《The Guardian gods》


 Chapter 1: Reborn

    <h4>Chapter 1: Reborn</h4>


    In a cave the size of a football field, outworldly glowing nts, spores and insects can be seen flying around. At the heart of the cave is a radiant cocoon, emanating abination of two colors, situated on what appears to be an altar. The light emitted from it was enough to illuminate the entire cave, providing illumination for all the creatures within.


    "In a few hours, I will be born" a voice came from the light scaring away the luminescent creatures that made their home near the altar.


    Taking a closer look at the light you will see a curled up ape-like creature with two horns that has a wooden like textureing from both sides of its head and arms that looks like it was molded from the most beautiful stones.


    As I was waiting for the moment of my birth toe, I couldn''t help but think about how I spent thest fifty years in this womb. I was your normal day to day student that just graduated from high school and decided to take a break before applying for university.


    During my time off from anything that has to do with school, I got myself a part-time job with a good pay that was enough for me and still could help my dad with the bills.


    Life was going well until I obtained my driving license and encountered my first significant vehicr crisis: a truck collided with my vehicle. Too bad I didn''t survive the ident to learn something from it.


    Just as I was reminiscing, I got an instinctive feeling that the time to break out from the womb hase, and with just a flexing of my will, the two colored lights surrounding me shattered and exploded throughout the surrounding of the cave.


    The explosion caused quite a spectacle in the cave.The nts and trees in the vicinity began to sprout and grow rapidly, fueled by the newfound energy. They stretched their roots deep into the ground, absorbing nutrients and water.


    Simultaneously, the creatures within the cave experienced an elerated evolution. Their forms shifted, adapting to the changing environment and harnessing the energy of the light. Perhaps they developed stronger limbs, heightened senses, or new abilities that suited their survival needs.


    Walking down from the center of the altar, I surveyed my surroundings and took in every detail. I then discovered a small pond filled with clear water, controlling the water to form a mirror the same size as me so that I could see what I look like in my new body.


    As I gazed upon the reflection in the mirror I had created, a remarkable sight greeted my eyes. Standing before me was a colossal figure, towering at a staggering height of 16 feet, resembling a majestic King Kong. However, unlike the hulking form of my predecessor, my new manifestation exuded a sense of sleekness and agility.


    Adorning the crown of my head were two magnificent horns, meticulously crafted from solid wood, adorned with delicate leaves. My arms, strong and sturdy, appeared as if hewn from ancient stone. My furs were shining and had a glow to it, another noticeable thing was the runic like writings all over my body.


    Looking at the peculiar inscriptions adorning my transformed body, I shook my head, recognizing them as curses rather than runes. The curses served as a reflection of my divine nature as Ikenga, the god entrusted with both the realms of nature and curses.


    Now knowing what I looked like, I sent the water mirror back into the pool before taking a heavy step down the altar. Looking at the cave that formed its own natural environment because I was born in it, I couldn''t help the sense of pride that rose up in me.


    I call it a cave but it is just a small pocket dimension that serves as the birthce of a god, so this is a must have for every born god. Taking a step out of the cave, a breathtaking sight unfolded before me. I found myself atop a towering mountain, reaching great heights, and the panoramic view that unfolded before me was nothing short of awe-inspiring.


    The view before me can only be described as prehistoric. Large animals and creatures, bearing a striking resemnce to dinosaurs, roamed thend. Giant birds soared through the sky, while the towering trees, reaching half the height of the mountain I stood upon, created a lush canopy.


    Mountains, valleys, and lushndscapes extended as far as the eye could see. The air was crisp and invigorating, carrying with it the scents of wildflowers, fresh earth, and the hint of distant seas.


    Another striking feature that caught my attention were the two moons suspended in the sky. Their ethereal glow cast an otherworldly ambiance over the prehistordscape, adding a sense of mystique and wonder to the scene.


    Taking a seat at the edge of the cave, the sight before me validates the words imparted through the inherited memories of Nana. Nana, the name bestowed upon this world that I am in. ording to the memories I had received, Nana awakened her consciousness 2000 years ago, making her a newly birthed world so there hasn''t been much development yet in this world.


    Nana can be said to be my mother in this new world. She is arge that developed its own consciousness and for the sake of its evolution and protection, she decided to give birth to Gods that can help her with the development.RreAdt??St chapters at n?(v)e/l/bin/.c/o/m Only


    I am one of the said born gods, the information I received from her was nothing special. Every one of my siblings(gods) all receive the same information when they are in the womb. This information is some type of inherited memory.


    I was a normal human before I was reborn in this new world and staying in the womb conscious for fifty years changed something in me. First there was the initial excitement of being reborn, followed by the growing annoyance of how long it was going to take before being born. As time passed, a wild and vivid imagination took hold, envisioning how I will conquer the world and be all powerful. Yet, amidst these grand ambitions, a sense of loneliness began to settle in.


    From loneliness sprouted anger, as I pondered why I had died and how I would endure this solitary state for fifty long years. The frustration grew as I realized that by the time I was finally born, my parents would have already passed away, and my younger siblings would have aged significantly. While they would be well into their lives, I would just be embarking on my new journey.


    For fifty years, in silence and without anyone tomunicate with, I traversed through every conceivable emotion. From the depths of despair to the heights of joy, I experienced them all. But as time wore on, a profound sense of calmness and indifference settled within me


    While it may appear as though I descended into madness, deep down, I recognize that the calmness and indifference stemmed from eptance. I reached a point of acknowledging the undeniable truth¡ªI had died and been reborn in a new world, and no amount of anger or resistance could alter that fact. I understood that embracing eptance was the key. Any other path would only lead to despair, and I yearned for something more than that.


    From the inheritance, this world is still in a primitive age but it still has humans who naturally evolved by themselves and the humans were here before Nana developed consciousness.


    When Nana was born she also received an inheritance memory from the chaos and the information she got was what led her to give birth to Gods, from the inheritance she was told that there were uncountable number of worlds like her that has developed a consciousness, also that there were civilizations out there that target worlds like hers.


    The abyss is one of those that target world''s like hers but the abyss doesn''t do that consciously instead it acts on instinct which is to assimte as many world that it can, thenes the wizard civilization who conquer world like hers for experiments, resources or a garbage dump for all their failed experiment. There are others but these two are the main ones she should hope on noting across.


    Knowing that there are other worlds out there that may harm or destroy her, she instinctively wants to protect herself but even though she is a living huge she can''t do anything.


    It''s impossible for her to fight to protect herself because that is universew and one of the downsides of being a world consciousness. What she can do is to create things that act as a guardian for her.


    We gods serve as that guardian but that is not only what we are needed for, we are to bring changes and give birth to magical life forms also to protect and guide the humans on this.


    These things don''t necessarily need to be done by us gods but sometimes Ignorance is a bliss, If Nana had no idea about how there are others out there who may hurt her.


    She would have let everything evolve naturally but that evolution will take millions of years but who is to guarantee that nothing unexpected won''t happen in those years.

 Chapter 2: Calling

    <h4>Chapter 2: Calling</h4>


    Knowing all this, she decided to fast forward all those evolution through the help of us gods. As I sat at the edge of the cave on top of the mountain,bing through the inheritance I suddenly got a feeling of being called.


    In an instant, I rose from my seated position, scanning my surroundings to see what was calling me. This took a while before noticing that the call came from above, I slowly looked up to where the call came from but what came to my view was the moon.


    Focusing on the moon, I could feel the calling bing stronger, but I remained on edge because everything was so strange to me. Understanding that the moon was the source of the strangeness calmed me down a bit and gave me some space to think, yet I could find no answer or reasoning for what was happening.


    Answering the call was uneptable until I knew what was going on. I am still new to this world, so caution for the unexpected should be my best approach.


    Still not finding a reason for the call, I thought about what might be helpful in this situation¡ªthe Inheritance. Maybe Nana added knowledge about this type of situation. The inheritance wasn''t helpful, but it mentioned a moon goddess as one of the gods born of Nana. Perhaps she is the cause of all this.


    As I continued contemting the situation, I suddenly felt that the calling stopped before I heard a soft feminine voice, almost like a whisper to my ear: "Why aren''t you answering the call, twin brother?


    Ikenga subconsciously looked over to his left shoulder as if someone was there but not to his surprise no one was there,posing himself before speaking into thin air " I was lost in thought about why you would be calling"


    " If you answered the call, then you would have found out why i was calling"


    " True. But since we are now talking. You can go ahead and inform me on why you called?


    " There will be a gathering in my ce and it is important that you are there" the voice said before disappearing.


    Knowing that she was no longer here, Ikenga took a deep breath beforeughing out loud thinking back on how he was acting when he got the call.


    Ikenga could be med for the whole situation but at the same time it wasn''t his fault, he was fundamentally different from other gods born from Nana. The other gods could be said to be a nk sheet with inheritance knowledge attached to them, but Ikenga wasn''t a nk sheet.


    Having lived a life prior to being reborn as a god, He merely skimmed the surface of his newly acquired divine form, choosing not to delve into what apanied it. Instead, his attention fixated on reminiscing about his past and the inheritance of memories that came with this new one.


    For the other gods, being born into this world meant that they did not need to ce as much emphasis on the inheritance memory. It served them as a useful tool, but it held greater significance for Ikenga. Despite spending fifty years in the womb with memories intact anding to ept his rebirth, as soon as he emerged into this new existence, he couldn''t help but redirect his focus towards the inheritance memory to verify the authenticity of his reality.


    It is an example of someone preparing for an important exam for a long time until the day of the exam, it suddenly feels like it came so fast and you don''t know anything about the test so once in a while before the exam, you open your textbook time and time again reading a chapter to make sure you really remember everything.


    That was why he wasn''t surprised by the voice and was able topose himself fast, the call was nothing strange and he himself could do it but didn''t because he was focusing solely on the memory but now he is ready to find out on what he can do.


    Ikenga''sughter subsided, he inhaled deeply, preparing himself for whaty ahead. With closed eyes, he took a deliberate step forward from the precipice of the mountain, surrendering to the inevitable descent. As he descended, a profound connection began to form between Ikenga and his divine essence, intertwined with the very essence of nature itself.


    In this moment of connection, his thoughts turned to druids, who were often associated with nature in fantastical tales. Ikenga''s focus honed in on one particr facet of the druidic tradition: the ability to transform into animals that they formed a connection with.


    But there is a difference between me and the druids, I have no animals currently that I can make connections with but do I really need that connection when I am already a god who''s divinity is nature.


    Seeing the ground getting closer, I knew I had to try something even though the fall wouldn''t hurt, it would be embarrassing so with my connection to nature.


    Ikenga focused his imagination on the form of an eagle, his divinity responded, lending its power to the process. The vibrant energy of his divine essence infused life into the imagined shape, bringing it to vivid existence within his mind. With this connection established, he opened his eyes, extending his arms wide, and a radiant cocoon of light enveloped him.


    in a resounding crescendo, the piercing cry of a bird reverberated through the air. From the very spot where Ikenga was once descending, a colossal eagle, towering in sizeparable to a human, took flight with astonishing swiftness. Its powerful wings beat against the air as it ascended swiftly, its destination set towards the distant moon hanging in the sky.


    As Ikenga, now an eagle is flying towards the moon. He could feel the exhration caused by flying and the different view that came with it, also the way the wind was ruffling his feathers.


    At the same time a frustration was building up inside him because the faster he was going the more resistance he got and that wasn''t going to help him reach his destination. He knew that he could do more so he reached deep into his core to push out more power and with that, dots of yellow golden light appeared around him.


    The spots of light immediately showed results with how he felt the resistance going away and with a sweep of his wings, he turned into a dot of light and broke through the''s atmosphere.


    When he was flying in space to get to the moon, the call came again but this time he answered and with that, a glowing silver portalrge enough for his size appeared in front of him and with a sweep of his wings, he got into the portal and the portal closed immediately after him.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    The same world where Ikenga is located in, somewhere deep in the ocean where light seems to not exist because of how deep it is, an altar simr to where Ikenga was born can be seen.


    At the center of the altar is a huge throne, sitting on the throne is the sea god who was born in earlier years before Ikenga. He got the same call as Ikenga, the difference being he wasn''t as hesitant and took the call. He got the message he needed and it seems the message was something of great joy for him.


    A grin full of sharp teeth could be seen at the god''s face as he stood up from his throne.


    "Finally" said the god before speaking into the darkness again "I will be gone in a while, take care of the little guys"


    "Yes father" could be heard as four red eyes the size of a tennis ball responded to the god, listening closely to the voices, it seemed to be a male and a female.


    Satisfied with the response, the god took a step down his altar before blending in with the water around him. From a bird eye view the ocean looks calm and still even though there are still some currents.


    A group ofrge birds that seems to feed on the creatures of the ocean could be seen flying around, once in a while a group dives into the water andes up immediately withrge fish in their mouth.


    This went on for a while until a bird screeched and this screech was filled with panic which sent the other birds into a frenzy, as they could be seen flying away from the area they were, some even forsaking the prey they already caught just so that they could go faster.


    The ocean suddenly stilled like a pool of water before an animal the size of a megalodon broke though the surface of the water, the megalodon didn''t dive back into the water like a normal amphibian creature does, instead it was flying fast toward the moon.


    Dots of blue light could be seen leaving the surface of the water and attaching themselves to the creature, before turning into a dot of light like the stars in the sky.


    With the disappearance of the creature, the ocean went back into its natural order, the birds stopped panicking but they were not turning back to continue their hunt.

 Chapter 3: Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 3: Meeting</h4>


    The same thing happened somewhere else, the difference being the location. Deep down in the earth, a different space was formed here with its habitat being the goddess of darkness and death.


    She got the same call as the other two gods, looking around the realm filled with translucent floating souls and the two guysying at her feet. A swirl of smoke covered her and dispersed immediately with her being there no more.


    A pitch ck human size vulture with a body made of ck smoke with its destination being the moon is seen flying fast towards it and the trails left behind by the creature seems to draw a curtain across the sky because with its disappearance, the world descended into darkness.


    ~~~~~~~~~~


    Flying through the portal, I found myself on the moon''s surface seeing that I am not struggling to breath or turning into a block of ice. I transformed back to my humanoid form.


    Floating on the moon''s surface, I noticed that the other moon was a bit bigger than the one I am currently on, maybe because it was meant for the and this one is the abode of the goddess.


    Taking a look at the different from the one in my memory, this one is much bigger like two earth merged together but bears a simrity in appearance.


    Two huge portals opened behind me and with their appearance emerged two creatures with bizarre appearance like my eagle form. Taking a sniff, one smells like death and the other like the ocean.


    It only took a moment before they both took their humanoid form. Looking at the two beings who share the same blood as mine yet with noticeable different features, I couldn''t help but think about how weird this new life is starting to be.


    Just as Ikenga was observing the two gods in front of him, they both were doing the same but before anyone could say anything. Two presences, both hot and cold, seem to walk out of an invisible space like they had been there the whole.


    The one with the cold presence said "Since everyone is here follow me" turning back and walking into the invisible space they came from, with no hesitation we all walked in with her.


    On the other side of the space appeared a garden with creatures in it, at the middle of the garden is a long table made out of moonstones and surrounding the tables are five huge thrones.


    Walking towards one of the thrones and taking a seat, I took time to look at everyone present beginning with the one that gives off enormous amounts of heat.


    The sun and sky god who looks like a humanoid golden bird, the intense radiance emanating from his form conceals his face in a blinding light. His hair appears as strands of fire, crackling and flickering with a mesmerizing glow. Each feather adorning his body carries the fiery essence within, as mes dance along their edges.


    The other being, Goddess of Darkness and Death. The air around her carries an unmistakable scent of death, though it possesses an eerie allure that instills a paradoxical sense of fear and tranquility. With each breath inhaled, one may unwittingly sumb to a deep slumber. Her look resembles that of a lich, bearing the skeletal countenance associated with the realms of death. A cloak of darkness enshrouds her ethereal form, lending an otherworldly and intangible quality to her being. Yet, amidst the enigmatic veil, her feet and hands emerge, pale and wless, exuding an unearthly beauty that contrasts the darkness surrounding her.


    The next god was the one who smells like the ocean and faint sounds of waves can be heard when close to him. He is the god of sea and storms.


    Taking the form of a humanoid shark, this deity bears amanding presence. Water-like tentacles flow gracefully behind his head, mirroring the undting movements of the ocean''s currents. His physique appears almost elemental in nature, suggesting a fusion of raw power and a deep connection with the natural forces of the sea. Though his gait may exude a sense of untamed energy, it is his eyes that capture attention. A look at his eyes reminds me of how calm and still the ocean is the deeper you go in it, Despite the unruly appearance, there lies a deep sense of wisdom and stillness within.


    Thest god being the one that I havemunicated with and was supposedly my twin, she is the goddess of the moon and motherhood. She is the one that looks more human out of us all,Her long silver hair cascades gracefully down to her feet, adding an ethereal touch to her countenance. Her skin possesses a shimmering quality, akin to the twinkling stars in the night sky, reflecting the cosmic essence she embodies.


    Although she bears a human resemnce, her towering height sets her apart. Like the rest of our divine kin, we all stand at an imposing 16 feet tall, a testament to our inherent grandeur. However, it is important to note that this towering stature represents our normal size, as we possess the ability to assume even more colossal forms should the need arise.


    After everyone sat down, there was a brief moment of silence before we exchanged names, Sun god who is called "Crepuscr" death goddess Keles, sea god Jaus and moon goddess Mahu.


    I took a look at the moon goddess Mahu, she saw the doubt in my face and said "What?


    That made the others look toward us. I took a deep breath topose my words.


    "Since we both were born at the same time, why did you call for this meeting?" This has been bothering me since I got the call and that worsened after I saw the other gods.


    They all looked like they knew the reason for this meeting and since my twin called the meeting, then she must know too but how did she know if we were born at the same time. It''s understandable for the other gods to know since they were older.


    Was there a secret meeting that I wasn''t involved in? Seeing how confused I was, she gently shook her head and said " I don''t know the reason for the meeting either but someone will solve our doubt soon, right Crepuscr?


    Hearing what she said, i looked towards the sun god who nodded back to me before saying " I asked for her call the meeting, i couldn''t hold back after waiting for a long time little brother"


    "We all have been waiting for you and Mahu birth" Said Jaus.


    (Crepuscr pov)


    Seeing the confusion on our new siblings'' faces, the thought that this meeting was a bit hasty crossed my mind but I really couldn''t bear waiting a few more years for them to get used to things.


    Besides, Nana is asleep and she wanted me to inform them about a few things and get them prepared enough before she wakes up.


    I made a slight cough to get both of their attention, Jaus leaned back in his throne with his arms folded across his chest, Keles still had no expression on her face but her bodynguage shows she was paying attention to what i was about to say.


    We three have already had this conversation so there was no need for them to be attentive. Seeing that I already got the needed attention I leaned more into my throne before starting the story.


    ~~~~~~~


    Seeing the sun god leaning more into his throne, I paid more attention to see what he had to say. Apparently he is 200 years old and the first born of Nana. From the moment he was born Nana''s only instruction for him at the time was to not interfere with the humans on the.


    With nothing to do, he went into a deep sleep thatsted for a while but was awoken when Keles was born and with Keles birth came a new instruction from Nana which is to create new creatures on the.


    This instruction was quite hard for him because even though he was a god, creating a new life form out of thin air was impossible at his level. Nana could have been the one doing that but she was using all her energy to give birth to us so now that responsibility falls to us.


    With the birth of Jaus, came another instruction from Nana which is to divide thend amongst ourselves and that was one of the main reasons for this meeting.


    ording to Crepuscr, after Nana gave birth to me and Mahu she fell into a deep sleep. It seems giving birth to two gods at once made Nana use up her energy.


    Herst instruction before the sleep was, we can now interfere with the humans but never mate with them. He went ahead to exin that the reason why Mahu called the meeting is because her ce or realm is more eptable for us to gather rather than his, his realm is connected to the space around the sun making it unbearably hot.

 Chapter 4: Choices

    <h4>Chapter 4: Choices</h4>


    His realm is the only safe ce for him around the sun but still not safe for others except for the creatures born in it, no matter that we are divine beings getting close to the sun will be just like retelling the tale of icarus


    He stopped talking and looked at both me and Mahu " The reason for this meeting was because, it was meant for of a fair division of thends and also to inform you on how to create new creatures for this"


    "Keles and Jaus have no need fornds because of specific reasons so thends is left for me, you and Mahu"


    After saying that, his hands glowed for a bit before tapping the table and with that a projection of the appeared.


    "I have quite an interest in developing the west" he said before tossing the projection to me.


    I held the projection, thinking to myself about the dilemma that I am facing right now. I have no idea whichnd I should choose because it hasn''t been long since I was born and I haven''t explored this world yet.


    I could hold off on choosing and and choose one after I have explored this world, but first let me take a look at this projection. Maybe I can find and that is eptable for me.


    Examining the projection closely, I realized that it was more than just a mere projection. The creatures andndscapes within it appeared alive, as if I were gazing into a mirror reflecting the actual. The projection unveiled a world with four massive continents, each double the size of those found on the previous Earth. These continents were primarily ssified as the East, West, North, and South, with asional smaller inds scattered throughout.


    Zooming in, you could see the humans in their vige discussing, nothing was stationary in the projection. From what I have seen in the projection the humans have split into different regions and that led to the people looking different.


    Using ssification from myst world, there were cks, white, brown and others with asian features. They all looked that way depending on their region but one thing they all had inmon was how backward they were.


    Also none of them has developed any magical abilities, even with how abundant the mana in this world have. Yes, this world has a magical energy in it called "Mana" and this world has a lot of it because ording to Nana, after she gained consciousness the vast chaos gave her a gift which came in the form of mana.


    This gift wasmon whenever a world gains consciousness but the gift was also a curse because of the people out there wanting to harvest this new wave of huge mana.


    So it was a surprise that no one among the humans have learned to use the huge amount of energy around them, the projection shows a lot of creatures that have mutated because of the energy and gained abilities.


    Further observation led me to take a look at the western part and there I found something that made me alert.


    Zooming in the projection, I saw humanoid looking bird creatures that had a thin aura simr to Crepuscr. They were inhabiting a tall mountain simr to the one I was born in, they made their houses in a way that was only possible for creatures that can fly to live in.


    My guess is that they were his creation and seeing how fast they were developing with a few of them even using abilities like summoning fire confirmed it.


    Now I see why he was interested in the west. Seeing how developed they were for new creatures I can tell he must have invested a lot in them. Something caught my attention in one of the buildings of these new creatures. There was an aura that matches exactly crepuscr, I would have thought it was him if he wasn''t sitting across from me.


    Wanting to take a closer look at what it was, Crepuscr made a gesture that made the picture be blurry.


    That made me look away from the projection and look at him but he ignored me seemingly not waiting to talk about it. His action and what I have seen from the projection made me think that this might be more than just pickingnds.


    Maybe thisnd will be our area of influence and interfering in others will cause a conflict, the three gods already have a head start and who is to say that the other two haven''t already had their own creation and development.


    Lands and creation, I can''t help but think it might be more than what i thought of it, what if these two things signifies power. Having and dered as yours and having creation connected to you.


    No one is above conflict and if there happens to be a conflict then I Might have already lost. What if conflict between gods isn''t solved by frontal battle but through one''s creations.


    If this is as i thought then choosing and and starting my own creation and its development should be put first above everything else. It seems this meeting is more than Crepuscr''s own wish, Nana must be behind it.


    With me now understanding there is more to this distribution, something now seems off with how Crepuscr is okay with the whole thing.


    It would have been more normal if he was fighting morends because it meant more power and he was born earlier, nothing stops him from developing and having morends but he''s okay with only west means Nana must have stopped him from wanting more.


    Seeing all I needed from the projection, I tossed it over to Mahu for her to look over and make her own choice. I wonder if she will understand things the same way I do after having a look at the projection, also curious to see if she will choose the moon as her territory or something else.


    Now waiting in silence for Mahu to make her choice, I couldn''t help but y with my abilities. If a spaceship passed by the moon and was able to look into the realm of the moon goddess, It would find five colossal beings, each seated upon a throne-like structure.


    The first being radiated an intense glow akin to the brilliance of the sun, deep in thought as they contemted some profound mystery.


    The second being resembled an amphibian, with their arms crossed and eyes closed, seemingly immersed in a profound slumber, as ifmuning with the dream world itself.


    The third being, though initially appearing morbid and associated with death, possessed an inexplicable allure that drew eptance from those who dared to gaze upon its peculiar visage. Its appearance, once disconcerting, became strangely normalized and even fascinating.


    The fourth being exuded a mischievous energy, bearing an ape-like form with outstretched arms from which sprouted both thriving and withering nts, embodying the cycle of life and decay in a yful dance.


    Thest being who can only be described as breathtaking is holding what will scare anyone if a closer look isn''t taken, she seems to hold a small world in her hands while asionally swiping at it with deep interest but the interest seems to be forgone when said being squashed the small world and turned it it to small light spots.


    ~~~~~~~~~~


    When Mahu was done, she crushed the projection turning it to dots of lights that slowly disappeared.


    "I guess you have both made your choice" Crepuscr said, causing the other two gods to look at both me and Mahu, waiting to hear our choices.


    The time Mahu took to make her choice gave me enough time to think things through and what my choice would be.


    " I chose the east where I was born" My choice didn''t get any reaction from the other so we all turned to Mahu to hear what she had to say.


    "My choice is the north," she said.


    "With that out of the way, Let me inform you on how creation for gods our level goes" Crepuscr said.


    At our level of new gods, Creating living things out of thin air is obviously impossible so we have to do it the natural way, meaning that we have to pick and mate with a magical creature with enough intelligence.


    ording to Crepuscr, after he got the mission from Nana to create things. He was stumped on what to do but he got enlightened when he saw how human beings and other creatures give birth to new life.


    That got him to think if creatures lower than him are able to easily bring forth new life then why can''t he do the same as a god, but after he finally understood how to create new life. He couldn''t find a way to test his hypothesis.


    There was no other divine being beside him to help with the problem he was facing, so he had to make do with the magical creatures. It was then that he came across an intelligent huge bird that has a strong affinity for me and was able tomunicate with him on a spiritual level.

 Chapter 5: Explanation

    <h4>Chapter 5: Exnation</h4>


    He exined his situation to the creature who felt thrilled toe across a peculiar situation such as this, the creature was smart enough to understand the opportunity in front of it.


    The creature made a request to the sun god asking to mate with him, the sun god easily agreed but now faced a new problem which is how the process would go.


    The sun god humanoid form and the creature form makes it impossible for both to mate so the sun god took his primal form which is a huge ming bird that resembles a peacock.


    The form almost took the life of the creature, if the sun god didn''t react fast enough and retain his aura and the mes around his body. The creature would have turned into ashes


    Now they both have the same form, it was easy for them to mate and the creature got pregnant immediately after their first mating session but the creature also fell into a deep sleep after that.


    Crepuscr now found a way to create life so he wanted to continue doing it, he found other female magical birds to mate with, but found out that none of them got pregnant.


    He was confused for a while and thought that he was doing something wrong, so with his connection to the world he contacted Nana. Nana then told him that the first creature he got pregnant was being protected by her.


    He is a divine being so for another creature whose life level isn''t high enough to be easily impregnated by him should be impossible and even if he seeds in impregnating a lower/weaker creature, the amount of energy needed for the sessful birth of the child couldn''t be provided by its mother.


    The reason why the first creature got pregnant fast was because ording to Nana the first sperm released by us gods into any fertile egg is extremely potent, but after that it bes trial and effort.


    Crepuscr then understood that the creature''s deep sleep was a defense mechanism to preserve the new life inside it and at the same time giving its full life energy to make sure the child survives.


    That means the creature will immediately die after giving birth.


    After that crepuscr stopped talking and looked at me before saying " The aura you felt was my child and the first demigod of this world"


    "From my observation, it takes 10 years before a demigod is born," Crepuscr said after that.


    -----------


    My first thought after hearing all that was "I am going to be a father" and from the looks of things the mother isn''t going to be anything human.


    The weird thing was the idea didn''t feel or seem repulsive to me but being a human before, it came off a bit weird. Myst world had stories about how gods are booty warriors, sleeping with everything that had a hole in it.


    Never in my wildest dreams did I think i will be a warrior myself, the difference between us is that i won''t be like them chasing after holes instead i am a warrior to fulfill an obligation.


    The thought of finding a human female crossed my mind but was quickly thrown back because Nana made it clear that the humans aren''t to be touched for now.


    I don''t want to find out what would happen if that instruction isn''t obeyed, if the other gods haven''t done anything yet, it shows that they don''t want to find out either what happens to the person who didn''t listen.


    "Since we are on the topic of demigods, I have to inform you both that I went through the same process as crepuscr but the result was different from him" Jaus said.


    "Two demigods were the result of my coption, even Nana herself can''t exin why it happened but we also understood that it came with a price"


    "The mother of the two half gods turned to ash immediately after birth" our spection was that the two half gods sucked away every energy their mother had, to the extent of not even leaving her aplete body.


    Jaus paused for a while " The reason I wasn''t in the division ofnd was because of my divinity which has to do with water, since there is no other god with such divinity. Most of the body of water in this world is mine"


    " I have said my piece, Keles will say the rest" With that Jaus went silent and leaned back into his throne.


    When Jaus mentioned Keles, Ikenga''s attention turned to the goddess of death whose presence can be easily ignored if you aren''t looking directly at her.


    Keles saw everyone looking at her and a purple light couldn''t help but shine in her eyes.


    "Jaus situation on the division ofnd is simr to mine but it is not" Cold voice like whisper came from Keles"


    "When i was born, a strange thing happened in this world known only by me and Nana, until i informed Jaus and Crepuscr about it"


    "My birth gave birth to a different dimension different from the small realm we are born in"


    "The dimension was a cold and gray ce perfect for my divinity, the creation of the dimension caused my own realm to merge with it"


    "Thebination of both my realm and the dimension opened up an unknown gate, causing all the dead spirits or souls that hasn''t vanished since Nana gained consciousness to rush into my new realm"


    "When Nana gained consciousness, Mana became avable to the world but the huge wave of Mana made the dead souls and spirits that was able to disappear after death stay in the world"


    "Nana said she didn''t know what to do with the souls but with the appearance of my new realm, the dead spirits seems to find a new home so they all flooded into it"


    "I have a lot to deal with in my realm so getting a newnd don''t seem advantageous to me but the concept of creating new being ourselves caught my interest"


    Keles went ahead to talk about her process of creation which was totally different from the other two gods.


    She was a goddess and for her, there was no way to let a creature lower than her to defile her even if it was meant to fulfill Nana''s request. But she also understood that Nana''s request must be fulfilled one way or the other, so she got to thinking.


    During her time contemting on finding a way out of her situation, she came across two unique souls in her new realm and this encounter brought about an absurd idea to her.


    The idea was herst card since nothing she thought of made sense and if this didn''t work, she would have to find a lower creature to mate with and kill the creature after it fulfills its purpose.


    With a new conviction, she grabbed the two souls, turning them into two liquid drops. She then looked for two human bodies that had died for about an hour.


    She extracted every essence from both bodies now mummifying them. Now she has everything she needs. Keles sat on the throne in her realm and infront of her hovering, are the four liquid drops needed for her n.


    Her idea was to incubate the two souls she found but souls are immaterial and there is no way it will stay in the womb but the two blood essence she extracted is the catalyst needed for the souls to stay in her womb.


    Keles went ahead and merged the liquids together,during thebination she dropped her own golden blood in it and that helped bring her the result she wanted.


    The liquids now turned into two red crystals with a bit of golden light in the middle. Keles sat on her throne and admired her creation, the admiration didn''t go on for a long time though because she swallowed the two crystals. Now they rest in her womb.


    Ikenga stared nkly at the god of death who was exining her process of creation, the absurdity of what she did was a bit much for him to understand, he understood the concept but it can be as easy as she makes it to be.


