【 CULTIVATING SUBORDINATE GODS, OPENING NEW RANKS 】
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The potential candidates capable of becoming her subordinate gods were, in truth, extremely limited.
First, they needed to possess unwavering faith toward her.
Second, they had to possess sufficient innate potential and talent of their own.
Taking these two conditions into consideration, the individuals whom Evé could genuinely consider, aside from her already established subordinate gods such as Fairy King Feynir, the Star of Dawn Aurora, and Shadow of Night Eris, were only the legendary elf Kelez, Saintess of Life Alice, and the primordial elf Thranduil.
Among them, Alice’s current rank was still relatively low, and her innate potential was also the weakest of the candidates. Moreover, the process of ascending to godhood needed to be completed as quickly as possible. Under such circumstances, investing large amounts of divine power into nurturing Alice at this stage would not produce immediate results.
Thus, for the time being, Alice could only be temporarily excluded from consideration.
Of course, this did not mean Evé intended to abandon her altogether. On the contrary, Evé could still bestow greater divine favor upon Alice, thereby elevating her strength into the Legendary-rank first.
As for Thranduil, his potential was undoubtedly sufficient. However, Evé felt that his temperament was not particularly suited for becoming a subordinate god.
Moreover, his current strength was still rather limited, meaning his advancement would inevitably be comparatively slow.
With these considerations in mind, he too could only be postponed for the time being.
For now, granting him sufficient divine favor and allowing him to advance into the Legendary-rank would already be more than enough.
As for the legendary elf Kelez, his potential was exceptionally high. Evé could sense that he stood only a single step away from becoming a demigod.
However, under Evé’s observation, the path of laws he had chosen conflicted with the domains of ocean and storm, and this legendary elf had long since determined the future road he wished to walk.
So rather than forcefully relying on external power, it would be better to allow Kelez to achieve demigodhood, or perhaps even true godhood, through his own efforts.
If that happened, perhaps he would ultimately be able to go even farther.
Aside from these individuals, the only remaining candidates are one elemental fairy demigod and two elven demigods.
Come to think of it, directly advancing from demigod to Mythical-rank was also the easiest path.
After pondering for a moment, Evé made her decision.
Feynir served as her primary attendant within her Divine Kingdom.
Although sufficiently loyal, Feynir had little need for combat. For her, the strength of a demigod was already more than enough.
As for the two elven demigods, in Evé’s observation, both specialized more in combat.
Among them, Aurora’s own attributes were already closely related to the water element, making her highly compatible with the Divinity of the Ocean.
Therefore, entrusting the divinity of the ocean to her might prove to be an excellent choice.
However, if that were the case, there would no longer be any need to give Aurora the demonic spear, for the Trident of the Sea God naturally complemented this position far better.
As for Eris, her loyalty was also not a concern.
The half year during which Evé had slumbered had also served as half a year of testing.
Although Evé had not yet formally spoken with Eris, after awakening, she had learned through the experiences of several players from Demacia that Eris was an extraordinarily devout demigod.
During those six months, it was precisely because of Eris’s diligence and dedication that the faith of the entire Realm of Mindel had been completely consolidated.
That amounted to believers numbering in the tens of millions. Such a scale was not something merely ten players could possibly manage, even if Demacia and Dōngdōng possessed exceptionally strong abilities to influence others.
The greatest contributor was still the Shadow of Night, Eris.
In other words, after Evé’s revival, aside from her newly transformed strength, the greatest surprise she had received was the sudden addition of tens of millions of believers from the Realm of Mindel.
From this perspective, it would be worth considering granting the divinity of storms to Eris.
However, it would be best to wait until they formally met before making a final decision based on her own impression.
After making her plans, Evé first decided to contact Aurora.
→⟐←
Elven Forest, Mirovia.
After entrusting the post-war cleanup of Maple Moon to Meryer, Aurora had finally returned to this coastal city.
The aftermath of the tsunami and the war had left the western coastline of the Elven Forest in a severely damaged state. Entire stretches of land had been torn apart, forests were submerged or shattered, and once-thriving coastal settlements now stood in ruins, half-buried in sand and saltwater.
As such, everything, without exception, needed to be rebuilt.
Fortunately, Mirovia itself had been spared the worst of the destruction, thanks to the city’s defensive holy barrier.
The hardest days had already passed.
With the situation stabilized, even the atmosphere of the Elven Forest had begun to shift. Aside from the combat-oriented players, a growing number of life-oriented players had returned as well. They spread across Mirovia and its surrounding territories, assisting the elves in clearing debris and the reconstruction efforts.
At this moment, Aurora personally took part in the rebuilding efforts, directing both her fellow clansmen and the Chosen Ones while simultaneously using divine power to restore the surrounding damaged villages and towns.
In the midst of this work, Evé’s voice suddenly echoed within her heart.
‘Aurora, come to the Garden of Eden.’
Aurora’s spirit immediately stirred, and she abruptly raised her head.
