Volume 1 Finale — The Dungeon Opens… - Goddess Development Plan

"Hey, Anna, do you understand now? Mommy is doing all of this to protect you," Chu Lian whispered softly as she stroked Anna's small head, her voice as gentle as a lullaby after a long, heartfelt talk.

"Anna understands. I'll wait obediently for Mommy to finish her seclusion. But Mommy has to remember to bring back tasty food for Anna—otherwise, Anna will cry for you to see." Anna closed her eyes, enjoying the gentle touch. Though she no longer protested against Chu Lian's decision to go into seclusion, she still made her little 'threat' at the end.

"Alright, alright, I promise—I'll bring back the most delicious food for you." Looking at her well-behaved little girl, Chu Lian's heart melted with affection, and she readily agreed.

Still, a thought flickered in her mind: I wonder if dragon meat from the world of Overlord tastes good? Since Anna loves high-energy food, dragon meat should be an excellent tonic, right?

She had already made up her mind to slay a dragon—no matter how powerful it was. With her wide range of abilities, she believed she had a fair chance of victory.

"Okay, then Anna's going to sleep. I'll sleep in Mommy's arms," Anna murmured, rubbing her cheek against Chu Lian's face before slowly dozing off. Mommy's arms are the warmest... the warmest of all...

"Lian, make sure you come back safely," Inori said softly, leaning in to kiss the corner of Chu Lian's lips and wrapping her arms gently around her neck.

"I will. Once I've mastered spacetime traversal, I'll definitely take you all with me. But this time... this will be a solo attempt. I don't even know what kind of danger awaits. I can't drag you into risk with me, can I?" Chu Lian replied, gazing at her delicate face without hiding anything.

After all, just a few days ago in London, she had taken them to King's Cross Station and talked about traveling through spacetime. And besides, Inori herself was a girl who had crossed countless timelines to reach this world. Knowing that Chu Lian had been preparing feverishly since returning, it wasn't hard for her to guess that Chu Lian was planning to cross into another world again.

She wasn't sure if this upcoming traversal would be a physical or a spiritual one—but either way, she wouldn't be aware of what was happening in the real world while she was gone.

That was why she needed to make all the arrangements beforehand. Otherwise, when she came back, her life would be in utter chaos.

And untangling that mess later would be far harder than organizing things now.

Chu Lian wasn't someone who liked inviting trouble for herself. The problems she faced were usually ones she'd either chosen or accidentally stumbled into.

So, avoiding unnecessary complications was her natural habit.

"I'm really looking forward to you taking me to other worlds one day. I bet those different worlds are beautiful—so beautiful," Inori said softly, her lips curving into a tender smile. Notably, she said you instead of you all.

A girl's heart couldn't hide its feelings—and how could Chu Lian not notice?

Smiling gently, she replied, "I promise. Someday, I'll take you to another world—just the two of us. No one else."

"Mm... I'll be waiting," Inori murmured. She didn't say anything more. All she wanted now was to stay quietly by Chu Lian's side. As long as they were together, nothing else mattered.

"Inori..." A faint warmth stirred in Chu Lian's heart. Faced with this pink-haired girl's unwavering affection, she no longer knew how to repay it.

Even though she longed for a life spent together forever, she couldn't help but wonder—without all these attachments, how far could she truly go?

It was these feelings, these bonds with each of the girls, that kept her moving forward—never giving up, never stopping. Without them, she wasn't sure she could endure the endless challenges ahead.

In the end, Chu Lian was someone who lived for others. But was that really such a bad thing? No one could exist entirely alone. To live for those who love you, who care for you, who stand by you—that, too, was a life worth living.

"Alright, you should go tell the others, so they won't worry. During these next few days, in the game, we'll follow Ayase's lead," Inori said, straightening up after their long embrace and smiling softly at her.

"Mm, I'll take Anna back to Mother so she can sleep. Inori, you should rest early too. Don't come into my room for the next few days—it'll likely be covered by a barrier." Chu Lian brushed aside Inori's long hair, gently caressing her cheek as she spoke.

"I will, as long as you come back safely," Inori nodded, agreeing softly. But her last sentence made Chu Lian realize—if she took too long to return, the girl might not stay obedient for long.

"Go rest. Once I'm back in my room, you won't see me for a while. I need to prepare—and understand what kind of world I'm stepping into." Hugging Anna close, Chu Lian turned and headed upstairs, speaking softly as she went.

"Lian..." Seeing her disappear around the corner, Inori called out instinctively.

