Chapter 610: The Great Retreat

On the Dream Star, within the galactic universe, Ace’s True God projection woke up from meditation and opened His eyes.

“Consciousness has connected. To think so many things happened in Kaya in just three days.”

Ace felt that things had completely exceeded His control. Two Goddesses of Hope were in a standoff. Goddess Medira had the support of the World Tree, while Athena had the favor of the Kaya Great Source. For a time, they were actually deadlocked.

“This state of standoff cannot be maintained for too long. Athena is clearly trapped at the North Pole. If observed from the four-dimensional state, when that diffusing emerald green collides with Athena’s transparent power, a gap will be produced.

“If I can seize the gap, I might be able to escape with the sub-plane.

“And I absolutely must escape.”

With a flash of His figure, Ace appeared outside the Dream Star. Through the diffusing Magic Net, He keenly sensed that the Titan Main Gods outside the inner side of the world were fiercely pounding the crystal wall of the Prime Material Plane.

They looked very anxious, extremely anxious.

“This is abnormal, too abnormal.”

The projection shared vision with the true body in the four-dimensional state. On the four-dimensional level, the particle clusters of the quasi-planes were frantically crashing against the inner side of the world, seemingly wanting to squeeze in. Even when Ace extended the Magic Net, this situation didn’t occur.

“Could it be understood like this: my extending the Magic Net to even cover all of Kaya is, to the Titan Main Gods, nothing more than the addition of a newborn Level 6 existence; but the current changes in the Prime Material Plane are something none of Them want to see?

“What exactly is the anomaly of the World Tree?”

Ace felt a chill all over His body. This extremely dangerous unknown did not arouse His curiosity; He didn’t even want to investigate. Over ninety Laws of Fate were frantically warning: danger, extreme danger.

“It’s best to leave with the majority of the wizards, but I cannot expose my position in the Level 3 layer unless someone can help.”

Thinking of help, Ace cast His gaze towards Athena at the North Pole.

Inside the temple, Athena still had a graceful posture. Like a queen amidst ice and snow, She conversed elegantly with Ace.

Ace was just holding a “let’s try” attitude, but didn’t expect Athena to agree readily without even asking.

“Do you have any other requests?”

Ace asked, somewhat puzzled.

Athena broke into a smile, slowly approached Ace, and said: “We are friends, right?”

Ace nodded. Regardless, Athena was one of His few friends, and the teenage Ace had even held an inexplicable admiration for Her.

“Then that’s enough. You want to flee here with the High Tower Wizards, I can help you. Although I don’t know exactly what happened, the changes in the World Tree are too bizarre, and Medira’s revival is also inconceivable.

“I clearly destroyed Her path, but She has indeed revived with the support of the World Tree, and is more powerful than me.

“Perhaps one day in the future, I might completely perish.”

Hearing Athena’s words, Ace’s expression turned sad. He said in a low voice: “Do you… want to flee with me?”

Sunlight spilled through the window, reflecting on Athena’s fair and tender cheeks, making them look somewhat rosy, seeming to bear a trace of a flush, as if She were drunk.

“Ace, I am the Goddess of Hope of this world. More importantly, I am already not in control of myself. The favor of the Great Source is not only an assistance but also a constraint; I cannot escape. Even if my body is smashed to pieces and my bones ground to dust, I can only accept it.”

Her eyes were bright red, like beautiful rubies. Her red lips parted slightly, looking exceptionally beautiful in the sunlight.

“When I was young, I thought I was cursed by demons. It wasn’t until I became the descending vessel for the Ancestor God and my bloodline was almost crippled that I realized I was merely a bloodline meant to block disasters in the eyes of the Goddess of Elegance and the God of Drama.

“I fled, using the water of the River Styx to completely wash out the elegant bloodline. That feeling pierced my heart with pain, but only doing that could usher in a new life.

“The frost bloodline gave me new power, but I similarly could not rely on frost. I had to find my own path and become a deity. I thought that by becoming a deity, I could obtain the power of freedom.

“Actually, I became the Goddess of Hope because I received a revelation from an unknown existence; He cannot be spoken of.

“In this kind of situation now, I can only resist as much as possible.

“Ace, I really liked the portrait you once painted for me. Can you paint another one?”

