“Hmph... I knew you would reply, you damned Evil God.”
A towering mountain that pierced the clouds existed solely for a magnificent, grand palace, which had been built to worship a Great One.
Hestia, the master of the palace, stared at the screens before her, a meaningful expression playing on her beautiful face.
It was a subtle look, conveying both anger and pleasure.
The source of this expression was a conversation she had just had with someone via private messages.
Her interlocutor was the Evil God she had clashed with during her last descent to Earth—the <Supreme Will of the All-Devouring Hive>.
Hestia had not forgotten how she had competed with him for Ye Yunshang, only to have her snatched away in the end.
By nature, once she held a grudge, she would harbor it to the very end.
Yet, the reason she felt satisfied despite her numerous disputes and conflicts with other deities was not merely because she had successfully exacted a small measure of revenge against him.
It was also because she had recently messaged that Outer God who never replied to private messages, only to be soundly beaten and driven out of the competitive zone of Terra.
'Damn it, that bastard. Just thinking about him ruins my mood. He's clearly just a newly born Outer God.'
Although she had been eliminated early on, and a long time had passed since then, it was but a fleeting moment to her.
Hestia clearly remembered her anger and resentment when her servants were forced back by the swarming Great Devourers, ultimately leading to her defeat.
The reason she mistakenly believed Lin Miao belonged to an Outer God faction was simple.
It was because her private messages had never received a reply.
On the surface, private messages on the Divine Net were merely a means of communication between members of the system. In reality, they served as ultimatums that deities could issue directly to outsiders.
Certain that there was someone pulling the strings behind the Great Devourers, she had sent such an ultimatum. Yet, the other party had not offered even a basic reply, completely ignoring her attempt to label them as an Outer God.
Thus, Hestia categorized them as an Outer God faction.
In this universe, the only entities that rejected the Divine Net were those based in the outer universe.
After all, no one would willingly risk annihilation or a drop in their Divine Status just to be mistaken for an Outer God and face a full-scale assault by the deities of the Divine Net.
Although Hestia was a goddess who ruled over many worlds, she could never have imagined that an entity could be restricted by the system due to an anomalous Awakening, rendering them unable to even reply to private messages.
“I did my best to search, but there isn't a single world where the monsters you described have appeared.”
Despite Hestia inquiring about the Outer God through her acquaintances, the Great Devourers had never appeared anywhere in the universe she observed.
Surely, an Outer God would have their own nest, and the invaded deities would share information, so it was impossible for there to be no news at all.
Thus, she concluded they were a newly emerged Outer God faction. The fact that they dared to target her as their first prey only fueled her rage.
Under these circumstances, having also clashed with Lin Miao, who was active as an Evil God on the Divine Net, she conflated the two in her mind, taking out her anger on Lin Miao. Given her personality, such behavior was hardly surprising.
'Forget it, it doesn't matter. Terra has already fallen into that guy's hands... Since they are the servants of an Outer God, they are bound to appear somewhere else sooner or later. When they do, I'll just intervene and take my revenge.'
She brushed back her beautiful platinum-blonde hair, trying to calm her racing thoughts. Leaning back in her chair, she stared at the screens in front of her.
Her vast territories, and the countless servants offering her their infinite faith.
Just looking at it brought a sense of peace and satisfaction.
...
Inside the damp, dark nest.
“T-This... how is this possible... No! The blessings bestowed by the Earth God!”
“Your god has abandoned you. Nay, it did not protect you, but left you to be slain by us. Accept it.”
Celia looked at Natro, the Chief of the Tech Bureau of the Dwarven Kingdom, who was bound by tentacles and gasping for breath. A look of pity crossed her face as she sighed.
The Dwarven Divine Kingdom did not withdraw its divine protection from the dwarven servants on Terra; instead, they had abandoned them outright.
Servants possessing divine protection could not coexist with another god.
As a matter of course, the Great Devourers carried out an indiscriminate purge of them.
This stood in stark contrast to the actions of Uria, the Beastkin God, who had voluntarily withdrawn all divine protection to save them.
Even so, the Great Devourers had found ways to spare some of the dwarves. They even went so far as to implant parasites in their bodies to physically strip away the divine protection, allowing them to survive.
Natro, the Chief of the Tech Bureau, and several technicians were among those spared.
“But now, the power of that wicked deity will no longer reside in your body, so your life is saved. By the way, many of the tumors in your body and your partially damaged lungs have regenerated. You won't be bothered by illness for decades to come.”
“Are you even listening to yourself, you damned Witch?! You modified my body without my consent, and now you say this!”
“The outcome remains the same regardless. However, rather than miserably committing suicide after we teach you the Stargate technology, wouldn't it be better to contribute your knowledge and ability to rebuild civilization from scratch?”
Celia emphasized the words 'technology,' 'civilization,' and 'redevelopment' to the furious Natro.
The Great Devourers only needed to obtain various technologies from him, including the Stargate.
Although his connection to his deity had been forcibly severed, the knowledge and records bestowed by the god still remained preserved in his brain and record rooms.
Celia's question—asking if he had no intention of personally restoring and redeveloping these technologies—struck a chord with the genius technician Natro, who had once been deeply enamored with advanced technology and civilization.
“So, make your choice. Do you want to suffer miserably and have everything left in your brain forcibly taken, or will you cooperate smoothly and use your strength to lead the remaining legacy of this land?”
This was far from the first time Celia had done this, and she conducted the negotiations with practiced ease.
