Chapter 153
“My performance score is actually one point lower than yours? That’s not fair!”
“Haha, what’s fair or not? I just gathered a little more intel than you.”
“I heard this week they’re doing the rankings. The one who places first won’t just get to pair with a divine attendant, but will also receive medicine from the lab. Not only can it enhance our own strength, it’ll also ensure we give birth to stronger offspring.”
“Wow, they’re really giving out something that good as a prize?”
“Exactly! I’m ranked tenth, so I’ll only get to pair with the divine attendant on the tenth day. Ugh, it’s so hard to wait.”
“We’re only one point apart, but there are three places between us. That means I’ll have to wait three more days than you.”
***
The mothers walked along in groups of two or three, their conversations almost all about performance rankings.
Although the topic often circled back to reproduction, without realizing it, what they valued more and more was their “performance evaluation.” Especially the envious, jealous, or admiring looks from others—it intoxicated them, made them crave more.
Once a person has tasted ambition and desire, it’s nearly impossible to quit.
“Alarm! Alarm! Return immediately.”
“The lab is under unknown attack.”
“Foreign enemies approaching!”
***
Piercing alarms blared all around.
On the streets, some naturally steady-minded mothers still knew what they were doing and immediately ran home. But many others were confused, standing blankly until someone else pulled them along before they realized what to do.
The divine attendants, however, were different. The moment they heard the alarms, they knew enemies had come. This was their moment to shine.
The very purpose of divine attendants was to protect the Mother of Fertility when enemies attacked, buying Her time.
So, without hesitation, they rushed into battle.
Cang Jiu couldn’t afford to be the odd one out, so he blended in among them, just going through the motions without actually exerting effort.
The ones attacking the [Mother of Fertility] were followers of the [Black Swan] Church.
[Black Swan] was also a high-level deity, but its authority overlapped somewhat with the Mother of Fertility’s. Back in Her prime, She had viciously sabotaged [Black Swan] and even seized those overlapping authorities, nearly forcing [Black Swan] into extinction. Between them was a blood feud. So when someone from the Extreme Evil Loan Company anonymously leaked the Mother of Fertility’s whereabouts, [Black Swan]’s people were the first to give chase—and they even shared the coordinates publicly, determined to prevent Her revival!
The lab, though, was well-prepared.
They swiftly activated their defense systems, making full use of the time the divine attendants were stalling. Soon, the protective barrier went up. The researchers had also inscribed a god-descending ritual of the Mother of Fertility. If enemies actually breached the lab, they could use it to summon Her directly and slaughter the intruders.
As Her most treasured site, the lab’s defenses were no joke.
Even in the face of such a sudden raid, they had drilled enough times to know exactly what to do.
Once the barrier was raised, the lab became a one-way fortress—impossible to enter or leave.
Fortunately, Lu Chuan had slipped in beforehand.
He had arranged with Cynthia and informed Lilus: tonight was the night to act.
Originally, they hadn’t planned to move so soon. But Cynthia warned that something deep within the lab seemed to be stirring, her instincts screaming danger. Moreover, the Mother of Fertility, once so invested in researching Lilus, was now visiting less and less—eventually not at all.
There was only one explanation:
Her revival was accelerating. For the sake of completing it, She no longer had time to bother with Lilus.
Cynthia didn’t know the exact details about the Seed of Fertility, but she did know this: what the Mother of Fertility valued above all else was Her own resurrection. If She succeeded, the players’ chance of clearing the instance would plummet.
Since Her revival timetable was shrinking rapidly, they had to strike early. Tonight’s invasion was the first, meaning the lab was at its most unprepared. If they waited for a second or third, the defenses would only grow tighter.
Lu Chuan and Cynthia divided the tasks clearly.
Cynthia would rescue Lilus, then sabotage every embryo and data file in the lab. She also had to destroy the god-descending ritual to stop the Mother of Fertility from manifesting directly inside.
Lu Chuan, meanwhile, would infiltrate the deepest part of the lab to find the object She valued most. If it proved too dangerous, he could use the dungeon’s temporary exit option to leave early. Once Cynthia’s team finished their sabotage, they would regroup with him quickly.
As for Shen Li, he blended into the logistics crews, sowing chaos.
