Masteria Online: Shattering the Dark God's Grand Scheme-Chapter 57 - 58 - Narinder

With her mischievous grin, she spoke. "So~ my head is really close to something else right now."

"Lena?"

She patted his thigh, causing him to jump. "What? It’s just an observation! I’m at very close proximity-"

Lumi abruptly slid back, leaving her to fall on the bed. "Please don’t poke that," he said, face heating.

"Why?" She grinned up at him. "It’s not like we can do anything anyway. The game has content filters, right? Probably blocks anything too adult. So it’s just harmless teasing!"

"Actually." Lumi said, then paused. Should he tell her? "The game doesn’t have those kinds of blocks."

Lena went very still. "What?"

Her face went through several shades of red. "Oh. OH."

She sat up so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash. "AAHHHH!!!!"

She took a deep breath, composing herself, patting her chest. Then, professionally, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

She rapidly shook her head. "I’m sorry! I didn’t know! I thought it was safe teasing because nothing could happen but if something could happen then it’s like it’s completely different do you hear that it’s like you know what I mean? It’s completely different it’s like you know what I mean."

"Lena, breathe." he said, catching her flailing hands.

"But Lumi!" She looked up. "I- I, oh my gosh, forgive me. I-!"

"Forget about it." he stopped anything, whether her embarrassment or the situation from going any further. "Nothing really happened. We’re fine."

He got up, taking a few steps to the door. "Unfortunately, I don’t have enough time left today to begin anything big. Additionally, there are no monsters that we can farm today. It’s a bit of a shame regarding the wasted time, though I wonder if you’d like to come with me to meet someone?"

"Huh?" Lena was taken aback by the abrupt change in topic. What... was he talking about? She were, they were...

She took several deep breaths, face still flushed. "Okay. Okay. Mental note. Game has no content filters. Be more careful with your boyfriend’s personal space. Got it."

She got up as well, and followed behind him. "We can go... I guess. Who are we meeting?"

He opened the door and grinned. "Narinder."

"Huh?"

Following Lumi, the two made their way to the Empress’s Garden. While there were many gardens, this was the Empress’s favorite. It was not entirely private, yet only Knights were allowed.

Without the previous events making Lumi gain immense status, there was no way he’d be allowed in. Luckily, every Knight already knew what had transpired in some way or another.

He gently walked along the path, Lena following silently behind him. It didn’t take long until they encountered Narinder, who was resting in the middle of the garden.

Narinder was the Empress’s divine beast and guardian. Its lineage had accompanied the Empresses of Herene for ages.

It was at least five tons. By sight alone, it was at least sixteen feet long.

It gently moved its snout up, staring right at them. "Snoo." It made a small sound.

Lumi approached enough to be considered within distance, but not enough to offend. He gently knelt upon the grass, and spoke. "Narinder..."

"..." Lena felt awkward just standing there. She didn’t receive any instructions, nor did anything make sense to her at the moment. So she knelt beside Lumi as well.

Lumi put his hands together, closed his eyes, and began a sincere request. "O’ Narinder, Divine Spirit who accompanies the Empress. Masteria is in grave danger, and my heart is afraid. My heart cries out in fear at the thought of the Dark One destroying the world. Every day, I give my all for a better future. Yet, I am afraid that it may not be enough."

"Though my request is impudent, I humbly request that you bless this one, such that he may achieve the power required to strike back against evil."

...

Narinder took a second look at this man who it had previously judged. He had seen him, Lumi, when the Empress met him. He had judged his intentions and soul pure.

Yet, now he had come to it voluntarily, pouring his heart out and asking for a blessing.

Whether a request was impudent or not depended entirely on the one making it. To Narinder, Lumi having a pure soul meant it could give the request further thought.

"Snoo!" With a soft cry, the air was suddenly saturated with divine power.

"Aah~!" Lena couldn’t even remotely begin to comprehend. She suddenly felt small, very small.

She quickly stopped making sounds, but she was shaken. She felt so strange, she had never, ever felt like this before in her life!

She had felt great joy before, as well as the deepest sorrow. She had felt rage like no other, and fear for her life. She had experienced physical pleasure, sometimes a dozen times a day, as well as the excruciating pain of a knife digging through her flesh.

She had felt the full range of human sensation, and yet never before in her life had she felt like this.

She was scared, she was uncomfortable.

She felt so, so small... akin to a mortal being judged by a deity.

G-get me out of here! Get me out... GET ME OUT!

She desperately attempted to access her system menu and log out, to do anything to get her away from the unfamiliar, fearful expression. Yet she felt her body go completely unresponsive, her very soul imprisoned as she was forced to stay in place, tears forming in her eyes.

Narinder’s eyes shone with a divine white light as it scanned the very souls of Lumi and Lena, a power unique to itself.

With time, the divine aura faded, and Narinder calmed itself as it lay upon the ground once more.

Narinder had made its judgment.

"Naar!" It yelled out majestically, and a light shone upon them.

Lumi quickly received a system notification.

[Received Buff - ???]

[Remaining Time - ???]

[Attack Power +5]

[Magic Attack +10]

[Defense +100]

[Elemental Resistance +20]

[Allstat +50]

[Allstat +10%]

[??? + ?]

[??? + ?]

Lumi gave a faint smile of appreciation.