Having completed the blessing, Soraka opened her eyes again, looked at Faen, and said, "You can try connecting with this mark. It will grant you a fraction of the power from the Immortal Celestial Realm for a short time. Although this power cannot be used for combat, it will allow you to perceive the corruption of darkness much more clearly."
Hearing this, Faen closed his eyes to sense the new mark on the back of his hand.
As power originating from the Immortal Celestial Realm, it was hard to say whether the quality and tier of this energy were stronger or weaker than that of the Spirit Realm. Logically speaking, as the eternally enduring domain, the power of the Immortal Celestial Realm should be closer to the original state of this world. But the problem was, the Spirit Realm was the flip side of Runeterra, and Runeterra itself was the most unique pearl in the entire universe, among endless stars.
Legend has it that the Creator Dragon, Aurelion Sol, upon discovering this world that made him marvel, gathered the power of prime elements to create the sun and the moon, bringing the first enlightenment to this world. The energy within those prime elements continued to nourish this world, allowing it to constantly form and thrive in the ages that followed. It was precisely because of this origin that Runeterra was naturally endowed with a special destiny. Much like the Void, which surprised even Aurelion Sol, the mysteries of the Spirit Realm—as the twin dimension to the Material Realm—were equally bottomless.
As Faen connected his mind to it, his vision quickly changed into something entirely different.
If previously Faen's form in the Spirit Realm was primarily human, now, in his vision, his perspective seemed to have ascended to a higher dimension. Within this unique dimension, Faen could clearly see invisible threads extending outward from the Seven-Hand Curse Mark on his right hand, spreading all over his body. Although it was his first time seeing them, Faen recognized instantly that this was the power of Ashlesh.
Faen didn't know what would happen to him once that power spread completely and entered his heart and brain, but his subconscious told him it would definitely be something he wouldn't want to see.
Just as Faen was preparing to investigate and sense further, a wave of intense, scorching pain suddenly swept over his entire body. Faen believed he could endure this excruciating pain, but to his surprise, his perspective rapidly plummeted during the process. Soon after, his vision returned to normal. The tentacles of the Joy Demon he had just seen vanished as well, as if they had never appeared.
But Faen knew they existed; it wasn't a hallucination. A single leaf before the eyes blocks out Mount Tai. But when the leaf is moved aside, even if only for a single glance, one gains a clear understanding of their environment and state of safety. For Faen, seeing those tentacles clarified many things he had previously only vaguely sensed.
However, Faen didn't show much panic on his face. He simply shook his head somewhat helplessly and said, "Although I knew Ashlesh wouldn't just wait around doing nothing, being able to see it so clearly now is truly a huge help."
Hearing Faen's words, Soraka shook her head and said, "It is nothing. I, too, do not wish to see that maddened soul—or her kin—reappear on this land."
With that, Soraka pointed to the back of Faen's hand and said, "If necessary, you can inject excess energy into the mark to alleviate the overwhelming mental pressure in your Spirit Realm. The mark will then convert this power into healing energy, restoring your body's vitality and replenishing your exhausted physical and mental strength."
Faen's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he quickly said, "That sounds great. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Because I, too, hope you succeed."
Nodding at Faen, Soraka continued, "Considering the unique nature of the Spirit Realm, as well as the numerous factors surrounding your existence outside of destiny, if you need help, you can contact me through the power within the mark. As long as I can be of assistance, and it is beneficial to this world, I am very willing to help."
As she spoke, Soraka suddenly began to pant softly. Her entire state appeared significantly weakened; even the swirling iridescence in her brilliant golden eyes seemed to come to a halt. It made her feel... much more human.
Or rather, previously, even though Soraka had completed her self-demotion to enter Runeterra, the Celestial power within her body still granted her formidable strength. Even if she didn't use this power for combat, its mere existence—the ripples it left in space simply by flowing through her body—was enough for people to sense its anomaly and Soraka's extraordinary nature.
But now, it was obvious that bestowing such a blessing was an incredibly taxing endeavor for the current Soraka. She was no longer the denizen of the Immortal Celestial Realm from thousands of years ago. After completing her self-demotion, both the Celestial energy she could store and the rate at which she could recover it had been drastically reduced. As it stood now, having consumed a massive amount of energy for the blessing, the severely depleted Soraka gave off the impression... well, she couldn't be called human. After all, Soraka's appearance was right there. No matter how much she fit human aesthetics, her violet skin, cloven hooves, and single horn silently declared she was not human.
Mhm, just as described in the novel The Dreaming Pool, the current Soraka looked more like an unknown, Primordial Vastaya.
The reason she was called "unknown" was mostly because, even with her internal energy severely depleted, the lingering afterglow still made it impossible to easily ignore the aura of mystery surrounding her.
Looking at the weakened Soraka before him, Faen asked, "You don't look too well?"
"...It's fine. I just need a period of quiet rest." Soraka shook her head. Her face looked like fragile porcelain, but her voice remained steady, her eyes full of compassion. "For me, death is merely a way of returning to the stars. You need not worry about me."
Gazing at the benevolent, glowing Soraka before him, looking every bit like a holy mother, Faen blinked and suggested, "How about... you rest in my Spirit Realm for a while?"