Chapter 436 - Observers In The World

Crawford Kingdom, the Capital.

The sun was setting, but the looming dark clouds continued to swirl in the skies above the Royal Palace with Aria seated at its center, eyes closed.

Many hours have passed, but the process of Transcendence did not seem like it would end any time soon.

Clouds gathered, and white lightning crackled with streaks of blue and purple. The power accumulated in the clouds was ever-rising, but without its descent, Aria cannot be baptized and complete her Transcendence.

Heinrich and Elizabeth shortly returned after tending to matters in the east, helping with the railway construction that would connect the Capital to the World Tree—only to be surprised by the scene before them.

"How much time has elapsed since Aria started sitting here? Her Transcendence hasn't ended yet?" Elizabeth said, taken aback before her brows creased with worry.

Heinrich frowned.

"We were gone from a whole day, but Aria has still been sitting here. This is probably the longest Transcendence in history. There won't be any problem, would there?"

"Why are you asking me? I should be asking you!"

"How would I know? I don't know everything." Heinrich responded dumbfoundedly.

Shortly after, Elizabeth pulled over a palace guard and queried, "Anything happened while we were gone?"

"None, Your Majesty." The palace guard answered, honestly.

Heinrich and Elizabeth fell into silence.

After a moment, Heinrich softly said, "Well, let us hope nothing goes awry. This Transcendent Phenomenon is rather different from previous ones, after all. Perhaps, it has something to do with Aria's unique attributes. Maybe something good will come out of it."

"Un, maybe you are right. We can only hope and pray that things go well." Elizabeth nodded, but she cannot hide the concerns in her heart.

They both gazed into the whirlpool of dark clouds in the sky worriedly.

Suddenly, the whirlpool of dark clouds began to spin with increasing velocity, forming a clear eye at its center.

The entire sky was blotted out by the clouds. But at this moment, a clear glimpse into the void was projected through the eye. However, this void did not seem to come from their world.

The starry eyes depicted was different. It did not match the same constellation they usually see in the sky at night. It was as if the eye was a portal, leading to a different world.

It was not long before a few sprinkles of soft glittering light particles fell from the eye of heaven like falling stardust. They landed gently on Aria's head before disappearing like melting snow.

Deep in her consciousness, Aria fell into a dream. The dark depths of her sea of consciousness fade as she was pulled into another world—a world of snow.

'This place…'

'I've seen this place before…'

'In my dream.'

Aria gazed at the distant yet familiar surroundings. She was on a snowy mountain peak, where a large palace was built.

Below was the kingdom belonging to the said palace, flourishing in the grassland with fresh air, which was contrary to the coldness of the tall mountain peak.

A plethora of herbs could be seen in every household, some of which were built grand and impressively, only slightly inferior to the palace on the snowy mountain peak.

She glanced down at her own hands and feet, waving them in doubt before her eyes gradually widened with please surprise.

'I can move on my own this time.'

Aria concluded.

She resumed observing the world in her surroundings.

It was beautiful beyond belief, thriving with life and fantastical elements she had not seen in the Human Domain.

Distant mountain peaks surrounded the kingdom, and floating islands could be seen high in the skies amongst the clouds while flowing water poured down from them ceaselessly like waterfalls.

Rivers of clear water ran through the heart of the kingdom and spread to every direction. These clear waters seemed to possess magical properties that nourish the plants and herbs it touches, allowing them to proliferate and bloom with wonders.

Beyond the sky, was the heavens.

It was filled with large celestial bodies, both close and far like distant stars. However, the close ones were bigger and brighter than the moons in her memory.

They appeared so closely; it gave her the illusion that they were only a short flight away as long as she could have the ability to traverse amongst the stars.

Walking around, her feet were bare. The snow was soft and cold, but not to the point of freezing. Instead, it was cool and refreshing, like the ocean breeze in spring.

Even so, her footsteps in the soft patches of snow left no footprints. When she reached for a few glacial flowers growing in the snow, her hands phased through it like trying to touch an illusion.

