The sun hung low and golden, a lazy coin slipping toward the horizon, and the young world yawned in slow rhythms of wind and bird-song. Madam X and her companion walked through it like a pair of intruders in a painting — one with a cigar and an attitude, the other with bare feet and impossible patience.
They made their way across the hills, following the trails of wildflowers, the whispering of the river, and the faint scent of distant pine. They moved without speaking, their feet crunching on grass that closed behind their footsteps as if politely erasing them.
Madam X kept fidgeting with the data on her bracelet, going over every detail about the goddess of this world. Since she couldn't find anything about Morgana, Madam X chose to go after one of her friends.
The goddess of Wine, Katarina, was out of the question; she belongs to the Greek pantheon, and Madam X would not dare to try to mess with her.
As for the Goddess of Animals and Farming, Lora. Well, she was a low-rank goddess with no pantheon to back her up, so it should be an easy job to capture her.
'Perfect. Low-rank, isolated, and most importantly—unguarded.' Madam X smirked at the thought, the ember of her cigar flaring as she drew in a slow drag.
Lora would be the easiest link to pull, the softest thread in Morgana's strange little web.
"Found our target?" the blue-haired woman asked, not turning her head. Her voice came like the breeze: faint, teasing, threaded with static.
"Yes," Madam X muttered. "The goddess of animals and farming. Simple world, small worshipper base, alone, with no protection."
"Nice! That means I can go wild," the blue-haired woman laughed. "And also play with the rest of her followers. It's been a while since I've played with mortals."
"Hmph..." Madam X narrowed her eyes. "Fine, just make sure to put on the bracelet."
"Yay!" The blue-haired woman cheered, her bare feet sinking into the grass. She pulled out a similar bracelet to Madam X's and slid it onto her wrist.
"It's tight! X, tight!" she turned toward the taller woman and puffed out her cheeks.
"Good." Madam X nodded. "Don't forget to wear it when you play. We don't want the Nexus to notice us."
"Yaaay~ I love it!" The blue-haired woman bounced up and down, giggling happily. "And thank you, X, for letting me play with mortals!"
"Whatever..." Madam X grumbled, stuffing her cigar into an ashtray and slipping her own bracelet on. It felt strange—like a bracelet made of fire.
These bracelets were a hacked version of the ones the Nexus gave them when they made a contract and became Collectors. Using them, a Collector would be able to descend on a mortal world, do whatever the hell they want, and the Nexus won't get notified.
The bracelets had several features aside from concealing the Collector from the Nexus. Two of the most important ones were tracking and blocking the target from escaping by sealing off the entire world.
Madam X could easily trap Lora's world in an impenetrable bubble if she wanted, denying the loli goddess the ability to teleport out or send messages to other gods.
"Alright, let's do this." She turned toward her companion, adjusting her tie before pressing her hand against her bracelet.
Ding!
A holographic map of Lora's world shimmered into existence before them, showing a single golden dot blinking steadily at its center. Lora's domain.
Unlike most of the gods, Lora chose to link part of her world into her godly domain; she didn't want to be apart from her beloved animals and nature, so she decided to create her own little slice of it within the domain. All of her followers were living with her, in harmony with the wildlife, caring for each other and protecting one another.
It was a lovely and peaceful world, the kind of place where no one would expect anything to go wrong.
"Hehehe... this should be fun!" The blue-haired woman chuckled. "I can't wait to play with mortals again! It's been so long since I've had a good meal."
"Well, you'd better do it fast," Madam X said, studying the holographic map, and with a press of a button, a portal opened up before them that led directly inside Lora's domain.
"Let's go." She nodded to her companion before stepping into the portal.
"Yaayy~ I'm so excited!" the blue-haired woman cheered, bounding after her. The portal shimmered shut behind them like an eye closing in the darkness, as the two Collectors appeared on the other side.
...
The shift was instant.
The smell of wet soil and crushed petals hit Madam X like a soft wave, the kind of scent that clung to memories and refused to wash away. The sunlight here was different — gentler, golden-green, like it had passed through a canopy of eternal spring. Every breath tasted of life.
The portal closed behind them with a low hum, sealing the world like a lid over a jar.
They stood at the edge of Lora's domain — a living paradise.
Fields of tall grass swayed in perfect rhythm, dotted with flowers that glowed faintly under the touch of dusk. Animals grazed without fear; small spirits danced between roots and leaves. Humanoid ones moved slowly across the landscape, carrying baskets and buckets and plows as they went about their daily lives.
