43: Chapter 43 The Identity of the Attacker and the Expansion of the Divine Realm by Devouring the Origin
The Drones' efficiency in executing orders reached a terrifying, almost fanatical, level.
They were no longer content with merely gnawing on flesh and blood; instead, they treated the entire cave complex of the Ratman tribe as a giant biscuit. The hard rock layers were broken down, ground, and devoured by their high-frequency vibrating mouthparts. Metal veins were directly extracted and smelted into the most basic raw materials. Even the bricks and tiles, mixed with excrement and dirt, which the Ratmen used as building materials, were completely decomposed, extracting the insignificant organic matter within them.
This was no longer cleaning up the battlefield.
This was the complete physical eradication of the traces of a civilization's existence.
Su Chen stood silently in the void, indifferently overlooking the boiling scene of destruction below. A part of his mental power was used to maintain absolute control over the Zerg Swarm, while another part was immersed in the 'domain origin' light orb he had just acquired, analyzing the fragments of spatial laws contained within it.
Just then, a cold, pure, emotionless stream of information directly infused into the depths of his consciousness.
"Overlord, intelligence report."
It was the Brain Bug, Zaz.
In the chaotic battlefield just now, it precisely captured the scattered soul fragments of the Ratman Priest at the moment of his death and subjected them to an extremely brutal soul search. This was not an interrogation, but a crushing extraction, instantly pulverizing all memories, emotions, and knowledge of a soul, then filtering out valuable information.
A series of fragmented and mournful images flashed through Su Chen's consciousness.
That was the Ratman Priest's final perspective.
Despair, fear, and fervent prayer to a certain existence.
Immediately after, the information flow became clear and orderly.
"That fleeing false god, code-named 'Plague Walker'. According to the priest's knowledge, he is not an independent deity; his divine authority and divine portfolio are all bestowed by a higher-level existence. He is a puppet."
Zaz's voice had no fluctuations, merely stating a fact.
"Behind him, there is a true master—the 'God of Shadows'."
God of Shadows.
Su Chen's fingertips unconsciously rubbed the chaotic gray light orb; this name stirred a faint ripple in his mind.
"Just now, the observer units at the edge of the battlefield detected a completely different divine power fluctuation."
"Its aura characteristics highly matched the 'God of Shadows' imprinted deep within the Ratman Priest's soul."
"He appeared nearby."
Su Chen's gaze narrowed slightly.
Coming to rescue his subordinate god?
No.
Zaz's subsequent intelligence negated this ordinary conjecture.
"He did not enter the battlefield, nor did he perform any rescue operations. He constructed a hidden ambush site in the dimensional rift outside the battlefield."
"When the 'Plague Walker' tore through space, attempting to escape back to his master's divine kingdom..."
Zaz's information stream had an imperceptible pause here, as if processing an extremely twisted logic.
"...what he awaited was a fatal sneak attack from his master."
"The target of the ambush was himself."
"The 'God of Shadows' took advantage of his severe injuries and depleted origin to directly act and completely devour him."
The information ended there.
The entire logical chain was clear, complete, and... absurd.
"An inside job?"
Su Chen's lips slowly curved into a cold arc.
It wasn't a smile, but a contempt that originated from the bone marrow after seeing something extremely ugly.
"A subordinate fighting desperately outside, returning defeated, not only doesn't get rescued..."
"Instead, he's treated as an asset for damage control and devoured by his own master."
He murmured to himself, a hint of playfulness in his voice.
"The low bar of this World of Gods truly opens my eyes."
However, this saved him the trouble of chasing.
Although he lost a piece of loot, since that 'God of Shadows' dared to take advantage at the edge of his battlefield, he had already been marked with the brand of death.
Su Chen's thoughts shifted from this matter.
The immediate priority was to verify his greatest conjecture.
With a thought.
Space shifted.
He instantly returned from the dimensional rift, which had turned into nothingness and ruins, to within his own divine realm.
Fresh air, carrying the fragrance of earth and plants, instantly replaced the previous filth and chaos. Underfoot was solid and vibrant land, and overhead was a simulated 'sky' with soft light.
The entire divine realm was full of vitality.
Su Chen's figure did not pause, appearing directly in the center of the divine realm.
There, a massive, translucent crystal mountain rose from the ground. This was the heart of the entire divine realm, the hub of all laws and energy—the Divine Realm Core.
Inside the core crystal, a vast galaxy seemed to flow slowly, which was the materialized form of Su Chen's divine power.
He reached out his hand.
Upon his palm, the 'domain origin Light Orb', forcibly refined and compressed from the false god's divine realm, quietly floated.
It was chaotic throughout, yet its surface shimmered with flowing light, countless tiny light points appearing and disappearing within it, emitting a peculiar aura of intertwined space and soul.
Su Chen's gaze fixed upon it.
Then, he let go of his hand.
The light orb did not fall, but was drawn by an invisible force, slowly and steadily, towards the core of the crystal mountain below.
Buzz—
The moment they touched, there was no earth-shattering roar.
Only a dull, prolonged tremor, as if from the depths of the soul.
The next second.
Boom!
!
The entire land of the divine realm shook violently!
This was not an earthquake.
This was creation!
Centered on the Divine Realm Core, a visible shockwave swept violently across the ground towards the four boundaries of the divine realm!
The previously clear divine realm boundary, that hazy light wall, let out an unbearable wail the moment it touched this shockwave.
Crack!
The spatial barrier shattered!
The divine realm, which was originally only eighty square kilometers, broke through its limit at this moment!
The earth extended forward with a roar, and the sky expanded outward with a tear. New mountains, rivers, and plains were created out of thin air by the mighty power of laws. In the air, the concentration of free energy surged exponentially.
Su Chen closed his eyes.
He could clearly 'see' his divine realm brutally devouring the surrounding chaotic void, transforming it into a part of his territory.
This process was like an inflating balloon, expanding wildly!
Ninety square kilometers...
Ninety-five square kilometers...
One hundred square kilometers!
The expansion speed finally slowed to a halt.
And at this very moment, cold system prompts continuously rang in his mind.
"Ding! Your divine realm's area has expanded to 100 square kilometers!"
"Ding! Divine Realm scale increased, your divine soul strength increased by 5%!"
Rumble!
A power far more majestic and refined than before surged back from the depths of the divine realm's earth, instantly filling his limbs and bones, pouring into his soul origin.
Su Chen could clearly feel that his connection with this world had become even tighter.
He felt as if he could touch the pulse of every inch of land, and perceive the flow of every wisp of air. His will was the sole law of this world.
This feeling of controlling everything and creating everything made his soul tremble.
His strength had once again achieved substantial growth.
Su Chen slowly opened his eyes, gazing in one direction.
His gaze seemed to penetrate the crystal wall of the divine realm, penetrate the endless dimensional rifts, accurately locking onto a deity hidden in the shadows, filled with greed and cunning.
The God of Shadows.
There was no longer any emotional fluctuation in Su Chen's eyes, only absolute, undisguised cold killing intent.
"God of Shadows, is it?"
His voice was light, yet carried an undeniable tone of judgment.
"You ate my prey; you'll have to spit it out."
"You're next."