Little Garden 126-130

Title: Looks Like Little Shiroyasha Isn’t Naughty

Then Aslan was snapped back to reality by a smack from Shiroyasha’s fan.

“Seriously! I’m not joking. Was this all your doing?”

Shiroyasha’s face showed no trace of jest. With her golden eyes, she stared at him intently.

<This is something my superiors want to investigate.>

Shiroyasha slightly opened her mouth, speaking silently.

Instantly, Aslan realized the gravity of the situation.

Shiroyasha’s superiors? Who was Shiroyasha?

Shiroyasha, the Geocentric Theory, the Spirit Star of the Sun and White Night. If she reclaimed her Geocentric Theory, she would be a Two-Digit-level entity.

No one in Little Garden stood above Shiroyasha.

Except for the two creator and end goddesses, Alpha and Omega, who would dare claim to be above Shiroyasha?

The Goddess of the Beginning [Alpha] and the Goddess of the End [Omega].

They represented the start and end of the Little Garden world, the rules of Little Garden, and the prototype of the world equivalent to the initial creator (Alpha) and the final creation (Omega).

They had existed since the construction of Little Garden began, and even among the Two-Digit beings [Full Authority Domain], they were exceptionally special existences.

Thinking of this, Aslan sighed.

“I didn’t expect this would disturb those two.”

“I haven’t even started causing trouble.”

“Alright, I’ll be honest. It’s related to me, but not by much.”

Aslan spoke very seriously. He was merely a butterfly that had slightly flapped its wings.

The storm that arose had nothing to do with him.

The cause of all this was Athena’s doing; he had only leaked a tiny bit of information.

“You little brat, so it really is connected to you.”

Shiroyasha was stunned. Hadn’t Aslan just been playing with Karyou or wandering around with her these past few days?

How did he have the energy to cause trouble?

(I really underestimated this kid’s ability to stir up chaos.)

“It’s not that exaggerated.”

Aslan waved his hand, urging Shiroyasha not to make a fuss and to stay calm.

“Enough with the ‘stay calm.’ It’s already way too exaggerated.”

Shiroyasha rolled her eyes, speechless. She hadn’t forgotten the mess Aslan caused in Perseus.

However, that was just a surface-level commotion. It seemed big, but its impact would fade in a few days, and people would forget it.

In contrast, the chaos he quietly created directly affected the situation in Little Garden, throwing it into complete disarray.

It even scared Ouroboros enough to pull out Arcadia’s flag to draw attention.

“Fine, let’s just say this has nothing to do with you.”

Shiroyasha winked at him. She planned to keep it hidden from her superiors. After all, the trouble Aslan caused wasn’t small.

Aslan had many secrets. If he were truly caught by her superiors… well, it might not be a problem.

Shiroyasha scratched her head irritably.

Her superiors might act like the Halloween Queen, betting big on Aslan and nurturing him.

But Shiroyasha didn’t want Aslan to catch her superiors’ attention.

Shiroyasha didn’t know what her superiors were thinking, but what hadn’t she done? She had been obedient and calm for years; a little rebellion wouldn’t hurt, right?

Shiroyasha thought with a guilty conscience.

Then she took out a piece of wood engraved with the symbols of the beginning [Alpha] and the end [Omega] and placed it on the table.

Next, she took out an incense burner, lit three incense sticks, and inserted them into the burner.

In front of Aslan, she waved her hand in front of the wooden shrine.

“Superiors, I’ve investigated thoroughly. This has absolutely nothing to do with Aslan.”

Then Shiroyasha put the items away. She glanced left and right guiltily before looking at Aslan, who had a slight smile on his face.

“What are you looking at? Never seen someone burn incense before?”

Aslan suppressed his smile, waved his hand, and said to Shiroyasha with a touch of emotion.

“Indeed, I haven’t. So, this is how you contact the two goddesses?”

Aslan showed an expression of newfound knowledge. But it made sense, considering they were Two-Digit-level beings.

Two-Digit beings knew everything that was spoken, so the simplest and most efficient way was to burn incense directly.

“Hmph~”

Shiroyasha snorted with a bit of pride.

“Of course. If you want, you can contact me this way too.”

“I’ve learned something new.”

Aslan couldn’t help but clap, looking as if he’d just gained some insight.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Meanwhile, in an indescribable place, a place that existed only before the beginning and after the end.

A tall, holy figure and a petite, slightly plump figure sat at a table filled with tea and snacks.

Listening to the voice coming from Shiroyasha.

“Superiors, I’ve investigated thoroughly. This has absolutely nothing to do with Aslan.”

They couldn’t help but let out a pleasant little laugh.

“Looks like Little Shiroyasha isn’t naughty.”

The taller figure spoke in a teasing tone, as if looking at her sweet daughter who had started to rebel.

The main thing was Shiroyasha’s guilty appearance right now, so adorable that they couldn’t bear to expose her.

“Indeed, Little Shiroyasha is naughty. What should we do? Maybe we should give Little Shiroyasha a little punishment.”

Omega looked at Alpha curiously, expecting Alpha to offer a suggestion.

“It’s rare for Little Shiroyasha to grow a bit, so let’s let it slide this time.”

Alpha pondered for a moment, holding her chin, then decided to forgive Shiroyasha’s little rebellion this time.

After all, this kid couldn’t cause big trouble, and Shiroyasha’s small rebellion had brought them plenty of amusement.

“However, she still needs a little reprimand.”

Alpha showed a mischievous smile.

“Since Little Shiroyasha has her own little money pouch, let’s just tighten the financial management of Thousand Eyes a bit.”

“Alright, let’s do that.”

Omega had no objections. It was just blocking Shiroyasha’s path to using community funds for personal gain.

Poor Shiroyasha still had no idea what was coming for her.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

“Hatchoo!”

