【 THE EXPOSED CRISIS 】

Within the divine kingdom of the World Tree, Evé sat upon the throne with her face devoid of expression.

Yet, the looming dark clouds in the sky reflected her current mood.

A true god’s thoughts could influence their divine kingdom.

Without a doubt, Eve’s feelings at this moment were heavier than ever before.

“I’ve become too complacent… I underestimated the other party. Among those who rise to rule the world, few are truly foolish.”

She sighed softly.

Shaking her head, Evé turned her gaze toward the monitoring sandboard, eyes fixed on the Desert of Death.

More precisely, on its outermost edge, at the very place wherein the so-called ‘World Tree’s Divine Kingdom’ had just appeared.

Evé’s gaze flickered as she muttered with a hint of self-mockery.

“What a dilemma…to go, or not to go.”

Evé had already seen through their ruse.

This ‘World Tree’s Divine Kingdom’ was fake and actually a scheme meant to entrapped her.

Yet, the most frustrating aspect of their trap was that an even greater crisis could befall upon her if she chose to ignore it.

In truth, this predicament was of Eve’s own making.

Her strength had advanced far too quickly, far beyond what a normal god should be capable of.

Without a reasonable explanation, her actions would inevitably arose some suspicion.

To mitigate this risk, Evé had deliberately made her public persona behave in an extreme manner, fabricating her public image as a new god tainted by the faith of her believers.

This strategy had, to some extent, resolved their dilemma.

But now, it had become her greatest weakness.

“If I ignored it…then it would prove that I haven’t actually been corrupted by faith. My true identity might also be exposed.”

“However… if I do go, my enemies will undoubtedly have laid their ambush. My divine incarnation may not be able to withstand them…”

Eve frowned slightly, recognizing the gravity of the situation.

Still, this dilemma alone wasn’t what troubled her the most.

She wasn’t entirely without options, even if the worst came to pass.

If she were willing to sacrifice her divine incarnation, she could step into the trap and self-destruct before being completely defeated, thereby keeping her secret safe.

Even if her identity were exposed, her enemies would likely interpret it as her being an incarnation left behind by the previous World Tree.

In fact, such an outcome might even work in her favor, since it would justify why she had deployed an incarnation instead of using her True Form.

After all, a divine incarnation of the former World Tree would naturally be better suited to interacting with its divine kingdom.

With such an explanation, there would be no reason for Evé to take risk by using her true form.

Nevertheless, this was merely a stopgap measure.

The real crisis wasn’t the trap itself, but what it represented.

“Someone has begun to doubt my identity…”

Eve’s voice was heavy.

“It can’t be that idiot Uller. Could it be the Lord of Darkness and Shadows? Or perhaps the God of War behind Uller?”

“Either way, this is a bad sign.”

Evé sighed, a hint of frustration in her expression.

Had there been no suspicion, the situation wouldn’t be so dire.

But now that her enemies had begun doubting her identity, even if Evé survived this trial, future probes would be inevitable—unless she could completely dispel their suspicions and divert their attention elsewhere.

After all, the identity of the World Tree was simply too sensitive.

“I need to find a way… a solution that not only helps me pass this trial but also clear myself of suspicion.”

Eve furrowed their brows.

“…But how?”

She weren’t yet ready to overturn the board over.

The more she uncovered about the truth behind divine war from a thousand years ago, the more Evé realized just how wary the gods were of the World Tree.

If she truly forced the situation to its breaking point, it was impossible to predict how the gods of the Heavenly Realm, who had already sown their faith across multiple realms would react.

Would they choose to preserve the realm of Seigües, or would they unite to destroy her?

There was no certainty.

The probability was low, but Evé couldn’t rule out the possibility that her enemies might descend in full force just to eliminate her.

And if that were to happened, then chances are, she would be utterly doomed.

“Their trap has been laid, and I don’t have much time. Even if I try to stall, it won’t last more than a few days. I must decide soon.”

“That divine kingdom is certainly fake. If my guess is correct, it’s likely an alternate dimension where true gods can exert their full power. So if I step inside, I will undoubtedly be ambushed by Uller and Hodür… Perhaps even a powerful divine artifact will be involved too.”

