The world wasn’t the same after five years. True.

A lot had changed—and people weren’t the same anymore either.

And neither were the Champions.

They had truly changed.

If before, they were either young and wild, or old and reluctant to join this ridiculous war, or arrogant kids thinking every woman should fall for them—

Now they had evolved.

Sure, parts of those traits still clung to them—because that’s who they were after all.

But now, they’d become something more.

Something worthy of their title.

Champions.

Messengers. Avatars of divine beings.

And for some?

The lover of those divine beings.

…

On Elf Continent —

In a realm untouched by ordinary beings, a place where stars hung low in the sky and shimmered through the air—

Everything—sky, ground, wind—glowed with soft silver starlight.

It was beautiful. Mesmerizing. Like standing inside a living constellation.

But the most beautiful thing in this realm wasn’t the stars.

It was the woman at its center.

Seated cross-legged, wrapped in silver halos, her body glowing like she was born of stardust—

She was stellar. Literally.

That was the only word for her.

Too beautiful to describe. Unreachable like the stars in a perfect night, like a dream trapped in the stars.

Nephis Elfborn.

Champion of the Elves. And little sister of Aphasia.

“Ahhh…”

She exhaled slowly, letting soft wisps of starlight escape her lips.

Then opened her eyes—two silver stars.

Eyes that could silence any man, bend any will.

“Are you done with your training?”

A man’s voice echoed in her head.

Nephis smiled, calm. “Yes. I’m done.”

“Are you ready for what’s coming?” The voice was graver now.

But she didn’t blink.

“I’m Nephis Elfborn, Father. Daughter of Stars,” she said with a grin.

“No one can match me. Not that Celestial’s Champion. And definitely not that old woman.”

Her father sighed.

“Even after five years, you’re still this arrogant.”

“But listen carefully—Champions aren’t ordinary. If our divine elder gave you the potion to complete your Starlight Physique, their gods likely did the same for them. If you underestimate them… you’ll fall.”

He paused. Voice cold and heavy now.

“And I don’t need to remind you what happens to us if you fail.”

That wiped the grin from Nephis’s face.

She understood. This wasn’t just about power or pride.

It was about family.

“…What about Aphasia?” she asked.

She hadn’t heard a single word about her sister since she left for the Academy.

She missed her dearly.

“She’s gone rogue.”

Simple. Sharp. Cold.

“W-What?” Nephis asked, confused by this answer.

“Don’t bother with her. She disobeyed orders by bounding herself to a human. And the worst? She lost her purity. She’s disgraced our divine elder. And now their orders are clear.”

He didn’t flinch.

“Either we kill her. Or imprison her for eternity. No one outside our family will ever carry our bloodline. And the man who touched her? He dies too. No discussion.”

Nephis froze.

Her sister… with a human? She went that far?

She blinked—then laughed.

Grinned wide like a girl with a juicy secret.

‘You pervy big sis… who the hell pulled that off? Who made you fall that hard?’

He must’ve been something special. To seduce Aphasia of all people.

Her sister was very prideful after all.

Nephis giggled like a lunatic.

“Hahaha! Things are getting fun, don’t you think, Father?”

Antares didn’t reply.

He was tired of her already.

But Nephis didn’t care.

She wasn’t worried for her sister.

‘Once I win this war, I’ll ask for her forgiveness. Let her be with him again. I’ll make it happen.’

As the best sister ever.

But deep inside…

She was itching to meet that man.

To meet our dear Noah.

…

Beast Continent –

In the depth of a dungeon not far away from the capital of the Beast Continent,

Katy sat on a throne—but not a normal one.

It was alive.

Made from snakes—countless ones, coiled and woven together. Small ones, large ones. Red, green, golden. Some even shaped like humans.

The whole chamber slithered with them.

A beautiful, eerie, disturbing sight.

And in the middle of it all sat Katy.

Black hair with golden eyes. Her body curvy and slender.

You’d never guess she was a mother of two.

She looked Noah’s age now—young, divine, deadly.

All because of the deep green divine blood she drank.

But it didn’t just make her young.

It made her powerful.

Now, Katy wasn’t just a forgotten empress from the Beast Continent.

She was something terrifying, something never seen in this world.

She was the Mother of Serpents.

And every snake-type beast across the land bowed to her.

No exceptions. No resistance.

Truly,

She was unfairly strong.

“You are worthy now.”

A voice suddenly echoed in her head.

Katy didn’t even blink.

“Oh really? Took you long enough, dear divine soul,” she said, voice laced with sarcasm.

Years and power had changed her.

She wasn’t the quiet, passive empress anymore.

Now, she had her own presence. Her own power.

But the divine voice ignored her tone.

“You know the price of failure. If you disappoint the divine beasts… you and your family will suffer.”

Katy tilted her head. Calm. But venom bled through her voice.

“And who will make them suffer?”

The voice sneered.

“Don’t get cocky. You’re not irreplaceable. You only have that power because we allowed it. To real divine beings, you’re nothing. Just a bug they can crush easily, without even lifting a finger.”

“So behave. Win. Do your absolute best. That’s the only way you survive. That’s the only way you matter.”

“…O Katy, Mother of Serpents.”

The sarcasm in the last line was thick.

But Katy stayed quiet.

She hated it.

But it was the truth.

Still.

‘We’ll see who laughs last.’

Because Katy wasn’t the same anymore.

She wasn’t soft.

She was a snake now. A true snake.

And what are snakes best at?

You already know the answer.

—End of Chapter 171—

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Madara Web Novel