Gathering Again

Lin Miao froze instantly.

To be honest, he hadn't expected this at all.

Going from being a passive onlooker to rightfully using the Divine Net's features as an official member was certainly a good thing.

But Lin Miao was also well aware that he wasn't yet qualified to converse on equal terms with those veteran deities.

Moreover, he knew exactly how much of a lightning rod Earth was right now, and what kind of open and covert struggles the gods were engaging in to fight over it.

So he had always been cautious, making no moves for fear of exposing himself.

Lin Miao had never made a single post or left a single comment.

He had thought that as long as he kept quietly lurking, no one would notice his existence.

But now, his expectations had fallen through.

[Devouring End: No need to be so tense. It's rare to see a new Evil God these days, so I was just a bit curious.]

Seeing that Lin Miao didn't reply and only watched silently, the other party sent another message.

Fortunately, the other party didn't seem to suspect Lin Miao, nor did they intend to interrogate him.

[Devouring End: You'll understand soon enough anyway. You'll see what these hypocritical orthodox gods and the decaying order they've built really are. When that time comes, if you've figured things out, feel free to contact me anytime.]

Leaving behind those meaningful words, the other party vanished.

Lin Miao replied with a simple “I'll think about it,” and then stared blankly at the screen.

Would there really come a day when he would actively contact that unknown deity?

Being a god was truly no easy task.

The more he learned, the more he realized this.

Moreover, the burdens he carried on his shoulders now were simply too heavy.

The ant colony, and the Earth he lived on.

For a half-baked deity who had awakened by accident, every step was like walking on thin ice.

However, this didn't mean all rookie deities shared the same plight as Lin Miao.

[Pale King: I heard a rebellion broke out in Azeroth?]

[Lord of Red Sands: Yeah. Those guys are specifically targeting newly awakened lower-tier gods right now and forcing them into slavery. It would be stranger if no one rebelled.]

[Crimson Dragon Emperor: Wasn't it always like this? How ridiculous. But in this place, only those who survive have the right to do anything.]

Those high-tier deities who banded together would forcibly break into the worlds of newly awakened lower-tier gods, take their worlds and servants hostage, and turn them into their slaves.

Such occurrences had already become commonplace.

One only had to delve a bit deeper into the Divine Net forum to realize that beneath its veneer of order, it was essentially a lawless jungle.

Looking at it this way, since Terra had been designated as a competitive zone where high-tier deities couldn't interfere at will, and because he was perceived as an Outer God with his own base, his situation was actually extremely favorable.

It turned out that even after becoming a great deity, the most important thing was still power.

Might makes right; power is order.

This was a truth that could not be denied, no matter how it was packaged.

This was also why Lin Miao could absolutely not content himself with occupying only that small patch of land on Terra's northern border.

◆◆◆

While the main force of the ant colony marched north, leaving the nests empty, the Holy Kingdom launched a major counteroffensive, burning down several of the colony's nests.

After that, there was the final battle—seemingly meticulously engineered by the colony—which ultimately resulted in Celia's "sacrifice."

The main force trapped in the nests had eventually succeeded in breaking out.

In the blink of an eye, two months had passed.

In the capital of the Holy Kingdom, a solemn and grand coronation ceremony for the Saintess was being held in the central plaza.

Tens of thousands of citizens, dressed in plain white formal attire, gathered here, their devout gazes directed toward the high platform.

Grand Duke Lucas, dressed in royal attire embroidered with golden holy runes and holding a silver-trimmed scepter, stood before the Goddess's altar in the center of the high platform. He spoke in a loud, solemn voice, “Marianne, the great Goddess has recognized your strength and achievements. She has decided to bestow upon you more of Her divine protection and grace.”

Marianne, wearing a floor-sweeping pure white Saintess gown with her long hair tied back with silver ribbons, knelt on one knee. She crossed her hands over her chest and responded with a devout and firm expression, “I am infinitely grateful for the Goddess's grace.”

