In the lower layer of the Northern District, at one of Hydra's unknown bases.
Krishna was handling Hydra affairs, frowning. He looked at the one-eyed raven that appeared on his desk and asked while eyeing the scroll it carried.
"Information from where?"
"This is the latest intel on the Campione War."
Odin bowed his head and placed the information down.
"The fake Christian Holy Son, Judas… has fallen."
"What did you say? Say that again?"
Krishna was shocked and said in slight disbelief.
He quickly grabbed the scroll from the desk and scanned it, his brows furrowing.
"That shouldn't be. He was Two-Digit—how could he fall?"
"This was at the Divine Council. That old dog Indra said it himself. He even released his memories."
Odin hopped onto Krishna's shoulder and explained in a very complex tone.
"But don't misunderstand—the scale of a Two-Digit battle is indeed massive."
"If I weren't in Little Garden, I doubt I could have withstood the shockwaves."
Krishna fell silent for a moment while reading the scroll, then spoke seriously with a hint of regret.
"Judas was truly a pity. If only he hadn't been so hasty and resistant, he wouldn't have been eliminated to death."
Hearing this, Odin felt a chill run from his spine straight to his brain.
"How could that be… he was Two-Digit?"
Krishna gently shook his head.
"Maybe not eliminated to death—perhaps an accident."
"Even if an accident… that accident is still shocking…"
Odin muttered for a moment and couldn't help swallowing.
"What kind of accident could make two Universal Truths clash and end with one falling?"
Odin now only felt his scalp tingle. The implications behind it—he didn't even dare think deeply.
Little Garden's originally clear situation was now shrouded in fog. Odin only saw the current Little Garden as a massive whirlpool.
Even giants like Two-Digits—if dragged in—would find it hard to avoid falling.
"Heh, fallen? To me, it's more like suicide."
Krishna rolled up the scroll and tossed it aside. A dead Judas wasn't worth wasting more energy on.
Odin shrank his neck, not daring to comment. His fear of Two-Digits made him—despite being sure Judas was dead—refrain from saying anything.
At this moment, Krishna leaned back in his chair, raising a hand to rub his brow.
"What's there to fear? He was just a lucky fool who didn't know how to seize opportunities."
What is Spirit Status? It is the rank of life, the essence of life.
As the essence of life, Spirit Status will almost inevitably influence one's will.
For example, a being who obtains Earth God Spirit Status will gradually love the earth and develop a broad heart; one with Demon Spirit Status will slowly become cruel and heartless; one with Buddha God Spirit Status will become arrogant…
This is the influence stemming from the essence of life. After all, someone who loves destruction and killing cannot become a God of Life.
Judas benefited from Jesus—of course he couldn't avoid the influence, but he feared this change and rejected his own life essence.
He feared that under the Spirit Status's influence, he would become "Jesus"—and ultimately reap the bitter fruit that led to his fall.
Speaking to this point, Krishna shook his head and sighed.
"Little Garden currently has too many variables. Looks like the plan needs to be accelerated."
Saying so, Krishna pulled out paper and pen, smirking mockingly.
"Who would've thought—we who believed ourselves chess players on Little Garden's board for tens of thousands of years—can't even clearly see who the other players are now. This is truly…"
Odin lowered his head beside him, listening silently—only daring not to speak.
But inside, his heart was in turmoil.
What did this mean? Could it be that in the Lower Layers of Little Garden—besides them, Hydra—there was still a mastermind behind the scenes?
Many from the East had long left Little Garden. Those on the Spirit Mountain had sat on the Lotus Throne for years, ignoring worldly affairs. The two from Zoroastrianism had long fallen and their whereabouts unknown.
The two Goddesses cared for nothing. And Shiroyasha clearly lacked this intelligence.
The Halloween Queen's movements were even closely monitored by them.
Where else could a new chess player come from? Little Garden only had seventeen Two-Digits in total. Adding the Halloween Queen made eighteen—and that already included the dead.
The currently active Two-Digits were only a few from this Ouroboros.
After excluding like this—there was no one left.
Who else could be a chess player?
After a while, Krishna finished writing the letter.
"Deliver this letter to Typhon. Tell him we agree to cooperate."
(Cooperation—what cooperation? More like encirclement and assassination.)
Odin sneered inwardly. What kind of cooperation required involving a Demon Lord?
Afterward, he took the letter Krishna wrote, spread his wings, stepped into the Territory Boundary, and flew far away.
Meanwhile, Krishna leaned back in his chair, showing a long-lost hint of excitement.
