Chapter 158: Ch 158 : Ghost in the Garden

“Sister, are we there yet?” Mammon’s voice was a low grumble of pure boredom. He was sprawled across Nova’s massive, draconic back, the thrill of their epic journey having long since faded.

For eight long years in the Realm of Advancement’s time, they had traveled. They had flown through a rain of pure acid that had sizzled against Nova’s absolute defense and navigated a storm of soul-slicing winds that had forced even Mammon to retreat deep into the safety of the void.

They had witnessed wonders and horrors that other beings could only dream of, but now, all Mammon wanted was for it to be over.

“Just a few million more kilometers,” Nova replied, her voice a calm, steady rumble as she navigated the strange, distorted space at the center of the realm.

“Then teleport! Why are we flying all this way like common birds?” he complained, his voice muffled by her obsidian scales.

“We can’t,” Nova explained patiently, her senses on high alert. “The spatial energy here is too thick, too chaotic. It’s like trying to swim through solid rock. Teleportation is impossible, and even the void is unstable. We must finish this last leg on our own.”

“That sucks,” Mammon muttered, and closed his eyes to rest.

“We just need to reach the location, take the treasure, and then escape the center of this realm,” Nova said, her focus unwavering. “Then Thea can create a portal for us.”

“That won’t work,” Mammon’s voice replied, his eyes still closed. “If the item our Master wants is truly as important as he says, it will be SSS-Grade. Thea’s portals are only SS-Grade. They can’t transport an item of a higher reality.”

“No,” Nova corrected him. “It is a special kind of item. Its grade is SS, but its value is immeasurable.”

“Then why not just manifest it? What’s the point of this long and boring trip?”

“Because this item can grant a God entry into the Realm of Advancement,” Nova explained, her voice dropping to a serious whisper. “Master does not want any other God, or worse, any demon, to get their hands on it.” Her words hung in the air, and just then, they saw it.

The chaotic, distorted space gave way to a sight of impossible beauty.

It was a garden, an Eden at the center of a chaotic realm of advancement. Trees with silver bark wept tears of starlight, and rivers of pure, liquid mana flowed between banks of glowing, SSS-Grade herbs. The air was sweet with the scent of a million unknown blossoms.

It was a place outside of time, a sanctuary that had remained untouched for eons. In the very center of this garden, atop a simple, elegant pedestal, rested a single, small token.

It was carved from a soft, green stone and pulsed with a gentle, commanding light. On its surface was a single, engraved word: ’Adam’.

They landed softly, their feet making no sound on the lush, green grass. They walked towards the pedestal, their steps slow and reverent.

The token shone brightly, and they could feel a profound connection between it and the very realm around them. It was as if this small object held the key to this entire, stitched-together reality.

Nova reached out a single, massive claw and gently picked it up.

The moment her claw touched the token, the entire Realm of Advancement shook. It wasn’t a violent tremor, but a deep, resonant hum, a wave of pure acknowledgment that rippled through every forest, every mountain, and every desert across the continent of realities, as if the realm itself was celebrating the arrival of its new master.

“Let’s return,” Mammon said suddenly, his voice sharp with alarm. His intuition was screaming, a silent, primal alarm bell ringing in his soul. “I am not getting a good feeling.”

But there was nowhere to run. The space was locked.

“Where do you think you are going, little ones?”

The voice was not loud. It was a calm, feminine whisper that seemed to come from the rustling leaves, the flowing water, and the very air they breathed. It was everywhere. And it was ancient.

“Who are you?! Show yourself!” Nova roared, unleashing her draconic aura. It was the raw, untamed pride of a true dragon, a physical pressure that made the very ground tremble and the air crackle with power.

“A lizard?” the voice mused, a hint of amusement in its tone. “It has been a long time since I fought one.”

“I am a DRAGON!” Nova bellowed, her pride flared.

“For me, they are both the same,” the voice replied coolly. “Unless, of course, you are a God.”

The statement hit Nova and Mammon like a physical blow. Their minds reeled.

This entity’s power was so absolute, its presence so overwhelming, that it could only be one of two things: a top-tier demigod far beyond their own level, or something else entirely. Something they were not equipped to fight.

[Master! Sister Nova and Brother Mammon have reached the location, but there is a problem!] Thea’s voice was a burst of emergency in Sunny’s mind.

He immediately focused his will, looking through the eyes of his two demigods. He saw the beautiful garden, the token in Nova’s claw, and he felt the suffocating, authoritative presence of the unseen entity. And then he heard the voice.

He felt a jolt of recognition so profound it nearly shook his form. He had heard that voice before, in the ghostly echoes of the past, in the River of Time.

It was the voice of the goddess who had started the peace treaty, the goddess who had sacrificed herself to save Adam.

“Freya?” Sunny whispered, his mind filled with a sudden, terrible worry. “But… she’s dead.” Whether it was her ghost, a lingering echo, or something far more sinister, it was a God-level threat, and his children were standing right in front of it.

He began to act. He didn’t have time to ponder the mystery. He focused his will, his Manifestation Affinity flaring to life. He pictured the token in Nova’s claw, but in his mind, he erased the name ’Adam’ and engraved a new one.

He could have created this token long ago to enter the realm himself, but the cost of descending into a realm with so many lifeforms would have been astronomical. But now, he had no choice.

He stood from his throne, holding his newly manifested token, the name ’Cosmos’ burning with a cold, determined light. He tore a portal open in his God space, a shimmering gateway to the Realm of Advancement.

It was time for a God to act.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep