Chapter 190: Trying in Battle
Since Carlotta had indeed grasped the essence of the Harvest Goddess’s Diagram, Valerie no longer held back on the subsequent content.
She told Carlotta exactly which mythic diagrams corresponded to the stages that followed.
The War Goddess and the Wisdom Goddess were the next mythic diagrams corresponding to the Resonator stage.
As for Weavers, they corresponded to the Star Goddess, the Deep Moon Goddess, and the Sun Goddess.
As for what came even later...
Under Valerie’s guidance, Carlotta finally gained a deeper understanding of the many things that lay ahead.
The complete Elven Knight path surfaced clearly in her mind, step by step, every single detail becoming distinct.
She felt immense progress, this was progress born from a deeper understanding of the knight path she’d learned, an understanding of the extensive direction these techniques followed.
Finally, Carlotta couldn’t help but ask, "Why does the Elven Knight path involve these mythical gods? Other knight paths don’t seem to have such a peculiarity."
Valerie shook her head. "I don’t know. When I was born, training this way was already the norm. No one bothers to investigate the reasons anymore."
Carlotta glanced at Valerie, with a subtle expression.
Aside from their pointed ears and the thin pair of wings on their backs, the biggest difference between elves and humans lies in their lifespans.
Elves were an extremely long-lived race. A young girl might already be over a hundred years old, and a lady like Valerie... Well, a lady’s age really shouldn’t be asked about.
"Do gods really exist?"
Amelia couldn’t help but ask, then added, "I mean gods in the true sense, not those gods figures from the Central Continent who rely on faith."
Valerie looked at Amelia in surprise. "It’s strange that someone in this age still knows about the Path of Faith... As for true gods, I don’t know if they exist. I’ve never seen any miracles, so they probably don’t exist. Visualizing the Mythic Battle Diagrams is merely a method of cultivation. You needn’t overthink it."
Since Valerie had said that, Amelia didn’t ask further.
Next, Valerie gradually unfolded the various subsequent Mythic Battle Diagrams, allowing Carlotta to memorize them.
In the blink of an eye, another dawn arrived.
Once morning came, Valerie withdrew, instructing Carlotta to properly digest all the profound insights she’d already grasped.
Carlotta then left Island 97 with Amelia.
She wanted to test the Harvest Goddess Diagram’s effectiveness in actual combat, and her target, naturally, would be the sea monsters in the ocean. Although in Swan Sea, due to the constant maritime traffic maintained with the Northern Continent, the number of sea monsters had been drastically reduced, if one searched carefully, they could still be found.
Valerie immediately sensed Carlotta’s departure but didn’t intervene. Even if the other spent all day eating, drinking, and playing, she wouldn’t think she was lazy anymore. Yesterday, Carlotta’s comprehension of the Harvest Goddess Diagram had deeply shocked her.
’Even Elora back in the day didn’t possess this astonishing talent. Just what kind of person is she? What will she bring to the elves, and to this world?’
Valerie couldn’t help but ponder deeply.
Then she slightly furrowed her brows, as if sensing something, and immediately soared into the sky.
...
Suddenly after Carlotta and Amelia left Island 97, Carlotta sensed that she was being followed.
She knew it was the underlings sent by Valerie’s enemies who had come after her. Most likely, they’d seen her spending a long time with Valerie and now intend to make their move.
"Perfect timing. Let me test the techniques I’ve learned from the Harvest Goddess Diagram on these fellows."
Carlotta was very eager.
But soon, she felt helpless, because she felt Valerie had acted. The elven lady had also noticed these people tailing her, and without hesitation, silently eliminated the entire group, preventing them from ever threatening Carlotta.
Although she wanted to say these people could never threaten her anyway, since Valerie had already interfered, she didn’t say anything further.
With this group gone and no one left to practice on, she could only proceed with her original plan and search for sea monsters.
Carlotta flew swiftly past several islands, heading toward distant waters. When she arrived at the outermost island, her expression changed slightly.
