Chapter 188: The Divine Tree Fruit Ripens
"Uuu… I lost everything again… Master, Nymph-senpai is really too mean…"
Astraea was on the verge of tears as she reached under her skirt—her white underwear fully visible now.
Franklin's eyes widened, but before Astraea could pull them down, a small hand stopped her. Following the hand, Franklin saw Nymph smiling faintly at him.
"Master, if she takes off anything else, Astraea will be completely naked. Do you still want to continue this game?"
Seeing the look in Nymph's eyes—clearly seeing through everything—Franklin cleared his throat and straightened up.
"Well… it's supposed to just be entertainment. Going all the way isn't great. Let's stop here. The Divine Tree Fruit is about to ripen anyway. Get dressed and we'll play a few normal rounds."
Franklin was very aware of moderation. He had only spent a short time with these three angelic girls—he didn't want to leave a bad impression.
"Thank you, master. I thought I was really going to lose until I was completely naked."
Astraea immediately threw herself into Franklin's arms. Franklin smiled and didn't dodge, enjoying the incredible softness as he held her with deep satisfaction.
Then he remembered that Ikaros and Nymph were still present. He turned to look—
Ikaros was silently shuffling the chaotic deck.
Nymph, meanwhile, was lowering her head and staring at her own flat chest. Franklin caught the scene entirely.
With a small, amused smile, Franklin spoke. "Nymph, can I ask something… personal?"
Nymph, who had been staring at her chest a moment earlier, snapped to attention. Her face went red when she saw Franklin looking calmly at her.
"Master can ask anything. After all, I'm master's property."
"Uh… don't put it like that, Nymph… Forget it, think however you want. I'm just curious—are you actually wearing underwear? It really… feels like you're not."
The moment he said this, Nymph suddenly sat up straight, legs tucked under her, her whole face turning bright red.
"Master… you saw?"
Franklin almost dropped his jaw in shock. "Why aren't you wearing any? Aren't you afraid of flashing someone?"
Nymph's face grew even redder. "Master, I may not be wearing underwear, but I *do* have a substitute."
That only made Franklin even more curious. "A substitute? What do you mean?"
Nymph returned to her senses at that moment, refusing to be dragged deeper into embarrassment. She switched to counterattack—her shy expression tinged with something else entirely, a teasing charm that made Franklin's heart skip a beat.
"Does master want to see? I can show master."
Meeting Nymph's intensely seductive gaze, Franklin coughed and quickly looked away.
"I… went too far. That's private—very private. Forget it."
Just then, all four of them turned toward the Divine Tree.
They clearly felt spiritual energy rapidly gathering around the Divine Tree Fruit, then being swallowed as if by a massive vortex.
Stepping outside, they saw a visible whirlpool of spiritual energy spiraling at the top of the Divine Tree, surging into the fruit.
The fruit visibly enlarged, becoming fuller and brighter. Meanwhile, the Divine Tree's trunk shriveled at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Approaching the tree, the intense spiritual aura energized Franklin and the three angels instantly.
"Master, is this your goal? The signs of maturity are incredible!"
Seeing Nymph's shock, Franklin activated aura vision. His True Sight flared to life.
[True Sight Level Up]
Eye of True Sight (Purple · Rare) (Growth-Type)
Growth: 5/ (Max growth upgrades the ability)
Usage: Infuse aura into the eyes to freely inspect a chosen creature or object
Cost: Minor aura
Drawback: Cannot inspect creatures or objects more than one major realm above the user, or risk backlash.
Skills: [Insight Into All Things][Soul Peering](Beginner → Intermediate)
[Insight Into All Things]: As long as aura is sufficient, all beings can be analyzed.
[Soul Peering](Intermediate): Can probe soul strength, see the essence of a soul, and locate soul weaknesses.
——
[Divine Tree Fruit]
Grade: Orange · Rule-Level
Maturity: 90%… 91%…
Usage: Consume
Effects:
● Those without Divine Tree bloodline gain it, along with many unknown pseudo-rule abilities.
● Those with the bloodline have its purity greatly increased, gaining enhanced abilities plus additional pseudo-rule awakenings.
● Talent Awakened beings gain the bloodline, many pseudo-rule abilities, and a massive leap in cultivation.
Drawbacks:
● 98% chance of transforming into an Ōtsutsuki.
● 2% chance of immediate death.
● Talent Awakened beings (due to the "wedge") will not experience physical changes.
Profile:
Said to be born from the cells of the World Tree fused with another being, a strange life-form from ancient times.
Franklin let out a slow breath as he read through everything.
"The Divine Tree really is unbelievable. I feel like I just learned a lot of impossible things. Nymph, do you think a World Tree could really exist?"
Hearing his reflective tone, Nymph thought for a moment, then firmly shook her head.
"Based on everything I know, it's impossible. There's a saying 'a flower holds a world, a leaf holds a universe,' but a literal world inside a leaf? That violates basic reality."
Franklin rubbed his chin. "Violates the rules, huh? Maybe. But I think it might be possible. After all, this world already ignores plenty of rules."
As he spoke, the surrounding spiritual energy suddenly vanished. Franklin instantly felt uncomfortable.
A new presence appeared in his mindscape, drawing his attention. His consciousness entered his spiritual sea—where he and Ōtsutsuki Kaguya faced each other from afar.
"Welcome to my spiritual sea. I forgot to introduce myself earlier—I'm Franklin. Just call me Franklin."
Kaguya stared at him expressionlessly for a long time.
"Franklin… A strange name. The Divine Tree Fruit is fully ripened. I hope you keep your promise."
Franklin nodded calmly. "I always keep my word. As long as you don't do anything reckless, I won't do anything to you.
Honestly, if I had known your consciousness would appear here, I might not have bothered restricting you at all."