Ch. 501..510

Chapter 501

The following day after the transport of Frostburn City, Gilga was abuzz yet again. Never had anything like that happened before yet now both capital cities along with their markets were able to trade directly without any middlemen. On top of that, both the Fat Goose and Celestial Crane started officially selling elven merchandise within the guild’s public market. A couple of the first elven merchants opened up shop in the guild market as well.

Thanks to the new connections of the teleportation circles throughout Trodar, people were flooding into Gilga yet again as word spread faster than wildfire.

As the rest of the world was in awe of the incredible availability of so many diverse goods, the key figures of the Leisure Guild thought nothing of the matter. Vixus and Kims were busy getting all territory matters in order while Kaldor was evaluating Zariff as the upcoming treasurer, waiting for his chance to enter Earthen Keep with Hadurt.

The gods lounged at the moment, each in their private courtyards. But a few were still coming in and out of the strategy room, only they too were relaxing during that short time of momentary peace.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Of course I am!" Jin shouted.

Sterfen shrugged and smiled. "Don’t get me wrong, it makes sense. I just thought you’re impatient for strength would make you rush off and ascend already."

"But then I’d lose this chance to grow with Jack’s blessing!" argued Jin, smiling widely. "If anything, I must thank Halmut the next time I see him. I can only imagine what may happen to my strength after Jack helps me ascend."

"Well, he is my son. It only makes sense for him to be so great," joked Sterfen.

"By the way, how did you kill Sybin? She wields fire, wind, nature, dark, and holy magic, but you only wield illusion magic. Please, teach me."

"It was pretty simple. I stabbed her through the neck. Nothing more, nothing less," answered Sterfen.

"But how did you sneak up on her?!" shouted Jin. "Come on, tell me! After Jack helps me, maybe I’ll finally be able to use magic and cast invisibility like you, so I must learn all I can."

"Aren’t you a bit too excited?" asked Sterfen, sinking deeper into the comfy couch.

"Oh, and what level are you anyway?!"

Sterfen sighed, "I think... that’s enough for now."

"Sterfen, I’m your ally. At least tell me so we can run combination attacks where I draw them in and you go for the kill..." reasoned Jin, standing up from the table and trying his best to get an answer out of the God of Secrets.

"I don’t need that, though," Sterfen respond, chuckling to himself. Jin was about to say more but Sterfen’s voice whispered into his ear, "See?"

Turning his head around and almost giving himself whiplash, Jin felt each individual strand of hair on the back of his neck stand up. He shrank back into the chair and found nothing behind him. But Jin was absolutely certain that Sterfen was indeed behind him, at least for that brief moment.

"Is something wrong?" Sterfen asked from across the room.

"N-no..." Jin’s confidence was shattered momentarily. But his drive to train reached another all-time high, as he now understood that his sensory abilities were too weak to even compare with Sterfen’s.

"You heard about Reinolt, right?" Sterfen asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah... Its citizens were spared after Leodoro turned himself in," Jin answered. "I guess that military victory we gave him was enough for them to keep Leodoro alive."

"After that battle, Leodoro was seen as a hero by his people and that view was magnified after Leodoro accepted imprisonment in exchange for the people to not be enslaved," explained Sterfen. "Some complain that we didn’t offer them enough help or the same chance we gave Aazoon. What do you think about that?"

Jin raised his eyebrow and scratched the side of his face. "In a way they’re right, but could Leodoro have pulled off what Wilheim did? I doubt it... But, in retrospect, people will always complain when things don’t go their way."

"Good, you’re still the wise God of Discipline after all!"

"Hey! If we were the same level, I bet I could take you one on one!" stated Jin, puffing out his chest.

Sterfen smiled and poured himself some wine off of the side table. "Who said we’re at different levels?"

"So you’re lv. 91?!" Jin exclaimed, jumping back out of his seat.

"No..." commented Sterfen, sipping his wine.

"Then what level are--"

"Jin, that’s enough. There’s a reason I prefer to speak about the secrets of others and not mine," stated Sterfen. "Trust me, it’s better this way."

"Come on, Sterfen! I’m your ally, your friend!"

"Jin, not even my wife knows my level. In fact, she doesn’t even know my origin story," Sterfen added. "Feel free to ask her all you want."

Getting off the couch, Sterfen finished his glass of wine and patted Jin on the back. "Anyways, I promised Lina that I would help her train. If you’re looking for Lunara, you’ll find her on the Ice Floor of the storehouse."

"But--"

"Good luck on your hunt for my backstory!" Sterfen shouted as he exited the room and waved at Jin with his back turned.

Eedaj walked in as Sterfen exited, but they didn’t exchange any words. But Jin came up with a new scheme as soon as Eedaj walked in. "Eedaj! You’re just the man I was looking for!"

Blinking, Eedaj looked Jin in the eye. Suddenly, Eedaj burst into laughter and sighed, "Sorry... I can’t help but laugh."

"And why’s that?!" Jin shouted, knowing that Eedaj had just read his mind.

Eedaj replied, "Because what you’re seeking doesn’t exist."

"What do you mean?! Everyone comes from somewhere, so that means there’s a story about Sterfen growing up, right?!"

"Wrong," answered the Mind God. "As far as I know, anything in Sterfen’s past that occurred before he gained attention for pursuing Lunara is as good as nonexistent. There are no records of him or his origin anywhere to be found."

"Impossible!" Jin argued. "Don’t tell me that when you can just--"

"No, I can’t read his mind."

"What..." Jin was dumbstruck by Eedaj’s jarring statement. "But... you can read everyone’s mind, even Halmut’s or Skaryn’s!"

"True, all except for his," stated Eedaj. "I’m not sure why or how, but my mental capabilities have no access to anything within his mind. Only on rare occasions where he allows me in can I enter his thoughts. But even then I can only access a portion of his mind. That’s why I suggested he assume the title ’God of Secrets’ back then. Because, to even me, Sterfen holds the most secrets of all."

"But... he can’t be the only one like that... There’s never been any case like that before?!" Jin shouted his question, not wanting to accept that Sterfen was even more capable than he had assumed.

"Hmm... After ascending, the only other person that’s been unreadable is Daruun, who’s mental capabilities far outshine my own."

Jin dragged his hand across his face. "Really... Only Daruun, but that doesn’t count!"

"Well, that’s the truth. Just deal with it. Who knows? Maybe, if we’re lucky, one day we’ll get to learn more about him. I’m sure Jack will find a way to learn the truth--"

"Jack! I’ll have Jack look into it once he’s back!" Nodding, Jin agreed with himself, "Yeah... that’s what we’ll do. Jack can always find a way, especially with his upgraded system..."

While Jin got sidetracked and started to ramble about everything he’ll do after Jack aids Jin’s ascension, Eedaj found the open wine on the side table and casually poured himself a drink using his telekinesis, doing the same to sip the wine bit-by-bit.

