Chapter 13: Heading to the Lost Lands

Though her heart was torn with inner conflict, Ava Gray finally decided to take a desperate risk. In this era, things were far more terrifying and ruthless than one could ever imagine. One wrong step could send you plunging into the abyss—and, truth be told, sometimes a deity in her position might even be less secure than the retainers of higher-tier gods.

Ignoring the chattering of her roommates, Ava Gray, heavy-hearted, entered the Virtual Divine Space and submitted her application. Only after everything was arranged did she leave the dorm with a somber expression.

For her, the more she interacted with others, the greater the risk of exposing her true self. Were it not for Chloe Star's overly enthusiastic nature, she would have preferred to keep to herself.

Hurriedly, she left the school, took a few days off, and rushed toward the far northern Lost Lands. The Lost Lands are located at the very edge of the Divine Realm—where the void meets the realm of the gods.

Typically, to enter the Lost Lands one must possess the [Void Resistance] trait or have power at or above the Divine Lord level to briefly traverse the void.

For years, the Lost Lands had been guarded by frontier troops. Within the void—aside from fearsome void creatures—there also lurked fallen gods.

The appearance of deities isn't necessarily human; in some realms they resemble beasts, in others elves, or even exist as formless elemental lifeforms.

But fallen gods always manifested as twisted, indescribable aberrations—along with the Abyss and wicked deities, they were three major threats to the Divine Realm.

After paying the required fee, Ava Gray, now clutching only a meager remainder of divine power crystals, felt her heart sink. Now, she had to stake everything on the upcoming tournament; if anything went wrong, there'd be no room for regret.

Once the necessary personnel confirmed her data, the barriers of the Divine Realm slowly opened, revealing a buffer corridor whose farthest end was already shrouded in black fog.

After steadying her nerves, Ava Gray resolutely stepped into the enveloping darkness.

It was her first time entering the Lost Lands, and she couldn't help but feel nervous—the void's oppressive aura was as heavy as its reputation. Without her [Void Resistance] trait, she feared she would have been swallowed whole.

Treading carefully, she didn't venture too far. The farther one strays from the Divine Realm, the more severe the void's corruption becomes. Ava Gray only needed to scavenge a little gold beside her domain; there was no need to go too deep.

Along the way, she spotted several desperate deities wandering—most of them divine servants. After all, besides her, hardly any true gods remained; who could not even support themselves now?

She paid little mind to the anxious divine servants darting inward, unaware of the cold aura they exuded—a chill not born of the void's malice.

However, once Ava Gray finally entered the void proper, her Divine Kingdom began to suffer. As the black fog spread across the skies, even the usually unflappable Dragon King couldn't help but lift his gaze and murmur,

"Something's off… by all rights, a void incursion should occur next year! Why is it happening early? Well, never mind—maybe it's just an early feast. Lately, too many newborn dragons have emerged; if we don't stock up on provisions quickly, the little ones might grow up malnourished."

Soon after, he noticed a void creature slowly emerging from the black fog, licking its lips with a creepy smile.

For a deity, entering the void signified that a void incursion had effectively begun—its corrosive impact depended on one's barrier. For someone like Ava Gray, it meant a full-scale battle from the moment she stepped in.

Yet, undeterred, Ava Gray strolled along, unhurriedly searching for the precious treasures the Lost Lands might have left behind. Along the way, she discovered many mysterious fragments scattered about—though she wasn't sure what they were, she pocketed them all.

There were also shards imbued with divine aura from her domain; without hesitation, she collected every last piece, including some special void products—void crystals, which could preempt a void incursion. "These will serve as extra rations," she thought.

Happy as could be while scavenging in the Lost Lands, she marveled at the abundance here. It was truly rich—if only items touched by void energy couldn't be sold, she mused, they'd fetch a fortune outside.

At this point, she hadn't sensed the strange aura that was already seeping into her body and into her Divine Kingdom.

Back in her domain, various races had already begun their war against the void. To them, the void creatures were practically feeble.

Yet the Dragon King, who had long been in battle, suddenly felt something amiss. Frowning, he examined his claws.

"Why am I suddenly feeling so weak? After all these years fighting in the void, I shouldn't be like this!"

For his fellow divine servants, the void's black fog—so toxic to others—was merely like a throat-clearing mist to him.

Sensing trouble, he immediately flew deep into the forest to seek out the elves.

At that moment, the elven clan also sensed an anomaly and promptly performed magical diagnostics.

Detecting a faint, unusual aura around them, the Elven Queen observed the dragon silhouettes gradually descending from the sky and said softly,

"They came in rather quickly. Do you sense it too?"

Already landed, the Dragon King nodded silently and replied,

"I can feel it—something in the void's black fog is sapping our strength."

The Queen nodded and continued,

"You'd best consult with the humans—they should be able to concoct an antidote quickly. Otherwise, if these void creatures get away, we won't have enough provisions for this year's feast."

The Dragon King agreed, flapping his mighty wings as he soared toward the distant human capital.

On the way, he still saw several arrogant void creatures frolicking about: a massive void magic whale, a bizarre void black dragon, and void sharks endowed with spatial powers.

To other Divine Kingdoms, such creatures were like natural disasters. The void magic whale, for example, constantly emitted black fog that could engulf an entire domain—it was among the void's top predators.

At that moment, the void magic whale roared and spewed black fog with reckless abandon. With a brazen expression, it eyed the Divine Kingdom, attempting to cause havoc.

Who could have imagined that such a fragile shell could be so easily penetrated? With a mere tap, the entire Divine Kingdom might be destroyed, allowing the whale to seize the divine aura and, in doing so, advance in power—then it would proceed to plunder other domains, glorifying its own race!

Alas, the poor void magic whale had yet to realize what fate awaited it.