She had gone from malnourished to merely sub-healthy, but her "Unawakened" status had changed to "Awakening Pending." This meant that by using an Awakening Crystal as a catalyst, Filder could gain a God-Touched immediately!
"Milord, is something wrong?" Ashina asked nervously, fidgeting with her hands.
After ten days of eating meat, Ashina's attitude towards Filder was excellent. Before her capture, life had been bitterly hard, surviving on wild grasses. Now, encountering this strange noble meant feasting on fish and meat daily.
*Perhaps this is the way of the wolf's life—full of unexpected turns.*
"What is this?"
"An Awakening Crystal. Cost me sixty gold coins." Filder winced at the price; he only had five hundred gold in total. "On the annual Day of Awakening, the Empire uses these very things to find the God-Touched."
A single Awakening Crystal could test nearly a thousand people.
"Ah? You really think I'm God-Touched?" Ashina was dumbfounded. "That... let's not joke about this."
"Close your eyes. Feel it with your heart. I received divine guidance; you needn't worry." Filder fabricated wildly, then placed the crystal orb before Ashina.
Ashina didn't truly believe she was God-Touched, but she didn't want to disappoint Filder. These days spent together had convinced her he was a very different kind of noble—at least he treated her well.
The moment her hands touched the crystal, countless blue starlight motes surged forth, coalescing into the elegant, icy visage of a goddess.
"The Winterfrost Goddess, Mistress of Ice and Snow!" The demi-human slaves instantly recognized their very own patron deity. "Heavens! Ashina is the Winterfrost Goddess's Chosen!"
*Thump thump~*
The slaves immediately dropped to their knees, trembling with excitement, ready to offer their very hearts.
Filder, witnessing true divine spectacle for the first time, broke out in a sweat of awe. This was genuine divine intervention.
The blue starlight coalesced into intricate runes. Ashina instinctively reached out to touch them. The light gradually receded, finally etching itself onto the back of her hand.
Simultaneously, Ashina's body transformed. She grew taller; her legs became perfectly sculpted, flawless. Her skin now rivaled frost and snow, her expression coolly serene. Crimson eyes radiated a chilling aura. Her features refined, her beauty elevated by thirty percent.
Dominant. Disdainful. Alluring.
An innate sensuality.
"I... I truly became God-Touched? Milord, how did you do this?"
Ashina's mouth formed a perfect 'O', disbelief written across her face, now mixed with profound reverence for Filder.
After all, the emergence of the God-Touched was utterly unpredictable. Even the daughter of the Holy Griffin Empire's Empress was merely ordinary.
The other slaves were equally stunned. *We were all slaves! How did she become God-Touched after just a few days under the Lord's... guidance?* They knew of Ashina's recent treatment. They'd assumed Filder was merely indulging a pet, not actually creating a God-Touched!
The God-Touched were the will of the gods. The slaves began to suspect Filder was favored by the divine! Instantly, reverence for him blossomed.
"A small matter," Filder waved dismissively, feigning humility, puffing up slightly. He strode before the assembled group. "Now! Who still doubts our journey North? Who still resists my pioneering plan?"
The crowd exchanged uneasy glances. Who dared now?
"Trust me," Filder declared loudly. "Fulfill your duties, complete my tasks, and I will not only grant you freedom but ensure you live lives free from want!"
"Please, let me forge a pact with you."
Ashina spoke up proactively. Filder had mentioned this before – her becoming God-Touched was meant to aid in pioneering Nightfall Territory.
"Of course. It is destined," Filder played the mystic.
Forging the pact was simple. Ashina channeled the power within her runic mark, forming a link with Filder. The pact took hold instantly.
Once the God-Touched pact was sealed, Filder produced her slave contract. Though the slave brand had already been purged by her God-Touched nature, Filder performed the formality anyway. He tore the contract publicly and declared Ashina a free citizen of Nightfall Territory.
Ashina smiled radiantly. With a flick of her wrist, the runes coalesced into a massive, black, dragon-like wolf. It leapt snarling from the void, its body armored in jagged, frost-gleaming plates. The sudden apparition startled everyone.
"This is?" Filder was momentarily confused.
"A dragon-wolf. Hmm, likely a mount bestowed by the Goddess," Ashina explained, smoothing her hair with newfound grace. "Additionally, I have mastered numerous combat techniques."
Becoming God-Touched often granted strange treasures. Even if the Chosen died, such artifacts could endure. House Roth itself possessed a sixth-tier divine artifact lance, inherited from the fallen God-Touched known as the "Crimson Rose" – the very origin of their family name 'Roth'.
Filder pulled up Ashina's panel.
**Name:** Ashina
**Level:** Tier 1 God-Touched
**Class:** Wolf Cavalry Commander
**Divine Skill:** Piercing Frost Lance
**Legion Skill:** Howling Assault (100% increased charge impact for subordinate cavalry)
Ashina's combat power had skyrocketed. Her draconic mount alone could contend with a third-tier aura knight.
Bolstered by this newfound strength, Filder's courage surged. His stepmother? His half-brother? Damned nothing! He'd grind them into the dust eventually.
A smile spread across Filder's face. "Now, let's go inspect the barracks and armory."
Approaching the walls, Filder could already see sporadic skull markers moving on his map.
"Some corrupted creatures linger here," Filder declared, drawing his sword with a ring. "It is the duty of every Imperial noble to assist local lords in eradicating corruption."
He lit the Penance Lamp purchased from the Church. Sacred light flared, pushing back large swathes of the grey mist, protecting the slaves from the lethal Deathmist.
"I can feel the power of the God-Touched," Ashina remarked, pointing to Filder's golden lamp.
Filder blinked. "Undoubtedly. Pity we don't know how the Church makes them. Pure profiteering! Twenty-five gold per lamp, lasting only thirty days."
Entering the fortress compound, Filder kept his ragtag group together. They were conscripted slaves, untrained; sticking together was the safest option.
Ashina gently pushed open the barracks door. Inside, two armored soldier ghouls lurched, weaponless – likely infected before they could arm themselves.
"Slay them!" Filder ordered harshly, his eyes fixed on their sturdy lamellar armor. "Try not to damage the armor."
"Understood!"
Ashina kicked the door wide open and charged in, three steps merging into two.
Becoming God-Touched didn't just enhance physical abilities; it bestowed mastery over specialized combat arts.