She heard voices from the island below mentioning her name, and some of the keywords caught her attention.
This was Island 45, not too big, not too small, with a lively city. Of course, its prosperity couldn’t compare to the larger islands.
Aside from the bustling city, the island also contains many quiet areas, filled with primitive scenery and a fresh, clean scent that lingered in the air.
Carlotta descended into the city, immediately using her Illusory Mask to change her appearance once more, becoming a complete stranger. Walking through the streets, she attracted no attention.
Amelia also altered her appearance.
The two of them walked around the city briefly and soon heard related news: not long ago, someone had been inquiring about their whereabouts. As for who those people were, they couldn’t determine yet, because those individuals were deliberately concealing their identities, seemingly unwilling to expose themselves.
After their inquiries, those people had already flown off into the distance.
Carlotta immediately grabbed Amelia and chased after them in the direction they’d left. After exiting the city, she even activated her Speed Boost Card, greatly increasing her flight speed.
"Inquiring about my whereabouts... they’re probably up to no good."
Carlotta murmured to herself. She couldn’t just pretend she didn’t know about this.
With the Speed Boost Card enhancing her, she flew past Island 45 in an instant, entering the vast, sunlit blue ocean.
"Have you guessed who it is?"
Amelia asked.
"Those who’d deliberately seek me out are limited in number. It’s not hard to guess."
Carlotta replied.
Before even reaching the next island, Carlotta spotted a ship ahead, sailing steadily. That ship was clearly an alchemical vessel.
Of course, this ship couldn’t compare to the New Moon in any way, but it didn’t seem inferior to the Moonlight from back then, it was a top-grade alchemical item, an alchemical ship.
The alchemical ship cuts through the waves at a moderate speed.
Carlotta used her Illusory Mask to revert to Layla’s appearance. Amelia did the same. Then the two of them slowed down and brazenly flew directly over the alchemical ship.
The people on the alchemical ship naturally noticed them immediately.
"Found them! It’s them!"
"They’re actually right here!"
A commotion broke out on the ship. Many people rushed onto the deck, looking up into the sky at them.
Lester Castro lifted his head, catching sight of two passing girls, and his eyes suddenly lit up with brilliance.
"Stop them."
Hardly had his order fallen when two figures beside him shot forward, flashing instantly to block Carlotta and Amelia’s path ahead.
The pair, one male and one female, wore smiles that were everything but courteous.
The woman spoke bluntly, "You two, come down and be our guests for a while. We have something to discuss with you."
"Sure."
Carlotta readily agreed.
Seeing this, the man and woman who had prepared speeches previously were momentarily stunned.
Carlotta took Amelia’s hand, and the two immediately descended, landing on the ship’s deck.
Their actions surprised Lester as well.
He was a middle-aged man, tall and imposing, naturally exuding the bearing of someone accustomed to authority, clearly a person used to command.
Now, seeing the two girls approach, Lester said coldly: "Do you know why you’ve been brought here? You’ve done something you shouldn’t have, so now you have to pay the price for your actions."
His tone was indifferent, like he was looking at lambs awaiting slaughter, gazing at the two girls before him.
According to the information he had, both girls were merely peak tier Listeners.
Yet here, he had three Resonators alone!
"People from Mechanical Fortress?"
Carlotta asked.
"Your judgment isn’t bad. Then you should understand exactly why we’ve come after you."
Lester’s eyes gleamed coldly.
Carlotta sobbed slightly. "Of course I know. After learning of Dale Castro’s death, I wondered whether Mechanical Fortress might be petty enough to hold a grudge just because I didn’t sell Life Source to that man. Now it seems my guess was correct. Your narrow-mindedness is truly exceptional."
Hearing Carlotta’s words, Lester snorted coldly. "Are you disrespecting Mechanical Fortress? Has your ranking made you too arrogant? Have you forgotten who you’re speaking to?"
"Some people, after gaining a bit of false fame, forgot their true standing, actually thinking they’re someone important?"
