multiverse:The Infinite Dragon God Cannot Retrieve Silence"I will be combining Chapters 1-10 into one chapter, and releasing one chapter per month, with 10 chapters in total." Author: Dai Mao Shen
Synopsis:
"I wish to retrieve… the original silence…"
In the darkness of night, Ophis looked up at the starry sky and murmured softly.
"Only…"
Ophis looked at the 'shackle' in her hand, the one that connected her to reality.
Because of you… the entangling bonds… have become more and more numerous…
Current experiences: FGO Chapter 7 -- Fate/Zero -- Campione! -- No Game No Life: Zero -- High School DxD -- Little Garden (Problem Children)
Prologue
Chapter 1: Infinite Ophis
'Ophis… is it?'
This was a space filled like a child's scribble with chaotic colors, a kaleidoscopic dimension…
A lifeform with an overwhelming presence floated within.
Its whole appearance seemed like both dragon and serpent. Black scales covered with mysterious runes shimmered faintly, exuding an elegant and enigmatic aura.
The Ouroboros. This was the name of the being. As a pure-blood dragon species, it was a creature clearly a dragon but stubbornly called a serpent.
And she also inherited the name granted to life itself from the beginning—Ophis.
However, the soul controlling this towering body now was both Ophis and not Ophis.
This was something she judged herself.
She did not understand the former 'it'—yet she knew of its existence.
Dragonkind possessed inherited memory, but the knowledge within her mind… was far too complex.
Besides the knowledge inherent to dragonkind, there were many foreign elements as well—by her internal understanding, these ranged from the ancient past to the 21st century.
Including the use of cold and hot weapons, from horse riding to spaceship piloting, skills of sewing and sword forging, aristocratic etiquette and beggar survival tricks alike.
Though many parts were fragmented, she could still estimate the extent of mastery.
Yet from all this knowledge, Ophis couldn't imagine anyone who could fully master such a range to this level.
Unfortunately, memories aside from the knowledge didn't exist. And even the knowledge, as mentioned, had many gaps. The only certainty was: these were human skills, not those of a dragon.
Ophis couldn't even determine whether she now was Ophis or that 'it.'
One had to admit, this feeling…
Was somewhat unpleasant.
She could sense that, whether she was Ophis or 'it,' she had already been affected by something.
At the very least, the original Ophis—no longer existed.
Ouroboros Ophis—this was what she learned about herself through the heritage of the dragon species.
Infinite Moe… Dragon God Ophis—this came from 'its' knowledge, a character appearing in the work called High School DxD.
Not as outstanding as Ahoge, nor as heartwarming as Blankets.
But she had her own niche.
…Let's put that aside for now.
So this pitch-black ghostly place… was the so-called dimensional gap, huh…
Whether by the knowledge in her mind or the memory of the dragons, both pointed to the same conclusion.
Though… the Ophis in that knowledge didn't seem to have a gender, and once even took the form of an old man.
But this setting… thinking carefully—if an old man were to act the way Ophis does…
That mental image was too beautiful. Even Ophis herself couldn't imagine it.
Speaking of which, Ophis didn't think her personality matched that cute-dragon version either.
At the very least, she was more mature… probably.
Still, according to dragon heritage, her form remained the same.
Just like in her knowledge—a girl around fourteen, small chest, exquisite face, waterfall-like black hair, and dark-silver eyes.
By the way—she wasn't wearing clothes.
It seemed that in that heartwarming world, she was a refreshing contrast.
Admiring her soft, fair body with a pure gaze, Ophis made her judgment.
Without lingering too long, she quickly began thinking based on the information at hand.
Regarding High School DxD, her memory was actually quite fragmented. It seemed that 'it' didn't care much about this part. But it was enough for her to sort things out.
Infinite Dragon God Ophis—excluding the outlier Red Dragon Emperor, she was the world's strongest. It sounded impressive, but in the plot—at least in Ophis's view—she was somewhat tragic.
Only made a flashy entrance in the anime, then lost her power, and although still strong, became something of a mascot in many ways.
Even as an early-stage boss, she was just used as a spiritual symbol, a power source, and a deterrent.
Come to think of it, from body figure, ears, position in the organization, and final fate—Ophis was remarkably like that spinning-for-a-season Vampire Queen.
…Recalling her, Ophis suddenly felt her own case wasn't too bad.
At least she wasn't roasted for half a year, right?
Setting aside the story for now—this world itself was already incredibly dangerous. Even at full power, there were at least three entities that could threaten her.
Beast of 666—Ophis's fragmented knowledge didn't offer much about it. But just the name was extraordinary, so she placed it on the watchlist.
God of the Bible—also known as God, the one who sealed 666. And sealing was something that could be used from strong to weak, strong to strong, even weak to strong. So it wasn't clear who was stronger, but they couldn't be too far apart.
Moreover, even though the God of the Bible had supposedly died before the plot began, Ophis didn't think it was that simple.
Not because of evidence—just instinct. Comparing with other similar works, entities with final boss aura who die too conveniently tend to resurrect and truly become the final boss.
So, she included him in the alert range too.
And finally, the third one—
The strongest among those who could threaten her.
And unfortunately…
The one Ophis must inevitably face.
