My Goddess is Good at Pretending

Chapter 154: Spider’s Silk Winter Scarf

Ely was satisfied when the sample cakes received much praise and appreciation.

The taste might not be as perfect as the cakes for tonight, but she was confident in her cooking skills. Since everything used high-end ingredients, the taste definitely would never disappoint.

There were six sample cakes left on the tray. She left the kitchen to share the rest with the nearby people. Sylvia, Yuuki, Sakura, and Zi Xuan got one. Then, two disciples returned and received one each.

Ely noticed Zi Xuan was fiddling with the cake with a complicated expression.

It was like a little girl who wanted to eat sweets but was afraid of getting a toothache. Thus, she gave a little push. "I’ve met a spiritual entity like you, and he still likes to eat and drink. However, he only devours the food’s essence."

"..." Zi Xuan was doubtful, but she gave the suggestion a try.

She devoured the cake’s essence and could taste it with her spirit.

*Boom*

Zi Xuan could feel her spiritual body reformed to a balance point. She got colored and less transparent. Her exhaustion disappeared, and she felt refreshed like a newborn spirit.

"What kind of witchcraft is this?" Zi Xuan stared at the yin-yang cake in his hand. It had lost its essence, but she knew it was a precious elixir.

"It’s the beauty of wonder." Ely replied with a mysterious smile.

"Yum~ Can I ask for one more?" Sylvia stretched out her hand as she couldn’t be satisfied with just one.

"It’s just a sample of the leftover dough. Wait for tonight’s event. Everyone will get the genuine New Year’s cake." Ely shook her head while pointing at the empty tray.

Hearing that, everyone was excited and couldn’t wait for night to come, including Zi Xuan.

"Did you stay up all night?" Ely then observed Zi Xuan’s complexion more closely.

Even though there were no visible eye bags or other physical signs of staying late, she could tell it with her gut feeling.

"Ah, uhm... yes. That- I’m not a child you need to worry about. Anyway, I successfully refined two of your prototype artifacts. This is the finished product of what you requested." Zi Xuan felt strange because she feared being scolded after staying up all night.

She took out the two artifacts and gave them to Ely.

"Hmm?" Ely received the two artifacts.

The first one was a Mythical-tier artifact. A white shield-shaped emblem with a crescent moon symbol with five stars in it. And the second one was a Super-tier blue star pendant, hanging on the shield emblem.

"You need to activate both of them to maximize their effect. They can improve defence and resilience by 20%, including your constitution. They can nurture one’s physique and raise its quality. Also, they can deflect one deadly blow even from a 14th Rank Immortal. They are the Moonstar Emblem and the Resistance Star." Zi Xuan explained it proudly.

She created yet another masterpiece but wasn’t the only one who made it. If Ely hadn’t finished the prototypes yesterday, she wouldn’t have been able to finish them overnight, even if there were plenty of materials and resources.

"20%... Zi Xuan, thank you!" Ely clasped Zi Xuan’s hands gratefully.

"Ah-yes, your gratitude makes me dazzle." Zi Xuan took a bit of distance from Ely as she felt overwhelmed.

She felt satisfied, and her effort was worth it. Thinking back, she never gave any gifts to people outside her family. She was a sickly saintess back then, her body in that blue coffin as well...

Nevertheless, Ely was the first person not from her clan to receive her gift.

"Since you received my gift, don’t forget our promise." Zi Xuan reminded Ely with hope. She anticipated Ely’s sacred ritual ceremony in two weeks.

"Of course. It’s only natural to help each other." Ely nodded in understanding, although she needed clarification as to what kind of help Zi Xuan wanted to ask for.

If what Zi Xuan said was true, then her CON would increase from 200 to 240. She only needed a powerful evil being to hunt, and her CON would meet the requirements to unseal her Goddess Master.

As for the other stats, she could increase them by cultivating using too many materials. Everything has been prepared in her personal savings.

However, she would sacrifice a lot of resources and treasures from her warehouse to increase her HP stat.

