Volume 5 Chapter 0069 Goddess of Wealth - I, The Dragon Overlord

The 'Space-time Wormhole' isn't unique; as a product of advanced technology, replicability is a fundamental attribute. Although the total number of 'Space-time Wormhole' devices created by the Terran civilization is limited due to their immense cost, there are still several systems available. Having completed his mission on Earth and gained far more than he had anticipated, Louie was ready to return to the world of San Soliel directly. Compared to the matters on Earth, San Soliel was in greater need of his presence. The faith from Earth had become increasingly insignificant to Louie. When he ascended to become a God Above Gods, the faith from Earth turned into something optional and dispensable. Louie activated another 'Space-time Wormhole' located on the Terran homeworld. After inputting the standard coordinates, he opened the gateway to San Soliel. With this, Louie felt completely at ease because technological creations could potentially malfunction. Now that he possessed an additional 'Space-time Wormhole' device, even if the first one he obtained encountered issues, he would no longer worry about traveling between the two worlds. With the Terrans entirely extinct, the development of their civilization had momentarily stalled. Louie could only let the Artificial Intelligence undertake the evolution of their technological progress. Reviving this civilization would be possible only after Louie achieved the grand feat of becoming a God Above Gods, allowing him to create a new race and civilization to continue forward. Exiting the imaginary space of the Terran homeworld, Louie stepped directly into the 'Space-time Wormhole,' and in the next moment, he found himself back in the astral realm. Upon returning to San Soliel, an impulse surged within Louie's heart. The divine gaze descended from the boundless heights and fixed upon the City of Wealth, formerly part of the Heptapolis Alliance and now within the Dragon Kingdom. “After all these years, is Danluciel finally about to ascend to godhood...” This was the demigod Louie had once encountered at the 'Hall of Clear Water,' the master of the City of Wealth. Due to the Dragon Kingdom's development and emphasis on economics orchestrated by Louie, this demigod, who aspired to achieve a divine seat in 'Wealth,' eventually abandoned the protection of Shuni from the 'Hall of Clear Water' and chose to align with Louie instead. As a person from Earth, Louie fully understood the importance of the economy. Therefore, even during his time as the Dragon Lord, he heavily prioritized economic growth. However, money requires the backing of power. As the City of Dragons expanded externally and evolved into the current Dragon Kingdom, its vast military support forced even the most brilliant merchants and powerful trade guilds to submit. In such circumstances, Danluciel, gripped by fear, sought out Louie and declared her allegiance, realizing that compared to her, Louie seemed more akin to a wealth god. Had Louie desired, he could have established a 'Wealth' divinity through the might of the Dragon Kingdom—although this position held little utility for Louie, it could have manifested as a power equivalent to moderate divine might. “She's quite cautious, biding her time until now to conduct the final godhood ritual. Yet, it's understandable. No other demigod in the entirety of San Soliel can contend with her for the 'Wealth' divine seat. I, being her only contender, have already given her my promise. She indeed has the capability to steadily advance along the path to godhood.” Louie shook his head, showing a favorable view of this lady. While demigods were not plentiful in the entire world of San Soliel, their overall number exceeded that of true deities. In such scenarios, vacant divine seats, especially those with powerful portfolios, often drew numerous demigods into competition. With so many contenders, no demigod could remain calm, for if their rival ever succeeded in ascending, the path forward would be completely closed to them. They wouldn't even manage a change in their divine direction. Therefore, under normal circumstances, as soon as demigods felt an opportunity to ascend, they would ignite their divine spark and attempt it. This typically resulted in many demigods failing in their quest for ascension, leaving not even the faintest trace behind. Demigods like Danluciel, with no competition for a divine seat, were exceedingly rare. Most, like Patricia the lich, keenly contested for any available divine portfolio. “Once Danluciel successfully ascends, and as Patricia becomes one of the Trinity of Death, approximately four-fifths of the pantheon will be complete. The gods will fully reclaim their positions, and all major divine seats will have been claimed. The remaining fifth will become irrelevant, allowing me to launch my plan.” Louie calculated the odds of his plan's success, concluding that once four-fifths of the divine positions were filled, the timing would be optimal. The most ideal outcome would be for all divine seats to be occupied by the respective deities, leaving no room for new gods to emerge. However, this was impossible. The concept of divine seats was vast, and in the future, while becoming a god would be exceedingly difficult, new deities would still inevitably arise. “Regardless of the outcome, she is destined to be my future vassal deity. Let me witness your successful ascension to godhood with my own eyes.” With this thought, Louie's avatar vanished from the astral realm, reappearing in the Prime Material Plane. … Prime Material Plane, Dragon Kingdom, City of Wealth— Aside from the capital, this was the wealthiest city in the Dragon Kingdom, renowned across the entire Prime Material Plane. Ruled by Danluciel for centuries, this city's inhabitants were particularly adept at commerce, with their trading presence dispersed across major nations on the continent. Outsiders, upon hearing someone hailed from the City of Wealth, automatically assumed they were rich. Though not all city residents were merchants, the high percentage of them fostered this perception. Over a century ago, at the behest of the Dragon God, Danluciel pledged loyalty to the Dragon and Elf King Alexia. Furthermore, she played a significant role in Alexia's conquest, facilitating the capture of the majority of the Heptapolis Alliance's territory. The remaining lands, being flat plains and lacking defensible positions, were eventually abandoned as boundaries. Following this, Danluciel relinquished her political power in the City of Wealth, dedicating all her efforts to developing her church. Within a century, she accomplished much, even establishing a church nearly one hundred thousand strong, consisting mostly of merchants. As the leader of the largest trade guild, Danluciel utilized her influence to garner faith from many merchants. Typically, a new god only requires the faith of about twenty thousand individuals to ascend. Danluciel's assembly of a hundred thousand faithful only began her ascension ritual because merchants are inherently greedy and solely profit-driven, often showing minimal devotion. Given the inadequacy of quality, Danluciel opted for quantity, which now assured her of successfully ascending to godhood. “Nearly a millennium of effort finally reaching its conclusion today!” Being exceedingly wealthy, Danluciel had already constructed her primary cathedral before her ascension. Within this opulent, almost ostentatiously garish cathedral, her expression was brimming with excitement. She took a deep breath to quell her inner restlessness, closed her eyes, and began to ignite the divine spark, initiating her ascension ritual!