Her whispers suggested that as long as he willingly cooperated, he could take charge of all the remaining legacy and records of the Dwarven Kingdom.
But at the same time, another Gene Stealer was crawling up her leg, poised and ready to plunge into his body at any moment.
Faced with this carrot-and-stick approach, Natro's eyes trembled violently.
Celia ultimately persuaded Natro to take the initiative and impart the Stargate technology to the Great Devourers.
“Natro and his subordinates have already begun rebuilding the Stargate. We only need to watch and remember.”
“The result of the negotiation is quite satisfactory.”
Elise, who had given Celia full authority, was pleased with the outcome.
In any case, whether they killed or persuaded him, the process didn't matter as long as the result was satisfactory.
“Yes, it is indeed very convenient.”
While rebuilding the damaged Stargate, Natro was also granted some authority to issue various commands to the worker ants assisting him.
The instructions he taught the worker ants would naturally be permanently stored in the hive mind, becoming the technology of the Great Devourers.
During this process, Natro couldn't help but marvel quietly as he watched the Great Devourers act in perfect, telepathic unison the moment they received an order.
The worker ants were truly creatures born for labor.
Possessing exceptional physical capabilities, they could easily carry heavy materials, climb walls and ceilings, and complete tasks with rapid speed.
Through the hive mind, they minimized inefficient movements and maximized their collaborative efficiency.
Consequently, the pace of their work was incredibly fast.
Even considering that this was their second time constructing it, the project duration was cut by more than half.
【Elise believes this is a very interesting technology】
Reinterpreting all the stored memories and information in this manner, Elise rapidly mastered the Stargate technology.
Not only did she master it, but she also utilized her massive auxiliary brain to combine this newly acquired knowledge with her existing expertise, continuously running simulation trials.
The structure of the Stargate, its energy supply methods, its form, and so on.
Countless possibilities flooded Elise's mind as she pondered how to apply and modify this technology.
“However, to activate the Stargate, we must have coordinate information.”
Celia also partially understood these details. While marveling at the advancement of higher civilizations, she also pointed out the issue.
For even if the Stargate was constructed, there were no coordinates to designate the location of the gate on the other end.
As a form of dimensional transit technology, Stargates operated on a connected system; they could only link up if there was a connecting loop.
...
Hearing this, Elise silently gazed up at the sky.
In the dark nest, the only light shone through a hole in the ceiling, illuminating Elise.
“I hear you. Here.”
Lin Miao looked at her and chuckled softly.
The only one who could solve this problem was him, their god.
'Stargate technology is one of the most common forms of dimensional transit technology.'
Lin Miao had been keeping a close eye on the Divine Net forum, gathering plenty of information from the conversations of other deities.
One such piece of information was that Stargates were considered a highly popular technology.
Since they could be used continuously once installed, they were frequently employed alongside warp technology or rift generation, despite the drawback of requiring installation on both ends.
However, this technology possessed a blind spot.
If coordinates were leaked, an opponent could forcibly connect to that Stargate and alter the link.
Of course, most deities did not concern themselves with this.
They were accustomed to negotiating with one another, sharing coordinates to facilitate communication, support, and investment.
In particular, as long as it wasn't sensitive information regarding their home planet, data on ordinary Pioneering Zones or colonies was almost entirely public, treated like a shared resource.
If anyone abused this to use it as a tool for invasion, they had to be prepared to face severe condemnation.
Even though the logic of might prevailed, the deities of the Divine Net would still adhere to established order, such as declaring war and setting rules of engagement, even when dealing with an Evil God.
Those who disrupted this order would be branded as the embodiment of chaos—an Outer God—and become a common enemy.
Lin Miao only smiled upon learning this fact.
He had been recognized as an anomaly by the Divine Net from the moment of his birth.
He had achieved an unexpected Awakening passively, rather than of his own volition.
Lin Miao was unlike most deities, who craved survival and the elevation of their Divine Status, viewing the Divine Net's systems and forum interactions as essential.
From his weakest days, most of the functions he needed most had been locked away.
Thus, he merely regarded the Divine Net as a tool to be utilized, placing little actual value on it.
Lin Miao even found himself wondering how the Divine Net forum would erupt if he used the Stargate to invade the Goddess of Light's Pioneering Zone.
The deities would wonder how an Outer God had obtained Stargate coordinates that were supposedly shared only within the Divine Net. Picturing their confusion, he couldn't help but sneer.
Furthermore, Lin Miao's servants were unlike those of other deities; they were creatures that had never existed in this universe before.
Through their own growth and evolution, the Great Devourers had transformed into an entirely new race.
They were a unique race that could expand their numbers and grow their forces on their own, so long as there was prey to devour.
Though technically classified under the order, their true nature was far closer to chaos.
Despite being a deity affiliated with the Divine Net, the path he trod was far more akin to that of an Outer God.
In any case, once the protection period for the Pioneering Zone ended, the deities would surely swarm in to contest Terra.
Lin Miao and the Great Devourers had to expand their forces and grow as strong as possible before then to ensure their survival.
“Since they were the ones to instigate this, let war begin—let the galaxy burn!”
Lin Miao had long accepted his destiny. To achieve his goals, he vowed to tread any path without a single moment of hesitation.
“Coordinates received.”
Elise bowed toward the sky, a brilliant smile on her face.
The Stargate coordinates conveyed by Lin Miao through his oracle had already been programmed into the newly constructed, Great Devourer-style Stargate. Forcing open a passage, the amassed great legion stood ready to pour through at any moment.
Rate on N.U.
