As the third day dawns on the lands strain and stress is increased as well. Phoenix was hardly sleeping but when he did he saw a dream where the entire foundation was barren and ruined. The entire dome has been shattered.
The land lay barren, crevices had formed on the earth. Only bodies remain some rotting some still waiting to rot.
On the ground broken swords, and mechas. And behind him a wall of abyss steadily enclosing. Phoenix ran and ran away from the wall. But it rapidly accelerated till it consumed him.
And that was enough for him to wake up. And he couldn't go back to sleep again.
There are sleep aids available to use during sleeping that control the brain in such a way that only good dreams are rendered.
But long term use is prohibited.
This is only for those who have an abnormal defect where they only have nightmares despite treatment.
Thus this technology is currently closed off.
Thus Phoenix had to struggle on with his nightmares. The King Meanwhile had a plesesnt sleep as now had to no longer worry about getting attacked any day. Finally receiving an ultimatum.
While Jay just slept through the night.
The next day T-3.
Same place same time, but with different people. This gathering was made for regional God's governing in that region.
The main assets were the regional gods who have proven their strength will be attending aslo the new individuals who will be ascending today as regional gods. The ritual will be held in the beginning where they shall be connected to a certain piece of land near the battlefield and here they shall fight.
While the attendees will provide their blessings to the nwe ascendents. Because in order to ordain a new regional God there are certain requirements to be fulfilled.
1. Land which will be under the command of the God.
2. Achievements and recognitions of the gods or regional gods.
3. (optional) Power and strength.
But because the foundation members are against the gods they will be making the use of the regional gods. In order to create new regional gods albeit temporary. After the battle all the land shall be returned to the original true owners.
Phoenix, Jay and Roy had already sent invitations to them and jokingly the King also sent a letter to the gods. In order to incite them to take action. To be on the right side of humanity and morality.
The King was fully convinced as he had spent decades with them. They respect honor, pride and purity above everything else. For them the humans had nothing but playthings ever since their bond had broken.
New arrangements had been made for their arrival as one after the other the gods arrived with no dress code. They dressed however they please some came in clothes so that none can even see their face, some came with the minimal clothing required to enter civilization. While some who were fond of the nature came without wearing any.
and everyone was totally unfazed. The only thing that mattered to them was Power, Honor, Position in the lands.
A solid hierarchy had been developed where the most superior regional God was also known as King of the lands.
However the apostle and the God's refuse to recognise the existence of such system. As it would only cause further divide and create a power hierarchy.
In the gathering almost 30-45 regional gods had arrived from the neutral and human factions. Any regional gods from the Heavenly faction had already considered the other gods as underwhelming and weak and dishonorable.
The gathering was loud as the gods behaved as they pleased. Some got together with other gods. Some drunken with power tried to overwhelm the gathering but we're taken care of by Roy.
A hustling bustling environment had been created.
Some found new friend sharing similar ideologies or powers.
Some made new enemies by acting rudely and narcissist.
Some preferred to stay in the shadow of the Yggdrasil.
And some only arrived because they had heard about a mortal who was on par with the gods.
The guest were half an hour to settle in as they were provided with hospitality with food and water. Served by human waiters rather than the standard robots.
Finally the King climbed the stage as he looked at his audience staring daggers at Jim.
The main event had begun.
The King had to request them with the request he could muster.
King:
Its been a very blissful moment since you all have stepped into my humble abode. I am Moonlight Thunder King.
I am the one who stands against the might of the Gods.
I...
Just as he was saying this a huge fireball was thrown towards the King and before it hit him. The King casually blocked it with his hands while addressing the other attendees.
As security was quite minimal Jay and Phoenix quickly cornered and apprehended the attacker. It was a man who's hair had become the embodiment of flames. And a glowful golden yellow colour. Mixed with orange and red. The attacker tried to burn them off. But it didn't work. Since both of them were fire users as well. They defied the flames and kept holding on.
