Dorothy might appear graceful and elegant, her demeanor impeccable and befitting of a noble lady. But beneath that refined exterior, she was fiercely competitive and proud—someone who would never admit defeat easily.
Eden was her creation, something she had personally designed and built from the ground up. Over the years, she had poured countless efforts and immeasurable dedication into making it what it was today.
Moreover, there was one ambition she had never shared with anyone—her dream was for Eden to surpass the Ark in every aspect. Whether in terms of living conditions, security, or sustainability, she wanted Eden to be the ultimate sanctuary, a paradise that stood above all other shelters.
The Ark?
She didn't care about it.
Yet now, out of nowhere, an outpost base had suddenly emerged. Not only did it provide shelter for wandering Nikkes, but it also granted them everything they desired—a place to belong, a home to live in. And in less than a year, it had become the preferred refuge for Nikkes, even earning the grandiose title of Gensokyo.
This left Dorothy deeply dissatisfied.
She had never believed that her Eden—her high-tech, carefully cultivated haven—could lose to a mere base that had been nothing more than a slum a year ago.
In her eyes, the Nikkes who flocked there were simply ignorant, brainwashed into believing it was something greater than it actually was.
To compare that forward base with her Eden?
Unacceptable.
Mo Chen wasn't clueless—he immediately saw through Dorothy's competitive streak. With a light chuckle, he casually responded,
"Oh, not at all, you flatter me. The Outpost is just a lively little community—nothing more than a crowded neighborhood. It could never compare to this place. Eden is beautiful, peaceful, and stress-free. Honestly, I wouldn't mind retiring here someday."
Dorothy's expression lit up with satisfaction upon hearing Mo Chen's praise.
But then… something felt off.
A crowded neighborhood?
What was that supposed to mean? Was he subtly boasting about how many people lived in his base?
The warmth in Dorothy's smile froze slightly.
And then… stress-free? Retirement?
Was he implying Eden was just a retirement home?
Was he subtly implying that Eden was stagnant? That it lacked ambition or progress?
Mo Chen, being the straightforward man he was, failed to notice the subtle changes in Dorothy's expression. He continued to praise Eden's smooth traffic flow and excellent public security, completely oblivious to the increasingly 'dazzling' smile on Dorothy's face and the growing warmth in her gaze toward him.
"Why does it suddenly feel chilly in this summer heat?"
Halfway through his praise, Mo Chen shivered and turned around, only to be surprised by Indivilia's presence.
"Huh? You're still here?"
Indivilia's expression froze. She felt a surge of anger welling up in her chest, her ample bosom rising and falling with indignation.
I've been here the whole time!
She had followed them all the way here, and he hadn't even noticed?
Is he looking down on me?!
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble. At first, it was barely noticeable, like a gentle breeze rippling across a lake's surface.
Mo Chen's sharp senses immediately picked up on something amiss. He looked down and saw fine dust vibrating ever so slightly beneath his feet. Pebbles along the roadside tumbled from one side of the street to the other. Even the water pooled around a nearby fountain quivered, sending out rippling waves.
An earthquake?
The tremors intensified, growing more violent, as if some monstrous beast beneath the earth was struggling to break free.
Buildings started shaking, their windows groaning under the strain. Cracks formed along the glass panes before shattering into countless fragments that scattered through the air.
The Nikkes on the street, well-trained and disciplined, did not panic like ordinary humans would. Instead, they rushed out from nearby buildings in an organized manner, prepared for action.
The scent of dust and crumbling debris filled the air. Even the distant mountains trembled, emitting deep, guttural rumbles like the growls of a waking giant.
Not here!
Mo Chen abruptly turned his gaze toward the outskirts of Eden, where thick smoke billowed from the mountains. Amid the rising plumes, faint tongues of fire flickered ominously.
A volcano!
Dorothy's face changed drastically as she spread her pristine white wings, soaring into the sky in a streak of light toward the volcanic eruption.
Mo Chen wasted no time. He crouched low, then launched himself into the air. With a powerful burst, he shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, chasing after Dorothy's silhouette.
Seeing both of them depart, Indivilia hesitated. The thought of escape crossed her mind once again, but her hand instinctively moved to her stomach. She caressed the barely noticeable bump beneath her flat abdomen and bit her lip.
Her lips, naturally as red as cherries, deepened in color from her soft bite, glistening as if kissed by morning dew.
After a moment's hesitation, she made her decision—she followed them.
Above them, the sky darkened under a thick shroud of volcanic ash and smoke. The sun's once brilliant rays were muted, casting the world into a gray, eerie twilight. The volcano, now fully awakened, roared as the ground convulsed beneath its wrath.
Molten lava erupted from its mouth, twisting and writhing like fiery serpents before crashing down, consuming everything in their path. Flames licked at the sky, illuminating the desolate landscape, painting it in shades of destruction.
Volcanic ash and smoke churned in thick, rolling clouds, expanding outward like a creeping tide, threatening to swallow everything in sight. The air grew stiflingly hot, making even breathing difficult.
A volcano… here?
Mo Chen was stunned.
And it was massive.
With Eden's advanced technology, there was no way they could have failed to detect volcanic activity beneath their territory.
Just then, Mo Chen noticed a squad of Nikkes rapidly converging on their location.
His mind flashed back to the burnt wastelands he had seen upon arriving at Eden—the destroyed land, the busy Nikkes working on repairs…
It all made sense now.
This wasn't a natural disaster: it was a man-made one.
And there was only one entity Mo Chen could think of capable of such destruction—Nihilister, the Flame Dragon.
Cooling squads arrived in haste, spraying specialized coolants to slow the advance of the lava, but it was a futile effort.
With a thunderous explosion, the ground cracked open. A surge of molten rock erupted into the air like a geyser of liquid fire, heading directly for Indivilia, who had only just arrived!
Lava at 1,600 degrees Celsius—even higher under Nihilister's domain—could melt steel upon contact.
The eruption was so sudden, so fast, that Indivilia had no time to react.
The fiery surge was already upon her.