Supplies meant for the divine attendants—potions, weapons, everything—he sabotaged.
His job was to delay, to give [Black Swan] more breathing room, and to lure their stronger fighters toward the lab, piling pressure on the defenders.
“Haah.” Shen Li sighed quietly, then used his [Creation] ability to lay several direct bridges leading straight to the lab—helping the Black Swan cultists charge forward unhindered.
After that, he slipped into the logistics center.
Lu Chuan had said: take all of the Mother of Fertility’s hoarded wealth.
With everyone distracted by the battle, now was the perfect chance.
A being who could support so many subordinates surely had immense riches. It would be foolish not to seize them.
When Shen Li entered the storage hall, the sight of mountains of gold and treasure made him gasp.
Good heavens—this much?!
He hurriedly stashed a large share into his personal space.
This time, he wouldn’t tell anyone—not even Starry Shasha. This would be his private stash. After all, Lu Chuan wasn’t here to notice.
He was tired of penniless days. Tired of cafeteria meals.
Heh, heh.
Shen Li couldn’t help but chuckle.
All this would be his.
On his neck, a faint mark flickered in and out of sight.
In contrast, Cang Jiu’s burden was the lightest, his assigned tasks minimal—at least on the surface.
Lu Chuan, dressed in a researcher’s white coat, pressed deeper into the lab.
The inner levels branched into countless paths, each exit shifting daily. Only the most trusted researchers knew the day’s layout. Anyone else who wandered in would find only a dead end. That was why Cynthia, even knowing the location, had been unable to enter.
But Lu Chuan had a special method. He assured Cynthia she didn’t need to worry, so she entrusted him with this crucial mission.
That method, of course, was #888.
[Host, turn left first. Take five steps, then turn right. Bigger strides—no, a little smaller—yes, just like that.]
At last, #888 could unleash its powerful calculation and scanning abilities.
As it leveled up, its influence within dungeon worlds grew stronger.
Unfortunately, its growth had always lagged behind Lu Chuan’s, reducing it to little more than a sidekick. Determined to redeem itself, #888 had been waiting for the right chance.
And now, that chance had come.
For others, these ever-shifting corridors were a nightmare. But for #888, this was its specialty.
[Host, the Seed of Fertility’s power is increasing,] it said while guiding him. [The Seed requires sufficient external stimulus and power to grow. The Mother of Fertility is dead, and the remnants of Her strength weren’t enough to make it develop quickly. But with your and Cang Jiu’s arrival, the pace has accelerated.]
If it had been other players, the Seed wouldn’t have reached this stage for at least another month.
But with Lu Chuan’s group, that logic no longer applied.
The Seed of Fertility, more than any divine seed, returned to the origin. It embodied endless vitality, the beginning of divinity itself. This made it highly sensitive to external stimuli—and especially responsive to divine power.
If Cang Jiu and Lu Chuan had kept completely hidden, it might have been different. But the moment they released their auras, the Seed’s growth skyrocketed.
Previously, the Mother of Fertility had raised divine attendants, then sacrificed the ones who inherited traces of divine power to the Seed. This slow accumulation was how She had been nurturing its development.
Now, with the [Black Swan]’s intrusion, the stimulation was even greater.
“Then, by your logic, why didn’t the Mother of Fertility deliberately draw in Her rivals sooner? Wouldn’t more gods speeding things up help the Seed mature?” Lu Chuan asked curiously.
[Because once the Seed matures fully, it will emit its primordial aura, attracting every god in the vicinity.] #888 explained. [The Seed of Fertility is unique—a universal seed. Any god can use it to resurrect themselves. Naturally, countless gods would fight for it. Since the Mother hasn’t yet completed Her own revival, if the Seed matured too quickly and drew stronger foes, She could lose everything.]
The safest path for Her was to carefully control the pace, sacrificing divine-attendant infants bit by bit, until She recovered enough strength. Then She could swallow the Seed whole and complete Her resurrection.
But now, the Seed’s growth had outstripped Her plans, forcing Her to attempt revival prematurely.
This was also the greatest opportunity players like Lu Chuan had ever gotten.
With #888 guiding him, Lu Chuan finally reached the end of the path.
