Kazien, Alvin, Allen, and Arken looked at each other for a moment. Their gazes locked, as if silently offering reassurance and support to one another.
Once their resolve was firm, the four of them nodded slowly and stepped forward in unison toward the edge of the crystal lake.
They knelt upon the soft grass. Slowly, they leaned down and cupped their hands to gather the lake water that sparkled like liquid diamonds. Without the slightest hesitation, they drank it.
The first sensation that swept down their throats was a refreshing chill, but a second later, that chill transformed into an incredibly dense warmth.
Instantly, Kazien and his three spouses widened their eyes, feeling a massive, pure, and boundless stream of holy power rushing through them, seeping deep into every inch of their bloodstreams, muscles, and mana cores.
Amidst the process of absorbing the divine energy, Arken, who was still kneeling, stared at his own reflection on the surface of the clear lake. Suddenly, the absolute tranquility of the holy water triggered memories of his past. The image of his late father's face, always smiling warmly at him, flashed through the brown-haired youth's mind.
Father... Arken murmured inwardly, a sudden pang of longing squeezing his heart. Knowing this was the realm where souls resided after death, he was absolutely certain that his father's soul must be somewhere in this vast expanse of the divine realm.
Standing not far behind them, Goddess Nirfelia, who possessed the authority to read the hearts and minds of every existence, easily caught the echo of sorrow from Arken's mind.
The Creator could only offer a gentle smile full of compassion. She completely understood and deeply sympathized with the profound longing the youth felt.
"You do not need to harbor that longing in sorrow." Goddess Nirfelia said, her warm voice breaking the silence. "I will allow you to meet your families for a brief moment... but on one condition: it can only be done after you have successfully completed the entire training program here."
Hearing those words that offered an absolute glimmer of hope, Arken flinched. He hurriedly turned around and looked up at the Goddess's face.
The deep yearning he had buried in his heart suddenly swelled, shattering his emotional defenses.
"I-is that true, Goddess Nirfelia?" Arken asked, his voice trembling as his light blue eyes welled up, fighting back tears. "Will I really be allowed to meet and hug my father again after finishing this training?"
"Of course. As the Creator Goddess, I never go back on my word, Arken." Goddess Nirfelia answered with a motherly smile. The Goddess then turned toward the other two youths. "And this special permission does not solely apply to you. I will also allow Alvin to meet his parents, and Allen to meet his father."
Hearing the grand promise from the Goddess, Alvin and Allen felt as if they had been struck by lightning bolts of happiness. The yearning for their parents' love that they had endured all this time seemed completely repaid just by hearing that vow.
Sincere smiles of pure joy, accompanied by unstoppable tears of emotion, were instantly painted across the faces of the High Elf and the purple-haired youth.
Within seconds, the atmosphere around them drastically shifted. The longing and sorrow that had previously burdened them had now transformed into the fuel for unmatched determination. Their fighting spirit suddenly blazed fiercely.
Kazien, seeing the drastic change in his three spouses, could only smile in relief, grateful that the Goddess had provided them with the ultimate motivation.
"Very well, looking at your eyes... it seems the four of you are truly ready!" Goddess Nirfelia stated, sweeping her gaze across the faces of the four youths in turn.
A split second after the Goddess finished her sentence, the peaceful open scenery, the vast meadow, and the crystal lake vanished instantly, like an illusion swept away by the wind.
Now, the four of them were standing inside a massive enclosed room. The space was completely empty, sterile, and emitted a gravitational pressure slightly heavier than before.
Kazien, Alvin, Allen, and Arken stumbled back a step. The four of them were highly startled and on high alert, realizing their bodies had been teleported across dimensions without them noticing in the slightest.
"Stop staring with those shocked faces and start focusing!" Goddess Nirfelia ordered sternly, her voice no longer sounding as gentle as a mother, but as cold as a strict instructor. "You must know that the flow of time here and in your world is vastly different. Do you want the world you live in to be destroyed first just because you waste so much precious time?"
That harsh reprimand carrying the fate of the world felt like an invisible slap.
Immediately, the four youths straightened their postures, tossing aside their awe, and refocused one hundred percent on undertaking the training.
"Good. Now, close your eyes and center all your thoughts on the core of your souls!" the Goddess instructed, hovering a few meters above the floor. "Absorb, feel, and control the holy power you just drank! Do not fight it. Let that pure power adapt, meld, and merge with every muscle fiber and mana flow within your bodies."
