Chapter 243

The Ex-Machina do not know which god created them, so their stance in This World is neutral, and they do not participate in the competition among the retinues of other Divine Spirit Races for the Star Cup.

And the Ex-Machina's ability to analyze and copy is terrifying; even the Dragon Spirit Race, a Fourth Sequence Race, the Dragon King of the Far Dragon and his subordinate dragons, were eliminated by the Ex-Machina because they provoked them twelve years ago.

Therefore, unless necessary, no other Species is willing to provoke the Ex-Machina, a Species that is powerful, grows stronger the more they fight, and where striking one is like poking a hornet's nest.

Thus, even the most ordinary Ex-Machina head is, for Jibril, a rare treasure that is hard to come by.

"So that's why you picked up a pile of head parts we were preparing to melt down and recast in the abandoned room of the Self-Replication Factory?"

"These are all Ex-Machina heads I carefully selected, especially your head — look, I even wiped a layer of Anti-Rust Machine Oil on it."

Jibril held the head part Shuvi had swapped out, looking as if she were treasuring a damaged mechanical skull in her hands, which left Shuvi somewhat at a loss for words.

"Wait, you wouldn't be trying to snatch it from me, would you?"

Jibril suddenly became vigilant, looking at Shuvi with a suspicious gaze.

"I already have a new head."

After confirming that Rick shouldn't be able to tell the previous head was severely damaged, Shuvi called to the two: "You two come in, my husband is already waiting for you inside."

Shuvi turned and walked into the somewhat dim cave, and Broly and Jibril, carrying a pile of scrap copper and iron, followed her inside.

The dark Environment caused no Influence on those present, and after turning past a curved bend, Broly saw some light ahead.

The light source was moss attached to the rock walls, emitting a faint glow; of course that's not the point — the point is that beneath the Cave Moss on the rock wall, Broly saw the kind of Mushroom the Ex-Machina had picked yesterday.

"Cave Moss, that's what we Humans call it; it's one of the few Plants that can grow normally in this cruel World, emitting light by absorbing Spiritual Power from the soil.

And the light they emit can provide the Environment needed for crops that only require faint light to grow rapidly.

However, Cave Moss itself cannot be eaten, at least not by us Humans……"

Seeing the boy lean over toward the rock wall to look at the moss, Rick walked over and introduced it; it is precisely because of the existence of Cave Moss that Humans can rely on some faint-light crops to survive with difficulty in This World.

"I am Rick, Shuvi's husband."

The Youth introduced himself.

"Broly."

Broly also introduced himself, then plucked the patch of mushrooms beneath the rock wall and, right in front of the person who might be the mushroom grower, stuffed them into his Personal Space.

"Nice to meet you, and also thank you for extending a helping hand to my wife Shuvi."

Rick continued.

"You're welcome, but I'm not happy to meet you; if it weren't for you, your wife might have become my wife."

Broly held no Hostility toward this Stranger he was meeting for the first time, but he didn't give him a good face either.

"You sure know how to Joke."

"I'm not Joking; if killing you weren't useless, you'd be dead right now."

The Expression on Rick's face was somewhat Stiff; the Saiyan boy's words were too direct and crude, making it hard for a weak Human like him who uses his brain to respond.

"Then I should consider myself fortunate."

After thinking for a bit, Rick mocked himself with a sentence.

"You should consider yourself fortunate."

Broly nodded seriously, agreeing with Rick's words — after all, if Shuvi and him weren't True Love.

"Broly, are you hungry? How about we eat first?"

Shuvi inserted herself into the conversation, Interrupting the somewhat awkward talk.

"Okay."

Broly's attention was immediately Shifted, an expectant look appearing on his face, until he saw what this couple was serving, at which point it faded somewhat.

Roasted Mushrooms, unknown Dried Fruit, some Plant's roots and rhizomes — on the entire Stone Table, there wasn't a trace of meat, not even Soup.

"Sorry, our Supplies here are rather scarce; the only things we can take out to entertain our life-saving benefactor are these."

Rick expressed his apology.

"The Taste is Not Bad."

