Castorice's lips gently kissed Derick's, instantly waking him up.
Castorice then stroked Derick's head and got up. Derick also got out of bed afterwards.
"How is it? Are you feeling hungry? Lord Mydei left some food. I'll go heat it up now and bring it to you," Castorice said as she walked towards the kitchen.
"Great!"
Master Mydei's cooking was naturally impeccable; even leftovers were incredibly delicious.
Derick and Castorice had a simple meal, enough to fill their stomachs.
Derick, in particular, ate more than before. Everything that happened at the Herta Space Station had drained a lot of his mental energy. This mental exhaustion also made Derick feel hungry.
After finishing the food, Derick wanted to continue lazing around.
He had now approached the Coreflame of the Titan of Discord. In terms of pure combat skills, unless that Flame Reaver appeared again, it would be very difficult for Derick's current combat skills to improve.
Derick's current improvement needed to focus on energy. And this wasn't something that could be obtained through Derick's training, so Derick planned to rest well in bed.
"Derick, then you continue to rest here for a bit. I still have a lot of work to handle today," Castorice said softly to Derick.
Work? Only then did Derick remember that Castorice was still Okhema's embalmer; she naturally had her own work to do.
After a moment's thought, Derick stood up.
"Castorice, I'll go with you. I also want to experience your work."
"This..." Castorice's eyes showed hesitation. "Actually, there's really nothing much to see in this kind of work."
Witnessing someone else's death was never an interesting thing. Especially the atmosphere in the deceased's home, it made one's heart feel heavy and oppressed. Unfamiliarity with an embalmer's work could easily lead to negative influences.
Castorice didn't want Derick to experience the same feelings as her.
She knew Derick had seen death, but that kind of death was the intensity of the battlefield; with blood rushing to one's head, one wouldn't think too much. The death she faced now involved the lingering affection of the surrounding family, the deceased's reluctance to depart, and many, many other things, completely different from the battlefield.
"Then I still need to see. If I don't understand this kind of work, how can I comprehend the meaning of death? If I don't understand the meaning of death, how can I accept the Coreflame of Death?"
Besides, I also want to experience what you feel, Derick thought, looking at Castorice.
Castorice hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"Alright, then tidy up your clothes a bit. When going to the home of the deceased, it's still important to be mindful of the impact," Castorice nodded and instructed Derick.
"Mm."
Derick changed his clothes, making his attire more solemn.
After doing this, Castorice and Derick walked outside.
Walking outside, they encountered Cerces.
Cerces asked Derick and Castorice, "You two, what are you planning to do?"
"Derick wants to work with me and wants to experience death through it," Castorice replied to Cerces.
Cerces nodded slightly upon hearing Castorice. "Indeed, what you two are thinking is not wrong. Lacking reverence for life makes it very difficult to fulfill the duties of death."
As She said this, She glanced at Anaxa, who had also approached at this moment.
"Take him, for example. If he were to become the demigod of Death, then Amphoreus, in a sense, would be better off destroyed."
Hearing Cerces's words, and then thinking about Anaxa becoming the demigod of Death, Derick and Castorice both nodded in agreement with Her thoughts.
In that case, Amphoreus would really be in for it.
Derick even suspected that every day, many people would go from life to death, and then from death back to life.
Anaxa didn't even care about his own life.
"I also have no interest in that kind of restricted demigod," Anaxa said with a shrug, turning his gaze to Kephale, who was currently bearing the daylight. "I only research the essence of these Titans, to see through it all."
"Teacher, what are you planning to do?" Castorice asked, looking at Anaxa's eyes, feeling like he was brewing up something big.
"All of this, we'll talk after I'm done."
Anaxa waved his hand and left.
Castorice watched his actions with some worry.
Although Derick also felt Anaxa was up to something big, he still comforted Castorice:
"Let's go. Lady Aglaea is supervising everything here. If Mr. Anaxa really wants to do something, Lady Aglaea certainly won't let him succeed easily."
"Mm."
