NOVPUBElysia split her group into three teams. The first team went into the outer space domain in the Divine World’s lower layer. Elena, Ai, Zera, Lifa, and twelve chosen Heavenly Agents went with the original Elysia to find a particular supermassive star and some celestial objects.
The second team was led by Megami to Katie’s domain. The Elysium Goddesses, Zi Xuan, Luna, Lynn, Darkness, and Sylvia would visit the Church of Insight before they would deal with business matters. As the third team, Miko led the girls on a field trip. Six heavenly servants escorted them closely, and the rest went with Megami.
"..." Megami looked up as she began to wonder what her mama wished to do with the supermassive star. Elysia had never spoken to anyone about it before, and the matter was still kept secret for several reasons, even to her and Miko.
All she knew was related to the extraction’s requirement for Lady Nirvana’s remnant soul, but she couldn’t connect the dots regarding the connection between that matter and the supermassive star.
"Thinking about your mama? Ely has become a bit secretive lately. Does she need to be like that when she already accessed all of our secrets? It’s pretty unfair, I must say." Fortuna crossed her arms and sighed.
"Our master will let us know when the time comes. What’s with the rush?" Rhea shook her head.
"Hm, our Fate Goddess has become fond of grumbling and complaining lately. Be careful or you might become a termagant. Ely also invested a lot of her efforts into you. She wouldn’t like it if you badmouthed her. Also, Megami is right next to you." Gaia tapped her cheek, giving advice as an experienced lady.
"Wha, I didn’t say it with bad intentions. I swear!" Fortuna hastily raised two fingers to the sky.
"Kekeke~ the fate is a btch, and the Fate Goddess is literally the Goddess of Btch." Darkness covered her mouth to contain her laughter.
"How dare you... What in tarnation is wrong with you?" Fortuna trembled a little, suppressing her anger. She only spoke her mind, and this insolent vampire bird dared to make fun of her!?
"Quiet." Megami held Fortuna’s arm.
"But, she started it." Fortuna pointed to the irritating bird with a grieved expression.
"Haven’t you two been reconciled by Ely? Do you want to make her sad?" Nell hovered in the middle of the stare contest between Fortuna and Darkness
"Uhm, well... I shouldn’t argue with a brat in puberty. My apologies, I lost my composure and grace for a moment. I might need to hang out with Ely more often. I need to learn more from her in the art of taming." Fortuna twirled a strand of her long hair and put her hand on Megami’s arm, ignoring Darkness.
Her mood was currently superb, very happy and excited because she would collect the last piece to create her private world. Thanks to everyone’s help, the construction of her private world might begin tomorrow.
"Who is the brat in puberty, hah? This great me is-" Darkness was about to rebuke, but the nearby soul fox sealed her mouth.
"Don’t make Megami repeat herself. Can’t you cut down your unpleasant remark? Chill down a bit, will you?" Luna pressed her fingers, sealing Darkness’ puckered lips.
"Hmngh!" Darkness complained, but she could speak nothing as her lips were still sealed.
"You can understand what I’m saying, right?" Luna stared deep into Darkness’ crimson eyes.
"!!!" Darkness could feel the impending danger. She nodded several times because Luna’s stare somehow terrified her.
"Good." Luna released Darkness’ lips.
"So, do we have a specific purpose for this visit? Our master pays a lot of attention to Katie lately." Sylvia put her hands behind her head.
"Yes, Lady Katie is our master’s agent in the Divine World. She has prepared the procedures and arrangements for us." Zi Xuan checked her note.
A few moments later, they arrived at the Land of Destiny, a place where one’s own fate and destiny would be highly decided by karma and luck.
Even though Katie as the Goddess of Fate became a prominent figure with a high standing in this realm, the realm’s ruler was actually someone else. Regardless, their destination did not change. They went straight to the Church of Insight.
The Church of Insight stood as a monumental edifice, a harmonious blend of architectural grandeur and spiritual sanctity. From afar, it resembled a magnificent temple. The structure was an epitome of divine inspiration, where every detail was meticulously designed to reflect profound wisdom and enlightenment.
After passing the first gate, a grand staircase of white marble led to an imposing set of double doors, each adorned with intricate reliefs depicting scenes of celestial beings imparting knowledge to the believers.
Above the entrance, a massive stained glass window dominated the facade, its vibrant colors casting a spectrum of light onto the steps below. The window depicted the Eye of Insight, a central motif of the church, surrounded by radiant beams and intricate geometric designs.
