98 – Out of Cards?

“Oh?”

Seeing Teresa recover without so much as a grimace after taking a hit that carried seventy percent of her strength, Felicia was a little surprised.

Was her Domain shielding her?

Her Divine Child’s [Divine Appraisal] couldn’t scan Teresa, so she couldn’t confirm—but Felicia guessed that her opponent’s Domain was likely in effect.

What that effect was remains unclear. Maybe it suppressed pain. Or maybe something else entirely.

Under Felicia’s protection, the bespectacled Divine Child adjusted her glasses. Though her Appraisal didn’t work on Teresa, that didn’t mean she was useless.

She’d tested it on Wenfu behind Teresa just now and confirmed her own ability was functioning properly. It was Teresa who was the anomaly—resistant to [Divine Appraisal].

The Divine Child hypothesized Teresa possessed some enchanted item that blinded all who tried to appraise her—forcing any Divine Child who did so to recoil as if struck by a flashbang.

But if such an artifact existed, it must’ve come from a master artisan. So how had an obscure student like Teresa acquired one?

These questions would have to wait. For now, the Divine Child relied on her training and keen observational skills honed in the Academy’s Divine Child curriculum.

She picked up on a detail during the recent exchange: when Teresa was struck by the sword hilt and sent flying, there was no expression of pain—only a flicker of frustration at losing her opportunity to strike.

Pain reflexes are instinctive. Teresa hadn’t felt pain at all.

That confirmed it—it was her Domain at work.

But...

Was she truly unscathed? If so, wasn’t she essentially invincible?

Impossible. No matter how perfect, every Domain and Divine Authority has a weakness. None are invincible.

What’s more, the Divine Child had clearly heard a faint cracking sound when Teresa was hit.

It wasn’t loud, but she caught it.

Was it her Domain breaking? No. Teresa’s Domain barely had any visible manifestation. Her stomach had been exposed. There was no metal or armor to break.

So was it… something else that absorbed the damage?

Her eyes sharpened as she stared at Teresa—so much so that even Teresa began to notice the intensity of the gaze.

Looking toward the Divine Child behind Felicia, Teresa confirmed she wasn’t being Appraised.

But then why keep staring?

Something about her eyes made Teresa’s skin crawl.

Still, since close combat wasn’t yielding results, she re-equipped her bow.

Her jade-like fingers pulled the bowstring tight, golden wings of light stretching wide. Three arrows formed instantly—each one aimed for a different throat.

Speed was the one advantage Teresa still held.

Felicia was noticeably slower than most Knight Divine Princesses. This was likely why she hadn’t chosen to initiate combat herself.

She knew that if she left her formation to attack, Teresa would strike at her vulnerable backline—and she wouldn’t be able to intercept in time.

Which meant, the more Felicia had to protect her teammates, the more restricted her actions would be.

Seeing the triple arrow barrage incoming, Felicia stabbed her greatsword into the ground. A wall of irregular white-platinum crystals erupted upward, pulverizing the light arrows into dust.

This was...?

Teresa activated [Divine Appraisal].

Felicia Zorsha

Divine Authority: [Platinum Circlet] LV21

Effect: Converts Divine Power into crystalized matter, forming indestructible white-platinum crystal. Crystals are Divine constructs and possess Divine Authority damage. Wounds inflicted cause partial crystallization. Cooldown: approx. 10 seconds.

Level 21...

Teresa’s grip on her bow tightened.

Higher Divine Authority levels meant stronger effects and more frequent use. In terms of mastering Divine Power, Felicia was leagues ahead of the self-taught Teresa.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The platinum wall shattered. Shards rained down like exploding glass, but they weren’t random—they were weaponized. Felicia controlled them precisely, forming them into a deadly storm of razor-sharp crystal daggers aimed straight at Teresa and Wenfu.

If they got hit, even without being eliminated, they'd crystallize on the spot!

No longer holding back, Teresa hurled a green sapling into the ground.

Massive thorny vines erupted upward, forming a barricade that intercepted the storm of crystals.

The clatter of impact sounded like rain pelting glass. Teresa’s expression was grave as she watched the spiked surface of the vines deform under pressure.

The gap in Divine Authority level was simply too great. The vines wouldn’t hold.

Without hesitation, she threw her last charge of [Verdant Fragrance].

As expected, just as she activated the second barrier, the first one was pierced and torn apart by the relentless crystal storm.

Thankfully, the second shield held.

Behind her, Wenfu trembled as she watched. When she saw the shards finally stop, she almost collapsed from relief.

Compared to her, Teresa remained composed, but her face darkened.

Felicia had not only summoned a crystal wall instantly—she’d shattered it at will, weaponized the fragments, and launched a multi-stage Divine attack.

Her control over Divine Authority was on a whole different level.

Although the attack was blocked, the cost was steep.

Felicia’s [Platinum Circlet] had a mere 10-second cooldown and didn’t consume much power.

Teresa, on the other hand, had just used up her last charge of [Verdant Fragrance].

It wasn’t a fair exchange.

“Three so far,” the Divine Child muttered with a frown, eyes fixed on Teresa’s defenses.

Light arrows, Earth Blades, now vine shields... Teresa had displayed three active abilities already.

And they shared no characteristics—no sign of being from a single Divine Authority.

A bold idea crept into the Divine Child’s mind.

Could this golden-haired girl possess more than one Divine Authority...?

“No wonder she made it to the top five,” Felicia said, smiling faintly as her personalized Crystal Rain technique was thwarted.

But this much wouldn’t be enough.

Felicia could sense it—Teresa had reached her limit just to survive that attack.

If this was all she had left… Felicia would be disappointed.

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