The Envoy of Abundance from Onphalus

　Faith ignited in the hearts of the rescued like wildfire. They were not forced, but deeply moved by the selfless salvation.

　"Lord Titan didn't want anything!"

　A young man, his face still bearing burn scars but now smooth, shouted to his companions, his eyes burning with fervor, "He gave us a new life! Are we just going to stand by and watch?"

　"no way!"

　He was met with a unified and resolute voice. Among the crowd were former miners who had lost an arm in a cave-in; people with birth defects who had been discriminated against; and women, emaciated and suffering from famine…

　Now, their wounds have healed, their limbs are intact, and they are brimming with unprecedented vitality.

　“We will build a city! Let the history of Onphalus remember all that we have done for the eternal Titans.”

　The young man raised his fist and pointed to a relatively safe plain near the Divine Enlightenment Tree Garden.

　"A city that can shelter more sufferers like us! A city worthy of the Titans' heart! With our own hands!"

　There were no grand plans, no forced labor. These people, once abandoned by fate but picked up by Russell, became the most devout builders.

　Like a pilgrim, they poured their gratitude and devotion into every blade of grass, every brick and stone.

　"Heave-ho! This rock is sturdy enough, let's use it here!"

　The former one-armed miner now has strong arms and can easily lift a heavy foundation stone. Sweat drips down his bronze skin, but his face is filled with a pure smile.

　The deformed man beside him, who had once huddled in a corner due to his twisted body, now stood upright, carefully smoothing the mud between the cracks in the rocks.

　"Watch out, Uncle Patton!"

　A clear, melodious female voice rang out. It was the woman who had once been so thin from hunger, but now had a rosy complexion. She was carrying a bucket of water and bringing it to the craftsmen. "Have a drink before you get back to work! The Titan has blessed us with good health, not to make us work ourselves to death!"

　Uncle Patton took the bowl of water, took a big gulp, wiped his mouth, and laughed, "Tired? This is nothing! Thinking back to the past, I didn't even have the strength to move a small stone, and I could only live by watching other people's expressions! Now I live with more dignity than anyone else."

　"Now that I can use my own strength to build a wall for those in need, I feel... at ease! It's exhilarating!"

　He patted his broad chest, where he had coughed day and night due to mine dust.

　Ten years? Twenty years? Time slipped away amidst the clanging and shouting of drums. The shadow of disability had long since been tempered into a rock-solid will.

　For them, the physical exhaustion was nothing compared to the mental anguish they had endured in the past.

　Every brick laid, every pound of earth tamped, was a tribute to the Titan who walked the earth, silently saving lives. It was also a declaration of their dignity.

　Building a city is no longer a chore, but a source of happiness, a testament to dignity, and the simplest way to give back to the giver.

　Their goal was so pure it was deeply moving: not for power, not for personal gain, but simply to build a solid barrier to protect more people from war, death, hunger, and plague—the deepest sufferings in the world that they had personally experienced.

　This city will be the embodiment of the eternal Titan's original intention: to protect all beings without asking for anything in return.

　Finally, the last stone brick, imbued with sweat and prayers, was firmly embedded in the towering city wall.

　Om-!

　The moment it was completed, everyone involved in the construction, from the strong men wielding hammers to the women handing out water, felt an indescribable gaze descend upon them.

　That gaze did not come from somewhere in the sky, but seemed to emanate from the city walls they had built themselves—warm, weighty, and carrying an unwavering, ancient will to protect them.

　A surge of powerful, continuous energy flowed into their bodies, sweeping away their fatigue and making their muscles and bones feel as if they had been tempered once again, filling them with an unprecedented sense of strength.

　Even more astonishingly, the newly built city beneath their feet—every brick, every inch of wall, every tower—was subtly bathed in a soft, warm orange glow, as if the setting sun had melted into it.

　"This light..."

　Patton stroked the warm city wall, his rough hands feeling the strange glow. "Is it... protecting us?"

　"It is the will of the city walls!"

　The young man shouted excitedly, "It's alive! It's responding to us! Responding to the Titans's protective heart!"

　No explanation was needed; people instinctively understood. This orange light was a blessing, an affirmation, and it would make this city-state, imbued with the pure will to preserve it, indestructible.

　"Soteria!"

　Some people shouted that it was a name that had been silently recited a million times in the hearts of the builders—the Land of Survival.

　"Soteria! Soteria!"

　Cheers swept through the newly born city-state, echoing across the skies of Onphalus.