    "Has anyone else tried creation the way Keles does? Ikenga asked.


    "When she told us about what she did, me and crepuscr wanted to replicate it," Jaus replied.


    "How did it go" this time Mahu asked


    "Nothing worked, we lost thousands of souls trying to find a way to replicate it" Crepuscr sighed while replying.


    Keles then took over and said " The experimentation led us to believe that my divinity was the reason why the process seeded, None of you guys have an understanding of things that pertains death like me"


    Hearing that made me a bit disappointed since I thought that this method is much more eptable than the other. At the same time I looked at Mahu who was also dissatisfied with the answer she got, I am guessing the creature picked by her won''t live to talk about it.

 Chapter 6: Alliance

    <h4>Chapter 6: Alliance</h4>


    Keles then proceeds to show a projection of the two creatures she created, one of the creatures was a beautiful woman but with arge and eerie mouth filled with teeth, and the long, protruding tongue bore a resemnce to the legendary beings known for their haunting wails " A banshee"


    The other creature in the projection is a pale looking male with with teeth that sticks out and ears that look like an elf, a vampire? Looking at one of the most popr undead creatures in my old life, I can''t help but wonder how different this one will be with a god''s blood flowing in it, how different and unique its traits and abilities would be. The divine essence flowing within it could potentially amplify its powers and grant it extraordinary capabilities beyond what is traditionally associated with vampires.


    " I will be taking my leave first since this meeting is nearing its ending" Keles said with a dark swirly portal opening behind her, not waiting for anyone to say anything she disappeared with the portal closing too.


    " Just as she said this meeting is nearing its ending, Nana is in a deep sleep and no one has any idea when she will awaken. I implore you to start immediately with your development" Crepuscr said standing up from his seat.


    "Onest thing Nana wanted to inform both of you is, Mating between gods is not prohibited but the time it takes for a new god to be born, isn''t the most profitablepared to the advancement that would have been made when waiting for the birth"


    A ming portal opened in front of him, " The next gathering will be when Nana awakens, Take care till then brothers and sister" he stepped into the portal after saying that.


    "There is no need for me to be here still with everyone leaving, Jaus also stood up ready to leave but he then stopped and looked at me "There may be matters of mine that will require your assistance soon brother, I will contact you when the timees"


    Wanting to ask what the matter was, he disappeared with the water like portal closing behind him.


    Looking at Mahu who was also confused by what happened, I shook my head with a smile on my face, standing up from my seat " I will also be taking my leave sister, we both have a lot to think of and do at the same time"


    With a slight concentration, a portal connecting to my domain opened in front of me. I was about to step into it when I heard Mahu say " Can I take a little bit of your time, twin?


    Looking back in confusion and seeing her serious face, I thought for a bit before closing the portal and going back to my seat.


    " You have my full attention"


    " What do you think of our siblings" she asked


    I subconsciously wanted to say that there was nothing to think about them since this is the first time we are all meeting but she should know this too and still asked this question.


    " Powerful and there is a power that connects to them that makes them get a bit stronger every second" I said to her after thinking for a while.


    " It seems you also felt it, my instinct tells me that it has something to do with their creation"


    " yea , i also came to the conclusion but that has nothing to do with you wanting to talk to me"


    "It does actually, I want to form some kind of alliance between us both"


    Not waiting for me to say anything she continued " They have given us a considerable distance brother, and the distance can only be shortened with a cooperation between us both"


    Hearing her mention an alliance, I was happy hearing it because it has always been on the back of my mind how to breach the gap between my three older siblings.


    The year gap they have on us both made them a lot stronger than us but what can she offer that can make this alliance stronger. I know well enough that I have nothing to offer her.


    " I am in line with the alliance, but what can we both offer each other that will keep this alliance strong"


    She looked happy with me epting the offer " I am not sure yet but i have a feeling that my divinity for motherhood will help us both a lot"


    " Motherhood? I asked in confusion yet at the same time something I was unable to grasp at the moment crossed my mind.


    " Yes and if it works the way I think, then your divinity for nature will be a greatbination" Mahu said, seemingly confident the more she talked.


    " It sounds good but all this has to be tested to be proved true, we both need some time alone to get used to our divinities and have an understanding on how it works before seeing how it can both help us"


    With that said, I stood up and walked into the portal connecting to my realm.


    Back in my domain, the animals that were evolving had already awakened and were experimenting with their newfound abilities.


    Two particr creatures caught my attention. The first was a bird surrounded by a vibrant green glow, darting back and forth with incredible speed. Its agility and swiftness were mesmerizing to watch.


    The second creature was a green-scaled snake with wings, seemingly perplexed by its newfound appendages. It twisted and turned, trying to catch a glimpse of what was behind it, as if still adjusting to its own transformation


    Walking to the center of the domain where my altar is, I took a seat on the step and motioned for the two creatures to approach me. As they drew near I could feel their panic and confusion, probably because they didn''t understand why they were being pulled towards a giant uncontrobly.


    With the two animals now closer, I could now take a closer look at them but the snake is quite feisty because it spat out a stream of purple colored light from its mouth. Intrigued by this disy, I decided to let the light hit me, curious to witness its effect.


    When the light touched my skin, I could feel it trying to affect me but to no effort. However, in that process, I gained a deeper understanding of its properties. The light had a unique affinity for vitality, seeking to draw out and harness the life force within its area of effect.


    I let the snake go after understanding its new abilities, now my attention is back to the snow white bird. I don''t know much about bird species to identify which one it is but it looks good.


    Concentrating on the green glow that asionally shes on its feathers,it became apparent that its abilities were tied to the element of wind. The asional shes of green indicated a connection to the air and its properties. It seemed that the bird''s evolution had granted it special powers and heightened control over the wind.


    Now down observing the two creatures, I focused my attention on my domain. I couldn''t help but appreciate the harmonious bnce that permeated the vibrantndscape.


    The expanse, slightlyrger than a football field, was teeming with life. Towering trees stretched their branches towards the sky, forming a lush canopy that provided shelter to the creatures below. The air was filled with the melodious chirping of birds, and the gentle rustling of leaves created a soothing symphony of nature.


    There is a pristine source of water nourishing the vegetation and serving as a lifeline for the creatures that called this ce home. One notable aspect of my domain was the least amount of predatory animals allowing a diverse array of non predatory animals to thrive without the constant threat of predation. This created an atmosphere of tranquillity and allowed for a unique bnce within the ecosystem.


    Within the serene expanse of my domain, a diverse array of creatures found their ce in the harmonious ecosystem. Among them, I noticed a dog-sized hare gracefully hopping across the grassy meadows, its soft fur blending with the earthy tones of its surroundings. It moved with agility and speed.


    Gazelles with shiny furs dotted thendscape, their elegant forms bounding across the open spaces. Their slender bodies and long, nimble legs allowed them to traverse the terrain effortlessly.


    A mountain goat perched upon a rocky outcrop, it''s sure-footed nature allowing it to navigate even the steepest cliffs with ease.


    Slithering through the undergrowth, snakes of various sizes and patterns moved with sinuous grace. Their streamlined bodies allowed them to traverse the domain silently, while their forked tongues tasted the air, sensing the world around them. They yed an integral role in maintaining the delicate bnce of the ecosystem, keeping poptions of smaller creatures in check.


    Birds of different species filled the air with their enchanting melodies and colorful plumage. They soared through the sky, their wings carrying them effortlessly from tree branch to tree branch.


    Amidst the natural wonders,a few luminescent flies danced in the air, their delicate wings glimmering with a soft, ethereal light. They served as gentle beacons in the twilight hours, casting a subtle glow that added a touch of magic to the surroundings.

 Chapter 7: Exploration

    <h4>Chapter 7: Exploration</h4>


    Something else caught my attention which was that there was no source of light in the domain. Before I was born I was the only source of light but after I was born. The light went away.


    I didn''t notice this before because my physique made it look like everything was as bright as day, but my connection to the domain made me feel the nt''s desperate need for light, they were getting enough nutrients from the soil and water near them but sunlight has always been needed for a nt.


    I also sensed the other creatures'' requests for light, even though not as much as the nts. Their evolved nature made it possible for them to thread the domain without any problem.


    " Wow, it''s just one thing after another" I caressed my horn which I have taken a liking to. Since I have been reborn, there has been no moment of rest. There is always this and that.


    With my authority over the domain, solving the problem of light will be easy but that will create a gap in my realm. My domain isn''t like the one in the stories where you y God like " Let there be light"


    Wish it was like that but this domain has its own properties which is Nature and cursed energy. It has nothing to do with light and every other element, other elements can be introduced into the domain under the right condition but the realm can create the element out of thin air.


    My first thought was to control the domain to open up a gap in the sky for the sun to shine into the domain, but like i said it leaves it open for anyone who wants to get into my domain which is not smart.


    My second choice will depend on my divinity for nature which grants me a wood maniption ability. When I was ying with my abilities on the moon at Mahu ce, I thought about how I can create nts with special attributes to them.


    My experimentation showed that I was capable of it but it will take a mastered control over the nature of nts to be able to do that. I am able to create wood out of thin air but the wood created is nothing special, maybe a bit stronger than normal nts but that''s it.


    I wanted more which led to the thought of nts with attributes, for example; a nt infused with the element of metal in it, making it as though as steel but at the same time its essence is just a wood but mutated.


    It will take a lot of training to get there but if I am able to manipte mutations caused in nts then my problem for the light source in my domain will be solved and a quality change will be made in mybat power.


    The trees and nts in my domain are strong, so having to go a little longer without sunlight is possible for them, using my connection to the domain. I sent out a wave of calming energy and a message to the nts telling them to hold out a bit longer, their problem will soon be resolved.


    My most urgent situation now is to find and start my own creation. The two mutated creatures in my real domain would have been perfect but they haven''t shown any sign of intelligence yet. I have to journey outside to find an intelligence creature who understands my purpose.


    First I have to gain an understanding of the surroundings, standing from the steps: I walked out of my domain before transforming into the same bird that was located in my domain.


    Its speed is needed for what I was about to do. Taking flight I flew high above the mountain peak gaining a bird''s-eye view of the world below. From high above, I could also spot the presence of various creatures that inhabited thend. Herds of grazing animals moved in unison.


    During my flight, I saw mountain goats, bears, leopards and a family of goris.


    Still wanting to see more, I flew to the woods surrounding the mountain. I was caught by surprise when a dinosaur, resembling a bird in its structure, but farrger and more formidable flew out of the woods with the prey it caught in its hand.


    Not bothered by the encounter, I continued my journey into the woods. I came across sabertooth tigers, mammoths, huge bears, dire wolves.


    Towering above them all are the colossal dinosaurs that roamed thend, with their impressive size and unique adaptations.They dominated thendscape, from the fearsome T-Rex to the long-necked Brachiosaurus


    I also saw humans who lived in caves and some that were out wandering picking up the leftovers left by the animals, the hunters that were out in the huge ne going after cows and other herbivore creatures they could find. They were also brilliant enough to make their housing close to a water source.


    Seeing the humans struggle to just live, make shelters and hide from predators made me understand why none of them bothered to learn to use the mana around them, they are so preupied to survive to even sit down and try to understand the mythical energy around them.


    One thing noticeable though is that they are all tall, huge and ripped and from the eyes of a deity like me, they are unconsciously absorbing the mana around them but it only serves to strengthen them and make them stronger.


    No normal human carries a prehistoric boar and cows as easily as they make it look. At night I would perch on a tree and observe them. They are able to make fire but seeing the hunters who are back from their hunt and were able to walk in the darkness without light solidified they aren''t normal.


    Few people among the humans caught my attention. In the different tribes that I have observed they have special humans called shamans, the reason they caught my attention is because anyone called shaman has a different flow of mana around them.


    The mana doesn''t strengthen a shaman body like it does the other humans, instead if flows into their brain make them look a bit weakpared to the others.


    I say weak but i know they can beat down any human from my past world, the mana flow to their brain lead them to be sub leaders in their tribe. They are the ones that start fires when the sunes down, and asionally points things out to others.


    Too bad I can''t interfere ormunicate with them until Nana says so. Having done observing the humans, I proceeded to tour the eastern area I was assigned to see what magical things it has in it.


    Flying around the eastern part, it came to my notice that were also nts and flowers that mutated from the exposure of mana. Some looked like they will be helpful but the others developed a more predatory nature, also even though the animals have it easy to develop abilities with the mana around them, Not every animal is capable of that.


    The dinosaurs I have seen for example don''t have a lot of them who have mutated and shown their abilities, instead they all just seem stronger than other creatures but with each observation.


    I found that the weaker animals are slowly fighting back the dinosaurs that prey on them with their abilities, the hunter is slowly bing the hunted. Now among the dinosaurs that have mutated, they all seem abnormally stronger and change the ecological environment around them because they have no predator and nothing to stop them.


    My conclusion is that for whatever reason, dinosaurs are not prone to mana but they ones that are prone to it get ridiculously stronger. These animals though have it easy and from observation the abilities are passed through bloodline.


    The magical animals I have seen look a lot like the animals on earth but difference being their size and abilities they have, there are some exceptions like Boar with stone armor like skin, arge fox with horns on its head. Dire wolves with wings and lions the size of a liger with three eyes.


    While everything I have seen has been a wonder, the cruelty of nature still presents itself to me like an enormous man eating nts that swallows anything moving thates close to its vicinity, Tigers who wander to the human settling and proceeding to massacre and devour them.


    With my journey nowing to an end, I perched upon a tree


    And thought about all the creatures I have seen, which one caught my interest the most and will be my choice of creature for creation.


    My choices are between the bears, tiger and goris, but first i have to infiltrate each group to see which one among them has the most intelligence, intelligence matters most to me not the abilities.


    With a new goal in mind, I flew out to find a group of bears and integrate myself with them. Bears normally don''t live in a group but they can be neighbors and help groom unrted child bears.

 Chapter 8: Finding

    <h4>Chapter 8: Finding</h4>


    Knowing that I can''t just barge in, I found a cave where I made my new home. Not wanting to seem like the odd one, I asionally go out and hunt. Whenever the curious child bears of the neighborse over, I share my hunt and y with them.


    This went on for a month ording to earth time, I now am someone the bears know and they invite me for hunting. Hunting with them helped me observe their social dynamics and problem-solving abilities. I noticed their cooperative hunting strategies and their clever methods of foraging for food. Although not possessing advanced cognitive capabilities, the bears exhibit a level of intelligence that allows them to thrive in their environment.


    Two of the bears I hunt with show their abilities during hunting, one has an affinity for dding itself on fire with fear and the other one makes stones pikes pop out of the ground surprising the prey.


    Like now we are fighting a Tyrannosaurus, I summoned wooden tendrils from the ground to ensnare the dinosaur''s legs, while the me bear leaped forward, shing at the creature with its scorching ws, causing it to roar in pain."


    Stumbling from the blow, I released the wooden tendrils that were holding one of its legs, catching it off guard. Unable to bnce itself it fell to the side only to be impaled by the stone pike that was already waiting for it.


    After sharing the spoils among ourselves, I went back to the cave deciding that I had seen enough and that it was time to leave. Why the bears have shown some intelligence, they weren''t able tomunicate with me on a spiritual level when I made a connection.


    They understood the basics but nothingplex trying anything with them bes something not consensual.


    Freezing the meat I got from the dinosaur, preserving it for the young ones who mighte looking for me after I left. Taking onest nce at the cave that had served as my home, I transformed back into a bird and set off in search of my next creature to observe.


    It didn''t take much time to find the tigers, since this world was still kinda in a prehistoric age. The tigers weren''t the normal ones, instead they wererger and fierce sabertooth tigers.


    Just like the bears, the tigers don''t live in groups but are solitary creatures that only group up when they share their kill or want to mate. But because of the threats that are in the wild of this world, the saber tooth tigers group up to take care of each other.


    Transforming into a tiger, I didn''t approach the group directly. Instead, I found my own territory nearby and marked it with my scent, leaving a clear indication that a new tiger had arrived in the vicinity. To make my presence known, I let out a powerful roar that echoed through the surrounding area, catching the attention of the tiger group and signaling that they had a new neighbor.


    There was a difference between a tiger and a bear, while I was a bear there was the sense ofziness and rxed demeanor only being active until it was time to hunt, but being a tiger was different. I felt a constant sense of agility and alertness, my senses were heightened and was always on look out for potential prey or threat in my surroundings.


    When I made my first hunt in the form of a tiger, there was a sense of awkwardness and ugliness to it. Unlike the elegant and seamless movements of the other tigers I had observed, my own hunting attempts felt clumsy and uncoordinated.


    Being a bear I could stand on two feet even though there was a bit of difficulty to it and hunting was more straightforward, I tried repeating the same way of hunting with a tiger and it wasn''t beautiful.My attempts at hunting seemed clumsy andcked the finesse I had anticipated.


    Tigers hunt by stalking their prey, disying stealthy and strategic hunting techniques. They navigate their territory and adapt to changing circumstances around them. When ites to hunting their ws aren''t their best weapon but the sharp teeth.


    Not that the ws are useless but when hunting a prey, the ws aren''t used to make the final blow, instead a quick powerful bite to the neck and throat. The ws are mostly used for takedowns and climbing.


    Being a tiger was fun and hunting as the pack showed the creatures intelligence when ites to battle. I learnt a lot from them which is patience and a quick way to grasp and deal a decisive blow when the prey guard is let down.


    I am now stalking a dinosaur with two other tigers, the prey was quite vignt so most of the time it was spent with us crouching behind bushes. I was starting to get impatient but the two other tigers were stillposed and wereser focused on the prey.


    A w soon appeared on the prey when it became engrossed on its own hunt and fixated on the meal in front of it, The tiger who lead the hunt made emitted a slight growl meaning: "Stay here and wait"


    The instruction to "Stay and wait" meant for me to remain concealed and ready to deliver thest blow or issue a warning when a threat approaches, The lead tiger moved out with a gust of wind element surrounding it making it go faster, the second tiger wasn''t as fast but it emitted a radiant glow on its ws that made it sharper.


    When the lead tiger approached the dinosaur, it let out a powerful roar catching the prey''s attention, the dinosaur reacted fast with a sweep of its tails but with the speed of the tiger, it jumped over it and at the same time in mid-air wed at the dinosaur''s thick hide but the attack wasn''t much effective.


    The lead tigernded and swiftly started running circles around the dinosaur causing confusion. Seeing an opportunity the second lion came in and went for the dinosaur''s stomach causing a much deeper wound than the first tiger.


    Watching the intense fight in front of me, I wondered if maybe the two tigers knew that the dinosaur they were fighting was one of the mutated ones and it also had abilities.


    I was proven right when a roar different from the normal ones came from the dinosaur, the difference being that the roar has the fluctuations of mana in it and its effect was proven when the two tigers fell to the ground and put their paws on their ears to try and block out the sound.


    The mana-infused roar came fast and stopped but by this time the two tigers were out of the fight, they couldn''t even stand up right. The now exhausted dinosaur went in to make the final kill but thich tendrils of wood came out from the ground surrounding the two tigers and protecting them.


    The dinosaur was bewildered by what was happening in front of it when a flower grew from the ground close to its snout and releasing a puff of green smoke, the dinosaurs immediately fell down and started snoring.


    Retracting the woods protecting the two tigers, I blew out two puffs of energy with healing attributes for the tigers. Transforming into a bird once again, I took to the sky leaving behind the two dumbfounded tigers.


    My observation showed that the intelligence of the bears was a lot better than the tigers, thetter couldn''t handle moreplexmunication but was capable of simplemunication while the tigers simply don''tmunicate much until it''s time to hunt.


    Anytime I make a connection, the only response is that I talk too much, especially when they are full. They just sleep or mate with each other. I was tempted to choose the creatures even though they aren''t smart enough but the overall quality is just amazing.


    My next destination is the mountain where my domain is located. Before I started my journey through the woods of the eastern part, a group of goris was seen residing and made their home in the mountain.


    They weren''t of particr interest at the time but now they are on my list of creatures to observe with intelligence. With my speed it didn''t take long to get back to the mountain, I circled around it searching for where the goris made their habitat.


    I soon found them in their little group living near a lush oasis with a waterfall and a cave next to it, the area they were located in was full of all types of fruits, berries and coconut.The soothing sound of rushing water filled the air, further observation showed that the goris weren''t the only ones that made their home here. The area was filled with a diversity of primate-like creatures, squeaking and agilely leaping from tree to tree.


    I flew down to an area near the creatures, transformed into a gori to merge with them, slowly walking to the group. As I took my first stride, I sensed a presence observing me. My senses already picked up on what it was, I disregarded its presence and continued my approach.

 Chapter 9: Found

    <h4>Chapter 9: Found</h4>


    From my first observation these creatures were going to be the one, when I stepped into the group, I could feel them go into a state of alert, knowing that they weren''t going to attack. I stood still and let them observe and assess me, I could feel their curious eyes roaming my body while asionally looking behind me.


    The one who appeared to be the leader made a slight noise and one small monkey that had been trailing me for some time since I stepped into the wood jumped onto its shoulder and made a quiet noise.


    I understood what they were saying so it didn''t surprise me when the leader seemed less cautious. It made a slight noise to the group informing them that it was okay.


    The little one who couldn''t contain their curiosity any longer, all jumped and started grabbing my furs, climbing all over me.That caught the other gori''s attention, who paused to see my reaction. They wanted to see how I would react but I paid no mind to them and started a chase and hunt game with the little ones.


    The y went on for a little while before the young ones were called back by their parents to feed. Now free I found an unupied tall tree and smoothly climbed it to continue my observation.


    The goris are known for their strength and familial bonds. As I quietly observe the group of goris in their natural habitat, witnessing theirplex social interactions,munication through gestures and vocalizations, and their ability to use tools such as branches and rocks.


    It amazed me how they live in symbiosis with other primate creatures, the primate creatures that are smaller than the goris act like scouts and watch out for any threat.


    When a threat is found, they run back and inform the goris, who then proceed to fight or chase away the threats. The lead gori has an ability to conjure stones that itunches at threat to chase them away or seriously wound them.


    When it was time to feed, a female gori would let out a roar at an open field where fruits of different kinds areid out for everyone to eat. I noticed that a certain gori isn''t always there when it''s time to feed. Instead its own food is brought to it.


    The gori looks different from the others, this one has a red fur all around it and sparks of fire can be seen when it breathes out, it looks strong and should be used to protect the habitat like the others, not to be treated like an outcast.


    Establishing a connection with the lead gori, I inquired about the differential treatment of the fire gori. It wasn''t able to urately exin but i was able to vaguely understand what it said " Fire not good for this" while pointing to the surrounding woods.


    " But fire is good for this" it said while pointing to the sky and making a motion for flying birds. When it said that, it clocked on me that having a fire ability in this sort of habitat surrounded by woods isn''t necessarily good.


    Also the fire gori isn''t necessarily an outcast, instead it lives on top of the waterfall ready for anyrge flying creatures that wants to take any of the apes as its meal.


    From what I have seen, it sprays fire from its mouth enough to scare away any normal flying creature.


    Having integrated myself into the primate tribe, I resided with them for a considerable period, often assisting in repelling potential dangers alongside them. One day something happened that made me see an end to my journey.


    A roar came from the top of the waterfall causing every creature nearby to look up. I was asleep on top of my tree but the roar woke me up, I spread out my senses and it pinged a flying dinosaur with lightning dancing around it heading fast toward this habitat.


    I thought about chasing away the creature but decided against it and proceeded to see how the Primates would react to this danger. The me gori stepped out of the small cave on top of the waterfall where it lives.


    mes can be seen dancing around its body and heading toward its open mouth, as soon as the bird came to the vicinity it let go of the me breath it was holding.


    The bird with its fast speed collided into the me, screeching out loud. Every primate held their breath to see if that made a significant damage but to their disappointment, lightning started dancing around the burning figure of the bird which made the fire gori step back and immediately climbed down the waterfall to rejoin the other goris.


    The lightning danced for a while around the bird before dispersing like a shock wave.If the fire gori had remained, it would have been affected.


    The lightning shockwave made the mes around the bird go away before slowly descending and perched on a tree near the waterfall, it looked down with fury in its eyes at the primates. Lightning once again started to flicker around it and with nobody able to react it swooped down and took a gori with it up to the sky.


    A scream, from low to high can be heard when the gori dropped down from the sky, stting everywhere, that caused panic to every primate around but the lead gori roared out loud causing everyone to quiet down and streams of rocks emerged from the ground merging to form an armor around its body.


    The lead gori then proceeds to do the same with a female gori that has for some reason been protected since the beginning of this attack. Not wanting to seem off, I joined the gori''s in the act of defending the territory.


    Slightly curious about what was special about the female primate, but that will hold off till this crisis is resolved.


    The lead gori created the same armor for the me gori before looking a bit tired. Roaring out loud once again, it gestured toward a huge cave near the waterfall signaling for all the primates to seek shelter.


    (Back to the bird)


    The bird now hovering in the sky watching the chaos it caused with glee in its eyes, a rock the size of a ball suddenly flew past it, surprising it. The bird looked down to see the figure of the armored lead gori with stones the size of a ball hovering around him.


    The lead gori hurled the stones at the bird, forcing it to dodge and weave to avoid them. But with a gesture of his hands, the dodged rocks follow the bird like a guided missile. The bird, now focusing solely on evading the rocks, paid less attention to the approaching me gori who rapidly leaped from tree to tree at fast speed closing in on it.


    Seeing what the me gori was doing, I summoned wooden spears to appear around me and then hurled them at the dodging bird. In response, the bird unleashed lightning towards the wooden spears, attempting to destroy them.


    It seeded in destroying the spears but the stones following behind now had a target to descend upon, the impact from the stone''s caused the bird to plummet down to the woods.

 Chapter 10: Different

    <h4>Chapter 10: Different</h4>


    Seizing the opportunity, the me gori gathered momentum and with my help, the branch it held became extra springy. It propelled itself into the sky, a fireball forming in its mouth, having condensed enough it spat out the fire ball towards the falling bird.


    The bird noticed the threat heading towards it, it tried to generate lightning around it but only flickers of it appeared, it panicked and tried repositioning itself to recover from the impact it took from the stones. That didn''t help because the fireball was already close and upon contact, it caused an explosion


    Earlier when the bird attacked, I noticed something about it. It takes time to generate lightning around it so having used up one to destroy my spear it is now left with nothing.


    Wooden tendrils spread out from the surrounding trees, catching the falling figure of the me gori and helping itnd, a thud sound followed after which is now the scorched figure of the bird.


    The me gori approached it but a w fuelled by lightning pped it back and at the same time caused a deep wound on its chest. The lead gori, seeing what happened roared and hurled a small boulder at the bird.


    As the bird attempted to defend itself by covering with its scorched wings, the boulder crashed into it. The lead gori, following closely behind, leaped into the air with hands sped together, rocks gathering to form a spiked ball.


    In response to the lead gori''s leap, the bird opened its mouth, lightning crackling within, and released it towards the gori. With no ce to hide, the gori took the lightning, throwing him back and at the same time scorching him.


    The lead gori fell close to me and was twitching. The bird followed behind to finish the kill but I summoned wooden tendrils from the ground to restrain it. It made lightning appear around it to destroy the tendrils but it wasn''t effective.


    I then willed the tendrils to prate its body spreading roots inside it and were heading fast towards its heart, when I felt the roots now in its heart, I made a clenching gesture with my hand causing the roots to strangle the heart and in a few seconds the bird was dead.


    There was a moment of silence before roars and cheers of different kinds erupted from the cave shelter, with all primates celebrating the death of the bird creature. I could feel the inquisitive gaze of the lead gori but I felt no need to exin myself.


    Approaching the charred form of the leader, I was about to heal him when the female gori that was being protected ran past me and positioned herself in front of the leader. Intrigued by her actions, I chose to observe and await her next move.


    Now observing the female primate up close, I noticed that she wasn''t distinct from others of her species, except for her peculiar green eyes and patches of light green fur. My observations indicate her affinity for the wood element. As she ced her hands together over the scorched gori, a radiant green light emanated from her, enveloping the entire body of the leader.


    After approximately a minute, the green light dispersed, revealing the fully healed form of the lead gori. Without hesitation, she moved forward and repeated the process for the me gori, who was suffering from severe bleeding


    Taking a seat near the healed leader, as connection formed between us, " Is she being protected because she can heal"


    The lead gori took a deep look at me and said " She heals well and she did this" Pointing at himself and at the other primates.


    I was confused at what he was trying to say but seeing him bring his hands together, i understood " You mean", "she was the one that brought everyone together"


    That made his eyes shine "Yes, and she...!" It seems he couldn''t find the word and gestured with his hand, a gesture that conveyed a sense of awe and astonishment.


    "Mind blown," I muttered to myself, feeling a mixture of wonder and confusion. Sensing my uncertainty, the lead gori rose from his seat, retrieved sticks and rocks, and gestured towards them, followed by a pointed gesture towards her.


    I gazed at the lead gori, seeking confirmation. "You''re saying she taught you how to utilize branches and rocks?"


    The gori nodded and started jumping around, excited that I could understand and interpret what he wanted to say. Taking onest look at the female primate, I realized that healing the severely wounded gori would require some time, for now I will go back to my tree to rest.


    My observations of this group of primates have been truly extraordinary. Throughout my journey encountering various magical creatures, they have demonstrated a level of uniqueness unlike any other. It is remarkable to consider that with just a little guidance from a more intelligent race, they could establish their own distinct species.


    It''s fascinating to witness how this group has established a functional society on their own. Considering their current aplishments, one can only imagine the possibilities with a little guidance. I was tempted to guide and lead them forgoing on creating my own. But seeing their crouched form, I understood the limitation it would have if they were to be a race.


    Primates like the monkeys and goris are able to temporarily adopt a bipedal stance and eventually revert back to their hunched form. Having experienced bipedalism myself, I truly understand the advantages it offers.


    In a typical jungle environment, such as the one found on Earth, not being bipedal is perfectly eptable. However, in a world brimming with magical abilities like this one, having a bipedal or humanoid form is considered highly advantageous. It opens up a multitude of possibilities and opportunities.


    A lot of fantasy stories and movies always have these strong looking creatures like dragons and phoenix. However, upon closer observation, it bes apparent that their robust physical bodies actually be a disadvantage when pitted against humanoid creatures ofparable power.


    When fighting, these creatures often meet their demise, and their seemingly strong body parts are subsequently utilized as valuable resources. This exins why every powerful creature at one point evolves to have a humanoid form.


    The primates'' non-bipedal form may not be to my personal liking, but I am aware that selecting them as my creation would bring me great satisfaction. From what I have seen with crepuscr races, a union of me and a female primate would result in the next generation looking like sun wukong and a D&D race called Apelings.


    As I approached my goal, a mixture of anticipation and dread filled my being. The human part of me recoiled at the thought, finding it repulsive, while the divine part remained indifferent. Recognizing that dwelling on these thoughts would alter nothing, I made the decision to let sleep wash over me. Falling asleep on trees had be aforting habit that I hade to appreciate.


    I was woken when I sensed someone climbing the trees where I was but sensing who it was, I didn''t react wanting to see how this would y out.


    Slowly sitting up from my lying position, the figure made the way to the branches where I was. My brown colored eyes stared into the female primate green colored eyes, still slightly amazed by the intelligence the eyes showed.


    Establishing a connection, I began to speak " It seems you are done with the healing"


    "Yes"


    There was a moment of silence, I was about to continue when she cut me off "You are different"


    Hearing her say I was different caught me off guard, I quickly examined myself, searching for any potential mistakes I might have made during my transformation. To my relief, everything seemed in order, and I couldn''t identify any visible errors. So, if my physical form was urate, how could I possibly be different?

 Chapter 11: Price

    <h4>Chapter 11: Price</h4>


    You see, my transformation is far from ordinary. When I undergo a transformation, I assume theplete embodiment of whatever form I have taken. For instance, if I transform into a snake, I adopt the exact behaviors and characteristics of a snake, blending seamlessly with the rest of its kind. Instead of resisting or suppressing the animalistic nature within me, I embrace it, allowing it to guide my actions and ensuring that I do not stand out as different.


