"The Divine aren’t born that way. If you ask me, they should be replaced. That way, some bastard Divine won’t get so used to their power that they think they’re omnipotent and can take lives as they please."
She had, after all, read *Journey to the West*. Tan You clearly remembered the Monkey King’s declaration: "The Jade Emperor’s throne is taken in turns, and next year, it’ll be my family’s turn!" And then there was that other famous saying: "Are kings and nobles born to their station?"
That’s why Tan You felt no real reverence for the Divine. As for the Dark God wanting her faith? That would likely never happen in her lifetime. Even if she witnessed a god with her own two eyes, she would never ask one for anything.
Because Tan You didn’t believe in gods. The only one she ever believed in was herself.
Just as Tan You spoke those words, a bolt of Divine Power from the God of Light shot across the distant sky. But before it could even reach her, it was silently neutralized by the world’s consciousness. Of course, a weakling who was still just a seven-star Mage would have no idea any of this had happened.
"You certainly have a way with words, little girl." The Dark Unicorn cleared its throat. ’Tan You can get away with brazenly cursing the God of Light, but we can’t. After all, she has the world’s consciousness protecting her; we don’t.’
"So, what are you planning to do about the Edmonds family?" the Sabertooth Tiger asked, eager to change the subject and find out what she had in store.
Tan You shrugged nonchalantly. "That’s the Edmonds family’s problem. I’m not Adina, so what does any of it have to do with me? It’s better to let Adina solve things herself. Some things, others can’t do for you."
"Her wish was to live. See? Isn’t she living just fine now?" Tan You felt a little guilty, so she quickly added, "Her body still has some underlying health issues, but it’s not like they can’t be cured later. She just needs to find a Dark Element Mage for a long-term companion to restore her body’s harmony."
"I wonder when Adina will wake up." Netherworld sounded a little excited. "Raising a child is pretty interesting. You’re always too calm, Tan You. You’re no fun at all."
Tan You stroked Netherworld’s body. "If I were ’fun,’ who knows when our grand quest for revenge would ever succeed. But seriously, I have a feeling Adina will wake up soon. Probably within the month."
The Raven was the most anxious. "Will you still be here when she wakes up?"
Tan You said, "Of course I’m going to stay for a while longer. I’ve spent all these years burning the midnight oil; don’t I deserve to stick around and have some fun for a few years? There are so many places on this continent I’ve never been to. All this time, I’ve just been in the Mist Forest."
"It’s a good thing I have the patience for it. Anyone else would have gone crazy by now."
"When Adina wakes up, we’ll go out and travel. We have to see every corner of the continent."
The Raven was overjoyed. "Great! We’ll all go out and have fun together. We can let Adina see the world, too."
Tan You’s prediction was right. Just after she completely stabilized her power as a seven-star Mage, Adina finally woke up. To be honest, this was the client who had slept the longest among all the ones Tan You had ever encountered.
"She’s awake. How old do you think she really is?" Adina groggily opened her eyes, hearing several vaguely familiar voices around her.
The Raven cawed. "I think she’s six at most. Not a day older."
The Sabertooth Tiger said, "She must be only six. She hasn’t been awake all these years. Wasn’t she six when Tan You arrived?"
Netherworld looked at Adina’s small, bewildered eyes and chided them softly, "Keep it down. She’s a frail little girl to begin with, so don’t you go scaring her. And shrink yourselves down a bit. She’s easily frightened."
Adina clutched the blanket. "Sister, I’m not that timid."
Netherworld was delighted. Her body slithered a circle around Adina’s wrist as she coaxed, "Call me sister again."
"Sister, you’re so beautiful," Adina said obediently, looking as well-behaved as could be.
The Sabertooth Tiger looked away. "I’m getting a sense of whiplash. I’m just so used to seeing Tan You being all calm and ferocious. When have we ever seen her act this docile?"
Tan You appeared beside the Sabertooth Tiger. "I can hear you. Is it really a good idea to call me ferocious to my face?"
"It means the same thing," the Sabertooth Tiger grunted. "Black hair, black eyes... you actually look quite good like this."
Tan You couldn’t help but smile. "Yes, I’m more used to how I look now. Netherworld must be over the moon. A little girl who so obediently calls you ’sister’... I think Netherworld is going to get addicted to raising this kid."
Netherworld laughed too. "It’s great. Just for how sweet Adina is, I have to train her properly."
She looked at Adina as she spoke. "Do you want to learn slowly, or do you want to know everything that’s happened to you all at once?"
Adina looked at Tan You with affection. "I only remember meeting you, Sister. After that, I don’t remember anything. I just remember that I wanted to live."
She frowned as she spoke, but her mental age was still only six and she didn’t know many words, so it was inevitable that she couldn’t express herself clearly.
Tan You thought for a moment. "How about this: I’ll share my memories up to age sixteen with you first. Once you’ve processed all of that, I’ll share the rest."
The Dark Unicorn interjected, "I think you should teach her the continental common tongue first. Otherwise, she won’t be able to understand your memories, will she?"
Tan You glared at the Dark Unicorn. "I can’t use Magic right now. Don’t look at me. Whoever suggested it can do it."
"Fine, I’ll do it." The Dark Unicorn moved closer to Adina. A dark light suddenly emanated from its horn, pouring all the information about the continental common tongue into Adina’s mind.
Adina’s expression didn’t even change. While the body and its Magic Power belonged to her, the Divine Soul within it was Tan You’s. For a body housing such a soul, a small fluctuation of Magic Power like that was nothing.
While Adina familiarized herself with the continental common tongue, Tan You was staring blankly into a mirror. "I thought this mark would only appear on Adina’s forehead."
The Dark Unicorn said, "What are you thinking? The mark of a Divine Favored is imprinted directly on the soul."
Tan You was a little surprised, but not by much. "What does it do? It just feels like someone stuck a decorative jewel on my forehead. It’s quite pretty."
The Griffin laughed. "As long as it’s pretty, that’s what matters. In truth, the mark of a Divine Favored means that after you die, your soul will be drawn directly to the side of a Divine to serve them. In a way, you could consider it a form of eternal life."
Tan You understood. "In that case, I’d better try to live for a good long while."
A mortal’s lifespan is only seventy or eighty years. Now, a path to eternal life was practically within Tan You’s grasp. To be honest, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t a little excited.
Having instantly learned the continental common tongue, it was no longer so difficult for Adina to view Tan You’s memories. She herself was exceptionally talented, and in less than half a year, she could manipulate her Magic Power with perfect control.