"Mastermind? Though I don't know who you are—I hope one day you don't get caught by me."
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Outer Gate 500, Heavenly Army Headquarters, in the meeting room.
Indra had just dismissed the Divine Council and returned with a blank face.
"Damn it—those guys don't even respect me, the Lord of the Heavenly Army."
Indra suddenly slammed the table, drawing the attention of the Twelve Dharma Guardians present.
Seeing Indra's appearance, Prithvi took the peeled apple from Uesugi, bit into it, and rolled her eyes.
"Of course not. So you should abdicate soon."
Speaking to this point, Prithvi couldn't help sneering.
"Really—you should've seized the chance and handed the Lord of the Heavenly Army position to Aslan."
Hearing Aslan mentioned, everyone showed curious expressions. Even Karyou—who was studying with her head down beside the Iron Fan Princess—perked up her ears.
Hearing that, Indra couldn't help glancing at Prithvi.
"Don't cause trouble right now."
"Believe it or not—if I'd been one second late, Shiroyasha and the Halloween Queen would've torn me apart on the spot."
Hearing that, Prithvi couldn't help laughing.
At this moment, the confused Uesugi couldn't hold back and asked curiously.
"But what does this have to do with Aslan? Wasn't it Arthur who saved the Queen?"
Though the Divine Council's artifact could monitor Little Garden—since the Halloween Queen returned, surveillance was cut off. No one dared offend the Queen who looked in a very bad mood.
So basically, Uesugi truly had no idea what happened afterward.
Indra's expression grew a bit complicated. He said hesitantly and confusedly,
"I don't know if I should tell you. That so-called Arthur was actually that kid's skin."
"Wait?"
Uesugi quickly raised her hand, her expression confused as she stared at Indra.
"What did you just say?"
"The Last King Arthur—who released light enough to erase a Two-Digit with the Last King's Spirit Status, the hero saving the beauty who rescued the Queen—was actually Aslan?"
Indra nodded.
"So the Campione War was Aslan's solo plan?"
Indra nodded, then shook his head, stunned for a moment.
"No… not exactly. Damn!! Judas didn't die in vain."
Hearing that, the meeting room fell dead silent.
Observing the Campione World, guiding myth changes, becoming the Last King, maneuvering between two great Star Spirits—Shiroyasha and the Halloween Queen.
And in between, Aslan still had time to sell information, earn pocket money, and casually plan the Campione War to mitigate its impact—giving the gods further advancement possibilities.
Then facing pressure from Christianity and Buddhism—he slowly shifted the blame and coincidentally eliminated the Christian Holy Son.
Finally, he still escaped without a speck of dirt.
What level of monster was this?
"He shouldn't be Two-Digit yet, right?"
Prithvi couldn't help swallowing and asked with a very unnatural expression.
"Can this little monster really be raised by Karyou?"
Was this Little Garden truly enough to be tossed around by Aslan alone?
No one dared answer Prithvi's question. Everyone shifted their gazes to Karyou—who was awkwardly pretending to be dead beside them.
Karyou's face flushed, receiving scrutiny from her comrades, and nodded slightly.
All this was truly done by Aslan. He hadn't hidden it from her.
And there was even more shocking news within—but Karyou couldn't possibly reveal it.
"That old Roc King really hit the jackpot."
After a long while, Indra said after a moment of silence.
No—who could've imagined? How many months had Aslan been in Little Garden?
Then he caused so much trouble? And it was all planned by him—even managing to eliminate one Two-Digit.
Indra now strongly suspected Judas's death was planned by Aslan and fully under his control.
"You must be joking…"
Prithvi's expression was somewhat numb.
"Could it be we're also part of his plan?"
"You could say that."
Brahma—who had been silent—sighed softly at this moment.
"However, we'd better pretend we know nothing."
Shiroyasha, the Halloween Queen, and now adding Aslan—the Last King.
Three Two-Digit combat powers.
What exactly did they want to do?
And Hydra's side too: Holy Son, Ark, Krishna, Kurma—total four Two-Digits.
No—now one was eliminated. Holy Son Judas had fallen. Hydra's side now only had three left.
Combat power balanced.
So now the problem was very serious. With two balanced sides—how should the Heavenly Army choose?
If one side dominated, the issue would be easy to solve—but balanced meant deadlock and bloody conflict.
"But do we have a choice?"
Prithvi chuckled, taking the apple and biting it.
They had long been unhappy seeing Hydra stir trouble in Little Garden. Compared to the cunning, venomous snake—
They preferred accepting a mastermind's control. At least Aslan could still be considered human.