"Kneel down! He is the Apostle of the Gods!"
Ishinaka turned and barked the order at the other two. Though they were visibly confused, they hesitated only for a moment before obediently following suit.
Orson frowned. Apostle of the Gods?
The term wasn't entirely unfamiliar to him. In his previous life, many had believed Heaven Demons to be the supreme deities from various mythologies, worshipping them as divine beings rather than the grotesque, flesh-consuming abominations they truly were.
It seemed Ishinaka knew quite a bit about them.
But the "gods" she revered were, in Orson's eyes, nothing more than eldritch horrors that devoured everything in their path.
UJ District fell far too easily in the previous timeline.
Orson had always suspected something was off—perhaps a betrayal from within.
Now, looking at Ishinaka's devout expression, he was beginning to see the bigger picture.
It was highly likely that some players in UJ District had already been working with the Heaven Demons long before their arrival.
According to Blank, the military had managed to capture a living Ocular Demon deep within Yellowstone National Park, proving that these creatures existed before the worlds merged.
If that was the case, then it wasn't impossible that UJ District had been compromised long before the invasion even began.
"Where did you hear that term?"
Orson's voice was cold as he stepped forward, helping Naoko's terrified parents off the floor and guiding them back inside their apartment.
Ishinaka's face was alight with excitement, her eyes burning with a fanatical glow. She gazed at Orson as if she were witnessing the descent of a living saint.
"From Realm of Virtual Gods!"
Orson's eyes narrowed.
He had heard of that game before—Naoko had mentioned it once. It was a closely guarded secret among UJ District's top players.
Many of the best players in UJ District had gained access to Realm of Virtual Gods before Infinite Dimensions even launched.
Through it, they had learned critical information about game mechanics, dungeon strategies, and advanced class builds—giving them a significant advantage when Infinite Dimensions finally opened.
According to Ishinaka, she had been one of the few players to fully complete the game.
And the reward for doing so had been... unusual.
Instead of some in-game loot or stat bonuses, she and the other victors had been transported—soul and all—to a deep-sea trench in the Pacific Ocean.
There, at the ocean floor, they had discovered the ruins of an ancient "god."
On the walls of its colossal skeletal remains, they had found murals.
They depicted a utopia—an earthly paradise where celestial beings led humanity into an age of enlightenment, erasing ignorance, war, hunger, and suffering.
A world without flaws.
And, of course, among the inscriptions was a prophecy about the Apostles of the Gods.
These chosen few would ascend through Infinite Dimensions, shedding their mortal limitations and transforming into divine beings.
They would command mighty dragons and savage beasts, wielding unimaginable power.
They would perform miracles—controlling rivers with a flick of their wrist, shifting the stars with a single thought.
The strongest among them would be granted the title of Heaven-Class, standing shoulder to shoulder with the gods themselves.
At first, Ishinaka had dismissed it all as a highly immersive illusion.
After all, no one could truly verify whether the ruins even existed.
To her, it had merely been a rumor whispered among the elite few who had beaten Realm of Virtual Gods.
But now, standing before Orson—witnessing his ability to use magic in reality—she knew.
The legend was real.
That was why she had dropped to her knees in worship.
Orson's lips curled into an amused smirk.
So that's it...
UJ District had fallen because its strongest players had been brainwashed into believing the Heaven Demons were saviors.
They hadn't resisted the invasion.
They had welcomed it.
Orson sneered.
This is getting more interesting by the second.
He had no intention of shattering Ishinaka's delusions.
Fanatics like her would only lash out if their faith was challenged.
He could kill her and be done with it, but that would be a waste.
People like Ishinaka were useful.
If properly managed, they could become highly efficient and obedient subordinates.
A loud wail of sirens erupted from the streets below.
The chaos caused by the Crimson Lizard King had drawn the attention of the authorities.
Neighbors had already called the police.
Orson shot Ishinaka and her companions a final glance.
"If I encounter any further obstacles in UJ District... bring me your heads as atonement."
With that, the Crimson Lizard King whipped its tail and took off, carrying Orson into the night sky.
Naoko would be safe now.
He understood UJ people well enough to know that they respected only one thing—power.
They were conniving, fickle, and two-faced by nature.
But with absolute dominance hanging over their heads?
They became nothing more than obedient and diligent pawns.
Halfway back to the Godslayer estate, Orson's phone rang.
It was Blank.
Her voice was shrill and furious.
"ORSON! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE?!"
Orson pulled the phone away from his ear, wincing.
"Jeez, calm down. You're drooling over my good looks again, aren't you?" he teased.
"Shut up! Just—just look at this, you idiot!"
Blank sent him a link.
Orson clicked on it.
The video opened with a familiar sight—a dark figure riding something enormous through the city streets, smashing through lampposts as it went.
"Hey, that guy looks kinda cool," Orson mused.
"YOU—YOU MORON!!"
Blank sounded like she was about to pass out from sheer rage.
"If anyone reports that they saw a man riding a dragon, please direct them to the nearest mental institution. Clearly, they've never seen a dragon-shaped drone before."
Orson nodded solemnly.
Blank sucked in a deep breath.
"If you ever pull something like this again, I swear to God, I will personally camp outside your Infinite Dimensions login station and gut you the second you log in."
Orson smirked.
"Emma, your skin is so thick."
Blank: "…What?"
"All this effort... all this scheming... just to move in with me? You really are devious."
Beep.
The line went dead.
Orson blinked.
"...Did she just hang up on me? Did she just—cuss me out?"
The Crimson Lizard King soared over the cityscape.
Orson leaned back, arms spread wide, basking in the moonlight.
The neon glow of Baiguo City stretched below him, a dazzling testament to human ambition.
A world ripe for the taking.
Radiant Shuttle's cleanup team works fast.
By the time Orson reviewed the video again, it—and every trace of the auction—had been wiped from the internet.
Not even a whisper remained.
He chuckled.
This is the power of the state. A single individual could never achieve this level of control.
By the time he reached the Godslayer estate, the Crimson Lizard King had developed an almost childlike curiosity about the real world.
The beast flopped into the pool, splashing water everywhere.
Orson sat by the edge, watching it flail, a cigarette between his fingers.
So even a descendant of the Death God Dragon Clan can't swim?
Eventually, after drinking half the pool's chlorine water, the beast gave up and returned to the Battle Space.
Orson exhaled, his eyes gleaming.
It was time to prepare.
The stars of Infinite Dimensions would soon tremble beneath his feet.