The crisp sound of the clap echoed clearly through the room.
Not only were viewers in the livestream utterly stunned, but the on-site staff and other guests were equally dumbfounded.
Eddie's eyes widened in shock. "W-What are you doing?"
The fact that Cale slapped himself out of nowhere had him wondering if Carlos had hired a lunatic.
Meanwhile, Carlos was equally baffled as he started to wonder the same thing.
Cale's face twisted briefly after the slap but soon returned to normal. His narrowed eyes locked on Eddie as he spoke in the same sharp high-pitched voice, though it now carried a strangely respectful tone.
"This kid's got a foul mouth. Please don't take offense." As he spoke, he bowed respectfully to Eddie.
Eddie was utterly stunned, while viewers were just as bewildered as he was. Their faces were filled with confusion.
…
Meanwhile, Thalia and Shannon watching the livestream seemed to grasp the situation.
"Is the Fox Deity Cale worships from the same branch as Eddie's O Fox Deity?" Shannon asked. She could faintly sense a similar white energy surrounding both of them through the screen.
Being more knowledgeable about the fox clan, Thalia nodded and explained, "Foxes aren't social creatures, but they tend to protect those from the same branch. Regular folks can't sense it, but deities can pick up on that connection."
Just like how Elliot had immediately detected the presence of a deity around Eddie back then, it seemed that Cale's fox deity had sensed it too.
However, according to Shannon, O Fox Deity around Eddie had relatively weak spiritual energy. Even if the deities were from the same branch, Cale's fox deity showed an unusual level of respect toward Eddie.
Could Eddie's O Fox Deity have some special significance?
Adeela froze briefly and soon realized what it meant. She waved her hands and explained, "No, this has nothing to do with the Hedgehog Deity. I-It's just a pun with the spelling…"
She was an astrologer who primarily dealt with astrology rather than supernatural beings. As such, she was intimidated by such direct encounters with deities.
Eddie chuckled and jumped in to explain. "Right. Like Hedgy in hedgehogs, Bella Ford's last name sounds similar to an automobile brand."
The room relaxed briefly as a result of Eddie's explanation. But soon, a cold detached voice cut through the room. "Please refrain from joking about my last name. I don't like it."
The conversation finally went dead.
Despite the painfully awkward introductions, the scene of Cale being possessed and slapping himself had gone viral and skyrocketed the show's opening buzz.
Some debated the differences between Cale's deity possession and Eddie's rumored "possession".
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