Shiroyasha rubbed her sharp nose, looking around warily, then staring at Aslan and observing Kurousagi.

“What’s wrong, Boss?”

Aslan looked at her with slight confusion. What was Shiroyasha doing? Why was she suddenly so cautious?

“I don’t know, but I feel like this has something to do with me. But it shouldn’t be a big deal, right?”

Shiroyasha scratched her head, puzzled. She was a bit doubtful whether her Two-Digit status was fake.

Someone was plotting against her, and she couldn’t sense it? That was impossible. Or was it just pure illusion?

“Forget it, I don’t care.”

Shiroyasha chose to stop thinking. No matter how much they schemed, they couldn’t possibly kill her.

Surely her superiors didn’t think she was too prosperous and wanted to make her life harder?

No way, absolutely no way.

“Alright, alright. We’ve played and caused enough chaos. Let’s continue talking about your community’s flag.”

A smile appeared on Shiroyasha’s face. She happily opened her folding fan, marked with the symbols of the two goddesses, and fanned herself lightly.

“I got word that your community’s flag will be the grand prize of a Gift Game. Only if you achieve the final victory can you reclaim your flag.”

“However, I don’t know the specific details of the game, but the only thing I can guess is that its scale likely won’t be less than that of a War.”

“A Divine War scale isn’t out of the question.”

A massive Gift Game involving multiple Four-Digit-level participants, played on a planetary-scale arena.

If held in Little Garden, it would involve several Four-Digit communities, overseen by the Heavenly Forces.

Above the scale of a War was a Divine War between Pantheons, a high-intensity conflict with Four-Digit-level beings as generals and Five-Digit-level beings as soldiers.

Six-Digit-level beings didn’t even qualify to participate.

As she spoke, Shiroyasha’s expression gradually turned serious. She looked at Aslan with utmost gravity.

“Are you sure you want to participate?”

“You could just wait for Arcadia’s old allies, like the Greek Pantheon, to win, retrieve the flag, and return it to you.”

Though Canaria was never hesitant to stir up trouble, in reality, from the Dystopia War to Absolute Evil, Arcadia had built many connections.

Especially Dystopia. Many Pantheons owed Arcadia favors. Using this opportunity to repay them wasn’t impossible.

In other words, if Aslan and the others were willing, they could just sit back in the community and still retrieve their flag.

But that would also lower the gods’ evaluation of the current No Name and the future Arcadia.

A reborn Arcadia like this might lose its qualifications to carry its past ideals and to face the Last Trial of Mankind.

If even their flag required others’ help to reclaim, who would believe they could bear the great responsibility of confronting Absolute Evil?

Kurousagi didn’t speak, only looking at Aslan with hope. She didn’t have the authority to make decisions for him.

She knew full well that Aslan had no real ties to the past Arcadia. The only connection was one fabricated by Shiroyasha.

It was already generous enough for a stranger to lead No Name to survival. What more could she ask for?

But deep in her heart, she couldn’t help but hold a sliver of hope, wishing Aslan would truly become Arcadia orbaned the leader of Arcadia one day.

To truly become her family, to truly merge with Arcadia.

Aslan could lose No Name, and it wouldn’t affect his life one bit, but if No Name lost Aslan, they would truly lose their chance at revival.

-

Title: Not Keeping the Savior Around for a Few Days

Shiroyasha didn’t care about Arcadia’s flag. Honestly, Arcadia had been completely destroyed in the attack that night.

As for Aslan, he was merely arranged to inherit Arcadia’s legacy.

Much like the relationship between Asuka and the Takamagahara Pantheon in the future, inheriting the Takamagahara Pantheon’s legacy could save a lot of time needed to build a foundation.

Call it cruel or ungrateful, but Arcadia, along with its old cadres, was truly dead.

If every person who died had to be remembered so deeply, then immortal beings like them, with nearly infinite lifespans, would be better off constantly drowning in the suffering caused by death.

What Shiroyasha cared about now was only Aslan, the little brother she acknowledged.

And Little Garden, the place where she was born. That was all.

Gods and Buddhas had emotions, but they also lacked emotions.

Therefore, Shiroyasha would prefer Aslan stay in No Name and wait for the flag to come to him on its own.

Aslan didn’t need to inherit everything from Arcadia.

He just needed to wait quietly and grow slowly—that would be enough.

“Of course, how could I miss such a lively event?”

Aslan said with a hint of arrogant confidence. This was a change caused by his actions; how could he miss it?

With just one sentence, one piece of information, he had altered the situation in Little Garden.

This made Aslan feel that he had truly crossed into the world of Little Garden, and this rapidly changing situation was the true thrill of Little Garden’s grand stage.

“But Boss, I’m just hypothesizing—what if I accidentally cause a huge mess? Would that be okay?”

Aslan looked at her with a bit of timidity, hoping Shiroyasha could give him some courage to do something big.

He was thinking about the possibility of kidnapping Kalki. Such a good little brother—it would be a shame not to kidnap him and make him a laborer.

In truth, Aslan wanted to study Kalki because Kalki was born earlier, as a hero destined to surpass Kali Yuga.

But the thing was, Kali Yuga hadn’t even been born yet.

Aslan had never seen what Kali Yuga was like or what its Spirit Status was.

As for the Mother of the Evil God… back then, although Zoroastrianism still existed, due to the betrayal of the demon Bahram, she went to Hinduism to become the God Indra.

This caused her severe injuries, and she wasn’t in good condition at the time, being in recovery.

How could she have had time to study the Last Trial of Mankind from the Hindu worldview, Kali Yuga?

Even Azhi Dahaka, who wasn’t yet a Last Trial of Mankind at the time, was sealed by Indra, and she couldn’t do anything about it.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have nearly died to make Azhi Dahaka become Absolute Evil later on.

It could only be said that Aslan’s idea was good but a bit unrealistic.

