Chapter 1921: Armageddon And Aquarina
Chapter 1921: Armageddon And Aquarina
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“Here we go! Calm down, Aquarina. It’s going to be okay.”
I held her hand tightly as we stepped through the gate and entered the mountain’s interior, finding ourselves inside the castle.
Dozens of Lesser Divine Spirits shaped like all sorts of creatures moved about: humanoid insects such as ants, dragonflies, praying mantises, golem-like beings, and even burning living-armor figures.
They were cleaning the halls, hanging decorations, and repairing unfinished sections. As we entered, a humanoid ant-like Lesser Divine Spirit with a golden exoskeleton and jewel-like red eyes greeted us. She wore an adorably frilly maid outfit.
“Welcome, Goddess Sylph and her guest! The Goddess has just completed her castle, and she recently created us to serve her and keep everything spotless,” she said in a gentle voice.
“S-She made you all?! She created dozens of Divine Spirits like it’s nothing?!” Aquarina asked, stunned by the sheer scale of Armageddon’s power. “But how?! Sylphy, are you sure she’s weaker than you?”
“She’s technically a Fragment of my own Soul,” I explained. “So she has direct access to my Endless Mana. Her power rises slowly as mine does, and when mine increases, so does hers. She simply knows how to wield this power far more precisely than I do. I can only use it roughly, mostly thanks to the system. That’s the difference between a novice like me and someone who has spent hundreds of thousands of years perfecting her divine and spiritual abilities to their absolute limits.”
“W-Woah…” Even Aquarina, who deeply resented Armageddon, couldn’t help but feel a flicker of respect for the blazing ant queen now that she saw what she could accomplish with true freedom.
“That’s exactly right,” the golden ant maid nodded. “I have heard that Demigoddess Sylph is the First Apprentice of our Great Queen Armageddon. Is that correct?”
“I am actually her Master,” I corrected gently. “But apprentice works too, I suppose.”
“M-Master? Hahah, you tell such funny jokes!” The maid giggled as though I were teasing her.
“Wait, what? No, I’m serious. She’s my familiar,” I insisted. “Anyway, where is she?”
“Ah, um, she’s waiting for you both on the highest floor. Please follow me…” The golden ant led us to a glowing runic magic circle. We stepped inside and were instantly teleported upward to the topmost level.
Above the ceiling stretched a breathtaking garden of fiery flowers and blazing trees. In a wide open area, the Blazing Ant Queen sat calmly, sipping tea.
Her enormous size and overwhelming divine aura sent shivers racing down Aquarina’s spine. I felt her teeth clenched in fury, stepping back instinctively. Her Aura surged violently, resembling a roaring sea dragon poised to strike.
“Welcome back. You’ve returned quite quickly! In just a couple of months, I’ve mostly finished my castle,” Armageddon said warmly.
“Wait, what?! Months?!” I asked in disbelief. “W-What do you mean? I was gone for like two hours…”
“Yes, and I accelerated the time flow within my Divine Realm,” Armageddon explained. “It’s the maximum limit—one hour outside equals one month here.”
“T-That’s insane! What kind of extreme time dilation is that?!” I exclaimed. “S-So in twelve hours, you’d experience a whole year?”
“It’s necessary,” she replied calmly. “The Divine Treasures you desire grow at an excruciatingly slow pace. Even the weakest require around one hundred years to mature properly under a constant rich flow of Endless Mana. Without acceleration, it could take five hundred years.”
“Welp, that’s freaking insane…” Aquarina muttered, still glaring at the giant ant with wide-eyed disbelief. “Sylphy, are you sure she won’t grow super strong and turn against you?”
“She remains part of my soul and my familiar. Any power she gains is shared with me, just like the rest of my familiars,” I reassured her. “If anything, this benefits us more than anyone.”
“Ugh… well, I guess…” Aquarina sighed reluctantly.
“I have a question, though. How can you manipulate the dungeon if you’re not the owner?! I didn’t know you were doing this…” Alice interjected.
“I am the owner of my Divine Spirit Realm!” Armageddon declared proudly. “But yes, you can oversee it and even forbid me from making changes if you wish. Since you haven’t intervened, I have the authority to modify it as well.”
“Huh…” Alice looked surprised. “Well, that’ll be up to Sylphy to decide.”
“It’s fine to leave it as is for now,” I nodded.
“So, did you like my Lesser Divine Spirits? They cannot compare themselves to true Divine Spirits or Great Spirits like me, but they serve perfectly as guards and servants. Wouldn’t you like one, Sylph? I bet they would prove far more useful than that little dragon you keep.”
“Who are you calling little dragon?!” Ignatius snapped indignantly. “And… wow, this place is amazing! I love all the fire. The divine essence in the air makes me feel so much stronger…”
“I suppose I could allow your pet to roam here as long as he behaves,” Armageddon offered. “Now, could you please calm your friend over there? Her face… stirs up unpleasant memories. I would have preferred not to see her again if possible.”
“Sorry, but she’s my girlfriend,” I said firmly. “We’re engaged and will become wives later, so I can’t allow you to disrespect my Aquarina, Armageddon. Please apologize.”
“Grrrr! Damn bug, why are you even here?!” Aquarina growled furiously.
“Hmph! I won’t apologize to someone who barges into my home uninvited and starts insulting me!” Armageddon hissed back, her temper flaring.
“Come on, you two, don’t fight!” I groaned, stepping between them to prevent an immediate clash. “Armageddon, we’re here because Aquarina still can’t trust you. Can you please tell her that you’re now working with us?”
“Hmm…” Armageddon raised an eyebrow, studying Aquarina with curiosity. “And what exactly would you like me to say? She clearly has no intention of forgiving me, let alone letting bygones be bygones.”
“You almost killed us all!” Aquarina shouted.
“Emphasis on almost! In the end, I never killed a single person, did I?” Armageddon retorted sharply. “Yes, I threatened everyone’s lives, and if it hadn’t been for you, your annoying friends, and your parents, I might have succeeded in expanding my reign across the desert and beyond. But you stopped me! You won! What more is there to resent? You utterly defeated me.”
“Well… Ah…” Aquarina paused, suddenly reconsidering. Armageddon wasn’t wrong. She had been far from good, but she was nothing like Lolth or the Evil God of Dungeons. “Damn it, she’s not wrong…”
“Haha, see?” I giggled softly. “Anyway, Armageddon, can you tell Aquarina that everything is okay now?”
“Everything is okay…” Armageddon sighed. “You and your… wife-to-be, well, we share certain similarities, and we plan to work together from now on. Aquarina, if you truly intend to stand against the gods one day, you’ll need to build forces for that fight. I’m doing things Sylphy would take hundreds or thousands of years to figure out alone. Honestly, you should be grateful I’m here to help her!”
“Tsk! Like hell I’ll ever be grateful, you damn ant!” Aquarina snapped, her Aura exploding in a brilliant azure wave. A giant coiling sea serpent manifested behind her, roaring fiercely at Armageddon. “I’ll beat you down and prove to Sylphy you’re still evil!”
And there she goes again…
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