Journey to the World's Core

Du Chen nodded gravely. “Previously, I made many assumptions, suspecting that the prophesied ‘Dispersion of the Divine’ referred to the end of the Godslayer War, or perhaps the representative of the gods on Earth—Sama IX! But now, it seems the most fitting answer is the current disappearance of the divine corpses!”

Indeed, from the current situation, this was the most fitting answer to Wolf's prophecy. Yet Deboning pondered for a long while before asking, confused, “I’ve always believed that the ‘power transcending sacred artifacts’ referred to you, Young Master. So, if we connect Wolf’s prophecy, it means… when the divine corpses begin to disappear, you, Young Master, will gain power transcending sacred artifacts in the World’s Core—but this makes no sense, you already possess power transcending sacred artifacts!”

Du Chen rubbed his nose, frowning. “Perhaps the second line of the prophecy means my abilities will be elevated in the World’s Core?”

To be honest, Du Chen was unsure of the correct answer himself. The only certainty now was that if the power transcending sacred artifacts truly referred to him, Du Chen, then a profoundly important event awaited him in the World’s Core!

But where exactly was this World’s Core? Was it truly Saint John City, the heart of the Aethelgard Continent?

Carrying his doubts about the World’s Core, Du Chen returned to Durkes City.

Preparations for their departure proceeded in an orderly fashion. First, the ten thousand beastmen female slaves were settled by the Newin River outside the city. Du Chen did not treat them as mere slaves; instead, he established a separate small town for them, utilizing the Beastkin’s robust physiques to cultivate farmlands.

Next, Dud’s thirty thousand beastmen slaves, actually his most elite troops, returned to the border. These pitiable beastmen had been thoroughly brainwashed. The battle in the Auerbach Grand Canyon on August 31st, where “Du Chen, the Divine,” annihilated one hundred thousand Undead to protect Auerbach, completely convinced the beastmen that Du Chen had not misled them. Du Chen’s Divine Cult was indeed inextricably linked with Auerbach. Coupled with the emergence of the Fiendkind, serving Du Chen was tantamount to opposing the Fiendkind and fighting for the Supreme Father God, thus lowering their psychological resistance to its absolute minimum.

It was at this moment that Du Chen arrived before them with mountains of food and treasures, pointing to the town of ten thousand female slaves, and spoke plainly, “Any warrior who makes significant contributions to Durkes City will be eligible to enter the town and choose a beautiful wife…”

The masculine instincts of the beastmen reddened their eyes with zeal. Under Dud's daily training, they roared with fervor, regretting only their lack of opportunity to charge into battle and achieve great deeds for Durkes City! Of course, the official pretext for their training was “daily exercise for the Newin River Dam laborers…”

Uh, well, these 'laborers' trained in heavy armor, wielding weapons, and even occasionally practiced controlling sacred artifacts of war, radiating Killing Intent… In any case, they looked nothing like laborers, but who cared? The legions monitoring Durkes City had already been neutralized by Du Chen using his Golden Token of Slaughter. Even if Bargnar caught wind of it, for now, he could only resent it in silence. After all, Du Chen had not truly declared independence; Bargnar had no sufficient reason to declare war on an alliance official who wielded the authority of slaughter!

The territory was thriving everywhere. After presiding over the festive ball celebrating the Godslayer 1281 New Year, which also marked the Newin River residents' average annual income surpassing one Gold Coin, Du Chen slowly departed the docks aboard the Belkus, setting course for Bog Island!

The sea breeze swept by, and under the night sky, the clear, moonlit waters presented a uniquely captivating scene. Du Chen, Anya, Beibei, Deboning, Andy, and Snoopy—this group of six, a mix of humans and beasts, busied themselves on deck, forming the apparent crew bound for Bog Island. Additionally, a mysterious guest was slated to board mid-journey…

Meanwhile, within the ship’s cabin, Porter and Lancy were applying disguises, ensuring they wouldn't be recognized by the Sea Clan.

Putting down the dyes, Lancy shook his vibrant red hair, his ‘ample’ bosom swaying suggestively, complaining, “Princess, how long must we live like women? This old servant truly cannot bear it any longer!”

