In the real world, the condemnation aimed at Adrian Vale—and at Dragonia itself—only grew louder and uglier by the minute.
Yet Dragonia stayed silent.
No statement. No explanation. No "clarification."
Seeing that, the forces circling like vultures didn't rein it in—
they escalated, spitting even more venom.
And there was something "interesting" about it.
As time passed, the outrage that had originally targeted Adrian's actions began to drift.
The target became the entire nation.
Or rather—
that had been the plan all along.
Adrian was only the spark.
Dragonia was the bonfire they truly wanted to burn.
"Adrian's actions will never be recognized! Dragonia, stop shielding him!"
"You think we'll forgive you after what he did?! Get off Blue Star!"
"That's right—get off Blue Star!"
"If you want the world's forgiveness, hand over every single resource Dragonia obtained from the Divine Domain!"
"Yes! Dragonia doesn't deserve Divine Domain resources!"
"You stole those resources!"
"They belong to all humanity!"
"Now! Return them to us!"
For a time, even Dragonia's legendary keyboard-warriors—the ones who usually never lost an online fight—went strangely quiet.
That silence only made the attackers bolder.
They grew louder, more arrogant, as if all the humiliation they'd suffered earlier was finally being "paid back."
And just when the world began to think Dragonia was about to fold—
those same keyboard-warriors suddenly woke up, as if a switch had been flipped.
They hit back.
Hard.
"Dad isn't talking, so you think Dad's dead?"
"If the kid's uneducated, it's the father's fault—my bad, everyone! My bad!"
"What kind of livestock are you? Every time something happens you all crawl out to show off your brains?"
"Keys—COME! Let's fight!"
Their combat power was horrifying.
The moment Dragonia's keyboard immortals declared war, the situation flipped—
like Nolan Mercer and Adrian Vale all over again.
Even though the attackers were netizens from all over the world…
once they truly ran into Dragonia's keyboard immortals…
it became a one-sided slaughter.
Pinned. Dragged. Ground into dust.
But the "fun" didn't last long.
Soon—
a piece of news arrived from across the ocean that stunned the entire world:
"Miracle Nation announces: effective today, we officially join the God-Nation Alliance!"
That announcement hit like a deep-sea torpedo.
The shockwave didn't just ripple through water—
it shook the entire world.
Miracle Nation was still the world's No.1 superpower.
Even with the rise of the Divine Domain—where Dragonia looked like it might overtake them—
Miracle Nation's global influence hadn't faded in the slightest.
They were the last winners of the old great war.
They had harvested the world.
And because of Miracle Nation's unique national structure—
its tech development and military deterrence were still the most terrifying on the planet.
If Miracle Nation ever truly decided to erase a country…
there were fewer than three nations on Blue Star that could withstand their pressure.
And the God-Nation Alliance?
Put nicely, it was "an alliance for humanity's shared prosperity."
But in reality—
under Eastern Isles influence, it had basically become the Anti-Dragonia Alliance.
Everyone inside it either wanted Dragonia's resources…
or hated Dragonia for historical reasons…
or—more absurdly—had been roasted so thoroughly by Dragonia's keyboard immortals that they now wanted revenge.
So when Miracle Nation openly announced it would join?
The implication was obvious.
Worse—
Miracle Nation moved frighteningly fast.
Less than an hour after joining, they issued an official condemnation document against Dragonia.
So fast it felt like everything had been drafted in advance.
Disgusting.
And Miracle Nation's method was poisonous.
They didn't keep pushing the "attack Dragonia as a nation" angle directly.
Instead, they dragged Adrian back onto the moral gallows—then pretended they were "sad" about it.
They began by "mourning" Nolan Mercer and the Eastern Isles.
Then they spoke with "regret" toward Dragonia.
They called Dragonia the most magnificent ancient civilization on Blue Star—destined, sooner or later, to replace Miracle Nation as the No.1 superpower.
They said they supported it.
They showered Dragonia with praise, as if they truly admired it.
And then—
they slid the knife in.
"Adrian Vale's behavior is absolutely unacceptable to the world!"
"We regret that someone like this could come from a nation we respect so deeply—Dragonia!"
