Chapter 5: The Rise Over Elyndra
The floating city of Elyndra stretched endlessly above the clouds, a labyrinth of towers, bridges of light, and spires radiating divine energy. Every building hummed with the presence of immortal beings gods who ruled over realms and mortals alike. And now, Mack walked among them, his golden aura twisting the air itself, a force the city had never seen.
The first god had been defeated, or at least humbled. Word of Mack's power spread instantly. Even the lower-tier deities paused their schemes, whispering fearfully in languages that twisted reality when spoken.
Mack didn't pause. He moved tower to tower, claiming them one by one, testing his growing abilities against wards, guardians, and divine traps. Every encounter honed his control over the System of Origin, allowing him to bend not just energy, but perception, probability, and even time itself.
On the highest tower, he encountered the first council of Elyndra gods whose combined power could annihilate continents. They descended as one, a swirling maelstrom of light, shadow, and cosmic energy.
> "Mortal," the tallest god said, his voice like collapsing stars, "you trespass where no being may stand. Surrender the Worldshard, and perhaps your existence may continue."
Mack laughed, the sound echoing like thunder across the floating mountains. "Surrender? I don't even know the meaning of the word. I didn't survive death to kneel to gods."
The gods unleashed their combined might. Reality fractured. Lightning of impossible intensity collided with rivers of cosmic flame. Mountains shifted, towers cracked, and time itself seemed to hesitate.
But Mack's aura flared brighter, golden and black lightning intertwining, energy surging through him like a storm given form. With a thought, he created a barrier that absorbed the divine onslaught and returned it multiplied. With another, he twisted space, dodging attacks before they were even launched.
> [System Update: God-class combat adaptation complete.]
[Skill Unlocked: Absolute Manipulation.]
He struck. Not with brute force, but with calculated, precise energy, bending the laws of reality with each strike. The gods faltered, astonished. One by one, they were forced to retreat, their pride shattered by a mortal who should have been powerless.
Mack's laughter echoed through the city. "This is what happens when someone refuses to die. This is what happens when power chooses its master."
He paused atop the highest spire, looking over the city that had once seemed untouchable. Every tower, every guardian, every god now knew fear. Mack didn't yet fully understand the scope of his power, but he felt it infinite potential waiting to be unleashed, worlds to be rewritten at his will.
And then, deep in the heart of the city, the System whispered:
> [Warning: A force beyond all known gods detected.]
[Recommendation: Prepare for the True Ascension.]
Mack's grin widened. "The real fun hasn't even started."
Below him, Elyndra trembled. Above him, the skies bent to his presence. And in that moment, a single truth resonated across the multiverse:
Mack was no longer mortal. Mack was no longer a challenger. Mack was a force that even gods would have to reckon with.
The city of Elyndra, for all its divine glory, had a new master in the making. And nothing would ever be the same again.