With no sign of Anaxa doing anything yet, Castorice didn't know what to do either. For now, she could only hope Lady Aglaea could stop her teacher in time.
She didn't need to think about this matter for the time being; Castorice still planned to take Derick to do the work of an embalmer.
As Derick walked with Castorice, Anaxa's words served as a reminder.
Holding the Coreflame of the Titan of Discord, Derick didn't have much he needed to do; there was no problem with him continuing to stay in Okhema.
But after inheriting the Coreflame of the Titan of Death, there would be restrictions.
Those souls lingering in the River Styx still needed to enter the Underworld. After he accepted this Coreflame, he would also have to perform this duty.
This was quite troublesome.
Do I also have to stay in the Underworld forever?
No, no, that won't do.
Derick knew in his heart that he wasn't as strong as Castorice; if he stayed in the Underworld all the time, he would go mad.
"But I can't give up either. If I were to give up, then only Castorice could take on the authority of the Titan of Death. She definitely wouldn't refuse, but I certainly don't want to see that happen."
However, soon, a flash of inspiration struck Derick's mind.
Castorice and Polyxia are twins, and I'm not alone either.
Aren't my clones for this kind of thing?!
At that time, I'll take half the authority, and then let my clone obtain the other half. That way, I can just leave my clone to perform its duties, and I can return to the mortal world.
No need to worry that me and my clone each taking half will affect the use of the Titan of Death's authority. When Derick's clone devours, it's not about making the power disappear and purely converting it into energy, but about undergoing a mutation, still allowing it to be used.
Just like the energy of the Titan of Discord; Derick's main body ignited the Coreflame and can use it. And clone number one, which devoured the Titan of Discord, its internal energy mutated but it can still wield the power of Discord.
It's not proper, but at least it's usable.
Simply put, it's like cutting an earthworm into two segments, and they regrow into two earthworms. It's just that one of the earthworms grew crookedly, looking different from the original earthworm in others' eyes, but it can still do what an earthworm does.
However, in the process of [Re-Genesis], a completely identical earthworm is needed, so that mutated earthworm cannot undergo [Re-Genesis].
Derick doesn't want his clone to undergo [Re-Genesis] anyway; he can just rely on himself to work in the Underworld. He gets to be lazy and still obtain the Coreflame.
But speaking of which, my clone's image is pitch-black and holds a scythe; it fits the common impression of a death god even more than Polyxia does. In terms of image and temperament, my clone is also stronger than my main body.
Thinking this in his heart, Derick felt like laughing out loud, but then he realized he and Castorice had arrived at the home of the deceased, and he immediately suppressed this amusement.
Castorice glanced at Derick, asking if he wanted to go in.
Derick nodded gently.
The weight of death, the preciousness of life – he had to experience it.
Castorice and Derick walked inside together.
Seeing Castorice enter, the family members of the deceased quickly made way.
Derick discovered that the deceased's family member was actually a vegetable-selling auntie he knew.
"Auntie Bona," Derick greeted the auntie.
Auntie Bona nodded, her face etched with sorrow.
Derick's heart couldn't help but sink.
He remembered others saying that Auntie Bona sold vegetables very diligently, all to pay for her seriously ill daughter's treatment. Now that Castorice was at her home, could it be...
Subsequent events confirmed Derick's dreadful suspicion.
Lying on the bed was a pale little girl. She was almost skin and bones, lying on the bed, her face devoid of any color, her breathing intermittent, clearly at the end of her life.
"I... I..." she called out softly.
"Annie," Bona quickly grasped her daughter's hand.
Seeing this, Derick and Castorice looked extremely somber. To depart at such a young age was an incredibly sad thing for anyone who saw her.
As if due to a final surge of energy before death, a touch of color returned to Annie's face. She spoke softly to her mother:
"Mom, I feel my body is so light."
Auntie Bona forced a smile.
"Don't cry, Mom." Annie wanted to reach out and wipe her mother's tears, but she found she didn't have the strength to lift her arm.
