What had allowed him to last this long was the Stellaron he had previously swallowed, which helped quite a bit.
"Where should I get more from?" The arc of his tail's swaying widened slightly.
If Serval were here, she would've noticed that Godzilla was thinking—which usually didn't bode well for certain groups of people.
Unfortunately, Serval was off tinkering with something in her little room, while Stelle and March 7th just thought the breeze had become even cooler.
And so, just like that, the two continued working hard, while one Godzilla contemplated where to get his next 'meal'.
------------------------------
Qlipoth Fort.
Cocolia followed the dazed Bronya back to the office. As soon as she approached the sofa, she instantly collapsed, unable to hold on any longer.
"Mother!" This scene frightened Bronya. Her heart, which had been ready to realize her grand ambitions, was instantly thrown into disarray. She hurriedly stepped forward to support Cocolia.
After a few shakes, Cocolia waved her hand weakly.
"I'm fine, Bronya."
She felt a bit nauseous. Before today, Cocolia never believed anyone could make a cup of coffee so… indescribable.
Not even the power of preservation could protect her.
And she couldn't even talk about the experience—after all, who would believe that a cup of coffee could have such power?
Bronya looked at Cocolia with concern and handed her a glass of plain water.
A cup of water to ease the stomach, and Cocolia's complexion finally improved a little.
"I'll leave today's matters to you, Bronya. I need to rest for a bit."
Bronya nodded. Although she didn't know what had happened to her mother, she clearly wasn't in any condition to continue working.
Watching Bronya sit in the office chair and work meticulously, Cocolia smiled with relief.
Then she casually pulled a book from nearby.
Not long ago, she had asked Pela to gather all the books in Belobog that recorded the events of Jarilo. The history of Jarilo was far too heavy for one person, and now that she had time, she might as well catch up.
She opened the well-preserved book, though it still bore the marks of time.
Rustle.
A folded piece of paper fell out. Cocolia picked it up curiously, unfolding it to reveal a page-sized sheet.
"Hmm? Hm! Bronya!"
A clearly shaken shout called Bronya's bewildered expression over.
…
A lush forest.
A squad of Silvermane Guards marched in formation, their discipline strict.
Seeing the unit's bearing, Dan Heng gave a slight nod.
Only such an army could better protect the people they sought to defend.
"Hey, what are you all looking at?"
Only the squad leader was an exception.
Dan Heng sighed and looked up at Seele, who carried a scythe and moved with effortless grace.
"These plants are all new species we haven't seen before. We were just a little curious and took a few extra glances," Welt said as he carefully picked a flower glowing with a bluish light.
"You guys really are all cut from the same mold. Hey, don't pick too many of that one. If you gather too many, they'll fight at night."
"?" Welt and Dan Heng froze at Seele's words. Plants… fighting?
Seele explained as if it were completely normal, "Those things, if you place four of them together, they'll start biting each other at night. I didn't know that before and brought a few home as nightlights. Ended up smashing all the lights in my house."
"Haha! When I heard about that the next day, I thought Seele had broken the lights herself in her sleep and just wouldn't admit it," Oleg laughed heartily, recalling the incident.
"Oleg, boss, stop telling boring stories like that."
Was it really that absurd?
Dan Heng counted the flowers in his hand—thankfully, only three.
"Are all plants on Jarilo this strange?" Welt asked curiously.
"Not really. Back when it was all ice and snow, there weren't many plants. But after everyone arrived and that thing called the Stellaron got eaten, these started growing. Pela compared them with old records and found no matches."
Welt nodded and moved closer to Dan Heng, whispering, "Godzilla's presence causes surrounding species to instinctively evolve toward it. These plants must be the result."
Hearing this, Dan Heng narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced around at the others.
"Then they…"
"Still unclear. Maybe this Godzilla only affects plants—but we need more observation."
Welt was still haunted by the memory of the Planet Godzilla. That terrifying existence would be a catastrophic disaster for Jarilo. Fortunately, initial observations suggested that Jarilo's Godzilla seemed to have a fondness for humans—at the very least, it didn't actively attack them.
He agreed to come along precisely because of the idea of Planet Godzilla—sweeping through the Rift Creatures while collecting some species from Jarilo.
The process of clearing the Rift Creatures was simple.
Although the rift formed after the Stellaron was devoured wouldn't vanish into thin air, the Rift Creatures were like subjects who had lost their king—utterly powerless against the well-organized and well-equipped Silvermane Guards.
Let alone with Welt and Dan Heng mixed in.
"So quiet... Are all the monsters around here gone?" Seele looked around suspiciously, a bit disappointed.
She had only just gotten started—was it already over?
Just then.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Enemy attack! It's an ambush!"
Sudden gunfire shattered the calm. The Silvermane Guard at the front looked tense behind his mask, watching Dan Heng use his spear to block an attack aimed at his thigh.
"Thanks."
"Don't break formation. Listen to your captain's orders." With those words, Dan Heng flickered back to Welt's side, carefully observing the enemy's movements.
Faced with the surprise attack, Seele was the first to lose her patience. Swinging her scythe wildly, she blocked wave after wave of attacks, her expression dark.
"Damn! What are these things? Rift Creatures can use weapons now?!"
Soon, she locked onto the area where the attacks were most concentrated.
"There, huh? Watch me tear you apart!"
At the same time, Dan Heng also pinpointed the most likely hiding place of the enemy commander.
"Wait! That's—"
"Vanish along with the butterflies!"
"Heh, don't get too cocky, girl!"
"Everyone, cease fire! Dan Heng!"
Dan Heng got in between the two leaders blocking their respective attacks and stood between them upon hearing Welt's voice.
Welt adjusted his glasses, cane tapping the ground, expression stern.
"Everyone, how about we take a moment to talk?"
...
After a round of friendly conversation, the misunderstanding was finally cleared up.
"Tch." Seele turned her head in annoyance. In this kind of discussion, Oleg took the initiative to step forward.
"I'll say this, miss. Even if no one gained the upper hand, it was your people who attacked first. No matter how you look at it, you're in the wrong here. It wouldn't be too much to ask for an apology to my injured brothers, would it?"
Hearing Oleg's words, Topaz chuckled lightly.
"Just call me Topaz. Naturally, admitting one's mistake when in the wrong is common sense."
Seeing both leaders reach an understanding, Welt nodded and joined the conversation.
"Miss Topaz, is the Interastral Peace Corporation's business really so widespread now? Even a newly revived planet like Jarilo has your arrangements?"
It was precisely because Dan Heng realized the attackers were from the Interastral Peace Corporation that Welt stepped in to stop the fight.
While the IPC wasn't exactly made of saints, they were still a top-tier force in the universe. No matter what their intentions were on Jarilo, talking was always preferable to clashing blades.
Welt didn't know if it was his imagination, but he felt Topaz's expression darken the moment he asked that question.
"The IPC has always operated extensively. Helping underdeveloped worlds rebuild is one of our missions. As for why I'm here on Jarilo—well, it relates to a very old assignment from the IPC. Who would've thought that the moment my ship entered Jarilo's atmosphere, a beam of light would strike? If I hadn't reacted in time, all you'd be seeing now would be the wreckage of my ship."
"..."