Chapter 131: Stepping into the Realm of Demigods
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 131: Stepping into the Realm of Demigods
Northgard, the Northern Empire.
Inside a side hall of the Imperial Palace, the atmosphere was taut with a subtle tension.
Aisarakus was currently hiding behind Maomao, poking only half her head out. Her deep blue vertical pupils darted nervously, fixed on the figure dressed in black standing before them.
Brandon.
"Ahem... cough!"
She cleared her throat, trying her best to make her voice sound more persuasive.
"That... whatever it's called, Heavenly Mountain—it sounds dangerous just hearing the name! As the Emperor of the Northern Empire, upholding the fine traditional virtues of caring for my subjects and empathizing with my subordinates, how could I possibly abandon these... well, these brave warriors who are risking their lives to explore and expand the Empire's territory at such a critical moment?"
As she spoke, she secretly tugged at the hem of Maomao’s clothes.
Brandon’s brow twitched slightly. His gaze swept calmly over Aisarakus, then over Maomao in front of her, before finally resting on Taro Ball, Yu Yunsheng, and Elania, who were standing a short distance away.
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Capital still requires your presence. Furthermore..." His tone was steady and unhurried. "If I may be blunt, these warriors before you no longer seem to require your protection."
Aisarakus’s eyes flickered, and she guiltily looked away.
Brandon was right.
Over the past day, under the leadership of Aisarakus—a Mythic-tier combatant—Taro Ball’s group had swept through nearly fifty Undead Behemoths awakened by Chaos power in the Land of Storms with incredible efficiency.
This had not only significantly delayed the formation of the predicted behemoth tide but had also allowed the three players to gain an unimaginable amount of experience and loot.
Taro Ball’s level had now skyrocketed to Level 110, and he had even awakened the extremely rare Godhead of Void. Combined with his Class, Nihility Retrograde, which allowed him to move freely between reality and illusion, he could now face a Level 120 Undead Behemoth alone with ease, and even secure a kill.
More importantly, during the battles, he had continuously used his Reverse Refinement talent to extract Holy power—the natural antithesis of the undead—from the behemoths. This power would be exceptionally effective against the Angel Race.
Yu Yunsheng had also successfully reached Level 105 and awakened the Godhead of Sin-Judgment. She could now burn her own HP to drastically enhance her blessings, or judge the sins within an enemy's heart to directly sear their vitality and inflict curses. If her own HP dropped during the process, she could use her Authority to amplify the enemy's sins, creating a vicious cycle that would strike terror into any foe.
Maomao, despite joining later, had climbed to Level 103 and obtained a Soul Godhead, advancing her Class to Soul Disaster Madrigal. With Aisarakus beating the behemoths into a near-death state where they begged for mercy, Maomao had successfully tamed ten Level 120 Undead Behemoths as soul pets.
By utilizing "All Things as One," a fixed Class entry for a third-advancement Druid, she could temporarily merge the soul power of these ten behemoths with her own. In an instant, her attributes would swell to the hundred-billion level, making her the undisputed "stat monster" of the trio. She had even attempted a pure arm-wrestling match against Aisarakus in her human form while in this merged state; though she didn't win, she had managed to hold her own for a brief moment.
As for Elania, the only non-player Child of Fate in the group, her performance had been the most low-key. Her specific talent effects had yet to be fully revealed; she simply followed quietly by Yu Yunsheng’s side.
Facing a team with such explosive growth—a team that could even be described as "luxurious"—Aisarakus’s protection did indeed seem redundant. Moreover, as players, Taro Ball and the others could resurrect after death. Their greatest loss would merely be a drop in level and some gold or items.
"So..." Aisarakus’s voice trailed off, filled with a mix of indignation and longing. She looked at Brandon with puppy-dog eyes while once again tugging gently on Maomao’s sleeve. "I really... can't go with them?"
Feeling the almost overflowing plea for help from the little dragon girl behind her, Maomao’s heart instinctively softened.
"Um... Lord Brandon, I believe... we actually do still need Her Majesty Aisarakus’s assistance. After all, Miss Elania is also in our party. The situation on the battlefield changes in the blink of an eye. If an extreme emergency occurs, we might not be able to ensure her safety one hundred percent. Having Her Majesty with us would provide an extra layer of security."
