This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 447 - 419 The Goddess’s Test

Chapter 447: Chapter 419 The Goddess’s Test

The arrival of Goddess Yizhuoluo came more swiftly than expected, and Amberser would not bother with Aeolus now.

Aige reacted quickly, sending a message to every member of the Silent Night Pirate Group to search for the missing Aeolus. Meanwhile, she and Amberser approached the Mermaid High Priestess.

By this time, all the mermaids participating in the ritual had left, leaving behind the beautifully sublime conch altar.

The Mermaid High Priestess, now possessed by Goddess Yizhuoluo, looked at Amberser with emotion and said, "Even in the depths of the ocean, your story is being told. How should I address you, Lich, who has gone by many names?"

With respect, Amberser said, "Any name is fine, my teacher once said to give everything to me, and if it pleases you, you may call me Old Pete."

Old Pete was the name used by the God of Alchemy when he was still mortal. In fact, his name was Blind-Eye Pete at the time, and it was only after he took Amberser as his student that he was no longer bullied by others.

Goddess Yizhuoluo seemed surprised by Amberser’s irreverence and couldn’t help but laugh, "I have heard about your special relationship with the God of Alchemy, but it seems that the rumors have lost their truth in the circulation within the conch. So, what do you wish to discuss in seeking an audience with me?"

This Goddess was indeed direct, not one for riddles.

Amberser hurriedly said, "My friend Aige, she is a Ghost Ship, and now she is close to entering the realm of the Deity. I would like to ask the Goddess for permission to borrow your devotees to help my friend become a true Deity."

Goddess Yizhuoluo looked at Aige with a sense of nostalgia and said, "Years have passed, and you too have reached this point."

To her surprise, Aige responded, "Goddess, you have taken notice of me before?"

Goddess Yizhuoluo nodded and said, "I have been aware of your existence since the day you were born. Do you not know? Your father, that Old Shipwright, was my devotee and the most talented shipwright I have seen. Every ship he built was unique in the world. When he faced danger, I sent a message to him through dolphins, hoping he would come to the Water Elemental Plane, into my Divine Realm."

Aige became excited and said, "My father is in your Divine Realm?!"

Goddess Yizhuoluo sadly shook her head and said, "Unfortunately, he refused. You are the last ship he made, a masterpiece into which he poured his entire heart. Your first sinking broke his heart as well. Perhaps that’s why you were born. It was he who nurtured the seed of your soul with his everything, allowing you to come into existence."

Aige was momentarily disappointed, but she quickly composed herself, as this was an answer she had long known.

Aige said self-deprecatingly, "I never found this in his notes. It seems he was not very devout to you, Goddess."

Indeed, the Old Shipwright’s sailing diary was all about ships, scarcely mentioning anything related to Deities.

"It doesn’t matter. I appreciate his talent. There are many who simply pray to Deities but few who could maximize a talent to its utmost, like your father did," the Goddess reflected.

Goddess Yizhuoluo had many associated deity positions, and creation was one of them; it was natural that the Old Shipwright would gain her admiration.

Amberser interjected at the right moment, "So, it seems, Goddess, that you do not mind helping with this matter?"

If the two shared this connection, wouldn’t the transaction be much simpler? Amberser felt that the Goddess of Fate had been casting too many flirtatious glances his way lately, as his luck seemed a bit too good.

However, instead of answering, Goddess Yizhuoluo turned to Aige and asked, "Have you decided what kind of Deity you wish to become?"

Aige nodded, a faint light glowing at her brow. Goddess Yizhuoluo observed for a long while before saying, "A deity position related to sailing... indeed, you are almost there. Perhaps with a little more time, you wouldn’t even need to borrow external power."

Aige shook her head and said, "No, I am well aware that without help, I might not be able to take the final step even after thousands of years. I have done all I can to follow the path I chose, and now I’ve reached the ultimate bottleneck."

For mortals seeking deification, there were several methods, and Aige had chosen the most orthodox one. As a Ghost Ship, she had reached every corner of the ocean, walking her path to its end.

At this stage, an individual with an outstanding talent could understand and accept the baptism of the World Laws, then in a moment of Aeo’s approbation, they would obtain the corresponding deity position.

But Aige lacked that last step, her wisdom was insufficient.

Even though her power was enough, she had spent many years just touching the related laws of this world, but she couldn’t understand them, let alone integrate them into herself.

It was a quandary, like a Mage’s Wishing Spell - you either know it or you don’t. After all these years, only Garey Woz, that madman, had played a big game able to use Wishing Spell indefinitely, while other Mages might spend their whole lives unable to comprehend it.

Aige’s talent in this aspect was truly lacking, and perhaps this was also related to her origins because, lacking guidance, she only learned language and script after a long time since her birth. Since that time, she was somewhat lacking in wisdom.

