Chapter 111: The Courage to Give Together

As the golden light burst forth, the rift monsters that had surrounded them recoiled as if they had seen something terrifying, howling in retreat by more than ten meters.

At the same time, Ashmita’s body began to grow rapidly, and in an instant, she transformed into a slender, graceful young maiden. Due to this sudden growth, her original clothing became quite small; though it didn’t tear, it tightened against her form like a second skin, perfectly outlining her figure.

It must be said, the grown Ashmita was almost unrecognizable compared to her childhood self. Having barely developed by thirteen, Link had assumed Ashmita would remain forever flat-chested, but now, though not large, she was certainly not small—estimating her bust to be around a B cup, and considering the tightness of her garment, likely a C cup in reality. Her figure was exquisite, and standing over 1.7 meters tall, she possessed the stature of a flawless model.

The moment her growth completed, the Virgo Gold Cloth disassembled and reformed into armor that clad Ashmita’s body. Unlike the original Gold Cloth, the Virgo Gold Cloth featured a raised breastplate tailored for a female wearer, adeptly adapting to the wearer’s physique. Furthermore, the coverage of the Gold Cloth far surpassed that of the Bronze Cloth, enveloping nearly ninety percent of the body. Thanks to its flexible nature, such extensive coverage did not hinder movement—in fact, it was even more agile than ordinary clothing.

Once fully donned, a new Gold Saint appeared before Link’s eyes, resembling a female version of Saga. She hovered cross-legged in midair, adopting the meditative posture of a Buddhist monk—a standard pose for a Virgo Gold Saint. Her entire being radiated a majestic golden aura, evoking a sense of grandeur, nobility, elegance, and mystery.

Facing this sight, Link could barely believe the Ashmita before him was the same person. Even growing up could not explain such a sudden transformation. Could it be that she had instantly inherited Virgo’s legacy?

Just as Link’s confusion deepened, the system’s voice sounded again:

“Ding. Virgo Gold Cloth’s hidden effect activated. The Virgo Cloth will control the wearer’s body to automatically eliminate all enemies within a ten-kilometer radius.”

“Control the wearer? So it’s not Ashmita acting, but the Virgo Cloth itself?” Link was astonished as he glanced at Ashmita, silently acknowledging that advanced equipment was indeed advanced—complete with an automatic enemy extermination function.

As Link’s thoughts swirled, Ashmita’s body erupted with tremendous power, reaching the peak of the ninth tier. The overwhelming aura terrified the rift monsters and nearly frightened Adam and Thunder Dragon, who had almost reached this spot, into losing control.

Though Adam did not understand what was happening, he dared not stay. The peak of the ninth tier was far beyond his capabilities, so he immediately ordered Thunder Dragon to retreat.

But the already unleashed Ashmita would not allow Adam to escape. Raising her right hand, she uttered in an emotionless voice the words “Demon Subjugation.” Then, an indescribably terrifying power burst forth from her like a roaring golden flood, striking the rift monsters, the space-time rift, Thunder Dragon, and even the excavation site kilometers away.

Demon Subjugation—the inherited battle technique of the Virgo Gold Saint, a true Golden Saint skill!

In the original story, under the protection of “protagonist’s aura” and “plot necessity,” protagonists could unleash Bronze Saint techniques with power rivaling or surpassing Gold techniques, even fighting in Gold Cloth while using Bronze techniques to pull off exaggerated feats.

However, the system-created Cloth and Saints did not possess such anomalies. The power of a Gold Saint skill was incomparably superior to that of Bronze or Silver techniques. The sheer force of Ashmita’s attack blew Link back more than ten meters, and the enemy who bore the full brunt was utterly annihilated.

At that moment, the scenario from half a month ago in Qinke Town unfolded again. Whether rift monsters, the powerful Thunder Dragon, or the Baal cultists at the excavation site kilometers away, all were struck by Demon Subjugation. The weak were instantly reduced to ashes; the strong were shattered in an instant. The entire excavation site was razed to the ground, the rift monsters completely eradicated, the space-time rift sealed shut, and even Adam and Thunder Dragon, flying above, met tragic ends—both shattered into countless fragments falling to the earth.

In less than ten seconds, every enemy within ten kilometers was wiped out. The golden aura around Ashmita faded, the Gold Cloth immediately detached and reverted to its model form, and Ashmita herself collapsed weakly.

Fortunately, Link was prepared and quickly supported her. At that moment, a wave of information transmitted through Ashmita—it was data on the prior state. Apparently, it was the result of divine power enhancement. Under this divine strength, Ashmita temporarily attained the peak of the Seventh Sense and perfectly unleashed the power of the Gold Cloth. This explained the origin of the peak ninth-tier power just displayed.