The double doors opened by themselves to welcome the guests. The church’s interior was a vast, cavernous space filled with an ethereal glow. The high vaulted ceiling was painted with celestial scenes, where gods and sages floated amidst swirling constellations.
Massive chandeliers, crafted to resemble intertwined vines of crystal and gold, hung from above, casting a soft, luminous light that danced across the polished stone floor. The walls were lined with rows of shelves, each filled with ancient tomes and scrolls, a testament to the church’s dedication to preserving knowledge.
At the heart of the church was the sanctum, a serene and sacred space where the Altar of Insight stood. The altar was a masterpiece of craftsmanship, made from a single piece of luminous crystal that seemed to pulse with a gentle inner light.
Behind it, a large statue of the God of Insight presided over a figure of serene wisdom with an open book in one hand and a radiant orb in the other. Surrounding the altar were concentric circles of pews, each one slightly elevated above the other, allowing every worshipper a clear view of the sanctum.
The atmosphere within the Church of Insight was one of profound tranquility and reverence. Soft, meditative chants echoed through the halls, intermingling with the faint rustle of pages as scholars and devotees alike immersed themselves in study and reflection.
"Welcome to the Chruch of Insight, distinguished guests. It is our honor to receive your visit." Katie flew down from the upper floor, followed by several priestesses by her side.
"All of them are your people, but nobody worships the Fate Goddess. Why is that?" Megami nodded in response, but something was bothering her.
Katie was taken aback to find ’Goddess Elysia’ wore no expression. It took her a few seconds to realize it wasn’t actually Elysia, but Elysia’s divine avatar, Megami. She took a deep breath, held her hand behind her back, and looked at God’s statue with reverence. "I am just a small piece of the grand scheme of things. This insignificant me should not be in the limelight. Everyone in this land revered the God of Insight as the path guidance, the bringer of enlightenment."
"..." Zi Xuan was silent for a moment as Katie’s reply was tinged with an atmosphere of reverence. She then shared a little information with her group via voice transmission. "Lady Katie is the inheritor of the God of Insight’s divinity, the transcended successor who rules over fate and destiny. Several millennia after his demise in the second cataclysm, she officially took his mantle to continue his legacy."
"Hum, she never intended to replace her ancestor’s seat." Rhea nodded in understanding.
"I see..." Fortuna was stunned for a moment as she felt a little enlightened. In contrast to Katie’s devotion, she was pretty high-profile, petty, and relatively arrogant. She behaved well because of Elysia and Elena, but she finally understood why Elysia was drawn to befriend Katie.
In retrospect to her, she barely returned Elysia’s favor and kindness. She looked at the ground in self-introspection. She already received a lot from the Elysium Family, and she had to do something for this family in return.
It was no wonder Elysia kept contacting Katie for fate and destiny tasks. Elysia should have told her, and she would get it done. She had behaved so well...
"Mama is aware of you though, but you need to speak it out yourself. She never treats her people unfairly, but you’re too busy with your own tasks, despite receiving everyone’s help." Megami spoke near Fortuna’s ear.
"Alright." Fortuna blushed a little because Megami’s breath was ticklish.
"They can wait for us. As for now, please allow me to show you around." Katie repeated her invitation cheerfully.
Even though it was just Elysia’s avatar, the real Elysia was aware of what was happening. So, she had to treat Megami as the real Elysia. Since it was also Elysia’s first visit to her turf, she also had to leave the best impression on Elysia and the Elysium Family.
"Good." Megami nodded in reply. Katie then walked by her side to introduce what the Church of Insight had to offer.
---
Some distance away in the lower layer of the Divine World, Miko’s group received a warm welcome from Mytia in the Mystic Stellar Sacred Ground. Elysia was revered as the savior by Mytia’s family, therefore, even the patriarch personally welcomed the guests at the entrance gate.
"Mystic Stellar Saintess has already escorted us personally. I hope we won’t be a bother, Sir Magnus." Miko greeted politely.
"Ho ho ho, there’s nothing troublesome. I want to welcome you personally, and I’m here. Welcome to the Mystic Stellar Sacred Ground. We still can’t thank you enough for your favor, Sacred Sakura Goddess." Magnus paid his respect, followed by the other elders.
"..." Miko had nothing to say. Those people were wise enough not to mention ’the Supreme Goddess’ in public, but they somehow mistook her as her mama, the Sacred Sakura Goddess.