However, the Mother of the Evil God wasn’t entirely impossible. In the Era of Resistance, she definitely couldn’t forcibly make Azhi Dahaka become Absolute Evil.

But by following the flow of the era and studying the conditions for becoming Kali Yuga, it wasn’t too difficult for her.

After all, the savior of the good side had been born, so wouldn’t it be normal for the Mother of the Evil God to create a world-destroying evil?

At the same time, Aslan could also study the Avatar, the Another Cosmology contained within Kalki, to see how much progress the gods and Buddhas of Little Garden had made in researching worldviews.

The Mother of the Evil God had been offline for too long, disconnected from Little Garden for too long. The only time she was online was when Azhi Dahaka became Absolute Evil.

But that didn’t mean she was weak. As one of the four Original Truths of Evil, the foundation of all worldviews in Little Garden was built by her and the Mother of the Good God.

This was why Little Garden’s foundation was the dualism of good and evil. Even without the omnipotent paradox, there was no fertile ground for the birth of monotheism.

If possible, Aslan also wanted Kalki to fight Azhi Dahaka.

To help his Angra Mainyu complete the Absolute Evil Spirit Status.

Such an important little brother—it would be a pity not to kidnap him and have some fun for a few days.

There was no way Aslan would wait three years for Izayoi to come and fight Absolute Evil.

“No problem. As long as the sky doesn’t fall, your Boss here will take care of it!”

Shiroyasha confidently patted Aslan’s shoulder while also thumping her own chest firmly.

Don’t look at her small size now—when it came to taking responsibility and being blamed, what couldn’t a Two-Digit like her handle?

Aslan wouldn’t create another Last Trial of Mankind, would he?

Or provoke the Winds of Decadence?

As long as the power Aslan displayed remained at this level, below Four-Digit, she was confident she could handle it.

“Alright, Boss, you said it.”

Aslan seemed to gain courage, gradually straightening his back. With this, he could act freely.

Shiroyasha looked at him and, for some reason, felt less confident.

She had a feeling this guy was definitely going to do something big.

Her Two-Digit instincts kept trembling, warning her.

“You’d better be careful and not go too far. If I can’t handle it, there’s nothing I can do.”

“Alright.”

Aslan nodded helplessly, instantly losing his enthusiasm. However, he didn’t even know the details of the game to reclaim the flag or who was behind it.

He could only say he had this intention, and causing trouble was inevitable.

Since Ouroboros was so eager to bring Kalki back, as their enemy, it should be normal for him to interfere.

“Well then, that’s settled. I’ll let you know if there’s any news.”

Shiroyasha looked at him suspiciously, assuming for now that he had listened to her.

At worst, she’d drag the Halloween Queen into the mess.

After all, she was already a useless Spirit Star.

“I’ll head back first to see if the people auditing the finances have left.”

Shiroyasha had a bad premonition in her heart. Could everything she did earlier have been discovered?

But that shouldn’t be the case. Her bookkeeping was quite perfect, with no gaps left; she had fixed it long ago.

But why did she have this vague feeling of being targeted?

“See you later, Boss.”

After bidding farewell to Shiroyasha, Aslan looked at Kurousagi, who still hadn’t snapped out of her daze.

He couldn’t help but wave his hand in front of her eyes.

“Hey, Kurousagi? Snap out of it?”

But this silly rabbit seemed to see nothing, still smiling foolishly there.

Until Aslan tugged hard on Kurousagi’s ears.

“Master Aslan, what are you doing now! Don’t roughly pull on Kurousagi’s beautiful ears!”

Kurousagi glared at him angrily.

(Even if you’re the leader, you can’t treat Kurousagi’s beautiful ears like this!)

“I’m asking, Kurousagi, what are you thinking about? You’ve been daydreaming here for so long.”

Aslan touched his chin, looking at Kurousagi with a curious expression.

“Nothing…”

Kurousagi pursed her lips, acting as if nothing was wrong.

She couldn’t possibly say she was thinking about how to repay Aslan.

How to strengthen the bond between Aslan and Arcadia.

But while thinking, Kurousagi somehow recalled a woman with short golden hair who often teased her.

Canaria had once pranked Kurousagi, saying she’d marry her off to gain some help for the community.

Of course, Kurousagi had flatly refused, chasing Canaria for a long time, and even Shiroyasha had stepped in to punish Canaria.

Now, maybe…

No, no, how could she think like that?

Aslan already had a fiancée, and Karyou was in the community.

Kurousagi’s face showed another strange change.

“Huh? Your face is red. Could it be, Kurousagi, you’re thinking about how to repay me?”

Aslan suspiciously brought his face closer to Kurousagi’s, feeling the heat on her face, and said with a teasing tone.

“No need to repay anything. My demands aren’t much—just hand yourself over!”

Then Kurousagi completely exploded.

“Too… too close!”

She instantly unleashed her divine power and ran off.

Seeing Kurousagi so embarrassed, Aslan nodded sagely.

“Looks like it won’t be long before I can win Kurousagi over.”

“Master, I suggest you look behind you.”

Leticia’s voice reached Aslan’s ears from who-knows-when.

“Oh~ You’re quite bold!”

Karyou said in a jealous tone. She was still here.

(Flirting with someone else in front of your fiancée? Do you even remember you have a fiancée?)

“Looks like it’s time I teach you a good lesson.”

Then Aslan was yanked by the collar by Karyou.

The scene was brutal.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Meanwhile, at the Thousand Eyes shop.

“What, what did you say? What do you mean the Thousand Eyes financial management is being reformed?”

Shiroyasha stared in shock at the latest Thousand Eyes financial management system, shouting with a despairing expression.

“No… This… how am I supposed to transfer… how am I supposed to check if others are working properly?”