Looking into Athena’s eyes, Ace’s dust-covered memories opened up. He recalled that kind of ignorance from back then and said softly: “Of course. It is my honor to serve You, my princess.”

Hearing this familiar yet strange title, Athena laughed like silver bells, like a blooming flower, exceptionally happy.

With a flash of Divine Power, Athena’s figure actually gradually became smaller. She no longer had the maturity of a Goddess, but looked like a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old young girl, Her sky-blue long hair pinned up, Her ruby eyes bright as stars, wearing a silver-white skirt armor.

With a wave of Her pale hand, the surrounding scenery changed, actually turning into the royal palace of Medimus from back then.

“Right here, paint a new oil painting for me.”

With a wave of Ace’s hand, the canvas and tools needed for an oil painting emerged. He was neither rushed nor impatient, just quietly painting like this as the sun gradually set in the west.

The next day, when the sun climbed up the treetops again, Ace had also completed the painting.

Athena unrolled the painting, looking at it with satisfaction. Her tender, slender palm pressed against the painting, a faint light flickering.

She handed the painting to Ace and said gently:

“Keep this oil painting with you. I hope you can always remember me. You go back now. Come find me at this time the day after tomorrow; I will help you escape Kaya, this vortex.

“Remember, it must be the day after tomorrow. If you miss the day after tomorrow, I don’t know when the next time will be, and the danger is getting closer and closer.

“My ability can only move your one sub-plane; I cannot help the others.”

Ace nodded, put away the oil painting, turned, and left.

Athena watched Ace’s gradually dissipating figure, quietly leaned back on the bed, curled up Her slender and smooth legs, and closed Her eyes.

Above the Salia region, over a thousand floating cities began emergency mobilizations. People lined up to enter the teleportation doors.

These were teleportation doors leading to Ace’s sub-plane, the galactic universe. Every floating city corresponded to a habitable planet in a stellar system. Ace’s galactic universe had two million stars. Excluding some stars with complex conditions, ninety percent of the stars had a habitable zone.

Ace cast spells urgently, placing at least one habitable planet in the habitable zone of every star. The residents of the floating cities would establish their new homes on the new planets.

The little boy Alexander’s family was also in the queue. Because each family was allowed to drive one magical flying car, almost everyone here was waiting in line inside their flying cars to enter.

Sitting in the back seat, Alexander looked at the crowded yet orderly vehicles outside, the buildings and streets where all lights had been extinguished, and a layer of gloom cast over his large eyes.

“Are we leaving outside? Leaving here forever?”

His mother hugged Alexander and said gently: “Yes, we are going to a new home to establish a metropolis planet anew. Don’t worry, my child, everything will be fine.”

“Mom, why can’t we stay?”

Alexander still didn’t understand. As a little boy, a little boy who had just become a Junior Magic Apprentice, he had too much incomprehension and reluctance.

Alexander’s father, on the other hand, had a face full of worry. The responsibilities of family, work, and the future filled this man with heavy thoughts.

This was just a microcosm of the many migrating families. Over a thousand floating cities, a population of nearly thirty billion, all disappeared within a single day.

The Dream Star, the Magic Sanctuary.

This was the temporary Supreme Council Hall. The ten Legendary Immortal Wizards and two Legendary Immortal Knights who stayed behind had grim expressions.

“Lord Ace, can it only be like this?”

Betty’s father, the Ninth Ring Legendary Immortal Wizard Leon, asked unwillingly.

“Yes, we can only move one sub-plane; the others must be abandoned. A great crisis is approaching. As for what you have lost, I can help you make up for it,” Ace said slowly.

The other Legendary Immortal Wizards exchanged glances, full of helplessness. They trusted Ace, but the more they trusted Him, the more helpless they felt. The brilliant and prosperous magical civilization was actually forced to flee like this.

“Straighten your mindset. We wizards are still too immature and lack top-tier combat power, causing us to lose the qualification to play the game in Kaya. Leaving is for a better return,” Ace said with earnest and profound meaning.

Just as an agreement was reached, Ancestar and Arno suddenly stood up. Their eyes met, and Ancestar said: “Lord Ace, Arnold and I want to stay in Kaya. We cannot abandon the people who believe in the Holy Light of Virtue; they need protection!”

