This bonus chapter is a small gift—may it bring you a touch of tranquility.
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Joururi WorkshopAt the Head of the Shouki no KamiThe Balladeer, his body pierced by numerous deep purple conduits, stirred slightly. Slowly, he opened his eyes.
"This is…"
A trace of confusion flickered across his face as he processed the strange sensation in his mind.
It felt as if every trace of Electro in the world was gravitating toward him, embracing him. With a single thought, all the Electro elements could be bent to his will, harnessed as his power.
"This is the… power of a god?"
Instinctively, Scaramouche wanted to raise his hand to inspect his palm.
However, as he moved, the Shouki no Kami—now fully fused with him—also raised its massive hand.
The motion startled the nearby Akademiya staff, causing one of them to cry out in alarm.
"Take it easy," came the voice of Dottore from the control room.
"Your consciousness is now completely synchronized with the Shouki no Kami. Whatever you do, it does too. Don't let a moment of excitement bring this place down around us."
"Hmph."
Scaramouche's expression twisted in disdain. "I don't need you to remind me."
"Finally, you've achieved your goal—becoming a new god among mortals. Next, is it time to return to Inazuma and take your revenge?"
"This power still requires further refinement…" Scaramouche muttered darkly, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Once I fully ascend to godhood, all grievances will be erased!"
Although he now possessed the power of a Gnosis and the authority of a god, he couldn't yet compare to deities who had lived for millennia.
Thus, he resolved to bide his time in Sumeru, letting his power grow. Only then would he return to Inazuma to settle his scores.
"For now, you've just begun the fusion process. Until you've fully absorbed this power, it's best to stay put and behave yourself. I've got other matters to attend to—farewell."
With that, Dottore turned and left the control room. Midway, as though recalling something, he turned back to Scaramouche.
"Oh, by the way, Brighella mentioned that he's prepared a gift to celebrate your ascension. Perhaps you should ask him about it yourself."
"Hmph…"
Scaramouche scoffed, recalling Luo Qing's smug, indolent demeanor.
Having skipped Rosalyne's funeral, he had also missed Luo Qing's conferral ceremony. Even now, he couldn't understand why the Tsaritsa would recruit such a lazy, unremarkable individual.
Doesn't that just drag down the dignity of the Harbingers?
Shaking his head, Scaramouche dismissed thoughts of Luo Qing and paid little mind to the so-called "gift" mentioned by Dottore.
Instead, he focused his thoughts, sensing the Electro elements around him.
His godly consciousness unfurled like an enormous net, spreading outward from the Jingliu Workshop.
Within the range of his awareness, he could summon lightning at will.
Discovering this, a smirk crept across his face. He decided to test his newfound godly power.
Soon, his attention fell upon a group of Eremites resting by a riverbank.
Exhausted from half a day's journey, the Eremites were just setting up camp for a break.
Suddenly, a loud thunderclap echoed from the clear, sunny skies.
In an instant, the group of Eremites—unlucky despite the bright weather—collapsed on the spot, frothing at the mouth and unconscious.
"Hmph… Not bad."
With his consciousness alone, Scaramouche could perceive his surroundings without relying on his physical eyes.
This peculiar power brought him a rare sense of satisfaction.
Guided by curiosity, he expanded the reach of his awareness toward the Akademiya, intending to observe the scholars who always looked down on others.
Like an immense spiderweb, his consciousness stretched toward the city of Sumeru.
At first, everything proceeded smoothly.
But soon, Scaramouche noticed something unusual.
In a small area within Sumeru City, his awareness could not penetrate.
Even the Electro elements there refused to respond to him.
"What's going on here…"
Perplexed, Scaramouche fixated on the anomaly, observing the location from the periphery of his awareness.
It was an unassuming two-story house.
"Why can't I control it…"
Feeling his divine authority challenged, Scaramouche poured more of his will into overcoming the barrier and commanding the Electro within that house.
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Luo Qing's Home, Second Floor
In a cozy room, Ei lay languidly on her side atop a bed. Her loose kimono revealed a tantalizing expanse of pale skin at her chest.
Her long legs were entirely exposed, with only the hem of her kimono barely concealing the absolute territory between them.
The sight was nothing short of mesmerizing.
Propping her head with one hand, she held a light novel in the other. On the small table beside the bed, a variety of Sumeru pastries were laid out.
"I don't remember you being such a homebody before," Makoto said as she entered, resembling a doting elder sister. She began picking up the scattered trash and tidying the room.
Glancing at Ei's bare legs, Makoto gave her a playful smack. "I know you can't wear much under a kimono, but can't you at least cover up a little? What if Luo Qing comes back and sees you like this?"
"So what if he does…" Ei murmured under her breath, thinking, We've already shared a bed. What's there to hide anymore? Besides, didn't he already 'devour' you, dear sister?
Makoto sighed, exasperated at her younger sister's slothful demeanor.
"Alright, I've finished cleaning. Don't mess it up again too quickly," Makoto warned before leaving the room.
Watching her sister's retreating figure, so domestic and maternal, Ei smirked and hummed lightly, returning her attention to her book.
Just as she prepared to immerse herself once more in her novel, a strange probing presence brushed against the mental barrier she had set up.
After Luo Qing had explained the Akademiya's capabilities with their Void Terminal, she had erected a protective screen around the house to prevent any external intrusion or manipulation.
No one should have been able to penetrate it, let alone control anything inside.
Yet now, this intrusive presence felt oddly familiar, though Ei couldn't quite place it.
Still, the very idea of someone spying on her in her current state—wearing only a loose kimono—was unacceptable.
Focusing her will, she strengthened the barrier, decisively blocking the intruder.
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Back at the Workshop
"This… This is impossible!"
No matter how hard Scaramouche tried, he couldn't breach the defenses of that small house.
How could this be?
He was a god now! How could there exist a power that could resist him?
Could it be the Dendro Archon?
But wasn't she imprisoned by the Akademiya?
Who could it possibly be…?
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Ah, Reader. You've stayed for the bonus chapter—how delightful.
Even amidst the quiet of eternity, there's joy to be found in shared moments like this.
If you wish to offer your strength, step forward: [patreon.com/WiseTL].
Each effort helps to shape a world where such moments can thrive.
— Ei