Chapter 502

Three days passed by casually. Gilga was livelier than ever as rumors of Frostburn City’s appearance spread. Also, stories and rumors about the two largest of recent wars shocked the continent, in particular, the story of Maldor vs. Aazoon.

The tale of dragons fighting on the Reinolt border and the imprisonment of King Leodoro was international news but it couldn’t compare to the end result of the Maldor-Aazoon War. Three dragons had been killed, not two. A god was killed and fell from the sky, stunning the soldiers below. And an entire capital city had vanished from the map, along with nearly all of Aazoon’s population.

Many felt that though Maldor technically won the war they didn’t win any benefit from it. All they received was a frozen wasteland and a few empty cities. They weren’t able to loot Frostburn City or its royal palace. The entire travel system across the tundra had disappeared along with the populace. It was a very hollow victory, indeed.

When news of Frostburn City appearing in Trodar reached the rest of the world, connecting the dots was simple. Everyone learned that the rising Trodar had gotten involved and transported an entire city, along with its population that was thriving with trade beside Gilga.

Trodar was becoming more and more attractive to the rest of the world. In a time where war was starting to break out with unbelievably strong experts revealing themselves, Trodar seemed to offer the most solace for those seeking peace.

Federal City was once regarded as the safest city as well as the greatest of all cities. The once megacity was only a shell of what it once was, though.

Many businesses had left elsewhere, most of which had Gilga in mind. Losing the three auction houses and the other larger businesses to the syndicate raid was a heavy blow to the city’s economy.

The only saving grace was the presence of the Adventurers Association. They remained loyal to Federal City and even paid for the reconstruction of the city. Buildings had been rebuilt or replaced but they couldn’t rebuild the atmosphere Federal City once had. That was long gone, especially after the confirmation of gods living within Trodar.

Nowadays, most Federal City residents were torn as to what they should do. Should they tough it out and wait for Federal City to regain its international fame? Could they last that long?

With most of the residents being local business owners, things were incredibly tough as the amount of foot traffic now was incomparable to what it was prior to the attack. The cost of food within the city was also at an all-time high. Most taverns, without any income from their attached inns, were forced to raise prices to accommodate their budgets. And the food shortage only made that worse. Even buying fruit or vegetables in the marketplace was overpriced. But that’s what happens when the majority of food for the entire city comes from exports. And when the common farmers are reliant on protection from others, why would they stay in a declining city? Why stay when there’s a thriving nation with elven goods and nature magic, known to increase farm efficiency, that has divine protection, proving capable of killing rival gods, twice?

Some larger businesses did expand to start farms outside the city, but that would also take time. It wasn’t a way to immediately fix the situation. And if a business went under before their crops finished, it was all over.

With the remaining residents split on whether they should tough it out or leave for greener pastures, Federal City was gradually growing into an uncertain economy.

But, while the sun was at its highest, a humongous pillar of light fell upon the city. All the city walls were encompassed in that holy light. This lasted for half an hour, giving all citizens time to come outside and experience the unusual warmth seep into their bodies and hearts. It was comfortable, the most comfortable feeling they had felt in a long time.

A voice finally spoke while the holy light remained, "Citizens of Federal City... We’ve finally returned!"

That proud yet amiable voice echoed across the city streets and within the hearts of the residents. They didn’t understand what was going on, but the comforting light completely changed the mood and atmosphere of the depressed city.

Then, everyone made sure to step outside. A figure was spotted descending from the clouds above. A second figure followed. Then a third, and a fourth... One-by-one, figures of the past descended to stand in the air just above the city square.

While they glided down the sky, all of the citizens rushed to the city center by any means possible. Each of the wiser residents recognized at least one of those figures based on ancient stories and their ability to stand on the air. People flooded the city square while those deities took their sweet time to descend to a height more easily viewable for the citizens.

The final person descended, still not saying a word. Seven figures stood there in the air, letting the citizens gather and guess about their identities.

Another hour passed with the gods saying nothing but the entire city was together, shouting at the figures above.

"I apologize for my absence... It was my fault for being injured during my final battle with Skaryn..."

Same as before, that ethereal voice echoed across the city and rocked the people’s hearts. But it wasn’t coming from any of those seven figures...

"Allow me to reintroduce myself..." stated the voice, riling the crowd even more.

A new figure began to descend, only that one was incredibly huge. Even as it passed through the clouds, it almost rivaled the human figures overhead in size. As it got lower and lower, their eyes of shock filled with wonderment and awe. Every person across Kartonia knew exactly who that figure was.

Cascading in holy light, the figure’s countless golden scales dazzled the world below. His behemoth body proved its strength, believed to be greater than all others. And the calm, amiable voice gave hope to all citizens as they were glad they could witness the return of their greatest, most respected god.

 

Chapter 503

"Halmut!"

"It’s Halmut!"

"He’s returned! Finally!"

Cries of joy filled all of Federal City, echoing out of the city center. The appearance of gods in Trodar was a sight that all the world wanted to witness. Yet now, the citizens of Federal City weren’t envious at all. They were certain that even Trodar would be envious of them, for they were currently witnessing the return of the greatest of all gods.

Halmut kept his smile, the same which was impossible to discern without reading his mind. "I’m back... Please forgive me for my absence."

"WE FORGIVE YOU!"

Shouts of the crowd replied to Halmut, most of which immediately accepted the god’s apology.

"Know this, that Skaryn is no more!"

All the people below jumped with joy as cheers spread faster than wildfire.

Halmut continued, "My wound has finally healed and now... now I can properly return to protect my people. Of course, my fellow deities will join me as well. Also, with Skaryn no longer threatening us, I’ve done something else that I must also apologize for..."

Giving the crowd a dramatic pause, Halmut heard many shouts offer shouts forgiveness before the Sun Dragon could even admit what he had done wrong. Continuing, Halmut stated, "As Skaryn no longer demands his subordinate gods to wreak havoc across the world, I took pity on said subordinate gods. They only followed orders, never acting against the world of their free will. But now, they’re free of Skaryn’s dictatorship. That’s why I extended my hand to them, allowing them to join us Holy Gods, their rightful place!"

While the crowd eagerly devoured the false logic that Halmut force-fed them, more figures began their descent over the city. Five more figures appeared, joining the other seven to form a circle around the center of the city with Halmut’s gigantic body above them all.

"I beg of you, please hold no grudges or ill will against them. They only acted out of necessity, otherwise, Skaryn would’ve slaughtered them," stated Halmut, creating a pity case for the gods he forced into submission out of fear.

Halmut basked in the appreciative and grateful shouts of the people below. He relished this feeling. It was what he missed most from times of old. After bathing in compliments and praise for a few minutes, Halmut spoke again, "However... sadly, there were some gods that hid their treacherous hearts and intentions..."

The dragon’s sudden shift in tone startled the crowd into silence. They didn’t want to miss a single word from their savior who defeated Skaryn.

