Chapter 143: Obelisk
The Golden Bell continued to ring incessantly, but it was no longer Obei striking it, but an unseen wind.
The invisible wind swirled around Obei, growing stronger and faster with each chime of the bell.
Dong!
Dong!!
Dong!!!
The bell chimes came wave after wave, faster and more impactful… and the soul-cleansing resonance gradually began to synchronize with Obei’s heartbeat.
Bang~!
Dong!
Bang~!
Dong!
……
At the same time, on the Golden Bell Tower—
Wherever the fierce wind passed, small pockets of space were torn apart, and the resulting scattered cracks dyed this invisible Gang Wind a pitch-black color.
Below the bell tower, many Shandia people noticed this unusual sight, exclaiming in surprise and then causing a commotion.
“Hey! Look, what’s going on?”
“The Golden Bell is out of control!”
“What a strong wind!”
“What is that?! Those black things?”
“Chieftain!”
“Warrior Captain!”
……
In contrast to the somewhat flustered Shandia people, Oxi and her companions were much calmer.
“What wind is Obei channeling? To use her authority just to ring a bell?”
“Is she perhaps finding it too tiring to use her hands?”
Oxi scratched her head, feeling that her cheap younger sister was acting strange in every way today.
Could it really be her molting period?
Conversely, Jin broke free from his earlier relaxation.
His hands instinctively clenched, and he watched Obei above with some tension.
『 Will it succeed… 』
Soon, the whistling sound of space shattering grew louder, and everyone present felt a threat of death, as if they themselves would be torn apart the next second.
Except for the Chieftain and Warrior Captain who remained standing motionless, all other Shandia people instinctively took several steps back, with some parents directly shielding their children.
The situation seemed to be developing in an uncontrollable direction…
And just as this wind of death was about to touch the people around, with an almost inaudible sigh, the crisis gradually subsided.
Everything returned to peace.
At the same time, Obei’s entire demeanor returned to its usual level.
……
『 It failed again. 』
『 It’s already the second time. 』
『 I felt it when the bell rang earlier, but it still failed. 』
『 Am I trying too hard… 』
Indeed, the more calculating a person is, the more likely they are to fall into unexpected predicaments.
The awakening plan, which consumed countless efforts and anxieties, ultimately ended in failure.
Even though a seemingly perfect opportunity, unexpected even to Obei herself, appeared at the last moment, it ultimately lacked that final push.
The bell chimes, crossing time and space, ultimately failed to awaken the slumbering god.
『 To seek and not obtain, the more one seeks, the less one obtains… 』
『 Heh~ 』
……
The wind finally stopped completely, and the ding-dong of the Golden Bell continued, but Obei had no interest in listening anymore.
Dejectedly, she walked down the stairs. The crowd in front of her parted automatically, clearing a path. The eyes of these Shandia people still held lingering panic and fear.
Under their gazes, Obei slowly left the bell tower, then found a secluded corner and sat down, hugging her knees.
Jin watched all this but did not step forward, even stopping Oxi, who wanted to go comfort her.
“This is her own matter, she needs to overcome it herself.”
“So what’s wrong with Obei? She’s been like this since morning, did something happen?”
Oxi’s method of peeking into souls had no effect on Obei; she could only vaguely sense the other’s emotions.
And Obei’s emotions right now were clearly quite bad.
Confusion, disappointment, self-loathing, even a hint of self-abandonment…
“No, I have to ask her clearly!”
Oxi broke free from Jin’s arm and was about to push through the crowd to reach Obei.
As a sister, she couldn’t leave Obei like this.
……
“Yo~ What’s wrong? My cute little sister?”
Arriving near Obei, Oxi put on a cheerful face and patted her shoulder from behind.
“Nothing.”
“You can’t fool your sister like this~ Come on, tell me, were you bullied? Or did you feel shy about that scene just now?”
“It has nothing to do with you.”
“Hiss~ Could it really be your molting period?”
“Let me see, I said when you lost your ‘egg’ why you didn’t react, turns out you haven’t even changed, have you?!”
“Be good, let me see!”
“Stop fooling around!”
Obei pushed away Oxi’s clinging hands.
“I’m really fine!”
“Phew~”
“Can you let me be alone for a while now, okay? Sister.”
Obei’s voice gradually softened, even carrying a hint of fragility, completely lacking her usual distant coldness.
Under Obei’s pleading gaze, Oxi had no choice.
“Alright. But if there’s really anything, you must tell me~”
“Mhm, I know.”
Obei nodded, watching Oxi’s hesitant retreating back, and then whispered in a voice only she could hear:
“Thank you.”
“……”
“Sister.”
……
The festival ritual continued.
Although there was a minor accident just now, seeing their Chieftain and Warrior Captain looking calm and composed, the other Shandia people also relaxed.