The man was the one of the twin gods of the lands. He was known as the Rising Sun God residing in the terriory of the immortal foundation. While his counterpart wilder of orange flames the Waning Sun God resides at the farmost western territory.
King :
The attack on me was not a sign of hatred or rebellion but it was a sign that he is not a cog in a machine. He has his own independent Existsnce.
I am not asking you to be a cog. I want us to unite to save these lands your own territories which you rule upon.
The King raised his fist in the sky. And shouted.
King :
Who wants to reclaim their land from the God's authority.
Like before there were only a few hands up first since they are against a very formidable opponent.
The rising sun God laughs at the King.
Sun :
You are far too weak. One touch and you shall perish.
King :
I have lived past many suns. If you believe you can defeat me. I shall hand over everything I possess, my land, my people, technology.
However, if you fail you shall unconditionally join our endeavors.
The sun God was excited as he stepped up and relentlessly doused the King in his fires. But the King yet remained unfazed as if they were just just a spark from a flint.
But a single attack from the King was enough to incapacitated the regional God.
Chatter started in the crowd.
? :
He easily overwhelmed him!
? :
If he's this strong he surely must have ascended.
? :
But he doesn't look like it. Without ascension this is just a dream.
As said many times in the past. The lands allow an individual to grow even beyond the strength of the God's. But there is another method to increase one's strengths ht and power. Ascension.
An ascended human is an upgraded form of a human. Where human genetics are altered to be closer to the gods genes. This makes their blood more yellow, skin pigment changes. Muscle mass, neuron connections even brain structure is altered to become more efficient.
And Ascension also allows the host to live a longer live. With immunity to diseases of the lands.
But in the lands Ascension is not required to match the gods strength.
Another regional God from the northern parts of the territory known as the God of Anklets shouted at the King calling him a traitor for not being an ascendant.
But the King held his ground.
King :
I was many times in my life given the chance to ascend to gain even more power. But I didn't, I stayed in my human form. For only one reason. To prove everyone wrong.
I became the only human who can rival the God's strength without ascending. I fear the day that I ascend I shall lose the only thing dear to me Humanity. And it is against my principles and convictions.
I have proved everyone who believes that ascension is the only path to power. Dead wrong.
Some of thr regional proclaimed upon the absence of the other heads. But with extremely careful wording the issue of their absence was pushed aside.
To convince them even more the Head displayed photos and videos which had won then in their endeavors.
1219: the attack on dormund.
1289 : the retaking of Datlun city.
1321 : The sabotage of the celestial machine
1359 : The negotiations of the Revalwater lake
1399 : The conflict of the south
1412 : Coup of the Teren kingdom.
1457 : Annihilation of the war mongering war God
1503 : Capturing the regional God Raiki.
1512 : Cursing the God of advancement.
1555 : Cleansing of the human race.
.
.
.
.
.
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1721 : Second cleansing of the human race.
.
.
.
1958 : Fending off angelic invasions without casualties.
.
2020 : The Final War.
King :
This is what we are capable of. We need only one final push.
Stand with me or die here.
This was a final warning to the regional gods that this will be their final day if they refused.
And one of the gods stood up and refused his authority. He was known as the God of Barren Lands. He used his magic to raise the earth and attack the King. But the attack failed as Roy had already beheaded the Regional God.
And one death was all it took to flare up all the other gods.
They started attacking everyone but before they could something happened.
The regional gods froze on the same ground they were standing. They had been turned into living statues. Some were hanging in mid-air. Some were about to erupt. Some were going to fill the entire place with miasma.
Jay jumped and apprehended one of the regional gods while Phoenix apprehended the other locking his joints to prevent him from causing damage.
But the god was not retaliating. It took Jay five seconds to realize that.
Jay :
You awake?
Jay flicked the forehead of the God and the God frozen fell down.
From the heavens came down a being who had accepted their outrageous invitation.
A God who lies beyond the lands who can control the flow of Chaos itself. Yet he himself moves by Chaos. The person who has blessed the world a millennium ago by granting them a relic so powerful that if froze the time of an entire city.
The God of Time Kronos.