Ancestar’s gaze was pure, his eyes clear, making Ace inevitably let out a slight sigh in His heart.

“We indeed do not know what kind of danger it exactly is. The Titan Main Gods outside the crystal wall might know; perhaps They are the danger itself. I very much hope you will leave with us, but if you insist on staying, I will respect your choice,” Ace sighed and said gently.

Knights were different from wizards. To the deities, Knights practicing virtue did not pose much of a threat; it could even be said they were a pretty good supplement, not as unscrupulous and lacking in reverence as wizards.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. Ace’s Dream Star had already migrated the population of all the floating cities. Ninety-nine percent of the wizard forces had migrated. What remained were only some scattered wizard organizations that hadn’t received the information, and Ace and the others didn’t have the time to wait any longer.

The Dream Star turned into a shooting star, pulling against the Magic Net before finally breaking off, taking only the core part of the Magic Net, and appearing above the North Pole.

Athena had long been waiting here. Shrouded in Source Power, She saw the Dream Star appear directly above the North Pole of the earth core. The corners of Her mouth curled up slightly, and She raised Her hands high.

“The Kaya Great Source is at its most active today; this is the best opportunity.”

On the four-dimensional level, Ace’s true body was still observing from afar. Four-dimensional space-time continuously bobbed up and down. The space-time curvature, like seawater, continuously kicked up “waves”—sometimes turbulent, sometimes gentle as a mirror.

This was also why curvature mapping was very difficult. The mapping of space-time curvature was a massive project, because curvature is not static, but a dynamic process. It’s like wanting to figure out the laws of water fluctuations on a two-dimensional sea surface; this is not an easy task.

Of course, Ace didn’t have the time to map the curvature of the Level 4 Astral Plane layer right now; He had more important things to do.

Athena unfurled Her domain. With the blessing of the Great Source, the transparent power of Hope slowly broke through the emerald green that had already flooded all of Kaya, providing a small escape hole for Ace’s sub-plane in four-dimensional space-time.

The four-dimensional particle of Ace’s sub-plane decisively seized the opportunity, jumping directly from the four-dimensional state without any obstruction, and appeared outside the Kaya World.

The true body met up with the four-dimensional particle of His sub-plane and let out a long sigh of relief.

Down-dimensioning, entering the three-dimensional level, Ace’s sub-plane drifted in the Level 4 Astral Plane layer. Not far away was the Kaya World. Half of the Giant Tree World was already submerged into Kaya; the merger of the two had already begun.

Ace unrolled the oil painting He painted for Athena. The young girl’s naive charm leapt off the canvas. Ace gazed at this painting, as if looking back at a piece of past history.

“Huh? History? Why does this painting have an inexplicably familiar feeling?”

Ace’s eyes narrowed slightly, recalling the scene of Athena pressing Her hand on the painting. His eyes suddenly opened wide, the ahoge on His head twitching: Comprehend!

Seeing through the surface of the painting, Ace saw a bizarre existence.

“Is this…? A Fruit of Immortality? No, Athena is favored by the Kaya Great Source; I couldn’t possibly take Her fruit away. This is so similar to a Fruit of Immortality, it seems to be…”

Runes of the Law of Comprehension flashed in Ace’s eyes. In a trance, He saw a segment of life, a young girl’s life, from birth to the oil painting. This life seemed full of hope.

“This is cutting out a segment of one’s life experience from the Fruit of Immortality, and then merging it with a Law of Hope. This miraculous fruit that appeared is similar to a Fruit of Immortality, yet different from it.

“A Youthful Hope Fruit?

“If Athena truly meets with misfortune, this past segment might nurture a new, young Athena.”

Ace felt somewhat heavy-hearted. Athena had personally entrusted Her hope to Ace. His mood grew ever heavier. He only thought of Athena as a friend, but Athena seemed…

Placing this painting at the top of the Magic Sanctuary, hanging it at the very highest point, Ace turned and left, manipulating His sub-plane to continuously submerge, crossing the Astral Plane boundary membrane.

In the Level 3 layer, it was still a void. Ace scanned the surrounding environment, found the location of the Mobile Fortress, and instantly ascended to four-dimensional space-time. The sub-plane particle was like a grain of sand floating in the sea.

Ace controlled the grain of sand, continuously jumping along the curvature fluctuations of the four-dimensional ocean, and caught up with the Mobile Fortress artificial sub-plane a month later.

