Chapter 130: Christina's Mission

The explosion of Vadesna triggered a tremor that made the entire valley seem to shudder, and the goblin camp outside the valley was thrown into total chaos.

"It's a good thing we brought the fortress cannon, or this bunker would have been breached by now," Sun Licheng wiped the sweat from his brow, feeling a sense of relief.

As the most powerful magic crystal cannon of the Goblin Empire, the fortress cannon was designed primarily to target enemies like angels, dragons, and Behemoths. Although its power was immense, the weapon was cumbersome, consumed an astronomical amount of magic crystals, and, most critically, possessed mediocre accuracy. In the battles of the past, it would often take a hundred shots to down a single angel. Fortunately, the angel before them had been too arrogant, allowing Sun Licheng to land a lucky strike and blast her to pieces.

"What? They actually possess weapons capable of killing angels?"

Looking at the white feathers drifting down like snowflakes, Oravia was struck with horror.

Though Vadesna was hot-tempered, her combat prowess was renowned within the Divine Realm of the Goddess of Silver Moon and Spring. Had Oravia not ascended to become a four-winged angel, she would have been no match for her, which was exactly why she had brought her along. Yet, such a powerhouse had been obliterated by a single shot, sending a chill through the hearts of all the angels present.

"Should we charge?" Oravia glanced at her companions and shook her head slightly.

Every angel was a vital asset to the Divine Realm. Observing the bustling bunker at the tunnel entrance, it was clear the enemy was repositioning their defenses; for the four of them to rush in now would likely be a suicide mission.

"Return to the Divine Realm."

Oravia sighed and spoke to the other three. Following her command, four flashes of light streaked across the sky, and the angels vanished.

In the Divine Realm, within the private chambers of the Goddess of Silver Moon and Spring, the four-winged archangel Oravia knelt on one knee before the Goddess, whose face was ashen.

"You mean to tell me that Vadesna died the moment she charged?"

The Goddess found the report difficult to believe. Angels were miraculous beings, forged only after her most devout followers endured trials of extreme hardship; they were the backbone of the Divine Realm’s military might. Could someone as powerful as Vadesna really be killed so easily by Sun Licheng? Had he truly grown strong enough to challenge a deity?

"Yes, my Goddess. Vadesna was shattered by a beam of light," Oravia replied, keeping her head lowered. She added, "However, it was also due to her own impatience and overconfidence. Vadesna’s temper was volatile; not long ago, because a goblin saintess prayed to the Divine Realm for the Goddess to spare Sun Licheng, she transformed the girl into a hideous monster."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Upon hearing this, the Goddess’s eyes suddenly brightened.

The Silver Moon tribe of the Lunar Alliance had lost its former peace and tranquility, and every goblin was filled with sorrow. Due to the Goddess's oracle, their food had been seized. Because of their resistance, the Great Elder, Isidor, had captured several slaves and prepared to execute them the following day. The Silver Moon tribe could no longer withstand even a sliver of the Goddess's wrath.

Amidst this atmosphere of despair, Christina sat quietly in her home. She had not dared to face anyone for a long time. Ever since she was turned into a monster, she had seen only profound contempt in the eyes of her tribespeople; only her grandmother and father continued to care for and cherish her. Thus, she decided to stop going out, choosing to sit in her dark, small room and wait for her life to slowly fade away.

"Brother Sun Licheng, I hate you. It was you who caused Christina to become ugly," she muttered to herself, her withered fingers unconsciously twisting her dry hair.

"Now that I am ugly, Brother Sun Licheng will never like me again. Christina is in so much pain," she continued, large tears streaming from the corners of her eyes.

For a long time, the traumatized Christina had been caught in a tug-of-war between hating Sun Licheng and longing for him—a classic entanglement of love and hate.

"Brother Sun Licheng, please come and see me. Even if you killed so many of our people, I wouldn't hate you. Just come and see Christina, and comfort me."

With that, she buried her face in her hands and began to weep, her cries as mournful as a cuckoo spitting blood.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the clearing outside her house. The door was kicked open with a bang, and someone rushed in like a gale.

"Grandmother?" Christina, still lost in her emotions, looked at the newcomer in confusion.

"Hurry, Christina! The Goddess has issued an oracle; she wants to see you immediately!" the ecstatic Yif shouted, grabbing Christina’s arm and pulling her out of the room.

Ever since Christina had been transformed, the old matriarch Yif had ordered the construction of a grand temple to the Goddess of Silver Moon. Later, due to the scarcity of resources caused by the war, construction had stalled, leaving only the foundation and the statue of the Goddess standing. Even so, the unfinished temple remained the most important place in the Silver Moon tribe.

Now, old Yif and Christina knelt before the statue, waiting to hear the will of the Goddess.

As the people prayed, the statue began to shimmer with light, glowing like a giant gemstone. Moments later, a halo appeared above its head.

"Christina? Do you know your sin?" A majestic female voice resonated in everyone's minds.

"Please forgive me, my Goddess. Your servant knows she was wrong," Christina replied, pressing her head to the ground and weeping.

"Sun Licheng dares to defy my will and has committed unforgivable crimes. Yet you, as a saintess of the gods, dared to plead for him—it is an act of blasphemy. Christina, do you realize your error?" the Goddess continued.

"I know I was wrong," Christina cried, but she immediately followed up by pleading for Sun Licheng again: "But Goddess, could you please spare Brother Sun Licheng? I am sure I can convince him to stop resisting and turn over what you require. I promise!"

Yif, kneeling beside her granddaughter, grew frantic, but in the presence of the Goddess, she dared not move, praying silently that the Goddess would not punish Christina further.

To Yif’s astonishment, the Goddess did not grow angry; instead, she began to laugh softly.

"What a sentimental girl. If I give you a chance, will you persuade Sun Licheng to follow my will?" the Goddess asked gently.

"I will! I will! I will definitely convince Brother Sun Licheng to surrender, please rest assured!" Christina shouted excitedly.

"What a foolish girl. Very well, for the sake of your devotion, I will let you try," the Goddess said with a touch of resignation. Suddenly, the halo on the statue flared, and a beam of light enveloped Christina completely.

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, as the light dissipated, a goblin girl as beautiful as an elf stood before them. Around her neck hung a large blue sapphire.

"I’m back to normal." Christina looked at her smooth arms, then touched her face with trembling hands, weeping with joy.

"Go, my child, and fulfill your promise. The gemstone around your neck is a treasure I bestow upon you. If you encounter danger, use it to call for me. Remember, never take it off."

The Goddess’s voice faded, and the halo atop the statue vanished, leaving the tribe gathered in the temple in a state of stunned delight.