Chapter 90 World E: Side Story - First Encounter with Selene...

I first met Selene on my way back after Starfall inspected the herb plantation he had specially designated.

She was in a sorry state and stumbled to her, hoping to get her help to shake off the people chasing her.

"Why do you think I would save you?" Xingyun found her somewhat amusing, so her tone was calm, without any sign of being offended.

It's like you're on your way home and suddenly someone runs up to you and says they want to save you. Who knows what they're thinking?

Although this wouldn't pose a danger to Starfall, she disliked unnecessary and useless actions outside of plans. She really disliked unexpected situations and didn't know how the little girl in front of her had ended up in this Morami Forest.

The reason she chose this place to build her palace was entirely due to the danger of this forest. Even without her setting up any confusing magic arrays, the forest was shrouded in smog at irregular intervals every day, causing those who accidentally wandered in to perish.

All sorts of wild beasts, poisonous plants, fruits, and gases ensure a 100% mortality rate for everyone who comes here. Joining this forest family means becoming the most fertile fertilizer.

But what about the person in front of you?

It was indeed a very sorry sight. My clothes were torn in many places, and a little blood was slowly oozing from the numerous tiny wounds. There were also some thorns stuck in my clothes. I don't know if it was because I had passed through that thicket of thorns that I had such a scene.

Her hair was in terrible condition, some parts were short and some were long, I don't know if it was cut off while she was dodging an attack, and there was a cut on her earlobe, from which blood was dripping.

My left leg is bent unnaturally, which means I've probably injured the bone inside.

“I am very useful. As long as you save me, I am willing to do anything you ask.” Her face was still covered in dirt, and her face was pale, probably due to blood loss, but her eyes were surprisingly bright.

An innocent girl. Starfall gave her its assessment.

The conversation was utterly uninteresting; the words spoken were so worthless that she wouldn't even bother to listen to them on a normal day—it would be a waste of her time.

But that's just normal times. Right now, Xingyun has just discovered that the herbs he almost lost have been planted in the ground, which is a time of joy.

So she took pity on her and said, "Okay."

As soon as the words were spoken, the approaching assassins transformed into dazzling fireworks, giving Starfall and Selene a fireworks show in their final moments, turning into a cloud of blood.

Because they had gotten quite close to Selene from the start, it was only natural that Selene was splattered with a lot of blood, and he looked thoughtfully at the center of the blood mist.

Starfall simply picked up the disheveled girl and instantly returned to his palace.

On my way home out of boredom, I picked up a little human girl. Although she was innocent, her appearance made up for it. I'm going to take good care of her.

Xingyun clapped her hands, and immediately a large group of maids stepped forward, respectfully waiting for her to speak.

"Wash her clean and take care of her," Starfall said.

The maid led a bewildered Selene and the rest of the group away in a flurry.

About an hour later, Selene, who had just finished taking a bath and smelled fragrant, with her wounds already bandaged, had a rosy complexion, perhaps from the heat of the bath.

"...Novigrad?" Starfall casually checked the connection point of Selene's bloodline and found that it was a god with whom he had only a casual relationship, the goddess of wisdom, Valentina.

The image of Valentina's calm golden eyes flashed in her mind. Although she had a cold temperament, she was a god who was relatively easy to get along with. Then she looked at Selene, who was still wearing a stern face and whom she vaguely sensed was not simple.

Does this look like it? Like a follower of Valentina?

Although Valentina's followers are also the aloof type, Selene doesn't seem like it, does she? She's more like Valentina than like anyone else, okay?

No, she's hers now. Starfall thought casually.

She was hers in her territory, and she had brought her to the palace; she was now hers.

While investigating Selene's bloodline, Starfall also took the opportunity to look into Selene himself.

Selene Nix, an orphan, was relentlessly hunted down for interfering with the interests of some people. He was chased all the way from his hometown to Starfall, which is truly amazing in terms of perseverance and will to survive.

It's impossible for an ordinary person to escape that far while being relentlessly pursued by so many assassins. Even with a teleportation array, it wouldn't be that easy. Moreover, there should be people with bounties on her lying in ambush around the teleportation array. How could she possibly break through the encirclement?

...is a good kid.

And so Selene settled down.

Everyone in the Starfall Palace was friendly to Selene, including Starfall's Holy Son Smith, a blue-eyed man with brilliant blond hair who had a gentle smile and was kind to everyone.

