Chapter 758: Goddess of Trickery
Chapter 758: Goddess of Trickery
Rebirth Tower, First Floor — Iron Kingdom
A twelve-year-old girl stood quietly among a crowd of students, her golden eyes moving from one face to another with open curiosity.
She looked ordinary at first glance, dressed in a simple blue gown, her long black hair falling neatly behind her back. But a closer look revealed what set her apart—soft, cat-like ears twitched atop her head, and a slender tail swayed lazily behind her.
A flute rested in her left hand.
She walked slowly, humming a faint tune under her breath, her steps light and unhurried.
And yet—
Something was wrong.
No one moved.
Not the students.
Not the instructors.
Not even Zera’s illusory projection.
The entire floor stood frozen, as if time itself had been locked in place.
The girl paused and inhaled softly, her nose twitching.
"Hmm... I can smell mother’s scent below."
Her figure blurred.
In the next instant, she vanished.
A heartbeat later, she reappeared on the ground floor—Level 0.
The underground chamber stretched before her, filled with neatly arranged pods emitting a faint glow. The air was still, almost unnaturally so.
A short distance away, Charles lay on the ground, his eyes covered.
Beside him stood a wooden table.
And on that table—
A green pendant.
Her gaze locked onto it immediately.
Without hesitation, she slipped forward, her movements silent and fluid, like a stalking cat. In a single smooth motion, she snatched the pendant and pulled it into her palm.
Her eyes flicked toward Charles.
A sly smile formed on her lips.
"Hehe..."
Her body shimmered.
For a brief moment, her form distorted—and then changed completely.
Where the girl had stood, someone else now remained.
He turned his head slightly, as if listening to something unseen. Then he opened his mouth and spoke quietly to the empty air.
Whatever he said was soft, indistinct—lost within the stillness.
A moment later, his figure blurred again.
And disappeared.
It was as if he had never been there at all.
A faint ripple spread across the chamber.
Then—
Time resumed.
The world snapped back into motion.
Charles stirred.
A subtle discomfort crept into his mind, something faint but undeniable.
He pushed himself upright slowly.
Although his eyes remained covered, his awareness extended far beyond sight. Through his wisdom eye, he could perceive the surroundings clearly.
Still... something felt wrong.
He turned toward the wooden table.
The unease deepened.
’Genesis,’ he called inwardly, his tone sharp, ’did you detect anything unusual? I have a feeling someone was here.’
[Other than the Tower Spirit Zera, no presence has been recorded in this chamber for the past fourteen days, Host.]
Charles frowned.
He took a step forward—
Then suddenly froze.
A sharp realization struck him.
His connection to one of his artifacts was gone.
Though his soul imprint was still there, he knew it wasn’t nearby through the strange connection.
"...Wait."
His expression hardened.
"Where is the pendant?"
Silence answered him.
’Genesis. Activate Past Touch. Rewind to one minute ago—slowly.’
The air around him shimmered.
Time began to reverse.
Movements unfolded backward with eerie precision—particles shifting, shadows retracting, space itself retracing its steps.
Charles focused entirely on the table.
Second by second.
Frame by frame.
Then—
The pendant vanished.
Not taken.
Not moved.
It simply... disappeared.
Charles’s eyes narrowed beneath the cloth.
"Forward now. But with a much slower pace," he said quietly.
Time resumed its normal flow.
The scene replayed.
And this time—
A figure appeared.
Blurry at first.
Standing with its back toward him.
Slowly, the outline sharpened.
Dark blue hair.
A familiar build.
One eye appeared crystalline while the other appeared deep blue.
Charles’s breath caught.
It was him.
The figure turned slightly.
Then spoke in English.
"Good luck, John."
The next instant, the figure blurred—and vanished.
The illusion shattered.
Silence swallowed the chamber once more.
Charles felt confusion.
’Who is that? How did he speak fluent English? How did he know my past life name?’ The only person who knew English other than him was the Sun God Abium. But he knew he wasn’t the kind of person who would steal his artifact.
’Another God?’ It was the only possible explanation.
’Runeth said even Gods would find it hard to sneak into this chamber, though.’ But the truth was right in front of him.
He had a few suspects.