“My little money pouch… my pocket money…”

Shiroyasha genuinely wanted to cry now. After all, Thousand Eyes was the largest commercial community in Little Garden. By relying on Thousand Eyes, she only needed to play around a bit, and she’d never lack money.

Her life had been luxurious.

But now, aside from her base salary, there was no other income—everything had been blocked.

Though a Floor Master’s salary wasn’t low, it had to be compared to her expenses.

She was used to a lavish lifestyle.

It was easy to go from frugal to extravagant, but hard to go from extravagant to frugal.

-

Title: Shiroyasha: Please Fund Me

“Here’s the gist of it.”

Shiroyasha picked up the teacup in front of her, downed its contents in one gulp, and slammed it onto the table with a loud thud.

She wanted to cry. Because of her small act of covering something up for Aslan, her two superiors had made such a decision.

She only lied a little, hid the truth a bit, was it really necessary to go that far?

However, the only good news worth celebrating now was that, thanks to Shiroyasha’s little rebellion, she had at least managed to dissuade the two goddesses from intervening and investigating Aslan’s secrets.

Shiroyasha’s instincts told her that Aslan was definitely hiding something from her. The trouble he caused was certainly not as simple as creating a Last Trial of Mankind or bringing out the Mother of the Evil God.

Of course, what she meant here was that Aslan knew the trouble he caused wasn’t tied to his essence.

At the very least, Shiroyasha’s instincts as an Origin Star kept warning her not to let Aslan be exposed under her superiors’ scrutiny.

Plus, Aslan had no malicious intent toward her, and hiding something from her was likely for her own good, so she decided to pretend she knew nothing.

At least she had successfully concealed what Aslan truly wanted to hide.

“I, your big sister, am completely broke, not a single coin left.”

After pouring herself another cup of tea, Shiroyasha sipped it slowly, speaking in a resigned tone.

“So, Boss, you came to me to ask for pocket money?”

Aslan looked at her with slight confusion. He thought it was a big deal, but it was just this.

Hearing those words, the expression on Shiroyasha’s face grew even more embarrassed.

“Pocket money… might not be enough.”

Shiroyasha lowered her head, like a child who had done something wrong, fidgeting with her fingers.

After all, asking for money from her little brother still made her feel a bit ashamed.

If it were that monkey or Indra, she’d just take it. But in front of Aslan, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Boss, what’s the deal with snatching stuff from your little brother?

She still wanted to be a respectable boss.

Unfortunately, the current situation didn’t allow for it.

“Boss, I recall Kurousagi gave you a pretty high limit, didn’t she?”

After all, Shiroyasha was Aslan’s Main God, so Kurousagi wouldn’t dare treat Shiroyasha poorly.

And for someone of Shiroyasha’s status, if she was willing to spend your money, it meant you were the one benefiting.

“What’s it to you? Do you have to make me say ‘please fund me’?”

Seeing Aslan’s teasing, half-smiling look, Shiroyasha said with a hint of irritation.

“Not impossible.”

Aslan nodded in agreement while stroking his chin. He really wanted to see her say “please fund me” in person.

He just hadn’t expected that, after only two months, his relationship with Shiroyasha had shifted like this.

From him having to beg Shiroyasha at the start, now he was the one funding her.

“Come on, Boss, say ‘please fund me,’ and I’ll give you a Gift Card~”

As he spoke, Aslan pulled out his Gift Card and waved it in front of Shiroyasha.

But as soon as the words left his mouth, he felt a bit of regret. He seemed to have gotten too cocky.

(Damn… I’m done for. My idea of challenging the hierarchy just got exposed.)

The Thousand Eyes Gift Card, besides identifying and storing gifts, also served as an ID and savings card, much like a bank card.

It could only be used at Thousand Eyes, though.

Of course, since Thousand Eyes was the largest commercial community in Little Garden, with branches at nearly every outer gate, plus the universal usability of Thousand Eyes gold coins, it was quite a practical function.

And Aslan’s card could access nearly all of Planeswalker’s cash flow. Of course, since creating storage cards cost Aslan very little, and Planeswalker currently only sold one type of gift, it was a poor community in everything but money.

Almost every day, tens of thousands of Thousand Eyes gold coins came in.

As Aslan quietly closed his eyes, bracing for Shiroyasha’s angry scolding…

Somehow, Shiroyasha actually showed a pitiful expression, tugged at the hem of Aslan’s clothes, and said, “Please fund me.”

Then the air fell completely silent. Aslan widened his eyes in shock, staring at her in disbelief.

(No, Boss, are you serious?)

As for Shiroyasha, she completely froze.

What had she just done? How could she have said something like that? She had truly demeaned herself to ask for funding.

Then Aslan and Shiroyasha locked eyes, staring wide-eyed at each other.

In the end, Shiroyasha couldn’t take it anymore. She snatched the Gift Card from Aslan’s hand and stuffed it into her pocket as if nothing had happened.

“You didn’t hear anything just now, got it?”

Shiroyasha narrowed her eyes, warning Aslan. If he didn’t get the hint, she wouldn’t mind finding a new little brother.

“Boss, what did you just say?”

Aslan acted as if he’d lost all memory of the moment, looking around in confusion as if nothing had happened.

“Nothing.”

Shiroyasha saw his expression and pursed her lips. In her memory, only Canaria could act as naturally as Aslan.

“By the way, Boss, has the Gift Game for No Name’s flag started yet?”

After messing around, Aslan also asked about serious matters. He had to admit that Ouroboros was indeed skilled at blocking information.

Neither from Umbrella Corporation nor here had Aslan found any information about the flag.

No wonder they could hide in Little Garden for so long.

“No news yet.”

Shiroyasha sighed.

“Thousand Eyes has sent out its entire Demon Eye force to search where the clue was found, and Laplace has been divining with all its power.”

“Still no news, just like before. But seeing the movements of the Heavenly Forces, they might have caught the snake’s tail, so it won’t be long.”

