After listening to Kallen's summary, Shuhu was completely dumbfounded.
What in the world did that even mean?
How long had he been asleep?
Since when had the Luofu's battle power stacked up to this extent?
Seven combatants at the level of Emanators?!
Isn't that a little too ridiculous?
Maybe he ought to crawl back into the box and keep sleeping…
Still unwilling to give up, and half-convinced that Kallen had to be messing with him, Shuhu asked again, "Boss… you're joking, right?"
There was one last trace of hope in his voice.
"Do I look like someone who jokes around?" Kallen asked.
Shuhu fell silent.
The smile on that handsome face disappeared completely.
"Four Emanators of the Hunt… two Dragon Sovereigns… one Emanator of Preservation…"
He lifted his head and looked straight at Kallen.
"Boss, you're sending me to my death."
"Weren't you the one who said you could solo the Luofu?" Kallen tilted her head. "Where'd all that confidence go?"
The corner of Shuhu's mouth twitched.
"Boss, that's because I didn't know the Luofu had that many monsters on it!"
"Four Emanators of the Hunt! Four! Even at my peak, I wouldn't dare claim I could handle four Emanators at once!"
"And that's not even counting the two Dragon Sovereigns and one Emanator of Preservation!"
His voice grew louder and louder until he was practically shouting.
"This isn't a war—it's suicide!"
Kallen listened expressionlessly. Once he was done, she asked flatly, "Finished?"
Shuhu's lips moved, but after seeing the calm, terrible stillness in her eyes, the rest of his words died in his throat.
"Y-yes. Finished…"
"Then listen to me."
Kallen stood up, brushed off her skirt, and raised her head, her gaze settling on his twitching face.
"I told you to go fight. I didn't say you had to fight all seven by yourself."
Shuhu's brow moved slightly.
"Boss, you mean…"
Kallen continued, "Naturally, I'm not sending you off to die for no reason."
And this time, she wasn't lying.
According to her script, she genuinely did need Shuhu.
It was just that, with Shuhu's level of strength, even though he was fairly decent on his own, one person still wasn't going to survive being dogpiled.
So, naturally, Kallen had prepared other options.
A little of the tension in Shuhu's newly restored heart finally loosened.
"Boss, so what exactly do you mean…?"
"I'm taking you to level up," Kallen replied.
"…Level up?" Shuhu stared blankly, utterly confused.
Kallen had no intention of explaining.
Time was tight. Another one of her personas had already been waiting there for a while.
"Come on. I'm taking you somewhere."
Before long, under the cover of Kallen's Nihility, the two of them arrived at Scalegorge Waterscape.
And the instant he arrived, Shuhu froze again.
He had actually entered Scalegorge Waterscape this easily?
In Shuhu's memory, this place ought to have been one of the most heavily guarded locations on the entire Luofu.
After all—
the Ambrosial Arbor was here.
That was an Abundance-born creation, the object the Xianzhou Alliance most desperately wanted destroyed and yet could never destroy; also the holy relic that every Abundance follower dreamed of.
Back then, the whole reason Shuhu had attacked the Luofu was to seize the Arbor.
That had been a war of staggering scale.
He had brought uncountable numbers of Abundance followers with him—borisin, shaped-life beings, hounds of abundance, and more. Countless races devoted to Abundance had rallied beneath his banner as he launched wave after wave of assaults against the Luofu.
And the Xianzhou Alliance's resistance had been just as fierce.
In the end, he had failed.
Shuhu cut off the memory there and forced his attention back to the present Scalegorge Waterscape.
Who would have thought that upon waking, he would sneak in this easily?
It made his previous efforts look pathetic.
Of course, Kallen also thought he looked a little pathetic.
After all, Shuhu's in-universe write-up sounded way more impressive than Phantylia's.
But Phantylia had still managed to absorb power from the Arbor.
So how had he ended up getting his ass handed to him?
Honestly, Shuhu was kind of disgracing Abundance.
With that thought, the two walked farther through the corridor, and soon the space ahead opened up.
Light poured down from above, spilling across the vast open expanse.
Shuhu stopped dead.
Because he saw the Arbor.
It was an enormous tree.
Though calling it a tree almost felt absurdly inadequate.
Its trunk was so massive it looked capable of holding up heaven and earth itself, its bark etched with ancient patterns, every line glowing with a rich emerald radiance.
That was the glow of Abundance.
Dense. Pure.
More powerful than any Abundance creation Shuhu had ever seen.
