Gathering Wives with a System Chapter 443: Divine Luck

A fortunate individual could barely escape death's clutches.

A blessed army might triumph in an unwinnable fight.

With sufficient fortune, anything could happen.

Isaac knelt and gently set the golden seed upon the earth.

Next, he triggered his Seed of Providence skill.

Mana surged forth from his form without delay.

The consumption proved far more intense than any prior experience.

Isaac's brow furrowed a bit.

No earlier skill had demanded such vast mana. Not even nurturing the Qlippoth tree. Still, the mana kept draining steadily.

Moments ticked by.

Suddenly, the earth started to stir faintly.

A tiny sprout burst from the dirt.

It expanded at a furious pace.

The sprout swelled into a robust trunk. Limbs reached out broadly. Foliage sprouted in mere instants.

In no time, a full tree towered before Isaac.

Its trunk appeared robust and solid.

Three limbs protruded from the central trunk.

Every limb bore three golden leaves.

Isaac examined the tree in silence.

Though mature, his instincts assured him it hadn't hit its peak.

Further expansion remained possible.

Each leaf embodied a unique boon.

[Divine Luck].

Any leaf might rescue a tree-blessed person from fatal peril.

Three limbs.

Three leaves per limb.

Nine survival opportunities.

And this marked its present form alone. Fully developed, it could sprout nine limbs. With three leaves apiece, that yielded twenty-seven leaves—twenty-seven doses of Divine Luck.

A alert popped up before Isaac.

Seed of Providence has reached Level 5 → Level 6

Isaac's lips curved faintly.

Advancing this skill proved incredibly tough. Its upgrade signaled excellent progress.

He approached the tree and pressed his palm to the trunk.

The bark felt pleasantly warm.

More crucially, a subtle sensation emerged.

A bond.

Faint yet unmistakable.

The tree acknowledged him.

Instantly, another panel materialized ahead.

[Your luck has been greatly increased under the blessing of Tree of Harmony.]

[The oncoming difficulties will become easier to handle.]

[Shattered God Domain !@@#%@ has been partially repaired.]

Isaac's gaze sharpened at the final message.

Suddenly, the whole Cradle quaked.

The ground shuddered underfoot, while the surrounding air warped, hinting at a profound shift deep inside the realm.

Isaac scanned his surroundings deliberately.

First, he detected the mana.

Density had surged.

The atmosphere buzzed with vitality now, richer than before. Inhaling came smoother, and his physique reacted positively.

"...I didn’t expect this," Isaac murmured.

He shut his eyes briefly, attuning to the Cradle.

Via the Soulbind Pendant link, he perceived the vast domain.

The woods had transformed.

Fresh flora dotted the ancient groves—some mere buds, others already prominent.

New wildlife roamed too.

Isaac sensed their movements amid the trees. Mostly small beasts, yet several breeds utterly novel to this place.

The realm had elevated purely from the Tree of Harmony's emergence.

Isaac turned back to the gleaming golden tree.

Its leaves glowed softly, each pulsing with potent essence.

"Luck, huh," he whispered.

He'd anticipated utility from the tree.

But this...

It surpassed his wildest hopes.

A subtle grin lit Isaac’s features as he eyed his palm.

Another golden seed lay there.

The second Seed of Harmony.

He'd deliberately held it back.

Growing duplicates never factored into his scheme.

Rather, he aimed to fuse it with seeds from Hell and the Divine Realm.

A fused seed.

A wholly novel creation.

"If single trees wield such might, how formidable will the hybrid prove?"

The mere idea thrilled him.

A tree merging forces from Mortal Realm, Hell, and Divine Realm.

Isaac couldn't foresee the exact outcome.

For an instant, he lingered, lost in visions. Then he breathed out steadily.

Excitement too soon seldom aided.

Eventually, Isaac stowed the second seed and exited the Soulbind Pendant.

The outer world reemerged around him.

Another month elapsed.

In that span, an unexpected turn unfolded.

The Sword Empress truly heeded Isaac.

No assault on the Ladder of Heavens occurred.

Her forces lingered afar, holding steady without pressing on.

Meanwhile, the War God initiated talks.

He reached out to Devils and Gods potentially allied.

Avery relayed this to Isaac, her tone laced with astonishment.

"This is unusual. War God normally doesn’t like working with others. He prefers to handle things himself," Avery said during one of their conversations.

Isaac merely nodded in response.

Concurrently, he advanced his private strategies.

The following month saw him forging ties with adjacent kingdoms.

Should the Sword Empress abruptly strike the Ladder of Heavens, those realms must delay the conflict.

Simultaneously, Isaac eroded the Sword Empress’ troops' spirit.

It seemed pointless on the surface.

Yet Isaac recognized its value.

Should Sword Empress and War God lunge at the Heavens, the Ladder would intervene.

Triggering colossal warfare.

Warfare apt to raze the Ladder of Heavens.

Isaac refused to permit it.

Thus, he protracted matters.

First, he spurred devil parleys.

Then, he gradually sapped the besieging army's resolve.

No troops fled yet.

But tension mounted.

Weeks of idleness wore on the soldiers. Families endured hardship from spiked costs and Selene's covert schemes.

They yearned for home.

Yet the host stagnated.

As spirits sank, the Sword Empress endured mounting demands from her commanders.

All progressed per Isaac's blueprint.

Or so it seemed...

Within the Ladder of Heavens' primary command chamber, a towering figure loomed over a vast chart.

Faint golden radiance emanated from him.

He embodied a Sun Dragon.

The Ladder of Heavens' present leader.

Back merely four days prior, he'd seized reins from Selene, Avery, and the duo of deans.

Officers clustered round the table amid his words.

"We will attack the Sword Maiden’s army. They have been sitting there for too long. That alone is suspicious," the Sun Dragon said calmly.

One officer's brow creased faintly. "You believe something has happened to the Sword Maiden, commander?"

"Possibly," the Sun Dragon replied. "Or perhaps they are simply waiting for something. Either way, we cannot remain passive. We will use this opportunity, and we will finish them."

The gathered officers traded worried looks.