“It’s fair to say Ouroboros has the ability to hide under the gods’ noses for so long.”

“But it’ll be soon. Though they won’t be able to destroy Ouroboros, cutting off their claws is easy.”

Thousand Eyes, Little Garden’s largest information merchant, and the Heavenly Forces, Little Garden’s designated armed organization, working together—who could withstand that?

Unless the snake had already infiltrated the Heavenly Forces and Thousand Eyes.

While this was almost certain, no one knew how deep the snake’s infiltration went.

The alliance between Thousand Eyes and the Heavenly Forces was merely to provide an explanation to Little Garden’s gods.

After all, Ouroboros had destroyed the last hope of overcoming the Last Trial of Mankind—Arcadia.

Of course, that wasn’t the only issue.

Shiroyasha seemed to have gotten information from Indra that the real reason the gods decided to crush Ouroboros was that Ouroboros genuinely wanted to destroy Little Garden.

Shiroyasha wasn’t surprised, as Aslan had already told her about the impending destruction of Little Garden.

Now, she was just confirming the culprit.

But this was something the gods absolutely couldn’t tolerate. Why should they, living comfortably in Little Garden, watch it be destroyed?

They really wanted to blow up Little Garden? Where did these extreme terrorists come from?

Even those working with Ouroboros couldn’t stand it. They only saw Ouroboros as a tool to make money, but who knew Ouroboros was this extreme?

Then Ouroboros suffered. At the very least, it was a heavy blow. In recent days, who knew how many branches and divisions had been destroyed by the Heavenly Forces?

Of course, this wasn’t without help from internal traitors.

After all, this wasn’t like the original novel, where Absolute Evil Azhi Dahaka was released, and his Spirit Status expanded to its peak.

If it wasn’t overcome soon, Little Garden would truly be destroyed.

That was a natural disaster, an unavoidable factor. Because of a natural disaster, Little Garden would fall. To survive, they left early and prepared to build a new Little Garden.

This was different from the concept of an organization seeing Little Garden’s profit distribution as unfair, deciding to blow it up, and then building a new Little Garden that suited their interests.

The former was an unavoidable factor, still tolerable. After all, compared to survival, losing a comfortable life was no big deal.

But the latter? No, I’m living comfortably, and for your interests, I have to give up my comfortable life? My home has to be destroyed?

After all, most Pantheons in Little Garden were small to medium-sized, only able to scrape by with leftovers. They were already comfortable in this Little Garden, and now they had to move?

And after moving, they couldn’t guarantee their previous standard of living.

They definitely wouldn’t agree. As for the large Pantheons, the beneficiaries, there was no need to say more.

They would fight to the death to stop it. This created the spectacular scene of all of Little Garden uniting to catch the snake.

Unless Ouroboros gave a proper explanation, this grand spectacle might continue.

Listening to Shiroyasha gleefully explain Little Garden’s situation, Aslan only then realized what he had done.

He could only say that the advantage of information asymmetry was truly useful.

Aslan had only leaked news of the savior Kalki’s birth to Athena.

Then the entire situation in Little Garden turned out like this. Just one piece of information nearly killed Ouroboros?

This was too spectacular.

At this moment, Aslan had the expression of someone standing at a great height. But he still knew his place.

Namely, the advantage of information asymmetry like this could only explode once.

This was the last help the original plot could give him.

After this, Aslan would have to find ways to cause trouble on his own, which was a bit regrettable.

But now, Aslan had a bold idea.

“Boss, what do you think—”

“Shut up, I don’t dare listen to your grand plans.”

Shiroyasha covered Aslan’s mouth. She now had a clear sense of his ability to cause trouble.

He was like a master bomber, with the physique of an expert troublemaker.

She initially thought it was just a joke, but after understanding the situation, Shiroyasha realized it was indeed all Aslan’s doing.

Telling Athena about Kalki’s birth and guiding her to deduce that someone wanted to destroy Little Garden.

Plus, Little Garden was indeed entering its final days, which further reinforced this news.

Then the gods and Buddhas panicked, leading to the spectacular scene now.

This wasn’t just talk anymore—someone had actually done it.

No wonder Kasukabe Koumei suddenly lost her human identity; it was all Ouroboros’s doing.

Ouroboros wanted to destroy Little Garden, so they made Koumei lose her human identity.

So they sent people to destroy Arcadia, killing or exiling its cadres.

All of this was Ouroboros’s work!

As for what Ouroboros actually wanted to do? What was their goal? Did it matter?

Hiding behind the scenes for years, they must have been planning something terrifying.

And they had almost succeeded.

If Canaria hadn’t found a clue and desperately passed the news to Athena, they might still be in the dark.

-

Title: On Inhumanity, Canaria Still Takes the Crown

[Gift Game: Battle for the Capture and Defense of Arcadia’s Flag

Participation Requirements: All communities and personnel who receive the invitation and arrive at the Blazing Fire City before sunrise the next day may participate.

Game Rules:

Defend Arcadia’s flag under the siege of countless two-headed dragons and survive until sunset.

The upper limit for participants’ Spirit Status is Four-Digit. Four-Digit-level beings above this limit are not allowed to participate or must voluntarily restrict their Spirit Status to that of an ordinary Four-Digit.

The participant or community that holds Arcadia’s flag last will be the final winner.

Winner’s Prize: The winner will obtain Arcadia’s flag and all the legacy stolen by the Demon Lord, including the Leo Sun Authority.

Oath: Respecting the above contents, in the name of honor, flag, and the rights of the organizer, this Gift Game is held.

Ouroboros Demon Lord Alliance Seal]

Seeing the announced Gift Game invitation, Aslan and Shiroyasha exchanged glances and rubbed their heads in frustration.

“What is Ouroboros trying to do? They’re even putting up the Sun Authority.”

