My Wives Are A Divine Hive Mind-Chapter 39: Exploring The Xenorealm

The ringing started faintly, like a series of bells far in the distance—then came the sensation of their tolls reverberating through Kivas' bones, clanging again and again until her vision broke apart.

The Xenorealm unraveled before her.

"Woah..."

Clouds blanketed the horizon below, tinged in soft shades of gold and cyan, their edges curling upward as though rising rather than falling.

Floating islands drifted across the expanse, suspended by columns of mist that spiraled with a steady rhythm like a heartbeat.

Above them, where the sky should have opened to an endless atmosphere, instead there loomed an inverted continent—an upside-down world bristling with alien spires, towering monoliths, and living structures that defied symmetry.

The landscape bore no horizon, only depth. The upper expanse stretched infinitely, layered in impossible architecture. Some parts pulsed gently, others hovered midair with appendages of living stone reaching outward like antennae.

The scale was disorienting, the gravity subjective, and it was still nothing but breathtaking to witness through Kivas' own eyes.

Connecting all of the floating islands, were vast ropes made of sinewed flesh wound from one floating landmass to another, their veined lengths twitching occasionally as if aware of the party's presence.

On the islands themselves, trees shaped like pulsating neural clusters swayed in a nonexistent wind, their branching dendrites folding inward and outward like breathing thought.

No one spoke for a while. The entire party stood still, each struggling with their own threshold of awe, fear, and the unease of existing in something this alien.

Azulus broke the silence. "If anyone wants to head back for a break, eat something, breathe a little—this is the moment. We've crossed through, and there seems to be no immediate danger unless we search for it."

No one moved.

"I'm staying," Joyhan said, his voice diffused.

"Same," Toriq grunted.

Kivas shook her head. "I still feel energetic!"

"If Kivas stays, then I'll stay, simple as that," Samael shrugged.

With mutual agreement, they stepped further into the Xenorealm.

Azulus led them across the first island, their boots pressing into soft, sponge-like ground layered with tendrils of pale flesh.

Fungal stalks jutted upward intermittently, releasing faint streams of colorless spores that shimmered with inner luminescence.

Glassy slugs slid past their feet, dragging behind trails that crystallized seconds after passing.

Crystal-shelled hermit crabs huddled between stones, twitching each time someone approached, their shells radiating unstable bursts of energy.

Joyhan extended an arm to scoop up a slug. It popped like a water balloon when he touched it, dissolving into a cloud of refracted light.

"That one's off the list," he muttered.

They continued forward, eventually arriving at the edge of a floating isle where the flesh-rope bridge awaited them—thick, veined, and taut between landmasses. It pulsed underfoot as they crossed, as though responding to their weight, guiding them forward rather than resisting their passage.

"New location mapped," Azulus said, tapping her tag. "Marking this bridge as a stable connector."

They reached the next island where their first treasure awaited—an embedded Curio, partially fused into the pulsing trunk of a brain-tree.

The chest was cubic, its surface layered with mirrored flesh and dull bone, and it quivered when they approached.

Certainly not the usual shape and appearance of the Curio one could find in Fathomi.

Beilan stepped forward, her expression sharper than usual. "Let me try disarming it—"

Joyhan drifted beside her, lifting a hand. "Allow me. I've got a knack for high-risk absurdities."

The mist man winked.

Without waiting for permission, he stripped away his cloak and gear, revealing his full body—his torso swirled with vaporous patterns, features breaking apart and reforming constantly, like steam trapped in human shape.

Kivas felt a little bit awkward but then noticed that nobody reacted seeing it.

"Here I go~"

Joyhan touched the Curio.

An instant later, Kivas saw hundreds—thousands—of slashes erupting from nowhere, cutting across every inch of Joyhan's body.

He didn't flinch, and neither was his life.

"Whops, looks like the trap is an extremely difficult one," Joyhan said after a pause. "The trap consists of a single scenario of being chased away by what appeared to be an almighty being. I saw some glyphs and shapes that might be a hint to disarm the scenario, but my stats seem to be too low to decipher them." He grinned. "This means that there is a chance that the loot is very good."

Azulus nodded. "Noble-tier or above, most likely."

Samael's smile stretched unnaturally wide.

"May I?"

Azulus made no objection. "I wish you luck then."

Samael approached the Curio.

When her fingers reached the chest, a wave of sigils burst outward from its surface, swirling once—then folding inward and vanishing.

The chest opened.

Everyone was in awe, especially Joyhan who was on his way to get all of his clothing back.

"I appreciate the information," Samael faintly smiled, referring to Joyhan. "To risk your own life to scout the trap ahead, well done."

"Your praise is highly valued~" Joyhan bowed and tipped his knife.

Kivas however, was not agape from that.

Her eyes aggressively latched at the content that was revealed from the disarmed chest.

Within it lay a cylindrical object nearly as long as Kivas' torso, coated in dark grey metallic shellwork, with warning runes etched into its tail end.

Kivas took a step forward, stared for a full two seconds, then raised both hands into the air.

"No. No way. This—this is—!" Kivas screamed. "A goddamn ballistic missile!"

Toriq peered over. "Someone seems to be high in energy, I wonder what that thing is."

While Kivas was having a breakdown in the background, Samael inspected the new loot calmly. "Name inscribed within its existence. Crumbling Judgment. Trait seems to be capable of manifesting or a projection of propelling thrust on the side where the exhaust is positioned...

"An extremely volatile energy is detected within it, which can be controlled by the owner that soul-equips it. It can also regenerate."

