Becoming a God Starts with Acting

"Bang! Boom boom boom!"

The deafening sound and a powerful tremor nearly sent the entire train jolting into the air. Everyone staggered, struggling to stay on their feet.

And those diamond-sized crystals, each as large as a pigeon egg, had now taken on an entirely different form.

They shattered swiftly upon hitting the ground, transforming into countless sharp crystal shards. These shards surged upward endlessly, as if there were no end to them, launching a fierce assault. They appeared all over the train floor, and wherever they passed, their jagged edges tore through the monsters with brutal finality, sweeping through to the last car.

In just an instant, not a single monster remained. Only the shimmering crystals glowed under the flickering firelight, as if the entire train had been encased in diamonds—stunningly precious and radiant.

At the same time, the flames were gradually smothered by the diamonds, unable to keep burning.

In the blink of an eye, the chaotic train was plunged into a deathly silence.

Everyone was panting heavily, eyes wide as they stared at the majestic sight before them.

Asta was gasping for air, his body swaying unsteadily. Even he seemed stunned by the scene before him.

He had known that using diamonds would have a significant effect, but he hadn't imagined it would be this overwhelming. Even the flames that couldn't be extinguished had been dimmed by his diamonds.

What was happening to him? Or rather, what was happening to them?

It was one thing for Ron to lose control, but now even he had suddenly gone out of control like this.

That was all Asta could think before letting his body fall backward. In that moment, he even longed for something soft to catch him.

And his wish did not go unanswered. Aurora stepped forward to catch him. Asta let himself collapse into her arms, ignoring the pain.

He smiled, looked up at her, and asked softly, "Just now… just now, was I cool?"

A bit of blood stained Aurora's beautiful face, though it wasn't hers. Only now did some people realize that Aurora was the least injured. Her tall figure stood firm, unwavering as she supported Asta.

Aurora raised an eyebrow at him, not expecting him to care about such a thing. She smiled gently and said,

"Is there ever a time when you're not cool?"

Asta stared wide-eyed at her, then suddenly burst out laughing.

Aurora's tone had been so light, as if she were stating an obvious fact. That sincerity only made her words feel even more genuine.

His heart felt even more chaotic than before. And not just from the pain.

"It feels like this whole dungeon is just Asta's stage. Suddenly, I find him annoying."

Nyx, sitting beside Ron, couldn't help but mutter. Even as she spoke words of jealousy, her expression remained perfectly composed. She was determined not to lose her elegance, not even now.

Ron glanced at her and wondered if she ever got tired of constantly keeping that same expression.

But he was far too exhausted to bother arguing with this strange girl.

Everyone else slowly began to exhale, sensing that the danger had passed. They finally allowed themselves to relax a little.

Just then, Nyx suddenly furrowed her brows and shouted,

"Watch out!"

Her eyes widened in alarm. One of the NPCs standing beside Aurora had abruptly transformed.

His skin turned gray and rotted at an alarming speed. He opened his gaping, blood-filled mouth and lunged straight at Aurora, as if he intended to bite her head clean off.

Why was there still an NPC here?

She had known from the start that these NPCs weren't anything good. She had tried to eliminate them all. Why was there still one left?

The wound on Nyx's abdomen split open once again, and the dark blue petals fluttered out, bringing her so much pain that her entire face turned deathly pale, as if all blood had drained from it.

Too slow. Too slow...

Asta had no energy left. The petals were too slow. Nyx could almost picture Aurora's head being bitten clean off.

But just at that moment, something even more unimaginable happened.

Asta turned around and threw his arms around Aurora, choosing to die in her place.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Even Ron couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock.

And Aurora, wrapped in Asta's arms, witnessed it all. She stared at Asta in disbelief, this time truly in disbelief.

Asta… was willing to die for her?

They had only just met. She didn't even know whether to call him stupid or brave...

[Is this… true love?]

[Asta, I was wrong. You're still my idol.]

[Ridiculous. This has to be the most absurd death ever for someone of Asta's level!]

However, the gruesome scene of blood spraying everywhere and Asta being decapitated did not appear.

Instead, golden dust scattered from Aurora's hand, its color mirroring Asta's eyes.

At the same time, a jagged crystal shield appeared, blocking the zombie's attack.

Nyx's petals finally arrived and engulfed the monster. The threat was completely eliminated in just a blink.

"Crack... crack..."

Right then, a sound like something fracturing rang out. They looked over and saw the crystal formations covering the train beginning to crack apart, breaking into countless shimmering particles that drifted through the air.

Then the flames returned, bursting back to life and lighting up the entire area.

They rushed forward with terrifying speed.

Nothing could extinguish this fire. Someone shut their eyes in despair, ready to accept the end.

After all, they had fought with everything they had. Whatever happened now, there would be no regrets… no regrets...

Drip...

No one knew whose tear hit the train floor.

Then, Ron's quiet voice suddenly rang out:

"The fire... It's not spreading to us."

Everyone snapped their eyes open.

"The fire's not coming to us!"

"We're alive! We're alive, haha!"

"Fighting this long really meant something… thank goodness, huhuhu!"

Some wept. Others shouted with joy. They hadn't been devoured by the undead. They wouldn't become ashes under the flames.

Even Ron couldn't help but lift the corners of his mouth and relax against the seat.

"Is this dungeon really that simple?" Nyx suddenly asked.

Ron shook his head. "Aurora and I encountered a shadow monster, but it hasn't shown up yet. Let's rest for now."

Asta, meanwhile, had long since run out of strength. He and Aurora fell together from sheer inertia.

"Agh!"

Aurora landed on top of Asta, and he couldn't help but groan softly in pain, his vision flashing with sparks.

A sweet kind of pain, Asta told himself.

Aurora quickly sat up and supported him, asking gently,

"Are you alright?"

Asta shook his head quickly.

"I'm fine."

But the grimace on his face said otherwise.

Aurora kept her eyes on Asta, then suddenly leaned in close, catching him off guard. Her voice was soft.

"You're such an idiot. Were you really ready to die for me?"

Asta stared at the crystal shield in front of him, a little dazed. Then he pressed his lips together, face reddening slightly, and said nothing.

Aurora helped him sit up. The two of them sat facing each other.

Seeing Asta's flustered expression, Aurora narrowed her eyes slightly and teased him.

"Do you love me that much?"

Asta's eyes widened. He hadn't expected Aurora to be so direct.

In that moment, all the noise faded away.

He looked at her seriously and said with full sincerity,

"I would die for you. I know I'm being shallow, but everything I said is true."

"You've already proven it through your actions."

Aurora's bright smile made Asta's heart race.

She leaned close to his ear, her breath soft as mist, sending shivers down his spine.

But what she said next made him freeze.

"What if I told you I don't love you?"

"It's okay. I can chase after you," Asta replied honestly.

"After all, I can't expect everyone to be as shallow as I am."

Aurora looked at him, surprised again and again. Her gaze now sparkled with amusement and interest.

"Asta is completely hopeless," Nyx snorted from the side.

Ron frowned but didn't say anything.

Just then, someone shouted,

"Everyone, look! Something's coming out of the fire!"

In an instant, the joyful mood disappeared.

Everyone tensed up again, their bodies ready for whatever was coming next.