thefictionvixens Chapter 1312 Giving Birth to Gods
Chapter 1312 Giving Birth to Gods
Then, Barbara took a deep breath and poured out all the fear and confusion hidden in her heart.
"The Geo Archon of Liyue already knows that I secretly borrowed his faith... Last time in Liyue, I almost didn't make it back alive, and now I don't dare to set foot in Liyue again..."
"Now that my parents are back, seeing them reminds me of how our family used to be together when I was little. I really hope we can live like we used to..."
"But when I think about resurrecting the gods, I feel..."
“I prayed to God, asking Him to give me some guidance and tell me which path to choose, but I waited for a long time and received no response…”
"I really don't know what to do next. Can you tell me what to do?"
The man in the tall hat, seeing her helpless expression, remained expressionless and calmly replied:
"You dedicated your whole being to the plan to resurrect the gods, yet you still have lingering feelings for your family. This contradiction makes you feel confused... That's normal."
Barbara took out the glass bottle containing the soul of the wind god.
Holding the glass bottle, she asked in bewilderment, "Should I continue to resurrect the gods?"
The man in the top hat sensed her intention to back out, stepped forward, reached out, and gently pinched Barbara's chin with his fingertips, forcing her to look up at him. He kindly reminded her:
"Young lady, you must remember that our deal is irreversible and cannot be broken."
"You came to me in despair, begging me to help you resurrect the gods. These were choices you made yourself. How can you go back on your word so easily?"
He released his grip, took a step back, and threatened, "Believe me, little girl, if you go back on your word, everything you saw in your dream will come true."
Barbara was so frightened she almost cried, and said:
"Then...what should I do...I miss my mom and dad, I want our family to be together...I also want Mondstadt to go back to how it used to be, but I..."
The man in the top hat watched Barbara on the verge of collapse, as if enjoying the struggle of his prey.
Then, feigning "great mercy," it spoke, manipulating Barbara: "I can give you two choices, allowing you to decide your own future path."
"Your first option is to give up resurrecting the gods, stop caring about Mondstadt's life or death, and live a peaceful life with your family, getting the peace you want."
"As you've seen, the land you live on is now riddled with holes, and conflicts are about to erupt!"
"It won't be long before the city descends into complete chaos, with people killing each other, and then monsters take advantage of the situation, eventually turning it into ruins."
Upon hearing this, Barbara shook her head, tears welling in her eyes, and urgently denied it, saying, "No! I can't do this! I..."
Although she longed for a happy family, as the prayer pastor of the West Wind Church, she couldn't bear to watch the city be destroyed.
The man in the tall hat anticipated her reaction and calmly added, "Of course, you can also choose to 'sacrifice yourself for others,' and you can voluntarily offer yourself up."
"The endings you saw in your dream, you can now choose: die of thirst in the desert; freeze to death in the snowfield; or perhaps, be violated to death?"
Self-sacrifice? But aren't there better options for these forms of "sacrifice"?
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She could only look at the man in the top hat with fear in her eyes, waiting for him to say something next.
Seeing this, the man in the tall hat extended a second finger, offering a second option and beginning his seduction.
"If you think the first option is too cruel, then you can choose the second path: continue with the deal and resurrect the god."
"When the gods return, you, as the 'hero of the resurrection of the gods,' will have enough say to not only change the current chaotic situation in Mondstadt, but also to provide better protection for your family."
"You can even persuade people to grant you any wish."
Upon hearing "change the status quo" and "sufficient say," Barbara's previously despairing eyes instantly lit up, and she quickly pressed for an answer:
"Wait a minute! What does the second option mean? A messenger of God? If I resurrect the gods, can I become His messenger? Will I really be able to change the current situation in Mondstadt and let everyone live a good life?"
The man in the top hat looked at the desire burning in Barbara's eyes, his expression remaining calm, gradually dismantling Barbara's hesitation.
"Your parents' separation was essentially just a small political matter; the nobility and the church needed to maintain a deliberate distance to avoid being accused of collusion, so they had to divorce and even their reunion had to be done with great care."
He stepped forward, his tone becoming increasingly inflammatory.
"But all of this will change once you resurrect the gods and become the true decision-maker of Mondstadt."
"At that time, your words will be law, and who will dare to interfere in the relationship between the Gunnhild family and the Church?"
"You want your parents to remarry and for your family to be happy and harmonious. It's just a matter of you saying the word. Isn't that easy?"
These words were like a shot of adrenaline, completely clouding Barbara's judgment.
She was so caught up in her desire to "resurrect" the gods and her obsession with family reunion that she completely ignored the traps that might be hidden in the devil's words.
She gripped the glass bottle tightly, her eyes hardening with unwavering resolve, and said resolutely:
“I choose the second option! I will persevere and resurrect the god! But... what should I do now? I only have this little fragment of the wind god's soul, and I have no idea how to resurrect Him.”