"Dragonia should be the model for all nations, yet such a person was allowed to represent Dragonia in the Divine Domain!"
"This is Dragonia's tragedy, Miracle Nation's tragedy, and humanity's tragedy!"
"But we understand—this cannot be Dragonia's true intention."
"Dragonia surely also disapproves of Adrian's actions!"
"However, the world is generous."
"As long as Dragonia publicly declares Adrian Vale is no longer recognized as a Dragonian…"
"And as long as Dragonia agrees to openly share every resource Adrian gains in the Divine Domain with the entire world…"
"Then Dragonia will still be the great nation we admire!"
The moment Miracle Nation released that statement, countless nations cheered.
They called it the proper speech of a "world leader."
They praised Miracle Nation as the only country "worthy" of being No.1.
Inside Dragonia, people exploded.
"Eastern Isles were already disgusting—Miracle Nation is no better!"
"All those words, for what? They still want our resources."
"Absolutely shameless."
"Shameless isn't even enough to describe it…"
Miracle Nation's entry shook Blue Star.
Everyone in the God-Nation Alliance understood:
with Miracle Nation stepping in, they finally had the weight to wrestle Dragonia head-on.
The happiest of all was the Eastern Isles.
They immediately released another condemnation—line after line, each sentence meant to stab Dragonia's heart.
And the smaller nations that had been quietly watching?
Seeing Miracle Nation and the Eastern Isles go all-in, they followed like dogs scenting blood.
For a moment, the situation Dragonia's keyboard immortals had stabilized began to crumble again.
Because no matter how fierce keyboard immortals were—
they couldn't outfight state machinery.
This wasn't just "strength."
This was "numbers."
A full-scale saturation bombardment.
Dragonia's keyboard immortals were drowned.
And right then—
Dragonia's official stance finally stopped being silent.
Facing the world's artillery barrage—
Dragonia answered.
Loudly.
Dragonia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement—cold and domineering—answering the world head-on:
"First, regarding the Eastern Isles' accusation: are you blind? If you don't need your eyes, donate them to someone who does. What Nolan Mercer did to the Shambles Nation competitor—and what he planned to do to ours—anyone with eyes saw it. Our competitor merely fought back. What crime is that?"
"Second, regarding Miracle Nation: who are you to stand above us and give orders? We gave you face before so you could play king. Without that face, who are you?"
"Finally: neither Dragonia nor Dragonia's competitors will take orders from random cats and dogs. If anyone dares infringe on our national interests, Dragonia will not hesitate to use non-standard means to defend them."
"Dragonia doesn't start trouble—but Dragonia does not fear trouble."
The meaning couldn't be clearer.
Netizens translated it into the sentence everyone loved:
"Stop barking. Keep barking and we'll beat you."
After Dragonia's response went public, the God-Nation Alliance fell silent for a beat.
No one dared to keep running their mouths.
Only then did people remember—
Dragonia still had prestige.
Even a sleeping dragon is still a dragon.
Those keyboard immortals who'd been feeling bitter "defeated" instantly reignited.
Sometimes, only in moments like this did you feel what your homeland truly gave you.
Because those keyboard immortals weren't soldiers.
They were ordinary people.
Flesh and blood.
They fought online with passion for their nation's pride—
but when the whole world turned hostile, they still felt helpless.
That kind of global targeting crushed the heart.
And Dragonia's official response hit like a shot of adrenaline.
A heavy, crushing sense of safety filled everyone's chest—
the safety only a strong nation could give.
In that instant, something woke up.
Goosebumps rose.
Blood surged.
And somewhere in the haze—
it was like people saw a dragon open one eye.
"MOM, I'M GONNA CRY! DRAGONIA IS FOREVER GOAT!"
"Don't talk—just do it! If we have to 1v the world, so be it! Our ancestors did it. Why would we be scared?!"
"That's right! DO IT!"
"Wake up—hunt time!"
"One nation against the world—so what?! Dragonia, awesome!"
"I'm sorry for being human… but I'm proud to be Dragonian!"
The Studio: Applause… and a Punch
Inside I Watch the Divine Domain, the guests were equally fired up.