"Among us Holy Gods, there were two who dared betray us. Both Lunara and Kori have abandoned our cause and have joined the treacherous faction of gods that hid themselves from history. Recently, they’ve taken up Trodar as their home but don’t believe their words of peace. Those gods are the same which vanished during the time of the Godly War. Rather than work together with us Holy Gods to save you, they hid away and waited for a moment to strike us down!"

Halmut’s explanation stirred the people’s hearts, drastically altering their opinion of the rising nation that caught the world by storm.

"They were the ones who killed Flood Dragons and Magma Dragons, the chosen warriors of us Holy Gods," Halmut explained, bending the truth to his will. "Such beasts were summoned as a means of intimidation. We hoped that both Reinolt and Aazoon would see and respect our beliefs, agreeing to join our cause peacefully. But those from Trodar tempted them to act otherwise...

"Instead, Aazoon and Reinolt accepted Trodar’s help and eliminated some of our draconic forces, even killing one of us holy gods. Of course, I resurrected said god and she’s back to full health, as I hold no grudge against her for her service to Skaryn in the past." Halmut continued, "And though Reinolt saw through Trodar’s lies in the end, surrendering and joining us after the battle, Aazoon did not. They slaughtered Maldor’s army entirely, along with three Magma Dragons, all the while using a Hell-flame Fox, the most disastrous of beasts and the greatest of calamities mankind can face. Then, they had the gall to deceive the entire nation and transport them to within Trodan borders. And now... now it’s too late for them to reconsider their actions and escape Trodar’s schemes..."

Sighing, Halmut acted forlorn before the crowd. Many below were touched by Halmut’s words and false feelings, feeling their view of Trodar twist and grow perverse.

"It’s those gods that claim protection within Trodar’s borders that have schemed about the world since before the Godly War," added Halmut. "With Skaryn gone, they finally begin to show their true colors... But fear not, for I shall protect you all! I won’t allow you to be deceived!"

Fists raised to the air as people shouted with fervor, gratefully accepting Halmut’s words.

"How dumb do you think they are?"

Out of nowhere, another voice spoke up. The riled-up crowd was taken aback by the statement, unsure how to take it. They easily spotted the origin of the voice, only they were completely baffled as to how that person got there without them noticing.

Standing in the very center of that ring of deities stood a single man. He didn’t appear to be anything other than an ordinary man, apart from his ability to stand on the air. His clothing was nice but not something people assumed was worthy of a deity. No weapons or items were in the man’s hands. And despite his humble appearance, the man stood nonchalantly in the center of thirteen gods while mocking Halmut directly.

Such an occurrence was beyond everyone’s wildest dreams, but it was happening before their very eyes.

Halmut’s smile faded. It fell into a disapproving frown as he addressed the man, "Moranti... What is it that your traitorous face has to say? You fled the Chaotic Gods for the devious gods over Trodar and now you wish to correct my manner of speech?"

 

Chapter 504

"True, I’m now with the Legendary Gods of Trodar, but that’s not why I’m here," replied the God of Space.

"Then why have you come?" asked Halmut, letting the crowd notice his apparent disgust.

"How could I not come? You made it really easy for Eedaj to see you, so I thought I’d crash the party," Moranti answered, "As for my question, take it with a grain of salt. I only said that because your ability to twist the truth amazes me every time. Sure, Skaryn’s done some dark things in the past but at least he doesn’t hide his horns, unlike you do. He embraced the image of the devil while you hide your nature and parade around like you’re the single greatest organism to ever exist. Doesn’t your ego get tired after carrying such a fat head for millennia?"

Everyone below was completely shocked.

They understood who Moranti was, the second in command of Skaryn. Ancient legends occasionally mentioned Moranti’s strength as undefined, claiming that no one has ever seen him go all out. But legends and history do claim that Moranti is the third strongest god of all, only behind Halmut and Skaryn.

Moranti making such claims that Halmut was the true devil was news for all Kartonia. It was something that none had said before, apart from Skaryn himself in the ancient past.

"Your words hold no weight, Moranti," Halmut stated for all ears around the city. "You’ve abandoned the Chaotic Gods and even killed them during your rebellion. Why should they believe a traitor?"

"Say what you want." Moranti shrugged, not taking the opinions of the masses to heart, unlike Halmut. "I don’t care about that or how the Chaotic Gods betrayed Skaryn. But I’d love to hear you repeat what you said earlier. What did you say about Skaryn at the beginning?"

Eyeing Moranti, Halmut repeated himself confidently, "That Skaryn is no more!"

"Right...But why say that when Skaryn isn’t dead?"

Moranti’s questions stung the hearts of the people, calling them to question everything for only a moment.

"You don’t know what you’re talking about, Moranti. Tralbok, as a former Chaotic God please inform the people of what happened to Skaryn," Halmut stated.

Tralbok shouted for all the city to hear, "Just as Halmut said, Skaryn is no longer a threat to the world, nor will he ever be again. Halmut has rendered him powerless against you!"

"Sure... refute my words and call me a traitor yet you believe Tralbok, the true traitor of the Chaotic Gods?" Moranti asked loudly, not letting the people believe Halmut’s cause so easily. "I’d love to see what you have to say to the world after Skaryn returns..."

"Enough!" shouted Halmut, growing even deeper. "Is there anything else you’ve come to do or will you turn tail and flee like you always have?"

"Oh, you want to fight?" Moranti smiled and raised an eyebrow. "If you’re not scared stiff, then you’re welcome to try me, Halmut."

"There’s no need!" Naparn shouted, rocketing out from his place in the circle.

Naparn wasn’t the only one. Many of the various holy gods darted for Moranti in the center. Torian and Tyres were the fastest, reaching Moranti within the blink of an eye. Naparn and Tralbok were just behind them while Lyrun and Grixor followed to offer their defensive capabilities.

A total of six gods charged at Moranti, all for the world to witness in awe. But while the crowd was impressed by the action of six gods, they also remembered the ancient rumor about Moranti’s strength. Seeing so many gods face against Moranti alone was a near confirmation of that old legend, and Moranti’s casual chuckle gave the people an uneasy feeling.

"Finally..." Moranti laughed, teleporting a meter away to evade both Torian and Tyres. "I can finally shake off some rust!"

Tralbok and Naparn followed suit. They barreled forward hurling wind blades and cyclones, as well as lava plumes and earthen spikes. Torian and Tyres readjusted and attacked also, each embodying lightning and wind to strike with the epitome of speed.

With a smile fresh on his face, Moranti’s eyes went wide in excitement. He stared happily at Tyres as the Sword God lunged downward, evading the attacks of Tralbok and Naparn. But he didn’t forget about Torian, who had shifted to his hybrid form and lunged forward with two swords and his jagged tail.

When Moranti evaded the magic attacks and allowed both the sword-wielding gods to near him, he laughed again. While both attacking gods plunged their blades into him, Moranti laughed harder. Blood was spilled yet Moranti was still laughing. Of course, that’s because it wasn’t Moranti that was injured.