Broly tasted them and found the flavor of these things acceptable, though he still preferred meat.

"However, once This World is at peace in the future, we'll definitely entertain you with better things."

Rick said again.

"Mm."

Broly replied, but without much Expectation, because four days later, he would have to say Goodbye to This World.

【This Topic is a bit hard to pick up!】

Rick sighed, deciding to be more Direct.

"Broli-sama, I wonder what your clan's Opinion is on the current situation of This World?"

Rick asked Directly; from Shuvi's mouth, he had learned some of the boy's circumstances.

Although he had never heard of Saiyans, being able to defeat the Flügel suggests they are also a Powerful Species.

"You're Asking Me?"

Broly, who was eating Dried Fruit, looked at the one-armed Youth beside him with some Doubt.

"Yes."

Rick nodded.

Broly then scratched his head, but was somewhat stumped by the question.

He isn't from This World, and he only just Arrived in This World — what Opinion could he have on This World?

Asking this question of him is really a bit too Strange.

However, if he really had to say something, Broly actually could.

"The food varieties in your World are too few, and the Weather doesn't seem too good either."

Broly spoke the honest truth.

Rick: "......"

What he wanted to talk about was the matter of the long war sparked by the Divine Spirits and their Forest Elf's Retinue competing for the Sole God Authority, yet he received an answer about few food types and bad weather.

"Can't be helped, the Divine Spirites sparked a long war competing for the Unique God's Divine Authority, causing this world's original ecology to completely collapse.

Now merely staying alive is an extremely difficult thing; in the past, many ordinary biological species that could be made into delicacies have long since gone extinct in the endless wars."

Rick forcibly shifted the topic to the war, and the delicacies he spoke of were merely wonderful stories passed down by word of mouth among the Renwulei — he himself had never seen them, let alone tasted them.

However, Rick wore an expression of regret, as if he himself had once eaten those delicacies and was now sighing in lamentation over the extinction of those delicacies' raw material species.

"War makes tasty things disappear?"

Rick's behavior made Broly believe it.

"War is a bad civilization."

Attila the King's phrasing surfaced in Broly's mind, and he just said it directly.

【Bad civilization? This should mean expressing dislike, right?】

Rick thought it over, then nodded and replied: "I think so too; war is a bad civilization, so I want to end the war."

As the words fell, the atmosphere went cold again, leaving only the sound of Broly eating; Rick could only continue helplessly: "Coincidentally, I have a plan to end the long war — I wonder if you, sir, are willing to help us?"

"If the war ends, there'll be good things to eat."

Shuvi added a line from behind, and this line worked wonders.

"I'm willing to help you."

Broly didn't even ask what the plan was, directly stating his position.

"Wait, you're not going to ask what my plan is?"

Rick couldn't help but retort.

What normal person has a reaction like the boy before his eyes? Shouldn't he be curious and ask for the details? "Oh, then what is the plan?"

Broly suddenly felt Rick was a performing Comedian, like Aqua Master needing someone to play along during a talent show, so he played along and gave the cue.

"All the world's great wars arise because of the Unique God's Divine Authority; to end the war as soon as possible, we only need to have the Unique God decided......"

Rick spread out a map prepared long ago and began recounting his plan from start to finish, but this plan was merely the plan that needed to be spoken now, not the real plan.

"To achieve this, we inform the remaining Species about the hostile Species' strategies, thereby manufacturing anxiety and suspicion......

After unremitting effort, the powerful Species most likely to obtain the Unique God Authority 【Star Cup】 have been gathered by us......

The two major alliances in the confrontation zone — the Forest Elf's Retinue and the Dwarf as alliance Leaders — have an extremely terrible relationship.

Probably only need to imitate one side's trick and launch a first strike attack on the other, and it would trigger a war between them.

Of course, the Flügel stand high above, with a Divine Spirit behind them; once the Forest Elf's Retinue and Dwarf war breaks out, those two Species definitely won't let the stronger Flügel just watch from the side — they'll definitely drag the Flügel in. According to my intel, the Dwarf developed the Marrow Explosion Bomb, a terrifying weapon that can destroy a Continent in one shot; the Forest Elf's Retinue developed the Group Combat Void Zero Formula......"