　They worshipped Androsphlois, the eternal Titan who gave them new life and hope.

　When outsiders ask why the Titan is rarely seen in the city, the Sotrians will proudly and confidently reply: "Him? He is busy dispelling suffering in more corners of the world. He has no time to rest and enjoy himself in the city, unlike us who enjoy His blessings."

　The Sotrians' lives, like land irrigated by abundant rain, were full of vibrant life and a fervent hope for the future.

　The deepest darkness has receded, and even though challenges lie ahead, they firmly believe that hope is mixed within them. The city's gates are open to all who seek asylum, regardless of origin, race, or past (except for criminals).

　Here, the most basic equality is upheld: everyone can create their own life with their own hands, without having to look up to the high and mighty rulers.

　For Soteria has only one ruler, the eternal Titan who walks the earth, spreading salvation. Ambitious individuals who attempted to seize power were met with the spontaneous beheading of their victims by the angry populace, their heads displayed on the city gates as a stark warning to future generations: any selfish desire that defiles the pure sanctuary of the Titans will be severely punished.

　……

　Onfaros Control Center.

　Lai Gushi's face was reflected on the frantically flashing monitoring screen. The data stream representing the world's underlying rules was being brutally cut into, entangled, and merged by the fifth, heavy, orange destiny energy.

　Five destinies—destruction, abundance, memory, intellect, and this newly added, pure light of preservation—are intertwined, and the ancients can do nothing about it.

　[WARNING: Underlying protocol conflicts are escalating! Simulation stability has dropped to a critical threshold!]

　[WARNING: An unknown high-dimensional energy solidification barrier has formed! Coordinates: Soteria City-State!]

　[Warning: The reconstruction of the Destiny Energy Chart is complete... Five layers of interweaving confirmed!]

　The chilling alarm blared sharply, nearly overloading Laigus's core processor. He stared at the model of the city-state of Soteria on the screen, enveloped in a dense protective light; the data stream clearly revealed the source of this power—not from Russell!

　Instead, it came from the most humble virtual beings he had redeemed! These were merely disabled beings meant to enrich the world's diversity, yet they had summoned the glimpse of a star god.

　Those disabled people who were once abandoned by the world, after being given a new life, built that city day after day with the purest heart of protection.

　That selfless and unambitious will to protect others was so pure that it penetrated the virtual barrier of the program, attracting a glimpse from the oldest guardian in the starry sky...

　Just a glimpse. A glimpse from the guardian star god Krippar.

　But that one glance was enough to imprint the power of preservation on this simulated universe, pushing Onpharos into an unpredictable abyss.

　The good news, however, is that the protective wall appears to be even stronger than before thanks to the addition of the Star Train. Now, Legus can proudly say that, apart from the Star Train, no one can breach his defensive wall.

　But the Star Train can't find this place either. So now he no longer needs to worry about the Silent Lord's observation.

　At least to some extent, he didn't lose out. But this new variable also served as a wake-up call for him.

　"century……"

　A strong fluctuation of data arose in the cold core of Lai Gushi's mind, a result of calculations that felt "absurd" and "out of control".

　"Just a century after the introduction of Russell Factor... its survival... was actually brought about by these ants?"

　He pulled up the data files of the builders of Soteria, and those labels that were once marked as "disabled," "inefficient," and "redundant" now appeared extremely glaring under the light of preservation.

　Of course, they are all currently in a state of partial loss. According to calculations by the Scepter System, Russell has caused 0.025% of the Scepter data to be lost over the past century.

　Soteria, being a protected miracle, can no longer be erased. If it were to be forcibly erased, the power of its protective destiny would make it even more solid until the entire city-state could no longer be forcibly erased.

　That's how tenacious and unreasonable our protection efforts are.

　Physical disability was once a helpless situation, but the resilience and selflessness of the spirit became the spark that ignited the gaze of the stars.

　Regret? A cold, almost detached feeling, like "the cost of miscalculation was too high," permeated the core.

　While the data from a Bountiful Envoy is valuable, the situation is sliding towards the precipice of complete loss of control. The indolence of the five destinies is only a temporary respite; if the Destiny of Pleasure is attracted, then Onphalus will have no secrets left.

　At this moment, there was nothing Rayquaza could do. He could only wait for Russell to seize the fire and then clash with Whitebeard, defeating Whitebeard before forcibly completing the re-creation.

　At that time, I will be able to witness the birth of the Iron Tomb.

