Chapter 790

【 DIANA 】

—

“Is… she Yggdrasill?”

The enormous illusory face within the temple slowly spoke.

Surtr fell silent for a moment before shaking his head.

“I don’t know…”

Meeting the probing gaze of the illusory face, the Fire Giant pondered for a while before continuing:

“But I saw her holy statue and it was identical to Yggdrasill’s.”

“Moreover, she is very powerful. Although what I encountered was her incarnation, I could still feel an unmistakable sense of pressure from her. It was the kind of suppression that can only come from an extremely high degree of mastery over the power of laws.”

“I conducted some investigations. She first appeared five years ago, which coincidentally was also when the seal on the world of Seigües began to weaken.”

“To be able to attain the rank of a Higher Divine Power in merely five years… Even though the gods of faith advance more quickly than us Ancient Gods, that speed of advancement is still far too much incomprehensible.”

“Hence from such perspective, there is a high probability that she is indeed the resurrected Yggdrasill.”

“However, I also secretly infiltrated that false Pantheon and Yggdrasill’s divine throne there wasn’t active.”

“Furthermore, the believers who serve the Goddess of Life have undergone earth-shaking changes. I even specifically examined the Codex of Life from which her believers adhere to and aside from a few core doctrines, their teachings are now completely different from those of the Yggdrasill I remember.”

“Currently, the Goddess of Life has many believers. Thus, it’s obvious that the majority of her power likely comes from the power of faith.”

“Yet altering one’s doctrine is precisely what resurrected gods fear the most. So if we take this into consideration then she does not seem like Yggdrasill, after all. Instead, she appears more like her successor who inherited Yggdrasill’s divinities and authority.”

“Alas, it’s a pity that I did not venture into the Elven Forest to investigate further…”

After hearing Surtr’s account, the illusory giant replied:

“The divine thrones of the Pantheon are not omnipotent. The gods of faith may not know this, but as an Ancient God, I do. In truth, they are merely tools His Majesty Neo used to consolidate His rule.”

“There is no need to investigate the Elven Forest either. If she truly is Yggdrasill and has been concealing her identity all this time, then she has undoubtedly made thorough preparations to prevent anyone who might attempt to investigate the Elven Forest to uncover her identity.”

“Furthermore, the World Tree… is an existence capable of creating its own independent dimension and hiding within it. Thus, concealing her true body within an alternate dimension and leaving behind a false tree in its original place would not be difficult for Yggdrasill.”

Surtr’s heart stirred.

“Then… do you believe the Goddess of Life truly is Yggdrasill, Your Majesty?”

The Ancient God known as Guy let out a sigh.

“At the very least, there is a strong possibility.”

Then he gave a dry chuckle.

“Those lot who betrayed her have probably come to the same conclusion. Otherwise… why would a newly arisen Higher Divine Power, one who now safeguards the most important realm in the universe, receive no personal visit from any of their divine incarnations?”

“These past few days, I have been closely observing the world’s crystalline wall and aside from the God of War sending down a demigod, even the Eternal Lord has not dispatched so much as a divine envoy.”

Surtr frowned.

“You mean the gods of faith may target her again?”

Guy sneered.

“They are nothing but a group of hypocrites. At present, they are still at war in the Abyss and have not even broken through the barrier of the first layer. Therefore, for now, they are too occupied to spare the effort and may choose to turn a blind eye to her ascension.”

Then he let out another sigh.

“But once the war ends… the world of Seigües will likely know peace no longer.”

“Even if she may not actually be Yggdrasill at all?”

Surtr asked.

The giant face glanced at him and replied:

“For certain beings, even the slightest possibility is enough reason to eliminate a threat while it is still in its cradle.”

Surtr opened his mouth but ultimately fell silent.

After a pause, he asked:

“Lord Guy, if… if the Goddess of Life really is her, and if she truly goes to war with the gods of faith once more, then what should we do?”

“The last time, we were unable to participate. But… what about this time?”

This time, it was the illusory giant face that fell silent.

Only after a long while did he let out a deep sigh.

“Alas… we are merely pitiful wretches abandoned by the world.”

““If she truly is the Yggdrasill of old, and if she has returned carrying the same ideals as before, then it will be nothing more than another cycle repeating itself. It may even hasten this universe’s destruction, so there would be no meaning in it.”

“Although Etriōu is hypocritical, shameless, and narrow-minded, he nevertheless represents another path… even if that path offers only the faintest hope.”

