Leaving the immense branches of the ancient tree behind, Arthur and Steve silently flew through the endless skies of the Divine Realm. The tranquil scenery unfolding around them was breathtaking. Smaller floating islands drifted peacefully amidst an endless ocean of clouds while rivers flowed between distant mountains suspended high above the heavens.
The entire realm appeared like a paradise untouched by conflict, yet Arthur no longer viewed it with the same curiosity he had possessed only an hour earlier. Somewhere in this divine realm, nine Godkings were preparing to reclaim the lower world, while imprisoned Dragon, Elven, and Beastmen Godkings steadily approached freedom as the ancient seals deteriorated.
The peace surrounding them was merely the calm before a storm capable of engulfing both the Divine Realm and Thyrandel alike. Arthur's gaze remained fixed ahead until a question that had lingered since entering Theron's palace finally surfaced. Without slowing his flight, he glanced toward Steve and asked quietly, "You knew Theron?"
Steve remained silent for several seconds before releasing a long sigh. The question clearly stirred memories he rarely revisited. "Yes," he answered at last, his eyes drifting toward the endless clouds beneath them. "He was there... when the Godkings summoned me from my world."
Arthur looked at him thoughtfully. Although Steve had occasionally mentioned fragments of his past, they had never truly discussed the day he was summoned. After a brief hesitation, he spoke again, his tone noticeably softer than before. "Do you... ever want to go back?"
Steve smiled faintly, though there was more sadness than amusement in that expression. "Go back?" he repeated quietly before shaking his head. "To what?" His gaze remained fixed upon the distant horizon as he continued. "The people I knew... my parents, my friends... even if my world still exists, they're almost certainly gone by now. Thousands of years have passed since I was summoned. Countries would've risen and disappeared during that time."
He chuckled bitterly. "Even if someone sent me back tomorrow, I'd be returning to a world that has no place for me." Arthur understood the feeling better than most. He was a victim of transmigration himself, though nothing compared to the unimaginable span Steve had endured. He gave a slow nod before asking, "What was it like?"
For the first time since leaving Theron's palace, genuine warmth appeared in Steve's eyes. "It was beautiful," he answered without hesitation. "Our world was called Eldoria." The name lingered between them for a moment before he continued. "We weren't perfect, we still fought wars. Politics was just as messy as anywhere else. But despite all of that, humanity shared one dream."
He smiled to himself as though watching old memories unfold before his eyes. "We'd already learned to travel throughout our solar system. We were able to establish colonies on nearby planets. Scientific expeditions constantly pushed us farther into space. And every child grew up believing they'd witness humanity leave our solar system one day." His voice carried unmistakable nostalgia.
"No matter the conflicts, everyone wanted to see what waited beyond our solar system and that brought us together." Arthur listened quietly, imagining the civilization Steve described. Based on what he knew, Eldoria had likely reached an interplanetary stage of development. Their technology had surpassed anything Earth had achieved before the Cataclysm, yet they still hadn't reached true interstellar travel before Steve's summoning changed everything.
Silence accompanied them for several moments before Arthur returned to the matter occupying his thoughts. "The Godkings who summoned you..." he began. "Are they the same group Theron warned us about?"
Steve's smile gradually disappeared. "Yes." His expression became noticeably more serious. "There are nine of them altogether. Back then they presented themselves as humanity's protectors. They claimed the mortal realm needed a Hero capable of unifying mankind against invaders from beyond the world."
He paused briefly before shaking his head. "I believed them." There was no anger in his voice anymore, only disappointment. "At first everything seemed genuine. They gave me power and the Church supported me in my mission."
Steve looked toward Arthur. "Only much later did I realize I wasn't leading humanity." He smiled bitterly. "I was strengthening their influence. Every victory I achieved expanded the Church. I wasn't saving the world because they believed in humanity. I was helping them tighten their grip over it."
Arthur frowned, the pattern was familiar in almost every world. Noble ideals gradually became tools for those seeking greater power. "Who's the strongest among them?" he asked.
