(Here's Ano...ther!)
Chapter 252: The Eastern Empire Marches on the 60th Floor!
...
A few moments later...
Shizuka Hiratsuka opened her eyes. She could feel the change within her, though she struggled to put it into words.
"Fifty thousand divine power... that's going to be a bit of a grind," Shizuka murmured after checking her panel. Everyone had warned her about the requirements, but facing the reality of it firsthand still felt daunting.
"Take it one step at a time," Seito offered a faint smile before turning his attention to Sora, who was watching him in return.
They shared a look, and a silent understanding passed between them.
"I see you've made up your mind," Seito said softly.
"Yeah," Sora nodded, a confident grin spreading across his face. "Even if it means potentially wasting my current talent, I'm choosing the Game Godhead fragment!"
Compared to the Nature Godhead fragment lying nearby, the Game Godhead fragment held an irresistible allure for him. Sora had always believed that as long as it was a game, he was an invincible existence. This Godhead was a must-have!
Without further hesitation, Sora reached out and grasped the fragment.
Whoosh—
He closed his eyes and began the absorption process. A short while later, he opened them, a smile lighting up his features. "Finally, I have a Godhead."
Seito put the remaining Nature Godhead fragment away and turned to the two of them. "Our plan moving forward is simple: we make you, Sora, the Floor Master of the 60th floor."
The 60th floor was a critical juncture. Establishing a Safe Zone was mandatory, and they could only fill it with members of their own guild. When it came to a candidate for the position, no one possessed more intimidation and authority than their Chief Executor.
"I understand," Sora nodded. From this point on, their focus would be entirely on developing the 60th floor.
"I have a plan," Seito added earnestly. "Amou and I can't exactly 'wipe' the 60th floor clean—doing so would destroy the environment entirely. So, I plan to negotiate with the Fire Emperor on the 50th floor and have him grant us access."
"That way, we can bring the soldiers from the 30th floor up to the areas beyond the 50th."
NPCs were allowed to travel to floors above the 50th, but very few had actually made the journey because the Fire Emperor held absolute jurisdiction over that layer.
Sora and Shizuka didn't find the idea strange at all; it was perfectly logical to bring their NPC forces along for the expansion.
"By the way," Shizuka interjected, voicing her confusion. "Apart from gods, what kind of strength does one need to raise their level cap beyond 100?"
The mobs and mini-bosses above the 50th floor were all level 100+, which implied that the level cap could be broken.
"I'm not sure," Seito shook his head, then pondered for a moment. "It's likely that we have to clear the 60th floor to unlock the standard level cap for everyone else."
It was a highly plausible theory. Clearing the 60th floor to unlock the level cap was consistent with the progression pattern they had seen so far. Shizuka and Sora agreed; it made perfect sense.
"Alright, you two head to the 30th floor and mobilize the army. I'll sit this one out," Seito said. He needed a break, and more importantly, he had two Elven Queens to visit. He couldn't let that Nature Godhead fragment go to waste.
"Understood. We'll take our leave," Sora said.
With that, he and Shizuka left to attend to their respective tasks. Once they were gone, Seito opened the Floor Master chat channel.
[Emperor of the Eastern Empire]: @Fire Emperor. Fire Emperor, you there?
[Fire Emperor]: Yo, bro! What's up?
[Emperor of the Snezhnaya Empire]: ...
Seito's mouth twitched. Why was the Fire Emperor getting increasingly unprofessional? Ignoring the urge to roll his eyes, Seito typed out his request.
[Emperor of the Snezhnaya Empire]: Can you grant me passage permissions for the 50th floor? I need to move a large army up to the layers above.
[Fire Emperor]: The ancient ruins, huh... Let me think about that.
Seito waited in silence. The guy might act like a goofball, but he was still the monarch of a nation. Deploying an army into his territory was a move that required careful consideration.
A long time passed.
[Fire Emperor]: I don't have a problem with it. Just make sure that once you reach the 50th floor, you coordinate with the soldiers in the main city.
[Emperor of the Snezhnaya Empire]: Much appreciated.
A moment later, a system notification chimed:
[Access permissions for the 50th floor of the God Domain have been granted.]
Seito switched to his private chat with Sora.
[Sei]: Contact established. You're cleared to head to the 50th floor.
[Sora]: Understood.
With that, Seito closed his eyes and drifted off for a quick nap.
Time ticked by, and it was 1:00 PM. Seito opened his eyes, feeling groggy.
"I didn't think I'd actually fall asleep," he said, stretching his limbs. He looked out at the scenery—bright sunshine, a gentle breeze, and fish leaping in the lake. It was such a tranquil, beautiful sight that it was easy to forget one's worries and just drift away.
"Time to invite the two Queens," Seito thought. He teleported away.
God Domain, 30th Floor.
The Snezhnaya Empire Capital.
Inside the palace hall, Seito sat on his throne, observing the two Elven Queens standing before him.
"Queen Philna, Queen Lina, I assume you've heard about the phenomenon of mortals ascending to godhood?" Seito asked, carefully choosing his words.
The two Queens exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.
"The matter of godhood is something every Floor Master has been desperately researching," Philna said, her tone laced with surprise. "Could it be that you, Emperor Sei, have found a way?"
"I have."
The Queens froze, stunned. He actually had a way?! They never expected Seito to have a method, especially since they had spent ages searching for one themselves. They hadn't imagined that Seito, an adventurer who had entered the God Domain relatively recently, would stumble upon such a miracle.
Suppressing her excitement, Lina asked, "What is the method?"
"Godheads and Divine Power," Seito answered. He then posed his own question: "Do the two of you possess Divine Power?"
He knew about the monsters, but he wasn't sure about the NPCs. After all, nobody could guarantee whether an NPC might harbor hidden Divine Power...
...
Thank you for reading.