Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

The God of the West Wind silently reflected, and before him, faced with Zephyrus's suggestion, Hera resolutely refused.

In some respects, the Heavenly Empress and Zeus truly shared similarities; neither could be regarded as a standard definition of a good person, yet neither lacked the courage to confront danger.

Before the Divine King revealed his strength, she had dared to stand here, and now that Zeus clearly had the upper hand, she had no thoughts of retreat. However, looking at the God of the West Wind beside her, Hera's gaze softened.

"The Divine King will remember your loyalty, Zephyrus, and compared to the other deities, you have proven yourself with your actions," she said.

"Perhaps you are not as naturally powerful as some deities, but in the era of faith, that is not an issue. The Divine King once told me that the status of the gods should rise and fall by his command, not by natural strength or weakness... Perhaps you are worthy of a higher position."

"...This is merely my duty, Your Majesty," he said.

Taking a deep breath, the God of the West Wind bowed once more, his heart filled with tremendous excitement. A correct choice in the Second Era elevated him to possess Intermediate Divine Power, truly entering the upper echelons of the gods, and now another choice laid the path of Great Divine Power before him.

Even considering the Heavenly Empress's intent, perhaps he might also have a chance to sit in one of those twelve principal godly thrones?

Lost in his reverie, Zephyrus stood by Hera's side like a guard. The battle in the sky grew more intense, but Mother Earth's decline became increasingly evident. The God of the West Wind silently awaited the end of it all. However, at a certain moment, a nameless terror surged within Zephyrus's heart.

He abruptly looked up, searching for the source of danger, yet despite looking around, he saw nothing.

Everything was the same as before, as though it was merely an illusion. But the growing sense of fear in his heart told him that something was definitely happening.

"This is..."

Opening his mouth, he wanted to say something, but Zephyrus quickly found he could not speak a word.

His voice had vanished, as if devoured by some force, followed by light, vision, and even the perception of everything. Bit by bit, piece by piece, everything was obscured, as if all was enveloped in darkness.

It felt like an instant passed, or maybe countless years; in this place, time itself seemed nonexistent, without any measure to gauge it. Until a moment came when a sound akin to the creation of heaven and earth boomed, and the darkness before him was torn asunder by some tremendous force.

"Huff—ha—" he gasped.

Light reappeared before Zephyrus's eyes, but he could scarcely muster any strength. The Wind God merely gasped for breath, trembling unconsciously like a mortal who had skirted the edges of death.

"You've grown stronger," a detached voice came from beside the Wind God, prompting him to turn and look. There, a figure with indistinct features looked toward the void in the distance. Both the Divine King and Mother Earth, drawn by this sudden disturbance, turned their gaze in that direction, but the mysterious person merely nodded at Zeus, not far off, then vanished into the void.

For a moment, the exterior of Mount Olympus fell silent, yet this was but a brief respite. Before long, with another challenge from Gaia, the battle reignited.

"...So it is, Zeus, no wonder I couldn't sense the presence of the Golden Apple on Mount Olympus. You've collaborated with him!"

Although uncertain why Erebus did what he did, his recent action undoubtedly proved this point. So, watching Zeus still feigning ignorance, Gaia, disregarding the restrained power, launched another offensive.

······

In an instant, deep within the starry skies.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Boom—

Unlike the restricted battle on the Great Earth, in the vastness of space, several star domains were ripped apart in a blink, numerous celestial bodies turned to dust. However, the force that had just collided retracted immediately after contact, moving on to further reaches.

Perhaps it happened a few times, or perhaps thousands of times. At some moment, on the very edge of the starry sky, close to a realm beyond the world, those two inscrutable forces finally differed ever so slightly in might.

Rip—

With the last sound fading, Laine's figure emerged. The colors black and white dissipated from his hands, and opposite him, Erebus also stood, only the torn edges of his clothing testified to the result of their recent clash.

Clearly, in the brief encounter, for the first time, the power between the two Ancient Gods had shifted.

"After making up for the deficiencies of Divine Power, so this is the strength of 'Spirituality' at this moment... No, if not for that authority which split from the 'Cycle' of power, meant to end all things, you wouldn't be much stronger than me," Erebus reflected.

The Divine Power flowed, and the torn edges of the garment were mended. Erebus seemed to show no displeasure about having lost a move just now.

"But this is just the beginning," he said calmly.

With a calm demeanor, Laine simply stated the facts.

"The first era we met, your power was such, and now, it remains the same. For millions of years, it has almost never changed," he observed.

"Perhaps, as the world's Source Power rose, the 'quantity' of your power increased, but your 'symbolic' ratio in the world has not changed in the slightest. However, within the domain of the latter half of Great Divine Power, this is far more important than the mere accumulation of 'quantity.'

As Laine said, if in the first half of Great Divine Power it might be possible for 'the world to elevate, and the deities to rise with the tide,' in the latter half, such ease would no longer be found.

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