"Yes, Divine Favored," the raven flapped its wings. "Are you just going to ignore your family?"
"Right now, I just need to take care of myself," Tan You said, rolling over. She didn’t put on any airs in front of the Holy Beasts. What side of her hadn’t they seen? Tan You had long known her image in their eyes was in tatters.
"I’m so busy right now, how could I have the energy for that? Besides, the Great Elders are at the forefront, so there’s no need for me to step in." Tan You toyed with the Netherworld Snake’s cool body. ’I used to think I’d be afraid of snakes, but after looking at Netherworld for so long, I’ve realized she’s actually quite beautiful.’
The Netherworld Snake coiled around Tan You’s fingertips. "I’m so happy you called me beautiful."
"Well, you two are the same gender," the raven cawed twice. "Only you, Adina, would sleep while cuddling Netherworld. Aren’t you scared at all?"
"Not at all," Tan You chuckled, nuzzling against Netherworld’s body. ’Perhaps it’s because we can communicate. If it were a different snake-type Magic Beast that I couldn’t talk to... just thinking about it gives me the creeps.’
When Tan You and the Holy Beasts arrived at the Dark Divine Hall’s main camp, Schubert, Sanders, Moran, and the others were already there.
Seeing Tan You, everyone congratulated her in unison. "Congratulations, My Lady, on becoming the Saintess of the Dark Divine Hall! We must celebrate properly tonight! You were amazing today, My Lady!"
Tan You waved her hand dismissively. "Everyone was amazing. It is thanks to everyone’s help over the years that I was able to remain hidden for so long. You all sacrificed a great deal. The credit isn’t mine alone—it belongs to all of us."
Tan You’s words lifted her followers’ spirits even higher. She never exaggerated her own contributions, always emphasizing the strength of the group. This was what warmed their hearts the most.
A superior who didn’t covet all the glory was exceptionally rare. Moreover, she often gave them astonishing rewards, making them all the more devoted to her cause.
For example, over the years, Tan You had sent them various specialties from the Mist Forest, including but not limited to all sorts of ores, magical plants, Magic Beast meat, Magic Beast Crystal Cores, and Magic scrolls.
It was safe to say that aside from not being able to reveal their identities, these followers of Tan You were all incredibly wealthy, with fortunes that could even rival those of mid-sized noble families.
Schubert looked at Tan You as if she were his own daughter. Noticing her pale expression, he quickly arranged for Moran to take her to rest. Moran was very gracious. "My Lady, I’ve already prepared your room. Please, come with me."
Seeing Moran swishing her long ponytail, Tan You couldn’t help but smile. "Yes, you’ve worked hard."
Moran looked a little proud. "It was no trouble, My Lady. This is the transformation bracelet that Lord Raven brought..."
Tan You found it amusing to see Moran holding the bracelet out to her, despite the reluctance on her face. "It was a gift for you, so it’s yours. You’ve worked hard for so many years; you can’t end up with nothing to show for it."
"Really? For me? But this is so valuable." Moran was both surprised and delighted. To be honest, she really wanted it.
Tan You closed Moran’s hand around it. "Keep it. Don’t you aspire to be a Swordsman? With this, you’ll be safer when you go out to gain experience. There are alchemical tools with similar functions, but they aren’t as prestigious as this one. This was made by a Divine’s own hands."
Moran was so happy she nearly jumped for joy. "Made by a Divine’s own hands? I... I’m so lucky! I think I’m going to faint from excitement..."
"Alright, still a fangirl of the Divine, I see," Tan You said, shaking her head. "Go on and enjoy yourself. I’m going to my room to rest. If I don’t make it to dinner, you all go ahead and celebrate without me. My head is killing me, and I just want to get some proper rest."
Moran nodded repeatedly. "Okay, I’ll come check on you later, My Lady."
Tan You waved her off. "Go have fun. From now on, you’re no longer my double. Go and be yourself."
Tan You’s words made Moran’s nose tingle, on the verge of tears. "I was willing. I would have been willing to be your double forever, My Lady."
Tan You chuckled. "I couldn’t bear to do that. You should have your own life. You’ve helped me for so many years, how could I keep you tied down forever? That would be unfair to you."
"Alright, go have fun. I’m really going in to rest now." After exchanging a few more words with Moran, Tan You entered the room. Once inside, she dropped all pretense, kicking off her shoes and diving toward the bed.
Unfortunately, she was caught in mid-air by Netherworld’s enormous body. "You’re already so frail, yet you still dare to rush forward like that. This isn’t the soft bed you’re used to sleeping on."
Tan You hung off Netherworld’s body like a melted cat. "Alright, I knew you’d take care of me, Netherworld. A classic case of being cold on the outside but warm on the inside."
One of Netherworld’s heads nudged Tan You’s cheek. "You’re the only one who thinks I’m warm on the inside."
Tan You didn’t argue, simply hugging Netherworld’s body. "It’s still most comfortable with you. I remember you were the second one I unlocked. We’ve been inseparable ever since. Of all the years, we’ve spent the most time together."
Netherworld’s voice softened considerably. "Yes. You’ve exhausted yourself all these years. I can’t do much else, so I can only stay by your side and help nurture your body. It’s a shame that after just two months in the Imperial City, your health has deteriorated so much again."
Tan You was unconcerned. "Don’t worry, I’ll recover. It’s just a matter of time. Let’s think about the good things. For example, we finally don’t have to hide from others anymore. We can finally declare our faith out loud..."
"Don’t you not have any faith?" Netherworld found this amusing. A faithless person was talking to her about faith?
"I’m talking about everyone," Tan You’s breathing grew soft and even. ’When I think about how those with a Dark Element affinity will have protection in the future... I feel like it was all worth it...’
Because breaking the Magic Array had taken such a huge mental toll, Tan You still missed the celebration party, despite being nourished by the Dark God’s Divine Power afterward.
She ended up sleeping for three straight days. If the Great Elders and Priests hadn’t come to check on her and confirm that she was truly just asleep and not gone for good, everyone would have thought she’d gone to report to the Dark God permanently.
When Tan You woke up again, her limbs felt as soft as jelly. The moment she opened her eyes, Netherworld, who was guarding her, noticed. "You’re awake?"
Staring at the two massive snake heads hovering less than three inches from her face, Tan You blinked. "Netherworld, it’s a good thing I’ve seen this countless times over the years. Anyone else would have been scared to death."
"You can still joke, so it seems you haven’t slept yourself silly." The dark unicorn pushed the door open and walked in, followed by a shrunken-down sabertooth tiger, a Griffin, and the raven.
"How could I? In fact, after sleeping for a while, I feel much more relaxed, and my head doesn’t hurt as much." Tan You knew her own weakness. It was purely a case of mental exhaustion. What could she do? The only cure was to rest properly.
She sat up in bed, and Netherworld coiled up behind her, giving her a more comfortable backrest. The image of the young woman and the enormous, serpentine Holy Beast was both mysterious and terrifying, yet the other Holy Beasts who entered acted as if it were perfectly normal, not showing the slightest surprise.