Chapter 306
Eve's mind raced while she calmy waited:
Next...there should be two possible scenarios.
Since Nidhogg has essentially nullified the Eternal Church here in Maple Leaf City, his true body is most likely hidden somewhere in this city. But given his current condition, I'm sure that even if he recovers, his true body won't be in optimal condition.
In this scenario, if he were to be caught off guard, then Etriōu would surely detect his presence!
Although Etriōu is only exerting his will across the void, as a Supreme God amongst the deities, he should be capable enough of fighting Nidhogg even in long-distance combat. In this scenario wherein a clash or collision would occur between them, will be my best chance to seize the Scepter of Life!
However, the other scenario is if Nidhogg currently isn't present in Maple Leaf City...
In this case, Etriōu will undoubtedly choose to purge every follower of that old dragon in the city!
Either way, it'll be a significant blow to Nidhogg. He'll either face the enraged Eternal Lord head-on or opt to remain in hiding.
Regardless of the situation, I'll have a chance to seize the Scepter of Life!
These thoughts flashed within her mind an instant as Evé formulated her next plans.
As for whether the Eternal Lord would discover the Scepter of Life, she wasn't worried at all since this underground "Lair of Vitality" that Nidhogg created had superb defensive magic that isolated it from the outside world.
Even Evé, who had inherited the position of the World Tree hadn't sensed the Scepter of Life before entering here, let alone Etriōu whose only employing his will at the moment...
Looking at it this way, even if Evé didn't conceal her own aura, she likely wouldn't be discovered just as long as she remained inside this place.
Nevertheless, it's still better to be cautious and be prepared should an unexpected event occur!
Just then, another roar of anger rang out while Evé calmly observed the unfolding chaos in the city.
Yet this latest roar didn't actually come from the Eternal Lord this time, but rather, it resembled the fury of a wild beast.
—Or rather, a dragon's roar.
Eve's eyes flashed as her lips involuntarily curved into a slight grin.
Perfect!
Nidhogg is currently present in Maple Leaf City!
Suddenly, the entire Lair began to tremble as faint but terrifying energy fluctuations emanated from the surface...
And within those fluctuations lay an aura, thick with malevolence and desolation.
This was definitely Nidhogg's aura.
As Evé felt this aura, a realization dawned upon her, revealing the extent of Nidhogg's power in an instant.
So his strength is at the peak of weak divine power...
The energy fluctuations displayed by the old dragon were at the peak level of weak divine power.
However, the image of Nidhogg stored in the inheritance of the World Tree clearly showed that he was at the peak of intermediate divine power during the time when he was tearing her predecessor's roots.
Considering his race is a mythological dragon that attained the status of Ancient One, Nidhogg's strength definitely wasn't inferior to that of the true gods with strong divine power.
It seems...His current condition is really bad, no wonder he's been hiding all this time...
Similarly, this revelation made Evé breathe a sigh of relief.
As someone only currently in her incarnation form and not in her true body, she wouldn't be able to deal with him unless she lures Nidhogg inside her Celestial Domain and uses Withering Heart within it.
However, thanks to her machinations, someone else was dealing with that old dragon for her.
Good.
Let these clueless dogs bite one another whilst she poses as an opportunistic fisherman fishing in waters she deliberately troubled...
Evé calmly observed as Nidhogg's aura surged and clashed against the majestic and sacred aura of the Eternal Lord the moment it emerged.
It was evident by this point that these two mythical beings ended up fighting on the surface.
For a while, constant thunderous roars could be heard from afar as violent tremors shook the entire underground Lair.
Occasionally, a rubble would also fall from the ceiling, accompanied by faint creaking sounds, as if the entire Lair itself were about to collapse at any given moment.
Meanwhile, as chaos erupted on the surface, the believers of the Despair Church within the underground Lair also fell into disarray.
"Don't panic! Don't panic! Our mission is to guard this place! The Lord will surely take care of everything! We'll be killed by His Majesty if something goes wrong here!"
The elderly preacher's voice echoed urgently, his attempts to pacify his fellow believers marked by hurried shouts and gestures.
Gradually, the tense atmosphere began to ease, dissipating to its prior state under the preacher's authrorative words.
Yet, despite the commotion, Evé remained unperturbed.
As a true god herself, she understood clearly that the Lair built by Nidhogg was far stronger than imagined.
In fact, she firmly believed that this place wouldn't be destroyed even if the clash between the two mythical beings on the surface razed Maple Leaf City to the ground.
Meanwhile, at her side was Little Salty Cat whose also listening to the commotion with a look of excitement.
"It looks like there's a fight going on in the city... Shouldn't we also summon the goddess?"
"Yeah, let's do it! Let's summon her!"
Excitement rippled through the group, as they quietly invoked the goddess's incantation deep within their hearts.
"Praise the Goddess of Nature, the Overseer of Life, and the Great Sovereign of the Elvenkind—Evé Yggdrasill!"
However, Evé, who was standing beside them, remained motionless.
There's no need to rush...
Just patiently wait a little bit longer...
She squinted her eyes and once again observed the fluctuations coming from the battle above, whilst maintaining a calm expression.
However, the gradual clenching of her fists betrayed the calm facade she outwardly wore.
Then... Evé noticed a shift in the energy fluctuations, as if the two deities were moving further away and ascending to higher altitudes.
The battles between gods, even when the two opposing forces were not fully utilizing their full power would still have quite terrifying destructive capabilities.
It seems... although the Eternal Lord was angry, there was still some semblance of rationality within his will, as they still managed to drive Nidhogg to a farther and higher place to battle.
With this, Evé can finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The perfect moment to take action... has finally arrived!
In that instant, she decisively employed her own divine power as surge of divine power imbued with the essence of life suddenly emanated from the players.
As her divine energy coalesced and gradually weave into a spectral form, her illusionary body emerged like a mirage.
Without hesitation, she extended her hand towards the Scepter of Life perched atop the pyramid.
Seeing the illusory figure suddenly appearing within the Lair, the face of the elderly preacher from the Despair Church changed drastically.
"Oh no!"
However, just as the old preacher could raise the alarm, a shimmering, circular magic array materialized beneath him, halting his movements.
Similarly, the same array also materialized beneath each of his fellow believers, freezing them too in place with a sense of ominous foreboding.
Then, the array that materialized out of nowhere shimmered with dazzling light, and amidst their terrified gazes, without warning, each individual found themselves whisked away from sight.
Their Destination—the divine kingdom of the World Tree.
Not long after sending away the bothersome believers of Nidhogg, Evé immediately utilized her divine power to violently break through the defensive magic that's protecting the pyramid!
The air shimmered with golden light as the once sturdy stone pillars crumbled into fragments, revealing Scepter of Life within Evé's reach, beckoning her to claim it at last.
At that moment, Evé immediately detected a shift in the ongoing battle far above.
Vaguely, it seemed as though she could hear the angry roar of a dragon echoing from afar, directed towards this place.
Nidhogg finally discovered that the defensive array of his Lair had been compromised!
Eve's features quickly shifted, as her expression turned more serious.
With swift movements, her illusory figure in mid-air instantly enveloped the fragments of the Scepter of Life, as she conjured a massive teleportation array, enfolding not only the slumbering elves and players but also her own incarnation, before whisking them all away in an instant.
Of course...
Before leaving, she also utilized the power bestowed upon her by the Goddess of Death, as she meticulously cleansed the Lair of her lingering divine energy, and veiling it with Hela's aura, leaving no trace of her presence behind.
— 306 —
[ ACQUISITION OF THE DIVINE ARTIFACT ]
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