As this was the first time in nearly four hundred years that the lights of Shandora were reignited, this ritual was conducted with great solemnity and seriousness.
Following the procedures left by their ancestors, everyone proceeded in an orderly fashion, strictly adhering to each step of the ritual.
Worshipping the sky, worshipping the earth, worshipping the ancestors.
The Chieftain held his staff and recited the ancient ritualistic prayer.
The Warrior Captain held his spear and sang a powerful ritual song.
Warriors wore wooden masks, drew strange totems, rhythmically struck their shields, and occasionally let out high-pitched war cries.
Women wore colorful feather robes and ornate headdresses, stretching their bodies around the bonfire.
Following the ancient traditions of a thousand years ago, the Shandia people meticulously performed the ritual dances and sang the ritual songs, bringing the scent of humanity back to Shandora after four hundred years of absence.
……
Time quietly passed~
The solemn ritual did not last long, and soon everyone entered the liveliest part of the festival—the free banquet.
The roaring bonfire reflected in Obei’s eyes, but could not dispel the gloom hidden within.
The shadow of the Golden Bell was stretched long by the flames, painting a dark area on the magnificent floor that light could not reach.
She sat on the ground, hugging her knees, her small body hidden in the shadow.
She quietly watched the lively Shandora festival not far away, with only a few dim lights around her.
People in the light, either clinking glasses and drinking fine wine left by the Sky people;
Or spontaneously getting up to dance rhythmically;
Or families leaning against each other, chatting about a beautiful future…
Oxi, maintaining her gregarious nature, quickly blended in with the people around her, chatting and joking.
However, she still glanced in Obei’s direction from time to time.
Jin was also with the Shandia Chieftain and Warrior Captain, who were free, and the three seemed to be discussing matters of racial history.
Wright was the busiest at this moment, taking out his notebook and furiously recording something, his pen moving so fast that afterimages could be seen.
Under the veil of peace, everything seemed so beautiful.
War and violence, sacrifice and destruction… these words, which symbolized her authority, seemed so out of place compared to the scene before her.
Just as black ink should not stain white paper, this peaceful celebration should not be tainted by personal desires.
Understanding this, Obei quietly shifted her position, burying herself deeper in the darkness, in a less conspicuous spot.
She was like a flaw in a famous painting, desperately trying to hide herself.
……
“Goddess Sister, aren’t you going to join the banquet?”
A pure, childlike voice rang out.
The speaker was a little girl, seemingly only five or six years old, and behind her followed many children of similar age.
They had gathered around Obei at some point.
“Goddess… Sister? Why do you call me that?”
“I am not your god.”
Obei said with self-deprecation. Having treated these Shandia people as mere tools for awakening, she was not worthy of being their god.
“No! I heard from the warrior uncles in the tribe that Goddess Sister chased away those Sky people who stole our homeland all by herself.”
“And she punched through the White White Sea with one blow, scaring those Sky bad guys so much that they never dared to trouble us again!”
“Goddess Sister is even more powerful than the Great Warrior Kargra!”
The boys said in very childish voices, with full admiration.
“That’s right, Dad said Goddess Sister is the god of Earth （ Bas ）, who came to help us Shandia people reclaim our homeland.”
“We should all thank Goddess Sister, Goddess Sister is the hero of Shandia.”
Children’s words are always so innocent and pure, and their emotions are the most sincere.
Surrounded by these heartfelt words of gratitude and praise, Obei’s mood involuntarily lightened a little.
Just as Obei was about to tell the children to go enjoy the banquet, the leading little girl suddenly presented something to her.
“Here’s a gift for you, Goddess Sister.”
“A gift? This is…”
Obei took it and examined it. It was a small figure made of dirt.
The children’s craftsmanship was not very good, so this dirt figure was not exquisite, or rather, it was only vaguely human-shaped, with rudimentary limbs and a head.
“This is us making Goddess Sister out of Bas, it’s a gift for you, Goddess Sister.”
“Do you like it, Goddess Sister?”
The children’s eyes were full of anticipation, so even though the dirt doll in her hands looked somewhat indescribable, Obei could not give any answer other than “I like it.”
After all, a god cannot disappoint their little believers!
“Thank you, I like it very much!”
Obei showed them her first smile of the day.
“Oh!”*n
Upon receiving the answer, the children immediately cheered.
“Let’s go, Goddess Sister, let’s go to the banquet together!”
“Let’s go, let’s go!”
“Goddess Sister, get up quickly.”
“Goddess Sister…”
“……”
Pulled by small hands, Obei stood up again and moved to the brightly lit area.
『 Ha~ How ironic. 』
『 To think that a god whose authority is destruction has a meaning in her name that is… 』
Obelisk—an obelisk standing on the earth, symbolizing the protection and order of the gods.