Chu Lian stopped but didn't turn around. She simply listened.

"I'll be waiting for you."

With a quiet nod, Chu Lian continued forward, holding Anna tighter in her arms. A gentle light flickered in her eyes. I'll come back—victorious.

"Mother, Anna will be in your care for the next few days. I'm going to take care of something—I think you already understand what I mean." Chu Lian knocked lightly on Li Mingxue's door, speaking toward the room.

Creak— The sound of the door opening was followed by the warm glow of the room's amber light. Li Mingxue stood at the doorway, her lips curled into a faint smile.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of Anna. I just hope you can accomplish what you set out to do," she said, reaching out to take the little girl from Chu Lian's arms. After those words, she didn't look back—just gently closed the door.

Between a mother and daughter, some things didn't need to be said aloud. After more than ten years together, even if Chu Lian had changed into someone else, their hearts remained linked.

Whatever Chu Lian said or did—so long as Li Mingxue lived in that house—she would always know. The only difference was whether she chose to speak, to ask, or to act.

"Lian'er, you've always been my pride. And I know you'll keep giving me reasons to stay proud," Li Mingxue's voice drifted through the door just as Chu Lian was about to leave.

Hearing that, Chu Lian smiled faintly. "I'm Chu Lian, after all—the genius literary girl and the new-generation music prodigy. I won't let you down."

It was almost identical to what she had said before leaving home two weeks ago—the same confidence, the same pride.

No matter what powers or accomplishments she possessed, to the outside world she was simply those two things—the daughter her parents were proud of, the girl the world had come to know.

"Yes... my daughter..." Li Mingxue murmured softly after sensing her daughter's faint aura leave. She tucked Anna into bed, then walked slowly to the window. Watching the city lights flicker beyond, she whispered under her breath.

"Sigh... this feels like one of those partings before a storm. It's just a short separation, so why does it feel like something big is about to happen?" Lying on her bed and staring at the starry wallpaper above, Chu Lian gave a wry smile.

She admitted that what she was about to do carried some danger—but surely not that much. She wasn't reckless. Anything risky was something she would only attempt after thorough thought and preparation.

Even during the school trip, when she knowingly faced danger, it wasn't out of impulsiveness—it was because she had to.

She couldn't just stand by and watch the people she cared about fall into danger.

This time, as she entered Overlord, she would be completely alone. No one else from her world—or even her system—would be accompanying her.

Under those circumstances, and since she was joining the Nazarick Tomb faction, it was almost impossible for her to encounter true danger.

"I really did make a fuss over nothing," she murmured, shaking her head. Picking up her phone, she checked the time—it was almost nine.

Who should she call?

Scrolling through her contact list for a while, her eyes stopped at the top name. After hesitating for a moment, she pressed the call button.

She held the phone to her ear, waiting. A few seconds later, Cai Ya's pleasant voice came through: "Chu Lian? It's pretty late. What's up?"

"Nothing major. I just wanted to tell you that I'll be busy for the next few days—I won't be reachable or online at all. Just giving you a heads-up," Chu Lian said. She wasn't sure how to phrase it at first, but after a pause, she decided to be honest.

Cai Ya fell silent for a long moment before speaking again. "Then be careful. I'll be waiting for you to come back."

"Mm, I'll be careful—really careful." Chu Lian didn't know if the girl on the other end understood what she was planning to do, but those words—I'll be waiting for you—were almost the same as Inori's. All of them... were waiting for her.

"I'll be waiting for you to come back..." — Li Xiu'er

"Come back safely..." — Lux Lyle

"You must return safe and sound." — Ruriko Nana

"Sometimes, waiting can be a beautiful thing, don't you think?" — Liu Yanran

Without exception, all these girls cared most about one thing—that she take good care of herself. Each tender word of concern calmed the restless unease in her heart.

Finally, she called the last person—Kurosaki Satsuki, who lived under the same roof. Hopefully, the girl had learned to use a phone by now.

Hearing the ringtone play the melody of Euterpe, Chu Lian blinked in surprise before smiling faintly. That girl might not know how to express her feelings, but deep down, she still acted on them.

She waited patiently. She knew that for the white-haired girl, using a phone wasn't exactly an easy skill. As long as she overcame her hesitation, she'd answer.

Just as the ringtone was about to end and the call was about to disconnect, the line suddenly connected. "Chu Lian... what is it?" Satsuki's voice was slightly trembling, betraying her nervousness.

