Chapter 824: A Whole New World. 3
That place was chaotic, infernal, and monstrous, but at the same time, it was welcoming to those who understood it.
A rumble in the air was heard, and suddenly, Victor, Scathach, and Zaladrac appeared.
"We're back," Victor said.
"Where were you guys?" Sasha asked as she threw herself at Victor, causing several to click their tongues at the girl.
'She's certainly fast,' they thought.
"Going around the whole planet and placing various Draconic Runes," Victor said while stroking Sasha's head.
"Security measures, huh," Ruby said.
"Yes. I'll place more in the future, but it's good enough for now," Victor explained.
"... How did you go around the entire planet? This place is huge, you know!?" Gaia said.
"I can go anywhere on this planet, Gaia. I just need to wish it," Victor said.
"... Oh."
"And even if I went the normal way, I could do it fast too. After all, I am the fastest man alive," Victor displayed a sly smile.
Rumble, Rumble.
Natashia appeared by Victor's side.
"And I am the fastest woman alive... But we can decide who the fastest 'Being' alive is now if you want," she smiled.
"Heh...? How about we have a race then?"
"Why not? We have this whole planet to play on." Natashia's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"I'm in too. I want to know how far behind I am from you guys," Sasha said.
"Fufufu." Victor and Natashia's eyes gleamed with amusement when they heard what Sasha said.
Sasha narrowed her eyes; somehow, she felt like she had fallen into a trap... A trap that would make her feel very good.
"Before that! Explain what that is?" Morgana said.
"Hmm?" Victor looked at Morgana, then looked where Morgana was pointing. Using his senses, he saw the 'infernal' land.
"Oh... Why is this here?"
"Do you know what it is?" Morgana asked.
"Yes, it's a physical representation of my Powers. I have a similar setting in my Inner World. Why is this here?" He wondered at the end.
'This shouldn't have merged with the planet like the rest of the world,' Victor thought. The trip he took around the planet was quite enlightening, and it can be said that this planet was truly 'his'. After all, this planet had all his characteristics imbued in it.
"As my father said... This place is quite connected to you, Darling."
Roxanne emerged from Victor's body.
"No. It's more accurate to say that it's connected to us." She smiled gently.
"What do you mean?" Victor asked, pretending to be innocent, but his smile clearly showed that he understood what she was talking about.
"I'm here too, you know? Although it's just a part of me and not my true body." Roxanne decided to play along with Victor.
"Oh?" Victor looked around, using his eyes fully this time, and he smiled when he saw the sight before him.
"Reveal yourself. Let everyone see your splendor." The goal of this whole game was for this scene.
Roxanne smiled and said, "Of course." She snapped her fingers, and suddenly, the 'illusion' began to unravel.
On the distant horizon, a monumental sight captured everyone's gaze: a colossal Tree, majestic in its stature and scope, rose towards the heavens. Its long branches extended like the tentacles of an Ancient Being, lovingly embracing the Planet in a display of strength and harmony. From where they were to as far as the eye could see, the branches intertwined with the landscape, giving the Tree an imposing and encompassing presence.
The branches of the giant Tree were true wonders of Nature. They extended with an almost ethereal grace, like the fingers of a skilled pianist playing a cosmic melody. Each branch was a journey in itself, branching out and reuniting, forming a complex network reminiscent of intricate corridors in an enchanted forest. At the ends of these branches, large and lush leaves swayed gently in the breeze, creating a soft and constant symphony that echoed in the atmosphere.
Even from afar, they couldn't see where the Tree began or ended; it just existed there. They didn't even know if they could actually approach it. It seemed that only the 'chosen' ones could have the privilege of getting close to it.
"Incredible...! Was this right in front of us the whole time!?" Lacus' eyes gleamed.
"Of all the Seven Hells! Was this inside you all along, Victor?!" Morgana spoke.
"She's still within me, and initially, she wasn't this large," Victor replied.
"Incredible..."
Faced with the display of disbelief from the girls, Victor just laughed happily. He had always wanted to show this sight to everyone, and now he had achieved it.
