Village Head's Debauchery

She gritted her teeth in frustration as she continued to be swarmed by the night creatures. She would have easily handled the situation if her powers hadn't been sealed to such an extent, and she still had her halo.

But alas, she didn't—resulting in her current predicament. She had sensed that one of her companions was already dead, and it seemed that she, too, would soon follow.

'Primary target: Anomaly... demigod... still alive... More anomalies uncovered... Sending report.. interference detected... Data integrity compromised... Access denied...' The woman thought as the hordes of night creatures consumed her.

Meanwhile, Margona observed from her position as mysterious blue markings covered the woman, causing her to attack herself with her own arms.

The scene was brutal, enough to send chills down the spine of anyone who witnessed it, making them question whether Margona's attack had just been actual or merely an illusion. It was a terrifying thought to ponder!
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As the woman tore herself apart and collapsed limply to the ground, Margona narrowed her gaze in a specific direction.

...

Soon, the white flame surrounding Orion began to dim, eventually reducing to mere wisps before vanishing. Emotion flickered back into Orion's eyes, and his frosty expression softened.

"What's going on?" Orion asked, his voice and expression filled with confusion as he clutched his head in pain.

Aerialia quickly let go of her crimson greatsword, pulled Orion into her embrace, and wrapped her arms around him.

"Are you okay?" Aerialia asked, her voice and expression filled with relief.

Orion shook his head and responded, "It feels like my skull is about to split apart, and something is ripping my body from the inside out." As he finished speaking, he realised the voice wasn't Aurora's.

He stared wide-eyed at Aurora, who was in a strange form, exuding immense power he had never sensed before. That familiar gaze etched on her features made him realise that Aerialia had taken possession of Aurora.

Orion then turned to survey his surroundings. All around him were ruins and upturned land that stretched toward the sky like mountains. It looked like a frightening battle had occurred here not long ago.

"Why are you in this form? Where's Aurora? What happened to the sanctuary?" Orion asked, remembering Aerialia previously warning him about the strain her divine soul would endure to release her overwhelming power.

Although a perfect body to execute the technique could mitigate much of the strain, it still wouldn't fully alleviate the risk to her divine soul. This could affect her chances of successfully reforging her body through the Divine Embryonic Seed or prolong the process.

The longer she remained in this form, the riskier it became! So naturally, Orion was anxious and concerned.

Instead of responding verbally, Aerialia transferred detailed information about everything that had transpired since Orion fell unconscious after creating two more Vylkr containers and advanced into a six-star warrior until he awakened.

Orion was stunned by all that had occurred. He checked his body and saw six Vylkr containers—the last two were twice the size of the others. He had become the first to advance to a level of strength that no one in Paradise had ever reached.

The white flame within him burned even more vigorously as though his body had become a perfect container for its embers. He could feel its warmth permeating every fibre of his being. Yet strangely, he still couldn't find a way to use, remove, or peer into it.

It felt as profound as Vylkr energy itself.

Orion activated his gift, and blue lightning streaked through his fingers. It no longer lashed about violently but felt alive, somehow under control. Even the world around him felt different, like everything was beneath him—like clay waiting to be moulded. It was an instinctive feeling.

As he noticed this, he realised other subtle changes in his condition that he had previously overlooked.

"But everything is okay now. We've successfully aided Zera and the others in completing the trial. We should be ready to leave any second," Aerialia said, releasing Orion from her embrace and gently rubbing her hand against his head, then down his cheeks, confirming his current

condition.

"Congratulations on taking your first step towards attaining godhood. The Supreme Leader of Paradise has become more capable of caring for his residents and territory. I'm so proud of you," she added, smiling softly as she stared at him.

Orion nodded but suddenly froze. Processing her words, he realised he had attained godhood, and the strange changes he had felt must be related to it.

Countless questions passed through his mind about how he had attained godhood without the aid of the Divine Mysteries, and he could only narrow it down to one thing: the remnant ember of the White Flame.

It made sense when he thought about it this way. After all, the White Flame's ember wouldn't only be there to miraculously heal him from life-threatening injuries or react violently to foreign divine power entering his body.

This must be the opportunity Aerialia and Aegis of the Arctic Deity had spoken of.

Orion decided to speak with Aerialia about it later since she didn't know the exact details of the opportunity, only that it would aid him on his path to godhood. Nonetheless, after witnessing the various trials and experiences that the divine beings around him had undergone to achieve new levels of strength, Orion felt his godhood attainment was surreal.

"Can you release the possession for now? I'll handle the situation from here on. We'll discuss the other matters when we return to Paradise," Orion said.

Aerialia nodded, her expression relieved, and released her possession of Aurora's body. Instead of appearing beside him, she scattered into countless specks of light and re-entered the small crimson mark on his body. This confirmed Orion's suspicion that she needed time to rest and recover.

Orion swiftly caught Aurora as she fell unconscious into his arms. Her white and inky black wings drooped downwards, unable to retract due to her current state. He controlled the crimson greatsword to hover by his side.

Orion sighed in relief, realising she wasn't in critical condition. However, he still wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible.

Suddenly, Orion frowned and turned his head, sensing someone approaching.

A figure came into view. It was none other than Margona.

Margona arrived beside him and narrowed her gaze, scrutinising him from head to toe. "You look different," she said, briefly lingering on Aurora's unconscious form.

Margona vanished momentarily, reappearing before Orion and placing her hand on his shoulder. A look of realisation gleamed in her eyes, and a smile emerged on her face.

"You 'are' different. Congratulations on taking your first step to attaining godhood. Considering your abilities, I wonder how powerful you are now as a seventh-order demigod. We can take the time to find out later. I wouldn't mind being your teacher again, educating you on the necessary steps to godhood. That goddess will be unconscious for a while as she heals, so we have all the privacy we need. What do you say?" she asked.

"Thank you for the offer, Goddess Margona, but I'll have to dec—" Orion began, but Margona interrupted.

"I'll give you time to think about it. I'm offering my help because of the familiar stench you're exuding, which is even stronger than before. You'll need aid in controlling it, or other divine beings might think you're the reincarnation of a certain great god," Margona said, her voice sharp and expression frosty.

Orion frowned, quickly deducing what she meant. It was obviously the aura of the White Flame burning vigorously within him. He realised that he would need to speak with Aerialia before deciding.

"I will think about it then and give you my answer later," Orion nodded.

"Wonderful. I know you won't refuse after thinking it through," Margona said with a smile.

If Orion wasn't used to her flirty tone and attitude, he might have believed she genuinely cared about his wellbeing. He knew that she was a petty goddess waiting to have her revenge.

Suddenly, a reverberating voice thundered from above.

Surprised, Orion focused his attention on the sky, recognising the voice.

"Amazing! I knew you were the ones capable of pulling off something like this! Hahaha…" The Will of the Divine Mysteries said his laughter wild. "Do you know the probability of your victory in this battle? It was zero—an event so unlikely to transpire that it was impossible. Yet, I knew this task wasn't too difficult for you."

"And congratulations on attaining godhood and awakening during such an intense moment. Hahaha…" the voice boomed, clearly directed toward Orion.

Orion nodded. Although the sacrifices made to eliminate the two members of the divine corps weren't small and wouldn't have been possible without the limitations on their strength to Zera's level, it allowed Aerialia and the others, who were more experienced in battle, to gain the upper hand. Despite the cost, they had emerged victorious.

"Can we finally leave here now, or are you going to go back on your word?" Margona asked, narrowing her gaze at the sky.