She could increase her max HP with specific monster cores and several types of Mythical-tier fruit based on her various experiments.

That way, she didn’t need to eliminate the evil in person to raise her stats.

’If only my stats would go up even though I wasn’t the one doing the finishing blow...’ Ely sighed in her mind.

Everything would be more accessible if her friends and disciples could hunt for her, and she would get her stats increased. Unfortunately, she would receive nothing, and the supposed gain would be returned to nature if she used that scenario. However, the quests from her grimoire were an exception.

"Master, Miss Ranee comes and asks to meet you." Rafaela came to report.

Ely came out of her brief reverie and let go of Zi Xuan’s hand. It was already afternoon, but she had yet to see the preparation for the event directly. Since there was nothing else to do, it would be best for her to go to the forest gathering ground now.

"Good. I also want to see the event preparations at the forest gathering ground." Ely nodded in understanding and then walked away.

Gabriella and Rafaela soon followed, but it was just them. Sylvia, Yuuki, and Evelyn remained at the table for discussion.

"Are you able to contact the others?" Yuuki spoke in a whisper-like voice.

"Not yet. They haven’t even crossed the Terra World’s boundary. Our magic item can only signal them if they have entered the Tearobis Great Continent." Evelyn checked her tablet, and she couldn’t receive anyone’s response.

"Hopefully, nothing bad happens to them. I hope they come back before spring." Sylvia rested her cheek against her hand.

It was just the three of them connected to the network.

"What are you talking about?" Zi Xuan was astonished.

"Well, everything will be fine. I hope our distant friends can return on time as promised years ago." Evelyn clasped her hands in prayer.

After that, she and Kirara went to the Goddess statue for their afternoon prayer.

Meanwhile, Ely had just left her shrine abode. The white-haired Spider Queen was waiting outside the gate with a bright expression.

"Esteemed shrine priestess, thank you for having me here. I just finished knitting a winter scarf made of high-quality spider silk. Please accept it as a form of my gratitude." Ranee presented a pure white scarf with the utmost respect.

"Hmm? You knitted it yourself?" Ely replied with an amazed smile.

"Yes, one thread at a time with great care." Ranee was confident with her knitting skills.

"You are so caring and diligent. The scarf is nice, smooth, and pretty. Thank you." Ely took the scarf and checked the yarn.

It was not inferior to machine knitting products, and the silk quality was extraordinarily high since it came from an 8th Rank Spider Queen.

It was not sticky like a spider web in general. It was a scented silk scarf. The floral scent was still so fresh.

However, a thought suddenly crossed Ely’s mind.

Spider silk webs are made by the spider’s silk organs. It was usually on the spider’s abdomen, near its rear. However, what about the spider demon in a human form?

Ely looked at Ranee up and down, then stopped at the Spider Queen’s rear. Ranee was very human if she ignored the six burgundy spider legs on Ranee’s back. A particular Spider-Man could release his spider silk in bulk like rope from his wrists, but what about this Spider Queen?

"May I know how you produce your spider silk?" Ely was interested.

"Like this?" Ranee opened her mouth and pulled out a white thread with her fingers. The silk thread was covered with a thin saliva-like sticky liquid.

"Huh? You gave our master a scarf covered in your saliva?" Gabriella paled. Her hand was already at her sword’s hilt, ready to draw it.

"No, no! I wouldn’t do such a thing. I already washed it and scented it with rose and carnation extracts. It’s a finished product." Ranee immediately clarified it to avoid any misunderstanding.

She came to curry favor and build a bridge to enter the shrine priestess’ protection. She already considered everything to avoid offending the one she had to worship.

"Um, alright. I understand. We’re going to the gathering ground. Would you like to come with us?" Ely raised her palm. She wore her new winter scarf and invited Ranee with a gentle smile.

"Yes, with pleasure!" Ranee was pleased because the shrine priestess liked her gift.

She then followed the shrine priestess to the gathering ground and struck up some conversation along the way.