…
Time slipped by in the blink of an eye.
Another year had passed, and it was now Age 752.
Universe Four — the Realm of the God of Destruction.
Beneath a towering tree by the lakeside stood four figures, each strikingly different in appearance.
One was a red, cube-shaped being.
One was an elderly gray-skinned mouse.
One resembled a blue slime.
And the last was a dark iron-colored metallic humanoid.
A powerful aura radiated from each of them.
Although the four stood within the God of Destruction's realm, the energy surrounding them was not divine in nature.
Their dimensional status was still at the lowest tier—mortal level, not even reaching the level of a Guardian Deity.
However…
They were all terrifyingly powerful beings.
Their mortal strength had shattered the natural limits of mortality, reaching the third stage of the divine realm.
These four were the God of Destruction Candidates that Quitela had taken in over the past three years.
At that moment
"AAAAAGH!!"
"It hurts!!"
A scream of excruciating pain echoed from the God of Destruction's palace.
"Lord Quitela is crying out in pain again… What on earth did he go through in the past?"
The gray-skinned mouse looked toward the distant palace.
"I don't know either," the red cube-shaped being shook his head.
"I've been in the God of Destruction Realm for three years now, and every so often, I still hear Lord Quitela screaming in pain."
The other two candidates remained silent, but their faces were filled with the same curiosity.
Before long, the screams from the palace subsided.
Moments later, an angel and a yellow-green mouse emerged.
Though called yellow-green, his fur had turned an unhealthy pale shade—clear evidence of long-term torment.
"You… you four," Quitela asked through clenched teeth,
"How much have you comprehended?"
He walked beneath the tree, forcibly enduring the agony tearing through both his soul and body.
This was Grand Zeno's punishment.
Even after three full years, the pain had not diminished in the slightest.
"I'm asking you—have you grasped what Destruction is yet?!"
Seeing the four lower their heads in silence, Quitela's already irritable mood exploded into pure rage.
A violent purple aura erupted from his body.
BOOM!
The surrounding space fractured inch by inch, the destructive energy rapidly spreading toward the four candidates.
"Lord Quitela,"
the angel Cognac spoke calmly,
"They will still be needed for the upcoming God of Destruction Candidate Battle."
"..."
What choice did he have?
Quitela could only rein in his power.
"For the past three years, I haven't taught you anything else," he growled.
"All I've taught you… is what Destruction means."
"Three full years!"
"Comprehending Destruction is only the threshold. Only after that can you cultivate Destruction, and only once Destruction is mastered do you reach the rule-level!"
"And yet, after three years, you still can't even step over the threshold! If I were you, I'd have smashed my head into this tree already!"
Enraged, Quitela slammed a fist into the massive tree beside him.
BOOM!
The terrifying force reduced it to dust.
The four candidates trembled violently.
"Please calm down, Lord Quitela,"
Cognac said helplessly.
"Not everyone possesses your level of talent. Destruction is inherently difficult to comprehend."
"Even you needed half a year back then. For them, three years truly is a bit short."
Hearing this, the four candidates looked at Cognac with deep gratitude.
"Haa…"
Quitela let out a heavy breath and shook his head.
"Cognac, my talent isn't actually that great either. I can't compare to that damned skinny cat."
It had taken him half a year to comprehend Destruction.
Beerus, on the other hand, had done it in half a month.
The gap spoke for itself.
"..."
Cognac, of course, knew exactly who he meant.
And the four candidates did as well.
The God of Destruction of Universe Seven — Beerus.
"Lord Quitela, you shouldn't belittle yourself,"
Cognac smiled lightly.
"Other than Lord Beerus, no other God of Destruction can compare to you."
Was that supposed to be comfort?
Quitela felt somewhat speechless, but he wasn't angry.
He was already used to Cognac's teasing.
"You four!"
Quitela turned his gaze back to the metallic humanoid and the others.
"If three years isn't enough… then I'll give you another thousand years!"
?????
The four candidates of Universe Four stared at each other in disbelief.
Their eyes were filled with confusion.
"L-Lord Quitela," the gray-skinned mouse said weakly,
"Isn't the Candidate Battle only seven years away?"
"Seven years?"
Quitela pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to dull the pain in his soul.
"Under normal circumstances, yes. Seven years remain," he said.
"But in the hands of an angel… seven years can become over two thousand years."
The four candidates were instantly stunned.
To manipulate time to such a degree—
angelic power was truly unfathomable.
"Cognac," Quitela said,
"it's been three years. You should have that room ready by now, correct?"
He was referring to something akin to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
"Rest assured, Lord Quitela," Cognac replied, pointing toward the palace.
"It's fully prepared."
"Good."
Quitela looked back at the four fools.
"Under normal conditions, you could have over two thousand years to train."
"But you're still mortals. You don't have that kind of lifespan."
"Time is already short, and I don't have the luxury of sending you into the Dimensional Tower to raise your lifespan."
"Still, you aren't ordinary races. Even as mortals, you can live for over a thousand years."
"That's enough."
He paused, then continued,
"I'll let you stay in the time chamber for one thousand years."
"During that time, Cognac will accompany you and teach you martial paths befitting God of Destruction Candidates."
"All you need to do is train—unceasingly."
"And after a thousand years… if any one of you achieves a major breakthrough—"
Quitela swept his gaze across them and said indifferently,
"I'll send that one to participate in the God of Destruction Candidate Battle."
The moment those words fell—
The four candidates' breathing became rapid.
To fight powerful opponents was the dream of every martial artist.
And that battle would gather the strongest beings in the entire Grand Zeno multiverse.
The temptation was beyond words.
"One more thing," Quitela sneered.
"Don't be mistaken—right now, all four of you are merely candidates."
"In seven years, only the chosen one will be the true God of Destruction Candidate."
As for the losers—
They wouldn't even be qualified to stand as the next ruler of a universe.
"If you want to become the sole God of Destruction Candidate of Universe Four…"
"If you want to become a god…"
"If you want an eternal lifespan…"
Quitela's voice was heavy with temptation.
"Then train with everything you have."
"Yes!!"
The four candidates flushed red with excitement, as if injected with adrenaline.
"You may enter first," Quitela said.
"The time chamber is at the very top of the God of Destruction's palace."
As soon as he finished speaking, the four candidates shot toward the palace.
After they left—
Cognac asked quietly,
"Lord Quitela… is it really appropriate to cheat by twisting time like this?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" Quitela replied, pinching his brow again.
"You don't honestly think the other universes won't do the same, do you?"
"..."
Cognac was left speechless.
He knew full well that the other universes would never play fair.
After a moment of thought, he asked again,
"Lord Quitela… do you truly intend to choose one of them as the next God of Destruction Candidate?"
"Hmph. Those fools?" Quitela scoffed.
"Are they even worthy?"
"..."
"Three years, and they still couldn't comprehend Destruction. And they think they deserve to rule Universe Four?"
He spat disdainfully.
"They're nothing more than backup options."
Cognac nodded.
He agreed—their talent was indeed lacking.
"Universe Four definitely has more than just these weaklings," Quitela said coldly.
"There must be ancient beings still hiding in the shadows."
His gaze sharpened.
"Cognac—continue searching for them."
"Yes."
...