    " How am I different ?


    She moved closer to me touching my face and body, I let her do what she wanted before she sat back down " You look like everyone but at the same time, you look like you don''t belong here"


    She said and pointed down the tree where the other primates were, she then continued " You blend in perfectly with the surrounding like it was meant to be but when you gather with us a w appears"


    Interested in what she is saying I said " w?


    "Yes and a deep one at that" she paused and then pointed at herself and the other primates.


    "I am different from them, yet I remain connected to their essence.You, on the other hand, are not one of us because I feel like them when you are around. It is clear to me that my situation is rare within my species.


    When you appeared I thought maybe I am as unique as I thought but with further observation something seems off and your peculiar abilities, such as the one we are currently employing, serve as confirmation of your dissimrity to us. So, I ampelled to ask: Who or what are you?"


    Not in a hurry to answer hear " What do you mean when you said that you feel like them when i am around"


    "I am different from them because of my intelligence but with you around, my intelligence seems like nothing, also because your eyes around us are the same eyes I have when I talk with them"


    "Oh, what type of eyes is that"


    "The type that says, these dummies can''t understand me"


    That made meugh out loud and it seems she also found it funny because she also startedughing.


    " I can tell you what i am but you still won''t understand it" I said, which caused her to stopughing.


    Telling her that I am a god while she has no idea what a god is makes the whole exnation useless. " But i will try to give you an exnation"


    I raised my arm and the same healing magic she used appeared in my hands. She was shocked and drew closer, seeminglypelled to experience the energy for herself. Without hesitation, I tossed the healing energy towards her.


    " An exnation of what i am is what you hold in your hand, your healing abilitieses from a derivative of the wooden element and my nature grants me extensive control over such elements"


    She had a perplexed expression as my words sank in. "So, does this imply that you possess dominion over the wood element, and what I utilize belongs to you? Is that the reason for your presence here?" she inquired, seeking rification."


    Shaking my head in response to her words, I rified, "I do not possess ownership of the wood element itself, but I was born with a certain inherent authority over it. Your ability to heal, which is derived from the wood element, may not be easily replicated by other users of this element. However, due to my unique authority, I do not encounter such limitations."


    Seeing her nodding her head in understanding I continued "There are others like me who are also born with inherent authority over certain elements, and we are collectively referred to as ''Gods.''"


    "I believe I now have a partial understanding of what you are," she said.


    " No,no, you don''t. My exnation merely scratches the surface of theplexity of our existence. Authority over elements is not the sole aspect of our power. Certain facets of life are also under our domain, but let us leave it at that."


    Taking a deep breath "The reason for my presence here is because of beings like you, Creatures possessing a particr level of intelligence. Among all the group of creatures that i have observed, you turned out to be the most unique one"


    Curiosity filled her expression as she asked, "Now that you have found me, what is the next step?"


    " No need to be in a hurry, you already have a preliminary understanding of what I am. Being a god, i have some responsibilities I have to fulfill and you can be of a help to one of this obligations"


    Now she looks even more intrigued " What is it that i can be a help of to someone of your power"


    Meeting her gaze, I decided to be forthright. "I require your partnership in procreation."


    Confusion washed over her face, and she responded, "That''s it?"


    "Yes but ites at a price"


    "What''s the price"


    "You dying in the process of birth"


    Seeing her fall into silence, I sensed that she needed some time for contemtion. "Take your time to think it through, and let me know your answer," I said before swiftly descending from the tree, leaving her to her thoughts.


    Crepuscr made it sound easy when he told us the creature he found was totally with the idea but I guess that the creature intelligence wasn''t as high as this female primate.


    Fear of death is a characteristic that sets most intelligent creatures apart from normal animals. If she doesn''t agree to the proposition, I will have no choice but to return to the tigers. While they are not what I desire, their powerful bodies andbat instincts canpensate for certain aspects.


    Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly sensed a projectileunched in my direction. However, before it could hit me, it was swiftly halted mid-air. I looked towards the source and saw the female primate gesturing for me toe.


    With a spring in my step, I swiftly ascended the tree, filled with anticipation for her response. Finally reaching the top, I found her seated there. I walked closer and took a seat beside her


    She began speaking, "I have witnessed many of my kind perish, and I''ve always known that death was a natural part of life, something they didn''t fear. But the more I witness it, the more death itself terrifies me. So, when death is presented to me in the form of a proposition, I find myself frozen in hesitation."


    With no immediate response, I remained silent, allowing her words to settle in. Her questions about the impending oue weighed heavily on my mind. "How will I die? Will you be the one to kill me?" she asked, seeking rification.


    I exined to her, my voice filled with a mixture of gravity and understanding, "The child will be the one to bring about your demise, not out of its own will, but because you will be giving birth to a half-divine being. The energy required for its birth cannot be sustained by your body alone, leading to your body burning itself out to ensure the survival of the baby. It is through this process that your life wille to an end"

 Chapter 12: Alpha

    <h4>Chapter 12: Alpha</h4>


    A solemn silence enveloped us at the top of the tree, while the approaching nightfall added an air of contemtion. As I gazed at the stars above, I pondered how this conversation had disrupted the normal rhythm of my sleep. Yet, it was a conversation that needed to be had.


    After a moment, she found her voice again, her tone determined. "I will do it, but I would like to know more about what you are and what the process entails."


    For the first time, I truly studied the female primate before me. "The process is simr to procreation in any other creature, but with the difference that you will not wake up for the next 10 years, which is the duration of the birth."


    "10 years?" she repeated, clearly unfamiliar with the concept of time and years.


    Realizing herck of understanding, I acknowledged, "Essentially, it''s a very long period for you, and all of this will take ce within my domain."


    " A ce you own?" she inquired


    "Yes," I confirmed, "and it means that you won''t be able to see your own kind for a significant amount of time."


    I told her to take her time and say her goodbyes because there is a big possibility that this will be herst time. As the female primate descended the tree and rejoined herpanions, I remained on the tranquil treetop, contemting the turn of events. The weight of the impending journey and the profound responsibility I held settled upon me.


    "It seems my adventure ising to an end," I whispered to myself, a hint of satisfaction in my voice. "I am d that everything has fallen into ce." With a contented yawn, I stretched my body, finding afortable position to rest.


    The night sky shimmered above, enveloping me in its gentle embrace. The soft rustling of leaves and distant sounds of the primate tribe mingled with the calming rhythm of nature. I closed my eyes, surrendering myself to sleep, knowing that the next phase of my journey awaited me.


    I basked in the gentle sunlight streaming through the leaves and branches, feeling its warmth on my skin. As I sat up, I extended my palms and concentrated my power, envisioning a clear image in my mind. Soon enough, a small figurine made of wood materialized in my hand.


    I stretched my other arms to the open air when a paw stretched out and grabbed it.


    " Is that also one of your abilities?" Asked the female primate who came out of her hiding and proceeded to hand me a peach fruit.


    "Yes, I''ve been improving and bing much more proficient", I took the fruit and answered her as she sat beside me


    "There might be some issue andplications with me leaving with you" she said after taking a bite of the other fruit she was holding.


    Finishing thest bite, I turned to her " What issue is that?"


    She took a deep breath " The Alpha, was supposed to be my mate but since I agreed myself to you, that would be impossible"


    "Furthermore, I y a vital role in this small habitat, and my absence would bring about significant changes" I acknowledged her concerns about the impact of her departure. There was something extraordinary unfolding in this small habitat, and if she, the catalyst of this transformation, were to leave, everything that had been slowly constructed woulde to a halt.


    "Indeed, your absence would lead to changes, and that is a matter of concern. Let me address the situation with the Alpha first, before seeing how we can minimize the damage of you not being here"


    " You aren''t nning on killing him right? She asked, gazing deep into my eyes.


    " I won''t be doing no such thing afterall i am the one at fault" With that said I climbed down to find the Alpha who is also the leader.


    I had no intention of killing the leader, as I was the one who had trespassed and boldly taken what was rightfully his. It was understandable for him to be angry and defensive.


    Soon enough, I located the leader and made a sound to announce my presence. As soon as he spotted me, his agitation escted, and he began pounding his chest, radiating fury.


    Facing the furious gori before me, I decided to y along and indulge him. Transitioning from my crouched gori form, I stood upright and joined him in pounding my chest while letting out powerful roars.


    Ourbined disy of aggression attracted the attention of nearby primates, prompting them to form a circle around us. Not wanting to drag out the confrontation, I charged towards the gori, aiming to tackle him.


    He was ready for the tackle and effortlessly rolled away, the leader flexed his muscles causing rocks to lift off the ground and swirling around him. Inwardly, I chuckled, as I had initially intended to engage the leader in an honorable fight, relying solely on our physical abilities. Yet, observing the floating rocks, it became evident that the leader had a different strategy in mind.


    " Are you sure you want abilities involved?" I asked the leader who seemed to get angrier at my words. He hurled the stones floating around him at me, shaking my head, roots starteding out from the ground around me.


    The roots swiftly intercepted the iing stones, redirecting them back towards the leader. Startled by the rocks returning towards him, the leader panicked and curled up, seemingly bracing himself for impact. However, a protective wall of stones materialized in front of him, shielding him from the iing barrage.


    I admired the leader''s newfound prowess in utilizing his abilities, but it would not deter me from pursuing my goal. With unwavering determination, I summoned roots to emerge from the ground surrounding the leader, snaking and constricting around him. Despite his furious roars, he fiercely grasped at the tenacious roots, attempting to free himself from their grip, yet they held firm,


    With deliberate steps, I advanced towards the captured Alpha who panicked the closer I got to him, evident in his frantic movements. Gradually, the roots began to retract, receding back into the ground. The Alpha sank to his knees, and soon hey sprawled on the ground like there was an invisible weight holding him down.


    cing my finger-like legs on the leader''s head, I rose to my full height, surveying the gathering of primates nearby. With a mighty roar and powerful chest thumps, I assert my dominance. Witnessing my disy, the surrounding primates began to lower their heads in a gesture of acknowledgment, recognizing the shift in leadership as a new Alpha emerged.


    Releasing the roots that had restrained the gori, he swiftly rose to his feet, seemingly prepared to engage in a fight. However, as our eyes met, he understood the futility of resisting, he lowered his head in a disy of submission, acknowledging my authority as the new Alpha.


    Stepping out of the circle, I emitted a distinct sound, signaling for all the primates to follow me towards the cave situated near the cascading waterfall. With a sense of purpose, I made my way towards the cave entrance, and soon enough, the other primates began to assemble, responding to the call.

 Chapter 13: Name

    <h4>Chapter 13: Name</h4>


    Emerging from the ground beneath me, a towering tree sprouted, elevating me above the gathered primates. Positioned at this elevated vantage point, I ensured that all eyes were upon me, while my voice carried more distinctly, resonating through the surroundings.


    With amanding tone, I addressed the assembled primates, making it known that I would be departing alongside the female primate who had emerged from behind me. Gesturing towards the defeated leader, I indicated that he would remain inmand during my absence.


    The sound that emanated from my mouth conveyed the message clearly, ensuring that every primate present understood the forting arrangements.


    As I emitted a final sound, the tone carried a distinct note of menace and warning. It conveyed my expectation that nothing would change in my absence, and should I return to find any disruptions or misfortunes, severe consequences would befall the individual responsible. The threat implied that failure to maintain the order and harmony established would result in severe punishment or even death


    Releasing a surge of my suppressed power, a wave of my formidable presence washed over the cave, inducing panic among the primates. Their screams echoed through the cavern, filling the air with chaos. However, I responded with an even moremanding and powerful roar, causing my brown eyes to radiate a menacing purple glow. The sheer force of my presence silenced the primates, bringing about an eerie calm


    Seeing the effect I nodded before gesturing to the female primates to follow me. " We will be leaving at night time, make sure you do everything you want to" I said to her before climbing my favorite tree to sleep. Have I mentioned before how much I like sleeping in trees?


    It appears that I allowed myself to surrender to the moment after I found what I was looking for, It was the female primate who roused me from my slumber, and as I stood up, I stretched my limbs, feeling a renewed sense of energy coursing through my being


    "Have you said your goodbyes and done everything you want to?" I turned and asked her.


    " Yes" she sounded a bit sad when she said that.


    " Let''s go then '''' I said to her before swinging away heading deeper into the forest.


    As I was swinging from tree to tree, I realized how much I love this gori form. Having the wind blowing at my face as I swung was something I am definitely going to miss.


    The deeper we go the higher it gets, finding a clear space I jumped down.


    Shortly after, the female primate joined me, her gaze surveying our surroundings. Curiosity flickered in her eyes as she inquired, "Is this your domain?"


    Smiling at her words, I said nothing before a portal opened up in front of me. That caught her off guard so she jumped back, paying no mind to her antics as I walked through the portal.


    Returning to my domain brought forth a profound sense of relief, both physically and mentally. As I reverted back into my towering 16-foot humanoid form, a surge of power emanated from within me, resonating throughout the entire realm. This disy of unleashed energy served as a triumphant promation, announcing my return to all the fantastical creatures dwelling within my domain. Their awe-struck gazes met mine, recognizing the revitalized presence of their deity.


    Still not feeling the presence of the female primate, I looked back to see a hand going in and out of the portal.


    " It seems someone needs a little push." a slender root emerged from the ground, extending towards the portal. With a firm grip, the root sped onto her outstretched arm and gently guided her across the boundary, pulling her into my domain.


    Normally one should be amazed by the realm surrounding but because of the lightning condition, she couldn''t appreciate the mythical view in front of her. My next focus is creating a lightsource for this realm.


    " What are you looking at?" I asked the female primate who has been staring at me since she got through the portal.


    " Who are you? " she asked with a quiver in her voice.


    Her confusion was understandable, given the imposing form I currently possessed. If I were faced with a towering, 16-feet-tall monster, I would be just as bewildered.


    She seemed moreposed now that I was at her eye level and approached me cautiously. "Why do you look like this and move the way you do?"


    "This is one of my true forms. The other form was a manifestation of my powers," I exined, demonstrating by transforming into various creatures before her.


    "You weren''t lying when you said I wouldn''t be able toprehend what gods are," she remarked.


    "No, I wasn''t. Walking in this manner is something you should be capable of as well," I assured her.


    "Yes, but it''s not as effortless for me as it seems for you," she replied, attempting to stand on her hind legs but quickly returning to her hunched position.


    "So, this is your home?" she inquired.


    "Yes," I confirmed.


    "Why is it so dark? I can hardly see anything," she asked curiously.


    Hearing herment, I extended my palm and conjured a small ball of divine energy. With each passing moment, the ball grewrger as I infused it with more of my power. When I felt it had reached the desired size, I focused my will to prevent the energy from dissipating. The immense ball of energy soared from my palm, ascending swiftly to the center of my realm where it hung suspended.


    "Now you can see clearly," I said to her, but my voice had a weakness to it..


    However, she seemed oblivious to my condition,pletely captivated by the unfolding spectacle before her. The realm unveiled itself as a picturesque garden, adorned with unique nts and trees that were unfamiliar to her. Magical creatures roamed harmoniously, and the presence of light seemed to awaken a yearning within all things, as the trees stretched their branches towards the illuminated sky.


    Observing the response of the creatures and the trees in my realm, I realized how much they needed a light source. Though they had grown ustomed to its absence, the longing was evident. Unfortunately, expending such a substantial amount of divine energy for illumination was not a sustainable solution. The ball of light represented a significant portion of my power, and I had imbued it with my will to make it don''t disperse. I n on taking back the energy.


    Gazing upon the joyful scene before me and sensing the emotions of the trees, I decided to allow them to savor this moment while I made my way back to my altar to take my seat.


    "You have a beautiful home," the female primate remarked, sitting beside me after her exploration.


    "Thank you," I replied.


    A brief silence ensued before she inquired, "Should we start now?"


    Her question caught me off guard, and I responded, "There''s no need to rush. I thought you wanted to learn more about me."


    "I am indeed curious about you," she confirmed.


    Let me satiate your curiosity then "To begin with, I am one of the gods in this world called Nana. I go by the name Ikenga, and my domain epasses nature and curses," I exined.


    Curiosity filled her voice as she asked, "What is a name?"


    "A name can have various meanings, but ultimately, it represents identity," I rified.


    "Identity?" she pondered.


    "Yes, for instance, take this flower." A blossom materialized in the palm of my hand, and I handed it to her.


    "This flower is like any other, but it has a name that specifically identifies it," I continued.


    "What is its name?" she asked, captivated by the flower that resembled the sun.


    "It is called a sunflower," I answered, observing the flower''s resemnce to its name.


    She gazed at the flower in awe before turning her attention back to me. "I want a name of my own, Ikenga."

 Chapter 14: Duties

    <h4>Chapter 14: Duties</h4>


    I weed the idea of giving her a name, considering it a small gesture of gratitude for the favor she was about to do for me. A name would not only signify her existence but also serve as a representation of this remarkable primate I had encountered.


    As I pondered on a suitable name, simplicity became my preference. She possessed healing abilities, so I needed to choose a name befitting a healer.


    "After careful thought, I believe Panacea would be a perfect name for you," I finally proposed.


    "Panacea? What does it mean?" she inquired with a joyful tone.


    "It means the remedy to all things or illness. In this case, you are a remedy to one of my problems," I exined, observing her embrace me in what seemed like a primate''s hug.


    "I love the name you''ve given me, Ikenga," she expressed her joy.


    "I''m d to hear that," I responded. Time seemed to pass swiftly as I continued conversing with her, sharing my ns for the future and imparting knowledge shecked. It amazed me how quickly she absorbed the information, even though I knew she would likely not utilize the knowledge she''s learning.


    "That''s essentially everything I can tell you about myself," I concluded, wrapping up my story.


    "After hearing everything, do you still want to proceed with this?" I inquired, seeking her final decision.


    Panacea''s determination shone through her eyes as she expressed her unwaveringmitment to help me, despite her limitations. Although she acknowledged her incapability of offering everything, she pledged to channel all her energy into producing a strong offspring who would eventually assist me in my endeavors.


    Realizing that the time hade, I focused on the core of my divinity, invoking a call to revert back into my true form. Unlike imagination, this transformation was a deep, instinctual process. I could feel the change sweeping over me instantaneously.


    Recalling Crepuscr''s warning about the potential consequences of revealing one''s true form, I took immediate action. As the transformation urred, I carefully reined in the aura and energy that threatened to overflow, ensuring it remained contained within me. With that done, my transformation wasplete.


    No longer in my humanoid state, I now stood at a towering 25 feet, assuming my crouched Kong-like form. My horns had grownrger to suit my immense stature, while my arms became adorned with the finest stone. In this primal state, I understood the reason for its name, as an animalistic wildness coursed through my being.


    Looking down at Panacea, whose mouth was agape in disbelief, I yfully flicked one of my colossal fingers towards her face, causing her to stumble slightly.


    "What was that for?" she asked, slightly taken aback.


    "Nothing," I replied, feigning ignorance.


    Now that she hadposed herself, she gazed up at my new form and, with a hint of heat in her voice,mented, "You look really handsome right now."


    "Wasn''t I always handsome?" I asked with a yful grin.


    "You were, but now you''re even more captivating," she replied.


    Her next words resonated with a touch of concern, "But I can do nothing with you at this size."


    "You seem to forget that I can change my size," I responded, a mischievous glint in my eyes. Gradually, I shrank back down to her size.


    As soon as I reached her size, she leaped onto me in excitement. Not wanting to put on a spectacle for the creatures in my realm, I extended my hand and called back the divine energy that had been illuminating the sky, causing the realm to once again descend into darkness.


    -----------------


    As our main character pulled the curtain to fulfill his godly duties, somewhere in the northern realm which now belongs to the goddess of the moon.


    For the small amount of time Mahu has been born, she couldn''t help but feel bothered by the strength exuded by her older siblings after she met them at the meeting. She understood that the age gap ounted for the difference, but it still didn''t sit right with her.


    Her twin, Ikenga, seemed unfazed by the discrepancy in strength and even if he was bothered, he did a good job of keeping aposed facade.


    Despite her concerns, Mahu was overjoyed when Ikenga agreed to her request for an alliance. Wasting no time, she journeyed to the north, the region assigned to her, in search of the creature she would choose for her creation.


    She understood that starting a creation will breach the disparity in strength even if a little and the earlier she starts the better.


    She chose the north due to its affinity for her moon divinity. As the goddess of the moon, she had a certain level of control over the element of ice, which was abundant in this region.


    Descending from the moon to the northern part of the Nana, Mahu''s eyes beheld a vast expanse of ice covering thend. However, amidst the frozenndscape, there was a particr area that emitted a warm fragrance, resembling a normalnd. This ce stood out prominently in the Northern hemisphere.


    Despite the snowy terrain, the north appeared like a regr forest, with thriving trees and animals. It seemed the abundant cold mana in this part of the had caused a mutation in thend.


    Instead of the usual brown bark and green leaves, the trees in this coldnd possessed white bark and leaves. Surprisingly, this mutation didn''t hinder the trees and nts from bearing fruit.


    The fruits produced by these mutated nts shared amon characteristic¡ªa cold and refreshing sensation when bitten into, each with its own unique vor.


    Humans in this region had adapted well to the cold. They had established their homes in the abnormal part of this frigidnd, where normal-looking trees, nts, and animals thrived.


    They seemed ustomed to the cold, often seen venturing into the cold forest with minimal clothing to gather fruits and hunt.


    Mahu had been closely observing the creatures inhabiting this part of the world. Unlike her brother Ikenga, shecked the ability to transform for closer observations, so she had to rely on what she could see from a distance. Ideally, she would have chosen humans as her creation, as she found them to be more aesthetically pleasing. However, humans were off-limits ording to Nana''s rules. It was quite demeaning for Maha to consider letting a lower creature touch her.


    The northern region was teeming with a variety of creatures, both magical and non-magical. Like the trees, the animals had also undergone mutations. Lions and hyenas could be spotted in the area, but their thick white fur indicated the changes they had undergone.


    Among the numerous creatures, Mahu had been observing pr bears, foxes, reindeer, and tigers. However, it was the pack of snow-white wolves that captured her interest the most.


    Mahu admired the wolves for their pack dynamics. As a deity with an affinity for motherhood, she found their cooperative behavior and unity beautiful to witness. She observed how the wolves worked together to bring down their prey, relying on their unity to dominate the food chain.


    Yet, she couldn''t ignore the cruel side of nature demonstrated by the wolves, such as their ruthless treatment of weaker members. This was an expected aspect of the natural world.


    Hovering in the air, Mahu observed the wolves as they rested, satisfied with their sessful hunt. They licked their fur and asionally bit into the snow around them. Her decision had been made; the wolves would be her chosen creation.


    Slowly descending, Mahu approached the wolves, their curious gazes fixated on her. While they observed her, she also observed them, soon singling out her target: the Alpha.

 Chapter 15: Limit

    <h4>Chapter 15: Limit</h4>


    She approached the Alpha with deliberate steps, and for some reason none of the wolves made a move to attack her. They simply parted, allowing her to pass through their midst and approach the Alpha.


    As Mahu walked towards the Alpha, she sensed the intelligence emanating from its eyes and felt its strength. It was clear why it held the position of leadership. She felt like she needed tomunicate with him and exin her purpose but thinking about what she ns to do with the creature after itpletes its purpose, she understood thatmunication wasn''t needed.


    Without hesitation, she closed her eyes and delved deep into her core, summoning her primal form. The transformation began in response to her call.


    Mahu now stood in her primal form¡ªa magnificent 23-foot-tall wolf sculpted from ice. The glimmering star-like dots that adorned her humanoid form also manifested in this primal state, giving the impression that countless small stars were encased within her body.


    As soon as her primal form materialized before the wolves, they all lifted their heads and began to howl. Even the Alpha joined in, creating a chorus that echoed throughout the Northern part of the world, with all the wolves in the area joining in the collective howl directed at the smaller moon in the sky.


    Mahu basked in the symphony of wolf howls, almost sumbing to the urge to join them. However, she restrained herself, mindful of her pride as a goddess. She shrank down to the size of the male Alpha and approached him with purpose.


    With each step, ice crystals formed at her feet, cracking and turning into cold dust as she moved forward. By the time she neared the Alpha, the cold dust had obscured her figure. With one final sweep of her tail, a small circr snowstorm enveloped both her and the Alpha.


    Hours passed as the wolves stood, observing the small snowstorms. But as nothing significant urred, they gradually returned to their rest, some even drifting off to sleep.


    The circr storms dissipated, revealing Mahu no longer in her primal form. Strangely, the Alpha wolf was nowhere to be seen. Maha stood there, gently stroking her belly, a tender expression in her eyes. Casting onest nce at the wolves, a cold gust of wind whisked her away, leaving no trace of her presence.


    -------------


    Crepuscr sat within his realm, observing with satisfaction as his offspring rapidly multiplied. Each birth brought a smile to his face, as it meant an increase in his own power. However, he was aware that this growth would eventually reach a limit, because of the rules set forth by Nana. Despite their expanding presence and influence over the western continent, he knew that their multiplication would eventually cease.


    Crepuscr was particrly displeased with the situation, because of the presence of humans in this continent they prevented him from establishing a firm grip over the region. He understood that until Nana awakened, there would be no significant change in this situation. However, he also realized that once she did awaken, his advantage over his siblings would diminish.


    " I wonder how far Ikenga and Maha havee" He said particrly to no one but himself, Curiosity sparked within Crepuscr as he pondered the progress of Ikenga and Maha. It had been a year since their meeting, and he had provided them with enough information to avoid wasting time in their own trials and effort.


    He wondered if they had already chosen their creations, eager to see what they had chosen. However, that would have to wait until their next meeting. For now, he needed to focus on preparing his own race for the next step.


    Deep beneath the waters of Nana, Jaws sat upon his throne, observing the rapid multiplication of his offspring. Each one bore a unique appearance, reflecting their diverse lineage.


    However, Jaws was troubled by the unchecked proliferation of his offspring, though for different reasons than Crepuscr. In the vast ocean, they reigned supreme, their home territory offering no obstacles to their dominance. This presented a problem, as their huge appetite and bloodline of a divine being made them overlord creatures in the water. With few natural predators apart from the formidable magical deep-sea creatures, they consumed the lesser life forms of the ocean at an rming rate.


    Concerned about the depletion of their food sources, Jaws made the decision tomand his offspring to halt their multiplication, allowing time for the ecosystem to recover.


    "It seems my meeting with Ikenga will ur sooner than I anticipated," Jaws mused, stroking his chin. However, he chose to wait a little longer, recognizing that the situation had not yet reached its most dire point. Furthermore, he saw this as an opportunity for their race to take the next evolutionary step.


    "It is time to establish a functional structure and develop ways for my offspring to harness mana and utilize it," he dered to his two loyal children who always remained by his side.


    "Yes, Father. We will gather everyone," the two demigods affirmed before swimming away to carry out their father''s directive.


    ------------


    Afterpleting the necessary task, Ikenga settled on his altar and observed Panacea, who had entered a deep sleepsting ten years. He contemted his actions, with his former human side feeling repulsed by what he had just done, while his active godly state experienced a sense of aplishment.


    Standing up, Ikenga extended his hand towards Panacea and hesitated for a moment before flowers and soft grass began to sprout from beneath and around her slumbering form.


    "No matter the form in which the mother of my child arrived, it doesn''t change the fact that I am about to be a father," he said to himself, excitement evident in his voice. This presented an opportunity for him to embrace a role he could not fulfill in his previous life.


    "To hell with moral values," he eximed, annoyed with his human side. It dawned on Ikenga that he was still restricted by thinking like a human despite being a god. No one could dictate to him what was right or wrong; he alone held the authority to determine such matters.


    Empowered by his newfound conviction and now in the right state of mind, Ikenga surveyed his dark realm, realizing that it was time for a change. However, for this change to happen it would require extensive training.


    Recognizing the limitations of his realm, which currently only allowed for nature-rted elements, Ikenga understood that his training could not take ce within its confines. His training involved elements beyond nature, it would be difficult to achieve that within his realm''s boundaries.


    Casting onest gaze at Panacea, a portal materialized before Ikenga, leading him outside his realm. Surveying the surroundings of his arrival, Ikenga nodded approvingly.


    This ce had been discovered by Ikenga during his exploration of the eastern continent. It was an open area with scarce creatures, primarily due to the presence of a dominant top predator.


    Speaking of the owner of the territory, Ikenga turned his gaze to the left when a loud thud emanated from the nearby bushes. Arge red T-Rex burst out, crashing into Ikenga''s towering figure before affectionately licking him.


    "Hi, Red. You missed me that much," Ikenga chuckled, rubbing the creature''s thick skin.

 Chapter 16: Training

    <h4>Chapter 16: Training</h4>


    After Red made a small sound to acknowledge my words, I assured him, "I will be staying here for a while, so you get to be with me as much as you want." Red appeared satisfied with my promise and walked back into the bush from where he had emerged.


    Red was one of the rare mutated magical dinosaurs, and from my observation, every mutated dinosaur bes significantly more powerful than before, disturbing the ecosystem and causing nearby animals to flee.


    I encountered Red during my exploration on the eastern continent, and because I wanted to take a closer look, upon seeing me, Red immediately initiated a fight. It was one of the toughest battles I had faced since my birth, but my intelligence and abilities allowed me to prevail. Instead of killing Red, I spared its life due to its rarity, as the benefits outweighed the losses.


    My victory over Red led to its submission, and it offered to share its territory with me. At the time, I had no immediate need for its territory or its proposal, but now, its territory has be a necessity for my training.


    Now alone, I realized it was time to attend to something I had postponed for a while. Concentrating my focus, an image of my past life materialized in my mind. With rity, I transformed into my human form.


    Summoning a water mirror before me, I gazed at my former image reflected within it. The mirror showed a 6-feet-tall dark-skinned male with long dreadlocks, hazel brown eyes, a chiseled chin, and no facial hair. Intricate rune-like markings (Curses) adorned my human form, adding a touch of mysticism.


    Noticing my nakedness, I willed a traditional cloth known as Ogodo from my past life to appear and wrap around my waist. It may have been a bit narcissistic, but I liked the way my well-defined abs were revealed without any cover. I wanted to cover my legs too but the feeling of connection i felt from the ground barefoot made me decide against it.


    Sweeping away the water mirror, I made my way to a small clearing that had a tall tree in it. It felt like the perfect spot to establish my first home. Wasting no time, I utilized my abilities to construct a small wooden house. It required some trial and effort, but I was pleased with the final result.


    As I embarked on my training, or rather, my experiments, I realized that the term "training" might not be entirely urate. It was more about exploring and pushing the boundaries of my innate abilities. If you possess a vivid imagination, everythinges instinctively. It''s akin to instructing someone born of fire to learn how to control mes.


    During my journey, I attempted to train my abilities, only to discover that there was no real need for it. For instance, when I found that the roots I summoned could be easily broken, I initially thought training would make them stronger and more resilient. To my surprise, all I had to do was will the wood to be stronger and tougher, and it happened effortlessly.


    There are four fundamental elements: fire, air, earth, and water. From these four elements stem various derivatives. For example, ice originates from water, and iron from earth. Many other powers can be derived from these core elements and there is no need for me to mention them all.


    My purpose for this training is because I want to infuse other elements into my dominant element and impart some specific properties to it. My nature divinity granted me the power of wood and nt maniption, along with a touch of earth maniption, perhaps due to the fact that trees and nts rely on soil for growth.


    However, when I attempted to infuse other elements such as fire or iron into the summoned wood, I encountered obstacles. The wood and fire elements seemed to cancel each other out, often resulting in the wood being consumed by mes and reduced to ashes. As for the element of iron, the two elements simply neutralized each other, yielding no discernible effect.