Without arguing, Kazien, Alvin, Allen, and Arken immediately closed their eyes, focusing their minds and controlling their mana circulation to tame the divine power now residing within them.
Gradually, their tense expressions began to relax. A sense of warmth, peace, and comfort began to radiate outward, creating a golden-white aura that enveloped the four of them.
Witnessing this sight, Goddess Nirfelia let out a relieved sigh. She was amazed to see how quickly the youths were able to control the divine energy.
It seems the effect of the Eternity Contract they made with Kazien truly influences the essence of Alvin, Allen, and Arken's souls. It's thanks to the contract's influence that the three of them can instantly adapt to this holy energy with such ease.
However, beyond her relief at seeing the smooth progress of the training, Goddess Nirfelia's gaze lingered on Kazien. She still couldn't wrap her head around her son's life path, which completely defied the destiny she had originally designed for him.
I have no idea what kind of error occurred when I wiped all his memories and sent him to the mortal world back then. Goddess Nirfelia complained inwardly, shaking her head slightly. My intention was for him to live a normal life like an ordinary human. But now... my second son has developed a deviated orientation. He married three boys at once and has absolutely no interest in girls. As a Creator, this fact truly leaves me bewildered by my own creation.
Even though she was the architect of the universe, Goddess Nirfelia remained both amazed and exasperated by the anomaly of free will that had developed in her son upon his reincarnation as a human.
If only Lunarias hadn't acted up and succumbed to the darkness of the past, I would never have had to reincarnate my second son into a human bearing such a heavy burden. the Goddess lamented, a hint of sorrow fleeting across her eyes for a brief moment.
A few moments later, the energy vortex within the room suddenly surged drastically.
An explosion of divine aura radiated brightly from the bodies of Kazien, Alvin, Allen, and Arken. When they opened their eyes and stood up, their bodies had transformed, achieving physical evolution thanks to the assimilation of divine energy.
Slowly from Kazien's back, two pairs of silver wings emerged, flapping gracefully. Meanwhile, Alvin, Allen, and Arken experienced a similar miracle. On each of their backs, they now possessed a matching pair of silver wings.
The three of them widened their eyes, touching the silver feathers on their backs with feelings of immense shock and absolute awe.
"My Dear... look at this! I have wings!" Alvin exclaimed in awe, moving his wings slowly. He looked at his husband with eyes sparkling with joy. "These wings radiate the exact same aura as yours and Goddess Nirfelia's. I feel truly happy!"
"This is truly incredibly awesome!" Allen praised with equal enthusiasm, flapping his wings until his feet lifted slightly off the floor. "My body feels so light! With these wings, it feels as if I could fly anywhere, soaring through the clouds with you, My Love."
"My Huby, you feel it, right? I can feel boundless magical and physical power overflowing within my body!" Arken shouted, his face flushed with excitement, clenching both his fists tightly. "With this divine power... this time I can truly stand on the front lines and protect you!"
Witnessing the euphoric happiness of the four youths, Goddess Nirfelia did not want them to let their guard down and feel easily satisfied just because they managed to grow wings and master a fraction of that holy power.
"That's enough for the little celebration!" the Goddess cut in, her voice echoing once again with intimidating absolute authority. "You have only just managed to open the door. Now, I will immediately train you in actual life-and-death combat!"
Instantly, Goddess Nirfelia's figure split. Now, there were four manifestations of the Creator hovering, each directly facing Kazien, Alvin, Allen, and Arken.
Both Kazien and his three spouses, who had just been rejoicing, were instantly shocked and frozen by what they were witnessing.
"Prepare to receive my attack!" the four figures of Goddess Nirfelia said in unison, gracefully extending their arms.
There was no mana fluctuation. There was no muscle movement. There was no leaking murderous intent.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Suddenly, the four of them felt as if their backs had been attacked at the speed of light by an invisible, massive force. The absolute attack pierced right through the holy aura they had just been so proud of.
"Ugh...!"
A muffled groan of pain escaped from their mouths as the undetectable force slammed into them with immense violence.
Woosh! Bang!
The bodies of Kazien, Alvin, Allen, and Arken were blasted forward at an absurd speed, rocketing through the air like cannonballs, before finally crashing into the walls of the room with a deafening thud.
Training in the divine realm had finally, truly begun.