Chapter 93: Lunar Star
Now then, I can finally start setting things up properly. Various bursts of inspiration flashed through Lucian's mind, leaving him undeniably invigorated.
"It's... already handled?" Artemis still felt as if she were trapped in a surreal dream. The terrifying monstrosity that had given the entire pantheon endless headaches had been annihilated so effortlessly. It was simply too absurd!
"How else was it supposed to go?" Lucian smiled. "Would you care to drop by my place for a bit?"
"Your home is inside the Great Tree Labyrinth?" Artemis couldn't quite wrap her head around Lucian. Even as a deity, the sheer scale of the shock Lucian had delivered was staggering. Was this the true depth of the Lower World's unknown mysteries?
"I possess the ability to teleport." Lucian explained.
"Instantaneous spatial teleportation?" Artemis asked, her tone somewhat numb.
"Something like that." Lucian stretched his arms lazily. "My sole objective was Antares, and now that the task is finished... do you want to come?"
"Then... I shall intrude upon your hospitality." Artemis hesitated briefly but ultimately couldn't suppress her burning curiosity.
"Let's head out, then."
Lucian snapped his fingers. A flash of light enveloped them, instantly transporting the trio directly into the Divine Court.
Artemis wore an expression of profound astonishment yet again. She was a Goddess, after all. Even if she wasn't classified as a Great God, her combat capabilities ranked among the absolute highest within the pantheon. With her incredibly acute divine senses, she naturally detected the fundamental nature of this new world. Any deity would instantly realize one glaring truth upon arriving here: their divine power was no longer restricted.
"Is this... another world?" Artemis asked.
"To be entirely accurate, it is another world that I created," Lucian replied.
Earlier, his use of the Reality Marble had merely been projecting his Mental Landscape out into the external world. For Lucian, that was equivalent to projecting only a fragmented sliver of his Reality Marble into reality. But that wasn't the core issue. The core function of a Reality Marble lay in actively resisting the World Correction Force. Thus, whether a God could utilize their divine power inside the Reality Marble, and exactly how much they could wield, were variables entirely governed by Lucian's will. That was precisely why Artemis had still felt her restrictions while standing within his deployed Reality Marble earlier.
However, this inner world entirely isolated and severed the World Correction Force of the Danmachi Lower World, completely neutralizing the detection protocols established by the pantheon. Since the world itself could no longer perceive a deity's unleashed power, it naturally couldn't forcefully deport them back to Heaven.
"An environment bearing the exact same properties as Heaven... what exactly are you?" Artemis stared at Lucian with immense curiosity. She was far more perceptive than the other Gods, grasping the absolute truth of this realm in mere seconds.
"Would you like to take a guess?" Lucian smiled faintly. "I have already secured the coordinates to two distinct worlds. The first world, which I have designated as the Danmachi World, is the very Lower World we just departed."
"The second world I have designated as the Magi Universe. Over there, the physical manifestation of the Greater Source's mana is composed entirely of miniature spirits—"
"You hail from another world?" Artemis realized in sudden dawning, quickly followed by another question. "Then why did you choose to become a member of the Hephaestus Familia?"
"Because, at his core, Lucian is still fundamentally human."
Hephaestus suddenly appeared beside them, offering a warm greeting. "It has been quite a while, Artemis. I never expected you to descend to the Lower World as well."
"It has been too long, Hephaestus." Artemis nodded slightly before continuing, "Which is to say, Lucian, acting as a mortal human, somehow carved out this entire dimension and became a Creator?"
"You hit the nail right on the head." Hephaestus's eyes crinkled with a knowing smile. "Well? The Lower World is full of miraculous surprises, isn't it?"
Even if Lucian wasn't originally a denizen of their specific reality, humanity was humanity. The sheer fact that a mortal could achieve such cosmic feats was astonishing no matter how one looked at it. The so-called Lower World didn't exclusively refer to the Danmachi universe. There were countless other planets across parallel dimensions, with the Magi universe being just one of them.
"Indeed. It is utterly miraculous." Artemis nodded in profound agreement before asking, "Would it be permissible for me to learn more about this world?"
"Suit yourself." Hephaestus's expression turned faintly complicated. "Since you're so interested, allow me to act as your personal guide."
"Excellent. I will leave it in your capable hands," Artemis agreed with a nod.
Lucian and Hephaestus exchanged a brief glance. The Goddess of Forging raised a subtle eyebrow before deliberately ignoring him. Watching the two Goddesses walk away, Lucian knew the deal was practically sealed.
Artemis possessed an incredibly straightforward personality. She was slightly too strict and, by the standards of ordinary people, somewhat lacking in basic common sense. Being a virgin goddess herself, Lucian certainly wouldn't force her into doing anything against her nature. Whether driven by pure intrigue or practical benefits, she had absolutely zero reason to decline joining the Divine Court.
As for Hephaestus, despite her lingering displeasure with Lucian's unapologetic operating style, she would never actively drive potential allies away when his best interests were on the line. She would even go out of her way to assist him wholeheartedly, continuing to do so even while knowing full well the high probability of inadvertently adding another rival to her own romantic life down the line.
"So this place is called the Divine Court?" Cradling Lante in her arms, Artemis gazed around in unhidden curiosity. "To openly place the Spring of Life right in the dead center... does this world truly possess the raw energy capacity to sustain such an artifact?"
"The Divine Court boasts a fully enclosed internal circulation system, operating on a one-hundred percent energy recycling loop." Hephaestus explained, "Even if the spring water we consume is absorbed by our physical bodies, the resulting energy loss is remarkably negligible. Not to mention..."
"Not to mention what?" Artemis blinked.
"Never mind. I'll just take you to see it for yourself." Hephaestus led Artemis over to the central statue before navigating the interface to initiate a targeted teleportation.
A flash of light erupted, and the two Goddesses instantly appeared within the subterranean altar.
"The Flame of Heaven!?" Artemis stared in profound realization. "I see now. He is using the heavenly flame as the primary power reactor... I honestly assumed you were the one forcibly maintaining the equilibrium of this world."
"Even without my assistance, that child would have inevitably achieved this on his own." Hephaestus shook her head softly. "You know how stubborn I am when it comes to principles, yet I found myself breaking every single rule for him." "Furthermore, I am far from the only deity who has joined the Divine Court. Prometheus and Bheara are also residents here."
At the end of the day, when confronted with a wildly rule-breaking anomaly like Lucian, clinging to traditional stubbornness was fundamentally pointless.
"Prometheus... that enigmatic eccentric whose very gender remains an absolute mystery." Artemis furrowed her brow. "And Bheara as well? Her reputation back in Heaven paints her as... a rather bizarre individual."
"Prometheus is, in fact, a Goddess. As for Bheara, she simply possesses a rather mischievous streak." Hephaestus clarified, "If they were truly malicious, Lucian would never have permitted them to integrate into the Divine Court in the first place."
"I suppose that makes sense..." Artemis nodded, her interest heavily piqued. "So exactly how does the energy cycle of this world function?"
"Aside from the self-sustaining internal loop, the raw output of the Flame of Heaven is channeled directly into the Divine Court via magical arrays, where it undergoes a conversion process to become pure, attributeless Magicules." "The sacred spring constantly absorbs these Magicules to endlessly generate its waters. In fact, it has already produced an entire Sea of Life."
Hephaestus continued, "Beyond that, Lucian utilizes his absolute authority of creation, employing the heavenly fire as a raw energy source to weave divine Authorities, allowing the very stars in the Firmament to naturally evolve." "Lucian truly has exceptional luck. He steps outside for a brief stroll and conveniently runs into the Goddess of the Moon."
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