The plaza was dead silent; even the wind seemed to slow its pace.

Under the breathless gaze of tens of thousands of citizens, the Holy Kingdom's new generation of hero was born.

Grand Duke Lucas looked at the poised young woman before him, his eyes filled with expectation and trust, and declared loudly to the entire crowd, “Saintess Marianne. May you become our last and greatest hope.”

As his voice fell, Grand Duke Lucas held the Saintess's crown—inlaid with moonstone and holy crystals—with both hands, leaned down, and solemnly placed it upon Marianne's lowered head.

This crown, infused with the power of the Goddess Hestia, instantly resonated with the holy power inside Marianne, doubling her strength.

To ensure everyone could witness it, the Saintess's coronation ceremony was held publicly in the capital's central plaza.

Tens of thousands of citizens erupted into deafening cheers and applause, celebrating the birth of their hero.

Marianne suppressed the smirk rising in her heart, striving to maintain a solemn expression.

However, in stark contrast to the lively atmosphere of the venue, the Goddess Hestia—who had promoted Marianne to the rank of "Saintess," a level higher than an Apostle, and granted her more power—was currently in a terrible mood.

Hestia knew exactly what kind of person Marianne was.

She had also seen with her own eyes how Marianne had betrayed Celia at the last moment and fled alone.

But now, she had no more suitable candidate besides Marianne.

As for the petty grievances and hatreds among humans, Hestia didn't particularly care.

Marianne stepped down calmly. Count Merlin looked at her with a meaningful gaze and said, “What a pity. If Celia were still alive, she would have been happier for you than anyone else.”

“Indeed. So, please do not mention her name again, alright? Today is a joyous day, and I do not wish to feel sad because of it.”

Even when Celia was deliberately brought up, Marianne's expression didn't change in the slightest.

“I will definitely avenge Celia.”

She even went so far as to declare righteously that she would slaughter all the bugs to avenge Celia.

Count Merlin, who had roughly guessed the truth of the matter, ultimately chose to remain silent.

Because behind Marianne stood the Goddess.

Count Merlin himself was a believer in the Goddess, having faith in her power.

To deny Marianne was to deny the Goddess.

However, reason and emotion did not always align.

“...Did she really die in vain like that?”

Count Merlin muttered blankly to himself as he watched Marianne smile and wave to the cheering crowd.

【Elise judges that the recovery and expansion of the colony have been completed.】

During these two months, the ant colony had not been idle either.

Having devoured the planarian and obtained the brand-new ability of Universal Cells, Elise had fully replenished all their previously lost forces at an astonishing speed through the new production units.

“How is this just recovery... The western front is clearly still fighting, yet the numbers here are actually this massive.”

However, what shocked Lin Miao was that the number of ants currently spanning across the northern lands had already far exceeded the pre-war numbers.

Most of the main nest's forces still remained on the western front.

This meant the total forces of the ant colony had actually doubled.

【Elise judges that they must seize new lands and food.】

Normally, the population could not be increased at will. There had to be sufficient resources and space to support any growth.

Although the ant colony could break this natural law and artificially increase their numbers, the price was the inevitable side effects that followed.

Therefore, they had to achieve sufficient results before those side effects set in.

Countless mutated species, each possessing unique abilities and capable of executing various missions, formed a massive ant army, preparing to march out once more.

“The Great One says that the Holy Kingdom's role as a trap has ended. He has commanded us to utterly destroy that place and purge the Goddess's influence there.”

Now, a unique existence had joined the ranks of the ant colony.

“Furthermore, by using the Goddess's forces as nourishment, we can obtain enough power to conquer other regions.”

【Elise orders the entire army to scale the high wall and thoroughly purge all enemies within.】

A majestic heavy-armored ant crawled out of the cave-like nest with its massive body.

Riding on its back was a figure completely different from the rest of the colony.

She was entirely covered in a black exoskeleton similar to the ants, with not a single patch of skin exposed.

