Chapter 179: Chilling with the gang (3)
"This," Riku said, a slow, proud smile on his face, "is my secret. My own little world."
A stunned silence followed his words. The only sound was the gentle rustle of the cherry blossom tree.
It was Lysaria who broke it. Her voice was a trembling whisper, her face pale with a reverence that bordered on terror. "To create a world from nothing... to command the sun and the sky..."
She took a hesitant step back, her eyes fixed on Riku. "What are you? Are you... a god?"
The question hung in the air, heavy and impossible.
Lila shook her head as if to clear it. "Don’t be silly, Lysaria. He’s just Riku." But even as she said it, she looked at him with a new, profound wonder. though she knew that there was a system helping Riku, having his own world was more than enough to shock her.
Seraphina said nothing. She simply stared at Riku, her analytical mind trying, and failing, to categorize the power she was witnessing. This was beyond anything she had ever encountered.
Riku held up his hands, a gesture of peace. "No," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "I am not a god."
"Then how do you explain having a world of your own?" Sherry demanded.
Riku looked around at the endless green expanse. "Think of this place as a magical artifact. A seed that can grow into a world. For reasons I don’t understand, this artifact has... chosen me as its owner. Its caretaker."
He met their gazes with his own earnest expression. "It is now my duty to make it bigger, to make it better. To fill this empty space with life and peace. But," he paused, "I can’t do it alone. I need your help."