Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

Chapter 843: Chapter 325 ‘Process

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Flapping his wings, the God of West Wind transformed into a bird and flew freely across the sky.

Instead of directly controlling the power of the wind, he utilized the unique structure of birds to harness the air currents.

Even for Zephyrus, this was a rare and novel experience.

However, matters of importance needed attention… After a while, the God of West Wind folded his wings and landed on a uniquely designed carriage frame.

There was no support, no wheels, and no one operating it; it floated in the air about a palm’s height above the ground, moving along a certain trajectory automatically.

This seemed to be an application of the Earth’s power, constructed to counteract the force that pulls all things downward… Yet, even with a deity’s perception, Zephyrus failed to understand the exact principles involved.

How extravagant, he thought. Even in his Divine City temples within the Mortal Realm, he had never used anything like this.

Judging by the fragrance emanating from it, this was merely a device for transporting nectar.

This was witchcraft, this was alchemy… For a moment, Zephyrus felt he understood the aristocrats of some human nations.

While they followed the will of the gods, suppressing the prestige of Silver Moon City among the Western kingdoms, they never ceased their yearning for the creations of witchcraft.

In the past, the God of West Wind dismissed this as the rebellious nature of mortals. But now, he too found himself somewhat intrigued.

“No, this is different.”

“Those humans pursue enjoyment, but I seek to uncover the hidden power of Silver Moon City. How can they be equated?”

“As a deity, I need to make far-sighted decisions, and to do so, it is appropriate to understand the daily lives of my enemies.”

Nodding inwardly, Zephyrus couldn’t help but admire the profundity of his own thoughts.

Such a state, he mused, placed him at seventy percent of the level of the Divine King.

…

Immersed in his own world, the floating carriage frame continued to move forward slowly.

The closer he got, the more magnificent and grand the Bronze Gate appeared.

Capable of accommodating dozens, even hundreds, of people simultaneously, the portal showed no signs of congestion. Within the dense crowd, only a few spherical golden-glow orbs floated.

Too occupied to care about his surroundings, as he inched closer, Zephyrus felt a slight tension building in his heart.

He had no choice; though proud of his unparalleled concealment skills, the witchcraft of the Goddess of the Magic Net was equally extraordinary.

So, if something unexpected happened, would he choose to flee, or should he first assess the situation before fleeing?

Whatever the choice, this was the critical moment…

“—Excuse me, sir, please wait a moment.”

“!”

As the carriage entered the range covered by the Bronze Gate, the power of the Mystery Lock seemed almost tangible.

However, just as the God of West Wind felt the utmost tension, a sudden voice in his ear caused his feathers to stand on end immediately.

How could this be? He hadn’t sensed the presence of any lifeform approaching him. Who could have approached so silently?

In an instant, Zephyrus was fully tensed.

He turned around bit by bit, covertly readying himself to burst into action.

Strike first to gain the upper hand; delay and suffer the consequences. If anything went awry, he might have to take action himself… As the God of West Wind discreetly prepared, he found himself stunned again the next moment.

“Ahem, sorry, Mr. Bird, please don’t be agitated.”

“No offense was meant, but as the 9,527th bird to enter Silver Moon City today, we request your cooperation with the registration process.”

“Once the registration is complete, the gates of Silver Moon City will open for you.”

“Ah?”

In front of Zephyrus, a pale golden sphere quivered slightly.

It emitted sounds like a living being, yet the God of West Wind could be certain that this was merely a lifeless metal object.

Only after confirming this did Zephyrus relax abruptly.

“Phew—”

“This really is…”

After a false alarm, the God of West Wind breathed a long sigh of relief while also feeling a bit helpless.

So, it was merely another creation of witchcraft, not a living being. His focus had been on detecting life and the Mystery Lock of this place, hence he had found no trace.

But had these mortals advanced so absurdly that even intelligent birds capable of communication numbered in the thousands entering and exiting the city each day?

“Truly amazing, is this some method of enlightening intelligence?”

“But if this is true, what about the bird I killed earlier…”

Slightly twitching at the corners of his mouth, Zephyrus, watching the waiting golden orb, decided not to remain silent.

Since it wasn’t his discovery but Silver Moon City’s standard procedure for ‘foreign animals,’ he would comply.

Damn Heracles… If it weren’t for your incessant wandering, I wouldn’t be in this situation!

“I understand. I will cooperate as needed.”

Not quite speaking his mind, the God of West Wind replied.

He didn’t know what the so-called process entailed, but it didn’t prevent him from agreeing.

Yet, the next moment, as soon as Zephyrus settled his heart, it immediately began to tighten up again.

“Ding—”

With a soft chime, the pale golden sphere in front of the God of West Wind quivered and instantly transformed into silver.

While Zephyrus was still at a loss, the orb’s voice came again, this time with a noticeably more solemn tone.

“Detecting language components, detecting avian lifeform.”

“Honored Mr. Bird, please verify again, can you communicate with humans?”

“!”

Once again, his feathers stood on end; the God of West Wind hadn’t expected that other birds couldn’t speak, either?

