Brand New Life Online: Rise Of The Goddess Of Harvest

”No way?!” Mark gasped. ”It actually works? Does it really work? Maybe the nether is interfering with it?”

”I don’t know, but the phone was modified into a magic item, so I don’t think it should be affected negatively,” Elayne replied, holding her phone with trembling hands. ”Ah, it works!”

She channeled her spiritual energy into the device. Mixed with the nether, the phone began to transform, shifting into a sleek black color with intricate bone motifs spreading across its surface. Strangely enough, it evolved while preserving its original functions and even seemed to gain new powers.

Elayne’s eyes filled with tears as she clutched the phone tightly. It was the last remaining piece of her previous life, still completely intact. All the photos she had taken, the old chats, every precious memory was still there. Though there was no ordinary signal, something unexpected appeared.

”Huh? T-There’s signal?” she gasped.

”Is it because of its special ability? Didn’t it say something about connecting to the internet anywhere?” Mark asked.

”I-I could call her...” Elayne muttered. Her hands shook as she stared at her daughter’s phone number. ”C-Can I call her? Can I call Elena? Everyone else who’s still alive...”

”Calm down,” Mark said gently but firmly. ”First things first, let’s test a few things properly. We cannot act rashly or rush this, okay?”

”Y-Yeah, yeah, I know,” Elayne nodded quickly. ”It just... okay, I’m trying!”

Despite Mark’s advice, Elayne could not hold back. She immediately tried to call Elena.

However, a cold system message appeared.

[Out of signal. You cannot make a call to another world.]

[This item requires several materials and further evolutions to attain that ability.]

”Gah?! But the internet works just fine?!” Elayne exclaimed. Fury surged through her, pushing her to the edge of exploding in anger. Yet she took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down with a heavy sigh.

”Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. What was I even thinking?”

As she sat in silence, she scrolled through the photos on her phone. Images of her daughter, her friends, her family, and the life she had left behind filled the screen. The sight brought both comfort and deep sorrow.

”I guess you cannot reach her yet,” Mark sighed. ”But since it is an artifact now, we should be able to upgrade the phone, right?”

”Right, that’s why we are here!” Gardenia nodded enthusiastically.

”Yeah, Master. Once we gather enough materials...” Ignis added, ”we can upgrade that piece of human technology and make it possible to speak across worlds.”

”I suppose there is nothing else to do but continue working hard,” Elayne said. ”Wait, but I can still connect to the internet. Maybe internet calls? Video chat? Or at least messaging?”

She tried various applications, but most returned the same error. Only one basic messaging app worked. She quickly typed a long message to her daughter’s number, pouring out everything that had happened to her and explaining that she was safe, working hard to find a way back, and protected by Ruler, the Heroic Spirit who had been summoned there.

A notification appeared below her message: it would take a full month for the text to reach her daughter.

Elayne felt a wave of sadness, but she refused to let it crush her. ”There is a delay of a month... It is better than nothing,” she sighed softly.

”Yeah,” Mark nodded in agreement. ”At least we have something now. So, what next? I think we should head to the forge with Ignis, show him around, and then have him craft some new weapons and armor. We will arrive at our destination soon anyway, so it is better to stay busy doing something productive. That way we do not dwell on dark thoughts, right?”

”Hm,” Elayne nodded. ”Yeah, let’s go.”

She stored the phone safely within her soul for the time being and followed Ignis to the forge. Once there, she gave him a full tour of the facilities.

”Hmm, it is decent enough, I suppose. It seriously needs some upgrades though,” Ignis remarked as he spread his blazing arms wide. ”Territory Takeover – Divine Forge Domain!!!”

FLAAASH!

In a brilliant explosion of divine power, Ignis claimed the entire forge. His energy surged outward, expanding and transforming the space in mere seconds. What once was a simple workshop became a grand stone palace with towering pillars and multiple specialized chambers. The flames burned hotter and purer than before, and majestic statues of his father now stood proudly within the hall.

”This is much better!” Ignis declared with a confident smile. ”Master, bring me the materials and show me the spirit you want to house. Let us create some powerful weapons.”

”Alright!”

Elayne nodded eagerly and brought forth a large quantity of precious materials. The rest of her companions soon joined the lively forging session. Blank approached with clear curiosity, watching as Elayne worked alongside the blazing spirit. Not far away, Mark was doing the same.

Their hammer strikes rang out in perfect rhythm. The more they worked with Ignis’s divine flames, the more natural and intuitive the craft felt. Metals, bones, crystals, and spiritual essences fused together under their skilled hands.

After several intense hours, a magnificent shovel emerged from the flames, radiating immense power. It was crafted from Nether Steel and Dark Mithril that Elayne had mined herself, strengthened with the sturdiest bones and cores taken from the Undead Generals she had defeated. She then added a fragment of the Pagoda, infused it with divine sunlight, and channeled holy light, nature, and earth elements through spirit summoning. The combination surprised even Ignis.

”Now, Irene, here is your new home!” Elayne said with a bright, joyful smile. ”Enjoy it!”

Irene happily merged into the powerful shovel, settling in until she gained complete control. She floated around excitedly, amazed by the strength she now possessed in her new vessel.

”This is amazing!” she cheered. ”I feel so strong now!”

”And you will not be the only one,” Elayne replied.

She quickly forged a lightweight yet sturdy armor set perfectly suited to Irene’s slender frame. Although it left some skin exposed, such designs were common and practical for magic armor. Through this new armor, she infused all the other spirits within her, fusing them into a unified legion that could serve as a living set of armor whenever needed.

”Perfect!” she celebrated.

Next, they crafted a new knife for Mark. It could extend into a blazing sword at will, and Ignis’s companion spirit, Ignias, made herself at home inside it, feeling completely comfortable.

”Alright, let’s continue!”

They worked without pause. By the time the moving Domain finally reached the next town, the entire group stepped out equipped with brand-new armor and powerful weapons, ready for the next stage of their journey.

Deep within the mountains behind the town, an ancient power pulsed quietly. It had sensed the fragment of one of Hephaestus’s sons. Soon, the wielder of that divine inheritance would arrive to claim yet another piece.

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