    Interestingly, the water element presented no such hindrance. Instead, it imbued the wood or tree with a heightened vibrancy. This observation led me to contemte the inherentws of nature, where certain elements harmonize while others sh or remain incongruous.


    Over the course of the next three years, I dedicated much of my time to seeking a bnce where the elements could coexist harmoniously. However, my efforts did not yield the desired results. Despite this, I did experience personal growth and a heightened creativity with my abilities.


    I discovered that I could now alter the capabilities of nts. It was a pleasant surprise to realize that I could create nts capable of absorbing blood for nourishment. This revtion shifted my focus, as I wanted to explore the extent of my abilities and understand my limitations. Consequently, I delved into a multitude of experiments, such as developing seeds that acted as parasites when ingested or in contact with the body.


    Additionally, I worked on a nt that could harness and store light from the sun to address the issue of lightning in my realm. However, the presence of the fire element within the absorbed light causedbustion upon contact with the nt, rendering my creation futile.


    Nevertheless, this setback led me to create a nt that could absorb the surrounding mana. Although I have yet to find a practical use for it, this endeavor sparked my curiosity to further explore the creation of nts that could focus on absorbing different elements.


    As expected, the water and earth elements proved to bepatible in my nt experiments. The nt infused with the water element gained the ability to shoot water at mymand. I could alsopress the water and propel it through stones, increasing its force and impact.


    Simrly, the nt infused with the earth element could expel a flurry of sand and shoot pebbles at high speeds. These pebbles had no trouble piercing through trees and even the animals I tested them on.


    These nts infused with different elements exhibited unique characteristics, simr to the blood-sucking nt I had previously created. They developed a sense of instinct, unlike the nts I typically summoned. When I attempted to unsummon or release my control over them, they surprised me by pleading with me not to do so, as if they understood that they would cease to exist once unsummoned.


    Surprised by this unexpected development, I made the decision to let them live. However, I faced the challenge of keeping them near me for further observation without carrying around a flower pot at all times. Remarkably, the blood-absorbing roots detached themselves from the ground,bining into one thick root and climbed up my body, seeking a ce to stay. Recognizing its intention, I took the root and fashioned it into a headband, incorporating it into my dreads.


    As for the other two nts infused with elemental powers, they simply burrowed back into the ground and emerged at the soles of my feet, transforming into small flower dots. Attached to the soles of my feet, they began absorbing the surrounding mana.


    With this arrangement, my appearance underwent a transformation. I now wore a headband adorned with a bloodsucking root, featuring a distinct red streak. Additionally, two small tattoos adorned the soles of my feet, representing the nts infused with elemental powers.

 Chapter 17: Discovery

    <h4>Chapter 17: Discovery</h4>


    Throughout these three years of training, I made asional visits to the realm to check on Panacea''s progress. Her stomach now visibly bulged, indicating the growth of the life within her. Each time I felt the presence of life in her womb, an unfamiliar sensation coursed through me. Although I couldn''tprehend the nature of this feeling, I chose not to dwell on it, confident that its purpose would reveal itself in due time.


    During my visits, I also monitored the group of primates in their small habitat. I ensured that the gap I left did not cause any detrimental effects on the progress unfolding among them. I offered them advice on certain matters, though not significant enough to bring about drastic changes. Instead, my guidance aimed to gradually introduce positive transformations.


    Now, I sat by a small campfire with Red lying beside me, drooling over the prey it had caught. Red had developed a fondness for my cooking, as I utilized my earth maniption to create salt rocks and spread them over the meat, enhancing its vor. Witnessing Red''s reaction when he first tasted the seasoned meat remains etched in my memory.


    In an attempt to further enhance the taste for Red, I sought to create spices. However, I encountered a surprising obstacle¡ªthe concept of logic seemed to manifest itself in this magical world for the first time. While I could create spices, I discovered that creating ripe spices proved impossible for me.


    Realizing why the fruits and spices I created couldn''t ripen instantly was a surprise that made perfect sense. In the natural world, nts grow over time, and each passing year leaves a visible ring, indicating the age and maturity of a tree. The nts I conjureck these rings.


    The same rule applied to the spices/fruits that i created, the spices/fruit looked fully grown but it is not ripped. What surprised me was when I nted the spice it only took a week to be ripe.


    Curiositypelled me to conduct an experiment. Summoning a tall tree from the ground, I allowed it to grow for about a week. To my astonishment, the tree had developed ten rings, signifying its age of ten years. I realized that my ability to manipte wood forcibly elerates the growth of the things I create, making them appear mature butcking the full passage of time required forplete development.


    Today marked the first time Red would taste the fully grown spices, and the captivating aroma alone had him enthralled. Despite myck of hunger since bing a god, the tantalizing scent tempted even me. As the meat cooked to perfection, I plucked a juicy thigh and handed the rest to Red, who, for some inexplicable reason, took slow, deliberate bites. With each mouthful, he closed his eyes momentarily before savoring another bite. I shook my head at his amusing antics and took a bite myself, relishing the exquisite vor that matched its enticing aroma.


    What surprised me even more was the meat''s abundant mana. Although I had no personal use for mana, the three nts intertwined with my being eagerly absorbed the energy. It was astonishing to discover that deer meat contained such a substantial amount of mana. Last I had known, deer were not known to possess mana-rted traits. Intrigued by this revtion, I established a connection with the trees surrounding me, extending my sight through their branches to survey the happenings in the forest.


    To my astonishment, a significant transformation had urred within the forest and jungle of the eastern continent. Through the eyes of the connected trees, I witnessed a multitude of ordinary creatures evolving and adapting to mana, bing wondrous magical beings.


    The forest had undergone a remarkable transformation, with scarce sightings ofmon creatures and even the trees and grass pulsating with mana energy. The eleration of this change had taken me by surprise, happening more rapidly than I had anticipated.


    As I had observed during my journey, the infusion of mana had granted newfound abilities to weaker creatures, enabling them to fight back and even overpower their natural predators. Likewise, the predatory creatures influenced by mana had be formidable forces in the jungle, dominating the ecosystem.


    It was evident that this situation would lead to the near extinction of weaker creatures or force them to adapt to mana at an elerated pace, and the scene unfolding before me confirmed my predictions.


    Through my connection with the trees, I witnessed a tiger stealthily stalking a rabbit, which was unusuallyrger than its typical size. In a normal scenario, the tiger would easily capture its prey or the rabbit would manage to escape. However, what transpired left me astounded.


    As the tiger lunged towards the rabbit, the nimble creature effortlessly leaped over the predator, delivering a powerful kick that caused severe damage to the tiger''s face, leaving it with a crushed visage. The tiger quickly regained its footing, only to find the rabbit boldly confronting it with an aggressive gaze.


    This extraordinary event was not isted to a single encounter; I extended my connection with the trees and the entire forest in the world of Nana was undergoing a rapid transformation. I ended the connection I had with the trees, returning my focus to the immediate surroundings. Red, having finished his meal, fixed a fiery gaze upon the remaining thigh in my hand.


    As I took a satisfying bite from the meat and tossed the remainder to Red, my attention quickly shifted back to the rapidly changing forest. Something intriguing was happening, and I couldn''t ignore it because there is a mysterious power that seemed to be intertwining with my own being. It wasn''t a matter of something being added to me; rather, it felt like this power had always been present, but now it was bing more apparent as the forest transformed.


    I wanted to go deep and find out what this power is but, seeing that it was unfolding itself the more the first changes, i decide that it is better to just wait.


    The realization that I couldn''t create ripe ingredients and fruits dealt a blow to my ns, particrly regarding food production for my kingdom. I had believed that with this ability, food scarcity would no longer be a concern. Furthermore, I had intended to utilize this power to cultivate potent herbs that I had discovered during my explorations.


    During my journey, I had not only sought out creatures for creation but also observed the diversity of animals and nts. In many fantasy stories, powerful herbs y a vital role, capable of bestowing great strength or possessing other useful properties. I hade across numerous such herbs during my travels.


    Initially, I hadn''t attached much significance to them, assuming that my ability for wood maniption would enable me to replicate these herbs effortlessly. However, now that I understood that artificially created replicas held no real value, I realized the need for a different approach.


    In the uing years of my training, I would need to focus on creating these distinct and potent herbs, as well as exploring nts with useful culinary applications. I would have to locate suitablends where they could be cultivated. Although the advantage of spamming abilities was no longer avable to me, I still retained the advantage of elerated growth, shortening the time required for them to be usable.

 Chapter 18: New born

    <h4>Chapter 18: New born</h4>


    During the next two years, a significant portion of my time was dedicated to finding a bnce with the elements. I sensed that I was getting closer to achieving that bnce. Additionally, I took the opportunity to locate a spacious field near the mountain where my realm was situated, embarking on my farming journey. Now, the area thrived with diverse fruits and edible nts. I decided to appoint Red as the guardian of this territory.


    Recognizing the greater value of the herbs, I chose to nt them near my current temporary house, instead of leaving them exposed to the risk of being taken by powerful beasts in the vicinity because they can sense its useful usage to them. I n on moving them to my realm once I solve the problem of lightsource.


    One day, I sat in front of the house I had built, and before me was a small branch. Unlike an ordinary branch, this one disyed a gradual metallic glow. Excitement filled me as I witnessed the progress I had made. The metallic radiance was on the verge of epassing the entire branch when my concentration was abruptly shattered by an iing call, causing the branch to revert to its normal state.


    Anger surged within me as I realized that someone had interrupted me at such a crucial moment, thwarting my progress. Answering the call with a voiceced with frustration and impatience, I snapped, "What?"


    "Am I bothering you, brother?" came a feminine voice filled with weakness.


    I took a deep breath, attempting topose myself. "I was in the middle of something important," I responded curtly.


    "Oh, I apologize for that. I will leave you to your endeavors then," she replied.


    Discarding the branch in frustration, I stood up. "It can wait. Why the sudden call, Mahu?"


    There was a brief pause before her voice spoke again. "I just gave birth to my child."


    That caused me to pause, realizing that it made perfect sense for her to give birth at this time. Unlike my own ten-year duration, hers, as a goddess, would be considerably shorter.


    "Congrattions, sister," I congratted her, though still somewhat perplexed as to why she was informing me of this.


    "No need for that, Ikenga. I want you by my side now," she said, her voice still weak.


    Confusion washed over me, and I was about to inquire further when a silver portal materialized before me. I hesitated for a moment before stepping into the portal.


    Back in Maha''s realm, thendscape had undergone some changes, with a grand castle made of ice standing at its center. As I entered the castle and climbed the stairs, I made my way toward Maha''s presence.


    Standing before the door to her chamber, I hesitated for a moment, but before I could gather my thoughts, the doors swung open on their own. Stepping inside the room, I beheld a sight of opulence. A king-sized bed fit for royalty adorned the space, with a sheer silver curtain hanging over it. Maha stood there, her tall silhouette illuminated by the soft glow.


    Approaching the side of the bed where she was, I gently pulled aside the curtain. Maha''s figure, once radiant and powerful, now appeared weakened and exhausted. Her silver hair clung to her perspiring body, but her eyes were filled with joy as they met mine, gazing up from the child she cradled in her arms.


    The first thought that crossed my mind, albeit foolishly, was, "A divine being can sweat." Shaking my head at the absurdity of my own thinking, I focused on Mahu''s weakened state and inquired, "Why do you need me here, sister?"


    She remained silent and handed the child to me. Still confused, I took the child from her and he was unbelievably adorable. The first sight of the baby let me know about Mahu''s choice for creation.


    The baby, a small werewolf with shimmering silver fur, possessed bright green eyes and tiny fangs peeking out of his mouth. Despite being a newborn, he disyed remarkable liveliness as he clutched one of my dreadlocks and yfully nibbled on it.


    Lost in the enchantment of the child, I was startled when Maha rose from her bed and began undressing, catching me off guard. Ignoring my gaze upon her alluring form, she walked into the bathroom.


    Still in a daze, I heard the sound of running water emanating from the bathroom. Looking down at the baby in my arms, still tugging at my dreads, I remarked, "Your mom is quite weird, huh?."


    ------------


    As Mahu emerged from the bath, she felt the weakness slowly dissipating, reced by a renewed sense of vitality. Observing Ikenga ying with their newborn son, she couldn''t help but be captivated by the scene unfolding before her.


    Noticing a change in Ikenga''s appearance, she found herself drawn to his new form. His dark skin, sculpted abs, and the markings adorning his body exuded a certain allure that she found charming.


    Quietly, she made her way to the edge of the bed, careful not to disrupt the precious moment. Sitting there with her legs crossed, she watched as her son climbed and frolicked around Ikenga''s figure, while Ikenga attempted to gently coax him away.


    "What is the purpose of all this, Mahu?" Ikenga''s voice broke the silence, revealing that he was already aware of her presence.


    "You both look incredible together," Mahu replied, pointing at Ikenga and her son.


    A frown appeared on Ikenga''s face as he turned to face her, his voiceced with confusion. "Where are you heading with all of this?"


    Mahu understood his underlying question, but instead of providing a direct answer, she took a deliberate step closer to Ikenga, who now held her son in his arms.


    --------------


    Ikenga watched as Mahu''s figure approached him, his senses heightened by her alluring scent and the noticeable change in her height. He felt a mixture of confusion and curiosity as she gently caressed his chest, locking eyes with him.


    "What do you think about bing his father?" she asked, her words catching him off guard.


    "Huh?" My confusion deepened, struggling toprehend the sudden proposition.


    "What''s gotten into you, Mahu?" I asked, taking a step back in response.


    Mahu didn''t provide an immediate answer. Instead, she seemed to contemte her thoughts, caressing her head before returning to her bed and sitting down.


    "Ikenga, I don''t quite know how to exin it, but my behavior is now influenced by my divinity," she finally spoke, her voice tinged with a mix of uncertainty and conviction.


    My attention was piqued by her revtion. "Can divinity truly affect our behavior? I wonder to what extent I''ve been influenced without realizing it."


    "For the past five days, everything seemed perfect, until a day ago when I sensed that I would give birth today. It was then that I felt my divine essence rted to motherhood stirring within me. Initially, I dismissed it as a natural response to the impending birth," Mahu exined.


    I leaned in, my curiosity growing. "So, what was the true reason behind it all?"


    "After giving birth, my divinity revealed to me that the act of childbirth is a ritual, one that requires the presence of two significant figures: the mother and the father. The ritual is now iplete because the father is absent," she disclosed.

 Chapter 19: Talent

    <h4>Chapter 19: Talent</h4>


    My brow furrowed as I absorbed her words. "So, where is the father?"


    "Dead. If I had known about the ritual, I would have kept him alive, and when the ritual isplete, I would have killed him," Mahu revealed, her voice tinged with a hint of regret.


    Not bothered by what she said, I sought rification. "Where do I fit into all of this?" I asked, struggling to grasp the connection between himself and all this.


    "After giving birth in this grand chamber and experiencing the influence of my divinity, I felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness, despite the joy of bing a mother. I yearned for someone to be by my side, and you were the first person who came to my mind," Mahu exined, her silver eyes fixed on Me.


    "I am beginning to understand, but why the notion of me bing a father?" I inquired, my confusion still lingering as I approached her.


    "I saw how wonderful you both looked together, and with you here, I sensed thepletion of the ritual taking shape," Mahu replied, her gaze unwavering as I stood before her.


    I contemted her words, a mix of emotions swirling within me. Eventually, I made a decision. "I agree to be his father, but in return, you must be the mother figure for my unborn child," I proposed, my eyes focused on the sleeping baby in my arms.


    Mahu''s face lit up with happiness, and she rose with renewed energy. Embracing Ikenga, she nted a tender kiss on my chin before delicately taking the sleeping baby from my arms and stuck figure.


    Observing as sheid the baby down and settled beside him, She looked at me and said " Do you want to join us?"


    "No, I have matters that require my attention," I replied, taking a step back but slightly tempted.


    As I prepared to step through the portal before me, Mahu''s voice reached his ears. "Make sure you have a name for the child the next time you visit," she called out.


    Remaining silent, I entered the portal and found myself back in my small house. Overwhelmed by the recent turn of events, I couldn''t help but add a new thing to my list of fears in this new world: "Women."


    In the following three years, I continued expanding my farming endeavors, cultivating crops and vegetables on newly openednds. Panacea''s appetite continued to grow, resulting in her appearing thinner. Meanwhile, I made regr visits to Mahu, who had fully recovered.


    Maul, Mahu''s child, exhibited rapid growth beyond normal proportions. In just three years, he transformed from a newborn into the appearance of an eight-year-old. I finally settled on a name for him: Maul. Although he initially recognized that I wasn''t his biological father, he maintained the same respect and admiration for me as before.


    My rtionship with Mahu remainedplex and ambiguous. Her casual demeanor and actions left me wondering if I was overthinking things. However, as fellow gods, we had ample time to navigate and understand our dynamic.


    While Mahu provided little insight into her own activities, she shared everything regarding Maul''s progress. ording to her ns, she intended to send Maul back to the northern continent to further his development within the next two years.


    Despite the interruption caused by Mahu, my training with the element had made significant progress. Today, I felt confident that I was nearing a breakthrough. To prevent any disturbances this time, I disconnected from my siblings before immersing myself fully in the experiment before me.


    Reflecting on my previous achievements, I realized that the key to sessy in an imbnced distribution of the elements. Rather than striving for equality, one element should dominate while the other serves as a submissive counterpart, acting as a vessel. Determining which element should take precedence became crucial.


    However, a new challenge emerged¡ªhow to control the desired amount of each element. For instance, if I aimed to create an iron branch, the foundation remained rooted in wood, while the exterior possessed the strength and resilience of iron. Finding the precise bnce between the two elements proved to be my next hurdle.


    To achieve the desired effect of a branch thatbines both wood and iron elements, I need to follow a specific process. Here''s how I will approach it:


    Start by creating a nt with minimal wood element in the branch: I will focus on cultivating a nt where the branch itself has a limited amount of wood element. This will set the stage for the dominance of the iron element in the branch.


    Introduce the iron element into the branch: Once the nt has grown, I will introduce the element of iron into the branch. The abundance of iron will begin to interact with and influence the existing wooden element.


    Metalize the branch: As the iron element starts to interact with the wooden element, it will gradually "infect" and transform the branch, giving it metallic properties. The branch will take on the characteristics of iron, bing stronger and more resilient.


    Ovee the expulsion of the wood element: As the iron element bes dominant, it may push away the wood element, making the branch lose its tree-like qualities and resemble pure iron. To counteract this, I will slowly reintroduce the expelled wooden element back into the branch.


    Foster coexistence of the elements: By reintroducing the wooden element gradually, it will have traces of this element within iron. This way, when the wooden element reenters the branch, the iron element will ept it rather than fight against it. This gradual process allows the two elements to coexist within the branch, achieving the desired effect.


    By carefully managing the interaction between the wood and iron elements, I can create a branch that maintains the strength and characteristics of iron while still retaining its connection to the nt and coexisting with the wooden element


    With my sessful creation of the iron wood branch, I couldn''t contain myughter. This breakthrough marked a significant step towards achieving my goal of creating a light source in the realm. Excited to test its capabilities, I summoned another branch and reinforced it using my usual method. Holding both branches in my hands, I forcefully collided them together, and as expected, the iron branch was better, denting the other branch.


    Eager to explore further, I willed the iron branch to transform into a small sword. With a swift sh, it effortlessly sliced through the other branch. A wide smile spread across my face. This experiment allowed me to incorporate other elements into my innate nature maniption abilities without abandoning them. While it would be fascinating to control all five elements, the time and effort required for such mastery would be immense. I have always believed in the distinction between natural talent and rigorous training.


    As my cousin once told me, there is a difference between someone naturally gifted in a particr area and someone who works hard to achieve the same level of skill. While hard work is important, the naturally talented individual can often grasp different concepts and perform with ease, leaving the hardworking individual in awe. For instance, an individual with an innate talent for football can effortlessly handle the ball, executing tricks as if the ball were an extension of themselves. When asked about their experience, they might reply that it''s their first time ying.

 Chapter 20: Birth

    <h4>Chapter 20: Birth</h4>


    This stark contrast is not to undermine the value of training, but rather to emphasize the importance of recognizing and maximizing one''s inherent strengths. Instead of spreading myself thin by attempting to master all elements, I chose to amplify and refine my nature maniption abilities. I understood that my affinity for nature maniption was my true forte, and rather than diminish it, I sought to bring out its greatest potential through adaptation.


    By incorporating other elements into my nature maniption, I could strengthen and diversify my abilities without sacrificing my primary focus. These two nts, each infused with different elements, served as embodiments of this approach. They eliminated the need for me to expend unnecessary energy on mastering individual elements, as I could adapt and harness their powers through these specialized nts.


    When others witness me using different elements in various situations, it''s natural for them to assume that I have learned how to manipte those elements. However, the truth is that I simply control the nts that possess the inherent ability to wield those elements.


    Speaking of elemental nts, the two residing within the soles of my feet have been growing stronger over the past few years. The more energy they absorb, the stronger they be. I look forward to seeing how much they will change.


    The nt that absorbs blood, on the other hand, hasn''t exhibited significant changes. This is likely due to the scarcity of blood for it to draw upon.


    Now that I have aplished my initial training goal, my focus shifts towards intensifying my training further. I aim to reduce the time it takes for the nts to undergo transformations. Merely altering a branch required immense concentration, but that level of control is insufficient for me. I yearn for the transformations to ur rapidly, even instantaneously.


    Over the course of the next two years, I dedicate myself primarily to repetition. Not only do I manipte the iron element, but I also delve into the other elements. With each practice, manipting the elements bes increasingly effortless and natural to me, I also started to have an understanding of what the mysterious power is.


    Lost in my training, I had lost track of time. It was then that a silver portal materialized before me, and to my surprise, Mahu emerged from it. Confusion filled my mind as I questioned her presence, asking, "What are you doing here?"


    For some reason, my question seemed to anger her. She stepped closer, her eyes filled with frustration, and snapped back, "Why weren''t you answering my call?"


    "Huh?" I replied, realizing that I had cut off my connection with my siblings to better focus on my training. "I had something important to do, and I needed no distractions, so I severed my connection with everyone."


    "Distraction? Never mind," she said, her voice still sharp. "You seem to have forgotten what today is."


    "Today?" I paused, trying to piece things together. Then it hit me¡ªI had forgotten that today marked the tenth year of Panacea''s pregnancy.


    Without exchanging any further words, a portal connecting to my realm opened before us. Acting on instinct, I reached out and took Mahu''s hand, pulling her with me as we stepped into the portal


    We both materialized in my realm, instantly sensing the rapid gathering of mana near Panacea''s resting figure. Without hesitation, I hurried to her side and gently held one of her hands.


    As soon as I made contact, I felt her grip tighten, signaling that she was awake. Establishing a connection, I spoke to her softly, "Panacea, can you hear me?"


    Despite her struggle to speak, she managed to respond, "Is that you, Ikenga?"


    "Yes, it''s me," I reassured her.


    Her grip grew even stronger, and she continued speaking, "When I woke up, I didn''t see you."


    Her words struck me with a pang of guilt. I had been so consumed with the sess of my experiment that I had forgotten that today was supposed to be the day of my first child.


    "I am here now, and I apologize for not being here when you woke up," I admitted, regret filling my voice.


    Panacea interrupted my apology, unexpectedly sharing her thoughts, "I''m grateful that you''ve been with me all these years. Even in my slumber, I could sense your presence when you visited."


    Her words touched my heart, and I listened attentively as she continued, "I was worried when I couldn''t feel you for a long time. I thought something might have happened. But now that you''re here, I feel truly happy."


    "I''m sorry for my absence when you woke up. I truly am," I expressed my remorse.


    "Ikenga" Calling my name, Panacea reached out her other hand to gently caress my face, her touchforting. "I want to be a part of your story, but since that''s not possible, I poured all my love into our child. Please take good care of him. Let him know about me, that I love him, and that I''m sorry for not being here to care for him."


    I wanted to respond, but she ced a finger on my lips, hushing me. "This is the best I can do for you, my Ikenga."


    With those words, she began to slowly dissipate, transforming into dust. And in the ce of her vanishing figure, our new born son appeared. I delicately picked him up, realizing that he bore a striking resemnce to me, except for the absence of horns or curse marks. He had inherited his mother''s emerald eyes.


    "That was a beautiful birth ritual," Mahumented as she approached and took the baby from my arms.


    Confused, I asked, "What do you mean?"


    She exined, "After my first childbirth and thepletion of rituals, my divine connection to motherhood became more active. I can now feel every childbirth happening in the world, both in animals and humans. Each birth grants me a small amount of power. It''s not much individually, but with a significant number, it bes something noteworthy. The feedback I received from yours was stronger, probably because you gave birth to a demigod."


    Her words made me contemte how I had been gradually growing stronger as well. However, my power was different from hers. Mine was tied to the bnce of nature. Every thriving and non-thriving life in nature provided me with a small portion of power. I hadn''t noticed the feedback until a few years ago when I started paying attention to the changes urring in the forest. It became clear that I received feedback every time a life was taken in a natural way.


    When a predator caught its prey, it was the natural order of things, and I gained a bit of power. Simrly, when a human experienced a natural death, without any interference or disruption, I also received a feedback of power.


    Hearing Mahu''s exnation of how she was growing stronger in a simr manner made me wonder if this was how gods gained strength, although the process was undoubtedly slow

 Chapter 28: learning

    <h4>Chapter 28: learning</h4>


    His words hit me like a bolt of lightning, igniting a mix of excitement and trepidation within me. The prospect of honing my abilities and venturing into the unknown filled me with anticipation, but it also made me acutely aware of the dangers thaty ahead.


    But before I could fully process the weight of his words, my father shifted his focus to a new topic. He stressed the significance of observation, imagination and instinct inbat. As if to demonstrate his point, a root suddenly emerged from the ground beneath me, startling me into swift action as I instinctively leaped aside to avoid it.


    Staring at my father in disbelief, I struggled toprehend the implications of his demonstration. Yet, he paid no heed to my astonishment, urging me to press on. He exined that instinct was an innate quality that couldn''t be taught but served as a vital ally in battle, providing crucial warnings of impending danger.


    "Now, I want you to attack me," my fathermanded, his gaze unwavering. Caught off guard by the abruptness of his request, I hesitated, unsure of how to proceed. His serious expression intensified my sense of urgency,pelling me to gather my focus and make a move.


    I stood there, my mind racing, desperately searching for a n of attack. But no matter how hard I tried, nothing came to mind. I felt a sense of gratitude that my father wasn''t rushing me, allowing me the time to gather my thoughts ande up with a strategy.


    Realizing that time was slipping away and nothing would change if I remained indecisive, I recalled my father''s words about instinct and imagination. It clicked within me, a flicker of understanding that propelled me into action.


    Without hesitation, I charged toward my father, my heart pounding with determination. As I closed in on him, I clenched my fist tightly, summoning all my strength, and aimed a punch at his face. But to my surprise, he remained motionless, watching me with an icy stare.


    As my punch drew nearer, I couldn''t help but hesitate. I held back, my fist barely grazing his face. In that same moment, an overwhelming instinct told me to retreat, to escape from the impending danger. However, I was too slow to react.


    I watched in slow motion as my father''s fist collided with the left side of my face. A searing pain coursed through me, jolting me with the harsh reality of physical agony. It was the first time I had ever experienced such pain since my birth. The pain subsided quickly, giving way to darkness as everything faded into oblivion.


    I gingerly touched the swollen and stinging left side of my face, wincing at the difort. As I tried to piece together the events that had led to my current condition, the memory of my father''s punch resurfaced, causing a shudder to run through my body.


    "Good, you''re up," my father''s voice broke through my thoughts. I looked up to see him standing over me, his expression still cold and unwavering.


    Feeling a mix of pain and frustration, I struggled to rise to my feet. Every movement seemed to remind me of the beating I had taken. I wanted to scowl at my father, to voice my resentment, but the throbbing pain in my face made me reconsider.


    "You have three minutes," my father stated, his gaze fixed upon me.


    "Three minutes for what?" I couldn''t help but ask, the confusion evident in my voice.


    "To reflect on what you did wrong that led to your current state," he replied, his eyes assessing my sorry condition.


    Anger flickered within me at his words, but I knew that my father was in no state to entertain any retorts. The pain in my left face red up again, serving as a stark reminder of my current vulnerability. With a resigned eptance, I chose not to challenge him further and instead focused on the task at hand.


    The first thing that came to mind was the moment I hesitated and pulled back my punch, just as I was about to hit him. The image of my father''s defenseless state and the fear of causing him harm had made me indecisive, and he had taught me a lesson for that.


    "I know what I did wrong," I responded, mustering up the courage to admit my mistake.


    "Let me hear it, then," he replied, his voice firm.


    I proceeded to exin what I believed was my error, but to my disappointment, he showed no reaction. Instead, he simply instructed me to return to my position and attack him again.


    Frustration began to build within me. Everything that was happening was new to me, yet my father expected me to understand it as if it weremon knowledge. It was bing increasingly challenging to meet his expectations.


    Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I reminded myself that getting frustrated would only lead to further disappointment from my father. This time, I decided not to hold back. I would make sure his face would be as swollen as mine.


    Assuming afortable stance, I swiftly moved into action, running towards him with determination. But just as before, he stood there calmly, observing my approach. "A free hit for me, then," I remarked as I neared him. With a clenched fist fueled by anger


    When my fist connected with his face, a surge of satisfaction rushed through me. But that moment of triumph quickly faded as the weight of my actions settled in. I nced up at my father, expecting to see some reaction, but he remained unfazed, his cold expression unchanged.


    "I think I just learned what my second problem was," I thought to myself, realizing the consequences of my actions. However, before I could fully process it, his fist struck my right cheek with a force that sent me reeling. The familiar sensation washed over me, and once again, darkness enveloped my senses.


    This time, upon waking, I found myself screaming as if trapped in a nightmare. As I looked around, I saw my father still standing in the same spot, seemingly unaffected by my distress.


    I quickly pulled myself up, feeling the urgency to address my mistake. "What was your fault this time?" he asked, his voice calm andposed.


    I stood there, deep in thought for a moment, contemting my response. Finally, I gathered my thoughts and replied, "My mindset and observation have been off from the very beginning."


    For the first time since the training began, a flicker of a different emotion crossed my father''s face, but it vanished quickly.


    "borate," he requested, his tone steady.


    I took a moment to gather my thoughts before responding. "My observation was off, which in turn affected my mindset. I should have recognized your true capabilities, considering the time I''ve spent with you. Yet, I failed to take advantage of that knowledge and find a way to use it to my advantage."


    "You are a god, undeniably much stronger than me. My first mistake was foolishly thinking that I could harm you and holding back my punch. Second mistake was believing that my punch if for whatever reason manages to hit you, it would have any impact on you whatsoever," I exined, looking directly at him to gauge his response

 Chapter 29: Despair?

    <h4>Chapter 29: Despair?</h4>


    He simply nodded in acknowledgment. "Get back into position. You''re improving, but there are still some areas you need to work on."


    I nodded in understanding. I wasn''t frustrated anymore; instead, I was focused. I could see a clearer picture of what my father was trying to teach me.


    ---------------------


    I watched as Ikem positioned himself, a sense of pride and happiness filling me as he effortlessly picked up on the cues I had given him.


    You might wonder why I didn''t teach him the proper techniques of fighting. That''s because there are certain things that can''t be taught directly, and fighting happens to be one of them.


    I firmly believe in the saying that you are your best teacher. Learning things on your own is different from being taught by others. You can receive instruction on a subject a hundred times and still not fully grasp it until you experience it firsthand.


    That was the mindset I adopted when teaching Ikem. I may not possess the knowledge of fighting techniques, but my godly physique gives me an advantage. I am stronger and faster, so a clumsy punch from me could potentially be lethal to an opponent. My body allows me to turn my imaginative ideas of fighting into reality, as I can execute moves that I envision.


