Chapter 46: Where Did Maomao Go
The light-and-shadow figure in Hachiman's hands was gradually becoming more detailed.
Mariya Hikari's shape was still blurry, but all the features a human should have had already appeared. The rest was just a matter of time.
Seeing this girl, who had been abducted by a Heretic God, reappear before him stirred some nostalgia in Hachiman—it felt like the chaotic battle on Sunlight Mountain had only happened yesterday.
Back then, he was a proper god-slayer, dueling gods in full form to acquire powers, leveling up through combat, the lawful adopted son of Pandora, and the unofficial manifestation of Athena.
As for Di Jun, Hachiman believed he was probably still alive—this was inferred from Athena's situation.
Now, Hachiman no longer needed Pandora's secret rites to gain power, nor Athena's manifestation to wield thunder. Whatever Di Jun had done in the past, his current strength was entirely his own.
"I wonder what I should even be considered now…" Hachiman muttered, his tone tinged with sarcasm.
His life essence had not fundamentally changed; in this respect, he was no different from any other god-slayer. He still cultivated powers by plundering the divine, only his method of acquisition had changed.
The powers of Kuafu and Di Jun had ultimately left a dual-natured ability in his body, which was very god-slayer-like—powers generated according to the slayer's understanding of divine energy and inner desires.
The "Shooting Sun" and "Daily Sun" myths, born during the Hu clan's hunting era, represented the contradictory feelings of their ancestors toward the sun—both desire and hatred.
The "Shooting Sun" displayed the divine might to destroy the sun yet served as a means to save it. The "Daily Sun" represented retention and reclamation of solar power. Two different myths reflected the same goal: to let humanity determine the sun's path through its own power.
Hachiman now possessed this ability—not just over the sun, but all forces of abundance were his hunting targets.
It was precisely because of this power that he confidently reclaimed little Guang—using the strength he had obtained from Horus, his success was assured.
As expected, the situation arose.
When Mariya Hikari's facial features began to sharpen, her light-and-shadow body suddenly trembled, appearing extremely unstable, on the verge of collapsing.
She had stayed too long within the body of a god. If she collapsed now, there would be no chance of returning even to her light state.
Hachiman's expression remained calm, but his eyes changed: his left pupil became silvery-white, radiating a faint, ethereal, mysterious light; his right eye turned golden, dazzling like fire, blazing like the sun.
A silver beam shot from his left eye, illuminating Mariya Hikari.
In an instant, her body stabilized.
Horus's eyes were indeed useful. With them, Hachiman could sense good and evil, employ a clairvoyance that perceived all things, and project protective power. The function was singular but highly effective.
For example, now, a single Moon Eye beam steadied Mariya Hikari immediately.
Not only did she stop trembling, but her recovery accelerated.
Soon, her transformation was complete—she returned to human form. Yet Hachiman was stunned by a major problem.
"What the…?" He gawked at Mariya Hikari, who was completely naked.
Being without clothes was one thing—it was a child—but she didn't even have any hair?
Slapping his forehead, Hachiman suddenly realized the issue—Mariya Hikari's body essence had been reversed by him, and his subjective influence had affected the process.
How could he forget? Humans have hair on their heads!
Touching his own head, he realized he couldn't let Mariya Hikari lie in his arms like this. What would he say when she woke up?
Tell her her hair froze off because it was cold? Only an idiot would believe that…
Thinking quickly, Hachiman held her horizontally and activated his power.
Mariya Hikari's form quickly dimmed, sinking into deep darkness, becoming a humanoid shadow, part flame, part shadow—faceless and unidentifiable.
Once, Hachiman liked to filter ordinary people's vision with Set's ridiculous halo. Now, it seemed he would have to settle for something secondary.
But Hachiman didn't feel he'd lost anything. Most of what he lost was trivial, while what he gained was substantial.
Cradling the shadow, Hachiman moved westward, following sounds carried by the wind. He found a village, and after obtaining a suitable set of clothes from a group of terrified villagers, he left.
Several days later, Mariya Hikari finally woke up.
The little girl was groggy at first, and only slowly did her mind catch up.
She was initially overjoyed to see Hachiman again, then realized she was no longer in a familiar place.
What left Hachiman speechless was that she seemed excited upon realizing she had traveled through time… and claimed she was a fan of Moses.
Hachiman, having already completed his task, had no interest in the love-and-war between Hebrews and Egyptians, so he asked Mariya Hikari what had happened to her after she was abducted.
Then he received a surprising answer, along with a familiar name.
The Last King and Di Jun.
The Last King was the exterminator of god-slayers—when there were too many god-slayers on Earth, the gods would awaken him to wipe out all god-slayers. This was why the gods on Sunlight Mountain had united—they sought to awaken him.
As for Di Jun, Hachiman learned from Mariya Hikari that he was both an assistant and a blocker of the Sunlight Mountain gods, apparently with his own agenda—so this filthy emperor had indeed not died.
Hachiman felt a slight pressure.
To be used as the Last King's god-slayer "cleaner" demonstrated undeniable power, and Hachiman would certainly be a target.
Di Jun was even more formidable.
However, Hachiman only felt a small amount of pressure. From the moment he entered darkness, he had decided to face his life head-on.
He resolved to take Mariya Hikari back.
Despite her protests, Hachiman held her hand and flew into the sky, heading south.
He had come from the Nile; naturally, he would return along it—or rather…
Damn it! The little brat still hadn't noticed her hair was gone! Of course, he had to hurry and get her back!
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting