: THE SHATTERED DIVINE KINGDOM EMERGES

【 THE SHATTERED DIVINE KINGDOM EMERGES 】

After boosting her presence among the players as Zero and issuing the command for the victorious elven army to advance on Sandstorm City following their defeat of the Orc forces, Evé finally turned her attention to the last matter at hand:

The Divine Kingdom of the World Tree.

With a mere thought, Evé wielded the Scepter of Life to create a golden-ranked incarnation, carefully molding it in the likeness of Zero to maintain control over the area. While this proxy continued to oversee the battlefield in her stead, Evé’s divine incarnation, bearing her primary consciousness, returned to her Divine Kingdom and reconnected with her network of faith

Now that the number of her believers had expanded beyond a hundred thousand, Evé’s network of faith had evolved into a far more intricate and expansive system than ever before.

It was a welcome and significant development, for the more complex and vast a deity’s network of faith became, the greater its capacity to generate divine power, withstand external pressure, and self-regulate. It also became easier for a god to control, while simultaneously reducing the risk of their will being influenced by the collective beliefs of their believers.

Moreover, this was also beneficial to Eve’s game system, since it was intrinsically linked to her network of faith as the two were essentially two sides of the same coin. Therefore, as her network of faith strengthened, so too did the game system itself, which greatly enhanced its ability to protect and monitor the minds and souls of the players.

Now, even without her active intervention, any being skilled in mind magic, soul manipulation, or psychological influence could affect the players’ mental states.

Even if it were a deity, anyone attempting to influence a player’s thoughts or pry into their secrets would first have to breach her network of faith!

Yet, what drew Eve’s attention the most at this moment was not the growing complexity or vastness of her own network, but rather the swirling vortex at its center. It pulsed with a radiant green light, its energy almost tangible in the air.

It was the residual network of faith of the former World Tree.

Being the successor of the World Tree and the new World Tree, Evé had already established a separate Divine Kingdom for herself within her own being. Yet her predecessor’s Divine Kingdom, though now abandoned, still had the same origin as her own.

Thus, when she used the united prayers of her believers to locate her predecessor’s lost Divine Kingdom, it was naturally drawn into her own and gradually connected with her vast network of faith.

All that remained now was for her to enter the former World Tree’s Divine Kingdom and fully assimilate it as her own.

With that thought, Evé stirred her divine power.

It surged forth in waves and the sky of her Divine Kingdom responded with a dramatic transformation.

This starry sky was the physical manifestation of her network of faith and the game system itself, with each twinkling star above representing a believer and a player.

Now, under Evé’s will, those countless pale green stars began to stir, spinning gently before clustering together like droplets drawn to a current, forming a brilliant river of stars that flowed across the heavens.

At the very instant this radiant constellation took shape, a dazzling light burst forth from its center, followed by a low, distant spatial tremor. As the light gradually dimmed, it revealed a swirling vortex, shimmering like a wormhole.

This… was the entrance to the former World Tree’s Divine Kingdom.

By tapping into her network of faith, Evé had located the former World Tree’s Divine Kingdom and managed to form a channel connecting to it.

She smiled faintly, then guided her incarnation into entering her predecessor’s old Divine Kingdom.

Light swirled around her, wrapping her form in a gentle radiance, and her vision dimmed for a fleeting moment.

When it cleared once more, she found herself standing within a broken, desolate space.

It was a shattered realm, and the first thing she saw was a vast, withered forest that had once teemed with vitality. The entire realm appeared far smaller than her current Divine Kingdom, perhaps no more than a tenth of its size. RáNОꞖÈš

Clearly, the former World Tree had placed little value on this space. If not, a deity of her predecessor’s stature would never have left behind a Divine Kingdom so barren and small in scale.

Based on the inheritance Evé had received, she knew that the Divine Kingdoms of gods of faith were typically vast, with many rivaling the realm of Seigües in size, even though their internal laws and source power could not compare to Seigües itself.

As for the Heavenly Realm that housed the numerous Divine Kingdoms of most of the Pantheon gods—that was an even grander cluster of interlinked realms built by the deities.

Anyway, back to the present.

Though small in size, this old Divine Kingdom was now a shattered shell of its former glory. The sky above was torn apart, riddled with dark rifts that seemed to stretch endlessly into the void. Unnatural void storms howled along the edges of the land, creating a sense of profound instability in the very fabric of the realm.

The terrain itself was a testament to decay.

The land rose in jagged, uneven formations toward the center, where a plateau stood defiantly amidst the desolation. The edges of the kingdom sloped down into a barren expanse, where most of the forest had withered away, leaving behind twisted, gnarled trees that seemed lifeless. Yet, in stark contrast to the surrounding decay, the central plateau remained surprisingly lush and green, as if some lingering remnant of the former World Tree’s power still held sway there, a faint pulse of life in an otherwise dying realm.

Unlike her own Divine Kingdom, which had been built around her own true body and featured a manifestation of the World Tree at its center, her predecessor’s Divine Kingdom had been created in an independent demirealm.

Thus, its core did not feature a massive tree as one might expect from a Divine Kingdom tied to the World Tree, but something else entirely instead.

A magnificent temple stood in its place.

The temple gleamed with a soft, ethereal light, primarily white in color and exuding a dignified, timeless elegance. Its style bore a striking resemblance to classical Elven architecture and one could easily imagine that Elven architectural design had taken direct inspiration from this very structure.

Encircling the temple were two symmetrical rows of towering cylindrical columns, each carved with breathtaking intricacy. Ancient reliefs adorned their surfaces, and upon closer inspection, the carvings revealed lifelike images depicting a radiant goddess presiding at the center, flanked by eight distinct figures who were likely her demigod apostles.

This temple was identical to the one she had seen in her inheritance and also to the one she had manifested when first welcoming the player’s consciousness within her Divine Kingdom.

This was the core temple of the former World Tree’s Divine Kingdom. But now, it lay in ruin. Overgrown with weeds and shrubs, trees had even begun sprouting from within it.

Evé stood in silence for a moment, taking in the solemn, forgotten majesty of the place before stepping forward.

As she approached, the dense overgrowth of vines and weeds stirred and parted of their own accord, gracefully weaving aside to form a clear path before her. Even the surrounding trees rustled faintly and seemed to lean away in reverent stillness, as though bowing to a mighty presence—or perhaps, finally recognizing the return of their rightful master.

The interior of the temple was in even worse condition, bearing silent witness to the devastation that had once unfolded within in its distant past. Cracks lined the marble walls, and shattered fragments of stained glass littered the floor, their once-vibrant hues dulled by time and dust.

Traces of battle still lingered faintly in the surroundings as scattered across the ground were broken weapons, shattered armor, and the long-dried remnants of divine artifacts. Amid them lay twisted and broken skeletons, their poses frozen in agony or defiance, marking the final moments of those who had perished here.

Some of these remains clearly belonged to the believers of other divine beings—invaders who had once dared to breach this sacred domain, perhaps during the fall of the former World Tree.

Upon closer observation, Evé noted that the bones were not all the same. Some were distinctly inhuman. She saw skeletons with elongated limbs, fanged jaws, and even a few with one or more pairs of wing bones—remains that most likely belonged to angels, servants devoted exclusively to the gods of humanity.

Evé didn’t linger much in this outer area.

Guided by an inexplicable call, she made her way into the deepest part of the temple, which was the main hall.

She found no statue within this hall, but instead, at the far end was a throne. Although it looked worn and broken, it still radiated the majesty it once possessed. Also engraved upon it were symbols of life, nature, and the elves.

This clearly was the divine throne of the former World Tree.

Based on the knowledge she had inherited, Evé knew that this throne was also the entrance to this realm’s origin—its provenance.

Her footsteps echoed softly through the silent hall as she stepped forward and seated herself upon the ancient throne.

Then, she summoned her divine power and expanded her vast network of faith.

At the precise moment her network unfolded, the throne responded with a gentle radiance, emitting a soft, gleaming light. With a sudden shift in perception, her consciousness was whisked away and she found herself transported into a hidden, isolated chamber.

Looking around, it seemed to be an inner sanctum smaller than the temple above, yet suffused with prismatic light. Shades of green dominated the space, casting everything in a serene, dreamlike glow.

This was where the Provenance of the Divine Kingdom was stored.

Every self-contained space, whether it be a pocket dimension, demirealm, Divine Kingdom, or even a fully matured realm, possessed a provenance of its own.

Finding this place… was Eve’s ultimate goal for exploring the temple.

As she gazed at the shimmering lights around her, Evé stirred her divine powers and began to absorb them into herself.

The surrounding streams of light swiftly responded, swirling into motion as though awakened. They danced around her in graceful spirals before flowing directly into her body like rivers returning to their source.

They circled within her for a moment before flying out once more. But when they emerged again, a connection had already been formed between them and Eve.

In that moment, she had successfully absorbed the provenance of this place, thereby becoming the new true master of this shattered divine kingdom!

It seemed relatively simple, but in reality, the process was far from it, since only she, who was the successor of the World Tree and shared the same origin as this Divine Kingdom, could have accepted its provenance seamlessly like that in an instant.

With her now being this realm’s new master, Evé immediately gained full insight into the state of the entire Divine Kingdom.

“Hmm, over half of this realm is in ruins, and less than one-tenth of its original divine essence remains. In addition… there are several areas that have been tainted by the power of the Abyss, and some powerful beings from the Abyss have opened passages here… resulting in signs of abyssal corruption…”

“This also indirectly proves that the divine war a thousand years ago was the result of collusion between gods of faith and evil gods from the abyss.”

Evé shook her head.

“What a pity… this Divine Kingdom is beyond recovery. Its foundational laws have almost completely corrupted and are slowly being consumed by the Abyss. If left unchecked, the Abyss will eventually devour what little essence remains and reduce it to a lesser demirealm—perhaps even one inferior than the Ouros demirealm.”

In its current state, any attempt to save this place would be a futile endeavor.

Moreover, its remaining divine essence was negligible and utterly insignificant compared to her current Divine Kingdom.

Furthermore, even if she absorbed all of it into her existing Divine Kingdom, the benefits she would gain would be minimal at best.

Nevertheless, Evé had no intention of absorbing this realm’s essence for herself as she planned to proceed with her original objective all along.

Namely, to use this shattered divine realm’s remaining essence to repair the Ouros demirealm!

“The remaining divine essence in this realm should be sufficient enough to restore Ouros’ provenance. Afterward, there should still be a small surplus to support the basic functions of what remains of this Divine Kingdom…”

“No, it might not even be considered a divine kingdom anymore afterward, as its essence would be nearly depleted, and it would be little more than a ruined demirealm at that point.”

“Even so, this place still holds some value. The remnants of the divine war a thousand years ago left behind countless pieces of buried equipment and skeletal remains, so it might become an interesting new map for the players…”

“Moreover, the areas corrupted by the Abyss are inhabited by demons. Some of those zones still contain open portals to the Abyss, so this could serve as a new grinding zone for the players as well…”

“This realm could be introduced as a new location for the players to explore.”

“Of course, that’s assuming this realm can still operate after I extract its essence.”

With that thought in mind, Evé estimated the amount of divine essence she needed to repair the Ouros demirealm, then began drawing it from the shattered divine kingdom.

As her will commanded, the divine essence in the air responded, swirling toward her like a torrent as it converged into her. At the same time, the very mana that once filled the kingdom began to drain away. As a result, the mana levels of the entire realm plummeted drastically, swiftly descending from the height of demigod-level power to something far less—barely reaching the state in which it could accommodate a legendary-rank.

With each passing moment, the divine kingdom’s foundations weakened further, and Evé could feel the entire realm groaning under the strain. The air itself seemed to tremble, as if the realm were on the verge of collapse—especially around the place where she stood, the realm’s heart of divine essence.

By this point, the divine kingdom was pretty close to collapsing, unable to accommodate the presence of a mythical being like her…

Sensing this, Evé immediately suppressed the power manifested through her incarnation, which gradually halted the collapse.

It wasn’t until two-thirds of the realm’s divine essence had been extracted that she finally stopped drawing.

By now, the maximum power the realm could accommodate had fallen to the level of a Gold-rank.

Hence, any being above Gold-rank would be unable to enter this place—that is, unless they deliberately suppressed their own strength.

Even then, they would be unable to exert power beyond the Golden-rank once inside.

Of course, beings above the demigod level could still forcefully unleash their powers, but doing so would cause this realm to collapse entirely.

With that, Eve’s objective here was complete.

But just then, the entire realm trembled once more and began to subtly sink. At the same time, in the northwestern part of the continent back in Seigües—within the northern reaches of the Elven Forest—an intense spatial disturbance suddenly erupted.

Strange lights appeared in the sky as images from within the shattered divine kingdom began to manifest, forming a series of hazy light gates on the ground below.

They were dimensional passageways.

With most of its divine essence drained, this broken divine kingdom could no longer sustain itself. As a result, it was forced to rely on the power of Seigües, fully opening a dimensional passageway there to maintain its existence.

At this moment, the realm was already teetering on the edge of transformation—gradually being assimilated into a demirealm under the pull of Seigües’ influence.

These profound changes unleashed breathtaking phenomena across the skies. Brilliant auroras, shimmering ripples of light, and vast currents of divine energy surged outward, forming wondrous signs so radiant they could even be witnessed from the distant city of Florence.

Evé didn’t need any confirmation. She was certain that, by now, every living creature on the continent had sensed the upheaval. As for those powerful beings who had long concealed themselves within the secular world—they had almost certainly guessed what was going on.

Nonetheless, Evé was unfazed.

She had already anticipated this outcome even before she started drawing the realm’s divine essence in the first place.

And that was perfectly fine.

Unlike Evé, who had merged with the realm’s provenance and thus saw everything within it clearly, others wouldn’t have that clarity. Many would be intrigued by the broken divine kingdom, especially those ancient beings who had only recently reawakened and urgently needed to restore their power…

Soon, it wouldn’t be long before curious forces began to probe this place, seeking opportunity in its ruins. That, in turn, would conveniently shift attention away from her true activities.

Furthermore, while this shattered divine kingdom now belonged to her, no one else was aware of that fact. To outsiders, it was just another unclaimed remnant of the past. In that sense, it could serve as the perfect lure. With a bit of luck, it might even draw out key figures—or perhaps even some evil gods themselves—compelling them to personally investigate what they believed to be an abandoned, unstable realm ripe for exploitation.

All in all, it was almost certain that the northern region of the Elven Forest was about to become lively in the following days.

Of course, given her chosen public persona, there were still a few things Evé needed to do.

With that thought, she used her divine power to send out a public message—one that could only be perceived by any beings above the demigod rank:

“The World Tree’s divine kingdom is the legacy of the elven race. Any mythical entity that dares lay claim to it shall be considered an enemy of the elves—and of me.”

Hmm…

That should firmly establish her identity as a true god whose mind was deeply influenced by the power of faith.

Although whether it had any actual effect was another matter but she neither expected nor hoped for it to matter much anyway.

Having done all she needed, she departed from the divine kingdom’s core temple and returned to the realm of Seigües.

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