Village Head's Debauchery
chapter-1074

"I'm okay, goddess Aerialia. I don't think I'm in any danger," Crystalia replied, her eyes locked onto Aerialia's, conveying relief and respect.

"Do you feel any unusual change in the Divine Apostle Crest?" Aerialia asked, her gaze flickering toward the mark on Crystalia's neck.

"Yes, I can sense a change in the Divine Apostle Crest that wasn't there before. But I can't control it or even understand what it is," Crystalia replied, her voice tinged with frustration.

She knew that whatever had happened to her was serious, and her inability to provide useful information only deepened her sense of defeat.

Aerialia nodded. "Can you try to activate one of the skills you've inherited from the crest? Let us see if there's any change."

Crystalia hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I'll give it a try." She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before exhaling slowly.

Star Guard Shadows!

Suddenly, the One-winged mark on her neck reappeared, glowing with divine light. Crystalia felt a surge of familiar energy flow from the Divine Apostle crest through her body. In an instant, an illuminated, translucent barrier pulsing with divine light formed around her, extending about two meters from her position.

Crystalia's eyes snapped open in shock as she stared at the glowing shield surrounding her. Orion and Aerialia watched the scene with complex expressions.

Although the Divine Apostles had inherited skills from the Divine Apostle crest, they could only activate them a few times before the divine energy within the crest was depleted.

Selene was the only Divine Apostle with enough divine energy in her crest to activate any inherited skills, mainly because of the time she had received hers.

A realization struck them simultaneously. They exchanged a brief, knowing glance before turning their focus back to Crystalia.

The shield soon dimmed, scattering into thin air, and the divine energy that had previously flowed through Crystalia dissipated. Crystalia frowned and attempted to activate the Divine Apostle Crest again, but nothing happened. It remained dormant.

Crystalia shifted her attention toward Aerialia and Orion. "I can't activate it again," she said.

"Okay," Aerialia responded, then turned to Orion. "Use your mask to check her base energy level."

Realizing Aerialia's intent, Orion quickly summoned the miniature mountain and took out a black mask, as his own was still with Seraphina, who was implementing the changes he had requested. He placed the mask on his face.

The mask swiftly covered his entire face before his vision brightened again. He focused his gaze on Crystalia.

"Energy Level - 2005 BEM," Orion reported.

Aerialia's brows rose at the number, recognizing that it was much higher than the last time she had examined it. All the Divine Apostles had base energy levels below 2000 BEM after undergoing improvements through the divine blood. While their physical strength remained the same, without their Divine Apostle Crests active, they could not stand their ground against competent three-star warriors, especially those with exceptional gifts, leaving them only able to dominate two-star warriors.

But now, after absorbing part of the essence of a spirit beast, Crystalia had broken through her former threshold. A situation like this was something she had never expected.

Crystalia's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you sure?" she asked.

Orion nodded in affirmation.

Seeing Orion's response, Crystalia struggled to regain her composure as her mind raced to understand the implications of this revelation.

"Have you figured out something about what happened?" Orion asked, turning his attention to Aerialia, his tone hopeful.

"Yes, I have," Aerialia nodded before beginning her explanation. "Spirit essences are inherently pure and untethered because they are not bound by material laws, making them easier to alter and mould. As a goddess, I wondered whether I could train spirit beasts to become as strong as my Divine Apostles."

"Regardless of what laws I imparted to them, they could always grasp them quickly. However, their growth rate was prolonged. Additionally, half of their strength was restricted when they entered the physical world. I eventually abandoned my curiosity about them in favour of other matters."

Noticing the deeply pondering expressions on Orion and Crystalia's faces, as though they were struggling to comprehend her words, Aerialia continued, "The Divine Apostle Crest is unusual in that it can function on its own, even though I am no longer 'alive.' However, for it to function, it needs divine energy, which might have come from the Aegis of the Arctic Deity when it was first merged and formed on their bodies, making them suitable to withstand its capabilities."

"But once that energy is used up, the crest becomes dormant. The Divine Apostles, unable to utilize divine energy, are left with only their enhanced physiques. With them incapable of producing divine energy independently, what do you think could help them solve this problem?"

"The Divine Apostle Crest," Orion responded swiftly, his expression serious as he grasped Aerialia's point.

Even Crystalia, who had experienced everything firsthand, gained some understanding. "Yes, you are correct. However, the crest needs a source: the spirit beast's essence. The crest then acts as a catalyst, somehow transmuting the essence into divine energy, which is used to enhance the bearer's constitution and is stored for later use," Aerialia explained.

"I don't know how he managed to create such a formula using the Divine Apostle Crest, but that's the only explanation I can come up with. I believe this best explains our current development."

Though she appeared calm outwardly, inwardly, her emotions were like a raging storm. Aerialia knew that this revelation was just scratching the surface of a more profound mystery, leaving her emotionally tongue-tied.

Crystalia had begun rubbing the spot on her neck where the Divine Apostle crest was located, her expression trembling with fear and excitement as she grasped its frightening capabilities. Orion's expression was complex, with various emotions emerging and fading as he processed Aerialia's words. His impression of Naka grew even more formidable. He realized he needed to triple his efforts to stand against such a challenging opponent.

"It seems another path to the divine has revealed itself once more. I can't help but wonder if this is the only one or how many more there might be," Aerialia remarked.