"Wow, amazing~"

Rick spoke beside him about the Dwarf and Forest Elf's Retinue's strongest trump card intel, while Broly cooperated fully, showing an amazed expression.

But actually he hadn't listened carefully at all; he was just cooperating with Rick's narrative performance, performing agreement.

"The War God, as a Divine Spirit, is definitely the most dreaded enemy of the two great alliances; the Dwarf and Forest Elf's Retinue's trump cards will definitely be used on the War God.

When the time comes, no matter which side wins, the war will end, cough cough......"

Rick started coughing, felt his body weakening, stopped speaking, and asked: "How about it, Broly, do you think our plan is good?"

"Good, very good!"

Gnawing on an unknown plant stem block, Broly replied without even lifting his head.

【Could your attitude be any more perfunctory?】

Rick wanted to retort a bit, but the answer of his wife's savior before him wasn't actually important; he mainly still wanted to know what reaction the Flügel captive beside them would have upon hearing this fake plan.

However, disappointing Rick, the Flügel in the form of a young girl, just like Broly, only cared about eating.

The Forest Elf's Retinue is an extension of the Divine Spirit, and the Forest Elf's Retinue's reaction can sometimes represent the Divine Spirit's reaction.

"This captured Flügel miss beside us, aren't you worried about your own god?"

Rick drank some water, caught his breath, then asked Jibril.

"Worry about what? Worry that those few idiot Species you calculated into coming to this side of Avant Heim might use their self-righteous methods to challenge Lord Artosh and actually succeed?"

Jibril had indeed listened to Rick's plan just now, but she treated Rick's plan as a joke to listen to.

"Monkeys who haven't fully evolved and can't even use Spirit Power — don't use your Inferior creatures' narrow gaze to look at Lord Artosh."

Broly stopped eating, looked at his own monkey tail, and suddenly felt like Jibril was scolding him by pointing at something else.

"Lord Artosh is the strongest god; mere Forest Elf's Retinue and Dwarf, no matter what means they grasp, are just ignorant creatures overestimating themselves."

Confidence is the peak; Artosh's confidence is reflected in the Flügel's attitude — the Flügel dare treat other Divine Spirit Races as prey, their arrogant posture is plain to see.

"Since your god is so powerful, why hasn't this world's war ended?"

Rick isn't ignorant of the War God; on the contrary, through Shuvi he learned the power and conduct of the god behind the Flügel, and this question is also his doubt.

The Flügel and their god clearly have power surpassing other Species, yet they just don't have the intention to actively end this Great War.

"Not ended because Lord Artosh has no interest in the Unique God's Divine Authority; if he were interested, this struggle for the Unique God Authority would have ended long ago."

Jibril's answer left Rick somewhat startled.

Followed by anger, then relief.

A high-and-mighty god doesn't care about the life and death of tiny ants.

"So that's how it is."

Rick smiled on the surface, but his only remaining right hand clenched its fist tight.

In the struggle for the Unique God Authority, the War God behind the Flügel displays utter arrogance.

Clearly possessing the power to end the war and obtain the Unique God Authority, yet disdaining to bother.

Thus, the reason why this war between the Divine Spirit and its retinue cannot end is also explained.

There is a War God who can push through everything flat and obtain the power of the Sole God Authority, yet disdains the Sole God Authority; while other Divine Spirits who care about this authority and want to obtain it, presumably cannot push through everything flat at all because of the War God's existence.

The War God Himself is the biggest obstacle to world peace; without surpassing Him, without defeating Him, the wars in this world will never end.

But how difficult it is to defeat the War God — in the data Shuvi provided, the War God is a Divine Spirit possessing the 【Greatest】 Concept.

And this 【Greatest】 Concept is extremely unreasonable; no matter how powerful an existence appears in the world, the War God possessing this Concept will forever be stronger than the Second Strongest — the increase or decrease of the world's experts' power holds no meaning for the War God.

【A War God possessing this Invincible Concept of 【Greatest】, one imagines He would not evade the attacks of the weak, but simply overwhelm them with even stronger power.】

A fire burned in Rick's heart.

