"The Knights Templar already number several hundred strong," Joffrey informed the kraken with satisfaction.
The kraken naturally understood its role in this arrangement.
Its former master had inscribed the knowledge of heroic advancement within its very essence—it need only meet the prescribed conditions to transfer this wisdom to its "new master."
Several hundred heroes.
The kraken calculated briefly, recognizing this was already sufficient to unlock all three layers of knowledge required for advancing to Great Hero status.
The first tier's initial layer had already been granted.
The kraken carefully probed its own soul and discovered that the latter two layers—unlocked at the tenth and hundredth thresholds—were indeed no longer blurred and hidden. It could now perceive the information contained within.
The kraken wasted no time, immediately instilling the knowledge into its new master according to their oath's binding agreement.
It had become intimately familiar with this particular wisdom through long centuries of service.
Yet...
The kraken's attention turned greedily toward three other encrypted knowledge inscriptions dwelling within its consciousness.
These contained the precious secrets of advancing further still—from Great Hero to Supreme Hero—which would unlock when their pact reached the stages of one thousand, ten thousand, and one hundred thousand followers.
The irony was not lost upon the creature. Even after serving its former master for millennia beyond counting, it knew nothing of these higher mysteries.
It had never dared harbor resentment, serving only with absolute devotion while hoping to receive such rewards someday.
But now circumstances had changed dramatically.
As long as it waited for the three pieces of knowledge within its being to unlock themselves, it could easily obtain what it had yearned for across thousands of years.
Supreme Hero! Not so distant from the master's own level...
The kraken severed such dangerous thoughts before they could fully form.
Soon, the transfer of new knowledge reached completion.
The kraken remained preoccupied with the three pieces of wisdom so tantalizingly close at hand, and could not help but tentatively probe:
"Your Majesty," it was required to address him thus.
"Your talent truly exceeds all comparison. At the current rate of advancement, I fear the number of Knights Templar will surpass one hundred thousand within a year's time," it offered with calculated flattery.
Joffrey smiled without verbal response.
If he truly exerted maximum effort without regard for his Source Energy reserves, bestowing one hundred thousand runes within a single month was not beyond possibility.
Yet progress in this matter would depend entirely upon future circumstances as they unfolded.
Though he appeared to have reached alliance with 'Him,' the strength disparity between them remained glaringly obvious.
The principle was crystal clear: any agreement lacking power as its foundation was merely waste parchment to be torn asunder at will.
If magic revived too swiftly and the power the world could accommodate exceeded the magic net's constraints, he would undoubtedly face unprecedented challenges and mortal dangers.
After all, he had "awakened" far too early and claimed an excessive share in advance.
Consider this recent encounter.
A being of His exalted level had actually condescended to negotiate with him for a mere one hundred thousand heroes.
One hundred thousand runes represented hundreds of thousands of Source Energy units.
It required little imagination to deduce that once Source Energy accumulated reached such vast scales, even ancient gods dwelling in lofty realms and worshipped by entire civilizations would feel temptation's pull.
Yet Joffrey had already stored more than one million Source Energy units, with plans for exponentially greater hoards in future.
This enormous wealth, however, had become his greatest hidden vulnerability.
As magic gradually stirred from its long slumber, those who would covet his vast riches and infrastructure would only grow more numerous and powerful.
Until the day gods themselves descended into the mortal realm.
Of course, Joffrey would never surrender or voluntarily abandon his foundation and chosen path.
If he refused to leave his fate in others' hands, then he could only strive to advance rapidly during this crucial window of opportunity, ascending until he reached the very pinnacle!
When he achieved godhood—or even invincibility throughout the world—would he still need fear anyone's targeting?
Yet Joffrey was not blindly confident in his prospects.
He possessed unique and powerful advantages others could not claim.
After meeting 'Him,' this trump card had become even more solid and brilliant, mysterious beyond all prediction.
Joffrey reached out to touch the kraken's massive hide. "Do you desire authority over fire?"
The fire rune's pattern faintly outlined itself, painted in his palm alongside sufficient Source Energy, emanating a mysterious and irresistibly alluring aura.
The kraken immediately brightened with joy. "Yes! Of course I desire it! Thank you for your generous gift, Master!"
Fire! Though it could not advance the creature's essential nature, how could it refuse mastery over additional authority?
Joffrey smiled faintly, his palm drawing slightly back.
The eager kraken grew so restless it could barely contain itself, two tentacles moving anxiously around Joffrey's hand while carefully avoiding actual contact.
"There is but one question," Joffrey asked with studied calm. "How many gods hold mastery over fire?"
The tentacles immediately froze in place.
The kraken's enormous eyes revealed distinctly human expressions of struggle, alongside hidden fear and desperate desire.
"This does not count as spying upon the gods, does it?" Joffrey coaxed with gentle persuasion. "You need not even contemplate the great deities' appearances—simply speak a number. Just one number."
Joffrey moved his rune-bearing palm closer once more.
Fire's aura proved utterly enchanting.
The kraken finally could not resist temptation's pull. "One."
A moment of tense silence followed.
Nothing catastrophic occurred.
Only man and sea monster stood facing one another, tentacles twitching slightly with nervous energy.
"Excellent," Joffrey granted the fire rune to the kraken exactly as promised.
This time he employed no mirror rune—the power of fire belonged completely to the creature.
"There is only one God of Light as well?" Joffrey condensed a light rune within his other palm.
This time, the kraken responded with far greater directness. "Yes."
It stared greedily at that glowing hand, as if wishing to devour it entirely.
The creature was not disappointed.
Joffrey's palm touched its tentacles again, granting authority over light itself.
"Wooooo~~~"
The kraken could not suppress a cry of pure elation.
Who could have imagined that within mere days, it had gained more power than accumulated across millennia of patient service!
Information, fire, light!
Beyond the strange and peculiar "information" authority, fire and light blazed with visible, magnificent power!
At minimum, they proved no weaker than its mastery over seawater and storms!
Within a few years, what Great Hero could stand as my equal?
Supreme Hero status may not be mere delusion!
"Wooooo~~~"
After venting the excitement flooding its consciousness, the kraken could not help but gaze upon Joffrey once more, eyes filled with fervent expectation and profound longing.
This "new master" could actually grant authority directly to others!
Without any additional conditions or requirements!
One must understand—he was merely a hero, vastly distant from the supreme gods, yet he could exercise privileges belonging to divinity itself!
What a terrifying and utterly captivating secret!
Even its former master had not hesitated to expend considerable effort arranging their binding oath because of this unprecedented capability.
How could the kraken resist such supreme temptation?
Authority!
It hungered to hear more questions, to reveal more secrets.
Yet Joffrey required no further information.
He had verified his crucial hypothesis.
After a moment of contemplative silence, he sighed with grim understanding.
As expected, the concept of "authority" aligned perfectly with that particular system of power.
Slaughter and competition, each claiming dominion, with no room for coexistence.
It could be stated with near certainty: gods sharing identical authority could not coexist peacefully.
At minimum, only one god of any given authority and equivalent level could exist simultaneously.
The transcendent knowledge provided through their oath corroborated this fundamental truth.
Advancing from hero to great hero required not only special rituals and mystical media, but most crucially the need to "subdue" approximately ten heroes wielding identical authority while possessing a "glorious" level of spiritual presence.
The implications were pregnant with terrible meaning.