Chapter 561
She acted more for herself, for her friends and loved ones, naturally embodying a subjective form of "selfishness," in stark contrast to the "selfless dedication" of the "Ascetic" potion.
The originally warm potion began to burn within Sha'er’s body. As it seeped into her veins and organs, a terrifying murmur echoed in her mind...
*Why... why...*
*You won't... you won't...*
The chaotic murmurs suddenly erupted in Sha'er’s mind, causing her to snap her eyes open, shock evident in her gaze.
This was the first time she understood the murmurs...
Unlike the meaningless, chaotic language that other potions induced, which merely affected her emotions and psyche, this was interspersed with clear and distinct Ancient Ansu (a fictional ancient language) words.
These Ancient Ansu words were mixed within the normal potion murmurs... and...
Sha'er recognized the voice. Though she had only heard it a few times, she felt she would never forget this maddening voice for the rest of her life.
It was the voice of Sadana...
His voice, somehow intertwined with the potion's murmurs?
This gave Sha'er the unsettling feeling of facing an examiner who was her lifelong rival during an exam.
But soon, her emotions began to settle.
She realized that Sadana was merely whispering repetitive low tones, with no intention of targeting her, nor did he explicitly utter her name, "Sha'er."
Sha'er was certain that the other "Ascetic" practitioners could not hear Sadana's voice.
Because Tara had clearly stated that she had never heard a response from Sadana during her prayers, which was why she had jumped into the sea in excitement upon hearing a reply from a divine servant.
Sha'er didn’t know whether this was a good or bad thing; she could no longer think about it, as her body was beginning to undergo a transformation...
A sharp, almost skin-tearing pain erupted in her back.
The pain instinctively made Sha'er bend slightly, arching her back.
In her ears, she faintly heard the anxious shouts of Adele and Aivina, aside from the murmurs.
Suddenly—
Sha'er’s thin clothing and skin were torn apart, revealing a pair of membranous wings, adorned with silver patterns, that unfurled behind her.
They vibrated gently, the hum of their movement reminiscent of whispers from an ancient existence, driving one to madness and fascination.
Stay calm...
Sha'er maintained her focus, slowly opening her eyes to look ahead.
Her vision had completely returned, even feeling clearer than ever before. This wasn’t because her eyesight had improved, but because her eyes had transformed into something akin to insect compound eyes.
The exterior was covered in a faint white halo, while the interior was filled with densely packed, glowing yellow facets, resembling those of a divine servant.
Sha'er looked at the anxious Adele and Aivina before spotting Tara, who was kneeling and fervently reciting some prayer. She slowly raised her hand, wanting to see her own appearance, but the scene before her flickered and quickly dimmed.
The time for the "Echo of Time" had come; as Sha'er completed the first-level "Ascetic" manifestation ritual, her body reverted to the state preserved by the "Echo of Time."
"Ah..."
Sha'er let out a sigh of relief, taking a moment to catch her breath before activating her "Precognitive Vision," gazing at the three before her.
"It's okay, I’ve got it sorted," Sha'er managed a faint smile, trying to reassure them.
The murmurs that had nearly consumed her thoughts still echoed in her mind, leaving her momentarily disoriented.
Aivina quickly stepped forward, checking Sha'er’s mental state.
"That was too dangerous... Sha'er... the 'Ascetic' potion isn’t suitable for you," Adele chimed in, wanting to help but not wanting to interrupt Aivina’s examination. She could only recount what had just happened, "Your body has undergone a transformation... only those mad extraordinary beings experience such changes..."
Having encountered more extraordinary injuries than most, Adele was very familiar with such situations, which made her understand just how perilous Sha'er’s condition had been.
"No."
At that moment, Tara, still kneeling, unexpectedly spoke up, contradicting Adele.
"This is a manifestation of Lady Sha'er reclaiming her power—can’t you feel it? Such a powerful divine energy isn’t something an ordinary 'Ascetic' possesses; it’s the most direct proof that Lady Sha'er is regaining her strength."
Tara wasn’t lying.
After Sha'er consumed the "Ascetic" potion, she indeed felt a resonance unique to that realm... However, what she didn’t realize was that this wasn’t the "divine power" she spoke of, but rather a symptom of the potion being eroded by the singularity within Sha'er.
Yes, as the potion sought to influence Sha'er, it was eroded by the pocket watch within her—hence the wings on her back bore those shimmering silver patterns, as if they had been pushed beyond their limits.
Fortunately, although there were indeed symptoms of bodily erosion, the potion had been successfully digested... but this record was practically worthless; these murmurs were even more astonishing than the "Judicator" records.
Sha'er borrowed Aivina’s room to alleviate the subsequent side effects of the "Temporal Disturbance."
Fortunately, the pocket watch had been upgraded, and now the side effects would only last for 30 minutes. After resting for half an hour, Sha'er returned to the study, this time preparing to drink the "Listener" potion.
The digestion of the "Listener" potion was far easier than that of the "Ascetic."
The manifestation ritual of the "Listener" required one to listen to inner voices, stories, or hidden information. Aivina had quickly completed the potion’s digestion by continuously receiving secret information from Sha'er, even alleviating the murmurs in her mind.
And the secret information that Sha'er knew and had listened to was far more explosive than what Aivina was aware of.
Whether it was the torture of strong sounds or the brainwashing of Mond, they had unknowingly laid the foundation for Sha'er to complete the "Listener" manifestation ritual.
It was also possible that Sha'er’s mature digestion of the "Inciter" pathway next to the "Listener" was the reason why the "Listener" almost dissolved upon entry; she barely felt it in her body, and her mind began to conjure the methods of using the "Listener" ability.
However, unfortunately, drinking the "Listener" potion did not show any signs of restoring her eyesight.
After consuming the "Listener" potion, Sha'er felt the faint murmurs in her mind, akin to a soft cooing, and gently shook her head.
For some reason, after drinking the "Listener," Sha'er felt a newfound calmness towards everything around her... which was almost the complete opposite of the emotional shift after drinking the "Inciter."
This was likely the derivative effect brought about by "Perfect Manifestation."
However, Sha'er was now able to effectively control the emotional impact of low-level potions on herself through "Calm Reflection," though anything above the second level remained difficult to manage.
"Everything’s fine..."
Aivina, standing before Sha'er, carefully checked her mental state, while Adele observed Sha'er’s body. Both arrived at the same conclusion: "No issues."
"Don’t you need to revert back this time?" Aivina asked, looking at Sha'er, who seemed much more composed.
"No need, let’s keep it this way for a while," Sha'er replied with a smile at Aivina.
Now, Sha'er had adapted well to "Precognitive Vision," no longer shifting her gaze ahead of others’ movements but instead slightly predicting in reverse, allowing her eyes to follow the target.
Today, Ansu remained calm and peaceful; the news of Keles Bloodspear’s death had yet to spread, and Lucy was helping to conceal everything. At least for the next few days, Keles’s disappearance wouldn’t provoke any reaction from the Dedton Group.
If a few more days passed, someone would definitely start searching for Keles, and her visit to Sha'er was almost public knowledge; it wouldn’t be long before someone connected the dots to Sha'er.
But none of this would concern Sha'er, for in just a few hours, she would return to reality.
Sha'er didn’t plan to engage in any more dangerous operations during the remaining time; instead, she aimed to record all the information, big and small, that had transpired during this period.
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