The golden forest fell silent.
Hours had passed since Eryndor awakened from his encounter with Nocturne. The sunlight that had once streamed through the colossal trees overhead had gradually shifted, painting the world in shades of amber and gold. Long shadows stretched across the forest floor while the distant sky glowed with the colors of approaching dusk.
Yet none of the members of the Black Sun Syndicate noticed.
Each of them sat motionless.
Each of them had sunk deep into their own consciousness.
Far beyond the physical world.
Far beyond thought.
Far beyond the limitations of flesh.
They had all reached the same destination.
The soul.
Within countless realms hidden inside their minds, the process continued.
Dova stood amidst the shattered fragments of his domain as Entropy gathered around him like an endless sea. The newly formed God Core pulsed with crimson radiance, drawing the power of his soul into itself before refining it into something greater.
Chaos watched silently.
For once, the Origin of Entropy said nothing.
There was nothing left to teach.
Dova had already taken the next step.
The moment the God Core stabilized, his aura transformed.
The boundaries separating Low Deity from Mid-Level Deity shattered completely.
The ascension was instantaneous.
Entropy surged through him.
His soul evolved.
And Chaos merely smiled.
Kaelus found himself standing upon a floating island suspended above an endless ocean of storms.
Lightning illuminated the heavens.
Winds powerful enough to tear worlds apart roared through the skies.
Standing before him was a familiar figure.
Azure.
The God of Tempest.
The ancient deity stood with his arms folded while countless storms revolved around him like loyal servants.
The blue-haired god looked at Kaelus and smiled. Not the smile of a teacher.
The smile of someone witnessing the success of a successor.
The God Core within Kaelus completed its formation.
Lightning and wind fused together beneath his skin.
His divinity deepened. His soul expanded.
The storm itself seemed to welcome him.
The next moment, the barrier broke.
Kaelus stepped into the realm of Mid-Level Deities.
Elsewhere, Tina stood knee-deep within the silver waters of the Soul Passage.
Countless souls drifted around her.
Some whispered.
Some cried.
Some laughed.
The sounds merged together into a strange melody.
The newly formed God Core floated within her chest.
Silver light spread throughout her entire being.
The bridge above trembled. The waters below responded.
And Tina felt something she had never felt before.
Connection.
Not to mana.
Not to elemental energy.
But to souls themselves.
Every soul.
Every spark.
Every fragment.
The power resonated with her very existence.
Standing atop the bridge, Ishae watched quietly.
The Keeper of the Soul Passage smiled. Another Mid-Level Deity had been born.
Isly wandered through an endless night illuminated by a silver moon.
The stars above seemed close enough to touch.
The darkness beneath her feet moved like living water.
Two figures stood waiting. One radiated moonlight.
The other radiated darkness. The descendants of Lunar and Umbrahel.
The Wandering Witch.
The lineage of Chaos. Both watched as Isly's God Core formed. Silver and black energy intertwined. Moonlight and shadow became one.
The process felt natural. Effortless. As if her soul had always been waiting for this moment.
The moment the God Core stabilized, her aura erupted.
The stars overhead trembled. And Isly crossed into Mid-Level Deity.
Alucard stood within an endless wilderness.
Mountains stretched toward the horizon.
Ancient beasts roamed freely. At the center of it all stood a colossal figure.
Yama. The God of Energy and Beasts. His presence felt primordial.
Like a force born during the first days of existence.
The deity watched silently as Alucard's God Core formed.
Golden energy flooded through his veins.
The beast blood within him roared. His soul expanded.His body evolved.
And before long, he too ascended.
Stellar stood within a frozen world. Snow drifted endlessly through the sky. Mountains of ice stretched beyond sight. A beautiful woman stood before her. Rebecca. The Horde of Ice and Frost. The ancient goddess looked at Stellar with calm eyes. The God Core formed. Frost spread through Stellar's soul. The cold became deeper. Divine.
A smile appeared on Rebecca's face as the ascension completed.
Another Mid-Level Deity. Another successor moving forward.
Darius stood within the endless shadows of the Black Sun Domain.
The Warden watched from afar.
Unlike the others, Darius' ascension was incomplete.
His God Core had formed. His soul had evolved. But he remained at the threshold. One step away. The shadows seemed patient.
