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Six women and one man sat around a bonfire. Tashiniya looked at Su Lin and the black-haired girl as if a lion surveying its territory.
"Your name is Su Lin?"
"That's right."
"Your name is Li Qiaoqiao?"
"Yes..."
Compared to Su Lin's calm demeanor, Li Qiaoqiao seemed extremely timid and lacked confidence.
"Are you two really not adventurers from the Gustik Holy Empire?"
Tashiniya was truly puzzled.
Throughout the entire continent, only people from the Gustik Holy Empire mostly had black hair and black eyes, and only they would have such unique names.
"I've told you many times, we're really not!"
What in the world is this Gustik Holy Empire?
When Aelita first met him, she seemed to have asked the same question.
Could it be that black hair and black eyes are now an exclusive genetic patent of the Gustik Holy Empire's citizens?
"Alright."
Tashiniya couldn't figure it out and readily gave up.
An Duo, who was staring at a bladefish and drooling not far away, suddenly raised her hand and shouted.
"Sister Tashiniya, the bladefish is grilled!"
"I'll do it!"
Under Su Lin's astonished gaze,
Tashiniya skillfully removed her Archangel's Halo and, like carving a roasted suckling pig, cut into the huge bladefish.
Finally, she rinsed her Archangel's Halo in the lake and rehung it on her head.
"Simply amazing!"
Taking the grilled fish fillet Tashiniya handed him, Su Lin hesitated, saying:
"Do all you Archangels use your halos like this?"
Hearing this, Tashiniya proudly raised her eyebrows.
"Of course not, this is my exclusive culinary invention! It's unique among all Archangels, my Archangel's secret technique!"
The Archangel's signature skill is using her Archangel's Halo to cut meat?
No wonder it's a secret technique; other Archangels probably wouldn't want to learn it, would they?
"Try it, Su Lin, Li Qiaoqiao!"
Weini leaned over with a serious expression, praising it lavishly.
"Although this idiotic Archangel doesn't have much brains, this cooking method she invented is truly amazing. Even the most poisonous ingredients, when cut by her, will be purified into the most perfect food!"
I understand.
It's the Celestial Realm's version of the Garuda Blade.
As expected of an Archangel from the Celestial Realm, she effortlessly accomplished something that only legendary cooking utensils could do... It's easy to get close to an idiot like Tashiniya. Having a meal together after an accidental meeting is the simplest way.
And it was true. After the giant, tens-of-meters-long bladefish was completely eaten, they got along as naturally as old friends who had known each other for years.
Tashiniya, sprawled on the ground, contentedly rubbed her stomach.
"So, you're also adventurers who rushed over after hearing about the new Dungeon in the Elven Kingdom?"
"In my case, I suppose so... But I don't know about Miss Li Qiaoqiao; we don't know each other."
Su Lin observed the hamster-like girl with interest.
From when she was rescued until now, besides thanking them, she had only stated her name.
Even with a social terror like Tashiniya talking to her, there was no progress whatsoever.
In fact, if someone got within a meter of her, Li Qiaoqiao could instantly perform a trick of blushing from head to toe.
She was a social phobic, the complete opposite of Tashiniya.
Su Lin didn't think she was an adventurer coming to explore the Elven Kingdom.
The news of the MC Dungeon had indeed stirred up the entire continent, and many adventurers who made a living from Dungeons had rushed here immediately.
However, the Elven Kingdom's ban had not been lifted. Aside from envoys from various factions who had submitted visit applications, adventurers were still prohibited from approaching.
What's more, the Elven Kingdom now had Hippogryph and Winged Serpent cavalry, who, while also serving as logistics couriers, also monitored the entire Verdan Eternal Forest.
Logically, if an outsider entered, they would surely be detected immediately.
But according to feedback from the hidden elders, they had not received any entry intelligence about Li Qiaoqiao.
This was very intriguing.
Especially Li Qiaoqiao's name and appearance... Feeling everyone's gaze converge on her, Li Qiaoqiao once again demonstrated her special ability to blush from head to toe.
If no one had been close to her, Su Lin felt she might have even performed a passive skill of fainting with steam rising from her body.
"I..."
Li Qiaoqiao's head was almost hidden in her knees.
"I came from the south... I heard... I heard a new Dungeon appeared, and I wanted to see it."
The south?
Isn't that the Magic Beast Mountain Range?
Exploring the Magic Beast Mountain Range first, then coming to the Elven Kingdom?
It seems this Li Qiaoqiao, who isn't good with water, is quite strong.
"So, you're all adventurers who want to go to the new Dungeon, then."
Tashiniya shook her head, feigning regret.
"That's too bad. The Elven Kingdom currently prohibits other life forms from entering."
"Is that so... But I heard that you, Tashiniya, can freely enter and exit the Elven Court."
"Of course! Who am I!"
Tashiniya proudly raised her head and pointed to herself.
"Archangel Tashiniya! A heroic champion born to vanquish the Demon King and bring peace to the Aetheram Continent! The Elven Kingdom should at least show some respect to a heroic party with such sacred and great aspirations!"
"A champion?"