’Doomsday Avatar?’ He dismissed that thought. He knew that they were not at a level where they could fool his wisdom senses.
’Udnir? Anangu? Or another unknown God?’ He pondered for a moment and decided to ask Runeth once he returned.
...
Pearlford Town, Dreammaple Forest — Southern Iron Kingdom
A young girl with cat-like ears and a long, swaying tail walked into Pearlford Town as if she belonged there.
No one stopped her.
No one stared.
Not even the guards at the entrance gave her a second glance.
Despite her unusual appearance, she moved through the streets unnoticed, blending into the flow of people in a way that felt... unnatural.
She wandered casually through the market, humming to herself. As she passed by street vendors, she reached out without hesitation, picking up fruits and taking small bites as she walked. No one protested. No one even reacted.
It was as if she didn’t exist in their perception.
After a few minutes, she turned toward the western district of the town, where the streets grew quieter and the houses more spaced apart.
She stopped in front of a modest, single-story house.
Without knocking, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The interior was simple but tidy.
At the center of the room, a woman sat on a sofa.
She appeared to be in her late thirties, wearing a fitted red peplum dress that accentuated her figure. Her silver hair fell loosely over her shoulders, framing a pair of eerie white eyes that seemed to hold no reflection.
But what stood out most was her left arm.
It was not flesh.
It was something else entirely—dark as the void, with faint stars flickering within it, as though a piece of the night sky had been grafted onto her body.
"Bella!"
The girl’s voice rang out, bright and excited.
She rushed forward without hesitation and threw her arms around the woman.
Bella blinked in surprise, then let out a small sigh as she returned the embrace, gently patting the girl’s head.
"Nyara... where have you been?" she asked.
Nyara didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, she pulled back slightly and took out a green pendant, holding it up with a playful grin before placing it into Bella’s hand.
"You remember the promise you made when I found you in the Dreamforce Lair?" she said, her tone light but unmistakably serious beneath the surface.
"It’s time for you to fulfill it."
Bella fell silent.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the pendant.
Memories surfaced unbidden.
Years ago, she had entered the Dreamforce Lair to scout it, expecting nothing more than a difficult mission. Instead, she had been trapped in a twisted dream prison—one that blurred reality and illusion beyond recognition.
She had fought to survive.
Nightmare creatures. Endless illusions. Hunger. Exhaustion.
And then came the capture.
Strange, goblin-like creatures had imprisoned her. During the struggle, she lost her left arm.
At that time, she had believed death was inevitable.
Then—
Nyara appeared.
A child. Out of nowhere.
No, she claimed herself as the Goddess of Trickery and promised that she would help her escape.
She had spoken as if everything was already decided.
But only if Bella agreed to her conditions.
They had sounded absurd.
First, Bella had to abandon her faith in the Goddess of Wealth... and worship Nyara instead.
Second, she had to cut all ties with her past—no family, no allies, no returning to what she once knew.
And finally, she had to travel far from her homeland... and become this child’s priestess.
At the time, Bella had assumed the girl was delusional.
Or perhaps just playing some strange game.
But compared to dying in that prison... agreeing had been the obvious choice.
So she did.
It had been five years since then.
Five quiet years.
Bella occasionally took on small jobs—clearing monsters, earning enough gold to live comfortably. The rest of the time, she stayed here, in this quiet town, living what most would consider a normal life.
All the while, Nyara remained the same.
Carefree. Playful. Mysterious.
And completely unpredictable.
Bella looked down at the pendant in her hand.
Then back at the girl.
"...I didn’t think you would actually bring that up again," she said slowly.
Nyara’s smile widened slightly.
But this time—
There was something deeper behind it.
Something that made Bella’s instincts tighten, ever so slightly.
At the same time, the space behind Bella began to crack and formed into a small portal. Before she could blink, the portal behind her began to enlarge.
The cat-kin girl opened her mouth and spoke.
"Within this pendant is the Mother’s World. Become the keeper of the world and protect it from falling into the hands of the Divines. Until the Chosen One arrives."
Though her words sound childish, Bella felt each word was like a divine order.
Before she could understand the situation, the void behind the portal sucked her in, enveloping her in darkness.