[You ride the Courier Mole Cricket to the Forbidden Lake…]

The Courier Mole Cricket kept advancing deeper underground, and the travel time was far longer than usual.

After spending over half an hour, it finally arrived at the destination.

[…]

[The tremors subside, the flesh membranes on both sides of the abdominal cavity open…]

[You take a deep breath in the endless darkness, smelling thick, damp water vapor…]

[You jump down from the abdominal cavity. The Courier Mole Cricket lets out an uneasy cry, then immediately burrows away and vanishes.]

[You gather true essence at your eyes, finally seeing the scene before you clearly.]

[You are in an incomparably vast underground space. Not far ahead is a gigantic lake that stretches beyond sight. The amber-colored water is calm and profound, without the slightest ripple.]

[On the lakeshore stand two divine idols. One is the Desire Wet Nurse idol of a mother nursing a maggot, and one is the Primordial Firefly idol of a firefly releasing faint light.]

[Both divine idols are covered in cracks, as if they would crumble and collapse with the slightest external force.]

[You step forward and approach the two divine idols…]

[Suddenly, a man’s deep, powerful shout rings out by your ear…]

[Soldier! Obey my command! Take up your weapon and kill the enemy you hate!]

[The shout echoes over the lake for a long time. You hurriedly look around, trying to find the one who shouted.]

[But the lake remains calm as ever, and on the lakeshore there is only you alone.]

[Just as you are looking around, the man’s deep voice rings out again, still telling you to kill the enemy…]

[You look at the two divine idols before you, and understanding dawns in your heart. The enemy that voice refers to is one of the two divine idols in front of you.]

[Will you launch an attack on the Desire Wet Nurse idol, or launch an attack on the Primordial Firefly idol, or do nothing and immediately leave this place?]

Lin Xun narrowed his eyes and decisively chose the former.

[You form a sword seal. The Star-Shifting Celestial Sword turns into a sharp sword-light, and in an instant pierces through the Desire Wet Nurse idol.]

[Cracks spread across the idol. It continuously emits the ka-la sound of stone breaking, then shatters into countless tiny fragments.]

[The Primordial Firefly idol beside it suddenly blooms with dazzling radiance, illuminating the lake surface and the entire underground space.]

[The cracks on the firefly idol heal and repair rapidly. Before long, it becomes smooth and pristine. Not only that, you also discover the idol seems to have… come alive?]

[Spirited light appears in the eyes of the firefly-shaped idol. Its wing-cases vibrate nonstop as it detaches from the idol base and rises into the air…]

[The luminous organ at the end of the idol’s abdomen flashes repeatedly. Bathed in the warm light, you feel as if your body and mind are soaking in warm spring womb-fluid, warm and comfortable.]

“The main god finally shows itself!”

Lin Xun’s spirit lifted. He knew the scene before him was most likely the will of the Primordial Firefly descending.

[The firefly’s mouthparts open and close. The man’s deep, powerful voice rings out again…]

[Newcomer, I fear I must disappoint you. It is not the supreme firefly, but Belatu who guided you here.]

[For you to reach this place means you have read the notes it left behind. For you to shatter the Wet Nurse’s divine idol means you, like it, hate the Wet Nurse…]

[To welcome a newcomer so quickly, I must say, this is truly something that stirs one beyond measure.]

Lin Xun’s mouth twitched. “What’s going on?”

He thought he’d finally get to meet his side’s big shot, but the one possessing the divine idol was actually Belatu.

“Looking at it positively, Belatu can count as my side’s big shot too…”

“Except, isn’t Belatu dead?”

[Belatu continues speaking to you. You must be very puzzled. Was it not killed in action on the war front? How could it appear here and meet you in this manner…]

[None of that is important. You only need to know that if you can wholeheartedly serve the firefly, then even if your body is annihilated, the firefly will grant you the ability to remain within the web of consciousness, letting you gain immortality in another way.]

[The firefly will also grant you power, making you incomparably strong, so you can continue resisting the Wet Nurse…]

[Wait! You are not a child of the gods and a child who rebels against the Wet Nurse! You are a Firefly Favored Servant?!]

[The light at the end of the firefly’s tail abruptly goes out. The wing-cases stop vibrating. It lands on the idol base without moving, turning back into a cold stone statue…]

[…]

[After waiting a long time, the firefly idol revives again, and the man’s deep, powerful voice sounds…]

[Forgive it for not recognizing your identity just now, and please forget the words it said to you earlier.]