"This... even with my senses, I hadn't realized," Scathach murmured, looking at the horizon. She could see similarities with that small tree she had found in the territory of Clan Fulger one day, but the similarities ended there; it was entirely different.
Zaladrac simply nodded in agreement as she looked at The World Tree. As a Dragon, a True Dragon created alongside Dragons, it could be said that she, like the Faeries, had a slight reverence for The World Tree. After all, she knew very well the role of its existence on the planet.
Without The World Tree, Life cannot be created. Because of this, when it was threatened, the Dragons of the past put aside their differences and would fight against the invaders.
"Of course not. Our ability to hide was given directly by our Father. If we want to hide, no one will find us," Roxanne huffed proudly.
"That only applies to the older World Trees, Roxanne." Jeanne suddenly spoke with a neutral look. For a woman who had seen her brother's True Form that encompassed the entire Universe, this sight wasn't as impressive.
Roxanne pouted when she heard her 'aunt' speaking. Couldn't she have her moment of glory? Petty!
"Have fun; the planet is completely safe. There is no natural life here yet, so everywhere is safe as long as I'm protecting you."
"... Wait, this way of speaking... Are you saying that without this protection, this planet would be hostile to us?" Bruna spoke. As someone who was always with Victor, she understood him very well.
"Hmm, hostile isn't the right word... It would be better to say that few have achieved withstanding it."
"Do you want to try?" Victor smiled.
The girls had a bad feeling about Victor's smile, but they were curious, and they knew that with Victor here, almost no danger would befall them.
"Okay, I'll try!" Pepper was faster than everyone.
"Come here."
"Mm!" Pepper stopped in front of Victor.
"Get ready," Victor said seriously, and the next moment, he said, "Now."
Victor removed the protection that prevented the planet's atmosphere from interfering with Pepper, not the sun's protection.
Suddenly, Pepper fell face-first to the ground.
"...!?"
"Pepper!?" Ruby, Lacus, and Siena exclaimed simultaneously.
"W-W-What." Pepper couldn't even speak properly.
The veil of protection covered Pepper again, and she let out a relieved sigh.
"What on earth was that!?" Pepper asked in shock. It was just for a few seconds, but she really felt like she was going to die.
Victor just laughed playfully and explained:
"The gravity on this planet is several times stronger than Earth's. In some places, it can be up to 1000 times stronger than Earth's gravity, and in deeper places, it can even reach 50,000 times."
"On the surface, gravity is around 100 to 300 times stronger than Earth's, depending on the location. And not only that, just like that place you mentioned, this whole planet represents a part of me."
"The deepest volcanoes are made with my Dragon Fire. The Icy Biomes of the planet are created with my Ice Powers, with some areas even reaching temperatures close to Absolute Zero. Some parts of the forest represent my Powers related to Nature. The Ocean can reach depths that make Earth's ocean seem like child's play."
"...."
"Be careful when swimming so you don't get caught in the currents," Victor commented, laughing.
"....."
"You could say that this entire planet is a complete representation of my Powers and personality."
"....."
"It's cruel, kind, chaotic, but at the same time, it offers everyone the opportunity to grow. Isn't it incredible? It's the perfect place for training."
"...." They didn't find it funny.
"... I knew it!" Siena suddenly spoke. "I knew nothing with him would be normal! This place might seem like Paradise, but it's just a more sadistic form of training!"
"Really? I quite like it, my daughter," Scathach said.
"That's because you're just like him!" Siena huffed.
"Now, now, don't get upset. As I said, with my protection, you won't feel the effects of the planet. And you can have fun as much as you want," Victor explained.
"I just said that so you would understand that this is a Megaplanet. It really is as big as Gaia said. And despite not having wild animals yet, it's quite hostile to those who venture it unprepared."
"... You're saying there are no animals 'yet.' Are you planning to bring animals?" Hestia asked.
"Nah, I will create the animals. I was thinking of making some dinosaurs and fantasy creatures like the Basilisk, giant spiders, etc."
"If I get Goddesses related to Life and Animals, I can create some interesting species."
"......."
"For god's sake, Victor. Can't you make things cuter and gentler? Like a rabbit or something?"
"A killer rabbit, huh. That's a good idea."
