Chapter 175: Clang! Bright Debut!

"Got the wrong one?"

Although this claim was absurd, Dima's personality meant that saying "got the wrong one" instead of "the item was swapped" itself implied something was off.

As everyone's attention focused on it, the object inside the force field, wrapped in cushioning material, gradually became clear—it was…

A crystal chip?!

"I don't know, but the combat suit shows no signs of forced entry, no record of anyone opening it, and the vial is identical to the one I originally received… I… I…" Xiao Ye was nearly on the verge of tears; if this thing was fake, then she…

"Don't panic. Even if you fail, five million isn't bad for keeping you alive, and this item definitely carries the aura of faith—whether it's the real thing or not, it's certainly connected to a deity!"

Lena, Xiao Ye's closest friend, immediately offered comfort, while Shi Feng stared at the crystal chip and said:

"It looks like a common Giant He Xing design. Is there a transmitter on it?"

"No, I've been monitoring it continuously." The blue-haired girl, barely noticeable, fiddled with a small phone—only the two sisters, whose abilities related to psychic and electronic tech, could bring devices into the base.

"My ability also detected no anomalies." Dima maintained the force field, while the pink-haired girl jumped up excitedly, walking over with a handheld computer stripped of its wireless signal receiver—

"Either way, connect the device and see what's inside. Extend the force field to include me too—just in case there's some tech we can't understand, we can shut it down."

"Then be careful." Dima, unusually, spoke a word of concern, and the force field immediately expanded slightly, enveloping the pink-haired girl as well.

As the force field expanded, the floating crystal chip and vial both dropped, caught mid-air by the prepared girl.

Though she wanted to ask, "What if you hadn't caught it?", the pink-haired girl was just as curious about the chip's contents, and immediately inserted the chip into the handheld computer.

"Faith response!"

Almost the instant the chip connected, everyone felt the pulse of faith energy—hope, curiosity, tension, excitement…

Various emotions converged, then a girl no older than sixteen or seventeen appeared on the screen, wearing an asymmetrical gown that wasn't lavish but unmistakable, radiating an aura of holiness.

"Is this… the goddess?" Xiao Ye thought, but the next moment, the girl's projection suddenly opened her eyes; with a surge of faith energy sweeping through, she waved her hand in the manner of a virtual streamer:

"Hihi! Are you the believers who awakened me?"

"…."

After a brief silence, the pink-haired girl, who had always felt this deity resembled her own profession, finally couldn't hold back:

"Are you the Faith Seed?"

"Nope! I'm the Guiding Goddess, Awakening Xiao Lingdang—but as my first believers, you may call me Lady Xiao Lingdang!" The girl in the screen spun gracefully, yet her tone felt deeply off-putting.

"Are you really a deity?" Dima tilted his head slightly; this deity felt nothing like what he'd imagined. Wasn't the deal three slashes to kill the aliens? Even if we Nihon folk can't summon Guan Yu, shouldn't you at least be a War God?

"How rude! Though I'm not very strong, I'm definitely a genuine deity!" Xiao Xiao Lingdang spun around in the screen, sounding slightly annoyed:

"This vessel is terrible! It can't even generate a virtual projection! The faith energy is too weak—I can't manifest my divine power at all!"

"Ahem, Lady Xiao Lingdang, as a deity, what is your divine domain?" Tina, the most level-headed, finally spoke; her logic was clear: whether this being was truly divine or not, antagonizing it was a bad idea—better to go along for now and see what she could learn.

"Hmph! You're wise. Decided—you're my second believer!" Xiao Xiao Lingdang nodded approvingly. Tina's heart stirred, and she replied respectfully:

"May I ask, Lady Xiao Lingdang, who is your first believer?"

"Of course, the one who awakened me!" Xiao Xiao Lingdang didn't elaborate, but everyone's attention turned to Xiao Ye. At first, Xiao Ye didn't react, but seeing their gazes, she slowly pointed at herself—

"Me?"

"Yes! Girl, even in despair, you must pass on hope! I like you very much! Tell me—what is your wish? As a deity, I will grant it!"

Xiao Xiao Lingdang proudly puffed out her sizable chest, yet radiated none of the expected divine majesty.

Worried Xiao Ye might blurt out a wish without thinking, Tina gave her a sharp glance. Xiao Ye, after all, was an underground operative—she immediately realized she couldn't make reckless demands. Though she desperately wanted to say, "Destroy the Giant He Xing," she considered: if this deity couldn't do it, wasting one wish was fine—but if she angered the deity and provoked rage, that would be disastrous.

So she forced herself to stand from her wheelchair, bowing respectfully:

"Lady Xiao Lingdang, the chance to make a wish before you is too rare. I wish to consider carefully. May I?"

"Sure, sure! But you don't need to be so serious—wishing to a deity isn't limited by number, no need to be so formal!" Xiao Xiao Lingdang waved dismissively, even sitting down on a chair that appeared in the screen, then pulling out an ice cream and licking it.

Though they knew these were virtual images, everyone still felt a bizarre sensation.

It felt like growing up hearing legends of Godzilla, the King of Monsters, enduring countless hardships and sacrifices to finally find Godzilla—only to see it dancing at a disco.

Some could stay calm, but others couldn't—after all, everyone sought a deity to fight the Giant He Xing. If the deity couldn't do it, it was no different from having none at all.

Dima thought exactly that. Earlier, he'd held back out of respect for the deity's title; now that the deity herself said there was no need for seriousness, he spoke directly:

"Goddess, can you destroy the Giant He Xing?"

"Though I don't like those weird-looking creatures, unfortunately, I can't." Xiao Xiao Lingdang spread her hands, then added before disappointment could spread:

"After all, I'm the Guiding Goddess! I can only guide—navigation, direction, that's my strength. Maybe a bit of prophecy or fate guidance, but combat? I'm really terrible at it!"

Though this sounded weak, Tina seized the key point: "So you can't defeat the Giant He Xing directly, but you can guide us to victory—or show us how to defeat them?"

Instantly, everyone who had been about to speak fell silent; even breathing seemed to pause, as all awaited an answer.

Xiao Xiao Lingdang, however, seemed completely unaffected by the tension. She casually tossed away her ice cream, stood up, leaned her face close to the screen, and declared firmly:

"I like smart believers! That's right—I can do it!"

(End of Chapter)