Volume 1 Chapter 686

Chapter 686: Invitation

"All done, wrapping up!"

Lolth, now submerged in the "void," exhaled deeply amidst the turbulent spatial currents.

Though caught in the chaotic spatial flows, she remained largely unharmed—despite this realm of nothingness, where violent spatial storms could erupt without warning and the ever-shifting rules could wound even deities.

Yet Lolth seemed unconcerned…

After all, while this was indeed the formless expanse beyond all planes, she had long ago seeded it with numerous "Resonance Crystals."

The erratic laws could be momentarily anchored by these crystalline stabilizers.

Moreover, during her earlier clash with the Lady of Light, she hadn’t expended every shred of divine power.

Once the spectacle reached sufficient grandeur, she’d deliberately tapered her output before ceasing entirely.

As for the remaining divinity…

Naturally, she’d discreetly pocketed a portion.

Thus, though temporarily secure in this space, it didn’t mean Lolth fared well.

"Still… this headache’s relentless."

Rubbing her temples, she couldn’t discern whether it stemmed from channeling foreign godly energies and overcalculating complex spells, or resembled the throbbing aftermath of a celestial hangover.

"Nothing beats soaking in a hot spring before proper sleep…"

Her sigh echoed through the emptiness.

While spatial turbulence here made spellcasting precarious…

Lolth’s mastery of dimensional magic rendered such concerns trivial.

Returning to Hillenbrand Town required merely a thought.

Yet…

She knew the time hadn’t come.

Her lingering presence had purpose—she awaited a guest.

To be exact…

A god.

The main plane imposed strict constraints on divine entities, impartial even to its own pantheon.

The Plane Will maintained this equilibrium with absolute fairness.

But beyond planar boundaries? Such restrictions meant nothing.

Lolth waited in stillness…

After ten minutes, a gentle glow emerged in the distance—a lantern-bearing traveler piercing eternal night.

The luminous flicker swayed closer until Lolth beheld it clearly: a palm-sized orb of light, sporting bottle-cap-sized Holy Light wings that fluttered earnestly as it approached.

She stared in mute contemplation.

Lolth silently observed this plump, disproportionately-shaped little creature.

"Rather adorable…"

She could only murmur in such a manner.

The luminous sphere eventually floated before her, pausing mid-air.

The frenetic fluttering of its translucent wings made Lolth vicariously exhausted merely from watching.

Yet she remained silent, uncertain whether this entity comprehended speech.

Then the suspended glow began undergoing marvelous transformations.

At its luminous core, a miniature archway resembling ornate chapel architecture gradually materialized – an exquisitely decorated gateway adorned with intricate carvings.

From this portal emerged a bouncing figurine sculpted from Holy Light, triumphantly brandishing an antiquated golden key of splendid craftsmanship.

Lolth instinctively accepted the proffered key, her bewilderment intensifying.

"This isn’t culinary equipment…"

Her whispered observation hung in the air…

When suddenly she found herself transported before…

A wooden portal.

Its paneled surface bore gilded metal trimmings and elaborate carvings, crowned with an intricately wrought handle.

Such a door would blend seamlessly within noble estates or luxury establishments, yet here it stood…

Amidst the formless Void.

No walls framed this solitary entrance – it simply manifested when her gaze shifted from key to empty space.

Startled, Lolth steadied herself and scanned the surroundings…

The Void stretched endlessly, preternaturally still.

Both the luminous orb and her Resonance Crystal had vanished.

Paradoxically, this escalation of anomalies sparked revelation rather than confusion.

"A spatial beacon…" she realized.

Within this chaotic Void where dimensional currents shifted unpredictably and magical environments fluctuated…

Where even the Abyss’s constant disorder seemed stable by comparison…

Conventional movement held no meaning.

Though her spatial expertise permitted navigation…

The God of Light’s golden key offered alternative passage.

Reaching for it initiated translation…

Contact completed the transition.

"Remarkable craftsmanship," Lolth remarked, rotating her wrist before inserting the key.

The mechanism clicked obediently.

As the ornate door swung open, radiant serenity spilled forth.

Golden clouds drifted above alabaster sky-islands…

Floating pathways spiraled upward like celestial staircases.

The vanished light-sphere reappeared, darting through the archway before pausing mid-flight…

Angling itself as if beckoning.

Lolth stepped onto the first luminous platform, the door dematerializing behind her.

A crystalline chime resonated through the air.

"Fascinating…"

The sphere responded to her movement…

Fluttering ahead as white slabs illuminated their ascending path.