"You are—"
The Infernal Demon Lord's expression drastically changed upon 'seeing' Ye Bai holding the fishing rod beneath the sea. Even the Infernal Core behind him trembled violently, its power surging like solar flares erupting from a star.
"Boom…"
The sudden upheaval of the Infernal Core disrupted the previously stable balance between fire and water, causing the opposing abyssal depths to churn in response to the abrupt surge of pressure.
The turbulent currents swept Ye Bai, still encased in her bubble, deeper into the ocean.
On the Infernal Core, the Demon Lord's jade-green wounds remained, but unlike before, the once-vibrant injuries showed signs of halted growth. Now partially freed, his gaze lingered on the green bubble drifting away into the abyss.
After uttering that unfinished "You are—", he fell silent, his expression twisting with disbelief, scrutiny, hesitation… and even a trace of sothing like unease.
Then, the Infernal Demon Lord went completely quiet, focusing solely on his struggle against Kraken.
……
Dizzying chaos.
Amid the violent currents, Ye Bai could no longer stabilize herself within the bubble. Kraken, too, was unable to shield her. All she could do was cling to the fishing rod, refusing to let go of the newly acquired branch of the World Tree.
Yet, even as she tumbled uncontrollably, her mind fixated on the Demon Lord's half-spoken words, swallowed by the roaring flas and rushing waters.
'You are—'
Who was he referring to? Ye Bai herself? Or the paper-doll entity that had infiltrated the World Tree’s branch?
Was it soone he recognized, or a title of so kind?
By the ti the turbulence subsided, Ye Bai had been pushed far into the depths. When she finally steadied herself and looked back, only a faint glow—barely visible past Kraken’s colossal form—remained in the distance.
The scorching heat of the Infernal Core was gone. Now, she floated in the cool embrace of the deep sea, protected by the deity’s luminous barrier.
The bubble glowed softly as it rose.
Then—pop—it burst.
The familiar sensation of teleportation washed over her, and Ye Bai found herself standing on hard, dry ground.
Before her stretched a desolate world beneath a perpetually gloomy sky. A breeze swept past—no heat, no lava. Kraken had sent her back to the surface, out of the Infernal Realm.
Recalling the clash of opposing forces, Ye Bai realized Kraken still had strength to spare. The restrained Infernal Demon Lord was now little more than a glorified battery—no imdiate threat, and in a way, even helping sustain Kraken.
Shaking off her thoughts, Ye Bai examined the fishing rod in her hand.
She still held it tight. At the other end of the line, the hook held a vibrant erald glow—the branch of the World Tree, pulsing gently in the darkness.
Then, she froze.
"Oh no—Autofis!"
Kraken had brought her back to the surface, but Autofis was still waiting in the eighth layer of the Infernal Realm!
Ye Bai could practically picture the poor donkey’s bewildered expression—this ti, it had been left behind.
She knew Autofis wasn’t just any ordinary donkey. It had escaped the Dragon’s Tomb before, even retrieving the To of Death and the Dragonwhistle. But the dungeon had been a contained space. The surface and the Infernal Realm were entirely separate worlds.
"Eeeh-aw!"
Yet, almost as if summoned, the familiar bray sounded right beside her.
Ye Bai whipped her head around—there stood the gray-white donkey.
"Phew… Kraken really is thoughtful!" she praised.
"Eeeh-aw!" Autofis protested indignantly. Assuming it was hungry, Ye Bai handed it a loaf of bread, which the donkey happily devoured.
anwhile, in the eighth layer of the Infernal Realm (unbeknownst to Ye Bai), a lone green bubble drifted up from the fissure leading to the ninth layer. It hovered aimlessly, searching for sothing—anything—in the empty expanse. But with no living creature in sight, the bubble eventually dissipated with a quiet pop.
……
Relieved, Ye Bai carefully detached the World Tree’s branch from the fishing rod and stowed the latter away.
The mont the branch touched her hand, a system notification flashed:
[You have completed the quest ‘The God-King’s Treasure—First Key’]
The branch, which had dealt such devastating damage to the Infernal Demon Lord, now displayed its properties in her vision:
[God-King’s Treasure Key 1]
Rank: Mythic
Type: Quest Item
Description: It is not yet complete.
The blunt description surprised her. It was unusually sparse for the ga’s usual style. She’d hoped for hints about the quest, but this told her nothing new—she already knew it was just the first key.
