Chapter 526: The Divine Messenger
“I don’t need so many people to serve me,” Anno said, looking at the shadow servants in front of him.
However, she compromised and said to them, "You can just choose one representative to stand in front of me."
The other divine servants exchanged glances, took a step back, and nominated Aoki.
Anno raised an eyebrow slightly; this was exactly what he had expected.
Aoki seems to have a high level of prestige among the Giantwood Clan, probably comparable to that of the leader.
He, along with these divine servants, the leader, and the elders, were all second-class retainers. This rank was not low in the Zerg race; they were basically high-ranking generals who commanded various branches.
Anno said to Aoki, "Then you can stay. Everyone else can go down first. Unless it's something special, you don't need to come to me. Just tell me about ordinary little things."
"Yes, Your Highness."
After Aoki stayed by Anno's side, the other divine servants withdrew.
The other family members glared at Aoki with eyes as sharp as knives, almost staring him through the skin.
Anno knew that their genetic animosity was something that couldn't be changed overnight, and she didn't expect to change their minds immediately. It would be good enough if they could just stay together without fighting.
Bai Yan and Poponia stepped forward to take the positions on Anno's left and right, respectively, and Qingmu was pushed to the side, leaving no place for him next to Anno for a moment.
Seeing that Aoki was hanging his head and not saying a word, and that he was not angry or upset because of the exclusion and targeting of his family members, Anno called him over and talked to him casually, asking him about the Giant Tree Clan.
Aoki answered Anno in great detail, his dark, deep eyes fixed intently on her, as if trying to draw her in.
Poponia and the others couldn't stand him staying by the young prince's side like that. If the young prince hadn't personally told him to stay, they would have kicked him out.
After Anuo finished eating, Baiyan wanted to hand her a handkerchief to wipe her mouth, but Qingmu beat him to it. Anuo took it without thinking, leaving Baiyan's handkerchief hanging in mid-air.
A vein throbbed slightly on his forehead, and he stuffed the handkerchief back into his pocket.
Anno patted his round belly, deciding to go for a walk to digest his food and also to check out the territory of the Giantwood Clan.
From yesterday until now, she has only visited their idols; she hasn't properly explored the other places yet.
“Your Highness, it’s chilly outside, so I’ve made you a simple cloak.”
Bai Yan draped a cloak over Anno's shoulders. The cloak was brightly colored and adorned with many sparkling ornaments, with a tassel around the edge. Bai Yan's craftsmanship was always top-notch, and this cloak, in keeping with the style of the Giant Wood Clan, was indeed an understatement to call it simple.
Anno tugged at the fabric covering her upper body, but it still felt tight.
It wasn't that she thought there was anything wrong with the Giantwood Clan's clothes, she just wanted looser clothes, and the pants she was wearing were very comfortable.
Bai Yan saw her tugging at the straps binding her upper body and went over to loosen them a little, but he couldn't help but be drawn to them.
He held his breath slightly and said to Anuo, "Your Highness, I'm making suitable clothes for you. They'll be ready soon."
Anno nodded, emphasizing that it should be loose-fitting, and even if it was close-fitting, it should at least be elastic. This fabric was smooth, but it didn't have much elasticity.
After Aoki left, Bazel and Karina followed.
Anno looked at his second sister, who was always in wolf form, and patted her wolf head, asking, "Second sister, why do you always stay in wolf form?"
Karina rarely transformed into wolf form in the past. Although she was a white wolf, she had never transformed into a wolf except for a few times when she was in a dangerous situation.
Karina let out a few "howls," and Bazel translated for Anno, "She said it's very unsafe here. There are only a few of us with Her Highness, and the wolf form will keep her highly vigilant."
Anno asked Bazel in the consciousness network, "So you are too?"
Bazel nodded.
Anno smiled and patted their wolf heads. Bazel then lay down, his big head facing Anno, indicating that she should ride on his back.
Anno grabbed Bazel's long fur and climbed onto his back. She looked at Bazel's fur, which was much thicker than Karina's, and said with some curiosity, "Bazel, I noticed that your wolf fur seems to be thicker than Second Sister's."
Bazel said, "I am a snow wolf, and I have always lived in cold regions. Karina lives in a warmer area, so her fur is not as thick as mine."
Karina licked her fur and let out a few soft moans.
As usual, Bazel translated for Anno in the consciousness network, "She said that she didn't like turning into her original form before because she always shed hair, and she hated shedding hair."
Anno asked, "Then will you shed fur?"
Bazel said, "Yes."
Upon hearing this, Anno grabbed Bazel's back and gave him a pat.
Bazel: "...I recently shed my fur, so it doesn't shed anymore."