Su Lin discovered another blind spot and asked curiously:
"Aren't you an Archangel? How did you become a champion? As far as I know, champions should be summoned from other worlds by the gods, right?"
"This..."
Tashiniya became a little flustered.
Should she tell them that her attempt to summon a champion went wrong, and she ended up summoning herself to work?
Where would her Archangel's dignity go then?
"It's just a way of speaking!"
Tashiniya quickly regained her composure and declared confidently:
"Among the many gods in the Celestial Realm, only a few are born as gods; most are elevated later."
"Like that God of Knights, he accumulated enough great deeds to ascend to godhood because he led a team to slay a world-ravaging demon dragon in a certain world! I'm doing the same now."
"Once I defeat the Demon King and accumulate enough great deeds, I can return to the Celestial Realm and become a Holy Archangel God!"
Return to the Celestial Realm?
Su Lin felt a strange pity for Tashiniya.
This Archangel didn't seem to know that she probably couldn't return to the Celestial Realm... But in any case, he finally brought the conversation back to the Celestial Realm.
Taking out some wine and sharing it with Tashiniya and the others, Su Lin intensified his persuasive efforts.
"So, the Celestial Realm also has a promotion and assessment mechanism?"
"Of course!"
Speaking of this, Tashiniya instantly opened up, pouring out her grievances with the help of the alcohol.
Aside from the initial batch of primordial gods in the Celestial Realm, many subsequent gods achieved their divine positions through great deeds.
A god's great deeds generally refer to saving worlds.
Most aspiring gods choose to summon noble souls from other worlds to be champions, providing remote control and support.
Su Lin summarized this situation as outsourcing work.
The advantage is that it's safer and easier; the disadvantage is that it costs money.
Some aspiring gods, however, directly descend to the Nether themselves, embodying epic tales of saving worlds, and achieve godhood through great deeds.
The advantage is that they can spread their religion and save money; the disadvantage is that it's not very reliable, purely a gamble.
Most world-ending disasters are caused by powerful creatures like Demon Kings. If champions can't save the world, the races within that world have to survive by enduring and waiting for the next savior.
When aspiring gods descend to the Nether, they have to seal their power, and under the influence of Celestial Realm laws, the severity of the disaster can easily escalate, leading to failed salvation.
The end result for a large portion of these worlds is complete destruction, with only one in ten lives remaining.
"What about aspiring gods who descend to the Nether?"
Su Lin once again keenly noticed a blind spot.
"After failing to save the world, what happens to them?"
"They just slink back to the Celestial Realm, of course."
"That's it?"
"Hmm... They'll also be publicly criticized on the Celestial Realm's divine network."
Su Lin smiled, pursing his lips.
No wonder they say everyone in the Celestial Realm is a Celestial Dragon... "Miss Tashiniya, do you think that's right?"
Suddenly, a slightly questioning voice rang out.
Everyone turned to look, and it was Li Qiaoqiao who had spoken.
This was truly rare. From the moment they met, she had been too shy to speak, unable to look others in the eye, and even curled up shyly if someone got too close... Could she actually speak a complete sentence normally?
Being stared at by so many people, Li Qiaoqiao once again turned into a cooked shrimp, unable to help but hug her knees and shrink her head.
But a moment later, she spoke, still hesitant but firm.
"An aspiring god descends, fails the assessment, and causes a world to be destroyed, and the aspiring god only needs to return to receive criticism from the Celestial Realm... Is that all?"
"The destruction of a world is only worth a trivial criticism in the Celestial Realm, right?"
These words made Tashiniya somewhat silent.
Turning her face away, her expression in the moonlight was somewhat indistinct.
"These are the rules of the Celestial Realm. My words don't count, do they... Besides, everyone in the Celestial Realm is used to it. If I'm not used to it, wouldn't I be very out of place?"
With that, Tashiniya turned her head back and blinked.
That foolish smile now seemed a little forced.
"People who don't fit in are easily isolated in Celestial Realm schools."
"The Celestial Realm also has school bullying?"
"That kind of thing happens everywhere, doesn't it? The Celestial Realm isn't as perfectly good and beautiful as you imagine."
Letting out a burp, Tashiniya, her face flushed with alcohol, patted her stomach with forced cheerfulness.
"Don't worry! With me, Archangel Tashiniya, the most outstanding Archangel of the Angel Academy, we will definitely succeed in vanquishing the Demon King of the Aetheram Continent!"
"At that time, I can also take the opportunity to vigorously spread the Tashiniya religion on the Aetheram Continent! When I return to the Celestial Realm and get promoted, I'll directly have my own followers to continue leveling up!"
"Thinking about it this way, descending in person to achieve great deeds is actually a good thing!"
Su Lin looked at Tashiniya thoughtfully.
It seems the competition in the Celestial Realm is also very fierce. Before becoming a god, one must diversify their great deeds, and after becoming a god, one must cultivate followers to expand their faith pastures.
No wonder Hilulele and the others always said the Celestial Realm wasn't so friendly to the Nether.
It turns out everyone is quite competitive.
It's truly not easy to be a workhorse in any world.