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On regular days, Acala wouldn't concern herself about most things.
She would just live and act like any other human being—something that she's grown used to doing ever since she healed from her injuries. She has been asleep and in pain for so long that any form of entertainment was a luxury to her.
In these times, she could walk among her citizens. She's in disguise, and they treat her like any other human being. She's exposed to the rich emotions that humans have, and she loves them. She never thought that there'd be a day when she'd be as relaxed as this, and she had Cedric to thank for making this possible.
Now, she's no longer in pain or in danger of dying. Furthermore, she has friends and companions who care for her. They have no idea who she truly is, but it's better that way. They're common people, after all; they don't need to know.
However, today isn't like most days...
To ordinary civilians, it might be. But for those who worked in the Federal Army, it's not.
Acala, being Prime Earth's manifested consciousness, obviously knew what was going on. Not knowing it would be far more challenging, considering that Prime Earth's body is literally hers.
She knows that the army is waging war against the demons of the Lost Continent. She heard their plans, and she could also see and feel what's happening there, even though she's nowhere near that place.
Acala is not worried about them. With her knowledge about their plans, she could tell that her input or support was completely unnecessary. She's confident that they will be just fine. Besides, there is someone who could instantly save everybody in an emergency, so there's really nothing to worry about here.
What truly concerns her are those outside of her reach.
Yes. She felt the animosity of the Demon Prince just now. The shiver she felt when he attempted to rip Purgatory apart greatly alarmed her because she didn't think that he'd be so bold.
The Demon Prince was also among the ones affected by the oath she forced upon them. If he violates it, he will surely suffer some severe consequences, regardless of his strength or background. After all, this oath was formed under the observation of the cosmic laws. The Demon Prince might be strong, but he's definitely not way stronger than the Cosmic Laws.
That's why she's shocked when she feels him attempting to violate the oath by forcibly ripping Purgatory apart to forcibly land on Prime Earth. What made him so bold and brave to recklessly ignore the consequences of his actions? She truly has no idea.
Fortunately, somebody interfered. No, it's not Cedric. He's currently doing the same thing as her—calmly observing the situation without having any intention of interfering. However, the one who made a move was definitely related to him.
Previously, she's been unable to fiddle with this thing too much in fear of inciting their full wrath, but after learning from her seniors, this was a simple matter for her. Essentially, she's chaining them down even more than they already were.
Her actions will certainly cause them to suffer immensely. Its impact will certainly be felt once the war on the Lost Continent is over.
Aside from reinforcing the Purgatory Realm, Acala also began her arrangements for evolution.
Again, this was something she learned from her senior world spirits and working hard on her new job. She exchanged for a 'cultivation technique' that world spirits can use. Obviously, a world spirit like her couldn't follow the Life Evolution path, but there are some other paths available for them.
One is through devouring and assimilating other planes of existence to evolve. The higher the quality of the material, the better. Another is by consuming infant world spirits, something that Acala would never dare to do.
There are more ways for a world spirit to evolve, but the method she chose was by absorbing and assimilating higher forms of concept laws. The speed of her evolution using this method will fluctuate a lot, but at the same time, it's the safest and cheapest way to do so.
Higher forms of concept laws are abundant everywhere. Even if Acala uses her entire strength to absorb them, they would regenerate faster than her pace of absorption, so it's fine. Moreover, she wouldn't have to face the troublesome Heavenly Tribulation through this method.
This will obviously take some time, but if this world wants to keep up with Cedric's pace and requirements, this is a necessary process.
There is a high chance that this will alarm the Space Pirates too, but it's fine. Not many things will remain a secret forever. She's ready to face the music along with her citizens.
"I see. Go on with confidence then. I'm here."
As expected, Cedric immediately understood what she was trying to do. He could probably tell what she's thinking too; this isn't surprising for him.
She won't lie, though. His words might've been brief and simple, but they're all the validation she needed. And with his support, she felt even more confident about her decision to pursue her evolution into a stronger world spirit.
As for Cedric himself, obviously he's not against this. He's been waiting for her to take the initiative, actually. And now that she did, he could finally rest easy. At least now, this world finally has a direction, and it's heading towards the same path he imagined.
"But it seems that there are some certain pests that are feeling a little too restless."
Cedric's eyes narrowed as his golden eyes seemingly pierced through the depths of the sea.