"Nothing major. I just wanted to tell you that I'll be traveling to another world for training over the next few days. So if I don't show up, don't worry about me." Chu Lian thought for a moment, then decided to tell her directly.

"Can't you take me with you?" Satsuki's voice trembled again, this time filled with longing. Chu Lian could almost picture her crimson eyes gleaming with desire through the phone screen.

"Not yet. Once I've tried it myself and figured out how everything works, I'll bring you all with me next time." She sighed softly. It was a pity—this first dungeon entry was something even she didn't fully understand. How could she possibly bring anyone else along?

"Then... be careful." The girl's tone carried a trace of disappointment that was hard to notice. Chu Lian understood—Satsuki didn't want to come along just to stay by her side. She wanted the experience she'd mentioned.

For a girl so obsessed with martial arts, the idea of another world filled with powerful foes and unfamiliar challenges was undoubtedly thrilling. Every battle could help her grow, pushing her toward even greater mastery.

"I will." With that, Chu Lian ended the call. She knew that if she didn't hang up herself, that clueless girl would probably forget to.

After the call ended, the white-haired girl lay back by the window, her gaze fixed on the ceiling. Her voice was soft, almost dreamy. "Training in another world... I can't wait. My martial arts—it's time to be honed through real battle again."

"So, how does it feel—saying goodbye to your entire harem one by one?" Ayase's teasing voice echoed through the system space, her eyes glinting with mischief as she looked at Chu Lian, who sat with her eyes closed in meditation.

"How does it feel? Hmm... I just feel pumped up. Like I'm ready to make some big headlines," Chu Lian replied with a half-smile. Though it sounded like a joke, that was truly how she felt right now.

"Ayase, can you tell me more about the basic structure of the Overlord world? I want to understand it a bit better before I go." Chu Lian knew full well that the real world and projection worlds were two very different things.

Overlord was a narrative world—a world that existed according to its written canon. Everything that happened there followed an established sequence of events.

But Overlord wasn't just that. It had expanded through adaptations—anime, side stories, and more.

She didn't know whether those additional elements would affect her experience or perception of the world, so she wanted to hear Ayase's explanation first.

"You're not wrong to think that way," Ayase replied calmly. "Overlord is Overlord—but it's also more than Overlord. When you enter, what happens there will be both predetermined... and unstable."

"As soon as you interfere—even slightly—the story begins to shift. At first, the change might seem negligible. But like two lines that start almost parallel, even a 0.01-degree deviation at the start will lead to a vastly different outcome by the end. The more it diverges, the greater the change—and the more the ending will differ."

"That is the true meaning of a dungeon world—and the reason we enter them. Do you remember the term I mentioned before? Wish power. It's something that can only be obtained through change—by altering the course of what's meant to be."

"It's not a kind of point you can trade for rewards. But it's more valuable than any other. In the beginning, it offers you nothing—no immediate gain, only struggle and exhaustion. But someday, when the time comes, it will grant you something immense. Power enough to ignore the rules, to overturn cause and effect—to even reverse time itself."

"That's what the system has been chasing after, yet never managed to obtain. But I believe you can do it—because you are Chu Lian."

"Wish power, huh? No wonder you didn't tell me before. Back then, with my strength, even if I knew about it, it wouldn't have done me any good. It would've just made me anxious for nothing, right?"

"Exactly. But now, that's different. Let's see how much wish power you can accumulate this time. Hopefully, it'll lay a solid foundation for your future." Ayase's tone carried a note of anticipation—she genuinely wanted to see just how far this girl could go.

"Of course. If there's a best outcome, I'll reach it," Chu Lian smiled, then continued, "So, tell me about Overlord. What kind of world is it?"

"That world... is one where humans are among the weakest races. Countless species far stronger than humanity exist. The power cap for humans there is around the Heaven level—but whether beings above that exist is unclear. However, the faction you're joining—the main characters of Nazarick—nearly all of them surpass Heaven level. That much, at least, is certain."

"What you need to understand is this: once you enter, you'll become a non-human. You'll have to see the world through their eyes. Which means, you might have to kill humans... Can you accept that?"

"Why wouldn't I?" After everything she had been through, Chu Lian's mind was already strong—resolute. Killing humans... why not?

"Then listen carefully..." Seeing her determination, Ayase exhaled in relief and continued explaining the world to her in detail.

Time passed quietly. Outside, the moon faded and the stars dimmed. The blazing sun rose into the sky—signaling that the dungeon was about to open.