At the heart of it all, rising from a hill wrapped in vines and crystal rivers, stood Lora's great sanctuary — half temple, half living forest, a cathedral carved from breathing trees.
"Pretty little place," Madam X muttered, taking out another cigar and lighting it with a flick of her finger. "Almost a shame."
"Hehe~ I like it," the blue-haired woman said, spinning slowly with her arms open wide. "It feels alive."
"Ahh~" She stopped, her eyes glowing faintly. "So many souls to feed upon."
"Good," Madam X said flatly. "That'll make things much easier."
"Do I start now?" The blue-haired woman grinned — sharp and hungry.
"No." Madam X took a drag and exhaled smoke through her nose. "We find the goddess first. Then... you can play."
"Fine." The blue-haired woman rolled her eyes, flicking her long hair back. "Do you think she'll be cooperative?"
"Well, if we can't persuade her, I suppose we can just force her." Madam X shrugged. "Whatever. Just remember, don't destroy the world's core, got it?"
"Pfft, whatever you say, X." The blue-haired woman huffed, making a face.
"Tch... you better not screw this up." Madam X pointed a finger at her. Her bracelet pulsed with a soft blue light — a signal.
"Found her," she murmured.
"Hehehe... where?" The blue-haired woman glanced around, her gaze flitting across the landscape. "Where is she?"
"Nearby," Madam X said, starting forward. "Come on."
The golden light blinked, leading them toward a wide wheat field. A group of young cat-kin and rabbit-kin were working in the field, their ears perked and tails swaying as they went about their work.
Lora stood among them, her smooth red hair pulled back into a neat braid, her skin dusted with soil. She wore a simple blouse and dress, and was hard at work with the rest of her followers, chatting happily as they sowed seeds and weeded.
"Looks like she's busy," Madam X muttered, watching the group from a distance. "I don't want to spook her."
"Hmm... I like this one, X," the blue-haired woman said. "She seems like a good little goddess. She smells nice."
Madam X glanced at her in annoyance. "Do you have to go so hard on her?"
"But I haven't broken a mortal in so long," the blue-haired woman whined. "I need some exercise! Can't I do something for her?"
"Not yet," Madam X said, then proceeded to approach the group. The blue-haired woman followed eagerly behind her.
"There you are." Madam X smiled warmly at Lora and her followers, a gentle breeze lifting the ends of her coat. "Good evening, everyone."
"!!!" Lora's face instantly darkened the moment she saw the two, and without hesitation, her diving aura exploded around her like a shockwave.
"Who are you!" her voice echoed in the land like thunder, making the air tremble, sending the birds flocking from their branches. Lora began to rise in the air, golden light crackling around her like a cocoon. "How dare you invade my domain!"
Lora didn't need to entertain these two; she was smart enough to recognize the danger when she saw one. These two women appeared out of nowhere, bypassing her barrier.
"Calm down." Madam X raised her hands in surrender. "We're not here to hurt you. We just want to ask you about your friend Morgana."
"!!!" Lora's eyes narrowed, the golden glow around her intensifying until the very air hummed like a plucked string. The ground trembled beneath her. The wheat bent in submission, the roots themselves reacting to her fury. Her divine energy wasn't vast, but inside her domain, it was pure and potent as a storm.
"I said..." Lora raised a hand, her palm glowing, "LEAVE!"
Rumble! Rumble!
A tremendous pressure fell on the two like an avalanche, threatening to wash them away.
Unfortunately, both Madam X and her companion didn't move. They didn't even flinch. They were many ranks higher than Lora.
"Sigh." Madam X sighed, shaking her head, before turning to her companion. "Do it."
The blue-haired woman nodded happily, stepping forward and letting out a small giggle. She pulled out a saw cleaver that was twice the size of a human body, a droplet of blood gleaming wetly on its edge.
"Thank you for the meal."
Before anyone could react, the blue-haired woman let out a wild war cry as she lunged forward with her cleaver. Before they could even process the sight of it, the cat-kin and rabbit-kin that were in the field were instantly beheaded, their bodies dropping to the ground in a spray of blood.
"NOOOOOOOO!" Lora let out a cry, seeing her beloved followers dying like that. She tried to stop the blue-haired woman with her divine energy, but it was like a drop of water in a thunderstorm, easily overwhelmed and washed away.
"No! No! NO!!!" Lora screamed, her body glowing as she launched herself toward her attacker. "YOU MONSTERS! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"