Porter seemed slightly distracted. “For our nation, endure it. Am I not enduring it as well?”

“But how long must we endure? Princess, wouldn’t it be better if you simply told Francis that you’re a woman and I’m a man?” Lancy painfully clutched his chest, his face etched with worry. “I understood before when you concealed your identity, Princess, but now it’s proven that Francis is a distant relative and wholeheartedly committed to restoring our nation. He can absolutely be trusted, so why do you still…”

Porter suddenly lowered his head, crestfallen. “Some things, once revealed, lead to more loss than gain…”

Lancy knocked over the dyes on the table before him with a clang, his tone laced with resentment, “This old servant doesn’t understand!”

“Alas!” Porter sighed deeply. He had already transformed into the appearance of a plain young man in his twenties, his spectacles removed. He took a Harp from the cabin wall and walked out.

At the doorway, Porter turned back with a wry smile. “Right now, Francis sees me as a brother, but if I tell him I’m a woman… I won’t even have a brother to begin with!”

Lancy blinked. “This old servant understands even less!”

“Think about what Francis has done to the women who’ve approached him in the past! He detests nothing more than women clinging to him! The moment Francis knows I’m a woman, he’ll immediately keep his distance!”

Porter opened the door. Lancy called out anxiously from behind, “Then when do you plan to tell him, Princess? Dragging it on like this isn’t a solution either!”

Porter pursed his lips and smiled. “I’ll reveal it to him little by little. Once I occupy an irreplaceable place in his heart… hehe, he’ll be mine!”

Lancy shook his head, troubled, thinking the Princess was still so mischievous. Meanwhile, Porter joyfully scampered off. He tiptoed below deck, opening the door shaft leading upwards, apparently intending to give Du Chen a small ‘surprise.’

But just as Porter peeked out, she was suddenly struck as if by lightning, her face turning deathly pale as she froze on the spiral staircase…

In the dead of night, the stars and moon shone brightly, the sky cloudless. Amidst this dazzling and enchanting scenery, Du Chen sat alone at the bow of the Belkus, gazing at the stars. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t sense Porter’s arrival. A thick flow of Water Element slowly moved around him, like clear tears, like mist, a loneliness and desolation entirely out of place with the night sky.

In Du Chen’s hand, however, he gently caressed a wisp of long black hair, adorned with a simple white hair tie!

The hair tie indicated it was a young woman’s long hair!

For the first time, Porter saw Du Chen in a daze…

For the first time, Porter saw Du Chen immersed in memories, smiling sweetly, sighing bitterly…

For the first time, Porter realized she seemed to have dragged some matters on for too long, so long that something irreversible seemed to have already occurred…

After only a momentary lapse, Du Chen sensed Porter’s presence. He tucked the wisp of hair into the front of his robes, waved, and smiled, “Porter, you’ve arrived just in time; my guest will be here soon! Why do you look so pale?”

“I… no, it’s just that I’m returning to my homeland soon, and I feel a little down inside!” Porter brushed it off, coming to Du Chen’s side, leaving the Harp on the spiral staircase…

Sitting on the ship’s rail, Porter forced a smile. “Who exactly is your guest? So mysterious!”

“Someone indispensable in the ocean!”

Porter pouted, then suddenly glanced at Du Chen’s chest and asked, “Hey, what were you just thinking about?”

Du Chen’s expression darkened. “Nothing! Right, let me see that purple satchel again!”

Nothing, huh! Nothing!

Porter smiled bitterly in her heart, *Are you unwilling to even speak of who that woman is?*

In fact, even Du Chen’s trusted confidantes like Deboning and Harry knew little about Xue Ji; only the two children knew vaguely, and they only knew of Xue Ji because of a single, understated sentence Du Chen spoke after returning home: “Remember, from now on, your mother’s name is Xue Ji…”

Beyond that, Du Chen refused to mention that name to anyone, including…

Himself!

Porter’s heart trembled slightly, but she calmly handed the satchel to Du Chen.

Du Chen repeatedly examined the satchel, frowning, muttering to himself, “This item is a relic left by Miki Goddess, and even caused Sea King Thanes to mobilize vast forces to search for it, but… it’s just a very ordinary satchel!”