True Red Dragon Emperor—called the Great Red, dragon among dragons, a transcendent being. Though not ranked, likely above Ophis at full power.
After all, in the original work, it was this being that drove Ophis out of the dimensional gap.
In other words, if Ophis remained here, she would eventually encounter Great Red—and battle would be unavoidable.
The knowledge contained no detailed account of that fight, so in the end Ophis didn't know… whether she was let go, or escaped by herself.
If Great Red really meant to eliminate her completely, Ophis would at least need the power to survive such a clash.
Of course, there was also a Dragon Eater, but that was something that conceptually countered her from existence itself. She couldn't deal with it now, only try to avoid it.
Even facing Great Red, Ophis never considered leaving the dimensional gap.
Perhaps no normal person could endure life in such a bizarre, chaotic space for more than a month—but as a dragon, Ophis liked the tranquility, and would not allow her territory to be violated.
So next up, she had to think: how to resist Great Red?
Ophis had only been born recently. Judging by the fractured memories, it would be a while before she encountered Great Red. She still had quite some time.
So, her training from here must focus on countering Great Red, and if possible, develop specific abilities against 666 and the God of the Bible as well.
Seems… a bit troublesome.
Ophis, fundamentally fond of silence and laziness, thought so.
Just then——
[Yo yo yo~ Thought fluctuations have stabilized. Sorted yourself out yet? Then let's have a nice chat, shall we?]
A cheerful female voice suddenly rang out.
Inside Ophis's mind.
"...Who?"
In response to the sudden voice within her mind, Ophis didn't show much panic.
Rather, in this dimension gap where even air did not exist, if a voice had truly emerged through hearing, that would've been the real horror.
She merely paused briefly, and then swiftly responded mentally.
[Hmm? Ah, me... If I had to use terms you'd understand, I'm something like a golden finger?]
"...golden finger?"
The term made Ophis frown—or, more accurately, she furrowed eyebrows that... probably didn't exist.
That is to say... something like a system?
Tugging at the scattered threads of knowledge in her mind, Ophis began rapidly sorting and thinking.
Based on what she knew, so-called "golden fingers" could largely be divided into several major types───
There were the X-Lufeng types, where benefits fell from the sky.
Then there were the conspiracy X-point types.
Also, those backed by powerful elders, carrying important missions, doing well in past lives, with mysteriously thick backstories—those various types.
In short, aside from the first one, all the rest spelled trouble.
Unfortunately, the first type usually had the lowest probability.
If Ophis were just some average, wide-eyed newbie, perhaps she could only accept this sort of thing.
But───
Ouroboros—that was the name of her race, a blood-pure dragon species standing at the very pinnacle of all magical beasts. She was an existence tied to meanings and concepts such as immortality, infinity, cycle, and perfection. In many myths, she appeared as a serpent devouring its own tail—most famously, Jörmungandr, the World Serpent.
So, as a genuine, pureblooded dragon species—something like a golden finger just seemed... unnecessary.
After all, even the original version of her was able to make it to the second strongest in the world. Even if the current her couldn't surpass that, she wouldn't be any weaker either.
In that case, there was no reason to take on the risk of a mysterious and potentially troublesome thing.
The problem was... now that this thing had shown up, getting rid of it wouldn't be easy. Worse yet, if things went wrong, it could kill her in some incomprehensible way.
What's more───
Ophis had already picked up on something odd.
"The words I can understand… In other words, you—the one speaking—know me very well?"
Ophis wasn't human, but a rare pureblooded dragon. In a race where meeting another of your kind even once in a few million years was considered rare, things like shared values, accumulated knowledge, or compatible thinking patterns were nearly nonexistent.
Even humans, who lived socially and constantly learned from and influenced one another, could develop vastly different worldviews. One could imagine the mental divergence dragons had.
So understanding her—this just-born Ophis—from a human perspective was meaningless. Even from a dragon's standpoint, there was no angle of entry.
Yet under such circumstances, the voice could still say "words you can understand."
That meant the other party had clearly undergone some form of analysis or understanding of her.
And when considering the origin of the term "golden finger"...
"golden finger Onee-san... you understand that 'it'?"
Ophis came to a conclusion.
Or rather, she hoped it was true.
["It"? What an interesting way to call it... 'Golden Finger Sister' is also quite a fun name.]
The voice inside seemed intrigued.
[How to put it… I can't say I truly understand, but I can probably guess what kind of knowledge "it" possesses… Don't worry, I have no way of peeking into your heart. Mental abilities aren't my specialty.]
"..."
In this situation, it was no use even if Ophis didn't believe it.
"Then… that 'it', what exactly…"
Trying to obtain more information, Ophis opened her mouth once more to ask.
If she had been transformed in some way by "it"...
Then in theory, it wasn't exactly a comforting thought—after all, her memories had been wiped clean.
And the presence in her heart might very well be the mastermind behind it all.
Though she thought this way, Ophis couldn't bring herself to feel particularly angry about it.
The current her was a dragon, and she didn't really care about that "it" being a human.
More than anything, she was curious.
And alert toward the fact that the other party might easily alter someone's memories.
But before she could finish her question, the voice inside cut her off.