[Firefly Favored Servant bears the will of the supreme firefly, coming to the former Divine Kingdom to complete a mission.]

[As a believer of the firefly, it will help you with all its strength.]

[To complete the mission, the first step you must do is to retrieve the barbed stinger it left in the world.]

[It once left several barbed stingers on the front-line battlefield. Their whereabouts are now unknown. Finding the barbed stingers is not an easy matter and may require no small amount of effort.]

[After you retrieve the barbed stinger, return here and pray to the divine idol. It will give you assistance…]

“What a coincidence.”

Lin Xun froze, then immediately reacted.

He quickly opened the inventory and clicked the unused item Belatu’s Barbed Stinger.

[You take out Belatu’s Barbed Stinger and ask whether this is what it needs.]

[The firefly is clearly stunned. Belatu did not expect you to complete the first step so quickly. It silently takes the barbed stinger…]

[The barbed stinger originally displayed a brilliant, venomous coloration, but now, in Belatu’s hand, it flickers with an inexplicable radiance.]

[After a long while, Belatu returns the barbed stinger to you.]

[You have obtained Factor Toxin Barbed Stinger (Special Item)!]

[Factor Toxin Barbed Stinger (Special Item): The venom inside the barbed stinger has been replaced with a pitch-black liquid containing an unknown factor toxin.]

[You may inject the liquid in the barbed stinger into an enemy’s body, inflicting the weakened effect on an Ascended one. You may also empty the life factor inside the sheath and draw in other life factors again. This item is a throwing item and can only be used once.]

[Belatu tells you that the life factor inside the barbed stinger is something it developed through painstaking effort.]

[Because its bio-factor technology is not considered superb, this factor toxin cannot directly kill an Ascended one. It can only weaken an Ascended one by about two or three layers of strength.]

[But do not underestimate a weakening of two or three layers, because this factor toxin can also affect gods!]

[You must inject the barbed stinger into the body of the Pilgrimage Angel Mother Body. This way, you can use the many Pilgrimage Angel to spread the factor toxin to every corner of the Divine Kingdom.]

[So long as the factor toxin spreads smoothly, it may change the front-line battle situation!]

[Of course, that is the ideal state. The most difficult part of the plan is obtaining control authority over the Pilgrimage Angel Mother Body.]

[Only when you have control authority over the mother body can you command the Pilgrimage Angel to fly to every corner of the Divine Kingdom.]

[And at present, control authority over the Pilgrimage Angel Mother Body is in Flanda’s hands.]

[It does not mean the Flanda who rebelled against the Wet Nurse, but the newly manufactured young girl Flanda, who perfectly fused with the firefly’s life factor.]

[Its younger sister Flanda was too young, and originally only barely reached transcendent (demigod) strength… but the clone young girl Flanda, modeled after his sister, has fused with the firefly factor and may already have the strength of a god!]

[Even if she has not become a true god, she is not far from godhood!]

[Belatu pauses here, seeming to think about how to speak…]

[What you need to do is obtain control authority over the Pilgrimage Angel Mother Body from young girl Flanda…]

[Belatu takes a careful look at you, and seems to realize this is somewhat forcing the impossible.]

[It lets out a long sigh and says, somewhat wearily, that this plan is already the best plan it can think of. If you feel the risk is too great…]

[Steadfast and loyal Apostle, will you carry out Belatu’s plan?]

Lin Xun didn’t know what expression to make.

“Damn, can Hell Difficulty bully people like this?”

“I can’t even beat a demigod right now, and you want me to snatch something from a god… hellish game, you really are something!”

Although the hellish game is called The Book of Salvation, saving the world was simply far too distant for his current strength.

He really wanted to press ‘No,’ but after thinking and thinking, he still chose ‘Yes.’

“At worst I waste a few points of soul strength. Besides, high-difficulty tasks also mean high returns.”

“I can’t just watch world after world be destroyed and do nothing. That would be too pathetic.”

Lin Xun quickly convinced himself.

[Belatu sees you hesitate for a long time. It had already lost hope, but suddenly it sees you nod in agreement, and cannot help but feel extremely delighted.]

[It repeatedly praises you, saying it originally didn’t understand why the firefly chose you as a favored servant, but now it finally understands!]

[However, you can’t just go straight to your death lik… go straight to meet young girl Flanda like this either. It must give you some help.]