    When Ikem charges at me, I concentrate and perceive him as slow and non-threatening. I can easily react to his punches and maneuvers, creating the illusion that I am a skilled fighter. However, it is primarily my physical advantage that allows me to do so. This training is not just for Ikem''s benefit; it also serves as a learning experience for myself.


    Previously, I struggled with how to train him effectively. But reconsidering my perspective on fighting, I realized that I could teach him in the best way I knew how. With my superior physique, I can identify his weaknesses and guide him in correcting them. We learn together and improve together. In a way, we are both using each other to be better fighters.


    I had wondered if this approach would work, but seeing Ikem diligently correct his mistakes after every takedown assured me that I was on the right path.


    Refocusing my attention on Ikem, who appeared more focused than before, I gestured for him to attack. He repeated the same sequence asst time,ing close and throwing a punch.


    However, this time, with my heightened senses, I sensed that the punch was a feint and he had a follow-up move. I swiftly moved my head to the side, dodging his strike.


    It seemed that Ikem had anticipated my dodge and had a follow-up n. As his other hand extended towards me to grab and draw me closer, I decided to add some excitement to our training session. Acting quickly, I reached out and caught the hand he was extending, momentarily surprising him. In response, he swiftly delivered a kick to my waist, but I managed to catch his leg with my other free hand.


    Not wanting to end the exercise too quickly, as Ikem was still in the process of learning, I took the opportunity to swing him around before tossing him back to his original position. He quickly regained his footing, and upon realizing that I wasing after him, he stood his ground and appeared to contemte his next move.


    Suddenly, he charged at me again, getting closer this time. He feigned a punch before quickly squatting down. I was momentarily confused by his actions, but then he swung his arm and a wave of sand obstructed my vision. Reacting instinctively, I closed my eyes to protect them from the sand. I extended my senses to locate his position. I sensed that he was pulling back, and a whip-like sound reached my ears from behind me.


    It became apparent that Ikem''s intention with the sand was to create a distraction and then the wooden whip will strike me from behind. It was a clever tactic, but just as the wooden whip was about to make contact, it abruptly stopped.


    Reaching out behind me, the root-like whip obediently wrapped itself around my arm. I looked at my bewildered son, who couldn''t believe what had just urred.


    "How?" he eximed in disbelief.


    Observing the whip firmly secured around my arm, it became evident that someone using an element rted to my divinity would not be able to use it against me.


    "I have only just discovered this myself, but it seems your wood maniption ability does not work against me," I exined to my son, who wore a defeated expression.


    Pausing for a moment to reflect, I contemted the implications of this revtion. If it held true, then as gods in this world, we would be virtually unbeatable. However, I couldn''t readily ept such a notion, so I decided to inquire about Ikem''s experience with what had just transpired.


    "Let''s take a break," I suggested, sensing that he needed a moment to process everything. As soon as I made the suggestion, he copsed to the ground, overwhelmed by the intensity of the training


    Knowing that he wasn''t passed out and just tired, I asked, "Can you try to exin how it feels when you use your ability and how it felt when you lost control of it?"


    He didn''t respond immediately, but I could see him breathing heavily. After a moment, he managed to speak, "When I use my ability, it''s like flexing my arms, but it feels both physically and mentally draining. Using my ability saps my energy, leaving me a bit tired."


    As he exined, I started to understand where the issue might lie, though I couldn''t be certain. "You don''t have any divine energy flowing through you, but there is mana flowing inside you, isn''t there?"


    He nodded, still catching his breath. "Yes, whenever I use my innate ability, I can feel the presence of mana as it tries to replenish the physical and mental energy I expend."


    "I have an idea," I said, looking at him intently as he sat up. "I want you to try using your ability again, but this time, focus on harnessing the mana within you instead of relying solely on your physical and mental strength."


    He seemed deep in thought, considering my suggestion. After a moment, he stretched out his hand, and a root emerged from the ground. However, it quickly retracted as he shook his head. It was clear that the root wasn''t powered by mana. He still had some learning to do when it came to controlling the flow of mana within him.


    (Ikem POV)


    As we continued our training, I couldn''t help but feel overwhelmed by my father''s strength. Doubt started creeping in, making me question whether I was actually making any progress. It was during this moment of uncertainty that I began to think about my inborn abilities.


    Perhaps utilizing my abilities would give me the advantage I needed. However, the oue of my attempt left me disheartened, almost making me consider giving up. After all, if my abilities were useless against my father, what was the point of this training?


    Yet, my father remained calm as always, even though he himself seemed surprised by the oue. It didn''t take long for him to start asking me questions, probing deeper into the nature of my abilities.


    As I exined how my abilities worked and their futility against him, my father mentioned the energy that had always been absorbed within me since birth. It was as if a ray of light pierced through the darkness of my confusion. If my innate abilities didn''t work against him in their normal form, what if they were powered by mana?

 Chapter 30 Progress

    30 Progress


    The moment he suggestedbining the use of mana with my abilities, a wave of rejuvenation washed over me. All the exhaustion seemed to fade away. However, I now faced a new challenge - controlling the mana within me. I had never paid much attention to this energy before, but it had always provided assistance whenever I used my abilities, replenishing my mental and physical energy.


    Now I face the challenge of controlling the energy known as mana. Unlike my innate ability, which seemed to flow naturally with my will, manipting mana required intense concentration and effort.


    I spent the entire day dedicated to learning how to control the mana that resided within me, but progress was slow. Although I hadn''t made significant breakthroughs yet, I could sense myself getting closer with each attempt to harness the power of mana.


    It felt as if I was learning how to walk again. Another observation I made was that manipting mana was mentally draining. Unlike before, where both my physical and mental energy were required, this time it was solely my mental energy that was consumed.


    As the day progressed, the strain of using substantial mental energy started to take its toll. I could no longer continue the training. Recognizing my exhaustion, my father instructed me to rest and recover. We would resume our training where we left off the following day.


    Over the next two months, my focus remained on mastering the utilization of mana. During the initial week, I was able to achieve some sess in getting the mana to move and circte around me. This progress filled me with joy and motivated me to further integrate mana into my abilities.


    Excited by my newfound skills, I attempted tobine the use of mana with my wood maniption abilities. However, just as before, I encountered difficulties in effectively utilizing the mana.


    Despite the setbacks, I persevered in honing my control over mana. With time and practice, I began to unlock its incredible potential.


    The following weeks and months were dedicated to mastering the effective use of mana. Through this process, I discovered incredible ways to harness this energy. I experimented with different concentrations and learned how to channel mana to specific parts of my body.


    When I concentrated the mana flow perfectly to my hand, my punches became stronger and faster. By directing the mana to my legs, I could jump to greater heights and increase my overall speed. I even managed to deliver a powerful kick that effortlessly sliced through a tree trunk.


    Eager to put my newfound abilities to the test, my father immediately requested that I attack him. At first, there wasn''t much differencepared to when I wasn''t utilizing mana. I found myself being swiftly subdued and put to sleep after just one punch.


    It became apparent that while I could make the mana flow through my body and enhance my physical capabilities, I could only achieve optimal results when in a concentrated state. However, when it came tobat situations, my concentration often faltered, preventing me from effectively utilizing the mana when I needed it most.


    After being knocked out countless times, I gradually managed to find a way to direct the mana flow to my chin, providing me with some defense against my father''s punches. Although the defense wasn''t sufficient to prevent me from feeling pain, it was a breakthrough moment as I could withstand more than just one blow. I wanted to celebrate this small victory, but my father swiftly followed up with another punch that sent me back into slumber.


    Frustration and determination welled up within me as I uttered a frustrated curse " Damn it" before sumbing to the drowsiness that overtook me.


    With the small but significant progress I made in defending my chin using mana, a newfound sense of confidence surged through me. Although I still found myself being put to sleep during our training sessions, it no longer happened immediately upon my father''s punchesnding.


    The ability to make mana flow and provide defense duringbat gave me a sense of assurance. I was ted by this development that I momentarily neglected to continue practicing the integration of mana with my innate abilities. The hours spent being slept and questioning the resilience of my chin were now reced with a sense of pride and the knowledge that I possessed a sturdy defense.


    My happiness was short-lived as my father decided to increase the intensity of our training. Fear engulfed me, and I dreaded the possibility of things going back to how it was before with me getting knocked out.


    Summoning my courage, I threw a punch directly at my father''s face. Surprisingly, he didn''t evade or dodge the attack. Instead, he raised his hand in defense, bracing himself for the impact. However, I couldn''t react quickly enough as he swiftly seized my fist, pulling me closer. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In an instant, he unleashed a swift and forceful blow to my abs and ribs. The punch was so powerful that it lifted me off my feet, causing spit to escape from my mouth. I tumbled uncontrobly, desperately trying to find stability by nting my feet firmly into the ground.


    As I finally came to a halt, I rolled to the side just in time to evade a kick aimed at me. Reacting instinctively, I crossed my hands in front of my face, creating a makeshift guard. The next moment, a heavy punch struck against the defense I had formed


    I could feel my hands trembling as I was sent flying from the force of the punch. But amidst the chaos, I focused my thoughts on finding an escape from this relentless assault.


    Since mastering the use of mana as a defensive shield, my role in our training sessions had shifted. I found myself constantly on the defensive, while my father took on the role of the relentless attacker. There was no respite, no time to catch my breath or strategize. Each time I blocked one strike, another one came crashing in, demanding an immediate response.


    I couldn''t help but feel frustrated as my father expected me to counterattack. How was I supposed to seize the opportunity to strike back when all my energy was devoted to fending off his punishing blows? I began to appreciate the simplicity of being knocked out with a single punch, aspared to the ongoing torment I now faced.


    Despite my frustration, I recognized the wisdom in my father''s relentless approach. I suppressed my anger, understanding the invaluable lessons hidden within his unyielding onught.


    Through the intense training and the extreme stress ced upon my body, I made remarkable progress in controlling mana. After six months of gruelling dedication, I had reached a point where I could instinctively tap into the power of mana for both offense and defense.


    The physical and mental strain endured during our training sessions instilled in me a profound admiration for my father. His words about the remarkable potential of the body in life-or-death situations resonated deeply within me, as I now witnessed first-hand the incredible abilities that can emerge from such trials.


    ------------------


    It has been six months since I began training Ikem, and our journey has taken an unexpected turn when I discovered that his abilities have no effect on me, which led me to question the purpose of our training. However, the energy called Mana came to mind and brought renewed hope.


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    Suy ngh? c?a ng??i t?o

 Chapter 31 Breakthrough

    31 Breakthrough


    Mana, though not as useful to divine beings like myself, has proven to be a valuable resource for Ikem. While he still struggles to fully integrate mana into his abilities, he has shown remarkable sess in other areas. This discovery has opened up exciting possibilities for our training.


    As I delved deeper into the nature of mana, I observed striking simrities to divine energy. It possesses properties that enhance strength when focused on specific areas of the body. By honing his control and mastery of mana, Ikem has experienced overall physical improvements, allowing him to continue hisbat training with me.


    Initially, my superior strength enabled me to identify and address Ikem''s weaknesses effectively. However, as he made progress and overcame those ws, I realized that the power gap between us presented a significant challenge. Despite his unwavering determination,nding a hit on me has be increasingly difficult due to my heightened senses and speed.


    The improvement brought about by mana was undeniably beneficial, as it allowed Ikem to withstand punches that would previously render him unconscious. Witnessing him remain standing after taking a blow filled me with joy. This marked a significant turning point in our training, shifting the dynamic from me solely defending to Ikem defending and fighting back while I assumed the role of the aggressor.


    This change in approach imposed intense physical and mental stress on Ikem, pushing him to his limits and challenging him to adapt and grow at an elerated pace. While I initially had doubts about its effectiveness, I had faith in Ikem''s demigod nature and believed in his ability to persevere.


    Over the course of the next month, I pushed Ikem to his limits, employing various techniques and strategies to test his resilience. At first, he struggled to adjust to the new demands, but with each passing day, he disyed remarkable progress.


    Today, Ikem has achieved a significant milestone in his training. He has gained greater control over the flow of mana within his body, allowing him to direct it to specific areas for defense. This newfound control enhances his defensive capabilities, as he can harness the power of mana as a shield.


    Today was a significant moment in our training. I could sense that Ikem was reaching his limits, both physically and mentally. However, he had yet to achieve what I had initially hoped for - the ability to make mana present when using his innate abilities.


    The training session started off as usual, with Ikem defending while I took on the role of the attacker. Time passed, and ordinarily, I would have called for a break and allowed him to rest. But this time,I pushed him beyond hisfort zone, surpassing his expectations.


    I could see the panic in his eyes as Iunched a punch at his crossed guard, sending him flying through the air. Hended with a thud, visibly shaken. I waited patiently for him to regain hisposure, taking note of his trembling hand, a clear sign that he would be unable to defend with them for some time. Seizing the opportunity, I swiftly closed the distance between us with a lightning-fast kick aimed at his thighs.


    I sensed the residual mana within him flow towards the targeted area, acting as a makeshift defense. The kick connected, causing him to shift from his position. He endured the impact, disying remarkable resilience. As I prepared to press on, I noticed his trembling leg, and with determination, he steadied himself by supporting his shaking leg with the other but he fell to the ground.


    Opting not to rush, I approached his fatigued form with measured steps. He slowly raised his gaze, meeting my approaching figure. Though he struggled to stand, he could only watch as I drew nearer.


    With our proximity, I observed his tired demeanor, my heart filled with a mixture of emotions. With firm resolve, I raised my clenched fist, intending to deliver another blow. His eyes widened in fear, and he shakingly raised his hand to defend, closing his eyes in preparation for theing pain.


    Just as my punch was about tond, I felt a surge of his mana flowing into the ground. In response, a wave of roots sprouted from beneath, shielding him from the imminent strike. I halted my punch, a wide grin spreading across my face.


    Peering through the gaps in the protective roots, Ikem, still with his eyes shut, remained in a defensive position. It appeared that he had not felt the impact he had been bracing for. Opening his eyes, he beheld the roots that enveloped him, his expression filled with surprise.


    He then looked at me, and upon seeing my smile, his own grin emerged. "Good job, boy," I praised him. Overwhelmed by the exertion, he sumbed to unconsciousness, a sense of aplishment etched upon his face.


    As soon as he fell unconscious, the roots guarding him retracted back into the ground. A broad smile stretched across my face, a testament to the progress we had made. "Finally, we can move on to the next phase of training."


    Returning to the topic of wood maniption infused with mana, it is clear that I am unable to exert control over it. My hypothesis is that the mana absorbed by individuals carries their unique imprint, making it resistant to external control. While I can manipte the surrounding mana, the imprint on the mana absorbed by someone else prevents me from controlling it.


    13:12


    Observing the seamless return of the roots into the earth, I reflected on my earlier struggle to exert control over them while they shielded him. However, with his unconscious state and the cessation of mana flow, I felt a newfound sense of connection to these roots. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Mana, a mysterious energy, held the key to our training breakthrough. The more I delved into its intricacies, the more I discovered its remarkable qualities. As a divine being, I possessed the innate ability to manipte the mana that surrounded me. On the other hand, Ikem''s control was limited to the mana absorbed and refined within his own body.


    One intriguing aspect of mana is its ubiquitous presence, unlike divine energy. When a significant amount of mana is expended, one can replenish it through meditation, actively absorbing the surrounding mana, or simply by sleeping, allowing for automatic absorption and a full mana reservoir upon waking.


    Returning to the topic of wood maniption infused with mana, it is clear that I am unable to exert control over it. My hypothesis is that the mana absorbed by individuals carries their unique imprint, making it resistant to external control. While I can manipte the surrounding mana, the imprint on the mana absorbed by someone else prevents me from controlling it.


    This imprint is significant as it indirectly influences the manifestation of innate abilities. When individuals use mana to activate their innate abilities, the imprint on the mana connects them to the element they manipte, rendering it inherently uncontroble by others. It establishes a distinct bond between the individual and the mana-infused element.


    Additionally, I have observed a remarkable development in Ikem''s progress. Although he may not be aware of it, his body is rapidly adapting to the presence of mana. This adaptation may go unnoticed by thosecking divine perception, but it is a testament to his growing affinity and synchronization with mana.


    Mana, in its pure form, is an attributeless energy. However, it can blend seamlessly with elemental energy, creating the illusion of having attributes.


    Initially, I was puzzled by this phenomenon. During my training, I would invoke different elements to merge with my innate element, but I never directly interacted with mana. It was only when I began creating elemental flowers that I noticed their ability to autonomously absorb surrounding mana.


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 Chapter 33 Death

    33 Death


    "I also noticed a unique transformation in my skin. Though there are no outward changes, when I touch it, it feels strangely like tree bark. It''s as if my body is bing a wood," he continued, marveling at the sensation.


    "But the most incredible change is this," he said, reaching out to touch the grass around him. "I feel like I can understand these nts now. It''s not crystal clear yet, but there''s an undeniable connection. I sense their needs, almost as if they''re speaking to me in their own silentnguage."


    As he spoke, Ikem''s face lit up with wonder and amazement. The bond between him and nature seemed to have deepened, allowing him to perceive andmunicate with the living world around him in a way he never experienced before.


    It took a moment to process what he was saying, but I wasn''t that much surprised because I was already expecting the situation to be like this after seeing the changes that took hold in his body.


    " These changes can be said to be a breakthrough in strength. Now, I want you to listen closely to my thoughts on why these changes urred."


    " Let me start by saying that we have discovered an unexpected power system. The first stage of this unknown power system is what I would like to call ''Mana Body Adaptation.''"


    " In this stage, I believe that the body learns to adapt to this foreign energy called ''Mana.'' The more the body adapts to it, the easier it is to take in mana and manipte it. Something else about this stage is what I call ''Imprint Feeding.''"


    " Every creature, I believe, born in this world called Nana has an elemental imprint. In your case, the imprint is the wooden element. In the mana adaptation stage, the body is taking in more mana as you get used to it, and this mana is feeding that imprint."


    " The more the imprint is being fed, the more that element is being exposed to you and your body. So, while your body is adapting to mana, the elemental imprint is leading this adaptation."


    " This elemental adaptation is what leads us to the next stage, which is the one that you are now in. In this stage, your body is already adapted to your imprint with the help of mana. Now, the element now deems your body a worthy ce for them to gather."


    " Which is why I call this stage ''The Mana Inhibition Stage,'' because the mana now absorbed into your body at this stage changes it to a mana attribute bearing your imprint. I am guessing that is why you now have no problem infusing mana into your inborn abilities."


    " Now, every mana attribute has its own qualities, and these are the changes you are now noticing in your body. For example, your rapid healing and the newfound ability to understand andmunicate with nts, like the grasses you mentioned earlier."


    " I don''t know what the next stages will be, but that will be up to you to find out from now on."


    We sat in silence as I watched my son absorb the information that I just gave him, leaving him to his own thoughts. I thought back on Maul. I wonder if his power system was simr to what was happening with Ikem but would be different ording to each person''s elemental imprint.


    Six months have gone by since we started our training, and that means I now have a year and a half left with my son before he leaves for his own journey.


    " It seems that I now have another goal to focus on in the future," my thoughts were interrupted as my son, who seemed to have understood everything, called out.


    " Yes, and it''s crucial to emphasize the importance of this power system. It can be very beneficial for your offspring and the goals you have for the future," I replied, knowing that he already had a clear vision of his future path beyond my realm.


    " Now, we both need to go to bed as we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," I said, realizing the time as the sun lotus in my realm slowly closed, enveloping the realm in darkness with a soft light emanating from the lotus.


    ------------------


    Crepuscr sat on his realm, observing his creation as they built their society and created new power systems. At first, he was intrigued by the power system, but as he realized it offered no benefit to him, he lost enthusiasm.


    Even though the power system wasn''t useful to Crepuscr, it proved beneficial to his daughter, Urs, and her offspring. They could now wield the power inherited from him and utilize the surrounding mana more effectively.


    "I am bored," Crepuscr uttered to himself. Despite growing more powerful every day and witnessing the sess of his creation, he couldn''t shake his discontent.


    The presence of humans inhabiting his continent hindered hisplete dominion over the ce. He considered letting his creation interact with the humans, but he hesitated, wary of defying Nana''s instructions.


    If he allowed his creation to interact with the humans and was questioned by Nana, he could falsely im that he hadn''t ordered it and that they acted on their own. But he knew this was a lie, as his creations couldn''t make any move without hismand.


    He recalled his conversation with Ikenga a few months ago, where he learned of Mahu''s n to go into slumber. Crepuscr wasn''t surprised, as he had done the same when he first created his daughter. He couldn''t bear the slow pace at which his daughter''s offspring grew, so he decided to take a nap. When he woke up, the ce was thriving.


    Now, Crepuscr contemted returning to slumber, sensing that Nana wouldn''t awaken anytime soon. His creations were on the right path and didn''t require his constant guidance. It seemed fitting to sleep until Nana''s next awakening


    As Crepuscr pondered his decision, the sun seemed to dim slightly, reflecting the sun god''s descent into a deep slumber. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ------------------


    Down in the depths of the world lies the Death Realm, a ce ruled by the goddess Keles. Among all her siblings, Keles had it rtively easy, as her realm seemed to expand infinitely with each soul that inhabited it.


    Despite her domain''s growth and her increasing power, Keles couldn''t shake her discontent. She yearned for a way to interact with the outside world without viting Nana''s rules. Her only option was to use her creations, her daughter Xerosis, and son Roth, as conduits for interaction. However, they too were bound to the Death Realm and couldn''t venture outside under Nana''s restrictions.


    Keles''s creations were incapable of reproducing offspring on their own, requiring a medium to expand their races. This realization came to light after she conducted an experiment with both her son and daughter. When they first ventured into the outside world, they struggled to control their powers, unlike Keles, who had perfectmand over hers.


    At first, Keles believed that the issuey in theirck of control over their powers. She diligently trained them to rein in their innate abilities, hoping it would resolve the problem. Yet, even with improved control, the malevolent effect persisted. The mere presence of her daughter and son caused devastation in their surroundings¡ªthe soil darkened, and death spread like a contagious gue. Animals sensed danger and fled, and the once lush trees withered to dry husks. A sinister fog enveloped the area, turning it into a terrifying spectacle of horror.


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 Chapter 34 Undead

    34 Undead


    Keles had to intervene to halt this destructive process, but she hadn''t found a solution yet. As she contemted tackling the issue of offspring, she was encouraged by some sess. Her son showed promise, but when her son presented what he intended to use as a medium to create offspring, she was taken aback. "Humans were the medium he chose".


    For a moment, Keles felt a surge of anger at the audacity of his choice. Her son then exined, "I don''t hunger, but afterying eyes on these creatures, I felt a desire to feed, drink, and infect." Suppressing her initial reaction, Keles realized she hadn''t informed them of Nana''s rules. She calmed down, deciding to discuss this matter with themter.


    After regaining herposure, Keles returned both of her creations to her realm, ensuring the environment they had disturbed was restored and healed.


    When back in her realm, Keles delved into research, determined to understand why her son desired to feed on the humans she was forbidden to interact with. The answer that came to her mind was that perhaps it was due to her son''s unique physique or his connection to death. After all, life opposes death, and their rtionship is intricate.


    Driven by curiosity, she questioned Roth about what it was in humans that made him want to feed. His eyes darkened, and his pupils glowed red as if he was reliving a memory. "It was the first time I heard something so flowing, and then the drums-like beat that makes the flow go faster¡ªit was music to my ears," he responded.


    With her heightened senses, Keles immediately understood what he meant. She, too, could hear the blood flow and heartbeat of mortal creatures. Roth craved to feed on blood, and she decided to allow him to experience it. Teleporting out of her realm, she found an animal for him to feed on and witness what he meant by "infect."


    In a matter of moments, she returned holding a tiger in her hands and tossed it to her son, instructing him to eat. However, her son hesitated, leaving her perplexed. When she inquired, he replied, "The flow doesn''t feel appetizing, but the mana in it makes it feel tasty." An uncertain look adorned his face.


    Without further dy, Roth bit into the tiger''s neck, and the once-powerful creature thrashed around as it sensed its impending doom. Keles watched as the tiger''s life force drained away, leaving it dried up and lifeless.


    She noticed her son hesitating again, so she called out firmly, "Infect! Now!" In front of her eyes, the once dried up and lifeless tiger twitched and stood up, its eyes now emitting a blood-red light.


    The tiger surveyed its surroundings, searching for something, but seemed unable to find any scent totch onto. Frustrated, it began roaring loudly, causing Roth to look at it with disappointment and disgust in his eyes.


    Confused, Keles questioned her son about what was happening. He replied, "It needs to feed."


    Deciding to act, Keles teleported them all to a forest. As soon as the tiger arrived, it took a deep breath and sprinted towards its target like a guided missile. She followed closely behind and watched as the tiger skillfully took down a deer. However, instead of tearing the prey apart, the tiger bit into the deer''s neck and started sucking its blood.


    With each suck, the deer grew thinner, while the tiger''s famished appearance slowly transformed. The dried-up look it once had began to change, and its vitality seemed to return.


    Keles observed the blood-lusted beast''s rampage through the forest, leaving every prey it encountered dried up and seemingly growing stronger with each feeding. However, disappointment washed over her as she observed the beast''s behavior.


    While the experiment had been sessful, in a different situation, she would have been thrilled. But if left unchecked, the insatiable hunger of this beast would lead it to clear an entire forest and then turn its sights on humans.


    It wasn''t the beast feeding on humans that concerned her the most, but rather the potential repercussions she would face if it were left to its own devices.


    Waving her hand, she halted the beast just as it was about to pounce on another prey. The startled prey watched as the tiger-like creature turned to dust, scattered by the wind. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Returning to her realm, Keles sat alone, pondering how to find a solution to her problem. As she reflected on how Roth had transformed the beast, she realized a crucial detail she had missed.


    "It was dead, but after he infected it, it came back to life," she thought to herself, recognizing that the creature''s revival held a vital clue.


    After the tiger died, its soul didn''t depart from its body. As the goddess of death, Keles was well-acquainted with souls and knew that they tended to linger around their bodies for a while before eventually moving on.


    However, unlike the usual course of events, the tiger''s soul remained attached to its body even after death. Once Roth infected it with his power, the soul returned, and the tiger was brought back to life, but not as it once was. The infection caused changes in its body, resulting in a living dead creature.


    Keles sensed the potential significance of this discovery. As the goddess of death, she had no shortage of souls, but her current dilemma was whether she could sessfully reanimate a deceased person. This was uncharted territory for her, and she wondered if Roth''s infection would work the way she expects it to. If sessful, she could have Roth repeat the process on other deceased individuals to explore further possibilities.


    Without hesitation, she initiated the experiment, randomly selecting one of the souls from her realm and finding a lifeless body. She attempted to return the soul to the body, and Roth was on standby, ready to lend his power when needed.


    However, the experiment hit a roadblock as the soul seemed to reject the body. Keles, using her divine understanding, sensed that the soul was protesting, iming, "This body isn''t mine."


    This revtion left Keles puzzled. While she had an abundance of souls in her realm, they did note with their bodies. It was impractical for her to search for a matching mortal soul and body to achieve her goal.


    Frustrated by the failed attempt, she turned to her divine abilities for guidance. As the goddess of death, she was well-versed in the nature of death itself. Death surrounded her, ever-present and imminent.


    In the midst of her contemtion, another death urred somewhere in the world. Keles instinctively shifted her focus to the scene, instantly teleporting to the location of a deceased human with a sunken chest.


    Surveying the area, she noticed it was inhabited by an abnormally huge rabbit. She studied the wooden spear held by the dead human and the paw print on his chest. It was evident that the hunt had not gone as nned.


    Dark smoke billowed from under Keles'' robe, its eerie presence seemingly conscious as it enshrouded both the human and one of the huge rabbits. In an instant, they vanished, and Keles reappeared in her realm, her focus fixed on the human body with the lingering soul. She gestured for Roth to proceed immediately.


    Creation is hard, cheer me up!


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    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 36 calling

    36 calling


    We back baby, I think discussion on how ridiculous university can be need to be brought up more. You might need to go back a few chapters back to understand where I left off.


    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Hearing themand from its creator, the human hesitated for a moment, but dark veins became visible on his body, and he began to shake as he struggled to obey his creator''s order.


    Keles and Roth observed the struggling human coldly, and Keles didn''t conceal her true intentions as she slowly raised her hand. The creature sensed the impending death from the being it hadn''t dared toy eyes on, even though that being had been with him since he regained his consciousness.


    The dark veins on the human''s body started receding, and his face returned to a more human-like appearance as the two long canines slowly receded. In the next moment, the human got down on his knees, not fully understanding the reason but feeling an instinctual sense that it was the right thing to do at that moment. "Yes, my lord," the human humbly responded.


    Laughter escaped from Keles'' mouth, clear happiness evident in her expression, and soon Roth joined his mother in theughter. However, the jovial atmosphere was short-lived as Keles surprised Roth by swiftly waving her hand, turning the human into dust. Both its body and soul were wiped out by the goddess of death, leaving Roth with a mix of shock and gloom in his eyes.


    "Now for thest experiment, what do you feel?" Keles inquired, pointing at the human settlement with a gloomy gray light in her eyes as she looked at Roth.


    Roth, still a bit startled by his mother''s action,posed himself and looked at the humans she was indicating. He felt a stirring inside him, something he thought he had lost, and soon he understood his mother''s question.


    "I can indeed replicate the process again," Roth answered, looking down at his feet, avoiding direct eye contact with his mother. His emotions were undoubtedly conflicted at that moment.


    Keles looked at Roth and understood that she might have scared him just now, so she patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Good, now let''s go home," she said before the two teleported back to her realm.


    After Keles and Roth had left, the hunters in the human settlement cautiously approached the area where theughter had emanated. One of the hunters spoke up, "Did you hear thatughter? It sounded eerie and unnatural."


    They all looked around, but there was no one in sight. "It''s probably just some wild animals making strange noises," one of them suggested, trying to dismiss the unease they felt. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Another hunter added, "Or perhaps it''s just a traveler passing through the forest. Let''s not dwell on it too much."


    " What woman traveler dares roam alone in this forest, because thatughter clearly sounded like a woman" One of the hunters said while looking around.


    Despite their attempts to rationalize theughter, a sense of lingering unease remained among the hunters. The mysterious incident became a topic of intrigue and fear among the locals, creating an air of mystery.


    With time, word of the strange happenings in the forest spread, and people from neighboring settlements began to share their own ounts of encountering strange dried up creatures. Some believed it to be a sign of evil spirits or otherworldly beings inhabiting the woods.


    However, the truth of the matter remained a secret, known only to Keles and Roth.


    Back at the death realm, Keles now sat happily on her throne with a thoughtful look on her face. She was happy with how things turned out as with the help of her son she sees a chance of having a more expanding race connecting with her and the surface world.


    The reason why she wiped out the turned human was because even though he showed enough restraint, it wasn''t enough as he was holding himself back because he felt the impending crisis and because he was in the presence of his creator.


    Keles and Roth don''t have so much time to keep watch on one human, so letting him go was still a risk. Another reason was because humans have now changed physiology, it seems that its main source of food is blood and nothing else from the previous observation.


    Even though this was possibly a new race, Keles was still unclear on how Nana will react to such a race when she wakes up so until then no more attempts will be made by her and Roth.


    When Nana wakes up, the issue about this troublesome race can be brought up and from there Kelses can decide on what her future n can be but overall she is happy with this result.


    Concerning her daughter Xerosis'' choice for creation, Xerosis'' way of creation isn''t that much different from Roth except that it has its own special criteria to fill.


    Xerosis creation has two traits that make it hard to be categorized as a living creature. First criteria for xerosis creation is that it has to be an incorporeal body in this case a soul, the soul is also required to be a woman as there isn''t any reaction when a male soul is given to her.