[Can't say~ Or rather, this might not be such an important question for you. Even if you found out, you'd probably just classify it as completely unimportant information and toss it aside, right?]
Before Ophis could react, the other party continued speaking.
[You only need to know this: you are not "it." You are not that cutesy dragon in "its" knowledge either. You are the Ophis that exists now, nothing more. By the way, your memory problem—yeah, that was my doing. So many useless memories—completely meaningless. But rest assured, I only altered the memories from when you were "it." I can't touch your memories as Ophis. After all, it's a completely different hierarchy.]
At this point, Ophis thought that she should probably be angry about her memories being tampered with. But just like before, she couldn't summon much emotional turbulence.
Besides, there was something more important on her mind right now.
"Golden Finger Sister… you really can't peek into my mind?"
At last, Ophis couldn't hold it in and asked.
[Mmm… It's only natural you'd think that way. But I haven't said a single lie.]
The voice inside answered as though it didn't care.
[That said, even if the memories were erased, the personality of "it" is definitely fused into your soul. And your own personality is just… way too simple…]
Many believe that memory holds the essence of personality—but in truth, the soul also accounts for a significant portion.
Just look at that guy from Konoha who took a thousand beatings but still loved the village like his first love—Naruto-kun.
Swap him out for Sasuke and Konoha probably would've been leveled ten times over.
In any case…
"As I thought… Golden Finger Sister, you really do know that 'it' quite well."
The moment she asked the question, Ophis clearly felt a brief moment of emotional depression from the other side.
[That's not exactly correct, but… you can take it that way.]
Different from before's lightheartedness, this answer carried a deeper emotion.
Out of instinct, Ophis didn't press further on that point.
"I still haven't asked… Golden Finger Sister, what abilities do you have?"
Changing the subject, Ophis asked directly.
In her heart, there was always this feeling that "this being is worth trusting" floating about…
Of course, she wasn't fully convinced just yet, but her resistance wasn't as strong as before either.
Anyway, knowing what functions exist is one thing—whether to use them or not is another...
[Oh! Finally getting to the main point!? My abilities, huh? Don't get too scared when I say them~~]
"..."
Ophis went silent for a moment.
To her, abilities from things like this usually weren't much to speak of.
At most, it'd be something like the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords on clearance, Yakumo Granny casually summoning stuff, EU/Africa bloodline testing on demand, racial systems switching at will, or at worst, granting control over space-time itself…
[Though I can only vaguely guess what you're thinking, I can tell you very clearly…]
The voice in her mind surfaced again.
[Those abilities you're thinking of? I probably don't have any of them~~]
Half a second pause, then the voice suddenly burst out:
[Hahahahahaha! What, you feel like punching something? Got that "mmp" feeling stuck in your throat? Feel like tossing me out the window? I just wanted to see you wanting to bite me but failing~~ Anyway, I never said I was one of those system-types ahahahahaha…]
Ophis's massive snake head tilted slightly.
…Honestly, she didn't really have any expectations for this thing to begin with, so she couldn't say she was disappointed.
It's just—this bizarre entity was acting way too nuts…
Also, the fact that it voiced out all the reactions she might have… what could she even say?
Well, if it were someone else, they might've already voiced it out.
───MDZZ
So in the end...
Were all those golden finger questions above just the author padding word count?
Ophis continued thinking in silence.
The mentally ill woman temporarily named "Golden Finger" laughed for a long time...
Even Orphis, who had no concept of time in her worldview, felt that this laughter had lasted a bit too long.
Still, she didn't interrupt.
She had a vague feeling that the words spoken earlier were merely an excuse.
This kind of manic laughter felt more like a release of something pent-up…
───It seems this Golden Finger has a backstory.
But Orphis didn't delve into it… or rather, she didn't want to know.
Perhaps it was just her nature—when faced with things that seemed unrelated to her and also overly complicated, she simply couldn't be bothered to care.
In fact, even if something was related to her, she might still not care.
Instead of dealing with these chaotic things, she preferred to stay still and think quietly about life… no, her dragon life.
Rather than a dragon, she probably suited the role of a salted fish better.
Still, no matter how much this Golden Finger big sis could laugh, it wasn't like she could go on laughing forever. Just as Orphis was starting to feel a little annoyed by the constant noise, the other finally stopped.
[Although I don't have any particularly amazing abilities, I do have some uses, you know.]
"What kind of use?"
Though she wasn't very interested, Orphis still diverted part of her attention to respond to the Golden Finger.
[I personally believe I can help you grow stronger without taking any detours… What I mean is, I possess an immense amount of experience and knowledge you couldn't obtain unless you spent countless years accumulating it yourself~~]
"…Hmm?"
This time, Orphis finally showed a bit of reaction.
Originally, she didn't really have any strong desire for power. In her view, staying curled up in this dimensional gap for a lifetime would be perfectly fine. She wouldn't go looking for trouble.
But now that she had learned about certain things that might happen in the future… it was different.
Sometimes, not going out of your way to cause trouble doesn't mean trouble won't come to find you.
[Ah… from your perspective… even if the master… pfft, I mean the mistress… no wait, that's not quite right either… let's just say I'm your personal goddess… hmm? Why does that sound even more suspicious?]
