Chapter 168

Chapter 168: Dogs Are More Lovable Than You

"Hmph, Valaharl does have some tricks up its sleeve."

"Truly befitting a Will of the World that persisted half-dead even after complete corruption by chaos."

"To organize such a formidable army in such short time—impressive."

Gimmerly kept perching on the Fantasy Tree of Subspace branch, continuously sensing developments within Valaharl.

Yet she showed no concern over the unfavorable war situation.

"However…"

"This plays right into my sister’s trap!"

"Do you truly believe creations of the ‘Creator’s Hand’ could be so straightforward?"

While speaking, Gimmerly glanced at Lady Xidi, who still rested gracefully upon the Fantasy Tree branch, meticulously grooming her resplendent feathers.

"No wonder she holds the Twelfth Seat in the Chaos Council. That so-called Giant God? Utterly subdued by your grasp."

This flattery didn’t come from Gimmerly—the voice lacked any charm, sounding rather gruff instead.

It was Elioerg.

He sprawled on a neighboring branch near Lady Xidi, gazing reverently at the beautiful, sacred core councilor with unmistakable sycophancy in his eyes.

The display sickened Gimmerly.

"Hey, Elioerg! Acting like a tail-wagging dog before my sister—have you no shame?"

"And your bootlicking couldn’t be more obvious!"

"Even listening to it makes me nauseous!"

The stinging mockery made Elioerg leap up.

"What!?"

"You vile woman! What did you just say!?"

"You—"

Elioerg started to rage when Lady Xidi’s voice intervened.

"Enough, Elioerg."

"Cease speaking."

Hearing the Twelfth Seat’s command, Elioerg awkwardly swallowed his threats.

"Also, Gimmerly."

"You chose the wrong words."

…

"Eh!?"

Gimmerly stared in shock, baffled why her sister would defend Elioerg.

Lady Xidi paused briefly before continuing, "If by ‘dog’ you mean those mortal-kept creatures with paw pads, walking on four legs, tail-wagging, barking things…"

"Elioerg really didn’t resemble a dog."

"He wasn’t as cute as one either."

Lady Xidi’s remarks plunged the gathering into awkward silence.

Then…

"Pfft…"

"Ahahahaha!"

Gimmerly doubled over laughing, almost tumbling from the Fantasy Tree of Subspace.

"Only our elder sister could pull this off."

"Her skill at delivering deadpan insults is truly unmatched."

"Ahahaha!"

Lady Xidi remained utterly baffled by her sister’s hysterics.

"What’s so funny?"

Xidi tilted her head, blinking in confusion.

"Elioerg genuinely isn’t cuter than a dog."

"It’s simply the truth."

This only made Gimmerly laugh harder.

Meanwhile, Elioerg flushed crimson with humiliation.

He shot Gimmerly a venomous glare while sneaking another at Xidi.

"Damn it!"

"Just wait till I join the Twelve People’s Council—I’ll teach you two a lesson!"

"Infuriating!"

But Lady Xidi ignored Elioerg entirely.

Her focus remained fixed on strategic variables.

"My ‘Crystal Wall Nail Drill’ does more than pierce the Crystal Walls—that’s merely its primary function."

"It can also scatter blooms upon impact, harvesting souls of chaotic demons and their corrupted victims as virtual engine fuel."

"When energy saturates, it activates a trap capable of teleporting Core Councilor Level demon gods."

"Moreover, this transport spell isn’t one-way. It allows multiple round trips."

"Demons entering the Bubble World can likewise depart via the teleportation."

"Such unrestricted access enables unprecedented high mobility."

"As for countermeasures…"

Lady Xidi pondered briefly.

"No. While imperfect, even I cannot devise a method to dismantle it."

"The only flaw in this chained plan was that it consumed too much…"

He lifted his head, gazing at the Fantasy Tree of Subspace that carried him.

Those "Crystal Wall Nail Drills" had been grown from this very Fantasy Tree.

This massively drained the tree’s energy.

Now, its root systems loosened, branches and leaves withered, while its bark gradually lost toughness—turning brittle and easily damaged, no different from "rotten wood."

"Afraid there won’t be a second attempt."

"But reversing the situation makes it worthwhile!"

"Well then, Giant God, I’ve made my move."

Beneath the Fantasy Tree branches where Xidi and Gimmerly resided, a giant worm-like figure swam through the murky Sea of Ether!

It was a powerful chaos deity awaiting teleportation into Valaharl!

Once the teleportation array activated, it would descend upon Valaharl, dealing a fatal blow to the army the Giant God painstakingly gathered!

"I anticipate your response."

"As my opponent, I hope you…"

"Prove stronger—don’t be dull."

The answer came swiftly!

"Whoosh—!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The Sea of Ether beneath the Fantasy Tree suddenly churned and boiled!

—-

"Hmm, never thought I’d bump into this fellow…"

"History’s largest ‘lobopodian’!"

Trilobite tilted his head slightly, studying his prey.

These so-called lobopodians weren’t the "Zerg" from Starcraft or any sci-fi swarm, but real creatures from Earth’s history.

Some members were quite famous—

like Microdictyon, Hallucigenia, and others.

Trilobite had encountered a few before, like the earlier "Abominable Worm."

"Ah, right—that kinda cute ‘velvet worm’ I just ate, the onychophoran, is probably a lobopodian descendant too."

"They’re likely common ancestors of lobopodians and arthropods."

"Though they’re all supposed to be tiny; one this huge is rare!"

"But I’ve seen fossils of similar giant lobopodians!"

"Precious paleontological finds from my homeland."

"Should be called ‘Hallucination Tooth Worm!’"

Hallucination Tooth Worm was a Cambrian lobopodian unearthed at Maotianshan in China’s Yunnan.

Compared to the well-formed vertebrates and insects Trilobite now observed, this creature looked far more like a hell-spawned terror.

It bore a soft shell on its back, with walking legs typical of lobopodians, topped by leaf-like structures.

A chrysanthemum-shaped mouthpiece—enough to make one lose their sanity—protruded from its front.

Yet the most blinding feature was the pair of massive grasping limbs behind its head: thick as human arms and covered densely in sharp spines!

Crucially, its size was extraordinary!

Fossils showed it reached 1.5 meters long—

but the one before Trilobite stretched a staggering 1.9 meters, with a bloated body.

Visually, it dwarfed even Trilobite!

Normally, this would’ve been a daunting foe.

An average Peter Foot Salamander might’ve detoured around it.

But here was the issue…

"Is this guy insane?"

"Why’s it circling a ‘rock’?"

"Zero alertness!"

"Since your brain’s fried, don’t blame me!"

"Perfect chance to test my new gear—’Instant Kill Saber Teeth!’"