By now, he didn’t even need #888’s narration to sense it himself—this was exactly like what Cynthia had described, the sound of some creature’s heartbeat pounding inside his skull.
Thump.
Thump.
A strong and powerful heartbeat was constantly proclaiming its existence, and even Lu Chuan’s own heart began to sync with that rhythm.
His face flushed red.
Having his heartbeat suddenly forced into a different pattern was almost unbearable.
Lu Chuan drew the [Infinite Divine Pistol], shoving aside the constant prompt tones from the Main God System.
At this point, what else was there to say?
[Host, should we turn on a defensive shield?] #888 quickly slipped in. [You earned 500 jin of gold, using a little bit is no big deal. Right now the Mother of Fertility must be watching you, and this is the kind of thing you can probably expense to Cang Jiu later.]
Lu Chuan hesitated, then finally decided to splurge a little.
“Fine, open a defense layer first,” he relented. “I didn’t clear with Cang Jiu about reimbursements beforehand, but he is the God of Desire—he shouldn’t care about this little bit.”
Lately, he had been making more money, so he could afford to act a little willful.
And besides, asking Cang Jiu to reimburse half later wasn’t unreasonable.
[Great!] #888 was so moved it almost cried, quietly saving a recording of this moment.
Finally, after so many attempts to persuade its host, success at last—now it could die without regrets.
A faint golden shield shimmered over Lu Chuan’s body, and his wealth began burning away at the rate of seconds.
The Mother of Fertility’s power was bounced back.
Lu Chuan picked up speed, kicking down several doors in a row. He swept each room with his gaze and then moved on without pause.
The heartbeat was growing stronger and stronger, and sweat poured down his forehead in thick drops.
Outside the lab, Cynthia and Lilus unleashed their abilities in full.
[Attack Amplification]!
Cynthia opened her eyes, channeling her power into Lilus.
[Defense Amplification].
[Speed Amplification].
[Strength Amplification].
…
Cynthia piled every buff she had onto Lilus.
Because the siblings’ coordination was seamless, she could even hit him with a [Balance Amplification] midair, allowing him to perform seemingly impossible maneuvers while airborne.
Under their combined efforts, the modified divine servants released inside the lab stood no chance.
Swinging his massive scythe, Lilus tore apart most of the ritual inscriptions for divine descent carved into the facility.
“Haha, nothing beats running a dungeon with Sis!” Lilus shouted in excitement. With her help, his combat power multiplied severalfold. Right now, he felt like even facing the Executor head-on wouldn’t be hopeless.
“Careful—someone dangerous is coming,” Cynthia suddenly warned.
A robed researcher appeared in front of Lilus.
Cynthia recognized him. He was the lab’s chief researcher, rarely ever seen in their department. The only other time he had appeared was when the Mother of Fertility personally moved to capture Lilus.
“So, No. 1, your companions infiltrated among us long ago,” the chief researcher said, sweeping a dark, venomous gaze over Cynthia and Lilus.
“He should be the Mother of Fertility’s High Priest,” Cynthia said quickly. “If the Mother of Fertility hasn’t appeared yet, she’s either fighting the Black Swan or she’s gone after Lu Chuan. Lil, we must end this fast.”
Though her words urged haste, Cynthia was already closing in on the priest.
Her abilities leaned toward support, but that didn’t mean she was helpless in battle.
In fact, most of Lilus’s fighting techniques had been taught by her!
They had to completely destroy the divine descent ritual and prevent this priest from lending aid to the Mother of Fertility, or else risk her arrival.
This dungeon run was their one chance to completely annihilate the Mother of Fertility.
If they killed her, no one like them would ever be created again. They could not and would not allow such tragedies to repeat.
Killing the Mother of Fertility would end everything.
Neither sibling noticed the faint mark that flashed briefly on the backs of their heads before vanishing, restoring all the stamina they had spent.
Meanwhile, Lu Chuan finally found the Seed of Fertility inside a chamber.
A large incubation pod contained a tiny infant. And though the lab should have been sealed tight, weeds and flowers sprouted from cracks in the corners, forcing their way through solid materials under the seed’s influence.