She traced the symbol of the Scepter of Life across her chest, handed over her current duties to Cypher, changed into a formal set of garments, and traveled to Evé’s Divine Kingdom.
Thereupon after arriving within the supreme temple of life, Aurora knelt on one knee.
“Your Divine Grace, I, Aurora have arrived!”
Evé gently nodded and lightly waved her hand as the aqua-blue Divinity of the Ocean floated before Aurora, accompanied by the Trident of the Sea God.
Looking at the radiant cluster of light and the divine artifact before her, the Star of Dawn froze slightly.
“Your Grace… this is?”
“This is the divinity of the ocean, along with the artifact, Trident of the Sea God.”
Evé smiled faintly.
As she spoke, her expression gradually became solemn.
“Aurora,” she asked slowly, her gaze steady, “do you wish to take one step further and become a true god?”
For a brief moment, Aurora froze. Her mind went blank for an instant before emotions surged back in, tangled and intense.
A true god?
Of course she wished to become one.
The recent war had made her realized that her strength had been too weak. Too insignificant in the face of calamity.
If she had already ascended to Godhood back then, then perhaps the Goddess would never have been forced to stand alone against those Abyssal Myths.
If she had been a true deity, the Azurefrost Clan would not have been reduced to centuries of exile and suffered within the Abyss for a thousand years.
Aurora’s gaze lowered slightly as her eyes settled once more on the sphere of oceanic light suspended before her. Only now did she begin to understand its true meaning, and what Evé was offering her.
Aurora’s expression slowly shifted. Doubt gave way to clarity, and clarity hardened into unwavering resolve.
She stepped forward, then bowed deeply with utmost reverence.
“Your Divine Grace,” she said firmly, “I, Aurora, do indeed wish to take that step further. I wish to become Your power, and to remain eternally at Your side.”
Her voice carried no hesitation, only conviction so pure it bordered on devotion itself.
Evé watched her quietly. In that gaze, there was approval, and a deep sense of satisfaction that needed no further words.
She extended a hand toward the floating divinity.
“Then take it,” she said calmly. “I will give you one year.”
“Absorb it, assimilate it, and then ascend as the new god of elvenkind.”
Aurora trembled slightly.
Not from fear, but from the sheer magnitude of what she was being entrusted with. She reached out with both hands, carefully receiving the aqua-blue Ocean Divinity.
It felt warm and mysterious in her grasp, carrying a vast and majestic power.
Once more, she respectfully knelt in worship.
“I, Aurora the Star of Dawn… shall never disappoint You!”
Evé gently nodded.
After pondering for a moment, another flash of light appeared within her hand, revealing a drop of golden blood.
It was the remaining portion of the mysterious divine blood she had not yet used.
With a light motion of her finger, the divine blood entered Aurora’s body.
“Make good use of it. It will accelerate your comprehension of the Divinity of the Ocean. One year is not a long time, I hope you succeed.”
Evé instructed.
Aurora nodded seriously and stored away both the Ocean Divinity and the Sea God’s Trident.
Afterward, Evé spoke with her for a while longer regarding the recent events within the Elven Forest before dismissing her.
Watching the elven demigod depart with somewhat unsteady steps, Evé smiled faintly.
Then, she instructed Feynir to summon Eris next.
She intended to personally determine whether this elven demigod was truly suitable.
Not long after Feynir departed, the guardian demigod of the Shadowshade Clan arrived.
Upon seeing Evé seated upon the divine throne, Eris immediately knelt upon one knee, her expression filled with excitement.
“I, Eris, the Shadow of Night, welcome the return of the Divine Matriarch!”
Evé smiled softly and gently extended her hands.
“There is no need for such formalities, rise.”
Gentle divine power descended upon the dark-haired demigod, lifting her body upright.
“Thank you, Matriarch!”
Eris replied.
Compared to Aurora, Eris appeared somewhat smaller and more delicate in stature.
From Evé’s previous observations, this female demigod had always seemed to possess a rather cold and aloof personality, somewhat similar to one of her alternate personas, Zero.
That impression had only deepened after Evé recovered the accumulated system observation records from the past six months and witnessed Eris’s interactions with the players firsthand.
Whenever she dealt with players or believers, Eris could truly be described as cold, emotionless, and distant. She rarely spoke unnecessary words, and even her praise or guidance carried a detached calmness that made her seem difficult to approach.
However, standing within the supreme temple now, this elven demigod no longer appeared cold in the slightest.
The gaze she directed toward Evé burned with unmistakable passion and reverence.
Evé understood that emotion very clearly.
It was pure devotion.
And to be honest, that kind of intense emotion still made her feel somewhat unaccustomed to.
Even Aurora, who respected and worshipped her beyond measure, had never looked at her with such blazing fervor.
Suppressing the slight discomfort brought by that overly passionate gaze, Evé calmly spoke:
“You have worked hard during these past six months.”
“Everything was for the sake of the esteemed Matriarch!”
Eris answered immediately, her voice filled with excitement.
