【 SEALED DIMENSION, MIRROR WORLD 】

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Through her exchanges with Kelez, combined with the intelligence gathered by the players and her own perception of this world’s power, Evé had already developed a fairly comprehensive understanding of this world.

The energy level and mana density of a subsidiary demirealm could not possibly exceed those of the primary realm to which it is attached. Therefore, that mysterious ruins in question could not have been a demirealm attached to the World of Mindel, but must instead have been an integral part of this world itself.

If her judgment was correct, then that mysterious ruin was most likely the place where the core origin of Mindel was located.

The seal of this entire world likewise revolved around that ruin.

Initially, before she had fully grasp the inherent nature of this world, Evé had not been certain. However, after Kelez revealed everything he knew she was finally able to confirm certain conclusions.

Within the knowledge inheritance she had obtained from the World Tree, there were records of sealed realms similar to the World of Mindel.

It was said that such sealed realms originated from the work of ancient gods, forged by harnessing the power of an entire world to imprison certain immensely powerful beings that could not be destroyed by conventional means.

These realms were not merely prisons, but intricate constructs shaped by divine laws, where every aspect of the environment, from the flow of time to the structure of space, served to reinforce the seal.

So the more complete a world’s laws were and the higher its mana level, the stronger and more stable the seal it could generate, making escape all but impossible.

Conversely, the more simplistic the laws and the weaker the mana and energy of a world were, the more fragile and unstable the seal would become.

Therefore, to control this sealed realm, she must enter the core of the seal, namely, that ancient mysterious ruins.

However, the entity bound by the seal resided there, and the core origin of the World of Mindel most likely lay there as well.

If Evé could locate the central control of the seal within those ruins and seize authority over it before the sealed entity broke free, she might gain dominion over the entire realm.

And by controlling this world, she could make use of the powerful seal left behind by the ancient gods to create an opportunity for her own advancement.

This was an exceedingly rare opportunity.

Typically, when a true god advances to a higher level of divine power, the resulting energy fluctuations would be immense, placing extraordinary strain upon the realm in which the ascension occurs. Furthermore, such an event is highly conspicuous, akin to a blazing light ignited in darkness, visible across the entire universe.

For ordinary realms, even those with well-developed divine laws and high energy levels, they still fall short of core worlds like Seigües, which are capable of accommodating higher or even greater divine beings.

In other words, if Evé were to attempt ascension within a typical ordinary world, the world itself might not withstand the disruption caused by her advancement.

In the worst case, it could even collapse entirely.

In a less severe scenario, it would still suffer significant and potentially irreparable damage. Not to mention the heightened risk of revealing her true identity during the process of ascension, as energy fluctuations would likely draw unwanted attention.

However, this sealed world was fundamentally different.

The entity confined within, bound by the combined power of the entire world, was, in Evé’s judgment, very likely a true god of higher divine power.

Furthermore, judging from the era in which it had been sealed, it was almost certainly an ancient god.

A world capable of imprisoning such an existence possessed immense latent power.

By virtue of the seal itself, it could protect the world’s core origin during Evé’s ascension, absorbing or redirecting the fluctuations that would otherwise endanger the realm. At the same time, it would help to conceal the magnitude of these fluctuations, thereby minimizing the risk of exposure and allowing her to advance with far greater security than would otherwise be possible.

Of course, all of this depended on whether Evé could gain control over the sealing construct of this world.

In the process, the enemies she would have to face were not limited to that mysterious sealed entity, but also included Leviathan, who had been secretly monitoring this world.

That Demon Lord had placed her within this world likely because he believed that, with her strength being suppressed, she would be unable to contend with that sealed existence.

However, Leviathan had misjudged one crucial fact.

That was her true identity.

—The World Tree.

That sealed existence had been able to use a branch of the World Tree and graft it into the Tree of Life, to connect with the world’s core, absorbing its power, and continuously weakening the seal.

In that case, what would happen if the real World Tree came into contact with Mindel’s core origin?

The answer was something worth anticipating about.

One could say that Evé needed only a single opportunity.

An opportunity to remove the suppression imposed by the sealing power upon the Gate of Reversal, and to project her true form into the ruins.

With that thought, Evé turned and looked at the legendary elven warrior standing respectfully behind her.

“Kelez.”

“Divine Matriarch, please speak.”

The elf’s expression was fervent.

“I need you to enter that ruins and call upon my true name once you’re inside.”