He treated Selene like a younger sister, patiently teaching her, even playing with her and telling her stories. Although Selene disliked those childish games, which no longer suited her mature and innocent fairy tales, he was the Holy Son of the Fallen Star, and she couldn't disobey him.

Selene didn't like this. Smith was just an arrogant guy, doing what he thought was right without caring about other people's opinions. She was nine, not three. If she told the story of Snow White again, she'd kill herself. You die.

But Selene never expected that Smith would actually die.

Smith was caught by Starfall having a tryst with a strange woman in the woods. Starfall gritted his teeth and said to the woman, "He!Lia!"

“Black, Lord Dark God…” Smith began to break out in a cold sweat.

"Oh, hi, Cynthia." The woman's expression changed from gentle to cheerful: "Are you angry? Congratulations! But I didn't expect him to be your holy son. He's too easily tempted. I thought he was just an ordinary person."

Listening to their conversation, the blonde woman who seduced Smith was actually the Goddess of Light?! Selene's idealized view of gods shattered completely; she couldn't reconcile the smug Yang Yan before her with the benevolent and gentle deity she had seen in the propaganda images of the Church of Light.

Selene had only thought that Smith had been acting strangely lately, often going to secluded corners alone and not coming out for a long time. So when Smith came out tonight, Selene followed him, only to encounter this scene.

With a wave of his hand, Xingyun had the rather favored Holy Son crush him into ashes, annihilating his existence and destroying the result of his years of cultivation.

Then she clashed with the God of Light. Selene carefully retreated again and again, until she was practically running, in order not to be injured in their battle.

The war had lasted a long time, which was enough to show how angry Starfall was. Selene estimated that it was almost dawn when Starfall finally came out with a gloomy face, muttering something under his breath.

Selene leaned closer to listen and discovered that Starfall was cursing "bitch."

"Have you had enough of the show?" Starfall stopped in his tracks, his sharp gaze piercing towards the place where Selene was hiding.

Selene's breathing became erratic. Yes, she should have known. How could Xingyun and the others not have noticed her nearby? They were just too busy arguing and fighting to notice her.

She also walked out decisively and stood not far from the meteorite.

“What is your purpose?” Starfall said. “I don’t believe you came to the depths of the forest in the middle of the night because you were bored and wanted to take a walk. Tell me your purpose.”

“I want to…” Selene mentally prepared herself before finally mustering her courage: “to become your saintess.”

"Huh?" Xingyun looked at her, as if he had heard a joke, and chuckled briefly: "You? Where do you get your confidence? Recommending yourself to me?"

“What he can do, I can do even better. Actually, you haven’t liked her for a long time, have you? After raising her, you found that her personality doesn’t suit your taste; she’s too willful and reckless. She thinks that what she sees is the truth, and that any action she takes is beneficial and can help everyone. You sometimes find that ridiculous, don’t you?” Selene met her gaze. “I don’t have those bad habits. I’ve lived here for quite a while now, so you should know some of my personality. I’m not easily swayed by other things. I learn very quickly, and I still have room to grow, which gives me an advantage over her.”

Young, with a fairly mature mind, but incredibly bold to say such things out loud.

For the first time, Xingyun glanced at Selene with a scrutinizing gaze, as if observing something or confirming something, before finally withdrawing her gaze.

He was good at seizing opportunities, and even shortly after his ex's death, he would directly approach her and recommend himself.

She was courageous, but unfortunately too reckless. What if she was in a bad mood and might kill Selene as well?

But, to become a saint? That's interesting.

A beam of light flew out from Xingyun's hand and entered Selene's body. Almost instantly, Selene felt her whole body filled with power, and even every small muscle and bone felt hot and eager to experiment and test her skills.

Selene looked up in surprise, a rare look of joy appearing on her usually expressionless face. She clenched her fist and performed a standard believer's salute to the god she worshipped.

Xingyun had agreed to her request.

"Don't disappoint me, don't repeat the same mistakes, don't be like those people, easily fooled by a few words, letting everything slip through their fingers." Xingyun stared at her, the pressure around him growing increasingly oppressive. His hair billowed in the wind, partially obscuring his face, making him appear even more like a ghost in the still-dark, dense forest. "You can do it, right? I just need a definite answer: can you truly become my saintess? Not like that dead guy you just saw?"

“Yes, I promise,” Selene said. “I will become your saint and do everything in my power to clear all obstacles in your path.”

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Author's note: I'm so sleepy I can barely keep my eyes open.