Her attention shifted to the leaves on the branch.
Their delicate veins ford intricate patterns—an elegant script in Elvish. As she studied them, her Historian’s archaeological skill triggered:
[You have discovered ‘Branch of the World Tree.’ 10 History EXP. 200,000 EXP.]
[You have gained 10 Elvish proficiency.]
"Naless, are you still in there?" Ye Bai asked the Elvish script.
"I am." The paper-doll’s voice responded imdiately. His form materialized on one of the leaves, now reshaped by the Elvish aesthetic—a finely sketched, long-haired male profile.
A very green profile.
Ye Bai’s lips twitched, but she fought back the smirk, maintaining a solemn expression.
"So… has your power recovered?"
"Thanks to your help, I've recovered quite a bit," the paper figure said gratefully. His recovery was evident—the lines forming his current appearance were noticeably richer and more solid than before.
Having said this, the paper figure didn’t forget his earlier promise to Ye Bai and began distributing the quest rewards: "With the power of the Life Branch, I should be able to alter the Codex of Death once more."
Ye Bai’s eyes lit up. She had carried this divine artifact for so long, only able to covet it from afar. Now, could she finally use it?
Following the paper figure’s instructions, Ye Bai held the Codex of Death in one hand and brought the Life Branch close with the other, placing it atop the to.
The Codex of Death was bound by an ancient dragon’s curse—once stored in Ye Bai’s inventory, it couldn’t be discarded or given away. However, she could still hold it like this.
But if Ye Bai were to throw the Codex aside or leave it sowhere, it would vanish the next mont, only to reappear in her personal inventory.
A branch brimming with life energy rested upon the Codex, steeped in necrotic power. The paper figure worked so unseen magic, and two beams of light—one white, one black—flared between them.
The lights swirled and rged like a taijitu, growing increasingly intense until they filled Ye Bai’s vision, nearly engulfing her entire form from an outsider’s perspective.
Before long, the radiance faded. Ye Bai saw that the blood-and-gold-dusted script on the Codex’s black cover had beco more vivid than before. anwhile, the Life Branch, described as a "key," now appeared even more vibrant and extraordinary, as though both objects had been "awakened."
Ye Bai first turned her attention to the Codex of Death.
The to’s previous requirent—equippable only by a demigod of level 80 or higher—had now changed to level 60 at the third tier.
Even though this had been the goal all along, Ye Bai couldn’t help but take a deep breath. This ant that once she completed her third class advancent, she could finally wield this divine artifact!
Worth it. Every mont spent in the Divine Realm this past in-ga month had been worth it.
After steadying her excitent, Ye Bai shifted her gaze to the Life Branch, which seed to have undergone changes as well. Its properties had transford:
[Key to the Divine King’s Treasure (1)]
Rank: Mythic
Attribute: Life Branch (Quest Item)
Effect - Gift of Life: The holder gains an additional 50% of their current HP as bonus maximum health. This extra health regenerates at 200% speed.
Description: It is not yet complete.
Ye Bai’s face lit up with joy. What a treasure!
The bonus health with double regeneration speed essentially functioned as a self-replenishing shield—incredibly practical.
The item occupied the waist accessory slot, which Ye Bai happened to have free. She equipped it imdiately, and an inconspicuous branch appeared at her hip while her HP cap soared past 3,000 points.
With this gear, she could practically strut through the Myriad Realms without fear.
Soon after, the paper figure erged from the Codex of Death, his lines now diminished, nearly back to their original state.
"Are you alright?" Ye Bai asked with concern.
"This is normal. I’ll recover after so ti," the paper figure replied with a smile.
Ye Bai nodded and pressed further: "How many more keys are left?"
"Two." The paper figure seed montarily surprised by her question, as she hadn’t shown much interest in the Divine King’s treasure before. After a pause, he explained, "One is near the treasure’s location and easy to obtain. The challenging one is the second—the other half of this Life Branch, hidden in the Erald Forest."
The Erald Forest… which had sealed itself after the Infernal Invasion.
Ye Bai wasn’t entirely surprised by this revelation, especially since the first key was a Life Branch. It would’ve been stranger if it didn’t have ties to the High Elves.
Co to think of it, since arriving in the Divine Realm, Ye Bai had encountered the last dragon of the Sky City, the Infernal Demon God, and the Abyssal Sea God. Among the realm’s apex races, she’d yet to et the High Elves, the Voidlings, and the Radiant Bloodline.
