Chapter 1607: Chapter 1607
Jenkins smiled at the little girl standing in the moonlight, her flower basket slung over her arm. He now understood why Mysterious Objects and Extraordinary beings walked the material world. The bouquet she had just offered was clearly crafted from her own power, a sacrifice that would surely set her back on her long path to godhood. Jenkins was not the kind of man to take advantage of a child.
The cat perched atop the wardrobe let out a disgruntled cry. It had always operated under the principle that what belonged to Jenkins also belonged to it, and now, Jenkins was clearly squandering their shared fortune.
Of course, Chocolate also believed the reverse was true—that what belonged to it also belonged to Jenkins.
"No, I can't accept this."
The girl tried to step back again, but found her back pressed against the wall.
"I can't just take things from you, sir."
She repeated, tucking both hands behind her back to avoid taking the beautiful, gem-like coin. With the basket still looped over her right arm, the movement was awkward and difficult.
"Very well," Jenkins said, his tone light. "If you won't take it, then I won't insist."
He reached out and touched the girl's hair. She was a Mysterious Object, and direct contact would inevitably harm a mortal body. But Jenkins was no longer the Level 0 Enchanter he used to be. His [Hero] ability granted him some immunity to the damage from such beings, and while the touch was still painful, it was something he could endure.
He knelt on one knee, bringing himself down to her level. He looked into the flower seller's eyes, but she couldn't meet his gaze, her dark pupils darting away to the side.
"In the name of the [Protector of Flower Girls], I bless you."
Jenkins repeated the words. Though he wasn't currently in a state of burning divinity, this was the first divine domain he had ever personally manifested. Even in its passive state, it possessed an extraordinary power.
Just as he'd hoped, as he spoke the words, the hand on the girl's hair began to shine with a faint golden light. The divine power resonated with the [Flower Seller] trait of the Mysterious Object before him. At first, the light was barely there—just a few faint, dancing motes. But they didn't vanish after a few seconds. Instead, they multiplied, spilling from Jenkins's hand to cover the crown of her head before cascading down her cheeks, arms, and back, enveloping her entire body.
The golden sparks eventually coalesced into shimmering ribbons that danced around the girl. At the same moment, his [Life Source] surprisingly responded as well. Though the points of green light formed only a single ribbon, it joined the golden ones, twirling around her.
Seeing this, Jenkins stepped back toward the bed, watching as the swirling ribbons of light grew so dense they completely obscured the girl from his sight.
The ribbons vanished as quickly as they had appeared, revealing a girl completely transformed. Her tattered clothes were gone, replaced by a crisp new dress of red and white. The simple, thick braid that once hung down her back was now an intricate weave, strands of golden hair overlapping elegantly before cascading down. Even the worn-out shoes that had exposed her toes had become a pair of pristine black leather shoes.
The dust on her face had vanished, her eyebrows were perfectly shaped as if drawn by a pencil, and those jet-black eyes... they filled Jenkins with a profound sense of nostalgia.
His normal sight took in her new appearance, but his Eye of Reality saw something far more significant. The aura of A-01-2-0198, the [Young Flower Seller], now glowed green. She was no longer a Mysterious Object.
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The girl nervously clasped her hands together, her head bowed as she stared down at her new leather shoes.
"This is... I really don't know how to thank you. Really, thank you so much..."
She stammered, at a loss for words. What Jenkins had just done was monumental—he had erased the fundamental corruption she had suffered from absorbing too much sin since her arrival in the material world from the [Prosperous Forest]. It was a feat that only a god with a corresponding divine domain or the master of the world itself could perform. Clearly, Jenkins's return gift was far too valuable.
"It's alright, you don't have to thank me. I should be the one thanking you."
He said with a warm smile. "After all, it was because you dealt with that ice messenger, Bruno, that I was able to sacrifice my divinity and become the Saint of the Sage."
Even Jenkins didn't fully understand the principles at play, but his blessing had clearly taken effect. The results went far beyond a new set of clothes and a fresh appearance. Her very nature had changed, transforming her from a Series A Mysterious Object into a Series B Extraordinary being. Her abilities, he was sure, must have changed dramatically as well.
"This might give me some insight into coalescing divinity," Jenkins mused. "If the [Lie Godhood] domain can do it, then the [Protector of Flower Girls] certainly can as well. But how?"
Lost in thought, he noticed the girl anxiously looking down, examining her new clothes. With a wave of his hand, Jenkins sketched a full-length mirror into existence in the air. The bright moonlight from the window cast a clear reflection of her. However, because she was now a Series B Extraordinary being, her reflection was unstable. It would occasionally flicker, momentarily transforming into a terrifying, skinless, flesh-colored monster with a gaping maw. But the image was fleeting—startling, but harmless.
The girl whispered her thanks, still looking uneasy.
"It's nothing," he replied. "But in the future, maybe give me a little warning before you appear."
He said with a chuckle. The flower girl nodded rapidly, her gaze fixed on her reflection, as if she were seeing herself as she had been when she first arrived in the material world.
"Sir, I will repay you for this. I promise, I will," she said, her voice earnest. "Just you wait. The next time I appear, I'll be sure to repay your kindness."
The words tumbled out in a rush. She gave Jenkins one last, brave look, then turned and vanished into thin air. Jenkins sighed in relief. He tucked the small glass bottle containing the single white flower into his suitcase, then arranged the bouquet of twelve blooms in the room's vase.
At some point, the cat had leaped down from the wardrobe and was now perched on the nightstand, craning its neck to get a deep sniff of the white flowers. Seeing this, Jenkins plucked one of the blooms from the vase, dangled it playfully in front of Chocolate for a moment, and then set it down on the desk.
"Don't eat on the bed."
It was his tacit way of telling Chocolate the flower was hers.
The cat hopped onto the desk and studied Jenkins's expression. It cautiously batted at the green stem with a paw. When Jenkins didn't object, it slowly lowered its head and nibbled a tiny piece from a white petal, leaving the faint imprint of its teeth. It shot another quick glance at Jenkins, and only then, fully convinced, did it realize he truly didn't mind.
And so, the cat began to eat happily.
"Chocolate is the easiest one to understand, after all," Jenkins muttered.
With that settled, he was finally, truly ready for bed.