34: Arya, the Spider Queen

At the same time,

at the edge of the Mariana Trench,

the seawater was dark and silent, and even deep-sea creatures were rare.

Sssshla—!

As if the toughest cloth was being ripped apart by an invisible giant hand,

a deep rift was forcibly torn open in the dark seawater!

Following this,

a figure with a stunningly beautiful upper body, black hair like a waterfall, and skin as pale as snow,

and a lower body covered in dark purple chitinous armor with eight terrifying, bladed long legs, radiating an extremely terrifying aura, a half-human, half-spider figure,

slowly crawled out of the rift.

She merely hovered there quietly,

and a terrifying aura, mixing extreme temptation with icy death, immediately spread out, causing the surrounding seawater to seemingly freeze solid.

The World-Ending Spider Queen Ailiya—slightly furrowed her exquisite brow.

Her deep purple pupils scanned this barren sea region, carrying undisguised disdain and confusion:

"Yuan Power... it's suffocatingly thin... Why would Vulcanus choose this damned place to wait for me?"

"Can there truly be a source material here that suppresses the 'Spider Transformation Curse'?"

Her perception, like an invisible spider web, instantly covered dozens of nautical miles around.

"Vulcanus?"

She called out softly, her voice ethereal yet carrying undeniable authority.

Silence.

A trace of ominous premonition flashed through her heart.

Aria's figure vanished abruptly!

The next moment,

she had appeared at the edge of a Geothermal Rift Valley.

Her eight bladed long legs landed lightly on the scorching rock, emitting a faint sizzling sound.

Her gaze was fixed intently on the side of the rift,

on the remains that had been gnawed down to only a massive skull—the last trace of Deep Sea Thunder Eel Vulcanus.

Her exquisite face instantly froze!

In her deep purple eyes, monstrous killing intent erupted like a substantive cold current!

The temperature of the surrounding seawater plummeted, instantly condensing into fine ice crystals!

She extended a fair finger and gently brushed the charred mark where the skull was broken.

A trace of aura, so faint it was almost gone,

was precisely captured and locked onto by her.

Aria slowly raised her head, her deep purple pupils piercing through layers of seawater,

accurately focusing in the direction of... Divine Summer.

The corner of her mouth,

curled into an arc capable of eclipsing the stars:

"Interesting... In this Yuan Power desert... there is actually a being... that dares to kill my pet?"

Her voice was soft, yet it carried a chill that could freeze the soul,

"I'll have to see... who it is... that is so reckless."

...The Xuanming Island conflict, which shocked the world,

ultimately concluded with the death of the American Guys' pride, Extreme Cold Giant Crab Clovis, and the destruction of the Joint Fleet.

However,

the impact caused by this incident was far from over.

After witnessing Su Chen's power,

the American Guys, Fusang, and Goryeo instantly fell into massive panic domestically.

No one dared to imagine what could possibly stop Su Chen.

Due to pressure,

the governments of the three nations, just hours after their defeat,

commenced a globally broadcast apology conference.

In the video,

American Guys President Wilson, Fusang Prime Minister Nakamura Kenichi, and Goryeo President Park Jeong-hwan,

all three looked pale and defeated,

bowing deeply before the global camera like defeated roosters.

Wilson's voice was dry, devoid of his usual arrogance:

"...We... we represent our respective nations and extend our deepest apologies to Divine Summer and its guardian, 'Kraken,' for our previous erroneous actions..."

"We are willing to unconditionally cede all sovereignty over Xuanming Island and its adjacent maritime areas to Divine Summer... and promise to pay war reparations totaling one trillion US Dollars,"

"This includes... three million tons of premium frozen meat, one million tons of high-energy nutrient blocks, and fifty thousand tons of selected rare deep-sea catches, specifically for Lord Kraken... We hope... we hope to receive Divine Summer's forgiveness..."

The background was a heavy black curtain, and the atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive.

Wilson looked utterly defeated, with heavy bags under his eyes, as if he had aged twenty years.

Nakamura Kenichi's face was ashen white, his body trembling slightly, and his bow was even deeper:

"Sumimasen! Hontoni Sumimasen!... We... we were blinded by ambition... and committed unforgivable errors... We beg for your forgiveness..."

Park Jeong-hwan looked as if he had just been resuscitated,

his eyes unfocused as he was supported by others to barely manage a bow,

his voice thin as a thread: "Aish... We... were wrong... We beg for clemency..."

Before the broadcast signal was even cut,

the capitals of the three nations had erupted completely!

"Shame!"

"Park Jeong-hwan! You are a traitor to the country!"

"Hang Wilson!"

"Why did you provoke Divine Summer?! Why did you provoke that monster?!"

"Divine Summer had already expanded its army by thirty million, and now you actively provoked them! This just gives Divine Summer even more reason to attack us!"

"Where is our fleet?! Where are our super soldiers?! Trash! All of you are trash!"

"It's over... Goryeo is finished... Divine Summer will definitely attack us first..."

"You must take responsibility for this defeat!"

"Nakamura Kenta must step down!"

Angry citizens stormed the government buildings. The positions of the three national leaders were precarious, leaving them utterly overwhelmed.

Divine Summer, Dragon Abyss Pavilion.

On the massive screen, the image of the three national leaders bowing in apology was still frozen.

However, the atmosphere in the conference room was not one of pure joy, but rather one of stern discussion.

Lei Zhen slammed his palm onto the heavy mahogany conference table, making the teacups jump.

Pointing at Wilson's defeated face on the screen, his voice boomed like a great bell:

"Ceding the island? Reparations? One trillion? Are they trying to pay off beggars?! Right now, they are tigers with their teeth pulled—no, they are sick cats! We have the invincible Lord Kraken holding the fort! Thirty million new troops are ready for battle! If we don't send troops now, when will we?!"

Flames of vengeance burned in his eyes:

"American Guys! Fusang Dogs! Goryeo Sticks! They jump around whenever they get a chance! If Lord Kraken hadn't turned the tide this time, the east coast of my Divine Summer would be flowing with blood! If I don't avenge this, I, Lei Zhen, cannot rest easy! We should strike while they're weak and finish them off! In one fell swoop, we'll sweep them clean, completely subdue these three vicious dogs, and incorporate them into our territory!"

"I second that!"

A naval admiral suddenly stood up, brimming with killing intent,

"The fleet has been fully replenished, and morale is soaring! We only need the assembly's order, and within half a month, we will ensure that the Stars and Stripes Flag, the Plaster Flag, and the Bagua Flag disappear from the Blue Star map!"

"Exactly! Blood for blood! Tooth for tooth!"

"With Lord Kraken, our stabilizing force, this battle is guaranteed victory!"

"God of War! Let's submit the application to the assembly! We must not miss this opportunity!"

Emotions ran high,

and the voices calling for war almost blew the roof off.

Everyone's eyes were focused on the God of War seated at the head.

Qin Zheng's face was calm, his profound gaze sweeping over the excited faces of every general.

"My comrades, your fighting spirit is commendable. However..."

Changing the subject, he directed his gaze toward the massive communication screen,

"The great affairs of the nation lie in sacrifice and warfare. But even more so... in the Divine Oracle."

As soon as the words "Divine Oracle" were spoken, the conference room instantly fell silent.

Everyone recalled Kraken's predictions, which were terrifyingly accurate time and time again.