door: "Hmm? Why do I hear someone talking about me as soon as I come in? Mavica? You were talking badly about me to Teacher Su Jin?"