Damn it, Aqua.
[Ahh~~ never mind that. The great me will lead you down the correct path.]
Orphis finally turned her full attention to the Golden Finger who, in her mind, had now taken the form of a blue-haired girl.
Honestly, if it was just like this, she felt somewhat reassured.
Among the pure-blood dragonkind, who each had their own unique system trees and extreme individual differences, inherited cultivation methods were highly customized. Orphis believed that this Golden Finger girl could at most point out a direction, but couldn't actually interfere with the training method itself.
Even if the other party was wrong, at most it would just mean taking a few more detours—something she could afford.
And if the other party truly managed to achieve some hidden agenda through all this, then so be it.
By that point, either the other person was too clever, or she herself was too stupid.
Of course, there was also the fact that Orphis found it difficult to muster any real vigilance toward this Golden Finger, and she didn't really have any means to deal with her either.
The most important thing was: in the future, she would have to face the Red Dragon God Emperor.
Even knowing that the chances of victory were slim, she would not run away.
Though she was far more suited to being a salted fish than most dragons, she still retained a certain degree of that unreasonable pride inherent in dragonkind.
Whether the deer dies or the hunter falls, you only know after the hunt is over.
"So, do you have any suggestions?"
After thinking for a moment, Orphis asked directly.
Though she accepted the other's presence, she was still half skeptical in truth.
Dragons each had different cultivation methods, but ultimately the differences were only in the direction and the way energy was circulated. Fundamentally, it all boiled down to… well, time.
Secret techniques and cultivation manuals? Nonexistent.
If you want to grow strong, just rely on time to accumulate.
Alright, to be honest, for dragons that basically meant sleeping.
Often, with one eye closed and another opened, they could rank among the world's top beings.
It seemed easy, and yet…
This so-called strongest species actually had slower cultivation speed than those humans...
Though their starting point was a realm most humans couldn't reach even in a lifetime.
Most dragons needed to spend time, and Orphis was no exception.
However, her situation was slightly different.
[If we're talking suggestions...]
The Golden Finger girl in her mind seemed to ponder briefly.
[First of all, as an Ouroboros, you should already know what area you excel in, right?]
"…Mmm."
───The Ouroboros itself embodied many concepts.
Creation and destruction, birth and end, life and death, regeneration and eternity, infinity and perfection, and so on.
In truth, each Ouroboros held all of these concepts, but each trait had differences in dominance and dormancy.
Some of these ideas may seem similar or even redundant, but their expression was still distinct.
As for Orphis...
"I am… Infinity."
As the Infinite Dragon God, naturally it was the concept of infinity that stood out the most.
Other Ouroboros might express their cycle and immortality through instant energy restoration after depletion, or resurrection after death—but Orphis was different.
She is infinite. As long as her infinity is not broken, then her power will never be exhausted, and she will never need to face death.
However, as the price, abilities related to destruction and rebirth and some other things that original Ouroboroses could use as instinct—she must learn first before she can cast them.
Moreover, this isn't even a goal that can be started in the short term.
As an Ouroboros, Ophis is quite different from other dragon species.
Her energy is "infinity"—this means she doesn't need to put in effort into energy like other dragons, but it also means she must spend several times more time than other dragons to control this power.
Right now, she's just a child who owns countless nuclear power plants, yet doesn't know how to use them.
Like other dragons, she also needs to spend time, but compared to cultivation, Ophis needs control more.
This also causes her to be unable to rely on sleep to pass time, and instead must stay awake to keep practicing controlling the power inside her.
Of course, if Ophis's body was truly filled with infinite energy, then unless she spent tens of thousands of years, there'd be no way to fully master it—so it's not really like that.
Ophis's body actually normally has no energy in it, but possesses the concept of "infinity" as an inexhaustible energy source. When Ophis needs it, she can extract power directly from it.
In a state where energy can be accessed without limits—how much can be controlled at once, how much can be released at once, and how much released can be controlled—these types of energy release control techniques are the problems Ophis must overcome.
Even without mentioning the rest, just the matter of precise control over the quantity she draws is already the first difficult barrier.
Taking too much or too little at once will have significant impact on later energy usage.
And even though it removes the glaring flaw of needing to replenish after running out, the additional step of drawing energy before using it still causes a noticeable drag in efficiency—this speed must also be practiced.
In just a short time, Ophis already drew up a plan for her abilities.
If the suggestions offered are only a few among these, then this trash cheat ability can just be ignored… Ophis thought so.
"Sure enough, it's infinity, huh… Ah ah, training in energy control and such is your own matter, I won't get involved,"
So the result is to just skip this part, huh…
[Then, this infinite energy—how do you want to use it?]
"How to… use?"
Ophis blinked her large eyes.
Probably means how to fight, right?
Then isn't that simple?
There's no problem in the world that a single magic cannon can't solve.
If there is, then use ten million magic cannons.
Still not enough? Then add ten million times more.
Requires low mental effort, has great destructive power, and that gorgeously dazzling light—it's basically the dream of countless people.
Naturally, Ophis shared her idea with the cheat-sister.
[Ha… I had kind of guessed it already, but you really did think that way huh…]
"…Is there a problem?"
