"We'll turn into monsters?" The child's face filled with fear upon hearing his father's words.
For a young child who already had a clear understanding of his human identity, the idea of becoming a non-human monster was terrifying.
"Don't be afraid. It's not a bad thing. Your father is going through the same changes," the man reassured his son. It wasn't just his son who had undergone mutations; he himself had also experienced changes.
However, compared to the obvious green scales growing on his son's body, the changes in the man were much more subtle. He had simply grown taller, and so far, the changes were minimal—just a few centimeters.
If he hadn't been particularly sensitive to such things, he might not have even noticed the changes in his own body.
"Dad, did you grow scales too?"
"No, I just got taller," the man said, patting his son's head.
"You look the same as before," the child said, puzzled. He couldn't see much of a difference in his father, who had only grown a few centimeters.
"The changes are minor, just like yours. I only grew a few centimeters."
"That's not fair. I don't want scales. I want to grow taller like you, Dad."
"We can't decide these things. Besides, our changes are just beginning. Right now, I might still look human, but in time, I'll also become a non-human monster."
"Then what will we eventually become?"
"That's hard to say. We're probably the first humans in this world to turn into monsters. Only the savior can tell us what we'll become."
The man smiled. In the short time since entering the base city, he had familiarized himself with its general situation and gathered as much information as possible.
"Overall, these changes are for the better. The only downside is that we won't be able to continue living as humans in this world."
"Not as humans?" The child curled up, his eyes filled with confusion. He didn't know what this meant, but his father said the change was good.
"Don't be lost. Whether it's the current world or the future one, there's no place for ordinary humans to survive. But as monsters, we can keep living."
Having long survived wandering the wilderness, the man knew all too well how powerless ordinary humans were against the beasts of the wild, even the smallest ones.
No matter how smart or ruthless he was, when encountering these beasts, his only option was to flee. Such encounters left him feeling deeply frustrated.
The fact that intelligence was so easily overwhelmed by savagery filled him with resentment. Before entering the glorious base city, he could only suppress this resentment.
He didn't have the qualifications to become a Divine Mech pilot. He couldn't wield a Divine Mech, so no matter how resentful he was, it was futile. But after entering the glorious base city, he saw an opportunity to vent his frustrations and showcase his talents.
By shedding his human identity and becoming a monster, he would gain the power to fight against the wild beasts. This was what he had always dreamed of. So, he didn't resist the changes happening to him; in fact, he welcomed them with joy.
…
"Thirteen base cities are too few," Muria said in a calm tone, standing in a vast silver-white metal palace, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked at the electronic map marking the locations of the thirteen base cities.
"Your Majesty, there's nothing we can do. Our human strength is too weak. Initially, there were over a hundred base cities in contact with our glorious base city, but after twenty-seven years, only these remain."
"So, if I send my followers to take over these base cities, they shouldn't face much resistance?" Muria turned to look at the highest-ranking commander of the base city, whose face now bore faint golden scales.
"Your Majesty, if the ancient dragons you send can prove they are not wild beasts, they will undoubtedly take over any base city without issue."
"Oh? Are you so sure? I don't need to remind you how strong human desire for power is. Can you guarantee that every base city's leader will willingly give up their authority?"
"Your Majesty, in peacetime, I wouldn't dare make such a guarantee. But in this era of destruction, the pressure on those in power far outweighs the benefits they enjoy."
The commander, now more non-human than human, instinctively knelt on the ground and spoke respectfully,
"Before you took over the glorious base city, the pressure I bore far exceeded that of any human. Every day, I worried about whether wild beasts were gathering in unseen places, preparing to attack the base city. I worried about whether we had enough food, whether Divine Mech pilots would die during patrols…
Every night before sleeping, I had to take medication because, under such pressure, I often felt the urge to end my life. My position might seem to offer the best privileges, but it could easily drive a person mad."
"And now?" Muria's lips curled slightly as he looked at the commander, who was beginning to undergo draconic transformation. He could tell the man was subtly flattering him.
"I no longer need any medication to sleep soundly," the commander said, lowering his head until it touched the metal floor.
"So, Your Majesty, you need not worry about taking over any base city. Every base city will welcome your followers."
"Is that so? You've seen all the changes that occurred after my followers entered the base city. Once they take over all the base cities in this world, the human race will eventually disappear. Can you accept such an outcome?"
"This outcome is entirely acceptable. Humans may disappear, but it's only the name that will vanish. All humans will evolve into higher life forms and continue to thrive in this world."
"Your ideological awareness is quite high."
"A powerful physique, a longer lifespan, and even the strength to fight wild beasts… no human would refuse these."
"Indeed, no one would refuse."
…
Boom—
Thunder rumbled in the sky, and fierce winds swept in from all directions, flattening the grass and trees. Then, between the sky and the earth, a hazy shadow slowly appeared.
As time passed, the shadow grew clearer. It was a world that seemed lush and vibrant, with mountains, plains, hills, rivers, and lakes—every type of terrain imaginable, full of life.
In this somewhat illusory world, a colossal tree that seemed to hold up the entire sky stood tall, surrounded by a visible aura of vigorous vitality.
"The Eternal Tree of Life from the elven race—you've nurtured it to such a size!"
"I've fertilized it generously, so it's grown so well," Muria responded with a smile, standing in mid-air, as the girl beside him praised him.
If anyone dared to dig into the soil beneath the Eternal Tree of Life in his demiplane, they would find that, beneath a thin layer of soil used for concealment, the roots of the tree were surrounded by the bizarre remains of demons from the Abyss. In Muria's mind, these were the best and most easily obtained cheap fertilizers.
"So, what exactly are you trying to do now?" Mikaela, whom Muria had found in one of the base cities, asked with a mix of curiosity and helplessness.
She found her husband's thought process truly eccentric. Originally, this reincarnation was meant to investigate the situation, slaughter the followers of the evil god, force the god to appear, and then engage in battle.
But through a series of unconventional moves, Muria had turned what was supposed to be a combat-focused reincarnation into a farming simulation.
Honestly, when she saw Muria leading a group of ancient dragons and giants in a frenzy of tree-planting across this small world, she was quite shocked. Her worldview was profoundly challenged.
However, as a descendant of the Celestial Race, Mikaela was far more adaptable than ordinary ancient dragons. After some thought, she guessed part of Muria's intentions.
"Isn't it obvious?" Muria replied, as he opened the entrance to his demiplane, attempting to integrate it with this world.
"But I don't understand your intentions."
"Really?" Muria tilted his head. Both he and Mikaela were in reincarnated bodies, not their true forms. The mere existence of an Epic being could be a calamity for some worlds.
"You've seen everything I've done in this world. You should understand my intentions very well."
"Don't you think what you're doing is a bit too insane?" Mikaela fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly.
Muria's greed shocked even her. Not long after devouring the power of an Epic being for resurrection, he now had his sights set on an entire world.
"It's not insane. The investment is small, the risk is limited, the feasibility is high, and the rewards are substantial. Why wouldn't I do it?" Muria countered.
"This is a world, not a demiplane," Mikaela sighed weakly.
"A world on the brink of destruction. Look, even when I summon my demiplane here, the world's rejection is minimal. This means the world is accepting me. My idea is sound."
Muria pointed to the semi-transparent shadow of his demiplane, now enveloped in descending thunderbolts…
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