Understanding the meaning behind the giant face’s words, Surtr parted his lips but found himself at a loss for words.

After a moment, he finally said:

“Your Majesty, Guy, although I only spoke with her briefly, I rather liked the Goddess of Life’s personality. She is nothing like the stubborn and dogmatic Yggdrasill of my memories. So if it truly is her… then Yggdrasill has undoubtedly changed as well. I think perhaps she may bring about genuine change this time.”

Guy: “…”

“…Who can say? What I said was merely my own stance. Alas, I no longer have the strength left to wager on such things. However, Surtr… you are not my subordinate. Should such a day truly come, then how you act, and how the others choose, is not something I will interfere with.”

The illusory giant face sighed deeply, seeming to have aged considerably.

Surtr lowered his head, unable to speak.

Only after some time did he raise it again and take out the golden crystal of life.

“By the way, Lord Guy, this is a gift from the Goddess of Life. It contains abundant laws of life and should greatly help with your injuries.”

As he spoke, he respectfully presented the golden crystal.

The illusory giant face swept its gaze across the crystal, its expression becoming complicated.

After a moment, he sighed and said:

“Put it away. The few of you need it far more than I do.”

“Lord Guy… you…”

Concern appeared on Surtr’s face.

The illusory giant face ruefully smiled and said,

“I know my own condition well. It is merely a crystal containing the divine laws of life. It cannot do much for me… This is the punishment left behind by Lord Neo. Thus, only someone at the Greater Divine Power can remove it.”

“Besides… I am not qualified to use it.”

He laughed self-deprecatingly at himself.

Then he glanced at Surtr and continued:

“However, it may help Imheter stabilize his condition. During the ages we slumbered, he has borne far too much for us.”

Having said that, the illusory giant face turned its gaze toward the hillside beyond the temple.

There, a one-eyed being sat atop a large boulder, lowering his head while carefully carving something as faint warmth and gentleness rested upon his honest-looking face.

It was a Titan.

“Also… I think this is the right time to tell ‘her’ about the Goddess of Life.”

“In the end, I am still the master of Utopia. I cannot allow this land to be engulfed by the flames of war. Therefore, regarding Imheter’s situation…”

The illusory giant face looked toward Surtr, his gaze deep and meaningful.

Surtr let out a bitter smile.

“…I understand.”

Then he scratched his head.

“However… I’m afraid I won’t be able to persuade him.”

“Just do your best. I’m tired. I need to rest.”

The illusory giant face spoke wearily.

As soon as he finished speaking, the pale blue radiance gradually faded away and retreated back into the oil lamp.

Surtr scratched his head, sighed, and walked out of the temple.

Arriving at the foot of the hillside, he called out:

“Imheter!”

Upon hearing his voice, the Titan on the hillside put away what he was holding and looked down.

The moment he saw Surtr, a trace of joy appeared in his lone eye, and he smiled honestly.

“Lo… Lord Surtr!”

As he called out, the huge Titan patted the dust off his clothes, stood up, and walked over to Surtr.

Looking at the huge Titan, who was even taller than himself, Surtr frowned.

“Imheter, you’ve become too tall.”

Imheter scratched his head awkwardly. A flash of light passed over his body, and he quickly shrank until he was roughly the same size as Surtr.

“Wh… what can I do for you?”

he asked respectfully.

Surtr took out the golden crystal of life, split it in half, and handed one portion to him.

“Here. This is a gift from the Goddess of Life. It can help stabilize your condition and prevent your rank from falling below Mythical status.”

“You’ve worked hard these past thousand years, so it is just prudent to reward you as such.”

As he spoke, he glanced at the hand Imheter had hidden behind his back and raised an eyebrow.

“What were you doing just now?”

“N-Nothing…”

The huge Titan named Imheter quickly hid his hands farther behind his back, his expression somewhat bashful.

However, Surtr had sharp eyes, and with a little help from his divine senses, he quickly saw what the other party was hiding.

It was a humanoid sculpture.

The sculpture depicted a beautiful woman with pointed ears and exquisite features, dressed in fine celestial robes.

It was so lifelike that it seemed almost real.

If the players were present, they would undoubtedly be astonished to discover that it was none other than a statue of the Goddess of Life.

Surtr raised an eyebrow but did not expose him. Instead, he let out a soft sigh and patted his shoulder.

“Imheter…”

“The Goddess of Life has already advanced to Higher Divine Power, and the elves’ crisis has been resolved. It is time to tell Diana the truth.”