The reason Ye Bai grew more invested in this quest after receiving the Codex’s reward was simple—
"Did you hear what the Infernal Demon God said earlier?"
The paper figure paused briefly before nodding. "I did."
Ye Bai didn’t ask about the Demon God’s abrupt, unfinished words. Instead, she posed a new question:
"What kind of person do you think I am?"
Faced with this, the paper figure fell silent for a mont before answering with unusual gravity: "I believe… you are soone who can bring change to this world."
Ye Bai: "…"
Paper Figure: "…"
After a long, solemn silence, Ye Bai finally scratched her head and groaned, "Why does this suddenly sound so abstract?!"
"But I truly believe it," the paper figure on the Codex’s cover replied innocently.
Of course "change" was inevitable—Ye Bai was a player. The Divine Realm’s expansion was designed to let players shape the ga’s narrative through their actions, forging their own legends.
Could the Infernal Demon God’s cryptic remark have referred to her as a "Godblood"? Now that she’d accepted the [Main Quest], NPCs might see her as a quasi-protagonist in the Divine Realm’s storyline. Surely they didn’t recognize her as the ga’s "creator," did they?
The thought made Ye Bai chuckle. Strictly speaking, the Divine Realm was rely a "brainstorm" she’d yet to fully realize—and this was Wanjie, a fully imrsive VR world. By no stretch was she its creator.
Shaking her head, Ye Bai set the matter aside. The Infernal Demon God had said nothing more, so pressing for answers now would be futile. The aning behind those words, the paper figure’s identity, and the Divine Realm’s evolution would likely unfold as the main quest progressed.
As the paper figure revealed the next key’s location, the second phase of the [Divine King’s Treasure] quest updated:
[Divine King’s Treasure - The Second Key]
Quest Description: The clue to the second key lies within the Erald Forest. Find a way to obtain it.
Quest Rewards: Divine King’s Treasure Key (2), Aid from the Naless One, Unknown
As expected, the description was similar to the first part.
Of course, the exploration of the Erald Elves would have to wait for another ti.
With matters settled for now, Ye Bai naturally prepared to leave the divine realm and return to her territory while completing her third class advancent. By the ti she entered the Well of Origin, White Night Town—aside from its shortage of population—had already t all the infrastructure requirents to upgrade to a fifth-tier territory.
During her last login, Ye Bai had skimd through cosmic news. The two cosmic-level civilizations were not to be underestimated—with the help of countless players, they had rapidly expanded and developed, already surpassing the threshold of a third-tier territory. By now, they were likely preparing to upgrade to towns.
"Well then…" Ye Bai turned to the Paperman and Autofis. "Would you two like to co with to my territory? Of course, we’ll return here together next ti."
This ti was different from before. Ye Bai had reaped a bountiful harvest of experience points, enough to level up to 64. Reaching level 60 would mark the 'Awakening' stage for a Divine Bloodline holder—their bloodline progression was determined by level, not class advancent.
The difference between advancing or not at each stage ca down to two main points: first, if one reached the maximum level of a stage without advancing, they would hit a 'bottleneck' and be unable to progress further; second, their class strength would remain at the previous tier, while the power of skills in the next tier was worlds apart.
"Ah—uh!"
"That sounds wonderful! I’ve always been curious about your territory."
Hearing this, Autofis and the Paperman readily agreed.
Ye Bai nodded and, this ti, didn’t save her experience points. A series of golden flashes enveloped her as she leveled up straight to 60.
Autofis and the Paperman cast her odd looks—to them, it probably seed like Ye Bai had either suddenly gained imnse power or had been hiding her strength all along and was now finally 'dropping the act.'
Unaware of their thoughts, Ye Bai glanced at the To of Death with regret.
The equipnt requirent for the To of Death was now 'Level greater than 60.' At level 60, Ye Bai didn’t qualify—she needed to complete her third advancent and reach level 61 to fully et the third-tier requirent. There was no exploiting this loophole, or she would’ve imdiately tried out the divine artifact.
With a sigh, she stored the To of Death in her backpack.
Before that, however, a thought occurred to her. She glanced at the Life Branch hanging at her waist like an ornant. "Naless, can you still enter this leaf?"
The Paperman blinked. "Huh? Yes, I can."
Ye Bai nodded. "Then how about you make this your ho from now on?"
