Fluffy rabbits hopped and played at his feet, showing no fear.
Colorful birds landed on branches, singing melodious songs.
And all of it—the grass, flowers, trees, animals, and even the dust motes floating in the air—
Everything was enveloped in a faint, warm, golden glow.
"Hmm?" A gentle voice suddenly sounded behind him.
The voice was very peculiar, seeming to be three different vocal lines perfectly overlaid.
One was the clear, crisp voice of a young girl, another the gentle and graceful voice of a mature woman, and the third the husky and wise voice of an old woman.
"Child, you are special—unlike any Mortal I have known."
"Your talent, your potential—I can barely see its limits, and your future—"
Karl was startled; the voice had come directly from behind him.
He immediately turned sharply, following the sound, but behind him, there was nothing but frolicking deer and swaying flowers and grass.
The moment he turned, that subtle sense of spatial shift reappeared.
When he instinctively turned his head back to the front, the sight before him made him gasp.
A humanoid phantom, at some unknown moment, had silently appeared before him.
The phantom was enveloped in a warm and dazzling golden light, making it barely possible to discern a silhouette.
The silhouette was not fixed but slowly flowed and intertwined.
At times, it presented the graceful figure of a young girl, at others the plumpness of a pregnant woman, and then again the stoop of an old crone, embodying that tripartite form.
Although he couldn't see the specific face, Karl could clearly "feel" that the other party was "looking" at him, with boundless benevolence and a hint of inquiry.
The phantom tilted her head slightly, as if pondering something, and the surrounding golden specks of light flowed with her.
After a moment of silence, she smiled at Karl again, a smile of immense benevolence.
"Go back, child, her prayers, I have heard."
The softly overlaid triple voice once again resonated directly in Karl's mind. His heart was filled with countless questions and shock. He opened his mouth, eager to ask.
Are you the meritelli Goddess? Can Raymond's illness be cured? What did you just say about my future?
However, before he could utter a single syllable—
The golden tripartite phantom gently, yet irresistibly, shook her head.
Immediately after, the scene in Karl's eyes rapidly blurred and spun again, and a strong sense of detachment enveloped him—
When he suddenly jolted, his consciousness re-anchored to reality, he found himself standing at the back of the temple.
He was still looking up at the statue, the altar candles flickered slightly, and Nenneke's prayer seemed to have just finished its last note.
It was as if everything that had just happened—the Secret Realm of birdsong and fragrant flowers, the Soul-reaching conversation—was just a brief but incredibly real illusion.
But Karl knew it wasn't an illusion; his Super Senses and memory clearly told him that the experience had truly happened.
Just then, that softly overlaid triple voice echoed one last time deep within his mind, carrying a sense of profound distance and a warning.
"Child, I know you have many questions—because of 'her'."
When "her" was mentioned, the voice paused almost imperceptibly, as if this pronoun referred to an extremely special existence, one that even the Goddess deliberated over.
Then, the voice continued, its tone becoming solemn: "The future is not yet set in stone—beware of those—unpredictable people or things!"
The voice slowly faded away, like ripples from a stone thrown into a lake, eventually settling into calm.
Only this warning-filled sentence remained, etched into Karl's heart.
"Karl? Child?" Nenneke's gentle call sounded in his ear.
Karl suddenly came back to his senses, realizing that Nenneke had finished her prayer at some point.
Nenneke stood before him, her face bearing her usual benevolent smile, as well as an unconcealed weariness.
She didn't seem surprised by his brief moment of distraction.
"The prayer ritual is complete," Nenneke said softly.
Her gaze shifted to Raymond, who was still weakly leaning against the altar, her eyes holding a calm certainty: "Now, we need to wait and trust in the Goddess's benevolence."
Above the altar, a trace of pure and warm golden light, without any warning, permeated from the Void Realm.
It wasn't dazzling, but it carried an indescribable vitality and sanctity, as if it were the condensed goodwill and vitality of the entire world.
This wisp of light hovered slightly in the air, as if it possessed sentience.
Then, with a sudden whoosh, it merged into Raymond's chest, who was leaning against the altar, barely breathing.
In an instant, a soft golden halo subtly emanated from within Raymond, enveloping his entire being.
Under Nenneke's calm gaze and Karl's expectant stare, a miracle occurred.
Raymond's pale complexion, originally caused by illness, faded at a visible rate, and a healthy rosy color quickly appeared.
His eyes, which had been cloudy and spiritless due to pain and weakness, became clear and bright again, regaining their vitality.
The dry, yellowish, and graying strands of hair on his head, prematurely caused by illness and worry, rapidly turned dark and lustrous from the roots.
The dull, sallow appearance on his face and the backs of his hands, caused by the illness, also quietly disappeared, and his skin became firm, taking on the glow befitting a man in his thirties.
The only slight imperfection was that his figure was still somewhat gaunt, a result of prolonged illness and depletion, which would require time for recuperation and recovery.
The light slowly dispersed, and Raymond blinked in a daze, looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings.
Finally, his gaze fell upon Nenneke and Karl before him. He instinctively used his hand to push against the edge of the altar, attempting to stand up.
This movement, which used to be incredibly difficult for him and required assistance, was now—
At this moment, he felt a long-lost surge of strength from his body, and he stood up steadily with unusual ease.
He lowered his head in disbelief, looking at his own hands, which, though still thin, had healthy skin, strong knuckles, and no trembling.
His voice trembled with surprise and uncertainty: "I—what is this? My illness—it's cured?"
Nenneke wore a relieved and peaceful smile. She stepped forward and said gently, "Raymond, the Goddess's grace has manifested."
"However, whether your body has fully recovered and whether the illness has been completely eradicated still requires a period of observation and rest within the temple. A conclusion can only be reached after confirmation."
Raymond nodded quickly. He felt the surging vitality within his body, which was completely different from the feeling of his life constantly draining away before.
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