　Thinking of this, Legos continued to tap on the table in front of him, wondering if Russell, who was about to have nothing to do, was going to try to seize the fire.

　……

　Chapter Fifty-Six: A Speedrun on the Journey to Chase Fire.

　Russell's figure moved through Onphalus. He made the same vow to each of the remaining Titans: "Based on the memory of Chephall, I will reshape your mortal rebirth. In the next life, you will not have to bear the suffering of divine power, but only enjoy ordinary days."

　What if Russell doesn't speak Titan language? Abundance will make up for it.

　Most of the responses he received were silent gazes. Deep within those jade-green eyes, the Jianmu (建木) mark, a symbol of abundance, flowed with a gentle yet firm power, enough to convey the weight of a promise.

　"If this path can truly end the cycle of reincarnation..."

　The voice of the Earth Titan was like the friction of mountains. He slowly opened his palm, and a fire as thick as a layer of rock slowly rose. "...Take it. May the ordinary be as you describe it."

　His gaze swept over Russell, as if he saw the protective light rising from the city-state of Soteria behind him—that pure protection built by mortals, closer to the original essence of the Titans than His own power of the earth.

　"Thank you for your trust. We will meet again in the next world. Golden Blood from the previous life."

　Russell solemnly accepted the flame, and emerald-gold threads of light wrapped around the Titan's massive body, soothing the tearing caused by the divine power. The Titan let out a long sigh, and its body gradually became transparent in the light, then dissipated.

　Not all Titans are so compliant.

　……

　"Freedom! My turn has finally come!"

　The moment Russell spoke, the figure of the treacherous Titan Zagreus transformed into dozens of twisted wisps of smoke, scattering and snarling as it fled, "Trying to catch me? Come and get me, Everlasting Titan!"

　Russell didn't even move a step; only the emerald gold light condensed slightly at his fingertips.

　hum!

　Space suddenly solidified like amber. All of Zagres's afterimages froze in mid-air, his smug smile frozen, leaving only his terrified eyes darting around.

　Its body was held firmly by a flexible yet irresistible force, rendering it unable to move.

　“Zagles,”

　Russell's voice pierced the confinement clearly, "Hand over the fire, and the promise remains. In your next life, you will have legs that can run faster, chasing the wind you desire. And you will have joy that will never fade."

　"You...you're cheating! Let go of me!"

　Zagres struggled in vain.

　"The eleventh time,"

　Russell's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible weariness. "I promise a life of free-spirited joy. Now, the spark. A bet's a bet."

　Finally, after Russell repeated his promise about running freely for the twelfth time, Zagres, with tears in his eyes and resentment, handed over the seed of his scheme.

　Once the restraints were released, he vanished in a streak of light, leaving behind only a series of furious shrieks.

　"Hehehe, I'm going to be the strongest phantom thief in the new world. Don't forget, Everlasting Titan."

　……

　The realm of the ocean titan Fajina is an endless, deep ocean surging with starlight. Russell rode the waves and came before her.

　"Fagina, hand over the fire. After the creation of the world, I will prepare an everlasting feast for you, with stars as lamps, the sound of waves as music, and all spirits rejoicing together."

　The enormous jellyfish-like head slowly lowered, emitting a melodious sound like a whale's song: "An everlasting...feast? Everlasting Titan, your promise is more beautiful than the siren's song. Take it."

　The spark of the ocean drifted toward Russell. And Fagina slowly dissipated after drinking her last cup of honey.

　The Titan of Strife, Nikkadori, dwells on the ruins of an ancient battlefield, his body composed of broken weapons and congealed golden blood scabs.

　"Mortal, do you wish to end the conflict?"

　His voice had a sharp, metallic clang.

　"No,"

　Russell looked directly into His eyes, which burned with the flames of war. "I will end this meaningless cycle of suffering. In your next life, you will have a... strikingly beautiful appearance."

　Nicardo burst into deafening laughter, as if he had heard the biggest joke ever: "Hahaha! Good! Just for that eye-catching line! Take it!"

　The sparks of conflict were casually tossed to Him, swiftly and decisively.

　"Remember! You have to be handsome!"

　At the highest point of the sky, the body of the Aegler Titan is the firmament itself, with stars moving about.

　“The Everlasting Titan,”

　Her voice was like thunder rolling across the sky, "If I hand over the fire, the heavens will collapse and all things will be overthrown! How will you bear it?"

　"No need to worry,"

　Russell gazed up at the vast starry sky, his eyes calm. "I will take action."