    The women soul also has to have some form of grievance against men most likely depending on the treatment she got by men before she died, women soul with this grievances are easier for Xerosis to transform and when these type of soul transforms they tend to have more intelligence, women soul without grievances can also be transformed but they don''t show much intelligence instead they all act on instinct.


    Another interesting thing Keles found about her daughter''s creations was they have a one time ability to leave her realm after their sessful transformation. At first it seems like some kind of teleportation but with a closer observation, it was more like something outside of her realm is pulling the creatures.


    Luckily the first soul transformed was smart enough to inform her daughter of the pull and this shows that they can at least withstand the pull on their own will, when keles was informed of this situation she decided to let the transformed soul stop resisting the pull.


    Immediately the soul stopped resisting and it disappeared from the realm but keles was still a goddess connected to this world so it was hard for her to find the soul. She immediately teleported both her son and daughter to where she sensed the soul and when they got there, they all saw the woman''s soul hanging on top of what seems to be a tomb.


    Curious to see why the soul was pulled to this location, they let the soul do whatever it wanted while observing. The soul didn''t disappoint as it immediately opened its mouth and what came out was a beautiful tune that conveyed sadness and hatred at the same time.


    When the soul began singing, the goddess of death and her two offspring felt the shift in the mana around them, the mana nature had a death trait to it that made Keles feel some simrity with her divinity.


    The mana fluctuation was subtle at the beginning but then it started affecting the physical aspect as the wind started blowing widely the more the soul sang.


    The soul sang for a certain amount of time when keles felt something in her realm stirring, she immediately got altered and connected with her realm to see what was happening.


    Her realm immediately responded by shifting her view and focused on one soul in her realm that seemed to be struggling like it was afraid and resisting something, the first thing she noticed was that the soul was a male.


    Soon in her view the soul disappeared from her realm, she could have stopped it but she let it happen to see what was going on, she broke the connection with her realm and her view focused back to the soul singing.


    The male soul that got away from her realm soon appeared hovering above the tomb and once it took notice of the woman''s soul singing, fear and hatred appeared in its eyes.


    For a moment the woman soul stopped singing and looked at the male soul before her and a twisted smile came upon her face, she then resumed singing and soon the tomb started shaking and a rotten arm brough through the grave.


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    Creation is hard, cheer me up!

 Chapter 38 growth

    38 growth


    Jaus sat in his realm, seamlessly integrated with the surrounding turbid waters where chaos and the relentless cycle of natural selection yed out. To an external observer, his realm appeared almost invisible, perfectly merging with the water. But to Jaus, there was a clear boundary that separated his realm from the surrounding aquatic world.


    Suddenly, Jaus'' attention shifted as he seemed to peer through theyers of the earth beneath him. A heavy sigh escaped his mouth as he sensed his sister slipping into slumber, a signal that his own time for rest was fast approaching.


    Returning his gaze to the turbulent waters, Jaws contemted how long this state would persist. He had been aware for some time that the food source for his creations was dwindling. In the absence of natural threats in the surrounding sea, his creations had multiplied uncontrobly and began preying on weaker creatures.


    Jaus had instructed his two offspring to take action and curb the predation of weaker creatures, but the task was overwhelming. The sheer numbers made it impossible to monitor their behavior effectively. This had led to the current situation, where his creations, deprived of their primary source of nourishment, had turned on each other.


    The situation took an unexpected turn when Jaws observed one of his more powerful creations feeding on the weaker ones. At first, this angered him, and he considered taking immediate action to halt the predation. However, a different idea began to form in his mind ¡ª perhaps this could be an opportunity to resolve the crisis. So, he issued a new order to his children: they were to observe the situation and ensure it didn''t escte to the point of overkill, which would lead to underpoption, the opposite of his current problem.


    With the realization that his time for sleep had arrived, Jaws willed a mental link between his son, Tide, and his daughter, Flowua.


    "Father?" they both echoed simultaneously as they felt the connection.


    "I will be entering a deep slumber soon, and I can''t predict when I''ll wake. Until then, continue to maintain control over the situation. Once things have settled, chart a new course with the survivors," Jaws instructed.


    Tide responded with pride in his voice, "Don''t worry, Father. You''ll be pleased with the changes you see when you awaken."


    Flowua, her beautiful figure trembling, voiced her concerns, "Are you leaving us alone in this destion?" She couldn''t fathom how the once-beautiful sea had turned turbid, with asional pieces of flesh drifting by.


    Jaws replied with a serious tone, "This state will be temporary. Things will return to normal. Until then, endure."


    "Understood, Father," Flowua murmured.


    "Good. Ensure you continue to grow in strength, for the survivors and the newborns will need your guidance," Jaws said as his voice grew distant and eventually faded.


    Outside Jaus'' realm, there was a sea cave whose entrance was covered by a mystical blue light, keeping the turbid waters at bay. Inside the cave, Tide sat on a self-built throne, resembling the one in his father''s realm with a prideful look on his face, while Flowua settled in a spacious sea shell that couldfortably amodate her massive size.


    Flowua couldn''t help but roll her eyes at her brother''s proud demeanor. She secretly felt a tinge of jealousy, desiring a throne of her own. An inspiration came to her when she heard her father''sst message before he entered his slumber, she decided to share her thoughts with her brother.


    "Brother," she began.


    Tide turned to her, intrigued, and asked, "Yes, sister?"


    "I''vee up with a brilliant idea," Flowua replied.


    Tide leaned back on his throne and inquired, "What is it?"


    Flowua, adopting a more serious tone, exined, "It''s nearly impossible for us to oversee and guide all parts of the sea, like father does. My idea is for us to split up, covering more ground and making our efforts more effective."


    Tide looked to seriously consider her proposal but raised a valid concern, "That sounds good, Flowua, but how can we fulfill father''s order to teach and guide the new survivors if you''re not here?"


    Flowua, knowing her brother''s nature well, goaded him, "Are you afraid of the challenge, brother, or do you believe you can''t lead and guide them without me?"


    Tide seemingly easily agitated, caused the water around them to bubble. "Is that a challenge, sister?"


    "It is exactly as it sounds, brother," Flowua dered as she stood from her shell seat. Her mermaid tail transformed into two legs as she rose, demonstrating her readiness for the challenge.


    After a moment, Tide took a deep breath, calmed himself, and leaned back into his throne. "Challenge epted, sister. You can depart, and we shall see who can present the best kingdom to father when he awakens."


    A triumphant smile graced Flowua''s face as she knew she had seeded. Without wasting any time, she shot out of the cave like a rocket, bidding her beloved brother farewell with, "See youter, brother."


    Tide sat in his realm with an amused smile, pleased with his sister''s idea. If she hadn''t proposed it, he might have done so himself. As he gazed out at the turbid sea, he couldn''t wait for things to calm down, eagerly anticipating the opportunity to build a new kingdom and assume its leadership.


    ----------------------------------------


    "In Ikenga''s realm, Ikem, now on the cusp of adulthood, moved in a calcted circle around his imposing father. His expression was keen and focused as he studied his father''s form, searching for the tiniest chink in the armor of his opponent. It didn''t take long before he identified a subtle w and came to a halt.


    He had evolved beyond being a novice. He understood that his father must have grown impatient, waiting for him to initiate the attack. The apparent w was a deliberate ploy, all part of his father''s strategy to goad him. but that was all part of his own n to get his father to be impatient and sell him a w.


    Raw mana surged from his core, enveloping his entire body as he delivered a powerful kick that could shatter normal earthen soil. But this was his father''s realm, where nothing yielded easily. Instead of a shattered earth, all he managed to kick up was a swirling cloud of dust. Undeterred, he raced toward his father, who stood with his back turned.


    His rush came to an abrupt halt as a massive root burst from the ground,unching him into the air. Remainingposed, he brought his arms together, and green mana swirled around them, coalescing into a formidable hammer construct. The sheer weight of the hammer yanked him back to the ground as he swung it with all his might at his father when they drew near. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As the hammer descended, ethereal woods materialized out of thin air, forming a circr shield. Realizing his father''s intent to defend himself, a smirk crept across his face. The hammerhead met the shield, and in a sh of concentrated mana, it transformed into an axe. He had focused the mana on the de''s edge, making it razor-sharp. The axe sliced through the shield, and it was on a direct path for his father''s back.


    Yet, his father, ever the skilled defender, gracefully sidestepped the iing blow. His father turned to face him, a knowing smile etched on his father''s face¡ªa smile that promised pain.


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 Chapter 39 Suprise

    39 Suprise


    As he found himself suspended in mid-air, unable to halt his momentum after the wild swing, he couldn''t help but wonder what could be changed. It wasn''t the first time he had attempted something unexpected, only to see it fail. He knew what wasing next as he saw his father gracefully dodge his errant swing. Would it be a strike aimed at his head or a body blow? He had to act quickly.


    In an instant, he focused his mana, forming a protective shield around his body. Most of the mana concentrated on his head and abdomen. It was a gamble, but it was all he could do. Just in time, a gust of air mixed with spittle erupted from his mouth as he was sent hurtling into the forest surrounding the realm. He only caught a fleeting glimpse of his father''s arm, encased in a wooden gauntlet, as it aimed for his stomach.


    As he passed through the first hard tree with his back exposed, a sense of impending danger washed over him. He knew that trying to weave through another tree would be akin to tempting death. Quickly, he concentrated his shield mana on his vulnerable back, and its effects became immediately apparent as he felt no pain while gliding through the trees one after another. The protection held until the momentum from the punch finally wore off.


    Taking advantage of the distance his father had put between them, he took a moment to let the rapid flow of mana within his body settle, all while taking deep breaths. He could already feel his innate healing ability kick in, gradually mending the damage inflicted on his abdomen. Then, suddenly, his ear twitched, and he instinctively held his breath.


    Ikem''s body reacted before he even had a chance to think. He swiftly rolled to the side, his hand making contact with the ground to propel him back onto his feet. Cold sweat formed on his back as he watched his father descend from the sky,nding right where he had been briefly resting. He observed as the earth, which had been a formidable obstacle for him, crumbled effortlessly beneath his father''s might, sending shards of stone and a cloud of dust into the air.


    "For a brief moment, Ikem thought he could steal a moment''s respite. "I thought for a moment you were taking a break, boy," his father''s voice echoed from the dissipating cloud of dust.


    "You must have thought wrong," Ikem replied, swiftly transitioning into his demi-god form. It bore a striking resemnce to his father''s god form,cking only the horns and curse markings. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Did I?" The voice now came from behind him.


    Without hesitation, two mana constructs formed below Ikem''s armpits, resembling his hands. With a surge of power, heunched two strong, mana-infused punches while simultaneously creating distance between them.


    "That was impressive," his father''s voice praised as Ikem held his guard, keeping an eye on his previous position. His father stood there in his human form but with four arms, two defensively guarding and the others outstretched, as if reaching for something.


    Ikem instantly grasped the situation. One set of arms was for defense, and if he hadn''t moved, he would have been ensnared."


    "Not impressive enough for you," Ikem responded to his father,still maintaining a defensive posture.


    "That''s true, but that''s because it was me. A weaker or equal opponent to you would have been thoroughly overwhelmed and caught off guard by how quickly you constructed both arms," his father acknowledged.


    "If I can''t perform something as simple as that, then all this training would be for nothing," Ikem admitted.


    "True. Now, get into your form," his father ordered. At the mention of "form," Ikem''s defensive stance evolved. He didn''t straighten up entirely, but his previously coiled form adjusted as he raised his two real arms into a boxing position. The two constructed arms flexed and extended as if stretching.


    Ikem focused intently on his father, who approved with a nod and positioned himself at arm''s length. Suddenly, he ducked a straight right punch from his father, and his green construct arm shot out simultaneously for a body blow. However, his father''s own construct intercepted it. Undeterred, Ikem swiftly transitioned from his ducking position into an uppercut, which his father effortlessly dodged.


    Ikem glimpsed his father''s arm aiming for a body blow, but his other constructed arm intercepted the punch. Simultaneously, they released each other and began a relentless exchange of blows. Hands and feet flew through the air, breaking through everything in their path.


    The boxing match continued for about 5 intense minutes. The sound of their fists meeting was like thunder, and the ground quaked beneath their relentless onught. Ikem felt his mana constructs weakening; he was running out of mana. His father sensed it too and stepped up his game. However, Ikem was not ready to concede easily. This was their final training session, and he wanted to at least give his father a powerful parting blow as a token of gratitude for all the training and care he had received.


    But as his mana continued to weaken, the chance ofnding that solid punch grew slimmer. Desperation crept in as he caught one of his father''s punches with one of his now weakened construct arms. The arm began to disintegrate but didn''t vanishpletely. Instead, it transformed into a dense cloud of green smoke that obscured his father''s vision. Ikem knew that alone wouldn''t be enough, so he turned his other construct arm into the same green smoke, making the cloud even thicker and more imprable.


    Then, he did something unexpected. He stepped into the dense green smoke, even though he himself couldn''t see through it.


    Ikenga''s pov.


    Watching the green smoke his son had created, Ikenga stood still, curious to discover the purpose of the smoke. He could easily see through it, but he didn''t, as it was one of the handicaps he had imposed on himself when fighting his son."


    However, not seeing with his physical eyes didn''t mean that Ikenga, a god, had no other way of perceiving. Sensing mana came easily to him. He observed his son''s mana, but all of a sudden, his son''s mana signature vanished as soon as he felt Ikem walk into the green smoke he had created.


    In his heightened senses, it was as if the entire green smoke transformed into his son after Ikem entered it. He was still trying to make sense of this when a punch seemingly materialized out of nowhere. With lightning reflexes, he dodged it, catching a fleeting glimpse of his son''s arm. Then, unexpectedly, he felt a series of rapid, miniature blows striking all over his body.


    The green smoke that surrounded him had taken on the form of small baby arm constructs, relentlessly attacking him. He still couldn''t see his son, but it felt like the baby arms were his son''s doing. Out of the blue, a powerful blow made him tilt his head to the side, and just as suddenly, the green smoke dissipated, revealing his son''s fist in close proximity to his face.


    "Take that, old man," Ikem managed to utter before he passed out. A chuckle escaped from Ikenga''s mouth, which gradually turned into a full-blownughter.


    Creation is hard, cheer me up!


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    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 40 Trend

    40 Trend


    "Good thinking there, boy," Ikengamented, gazing down at his unconscious son. He had several solutions in mind for the enigmatic green smoke, but he was intrigued by what his son might have concocted. Nevertheless, hispliment was not without a hint of restraint.


    With his son hoisted over his shoulder, Ikenga summoned a portal that led to the only refuge he had outside his realm. As he walked through the portal,the once-devastated forest, ravaged during his battle with his son, was gradually returning to its natural state. Trees sprouted from the ground, and the damaged ones crumbled into dust, returning to the earth, this was the realm will putting everything back together.


    Upon arriving outside his home, Ikenga was surprised to find that Red, who usually has a prey corpse prepared by now, was nowhere to be seen. He reached out to connect with his pet but received no response. Determined, he established a connection with the forest and scoured the forest in search of Red but found no trace.


    Just as he was about to sever the connection thinking that Red might have sumbed to a stronger prey, a strange foreign aura caught his attention. Following the connection further, the trees led his gaze to one of the caves where Red often took shelter during guard duty.


    Ikenga''s sight stopped at the cave entrance, as no trees were inside the cave that could provide a clear view of Red''s situation. However, he could sense Red''s life force, steady as if in a deep slumber. Conforming to Red safety, his attention turned back to the aura surrounding red, everything about the aura seems foreign, never felt before in this world but for some reason the world wasn''t rejecting the aura.


    As Ikenga continued his exploration of the aura, he discovered that the same mysterious aura was dispersed in various parts of the Nana. This revtion piqued his curiosity, and he used his connection to pinpoint the areas where this intriguing aura was."


    Cutting the connection, Ikenga gently ced his son beside a crackling bonfire, a peculiar expression on his face. His investigation into the strange aura revealed a pattern - it was exclusively found in areas inhabited by dinosaurs transformed by mana.


    This revtion brought his attention back to when he noticed Red, a T-rex, undergoing an unexpected transformation. The presence of the foreign aura now seemed connected to the mysterious change in the dinosaur''s form. Weirdly his divine connection with nature was anticipating something positive from it.


    The notion of dragons suddenly struck Ikenga, and it seemed like the perfect exnation for these events. If dragons were involved, it meant a higher power''s attention was drawn to the. Surprisingly, none of the gods had taken notice of this.


    Recalling his past life, Ikenga remembered the existence of dragon gods in some stories. It all made sense now; the dinosaurs on this had been blessed by these gods, resulting in their transformation into dragons. Even though he had never felt a dragon''s aura before, somehow this realization cleared Ikenga''s mind, and he felt a sense of control, at least for the time being. His divinity sent him a warning, but it also hinted at potential benefits, which he was looking forward to.


    As Ikenga contemted these developments, red and blue light began emanating from his feet. Soon, two peculiar life forms materialized before him. These life forms were the once ordinary flowers he had infused with elements, which had been living at the soles of his feet, absorbing mana. They had nowpleted their transformation, resembling treants. One was adorned with water droplets that clung to its leaves, defying gravity, while the other looked like a stone man, with roots sprouting from its stony exterior, creating the appearance of a treant.


    The two transformed treants stood at Ikenga''s waist, having just undergone their transformation and not yet had time to grow. Pointing at the woods, Ikenga ordered, "Go and catch us some prey. My son will need the energy when he wakes up."


    Sitting down near the bonfire and looking at his almost fully grown son, a mncholic smile crossed Ikenga''s face. He had be a father, but the journey had been nothing like he had expected. His demigod son had grown unnaturally fast, leaving him with little opportunity to experience the fatherly duties he had anticipated.


    What made the situation even more challenging was the impending separation between father and son. They would part ways, unsure of when they might reunite.


    Ikenga has long felt his siblings going to sleep one by one right after Mahu, like a domino effect they fell asleep one by one, this process made him understand another part of their existence as gods, it took time before he understood this but now he was the only god left awake he felt its effect more than ever before. Which is why he will also be going into a deep sleep after his separation with his son.


    Ikenga began to realize the profound impact his siblings'' sleep had on the world. They as gods acted as natural seals, suppressing various elements and maintaining bnce. When Mahu slept, the mana elements she had contained were released, and and Ikenga and the remaining gods had taken on the responsibility of managing the pressure collectively, but another factores in this process which is something Ikenga calls a "Trend" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A simple way to exin it would be that the gods had yed their part in creating and nurturing the once-barren world. They had held off the abundant mana elements long enough to give the new world a chance to thrive and adapt. Now, they were entering a period of rest, awaiting the world''s evolution while enjoying the fruits of theirbour. This led to a trend of gods falling asleep one by one. With each god''s slumber, the remaining gods had to bear more pressure.


    Only Ikenga understood the immense pressure he currently shouldered. Each step felt like an arduous task, and drowsiness hung over him, as if he had consumed a bottle of sleeping pills. Despite this, he needed to maintain a strong facade for his son, allowing the boy to embark on his journey in peace.


    It didn''t take long for the two treants to return, dragging a tiger the size of a hippo. As Ikengaid eyes on the tiger, the blood-sucking roots that had been holding his hair together unravelled and vanished into the ground. The tigersoon began to rapidly lose weight.


    Having fed enough, the roots climbed out of the ground and returned to their usual positions, reassembling and bundling to hold Ikenga''s hair together. Paying little mind to the roots'' peculiar behaviour, the tiger floated up from the treants'' grasp, gently descending into a bonfire. The bonfire grewrger as wood materialized out of thin air falling into it. The tiger slowly fell into the fire, it didn''t take time as the scent of burning meat permeated the air. Basic telekinesis was one of the abilities Ikenga had discovered that gods possessed, as their powers increased.


    The two treants appeared to havepleted their task as their roots began to embed in the ground, ready to return to their customary positions at their creator''s feet. However, this time, Ikenga had a different idea.


    "Find yourselves a ce to sit, boys. I no longer require your constant presence," Ikenga gently instructed.


    Immediately, he sensed a shift in the emotions of the two treants. They seemed to feel remorseful and thought they had done something to displease him. The two treants watched their bodies lifted from the ground and floated to nearby stones where they settled.


    "Cheer up," Ikenga reassured them. "Your absence is something I anticipate because I''m curious about the forms you''ll take in the future."


    The treants'' moods brightened as they looked at Ikenga. "We have a long journey ahead of us, perhaps because you''re a kind of elemental life form, your life force is abundant, even greater than that of my son, a demigod."


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    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 41 Slumber

    Chapter 41 Slumber


    Feeling the tiger''s skin sufficiently cooked, Ikenga gently floated the tiger out of the bonfire. Its stomach began to split open as if an invisible de were at work, and soon, the innards spilled out onto the ground near the bonfire. The ground sealed itself after the innards fell, and wooden stands emerged, connecting to the tiger''s mouth and butt, making it look like a spit. Small pieces of wood materialized out of thin air, fueling the fire and gradually cooking the tiger.


    Ikem couldn''t have chosen a more perfect time to wake up, as Ikenga added a pinch of salt to the tiger meat. Feeling his son stirring behind him, Ikenga spoke, "You know the rule?"


    Without bothering to respond to his stern father, Ikem stood and walked up to the meat, easily tearing a handful off the bone. They ate in silence, with Ikem consuming the most, as he needed the energy.


    While they were eating Ikenga felt a shift in the wind and, with his heightened vision, saw Tweet, whose body had grownrger, fly towards them. Behind Tweet followed a variety of exotic fruits encased in a whirlwind.


    Smiling, Ikenga said nothing and returned to his meal. He watched as Ikem finished thest piece of meat, discarding the bone and massaging his satisfied stomach. He was about to say something when both of their expressions changed at the same time as they sensed a change in the mana around them.


    Ikem immediately took afortable position, closed his eyes, and entered a state of deep meditation. Ikenga watched with keen interest, recognizing that his son was advancing to the next stage of his power.


    Mana began to surge rapidly toward Ikem. Tweet, who had initially flown in and appeared eager to say something, changed his mind as he noticed Ikenga''s stern look directed at him. Tweet slowlynded and arranged the fruit that came with him on arge leaf that had grown from the ground.


    Ikenga nodded in acknowledgment of Tweet''s actions before turning his attention back to his son. He was curious about the changes taking ce but didn''t want to interfere. His eyes turned golden, granting him the ability to see through Ikem''s body, providing insight into the process of advancement.


    In Ikenga''s view, mana with a wooden attribute rapidly gathered toward his son. He watched as the mana concentrated at Ikem''s heart, transforming the blood-red heart into a vibrant green. Within his son''s heart, an ethereal space began to form. Once the space wasplete, the heart returned to its natural color, and the mana gathered in the ethereal space, coalescing into a small core.


    As soon as the core was formed, the turbulence of mana around Ikem''s body gradually subsided, returning to a state of normalcy. He continued to watch as the second transformation began. With each beat of his son''s heart, a change unfolded within his body. His expression shifted from curiosity to concern as he pondered whether mana possessed sentience.


    To ordinary eyes, nothing would seem out of the ordinary with his son. However, with his divine sight, Ikenga began to doubt if his son remained a mere flesh-and-blood creature. While Ikem had previously undergone the stages of mana adaptation and mana inhibition without rm, the core stage raised questions.


    It appeared that his son''s mana attribute was determined to change his son''s physique to align with the element. With each heartbeat, Ikenga observed how Ikem''s red-golden blood transformed into a green-golden hue. It was as if the elements couldn''t alter his divine blood, so they changed his mortal blood instead.


    Ikem''s blood was not the only thing undergoing a gradual shift; his skin, muscles, eyes, everything was in a state of transformation. If Ikenga were to draw aparison, his son was evolving from a flesh-and-blood being into a wooden life form with flesh and blood.


    Having seen enough, Ikenga''s eyes returned to their normal brown color. While hecked sufficient knowledge about mana and the peculiarities of this world, he understood that, for now, his son was not in immediate danger, and there was nothing more he could do.


    If his siblings weren''t currently asleep, he would have sought their insights on the matter and whether their children were experiencing simr transformations. Lost in his thoughts, Ikenga was unaware that Ikem had already awakened from his transformation.


    "Tweet!!!" Ikenga was jolted from his thoughts as he heard the exmation. He watched as his son elerated, colliding with Tweet and easily bringing therger bird to the ground. Tweet struggled to break free from Ikem''s grasp, but the younger one was relentless, rubbing his face against the bird''s feathers.


    Ikenga wasn''t surprised by his son''s behavior. Tweet had been absent for quite some time, choosing to explore beyond Ikenga''s realm. Both Ikem and the bird had missed each other dearly, as Tweet had been his son''s solepanion since birth.


    While Boros remained in his realm, he didn''t seem to share the same fondness for Ikem, perhaps because the snake had an exceptionally strong attachment to Ikenga, leaving Ikem without muchpany.


    Seemingly having had enough of Ikem ruffling his feathers, Tweet unleashed a powerful gust of wind, sending Ikem tumbling away from him. Then, Tweet spread his wings and took to the sky, hovering there.


    "Damn it, Ikem. Do you know how much time and effort it takes to keep my feathers looking this good?" Tweet''s voice carried down from the sky, now audible to Ikem and Ikenga.


    Surprised by Tweet''s newfound ability tomunicate, Ikemnded and eximed, "You can talk now, Tweet?" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Even Ikenga was taken aback at the bird''s newfound skill. They had previously been able tomunicate with Tweets through their innate ability to understand animalnguage, but now the bird was clearly speaking, using the wind to carry its voice.


    Tweet got even more angry at Ikem Ignoring the matter of his feathers but Ikem responded with curiosity, "Why do you worry so much about your feathers, Tweet?"


    Tweet appeared to be pleased with his son''s inquiry as he floated back down to the ground, gloating.


    "Unlike someone I know, there are tons of birddies who admire these majestic feathers of mine," Tweet proudly boasted.


    "Birddies? Wait, you''ve been to the Father''s brother''s side?" Ikem asked, his toneced with jealousy.


    "Of course. Now you understand with your maidenless self," Tweet retorted, amused by the reaction.


    Ikenga noticed a vein throbbing on his son''s forehead and swiftly intervened, not wanting to witness an argument. "Okay, boys, calm down now."


    "But Father, this¡ª" Ikem began, but Tweet cut him off.


    "This what?"


    Putting an end to the exchange, Ikenga spoke once more, his voice tinged with fatigue. "Enough, Ikem, I need to talk to you, and time is running short."


    Ikem''s expression turned serious as he observed the weary look on his father''s face. "Okay."


    They sat in silence by the crackling bonfire. "This will be ourst day together, son," Ikenga finally said.


    Ikem shifted ufortably upon hearing this. "It feels a bit early, doesn''t it, Father?"


    "I believe you''re ready, and your recent advancement in power confirms that. You are more than prepared," Ikenga replied.


    Silence hung between them for a moment before Ikem spoke, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I will miss you, Dad."


    Ikenga reached out, gently ruffling his son''s hair. "Time will pass quickly, my son. You''ll hardly notice my absence. A whole new adventure awaits you. I can''t predict the specifics, but I sense that great changes wille after I enter my slumber."


    Ikem said nothing but he absentmindedly nodded in understanding. "I want you to be ready for whatever changes maye. Take this." Out of thin air, arge wooden book materialized, which Ikenga handed to his son.


    "This book contains everything you need to establish a great kingdom, as well as a map that will guide you to your mother''s birthce and other areas where I have significant gifts prepared for you and your new kingdom," Ikenga exined.


    Continuing, Ikenga said, "Your mother''s birthce is a good starting point for your journey. I''ll leave the two treants to guard you for a while, but I have other ns for them, so they''ll depart once they''re certain you''re safe. If Red wakes up, remember not to inquire about any changes he may have undergone."


    Curious, Ikem asked, "I noticed he wasn''t here. Did something happen to him?"


    Ikenga responded, "No, nothing bad has happened, but he may look quite different the next time you see him. Do not let your curiosity lead you to inquire about his transformation. You''re not yet prepared for the being and power level behind it."


    "Oh, and before I forget, the blood-sucking root will also apany you. I''ve done it a disservice by keeping it with me, as there''s rarely any prey for it to feed on. It will be your closestpanion in the times toe."


    As Ikenga spoke, the roots unfurled from his hair, scattering it. He handed the roots to his son, who observed them with curiosity. He soon cried out as the roots pierced his finger, drawing blood.


    Ikenga remained impassive, watching the roots exhibit new behavior. They absorbed the blood, glowing green for a moment before returning to their usual appearance. They then wrapped themselves around his son''s hair, braiding it and forming a bundle to hold it together.


    "Be sure to document every change in your power and advancement from this point on," Ikenga advised after witnessing the interaction. He inwardly thought that the root''s behavior most likely linked to the changes in his son''s physique following his advancement.


    Ikem nodded in response, and silence once again enveloped them. Tweet seemed ufortable with the quietude. Ikenga then thought of Boros and decided that it might be beneficial for the snake to live outside the realm, with that he established a connection with his realm and expelled Boros from it.


    The always slumbering snake materialized in front of them, initially entering an attack posture andunching into the sky before realizing who it was. Boros has also grown significantly, its body nowrger and more massive than Earth''s anaconda, with two wings enabling flight.


    Boros, recognizing where it was and who summoned her, immediately returned to her smaller form, wrapping around Ikenga''s arm. Its tongue asionally darted out to give Ikenga''s face a few licks. It paid no attention to Ikem and Tweet, his childhood friend who had returned.


    "Great to see you too, Boros," Tweet sarcastically remarked.


    "I didn''t say anything, you stupid bird," Boros retorted with an irritated female voice.


    "Still as grumpy as ever, you green shit," Tweet, ever adept at provoking others, fired back.


    Boros separated from Ikenga''s arm and reverted to its normal form, hissing at Tweet. "Say that again."


    Tweet, not one to back down, challenged, "Wanna fight?"


    Ikem, lost in his thoughts about his father''s imminent departure, remained unresponsive. Observing his family gathered around, Ikenga couldn''t help butugh, drawing everyone''s attention.


    With all eyes on him, Ikenga smiled and suggested, "Since everyone is here, why don''t we all go to sleep? It''s already deep into the night."


    Ikem looked deeply at his father before letting out a sigh. Boros, familiar with the routine, served as a headrest for both father and son, with Tweet snuggled in between, providing warmth with his shrunken, fluffy body. At a snap of his fingers, Ikenga extinguished the bonfire.


    Finally, Ikem found his voice and uttered, "I love you, Dad," just before drifting off to sleep.


    "I love you too, son," Ikenga responded, gently caressing his son''s head. It remained this way for a while until Ikenga sensed that everyone was fast asleep. Slowly standing up and slipping away, he took onest look at his family before entering the portal leading to his realm. There, he sumbed to a deep slumber.


    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Chapter 42 Goodbye

    42 Goodbye


    While Ikenga fell asleep in his realm, an imperceptible sound, reminiscent of chains breaking, resonated throughout the entire world. Suddenly, a colossal, invisible, five-colored gate appeared, hovering outside the of Nana.


    The gate burst open as if propelled by an unseen force. As the door swung wide, various five-colored elements flooded into the. Although these elements remained unseen by human and mortal eyes, any divine being would attest that the entire immediately transformed into a riot of five colors upon the gate''s opening.


    The gate remained open for a significant period, allowing the vast elemental wave to gradually subside. Once the final element had passed through, the gate closed and vanished into the void, as if it had never existed.


    The effects of the immense elemental wave began to manifest as the slowly, almost imperceptibly, expanded. This transformation would continue until the had absorbed and digested the abundant elemental energy.


    The night passed quickly for Ikem as he slept undisturbed. However, he woke up with a start, screaming for his father, as though he had just experienced a nightmare. Ikem scanned his surroundings, realizing his father was no longer there to answer or console him.


    He rested his head back on Boros and curled into a fetal position, tears streaming down his face. The awareness that his father was truly gone weighed heavily on him. The crying continued until he eventually fell back asleep. Beside him, Tweet sighed at the child''s misfortune but understood the need to let the boy grieve, as he would now be responsible for himself.