Captain Ryan Cole stood up and clapped hard.
"Good. Well said!"
"Dragonia doesn't start trouble—but we never fear it!"
"As a soldier, I know how awkward Dragonia's position has been internationally these years."
"Because Dragonia rose too fast, many countries treated us with hostility."
"And for the sake of keeping our people's daily life stable, our leaders swallowed countless insults."
"It's not that Dragonia can't deal with these pests."
"It's that we chose not to."
"But now—our leaders have finally decided to drop the burden."
"For Adrian."
"For our people."
"To win this breath of dignity!"
His voice shook.
"This is… truly… wonderful!"
Dr. Elias Hart smiled, pride in his eyes.
"Our homeland never disappoints us."
Sienna Blake nodded, eyes bright.
"I believe at this moment—no matter who you are—you'd be proud to be Dragonian!"
Even Derek Vaughn was about to grin and join in.
"Heh… I also think—"
BAM!
Before he could finish, Captain Cole suddenly exploded—
and punched Derek Vaughn straight in the face.
Derek staggered, stunned.
Why?!
I didn't even say anything yet!
Tears instantly welled up as he clutched his cheek, looking unbelievably wronged.
"You—You—!"
"You what?" Captain Cole snapped. "Didn't eat enough? Can't speak properly? Want two more punches?"
Derek went silent.
Captain Cole's voice dropped, heavy with menace.
"I wanted to hit you earlier."
"That slap before didn't teach you?"
"At a moment like this, you still want to say something worshipping foreigners, huh?!"
The soldier's iron-blooded aura flooded the studio.
Derek didn't dare speak another word.
Sienna and Dr. Hart watched coldly, not even trying to intervene.
The chat, too, was filled with applause.
"Should've kicked this clown off the show long ago."
"Nice hit, Captain Cole!"
"Don't stop! More!"
"Captain Cole, add mine too—hit him again!"
Derek Vaughn had become the nation's punching bag.
Even Dragonia's top brass had noticed his name.
And though they were too busy to deal with such a small fry right now…
his name had already been written into a blacklist.
The Alliance's Secret Meeting: "Military Exercise"
In the outside world, Dragonia's hardline response stunned many countries.
Because in their minds, Dragonia had always been "nice."
Usually, Dragonia avoided conflict and respected even small nations.
They mistook restraint for weakness.
So when Dragonia turned brutally firm—refusing to give even one step—
international powers trembled.
The sleeping dragon was waking.
They couldn't understand it.
Just for Adrian Vale—
Dragonia would offend the whole world?
Was that worth it?
Did Dragonia not consider the consequences?
Because nearly all global forces were gathering here.
Aside from a few friendly small nations, plus the Northern Bears and Ocean Pouch Nation still watching from the sidelines—
the rest had aligned against Dragonia.
So why was Dragonia so confident?
In the God-Nation Alliance's secret meeting, Miracle Nation spoke first, still wearing the mask of righteousness:
"Dragonia's stubbornness disappoints us."
"If this continues, Adrian—this monster—will dominate the Divine Domain."
"And sooner or later, every nation's competitors will suffer his cruelty."
"Humanity will fall into misery."
The Eastern Isles immediately followed:
"Yes. We must 'teach' Dragonia a lesson."
At last, Miracle Nation proposed, voice smooth and "reasonable":
"Then we must hold a joint military exercise near Dragonia's borders."
"Let them see the power they're facing—power they can't provoke."
It was a polite word.
But everyone understood.
"Military exercise" was simply war wearing a costume.
After all—
who knew if a shell might "accidentally" land on Dragonia?
One shell.
Or many.
The smaller nations hesitated.
But the Eastern Isles quickly agreed.
"I approve! Use an exercise to show Dragonia the might of the God-Nation Alliance!"
Then their followers and Miracle Nation's satellites echoed the same.
And just like that—
under Miracle Nation and the Eastern Isles' goading—
the Alliance quietly finalized a plot aimed at Dragonia.
Back in the Divine Domain: Raven Shaw Meets an A- Threat
Over on Raven Shaw's stream, the B+ beast she'd just killed hadn't even dropped a chest reward.
She didn't care.