Stepped back, Tyres stared at the torn-up hole in his side. Torian did the same, glancing at the slash across his chest.

Everyone below was in complete shock. Their eagerness to see the holy gods prevail plummeted as they saw both the two holy gods attack each other through Moranti’s body.

"What? Have you already forgotten how I fight? Even when it was only days ago?" Moranti questioned Torian, mocking the Thundering God.

Confused, Torian tried to understand what just happened, along with Tralbok and Lyrun. But Moranti didn’t allow them any more time.

A glowing, purple scythe appeared in Moranti’s hands as the God of Space took in a deep breath. He was still a target for Tralbok’s and Naparn’s magic attacks yet paid them no mind. Two rifts opened before Moranti to consume the attacks. The exits of said rifts then appeared behind Torian and Tyres, lashing them with their allies attacks while they tried to figure out why their attack failed.

"That’s enough!"

The entire battlefield stopped after Halmut’s order, all except for Moranti. The God of Space continued and charged grixor with a mad smile. His scythe arched into the Quake Dragon’s hybrid form before Grixor could put up a better defense.

"I said enough!" Halmut roared, shrinking down into his hybrid form and rushing to intercept Moranti’s onslaught.

But the Sun God was too late. He only managed to separate the two of them after Grixor lost an arm.

Seeing Halmut finally show some true emotion, Moranti chuckled, "Oh, does that mean you want to play?"

 

Chapter 505

"Oh, does that mean you want to play?"

The pillar of light caused Halmut’s golden scales to glitter with power and radiance. He confidently stood before Moranti, not underestimating the God of Space but not fearing him either.

"All of you, stand down... I’ll deal with him," Halmut ordered. "Tralbok, heal Grixor now."

Following orders, the holy gods all backed off. Lyrun returned Grixor his lost arm while Tralbok used time magic to restore the arm to its past state. Naparn silently stepped aside but his heart was reluctant. The others all retreated to their perimeter willingly.

Moranti chuckled and showed a sharp smile. "In that case, I’ll finally have to get serious. Though I will admit, they were a great warm-up."

Moranti’s body grew larger and more agile as his skin was taken over by pale purple scales. Claws replaced the tips of his fingers, still being thinner than a cicada’s wing. Wings sprouted out Moranti’s back to increase his flight speed. Spatial energy naturally revolved around him without any expenditure, proving that Moranti was able to naturally attract neutral space energy around him, just as Halmut did with holy energy.

Those that were spectating were on the edge of excitement and suspense. They had never believed that Moranti would be so powerful. To see him face six other gods at once and have an advantage was unfathomable to them, but to see Halmut become so serious also proved that the God of Space was worthy of respect and fear.

One wielded a simple yet beautiful scythe and the other wielded an ornate scepter with a blade protruding from the bottom of the hilt. Both had assumed their strongest forms right off the bat.

"Want to go first?" asked Moranti, tauntingly waving his scythe.

Halmut said nothing but charged ahead. Along with that dazzling holy energy, lightning and wind also coated the Sun Dragon’s scales. His speed surpassed both Tyres and Torian without comparison.

However, Moranti was also taking the fight seriously. He held nothing back while allowing his physical form the ability to merge with the spatial energy. Matching Halmut’s speed, Moranti took the challenge head-on!

The two divine combatants met midair and paused as their personal weapons clashed. They glared at one another, one being serious and emotionless while the other still had a playful look hidden under his serious gaze.

"Don’t you want to give them a show to remember!" shouted Moranti, flooding the entire sky with spatial energy to match the abundant holy energy that Halmut had created.

The God of Space suddenly teleported, reappearing behind Halmut. His scythe slashed forward while the Sun God was already defending himself. A small rift opened up as the scythe’s blade was about to clash with the scepter, but the bladed spines of Halmut’s tail blocked the reappearing blade instead.

"So you’re warmed up too? Then we both need to take this up a notch..."

Moranti backed off while slashing yet again. A wave of thick spatial energy lashed out toward Halmut, which the Sun God dodged by climbing higher in the sky.

Halmut wouldn’t allow Moranti to control the battle’s tempo, though. He roared and unleashed a cyclone of fire from his jaws.

Both high-level gods soared higher and higher as they evaded each other’s attacks. Moranti didn’t mind the separation while forcing Halmut higher and Halmut didn’t want the weaker gods to be within an unavoidable range of Moranti’s attacks.

While their attacks and exchanges were now further away, it wasn’t any harder to witness them trading blows. More and more energy was getting used as the spatial and holy energies of the surrounding area grew thicker and thicker.

Also, they were no longer just evading. Sometimes, they would use their own attack to cancel the other’s as the pace of the fight grew faster.

When Halmut would spew a hurricane of flames from his mouth, Moranti would do the same, only with a blend of spatial and fire energies to eradicate and shred the flaming cyclone apart. If Moranti would slash at Halmut with aid of spatial rifts, Halmut would defend with his unbelievably quick reflexes along with both holy and nature energies to strengthen his tremendous claws. Halmut made sure to use his advantage of size and brute strength when colliding with Moranti’s crafty attacks.

Seeing the two gods nearly standing as equals jarred the crowds below. Their opinions of Halmut were nigh unbreakable but their assumptions about Moranti grew stronger with each exchange of blows. And, for those that were more sensitive to Moranti’s earlier words about Halmut, the God of Space was beginning to appear as a reliable god to worship, despite Halmut’s wishes and words.

The other gods from below were in awe of the battle taking place.

Those former chaotic gods felt a tinge of fear in their hearts. Watching the fight reminded them about Moranti’s sudden rebellion five hundred years ago. It gave their fears validity. This fight was proof that, even back then, they had never seen Moranti give a fight his absolute all.

As for the gods which had always been holy, they were in shock. They knew that Moranti was to be feared yet always felt that Halmut had shown too much reluctance in facing the chaotic gods after the Godly War. Most had believed that with Skaryn gone, they would steamroll through the remaining chaotic gods. But witnessing such a battle take place, was proof that their leader had done the right thing.

Whenever someone pushed to confront the chaotic gods, Halmut would always insist that they take things slowly and secretly until he was finally healed. And that had only changed a couple of days ago when Halmut finally decided to use one of those strange multicolored crystals to heal himself, the same type of crystal Halmut used to revive Sybin to her previous godly strength.

After years of silently disagreeing with Halmut’s planning, the holy gods had no choice but to support such a decision in retrospect. Moranti’s existence and unique abilities alone was an anomaly that could’ve resulted in the deaths of many.

 

Chapter 506

The two warring gods continued their climb through the sky. Each of their attacks was growing grander by the second.

"How about we show them something they’ll never forget?!" Moranti shouted, suddenly vanishing from before Halmut. The God of Space reappeared a couple of hundred meters above the Sun God and a mass of spatial energy unlike any prior danced enthusiastically over the scythe’s blade. "Remember this?!"