No, that seemed normal too; after all, even if birds possessed human-like intelligence, their physiological structure made it impossible for them to produce human-like speech.

As a deity born in the Second Era, Zephyrus had witnessed the creation of life and was acutely aware of the difficulty of creating life from nothing.

Could it be that the He, the God of West Wind, who wasn’t detected by the Mystery Lock of the Goddess of the Magic Net, would fall at such a small hurdle?

“…According to data records, aside from the rare avian species naturally capable of mimicking human sounds, only avians undergoing a quasi-life forging ceremony or those of Legendary status can communicate with humans.”

“If verified, the registration process will change accordingly; please confirm again.”

The orb didn’t pause, seemingly uninterested in the various thoughts flashing through the God of West Wind’s mind.

Meanwhile, having heard the latter part, Zephyrus hastily halted his escape preparations.

“…”

“Damn…”

Speechless, at this moment, the God of West Wind felt like a dog tempted by a bone.

Within mere words, his emotions fluctuated significantly.

But there was no choice, he still had to enter… Since he wasn’t discovered, the outcome leaned toward the positive.

“Yes, I can communicate with normal humans.”

Nodding slightly, Zephyrus had no choice but to confirm.

Since he had already spoken, denying it now would only be more troublesome.

“Ding—”

“Registration successful, information recorded in the ‘Mystery Lock Permit Access List.'”

“Please proceed with the identity verification process. After verification, you will be granted a three-year valid entry and exit permit for the outer city of Silver Moon City.”

“Would you like to proceed with the verification process?”

“…”

Once again speechless, after sensing the direction of the mark, Zephyrus nodded reluctantly.

Damn, if he had a choice, he wouldn’t want to deal with any verification.

“…Of course, please tell me how I should verify?”

“Sir, please follow me.”

The voice came again, and the now silver sphere circled in the air before flying away from the Bronze Gate.

Seeing this, the God of West Wind hesitated for a moment but decided to follow.

Apart from this portal, all other areas around Silver Moon City were enveloped by the Mystery Lock.

Yet, since it was their guide leading the way, there should be no issue…

Trying to persuade himself, and considering the anxiety he had endured all this time, Zephyrus ultimately didn’t give up.

After all, since he was already here, leaving like this would be a loss.

Thus, he spread his wings and took flight, following the metallic sphere ahead.

Before long, he was far removed from the most crowded area.

…

Shortly afterward.

After flying in the sky for a while, Zephyrus finally saw the silver sphere descending slowly.

The place was far removed from the city’s main gate, enshrouded in indistinct and ethereal air.

Neither externally nor internally could the God of West Wind see clearly at this moment.

However, compared to his initial worries, he now let go of his inner concerns once more.

Just before realizing his position was far from the crowd, Zephyrus had thought that he had already been discovered and that the other side was merely ‘closing the door to trap the dog.’

Yet, after being on alert for a while, as the distance grew, he relaxed.

There shouldn’t be an issue; after all, his distance was already far enough. If his identity had been exposed, there was no need to lure him here.

It could only be said that these mortals had peculiar customs, incomprehensible to the average mind.

Nevertheless, for the task of the Divine King and the position of Heracles, the God of West Wind had no choice but to accept.

“Is this the place for registration?”

After some inspection, Zephyrus initially found nothing.

But soon, he noticed more than a dozen other birds.

At first, he was startled because the God of West Wind felt no trace of life from them either, yet he quickly came to his senses.

This was already inside the Mystery Lock, not at the portal’s location, so his failure to detect was entirely normal.

And the birds appearing with him at this time could only have come to ‘register’ with him.

“Ding—”

“Bird guest number 9,527 has been delivered. The batch registration should include 18 birds, and 18 are present. Registration process application initiated…”

“…Application complete, subject sent.”

With a series of sounds, the silver metallic sphere vibrated once more.

However, listening to its words, Zephyrus generally understood the meaning.

So, this peculiar registration method was still a batch process, quite interesting.

He just wondered what the exact content was, given they were only addressing a group of birds…

“Hmm?”

Sudden chills ran through him, the God of West Wind looked around but found nothing.

Somehow, he felt an ominous premonition.

Yet, glancing about, he saw nothing at all.

Just a group of various birds looking at one another and the metal lump that brought him here.

“Phew—it must be an illusion, probably too tired… Damn.”

“It’s just looking for someone, so why am I doing some registration with a bunch of birds? I am a deity!”

“Damn, once I find Heracles, I must tell him, no matter what, to not run, again!”

Pronouncing each word with annoyance revealed his frustration.

However, after his anger subsided, Zephyrus could only resign himself.

There’s no choice; the current situation surpasses individual strength.

What he needed to do couldn’t be avoided.

To prevent the Divine King’s inquiry, to avoid major issues, and because he had invested so much… After all, compared to the Bronze Gate, this place was actually more dangerous for the God of West Wind.

In sum, no matter what, Zephyrus could only choose to go through this so-called ‘process.’

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