Chapter 461: The Eavesdropping Goddess
Raphaeline's fair skin and smooth golden hair emitted a faint white glow—the sign of life energy continuously working within her body.
While holding Chisato Hasegawa's curvaceous figure, Haruto took moments to observe Raphaeline's condition.
Seeing her complexion gradually become rosy, his last trace of worry finally dissipated.
Though losing goddess-level strength was unfortunate, as long as she survived, she could not only fully recover her power but also advance further with Haruto's help.
Being chosen to inherit a divine core spoke volumes about Raphaeline's innate talent—undoubtedly top-tier.
Even without the inherited divine core, she could have become a deity through her own cultivation.
The inherited divine core saved her considerable time but also limited her growth.
Those who inherit divine cores rarely surpass the original owner's realm.
This wasn't due to restrictions in divine core inheritance, but because advancing beyond deity level is inherently extremely difficult.
Relying on a divine core meant lacking personal cultivation insights and energy refinement, making breakthroughs nearly impossible.
For 99% of people, having such power was already more than enough.
Even Raphaeline herself couldn't guarantee that her own cultivation would surpass what the inherited divine core provided.
But that was before meeting Haruto.
With the aid of dual cultivation and Raphaeline's talent, peak higher deity would definitely not be her limit.
The same applied to Chisato Hasegawa, and even Frigg and Sif.
These three had inherited intermediate deity cores. Without Haruto's help, they could never break this limit.
Dual cultivation could break this restriction, with Chisato Hasegawa being the best example.
After their first dual cultivation session, she clearly felt the growth of her internal power.
After accumulating power during this period, she finally broke through while Haruto was healing her internal injuries, becoming a higher deity like Sapphire.
Gently setting down the black-haired beauty in his arms, Haruto furrowed his brow.
"Chisato-nee, is there any way to extract the divine core within you?"
Chisato Hasegawa panted heavily, her fair skin flushed with lingering traces of climax.
"Mmm..."
Her emerald green eyes, the same color as Raphaeline's, gazed dazedly at Haruto. "It can be extracted... but it's somewhat troublesome..."
Haruto carefully recalled the sensation during his complete dual cultivation with Raphaeline, comparing it to what he felt when Chisato Hasegawa broke through.
Seeing Haruto's tightly knitted brows, Chisato Hasegawa propped herself up with her hands behind her and asked, "Haruto, what's wrong? Is there a problem with the divine core?"
"Well, it's not a major issue, but it would be best to extract it."
Haruto briefly explained the problem he perceived. In short, the divine core was an inanimate object - those who obtained it only temporarily possessed it and couldn't completely refine it.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be possible to pass it down through generations.
But because it couldn't be refined, the existence of the divine core was like a foreign object nailed into something perfect.
As one's power grew, the influence of this foreign object would become increasingly significant, potentially becoming a fatal flaw.
There were two ways to solve this problem.
First, use absolutely overwhelming power to forcibly refine it. This approach was the best, as it not only eliminated the problem but could also nourish the possessor after refinement.
The second method was extraction.
After extraction, the perfect object would temporarily have a gap, but this gap could heal naturally.
Even if it couldn't heal on its own, Haruto's life energy could perfectly repair it.
Currently, Haruto couldn't achieve the first method.
To refine a divine core, even just a lower-level one, required power at the Dragon God Class or higher.
Although the divine core had flaws, it didn't have any direct harmful effects.
While it somewhat hindered power progression, Haruto could first help Chisato Hasegawa reach the Super Dragon God Class or higher, then refine it.
But the time required to reach that level of power was uncertain.
If there were no battles during this period, it would be fine. But once battles occurred, especially against the Ten Chief Gods, the flaw formed by the divine core could be fatal.
Now that three divine cores were with Haruto, the Ten Chief Gods would definitely not give up and would spare no effort to reclaim them.
If they were extracted and returned directly, this matter could be resolved.
What Haruto wanted was the person, not the divine core.
In fact, with the help of dual cultivation abilities, even without divine cores, Chisato Hasegawa and Raphaeline could quickly return to god-level and advance further.