The man who had previously blocked their way stepped forward with a sneer.
The woman beside him added, "Petty people remain petty. They can’t even comprehend the colossal power standing before them. Precisely because they fail to see it, they dare to babble nonsense. If they truly understand how terrifying this colossus is, would they still dare voice complaints? No matter how much resentment they harbor, they’d have to swallow it, then force a smile."
The three of them formed a triangle, surrounding Carlotta and Amelia, speaking disdainfully, not regarding the two girls as any threat.
Carlotta narrowed her eyes. "Not only are you petty, but you’re also extremely conceited and outrageously arrogant. However, you do have one merit."
Lester, already on the verge of anger, heard Carlotta criticize Mechanical Fortress, paused momentarily when he heard her say they had a merit.
Carlotta continued, "It’s that you’ve found the right people indeed. Although you didn’t come here for your original goal, you’ve ended up standing before the most correct one. Unfortunately, precisely because of this unexpected stroke of luck, the force you’ve brought seems a bit insufficient."
Carlotta shook her head.
For a moment, Lester and the other two couldn’t understand what Carlotta meant.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
Lester frowned, rebuking her impatiently.
Carlotta no longer felt like talking. She pulled Amelia, activated Speed Card, and at astonishing speed, so fast it was almost a blur, she floated back into the high sky.
Such incredible speed left Lester and the others unable to track her. By the time they reacted, Carlotta had already created distance, instantly changing their expressions.
"So fast!"
The three looked up, fixing their eyes on Carlotta, their gazes filled with disbelief, unable to comprehend how she could display such astonishing speed.
Has that girl become a Resonator?
Even if she were a Resonator, she shouldn’t possess such speed.
At this moment, the Harvest Goddess Diagram faintly appeared in Carlotta’s eyes, radiating a unique brilliance.
Valerie had said that everyone would grasp different techniques from the Harvest Goddess Diagram, determined by their individual understanding.
Carlotta, having comprehended the diagram through intelligence data, had mastered an exceptionally powerful technique.
She had straightforwardly named this technique, Harvest Goddess!
Now, Carlotta merely waved her hand, and magic power surged out, instantly causing a vividly realistic painting to emerge throughout the surroundings.
The entire alchemical ship sank into the scroll. Around it, vast fields of rice paddies appeared, golden rice ears swaying in the wind, each grain plump and full.
"What is this?"
The three Resonators, Lester and the others, had been about to rise into the air to confront Carlotta, but the sudden appearance of this scene changed their expressions, making them hesitate to act rashly.
The next moment, Lester’s pupils shrank.
He saw a nearby rice ear suddenly split open. From within it, a streak of sword light passed through the air, slashing toward the female Resonator among the three.
"Quick, dodge!"
Lester shouted.
Hearing Lester’s voice and sensing danger herself, the woman hastily sidestepped.
But it was still too slow.
Or rather, the sword light erupted too quickly. In one slash, the woman was instantly drenched in blood, one arm flying off, as she let out a piercing scream, her face contorted with agony.
The woman’s condition enraged and horrified Lester and the other man, who were about to take action, but what happened next made their scalps tingle and their entire bodies turn icy cold.
In the endless rice fields, millions of rice ears swayed in the wind. Then, the full grains atop these rice ears began tearing open one after another, revealing innumerable streaks of sword light.
Each rice ear nurtured a sword light. Now, thousands upon thousands of sword lights emerging, interwoven with killing intent, saturated with murderous aura, encompassing the entire alchemical ship.
The next moment, blinding sword light erupted. Countless sword beams slashed forward, as if attempting to tear apart the entire world in that instant. Brilliant radiance illuminates the sky and earth, turning everything white.
"No!"
Lester roared.
On the alchemical ship, people had no time to react before being slashed through by hundreds of sword beams. Blood sprayed everywhere, their bodies ripped into mangled chunks of flesh scattered across the deck.
In the blink of an eye, the ship’s deck was drenched in crimson, a horrific and gruesome sight.