“Unidentified high-energy moving object detected! Unidentified high-energy moving object detected! Alert! Alert!”

Inside the entire Mobile Fortress, an urgent and sharp female voice continuously reminded everyone.

“The Legendary Immortal Wizards all went to four-dimensional space-time to map dynamic curvature. What do we do?”

“What else can we do? Activate the Dimensional Ascension Signaler! Use the Artificial True God Alpha One to transmit high-dimensional information!”

“Compile high-dimensional information: Unknown intruder detected, requesting immediate support!”

“Turn on all weapons! Single-use Tactical Nuclear Fission Legendary Immortal Spell Scrolls, Level 1 Preparation!”

“Ace-Class Electromagnetic Orbital Guns, Level 1 Preparation!”

“Astral-Class High-Energy Laser Cannons, Level 1 Preparation!”

…

In the Starlight Hall, the Legendary Immortal Wizards appeared one after another. They quickly appeared at their respective positions. Every Legendary Immortal Wizard was an extremely strong combat unit themselves, but they could also launch probing attacks relying on the artificial sub-plane.

Just as the battle was on the verge of breaking out, the information flow transmitted by Ace finally arrived.

“I am Ace. This is my sub-plane.”

The vigilance of the wizards did not end. They still maintained a combat state, tactical weapons drawn but not fired. Bayen directly sent a magical message: “Please, Lord Ace, come alone to the edge area of the Mobile Fortress. The sub-plane must stop immediately.”

In the Astral Plane, crises lurked everywhere; they didn’t dare to be careless for even a moment.

Receiving the magical message, Ace wasn’t angry, but rather somewhat gratified.

“The High Tower Wizards have already grown into a civilization capable of surviving independently in the Astral Plane. Even if we lose our world, even if we wander in the void, we are still a mature Astral Plane civilization.”

With a few blinks, He appeared at the edge of the artificial sub-plane. Thousands of magical detectors stared at Ace like eyeballs, densely packed. If someone with trypophobia saw this, they would probably go mad.

But Ace didn’t show a hint of emotion on His face. He quietly waited for the wizards’ identification. Bayen emerged in front of Him and bowed deeply.

“We are very sorry, Lord Ace. Our reaction just now was somewhat over-drastic.”

Ace smiled and waved His hand. The Dream Realm sub-plane rapidly approached the Mobile Fortress, and the ten Legendary Immortal Wizards also emerged from Ace’s sub-plane. Together with Bayen, They entered the interior of the Mobile Fortress.

Passing through spatial restricted areas one by one, the two rode a special flying car, flying rapidly on a fixed track.

Besides the base, the flying car as a whole was a transparent sphere. Outside the sphere was a glass-like cylindrical track, like a long straw. The entire artificial sub-plane moved in this manner.

A massive number of curvature interference and spatial movement interference runes were deployed here. Although it wasn’t as convenient to move around, security was greatly enhanced.

With Ace’s strength, He could of course jump violently, but that was fundamentally unnecessary.

If it were an intruder, even a True God would find it difficult to move an inch here, not to mention there were many drawn-but-unfired magical traps.

The core area, the Starlight Hall.

“Everyone, I have evacuated from the Kaya World, bringing with me the 30 billion population of the Kaya World’s High Tower Wizards, all the Mythical Wizards, and the ten Legendary Immortal Wizards who stayed behind.

“A drastic change we cannot comprehend occurred in the Kaya World. Emerald green diffused, and the Titan Main Gods were even more frantically crashing their quasi-planes against the crystal wall of the inner side of the world. Lacking top-tier Level 6 power, we couldn’t become chess players in the game; fleeing was perhaps a relatively safe choice.”

Hearing Ace’s words, the Legendary Immortal Wizards exchanged glances, and one stood up.

“Lord Ace, we trust Your judgment. Staying in Kaya indeed might have brought opportunities, but lacking top-tier combat power, we were also very likely to become cannon fodder. Our two hundred years of development in Kaya have proven that as long as we wizards are given time, we will become more powerful than the deities.”

Other wizards also spoke up successively. Actually, after fleeing Kaya, it was already impossible for them to return, unless they truly became much more powerful than in the past.

(Chapter finished)

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