Chapter 229
"White! You're finally awake. How are you feeling?" Hill asked with delight.
Xie Xubai's eyes were still sleepy, and before he could answer, he suddenly heard a pleasant and arrogant laugh coming from the side.
"Of course!"
With one hand, the god of wine brushed aside his golden curls, which shimmered with divine light. Holding a golden cup in his other hand, he boasted with great relish, "This is the sweetest wine in the world that I have personally brewed!"
The golden cup was refilled with the clear, cool wine and placed in front of Xie Xubai, as if inviting him to savor it carefully.
The rich aroma of wine lingered in front of my nose, seemingly even sweeter and more mellow than in my dreams.
I want to drink...
The still somewhat dazed young man swallowed hard, and couldn't help but lean closer, slightly opening his mouth to reach for the glistening liquid on the rim of the glass.
Suddenly, a blur flashed before his eyes; it was Dionysus pulling the cup back.
Dionysus downed his drink in one gulp, then revealed the empty cup, his smile tinged with a mischievous grin: "Too bad you haven't reached godhood yet. Too much drinking can lead to a never-ending sleep, my little beauty~"
They deliberately let you see it but not give you a drink. If this were a more temperamental child, they would probably start wailing loudly the next second.
The black mist glanced coldly at Dionysus, whose smile froze, and he coughed twice to regain his composure.
The young man blinked rapidly, his blank eyes quickly clearing.
Upon seeing Dionysus appear, he was slightly surprised. He then rose from the embrace of the black mist, placed his right hand on his chest, and let his left hand hang down. He performed a standard greeting with neither servility nor arrogance, and said solemnly, "Dionysus (the divine word used in honorifics), thank you for your generous assistance."
This dream recollection allowed Xie Xubai to remember many things.
He understood that the smooth integration of those jumbled memories was largely thanks to the wine from the god of wine, and he was filled with gratitude.
Not only Dionysus, but also the five-clawed golden dragon.
Xie Xubai wasn't entirely clear on what it meant that the Golden Dragon had helped him leap forward in divine power under the system's limitations.
Only when he regained his memories did he realize how much kindness he had received.
He would definitely contact Captain Xu again later to express his sincere gratitude.
Rather than being thanked verbally, Dionysus preferred to invite Xie Xubai to drink with him.
Although the facial features of East Asians are not as deep and three-dimensional as those of Westerners, they have their own unique charm and elegance.
Any marks on fair skin are very noticeable, but if they were tinged with the flush of drunkenness, it would certainly be a very pleasing sight.
Unfortunately, a clueless monster was eyeing him covetously nearby, so he had no choice but to give up.
He had just raised his hand when he paused.
Dionysus looked at the golden goblet in his hand. He hadn't done anything, yet it had automatically filled with wine, which was crystal clear like amber.
These drinks are not physical objects, but rather a manifestation of Xie Xubai's gratitude, similar to the power of faith in offerings made by relatives.
Dionysus glanced at Xie Xubai, slightly turned his wrist, swirled the wine glass, and took a sip with a discerning eye.
The first taste is like a clear spring, sweet but slightly bland.
Upon closer examination, the layers immediately become richer and more delicate, profound and captivating, with a lingering aftertaste.
"Oh..."
He couldn't help but let out a sigh of emotion, his eyes narrowing as he reminisced about a past he cherished: "It's so rare; it reminds me of the Thracian carnivals."
In his youth, he was hailed as the god of revelry. As he traveled far and wide, he taught farmers how to grow grapes and make delicious wine. Wherever he went, he was accompanied by lively laughter and beautiful songs.
People disregarded conventional etiquette, leaving all their troubles behind, and laughed, danced, and sang unrestrainedly at the celebration, completely absorbed in the moment.
Putting aside the tragedy that followed, He actually missed the years He spent wandering the world and those lovely, unconventional believers.
Although Dionysus said nothing, his expression showed that he was quite satisfied.
He raised a finger, and the remaining wine in the golden cup floated into the sky, condensing into a grape seed that shimmered with golden light, which He then put into his sleeve.
Dionysus then looked at Xie Xubai, smiled with narrowed eyes, and tapped the other's chest with his fingertip.
Xie Xubai immediately felt an itch in his chest, followed by a sweet fragrance.