Hearing the Paperman’s confirmation, Ye Bai found this arrangent much more convenient—she wouldn’t have to keep pulling out a magic scroll whenever she needed to talk to him.
"Oh, s-sure." The Paperman hesitated for a mont before leaping off the To of Death and reappearing on the leaf of the Life Branch at Ye Bai’s waist, becoming part of the new 'ornant.'
The leaf wasn’t large, so the Paperman’s form on it was equally small. Ye Bai didn’t notice the extra horizontal lines that had appeared on his cartoonish cheeks.
……
Ye Bai scanned her surroundings but couldn’t pinpoint her exact location in the divine realm.
Still, detecting no imdiate threats nearby, she decided this was as good a place as any to return.
Though the Paperman had assured her it was safe, Ye Bai rode Autofis and used a Drop of Origin just in case—she didn’t want to risk getting 'lost' again.
It was only then that she noticed sothing new in her personal information: the mount section now displayed Autofis’s image and na, sothing that hadn’t been there before.
She wasn’t sure if she’d simply overlooked it or if this change had occurred because Autofis had agreed to return to her territory with her. She leaned toward the latter.
As the Drop of Origin activated, an illusory droplet descended, enveloping Ye Bai and Autofis in a fluid-like cocoon.
"Splash…"
The fluid dissipated, and the trio—Ye Bai, the donkey, and the Paperman-turned-ornant—vanished from the divine realm, leaving only a faint water stain on the ground.
……
Compared to traveling through spatial rifts in the divine realm, traversing the Well of Origin always felt agonizingly slow.
But Ye Bai had already confird that the discomfort of the journey was tied to her level. This ti, the dizziness was still intense, but she endured it longer. In a dazed mont, she felt solid ground beneath her feet.
The illusory Well of Origin, the dimly lit basent, and the warm glow of an oil lamp burning quietly—this was a room Ye Bai knew all too well. Above it was her office as the town mayor.
"Ah—uh!"
Autofis’s excited braying snapped her back to reality.
The Paperman, now residing in the ornant, eagerly took in the surroundings. "So this is your territory… It’s completely different from the divine realm."
Ye Bai rubbed her temples. Good, everyone was accounted for, and this ti, she hadn’t passed out. The only annoyance was that these two seed far more energetic than she was.
As she stepped onto the stairs, another thought struck her—sothing she’d accidentally overlooked earlier.
Co to think of it, there was still one more…
"Alicio Bar Croni…"
The mont she spoke, the space before her twisted, and a wisp of black mist erged. When it dissipated, the familiar figure of the devil Alicio materialized, floating midair.
Ye Bai raised an eyebrow. The summoning power of the Devil’s Oath was truly formidable—even outside the divine realm, it still worked. She supposed it had sothing to do with the unique nature of devils.
"You finally rembered —Wait, where is this? The surface? No, it doesn’t seem like it…" Alicio, who had been languishing in another Infernal Lord’s prison after being forgotten by Ye Bai for days, imdiately began complaining.
But as he took in his surroundings and got a proper look at Ye Bai, his expression twisted in shock.
"You—you—you’re not a devil?!"
Ye Bai had removed the [Perfect Mask] when luring Kraken and hadn’t put it back on since. Whenever she discussed important matters with the Paperman, she’d also 'manually muted' the devil. This was the first ti Alicio had seen her true face—and the first ti he realized her real identity.
Ye Bai looked at him in surprise. "I thought you already knew."
She was genuinely surprised. She had assud that, given a devil’s cunning, he would have seen through it long ago.
"……" Alicio’s face turned green upon hearing this. In their subsequent interactions, the flawless illusion cloaking Ye Bai had remained intact, leaving the devil completely unaware of her true origins. He could only speculate that she was an ancient and powerful devil who had sohow—most likely through deception—gained the assistance of the paper man and the donkey.
Later, when Ye Bai "lured" Kraken into her sche, Alicio witnessed it firsthand and grew deeply wary of her.
Moreover… given how she had treated him afterward, it was nearly impossible for Alicio to believe she wasn’t a devil.
Discovering Ye Bai’s true identity dealt a heavy blow to Alicio. The contract was fake, her identity was fake… A devil had been deceived by a human—twice! But what happened next shattered him completely.
As Ye Bai climbed the stairs to the basent, she turned to the donkey beside her with smug satisfaction and said,
"Co, Autofis. Let show you my domain."
Even… her na was fake!
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