Anno smiled and gave him a couple of firm rubs on his back before turning to look at Aoki.
He stayed quietly by her side the whole time, and only turned to look at her when she looked over.
Anno asked, "Aoki, besides regular eating, do you have any other ways to boost your energy?"
Aoki said, "Your Highness, the forest provides us with basic energy. Even if we don't eat, we can maintain the functions of our bodies. However, if we need to fight or go out, we need more energy. In addition to some food, we will draw some energy from the trees and the Light Spirits for later use."
As he spoke, he put his index finger to his lips and blew on it.
A moment later, several light spirits flew over from a distance. After circling Qingmu a few times, Anno saw Qingmu reach behind him and his spine gradually glowed. A spinal whip grew out from his tailbone.
Aoki held the spine whip and connected with the Light Spirits, absorbing their energy.
After absorbing some energy, he put the whip back, placed his hand on his forehead, and whispered a few words.
Anno watched as the light spirits surrounded him. A light spirit the size of a palm stopped at his fingertip, its wings trembling slightly. The insect patterns on their bodies, which had been dim, began to glow faintly upon contact with the light spirit.
The moment the insect patterns on his body lit up, Anno's eyes widened slightly, his expression a mixture of surprise and amazement as he looked at the scene before him.
Aoki's skin was wheat-colored, and the insect-like markings highlighted his physique, giving his skin a luminous glow. He turned to her and gave her a faint smile.
Those deep, dark eyes were incredibly bright.
In that instant, Anno was stunned by the beautiful scenery before him.
At this moment, he was like a dark elf from a fairy tale, able to summon other magical creatures, carrying a fairy-tale fantasy color.
At this moment, Anno suddenly understood a little about the divine culture among the Shadow Zerg.
These light spirits, so common in Sivitro, have long lost all their mystique. Or rather, no creature in Sivitro is mysterious; their vast network of consciousness connects to the planet, giving them complete knowledge of everything.
But now she thinks that keeping some things mysterious might not be a bad thing.
Aoki maintained a clear reverence and awe for these Lightbringers, unlike the Shadow Insects, who regarded them as divine gifts.
After the light spirit flew away from Aoki, Aoki said to Anno, "Your Highness, in our civilization, light spirits are the means by which we communicate with the gods. They are the true messengers of the gods. I think it is perhaps our sincere prayers that have brought Your Highness to our side."
Anno nodded and said, "I heard your prayers."
During that time, she kept having dreams about the Shadow Zerg, and she knew that this must be a connection created by some kind of ability between the Zerg.
But she didn't tell Aoki Akira about this; they had a belief in their hearts, and she shouldn't break that belief.
Anno and Qingmu were patrolling the Giantwood territory when the Giantwood people saw her and knelt down to pay their respects with excitement and piety.
She spent most of the day exploring, but she still hadn't finished exploring the Giantwood Clan's territory. Although the chief had told her that this was the last heart of the Giantwood Forest, it was still a very large area.
However, under Aoki's guidance, she visited some of their most important places: the temple where the gods were worshipped, the breeding nest, and the largest energy storage facility.
The nesting system is quite different from that of the Shadow Zerg; it takes place among several giant trees, but the principle is still similar—both use energy to power the young.
Seeing this giant tree emitting a faint light, Anno suddenly thought of the sacred tree in the Tianyun Galaxy.
Their Holy Spirit was also nurtured by the sacred tree and survived on the energy provided by the sacred tree. Without the sacred tree, there would be no Holy Spirit.
Although they are similar, there are still differences.
After visiting the nest, she went to the temple.
The temple's architectural style is very similar to the royal palace, which has existed since ancient times. No matter how many generations the Zerg have gone through, the royal palace has not changed much.
However, this temple is not comparable in size to the royal palace; it is just the size of an ordinary palace, like a miniature version of a royal palace temple.
There were many spirits of light wandering around the temple. There were no guards here. It is likely that their piety towards the gods would make them consciously abide by certain laws, and they would not need guards.
Outside the temple was a lawn covered with colorful wildflowers and scattered with many withered yellow leaves.
It should be daytime now, but the giant trees block out the sun, and a faint glow from the trees illuminates the surrounding environment.
Anno jumped off Bazel's back and walked into the temple.
Bazel and Karina wanted to follow her in, but Aoki stopped them, saying, "This is forbidden territory for outsiders. Even ordinary tribespeople are not allowed to enter."
Karina couldn't understand what he was saying, and when she saw him blocking her way, she growled.
Anuo patted her head to comfort her, "You guys wait for me outside, I'll just go in and take a look and then come out."
The two of them flicked their tails and had no choice but to wait outside, watching Aoki follow Anno into the temple.
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