Chapter 16: First Encounter

That voice came far too close, and far too suddenly.

Startled, Wu Yi instinctively stumbled backward, once again falling toward the steps.

By the time she remembered the stairs behind her—how a single slip could lead to her skull cracking open on the edge, dying instantly—her body was already tilted back at a forty-five-degree angle. There was no time to recover her balance.

But the pain never came.

Something tightened around her chest and waist—a steady, firm force that caught her just in time.

Those slender yet strong tendrils acted like the most reliable safety harness, pulling her limp body into the arms of the person before her at the critical moment.

“……”

Silence.

In her prophet form, she still appeared as a young girl, clearly shorter than the one holding her.

It all made Wu Yi feel like she was some delicate bird, seeking refuge in someone’s embrace.

But recalling that voice from earlier made the situation far more terrifying—it was like throwing herself into the lion’s den.

Yes, it was her. Wu Yi could never forget that voice, not even in a hundred years. 

Just a casual sigh from her could carry a seductive edge that stirred the soul.

She was the one from her prophetic dream, the woman who whispered softly at her side.

Wu Yi swallowed gently, trying to stay rational amid the thunderous pounding of her heart.

“I’m the new priest,” she decided to take the initiative and break the awkward silence. 

“Are you… Lady Cluru?”

“Mm.” That same intoxicating voice, enough to make anyone want to sink into it.

“If I’ve disturbed you, I beg your pardon. The vice hierarch asked me to confirm whether you’re willing to have me, as your priest, relay your messages to the faithful.”

“It doesn’t matter. Go ahead.”

“That’s good,” Wu Yi exhaled in relief, attempting to turn around, “Then I’ll go report back… maybe get a little pay advance.”

“……”

A tendril, about the thickness of a thumb, supple yet impossible to resist, made contact with her skin—it felt slick, as if releasing some toxin that numbed the muscles.

The other party had no intention of letting go. 

She was still entangled, unable to turn around, unable to walk away.

“Lady Cluru…?”

Wu Yi couldn’t gauge her mood. 

Even though she knew this was the little fox gourd she’d raised herself…

She was, after all, the legendary evil god.

No one could say whether her powers had granted her strange instincts or appetites.

Especially when combined with the imagery from her prophetic dream—it made Wu Yi instinctively uneasy.

“Cluru?”

She gritted her teeth.

…Screw it!

Evil god or not, instincts or hobbies—this was still the little fox gourd who had been with her for ten years!

Her daughter, whom she’d raised with her own hands!

With that thought, all fear temporarily vanished.

She reached out and wrapped her arms around Cluru’s neck, gently stroking her silky hair.

“…If something’s bothering you, you can talk to me. Don’t worry about breaking my sanity.”

Perfect.

Wu Yi made up her mind and settled on her approach.

She would act as a warm, understanding big sister around Cluru. 

That way, she could stay by her side, help her through emotional troubles, and also grow closer.

Once they were close enough, she’d invite Cluru to reenact the prophetic dream scene.

That way, the prophecy would be fulfilled without any real cost.

Flawless plan~

Hmph, just a prophetic dream? 

That’s nothing I can’t handle!

But plans are always so beautiful.

And yet, they remain only imagination.

The tendrils still crept slowly, irresistibly, along her body. 

Starting from her waist, they’d somehow made it around her neck and looped down her right arm.

At some point, one had even wrapped around her ankle, and now a lithe little tendril was boldly slithering its way up her thigh.

Cluru didn’t seem the slightest bit moved. 

With a playful, breathy voice like a lover’s whisper she said:

“Something is bothering me? Do you really think~ I, the great mistress of R’lyeh, would be troubled by such laughable emotions~?”

“Don’t you ever get upset? Your mental strength is so overwhelming you can’t even leave here and can’t live like a normal person… You’re stuck in this pitch-black temple all day. Even you, Cluru, must feel, well… lonely, sometimes?”

She knew that feeling all too well.

Ten years ago, she’d arrogantly believed she’d already been through every trial and torment. 

That she’d grown into someone strong enough to defeat even a god-king, and that the hardships along the way were the harshest training life could offer.

But that was before she survived ten years alone on an island.

Every day, she imagined reuniting with old friends, imagined the vastness of the world, remembered their shared hardships, remembered their once-passionate adventures.

That journey had shaped her very personality— it was half of her life… or maybe all of it.

But there was no going back.

Worse than solitude itself was the slow erosion of all will in that cold, dead silence. 

And with the goal of “slaying the god-king” gone, there was nothing left but a mind full of negativity.

All the suffering she’d thought was tempering her… none of it compared to the way isolation in the dark broke down her soul and will.

This was loneliness. 

Wu Yi knew the taste of it far too well— so there was no way she’d let her daughter suffer the same.

“…So full of yourself.” Cluru let out a soft snort.

Wu Yi smiled and tightened her arms around her neck. 

Though fewer and fewer parts of her body could still move, just knowing this was her daughter brought a deep sense of warmth and responsibility.

Maybe it was just her wishful thinking but so what~

“Remember this. The only thing that can trouble me,” Cluru suddenly squeezed Wu Yi’s waist tightly, “Is failing to fulfill the Supreme Mission.”

“Supreme Mission?”

Come to think of it, her task here was to figure out exactly what this “Supreme Mission” was.

“What is the Supreme Mission?”