[Well, it certainly suits you, but its adaptability to the battlefield is way too poor. What, if there's a group of allies on the other side, are you going to fire a magic cannon at them too? What if the opponent is immune to energy? What then?]
Ophis tilted her head and thought for a few seconds, then rolled her body.
"I, gather magic into my hand, and punch."
"..."
Cheat-sister seemed speechless.
[Listen well—you are infinity! So-called infinity isn't just being a perpetual motion machine.]
"If not that, then what?"
[You are a being that possesses "infinity." That means you must move toward infinity, but you are still just one. That means your infinity must return to the final "one." Do you understand?]
"…I don't understand."
[...]
"The final one aside… Although I possess the concept of infinity, like you said, I am ultimately just an individual—how do I move toward infinity all at once?"
[Mm-hmm… "Infinity" is just a metaphor. True infinity can't really be reached—because if it could, it wouldn't be called "infinity"… The meaning here is something you have to explore on your own…]
"…So it just means to acquire things with no upper limit?"
[If you want to explain it like that, it's fine. Anyway, how far your "infinity" reaches depends on your own skill. With one of your abilities, maybe reaching true infinity isn't impossible, you know? The number doesn't matter—as long as the final "one" that results is strong enough.]
"..."
Ophis was silent for a while, then finally asked:
"Name?"
[What?]
"I still don't know—your name."
[Ahaha… That's true…]
Cheat-sister paused.
[I've had many names before, but some lost meaning, and the rest I threw away… but if it's just for you to call me—]
[Just call me Qi—as in "wish," "prayer"~~]
Again in the kaleidoscope-like dimensional gap, Ophis had already taken on human form, casually draped in a robe made of magic, eyes half-open as she looked at the scene in front of her.
A massive red head, and two golden eyes.
"Ah, so big…"
Its body was completely blocked by the head—couldn't see it…
And also—
It's only been a hundred years…
Let alone mastering it—she still wasn't even skilled at precisely drawing energy…
[Ah, forgot to tell you—the information you got was just from among many possibilities, one of the more likely ones. Maybe a 0.02% chance among 9,998 cases of 0.01%... or even more exaggerated. So how much to reference… that's up to you to judge… Anyway, none of those bits of information were really complete, right?]
Qi's unconcerned voice rang in her heart.
Why didn't you say that earlier…
Indeed, among those fragmented memories, there was nothing about how or when Ophis was driven out by the True Red Dragon God-Emperor. Ophis had based her judgment on some related clues—she had thought she had time to grow in strength first…
Now it seems she took too much for granted.
Did the other party need to wait until she could fight back before robbing her home?
So now—there's probably no point in trying to greet a fellow of the same race, right?
Should she run? Or run? Or maybe… run?
Though her heart leaned toward fleeing, Ophis still hesitated.
She really liked this place—not only because this dimensional gap held the tranquility she loved.
This was her birthplace—it was her "origin."
The Ouroboros inherently embodies the concept of the beginning, and the place where she first lived naturally held a special meaning for her.
At the very least—it was not a place she could easily cast aside.
But Ophis also knew she had no other choice.
"…Do you want to expel me?"
In the end, Ophis still asked the true True Red Dragon God-Emperor before her.
That's right—in front of her stood the legendary being born from illusion, ruler of dreams, the mightiest dragon, hailed as the True Dragon: True Red Dragon God-Emperor.
The current Ophis had never faced such a presence before—just standing in front of it, she could barely breathe under its pressure.
"This is my territory."
The True Red Dragon God-Emperor stated her intentions concisely, fully reflecting her thuggish spirit.
"…I see."
Seeing that the other party didn't seem intent on attacking, Ophis slightly relaxed, looking toward the True Red Dragon God-Emperor's—one eye.
She couldn't help it—she was too close to see both at once.
Tilting her head and thinking for a moment, Ophis backed up quite a distance, then looked again.
At this distance… it really was terrifying.
Her still-growing body was, at most, only a third the size of this colossal red dragon.
Even so, Ophis still met the massive golden eyes directly.
"One day, I will reclaim my silence… Great Red."
────────────────────────────
[…Even though you said it so coolly, you still got kicked out swiftly and cleanly.]
"There's nothing to be done—our power gap is just too big."
Glancing back at the slowly closing dimensional gap, Ophis turned and walked away, expressionless.
"Qi… rare to see you awake?"
[Mm, well, a being with such a terrifying presence suddenly showing up, after all.]
Though Qi always stayed within Ophis's consciousness, in reality, she spent most of her time asleep—to save strength, she said—and her sleep cycles were completely irregular.
Sometimes no matter how much Ophis called, she wouldn't wake. Sometimes she'd suddenly show up on her own.
In general, she spent far more time asleep than awake. In a hundred years, Ophis had only felt Qi's consciousness for maybe one ten-thousandth of that time.
Even when awake, she'd just check Ophis's training, offer one or two suggestions, then go back to sleep.
But Ophis herself liked quiet, so not having someone chatter endlessly in her mind was also fine.
[So, what's your next plan?]
"..."
Ophis fell silent.
Her home was gone. Now she didn't know what to do.
Get stronger and take it back?
That was something for far, far in the future.