After hearing Haruto's explanation, Chisato Hasegawa and Raphaeline exchanged glances and immediately reached a decision.
"Extract it. I've long been aware of the divine core's issues," Chisato Hasegawa said calmly, brushing aside her raven-black hair. "Besides, compared to Afureia, I prefer my current name."
"Indeed, it's fortunate that Frigg and Sif are here too," Raphaeline said with a gentle smile. "With their help, Reya... no, Chisato-chan won't have to suffer as much."
Losing the divine core would inevitably lead to a decline in power, but it wouldn't be as severe as Raphaeline's near-death experience.
In fact, with active cooperation, along with specific rituals and magic, extracting the divine core, while troublesome, was merely troublesome.
Raphaeline nearly faced complete annihilation because the Ten Main Gods not only wanted her Divinity Shard, but also the power she had cultivated over many years.
Possessing a Divinity Shard doesn't immediately grant formidable combat strength, while draining Raphaeline dry could instantly create a deity-level powerhouse of similar strength.
"I actually had some vague suspicions about the Divinity Shard issue long ago..."
Raphaeline sighed: "I didn't think much about it back then, but now it seems being forcibly extracted turned out to be a blessing in disguise."
If she hadn't been rescued and had died, the Divinity Shard issue naturally wouldn't matter anymore.
Now that she's been saved, her life preserved, and the Divinity Shard problem resolved, it truly counts as a blessing in disguise - at least she doesn't need to deliberately deal with it anymore.
"This matter should be handled sooner rather than later. Since Frigg and Sif have also escaped, we might as well ask if they're willing to remove their Divinity Shards."
Raphaeline's tone turned serious: "If they don't remove their Divinity Shards, the Divine Realm will definitely not let them go."
"Alright, I'll go ask them now."
Haruto got up from the bed, saying: "If they're willing, you three can do it together, saving the trouble of doing it three separate times."
"Ah..."
Chisato Hasegawa looked at Haruto in surprise: "You plan to go like that?"
"Even though we're at home, isn't it inappropriate to go out naked like this?"
Raphaeline also teased: "Even if you have designs on Frigg and Sif, you don't need to resort to direct seduction, do you?"
As goddesses, while Frigg and Sif's looks and figures were slightly inferior to Raphaeline and Chisato Hasegawa's, they were still peerless beauties.
Frigg had a slender figure and gentle personality, giving off a ladylike vibe.
Sif appeared more youthful in face, but her body contrasted with her childish features, being exceptionally mature.
Given the opportunity, Haruto naturally wouldn't pass up goddess-level Dual Cultivation partners, especially two virgin goddesses.
But as Raphaeline said, he wasn't desperate enough to go that far.
"Of course I'm not going to find people like this."
"But I don't see you planning to put on clothes either?"
"Because I don't need to leave the room - Frigg and Sif are waiting right outside the door."
With Raphaeline having lost all her power and Chisato Hasegawa maintaining her black-haired school doctor form with less than ten percent of her strength available, it was normal they couldn't detect the two goddesses eavesdropping outside the door.
But Haruto was different - he had noticed when Frigg and Sif arrived at the doorway earlier.
The two virgin goddesses weren't intentionally eavesdropping either. Here, their only acquaintances were Raphaeline and Chisato Hasegawa.
Haruto, who saved them, could barely count as one too.
Now that their only three acquaintances had gathered, they instinctively wanted to join in.
They couldn't interrupt Raphaeline's treatment, and didn't plan to enter, but they not only didn't know what the treatment method was, they only had a vague understanding of intimate relations between men and women.
At first listening outside, they didn't even realize what was happening inside, only thinking this treatment was really strange.
By the time they understood, they found themselves completely engrossed, unwilling to leave.
When they heard about removing Divinity Shards, they sobered up, but since this matter closely concerned them too, they still couldn't bring themselves to leave.
Just as Haruto planned to look for them and they thought about fleeing, Haruto directly exposed them.