Evé said calmly.

Kelez’s expression became solemn.

He did not ask for the reason. Instead, he bowed decisively.

“I shall obey Your divine will, Your Majesty.”

The passage to the ruins would open in three days, and its entrance lay beneath the Tree of Life.

The other party had already memorized Eve’s aura so if she were to approach directly, they would likely shut the passage without hesitation.

But Kelez was different.

Even if that sealed entity recognized his aura and knew he had met her, their vigilance would not be particularly strong.

Kelez was, after all, merely a believer, someone they would not take seriously.

Moreover, according to Kelez, each time that ruins opened, members of their organization would infiltrate under disguised identities.

However, few ever returned.

The ruins could indeed be entered, but what happened after that was no longer within their control.

However, this was already sufficient.

Under such circumstances, according to Kelez’s plan, he would have a full opportunity to infiltrate the ruins.

At that time, Evé could rely on her faith network for positioning and use the Gate of Reversal to open a passage.

Although the power of this divine artifact was currently suppressed, a distance of one hundred kilometers could still be traversed without regard for spatial limitations.

Of course, Kelez alone might not be entirely enough.

With this in mind, Evé turned her gaze toward the ten players in the distance, who were currently chatting with members of the Blasphemers Organization.

While she had been speaking with Kelez, these players had already mingled with its members. They had become the center of attention, enthusiastically introducing matters related to the world of Seigües.

In particular, Demacia and Dōngdōng stood out.

Evé listened briefly to their conversation and heard them describing the march of a hundred-thousand-strong army, the conquest of the Maple Leaf Territory, and the occupation of Maple Leaf City.

Elsewhere, Cypher was speaking with several elves about the return of the Frost Elves, portraying the coastal city of Milovia as if it were a paradise.

The elves and half-elves of the Blasphemers’ Organization listened attentively, their expressions filled with longing, occasionally letting out exclamations of amazement.

Although they were called blasphemers, in truth, they were devout believers who firmly believed that the Tree of Life was false, yet still retained their faith in the Goddess.

So when Evé connected to the holy statue they worshipped, She naturally linked to their faith network as well and accepted their faith.

Now, they too possessed their own light of faith within Eve’s divine kingdom.

Accordingly, Evé included them into the game system.

Hence, at this very moment, within the system, their favorability toward the players was rapidly increasing.

In other words, while those ten players appeared to be casually explaining what’s happening in the world of Seigües, each of them was, in reality, employing various methods to increase favorability with these new NPCs.

There were many ways to do so.

At times, it was not merely about pleasing others. Earning their respect and inspiring admiration could also be considered a different form of ingratiation.

When facing newly encountered believers, the players were particularly adept at such tactics.

If not for the fact that Kelez was standing behind Evé and her presence was too imposing, they would likely have already swarmed forward to flatter this legendary warrior as well.

After all, a legendary-rank elf who’s also a fanatical believer, within Eve’s game system, undoubtedly would be classified as a high-class NPC.

Of course, if it were Kelez instead, the players’ behavior would likely become far more overt.

After glancing at the increasingly animated Chosen Ones, Evé said to Kelez:

“Take them with you. Have them enter the ruins alongside you.”

Upon hearing this, Kelez showed a trace of surprise.

However, he quickly bowed respectfully once more.

“As you command, Your Majesty.”

At the same moment Evé issued a new task, as a prompt appeared before every player.

“Oh! Guys are you also seeing it? A new task just popped up!”

They all leaped up in excitement.

༺⟐༻

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

The members of the Blasphemers Organization were arranged by Kelez to lie low within a new stronghold, while he, together with the players, followed Evé back to New Rivendell.

Compared to a few days prior, the city was even more lively.

Decorations adorned every street, celebrating a grand festival.

There were also more guards patrolling the streets, and even a considerable number of Guardian Knights could be seen.

The city’s residents formed procession lines, parading through the streets.

Evé observed her surroundings briefly and determined that the festival being celebrated was “Easter.”

Over eight hundred years ago, on this very day, was when the “All-Divine Mother” had revived.

“How tragic. No one of them truly knows whom they are celebrating.”

Watching the procession, Kelez remarked with a complicated expression.

However, upon noticing Eve’s calm gaze, he quickly composed himself.

The group did not linger in the city for long.

They passed through the main urban district and arrived at the area closest to the Tree of Life.