The sensation of the seed taking root inside the body is very obvious. Soon, a lush and green grapevine grows, slender and long, spreading out in all directions, as gentle as the wind, extending along the meridians to the internal organs and limbs.
Xie Xubai knew that the God of Wine would not harm him, so he remained calm.
But when he sensed the changes within his body and in his sea of consciousness, he couldn't help but look at Dionysus with delight.
Unlike when he was parasitized by dodder and his flesh and blood were drained, these vines were actually providing him with a continuous source of power, and his progress toward godhood jumped from 62% to 67%!
Dionysus explained with a smile, "Your soul has shattered once, which is why your body is so easily weakened and exhausted. With these grapevines filling those cracks, you will never have to worry about running out of strength again. However, to completely remove the restrictions, you will have to wait until you become a god."
"By the way, the grapes on the vines can also be intoxicating and pain-relieving. If you are in a lot of pain after an injury, just crush one—but I hope you never have to use them."
Seeing Xie Xubai open his mouth again, He raised his index finger and shook it: "No, no, no, there is no need for thanks. This is a belated gift."
Dionysus looked at Hill, who was still happy that Xie Xubai had finally recovered his spirits and didn't pay any attention to the troubled and headache-ridden appearance of his contracted god.
Dionysus sighed, rubbing his throbbing head: "You know how foolish my servant is; he was almost successfully seduced by evil people back then."
Due to the numerous restrictions imposed by the system, Dionysus could not actively interfere with changes in human beliefs.
Seeing that Hill's thoughts were becoming increasingly gloomy and morbid, and that he was about to fall into the system's trap, He was extremely worried.
Fortunately, Xie Xubai intervened in time and, by a twist of fate, helped Hill correct his evil intentions.
It's worth noting that Dionysus initially signed the contract with Hill because he valued Hill's lively and carefree personality even in dire circumstances.
He was easygoing and didn't want to interfere with the freedom of his family.
So when Hill chose Dodder because he thought the Grapevine was too weak, he let it be.
Who would have thought that Hill, who possessed divine blessings, almost degenerated into a monster, even worse than in his first life.
"If Hill had really fallen into depravity, I would have wondered if my good intentions had caused a disaster. Fortunately, nothing bad happened."
Dionysus approached, reached out and ruffled Xie Xubai's fluffy head, and smiled affectionately at the young man: "Anyway, thank you very much, little beauty. It's so good to see that you're alright after we met again."
"Your efforts, hardships, and past tribulations have been seen by the gods. I have already heard their whispers of eager anticipation to meet you. This time, countless gods will pave the way for you, just as I have done. Go forward with confidence and boldness."
"As for now, hah—"
Dionysus couldn't help but stretch and yawn, covering his mouth as he let out a big yawn.
Just as the golden dragon fell into silence after bestowing blessings upon Xie Xubai, He, having given all His divine power, was also swept away by a sense of drowsiness.
"Let me get a good night's sleep and wait for your good news of victory. I'm sorry, but I'm entrusting everything to you..."
After speaking, He transformed into a pale green divine light, which faded away along with the radiant emblem of His retinue on Hill's arm.
Hill was left standing there, stunned.
After a long pause, he couldn't help but touch the insignia of his family on his arm: "...I didn't even know that."
He rarely saw his contracted deity. His deepest impression of him was when he enthusiastically declared that he wanted a powerful offensive skill, and Dionysus gave him a helpless look.
That glance seemed to be directed at an ignorant child. Hill couldn't help but shrink back. Just as he was about to change his words, he saw Him smile, showering divine light upon him, allowing the vines to sprout freely within his body.
He thought he was neglected and a free-spirited believer, unaware that Dionysus had once worried about his depravity.
He was unaware that his contracted deity and the other gods had such a good relationship with White, but this relationship was not due to luck.
It stemmed from a burden that White carried, a burden that was heavy and painful. Even the gods, who sat high in the clouds and were accustomed to the suffering of the common people, could not help but feel compassion for the young man.
And he had been following White for so long without even noticing.
Hill was filled with unbearable remorse. White's convulsive pain just now felt like a sharp weapon piercing his heart, causing him to convulse in agony.
He couldn't help but wonder what he was doing back then? How could he have been so utterly ignorant?
After gaining strength, one's perception of others' emotions becomes more accurate and acute.