Seeing that she had completely fallen into his trap, the man in the tall hat did not give her a direct answer, but instead told her a story in a meaningful way.
"Do you understand? A distant story—Mary gave birth to the Holy Son, bringing the Son of God into the world, atoning for humanity's sins with His sacrifice, and allowing faith to take root again among humankind."
He paused, his gaze lingering on Barbara's lower abdomen, and gave a strange, suggestive look:
"Perhaps this story can offer you some inspiration."
"Sometimes, what is needed to bring back the gods is not a complicated ritual, but a 'vessel,' a 'container' that allows the gods' souls to reassemble and descend to the world."
Barbara wasn't stupid; the man in the top hat's words, combined with that strange gaze, instantly made her understand their meaning.
She clutched her lower abdomen abruptly, her eyes widening slightly as she asked incredulously, "You mean... you want me to conceive a god? To use my own body as a vessel for the return of the Wind God's soul?"
The man in the tall hat did not answer directly, neither affirming nor denying, but simply took a step back, presenting her with the two choices she had made before, and uttering a profound saying etched in destiny.
"Do you understand? I've seen countless people struggle with fate so far, and I understand one thing:"
"You can choose the game, miss. But you can never change the rules of the game, much less violate the consequences of breaking the rules."
“And one more thing, you must always remember,” it warned:
"Be grateful for the magical abilities that enable you to achieve your desires. If you try to deny these magical abilities after you have achieved the success they have given you, you will eventually lose everything you have gained as a result."
After saying this, the figure of the man in the tall hat began to blur in the moonlight.
In the blink of an eye, the man in the top hat vanished completely, as if he had never been in this cemetery.
Barbara took a deep breath and carefully put away the glass bottle containing the fragments of the Wind God's soul.
She lowered her head, her hands unconsciously twisting the hem of her skirt, the words "giving birth to gods" echoing repeatedly in her mind, and an absurd yet blushing thought popped into her head uncontrollably.
To give birth to a god? Doesn't that mean I have to... to get married and have children like an ordinary girl?
The idea was so sudden that it instantly threw her into a panic.
She was just a priestess who wanted to protect Mondstadt and longed for the warmth of family; she never imagined that her life would take such a bizarre and heavy path.
Marriage? Marry whom? Are we just going to pick anyone to resurrect the gods?
A series of questions exploded in her mind, plunging her into a silent struggle once again.
Just as Barbara stood there, her mind in turmoil, a dark figure suddenly emerged from behind a nearby tombstone and silently landed behind her. It was Rosalia from the Church of the West Wind.
For Rosalia, her identity as a nun was more of a cover; her true duty was to maintain the peace of Mondstadt at night.
During her patrol tonight, she noticed a figure leaving alone in the direction of Gunnhild Manor. She followed the figure all the way to the cemetery and found it was Barbara, who hadn't returned home that night.
The sound of Barbara crying... This strange scene compelled her to go and see what was going on.
Immediately afterwards, Rosalia's voice, languid yet wary, suddenly rang out behind Barbara.
"Miss Barbara, what are you doing here so late?"
The sudden sound startled the already unsettled Barbara. She turned around and stammered:
"Ah? Sister Rosalia...you, what are you doing here? You haven't rested yet?"
Her eyes darted away, avoiding Rosalia's gaze; her flustered appearance clearly revealed that she was hiding something.
Rosalia raised an eyebrow, looking at Barbara's flustered and helpless appearance. Just as she was about to ask her why she was wandering around the cemetery late at night, her gaze inadvertently swept over the tombstone behind Barbara.
The three words "Albert" on the tombstone were clearly visible... Oh, so it was a grave visit...
Rosalia immediately understood, and her tone softened as she said apologetically, "This is... oh, Mr. Albert's tombstone."
"Sorry to bother you, please continue."
Rosalia felt that Barbara's late-night visit to the cemetery was clearly to pay her respects to this once fervent fan, and that she shouldn't disturb such a private moment of remembrance.
After saying that, Rosalia said no more. She vanished into the night in a flash, just as silently as she had come, leaving Barbara standing there alone, her heart still pounding.
Barbara looked in the direction Rosalia had disappeared and let out a long sigh of relief; her back was already soaked with cold sweat.
She looked down at Albert's tombstone, her heart filled with complex emotions.
This die-hard fan, who once died protecting her, never imagined that even his tombstone would become her "shield" after his death, helping her resolve this sudden crisis.
After a brief moment of panic, Barbara realized her situation...
Although the path to giving birth to a deity is bizarre and difficult, she has no way to turn back.
She took one last look at Albert's tombstone, silently said "thank you" in her heart, and then turned and walked towards Gunnhild Manor.
What Barbara didn't know was that from the moment she made up her mind to start the "Born God" plan, the countdown to Teyvat's destruction began.
……