Six months had passed since the fall of Goddess Xuhuna,
Zigeyr sat alone in his dim chamber, leaning back in his seat as he rolled a small, obsidian-black artifact between his fingers. The object hummed faintly, pulsing with a trapped divinity. It was the same artifact that had stripped the divine essence from Xuhuna's dying body. Even now, threads of her celestial energy coiled inside it like a living thing.
The artifact cast shifting shadows across his face. Zigeyr's expression remained unreadable.
Before him, Ked knelt on one knee. He kept his head low, but his gaze flickered toward the artifact with barely contained curiosity. He had served Zigeyr long enough to recognize every relic, every weapon, every cursed or holy tool his master possessed. But this one—this thing—he had never seen before.
And that terrified him.
He lowered his eyes again.He never trusted me… even after all these years.
But fear was mixed with something else too: awe. Zigeyr was recovering at a monstrous rate. The oppressive aura that coiled around him now was leagues beyond what he possessed months ago. Back then, defeating Xuhuna had required an absurd number of Orbs of Infinity. Today, Ked was confident Zigeyr could have crushed her with fewer than ten.
And yet… despite such power… Zigeyr had done nothing in the last six months except order Ked to subtly destabilize a few hostile nations.
No conquests.No expansion.No mass conversion campaigns.
Yani could have conquered the world five times over by now—but Zigeyr simply waited.
After debating for several minutes, Ked finally dared to speak.
"Master… may I ask a question?"
"Hm." Zigeyr didn't stop toying with the artifact. He didn't even look up. Just a soft, distracted grunt.
Ked swallowed hard. "Why have we not conquered more countries? Why haven't we expanded our faith? If we did, perhaps we could have delayed the awakening of the other Supremes—or weakened them even further."
Zigeyr finally stopped moving the artifact.
He didn't look at Ked, but his voice came smooth and cold.
"And make every Supreme—including the Primordials—our enemy? Ked, faith is not something that can be reshaped at will." His voice was calm, almost instructive. "You saw how humans refused to abandon their gods. Many died rather than change their faith. Religion has become more than belief. It is hope."
He continued, voice quiet but firm."To humans, faith is a way to reach for something greater. A way to feel loved by something that does not judge them. A way to beg for help without humiliation. Taking that away is not simple. For most people, betraying their faith feels like erasing part of their own soul. Though… exceptions always exist."
Ked absorbed every word, shocked at how little he had understood until now."Then, Master… according to your reasoning, the world is headed toward destruction. People are becoming more atheistic. They even mock the gods of other religions."
Zigeyr's expression didn't change."This world walks the same path Heaven once walked. Perhaps it is the destiny of all worlds in this universe." His gaze drifted to the window. "Do you remember the early Heavens? People worshipped the gods, worshipped the Heavens themselves. Then they realized their devotion was merely fuel—faith energy—for the gods."
He smiled faintly."When that illusion shattered, so did their purpose. They lived, but not for anything. They ceased striving. Innovation died. Evolution died. Hope died. And soon after… the world followed."
His voice dimmed."It is our fault the universe reached this state. We taught mortals to depend on external power while ignoring their own. Humans spend millennia advancing weapons, machines, systems… while ignoring the universe they carry within themselves."
Ked stared at him, realization dawning.Humans… the race created by all Supremes together.A feat so absurd, so impossible, it had never been repeated in history.
Each human carried the diluted blood of Supreme Gods—a potential greater than any divine race. Even the weakest human possessed talents that could surpass the greatest god, if nurtured.
"Heh… I truly envy them," Ked muttered. The jealousy of a quasi-Supreme was not a small thing.
But then—a violent tremor tore through the earth.
Ked's head snapped up. "M-Master! The earth—!"
"Yes," Zigeyr interrupted calmly. The artifact vanished from his palm like a dispersing shadow. "They have awakened."
The shaking intensified. The entire building began to groan, floors buckling as the world convulsed. Outside, skyscrapers toppled like toys, glass shattering into storms of glittering shards. Screams erupted across the city as the ground split open.
This was no mere earthquake. It was a planetary shift. A rebalancing.
Supreme Gods were returning.
As buildings collapsed, new structures burst from the ground—massive temples, floating sanctums, colossal palaces of impossible design. Some looked medieval, some futuristic, some indescribably alien. But all radiated an overwhelming, divine presence.
Zigeyr remained seated, quietly watching.
One by one, the signatures of Supreme Gods flared across the planet like blazing suns.
"Almost all are awake," Zigeyr murmured. "A few remain sleeping, but they will rise soon. One month at most."
Ked's body trembled—not from fear, but instinct. A Quasi-Supreme's instincts told him clearly:
Every power above him was now looking at Earth.
Zigeyr exhaled, long and weary.
"A troublesome era begins. I can no longer move freely. Every action I take will be watched—and judged."
Outside, the divine structures kept rising, reshaping entire landscapes. The world was being claimed like territory on a map.
He leaned back in his chair."The world will be divided again. Alliances, rivalries, suspicious gazes. Some Supremes will use the awakening as an opportunity to rise higher. Some will hide, too afraid to provoke others. And some…" His lips curled faintly. "Some will simply do nothing at all."
He closed his eyes.
"In any case, the era of dormant gods is over. From now on, the death of Supremes may become… commonplace."