“Should I send one of my incarnation to probe the situation? Or do I really have no choice but to sacrifice my divine incarnation to deal with this immediate crisis?”

“If I truly step into their trap… My chances of victory are slim. The underground war has already exposed too many of my cards.”

“Perhaps… I should request Hela’s assistance? At the very least, I could ask her to hold off Hodür.”

“Uller is no match for me. If Hela can keep Hodür occupied, I would have a fair fight against him.”

“But then again, if Hodür has made a move, he must have already accounted for my connection with Hela. Even if she manages to keep him busy, he has likely arranged for other mythical beings to intervene.”

“After all… he seems quite familiar with those evil gods.”

“Even if I win, it would only be a temporary solution.”

“So… what should I do?”

Evé fell into deep thought.

Just as she furrowed her brows in contemplation, a devout prayer echoed through her consciousness.

“Hmm? A prayer directly reaching me?”

Eve’s mind stirred.

Ever since optimizing the faith network, she had delegated the ordinary prayers to be processed automatically by the system. Therefore, the only prayers that could directly reach her were those of special significance.

With that thought, Evé connected to the faith network and traced this particular prayer’s source.

Her vision shifted, revealing a solemn and majestic Temple of Life.

Beneath the statue of the Goddess of Life, a half-elf with brown hair knelt in fervent prayer.

Around him stood many familiar figures—Saintess Alice, Aél, the primordial elf Thranduil, several high-ranking members of the Church of Life, and other primordial elves born after Thranduil.

They all watched the kneeling half-elf with expressions of encouragement and anticipation.

In the distance, more half-elves observed the scene, their faces filled with admiration and longing.

Upon witnessing this, Eve quickly understood what was happening.

Their gaze fell upon the half-elf kneeling before the statue, and she immediately understood what’s going on.

“Taylor?”

Taylor Rocksand.

He was one of the first residents from the demirealm of Ouros to undergo bloodline purification and transferred over here in Seigües.

For some time, he had been active in the grand city of Kenorland, undertaking various trials and studies in pursuit of becoming a true full-blooded elf.

“Has he already completed Alice’s trials?”

Evé raised an eyebrow.

As if responding to her unspoken words, Taylor pressed his forehead to the ground, his voice trembling with excitement and fervor.

“Praise be to Nature! Praise be to Life! Praise be to the great Goddess Eve!”

“O’ merciful and generous Goddess! I have completed all my trials. I humbly beseech you—please grant me your divine grace and transform me into a true elf!”

“That was fast…”

Eve nodded slightly, her previously troubled mood lifting somewhat.

She could sense that Taylor’s faith had grown even stronger since he first arrived in Seigües.

Certainly, he had met all the requirements for bloodline purification.

“Not bad. It’s time to purify him.”

Evé secretly approved.

Increasing the number of her devout believers would not only strengthen the elven race but also enhance her own divine power.

Moreover, finding the true divine kingdom of the World Tree would require the aid of these faithful believers.

With that thought, Evé snapped their fingers lightly.

At that moment, blossoms bloomed within the Temple of Life, and shimmering green particles spread through the air. Whilst a sacred and imposing presence descended upon the temple, filling its every corner.

Everyone present instantly realized…

The Goddess had bestowed her presence upon them.

Excitement surged through the temple as the gathered elves lowered their heads in reverence, offering their own prayers in response.

For a moment, the temple resounded with waves of devout prayers.

A faint smile played on Eve’s lips as she raised a hand.

In her divine kingdom, the Scepter of Life slowly lifted from its resting place, playfully twirling midair before obediently settling into Eve’s grasp.

Then, they gently pointed the artifact toward Taylor across the vast distance.

Immediately a dazzling radiance burst forth, flowing through the faith network, illuminating the holy statue enshrined within the temple.

The sacred light expanded, enveloping Taylor entirely.

Moments later, the radiance faded, revealing a fully transformed Taylor.

He was now taller with his physical features more refined.

The sharp tips of his ears marked the final step of his transformation—he was now a true elf!

Taylor remained dazed for a moment until Alice handed him a mirror.

The instant he saw his own reflection, his eyes filled with tears of joy. Overcome with emotion, he fell to his knees once more before Eve’s holy statue, weeping as he offered his deepest gratitude.

