Chapter 276: Like an Elder Sister, Like a Mother
The first time the Ghost Whip swung, Cheng Tian failed.
Falling from a slide, Cheng Tian instinctively lashed out the Ghost Whip, and the glowing whip directly yanked the Red Goddess, who was still mocking him, down from the air.
Caught off guard, they crashed straight to the ground, person and god alike. If Cheng Tian hadn't used the Whirlwind skill of the Gale Blade just before impact, his second death in Ys Origin might have been accounted for.
Oh, his first death was already in the Demon Corridor; that damned place ignored defense and deducted health by percentage, which was truly helpless.
But it was also through this experience that Cheng Tian learned to use Whirlwind to reduce his own weight. Then, amidst the Red-Blooded Goddess's furious eye-rolls and the Guardian Spirit Saulus's self-doubt of, 'Is our Goddess's taste in choosing people a bit off?', he completed the second, third, and all subsequent Ghost Whip swings.
After being kited, the Goddess was again forced to take on Uncle Ben's role, which made the thought 'He really doesn't treat me as a god... but he also doesn't treat me as a person' surface in Fina's mind once more.
Once Cheng Tian was in position, everything else was easy. Whether he pulled the ropes himself or summoned a War Elephant to lend a hand, there were always more solutions than problems.
Incidentally, Cheng Tian had already touched all three Ys Divine Artifacts, each with different attributes, but this didn't mean there were no good things in the subsequent three floors.
For example, the golden bracelet Cheng Tian had already fastened to his wrist.
[Golden Bracelet: Plot Item, Special Accessory. A bracelet with a constantly flashing red gem in its center. It grants the wearer the ability of a double jump.]
[Additional Comment: It's time to torment V-bro~]
Just as the item described, upon wearing the Golden Bracelet, Cheng Tian gained the ability to double jump. Theoretically, as long as Cheng Tian's first jump didn't land, he could perform a second jump.
Although it could only be used when wearing the Golden Bracelet, it was a passive ability with no extra consumption.
However, Cheng Tian quickly took it off and personally put it on Bazett.
As a spellcaster not particularly proficient in close combat, Cheng Tian didn't have a high demand for double jump. He could completely use the Goddess or Bazett herself, who had gained the double jump ability, as a substitute.
Inspired by these actions, Cheng Tian also began to disregard the rules, using unconventional methods to cope with the terrible terrain of the Murky Sand Domain, such as slicing sand-ice with his sword or burning sand-swamps with fire.
If the ground was slippery, he would chop it into pits and bumps.
If the sand-swamp devoured people, he would melt it and then solidify it.
Destruction is always easier than creation.
As the exploration continued deeper, another group of boss-level units, glowing red, surrounded Cheng Tian's party. But before Cheng Tian could unleash the Flame Dragon Sword Array, they all exploded simultaneously, as if purified by some external force.
And at the same time, Cheng Tian heard Fina's surprised cry from above.
"Sister!"
Following the sound, Cheng Tian saw a winged person, whose face was identical to Fina's, with only a difference in hairstyle and a temperament more inclined towards tranquility and composure, slowly descending with a black pearl—
One of the Twin Moon Goddesses, Pale Moon Rhea.
But Rhea's expression wasn't one of joyful reunion. Instead, her gaze constantly moved between Cheng Tian and Fina, and when she looked at Cheng Tian, her eyes were filled with scrutiny... and a faint hostility.
Though they were twins, the 'like an elder sister, like a mother' aura around Rhea was indeed very strong, making Fina seem more like a little girl.
Cheng Tian was somewhat bewildered, but Fina, who had accelerated her descent, already slapped him on the back of the head.
"Amnesiac! Did you forget how you previously teased my sister?"
Fina roared at Cheng Tian in a volume almost equal to a mosquito's, to the point where one could only discern by lip-reading.
"Ah,"
Cheng Tian suddenly realized, then began to gesticulate with his hands.
First, he stealthily made a sweeping, arc-like motion with both hands across his chest, avoiding Rhea's gaze, then made a pinky-hook gesture.
The former represented teasing about the other person's large bust, and the latter represented that Kid, Torfaxt.
He wanted to ask which one Rhea was angry about.
This time, it wasn't the back of his head that greeted him, but Fina's wings. Cheng Tian was once again thrown into the air by Fina—
The answer was, both.
The Twin Goddesses were indeed not the type to hold grudges, but it depended on the situation. In short, Cheng Mouren certainly deserved to be hit.
"Sister, I—"
"Hmm, Fina, I know your purpose."
Watching Cheng Tian being thrown out by her younger sister, Rhea's lips involuntarily curved upwards for a moment, then she sighed somewhat helplessly and took over the conversation.
She knew that some words could no longer be spoken, because her sister was already deeply involved.
She didn't know what kind of hypnotic drug this kid had given Fina in such a short time, that they were already close enough to playfully hit each other so naturally... This level of intimacy, no one had ever achieved, not even Torfaxt.
Some people, when it comes to their own emotions, are both obtuse and awkward, but once it involves the emotional problems of others, they are truly both keen and efficient.
In any case, Rhea unconsciously looked at Cheng Tian with a 'motherly' scrutinizing gaze, both with the intention of vetting him for her sister and carrying a hint of revenge.
When Cheng Tian publicly revealed the Twin Goddesses' measurements, Rhea, for the first time in her century-long life, wanted to personally beat an ordinary human.
Although that thought had now been suppressed, she was genuinely happy to see Cheng Tian get hit.
"A 15% magic amplification for two people... it is indeed enough for us to retain some of our self while sealing the Black Pearl."
Rhea said gravely, holding her sister's hand.
As Twin Goddesses, when Fina and Cheng Tian signed a contract, Rhea naturally also obtained some relevant information synchronously.
"But in the end, it's still a temporary solution, not a permanent cure. As the sealing continues, we will still fall into slumber again, and there will still be a possibility for the Black Pearl and the Root of Evil to awaken."
"So what should we do? Should we still try to completely destroy the Black Pearl?"
Fina frowned slightly.
"...That's easy to say, but the Black Pearl isn't so easily destroyed."
Rhea shook her head slightly.
Just then, Cheng Tian, who had been caught mid-air by Bazett in a princess carry, suddenly interjected.
"I don't think so."
The Twin Goddesses, looking over at the sound, both involuntarily widened their eyes—
In Cheng Tian's hand, a fragment of the Black Pearl had appeared.