Unlike the other ants, she possessed human arms and legs, and her long silver hair fluttered in the wind, reaching down to her waist.

Her curvaceous figure proved that she was female.

“...The Saintess of the Holy Kingdom, Marianne.”

She gazed into the void. One of her blue eyes had been dyed red, flashing with light. Her gaze was not focused forward, but was directed toward a completely different place.

Through the connected hive mind, she saw the Holy Kingdom's high wall being monitored by scouting ants high in the sky.

There, Celia saw the smiling, pink-haired woman wearing ornate silver armor and a shining crown.

While she had been captured by the ant colony and subjected to hellish torment, that woman had returned to the human world without a care in the world, basking in all the glory.

Celia might have been able to forgive the act of fleeing itself.

If Marianne's life had truly been in danger at the time, Celia might have even sacrificed herself to save her.

But Marianne had not only run away but had also claimed all the credit for herself, treating all the vows between them as lies. This filled Celia with an incomparable rage.

Sensing the anger and resentment in her heart, Lin Miao sighed softly.

The more Celia hated Marianne, the better it was for Lin Miao.

Because for the sake of revenge, she would fight even harder.

In any endeavor, being forced to do something was never as efficient as taking the initiative oneself.

“R-Report! The enemy is coming!”

“Their numbers have increased again! It looks like there are at least twice as many as before!”

As the ant colony approached like a towering tidal wave, it was impossible for the Holy Kingdom's defenders not to notice.

The brief peace was over. The high wall immediately entered a state of emergency. Fully armed soldiers rushed into their positions, and all defensive facilities were activated.

The regional commander quickly asked, “Lord Gilbert! The Saintess...”

Apostle Gilbert bit his lip and told the anxious regional commander, “Someone has already been sent to notify her. She should be arriving shortly.”

Ultimately, Marianne, his former companion, had received the Goddess's recognition, climbing to a higher status and becoming the Saintess.

Although Gilbert had also led the main force to burn down many of the ant nests and earned military merits, he still paled in comparison to Marianne. This left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Gilbert made up his mind to prove his worth in this battle.

Fortunately, the supplies and manpower within the high wall were currently at their absolute peak.

He judged that even if the ant colony came out in full force, they would be able to hold.

This was all thanks to the legacy Celia had left behind as much as possible before her departure.

“H-How are there so many...”

A recruit who had only recently joined the army trembled all over at the sight before him.

The entire horizon was covered in a dense, swarming black.

It was countless ants, intertwined with one another, forming a single, colossal entity.

Their movement appeared chaotic, as if they might trip over themselves at any moment.

Yet in reality, there was not a single error in their coordination.

This extreme sense of order brought a profound, unsettling feeling of alienness to those who did not know the truth.

“Calm down! They will attack from the air first!”

However, the ant colony gave them no time for fear.

Above the ground army, countless flying species were already flapping their wings, leading the charge.

There were Dragon Ants carrying venom-pot ants, as well as tiger hornet ants brandishing their sharp venomous stingers.

“Do not worry about the bombardment! The holy defense barrier has already been activated!”

Gilbert watched with a tense expression as a massive magic circle slowly unfurled in the sky.

This large-scale holy defense barrier, constructed jointly by countless mages and priests, was their final trump card. It could withstand a significant amount of impact.

Although it wouldn't last long, as long as it could block the first wave of bombardment, it would have fulfilled its purpose.

【Elise is highly displeased with the failure of the airstrike.】

Elise was extremely dissatisfied as she watched the dropped venom-pot ants explode against the defense barrier without causing any effective damage.

She could see that cracks had already appeared on the barrier, but she also calculated that by the time the barrier was completely shattered, her own losses would be too immense to bear.

“...Let me try.”

Just then, Celia, who had been silently observing, raised her staff.

In her eyes as a mage, the holy defense barrier possessed a fatal weakness.

That was, this barrier had been designed from the very beginning to counter a traditional ant colony that only knew how to charge with their physical bodies.