Chapter 71

Perhaps the shock of the day was too much, Athena was still dazed and confused, blinking her eyes, only to realize she was lying in Sigma's arms, her hands tightly hugging his waist, and the necromancer's chest was already soaked with tears—surrounding them was a cool breeze, night had long since fallen, and a bright moon hung in the sky, casting down a pure, white moonlight.

She yawned slightly, lifted her head, and looked around—they were now lying outside the house, Sigma sitting on the ruins of a collapsed wall, holding her in his arms, and from the look of it, he hadn't moved from noon until now.

She had just woken up from a deep, exhausted faint, still feeling weak, and didn't get up, just lying in Sigma's arms, somewhat resigned. The warmth of the holy light that once filled her body was now replaced by a calm yet surging dark energy. Without even looking back, she knew that her once proud, radiant wings were now blackened.

She mumbled, "It must look terrible, right?"

"No," Sigma's voice was relaxed, "It looks quite good, matching your fallen angel maid outfit."

The necromancer seemed to feel a bit guilty—he still thought that the direct cause of Athena's predicament was his own sharp tongue. Mocking her with more sarcasm at this moment would be inhumane, so he unusually sought comforting words: "Actually, it's not that bad. Power is innocent; the key lies in how it is used. Is someone who uses holy light to do bad things a good person?"

"Holy light comes from the Father God's embodiment of the concept of 'goodness,' from the pursuit of goodness and the highest practice of faith by living beings, so the users of holy light cannot do bad things," Athena whispered.

Not necessarily, Sigma muttered to himself, but this wasn't the time to discuss whether the idealistic energy of holy light always brings good results. Scholars of magic had debated this topic for centuries, occasionally arguing with theologians of the church, but no one had ever won. He didn't think he could convince an angel on this topic, so he flicked Athena's forehead and said angrily, "Don't change the subject! According to your logic, now that you're using this dark power, you'll be influenced by it and do bad things?"

Athena shook her head quickly.

"There you go. So, power is innocent, neither good nor evil. The only thing that can drive us to act is a firm mind and belief," Sigma looked at the bright moonlight and suddenly smiled, "Like me, I wasn't very willing to be a necromancer at first. I resisted the most. Necromancers embrace death, summon the dead, dig up graves, play with souls, are skilled in curses, spread viruses, and cause plagues... This is the mainstream view of necromancers on the Noren continent. Whether it's biased or not, everyone has to admit that any being with normal values would be very resistant to necromancers..."

"Then what?" Athena, captivated, asked, "Now... you seem quite happy."

"Not exactly happy... well, well, at least I'm not very resistant anymore," Sigma chuckled and said softly, "At least I'm more free. They didn't force me too much and allowed me to be a bit mischievous. I can freely choose what I want to learn and grow at my own pace. I don't have to study the courses I'm not interested in, and I can be more serious about the fields I'm interested in... Now, I occasionally feel that being a necromancer isn't so bad. Although I control the power of death, it doesn't change my mind. I still have my own bottom line, and my principles haven't changed. I make choices based on my beliefs and am willing to bear the responsibility and consequences. I can use this power to do more of what I want, to protect the family and friends I cherish..."

Athena simply said, "Oh."

After racking his brains and even praising Atlas insincerely, all the effort to comfort her only earned him a simple "oh," Sigma was a bit angry, "Hey, did you feel better after all that?"

Athena said listlessly, "A bit, thanks."

"…Can you get off me? Although being held feels nice, being still for seven or eight hours, no matter how comfortable, isn't comfortable anymore," Sigma said woodenly, "I feel like my body is getting stiff, and it's so cold."

"But I want to stay like this a bit longer, I don't want to move..." Athena's tone was almost whiny. In this situation, she seemed to be at her weakest, like a small animal that occasionally wakes up from hibernation, shaking her body.

"…Can we change positions?" Sigma sighed, "I feel like my blood isn't circulating well..."

"Oh..." Athena agreed and used her hands.

Before Sigma could react, he felt the world spin. His rather robust body was manipulated like a straw by Athena. Before he could react, he felt his back soften, and his entire body sank into a warm embrace—in a moment, their positions were reversed, and now Athena was hugging him from behind, while he leaned against the broad chest of the angel.