However, like advanced architectures, this was a hidden reserve ability, usable only once per year. The first activation required ten points of divine power to transform the wearer’s body, but subsequent uses demanded only five points.

At that moment, the system’s voice sounded again:

“Ding. Congratulations, Host, you have earned the achievement: Trial of Fate. You have overcome all crises and opportunities brought by the power of fate. The influence of fate has officially disappeared. Reward: one lucky item. Matching… Matching complete. Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the advanced item ‘Lady Luck’s Roulette.’”

In an instant, a flash of white light revealed a delicate, compact roulette before Link. Reaching out, he caught it, and its information flowed into his mind.

Lady Luck’s Roulette: Upon infusion with holy power, it can be activated once a month. When used, it randomly selects one female near the host and imbues her with the power of luck. Having this lucky woman nearby brings fortune to the host. The effect lasts ten days, during which there is a certain chance to turn any danger or disaster into safety, and a low chance to grant the host unknown benefits and opportunities.

“A chance to evade danger, plus the possibility of unknown benefits and opportunities? That’s quite a valuable item. Usable monthly with a long duration—if used well, it could even reverse situations at critical moments,” Link thought, quite satisfied with the effect of this advanced item.

Yet more pleasing than the reward was the system’s declaration that the influence of the power of fate had ended. In other words, he was finally free from the entanglement of fate’s power—no longer forced to live in fear and anxiety. This was even more gratifying than obtaining a divine artifact.

After all, the past two months had been torturous. Fate’s power had subjected Link to countless ridiculous and illogical trials, nearly costing him his life this time. A few more such ordeals, and he might have locked himself indoors, too afraid to venture out.

“Ugh…” Amid his swirling thoughts, a low groan sounded. Looking closer, Ashmita had awakened.

Seeing this, Link immediately retracted Lady Luck’s Roulette. Being an advanced item, it naturally possessed convenient storage features—shrinkable to the size of a fingernail by thought alone, and like the Cloth, perceptible regardless of distance, summoned back within twenty kilometers ignoring all obstacles.

After storing the roulette, Link asked Ashmita, “How are you? Do you feel any discomfort?”

“That voice and aura… is that the Archbishop?” Ashmita blinked in surprise, then stood and shook her head. “I’m fine, Archbishop. What happened just now?”

“Don’t you remember what happened?”

Ashmita pressed her forehead in confusion. “Just now, I suddenly felt filled with power, then lost all memory of the moment. But… my mind now holds something new… the Virgo Gold Saint legacy? Archbishop, what… what is this?”

Link, realizing Ashmita had received the Cloth’s recognition and inheritance, smiled gently. “Child, don’t be nervous. The Virgo Cloth has acknowledged you and bestowed upon you the knowledge and power of the Virgo Gold Saint. In other words, you are now a Gold Saint.”

Hearing this, Ashmita’s expression changed to one of astonishment, then uncertainty. “Archbishop, am I really capable? I can’t even see properly—can I truly become a Gold Saint? I’ve heard from Uncle Rosa that Saints serve the Father God, each a great warrior of talent, virtue, and effort. Can someone like me really do this?”

Link reached out, intending to comfort her by patting her head, but since they were now about the same height, he instead gently patted her shoulder. “Child, receiving Virgo’s inheritance means your character has been recognized by the Father God and the Cloth. As long as you wish, there is nothing you cannot do.” He paused, then continued, “Moreover, you have received the Father God’s grace—an eternal, unaging body—that is the reward for Saints. You are truly a Saint now. So, will you accept the mission and duty of a Saint? Will you fight to the last breath for the love and justice of the earth, for the glory of the Father God, and for the future of our church?”

Ashmita fell silent, contemplating deeply. After a long moment, she shook her head in front of Link’s astonished gaze.

“Sorry, Archbishop, I can’t do that. Although the Father God granted us grace at a critical moment, and I am willing to believe in Him, please forgive me—I cannot fight for the Father God’s glory, nor pledge my loyalty to Him. Because it was you who saved my life, and I became a Saint thanks to your help. Therefore, I will fight only for you, and my loyalty belongs solely to you.”

With that, she knelt on one knee before Link. “Archbishop, the exalted Father God knows all. I cannot lie to Him, nor to you. Thus, I hereby declare my resolve to you and the Father God. Even if this defies the Father God’s will, leading Him to withdraw His grace and the Cloth, I will bear no regrets.”