Kivas paced in a small circle, arms thrown up. "What the hell Fathomi!? You can't just decide to shove an entire regenerating explosive delivery system into a treasure box! A missile! A literal, chemical-kinetic death cylinder of doom! AAAAA—!"

"Regenerate?" Joyhan asked with keen interest. "The cool kind of regeneration?"

"Yes," Samael confirmed with confidence. "To put it in another word, the inner resonance maintains a renewal loop. Upon destruction, its molecular structure reconstitutes and reconstructs its own entire existence. It's soul-equippable, responds to will, and contains a detonation core."

Kivas threw her hands down. "It's a frickin', regenerating, ballistic missile!"

Azulus, seemingly unbothered by the absurdity, smiled. "It's an Exotic-tier weapon. A strong one at that too, just basing it from Samael's analysis alone." She then gazed at Kivas who was doing some sort of ritual dance of madness. "She seems to understand its origin, how about I suggest to have this weapon to be equipped by her, at least until the end of expedition?"

"That's a good idea!" Joyhan whistled.

"Seeing how strong it can be, that weapon alone might increase our combat power by a lot, especially on the right hand," Toriq agreed with a nod and a smile.

"I don't object..." Beilan sheepishly nodded.

Still reeling, Kivas accepted the weapon and slung it over her back beside her shotgun.

"Congratulations," Samael said with a slow smirk. "You're now walking artillery."

"I have evolved... with this piece of military artifact in my hand..."

From that point onward, the expedition began to spiral into fortune. Each new floating island offered something new—fragments of foreign metals, unusual elemental stones, and twisted remnants of whatever culture once built the upside-down skyworld above them.

Not to mention, more Curios and oscillating tiers of loots.

The expedition stored everything they could grab within the Xenorealm into a storage outpost that was established right before the entrance to this bizarre world.

And in case that it might get stolen, Azulus expanded a private field, folding a pocket of subspace to contain the more valuable items, and on top of that, hiding them from plain sight.

Kivas' mind began to churn as she stared at Azulus, "Spatial manipulation, hmm..."

"Hmm?"

Azulus' entire arsenal, it seemed, revolved around spatial manipulation. The way she blinked and teleported in short distance multiple times under a short timespan, and also how she could be seen manifesting an invisible staircase for the expedition team when there was no visible path from one floating island to another, is a testament of that.

And with the amount of progress that they made, the expedition team decided to create a second outpost inside the Xenorealm, alongside a teleportation checkpoint that allowed one to teleport to another checkpoint located on the entrance of this world.

This whole system was erected by Azulus—

And Samael.

"To think that we might possess the same hidden class..." Azulus commented.

Samael replied with a mischievous smile, "It should be a hidden class no more if there is more than one person that knows of its existence."

"Without spoiling what this class is," Kivas chimed in, wanting to sate her curiosity without probing too much at other's Well of the Soul personal information. "Is there a chance that I might be able to acquire it too?"

"A very low chance, that is," Azulus smirked.

"Zero percent, to be honest," Samael followed.

"Guh!"

By the time they fully established a second outpost, everyone was tired but accomplished.

The shimmering light of the horizon crackled faintly around as Kivas settled into a moment of peace, laying on the moss-textured ground, looking up to the alien world above them.

And of course, where there was Kivas, there would be Samael somewhere near her,

"This is quite the experience," Kivas said with a comfy smile.

"Glad that you took delight in this," Samael smiled to the happy face she saw on her soulmate.

Beilan approached quietly. She stood before Kivas and Samael, her posture uncharacteristically tense.

"I want to apologize," she said. "I misjudged you. Both of you. Especially you." Her eyes flicked to Samael. "I greatly apologize..."

Samael looked her over once, then waved a hand. "I don't take offense."

Kivas wryly grinned. "It's alright. Samael is not holding grudges. Or else, you would be dealt with already." Kivas waved her hand as if she was throwing a casual retort.

Samael added after a moment, "Still, if I may give a thought. Unless you have the strength to dismiss someone completely, it is more advantageous to form connections."

"Aww, what kind word from the almighty Samael," Kivas teased.

"Relationships are levers," Samael continued, "use them, manipulate them, utilize them wisely."

Kivas turned slowly toward her, face filled with disappointment. "I almost felt proud until that last sentence."

Beilan absorbed the comment, then bowed with respect.

"I'll remember that."

The air relaxed again. Everyone sat quietly, either eating or observing the alien landscape.

At this point, they should have collected enough loot to be exchanged for a great amount of rewards and services on the Solvish Chapter. And by the off chance, promote their grade!

Even if a foreign party entered and began monopolizing this Xenorealm, Kivas and the rest of the expedition would be happy to let it be.

"It's bizarre," Kivas said. "But peaceful." ƒгeewёbnovel.com

"It is..." Beilan answered, still acting shyly around Kivas and Samael.

"Hmm..." Samael hummed with unsureness.

Kivas' gaze drifted upward—toward the ceiling world far above, layered in black towers and shimmering chains of light. Then she paused.

A singular black dot glowed faintly near one of the monoliths on the world above. It pulsed once, then twice, and so on, rhythmically, like a heartbeat made of void.

Samael stood immediately and prepared herself. "Kivas."

"I see it...!"

The flickering intensified in an extremely short timespan!

A blink later, something impossibly fast plummeted.

Before anyone could react, a glowing stone the size of a small fortress crashed down from above, its form wrapped in molten runes—crushing Beilan under its massive lump of wrath.