In fact, after seeing the Great Red just now, she had a feeling—
Unless she broke through to some almost unreachable pinnacle, she'd never be able to win.
That was a level that could ignore the world's restrictions—Ophis couldn't even imagine it right now.
Unconsciously, Ophis recalled something from the "knowledge."
Her power was infinite. If she found some cannon fodder and distributed her power to them, she could enhance others' strength without weakening herself—a super buff.
If she gathered enough people—could they take the True Red Dragon's head?
It sounded unlikely… but maybe worth trying?
With her knowledge, she could at least judge who was trustworthy to a certain extent.
Wait… no.
People who are 100% trustworthy usually don't have big ambitions, and wouldn't desire her "serpent" that much. They're actually less likely to help.
And…
Recalling that Breast Dragon Emperor from her memories, Ophis fell into deeper silence.
Just thinking of that guy… felt kind of disgusting.
Here's a literal, word-for-word English translation of the provided Chinese text. I've preserved sentence structure and phrasing as close to the original as possible, with slight smoothing only where necessary to ensure readability in English:
Still, better not to rely on those people.
Moreover, to deal with the Red Dragon God Emperor, it's quality over quantity; small fry at most can only gloriously serve themselves up as cannon fodder in the first wave of area attacks.
Let things take their course…
Ophis shook her head, temporarily casting aside this thought.
[You seem troubled?]
"Mm… I feel, Great Red is very difficult to handle."
[Oh, indeed, that kind of guy… after all, is a rather special fellow.]
Ophis also felt the opponent's peculiarity, but as for what was special, she didn't open her mouth to ask—Qi seemed to know more.
If the other party is willing to speak, they'll speak on their own. If not, no matter how you ask, it's meaningless───This was the understanding Ophis had gained in over three days across a hundred years of living with this entity in her consciousness.
"The current me, cannot fully control power."
Ophis glanced around, her gaze falling on two approaching humanoid beings.
"Demons, huh…"
No wonder the tone here is so dark—so this is indeed the underworld…
Seeing their malicious expressions, Ophis furrowed her brows, and with a gentle wave of her hand—
A terrifying energy burst forth, completely flattening the surrounding land.
As for those two cannon-fodder-level demons, naturally, not even ashes remained.
[Ah, this scene is indeed a little too tragic to look at.]
Even against higher-ranking demons, such force would cause considerable damage if they weren't defending properly. But to strike the Red Dragon God Emperor with it would be like scratching an itch.
Ophis was unable to concentrate and integrate that total amount of energy to form a focused attack.
"Too much time is needed."
Looking at her own palm, Ophis shook her head.
[Alright then, that commotion just now wasn't small. Probably some pretty strong individuals will have noticed… let's leave first. You don't want to face off against those demon-king-level beings just yet, do you?]
Indeed… demons of this era aren't very friendly.
But—where could she go?
[If you're troubled, why not let me help you?]
"Help me?"
[Actually, as long as there's enough mental energy, I can let you traverse to another world. I've been in slumber all this time precisely to accumulate enough spiritual power.]
"Is it… enough now?"
[Far from it… But though it's very little, I had previously left behind a very special kind of energy… With that, I can give you some special effects. If coordinated with the current spiritual energy, I should be able to directly transfer you to another world.]
"What kind of effect?"
From Qi's words, Ophis sharply picked up on that particular phrasing.
[Fate substitution… as the name suggests, it means directly transferring the fate that someone was supposed to have onto yourself. You could say—you fully take their place… Relying on the remnant power from before, I can only use this ability once.]
Ophis frowned slightly upon hearing this.
To take on someone's fate… that sounded a little disgusting.
Perhaps seeing through her thoughts, Qi began explaining in her consciousness.
[You must distinguish—this is fate substitution, not existence substitution. Existence substitution means you replace the person. Fate substitution means the person never existed to begin with. If you can't accept that, I can also find a place with a parallel world—replacing one individual there won't make them disappear.]
To say she couldn't accept it—wasn't quite true. It was just… uncomfortable.
Ophis pondered for a bit, and finally asked the question she currently cared about most:
"Can I become stronger?"
[The target of substitution isn't something I can control, but it will definitely be beneficial to your future. Also, fate substitution doesn't mean you must walk along the original destiny line. What's truly substituted is only the timeline before the moment of replacement. From that moment onward, the path is your own.]
Ophis thought for a while—there really wasn't much left for her to stay for in this world.
This era… perhaps even the divine artifacts haven't been forged yet.
Sure, she could hole up somewhere and train for countless years… but at most she'd reach the level of that Ophis in the knowledge, right?
That still wouldn't be a match for Great Red.
If she chose to traverse worlds… the Ouroboros itself had the self-referencing ability to adapt to its surroundings. As long as she went out, saw more, experienced more—then her final result might differ from her original future… right?
"Then, let it be so."
In the end, Ophis nodded in agreement.
[Is that so? Then get ready to begin.]
"Mm, I swear to reclaim the original silence…"
Ophis looked upward, forming a finger-gun gesture toward the sky.
"At all costs…"
Divine Era — Babylon
Around 2600 BCE… in the Mesopotamian region stood a city-state.
This city-state, named Uruk, through the governance of several wise kings in prior generations, was even more prosperous than other cities where people gathered.
