"Ah, that was satisfying, truly satisfying."
Felicity cheerfully departed from Qlipoth, leaving the subsequent matters for that mother-daughter pair to resolve themselves.
After all, the power within Bronya came from her. Even if Bronya suddenly lost her senses and rebelled against the magnificent Felicity, she could reclaim her power at any time.
Having indulged in the drama at Qlipoth Fort for so long, it was time to attend to some serious business.
For instance, checking on how that Stellaron was developing.
Jarilo-Ⅵ's inherent life energy had already been nearly depleted, but Felicity had infused it with her own power.
With her Abundance energy, replenishing a mere fraction of a planet's life energy was trivial—she could even fully restore the entire planet of Jarilo-Ⅵ if she wished.
"Huh?"
Felicity suddenly wore a puzzled expression.
She realized that the Stellaron, which had been voraciously consuming life energy until recently, had abruptly halted its absorption progress, its presence completely concealed.
"Strange... Did that thing detect me recharging Jarilo-Ⅵ?"
Felicity scratched her chin and shrugged indifferently. Since the Stellaron had absorbed some of her energy, locating it would require only a slight sensory probe.
She quickly pinpointed the Stellaron's location.
"In the same direction as the Fragmentum's spread? Makes sense, since the Fragmentum originates from the Stellaron."
Felicity murmured thoughtfully, her body drifting gracefully as she effortlessly stepped into the Fragmentum.
Numerous Silvermane Guards were stationed to defend against the Fragmentum. Bronya had summoned those garrisoned in the administrative district, while the remaining guards continued fulfilling their duties on the frontlines.
Unfortunately, the Fragmentum monsters were endless—even fallen soldiers would transform into part of the Fragmentum horde. They faced an enemy they could never truly defeat.
Felicity slipped quietly through the Fragmentum-corrupted streets, gazing with a tinge of melancholy at the guards still holding their posts here.
Cocolia truly pushed them into the abyss.
Just as Felicity was about to continue forward, her peripheral vision caught something on the fractured realm's wall—several... wanted posters?
If not for the printed characters "Wanted Notice" at the top of the paper, Felicity would never have guessed these were wanted posters. They were both abstract and hastily drawn, looking completely at home among kindergarten art assignments.
But more importantly...
Felicity carefully examined the abstract figures on the posters, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.
...Emerald green eyes, white-gold long hair, and that smile—though abstract, it somehow captured a certain likeness.
Though reluctant to admit it, the person depicted was probably, possibly, perhaps, most likely herself.
Felicity sighed and quickly reached up to tear down the wanted poster. She then glanced at the other posters nearby but decided against removing them.
"Hmm?"
Just as she prepared to move on, she suddenly heard a questioning hum. Instinctively turning around, she saw the Silvermane Guards captain she had once battled standing behind her.
At that moment, Gepard was looking at Felicity with a strange expression.
From his perspective, Felicity clearly appeared to be an ordinary little tree.
But... the problem lay with this small tree.
Gepard didn't remember there being such a small tree on this path... nor should there be any such small trees on any roads in Belobog.
It wasn't that Gepard had an extraordinary memory capable of recalling every street in Belobog, but simply because Belobog had never had much greenery.
He couldn't help but recall the young woman he had previously crossed blades with, when he had traded blows with the tree vines she summoned. Immediately, he grew somewhat wary.
This was within the Fragmentum's range. Although the Fragmentum creatures hadn't launched an attack yet, if they were to encounter Felicity here, they would likely end up trapped between two fronts.
But he had long been prepared to dedicate his life to Belobog.
He took a deep breath and cautiously raised his right arm, poised to deploy his shield at any moment.
Suddenly, he threw a punch—
"Bang!"
It sounded like a fist hitting steel plate. Gepard's hand throbbed with pain from the impact, and he quickly retreated several steps, glaring warily at the small tree Felicity had mimicked. He sternly declared:
"Conspirator seeking to overthrow the Architects, schemer intent on destroying Belobog! I urge you to abandon your futile resistance and surrender!"
"Oh my."
Felicity blinked, withdrawing the life energy enveloping her with a wave of her hand. She looked at Gepard with curiosity and asked in confusion:
"How did you discover me?"
"The glory of Preservation shelters us, allowing us to see through all schemes and tricks."
Gepard answered with righteous conviction.
Nonsense.
Felicity pursed her lips, ignoring Gepard's serious but absurd words. She snapped her fingers, and several wooden stakes swiftly restrained Gepard within them.
"Meh~ If you don't want to say, then forget it."
Felicity stuck her tongue out at Gepard, then cheerfully continued on her way.
Gepard punched the wooden stakes, only to find them completely immobile. Growing anxious, he shouted to his companion further ahead:
"Dunn, stop her!"
"This..."
Dunn, positioned further ahead, heard the commotion and stood up but hesitated to act.
He had seen Felicity before.
As one of the frontline garrison officers, he had witnessed Felicity's "miracle" alongside Bronya. Now, facing that divine-like young woman again, he truly didn't know what to do.
"Dunn?"
Seeing Dunn fall silent, Gepard grew even more frantic, unable to discern his expression beneath that massive bucket helmet.
"Dunn, why are you just standing there!?"
"Sorry, Gepard."
Dunn glanced at Gepard, then at Felicity, and finally shook his head at Gepard.
"This lady... once saved me and my other subordinates. I simply can't associate her with being a 'wanted criminal.'"
He paused before continuing,
"I believe there must be some misunderstanding here."
"You're a Silvermane Guard of Belobog!"
Gepard widened his eyes, unable to comprehend why this veteran officer—more experienced than himself—would abandon his duty at such a critical moment.
"Gepard, because you have never witnessed such a miracle... light descending from the heavens, purging all evil and healing all ailments."
Dunn took a deep breath. After speaking, he shifted his gaze to Felicity and said solemnly,
"...Madam, I do not know why you are being pursued by the Supreme Guardian, but the light you summoned that day remains vivid in my memory. If possible, could you tell me what your purpose is?"
"Certainly."
Felicity readily agreed