Then, almost unconsciously, she knelt on one knee once more and placed her right hand over her chest. Every movement was solemn and precise, as though she were carrying out some sacred ritual.
Evé subtly adjusted her posture.
Crossing one leg over the other, she looked at the Shadowshade Clan’s guardian demigod before asking:
“Eris, what plans or thoughts do you have moving forward?”
“Everything shall be according to the will of the Matriarch, Your Divine Majesty!”
Eris replied instantly, respectfully and fervently, without the slightest hesitation.
Evé: “…”
She truly was not very accustomed to believers with such fanatical devotion.
After remaining silent for a brief moment, Evé continued:
“In that case, continue guarding the Realm of Mindel. I have already become the master of that realm, and someone must remain there to protect it in my stead.”
“Everything shall be according to the will of the Matriarch!”
Eris once again answered without hesitation, her voice overflowing with reverence and zeal.
Evé: “…”
There was no need for any further testing.
It would be her.
The loyalty and worship contained within her words, along with the overwhelming power of faith radiating from her body, were practically overflowing…
Having already made her decision, Evé asked the same question once more:
“Eris, do you wish to take one step further and become a true god?”
“Everything shall be according to the will of the Matriarch!”
Eris answered solemnly, her tone filled with utmost reverence and devotion.
Evé: “…”
→⟐←
After bestowing the Divinity of Storm upon Eris, Evé dismissed her.
Likewise, she also granted her a limit of one year.
There were now less than three years remaining before the seal upon the world of Seigües would be lifted. Considering how the world’s magical power had continuously transformed through successive holy wars, that time might become even shorter.
Therefore, Evé had to strengthen her own faction as much as possible.
“Does this count as forming my own divine coalition? No… perhaps it should be called the Parthenon of Nature and Life?”
Whilst seated high upon her divine throne, Evé quietly mocked herself.
“What a pity. Eris does not know where the remaining elven demigods have gone. Otherwise… perhaps in these final years, I might have been able to gain one or two more loyal demigod subordinates.”
Recalling the brief conversation she had with Eris before the latter departed, Evé shook her head regretfully.
Originally, she had hoped to learn the whereabouts of the other elven demigods through Eris.
Unfortunately, the only thing Eris knew was that Donar, the Sword of Judgment of the Thunderspark Clan, had also departed from the world of Seigües together with his clansmen.
Beyond that, she knew nothing else.
After resolving the matter of subordinate gods, Evé finally turned her attention back toward the players.
During her period of slumber, the Elven Forest’s ability to withstand the Abyssal invasion had not only been due to the efforts of several Mythical beings, but also because of the invaluable contributions of the players.
Although each individual player was weak, when united together, they were capable of unleashing tremendous strength.
Especially after living in the Elven Forest for several years, they had already developed a deep sense of identification with it, along with a powerful sense of factional pride.
And this was precisely what Evé had always hoped for.
This war against the Demons had also served as a test for the players themselves.
And the answers they had delivered left Evé deeply satisfied.
However, Evé had now advanced into the rank of higher divine power. Therefore, her control over laws and divine power had become much stronger than before.
The players’ greatest weakness could now finally be optimized.
“I guess nows the perfect time to fully open the Silver-rank to the wider public.”
Evé murmured softly.
With the magical power of the world of Seigües erupting explosively, she was destined to confront the gods sooner or later. In the future, the players’ enemies would very likely become the legions of Einherjars.
And aside from the future war against the Heavenly Gods, the Crusade had not yet ended. Taking advantage of this opportunity, while the number of Abyssal Myths had been severely diminished by her, the players could also seize the moment to strike fallen enemies and occupy even more sunken realms in the Abyss.
After all, if Evé’s speculation was correct, she might eventually require an enormous number of worlds in the future.
As for the players’ advancement methods…
“The advancement into Silver-rank should still use the advancement slot system. However, the already established slot restrictions can finally be removed and replaced with increased drop-rate probabilities instead…”
“Beyond the Silver-rank , it may also be time to open the Gold-rank. Although it will still require some restrictions. For the initial phase, one thousand slots should be enough, with additional slots gradually released afterward.”
“And regarding the number of players, the monthly quota for adding new players is far too small. With my current strength, I can completely summon another large wave of new players.”
“However, the same old method must still be maintained. While summoning new players, it must also be ensured that veteran players assimilate the newcomers, rather than allowing the newcomers to corrupt the atmosphere established by the veterans…”
“In that case, let’s recruit another one million players. A one-to-one ratio, combined with level suppression, should be sufficient for proper assimilation and absorption.”
Evé happily made her decision.
And after planning the next phase of her “game design,” she took out the Casket of the Dead used to communicate with Hela and projected into it several scenes she had seen within the memories of some of the Abyssal Myths she captured.
At the same time, she also added a warning:
“Lady Hela.”
“Please be cautious of the Lord of Darkness and Shadows, Hodür.”
However, at that very moment, Evé suddenly frowned and looked toward the direction of the world of Seigües.
It seemed that something had happened within the Labyrinth Dungeon.
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