When Amberser first sold deity positions, Aige was tempted, but she later realized that it was meaningless.

The Old Shipwright had hoped that Aige would become a Legendary ship that sailed to every corner of the sea. If Aige could not become a Deity as her father had hoped, what right would she have to ask Aeo to revive her father?

Even if she became a Deity in such a way, she would end up as a weak Deity unable to progress further, and Aige would probably disdain herself for it.

So when Amberser proposed the plan of ascension through the Power of Faith, Aige agreed without hesitation.

Although it was a bit of a shortcut, at least she could still rise to become a deity related to navigation, and there might be opportunities for further progress in the future. Perhaps, with the rise of the Great Voyage Era, she would become a powerful deity and attract Aeo’s attention.

After listening to Aige’s story, Goddess Yizhuoluo understood her intentions, but she neither agreed nor refused. Instead, she said to Amberser, "I understand what you desire. If you can pass my trial, I am willing to use the Power of Faith to aid her ascension."

Amberser quickly asked, "What kind of trial is it? Are you asking us to help deal with those Yixi Manta Rays?"

The biggest adversaries of the mermaids now were the Yixi Manta Rays, and with a major expedition in the works, it seemed the only challenge Goddess Yizhuoluo could present was this one.

However, what surprised Amberser the most occurred when Yizhuoluo shook her head and said, "It is unrelated to those conflicts. Let’s play a game. I will give you the chance to ask questions, and I will only answer ’yes’ or ’no.’ If you find the answer within ten questions, I will agree to help."

Amberser immediately had a bad feeling. The Goddess of Fate wasn’t giving him a flirtatious wink; it was clearly a cold stare.

"Questions? Are there any requirements? What answer must we obtain to be successful?" asked Amberser.

But Goddess Yizhuoluo did not elaborate further, saying calmly, "Start now. You may ask any question, but I will only answer ’yes’ or ’no.’"

Aige looked at Amberser for guidance, knowing such a trial of wisdom could only rely on the Lich.

Amberser did not speak immediately but pondered for a long while until Yizhuoluo reminded him, "The time I can manifest my thoughts here is limited; if you delay further, you will have failed."

That’s when Amberser asked his first question, "Goddess, do you actually wish to help, and is this question game merely for us to sort through our thoughts, to remind us of certain things we need to pay attention to in becoming a deity?"

Yizhuoluo replied with a smile, "Yes. But don’t be too clever; combining several questions into one can only be used once, do it a second time, and I’ll declare your failure."

Amberser’s question actually combined three into one. The first inquired about Yizhuoluo’s own willingness, the second asked if the trial was related to thinking, and the third confirmed whether these thoughts were directly connected to deification.

Yizhuoluo approved of Amberser’s intelligence, allowing this advantageous tactic, but it could not be repeated.

Amberser clenched his fists, knowing he had gambled correctly.

But then, Amberser didn’t ask Yizhuoluo any further questions; instead, he turned to Aige and said, "The remaining nine questions are yours to ask."

Aige was taken aback and quickly protested, "I—I don’t know what to ask; you can’t just push this onto me!"

Amberser replied, "No, this is your trial, Senior Aige. You can do it as long as you can hold on to your own will."

Suddenly thrust to the fore by Amberser, Aige felt a rush of panic.

This trial was crucial to her ascension; she couldn’t help but be nervous, and several times she opened her mouth but failed to speak.

The trial offered no hints; what exactly should she ask, what answer must she obtain to convince Yizhuoluo to assist?

Amberser quietly stepped aside, giving Aige no hints, and Yizhuoluo looked at him thoughtfully, inwardly admiring that the God of Alchemy had truly found an extraordinary mortal as a student.

With just one question, he had already grasped her intention.

Yizhuoluo was willing to help, but she hoped Aige would become the deity she expected.

This had nothing to do with the Deity Position, but with stance.

Yizhuoluo was absolutely neutral, yet the Undead were typically of the Evil Camp, and this was her greatest concern.

In this era, due to Amberser upsetting the status quo, the power of the Undead had grown significant enough to affect the balance of the world.

For this reason, Amberser smartly stood aside, his actions showing he would not unduly influence Aige. No matter what kind of deity Aige became, at least he would not exploit the relationship without restraint.

This was his stance.

Yizhuoluo’s most worrisome problem had already been answered; now it was up to Aige herself. Whether she could understand this point and make her stance clear would determine the outcome.

If Aige could accomplish this, Yizhuoluo would gladly assist the birth of a new deity of the neutral camp. However, if Aige failed to grasp this point of neutrality, it would indicate she could not genuinely achieve neutrality, and Yizhuoluo, despite her history with Aige, would not lend aid.

Now, it was all up to Aige’s performance.