Its palace, symbol of royal authority, was constructed with utmost luxury—using architectural techniques that surpassed even those from thousands of years later, and rare materials that could only be found during the divine era. The overall grandeur was magnificent and resplendent.
If there were any building that could rival it, it would probably be the temple standing opposite—showcasing the might of the gods.
In such a grand palace, its great hall was naturally vast and golden—making the lone figure sitting cross-legged at its center appear incomparably solitary.
She appeared to be a girl of only about fourteen.
The girl had an elven, exquisitely beautiful face. Her ears, sharper than any human's, instantly marked her as something more. Only her half-lidded, dull, dark gray eyes—like one perpetually sleepy—marred the perfection, revealing her thoughts were entirely elsewhere.
Ophis… or perhaps now she should be called the King of Uruk.
That's right. When Ophis regained awareness, she had already replaced the original Hero King and become Uruk's ruler.
With her nonexistent self forcibly inserted into a fate line where everyone believed she existed, Qi explained, her presence was woven into a predetermined destiny.
It was probably something very difficult, wasn't it? Ophis felt so.
Still, with Qi's so-called special energy, she had succeeded. For that, she could only be impressed.
As for the specific mechanism—Ophis didn't understand it at all. And since arriving in this world, Qi had completely disappeared—probably fallen asleep again.
If there was anything she could still rely on in this utterly unfamiliar situation—it was the limitless energy within her, unchanged and unweakened.
Her body trembled ever so slightly, and a glimmer of clarity returned to her gray eyes.
She slowly stood up, letting her waterfall-like black hair flow freely down her back. With a flick of her wide black robe, she looked toward the door.
"…Is there something?"
"Your Majesty, today's treasures have arrived. Please inspect them."
"Bring them in. Just place them there."
Servants quickly brought in several weapons exuding faint sharpness. Among them, a girl dressed in the ceremonial robes of this era's priestesses knelt before Ophis.
"My king, please do not remain immersed in your own world—look more upon your people! They need your wisdom and guidance!"
After performing her customary remonstrance, the priestess glanced at the dazed girl, who seemed not to have heard a word, and sighed.
This new king… though adorable, she really couldn't neglect everything!?
Moreover, she wore a plain black robe that didn't look kingly at all—only after much pleading had she agreed to add golden embroidery to signify her status. Paired with that blankly cute expression, she looked nothing like a ruler.
Even so, she was the king, and the priestess merely a low-ranking servant. Without the high priest speaking out, she too could only retreat as usual in silence.
Ophis watched them leave, still expressionless.
As for the Hero King's past—she only knew bits and pieces from her knowledge.
Regardless, whether it was by legend or draconic nature, collecting treasures was always right.
As for governing the kingdom…
Indeed, her knowledge did include methods of governance. And with her comprehension, if she really focused, she could probably achieve something—after all, Uruk was just a small city.
But for her, anything not aiding the "defeat of Great Red" held no value worthy of her time and spirit.
It wasn't heartlessness… or rather, Ophis didn't think so. It was simply a judgment based on her current priorities.
She moved her fingers in the air, drawing transparent ripples.
Ophis didn't possess spatial manipulation powers—but born in dimensional gaps and as Ouroboros, she naturally had the talent to traverse all kinds of space, even voids. Combined with magic tomes gathered in this era, creating a personal storage space was still within her means.
After stuffing the newly collected artifacts into the dimensional rift one by one, Ophis sat down again.
Right now, her energy control training could only be done internally…
Though unwilling to waste time ruling, she at least understood her status. She wouldn't randomly destroy this city.
If she released energy, Ophis had no confidence she could avoid harming the surroundings.
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A city's prosperity is tightly bound to its ruler's actions. Though the cohesion of people in this era was stronger than in later generations, without a king governing, Uruk—the mightiest among city-states—gradually weakened.
Seeing this, other jealous city-states naturally stirred. One particularly impatient faction even launched an attack.
Outside the palace's main hall, several priests and officials knelt on the ground.
"Your Majesty, the enemy invades! Please issue an order swiftly!"
The lead priestess looked anxious but still lowered her head respectfully.
Only the king of Uruk could mobilize the army…
But would the apathetic new king really care?
Probably… since it was her country under attack, right?
After many earnest pleas, as the priestess began wondering if she should take the blame and mobilize the army herself—at least to spare the people from slaughter—the palace doors finally opened.
She really came out!?
Relief flooded the priestess. As long as the king gave the order, they didn't need to worry—for now…
"Where… is the enemy?"
"…Eh?"
Based on past behavior, they'd expected the king to simply authorize troop deployment and then disappear again. But to think she actually cared to ask something like that? Had she started caring about the city?
The priestess was a little moved.
"U-According to the latest intel, the enemy is around several dozen kilometers north of Uruk… they'll arrive soon. Next, as long as the king…"
"…Eh?"
The corners of the priest girl's mouth twitched.
Ophis... has disappeared.
"Master Priest..."
At this time, the official behind him spoke with some uncertainty.
"King... just now he seemed to be flying towards the north..."
"…"
The priest girl fell silent.
Does the king want to resist the enemy alone?
