Chapter 269: Being a Demon King Has Its Reasons

"Another bit of devotional power—could it really be coming from the 'real world'? But this is just ridiculous. Or is this game world itself incredibly close to that real world, like those old-school 'Main God Construction' tropes where the protagonist uses a cheat to create a world and pulls in players?"

Feng Xue stared at the inexplicably increased devotional power, feeling something was off; though gaining devotional power was a good thing, his intuition told him this concealed some immense risk.

"If I trust my intuition, where would this risk come from? The 'developer' who created this game?"

Feng Xue muttered to himself, then simply left Hidden Village and flew eastward; as for Bi Gelei, who had once again missed him, that was another matter.

…

The secret of the Spirit-Ghost Transport Technique lies in leaving a coordinate at any place you've visited once; as long as the distance doesn't exceed your perception range, you can arrive almost instantly, like teleportation.

Feng Xue's weak spirit soul's perception spanned only a few kilometers, but he could leap forward by continuously planting nodes along the way; though the mana cost was high, under his endless mana pool, he soon reached the easternmost edge of this world—the boundless ocean.

"Mr. Kitodora, you've come?" As if sensing Feng Xue's arrival, the mermaid-like sea witch Melo drifted out of the sea, clad in her classic mermaid outfit; unlike other demons who frequently returned to the Demon King's Castle, Melo mostly stayed by the shore, busy with her duties, returning only to exchange intelligence and supplies with other Demon Kings.

"Hmm, Bi Gelei told me your profession is Sea Priestess?" Feng Xue, having learned some of Melo's personality from Bi Gelei, cut straight to the point; Melo nodded, then shook her head.

"If you call it a profession, I'd say I'm an Oceanic Songstress, but I have been trying to use the power of a Sea Priestess—though progress has been extremely slow. Though the oceanic creatures here aren't just mindless copies like those demons, their souls are of abysmal quality; I can't gather any faith at all. My abilities are sealed too—my power to enlighten followers has become nothing but a temporary status effect, utterly unsustainable…"

As Melo spoke of her troubles, she launched into an endless monologue; Feng Xue felt no impatience, merely listened quietly, comparing her attempts with his own shamanic system, translating them into terms he could understand.

Feng Xue was happy to listen, but Melo quickly realized her rudeness and stopped abruptly, embarrassed.

"Sorry, Mr. Kitodora, I haven't spoken to anyone in a long time—I'm just… uh… you know…"

"It's fine. I came specifically to ask about these matters, and your explanation has already resolved many of my questions." Feng Xue smiled warmly, then said:

"I'd like to ask you a question—if it's too personal, you don't have to answer."

"Ah, please ask! If I can answer, I'll tell you everything." Melo spoke stiffly; her dazed, innocent expression made it impossible to believe she was also a Demon King.

"Is she one of those Demon Kings from worlds like Corner Demon, Torture Princess, or Kanna?"

Feng Xue thought this internally but didn't ask; instead, he voiced the question he'd already prepared:

"I want to know: what exactly is the 'Sea God' you worship? Is it some powerful lifeform? A general concept of the ocean? Or something else?"

"Oh, this isn't something I can't say." Melo showed no reaction to this question—which in some extremist sects would land someone on a pyre—and explained calmly:

"The Sea God our people worship—using human terms from our side—is called a collective consciousness, formed collectively by one or more groups sharing similar culture, customs, and beliefs. I was once the Queen of the Sea Folk, and also the Sea God's emissary—but here, there are no Sea Folk, so the Sea God cannot coalesce."

"So it's a virtual god? Or closer to the human spiritual mechanism?" Feng Xue thought inwardly, then gestured and summoned Su'e Huiyehji:

"In our world, deities can be worshipped by individuals—this one of mine is a Moon Goddess. Look and see how different she is from your deity…"

Feng Xue hadn't finished speaking when Melo's gaze went slightly unfocused; she stared blankly for a long moment, then shook her head forcefully:

"It's similar, feels similar—but not quite. It feels empty, lacking the presence of the Sea God… ah, I'm not saying your deity is stupid, I just…"

"It's fine. That's just the truth." Feng Xue shook his head and immediately proposed a deal: "I'm studying how this world seals power. If you're willing to help me, I'll share with you the method of worshipping deities from my world."

"Oh, that would be amazing! But may I ask exactly what you need me to do?" Melo's expression brightened, yet she pressed for details.

"Simple: first, help me build a large enough ship; second, assist me with some spell experiments."

Feng Xue explained the spell procedure he'd tested with Bi Gelei; Melo listened, her expression thoughtful, then nodded:

"I can do it—but my spells rely entirely on 'divine power.' Under this world's special rules, even if I cast them, they'll transform into something else. Is that still acceptable?"

"It depends on the situation. If absolutely necessary, I can give you some of my own 'divine power.'"

Upon confirming that Melo's spells were indeed faith-based, Feng Xue immediately perked up and, without hesitation, began setting up a ritual altar.

Melo watched Feng Xue's movements, her eyes growing brighter; though the materials and tools differed, the symbolic essence bore many similarities.

"Could Mr. Kitodora really perform a divine descent ritual? Does that mean he truly possesses the ability to manifest a deity in this world?"

Melo, who understood the true nature of deities, held no true piety toward them; thus, she took the idea of a little bell possessing her body in stride. In fact, she'd once considered outright stealing the little bell—until she remembered the power gap between them, and reluctantly agreed to the experiment. Still…

"Wait—what's going on with this spell?" Feng Xue stared at the ritual pathway channeled by the little bell, suddenly doubting himself—

"Say that again… you're sure your deity is a collective consciousness?"

"Say that again… you're certain the god you believe in is a collective consciousness?"

(End of Chapter)