So this… this was the Arbor he had pursued all those years…
At that moment, Shuhu couldn't help but start hoping again.
Kallen had said she would help him level up. And she had brought him here.
Did that mean she intended to help him seize the Arbor?
But just as that thought took shape, his pupils suddenly shrank to the limit when his eyes finally took in the full scene beneath the Arbor.
Because he saw two people.
Two women.
One sat cradling the other in her lap beneath the Arbor, the two of them quietly sitting there as though they were merely enjoying the shade.
The scene was so ordinary that if it hadn't been under the Arbor, Shuhu would not have spared it a second glance.
But now his gaze locked onto the pair and refused to move.
Because—
his voice trembled.
His body trembled.
The Abundance power that had only just begun to return to him trembled too.
He did not recognize one of the women.
But he could tell instantly that the purity of Abundance on her body surpassed his own by dozens of times.
No—perhaps the gap was even greater than that.
The difference was so vast he could no longer even measure it.
But that wasn't even the main point.
The truly terrifying part was the other woman.
That was—
the star god he worshiped.
The god of Abundance.
Yaoshi.
"Ya… Yaoshi…"
The name emerged from Shuhu's throat one tortured syllable at a time.
Yet Yaoshi did not spare him a glance.
Her eyes were fixed solely on Kallen.
"…Good afternoon to both of you?" Kallen tried, offering a tentative greeting.
But Yaoshi had no intention of acknowledging her.
Her attention remained entirely on Cecilia in her arms.
Kallen: "..."
To be honest, Kallen was a little offended.
This was way too obvious.
Even Kiana had received special attention from Yaoshi.
So why was there absolutely nothing for Kallen's persona?
Well… not exactly nothing.
If one paid attention to the look in Yaoshi's eyes, something was there.
Very clearly.
Yaoshi wanted Kallen far away from Cecilia.
That's right—Yaoshi wanted Kallen far away from her own daughter.
The moment that thought crossed her mind, Kallen glanced up at Cecilia.
This was the cue.
Cecilia, naturally, understood immediately.
She sat up in Yaoshi's arms and said softly, "Mother Yaoshi, you can go back now."
"We can handle the rest ourselves."
The moment those words left her lips, the whole of Scalegorge Waterscape seemed to freeze.
The glow of the Arbor softened. Countless tiny green motes in the air trembled, as though in some silent thrill of joy.
The star god worshipped by numberless beings across the galaxy was now gazing down at Cecilia with a look of almost painful devotion.
Clearly, Yaoshi was far too happy.
And the reason was simple.
Cecilia's form of address.
Not only that—Yaoshi quite obviously wanted to hear it again.
Cecilia hesitated a little, then obediently said, "…Mother."
[Mm.]
Yaoshi answered, her voice suffused with a satisfaction so profound it felt almost tangible.
Then she lowered her head and lightly touched Cecilia's forehead.
Only after that did Yaoshi's eyes finally leave Cecilia and turn to Kallen.
And instantly—
that gaze changed.
If the way she looked at Cecilia was spring rain, soft and all-embracing, then the way she looked at Kallen was midwinter ice.
Her eyes said one thing with perfect clarity:
Stay away from my daughter.
And in the next instant, Yaoshi vanished.
Kallen: "..."
Kallen stared at the place where Yaoshi had disappeared, expressionless.
"…Does this persona really make me that disliked?"
She spoke very softly, low enough that only Shuhu beside her could hear.
But Shuhu didn't answer.
Because from the moment Yaoshi appeared, he had already entered a state of complete mental shutdown.
He stood there like a statue.
Not moving.
Not speaking.
His eyes moved from Yaoshi to Cecilia, then from Cecilia to the place where Yaoshi vanished, then back to Cecilia again.
Over and over, like some loop he could no longer escape.
His mind was processing what it had just witnessed at terrifying speed.
First, he had seen Yaoshi.
The very star god he worshipped.
The Merciful Medicine King.
Then, Yaoshi had been happy.
Not merely pleased in some ordinary sense.
No.
Radiantly, utterly, path-shakingly happy.
And the reason for that joy—
was because that woman had called her "Mother."
Shuhu's pupils shrank violently.
His mind finally finished assembling all the pieces into one conclusion.
Yaoshi—the star god of Abundance—had a daughter.
And that daughter was standing right in front of him.
"May… may I ask your name?"
The words scraped out of Shuhu's throat, almost unrecognizable.
Cecilia turned her head and smiled at him gently.