Hearing this, Brandon turned his gaze toward Taro Ball.
As the one who had proposed bringing Elania along, Taro Ball clearly understood the meaning behind that look.
"Lord Brandon, in our strategic planning, Miss Elania is an indispensable core element. Without her, we likely won't be able to deal a truly effective blow to the foundations of the Holy Church. Furthermore, given the current situation, it isn't ideal for her to leave our side."
Sensing the conversation shift toward her, Elania shrank further behind Yu Yunsheng, her posture strikingly similar to Aisarakus’s.
Brandon remained silent for a moment, his gaze slowly moving between Aisarakus, Taro Ball, Maomao, and Elania.
As an Immortal who had survived since the Age of Gods, he held no love for the Holy Church; in fact, he harbored a deep-seated enmity toward them. Millions of years ago, when the Holy Church’s power was at its peak and nearly covered the entire continent, they had launched a cruel Great Purge against all those cursed by the gods. Immortals like him were their primary targets.
Brandon had escaped only through extreme caution and wisdom, but many old friends who had accompanied him for millions of years had fallen during that catastrophe. His plan to organize the capture of Heavenly Mountain was, to some extent, fueled by personal vendetta.
However, even if the declined Holy Church had retreated to Heavenly Mountain, it remained a top-tier power capable of balancing the world's landscape—the greatest force openly checking the Chaos Church. Its foundations were not to be underestimated. To this day, he still knew very little of the Church's internal secrets.
Yet, the Unfated standing before him, who possessed a wealth of secret intelligence, seemed certain of victory in toppling the Holy Church.
After careful consideration, Brandon finally spoke.
"I see. It appears our Majesty is held in high regard by all of you." His gaze fell on Aisarakus, carrying a trace of undetectable helplessness. "Very well. Lord Taro Ball, and... Miss Maomao, I hope you will take proper care of Her Majesty. At the very least, do not let her easily reveal her identity as a member of the Dragon Race before outsiders."
Hearing Brandon relent, Aisarakus’s eyes instantly lit up. But she immediately caught herself, suppressing her excitement. With a thought, she quickly hid her dragon horns, tail, and wings. Her vertical pupils shifted back into a rounded human shape.
In the blink of an eye, she became a blue-haired loli who, aside from her overly magnificent hair color and exquisite features, looked no different from an ordinary human girl.
"I will, Lord Brandon," Taro Ball nodded solemnly. "I understand what kind of unnecessary attention and trouble a free-roaming dragon would attract."
"As long as you are aware," Brandon gave a slight nod. "If there is nothing else, I shall return to handle administrative affairs."
With that, he turned elegantly, his figure soon disappearing at the end of the side hall's corridor. He didn't even ask why this "redundant protector" had to be Aisarakus specifically.
Only when Brandon’s presence had completely faded did Aisarakus let out a long sigh of relief. Her entire body relaxed, and she nearly slumped to the floor.
"Phew, that guy is finally gone. He's like a—"
"Shhh—!"
Maomao was quick, clamping a hand over Aisarakus’s mouth. "My little ancestor... please don't talk nonsense yet. He just left; he might still be able to hear you..."
Aisarakus blinked and nodded obediently. "Mmph mmph..."
Once they confirmed it was safe, the group boarded the ship that had been deeply modified with Void power, now known as the Void Dragon.
Inside the ship, Yu Yunsheng finally couldn't help but rub her aching temples, complaining to Taro Ball. "Brother, we've been playing... uh, fighting at high intensity for two days and nights straight. Do we really not need to rest? The nutrient solution stored in my gaming pod is only enough to last three days at most..."
Facing his sister’s concern, Taro Ball’s tone was nonchalant. "You don't need to worry about that. Now that you've stepped into the realm of Demigods, you no longer need nutrient solution to sustain you."
"Huh?" Yu Yunsheng was stunned. "What do you mean? Isn't this just a game? Are you saying if I become a god in the game, I'll become a god in reality too?"
She spoke half-jokingly.
However, Taro Ball did not laugh.