[As Belatu speaks, a pair of glowing, shimmering objects suddenly appears out of thin air before you.]

[You have obtained Flanda’s Crystal Dancing Shoes (Treasure)!]

[Belatu tells you that these dancing shoes were originally a coming-of-age gift it, as an older brother, gave to his younger sister, but unfortunately the real Flanda became a test subject and could no longer wear the dancing shoes.]

[If you are at a loss when facing young girl Flanda, you might as well try using these dancing shoes. Perhaps they can awaken part of Flanda’s memories…]

[Next, it will tell you the location of young girl Flanda’s sleeping palace, as well as the location of the Pilgrimage Angel Mother Body…]

[…]

[Respected Firefly Favored Servant, may the Lord’s radiance shine upon you forever. Good luck to you…]

[After Belatu finishes speaking, the light at the end of the firefly’s tail goes out, and it once again becomes a cold stone statue…]

[You have learned the specific location of the Flanda Sleeping Palace.]

[You have learned the specific location of the Pilgrimage Snow Mountain.]

“…”

“It just gives me a pair of shoes and leaves? Not even some life-saving item or anything?”

Lin Xun couldn’t help complaining out loud. It seemed the reward would only be given after the plan was completed.

The difficulty of directly clashing head-on with young girl Flanda was insanely abnormal. It was obviously impossible to win. The hellish game shouldn’t set an unsolvable dead-end.

If he couldn’t brute force it, then he could only outsmart her.

After thinking, he didn’t go straight to the Flanda Sleeping Palace, but first went to the Abandoned Ancient Nest.

If he wanted to outsmart, he might as well ask the real Flanda first.

After all, who could understand Flanda better than Flanda herself?

[…]

[Teleportation successful!]

[A powerful wandering soul awakens within a slime-covered sac…]

[…]

[You ride the elevator and arrive at the third level of the nest…]

[Oathbreaker Flanda slowly opens her eyes. Joy shows within her gaze. She does not grow irritated because you frequently disturb her slumber, and still keeps the same warmth as when you first met.]

[You had not noticed before, but now you have paid attention to the pain she hides beneath that joy.]

[Perhaps sleeping can lessen the pain of the lower-body pipeline extracting strength and flesh and blood from Flanda, but she has never mentioned it to you.]

[You tell Flanda about your experiences. Upon hearing that her older brother Belatu followed her in rebelling against the Wet Nurse and died in battle on the front line, she lowers her eyes and sobs softly.]

[Then, upon hearing that Belatu’s soul still remains within the web of consciousness and has become a believer of the firefly, she feels as if a burden has been lifted and reveals a smile.]

[Flanda silently laments that, unfortunately, like you, she can only wander on the edge of the web of consciousness. Otherwise, she could use Hive Consciousness to contact her older brother.]

[You describe Belatu’s plan truthfully, but you see Flanda frown.]

[She frowns and thinks for a long time, then speaks to explain…]

[Older brother’s plan cannot possibly work.]

[What she means is not the latter half of the plan, using the factor toxin to weaken Ascended ones, but the former half…]

[It is impossible to obtain control authority over the Pilgrimage Angel from her clone!]

[To speak frankly, it is rather shameful. Clone Flanda’s personality is exactly the same as hers was when she was young and ignorant.]

[Back then, she was the Wet Nurse’s youngest and most favored daughter, and thus developed a spoiled and unrestrained personality.]

[You have seen clone Flanda before. You should detest that personality, right?]

[It is impossible to persuade the clone to hand over control authority… in fact, so long as you reveal even a little, whether rebelliousness against the Wet Nurse or any words and actions that offend her, you will lose your life.]

[Flanda advises you to give up Belatu’s plan.]

[Unless you can use force to make the clone submit, even meeting her is a very dangerous thing.]

[…]

[Hearing this, you are deeply disappointed. You bid Flanda farewell and ride the elevator away…]

Lin Xun felt completely stuck.

He couldn’t win in a fight, he couldn’t talk it through, so what else could he do?

“Damn, how do you know it won’t work if you don’t try!”

“I don’t believe I can’t break this situation!”

Lin Xun opened the inventory, and his gaze fixed on a certain item.

“Hopefully this item can hold out a bit longer…”

He left the ancient nest, summoned the Courier Mole Cricket, and selected the destination, the Flanda Sleeping Palace!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep