"I'm back!"
In the spectacle of the Void, hovering above the world of Erathia, a massive staircase-shaped pyramid crowned the World Transmission Palace. At its pinnacle, ripples formed, and a colossal Void Gate took shape. Out of it stepped a towering figure who looked down at the vast, boundless world below, letting out a sigh of nostalgia.
"It's been so long. I wonder if Mikaela has succeeded in reaching the peak of Legend and if she's entered the Void yet. And my three lovely daughters—if I've got the timing right, they should be adults by now."
As Muria gazed upon his homeland, having finally ascended to the Epic tier and returned victorious, his thoughts began to wander. However, he soon sensed that he might be forgetting something.
"Oh, there's also Aeolos. I wonder what he's done with my empire by now—has he given me a few grandsons or granddaughters? If not, I'll need to encourage him a bit!"
"Never mind, no point dwelling on all that right now. Let's see how things are going first." Filled with confidence, his very essence now transformed to match the power of a god, Muria prepared to descend into the world of Erathia.
But just as he was about to enter, a massive double-bladed battle axe—stained with ten different shades of tainted blood and exuding an overpowering murderous aura—suddenly appeared, cutting through the Void and striking directly toward Muria.
Clang!
Seeing the familiar battle axe, Muria was momentarily stunned, but his body reacted instinctively. His hands shot out to brace himself, intercepting the axe's forceful impact.
A sharp, resonant metallic sound rang out, and Muria's huge form was sent hurtling backward, smashing into the World Transmission Palace behind him.
Though his Titan body had evolved into the Epic All-Spirit Physique, it left a deep, humanoid crater in the metal structure upon impact. The superalloy inscribed with runes crumbled as if it were mere tofu, shattering on contact.
"Grandfather!"
Dazed from the blow as he emerged from the metallic crater he'd created, Muria stared at the blood-stained, ominous battle axe.
"Too weak!" A faint, humanoid silhouette appeared beside the battle axe. The figure grew more distinct, eventually coalescing into the unmistakable form of Muria's grandfather, the Lord of the Wild, Archimonde.
"I just ascended!" Muria said with a sheepish grin, his previous joy at his recent achievement quickly fading. He could tell this was merely a projection of his grandfather's power. He'd been sent flying by just one blow from this projection, without even the chance to defend himself.
"Too weak!" Archimonde repeated simply, unfazed by Muria's attempt to explain.
Muria flexed his hands, saying nothing. There was nothing left to say—he'd just been harshly reminded of his place.
"At your current strength, you have no right to re-enter the world. You're too weak!"
Even without a response, Archimonde didn't relent. "Returning at your level of power will only trigger a pitifully small response from the world's laws."
"So that's why you're stopping me from going home, Grandfather?" Muria's expression grew complicated. He knew that every newly ascended Epic received a warm welcome from the world upon their return, followed by an important choice.
"In the past, every Epic Titan returning has shaken the foundations of the world's laws. The birth of each Epic Titan has been a celebrated event across the world."
Archimonde's gaze was devoid of emotion as he looked at Muria. "I don't want our Titan tradition to be broken in your generation, especially not by my grandson."
"I understand," Muria nodded reluctantly. He understood what his grandfather was getting at.
It was simple. Before the Titans acquired the Demonic Secret Arts, every Titan who ventured into the Void and returned as an Epic had such tremendous power that their re-entry sent shockwaves across the entire world of Erathia.
Each Epic Titan was enough to astonish the world, but Muria had reached Epic status using the Demonic Secret Arts. He had merely crossed the threshold into the Epic level, still far weaker than his predecessors. If he returned in this state, it would still cause a reaction in the world's laws, but it would be minimal.
In essence, his grandfather's message was clear: "You're embarrassingly weak right now. You have no right to come home and show off!" Or, put another way: "Aren't you ashamed to come back like this? I'd be ashamed on your behalf—get back out there!"
"But, Grandfather, I want to see my partner and my daughters. Could you at least help me contact them?" Muria asked carefully, feeling it was unfair for him to be denied a reunion just because he was deemed "too weak."
"There's nothing to contact. You need to get back out there. Once your Origin Power has built up sufficiently, seek out some wandering Evil Gods in the Void. After you've killed ten or so of them, then consider seeing your wife and kids."
Without hesitation, the Lord of the Wild, Archimonde, rejected his grandson's request. To him, Muria's desire to see his family after such a short time away was unbecoming.
He recalled how, in the past, Titans who ventured into the Void would endure millennia of solitude, each of them solitary as they ascended.
"Archimonde, times have changed. Our three races now have new methods for cultivating Origin Power. Things can be adjusted accordingly. Muria's request to see his wife and daughters isn't unreasonable!"
Just then, a voice rang out in support of Muria, and a radiant golden dragon with a long, winding body appeared beside him.
"Let them meet. They're still young, not as weathered as us old ones," a refined, resonant voice followed. A Seraph with twelve shining wings appeared—Mikaela's grandfather, Aldebaran.
"After the meeting, prepare to depart again. No delays," Archimonde said, casting a look at his two in-laws before his projection dissipated, and his weapon withdrew, plunging back into the world of Erathia.
"Grandfather!" Muria grinned as he looked at his two grandfathers, who, unlike his Titan grandfather, were more lenient.
"Successfully ascended to Epic? It seems the Demonic Secret Arts have paid off! In that case, I can rest easy with Mikaela using them too."
Seraph Aldebaran examined Muria and nodded in satisfaction. If Muria had managed to reach Epic using the secret arts, then his granddaughter would surely be able to as well.
"Not bad, but you're still too weak. You'll need to keep working hard. After you see Mikaela, prepare to head back out," Demos advised Muria with the authority of an elder.
"That soon?" Muria asked in confusion, finding the pressure a bit overwhelming.
"The next world where you'll be gathering Origin Power is already prepared. This time, it's a special world, and you'll be accompanying your parents to help reform it."
"With my parents?" Muria's surprise was evident. This arrangement was entirely unexpected.
After all, he'd planned to follow in his parents' footsteps, taking Mikaela with him on these journeys. Instead, he was now told he'd be joining his parents.
"Any issues with that?" Demos asked upon seeing Muria's reaction.
"Well, Mikaela should also be at the peak of Legend by now! I planned to go with her," Muria replied.
"Your intentions are good, but Mikaela isn't quite there yet. She'll need another twenty or thirty years before she reaches the peak."
"Twenty or thirty years? That's not long at all; I can wait for her here," Muria answered without hesitation.
"No," both grandfathers denied his suggestion without delay.
"Why not?" Muria was curious. For beings of their stature, a few decades was barely a blink.
"Your parents have already set off. You must use the Demonic Secret Arts to descend into the world they're heading to right away. If you're late, there won't be any Origin Power left for you," Demos explained.
"It's not necessary to wait for Mikaela. You know her competitive nature well enough. If she found out you held yourself back for her, you'd only make her upset, not happy."
"Alright, I understand," Muria nodded. "But there's no need for me to join my parents. Can't I be sent to a world on my own?"
"Hahaha! You're overthinking it, Muria. Do you think your parents want you there to give you extra benefits?"
"Isn't that the case?" Muria asked.
"The world you'll be descending into is on the verge of evolving into a Greater World. The task of resolving the conflicts within this world is daunting, and your parents alone aren't enough. That's why they specifically requested your help!"
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