    Aware that he could no longer sleep, Tweet transformed back into his normal form and took to the sky, intending to catch a meal for everyone once they woke up. Ikem slept soundly through the night without any further disturbances. Upon waking, he caught a whiff of barbecue roasting on the fire, a scent that stirred his senses.


    His stomach emitted an audible rumble, underscoring his hunger after catching the scent of the roasting barbecue. Realizing that Boros was not around to provide a makeshift pillow, Ikem noticed his head had rested on a floating ball of water during his slumber, which he found ratherfortable.


    As the water ball burst and dissipated, he shifted his gaze to one of the treants who had withdrawn their outstretched arm. Smiling, he joined them for the meal.


    Sitting down and grabbing a piece of meat, he addressed the water treant, "Thanks for the new pillow; it was quitefortable."


    The treant replied, "It was a small gesture, young master, but I hope you expect less of this simr treatment from now on."


    This response puzzled Ikem, and he couldn''t fathom why the treant answered in that manner. Sensing his confusion, the other treant rified, "There are no hostile intentions, young master. It was merely a word of advice. You wille to understand it in due time."


    Still perplexed, Ikem nodded and returned to his meal. In silence, everyone finished their share of the prey, with the treants remaining silent and attentivepanions.


    Afterpleting his meal, Ikem turned his attention to the book his father had given him. Upon opening the book to the map, he noted the considerable distance between his current location and his mother''s ce.


    Closing the book, he looked at Tweet, who appeared unusually quiet. "What''s the n, Tweet?"


    "There is no n, Ikem. I won''t be apanying you on your journey" Tweet replied with a somber tone.


    Ikem fell into silence after hearing Tweet''s announcement, tears brimming in his eyes. "Everyone seems to be leaving one after the other," he mused. "I''m guessing you too, Boros, will also be departing."


    For the first time since he had known Boros, he noticed her voice fluctuate. "Yes, boy," she replied, her voice filled with a hint of sadness. "I, too, will be taking my leave."


    A heavy silence followed, but Boros interrupted it by sending a green scale floating over to Ikem. "Hold onto this during your journey," she instructed. "With it, I will always be able to find you, no matter where you are." Ikem epted the scale with a surprised expression.


    After handing over the scale, Boros swiftly took to the sky and vanished within seconds, leaving no room for goodbyes. Tweet, slightly irritated by her sudden departure, shook his head but was still grateful for her gesture. It also gave him an idea.


    A feather detached from Tweet''s head, gracefully floating over to Ikem as he continued to gaze absentmindedly at the ce where Boros had been. He caught the feather and immediately stood up, his anger apparent as he turned his attention to Tweet. "You''re not nning to pull the same disappearing act, are you?"


    Tweet, taken aback by the sudden outburst, shook his head while moving closer to Ikem. He then pulled him into a warm embrace with hisrge wings, all the while feeling Ikem''s tears moistening his beautiful feathers.


    "The feather can do the same thing as Boros, but with an additional function. It enables us tomunicate. Right now, it''s fully charged with air elemental energy, so we can talk anytime after your departure. However, remember that after each conversation, the feather will need time to recharge on its own, and it will take longer as I won''t be there to recharge it. Hopefully, with this, I can still keep youpany," Tweet exined as he released Ikem from the embrace.


    Ikem watched in astonishment at the feather; he had no idea that Tweet possessed such abilities. But soon, a smile crept onto his face. Stepping back, he watched as Tweet gradually took to the sky, using a hand to shield his face from the wind turbulence generated during takeoff. When he lowered his hand, Tweet had disappeared from view.


    A bittersweet smile yed on Ikem''s lips as he heard a voice carried by the wind that seemed to say, "Take good care of yourself. Do something your father will be proud of the next time you meet."


    "I will, Tweet," Ikem responded with a smile, his heart warmed by the message.


    As he contemted how to keep the treasured items from his family members with him, the bloodroot that his father had given him responded to his thoughts. Thin threads of roots extended from the main body of the root, gently taking hold of the scale and feather, transforming them into a ne that hung around Ikem''s neck.


    With this immediate problem resolved, Ikem turned his attention to the two Treants and asked, "So, are you guys ready?"


    The two Treants exchanged nces and replied, "Yes."


    "Then let''s go," Ikem said as he walked into the forest, casting onest look at the ce he had grown up. Observing his reluctance, the stone Treant knelt and ced its hands on the ground. A stone wall emerged from the earth, surrounding and encasing the house. Ikem, recognizing what the Treant was doing, channeled a wave of mana into the ground, connecting to thework of roots and supplying them with a significant amount of energy. Roots sprouted from the ground and intertwined with the stone wall, reinforcing the defense.


    Taking inspiration from the stone Treant''s actions, the water Treant approached and looked at it. It appeared that the two Treants had a means ofmunication, as the stone Treant ced its hand on the ground once more, causing the earth to sink in a circle around the house. Simultaneously, the water Treant extended its hand, and water elements gathered, ultimately creating a substantial wave of water within the sunken earth. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Thanks a lot for this, guys," Ikem expressed his gratitude to the two treants for their efforts.


    The Treants responded, "No need for thanks. This ce means as much to us as it does to you. We have a feeling that something surprising will happen here."


    With a final nce, Ikem fell silent and followed behind the Treants as they ventured into the forest, marking the beginning of his new journey.


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 Chapter 43 Danger.

    43 Danger.


    After venturing into the forest, Ikem found himself surrounded by a sight he had never experienced before. This was his first time in the open like this, as his father had mainly focused on training him and providing asional knowledge about the outside world. Now, witnessing it firsthand was a wonder for Ikem.


    The two treants, also unfamiliar with traversing the forest, shared in the novelty of this experience. However, unlike Ikem, who openly gawked at everything with wide-eyed fascination, the two treants maintained theirposure. Ikenga would have found it amusing if he had witnessed their behavior, as they mirrored his behavioral pattern.


    The treants suddenly halted, observing Ikem as he walked toward a massive flower. Amusement yed on their faces, sensing thatflower was weirdly alive but still was of no threat to Ikem. They quietly watched, knowing there was no need to intervene.


    Ikem couldn''t resist the captivating allure of the flower before him, he found the flower to be the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Entranced, he stretched out his arms to caress the petals. The initial touch left him mesmerized, leaving an absent look on his face. However, this trance was abruptly interrupted as Ikem sensed danger. His mana instinctively moved, forming a sword in his hand, which swiftly cut through therge flower. As the petals fell, Ikem''s focus returned.


    The once-beautiful flower now appeared grotesque, with a huge mouth open and acidic saliva dripping from its teeth. Ikem was unfazed by the transformation but was troubled by the briefpse in focus.


    "Was it a skill?" he murmured to himself before turning to his twopanions, who stood quietly at a distance. "Any idea what that was, guys?"


    "A predatory nt that attracts prey to feed on them," the stone treant replied, providing Ikem with an exnation for the unusual encounter.


    "I can see that, but I shouldn''t have been easily distracted by it," Ikem remarked with an edge to his voice.


    "Of course, young master, at your level, you shouldn''t have been easily distracted, but you had no guard up while approaching it," the water treant pointed out, indicating the lifeless flower.


    Ikem''s expression shifted as if he had just taken a punch. He had momentarily forgotten one of his father''s crucial lessons upon entering an unfamiliar and potentially dangerous territory. Looking back at the flower, he realized that, without his instinctive reaction, he could have easily fallen victim to its predatory nature.


    The reminder prompted a change in Ikem''s demeanor. Without uttering a word, he resumed his journey, now walking with heightened awareness. Although he still actively enjoyed the forest''s beauty, there was an obvious shift in his steps.


    "It seems the creator''s order was for the best," the water treant remarked to the stone treant as they observed the noticeable change in their young master.


    "I never had any doubt about his order, but we should also learn from the boy. This forest can prove to be dangerous if we aren''t careful," the stone treant responded, joining Ikem in his walk forward.


    The trio continued their journey, encountering asional distractions. With their guard up, these distractions transformed from potential dangers into valuable learning experiences. Ikem, disying ingenuity, decided to document these different encounters and lessons in the book his father had gifted him.


    Ikem cautiously threaded through the dense forest, the sun''s descent painted the sky in hues of orange and pink and the impending nightfall loomed, and he couldn''t help but anticipate the relief it would bring. The journey had proven more taxing than he initially thought, especially after the encounter with the weird flower that left him mentally drained.


    The deeper they ventured into the forest, the heavier the mental burden became. Every rustle of leaves and snap of a twig kept him on edge. So the approaching night was a wee respite from the constant vignce.


    With the decision to set up a small camp, Ikem quickly found a suitable spot. Gathering branchesalong the way for a bonfire and stones to encircle it, he prepared for the night ahead. However, a new challenge surfaced after he organized the branches for a bonfire, he realized hecked his father''s ability to create fire with a snap of his fingers.


    Surveying the two treants, Ikem received only shrugs in response. Frustration mounting, he copsed under the weight of physical and mental exhaustion. Staring at the darkening sky, he felt the urgency to find a solution fast.


    Suddenly remembering his father''s book, Ikem sat up and eagerly flipped through the book pages. His eyes caught the information he sought after. With two stones in hand, he attempted to replicate the magical spark his father does. It took a few attempts, but the leaves finally caught fire. Triumphantly, Ikemughed and danced around the flickering mes.


    Yet soon, hunger soon interrupted his celebration. ncing around the now darkened forest, he realized they hadn''t secured any prey to feed on. His stomach rumbled, and as he peered into the shadows, Ikem wondered if luck would be on his side in finding sustenance.


    Ikem sighed, tossing more branches onto the crackling fire before venturing into the forest, the two treants trailing closely behind. He walked until the glow of the campfire was a mere flicker in the distance. Suddenly, his ear twitched, capturing the rapid patter of small feet on the forest floor.


    A green spear construct materialized in his hand, swiftly thrown toward the elusive creature. A frown came upon his face as he felt that his fast throw was dodged, Ikem channeled mana into the ground, sensing the creature''s agile evasion as it jumped, roots emerged, snaring the creature from sky it jumped to and dragging it back to forest floor. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    With a surge of mana, Ikemmanded the roots to entwine the creature, tightening their grip until its struggles ceased. Walking toward the dead prey, he discovered a rabbit the size of a well-fed pig. Happy with the hunt, he hoisted the creature onto his shoulders, with a new found energy Ikem walked back to the camp.


    As they approached the camp, the treants looked behind them as they noticed a strong life force in the forest, a presence watching them and following after them. They only noticed the creature because of the connection they have with the surrounding trees, it was perfectly hidden.


    The two treants looked over to Ikem who was only worried about filling his stomach and not taking notice of the impending danger, eager to alert his young master, the water treant was halted by the stone treant with a silent reminder of the creator''s order.


    With a sigh, the two treants followed their young master, as soon as they reached the camp.Ikem began to dismantle the creature, preparing it for consumption. The two treants lent their assistance, the water treant providing water for Ikem. However, a warning hung in the air by it, warning Ikem that he should prepare his own water sourcefor next time as this would be thest time it will be doing this. Ikem sighed at that, knowing that he is tasked with being self-sufficient and prepared for the challenges thaty ahead.


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    Emmanuel_Onyechesi

 Chapter 44 Invisible or Teleportation ?

    44 Invisible or Teleportation ?


    The blood-sucking root wasn''t idle as Ikem prepared his meal. It voraciously absorbed every drop of blood from the prey. With the meat finally ready to cook, Ikem secured it on a branch over the fire, the savory aroma quickly filling the forest air.


    Observing that their aid wasn''t required, the two treants transformed into flowers, their roots delving into the earth. As the meat finished cooking, Ikem, ravenous, dove into the meal. The hunger was unlike anything he''d experienced before. In his father''spany, he''d never faced such extreme deprivation. With a wild hunger in his eyes, he devoured the meat until he was satiated and full.


    A peculiar expression soon crossed Ikem''s face as he eyed the remaining meat. When he caught the prey and saw its size, he was expecting for it to be not enough to fill him but only curb the hunger, but no he was already full and there was still some meat left. He could have eaten more, but itcked the vor of his father''s prepared meals, missing the seasoning his father magically conjured¡ªsalt.


    Puzzled about what to do with the leftovers and unable to fathom eating more, Ikem left the remaining meat beside the dying fire, preparing for rest. Yet as heid down, sleep eluded him. The difort of the hard groundbined with the cacophony of the forest''s night sounds made rest impossible. He also wascking somethingfortable to rest his head upon.


    ncing at the treants, now in their floral form, Ikem wished to seek their aid but remembered their warning. Frustrated, all he could do was sigh, resigned to reclining on the unforgiving ground.


    As Ikemy beneath the star-studded sky, he marveled at the beauty above. Contemting the toll his journey was taking on him, he realized its taxing nature despite being merely at its beginning. Lost in these thoughts, he eventually sumbed to a deep slumber.


    Near Ikem''s campsite, hidden within the forest''s cover, a ck, four-legged beast blended seamlessly with its surroundings. Observing the extinguished camp light in the vicinity, the creature remained still, scenting the air. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was familiar with hunting prey that emitted such simr light in their surroundings, it was familiar with and anticipated the prey''s behavior after the light''s disappearance. The beast''s ears perked up,and an odd expression filled its yellow eyes as it rose from its hiding spot, taking a cautious step backward.


    Sensing the prey''s unusual wakefulness this long after the light disappeared, the creature''s keen hearing detected the restlessness of the target. Puzzled by this deviation from the usual behavior, the beast hesitated, attentive to the sound. It awaited and soon it came, a signal of vulnerability, the creature recognized the familiar cue.


    The prey''s behavior struck the beast as unusual, not just in action but also in the inexplicable attraction it seemed to hold toward the predator. Its instinct tells it that there will be a reward from hunting this prey, the creature lingered before advancing toward the camp, vanishing from its spot as if it had never been there at all.


    Ikem while in a deep sleep was not having so good sleep, He was haunted by not being able to fulfill his father''s expectation for him, he was full of worry if he wouldst long in his journey. The tension in Ikem''s troubled sleep soon escted as his instincts jolted him awake. This time, the blood root, responsive to his distress, swelled in size, hurling him away from his resting spot. Instinctively, Ikem''s mana surged, encasing him in a protective green armor, just in time to witness a dark paw, adorned with ominous purple ws, slice through the ground where he hadin moments ago.


    Regaining his stance, the blood root retreated to its ce in his hair, reducing in size. Ikem''s expression turned grave as a creature materialized, shrouded in darkness. Standing face to face, he struggled to discern the form of the creature, which, if not for its immediate presence, might have remained an enigma. If Ikenga were present, he''d have recognized the creature as an oversized ck Panther.


    Ikem''s heart raced with a fear of the impending danger he was just in. The blood root had shielded him, saving him from a grievous injury. Taking a deep breath, he expelled green mana from his hand, forming a long spear.


    Both Ikem and the enigmatic creature assessed each other, tension thick in the air. Abruptly, Ikem ducked as three energy ws surged over his head, tearing through the forest. From his crouched position, he lunged towards the panther, thrusting the spear as he closed in.


    The panther, clearly taken aback by Ikem''s agility, let out a resounding roar as the spear grazed its chin. In an instant, it vanished, leaving Ikem bewildered. Regainingposure from the slight of disy, he looked around the forest floor to see if the creature would expose its steps but nothing was found, so he focused on sensing the creature''s mana, but his attempts also proved futile.


    Out of nowhere, a huge paw appeared in front of his eyes. He could clearly see the hairs on the dark paw as it closed in on his head. Knowing he couldn''t defend with his hands, a green construct formed in his head, taking the shape of a helm, the only protection his mind could conjure at that moment.


    The huge paw made immediate contact with his head after the construct was formed, sending him flying into the dark woods. At the same time, he swung at the space where the w came from, but he felt nothing.


    As he felt thest tree cushion his flying form, Ikem stood up, looking around, and thinking to himself, ''So its power is not simple invisibility.'' If it were just invisible, he should have hit the panther when it sent him flying.


    Just as he contemted, he moved to the side as another w appeared from thin air, cutting through the air. Not intending to attack again, Ikem stepped back, asionally dodging the w strike that emerged from thin air, moving closer to a tree. He soon stopped as the creature emerged out of thin air again, this time running toward him.


    Ikem braced himself, the spear in his hands turning into a green shield. Ikem rejoiced for his choice of construct as the panther''s running form grew a dark horn on its head. The horn impaled into the shield, the force pushing Ikem back as he dug his feet into the ground, infusing mana into the shield to fortify it.


    It took a while before the momentum wore off. Ikem immediately sent mana through the ground, causing roots to spring out, holding the creature in ce. Ikem then jumped up as the shield construct changed into an ax, aiming to cleave the creature''s head in two."


    As the ax got closer to the panther, it immediately changed into an arm, grabbing its hair. At the same time, the creature disappeared from its spot, and this time, Ikem vanished with the panther.


    Cutting off the construct, Ikemnded on the creature''s head, immediately panicking as he thought something must have gone wrong with his eyes. He was thrown off as the panther rolled on the ground, now also looking at him with a stupefied face.


    "Where is this?" Ikem asked himself as he looked at the ck and grey world around him. He realized he was in the same position as in the forest, but it was as if he had entered anotheryer of the forest after the panther disappeared with him.


    Simultaneously observing his surroundings, a strange howl echoed in the ck and gray world. For some reason, upon hearing the sound, Ikem immediately rushed toward the panther while shifting into his demigod form.


    The panther, still trying toprehend how its prey had entered the same world it usually inhabited when ambushing prey, quickly felt the shock fade as it saw Ikem running toward it. The panther couldn''t react as Ikem swiftly got underneath it, delivering a punch that sent the panther flying. Without giving the panther a chance, Ikem rushed toward it again.


    Two green constructs formed under Ikem''s armpits, raining blow after blow on the panther. The panther attempted to attack back, but Ikem easily dodged and continued pummeling the creature. Briefly halting his assault, Ikem nced into the distance of the ck and gray world before returning to continue beating the panther, this time adding more strength to each blow.


    The panther sensed that if this continued, it would perish, resorting to its typical defense mechanism when in danger. It teleported back to the forest. Reacting swiftly, Ikem grabbed the panther before it could teleport, taking them both back.


    As soon as Ikem saw he was back in the forest and there was no ck and gray color around him, a sigh of relief left his mouth. He immediately rushed toward the now escaping panther. As he got close to its retreating form, a green axe construct formed in Ikem''s hand as he jumped, cutting the panther into two, blood staining everywhere.


    The green construct disappeared as Ikem shifted back to his human form. He slumped to the ground, breathing heavily. He wasn''t tired, but the feeling ofing close to death two times in one night was too much for him.


    The blood root took the opportunity to feed itself as Ikem was trying to get his bearings. Soon, the panther corpse turned dry as its blood was sucked up, the roots obviously relishing the meal as they started glowing red, wrapping themselves around Ikem''s braids.


    08:12


    The blood root took the opportunity to feed itself as Ikem was trying to get his bearings. Soon, the panther corpse turned dry as its blood was sucked up, the roots obviously relishing the meal as they started glowing red, wrapping themselves around Ikem''s braids.


    Ikem sat in silence as he heard two footsteps. Looking back, he saw the two treants walking toward him, the water treant raising its hand as water appeared in thin air, falling on him, washing away the blood spilled from the dead panther.


    The stone treant went to the panther to take a look at the beast and then asked, "Where did you disappear to with the beast?"


    Hearing the question, Ikem perked up. "You also noticed me disappearing?"


    "Yes, we did, and that got us worried because we couldn''t sense you anywhere," the water treant answered while drying off the water that fell on Ikem.


    "I noticed the same thing too when the monster disappeared the first time. I couldn''t sense it anywhere, like it was no longer in this world. The only time my senses picked it up was when it attacked," Ikem said, rubbing his chin.


    "I decided on grabbing the monster in hope to interrupt its disappearance, since it always escapes when I am so close to killing it. The monsterthen teleported us both to a weird ce, not really a ce. I was still at the same ce of the disappearance, but it was like anotheryer on top of the real world."


    "Hmm, that''s interesting. I believe the creator would be greatly interested in that since this hasn''t happened before," the stone treant answered.


    "How did you get back then?" the water treant asked him.


    Hearing the question, Ikem shivered but soon took a deep breath. "The moment the beast teleported me to that weird ce, my whole instinct went off that the longer I stayed there, the more likely I was to die or something bad happening. So, I did the only thing I thought was best to survive: force the beast to use its ability again to teleport me away from that ce."


    All three were silent after hearing that. "Young master, I would advise you to run whenever you meet any creature whose ability you don''t understand. You were lucky this time," the stone treant advised.


    "I already thought of that. As soon as I killed the creature, it was foolish of me to jump in without having enough information," Ikem said with a sigh as he stood up.


    He was about to walk back to the camp when he halted, picking up on multiple life forces and mana signatures in the dark forest around them. Two life forces were equal to the panther he just killed.


    A frustrated but suppressed sound came from Ikem''s mouth, sitting back down near the panther corpse, Ikem looked at the two treants. "It seems there will be no sleep for me tonight."


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 Chapter 45 Horde.

    Chapter 45 Horde.


    This night seemed endless for Ikem. He had to remain vignt and alert, his encounter with the panther was still a fresh memory and that made him wary of facing any creature in the wild.


    The knowledge that two creatures, each possessing the same amount of mana as the panther, lurked in the forest, waiting for his guard to drop, made it nearly impossible for Ikem to find rest.


    Throughout the night, he kept watch, expecting an attack. It dide, but it wasn''t from the ones he was expecting instead was from the weak creatures that wanted a go at him as they recklessly threw themselves at him, akin to a moth drawn to a me.


    With the sun beginning to rise, Ikem sensed the two mana signatures moving away. Taking a deep breath, he surveyed his surroundings, finding himself surrounded by the corpses of creatures he had in in self-defence.


    Frustration gnawed at Ikem. He was exhausted from the sleepless night and irked by the unnecessary trouble he faced. The two treants, capable allies, should have offered their assistance in guarding through the night, but instead, they stood by, mere spectators to his struggles.


    Silently seething, Ikem said nothing to the treants. Instead, he picked up one of the corpses before resuming his journey to his mother''s ce.


    Observing Ikem''s unusual behaviour, the two treants exchanged nces. However, they adhered to the creator''s explicit orders: only to intervene when the young master''s life was in grave danger.


    The joy that usually apanied the start of a journey had evaporated for Ikem. As he traversed the forest, the sun was already high, bringing forth new dangers for him to contend with.


    After walking for a while, thirst crept in. Surveying the forest surrounded by thick woods, he found no nearby water source. Seeking shade under a tree with broad branches, Ikem contemted his next move.


    As Ikem sat down, contemting how to find a water source, a peculiar sound reached his ears, triggering his heightened senses and one of his innate ability.


    "Hurry up, guys, before the whole space is taken up by the others," a distinct voice echoed in Ikem''s ear.


    "We know, we''re already going as fast as we can," another voice responded.


    Intrigued, Ikem stood up and scanned the surroundings for the source of the sound. Suddenly, an orange blur darted past him, and with his keen eyes, he discerned it to be a small creature of the same size as the rabbit he had consumed earlier.


    Two smaller creatures of simr appearance followed closely behind the orange blur. Watching them rush past, Ikem couldn''t help but wonder about the urgency in their movements.


    Determined to unravel the mystery, Ikem began running after the creatures, catching up to the orange one, which he identified as a fox if Ikenga were present. The fox, sensing Ikem closing in, abruptly halted, turned around, and bared its teeth, its skin starting to glow. Ikem, perceiving the fox''s defensive stance, immediately stopped in his tracks.


    "Hold on, wait," Ikem eximed, attempting to convey a non-confrontational demeanor.


    "What? How can I understand you?" Hearing the two leg creature speaking and it understanding what was being said caught the lead orange fox off guard.


    "Never mind that. I overheard you guys talking about catching up. What is that about?" Ikem inquired, his curiosity oveing himprehending the usage of the innate gift he had that would help him a lot on his journey.


    The creature rxed from its defensive stance, gazing at Ikem with a puzzled expression. "There is a water source nearby that most creatures around here use, but it''s mostly upied by the ones that arrive on time," it exined.


    After sharing this information, the creature abruptly shifted its focus, shouting at the other two foxes, "Let''s go, quick! We are almost close!" It dashed off once more, and Ikem stood stunned, as his need for a water source was easily solved, grateful for the lead, Ikemfollowed closely, maintaining a good distance from the foxes to avoid appearing threatening.


    As they journeyed, Ikem''s anticipation grew. The prospect of a nearby water source lifted his spirits, dispelling the fatigue that had weighed him down. Though he didn''t impede the fox''s progress, Ikem tracked them closely.


    After a while, they reached an open space adorned with water. Ikem halted in awe as he beheld the breath-taking sight of diverse animals¡ªpredators and non-predators alike¡ªcoexisting harmoniously.


    The foxes moved past a lion without fear, and Ikem marvelled as they peacefully drank water alongside creatures that, in normal circumstances, would be considered threats. A giant tree, seemingly alive, shifted as a long neck stretched into view, the creature sipping water from theke. Ikem''s mouth fell open as he gazed up at the towering dinosaur-like creature.


    His sense of marvel intensified as he felt an innate connection to the enormous brachiosaurus. If Ikenga were present, he would be amazed at how the brachiosaurus changed since hisst observation of them.


    The enormous dinosaur, resembling a tree, stood motionless as it continued to drink from theke, blending seamlessly with its surroundings. As Ikem continued to observe, he noticed branches with leaves growing from it, solidifying its tree-like appearance.


    Marvelling at the grandeur before him, Ikem finally tore his gaze away and turned toward theke. With a deep breath, he took a step forward, ready to quench his thirst.


    Unbeknownst to Ikem, the two treants silently observed his every move, perfectly camouged among the surrounding trees. Even the foxes he had encountered were oblivious to their presence.


    As Ikem approached theke, the atmosphere shifted. The noses of every creature twitched, and a hush fell over the area. Sensing the tension, Ikem paused, his mana stirring within him. He stood still for a moment, waiting to see if anything would unfold. When nothing did, he cautiously continued toward the water.


    The closer Ikem got, the higher the tension rose. Yet, surprisingly, no aggression manifested. Ikem moved carefully, ensuring he made no contact with the animals. Upon reaching the water, he gently ced the corpse he had been carrying on the ground. Scooping upke water, he took a refreshing sip.


    Unbeknownst to Ikem, the animals felt a unique attraction to him, stemming from his demigod lineage. The creatures recognized that consuming him would enhance their development and strength. Despite this innate pull, the animals adhered to an unwritten rule around theke¡ªno attacks were to ur. They stood still, watching the two-legged creature whose mere presence seemed to influence their behaviour and instinct.


    Ikem relished the refreshing water, his parched mouth finally finding relief. Submerging his face, he took a substantial gulp, only lifting his head after satisfying his thirst. However, as he emerged, a colossal face filled his view.


    The nt-like dinosaur, now closely inspecting Ikem, revealed intricate details upon closer scrutiny. Notably, a bird''s nest adorned its head, adding to the creature''s mystique. Ikem''s admiration deepened, but his surprise intensified as the creature spoke directly into his mind.


    "A reckless one you are, huh?" the dinosaur remarked.


    "What?" Ikem responded, bewildered.


    "Where are your protectors, young one?" the creature inquired.


    Silent, Ikem met the dinosaur''s gaze, the mana in his body poised for action. Receiving no verbal reply, the creature sighed, retracting its colossal face. Before disappearing, it conveyed, "We are a lot alike, young one, but you are a lot more. You hold an attraction to everything living in this forest, even I myself."


    "Look around you. If not for the rule in thiske, all of them would want a bite out of you. I sense your strength, young one, but there are things out there you don''t want turning their attention to you. Hope we meet again, child." With those words, the massive creature withdrew its long neck, and the brachiosaurus began to walk away.


    Picking up the corpse and casting cautious nces around, Ikem threaded back into the forest through the silent horde of creatures that had been observing him.


    As Ikem entered the forest, out of view of the observing animals, exhaustion overcame him, and he leaned against a tree, catching his breath. The two treants, ever watchful, showed no immediate reaction, but the stone treant eventually spoke up.


    "Young master, do you n oning back here every time you need a drink?"


    "Huh? What do you mean?" Ikem questioned, his confusion evident.


    "You have a destination to get to. You were lucky enough to find a water source, but the same can''t be said for the future. Hope you keep that in mind," the stone treant advised.


    It took a moment for Ikem to grasp the message. A cloud of dust soon enveloped the forest, catching the attention of the animals by theke. After a while of waiting and seeing no threat, they resumed their rest, asionally sipping from the water.


    The two treants observed the fallen tree, a result of Ikem''s frustration, understanding the young master''s stress. Ikem red at the broken tree, his clenched fist revealing his frustration. Everything seemed to be going wrong, since he entered this forest hie ever decision and action has mostly be wrong. Now he has to walk back into the dangerous horde again to do something he should have prepared to do the first time. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Taking a deep breath, he tossed the corpse to the treants, not caring whether they caught it or not. cing a hand on the broken tree, Ikem infused it with mana. It took a while, but eventually, he felt satisfied with the amount of mana imbued. With focused intent, he molded the mana within the tree, transforming it into arge gourd-like structure capable of holding enough water.


    Grabbing the gourd,Ikem returned to theke to fill it. As soon as Ikem appeared back at theke the quietness came back, but this time something was different as a boar the size of a tiger with bronze skin walked brazenly towards Ikem as soon as the boar got close to Ikem, the boar emitted a roar quite distinct from what one would expect from such a creature.


    Ikem''s face contorted with anger as he swiftly shifted into his demigod form, responding with an amplified roar infused with mana. The sound echoed across theke, creating ripples in the water. The roar ceased, and Ikem, holding the gourd tightly, advanced toward the boar. Frightened, the boar took a step back, and other animals cleared a path for Ikem to reach the water. Calmly, he ced the gourd in the water to fill it, waiting in silence until it was full. Retrieving the gourd, he walked back into the forest.


    Returning to the waiting treants with the corpse he had thrown earlier, Ikem noticed the admiration in their eyes and smiled inwardly. He went back to the broken tree, sending mana into it. Soon, a wooden rope formed, which he used to tie the filled gourd securely.


    "Let''s go," Ikem dered, ready to resume his journey.


    The stone treant nced at the still-held corpse, shook its head with amusement, and caught up with its young master. Unbeknownst to Ikem, the echoes of his roar had attracted the attention of an eagle, perched on the mountain near theke. The eagle, captivated by the sight of Ikem, marked him as its next meal. In the midst of their journey, Ikem and the treants moved in silence. Abruptly, the two treants exchanged nces, and simultaneously, their mana signatures vanished as they seamlessly merged with the surrounding environment. Ikem, ever vignt, noticed the sudden disappearance of their mana signatures and turned back, casting a puzzled look at the two treants.


    Silence hung in the air as the treants remained wordless, observing Ikem. Suddenly, a sh of golden light enveloped Ikem, and he disappeared from their view. Unfazed, the treants directed their attention to the sky where a pained cry echoed. With their heightened eyesight, they witnessed the talons of an eagle piercing into Ikem''s shoulders, hoisting him into the sky before he couldprehend what was happening.

 Chapter 46 Weak?

    46 Weak?


    A cry of pain escaped Ikem''s lips as he suddenly found himself suspended in the vast expanse of the sky. The searing pain in his shoulder intensified and as he realized he was ascending, Ikem was gripped by a profound unease. ncing at the formidable huge ws embedded in his shoulder and the colossal bird carrying him, Ikem knew he needed to act swiftly.


    This wasn''t his first encounter with bloodshed, so he forced himself to calm down, his mind racing for the next course of action. Drawing upon the mana within him, Ikem focused it into his arm, shaping it into a sword. With determination, he swung the de at the ws, but the bird exhibited no reaction. The awkward position made it difficult for him to strike with the necessary force, prompting the realization that remaining in this precarious situation would yield no results.