After being exposed, the two of them froze in place, their pretty faces flushed as they waited for Haruto to open the door and catch them.
If they had truly intended to flee immediately, Haruto would have found no one when he opened the door. With a bit of stubborn denial, no one could have held them accountable.
But the innocent goddesses were not versed in such tricks. As the footsteps grew closer, their faces alternated between pale and red.
When the footsteps stopped and the door slowly opened, Frigg and Sif did not see Haruto appear.
Just as they were puzzled, Raphaeline's voice came first.
"Frigg, Sif, long time no see. Come in and talk."
Previously, Raphaeline had not regained consciousness, so although they had met the two goddesses, this was the first true encounter in the meaningful sense.
Frigg and Sif hesitated for a moment but obediently stepped inside. Frigg even politely closed the door behind them.
Once inside the room, they noticed Haruto was putting on clothes at Chisato Hasegawa's insistence. Though still quite revealing, he was at least no longer completely naked.
In contrast, Raphaeline and Chisato Hasegawa had merely draped themselves with a blanket, leaving large areas of their skin exposed.
Frigg and Sif were not surprised by this. Having spent so many years in the divine realm, the four goddesses had often bathed together—everything that should or shouldn't be seen had long been mutually witnessed.
"Sorry, I wanted to open the door for you myself, but Chisato insisted I put on clothes, so I had to use magic."
"Ah, n-no, it's fine..."
Staring at Haruto's handsome face and perfectly proportioned body, Sif blushed deeply and stammered, "It... it's our fault for... for eavesdropping without permission..."
"It's alright, I should have explained things to you earlier."
Haruto waved his hand dismissively. These two goddesses, having lived in the divine realm for so long, were indeed too naive.
"But this works out conveniently. Regarding the divine cores..."
"We want to remove ours too," Frigg took the initiative to continue the topic. "We don't want to return to the divine realm either. Rather than being constantly pursued, we'd prefer to start cultivating anew."
"That's fine, but what about your families in the divine realm..."
"It's alright," Sif shook her head. "No matter what, the divine realm isn't like demons. They wouldn't resort to threatening our families."
After saying this, the child-faced, buxom goddess suddenly realized that Haruto seemed to be a demon, she was currently in demon territory, and she had, in fact, been saved by a demon.
"Sorry, that's not what I meant..."
"It's fine. Long-ingrained thinking patterns are indeed hard to change."
Especially for naive and easily deceived people like you.
Haruto finished with a smile while secretly adding this last part in his mind.
"Alright, let's not dwell on this anymore."
Raphaeline took the initiative to ease the atmosphere, saying: "Stripping away your divinity can indeed solve many problems, but without Haruto's help, it would be very difficult for you to cultivate back to your current strength. You need to think this through carefully."
Frigg and Sif glanced at each other, then focused their gaze on Haruto.
"Um... well..."
"Yes? What is it?"
Seeing Frigg and Sif suddenly becoming bashful, Haruto asked curiously.
Hearing Haruto's question, the two goddesses didn't respond immediately, their minds filled with scenes from earlier when Haruto had treated Raphaeline and Chisato Hasegawa.
Just from the sounds alone, they could imagine the incredibly intimate scene.
The two pure goddesses unconsciously tightened their legs, feeling ashamed as they noticed their secret places had quietly moistened with a hint of honey...
"We... we also want to receive treatment after stripping away our divinity..."
Finally, the more mature Frigg opened her eyes, looked directly at Haruto, and spoke.
As she spoke, she noticed the prominent tent in Haruto's lower body, making her blush and her heartbeat quicken.
Based on their judgment, Haruto probably wouldn't refuse, but what if he did...
After all, they had known Haruto for less than a day. Even though they felt quite fond of him for saving them, what if Haruto refused because of his relationship with Raphaeline and Chisato Hasegawa? What would they do then?
Actually, their decision wasn't just based on their genuine fondness for Haruto and curiosity about intimate relations between men and women - security concerns were the main factor.