However, she knew that the world was not an illusion. Rather, she was the illusion in this unknown world.

'How did I come here?'

'Why am I brought here?'

'What purposes does my presence serve here?'

Aria was puzzled by these questions.

The prosperous kingdom below was thriving with people and activities, while the palace felt detached and lonely.

At that moment, she heard some voices nearby.

It came from the courtyard ahead of her. She made her way over to the entrance without stopping and did not bother to reach out for the door handles.

Her body quickly phased through the doors at the moment of contact, just like the glacial flower she tried to touch before.

She was not a person of this world—only a silent observer. The people in this world did not know she existed while she was quietly watching them.

Inside the courtyard, her eyes soon fell on two young men. One was seated on a stone bench, hunched over with a depressed look while the other person tried to cheer him up.

The depressed person resembled Leon.

However, this person appeared younger and naïve, but also more handsome, except not by much. He simply had fairer skin.

Aria had seen this person in her dream fragments before.

His name was Leon Escladus, the Crown Prince of the Divine Pill Kingdom, and son of Heinrich Escladus, the Divine Medicine King.

The other person was his best friend, Judas Gahfrit, a young master from the Gahfrit family, a Great Family residing within the Divine Pill Kingdom.

"What is the matter with you, man? How can you expect that person to know how you feel if you do not tell her how you feel about her? What is the point of being depressed over doing nothing? If doing nothing is making you depressed, then do something about it! Some things won't happen unless you say it." Judas Gahfrit said.

"I'm not confident that she will reciprocate my feelings due to the relationship we share. After all, we've been close like real brothers and sisters." Leon Escladus sighed.

"Hmm… is that so?"

Judas Gahfrit's eyes flickered with deep thoughts before he said, "If you believe you are lacking confidence, then come with me to the Red District! I know just the place that will help you build up your confidence!"

"There's a place that can do that within the kingdom?" Leon Escladus naively asked with doubt and anticipation.

Judas Gahfrit nodded.

"Of course! Once you experience it, you'll be overflowing with confidence like me!" Judas Gahfrit claimed while secretly snickering inside his heart, 'Not only is there a place like that in the kingdom, but it can also be found in almost every city!'

After getting the affirmation from his best friend, Leon Escladus looked up at Judas Gahfrit, who seemed to be the personification of confidence.

"What are we waiting for then? Let us go right now!" Leon Escladus immediately urged with eagerness. Once he has his confidence, he will be sure to confess his love.

His best friend had made a point. If he does not even confess, then nothing will change.

"Alright!"

Aria watched everything unfolded and felt that something was not right about this situation.

"Wait! Don't go!"

She tried to stop them, but it was no use. Her hands simply phased through their bodies, and her voice could not be heard.

Shortly after, the two left the courtyard and flew down the snowy mountain on their summoned Spirit Artifact.

"Dammit!"

Aria hit the ground with a clenched fist, feeling helpless and useless for not being able to change anything. She did not know why she was even trying to change anything.

Subconsciously, she was treating Leon Escladus and Leon Crawford as the same person.

There were fragment dreams that depicted scenes when Leon Escladus fell into the quagmire of lust and depravity. This event might have been the impetus that led towards it.

Suddenly, there was a soft but distant sigh.

Aria was surprised that were was still someone else nearby. She quickly turned towards the source, which seemed to have come from the sky, and found a person—No, a goddess floating in the air.

It was the goddess in her fragmented dream who shared a similar appearance to her, except this person radiated with a fairy-like beauty and etherealness, making the person feel much beautiful.

"If you were me. What would you have done differently?" The person asked.

Aria was startled.

She did not expect that this person could see her, believing that no one in this world could see her. With doubts in her heart, she pointed at herself and asked, "Are you asking me?"

"That is correct."

The person shortly nodded with a slight but forlorn chuckled, asking, "If not you, then who else could I be asking around here? We are the only two observers here."