"Shuvi, after this planet is pierced through, the Spirit Corridor in the atmosphere will stagnate; at that time, even gods will temporarily lose their power — is that true?"

After seeing off Broly and Jibril, Rick asked Shuvi this question.

"Correctly speaking, this can only make Divine Spirits temporarily lose the ability to manipulate the vast Spirit Power of the world, but the Spirit Power the Divine Spirit itself possesses can still be used, merely weakened significantly."

Shuvi answered this question, and Rick felt peace of mind.

The War God's Concept is indeed Invincible, but the victory condition of this game to decide the Unique God is not to defeat the War God, but to obtain the Star Cup.

He is not a god, merely a weak human struggling to survive; he will not play this game according to the Divine Spirits' game rules.

As the weakest, Rick must steal victory, thereby ending this war.

"Cough, cough~"

Suddenly, Rick coughed violently.

"Rick!"

Shuvi shouted nervously.

"I'm fine."

He moved his hand away from his mouth; it was covered in blood, yet Rick comforted Shuvi with a sentence.

But he knew he was dying soon, yet he had to seize the time, complete the layout on the Ex-Machina side, then directly initiate this final war.

When the time comes, once the war ends, even if he dies, he will be able to die with peace of mind.

Thinking of death, Rick's eyes couldn't help but shed tears.

Damn it, he fundamentally doesn't want to die; in this world, there are still people who care about him, whom he also cares about.

Many past separations by life and death made Rick understand how much harm his own death would bring to those who care about him.

He wants to live, but is there a way?

Perhaps after obtaining the Star Cup, he can live.

But can he really obtain the Star Cup? Or rather, after obtaining the Star Cup, can he really survive? The Unique God spoke so powerfully, but who knows the specifics? Even, as a weak human, does he have the qualification to touch a god's things?

Countless thoughts rushed chaotically toward the weak Rick.

Even Rick wanting to stop his own wild thoughts couldn't do it.

"Rick, don't worry, I know someone who can help you."

Shuvi, looking at Rick urgently, suddenly thought of Broly's attempt at healing her yesterday.

Although it had no effect on herself, that was because she is Ex-Machina.

And the healing that was useless on herself might be able to help Rick.

Shuvi could be said to be seeking a doctor in a panic, but she didn't seek the wrong doctor.

Broly, who had left after eating and drinking his fill, was invited back again.

Looking at Rick, incomparably weak on the stone bed, Broly suddenly had a bold idea and asked Shuvi: "If he just dies like this, would you consider becoming my wife?"

"No, I would only die together with Rick."

Without even a second of hesitation, Shuvi gave her answer.

Broly was somewhat disappointed; his bold idea shattered directly, so he could only face reality.

Rick treated him to a meal; although not very sumptuous, he remembered it.

One saw Broly condense a mass of Life Energy with Qi and strike it into Rick's body.

Rick, half-comatose on the bed, began to tremble.

The humans of this world have no Spirit Corridor inside their bodies; if corroded too much by Corpse Cloud, it equals chronic death.

But now, the places in Rick's body corroded and rotted to death were like withered wood meeting spring after a long drought meeting sweet rain.

The Corpse Cloud Corrosion power full of Death Intent simply could not resist the expulsion of the vast Life Energy Broly poured in.

Rick sat up all at once, quite with the posture of a dying patient startling upright; and once he sat up, his illness was directly cured.

"Alright, but the severed hand and eye — that I have no way to fix."

Doctor Broly sensed Rick's Breath, confirmed the other had changed from a candle in the wind state to a blazing fireplace state, then shrugged at Shuvi to indicate he couldn't do anything about the residual injuries.

When he was a disciple under Aqua Master in the previous world, Broly didn't learn Healing; one thinks he should have learned a trick or two back then.

Shuvi: "..."

Rick's hand and eye — she cut, she dug them.

Rick: "..."

His own hand and eye — he had Shuvi cut them, had Shuvi dig them.

"Fuck!"

I wasn't slacking, just wanted to write more (Chapter End)