Along with the hateful shout, Moranti hurled a hundred-meter wide wave of the thickest spatial energy, doused completely in roaring purple flames. It had condensed enough that any regular mortal could nearly pick it up, at least for a fraction of a second before the energy would tear them apart on a molecular level.

Halmut stared at the attack, still unafraid. In response, Halmut had gathered all five of the energies he could control. The Sun God took a deep breath and roared with all his might. Holy, nature, lightning, wind, and fire energies were turbulent within the Sun God’s breath attack.

A ridiculous explosion filled everyone’s ears and eyes, leaving those that were spectating momentarily blind and deaf.

But that didn’t stop either Moranti or Halmut. They repeated the attack while closing the gap between each other.

After a second roaring explosion and the momentary blindness passed, everyone’s eyes were back on the two warring gods. Both of those two were now standing face-to-face with only a dozen meters between them. Also, both showed wound’s on their bodies, leaving the world below speechless.

There were a few charred scales left on Moranti’s shoulder, but it didn’t seem to be serious. Halmut, however, was left with a gash carved into his chest, albeit not too deep.

"Ha! I won that one!"

Halmut showed Moranti a sly smile. "Oh really?" The Sun God’s hand passed over the opening in his chest, letting a plethora of holy energy fill the gash and reseal the wound as if it had never existed.

"That’s one way to cheat... But that doesn’t mean you’ll win!" shouted Moranti, not caring about Halmut’s self-healing abilities. He didn’t bother mentioning the physical resistance skill he had received from Jack, nor the health regeneration skill. After that grandiose exchange of blows, Moranti would use those secret abilities in a battle of attrition.

"Just give up, Moranti!" Halmut replied, not hiding his confident smile from the spectators. "This will end the same way it did before, only this time Skaryn isn’t here to save you!"

"That was millennia ago and neither of us was this strong before. Aren’t you curious who would really win between us? Don’t you want to know how I’ll avenge my people with your death?" Moranti spat, mockingly shaking his head.

"I’ll admit, your strength is worthy of rivaling mine. But you’ll never be able to keep up with me while I just heal time and time again. It will only be a matter of time until your death is the only outcome," reasoned Halmut, reigniting the confidence of the holy gods below.

"I’m just surprised you haven’t used your pawns against me yet."

"They are no pawns of mine!" stated Halmut, not daring to let such a statement fly.

Moranti shrugged and sighed, "True... not all of them are pawns. I’d say Lyrun is at least a knight, or perhaps a bishop."

"Are you going to face me with more words in fear or will you continue to fight a battle befitting of a god?" questioned Halmut.

"Whatever you say!"

Moranti dove back at Halmut, letting spatial energy and purple flames coat his entire being. His speed was pushed to the limit while Moranti’s scythe arched toward Halmut’s neck.

Halmut also used each of his available energies. The Sun God’s speed was beyond belief while the brute force and viciousness of his flaming claws were increased with wind energy. He defended fearlessly. Also, static electricity was used in an attempt to slow Moranti, nature energy aided Halmut’s defenses against magic, and holy energy healed any small wounds that resulted from their many collisions.

Their battle became nigh incomprehensible for the mortals below. And though the spectating gods were able to understand the high-speed fight, they too were in complete awe of the grudge match.

That terrific pace never ceased as the two draconic gods dueled for the world to remember. The last battle of a similar magnitude was the one that ended the Godly War. However, unlike that world-shaping duel of the Sun God and the Shadow God, the public was able to witness this battle personally.

Of course, neither Moranti nor Halmut were using their attacks with the greatest range. Neither of them wanted to kill the people below. Halmut wanted an audience to witness his glorious strength upon his return and Moranti had no desire to kill innocents. Hence, they took to the sky and used powerful yet focused attacks.

"Are you still not going to cheat? That’s very unlike you!" Moranti laughed.

Halmut laughed as well, "Why bother? My victory is further guaranteed with each passing minute."

"I guess that’s one way of putting it... Does that mean you want to end this here and now?" asked Moranti. "You probably want to finish this in a spectacular attack so they worship you even more."

"And what’s wrong with that?" retorted Halmut.

Moranti scoffed, "Nothing, I’m just surprised you’re playing along with me. I thought you’d get more serious by now."

"Oh? Is that what you want?"

"If you want to kill me, that’s your only choice, apart from cheating of course. But you don’t want your precious audience to get killed, right? Without them, how could you spread the word about this battle and your victory?"

Halmut stared curiously at Moranti. "Why are you so eager to die?"

"Who said I was eager to die? You may have had your chance earlier, but your ignorance has left you clueless to the truth of the situation," stated Moranti in a matter-of-fact manner. "If you don’t believe me, take a look for yourself. And don’t worry, I won’t even attack you while you turn away from our little duel. It’s the least I can do since our spectacular battle kept the others from noticing as well."

Baffled but curious, Halmut turned away for not even a second. But Halmut immediately did a double-take and roared, "Where’s Naparn?!"

Chapter 507

With the two most powerful dragons dueling in the sky, no one dared to look away. This was especially true when Moranti suddenly reappeared high above Halmut with a newfound level of strength.

Watching the incredible scythe attack take on Halmut’s most powerful breath attack was beyond belief. Even for the spectating gods, they were blinded momentarily by the ensuing explosion. Then, the two dragons did it again at close range to startle them all the more.

It was at that moment that Naparn disappeared.

While watching the battle overhead, Naparn was furious. He knew there was a gap between himself and Moranti but Naparn didn’t want to believe the difference was so vast. And the harsh truth was now in front of the whole world to witness.

To Naparn, seeing those colliding attacks was enough to wound his heart and pride. It was something that could fuel his training and growth, giving him a definite target to aim for.

Once the first attack blinded everyone present, the second attack only rocked their senses further. As the second flash of so many warring energies dwindled away, the gods and mortals below were left speechless. And Naparn felt a hand briefly touch his back while a pulse of spatial energy was hidden within the overwhelming aftereffects of the draconic duel above.

This gave Naparn no time to shout or warn the others about his sudden ambush and hid his teleportation perfectly.

That hand instantly left Naparn’s back as Naparn, still in his hybrid form, covered his body in magma while showing his rage. The Magma Dragon snarled and glared at the man who had teleported him away.

But before Naparn said anything, that man smiled and waved his arm. A gigantic illusory barrier was created to cover more than a kilometer.

Naparn took a moment to assess his situation and momentarily quell his anger. Instantly recognizing the endless sea below, Naparn questioned, "Why bring me here, Sterfen? Don’t you need--"

"Now, no one will see us," stated the God of Secrets, answering Naparn without letting the dragon continue his questioning. "And now, no one will see your demise."

Tilting his head to the side, Naparn asked, "You think you can kill me alone? In a face-to-face match? When did the Assassin God become so noble as to face me while I’m not sleeping?"

"Threatening you is one thing, but I’m going to enjoy this too much to kill you so quickly..." sighed Sterfen. "Try all you want. While in this space, no one will hear or see us. Not even Eedaj can find us here. So, if you happen to kill me, no one will know until it’s too late for me."