To her, Divine Domain chests weren't tempting.
She'd only acted "excited" around Adrian earlier to tease him.
For someone whose stats were basically at the ceiling—
what was the point of more stat points?
The only things that truly interested her were the unknown.
The new.
The fun.
Like—
Adrian Vale.
After finishing the fight, Raven remembered the chat talking about Adrian's situation.
She wasn't worried about his safety.
With his strength, danger was unlikely.
She was curious about something else:
What did Adrian look like when he truly fought?
She was about to open the barrage and ask if anyone knew Adrian's location—
when—
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
The ground in the distance trembled.
Soil bulged upward, then split.
And that sound was coming closer.
Raven stopped.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Interesting."
"Not over yet?"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The vibrations intensified as they rushed toward her.
The livestream exploded in panic.
And then the Will of Blue Star banner confirmed everyone's fear:
[Congratulations! Dragonia competitor Raven Shaw has encountered a Divine Domain organism! Analyzing… analysis complete!]
[Name: Giant Thousand-Handed Centipede (A-)]
[Traits: A- rank Divine Domain organism! Omnivorous, prefers swarms! Cunning and deceitful! Skilled at using terrain to hunt prey! Especially enjoys torturing captured prey to death—once it catches you, even death becomes a luxury!]
BOOM!
The ground in front of Raven shattered.
A black shadow—thirty to forty meters long—burst from the earth and surged into the sky.
HISSSSS!!
Its screech pierced everyone's ears.
Dark red armor plated its back.
Countless legs shuddered along its sides.
The clicking was nauseating.
But none of it stirred Raven's expression.
Calm. Cold. Flat.
As if the A- threat in front of her didn't exist.
The viewers, however, went insane.
"No way—IT'S THIS THING?!"
"We just finished a B+ and now an A-?! Let her breathe!"
"A- rank!! Can Raven handle it?!"
"This monster is terrifying—I watched it torture another competitor before!"
"If you can't win, run! If it catches you, you're finished!"
They were right.
A single grade in the Divine Domain was a cliff.
B to B+ was already a leap.
So what about B+ to A-?
An entire tier.
How could it not be a nightmare?
"Raven might be done…"
That thought spread like poison.
But Raven didn't panic.
Not even a little.
And soon—
they would understand why.
Adrian Vale: A Centipede… and a Memory
Back on Adrian's side, the scattered "food" had already become a field of clean white bones.
Only the "main dish" remained.
And at that moment, Adrian remembered the System message again—
his behavior matched Ken Kaneki.
Was that about the torture?
If that raised his Acting—
then he remembered what Kaneki had endured in the original.
The centipede.
The ear.
The crawling.
The slow, maddening invasion that forced the mind to stay awake.
CRACK.
Adrian snapped his finger again.
He said nothing.
Only that black-red ghoul eye burned in silence.
Then—
click… click…
A soft, wet sound pulled his gaze.
On the blood-soaked ground nearby, a small centipede—about a finger's length—was lapping at the blood.
Adrian's ghoul eye flickered.
Something clicked in his memory.
He walked over and caught it.
The red creature writhed and bit at his finger in panic.
It couldn't even pierce his skin.
Adrian didn't care.
He walked back to Nolan Mercer.
Then he spoke, quietly, like he was confirming a thought:
"If that's the case…"
He pressed the centipede against Nolan's torn, bloody ear.
The moment it smelled blood—
it didn't hesitate.
It burrowed in.
And—
it crawled through Nolan's ruined ear…
straight into his skull.
A second later—
CRUNCH. CRUNCH. CRUNCH.
A faint chewing sound followed.
"MMMPH—MMMPH!!!"
The Nolan Mercer who had already passed out convulsed violently and screamed again, voice ripping out of his throat like something being dragged from the bottom of a pit.
Adrian stood there calmly, watching—
like he was waiting for the System to acknowledge it.
And the next second—
the notification rang in his mind:
[Detected host behavior highly consistent with Ken Kaneki! Portrayal Sync increased —]
…and this time, it didn't sound like a "bonus."
It sounded like a door unlocking.
Like something that had been sleeping—
had finally opened its eyes.
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