34: Chapter 34 An unexpected encounter with the Flower Goddess and being mistaken for a vengeful hero

Having just stepped out of the suffocatingly austere atmosphere of the high-tier resource district, Su Chen's state of mind had not yet fully relaxed.

The clamor and heat of the main thoroughfare in the City of Deities enveloped him once more like a tidal wave.

Unlike the deathly stillness in the high-tier district where even the air seemed frozen, this place was brimming with the vitality of life and trade. Fragments of divine kingdoms of various colors floated in the void, refracting into a kaleidoscope of light halos. The divine power fluctuations of deities interwove into an invisible web of energy, mingling with the spiritual radiance of rare treasures and the devout prayers of believers, forming a unique cacophony of sounds exclusive to the Multiverse Trading Hub.

Su Chen's pace was not fast, but each step precisely avoided the crowded flow of people.

Most of his attention was still immersed in the gains he had just obtained.

The [Fifth Tier - Reproduction Acceleration Divine Card] lay quietly within his divine domain space, its surface flowing with the arcane runes of the Time Law, as if containing the cycle of creation and destruction of a universe. It could elevate the Zerg Swarm's troop production speed to a terrifying magnitude.

The other item he had obtained, the pouch tanned from the stomach sac of a void behemoth, was currently held in his hand.

Inside the pouch, thousands of soul crystals of high-level intelligent beings collided with each other, emitting crisp yet eerie sounds. Each crystal sealed the mental essence of a genius—the cunning chief engineer of a goblin, an elder mind flayer with vast psychic power, a Protoss executor skilled in large-scale tactical simulations...

These would all become the cornerstone for him to create an army of Lesser Overminds.

His brain, a biological divine brain surpassing any supercomputer, was conducting frenzied deductions and planning at a rate of one-billionth of a second.

How to screen these soul crystals?

How to perfectly fuse their intellectual traits with the Zerg's genetic templates?

How to establish a command system capable of independent thought and executing regional tasks, yet remaining absolutely loyal to him, the supreme master?

Countless streams of data surged through the depths of his consciousness, constructing one complex model after another.

At that moment, a sweet, refreshing fragrance, completely different from the jumbled scents around him, abruptly drifted into his nostrils.

It was not some kind of spice, but the unique divine domain aura formed by the perfect fusion of hundreds, even thousands, of floral fragrances through divine power. Pure, clean, carrying a kind of innocent sweetness.

"Oh my! Isn't this Lord Su Chen?"

A clear, melodious voice full of pleasant surprise sounded beside him.

Su Chen withdrew from his deep contemplation, his consciousness returning to reality. He slightly turned his head, following the sound.

A goddess stood not far away, her eyes shining as she looked at him, her face displaying an unguarded enthusiasm and delight.

She wore a long gown woven from countless living flower petals, with morning dew still glistening on the hem. Her appearance was exquisitely elegant, her jade-green hair adorned with small starflowers, her skin as fair as fine divine porcelain.

Su Chen's memory database instantly retrieved information about the other party.

Flower Goddess.

A neutral-aligned demigoddess. Her true form was an intelligent flower plant born in an ancient divine garden. Her personality was simple and innocent. Her divine portfolio destined her to inherently love all things beautiful and living, while also possessing an almost instinctive fervor for all kinds of gossip.

They had met once before at a gathering spontaneously organized by some demigods.

"Flower Goddess, what a coincidence."

The calamity runes on Su Chen's divine body surface, representing destruction and ill omen which had not yet fully receded, quietly retracted beneath his skin like a receding tide. The dangerous aura emanating from him during his transactions in the high-tier resource district, enough to freeze the souls of weaker creatures, also instantly vanished without a trace.

Replacing it was a gentle, harmless smile, perfectly displayed on his handsome face.

"Su Chen, have you heard? Big news!"

The Flower Goddess completely missed the instantaneous change in his aura. She took a few steps closer, mysteriously and even somewhat familiarly tugging at Su Chen's sleeve.

Her movements were light, carrying a kind of closeness akin to a small animal.

"That disgusting God of Corrupt Corpses was completely slain yesterday!"

She lowered her voice, but the excitement in her tone was impossible to hide, chattering away like a lark in the woods.

"Even his divine domain was devoured clean, not a single speck left!"

"Oh? Is that so?"