"Then let me thank--"

"And now I can kill you while Halmut and the others have no chance of stopping me," Sterfen continued.

"Such confidence from a coward too afraid to show his level."

"Why is that cowardice? Whether you admit it or not, you’re terrified by the fact I hide my level. But since this is where you die, I wouldn’t mind showing you. That is if you’re not too afraid to learn the truth."

Naparn eyed his opponent, unsure of what to say next.

The cloak around Sterfen suddenly vanished and a faint illusory energy faded out of his body. "There. You should feel honored as the first person from this world to ever see my stats."

The Molten God scoffed, not proud at all. But he was a bit surprised to see through Sterfen for once. "Only lv. 96 and you’re so cocky?"

"Is that all you noticed?" Sterfen chuckled, preparing to put his cloak back on.

Not saying more, Naparn paid more attention to the rest of the information available to his eyes. It was an opportunity that would never come again. And though Naparn grew more confident in facing Sterfen after seeing Sterfen’s level, Naparn wasn’t too confident in his ability to keep Sterfen from running away.

However, Naparn was soon hung up on something. He was unable to look past Sterfen’s last name.

"Accrutya? What kind of name is that?"

Sterfen chuckled, "A name that doesn’t originate in Kartonia. I’ll tell you that much as a going-away present."

"What nonsense is that logic?!" shouted Naparn.

"Shout all you want but now there’s no escape for you, Naparn. Now... I can finally quench this bloodlust!"

Eyeing Sterfen, Naparn increased the temperature around them. "And how do you plan to do that?"

"Simple. I’ll kill you. That will finally let Luna feel some relief and Jack will gain some of the best EXP he’s ever received because of you," reasoned Sterfen, not hiding his confidence.

"Then come at me!"

Smiling coldly, Sterfen sighed, "Since you asked for it... I guess I’ll oblige."

The Assassin God vanished, as he always did. But Naparn’s response was to flood everywhere with fire energy in order to sense the heat of Sterfen’s body. It took a few seconds, but Naparn finally smiled and hurled magma into the air. "There you are!"

The stream of lava never connected with Sterfen but he did avoid the attack while reappearing. "Not bad... That’s definitely one of the best strategies yet to deter my invisibility. It can’t compare to Halmut, who can see through it on occasion, but it’s dependable in its own right."

"If you praise it so much, then why hasn’t your confidence changed at all?" asked Naparn, standing confident and undeterred as well.

"I’ll show you one of the many reasons I love my son. Not only has he done some incredible things but he’s also allowed me and my wife to be closer than ever. Aren’t you curious why I can suddenly wield water magic? I’m sure you haven’t forgotten so soon."

Naparn’s stare grew more malicious, as if he wanted to burn Sterfen to ashes with a glare alone.

"Well, let me show you..." Sterfen chuckled, smiling as he felt grateful to both Jack and Lunara.

All of a sudden, water energy burst out of Sterfen’s body with the force of a geyser. The Assassin God proudly stood as his form started to shift. Blue scales spread across his skin and web claws formed from his hands and feet. Sterfen kept himself from growing two new heads but allowed his neck to elongate as a tail grew out from behind him.

Speechless, Naparn was utterly perplexed by the sight.

"For Lunara, this is the same as her common hybrid form. For me, it only appears thanks to a skill that Jack has, a skill that I’ve gained after making a pact with him," explained Sterfen.

"You formed a pact with a mortal?! Are you insane?!" Naparn berated.

Sterfen laughed again, "You call this form crazy? Now’s the time to finally test its strength, so don’t die too quickly on me."

 

Chapter 508

"Where’s Naparn?!"

Halmut’s roar left everyone below astounded. The common citizens on the ground were blown away by the sudden disappearance of a holy god. As for the other holy gods, they had mixed feelings. Some were terrified and realized that any one of them could’ve been taken away while others were trying to imagine how Naparn had been abducted so silently.

"What did you do, Moranti?!" Halmut shouted, finally showing some true, unscripted rage.

Laughing, Moranti replied, "I didn’t do anything. A colleague of mine simply asked if I could bring him here and make a scene. I had a feeling this would happen but he’s the one who acted, not me. Apart from fighting you, I’ve done nothing."

"Then tell me, where is Naparn?!"

"How should I know? I wasn’t even the one who transported them away. And knowing him, I’m sure my colleague covered his tracks. He finally found a chance at getting revenge so we can both be sure that interfering won’t be easy," reasoned Moranti. "But even if we knew where they went, that doesn’t change our situation."

Halmut roared again, "Out of my way Moranti! I must--"

"You’ll leave all the others here unprotected?" questioned the Spectral Dragon, causing Halmut to pause his fury. "Sure, go ahead. I guess Naparn is worth the lives of some of these weaker gods."

Without waiting for Halmut’s response, Moranti teleported away. He reappeared a couple of hundred meters above the spectating gods, letting spatial energy and purple flames coat his scythe. A simple swing of the elongated blade created a hundred-meter long attack that carved the sky and threatened the lives of the weaker gods below.

Lyrun had already prepared his defenses but he kept his barrier to himself. The Elven God wouldn’t underestimate Moranti’s attack and attempt to block it entirely. But he was confident in his ability to withstand the portion of energy targeting himself.

Grixor also defended himself, leaving the others without any aid of the defensive specialists.

However, Halmut rushed downward and tanked the giant slashing attack with the aid of his breath attack. The Sun God healed the minimal damage he took and frowned deeply at God of Space overhead.

"Moranti! Leave now or die forever!"

"Oh... That’s quite the threat but can you back it up?" Moranti asked, already preparing another attack. "I’ve yet to meet anyone who could fulfill such a statement. Are you just mad that Skaryn likes me more as a companion than he ever did you?"

"Moranti..." Numerous energies danced around Halmut’s body as he rushed Moranti. "Hurry up and die!"

"You’ll have to catch me first!" laughed the God of Space.

Taking a more defensive tactic, Moranti teleported away from the Sun God. His figure reappeared high in the sky where they were dueling not long ago.

While Halmut chased after Moranti with mind-boggling speed, some of the other holy gods had other plans. They didn’t like being used as a burden to Halmut and hated to be in a situation where they were clearly threatened.

Torian was the first to act. The Thundering God doused his body in lightning and wind energies, rocketing away from the scene. He planned to rush on Trodar, where he would either find Naparn or a weakened line of defense. But Torian’s plans were dashed when Moranti suddenly appeared before him with a glowing, burning scythe.

"Get back!" Halmut ordered, rushing to intercept the attack while pushing his own man back toward the other holy gods. "I gave no order to leave! You’ll all sit and wait for Moranti’s death!"

"But your excellence--"

"I said wait!"

Torian said nothing more to complain. He obediently gathered with the other hoy gods, some of which were also returning as they had wanted to flee the scene as well.