In that moment, Evé sensed a surge in Taylor’s faith—he was now just a step away from becoming a fanatic believer.

Around him, the gathered elves offered their congratulations, while the half-elves gazed at him with admiration and reverence.

“Not bad. I’ve got another devout elven believer.”

Evé nodded in satisfaction.

Just as she nodded in acknowledgment, a sudden thought struck her, and Evé’s eyes lit up.

“No…”

“Perhaps… I still have a way!”

A flicker of hope ignited in her heart as Evé pulled up her list of believers.

The numbers had changed significantly over the past two months—

[Believer Count: 79,951]

Saints: 1

Fanatic Believers: 128

Devout Believers: 8,132

Shallow Believers: 71,690

[Follower Composition:]

Crypt Spider Queen: 1

Dragons: 1

Oak Guardians: 105

Elves: 2,254

Half-Elves: 556

Elf-Blooded Human hybrids: 76,977

Humans: 58

…

Over the past few months, Eve’s total number of believers had skyrocketed from under 40,000 to nearly 80,000, which was a twofold increase.

The greatest contributors to this surge were the elf-blooded humans from the demirealm of Ouros, who now formed the backbone of Eve’s faith.

Among these nearly 80,000 believers, the number of devout believers had surpassed 8,000.

Though the majority remained shallow believers, Evé could sense that at least one-third were on the verge of becoming devoted.

Given more time, their ranks would inevitably swell.

As Evé reviewed the current state of their faith, she felt both pleased and frustrated.

Pleased, because the sheer growth in such a short time had far exceeded her expectations.

And frustrated because…

“If only I could pinpoint the true location of the World Tree’s Divine Kingdom, surviving this crisis wouldn’t be impossible. I would just need to prove that the so-called divine kingdom in the Desert of Death was a fraud…”

Evé shook her head.

The enemy’s trap was riddled with flaws.

For one thing, that so-called “divine kingdom” was not a true divine kingdom.

If Evé could prove it was a fake and make others gods realized the deception, she would have a justified reason to avoid stepping into their trap entirely.

After all, although being tainted by faith might lead one to behave extremely, but it didn’t mean they had completely lost their minds.

If she carefully played the role of a faith-corrupted god convincingly enough, she could feign compliance without actually falling for such scheme.

Which meant… if Eve could locate the real Divine Kingdom of her predecessor beforehand, then this problem would be easily solved.

However—

Such idea was good.

But time, however, was not on her side.

“My number of believers is sufficient enough, but the ratio of devout believers is still far too low. Without enough devout believers, I can’t reach across the cosmic void and locate the World Tree’s true divine kingdom.”

Evé sighed inwardly.

She had long planned to use the prayers of her believers to locate the divine kingdom of her predecessor.

However, there were strict requirements in doing so.

Both believer count and their level of faith were crucial.

For Pure Elves, 10,000 believers and 5,000 devout believers are required

Half-Elves: Double the requirement

Elf-Blooded Humans: 100,000 believers, 50,000 devout believers are required

These thresholds weren’t fixed but served as a general guideline. Different follower types could substitute for one another, but the total level of faith needed to reach a critical threshold.

Right now, while Eve’s total number of believers was barely enough when combining elves, half-elves, and humans, the quality was still lacking.

A quick assessment confirmed it…

The gap in her number of devout believers was still too large.

At the very least, she needed to double the number of devout believers and ensure that all elves faith reached devout status.

A rough estimate put the minimum time required at two months.

“By then, it’ll be far too late.”

Time was not on her side.

The longer she stalled, the more suspicion Evé would attract.

“This method won’t work…”

A sense of disappointment settled over Evé.

“If only there were a way to lower the difficulty of locating my predecessor’s divine kingdom… But the realm of Seigües remains largely sealed. Faith energy can barely extend beyond its borders, making it inherently difficult to establish a connection with my predecessor’s divine realm.”

“Is there any way to reduce the requirements?”

Evé pondered deeply.

At that moment, her gaze drifted back to the monitoring sand table within her divine kingdom’s temple.

Her eyes traced the edges of the table. Specifically toward the fake divine kingdom that Uller had forged.

Then, a thought struck her.

“No…”

“Perhaps… I still have a way!”

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