Chapter 8: Healing Magic
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Azathoth’s massive form tensed imperceptibly, his golden vertical pupils swirling with complex emotions. He took a deep breath and summoned a wanted poster. The target was a young man with fox-like eyes, dressed in a silver-gray robe. The youth’s eyes slanted upwards at the corners, carrying an innate slyness and a world-weary irreverence, a faint, elusive smile playing at his lips.
“After the king’s fall, Roka shattered the Abyssal Crown, inciting internal strife among the Abyssals. Taking advantage of the chaos, he trafficked lower-tier Abyssal tribes… By the time our forces and others withdrew from the war, the Abyssal race was already on the path to extinction…”
“With the profits from his human trafficking, Roka forced open the doors of the Human Federation and stole a highly significant artifact. He is now wanted.”
Azathoth was deeply frustrated; had he been more rational at the time, perhaps the Abyssal race would not have suffered such a fate.
“Azathoth, I only want to know where Roka is.”
A cold, youthful voice echoed through the empty chamber.
“My king, please calm your wrath! I do not know Roka’s exact whereabouts…” Azathoth bowed nervously.
A blaze of fury ignited within Cynthia’s chest. She had painstakingly spent over a century piecing together the scattered Abyssal tribes to establish the Abyssal Court, and yet that wretch Roka dared to destroy her painstaking work.
She could not endure it—not one bit.
Cynthia clenched the star-shaped magic wand tightly in her hand. A powerful pressure radiated outward from her petite frame.
Azathoth grunted, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Even one as strong as he could not withstand the king’s fury unscathed.
[Alert! Host’s emotional fluctuation detected! Moe power -10! Current moe power: 148/200 (Lv1)]
The system’s prompt sounded inappropriately.
[Warning! Too fierce an expression does not conform to the Moe King’s image! Please manage your expression and remain adorable! (＞﹏＜)]
The damned system’s prompt was like a bucket of cold water, dousing the fire raging in Cynthia’s heart and causing her to choke.
At that moment, the star magic wand clenched in her hand suddenly flashed with an intense pink glow.
“Hm?”
Cynthia instinctively looked down at the wand.
[Alert! Host’s strong emotional fluctuation detected, risk of loss of control. Moe transformation program forcibly activated. Healing magic incantation generating…]
“Hehe, pain go away~”
A soft, tender voice unexpectedly escaped Cynthia’s lips.
With the words spoken, the pentagram at the tip of the star wand suddenly lit up, radiating a gentle pink light.
That light seemed to possess a strange magic, like a mother’s warm hand, forcibly smoothing out Cynthia’s anger. The terrifying Abyssal pressure exuded from her in her rage dissipated without a trace.
The suffocating pressure in the hall suddenly eased, and the injuries Azathoth had sustained were healed by the pink glow.
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What did the king just say? It sounded like a soft, cozy “hehe, pain go away.” It must have been a hallucination.
Azathoth vehemently denied the words he thought he heard, but he couldn’t help but imagine Cynthia wearing a princess dress and fluffy faux cat ears, uttering that phrase.
She must have been adorable, right?
At the thought, Azathoth’s golden vertical pupils constricted sharply. He must be ill—how could he think the king was cute?
Damn this system!
Cynthia gripped the magic wand tighter. The veins on the back of her hand bulged slightly from the effort.
The pink glow at her fingertips flickered as if ready to flare again, but she suppressed it with even stronger willpower. The wand emitted a faint, aggrieved sizzle before going completely dark.
[Alert! Host’s emotional fluctuation detected! Moe power -5! Current moe power: 143/200 (Lv1)]
[Warning! Too fierce an expression does not conform to the Moe King’s image! Please manage your expression and remain adorable! (＞﹏＜)]
“Shut! Up!”
Cynthia forced out the two icy words between clenched teeth, and the temperature in the entire hall plummeted several degrees.
Azathoth’s heart raced, his entire body tensing. Had the king seen through his thoughts just now?
No, he had to explain—he never meant to disrespect the king.
As Azathoth prepared to speak, Cynthia’s voice cut through.
“Azathoth.”
She struggled to uphold the dignity of the Abyssal Lord and issued an unequivocal command:
“Raise your head.”
Azathoth slowly lifted his gaze.
“I am at your service,” he said, a hint of confusion and puzzlement in his voice.
Cynthia ignored his confusion and stepped forward. Her small figure looked insignificant before Azathoth’s towering form.
“Azathoth, do not hide anything. Tell me all you know. The shame of the court must be washed away with blood.”
Her gaze swept over him before she paused and added:
“Or… do you want to experience a true ‘hehe, pain go away’?”
Cynthia deliberately emphasized the phrase “hehe, pain go away,” blatantly threatening Azathoth not to reveal what had just happened or conceal any information. Otherwise, she would ensure he’d truly feel pain.
Azathoth’s golden vertical pupils shrank instantly. He immediately bowed his head, his voice urgent and slightly breathless:
“Your Majesty, it is my incompetence. Regarding Roka, I only know that he is also participating in the Path to Divinity trial. Perhaps we can find him there.”
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“The Path to Divinity trial? Now that you mention it, I haven’t properly investigated that thing yet.”
Cynthia toyed with the star magic wand in her hand. It emitted a burst of pink light and transformed into a star-shaped bracelet, clasped around her delicate wrist like a simple ornament.
“Hm?”
Cynthia looked at the star bracelet on her wrist with curiosity.
“Your Majesty?” Azathoth’s voice carried a barely perceptible tension.
“Nothing,” Cynthia replied calmly, setting her hand down as if the bracelet did not exist.
She forcefully diverted her attention from the bracelet.
“Azathoth, what exactly is the Path to Divinity trial? Be clear.”
“Yes, my king.”
Azathoth spoke respectfully, his tone steady.
“The Path to Divinity is led by the three principal gods, with the new god, the deity of technology, constructing the framework. All races participate together. Legend says that those who complete all the trials may touch divinity itself.”
“Touch divinity?”
Cynthia’s small chin lifted slightly, a hint of disdain and mockery flashing in her crimson eyes.
“Those selfish bastards wouldn’t be so generous. Azathoth, continue.”
“The trial locations for the Path to Divinity are not fixed. Usually, the gods open special dimensional spaces to provide the arenas. The trials encompass everything—strength, wisdom, willpower… nothing is excluded. They are extremely harsh with a high elimination rate; countless have fallen.”
“At the same time, unprecedented opportunities arise—artifacts, lost secret techniques, power breakthroughs… all may be gained in the trials.”
“Roka is a typical opportunist. The Path to Divinity trial is like a fish in water for him. He must be thrilled.”
Cynthia’s fingertips unconsciously brushed the star bracelet on her wrist, and the cold murderous intent spread once more.
This time, she controlled her emotions expertly, leaving no chance for the Moe King nurturing system to exploit.
Azathoth clenched his molars, forcing himself to answer unhappily:
“Hmph! He won’t be triumphant for long. The Human Federation has no shortage of qualified contenders.”
[Alert! Keyword detected, generating task… Task generation complete!]
[Moe King Growth Task 3 issued: Please achieve the ‘Cutest Amidst a Thousand Flowers’ achievement. Task hint: Path to Divinity trial. Task duration: 9 days.]
[Task reward: Moe-style flying item x1. Failure penalty: Forced cat transformation to cuddle guardian for one hour.]
Cynthia stared at the successive pink screens before her, utterly unmoved, even somewhat amused. She had, surprisingly, grown somewhat accustomed to the absurd tasks issued by the idiotic system.