She managed a smile to comfort her mother, "I've been in pain for so long, and now I finally don't hurt anymore. Mom, I feel very comfortable."
She continued to look at Castorice and Derick.
"Am I... going to the Underworld now? Are you... a_pretty_older_brother_and_older_sister, taking me there?"
Castorice nodded silently.
Seeing their reaction, the smile on Annie's face grew even brighter.
"With such a handsome older brother and beautiful older sister like you, even the Underworld must be very pretty."
Auntie Bona held back her tears and nodded in agreement with Annie's words.
Derick also stepped forward and said to her, "Yes, you're right. The Underworld is indeed a very beautiful place. There, it's a sea of flowers. When you get there, you can run freely and touch the flowers."
Castorice and Bona both thought Derick was comforting Annie, but Derick knew he was speaking the truth.
Amphoreus's Underworld was indeed that beautiful.
"Mm, big brother, you're so handsome, what you say must be right. The Underworld... must be a place full of seas of flowers."
Annie nodded vigorously.
Derick gently stroked her dry hair.
"Remember, when you get to the Underworld, even if you don't see the sea of flowers right away, as long as you keep moving forward, you will definitely reach that sea of flowers."
Derick now felt that obtaining the Coreflame of the Titan of Death was not only related to him and Castorice, but also to many people and souls in Amphoreus.
"Mm-hmm."
Annie nodded repeatedly.
Then, her life force finally depleted, her whole body slowly slumped, and her eyes gradually closed.
After her last bit of strength vanished, Castorice held her hand, allowing her to complete the end of her life.
Auntie Bona burst into loud sobs.
Amidst the crying, Castorice began to do the work of an embalmer. This was professional work, not something Derick could interfere with; he could only watch Castorice from the side.
After Castorice finished everything, Derick and Castorice bid farewell to Auntie Bona.
"Our condolences, Auntie Bona."
"Mm." Auntie Bona nodded, then said with gratitude, "Thank you, Lady Castorice, thank you, Derick. Especially Derick, you allowed Annie to leave happily in the end. I really don't know how to thank you."
"Don't mention thanks. You should rest well first, don't tire yourself out," Derick said quickly.
He had seen clearly just now; Annie had no scars or anything on her body, she was well taken care of. Auntie Bona was a single mother, selling vegetables for long hours every day, and then going back to take care of her daughter. The effort she put in was truly immense.
"Mm."
After a few more words of comfort, Derick and Castorice left.
After leaving, Castorice looked at Derick and said softly, "Derick, you did very well just now, even better than me."
In her millennia of life, she had witnessed countless births and deaths. Watching Annie's death, although she would feel sadness, she didn't know how to express it.
Derick didn't know what comforting words to say, just reached out and held her hand tightly.
Fingers intertwined, Derick's warmth transferred to Castorice's hand.
Afterwards, they went to the second family that required an embalmer.
The second family was completely different from Auntie Bona's. The one about to pass away was an old man nearly a hundred years old. Currently in a state of final resurgence, his spirit was actually better than that of an ordinary old person.
When Derick and Castorice were led over by the family, he was still drinking wine and eating meat, his demeanor incredibly natural.
Looking at Castorice, he quickly greeted, "Later on, I'll have to trouble Lady Castorice."
"Mm, Elder Sang, I will handle everything properly later," Castorice nodded slightly.
Hearing Castorice say this, Elder Sang's smile became even more carefree. He picked up his wine cup, filled a large glass, though his gaze was on Castorice.
"Then, Lady Castorice, can you tell me, what is the Underworld like after death?"
His palm was still trembling slightly; it was clear he also cared about this final matter of his life.
"Very beautiful. The Underworld is a sea of flowers. You can all walk freely amidst the sea of flowers," Castorice remembered Derick's words and replied to Elder Sang.
Hearing Castorice say this, Elder Sang's expression relaxed, and a smile appeared on his lips again. Then, under the gaze of Derick, Castorice, and Elder Sang's children, his breathing suddenly stopped.
_____
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