World Devourer and the Divine Fragment
"At last, it seems we have enough beast cores to keep the barrier active every day," said Silvia with a faint smile, though sadness lingered in her eyes. In her hand she held an empty core, dull like dead crystal, while she slowly drew out two more.
The memory of the day they were attacked still weighed heavily upon her. The barrier had fallen then, and without cores to sustain it they had been unable to raise it again. For the current players it was much easier to obtain them, but back then it had been nearly impossible. Now, with the ancient zone bosses reappearing in their territories, it remained to be seen what would happen with the nearby beasts.
"Every day? So it consumes that much energy?" Sig asked, intrigued.
"One beast core per day just to stay active," Silvia explained seriously. "But it also has a limit to how many attacks it can endure. If it takes too much, it will drain the core even faster. For example, if a demigod used their full strength against it, the barrier would collapse instantly and consume a core in that very moment." Her voice grew heavier as she added: "That's why we need a wide reserve of cores." Her eyes turned deliberately toward Lua.
"Starting tomorrow, the land tax will take effect," she added firmly.
"Ugh, right… the taxes," muttered Sig with irritation. She had purchased several plots just before the decree was applied, though at least she had prepared for it.
"Let's go. I want to see the World Devourer again after so long," said Silvia calmly as she turned around.
Everyone followed her in silence.
"Lady Silvia," Sig spoke up as she walked beside her. "What if we made some kind of bank with the chests here in town? Players who don't yet have houses could store their belongings. They can't walk around with half their inventories filled all the time… many would gladly pay for a safe place, especially since they don't have anywhere else to leave their things."
Silvia looked at her for a moment, then nodded, clearly recognizing the potential in the idea.
"Yes, it would be good to establish something like that. It could also serve as a general warehouse."
Lua, however, simply walked alongside Liora and Loli, holding the little girl's hand while she hummed happily, paying little attention to the conversation.
"Lua, did you already recover your clone? When will you go back into the forest?" Loli asked curiously.
"I did… but for now I don't think I'll be entering the forest," Lua replied serenely, gently squeezing Liora's hand.
"Why…?" Loli began, but her words were cut short by a deep rumble that shook the sky.
Everyone lifted their gaze and saw the colossal serpent: the World Devourer. Its head seemed as massive as the planet itself, gazing down upon it as though it were nothing more than a morsel. No matter how many times the players saw it, they always froze in terror before such immensity.
Absolute silence spread from the festival grounds to the forest. The beast slammed several times against the world's shield, roaring with fury as its gargantuan body coiled around the planet. For a moment everything was plunged into total darkness, as if the creature were trying to strangle the barrier itself with its infinite form.
Then, after a roar that shook even the soul, the light of the stars returned. The beast withdrew, drifting into the vastness of space while growling in rage.
"That thing… really is terrifying," whispered Loli, instinctively clutching to Lua. Liora, her face pale with fear, clung tightly as well. Lua didn't mind: she lifted the little girl into her arms and hugged her gently to calm her.
"Chilling as always," said Silvia coldly, resuming her walk.
Suddenly, cries rose from the village center. Players were sprinting with all their strength toward the forest.
"Seems it has begun," murmured Sig with a strained smile.
"I hope they find something interesting," added Bert with his arms crossed, showing little interest.
Evan, on the other hand, was preparing to leave, but before running he glanced back—and froze. Loli was still holding onto Lua, who carried Liora in her arms. For a brief instant, they looked like a family. Gritting his teeth, he turned his head away and bolted.
"Oh, looks like he was excited to go as well," Sig said with a mocking grin.
Embarrassed, Loli pulled away from Lua.
"They're so lively," Silvia remarked with a faint smile as she watched the players rush into the woods. Only a handful remained in the village.
At that moment, Lua sensed something else. A flash in the distance, a light falling like a divine spark deep in the forest. Then another, and another still. Only she seemed able to perceive them. Her foot moved instinctively toward that direction, but Silvia spoke first.