If they didn't strip away their divinity, the Ten Chief Gods wouldn't stop pursuing them, and without Haruto's help, they stood no chance of resistance.
Their long years in the divine realm had almost completely eroded Frigg and Sif's common sense and basic survival skills. Suddenly finding themselves in an unfamiliar environment, they had no idea what to do next without someone's help.
Even after stripping away their divinity, though the Ten Chief Gods would stop pursuing them, they still lacked a sense of security.
Only by staying near Raphaeline and Chisato Hasegawa, whom they were familiar with, would they feel somewhat at ease.
If they could deepen their relationship with Haruto and stay with their savior permanently, that would provide the ultimate sense of security.
Under the combined influence of these factors, Frigg and Sif became so proactive.
Faced with the initiative of two beautiful goddesses, although Haruto was slightly surprised, after receiving silent consent from Raphaeline and Chisato Hasegawa, he didn't hesitate at all and agreed decisively.
"Absolutely no problem."
Haruto smiled as he looked at the two beautiful, golden-haired, blue-eyed goddesses - one mature and one younger - saying: "However, once I treat you, you'll belong to me for all eternity. Are you prepared for that?"
Of course Frigg and Sif weren't prepared, but this wasn't the time to say so.
The two nodded seriously, their attitude quite determined.
"Of course, we understand that without you having to say it. Otherwise we wouldn't have preserved our purity until now."
Haruto nodded. He actually thought the same, and had only asked as a matter of routine.
"Then... when do we begin?"
Sif's cheeks flushed crimson, her dewy eyes continuously wandering over Haruto's body.
Compared to Frigg, she could be considered quite promiscuous - ever since hearing about dual cultivation, the area between her thighs had remained moist.
Now that things had been laid bare to this extent, she no longer concealed her desire for Haruto and for dual cultivation.
"After you've stripped your divine cores."
After a moment of contemplation, Haruto said: "The first dual cultivation yields the best results. Whether it's repairing the damage caused by divine core stripping or helping you recover your strength, it's best to save the first session for after the core stripping."
For him, of course it would be best to take the primordial yin of goddesses at their peak strength.
But compared to that slight improvement, he'd rather let his women gain more benefits.
Though somewhat disappointed, Haruto's answer also let Sif breathe a sigh of relief.
Promiscuous as she might be, she actually wasn't fully prepared yet.
If even the promiscuous one felt this way, needless to say the more ladylike Frigg felt the same.
While breathing a sigh of relief, Frigg also seriously stated: "I'll prepare for the divine core stripping. It should take about three days."
These three days weren't just for preparing the core stripping, but also for them to mentally prepare themselves.
...
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Haruto had been continuously treating Raphaeline and Chisato Hasegawa.
Thanks to his efforts, Chisato Hasegawa had basically fully recovered, perfectly timed to strip her divine core in optimal condition.
In the long-unused underground training ground, a massive magic circle slowly rotated.
Frigg, Sif, and Chisato Hasegawa stood within it, golden and green magical power continuously overflowing from the three of them, intertwining, then dispersing again.
With the ritual's assistance and mutual support between the three, the divine core stripping proceeded very smoothly.
In just half an hour, visible crystals appeared in the chest area of the three women.
Frigg and Sif's were light golden triangular prism-shaped crystals, while Chisato Hasegawa's was a light green pentagonal crystal resembling a soccer ball.
The differences in color and shape were due to variations in the type and grade of the divine cores.
Another half hour passed, the crystals becoming more solid, but the complexions of Chisato Hasegawa and the other two also grew pale.
"Is this the divine core? Doesn't seem like much..."
Gazing at the crystals that countless people coveted, Haruto was completely uninterested.
Divine cores stripped like this showed their truest form - containing no energy whatsoever, their only effect was allowing one to reach the original owner's strength level without any bottlenecks.
Given angels and demons' long lifespans, obtaining a divine core basically guaranteed god-level strength.
But for someone like Haruto who faced basically no barriers to breakthrough, such things seemed rather useless.
Not just useless - for those with sufficient talent, these things could actually be harmful.