Chapter 885 — An Invitation?

The "god-making model" behind the Upper Narrator incident was correct, and it was still in effect in the real world.

"We have one last question," Metzen said, breaking the silence as well. "This question has nothing to do with the Shield of the Kingdom's Guardian, and it may touch on your privacy. If you do not wish to answer, you may refuse."

"Ask away," Gao Yang nodded. "I will answer as I see fit."

"We have heard that during the centuries of your death, your soul drifted outside the human world, and that you once traveled between the real and the illusory..." Metzen said, her expression grave. "Did you go to some divine realm at that time?"

"There is indeed such a saying, and its source is none other than myself—but that saying is not accurate," Gao Yang said frankly. "In fact my soul did drift for many years, and I did indeed look down upon this world from a very high place. Only... that place was not a divine realm, and in all those years I never saw a single god."

"Then we are relieved," Metzen smiled, and glanced at the shield in Gao Yang's hands. "We have no further questions. Congratulations—the Shield of the Kingdom's Guardian has now returned to its rightful owner."

"Allow me once again to express my gratitude to the Mithril Vault," Gao Yang smiled as well, and said with utter sincerity.

But soon he noticed that the two senior agents before him wore expressions of words withheld, as though they had more to say yet found it hard to speak. So he asked casually: "Do you have more questions?"

"Not questions..." Metzen said, frowning and hesitating. "It is that we have another task, only..."

She seemed deeply conflicted, as though this task was one she did not wish to carry out yet had been forced to come here and perform—a situation he had never seen before. This agent had always been full of drive when doing the Mithril Vault's work.

"Go on, there's no need to agonize over it," Gao Yang could not help saying. "I won't be offended."

"Would you be interested in visiting Tarronde as a guest?" Metzen finally made up her mind and said, looking into Gao Yang's eyes. "Frankly speaking, it is the supreme ruler of Tarronde who wishes to see you."

This sentence caught Gao Yang entirely off guard; he was stunned for a moment, but soon sensed from the agent's eyes that this "invitation" was likely not so simple—especially since her tone had plainly emphasized the words "the supreme ruler of Tarronde." He instinctively asked one more question: "The supreme ruler of Tarronde refers to...?"

"Our god," Noretta said in a low, steady voice from the side. "The god of the dragon race—the Dragon God."

Gao Yang's expression froze on the spot: "..."

It was no exaggeration to say that at that moment he was so shocked he nearly dropped the shield...

Only after several seconds did he confirm that the expressions of the two senior agents betrayed nothing unusual, that there was not the slightest hint of jest in their tone, and that his own ears and eyes had not deceived him. Realizing the astonishing weight of information packed into that single sentence, he struggled to keep his face steady and asked in astonishment: "Tarronde has a god? A god located in the mortal world?!"

Noretta nodded: "Yes. The god of our dragon race resides in the mortal world, and has lived in Tarronde for millions of years."

Awe still thick in his voice, Gao Yang asked: "This god wants to see me?"

"Yes, our god wishes to see you—He has almost never paid attention to anything outside Tarronde, not even to the shifting of religious faiths or the rise and fall of civilizations on the other continents. That He would take such an active interest in a mortal is the first time in many millennia."

Gao Yang noticed that in answering, Noretta seemed deliberately to say a great deal more than he had asked, as though she wished of her own accord to disclose additional information.

Guessing at the senior agent's true intent, and drawing on what he had previously learned of the dragon race to infer the situation of that "God of the Mortal World" in Tarronde and His relationship with ordinary dragons, Gao Yang pondered quietly for a long while before asking, slowly and unhurriedly: "Beyond that? What else did your god say?"

"He asked us to tell you that this is merely a friendly, ordinary invitation—a chance for you to tour the scenery of Tarronde and, while you are at it, tell Him about the mortal world, for He has certain questions He wishes to discuss with you, and such discussion may prove beneficial to both sides," Metzen recounted in a strange expression the words the Dragon God Enya had bade her relay, as though she herself could scarcely believe such words had been spoken by a god to a mortal. "Finally, He asked us to tell you this as well—the invitation is not urgent. If you are busy for the time being, then postpone the meeting; and if you have doubts, you may refuse outright."

Gao Yang's eyebrows rose involuntarily: "Those are your god's exact words?"

The two senior agents answered in unison: "Yes."

Gao Yang mulled it over, and only after several full seconds did he let out a long breath—

"I won't go."