Chapter 146: The Headless Gnome

"Scarlet Queen, what are you doing here?" a small individual roughly the size of a seven-year-old child asked.

The individual was resting lazily in a hammock, his body sprawled comfortably across it. He did not even bother getting up to greet the Scarlet Queen, merely raising his head slightly before giving her a tired look.

"Aren’t you supposed to be at that secret meeting? Or something like that?"

The Scarlet Queen did not bother reacting to his lazy attitude. She was already used to his strange behavior, and besides, the Headless Gnome was an incredibly powerful foe. Picking a fight with him over something so trivial would only bring unnecessary catastrophe.

She cleared her throat before speaking. "Headless Gnome, Ducaya. I have come with some rather lovely news."

Ducaya slowly raised his head, his interest immediately piqued.

"The other members of the Constellations have agreed to give you a special little honor. From this day onward, you shall be recognized as the twelfth member of the Twelve Constellations."

For the first time, Ducaya looked genuinely interested.

"Twelfth? What happened? Did someone quit?"

He asked the question so casually that it almost seemed like he had completely ignored the fact that he had just been accepted into the pinnacle of the world.

"Unfortunately, the Fearless Demon was erased by the God after asking to become a god himself."

Ducaya’s eye twitched slightly.

"Wait, really?"

He finally sat up in the hammock, rubbing his chin as he thought about it.

"I mean, that guy was pretty ballsy. Challenging even a god himself... What a fool."

He let out a small sigh before finally climbing out of the hammock and stretching his body.

"Exactly. That’s what you get for being too fearless," the Scarlet Queen chuckled, covering her mouth slightly as she giggled.

"That guy even refused an authority that was offered to him, saying that a warrior has no god." She shook her head with an amused expression, as if she still could not believe how foolishly brave he had been.

"Then, is that all you came here to say? Just me becoming the twelfth member? I already knew something like this would happen eventually."

The Scarlet Queen smiled faintly.

"Not only that..."

She then explained everything to him, including the agreement between the Constellations and the gods, the coming invasion, and the mysterious enemy that existed beyond their world. She also explained that every Constellation was expected to prepare their own forces, while the God had promised to reward those who participated in the battle.

Ducaya listened quietly, his expression becoming more serious as the explanation continued.

"Pretty interesting that even you, the Scarlet Queen, are no match for the Onyx Elf."

The Scarlet Queen’s expression immediately changed, her eyes widening in surprise.

"How did you know that?"

Ducaya simply shrugged, his expression remaining completely relaxed.

"I have my sources..."

The Scarlet Queen narrowed her eyes at him, clearly suspicious of the answer, but decided not to press the matter further.

"So, you want me to prepare my strongest underlings?"

The Scarlet Queen nodded.

"Exactly. Gather your strongest little warriors and bring them along. We need the very best of what you have."

Ducaya scratched the back of his head before glancing toward the forest surrounding him.

"Fine, fine. I suppose I can gather a few of my strongest little guys."

He paused for a moment before smiling.

"Just don’t complain if they get a little too excited."

--

"Bring me the strongest warriors of this land, or else I shall destroy everything!"

The Dark Emperor shouted as he rode through the streets of the western continent atop a massive drake. His enormous body towered over the surrounding buildings, while terrified citizens scattered in every direction at the sight of him.

He pointed toward the distant streets with one massive hand.

"I want the strongest! The biggest! The ones who think they can actually survive beside me!"

Far away, within the high mountain region of the Shade Forest, the Beast Emperor sat comfortably atop a massive stone ledge. Below him, two enormous Beast Kings violently clashed against one another, their roars echoing throughout the mountains.

"DEFEAT THAT BEAST, ICHI!" Estoa shouted proudly.

He casually tore another piece of meat from the chunk in his hand and shoved it into his mouth while watching the battle with great excitement.

"We need to subdue that Beast King! If he is strong enough, he will fight alongside us!"

Across the world, the Constellations began preparing their forces.

The one-year deadline given by the Entity was rapidly approaching, and none of them intended to enter the coming invasion unprepared. Every Constellation began searching for their strongest warriors, gathering armies, servants, beasts, and prodigies worthy of standing beside them.

The Dark Emperor recruited through brute force, challenging powerful warriors and forcing them to prove their strength. The Beast Emperor focused on taming powerful Beast Kings, seeking to turn the strongest creatures of the world into his companions.

The Scarlet Queen gathered the twelve Bishops of the Scarlet Church, selecting the most powerful and loyal followers under her command. Onyx Elf, however, remained solitary as always, having no interest in gathering an army around himself.

The Sky Devourer and Sea Conquerer sought out the proudest and strongest warriors of their respective races, while Lapace the Overproud prepared his most loyal servants. The Dark Elf Witch began assembling her undead army, raising countless corpses that would march beneath her banner.

Meanwhile, Thousand Petal and the Magic Swordsman searched throughout the Salean Kingdom for its greatest prodigies, gathering talented warriors who possessed the potential to reach the pinnacle one day.

The Mother of Evil also began preparing her most loyal servants, while the other Constellations quietly made their own preparations.

One year.

That was all the time they had been given.

And with every passing day, the armies of the Constellations grew larger, stronger, and more prepared for the unknown enemy waiting beyond their world.

VISUALS ON DISCORD!!! JOIN IT!!