Aslan admitted he didn’t understand Ouroboros’s intentions, but one thing he could be sure of now.

The Gift Game tomorrow was likely to be utterly chaotic.

Who knew how many disguised powerhouses and elders would participate?

At the very least, Aslan couldn’t imagine it at all.

After all, something like the Sun Authority was, for some reason, far too tempting.

Even if they didn’t qualify to hold it, winning and selling it back would still earn them a hefty commission and significant goodwill.

“This time, retrieving Arcadia’s flag seems like it’s going to be incredibly tough.”

Aslan shrugged helplessly. He could already envision a scene where countless heroes clashed, only for someone unknown to swoop in and claim the prize.

In a situation like this, four or five Four-Digit-level fighters were simply not enough.

“And then there’s the matter of those two-headed dragons.”

There were many existences in Little Garden that could be called two-headed dragons, but the one related to Arcadia was only one.

Namely, the two-headed dragon clones derived from Azhi Dahaka’s blood.

“Were they not properly cleaned up two hundred years ago, or were they just preserved by Ouroboros?”

Shiroyasha clearly remembered that when Arcadia faced Azhi Dahaka head-on, many communities had cleared out his clones.

If she wasn’t mistaken, these two-headed dragon clones were at least first-generation divine-level clones from that time.

All of them were Five-Digit or even Four-Digit-level existences.

“Who knows?”

Aslan looked at the gathered information and drew a circle on the map of Blazing Fire City.

“If I’m not mistaken, Azhi Dahaka seems to be sealed here, right?”

Shiroyasha looked at him with slight surprise.

(Where did he get this information? How does he know this?)

But after thinking for a moment, she felt relieved. After all, he was her protégé—didn’t Aslan’s capabilities only make her, the boss, look more impressive?

“Indeed.”

Shiroyasha also suppressed her smile, and her expression gradually turned serious.

“Right now, the biggest concern is if Ouroboros uses the flag to break Azhi Dahaka’s seal—that would be bad.”

This was also the worst-case scenario Shiroyasha feared most.

However, it wasn’t without solutions. At least the Mother of the Evil God was still on their side.

The Mother of the Evil God should be able to influence Azhi Dahaka.

“Of course, there’s another possibility: Ouroboros wants to clear their name by overcoming Azhi Dahaka.”

Aslan touched his chin and said softly.

The Third Perpetual Motion Machine Spirit Status was with Maxwell, combined with the existence of the savior Kalki.

Using a star creation simulation diagram, there was a high chance of overcoming Azhi Dahaka.

After all, Kalki wasn’t a natural god or Buddha, let alone a god or Buddha descended to earth. He was a savior born as a human.

This was utterly unreasonable, and Aslan had confirmed it with Little Garden’s center.

Kalki was truly a pure-blooded human and a modern hero.

He was born solely with the mission of salvation.

Did his identity as an Origin Candidate for the original divine script not affect his human identity?

But a human created by gods was still a human!

Damn it!

Aslan felt discriminated against by Little Garden.

Why?

Why was Kalki, one of Vishnu’s ten incarnations, whose essence could even rival a Buddha, considered a human?

Why wasn’t he, a descendant of Yan and Huang, a Planeswalker who had just awakened his spark, considered a human?

When would Yan and Huang rise!

Aslan had never felt such blatant discrimination.

This was racial discrimination! He wouldn’t accept it!

【You’d have to ask your ancestor, Fuxi. It has nothing to do with Little Garden’s rules.】

【Originally, the Chinese Pantheon’s Human Ancestors integrated the dragon race concept into the entire Chinese cultural sphere.】

Due to the limitations of the omnipotent paradox, combined with racial differences, humans couldn’t become Three-Digit. And even if they weren’t human and became Three-Digit, they still had significant differences from other Three-Digit Origin Stars and natural gods, like the Celtic Pantheon, which consisted of artificial gods at the time.

Even the Celtic Pantheon had to call on the Halloween Queen to serve as a benchmark of power and the Pantheon’s core.

To address this, Fuxi and Nuwa integrated the dragon race concept into the people of the entire Chinese cultural sphere, giving them a chance to become the dragon race.

This simultaneously solved the issues of not being able to reach Three-Digit, being too weak after becoming Three-Digit, and the inability to grow.

After all, beyond Three-Digit, artificial gods struggled to achieve feats, while the dragon race naturally grew without limits.

This could be called hitting three birds with one arrow.

But who would’ve thought that, to overcome the Last Trial of Mankind, a pure human Spirit Status was needed?

Of course, the most famous awakened dragon race was the Star Sea Dragon King, who also gave himself the identity of Void Star Taisui.

He even created an Another Cosmology.

(Damn it, my ancestors messed up big time!)

“What’s wrong with you? Why do you suddenly look so deeply hurt?”

Shiroyasha looked at him in confusion.

(Wasn’t he fine just now? Why’s he suddenly shutting down?)

“Nothing, just remembered something very regrettable. I’m not considered human and was kicked out of the human race.”

“Why be depressed about that?”

Shiroyasha grew even more confused, completely unable to understand Aslan’s thoughts.

Was a human identity that important? Their bodies weren’t as strong as Origin Stars, their power wasn’t as great as gods, and their abilities weren’t as unique as the dragon race.

While they had no weaknesses, they also had no strengths.

It should be noted how many people in Little Garden envied the treatment of the Chinese. Did they really think the omnipotent paradox was so easy to overcome? Or that race was so easy to change?

Even just the status of an artificial god was something many couldn’t attain.

Let alone the chance to become the dragon race, one of the three strongest races.

“However, I don’t know how much Salamandra has lost.”

Thinking of this, Aslan felt a bit sorry for poor Salamandra.