“Thus, you no longer need to travel to the mainland every year searching for elves.”

The Titan’s expression changed slightly after hearing Surtr’s words.

He hesitated for a moment, lowered his head, and fell silent.

Looking at his dejected appearance and recalling the words of the illusory giant face, Surtr’s expression became somewhat complicated.

He let out a long sigh and said:

“Forget it… I won’t tell you what you must do. However, Diana has the right to know what is happening in the world of Seigües. You cannot make that choice on someone else’s behalf.”

“Besides, the elves’ true homeland has always been the Elven Forest.”

As he spoke, Surtr glanced at him and continued:

“The same goes for Diana. More importantly, in the end, she is merely your guest and not a canary to be locked inside a cage in perpetuity.”

Patting the huge Titan on the shoulder, Surtr gave him a meaningful look and left.

Imheter’s expression shifted several times before he finally clenched his fists and lowered his head.

Looking at the golden crystal of life in his hand, he hesitated briefly before putting it away.

Then he headed toward the rear of the temple complex.

There behind the temples stood a cave.

Imheter walked all the way to its deepest chamber and stopped before an ancient stone slab.

Complex magical patterns and archaic runes were carved across its surface, giving it an air of profound mystery.

Standing before the stone slab, Imheter quietly chanted an incantation.

As the spell left his lips, the patterns and runes carved into the stone gradually lit up, blossoming into a dazzling radiance.

A faint fluctuation of space spread through the air, and the massive stone began to hum. Immediately after, a constantly rotating spatial gate slowly materialized inside the cave.

Seeing the portal shimmering with a hazy glow, a faint smile appeared in the Titan’s eyes.

He straightened himself, then leapt forward and jumped into it.

His vision shifted before Imheter, the Titan, appeared within a forest.

It was an exceptionally lush forest, comparable to the Elven Forest, though its scale was much smaller.

The Titan quickly passed through the woods and arrived at an open plain.

Across the plain grew all manner of strange and wondrous plants. A small town constructed from white stone was nestled among them, faintly reminiscent of elven architecture.

From time to time, one could see small figures playing and frolicking among the flowerbeds and outside the town, laughing brightly, innocent and carefree, filled with happiness.

They were young elves.

Farther away, elves of various hair colors were working in the fields and within the village, every face carried a peaceful, content smile.

Soft, melodious music drifted from the direction of the town, where elves were playing instruments in a gentle and soothing harmony.

Imheter gazed toward the distant town and smiled warmly.

His body once again shrank in size as he walked toward the settlement.

Upon seeing him, the surrounding elves immediately stopped their work and rose to bow respectfully, their voices filled with gratitude.

“Lord Imheter!”

Imheter in response smiled and nodded in his simple, good-natured way, signaling for them to continue their work. Then he walked directly toward a certain direction.

Finally, he stopped in front of a temple.

The temple was grand and imposing, adorned with tree-shaped emblem. Imheter briefly looked at it before entering and stepped into the main hall.

Inside the hall stood a sacred and elegant statue of a female deity…

Before it, a beautiful female elf was quietly praying.

She wore a pure white elven priestess gown, her silver hair shimmering softly, her features exquisite and refined.

If Evé were here, the she would immediately recognize her as the missing royal demigod of the Moonlight Clan, the Queen of the Elves, Diana.

However, her eyes were covered by a white cloth, and her current form appeared somewhat ethereal.

Hearing movement behind her, the female elf ended her prayer and slowly turned around.

“Lord Imheter?”

Her voice was gentle and pleasant.

Imheter gave a foolish, earnest smile, his eyes filled with affection.

He took a carved statue from his chest and handed it to her, speaking somewhat hesitantly.

“D-Diana, here… a gift. Happy birthday.”

The silver-haired elf paused for a moment, then accepted the statue.

Diana gently ran her fingers over it and nodded slightly, her voice soft.

“Thank you, Lord Imheter.”

Imheter’s smile grew even brighter.

He then took out the golden crystal from his chest and placed it into her hands.

“Also, Diana… h-here.”

“W-With this… your body… can be saved.”

Upon touching the golden crystal, Diana’s smile froze instantly.

Suddenly, she grabbed Imheter’s hands in excitement.

Under his nervous and uncertain gaze, her entire body trembled as she asked urgently:

“L-Lord Imheter!”

“Where did you get this… this thing from?”