I obviously wouldn't waste my time on the way. Talking with the slimes, I got them to protect the weremonkeys during travel. Obviously they said I was their priority—in their own weird way.

  So yes, time to clean my shard stock. No time-wasting counting, especially because I told the slimes to increase the pace. The furred guys will sweat a little.

  From my scavenging, weirdly, the second most abundant were divinity shards—only after digging like mad with the slimes' help on the giant turtle's haul.

  All inside a broken chest, like some kind of treasure chest. Thousands of shards, their mingling light forming a pale gold.

  The thing looked antique, with some roots around it. I bet there were more shards there, but these pesky roots got them first.

  Now it's time to consume them and hope for another completed constellation.

  The divine shard seeds are the first to go, their thousands forming new star connections. Now that I wasn't counting each shard, I could focus only on the bonds.

  Minutes passed as each new connection formed—10th star, 11th, 12th, 13th—each taking more time than the last. Until I started using the divinity nexus shards.

  Each new connection demanded more, and this time there wasn't a relic shard to speed it up and ensure I could finish the constellation.

  Soon my 17th star connected with me, the essence bridging it. The change, as always, is strange—like I felt a little more blessed, which didn't seem that useful to begin with.

  One thing I noticed is that I at least gained more control over my blood manipulation. If it had any benefit to my divine spell, I didn't see it. Maybe it demanded less energy to make more blood—that's the feeling I got, but I didn't measure it, so maybe it's all in my head.

  Time to continue. Seeing the mega star just ahead got me pumped.

  After getting three-quarters through, my divinity shards were gone. And soon after using all my remaining basic shards, I could almost taste the 18th mega star.

  Only one solution left: using the tech shards.

  After a couple of tech core shards and some tech shard seeds, finally, my connection grew taut. The mega star's projection showed me a simple image—a palm flowing blood endlessly from its center, like some sort of wound, except there wasn't any cut.

  Then, like déjà vu, each connection between the stars deepened. I saw it again—the same position, blood endlessly flowing from its palm, now showing the entire arm. As the blood pooled below, each splash took new forms—not just ripples from droplets, but tiny needles, shapes, even a being?

  The concept it gave was attunement to blood—and something greater, something beyond. Which I don't get. My imagination is already running on fumes here, so—mega star is bleeding palm, and the constellation is the Divine Blood Constellation. Because fuck Darefei, I'll name it what I want!

  I'd try my power right now, though there are still some tech shards to go.

  Consuming the blue shards, the transformed essence bound me to my stars. As expected, the 9th star granted another spell. In the projection, one arm showed its blood vessels constricting, the blood powering through, some covering the vessels, the flow intensifying.

  Even without fully understanding it, the spell's concept was clear in my mind. It would improve my overall strength and speed—not groundbreaking by itself, but I saw synergy with my blood regeneration, my biological constellation stars (the red slime).

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  After using more shards, I only reached the 14th star. Enough for a noticeable increase in blood circulation control, but not enough to match my adrenal gland mutation's enhanced adrenaline.

  At least the new spell—Blood Surge—seemed useful.

  Testing it, the tech spell showed promise. Using it, I could run faster—not Olympic-level, but enough to go from half-sedentary to veteran runner. Without the technique or finesse, if you know what I mean.

  I didn't feel any energy drain - honestly just a little light-headed, but that could be from oxygen deprivation or exertion. Though the slimes are handling all the physical work here... did it even matter?

  Well, for one thing, the oozes made a world of difference.

  If not for the slimes, I'd have face-planted from tripping on roots and weeds.

  After scaring the weremonkeys for a solid minute by running like a madman—and, I should add, the humanoids followed me effortlessly—I tested my divinity spells.

  Now, I definitely felt a difference. My divine spell's blood creation was less energy-demanding—a hand-sized ball of the red liquid now used maybe five percent of my energy.

  With blood manipulation, I could play with the same amount for thirty seconds, like a street magician.

  Of course, I had Geen store the blood in one of his past-master vials. Weirdly, those vials held more blood than they appeared to.

  On the way to the sewer entrance, I encountered some beasts—a weird, furless bear-like creature, a boar that seemed normal except for two snail-like eyes on its face.

  Typical finds in a skin forest.

  There were smaller critters too, even more alien-looking—like a snake with two tiny arms.

  What would that snake even use those arms for? A little clap?

  At least the beasts gave me a chance to train with the slimes. The critters just scared the hell out of me.

  No doubt the changes from my biological constellation's slime attunement improved our sync. Now I felt like some kind of symbiont—with the bonus of an extending sword.

  With my little squadron attached, the division of focus worked wonders. I handled tactics and movement while the slimes refined and adjusted everything into a knightly performance.

  Still, fighting from afar remained my preferred method. Why make the effort of being easier to kill? Not like you get to choose in every fight.

  Then again, evasion works both ways.

  ---

  Some time later, we finally reached a spot near the palace entrance. And as I'd guessed, the dead monkey corpses were weremonkeys.

  Their living kin couldn't restrain themselves, rushing to the rotting corpses as insects and critters scattered from the half-eaten bodies.

  My mind and conscience wrestled for control, the image of the corpses I'd left behind leaving an acrid taste in my mouth.

  Did I have a choice? No. I just didn’t have time to bury them. But would it have mattered?

  No one would visit them. The world is probably in chaos.

  Would even God care about what's happening here? I'm already too old for this shit. This self-hate. Even with all the logic, my conscience still makes me feel worse for my choices.

  The creatures' lament at least distracted me from my own struggles.

  Which is kind of sad. They didn’t speak—just wailed and grunted like animals. Yet, I could see the sadness, the tears in their eyes.

  Their kind had been murdered.

  I know that feeling. Maybe they loved their fallen more than I liked the villagers. Still, I feel responsible for their deaths—maybe they do too, even if it wasn’t their fault.

  Through my red slime link, I felt the slimes' comfort, like a pet’s.

  Not that I’d call them pets—they still have their own weird desires.

  So, half-pets.

  No way around it. I admit the slimes lifted some of the weight of my conscience. Or maybe I just accepted my powerlessness.

  That'll probably be temporary—like always. The guilt keeps coming back, wave after wave. Only after I've gotten numb to it will that shit finally fade. And then? Then I'll just find some new reason to beat myself up over.

  Still, I won’t forget what happened. I could run from the war, but the war would find me.

  Even if it had to come from another world.

  The weremonkeys didn't notice the battle in my head, the creatures looked reluctant to leave their brethren’s corpses, but they showed me the way to the sewers—just a few kilometers to the right.

  It didn’t take long to reach the place, my mind now steadier. I have things to do. I can berate myself after this is over.

  Before spotting the sewers, what I see first is a towering woman who looks more like a red pine tree—reddish skin, vermilion hair, arms resembling branches, not in appearance but in number: three pairs.

  Just below her stood the white-haired dwarf, looking at me like he was God's personal gift to the world—and especially to me. I'd make sure he got good and dirty.

  "Hey Houonas. Old geezer. What about a hunt?"