They had already lost an Another Cosmology and the Sun Authority due to Canaria’s schemes, and even Azhi Dahaka was sealed under Salamandra’s headquarters in Blazing Fire City.

With Salamandra’s dragon qi used to strengthen the seal, it caused Salamandra to weaken with each generation.

This was why, after Arcadia’s fall, Salamandra didn’t hesitate to tear up the alliance agreement and betray Arcadia.

Canaria had truly screwed Salamandra over to death.

And now, this poor group was once again chosen by Ouroboros to be the battlefield for the flag’s capture.

It could only be said how pitiful their fate was.

Calling them the unluckiest in Little Garden wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

A Four-Digit community that ruled the Lower Layer had fallen to this state.

There wasn’t even a single Four-Digit-level member in the community. The only usable one, Salamandra, had gone to the southern region to become a Floor Master.

She went to lead the dragon-horned griffons.

Yes, the woman who relied on her faint dragon blood to win a competition against Aishelia.

“No need to worry about that. The Heavenly Forces have already relocated the entire Blazing Fire City. It’s probably just empty land there now.”

Shiroyasha yawned and said casually.

The Heavenly Forces hadn’t reached the point of completely losing their humanity. Of course, there was one more thing Shiroyasha didn’t mention.

Namely, after the battle was over, they’d definitely have to move it back. After all, Azhi Dahaka’s seal was critical and couldn’t be lost.

So, whether Salamandra wanted to or not, they could only live in Blazing Fire City, using their dragon qi and blood to reinforce the seal.

“Hmm? Maybe I could sell bloodline purification and evolution potions to Salamandra.”

Though Aslan could only say Salamandra was truly unlucky, with the same blood flowing through his veins, he still intended to help if he could.

After all, they also had Chinese blood, though he didn’t know from which branch.

Plus, they were screwed over by Canaria, and now that he was shouldering Arcadia’s responsibilities, he had to help.

“I’ll give them a discount and a small price cut later.”

Aslan muttered softly, quickly making a decision. As for the issue of tearing up the alliance agreement…

It could only be said to be understandable. He wasn’t a narrow-minded person.

Canaria had indeed acted too inhumanely.

“Oh, and remember to bring Karyou-chan with you. After all, Karyou-chan is experienced in combat and can provide a lot of help.”

As she spoke, Shiroyasha suddenly pulled Aslan’s collar and whispered in his ear.

“Make good use of this opportunity. Old Roc King and I strongly support your marriage with Karyou-chan.”

As for Karyou, who was nearby, she had the urge to hit someone.

Did Shiroyasha really think a Four-Digit’s hearing was that bad?

-

Title: Born and Already Forced to Work

At night, a bright moon hung in the pitch-black sky, illuminating the vast, empty plain without a single mound.

A teenager wearing a straw hat gazed at the plain, the corners of his mouth twitching twice involuntarily.

“Indra wouldn’t be that petty, would he?”

Relocating Blazing Fire City was one thing, but what was with this flat, specially reinforced terrain?

Was he really not going to let him set up the battlefield?

Was that necessary?

And then there were the surveillance gifts around, the familiars, and one of the Twelve Heavenly Generals on duty in the distance—Bishamonten Kenshin Uesugi.

“What a headache. I was hoping to quietly set up the place and expand the Host Master Authority.”

Though he said it was a headache, there wasn’t the slightest trace of distress on Krishna’s face.

But under the bright moonlight, on this empty plain, not a single person noticed Krishna’s figure.

Even Bishamonten Kenshin Uesugi, who maintained a Four-Digit Spirit Status in the Lower Layer, was no exception.

Compared to Krishna, Kenshin Uesugi was still a bit immature. If Indra had come, he might have picked up some clues.

Then Krishna casually tossed his straw hat, and at the same moment, a gentle breeze lifted the hat into the sky, covering the moon.

“Wait? Where did that straw hat come from?”

Kenshin Uesugi instinctively drew his long spear, sharpening his focus as he stared at the straw hat blocking the moon in his view.

“I don’t recall anyone here wearing a straw hat?”

“Who’s trying to play god? Show yourself!”

*SWOOSH!*

The next second, Kenshin Uesugi hurled his long spear, piercing the straw hat swaying in the sky.

When he came to his senses, an ancient fortress, weathered by time, had appeared on the empty plain.

“When did that show up?”

Kenshin Uesugi retrieved his spear, holding the now-pierced straw hat that seemed perfectly ordinary, staring at the ancient fortress in disbelief.

He had been extremely cautious just moments ago, yet he still couldn’t comprehend what had happened.

As for the other Heavenly Army members nearby, along with the various gifts and familiars used for surveillance, none detected any anomalies.

Or rather, at that moment, everyone’s attention was drawn to the straw hat, and no one noticed the changes on the ground.

Even the electronic cameras, devoid of any mystique, were the same.

The footage showed only the straw hat and the spear thrown by Kenshin Uesugi.

“Forget it, Uesugi, it’s pointless.”

At some point, Indra had appeared here, stopping Kenshin Uesugi, who was preparing to blast the ancient fortress to find out who was behind it.

The stage was already set, and even if Kenshin Uesugi wanted to act, it would be futile.

Even if he let him act, he might not be able to destroy the ancient fortress, which had been granted Host Master Authority.

“The mastermind behind Ouroboros has made their move.”

Hearing Indra say this, Kenshin Uesugi finally lowered his spear, sighing helplessly.

“I know, I’m just frustrated.”

“Do those bastards still think the Heavenly Army exist?!”

As he spoke, Kenshin Uesugi threw the straw hat to the ground and stomped on it twice.

Using a straw hat to divert everyone’s attention—the identity of this person was clear.

After all, there was only one significant figure associated with a straw hat: Krishna.

“At least now we can confirm that the financier and leader of Ouroboros is Krishna, right?”

Indra wasn’t too angry. After confirming the true mastermind behind Ouroboros, he had also nearly determined the level of action needed.