Black feathers fluttered, and under the night sky, Athena's once radiant wings, now black, unfolded brilliantly and then slowly closed, like a mother bird protecting her child with her wings. The slowly closing wings enveloped the two of them, wrapping them in a cocoon, leaving only their heads exposed, gazing at the starry sky together.

Athena whispered in Sigma's ear, "Are you warm now?"

Sigma nodded, "Very warm, I didn't expect it to have this use."

So the two fell silent again, gazing at the starry sky together, without a word.

Athena suddenly said, "What about the future?"

"Of course, we'll find a way to restore you to your original form and let you wield your holy sword again. The elders are knowledgeable, and if that doesn't work, there are many wise beings in the various factions of the Noren continent. There must be a way," Sigma replied, "I promise you."

Athena hummed, "Before that, I still need to stay here. You can't drive me away. I don't know where else to go."

Sigma agreed, "Of course, no problem, but you have to cook breakfast for me every morning, do housework, and wash my clothes..."

"Haven't I been doing that all along?"

"Oh, you're right."

So the two fell silent again.

After a long time, Sigma started making small talk.

"What are you looking at? Are the stars that beautiful?"

Athena gazed at a certain direction in the sky and said softly, "I'm looking at Mount Heaven..."

"You can't go back now, but I'll definitely take you back one day," Sigma comforted her, then noticed the problem in her words, "You said you're looking at Mount Heaven? Where?"

"Here!" Athena extended her hand from the cocoon of wings and pointed in a direction, saying crisply, "About 3 billion kilometers from Noren, that's Mount Heaven."

"Oh... huh?" Sigma exclaimed in surprise, "You mean, Heaven is in the same universe as us?"

"Yes, didn't you know?" Athena was also puzzled, "I thought your mentor had already told you."

"I always thought Heaven was in a different plane..." Sigma was somewhat incredulous.

"How could that be? Don't you think it would be very lonely and wasteful if only Noren had living beings in such a vast universe created by the Father God?" Athena smiled playfully.

Sigma was very interested, "Can you tell me more?"

"Then let's start with the sun. It's a scorching star, emitting a wind with both physical and magical properties, providing power to the entire solar system. Nine planets orbit it regularly, each with living beings. The World Tree, rooted in the void, supports all of this, forming the nine realms of the solar system..."

"The closest to the sun is Mercury, with a scorching sea of molten lava facing the sun, but the side away from the sun is extremely cold, a world of solid crystals and metals. This planet constantly rotates, its state alternating between extreme cold and extreme heat, and only a few powerful and adaptable creatures can survive in such a harsh environment..."

"This position is Mars, with a core of endless lava, known as the lava hell, the home of demons..."

"This position is Jupiter, a planet without land, composed of dense clouds. Despite this, many life forms live on this planet, soaring through the clouds. Some are giants made of thunderstorms, others are phoenixes wrapped in flames. This is a paradise for elemental life, a place where the boundary between matter and spirit is the most blurred. A part of the mental plane that some mages communicate with is actually here..."

Athena slowly told Sigma the knowledge she had taught, the nine realms of the solar system, each with its own splendor and magic, each with its own scenery and people. It was a vibrant world, with its own wonders in every place...

"And this planet is known as Mount Heaven..." Finally, she spoke of her homeland, but she noticed that Sigma's breathing was different. Looking closely, she saw that he had fallen asleep while listening...

She was a bit angry, but hearing Sigma's even breathing, she couldn't help but smile.

"Good night, Sigma, who is serious but a bit perverted yet still reliable..." She hugged the person in her arms even tighter and closed her eyes.

Under the quiet night sky, on the ruins, the fallen angel wrapped herself and another man in her wings.

The young man and woman fell into a deep sleep.

No one saw that when Athena fell asleep with a hint of happiness, her black wings flickered, changing between black and white...

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PS1: Phew, through Athena's mouth, I've revealed a corner of the world. I wonder if you like this setting. I think planes are overused, and a galactic war is more exciting... Well, actually, I haven't set up much for the nine realms. If you're interested, you can imagine the settings for Venus, Jupiter, and Neptune...

PS2: Keep voting for the Three Rivers and recommending...