Chapter 180: Hidden God

Chapter 180: Chapter 180: Hidden God

Since Lance was moving in, there was no way to keep the big trouble hiding in the attic a secret.

"Just find a place to sit for now."

Rein sighed. Leaning on his cane, he stood up and turned his head toward the second-floor attic to shout.

"Ella, come down for a moment."

The sound of heavy, reluctant footsteps followed.

A tall figure emerged slowly from the shadowy bend of the staircase.

Lance instinctively looked up.

His gaze was immediately captured by the newcomer’s appearance.

She was a strikingly beautiful Sub-human girl.

She wore a pair of breezy bloomers, and her long, powerful legs were stunningly conspicuous under the bright lights of the living room.

Her long, silver-gray hair, slightly tousled, cascaded over her shoulders, giving her an unrefined, feral beauty.

Of course, what was most striking were the pair of furry, gray wolf ears atop her head and the large tail twitching restlessly behind her, a clear sign of her irritation.

"This is the daughter of an old friend."

Rein introduced her to Lance without batting an eye, casually spinning a lie.

"The kid got into a bit of trouble, so she’s laying low here for a while."

"Hello, I’m Lance. I’ll probably be staying here for a while. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

Lance, for his part, was quite enthusiastic.

He took a step forward and extended his right hand, offering the Wolf Girl a friendly smile.

However, Ella stopped on the last step of the staircase, looking down imperiously at the black-haired young man.

The displeasure in her bright, amber eyes was plain to see.

Although she had eventually replayed their conversation and figured out that the "little bitch" comment was just an embarrassing misunderstanding born from a lapse in her own judgment...

...the mere memory of herself hanging from the rafters, her own eavesdropping leading her to imagine all sorts of perverted scenarios, was utterly mortifying!

She felt so ashamed she could die.

And the culprit behind it all was this guy right in front of her!

’If this detestable Dragon Descendant hadn’t come over to chat with Rein, I never would have embarrassed myself so badly!’

Now, looking at Lance’s innocent-looking face, she was grinding her teeth in fury.

"Hmph."

Ella let out a sharp snort and whipped her head to the side.

Her fluffy gray tail lashed through the air with a soft SWAT, an undisguised expression of its owner’s current displeasure.

Lance’s outstretched hand froze in mid-air.

He blinked in confusion and silently withdrew his hand.

’I have no idea how I offended this Wolf Girl I’ve just met.’

’Is it because I have some kind of scent that canine Sub-humans find offensive?’

Just as the awkward atmosphere began to spread, two small dogs trotted in cheerfully.

Spotting Lance in the middle of the living room, they immediately scurried over, wagging their tails and affectionately rubbing against his pant legs.

Xiaohai, the more energetic of the two, even stood up on his hind legs, pawing at Lance’s thigh and letting out sharp "WOOF WOOF" sounds in a display of joyous affection.

Seeing this only made Ella even more furious.

’Traitors!’

’Just yesterday I shared my meat stew with them!’

’And now this Dragon Descendant shows up, and the two little things are all over him!’

"Xiaohai!"

Ella shot the two little dogs a vicious glare, her lips curling back to reveal a pair of sharp little fangs.

Startled by the oppressive aura of her royal bloodline, Xiaohai let out a pitiful whimper, tucked his tail between his legs, and scurried behind Lance’s leather boots, peeking out cautiously.

Watching the chaotic scene unfold in the living room, Rein slapped a large hand to his forehead in exasperation.

"Alright, Lance, just ignore her."

The old soldier turned and headed for the kitchen, from which a rich, enticing aroma was wafting.

"The kid’s just got a bad attitude. Just pretend she’s not there."

A moment later, he placed a large, steaming pot of potato and meat stew on the dining table and rapped the tabletop with his knuckles.

"Go wash your hands. Time to eat. I made stew."

At the mention of "stew," Ella’s previously perked-up wolf ears twitched.

She shot Lance another venomous glare, washed her hands, and then stomped over to pull out a chair and sit down in a huff.

She snatched up a wooden spoon, ready to take out all her frustrations with Lance on the food before her.

As the rich stew was ladled into wooden bowls, the fragrant scent of fat filled the entire living room.

The atmosphere at the table, however, was undeniably bizarre.

"CRUNCH, CRUNCH..."

An unnerving chewing sound echoed through the room.

Ella was clutching a large, bone-in cut of meat with both hands, tearing into it like she hadn’t eaten in weeks.

Her logic was simple and brutal: ’The more I eat, the less that detestable Dragon Descendant gets. That’s my revenge, served at the dinner table.’

Meanwhile, Lance, sitting across from her, had stopped eating, his spoon hovering as he stared, dumbfounded, at the ferocious way the girl was wolfing down her food.

He wondered to himself.

’I wonder how much she suffered while she was out on her own. Did her hometown go through a famine or something?’

’Are things really that bad for canine Sub-human Species these days?’

Throughout the meal, she would occasionally look up to shoot Lance a venomous glare.

Lance felt quite uncomfortable under her hostile gaze.

He glanced down at Xiaohai and Bean Bun, who were at his feet, wagging their tails and begging for scraps.

So, he used his fork to pick out two boneless morsels of meat from his bowl and bent down to feed the two eager pups.

’The little ones are so much cuter...’

Watching this from the head of the table, Rein felt a sense of amused helplessness.

He didn’t bother to call out the little wolf cub’s childish attempt at revenge.

The old soldier took a sip of strong liquor from his wooden cup, cleared his throat, and steered the conversation toward the real business of the evening.

"Lance, you’ll be attempting your breakthrough soon."

Rein set down his cup, his tone growing serious.

"Have you decided which god to choose for your induction ceremony?"

Hearing this, Lance stopped feeding the dogs.

In this world, if one wanted to successfully form a Source Melting Furnace within their body and step into the Extraordinary Professional Level...

...they had to undergo an induction ceremony.

And ninety-nine percent of Professionals on the continent chose to hold their induction ceremonies in the name of the Seven Great Gods.

When Lance had first started reading up on it, he’d assumed it was purely a matter of religious faith.

Only after further research did he understand that it came with tangible benefits that directly affected one’s Profession.

According to scholarly speculation...

...the moment a god ignites their Divine Fire, they must abide by a hidden rule.

They must bestow a gift upon the world.

Therefore, if a mortal chose to be inducted through the ceremony of a True God...

...under the influence of that god’s rules, the Source Material they condensed would be more active and purer than that refined through ancient rituals.

This was also why the primitive, natural induction ceremonies of old had been completely abandoned across the continent.

"I’ve already made my choice, Uncle Rein."

Lance nodded, giving a firm answer.

"I’m planning to hold my ceremony for Aretia."

Aretia. This goddess held dominion over courage, adventure, Talent, and the unknown.

For Lance, who loved adventure and yearned to explore the Underground City, this goddess was indeed a better fit for his path than the other True Gods.

Rein listened and nodded in agreement.

"That’s a very safe and popular choice. Many Professionals go that route."

But then, the old soldier’s tone shifted.

"It’s safe, that’s for sure."

"But Lance... have you ever thought about trying to hold a ceremony for one of the hidden gods?" ℯℯ𝘭.

At these words, it wasn’t just the pensive Lance who froze.

Even Ella, who was across the table ferociously gnawing on a bone, suddenly slowed her assault.