"Lua, use this chance to eliminate the Empress. When the players arrive, help them finish off the remnants of the ants. That way they'll evolve faster. It's time to put that mine to proper use."
Silvia thought to herself: thanks to the system, players could share experience—something impossible in the past. The energy that once dispersed into the world now transferred in full. That was why players evolved faster than the ancient spirits. If those spirits had possessed the same power, she was certain they would never have lost to anything.
"Alright," Lua replied simply. She lifted Liora in her arms, then glanced at Bert and Sig. "Follow me if you want." With a leap, she shot off toward the horizon.
Sig and Bert exchanged excited looks.
"It's time for the Lua bus," Sig quipped before turning into black mist and soaring after her.
Bert spread his translucent wings and launched into the sky as well.
…
"Ha ha ha ha! I knew this journey was the path I had to take!"
A man laughed while standing atop the corpse of a golden dragon. His clothes were in tatters, yet his body bore barely any wounds. The dragon, however, was slashed all over, and around them lay human corpses strewn across the battlefield. He was the sole survivor, and it didn't seem to trouble him in the least.
In his hand he held a golden fragment that shone so brightly it lit the entire field.
"The timing couldn't be better. The appearance of the Colossal… my luck is truly divine. This proves why I'm the one chosen by the heavens, even without that stupid system."
The man was none other than Kerovan. In his grasp was a Divine Fragment of Light, freshly torn from the dragon beneath his feet. Though his robes were in ruins, the strange device embedded in his chest was still active, protecting him even after so many battles. As long as it functioned, beasts would not attack him en masse.
"If I find that flower, I can restore my soul and absorb this fragment. With the Magic Retainer, I'll be able to delve deeper into the forest and locate the remaining light fragments. Not even the emperor will be able to stop me. I'll open the portal home and become a great power in the Human Empire. With the old man's help, I'll rise as the next galactic emperor."
His smile darkened.
"Ha ha ha… I could even make sure the little prince dies before returning."
From within his chest he drew a rune-covered compass, its tiny golden needle spinning on its own until it pointed toward the horizon. Stashing the divine fragment away, he marched with a triumphant grin, paying no heed to the human corpses behind him.
Beneath the golden dragon's body, a shadow slipped silently, briefly taking on a humanoid shape before sinking back into darkness and following after him. A small blue portal shimmered open in the same spot soon after.
…
"Really, coming with Lua is cheating," Loli said in awe.
Before them yawned a vast hole in the ground. They hadn't even needed to enter the forest: with a simple gesture, Lua had lifted the earth itself, exposing the Empress's lair. Then, without a word, she raised her hand and a black meteor fell from the sky, striking the creature and annihilating it in a single blow.
After all, Lua was now using her true demigod body. A level-50 boss was nothing but dust to her.
The players watched as their experience bars surged upward, stopping only once they reached level 55. For the next evolution they would need to reach level 80, and the required experience seemed to multiply with each tier.
Even Joe already hovered around level 60 after hunting every day, though much of his progress came from constantly helping others level up.
Lua brought a hand to her chin, calculating silently.
"With all the ants left, I could raise every current player to at least level 60… or perhaps allow a few to reach level 80," she thought.
"Boss, I think it's better to raise everyone's level evenly. The overall strength will grow more balanced that way," S.I.A. advised in her mind.
Lua nodded slightly and turned to Loli and the others.
"When the players return, tell them to hurry here," she said calmly.
"Yes," the three answered before heading back. Meanwhile, Liora happily gathered the items her collector ants brought her, treating it all like a game.
Lua sealed the opening she had created, ensuring the ants wouldn't escape. Then she raised her hand toward the mine entrance and launched a projectile that exploded deep in the forest.
Liora, still busy sorting through the boss's drops, glanced up briefly at the explosion before cheerfully returning to her work.