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[HSRGSS] Chapter 11: Ten Years Later
🕑 Added 2025-07-12 02:51:46 +0000 UTC"Well then, I also have a gift for you."
Lucian, still smiling, raised his hand.
"Abundance's blessing—may you live a long, prosperous life."
He reached out and touched Mortis's brow with his fingertip.
A ripple of green light from Abundance quickly spread around the two of them.
There was no thunderous sound, only an indescribable surge of vitality flowing into every part of the body like a warm current.
Mortis felt as if her very bones and blood were whispering—it was like a dried riverbed suddenly filled with clear water, as every inch of her skin greedily absorbed this pure vitality.
Invisible particles of life seeped into her veins, not by brute force, but as if the very essence of vitality itself were quietly merging within. Life quietly took root and expanded deep within her flesh, like a slumbering seed breaking through the earth, sprouting and blooming in an instant.
An unspeakable sense of fullness and boundless vitality soon swept through her soul, surpassing pain and turning into trembling joy.
Before long, the light gradually faded, leaving only a fleeting shadow of branches and leaves on her palm.
Mortis stood still, feeling the lingering warmth of life at the center of her brow, as if she had just been embraced by the world's most vigorous heartbeat, with a fragment of life's essence imprinted deep in her soul.
"Is this... the blessing of Abundance?"
Mortis had heard Lucian speak of Abundance before and had some understanding of the blessings bestowed by Abundance, like granting eternal youth, immortality, extraordinary healing, and so on.
In her eyes, it was a godlike power, yet it had come so easily that it felt a bit unreal to her, as if all of this was just a dream before dying.
"Wow, Mama looks even prettier now!"
Tribios suddenly let out a cry of surprise.
As she said, after receiving the blessing of Abundance, Mortis looked even more lively and beautiful than before.
"Tribios, I'll give you a blessing when you grow up, okay?"
Lucian crouched down, gently patted Tribios's head, and explained softly.
"Once you receive the blessing, you'll always look the same as you do now, so you won't get taller or grow up. I'll give you this gift when you're an adult."
Hearing that she wouldn't grow taller or older, Tribios shook her head furiously, looking just like a little red rattle-drum.
"No! I want to get taller, I want to grow up fast!"
Seeing this, Mortis and Lucian shared a knowing smile.
And so, from that day on, Lucian officially became a part of Tribios's childhood and also entered Mortis's life.
Time passed, day by day.
During this time, Mortis recalled the banished members of the holy maiden faction and began a power struggle.
Because the original high-ranking figures had already been eradicated by Lucian and replaced by a new group of officials and priests whose positions were still unstable, all power was soon taken back, with Lucian enforcing strict measures behind Mortis.
As a result, the theocratic government of Janusopolis gradually stabilized, with the holy maiden becoming the supreme authority.
Meanwhile, since the status of divine envoy did not belong to the political system, it stood apart, ranked even higher than the holy maiden, second only to the Titans.
Lucian did not care about this, since he never intended to get involved in politics in the first place.
He simply stayed by Tribios's side every day, watching her grow up.
Of course, free from threats, Mortis and Tribios moved from the underground of the temple to the grand building next door, using it as their residence.
===
Ten years of peaceful life passed before they even realized it.
Morning sunlight shone brightly, crossing the white marble colonnade, making Lucian and Mortis on the bed stand out dazzlingly.
Lucian's fingertips lingered in Mortis's thick red hair, his movements gentle and soft.
Her hair tips wrapped around his fingers, carrying the lingering warmth of last night, mingling fig and ocean scents.
"Are you going to hear the Titans' prophecy today?"
Lucian's voice dropped low, his lips nearly brushing Mortis's delicate earlobe.
"Mm, I have a feeling something big is about to happen, so I want to ask Janus."
Mortis leaned lazily against Lucian, lashes down, a faint ripple of a smile at her lips that only he could understand.
A peaceful sweetness filled the air, as if time itself had frozen in this small space.
Even after ten years, under Abundance's blessing, Mortis still looked as young and graceful as before.
Lucian had checked for himself—she was indeed still an untouched mother, a virgin.
Even though this tender moment was wonderful, Lucian had never forgotten his true purpose.
Ten years ago, he guessed that raising Tribios to adulthood was the condition to finish the script, yet even now, there was still not a single sign of it being completed.
Knock-Knock—
Just then, the door of the bedroom was knocked, and before either of them could answer, a head poked in.
"Big Brother!"
A bright, birdsong-like voice that was already far too familiar resounded.
A red-haired figure swept in, wearing a long, pure white chiton embroidered with golden thread.
It was none other than the now-grown eighteen-year-old Tribios.
After ten years of careful care, she had become a tall and graceful young lady, her beauty enough to topple a kingdom, just as beautiful as her mother.
"What is it, Tri?" Lucian asked Tribios softly.
"I want to order a new dress, so I want you to come with me."
Tribios clung to Lucian's arm, her tone a little coquettish.
Lucian smiled helplessly as Tribios half-dragged, half-pulled him away from Mortis.
Mortis watched them leave, the smile on her lips deepening as she unconsciously rolled a tender golden sprout from the world tree between her fingers.
"Fufu, that child's all grown up now..."
===
At noon, the marketplace in the city was as bustling and noisy as ever, the air thick with the scent of dust, spices, baked bread, and olive oil.
At the same time, the sunlight was harsh, and the crowd surged like a tide of color.
In this bustling place, Tribios pulled Lucian along, squeezing up to a stall piled high with painted clay jars.
She picked up a slender-necked amphora depicting a divine envoy holding a holy maiden, studying the lines with full attention. With her other hand, she naturally and intimately linked arms with Lucian, resting her head slightly against his broad shoulder.
Both of them were outstanding in looks and figure, and their natural closeness formed a scene that drew everyone's attention.
"Sir, buy a flower for your wife?"
At that moment, a skinny boy held up a wildflower and offered it to Lucian.
He clearly didn't know who the divine envoy was, or who the holy maiden was, or even Tribios herself, and just thought Tribios was Lucian's wife when he saw them so close.
"She's not—"
"Thank you for the flower."
Lucian was about to explain their relationship, but before he could, Tribios had already taken the wildflower from the boy and handed him a silver coin, thanking him.
He turned to Tribios in astonishment, meeting her mischievous, smiling eyes.
"See? I'm old enough to be called your wife by kids now..."
Tribios stood on tiptoe, her warm breath brushing his ear like a feather as she whispered, her voice light with the thrill of mischief.
She paused on purpose, her teasing smile almost overflowing as she continued.
"If we went somewhere nobody knew us, I bet we'd get a ton of blessings."
Hearing this, Lucian couldn't help but chuckle and shook his head helplessly.
Honestly, he felt as if he had groomed himself a bride.
He was just about to tap Tribios lightly on the forehead to scold her when a murmur suddenly echoed from above.
"*******"
It was none other than the voice of a Titan.
However, it was extremely rare for a Titan to reveal themself directly in public, as the last time everyone had heard their voice like this had been ten years ago.
Tribios closed her eyes, clasped her palms together, and began to mutter.
"It's Kephale... the Worldbearing Titan... the Prophecy of Genesis..."