Moranti laughed as some more small burns appeared on his scales. "You’ve trained your mutts well, Halmut. Whenever they dare acton their own, you give a holler and they’re back to doing whatever you say."

"Enough of that! Just flee now or die, Moranti! I’m tired of your existence!" Halmut roared, combining his breath attack with the charge of his bladed scepter.

After slicing through the breath attack, Moranti’s scythe collided with Halmut’s scepter. Both found themselves in a gridlock of attacks.

"Your scythe is stronger... how so?" asked Halmut.

Moranti frowned, replying, "That’s because of you..."

"Oh... You finally used your own kind as fuel for strength?"

"Wrong... The corpses of my people were used to strengthen me so that I could avenge them properly. Had you not slaughtered them, then maybe you’d actually kill me today," stated Moranti, still frowning.

Halmut nodded, "I see... At least you’ve still got the right mindset. Why side with the worthless neutral gods? Without you, they’re nothing to fear, so why be a slave to their cause?"

"What I seek isn’t power. I want vengeance first and power second," answered Moranti. "Sadly, I can’t get those two things in that order. But siding with them has put me closer than ever to my goal. Siding with you would be the same as killing myself because you’re too afraid of my ability to surpass you."

"That’s a fair evaluation, but not completely true. Would I fear your potential to grow over the potential threat of the rampant neutral gods overall?" Halmut reasoned.

"Oh? Are you admitting you’re afraid of Sterfen?"

"No!" shouted Halmut. "As a collective, are they not more of a nuisance than you’ve ever been? If we teamed up, then nothing could stop us, including Skaryn."

"I thought you took care of Skaryn? That’s what you just announced to the world. So why plan something for his sake?" Moranti asked, making sure everyone spectating could hear him.

Halmut shook his head. "It’s the best comparison I could imagine, but that doesn’t mean he’s a threat anymore."

"What? Are you implying that someone else will reach that same level?" Moranti asked, still speaking loudly.

Not answering, Halmut charged his breath attack at point-blank. He didn’t want to offer the God of Space any more fuel to rile up the people, not after failing to sway Moranti yet again.

Chapter 509

"You formed a pact with a mortal?! Are you insane?!" Naparn berated.

Sterfen laughed again, "You call this form crazy? Now’s the time to finally test its strength, so don’t die too quickly on me."

Neither Naparn nor Sterfen hed back any longer. The Magma Dragon roared as he rushed Sterfen with a death glare. The transformed Assassin God roared also, spraying his icy breath with no sense of mercy.

As Naparn spat lava to neutralize the attack, both deities mat in the middle. Lava flowed over Naparn’s body as he collided with Sterfen but it couldn’t quite break the frosty aura around Sterfen’s hybrid form. Their blades met also, giving Naparn the edge in raw strength.

After parrying Naparn’s strike and taking a step back, Sterfen found himself wide open to Naparn’s blade.

Of course, Naparn wasn’t going to leave an exposed opponent alone. He immediately hacked downward into Sterfen’s shoulderblade.

Blood splattered everywhere, either freezing against Sterfen’s body or evaporating against Naparn’s body. However, Naparn wasn’t satisfied at all.

Suddenly, Naparn covered his neck in an abundance of lava. The Molten God immediately dried the magma to create a hard shell. It was finished as a knick appeared where Naparn’s neck was once exposed. Then, Naparn shed that hardened magma in order to remove any chance of that small knick being Sterfen’s "Mark of the Reaper".

"Not bad... You’re learning how I fight... You’re the only one to ever survive so many of my killing attempts. Then again, you’re also the one I’ve targeted the most so that may not be saying much," Sterfen commented with a shrug, allowing his true body to appear while the false image of his wounded self faded away.

"I can tell the difference in your flesh compared to your double’s. It’s not that difficult to figure out," stated Naparn.

"True, but doesn’t that just take more credit from yourself too?" added Sterfen, still not letting Naparn have the last laugh. "If you want me to try harder, all you had to do was say so..."

Sterfen charged again, unleashing his icy breath to the fullest.

Naparn didn’t back down, doing the same. The Molten God unleashed a powerful plume of lava from his gullet, clashing directly against the icy attack. And while the icy breath was powerful, Naparn’s overwhelming lava made it past the ice without being entirely chilled or destroyed.

However, Sterfen was unfazed. He simply backed off to avoid taking any damage.

"See, you’re new strength isn’t much at all," Naparn stated. "If that’s all you’ve got, then you may as well beg for mercy now."

"Why are all the holy gods such big talkers? You haven’t even landed an attack on me and you already claim you can kill me? Over the years I could’ve killed you not once but twice. And the one time I hit you anywhere apart from the neck was when I targeted your arm to steal your sword," reasoned Sterfen. "Sadly, I had to return it for Jin’s corpse, but that doesn’t mean I can’t steal it again. Or worse, threaten your life again."

"You’ve already given yourself away and you can’t surprise me while I’m aware of you. Without your precious stealth, you have no chance against me, Sterfen. Admit it!"

"And why not?" Sterfen asked, smiling and covering his claws and knives in water energy.

Suddenly, the water below them began to shake. As the waves became erratic and unpredictable, some of the water was rising and taking a new form. A serpentine head was formed, followed by a long neck. Frost appeared around its body to create a solid, physical form, allowing the water to become a false Glacier Wyrm.

"If you struggled against Lunara before, then you’ve got no chance against me now, Naparn. I’ll admit that time and time again," stated Sterfen, smiling confidently.

The false Glacier Wyrm darted at Naparn, not caring whether it survived or was destroyed.

Naparn was unimpressed, hurling lava into the gaping mouth of the false wyrm. But as the created beast’s head was destroyed from the inside out, two heads sprouted in its place. When the Molten God repeated his defense, he discovered that the wyrm now had four heads.

"So you’ve got Lunara’s bloodline and her spells... I see why you claim to be so annoying."

Looking back to the pestered Naparn, Sterfen charged with a smile. "If you think that’s annoying, then you’ll love this!"

The Assassin God barreled through the air without fear. His icy breath led the way as he allowed the false wyrm turned hydra to flank Naparn.

Naparn roared as he allowed an abundance of lava to fall from his body. As it fell down the magma took shape and came to life, forming a Magma Wyrm to keep the false hydra at bay. And without such a distraction at his rear, Naparn unleashed his breath once again to counter the charging Assassin God.

However, Sterfen didn’t back away. Instead, Sterfen allowed the surviving remnants of lava to fall upon his body.

"I won’t fall for that trick again!" Naparn shouted, turning to slice the invisible Sterfen apart. Smiling, the Molten God grinned from ear to ear as he watched blood spill from Sterfen’s body.

Then, all of a sudden, Naparn felt both of his arms suddenly feel restricted. He could move them with a struggle, but not quick enough to stop Sterfen. The Molten God tried to cover himself in more magma but a frosty aura covered his arms and torso completely.