Su Chen's eyebrows raised appropriately, a precisely calculated look of surprise appearing on his face.

His heart was utterly calm, even flashing with a sense of absurdity.

Of course he knew.

Because the God of Corrupt Corpses's divinity, divine portfolio, divine nature, even the essence of his entire decayed divine domain, had all been decomposed, absorbed, and transformed into the purest energy and nutrients by his Zerg Swarm.

"That's good news," he said, matching her mood, a note of agreement in his tone. "That fellow was notoriously malignant, having destroyed many nascent worlds."

"Right! I also think it's immensely satisfying!"

The Flower Goddess nodded vigorously, as if having found a kindred spirit.

Her clear eyes even began to sparkle with faint glimmers of admiration, like stars in the night sky.

"Everyone says the one who did it must be an incredibly righteous, terrifyingly powerful senior demigod!"

"Or even the agent of some high-ranking true god!"

"Otherwise, how could they have instantly killed the God of Corrupt Corpses in a divine war without a scratch? I heard from the Oak Sage that the battle ended so quickly it was unbelievable. The God of Corrupt Corpses didn't even manage to send out a plea for help!"

Watching the goddess before him, who was gesturing animatedly and heaping the highest praise upon the "hero" she spoke of, the sense of absurd amusement in Su Chen's heart grew even stronger.

She would never know that the so-called "champion of justice" was standing right in front of her.

And the reason for the action had nothing to do with justice.

A sense of justice?

Sorry, I just wanted to seize his divine portfolio and incidentally replenish the Zerg Swarm's biomass reserves.

Without a scratch?

True, the loss of a group of Zerglings doesn't even count as a "scratch" for the entire Zerg Swarm.

But on the surface, he maintained a completely serious demeanor, even going along with her words, offering profound analysis and agreement.

"Indeed."

He mused, his expression grave.

"To completely erase the existence of a demigod in such a short time, even devouring the divine domain along with it, this indicates the attacker possessed overwhelming superiority at the level of laws."

"That powerhouse must have had profound mastery over the Law of Death, or opposing laws like Life or Purification. Truly admirable."

"Exactly! Exactly!"

Hearing Su Chen's professional analysis, the Flower Goddess felt he was even more "knowledgeable," adding a touch of recognition to her admiring gaze.

"If only I could meet that hero..." She clasped her hands together, her face full of maiden-like longing.

The corner of Su Chen's mouth twitched imperceptibly.

He thought it better not to meet.

He was afraid that if he ever ran low on energy, he might be tempted to feed this seemingly "nutritious" Flower Goddess to his swarm as high-grade fodder.

After that, the atmosphere became more relaxed.

At the Flower Goddess's enthusiastic invitation, the two strolled together through the relatively lower-tier market stalls.

The items here held little attraction for Su Chen anymore, but he didn't mind using this method to conceal his recent extravagant purchases. A demigod who had just splurged a fortune in the high-tier district now casually browsing the market stalls—this contrast itself was excellent camouflage.

The Flower Goddess, however, was full of enthusiasm. She was fascinated by all sorts of peculiar plant seeds, life-energy-containing crystals, even some cute-looking elemental creature offspring, frequently tugging at Su Chen's sleeve for his opinion.

Su Chen was happy to play along, occasionally offering a few comments.

Most of his attention remained focused on planning the birth of those "Lesser Overminds."

"By the way, Su Chen, why did you buy so many soul crystals?"

After browsing for a while, the Flower Goddess finally noticed the inconspicuous pouch Su Chen had been holding all along. She glanced at it curiously. With her divine power, she could vaguely sense it contained vast and pure soul energy.

"Judging by the pouch's size, that's quite a number. I came to buy some 'Water of Life' to cultivate my elven archer corps."

She shook a crystal vial she had just purchased, the emerald-green liquid inside emanating vigorous vitality.

Su Chen's gaze swept over her crystal vial, then returned to the pouch in his hand.

Water of Life, to cultivate elven archers.

Soul crystals, to manufacture war-minded Lesser Overminds.

What a... stark contrast.

He smiled faintly, casually storing that pouch filled with strategic-level resources into his divine domain space.

The motion was smooth and natural, as if he were merely putting away a bag of snacks bought on a whim.

"Oh, it's nothing."

His voice was calm and gentle.

"My pets at home have big appetites. Just buying some high-grade feed."

His achievements and fame remained deeply concealed.