Facing an Ancient God for a Year

Chapter 1275: Chapter 1273: Loss of Image (17)

“What’s wrong?”

Orintel’s reaction genuinely frightened the Winchester Couple.

Given their usual understanding of him, it was hard to imagine what could scare Orintel to this extent.

He hadn’t even stepped through the door—he simply glanced from afar.

Had the situation become this serious already?

Despair and regret inevitably overwhelmed the hearts of the couple.

And clearly, Natalie was now faced with an ultimate test of her acting skills.

Almost trailing at the very back, Fu Qian looked at the family tutor with an expression of anticipation.

The latter did not disappoint him.

With heartfelt sorrow in her gaze, Natalie stared at her student, her face filled with indignant rage, tears almost spilling.

“You…”

Choking up to the point she could hardly speak, but as the recipients of her accusations, the Winslow couple, consumed by grief, seemed incapable of understanding this overabundance of emotion.

The current scenario looked unmistakable: Natalie believed their decision was wrong, one that would only squander their daughter’s vitality—a decision that directly exposed the situation to The Sect.

Even though, judging by the final outcome, it seemed Natalie was right, her reaction, coming from a mere family tutor, seemed overly intense.

Moreover, the unfolding events had transpired at an inconceivably rapid pace. From Natalie’s earlier departure to Orintel’s sudden appearance, the interval was so brief it could almost be explained as Orintel coincidentally wandering this way.

But now was not the time to dwell on such matters. The Winslow couple cast only a single glance at Natalie before directing their focus to Orintel, like prisoners awaiting a final verdict.

Unfortunately, the latter didn’t even take the time to answer their question.

The next moment, Orintel strode forward hastily, reducing his steps to mere bounds and rushing to the bedside.

Such an exaggerated momentum almost startled the already despairing patient anew.

“When did this start?”

Orintel ignored everything else, fixing his gaze on Jane and questioning sharply.

“Just now, less than half an hour ago…”

Glancing at her trailing parents, Jane hesitantly replied.

Hearing this voice, Natalie noticeably stiffened.

Regardless of how weak the momentum was, the difference between a child’s voice and an adult’s was stark.

With Jane’s reply, from Natalie’s perspective, even this last anomaly seemed to have healed.

“Has there been any change in your body?”

Orintel, clearly unconcerned about these subtleties, began examining her urgently, scanning her up and down.

“Uh…”

Slowly regaining her composure, Jane refrained from answering immediately, first casting her gaze at her parents.

Mr. Winslow said nothing, giving merely a slight nod.

Jane steadied herself a little, then decisively lifted the blanket, revealing both feet.

…

“It’s real after all…”

Though only her ankles were exposed, the crystalline transparency was undoubtedly a sight of stunning impact.

Staring at the vortex-like networks, Orintel clearly seemed the most affected, already murmuring to himself under his breath.

“Is there something wrong?”

This change clearly alerted Mr. Winslow, who cautiously asked from the side.

“What did you just do?”

Unfortunately, Orintel still disregarded his query, opting instead to interrogate the individual at the center of the phenomenon.

“I did nothing, I’ve been here the whole time.”

Jane, the direct subject of the questioning, grew increasingly unsettled, shaking her head instinctively and glancing out the window.

“Just lying down, looking at the sky outside.”

“The sky… yes, of course—the sky.”

Orintel inhaled deeply, his gaze tracing through the nearby window to find the shimmering stars in the heavens. Within a single second, he shifted to an expression of reverent awe.

“Among the stars lies an endless sea of knowledge and power… But Jane, you are a genius!”

His tone took a sudden, dramatic shift as his eyes returned to Jane on the bed, fixated on the vortex swirling within her flesh.

“You are blessed by the stars. I always believed this to be mere myth, but I never expected to see it manifested before my very eyes.”

“Huh?”

Jane’s face was frozen in an utterly baffled expression, and around her, gasps of reaction emerged from multiple individuals.

“So this isn’t contamination? Jane is perfectly fine?”

Sensing something peculiar earlier, Mr. Winslow was among the first to recover his composure, his shock blending with relief.

“This is certainly no contamination!”

Orintel shook his head emphatically and rolled up the sleeve of his robe.

In the next moment, eerie patterns began to surface on his arm, forming an intricate design in succession.

And almost as soon as the design fully materialized, an aura of tangible authority emanated from Orintel, making no one dare meet his gaze directly.

“This is Star Law; every thread within these patterns emerges from the wisdom of the stars.”

His voice was laden with gravity as he explained.

“This is why members of The Sect are so obsessed with the night.”

“When your thoughts align closely enough with the stars, extraordinary, marvelous knowledge will emerge within your consciousness. Once mastered, it takes form like this.”

With a slight motion of his hand, the patterns faded, and the overbearing aura dissipated.

“But legend speaks of individuals born under the stars’ gaze, who need no willpower to obtain knowledge. The wisdom directly manifests within their bodies.”

“Are you saying Jane is one of them…?”

Mrs. Winslow’s expression had already soared beyond mere joy into utter disbelief.

The fate once deemed hopeless and worrisome for her daughter had, within mere moments, transformed into the promise of greatness spoken of by The Sect—to be hailed as a prodigy?

If not for preserving her composure, she might have pinched herself to ensure she wasn’t dreaming.

“Where is the manifestation of Star Law?”

At this moment, a voice of inquiry rang out.

With a faint smile, Natalie followed everyone’s gaze toward Jane’s figure, though her tone carried an unmistakable undercurrent of rigidity.

“Right here.”

Orintel appeared oblivious to this, decisively pointing to Jane’s translucent feet.

“See the blood vessels within them? Observe the details carefully—the curvature angles, the intersection formations—don’t they share similarities with the patterns earlier on my arm?”

“This is natural. It’s a manifestation of Star Law untouched by the intermediary process of willpower. Just by careful observation, you can truly appreciate its beauty.”

Orintel’s voice brimmed with a euphoric reverence as he spoke.

“Of course, for me, I don’t need to see it to sense the uniqueness emanating from Jane.”

“In summary… you truly have no reason to worry anymore. Jane is perfectly fine. Honestly, you should have contacted me sooner.”

Clearly unprepared for such a joyful resolution following misconception, Orintel seemed quite pleased, even venturing a lighthearted remark to the Winslow couple.

…

Yet his words prompted both parents to instinctively glance toward a low-profile figure in the corner.

“See? I told you everything would be fine.”

Fu Qian grinned, raising a hand in a cheerful gesture.