Chapter 26: Ch 26: Nova, The Advance Scout

Sunny relayed the critical information about the Realm of Advancement, a new and mysterious gateway, to both the human and elven tribes dwelling on Veridia. His divine message permeated the collective consciousnesses of the shamans of both humans and elves, an urgent and undeniable truth. The reason for this immediate divine revelation was simple and strategic: Sunny wanted them to focus all their burgeoning ingenuity and effort on building faster, more efficient methods of travel. The current, rudimentary boats, primarily constructed and utilized by the humans, were simply incapable of traversing such immense distances. Their small size and limited capacity for rations meant that even if they attempted such a monumental journey, it would consume 50 or more years of their precious mortal lives, an unacceptably long time unless some groundbreaking technological leap occurred. Sunny deliberately chose not to directly manifest advanced vehicles for them— no sleek, high-speed boats appeared out of thin air, no roaring airplanes materialized in the skies, no buzzing helicopters descended from the heavens. He understood that such direct, overt intervention, while seemingly expedient in the short term, would foster a dangerous and ingrained dependency. It would invariably condition his lifeforms to rely on him every single time a misfortune arose, or every time a significant challenge presented itself. His ultimate goal was for them to be as independent, self-reliant, and inherently innovative as possible, not to become "faith consuming fools" who would merely passively wait for divine help at every turn of their developing civilizations. The divine revelation was like a wildfire, a powerful, transformative force, spreading with astonishing speed and intensity throughout every corner of the human and elven tribes. It ignited a collective sense of profound purpose and a fervent, unwavering drive for innovation. "Ask everyone to focus their minds on finding a better way to transport," Thorn, the pragmatic and resolute leader of the human tribe, commanded, his voice resonating with newfound resolve as he addressed all the other authoritative figures gathered before him. The primary Goal of the humans, spurred by this direct divine imperative, was now unequivocally clear: to focus all their collective genius and resources on technological advancement, specifically geared towards achieving rapid travel methods across vast distances. On the other hand, the elves, with their innate magical prowess, deep connection to nature, and inherent affinity for the arcane, were also focusing intensely on fast travel, but their approach diverged sharply from that of the humans. Instead of purely technological advancements, they aimed to achieve it through sophisticated array formations. In the elven tribe, there existed a gifted magician, ranked D-Grade in raw magical power but possessing an impressive B potential for growth and mastery, and crucially, endowed with a rare space affinity in magic. Because of this specific individual's unique talent, the elven forgers, who crafted magical artifacts, and their formation masters, who designed complex arrays, had already been able to develop some rudimentary artifacts and arrays that were subtly imbued with nascent space powers. Their most significant breakthrough to date was small-scale teleportation, a marvel of magical engineering and a testament to their arcane skill. Thus, their path forward was clear and focused: they only needed to research tirelessly on existing array formations, meticulously refining and enhancing them to exponentially increase the distance of their teleportation capabilities. Sunny observed all this with a sense of profound approval. He knew, of course, that if he truly wanted, he could bypass all their struggles and laborious research. He could directly teleport all his lifeforms, both human and elven, instantly placing them in front of the enigmatic portal to the Realm of Advancement. But doing so would incur a colossal cost in Faith points, an expenditure Sunny was deeply reluctant to undertake, especially when there were other, more strategic and valuable uses for his ever-accumulating divine currency. He had already meticulously thought of a cunning and preemptive plan to potentially impede the advancement of other Gods' lifeforms within this new realm, at least until his own chosen lifeforms managed to reach it and secure their own opportunities. And the centerpiece of this audacious plan was simple and elegant: his newly created, as-yet unnamed, pet dragon. Sunny intended to send his magnificent dragon to visit this realm first, to act as his personal advance scout, his divine vanguard. Nova would gather all the necessary intelligence and information about its dangers, its layout, and its profound opportunities. Crucially, it would also serve a secondary, yet equally vital, purpose: to deter or outright stop the lifeforms from other Gods from taking too many of the valuable treasures or seizing all the prime opportunities within this mysterious realm before Veridia's champions even arrived. Now, with his Faith coffers thoroughly replenished and swelling