"My name is Cecilia."
"Cecilia Schariac."
Shuhu's lips trembled. His newly restored heart pounded wildly.
"Cecilia…"
He repeated the name under his breath, as though savoring some miracle.
Then suddenly he bent at the waist and bowed deeply.
His posture was respectful to the point of reverence.
"Miss Cecilia. I am Shuhu."
"An Emanator of Abundance. A devout servant of the Merciful Medicine King."
"To meet you here is my greatest honor."
His voice shook. His body shook. Even the Abundance inside him shook.
It was excitement from the depths of the soul.
Cecilia, for her part, looked a little surprised, but still nodded politely.
"Mr. Shuhu, hello. Welcome to the team."
At that, Shuhu lifted his head, his pale face now wearing a look of overwhelmed gratitude.
"Miss Cecilia, you are too kind. To be welcomed by you is a blessing."
"As an Emanator of Abundance, I have long yearned to behold Yaoshi once more—to hear her teachings with my own ears."
"But across innumerable Amber Eras, I have traveled to every corner of the galaxy without once glimpsing her true form."
"And now…"
His voice rose, overflowing with joy.
"Not only have I seen the Merciful Medicine King—I have seen her daughter as well!"
"What an honor! What a blessing!"
"Miss Cecilia—you must have been sent by the Merciful Medicine King to guide me. Am I right?"
The more he spoke, the more agitated he became. He stepped closer and closer, his pale face now full of fanatical devotion—like a believer finally standing before the end point of his faith.
But Cecilia's brows drew together just slightly.
She did not step back, yet the warmth in her lovely eyes rapidly vanished.
What is wrong with this man?
How did he become more of a bootlicker after being enslaved?
Where did this weird creep even come from?
"…Please keep your distance," Cecilia said coolly.
Shuhu stopped at once.
He froze, then immediately retreated two steps. The fervor on his face disappeared at once, replaced by obvious alarm.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I got too excited."
"Miss Cecilia, please forgive my discourtesy."
He bowed again, deeper than ever.
"I was simply… too happy. Truly, far too happy."
This time, Cecilia did not answer him.
She only shot Kallen a glance.
After all, Cecilia was only here to make a cameo in the Luofu show.
She was not meant to take center stage.
Seeing that glance, Kallen immediately returned one of her own.
This guy's attitude changed way too fast.
A moment ago, when he was being stomped into the floor, he was all, "I am an Emanator of Abundance, I have dignity."
And the instant he met Cecilia, he turned into this.
Still, Kallen couldn't be bothered to care.
The Nihility brand inside him ensured that no matter how sincerely he acted on the outside, and no matter what thoughts he nursed inside, he would never escape her hand.
"Enough," Kallen said, cutting off the rest of his worshipful nonsense.
"I didn't bring you here so you could perform some fanatical religious ceremony."
Shuhu stiffened. The wild devotion vanished at once, and he turned back toward Kallen.
"Boss, say the word."
Kallen lifted a hand and pointed at the immense Arbor behind them.
"See that tree?"
Shuhu's pupils narrowed, his gaze following her gesture to the huge green tree.
"I see it."
His voice had lowered again.
Kallen continued, "I need to borrow a little power from the Arbor."
"And then I'll have Cecilia level you up."
Shuhu's eyes lit up instantly.
Borrow the Arbor's power?
Have Yaoshi's daughter personally upgrade him?
Wasn't that exactly the kind of thing he had dreamed of?
"Boss, are you serious?!"
The pale face broke into sheer delight—
which then froze again.
His pupils shrank. His gaze moved back and forth between Kallen and Cecilia, calculating.
He was no fool.
No one became an Emanator of Abundance by being a mindless brute.
That earlier display of ecstatic devotion had certainly been sincere in part—but there had been performance in it as well.
And now, as the excitement faded and reason returned, Shuhu finally noticed something.
Something important.
He looked at Kallen.
He could not read her.
As an Emanator of Abundance, he had met many powerful beings and fought many times.
Whether it was the Xianzhou generals or Emanators of other Paths, he could usually gauge another person's level the instant he sensed them.
Kallen was different.
Her stance. Her breathing. The way power flowed through her…
Every detail made him feel one of two things.
Either this woman was so strong that he could not begin to comprehend her…
or she was a terrifying monster in disguise.
A chill ran down his spine.
He remembered again the feeling back in the Shackling Prison, when Nihility had begun eating away at his life force.
That had been real death.