Pepper and Ruby shivered as PTSD flashbacks crossed their minds... Yes, they still remembered that anime where the protagonist was killed by rabbits. Poor guy... Not that he didn't deserve it, of course, but the sight was disturbing.
"NOOO!" Lacus exclaimed. "I mean gentle and herbivorous animals!"
"Hmm... So, a koala that can kill you with a strong hug?"
"No! Something normal and harmless!"
"Hmm..."
"You could make a unicorn, too," Sasha said. "I've always wanted to see one."
"Of course, I'll make a unicorn. It may look pure and gentle on the outside, but when provoked, it will eat your flesh... That's called Gap moe, right?"
"No, it's not!!" Several girls shouted at the same time.
This is bad; they all realized that if they let Victor run wild, this planet would really become a death trap.
The girls looked at each other and nodded as an alliance was formed. They would do EVERYTHING to change his mind for their own good.
"I'm still saying his idea isn't bad," Scathach supported.
"I agree," Eleonor and Haruna said.
"Hmm, these creatures seem interesting. I want to see them too," Rose said.
The girls narrowed their eyes. It was at this moment that they decided not to listen to these women's suggestions anymore; after all, their tastes were questionable.
"Speaking of which, Darling. Where is Hell?" Jeanne asked.
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Hell yet," Morgana said.
"Hmm, Hell is in a separate Dimension within this planet. I'll create a portal to it later." Victor walked towards a spot, and soon, a large tree began to form in front of him.
He turned around, sat down, and then laid down.
"I'll rest for a bit. Wake me up if something happens." The moment he closed his eyes... He fell asleep.
"... Did he fall asleep already!?" Lacus opened her eyes in shock.
"Is he a character from an anime?" Pepper asked as she approached him and touched his cheek.
"Let him sleep. What he did exhausted him completely," Jeanne said.
"Not to mention, he's hardly rested since he evolved into a Dragon," Roxanne added in support.
"Hmm..." Violet surreptitiously approached Victor and lay down on his right side.
Ruby and Sasha did the same, taking their spots for themselves.
The girls looked expressionlessly at this scene but soon shook their heads and laughed.
"Let's leave them alone. Help me with something, girls. While I find the idea of living in Nature attractive, I still want to sleep in a bed."
"I'll work on the structure," Roxanne said as she walked ahead.
"I'll work on the underground," Eleonor said.
"Why the underground?" Roberta asked.
"It's for prisoners. This place is perfect for torture. Gravity will torture them slowly, and the deeper we go underground, the stronger the gravity becomes."
"... You're sadistic." Roberta laughed. "I like it."
Lacus just rolled her eyes. 'What kind of brain looks at this situation and thinks about using it for torture?'
"I want to make a garden," Mizuki said.
"A tower!" Maria said.
"A boxing ring!" Leona said.
"A game room..." Eve said.
"A room for the Maids is necessary," Kaguya said.
"Of course, a giant room for our Husband, and a massive bed as well, and several rooms where the girls can change clothes, as well as an enormous bathtub," Natashia said.
"A dungeon!" Aphrodite said.
"Why on earth do you want a dungeon!?" Agnes asked.
"I mean, why not?" Aphrodite shrugged.
"A big fireplace would be nice..." Hestia murmured.
"Hmm... A waterfall would be nice too." Thetis said.
"You don't have a say here, Thetis!" Aphrodite said.
"Why...?" Thetis pouted.
"You're not Hestia." Aphrodite said as if it were obvious: "After all, Hestia is Bestia."
"That doesn't explain anything!" Thetis grumbled about the clear favoritism.
"Why don't we make a flying island?" Pepper said. "Or have you given up on that idea?"
"... I mean, why? We don't need it, right?" Scathach said.
"Mother-Baka, having a flying island fortress is every otaku's dream! Help me make one! I want to go Pew Pew when we encounter an enemy! I want to see them explode into dust particles! HAHAHAHA!"
Scathach wisely didn't comment on Pepper's laughter, which clearly resembled her own.
"... Okay... We'll discuss it when Victor wakes up. He's interested in this project too." Scathach said.
"Umu!"