Yet Hye knew better. He had stood in the presence of the System's architects, and he had felt the searing, alien touch of the Gods.
He had dealt with both directly, and the difference was stark between the two. The Gods were separate entities entirely—primordial, volatile, and far more dangerous than any bureaucratic overseer.
Just as he was sinking deeper into the dilemma of his next move, the heavy reinforced doors of the palace's main gate groaned open. A large delegation filed in, led by his inner circle of friends and the ladies who had helped him forge this empire from the ashes.
Hye had left them to manage the logistical nightmare his sudden retreat had created. Their grand plan to amass more population had been forced to a grinding halt, leaving them with the monumental task of organising the displaced races, stabilising overtaxed ecosystems, and ensuring the territory didn't collapse under its own weight.
