"You know, I don't think Vina was all that fond of her fiancé," Jane suddenly remarked.

Luo Wei raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

Jane clutched her chest dramatically. "If I were in her shoes, I'd be too heartbroken to eat. Yet there she was, buying cake."

"Pfft," Luo Wei chuckled, "Perhaps cake is her true love."

Come to think of it, Vina had put on quite a bit of weight lately. Her cheeks looked plump and rosy, making her seem less irritating than before.

Luo Wei had to admit, she was a sucker for appearances.

No, not just appearances – she had a weakness for all things cute.

She adored adorable creatures, like that big spider with its beady eyes.

Thinking of the spider made Luo Wei's mood darken. Over a month had passed, and her would-be assassin was still at large.

On the bright side, there had been no further attempts on her life. Perhaps Troy's presence was deterring them.

The next day, back in her small courtyard, Luo Wei sat in her room, pondering what her special talent might be.

Surely the God of the Dead wouldn't be so stingy as to not bestow any benefits on His chosen one?

Luo Wei closed her eyes, mimicking Axina's posture, and called out: "Oh evil God of the Dead and Night, Otilette, wielder of authority over the realm of death, pray tell, what gift have you bestowed upon me?"

She waited silently for half a minute. No response.

She stood up, removed her clothes, and examined her back in the mirror. The previous markings had vanished, leaving her back pristine white.

Luo Wei: ?

No way, had the God of the Dead been scared off?

Was He really so miserly? Making people work without pay, then running away at the first sign of an employee asking for their dues?

Luo Wei pondered for a few seconds. Surely, as a god, He wouldn't flee so ignominiously. It would be too undignified.

So, the problem must lie in her prayer?

Was it insincere, or was the method incorrect?

Luo Wei recalled the psychological state she was in when her back had stung and the markings appeared last time. An absurd thought crossed her mind.

No way, could a god really be that vain?

Well, it was worth a try.

She closed her eyes, placed her hand on her chest, and recited devoutly: "Great and righteous God of the Dead, Otilette, wielder of authority over the realm of death, Your radiance is awe-inspiring, Your tolerance praiseworthy, Your beauty surpasses even that of the Love Goddess. You are the truly sublime, the only deity truly worthy of worship!"

Suddenly, her back grew hot. Luo Wei opened her eyes and looked in the mirror. Sure enough, the tattoo had reappeared.

Large and black, with intricate patterns like twisted snakes.

Her face remained expressionless, though she was tempted to let out a cold "Heh."

She never imagined He would be such a deity.

One who loved flattery from His subordinates, who craved praise.

No wonder last time, when she had imagined Him as a benevolent god and thought the Love Goddess wasn't all that great, He had eagerly manifested His presence.

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It turned out He just liked hearing words that pleased Him.

Seriously? You're supposed to be a Dark God!

A Dark God who didn't like being called evil, but preferred being praised as righteous, kind, and glorious? Luo Wei inwardly scoffed. This Dark God was a bit off.

This world was a bit off too!

Having found the correct way to approach the Dark God, Luo Wei closed her eyes and praised with the most heartfelt emotion she could muster: "Great God of the Dead, Otilette, You are so just, loving, kind, and gentle... You are better than all other gods, You love Your people and followers more than any other. I am Your most loyal, most faithful servant Luo Wei. Please grant me Your power!"

Her back suddenly felt scalding hot, followed by an itching sensation. It felt as if something was about to burst out from her shoulder blades.

Luo Wei opened her eyes in alarm and looked in the mirror.

On her left and right shoulder blades, the black patterns were twisting like boiling water. Suddenly, a protrusion formed under her skin, as if about to pierce through.

Excruciating pain spread from her back to her limbs and throughout her body. It felt as if all her bones were being shattered and reassembled. The pain was so intense that she stumbled and fell to the ground.

Luo Wei dug her fingers into the gaps between the floor tiles, gritting her teeth to avoid crying out and alerting those downstairs.

Well played, Dark God. Well played indeed.

Bestowing a blessing in such a hellish manner – was He trying to turn her into a monster?

Luo Wei deeply regretted her actions. She knew the Dark God was evil, so why had she boldly prayed to Him for favors?

"Dealing with the tiger for its skin, how could that end well?" How could she have forgotten such a basic principle?

The bones in her back crackled, making a sound that set her teeth on edge. Luo Wei trembled all over, her body drenched in sweat.

After what seemed like an eternity, she suddenly felt her body lighten. Something seemed to have burst forth from her back, unfurling and fanning cool air by her ears.

The excruciating pain vanished, replaced by an unprecedented feeling of lightness.

Luo Wei's heart pounded. She had an inkling of what had grown on her back.

With a mere thought, before she could even push herself up with her hands and feet, the new appendages on her back fluttered, lifting her to hover above the ground.

In the mirror, she saw a pair of enormous black wings behind her. When fully extended, they spanned about three meters, just a bit longer than her arm span. When folded, the feathers didn't quite touch the ground.

A very convenient ability for escaping danger.

A childhood wish had become reality.

Now she didn't need to envy Troy's griffin mount. Flying on your own was far more impressive than riding a flying beast.

However, wouldn't black wings immediately make people suspect a connection to the Dark God?

As soon as this thought crossed her mind, Luo Wei noticed the color of her wings changing.

Not only did the wings turn white, but her hair also became white, making her look like a little angel. All that was missing was a halo above her head. Fearing that might actually appear, she quickly stopped that train of thought.

She had to admit, the God of the Dead was indeed a generous boss. He'd given her a pair of wings and thrown in a set of skins to boot, allowing her to switch between appearances.

Luo Wei even had a vague feeling that the abilities she'd gained weren't limited to just this.

However, she hadn't yet fully grasped what other powers she might have received.

"Great God of the Dead, Otilette, You truly are the most generous, magnanimous, tolerant, and loving deity I've ever encountered!"

Was He being so good to her because she was His only follower?

How pitiful.

While entertaining these irreverent thoughts, Luo Wei retracted her wings.

The wings miraculously disappeared into her body, and the markings on her back gradually faded away.

Her hair color returned to black. Apart from being slightly damp with sweat, she appeared completely unchanged.

Generally speaking, when you accept something from someone, you're expected to do their bidding.

God's chosen ones were supposed to embody their god's will, providing pure faith or helping to recruit followers.

Luo Wei, previously an atheist, obviously lacked pure faith. Providing faith would be difficult for her.

He probably knew this. After all, as a god, reading mortal thoughts would be child's play for Him.

So the only thing left for Luo Wei to do was to recruit followers.

But if she tried to persuade people to worship a Dark God, wouldn't she risk being killed?

Moreover, she wasn't even sure whether the God of the Dead was good or evil. It would be best to find a way to test the waters first.

Of course, this matter required careful consideration. She didn't want to anger the praise-loving god and risk Him smiting her with a single thought.

Luo Wei's current plan was to first sound out Troy. Since he could recognize the mark of the God of the Dead's chosen one, he might be a follower himself.

To be continued