Chapter 24 – The Spark of Ego
Nameless had a brilliant idea.
Whether it was brilliance or madness, only the battlefield would decide.
Without wasting a second, he walked toward the two remaining Celestial Gods. They stood apart from the others, radiating calm destruction. Their very presence bent the air. If luck favored him today, his plan would succeed. If not… everything would collapse.
Nameless stopped before them and smiled casually.
"You both have nothing to gain from this tournament," he said. "You are already Celestial Gods. What is the point of participating?"
The two gods exchanged a glance. They already knew that truth. Ascension meant nothing to them. They had reached the summit long ago.
One of them stepped forward. "What do you want, Nameless?"
Nameless grinned. "Straight to the point. Good. I'll make this simple. I'll give you one chance. Pick anything from me. Weapons. Treasures. Armies. Ancient artifacts. I will give it."
The air shifted.
Even Celestial Gods were not immune to temptation when it came to Nameless. His collection of treasures was legendary. Weapons lost in primordial wars. Relics that even mythic beings failed to obtain. And beyond that—his personal army. Warriors whose strength rivaled mythic gods themselves.
The second Celestial God narrowed his eyes. "And the condition?"
"You do not touch my two immortal students."
Silence.
A heavy, dangerous silence.
Both Celestial Gods stared at him in shock. They understood the value of what he was offering. Hundreds of treasures. A private army. Power that could tilt balances across realms.
Nameless did not realize something crucial.
Today, his lucky symbol truly stood beside him.
The two Celestial Gods were rivals.
Old tension. Old pride. Old wounds.
Nameless had just placed fuel between them.
He leaned slightly closer and lowered his voice. "If you fight each other here, what do you gain? Nothing. But if you fight the mythic gods instead… sixteen of them. Defeat them, and half the chaos disappears."
He paused deliberately.
"And if one of you receives more from me than the other…"
That unfinished sentence was sharper than any blade.
The first Celestial God smirked.
The second one's aura flared subtly.
Ego.
Nameless had touched it perfectly.
He stepped back casually. "You both decide what you want. Whatever you ask, I will provide."
And with that, he left.
The two Celestial Gods remained standing in silence.
But that silence was no longer calm.
It was competitive.
They both understood something at the same time.
This open battlefield could become their personal war.
Normally, when two Celestial or Epic Gods fought within their own kingdoms, other higher gods would intervene. The destruction would be catastrophic. Entire dimensions would tremble. Balance would shatter. That was why such duels were rarely allowed.
But now?
This was an official open battlefield.
No restrictions on power.
No interference.
A perfect excuse.
The first Celestial God spoke. "If I gather the stronger mythic gods, the victory will be absolute."
The second replied coldly, "Try."
And just like that, recruitment began.
They approached mythic gods. They approached epic gods. They promised treasures. Power. Future alliances. Dominance over territories once the dust settled.
What began as a tournament… turned into mobilization.
Epic gods chose sides.
Mythic gods calculated benefits.
Higher gods aligned themselves carefully.
Two camps formed without anyone formally declaring it.
Armies were being assembled beneath the surface.
Nameless, watching from a distance, felt something strange.
The battlefield he feared…
Was no longer centered on his two immortal students.
It was splitting into two massive forces led by Celestial rivals.
"Is this genius," he muttered, "or am I digging my own grave?"
He counted again.
Two Celestial Gods.
Around fifteen mythic gods.
Numerous epic and high-ranking gods.
But now, instead of facing his students together…
They were dividing.
What Nameless intended as protection was slowly becoming a war between titans.
And once ego takes control of gods…
There is no retreat.
The open battlefield had not even begun.
Yet war had already started.
.