This woman could kill him.
He accepted that as fact, then turned his eyes to Cecilia.
Yaoshi's daughter.
Though he knew almost nothing of her actual strength, there was no way a being treasured like that by a star god could be weak.
Not to mention the purity of Abundance on her…
His pupils contracted again.
He had felt it earlier already. But the more he considered it, the more unbelievable it became.
The Abundance around Cecilia was so much purer than his that they barely belonged on the same scale.
Not double.
Not tenfold.
It wasn't even a difference that could be quantified.
Because the Abundance radiating from Cecilia felt almost like standing before Yaoshi herself.
Of course, Cecilia's power was nowhere near Yaoshi's. But that purity—that essence—was astonishingly similar.
Shuhu swallowed hard.
Two beings, either capable of killing him or so deep he couldn't see the bottom of them—
and the power of the Arbor on top of that—
and that still wouldn't be enough to bring down the Luofu?
Only then did he finally realize the core issue.
"Boss," he said, his voice calmer than before.
"I have a question."
Kallen's brow twitched. "Ask."
Shuhu paused, as though carefully choosing his words.
"Boss, I admit this much: both you and Miss Cecilia are far stronger than I am."
"Especially you. We haven't truly fought, but as one Emanator to another, I do at least have that much eyesight."
"You could kill me with one kick."
Kallen stared at him without speaking.
The corner of Shuhu's mouth twitched, but he quickly smoothed it over.
"As for Miss Cecilia, there's even less to say. The daughter of the Merciful Medicine King—her strength must be unfathomable."
"But the problem is exactly that…"
He looked squarely at Kallen.
"If both of you are such overwhelmingly powerful beings, then why do you need me at all?"
"Or to put it another way…"
"If even the two of you together can't deal with the Luofu, then what exactly am I supposed to do?"
The room fell silent.
Kallen looked at him with those perfectly still eyes.
Then she spoke.
"When did I say Cecilia was going to act?"
Shuhu's pupils shrank violently. "Boss… what do you mean?"
"It means Cecilia won't appear on the Luofu."
"She's only here to level you up."
"After that, she leaves."
Shuhu's mouth opened, then shut, then opened again.
Expressions flickered rapidly across that pale face.
"So then… what about you?"
Kallen's answer remained calm.
"I have other things to do too."
"So once the upgrade is done…"
"you're the one who'll solo the Luofu."
Shuhu: "!!!!"
Wait.
What?
They expected him to solo the Luofu?
The Luofu that currently had seven Emanator-tier combatants gathered on it?
Even with the Arbor's power, he wasn't arrogant enough to think that made sense.
Of course, Kallen knew that too.
"Relax. I'm not asking you to actually wipe out the Luofu."
"When the Luofu holds the welcoming celebration, you only need to hold those Emanators off."
That made Shuhu feel slightly better.
If he gained the Arbor's power, then perhaps he could at least delay them for some time.
Then he asked again, "Then… Boss, what exactly are you going to do?"
In response, Kallen suddenly produced a cube covered in eyes from seemingly nowhere.
"I," she said, "am going to capture a dragon before the whole galaxy."
Prison Realm: 50,000 points
Ability description: A sealing tool capable of imprisoning even Emanators.
Activation condition: The target must enter within a four-meter radius and remain there while reliving a minute of "last-flash" recollection in their mind.
Join here to read ahead.
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 180)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter260)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter135)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (This matter is completely finished.)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 240
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 210
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 280
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 260
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/40
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 130
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 155
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 120
Summoning an Evil God, but the 75
Supernatural Multiverse 135
My Harem Is Indescribable 105
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 110
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 67
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 110
Still playing traditional Honk 91
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 95
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 80
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 90
Checking In in Demon Slayer 95
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 105
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 95
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 80
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 100
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 95
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 85
Why did they assign me to Uma 80
MYGO Beauties 75
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 80
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 90
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 105
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 65
The Uma Musume Who Became 70
I'm Definitely Not the King of 85
After Maxing Out Every Class 85
Naruto: I'm Konoha's Local Men 44
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 70
I, the Elden Sword Saint 60
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 60
No One Knows Pokémon Better 55
I, Sakazuki, Won't Go Down Tha 55
From Trilobites to Titans 55
Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 66
DanMachi: My Party Members Are 70
An Anime Heroine Darkened 60
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Links 50
Honkai: The Fire Devil 30
Honkai Transformation Cards 35
Age of Heroes, I'm Just a Back 45
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