[Amazing, Host, that’s it—that’s the Seed of Fertility! And the Mother of Fertility isn’t here yet. Our luck is unreal!] #888 was nearly faint with joy.
What “Child of Destiny”?
Its host was clearly born to be the God of Wealth.
Look—while so many others fought desperately over the seed, it fell into his hands with ease.
Lu Chuan unconsciously stepped forward.
As long as he obtained the Seed of Fertility, he’d gain an extra life, and then he could seek out Guildmaster Wen Renxu without worry. He would ascend the road to the heavens, with nothing able to stop him.
Mountains of gold, veins of gemstones—everything he saw would be his.
All he had to do was take the seed…
The spot between Lu Chuan’s brows began to glow faintly.
But just before his hand touched the Seed of Fertility, he stopped.
He suppressed his desire!
[Host, what’s wrong?] #888 was baffled. [This isn’t fake, I promise!]
“Precisely because it isn’t fake.” Lu Chuan rubbed his brow. “I was wondering why Cang Jiu was so quiet—turns out he was waiting for me here.”
At the same time—
The Mother of Fertility clashed with the Black Swan.
Though she was still in the midst of revival, she had once been a true high-tier god. After so many years of recovery, at least half her strength was back. The Black Swan, meanwhile, was only a mid-tier god. Defeating the Mother of Fertility quickly was impossible.
For the Mother of Fertility, her domain made everything clear.
This time, four players had entered, plus some unknown lifeform among them.
She knew the Main God System didn’t want her to revive.
Every time she approached recovery, players were sent against her in waves. Only by surviving them could she complete her revival and gain the power to contend with the system.
But this time, she wasn’t planning to resist.
If she could finish reviving, she’d submit to the Main God System’s control like the God of Exchange had, in exchange for some freedom within limits. To negotiate, though, she needed enough strength first.
If some other god had come, she might have persuaded them to defect like her. But the one here was the Black Swan—no chance of that.
The Main God System didn’t care about a mid-tier god.
And besides, she had tricked the Black Swan once before.
So the Mother of Fertility didn’t take the Black Swan seriously. She was waiting for her High Priest to reopen the divine descent ritual. Then she could descend into the dungeon herself, slaughter all the players, seize the Seed of Fertility, and complete her revival before more gods arrived.
She had already defeated the Black Swan once; she could do it again.
Once fully revived and aligned with the Main God System, she would enjoy the same status as the God of Exchange. If she could go further and devour the higher Mother of Fertility, she could rise to a conceptual god, perhaps even a true god. At that point, even the Main God System would have to treat her as an ally.
Thinking of this bright future, she looked at the Black Swan with chilling eyes.
She had to kill this nuisance!
And the Black Swan thought the same.
Their vast, towering forms bore tiny marks like dust motes, vanishing in an instant.
The war of gods could not be perceived by human eyes.
Even master-ranked players steered clear when sensing such battles, preferring to fight minor enemies than risk becoming cannon fodder in a divine war.
Meanwhile, the other gods drawn by the clash between the Mother of Fertility and the Black Swan could only stare helplessly.
Something was wrong—they couldn’t even enter this dungeon.
Among the gathered divine servants, Cang Jiu stood silently, gazing skyward, his vision piercing the clouds to behold the war between the two gods above.
When the Black Swan was about to be devoured, the desperate will to live exploded in its mind, erupting into a burst of power.
What a pity.
There had been too many gods carving up the corpse of the God of Desire back then.
Both the Black Swan and the Mother of Fertility had been among them.
To stir up desire, to harvest desire—that had always been the God of Desire’s specialty.
But the Mother of Fertility wanted to complete revival and devour the Mother of Fertility. Her ambition far outstripped her actual strength.
The [Black Swan], consumed by its desire for revenge, never stopped to think—so many gods had received the news, yet only it had come to this instance.
How could the world be so coincidental? It was nothing more than foresight versus carelessness. To those unaware, it might even look like sheer luck had guided it here.
Normally, reclaiming the power stolen from it by those two gods was nearly impossible. But inside this instance, everything had become possible.
They thought they were the ones reaping others, but didn’t realize they themselves were the harvest.
When they began to drown in desire, fighting each other for it, that was the moment they would be forced to pay their debt.