The Assassin God, not caring about his injury, drove two knives into Naparn’s right arm, one in Naparn’s elbow and one in his shoulder. Twisting and turning the blades, Sterfen felt Naparn’s muscles and tendons shredding apart.

Naparn spewed lava from his mouth but Sterfen did the same with his icy breath, both at point-blank and not letting either side gain much of an advantage.

"I’ll let you see them..." Sterfen mumbled through his heavy breathing.

Only then did Naparn notice two more hydra-like heads appear, each biting into one of his arms and covering his body in their icy breath.

Sterfen removed the two daggers from Naparn’s now-broken arm and repeated the process in his other arm. At the same time, Sterfen released the broken arm and used his second head to better counter Naparn’s molten breath attack with two streams of icy breath. Once the second arm was broken, Sterfen held Naparn with one hand while all three of his heads overwhelmed Naparn’s weakened breath three-to-one.

At the same time, Sterfen lowered himself and Naparn further down toward the rampant waters below.

Naparn attempted to break free with his tail and legs but Sterfen’s tail acted to counter. Also, Sterfen stabbed Naparn’s pelvis next, forcibly shattering the pivotal bone and weakening the Molten God’s legs.

Sterfen coldly glared at Naparn as they reached the water’s surface. "Now... I’ll teach you the true meaning of despair and torture..."

Gradually, Sterfen submerged himself and the captive Molten God underwater. He didn’t care about the gaping wound across his chest. All Sterfen cared about was extracting as much pain as physically and mentally possible from the man that had tormented his family for so long.

 

Chapter 510

High above Federal City, the two dragons clashed again and again. Now, the spectating gods didn’t dare flee or leave their post. No one wanted to face Moranti or go against Halmut’s orders.

Halmut was absolutely furious. It wasn’t difficult for him to understand that Naparn was as good as dead given the circumstances. Also, deducing the culprit wasn’t hard at all. Who other than Sterfen could act so stealthily and would willingly place himself within range of Naparn’s powerful attacks?

And while Halmut was able to figure out that much, he was still unable to do anything about it.

Moranti showed signs of numerous burns or cuts across his body, all of which had accumulated from their many colliding attacks. But Halmut was cautious as he knew that previously Moranti would’ve taken much more damage by now.

"What have you done to grow stronger?" Halmut questioned, frowning deeply at his opponent.

"Well, after spending five hundred years in forced meditation, I’ve become enlightened!" exclaimed Moranti.

"Cut the crap! What’s the source of your sudden growth in power?"

Moranti smiled, shaking his head. "If I told you that the thought of revenge has fueled my powers to new heights, would you believe me?"

Roaring and blasting Moranti with another breath attack, Halmut charged Moranti. "I asked you a question!"

"And I gave an answer!" refuted the God of Space, receiving the charge with no fear. Moranti didn’t care about the damage he was taking, making sure to keep Halmut mentally flustered at all costs. "Maybe I’ve always been stronger than you and it’s our level difference that lets you win?"

No longer paying much attention to the nonsense that Moranti was saying, Halmut put his mind to work. He tried to imagine what sort of plans or thoughts each neutral god had. Thanks to Tralbok and the former chaotic gods, Halmut was well-aware of Moranti’s imprisonment. That could only mean that his growth had occurred after joining the neutral gods.

"Hey, want to know something cool?" Moranti asked. The God of Space then immediately answered himself, "We’re not called the neutral gods anymore."

"Oh? What other name befits such a ragtag group?" Halmut questioned, mocking them at the same time.

"Soon, we’ll be regarded as the legendary gods! Such a title easily outweighs your false, self-proclaimed titles as ’holy gods’," shouted Moranti.

"Ridiculous!" Halmut wanted nothing more than for such a title to never exist for anyone apart from himself. "Such a title is only befitting of us, especially now that we’ve acquired the remnants of the chaotic gods! From now on, we are the legendary gods! There is no evil or chaotic gods so as the victors we’ve earned such a title!"

Cheers filled the city below in admiration of Halmut’s new self-declared title. Some of the spectating gods felt a tinge of pride fill their hearts and a couple of them felt irked to have such an arrogant name.

"No fair! That’s our title!" Moranti argued, hurling more scythe attacks at Halmut.

The Sun God countered with breath attacks and his scepter, stating, "I don’t care! We’ve earned such a title while the neutral gods acted as cowards during the Godly War. If anything, you all should be called the ’Leisure Gods’, after the name of your guild and your casual attitude to aid the rest of the world!"

Again, more cheers filled the city below as they began to follow Halmut’s wishes. While cheering for their newly-named Legendary Gods, they took the name Leisure Gods to heart. From that moment on, rumors of the rivaling Legendary Gods and Leisure Gods would spread across the continent.

"But that’s not what we want!" Moranti pouted, failing to sway the opinions of the people below.

"Then die! If you die now, then perhaps you’ll be remembered as the most powerful chaotic god and not a coward of the leisure gods," retorted Halmut, not letting Moranti have a free moment to target one of his subordinate gods.

Annoyed, Moranti unleashed another scythe attack. This one was two-hundred meters wide and was far more destructive than before.

"Why use such an attack? Do you wish to take out the citizens as well?" halmut shouted, countering the attack with his breath and scepter combined.

"No, but how else can I kill you? If I don’t start using more powerful attacks, then we’ll only chip away at each other with no victor in sight," Moranti stated. "Don’t you want to put on a show for everyone to remember? Don’t you want to prove that you’re stronger than me? You’re two levels stronger but we’re fighting to a draw. That’s all the proof I need to know I’ll defeat you in the future."

"Why you..."

’Moranti, I’m finished with him.’

The God of Space paid no attention to the rest of Halmut’s threat, listening to Sterfen’s telepathic call instead. After learning of Sterfen’s success, Moranti smiled and let out a long sigh, "Well... I guess we’ll have to find a winner another day... For now, let’s call it a draw!"

Before Halmut could respond and say otherwise, Moranti vanished in a blink of spatial energy.

Covering his eyes in holy energy, Halmut examined his surroundings. He confirmed that Moranti had fled and took a deep breath while exiting his hybrid form.

"People of Federal City! Know that the Legendary Gods have repelled the leader of the Leisure Gods and protected you from his cruelty! From now on, the Legendary Gods will offer protection to all the world, to anyone seeking security against the tyranny of the Leisure Gods hiding away in Trodar!"

Twisting the situation in his favor, Halmut led the crowd in cheers. Also, he didn’t mention the abduction of Naparn at all. Halmut was certain that Moranti only fled after the God of Space had confirmation of Naparn’s death. Nothing else would warrant his stay or leave apart from that.

The people below didn’t question their god who now championed the remaining eleven gods, now titled as the Legendary Gods. Such a title thrilled the populace and filled them with pride. Also, stories of the event and rumors of the news spread across the continent. Everyone wanted to share how glorious Halmut’s return was, as well as how unexpectedly powerful Moranti was.