White interrupted his excessive regret without hesitation: "For the sake of the bigger picture, concealing the truth is necessary. If you discover any clues, that would be my incompetence and ineptitude. I am very grateful for the success back then, and you don't need to blame yourself or feel bad for me."
Upon hearing the mention of others, Hill suddenly remembered something and anxiously reminded him, "By the way, you must be careful of Fifth Brother!"
"He and the fourth crow both thought you had betrayed humanity and swore to kill you. We explained that you might have had your reasons, but he just wouldn't believe us."
"After the game restarted, the fifth brother stayed in the trial pool in seclusion. During this time, the sixth brother sent a message saying that his level increase speed was bizarre and strange. He even had the strength to break through to godhood before entering this trial, and deliberately suppressed his level to avoid advancement."
Hill frowned and said, "But you know this isn't normal, because of Fifth Brother's talent..."
The three words he didn't say were: "Very bad."
Even among geniuses, there are differences. Perhaps the fifth brother, who is favored by the gods, is very impressive in the eyes of other players, but in the Apostle Guild, he belongs to the lower-middle class, only slightly better than the initially mediocre White.
White didn't speak. Hill glanced at his expression and tentatively said, "You should know, right? There are a lot of anti-redemption and anti-world-destroying factions among the players."
"Among them is the most famous organization. Its members can easily pull out god-level items, and their strength increases at an abnormal speed, just like Lao Wu's. They are suspected of joining the system and forcibly increasing their level by cheating."
"And the fifth brother's whereabouts are always unknown, and even the sixth brother sometimes can't contact him, so we've always suspected that the leader of that organization is very likely..."
White shook his head: "Fifth Brother won't betray us."
Seeing his certainty, Hill opened his mouth but didn't continue speaking.
The fifth brother gives off a very contrasting feeling: he has the size of a bear and the ferocity of a tiger, but his nature is as deep and gentle as the earth.
If a guild member falls asleep from overwork in the training ground and wakes up the next day to find themselves back in their dorm room in clean pajamas, with their dirty clothes washed and drying on the balcony, then without a doubt, the kind person is Lao Wu.
When White was ostracized, Lao Wu was one of the few people who gave the young man a kind look, and he was also the one who took the best care of White among the older members.
Therefore, the other apostles suspect that the Fifth Apostle hates White so much because he cares too much and therefore cannot accept any behavior that seems like betrayal.
Just like White decisively rejected Lao Wu's betrayal at this moment.
White: "I will explain what happened back then to Lao Wu."
However, just in case the Fifth Apostle doesn't listen to reason and starts a fight as soon as they meet, he needs to find the Twelfth Apostle, codenamed "The Silent Lamb," and borrow his abilities.
Coincidentally, Hill and the Twelfth Apostle entered the instance together, and then parted ways on the first level of the Black Tower.
After learning the lamb's whereabouts from Hill, White prepared to leave. Before leaving, he looked at Hill and said, "And the answer to your second question: I used a mental barrier on you so you wouldn't feel pain."
“…” Hill’s eyes widened. “It’s that simple?”
--lie.
White sighed helplessly, "Then how complicated do you want it to be?"
--lie.
"As for the fifth brother, I'm sorry to him. He was a little mentally confused when he first devoured the divine core. He ran out right after and was the closest, so I attacked him first. I didn't think to use a mental barrier on him. It's understandable that he hates me so much."
—A lie! A lie! A lie!
Hill cried out inwardly in agony: That's the stripping away of a divine core, the pain that comes from the very soul! How could it be so easily shielded by a mental barrier?!
If it were really that easy to erase, why do you fall into an inescapable nightmare and act so distressed whenever you hear about those things?
But Hill showed no sign of it, looking completely enlightened and unsuspecting: "So that's how it is!"
—Don't ask anymore. Don't put White in a difficult position. Digging deeper will only cause everyone pain. Isn't it better to keep things easy like this?
White met his gaze for a moment, then smiled as if nothing was amiss: "The battle isn't over yet, so I'll leave this to you."
"Great!" Hill stretched out his hand, "High five, wishing you a successful start."
—But I will remember it forever…
White chuckled softly: "Childish."
Then he reached out and lightly patted his palm: "It's to wish us all a successful start."
He then turned around and left with Xu Ji and the others without looking back, heading to the next level.
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