Porter temporarily set aside her own thoughts and said, “I can’t explain it either. This item sat in the Goddess’s Palace for many years. If it weren’t for it being an ancestor’s relic, it would have been discarded as trash long ago. Lancy only stole it during the great fire after the kingdom’s fall, seeing the Sea King treat it as a treasure, suspecting it might be related to the Sea Clan’s surprise attack on the duchy.”

Du Chen had studied this purple satchel countless times, even having the best tailors in his territory disassemble it into leather and then re-stitch it, yet he found no hint of abnormality. It truly was just an ordinary satchel, aside from its slightly noble appearance.

As the two spoke, the azure seawater suddenly churned violently, producing strange gurgling sounds, with bubbles rising to the surface. In a blink, hundreds of bubbles surrounded the Belkus, and each bubble contained a fully armed Sea-race Battle God!

Porter’s expression changed. “Who goes there!?” Upon recognizing the leader, he breathed a sigh of relief, turning his head to Du Chen. “He’s your guest?”

*Pop!* The bubble burst, and the leader landed before Du Chen, his feet splashing water. Then, he stared at Du Chen with obsessive admiration, as if Beibei had seen snacks, or Andy had seen food!

Du Chen smiled. “Prince Gode, long time no see!”

Prince Gode, the Little Prince of the Grand Delta Sea, was Du Chen’s guest! Bog Island was at the center of the Grand Delta Sea, and this journey required the Little Prince's influence. So Du Chen had sent him a letter: *A follower of Du Chen, the Divine, awaits the arrival of a Divine Envoy here, with an important matter for you!*

Before Du Chen could step forward to greet him, Gode suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Du Chen’s hand, and exclaimed wildly, “You defeated Sea King Thanes, is it true, is it?!”

*Why are you so excited that I defeated the Sea King?*

Du Chen nodded with a smile, and Gode immediately commanded, “Bring them up!”

*Thump, thump, thump!* The squad of Sea Clan warriors hurled over a dozen large scallop chests onto the deck, their weight causing the Belkus’s waterline to sink two or three inches!

Du Chen looked at the Little Prince in astonishment. “You’re…?” *Damn it, the chests opened, revealing countless treasures and Diamonds!*

Gode clasped Du Chen’s arm tightly. “Master, do you take disciples? These are the initiation gifts!”

*Heavens, not again! Is this kid addicted to finding masters?!*

Du Chen smiled wryly. “Prince Gode, you already have Brook as a master, and under his guidance, you’ve become a Ninth-rank mid-stage Battle God, so why…”

“This is different!” Gode exclaimed loudly, just like the crazy celebrity fans from Du Chen’s previous life, gazing at Du Chen with reverence. “You defeated the Sea King! And you’re a good person!”

“Are you implying that because I can’t defeat the Sea King, I’m unworthy of being your master?” Deboning emerged from the cabin, his face cold.

Gode hastily chuckled in explanation, “Well… isn’t it true that the more masters, the better?!”

Deboning grunted heavily, stood beside Du Chen, and no longer bothered with the kid.

Du Chen gave a dry laugh. “Alright, I never take disciples!” Seeing Gode’s profound disappointment yet undeniable determination, he quickly continued, “We’ll discuss this later, Prince Gode. I called you here this time for an important matter: I need to go to Bog Island…”

Bog Island? Gode’s previously excited expression instantly darkened, and he said reluctantly, “What are you going to Bog Island for? The World’s Core has already been occupied by Thanes; even I can’t go there freely.”

“Wait, what did you say? The World’s Core?” *The World’s Core from Wolf’s prophecy?*

Gode nodded. “Yes, Bog Island is also known as the World’s Core!”

Porter exclaimed, “Bog Island is also known as the World’s Core? How have I never heard of this before?”

Everyone’s gaze fell upon the Little Prince. Others might be excused, but Porter was a native of Miki; how could he not know Bog Island’s alternate name?

Astutely sensing their urgency, especially Du Chen’s impatience, Gode chuckled, and suddenly ordered his men to close the large chests filled with Gold, Silver, and Jewels.

“Want to know? Hehe, unless you take me as a disciple!”