As though waiting for something or someone someone and then there was Rein.
The Dominion God. The one who had already crossed this path.
Within his consciousness stood a towering waterfall that split the heavens.
The memory returned clearly. The day he shattered the wall hidden behind the waterfall.
The day his God Core had first formed. The day Cyrus appeared. The Dominion God. The ancient deity stood beside him now, observing quietly.
Neither spoke. There was no need. Rein had already inherited his lesson.
The world returned.
One by one, the members of the Black Sun Syndicate opened their eyes.
The first thing they noticed was the sky.
The golden afternoon had vanished.
Night approached.
The horizon burned with crimson and orange light.
Hours had passed.
Perhaps even longer.
The second thing they noticed was Sera.
The Third Sun Goddess stood before them with her hands behind her back.
Her black hair moved gently in the evening breeze.
A proud smile rested upon her face.
For a moment, nobody spoke. Then Sera nodded.
"You all did well."
The smile on her face widened.
"You're only one step away from finishing my lesson."
Kaelus rubbed the back of his head.
The movement felt strangely light.
"So…"
He glanced around.
"Why were we fighting in the first place?"
A few members nodded. It was a fair question. Sera laughed softly. The sound carried through the quiet forest.
"You wanted to fight."
She sounded entirely unapologetic.
"So I fought."
The answer left everyone staring at her.
The goddess smiled proudly.
"But now you understand how to properly use your powers."
That much was true.
The difference was impossible to ignore. Eryndor folded his arms. A thoughtful expression crossed his face.
"This really is another dimension."
His gaze drifted upward.
"I don't feel anything weighing me down."
The realization surprised him.
Back on Nohr, there had always been a limit.
A subtle resistance. A ceiling. Here, that ceiling was gone.
Darius slowly nodded.
"Now that you're talking about it…"
He flexed his fingers.
"It's true."
A grin appeared.
"I feel like I can use one hundred percent of my strength for a long time."
Rein silently examined his palm.
The energy flowing through him felt smoother than ever before.
Sera observed them carefully.
Then she smiled.
"I trust all of you broke your God Cores once they formed?"
The members of the Black Sun Syndicate nodded.
"Yes."
Sera's smile deepened.
"And now that power is flowing throughout your bodies?"
"Yes."
"Good."
For a moment, everything was quiet.
Then Eryndor's expression changed.
His eyes widened.
"Huh?"
A strange sensation spread through his body.
His knees suddenly buckled.
"Eryndor?"
Kaelus stepped forward.
"Hey bro, you goo—"
He never finished.
The moment he took another step, his entire body collapsed.
Thud. The forest floor rushed up to meet him.
A second later, Dova fell.
Then Tina.
Then Isly.
Then Stellar.
Then Darius.
Then Alucard.
Even Rein collapsed onto one knee.
A wave of confusion swept through the group.
They tried to move. Tried to stand. Tried to push themselves up.
The moment they did they experienced pain. Excruciating pain.
It erupted throughout every inch of their bodies.
The sensation wasn't like an injury.
It felt as though every cell was being torn apart and rebuilt simultaneously. Eryndor gritted his teeth. Even moving a finger felt impossible.
Nearby, Sera simply smiled.
"Try your best not to move."
Nobody appreciated how cheerful she sounded.
The Third Sun Goddess casually folded her arms.
"Your bodies are adapting to the divine power of your souls."
The explanation did little to improve their moods.
Across the clearing, Eryndor struggled.
Rein struggled.
Everyone struggled. The pain was relentless.
Then another voice appeared.
"Could've told them this would happen."
The members looked up or at least tried to. David stood beside Sera. Nobody had seen him arrive. He simply existed there. As though he had been standing beside her from the beginning.
The First God of the Sun looked down at the scattered deities covering the forest floor. Then he sighed.
"You know…"
His golden eyes shifted toward Sera.
"A warning would've been nice."
Sera stared at him for a second.Then burst into laughter.
Bright, Unrestrained and Entirely amused.
"Where's the fun in that?"
Silence followed.
The members of the Black Sun Syndicate lay helplessly on the ground.
Unable to move, speak or retaliate.
Yet every single one of them shared the exact same thought.
Tch. She's laughing about it.
And somehow…That made the pain even worse.