Steve answered almost immediately. "Theia." Even speaking the name caused his expression to tighten. "She is the Goddess of Light. If the nine were forced to acknowledge a leader, it would be her. The others aren't much weaker, but she's undoubtedly the strongest."
Arthur silently memorized the name. Considering Theron's explanation about divinity, he suspected Theia had likely accumulated unimaginable power over countless ages. "Theron said there were originally only four Pantheons," Arthur continued thoughtfully. "Human, Dragon, Elven and Beastmen. If that's true... shouldn't there have been only four Godkings? Was Theia the original Human Godking?"
Steve immediately shook his head. "No, the original Human Godking disappeared long before the Divine Realm became separated from Thyrandel." Seeing Arthur's surprise, he added, "And he wasn't the only one. According to the records I managed to uncover, all four original Godkings vanished around the same time. Every one of them disappeared without explanation."
Arthur's brows slowly furrowed. "All four?" Steve nodded.
Arthur considered the revelation carefully. If the supreme rulers of every Pantheon disappeared simultaneously, the political consequences would have been catastrophic. Major Gods who had previously remained loyal suddenly found themselves without anyone capable of restraining them. Ambition, fear and opportunity would've naturally divided them into competing factions.
The more he thought about it, the more Theron's explanation made sense. The disappearance of those four ancient rulers had likely become the spark that eventually transformed the Divine Realm into what it was today. "That explains why so many separate Pantheons appeared afterward," Arthur murmured.
Steve nodded in agreement. "Absence of power creates a vacuum. The moment the strongest disappeared, everyone else tried filling the empty throne."
The conversation gradually shifted toward practical matters as Steve shared everything he remembered regarding the remaining Godkings, though his knowledge wasn't complete. During his years as the Hero, he'd interacted with only a handful directly, while much of what he knew came from rumors circulating among the church.
Even so, every fragment of information held value. Arthur silently organized each piece of information while comparing it against everything he'd learned from Theron. More than once he wished his System could simply provide every answer he required. Unfortunately, despite its incredible capabilities, it remained far from omniscient.
It could reveal astonishing information regarding the greater universe, forgotten civilizations and even forbidden knowledge beyond ordinary comprehension, but when it came to living individuals, limitations quickly became apparent. Unless he personally analyzed someone, the System couldn't simply generate complete information about them.
The hidden Life Cores of Godkings remained equally inaccessible, as they were connected to living beings. There was another frustrating restriction as well. Whenever an object or structure had been relocated after the System's most recent upgrade, it could only reveal the last recorded position rather than its current one. Although imperfect, those records still possessed tremendous value.
As the two continued crossing the sky, Arthur communicated with the System, requesting every available record concerning the territories controlled by the nine Godkings and any known defensive formations, or traps previously documented around them.
And the place he was going to belonged to Thalassor, the God of Depths and Oceans. The System's records showed the last known location of his palace together with several ancient defensive formations surrounding the territory. Arthur compared the information against the route Theron had provided and realized they were already approaching the edge of Thalassor's domain.
Several minutes later, the scenery gradually changed. Endless forests gave way to an enormous sea and islands drifted atop it. Steve slowed before finally stopping just outside the territory. He looked toward Arthur, his expression completely serious. "There's no going back after this," he said quietly. "Are you ready?"
Arthur looked ahead toward the distant sea where the last recorded location of Thalassor's palace lay hidden. His answer came in the form of a single nod.
The moment he gave his silent confirmation, the tranquil atmosphere surrounding the area shattered completely. Steve barely had time to react before Arthur's figure disappeared from his side, accelerating so violently that the surrounding space folded behind him. A deafening sonic boom echoed across the sky as purple streams of Aether wrapped around his body, propelling him across hundreds of kilometers in less than a second.
Steve remained where he was, watching the rapidly fading streak of purple disappear into the distant horizon before quietly lowering his gaze. Although wanted to follow, he understood better than anyone that this battlefield no longer belonged to him. Against Minor Gods he could still contribute, but against Godkings, even weaker ones the difference in strength had become far too great.
Charging forward would accomplish nothing except become a distraction Arthur would be forced to protect. He folded his arms behind his back and silently stared toward the distant sky. "Don't die, lad," he murmured under his breath. "The future of our world is riding on your shoulders now."