A Two-Digit-level being had stepped in to warn. Would he still not stop?

Krishna’s appearance this time was almost certainly to provide an explanation to the gods of Little Garden. An explanation from a Two-Digit being carried significant weight.

The only question was what kind of explanation Krishna would give. A single savior, Kalki, wasn’t enough to justify Ouroboros’s intent to destroy Little Garden.

“We just need to do our jobs.”

As he spoke, Indra yawned and waved at Kenshin Uesugi.

“It’s late. Get some rest. Tomorrow will be a tough battle.”

Kenshin Uesugi nodded silently, unsure if he was listening or not.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

On the horizon, a faint light began struggling to pierce the darkness—a sign that the sun was about to rise.

A white-haired teenager, born less than two days ago, reached out, trying to grasp the dim light, only to be shocked when he realized he couldn’t hold anything.

“His Highness, to grasp the sun, you’d need to be at least Three-Digit.”

Jester, with a smug expression, gently reminded him.

“Huh?”

Kalki was stunned, unsure of what to say.

He wanted to say this was his first time seeing a sunrise.

“And, His Highness, we need to carry out the first task assigned by our superiors.”

Jester spoke softly. Though gentle, there was a hint of undeniable authority in his words.

“Can’t it wait a little longer?”

Kalki’s mouth twitched. Employing child labor shouldn’t be like this.

He was born just a few days ago. Already working?

No, did Ouroboros create me just to work?

“Sorry, His Highness, you should have seen the contract. The Gift Game has already started.”

Jester said as much. Kalki sighed helplessly and tucked away the contract in his hand.

His first Gift Game? It felt a bit challenging.

Winning wouldn’t be easy.

“Ready?”

Before Jester’s words finished, a white two-headed dragon appeared out of nowhere and charged straight at Kalki.

“Let’s begin! His Highness, go for it!”

Then Kalki was immediately struck and sent flying.

After all, he was born just a few days ago. Being able to control his power was already impressive. As for combat, he still needed to adapt.

Unfortunately, Ouroboros didn’t have enough time to let Kalki grow; they could only accelerate his growth as much as possible.

Nearby, Rin saw Kalki get hurt and instinctively wanted to help.

But she was stopped by Jester.

Jester only said coldly, “This is his fate as a savior. He must learn how to fight, how to unleash his strongest power, and how to grow through battle.”

Kalki was indeed worthy of being a savior; he grew remarkably fast in combat. Though caught off guard at first, he quickly fought on equal footing with the Four-Digit-level two-headed dragon clone.

He even briefly dominated the battle.

“But isn’t this too fast?”

Rin said doubtfully. How old was Kalki now? No, more accurately, he was born just a few days ago?

Less than two days, to be precise.

Yesterday, after hurriedly burying his mother, he rushed to Little Garden.

Even Rin had many complaints about Ouroboros’s arrangements. It felt like, “Don’t make things hard for a newborn child.”

What was the point of tormenting a kid?

Couldn’t they wait a bit longer?

Wait for His Highness to grow.

“Not too fast. Time waits for no one.”

Jester smiled, offering no further explanation, and continued watching Kalki grow through his battle with the two-headed dragon.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Meanwhile, at the border gate of Blazing Fire City, Aslan and Karyou walked out of the gate.

Of course, Karyou was currently wearing a magnificent, conservative Hanfu.

At Aslan’s strong insistence, since her previous outfit was a bit too revealing.

If it were someone else, Aslan would’ve fully supported it, as it would be a treat for his eyes.

But for his own fiancée, the more conservative, the better.

Those outfits could be worn at home.

“By the way, where’s Arcadia’s flag? Don’t tell me it’s at the highest point?”

Aslan squinted, standing outside the game arena, looking at the fortress conjured by Krishna. At the highest point of the fortress, there seemed to be a flag fluttering.

But it was too far to see clearly.

No, it wasn’t just the distance—it was as if a frosted glass layer covered it under the Host Master Authority.

He couldn’t see the game arena’s scenery at all.

Otherwise, with Four-Digit vision, there was no way he wouldn’t see clearly.

“No idea, but don’t we just need to go in and fight?”

Karyou showed a bloodthirsty smile, speaking with great excitement.

As a Demon King, she had been obedient for hundreds of years and hadn’t vented her anger in a long time.

As for fighting Aslan? Forget it—the compatibility as opponents was too poor, making it impossible to fight enjoyably.

Aslan also glanced around at the other Four-Digit-level beings preparing to compete for the Sun Authority.

Under their expectant gazes, he quietly took Karyou’s hand and walked into the game arena together.

Karyou resisted slightly, but after seeing her resistance was ineffective, she let Aslan hold her hand.

Then came the sound of countless discussions.

“Huh, I didn’t expect the rumors to be true. Aslan, who took over Arcadia, really won Karyou over?”

“No, I heard he got angry over a woman and attacked Perseus for Aishelia? I heard even the Demon Star was taken from her.”

“Huh, what version of the rumor is that? Wasn’t the Demon Star a token of love?”

“No, it’s clearly because Aslan and Karyou are in love!”

A fat monk in a monk’s robe refuted. Seeing Karyou and Aslan holding hands, he was almost moved to tears.

Yes, indeed, the Roc King still wasn’t at ease about his daughter’s relationship and came to the Lower Layer to join in.

“Then where does that leave us?!”

“Where did this heresy come from?!”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Aslan had no idea how much of a stir his actions had just caused.

He also didn’t know what kind of gossip was circulating about him out there.

However, what was clear now was that, unexpectedly, his reputation didn’t seem too bad.

After all, Arcadia’s fall was too sudden, and Aslan’s arrival was too timely.

In fact, Little Garden’s attention on him wasn’t low—it was just that Aslan rarely showed himself.