At this moment, looking toward the Tree of Life atop the hillside, one could see a large number of church guards and Guardian Knights patrolling beneath it.

The hillside itself was crowded with powerful figures from various races.

They were all candidates participating in the selection of Guardian Knights.

“As long as one possesses strength above the upper Iron-rank, one may obtain a badge granting entry into the ruins,” Kelez explained to the players.

“Come. Let us register. They won’t stop us.”

With that, he led the ten players toward the registration area for the selection.

They had already altered their appearances, a concealment spell personally cast by Evé.

Other than that sealed entity that controlled the Tree of Life, no one could see through it.

“Remember this. After entering the ruins, we must regroup immediately. Our concealment will not escape the gaze of that evil god. It will not prevent us from entering, but once we are inside, we will likely face formidable opposition.”

“Do not call upon Her Majesty’s true name immediately after entering. Wait until we have descended to the ground and left the central area controlled by the corrupted tree, and have found a safe location. Otherwise, we may be forcibly expelled from the ruins before we succeed.”

Kelez cautioned them.

Hearing his words, the ten players put away their excitement and grew more serious.

Their registration proceeded smoothly.

Including Kelez, all of them obtained badges granting entry into the mysterious ruins and, under the guidance of the church priests, joined the queue of applicants.

Meanwhile, Evé remained at a distance, likewise concealing her presence. As she observed the Tree of Life atop the hillside, she also divided her attention to monitor the players’ perspectives.

Through their senses, she could detect faint traces of divine power within those badges.

They were not merely tokens of entry, but also instruments used to track and monitor the participants.

As time passed, more and more experts gathered on the hillside.

At a glance, their number had already exceeded a thousand.

The sun, encircled by golden runes, rose to its zenith, forming a straight line with the Tree of Life below.

Accompanied by the resonant tolling of bells, the Tree of Life upon the hillside suddenly began to emit a soft radiance.

An ancient and timeworn aura spread outward. The space above the hillside started to distort, and a vortex-like spatial passage slowly emerged.

The passage expanded continuously, growing larger and larger, until it reached a radius of several hundred meters.

Beneath its faint glow, the interior could not be seen clearly. Only a surface resembling a mirror of water reflected the surrounding space.

“The ruins are finally open. The selection begins!”

“Praise be to the Great All-Divine Mother!”

Beneath the passage, the High Priest, clad in ceremonial attire, proclaimed fervently.

At his command, the applicants surged forward like a tide toward the rotating spatial passage. Kelez and the ten players were swept along among them, entering the vortex.

༺⟐༻

Cypher rushed at the forefront.

As a hunter specializing in the ranger path, speed was his greatest strength.

The background music of the game gradually intensified.

With a powerful leap, he plunged into the luminous gateway.

Immediately, a familiar sense of dizziness overtook him, and his vision was engulfed by a vast expanse of white, as though the world itself had vanished.

The disorienting sensation of spatial traversal lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to unsettle even a seasoned adventurer like him.

When his vision returned to normal, Cypher found himself still standing on a hillside. At first glance, the surrounding scenery appeared unchanged from before his entry, as if nothing had occurred.

Even the distant city remained intact, showing no difference.

That illusion of normalcy, however, lasted only an instant.

Before he could react, a sudden force yanked him upward into the sky, as though an invisible hand had seized him.

Around him, many other participants were being drawn in the same way, all ascending vertically with increasing speed.

The roar of rushing wind filled their ears, and Cypher felt his stomach lurch with every meter of the rapid ascent.

Simultaneously, he realized that the direction of gravity had shifted. It no longer pulled downward but toward the sky. The sensation was deeply unsettling, akin to plummeting headfirst into the ground while the world itself had flipped upside down.

Instinctively, he looked upward, and his expression froze. The sky above was no longer sky—it had transformed into a vast expanse of land, stretching endlessly like a surreal mirror of the world below.

Startled, he lowered his gaze.

Beneath him lay the familiar terrain of the hillside, the Tree of Life rising majestically, and the nearby city clearly visible.

The two worlds—above and below—were intertwined in a strange, wondrous manner, like mirrored reflections suspended in space.

From the perspective of the world below, they appeared to be ascending. Yet from the perspective of the ruins above, they were in free fall, plummeting through the void.

At that moment, the badges on the chests of all participants began to emit a gentle, radiant glow.

The soft light enveloped them like a protective cocoon, and their “descent” gradually slowed.

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