…
The magnificent palace gradually emerged, its enormous structure resting upon a floating island surrounded by concentric rings of rocks, the palace was protected by hundreds of guards patrolling the skies above. Under ordinary circumstances, assaulting such a fortress would require an army capable of overwhelming its defenders.
Arthur, however, had no intention of waging a conventional siege. The instant he confirmed the palace's location, the Aether surrounding his body erupted with explosive force and his speed increased once more. The guards stationed around the outer perimeter sensed nothing. Their perception simply couldn't keep pace with an opponent moving at such terrifying velocity.
BOOOOOOM!!
The impact caused an explosion that contained the kinetic energy equivalent to over 300 nukes dropped in Hiroshima.
An unimaginably violent shockwave erupted outward from the center of the floating island, instantly pulverizing magnificent towers that had stood untouched for hundreds of thousands of years. Water surrounding the island exploded in every direction, transforming into colossal walls of mist that engulfed the surrounding sky.
The defensive formations hidden throughout the island activated instantly, but they were already too late. One after another they shattered beneath the overwhelming force of Arthur's charge, their intricate runes breaking apart before they could fully activate.
The colossal floating island lurched violently as though struck by a meteor, causing part of it to crumble into the seas below. Minor Gods stationed nearby were thrown backward like leaves caught within a hurricane, many crashing through the sea before they even understood what had happened.
Within the cloud of dust and shattered stone, two powerful divine auras erupted almost simultaneously. Twin streaks of light burst upward through the collapsing palace moments before the remaining structure completely gave way beneath them. They hovered silently above the ruins while fragments of the destroyed island continued raining into the sea below.
Thalassor radiated the endless pressure of deep oceans, blue divine energy swirling around him like tides capable of drowning worlds. He possessed long azure hair flowing almost to his waist, his robes resembling water that constantly shifted without becoming still. His sharp blue eyes swept across the devastation beneath him before narrowing dangerously.
The other possessed a far more rugged presence, his golden brown aura carrying the immense stability of mountains. He was an enormous muscular man whose upper body was completely bare and his bronze skin appeared almost identical to polished stone.
He was Gaius, the God of Earth and Stone. He slowly looked towards the ruined palace before finally speaking, his deep voice carrying equal parts bewilderment and anger.
"Who..." he muttered, staring at the dust covered crater that moments earlier had been Thalassor's residence. "...has the courage to attack us?" His expression darkened further as divine energy instinctively gathered around his clenched fists. "Is it those pesky ants trying to rebel?"
Thalassor remained unusually calm despite the destruction of his palace. Several long moments passed before he slowly shook his head. "No." His voice carried unmistakable confusion. "If it were one of the neutral Godkings, I would've sensed them the instant they crossed into my territory."
Unlike Theron, Thalassor had never fused with his Divine Domain, preventing him from maintaining complete awareness of every living being beneath his rule. Even so, the divine signatures of fellow Godkings were impossible to conceal entirely. Had one of them entered openly, he would have recognized them immediately.
"Then who..." Gaius frowned deeply. "...could possibly possess enough strength to do this?"
The answer emerged before either Godking could continue. A faint crunch echoed from the shattered remains of the palace. Dust drifted lazily through the air as a lone figure calmly stepped forward from the ruins, fragments of broken marble sliding from his shoulders.
Arthur's expression remained neutral, not showing excitement for the upcoming battle. His eyes calmly swept across the two Godkings hovering above before finally settling upon Thalassor. The System silently confirmed both identities the moment they entered his field of vision, but he made no attempt to charge at them. Instead, he simply stood amidst the destruction.
High above, both Godkings frowned simultaneously. They did not recognize the young man standing below, nor could they sense any divinity belonging to a god.
Yet the sight of him emerging unharmed from the epicenter of such devastation immediately told them one undeniable truth. The person standing before them was powerful.
***
Become a patreon member and read 35 Chapters ahead:
patreon.com/New_Horizon1
You can join my discord channel to discuss my novel and find artwork of this novel!!
https://discord.gg/PmkQsrAdMY