However, the priest girl was not too worried. After all, the current king was appointed by God, so it was not surprising that he had powerful strength.
But...
She said that the north side is just a general direction! If you go straight towards due north, you'll go off course and won't find it!!!
On the plains north of Uruk, an army that counts as quite a large scale for this era is slowly advancing.
In this period of the Age of Gods, there is no lack of magical beasts that can use magical power and are stronger than ordinary animals, and naturally there are also methods to control these magical beasts.
And the commander of this army is riding a magical beast like a leopard, looking around to the left and right, his square, knight-like face frowning.
"Over at Uruk, still no movement?"
"Yes, the scouts who went ahead did not find any sign of them mobilizing troops."
Hearing the report from a soldier at his side, the army commander touched his chin with his finger and fell into thought.
"According to the information obtained, the new king on Uruk's side seems to have already let go of managing this city-state, so it seems this isn't just an empty rumor…"
"That's why our king let us come here to test the reality of the other side, right?"
Also riding a leopard-like magical beast, the person who seemed to be the commander's deputy said from behind him.
"Mm, in any case, even if there haven't been any problems so far, we must still advance cautiously."
Hearing the commander's words, the deputy frowned.
"This isn't very good, right? Although without the king's command, Uruk temporarily can't mobilize troops, but if time drags on, those people will probably ignore the king and forcibly take action, right?"
Although if we rush there with a forced march, the other side should also forcibly gather troops to defend, but probably won't be able to prepare adequately, which would be quite advantageous for us.
However, the commander shook his head at this.
"A forced march is useless. Even if Uruk's army can't leave the city to fight without orders, as the city's garrison, they must already be ready to act, right?"
The commander stared into the distance, as if he could see Uruk on the other side of the horizon, his eyes full of seriousness.
"Moreover, there has never been any evidence that Uruk's king has no ability or is so foolish that, even when enemy troops are at the gates, he still ignores his own city-state. Consuming everyone's strength too much now would definitely be a foolish choice."
The kings of Uruk through the ages can be called talents, and it is a city quite favored by the gods. According to rumors, even the current king was chosen by the gods... He doesn't believe the other side has no special qualities at all...
Moreover...
"In any case, caution is paramount. I have a very bad feeling…"
At this moment, a strong wind blew by, and the swirling sand and dust obscured the army's vision.
"Stop!"
The commander's heart tightened, and he raised his right hand and shouted loudly.
At a spot less than fifty meters from the army, a girl had appeared at some unknown time.
The other party possessed looks that would be considered top-tier even in this era, but the commander was not moved at all; on the contrary, his alertness was at its highest.
"Who are you?"
One person facing an army of a thousand—perhaps several thousand years later this would seem foolish, but this is the Age of Gods, an era when even gods have not yet fallen.
In this era, warriors who can be called heroes are never rare, and one person forming an army is never an exaggerated scene.
A girl who dares to face an army without expression... the commander does not think the other side is scared silly.
"Who sent you?"
Ignoring the commander's question, the girl spoke.
The commander frowned, waved his hand, and the army behind him began to form ranks, then he looked at Ophis.
"Are you here to block us?"
"No answer?"
The girl shook her head in some confusion.
The conversation with the other side is completely two parallel lines...
The commander was a bit troubled; he didn't want to offend this person of unknown background, but he couldn't just waste time with her either.
However, in the next moment, his trouble was solved, but his heart also jumped to his throat.
"Forget it…"
Seeing the commander still not answering, the girl shook her head again.
Then, seven purple magic circles suddenly unfolded behind her without warning.
"Annihilate…"
"Throw spears!"
Almost at the same time, without any hesitation, the commander gave the order.
With a series of sounds breaking through the air, spears fell like rain above the girl.
Facing such a crisis, the girl paid no attention and continued charging her magic circles.
Then, under the commander's puzzled gaze, just as the rain of spears was about to fall on her, a surge of energy burst from the girl's body, blowing away all the spears at once and raising countless sand and dust that affected the enemy army opposite.
"Raise shields and defend!"
However, the commander was not greatly affected and gave another order.
Yet, he soon realized that this order was meaningless.
Seven purple torrents directly pierced through the army's formation and fell toward the distant horizon.
From one of the nearest magic cannons, the commander could feel the astonishing heat.
This is an attack with no technical skill at all—the commander's experience could still see this.
Even so, such an attack still caused more than half the army's casualties...
"The opponent's magical power is too enormous!"
The commander gritted his teeth.
"We can't let the other side have another chance to act! Attack with me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the commander spurred his magical beast toward the girl, and about a hundred cavalry riding the same kind of magical beast broke out from the formation behind him, following his lead.
Halfway there, the commander's eyes widened.
In front of the girl, three magic circles opened in parallel, aimed at them.
—Originally thought the other side's magic needed a period of charging, but could it be compensated by the number of magic circles?
The commander only had time to urge his magical beast to leap upward, and the spot where he had just been was swallowed by the purple magic cannon.
"Damn it!"
The commander roared in the sky, but saw that the three magic circles in the girl's hand did not dissipate after being used, but under her control, aimed at him in the air.
The next moment, purple light filled the commander's vision.
The last thing he saw was the girl's emotionless, expressionless silver-gray eyes...
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