to a comfortable level, hovering around 3 million points after his recent divine transactions, Sunny had more than enough capital to bestow upon his formidable pet dragon some truly powerful and essential additional abilities. His Dragon already possessed a formidable set of inherent talents: Space Affinity, which would allow it to traverse the cosmic void; Magic Affinity, granting it the inherent capacity to wield arcane energies; the ability to change its size at will, a versatile power for both stealth and intimidation; and both Elemental and Physical Defense, ensuring its profound resilience against various forms of threat. He now intended to imbue it with Super Strength, the all-seeing Eye of Truth for unparalleled perception and discernment, and a devastating Dragon's Breath, a classic and awe-inspiring draconic weapon. (Note: Space Affinity would specifically let the lifeform use spatial magic, while Magic Affinity granted it the general ability to use magic of any kind.) Sunny began to channel his vast reserves of Faith points, pouring immense sums of his divine energy into the nascent form of his dragon, carefully creating and solidifying these powerful new abilities within its very essence. As the last ability finally solidified within its being, Sunny decided upon a name for this magnificent creature, a name that resonated with its cosmic journey and explosive power: he named this awe-inspiring dragon 'Nova'. All of this grand empowerment cost him more than 2 million Faith points in total. The price had increased exponentially, a truly staggering sum, as the sheer number and the profound potency of the talents concentrated within Nova grew with each addition. Now, Nova held an astounding 8 distinct talents, each one formidable and transformative in its own right. "All done! For now." Sunny declared, a profound sense of satisfaction washing over him. He decided, after a final assessment, that this much inherent strength and capability should more than suffice for Nova's initial, critical mission. But Sunny, in his current state of triumph and focused purpose, didn't yet fully realize the sheer, unbridled terror he had unwittingly created for all the other Gods in the vast universe. With his creation now perfectly equipped and brimming with latent power, Sunny focused his divine will, instilling true, vibrant life into the magnificent form of his Dragon. As if listening to a silent, primordial command from its creator, Nova's massive form shuddered, a ripple of nascent energy coursing through its obsidian scales. And then, from its primordial depths, it let out a colossal roar. This roar was so utterly deafening, so overwhelmingly powerful in its raw sonic force, that if Sunny had not possessed his own inherent Godly Body, a form that transcended all mortal fragility and physical limitations, he felt absolutely certain he would have been utterly blown to smithereens, reduced to nothing but scattered divine dust by the sheer concussive force alone. "Thank God we are in a private God Space, and thank God the lifeforms on Veridia can't possibly listen to this roar, otherwise, the outcome will be truly terrifying for them." Sunny thought, a faint shiver running through his divine form despite his immense power. He watched as Nova slowly, deliberately, opened his eyes. The ancient, aloof, and distinctly arrogant expression that had previously graced the dragon's unawakened form instantly melted away. It was replaced by an expression of utter devotion, a gaze as humble and loving as that of a loyal kitten or a faithful dog. Nova lowered its massive, draconic head, bowing deeply in profound reverence before its creator. Then, a voice, deep and resonant, yet filled with an undeniable warmth and innate respect, echoed directly within Sunny's mind: "Greetings to the Creator." "Arise." Sunny commanded, his own voice steady and ringing with divine authority, despite the profound sense of awe that now filled him. He couldn't help but gasp, a genuine, human sound of sheer astonishment and wonder, as he looked at the truly gigantic black dragon, Nova, standing before him in its full, majestic, and living glory. He, Sunny, was just a small delivery man from his Blue Planet, who had once worked tirelessly, 12 hours a day, day in and day out, simply to earn enough to fill his meager belly. He hadn't had any close friends or relatives to share his life with, thus his meager earnings had been solely for himself and the authors whose captivating novels he avidly supported by reading (You should also support the author guys!). And now, to have become a God, to have a mythical, awe-inspiring creature of such immense power bow in front of him, acknowledging him as its rightful creator and master, was giving Sunny a very strange and utterly triumphing feeling, a sense of accomplishment and exhilaration that transcended anything he had ever known in his mortal life. "Nova, your first task is crucial." Sunny ordered, his voice ringing with divine purpose, his gaze firm and directed towards the future. "Go to the Realm of Advancement immediately. Scout the surroundings thoroughly, and check for any potential threats for the lifeforms of Veridia before they arrive."