    In a daring move, Ikem seized one of the ws as they ascended into the cloudyered sky. Agony seared through him as he tore the w out of his shoulder, leaving him hanging from a single point. Rapidly channelling mana into his injured shoulder, Ikem felt the wound miraculously healing as a sword construct materialized in his hand once more. His head darted left and right, evading the bird''s attempts to seize him once again.


    This time, the sword in Ikem''s hand targeted not the w but the vulnerable space beneath the eagle''s wings. Upon impact, a golden light enveloped the eagle, attempting to shield the wounded area. Undeterred, Ikem infused more mana into the sword, increasing its density and sharpening its edge. The de sliced through, drawing blood.


    The consequence of Ikem''s daring move was immediate¡ªthe eagle relinquished its grip on his other shoulder. As the realization dawned on Ikem, he plummeted through the cloudyer, hurtling toward the ground with rming speed.


    Desperation seized him as he fell. Ikem channelled mana throughout his body, maintaining a pristine and ready state as he healed. The faster he descended, the more panic set in, forcing Ikem to contemte how to minimize the impending damage from the impending fall.


    Wing construct would have been Ikem''s immediate solution, but a vivid memory held him back¡ªa conversation with his father that unfolded in the realm of Ikenga.


    shback:


    One day, Ikem, driven by the desire to experience flight, crafted a wing construct adhering to his back, mimicking the pping wings of the birds he had observed. To his dismay, nothing happened when he attempted to take flight. Undeterred, he found a tree in his father''s realm, climbed it, and leaped, hoping the wing construct would lift him into the air.


    The attempt ended in failure, resulting in a face-nt on the ground. His father materialized beside him, gazing down at his bruised face. "Creating and handling constructs easily doesn''t extend to things like wings. It''s something you''ve never had and experienced before,constructing things require experience, knowledge and imagination. Youck experience and knowledge, merely copying what you see me do." N?v(el)B\\jnn


    shback ends.


    Back in the present, the eagle had its own ns for Ikem. Out of nowhere, a golden light descended from the cloud behind him, reaching him in an instant. Prepared, Ikem surrounded himself with a mana armour. From the golden light enveloping the bird, a wing struck his armour, elerating his descent.


    The golden light continued, flying past Ikem to the ground. Bewildered as to why the bird let him go, Ikem reacted just as the same golden light ascended from the ground, impacting him once again and propelling him back into the sky.


    The bird repeated the action with different patterns, leaving streaks of golden light in the sky.After a while, It became apparent to Ikem that the bird possessed a remarkable speed talent. Even now in his demigod form, he found it challenging to react to the bird''s unparalleled speed.


    Ikem''s entire body felt battered, with healing w marks struggling to keep up as new ones emerged. Suspended in the sky, he wished the bird would release him, even if it meant an uncertain death. Once more, the bird mmed into him, and this time, Ikem didn''t bother to track its figure. A massive green construct manifested from the point of impact, ensnaring the eagle, Causing the dispersal of the golden lightwhich revealed the bird''s true form.


    Holding onto the green as they descended together, Ikem utilized his free hand to conjure a thin, elongated sword. The de made its way to pierce through the bird''s body, but a barrier of golden light obstructed his progress. Infusing more mana into the sword, he finally pierced through the resistance, prompting a shriek of pain from the eagle. A golden shockwave erupted from its body, throwing Ikem off, and the construct dispersed.


    Looking down, Ikem realized he was dangerously closing in to the ground. Quickly, he curled up, surrounding himself with mana to create an egg-shaped construct. The impact produced a deafening sound, shrouding the area in a cloud of smoke. Nearby animals scattered, disturbed by the unexpected noise.


    From the pit formed by the impact, a groaning sound emerged as Ikem wed his way out of the ground. Coughing and spitting blood as he wed until he reached thergest tree he could find, extending his hand to make contact. The tree responded with wooden tendrils that wrapped around Ikem, forming an enclosed shell. Once the shell wasplete, the wooden tendrils lifted it to the tree branches, concealing Ikem from view. Sensing safety, Ikem sumbed to unconsciousness.


    As soon as Ikem fell into unconsciousness, a golden light descended into the massive pit he created. With a graceful wave of its wings, the smoke dissipated. The eagles, unable to spot their prey, screeched to the sky. Transforming into a golden light, the bird shot upward, disappearing into the vastness of the sky.


    The entire area fell into a hushed silence for several minutes as a golden light traversed thendscape, appearing and disappearing in a repetitive pattern. The eagle, frustrated and realizing it had lost its prey, hovered over the pit. In a fit of anger, it circled the area at incredible speed, creating a small tornado that tore through the surrounding trees before finally flying off. Somehow the tree shielding Ikem was able to survive the small tornado.


    Throughout this spectacle, two treants observed keenly. Witnessing Ikem''s fall and hearing the impact, they simultaneously bolted from their positions in swift motion.


    A deer grazing nearby twitched its ears at the approaching footsteps, instinctively hopping away. Before it could fully react, it only felt the rush of two passing breezes. Listening intently, the deer detected no further disturbance and resumed its peaceful grazing.


    The two treants reappeared at the impact site, scanning the area for any sign of Ikem. His mana signature remained well-hidden until a call from the tree caught their attention. The treants made their way to one of the surviving tall trees, where Ikem was concealed.


    Touching the tree, the treants exchanged aplicated nce. The water treant spoke to the stone treant, "Is it luck?"


    "Possibly, or perhaps the creator still protects his son even in sleep," replied the stone treant.


    The tree where Ikem sought refuge was an elemental tree, a creation simr to that of their lord. The two treants had been with the creator when he seeded in infusing elemental properties into trees. They overheard his thoughts about the benefits of spreading elemental attributes throughout the trees but deemed it not worth the trouble as it will be too much of a work.


    "Could it be that the creator''s divinity is now responding to his words after his slumber?" the water treant inquired.


    "Without the creator present, we cannot provide a definite answer. However, let us make note of this urrence so that we remain vignt for simr signs during our journey," suggested the stone treant. The water treant nodded in agreement as they continued to keep a watchful eye on the tree sheltering Ikem.


    Communicating with the elemental tree, the treants requested it to lower the wooden shell enveloping Ikem. Obliging, the tree gently allowed the shell to descend. The stone treant,rger than its usual form, effortlessly carried the sizable wooden construct, cradling it in its sturdy limbs as it made its way back into the heart of the forest.


    Still connected with the tree, the water treant uttered, "If you ever undergo transformation, seek me out." As it departed, it left its water mana signature imprinted on the tree, causing a portion of it to take on a subtle blue hue.


    The immediate effect manifested as the earth and roots around the tree absorbed the moisture, reflecting the presence of added vitality. The water treant, now detached from the tree, surveyed the devastated forest, a newfound sense of purpose stirring within.


    17:00


    Driven by instinct, the water treant raised its hand to the sky, coaxing clouds to form above. Sprinkles of water infused with mana fell over the area. Sensing the water treant''s actions, the stone treant paused, feeling the subtle changes in the earth.


    With its hands engaged, the stone treant utilized its feet as a conduit, sending a wave through the earth. The surrounding soil absorbed the magic-infused water at an elerated rate. After a while, the two treants ceased their joint effort. The water treant by now had re-joined the stone treant.


    "Hopefully, this will aid in restoring the forest to its former state," the water treant expressed.


    "Hmm," the stone treant responded, still carrying Ikem through the woods.


    Eventually, the two treants reached a clearing. The stone treant gentlyid down the wooden shell covering Ikem. "Should we elerate his healing?" the stone treant inquired.


    "No, he is already healing on his own. Besides, no interference unless he faces grave danger," the water treant asserted, turning to retreat into the depths of the forest.


    The stone treant, unfazed by the water treant''s warning, settled beside Ikem. cing a hand on the wooden shell and built a connection which it used to assess Ikem''s condition. Sensing that most external wounds had healed, the stone treant perceived that the internal injuries, particrly to Ikem''s organs, were still mending, progressing slowly. The treant estimated that healing would likely conclude by nightfall.


    As dusk approached, the water treant, dragging a substantial deer corpse, joined the stone treant in the clearing. Exining its intent, the water treant said, "This is forpensation, as we already lost the one the young master handed to us."


    Stunned, the stone treant nodded in acknowledgment. Night descended, apanied by a coughing sound emanating from the wooden shell enveloping Ikem.


    As the shell opened, Ikem emerged¡ªa human with a shrivelled brownplexion, braided hair adorned with a red root, bare chested and wrapped in clothing straight down. The stone treant, attempting levity, remarked, "Looking good, young master."


    Ikem, unamused, surveyed his shrivelled state. His nose twitched, detecting the scent of a pre-prepared meal near a bonfire. Eagerly, he sprung up, reaching for the meat and devouring it hungrily. Silence enveloped the camp as Ikem consumed the meal, bones being the only remnants.


    Gradually, changes manifested on Ikem''s skin as it went from shrivelled to looking full and alive but a few noticeable changes in his skin was seen by everyone avable who already knew what he looked like before¡ªw marks adorned his body. Touching the marks, Ikem muttered to himself, "I thought Father''s training was tough with him spitting out blood after each session, but now I understand he was taking it easy on me. He never used sharp weapons; it was always his hands and I always healed fast from that."


    "Now, facing a sharp weapon, I realize I can''t heal from everything" Ikem said while looking at the marks "I may not be weak against most creatures in this forest, but just an encounter with two unique animals makes me question if I was ever truly strong, and if the things I considered a challenge before was merely weak inparison."

 Chapter 47 Dead?

    47 Dead?


    The two treants sat in contemtive silence, absorbing Ikem''s expressions of frustration. The young master grappled with his first substantial setbacks, and the treants could only hope that he would find the strength to ovee them.


    Breaking the silence, the stone treant spoke up, "If I may, young master" Ikem nodded which prompted the treant to continue "you have to see things differently."


    Ikem, visibly confused, looked up and questioned, "What do you mean by that?"


    The stone treant responded, "There is little I can say, but you need to react more and stop thinking. These creatures are not the creator who gives you time to think before acting."


    Ikem sat in thoughtful silence after hearing that. The advice to act more and think less contradicted his father''s teachings, who had always emphasized thinking before acting. The treant''s suggestion, however, began to make sense to him as he thought reacting immediately might have prevented the bird from seizing him.


    His agreement with the treant advice implied abandoning his father''s teachings, a realization that weighed heavily on Ikem. If he had acted instead of thinking when the treants had stopped, the bird might not have caught him. His father''s approach would have been to first assess the situation before deciding the next action, which he didn''t do fast enough as the bird got hold of him before he understood what was happening. The treant''s advice, on the other hand, suggested that he should have had an immediate defensive response.


    The two treants observed Ikem, deep in contemtion. The stone treant considered adding more to its advice, but some lessons needed to be experienced and understood firsthand.


    Ikem remained lost in thought until his ear twitched, prompting him to once again survey the dark forest around them. The treants, sensing a shift, transformed back into flowers, embedding their roots deep into the earth.


    "It seems this will be another sleepless night," Ikem remarked, forming two sword constructs in his hands as he peered intently into the forest.


    Despite not sensing any strong mana signatures, Ikem detected multiple weaker ones surrounding him. Suddenly, two dark shadows flew from the forest towards him at high speed. Reacting swiftly, Ikem swung his swords, cutting the shadows in two, revealing them to be bats.


    However, right after dispatching the bats, Ikem was hit by an unexpected attack, causing him to stumble. Clutching his ear in pain, the sword constructs vanished.


    The assault persisted for a while before finally ceasing. Slowly lowering his hands, Ikem examined the blood on them, realizing it was some form of sound attack. Cleaning the blood flowing from his ears, he thought to himself, "The sound isn''t strong enough to take me down, but it''s not pleasant and causes a slight instability. It is also hard to pinpoint where it came from."


    Remaining vignt, Ikem looked around as two flying shadows approached again. This time, he caught them in his hand, squeezing the life out of them. Utilizing mana to shield his ears, Ikem prepared for the inevitable sound attack.


    While sessfully defending against the sound, he still couldn''t discern its origin. Time passed as Ikem continued to fend off bats and shield himself from sound attacks. The assaults eventually ceased, but a new sound¡ªthe beating of wings¡ªechoed in Ikem''s ear. Reacting swiftly, he dodged to the side, the wings sounding dangerously close.


    Ikem surveyed his surroundings, attempting to identify the source of the mysterious sound. However, to his surprise, there was no visible creature nearby. The sound persisted, forcing him to dodge as it echoed clearly in his ear.


    Curious and on high alert, Ikem carefully observed the area, but once again, nothing seemed to be present. The sound came again, and this time Ikem chose not to move, discovering that nothing happened in response.


    When the sound echoed once more, Ikem stood his ground. His ear caught the rustle of leaves, prompting him to take a step back. In an instant, a green bow materialized in his hand, an arrow forming simultaneously. Ikem shot the arrow into the dark sky, resulting in a pained scream after a while. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Reacting swiftly, Ikem jumped into the air, conjuring a spear in his hand, and hurled it toward the point where he had shot the arrow. A punctured sound followed, and a massive bat corpse fell to the ground.


    As the bat corpse descended, the weaker creatures'' mana signatures rapidly dissipated. Roots sprouted from Ikem''s head, heading toward the fallen bat corpse to nourish themselves. Ikem stood, watching the scene unfold.


    In contemtive silence, Ikem pondered, "I won by thinking and assessing. Was I wrong for doubting Father''s teachings before?" Acknowledging the truth in the treant''s words, he sighed and returned to the bone fire. "This strange bird was strong, but its use of abilities was not smart," he mused. Ikem realized that the bird''s tactics, especially with the bat, were cunning but not wise.


    Reflecting on the encounter, Ikem recognized that the bird''s initial surprise attack was using the high-pitched sound, causing his ears to bleed. However, the bird adapted when it realized the sound wasn''t effective anymore, opting for a more deceptive strategy¡ªproducing a noise that mimicked the proximity of a hidden threat, which was meant to catch him off guard.


    Ikem discerned that the second urrence of the noise was the pivotal moment, prompting him to resist reacting when the sound repeated for the third time. The fourth instance revealed the bird''s deception¡ªthe identical sound, but this time apanied by the telltale rustle of leaves stirred by the wind from its wings.


    A triumphant smile graced Ikem''s face. It marked his second victory in this enigmatic forest that seemed to be in pursuit of him. After extending his senses and ensuring the absence of imminent danger around the camp, Ikem decided to indulge in some much-needed sleep for the journey ahead.


    Surprisingly, Ikem fell into a deep slumber swiftly this time. Although notpletely oblivious, he maintained a level of readiness for any potential disturbances. The night deepened as Ikem peacefully slept, his eyes closed. Yet, out of nowhere, a dark purple smoke began to envelop the camp. As the purple smoke thickened, the atmosphere in the camp became surreal. Within the dream realm, Ikem found himself in a vast, etherealndscape. Colors beyond description danced across the horizon, and strange creatures frolicked in the distance. Unaware of the events unfolding in the physical world, Ikem wandered through his dreamscape, blissfully disconnected from the encroaching purple mist.


    The two treant flowers rustled their leaves in response to the emerging smoke. However, Ikem, who was only half-awake, seemed unaffected as the smoke gradually filled the camp. The closer the smoke got to Ikem the more rxed he became, the faster he sumbed to a deep sleep,plete with a slight drool escaping the corner of his mouth.


    A dragging sound reverberated as a nearby tree shook, and from the dark forest emerged a colossal purple snake, resembling an anaconda in size. The snake slowly approached Ikem but abruptly halted, adopting a defensive stance. Its sharp gaze fixated on the scale hanging around Ikem''s neck.


    For some inexplicable reason, the snake felt deterred by the scale. It lingered, observing Ikem closely. Opening its mouth, more purple smoke billowed forth, enveloping the entire camp. The purple mist surrounding the camp began to take on shapes, swirling into phantom figures and illusions. Shadows danced in the night, and the air was charged with an otherworldly energy. Unbeknownst to the serpent, Ikem was already deep in the realm of dreams, snoring peacefully amidst the mysterious haze.


    The snake got closer to Ikem and soon began wrapping around him, the roots reacted at this time and was about to counter attack to wake up Ikem but its roots halted as the two treantmunicated with it, it soon detangled from Ikems hair falling to the ground and getting into it.


    Ikem fast asleep in the snake stomach, couldn''t help but frown as he felt that his body was squeezed into a tight space and he has it hard breathing, he tried to move his body in sleep but found it hard to do, the more he found it hard to breath the more Ikem panicked soon his mind became active as he noticed that he was in danger.


    Even though he knew he was in danger, Ikem found that his body couldn''t move, he could think but his body for some reason wasn''t responding. "Am i dead?" The question came to Ikem''s mind as he couldn''t help but panic at the thought, " Did I die in my sleep?" Ikem found it hard to believe as he himself knew that he wasn''t fully asleep.


    The snake drew closer to Ikem, beginning to coil around him. The roots holding Ikem braids stirred, preparing to counterattack and wake him. However, the roots abruptly halted as the two treantsmunicated with them. Detangling from Ikem''s hair, they fell to the ground and re-entered the earth.


    Unaware that its hunting n had almost been thwarted, the snake continued wrapping itself around Ikem. Satisfied with the coiling, it initiated a squeeze. Yet, contrary to expectations, Ikem''s bones didn''t yield easily. Reacting and flexing his muscles, Ikem fought back, prompting the snake to cease its constriction. In response, the snake opened its mouth, releasing more smoke on Ikem''s face.


    The smoke subdued Ikem''s struggle as rxed and the snake, not bothering to squeeze again, the snake opened its mouth wide, gradually swallowing him whole. Havingpleted its hunt, the snake coiled around a tree nearby, intending to digest its catch.


    As the enigmatic dance of mist and shadows continued, Observing the scene, the stone treant flower spoke to the water treant, its petals ruffling, "I think this is when we are supposed to act."


    The water treant''s petals also ruffled as it replied, "Wait a bit more. Maybe the young master will surprise us."


    Transforming back intoits treant form and eyeing the oblivious snake, the stone treant remarked calmly, "I hope he does because I won''t be waiting much longer."


    Meanwhile, Ikem, deep in sleep within the snake''s stomach, sensed difort, he tried to move his body in sleep but found it hard to do, the more he tried to move, the harder he found it hard to breath. Feeling squeezed and struggling to breathe, panic set in and soon his mind became active as he noticed that he was in danger. Though his mind was active, his body remained unresponsive. The idea of being dead crossed Ikem''s thoughts, but he quickly dismissed it.


    " No i can''t be dead, the two treants wouldn''t let that happen, so is this some kind of spiritual attack" Convinced he wasn''t dead, Ikem mind became active the more he thought as the thought he was under some kind of strange attack crossed his mind. Instinctively, Ikem unleashed a surge of mana through his body, attempting to regain control. However, his efforts were futile as he still remained paralyzed within the creature''s stomach.


    His father''s words echoed in his mind:"Always put yourself in your opponent''s thinking pattern." Analyzing the situation, Ikem realized the creature had not gone in for the kill which it should have done after getting him tinto this state.But then the treants, vignt as ever, would have intervened and stopped that but they didn''t which shows something else is amiss."A delicacy?" he pondered.


    Creation is hard, cheer me up!


    Like it ? Add to library£¡


    Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.


    Emmanuel_Onyechesi

 Chapter 48 Catch up

    48 Catch up


    Recalling the dinosaurs'' words about how creatures in the forest perceived him due to his demigod lineage, Ikem deduced that the creature had swallowed him for digestion. This exined why the creature remained alive, as the treants knew the digestive process would take time. The realization struck Ikem, "They are expecting me to get free from this alone?" The thought lingered as an unsettling nibbling sensation began to spread across his skin, confirming his suspicions.


    Fighting against the difort, Ikem channeled his mana, forming a protective armor that shielded him from the digestive assault. Relief washed over him as the nibbling ceased, and his skin began to heal.


    Now safe for the moment, Ikem pondered his next move as he Contemted on breaking free, he faced the challenge of the tight confines and the unresponsiveness of his body, thwarting any attempt at wielding a weapon. His mind raced, desperately searching for a solution in this dire situation.


    "I need something small," Ikem thought, and a small dagger materialized from the armor covering his body. The dagger floated a small distance from his armor, unmoving. Ikem then realised that his hands weren''t avable to use the dagger, Ikem attempted to control the dagger with his mind.


    The idea of using his mind to manipte his mana construct hadn''t crossed his mind before, but now in this situation he had no choice but to try. Focusing on the dagger, Ikem felt it move, though his control over the armor wavered, bringing back the nibbling pain.


    "Damn it, I somehow have to move the dagger and keep enough control on the armor," Ikem muttered, irritated by the difficulty and absurdity of the situation.


    Regaining control of the armor to halt the nibbling pain, Ikem noticed his slight control of the dagger dropped. Sighing, he attempted the same process until suddenly, he felt his body drop to the earth with a resounding thud. With this, he could breathe freely again.


    The stone treant stood stoically, observing alongside the water treant as their unconscious young mastery surrounded by a protective green armor, with a dagger hovering nearby.


    A stone ax transformed into sand, slipping through the stone treant''s fingers and returning to the ground, while the massive snakey cleanly divided from head to tail.


    The water treant, eyeing the green armor around Ikem, remarked, "See, we should have waited a bit longer."


    The stone treant remained silent for a moment before responding, "Maybe, maybe not, but I don''t want to leave his safety to chance."


    The two treants waited for Ikem to rise, but he remained stiff on the ground, seemingly in no hurry to get up.


    Now able to breathe freely, Ikem realized he had been saved but couldn''t shake the annoyance that he hadn''t been the one to extricate himself from the situation. The green mana armor dissipated, and he attempted to move, yet his body remained unresponsive.


    A thought crossed his mind: "I''ll use this chance to get more sleep. The treants will soon notice I''m not moving, and they''ll have no choice but to keep me safe." Feeling a bit of glee at his sudden idea, Ikem decided to take advantage of the treants for once, Ikem thought nothing of it as he was kinda angry at the two treants always watching him solve every danger alone, so taking advantage of them this time was something Ikem wholeheartedly felt was necessary.


    Amused in his mind, Ikemughed inwardly and quickly sumbed to sleep, the lingering effects of the smoke contributing to his rest.


    The two treants remained unaware of Ikem''s thought process, but observing their young master''s stillness, the water treant spoke up.


    "The smoke was more potent than I thought. I believe it was the right decision on how you interfered," the water treant remarked.


    "Hmm, I don''t see how he would have gotten himself out if he was in this state," replied the stone treant, his face bearing a serious expression.


    The night passed with the vignt treants keeping watch over Ikem. The first rays of sunlight pierced through the forest leaves, casting a warm glow on Ikem''s face as he woke up. Yawning and stretching his arms, he shook like a leaf caught in a gentle breeze.


    Furrowing his brows at the sudden light, Ikem couldn''t suppress the smile that crept onto his face as he looked at the two vignt treants. The treants, unfazed by his behavior, calmed down, reassured that his situation wasn''t permanent and he was safe.


    Standing up and surveying the surroundings, Ikem noticed the huge dried snake corpse not far away. "So this was what almost ate me up," he mused, realizing the danger he had narrowly escaped.


    "How was it able to get that close to me" Ikem said to himself but the treants heard him as the stone treant spoke up " It was able to produce smoke that can induce a deep sleep and from further observation paralysis"


    Nooding at the treant word, Ikem brows furrowed as he thought to himself " How can I prevent or even be ready for something like that" Ikem looked at the beaufil bright forest around him but he wasn''t able to appreciate it''s beauty.


    Retrieving the book his father gave him, surprisingly unaffected by the snake''s digestive juices, Ikem opened the map. The bird had thrown him off course, and despite his efforts, he couldn''t determine his location.


    Turning to the two treants, Ikem expressed his gratitude, "Thanks for the protection and lookout, guys."


    "I need one more favor from you guys," Ikem said, squinting an eye to gauge the treants'' expressions as he asked for help.


    The water treant stared directly at Ikem before responding, "It depends on the favor you are asking for."


    "I believe I am lost after the encounter with the bird. Can you guys help put me back on the right track?"


    Silence settled over the camp until the water treant spoke again, "If that''s all, then we will do our utmost best to get you back on track, but you have to keep up for that."


    A mischievous grin spread across the faces of the two treants as they bolted out simultaneously. Ikem, slow to react, grimaced, realizing he should''ve asked more politely.


    Without wasting time, Ikem dashed after the treants. As he closed the gap, he made mana flow through his body, strengthening it. The treants, not willing to make it easy for their young master took their spped up a notch as they quickly created distance.


    The dense forest obscured the treants'' path which limited their speed, so Ikem shifted into his demigod form, recalling a time when he traversed the trees in the realm together with his father in such a simr state.


    Jumping onto the closest tree, Ikem swung through the forest with ease, his demigod physique making the task effortless. Soon, he caught up with the treants.


    Augh escaped Ikem''s mouth as he got excited, swinging harder and faster. The forest turned into a blur as he swiftly passed the treants.


    Caught off guard by Ikem''s sudden speed, the treants exchanged nces before infusing mana into their bodies. They too began swinging, skillfully phasing through trees they used to dodge as if they were mere illusions in their path. The forest echoed with the exhrating sounds of their rapid movement, creating a harmonious dance between nature and demigod.


    Ikem swiftly grabbed a branch, swinging himself through the forest canopy before releasing his hand and shooting upward into the sky. The exhration of the rapid ascent echoed in the rustling leaves. Momentster, he dove back down, skillfully grabbing onto the next tree.


    The process repeated until, once again, he shot into the sky. This time, he caught a glimpse of a golden light speeding toward him. Intrigued, Ikem thought, "No way that is what I think it is."


    Repeating the motion, he confirmed his suspicion. It was the eagle that had caught him. Falling back to the tree, Ikem mused to himself, "No way that bird found me again."


    The two treant caught up at this time as the stone treant stated, stating matter-of-factly, "We are already back on track."


    Ikem shot the treant a dumbfounded look. "Well, no kidding. That bird was a dead giveaway."


    The water treant smiled, enjoying Ikem''s reaction. "Impressive on being able to sense it, young master."


    Ikem corrected with a grin, "I didn''t sense it, but I got a glimpse of it flying here." He transformed back to his human form and gracefully descended from the tree.


    "Either way, still impressive. Best of luck to you then," the water treant said, and the mana signatures of both treants disappeared.


    Standing with his mouth slightly agape, Ikem mused, "I have got to learn that. It will save me a lot of trouble." He finished speaking and immediately rolled to his left as a golden w stretched out, grabbing the position where he had just been.


    Turning from his rolling position, a bow and arrow materialized in Ikem''s hand, and he swiftly shot it into the sky. A resonant ding echoed through the air as the arrow shed with the golden light surrounding the bird. Seizing the moment, Ikem immediately shifted his position, recalling his father''s map, and started running.


    The eagle pursued relentlessly, intermittently reaching out to snatch at Ikem. He countered each attack by shooting arrows, but with every evasion, his concern deepened. The bird''s grabs seemed too easy, and his apprehension was validated when he felt a sharp pain as a part of his back flesh was torn away.


    Gritting his teeth, Ikem made no sound. Surveying his surroundings, he sought refuge from the bird''s keen eyes. A towering tree soon made itself known as Ikem ran to it, the tree branches shielded him from the eagle''s line of sight. As Ikem took cover beneath the massive tree, he channeled mana into his wounded back, hastening the healing process.


    Reflecting on the situation, Ikem acknowledged, "Normal arrows won''t work because of the golden light surrounding the bird. Going aerial would mean certain death, so I have to try something new."


    The eagle surrounded by golden light soon fell from the sky as it sliced through the tree Ikem was under and the nearby trees , Ikem moved immediately from the area as it was now more open for the bird to see him. Simultaneously, a colossal bow construct manifested in his hands. Quickly reaching into an area surrounded by trees, Ikem knelt down, drawing his bow as a massive arrow formed simultaneously. The arrow construct bore a familiar appearance with the ones shot earlier but with a subtle detail: the arrowhead now held more concentrated mana, making itpact and sharper.


    As the bird turned around, flying toward Ikem, he released the arrow. The collision was swift; the bird, seemingly unperturbed, flew right into the arrow. With no resistance, the arrow pierced the bird''s chest, the construct disappearing immediately afterward.


    The bird screeched in fear and pain, caught off guard by the unexpected attack. The pain threw it off bnce, and it flew right over Ikem''s head. Standing up, he watched the bird soar away, taking a deep breath and clenching the bow. "It will be back," Ikem murmured to himself, the tension in the air lingering as he ventured deeper into the forest.


    Continuing his journey, Ikem noticed the treants were nowhere near, and he couldn''t sense them. This confirmed to him that the encounter wasn''t over; the bird would return. A grin formed on Ikem''s face as he felt his back fully healed. "I will be ready for you next time," he whispered, asionally ncing up at the sky, prepared for the inevitable return of his new adversary.


    Ikem continued with the bow in his hand until a thunderous roar filled his ears. His head snapped toward the source, and there it was¡ªthe bird, soaring fast in his direction. Without hesitation, Ikem shifted into his demigod state. Taking a calcted knee, he drew his bow, another arrow forming seamlessly on the string.


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 Chapter 49 The fall

    Chapter 49 The fall


    Ikem''s demigod transformation brought a surge of power coursing through his veins. His senses heightened, he felt the raw energy of the divine flowing within him. The approaching bird, now a formidable threat, seemed to slow down in his perception as he focused on the imminent sh.


    As the bird drew nearer, Ikem released the arrow. It sailed with precision towards its target, only to be met with a breathtaking disy. The golden light enveloping the bird dispersed in a mesmerizing dance, reforming into a radiant shield that effortlessly blocked the arrow''s path.


    ''What? It can do that?'' Ikem eximed, awe and disbelief coloring his voice. Undeterred, he notched another arrow and aimed for the left wing, hoping to outsmart the mysterious creature. Yet, to his amazement the shield dispersed and the left wing, now adorned in the same golden hue, repelled the arrow with ease.


    No time for a third shot, the bird unleashed a torrent of golden light from its open beak. Ikem reacted swiftly, dispersing the bow and leaping to a nearby tree. The golden light struck where he once stood, leaving a clean hole as evidence of its destructive power.


    Amidst the chaos and jumping from tree to tree to dodge the golden light sent his way , Ikem''s mind raced. "I misjudged its talents. The speed is not innate; it''s the golden light, it was what gave the bird some kind of air resistance which increases its speed and at the same time acting as a shield"


    "The more Ikem pondered the capabilities of the golden light, the clearer its effects became. Dodging another torrent of golden light, he resolved, ''I have to bring that bird down somehow.'' n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    A glimpse of the roots behind his ear caught Ikem''s eyes, sparking an idea. He leaped down from the tree, his hand enveloped in vibrant mana. With practiced precision, he dug through the ground, seizing hold of the thickest root he could feel. pulling the root out, Ikem wielded a green sword construct with his other free hand to sever the connection between root and tree.


    Ikem moved immediately as a colossal w lunged at where he was, Ikem''s heart pumped more mana into his body enhancing his physical capabilities, elerating toward a nearby towering oak. Timing his jump, he propelled the elongated root forward, pumping mana into it to stretch and wrap around a sturdy branch.


    Swinging around twice for momentum, Ikem shot into the sky, at the same time stoping the mana flow and retracting the root as he ascended. The bird closed in, ws extended ready to garb hold of him. Observing the imminent danger, Ikem muttered, ''Too high, huh?''


    A green construct chain wrapped around his leg, connecting to a heavy ball construct. It yanked him back to the ground, narrowly evading the bird''s grasp. The w grazed Ikem, leaving a scratch on his shoulder. Falling, he smiled.


    The bird screeched in frustration as the chain construct dispersed, denying it a grip. In that moment after dodging the w, Ikem directed mana toward the root in his hand. The stretched rootshed out, entwining around the bird''s w."


    The bird sensed a disturbance at its w and nced down to find Ikem hanging from it. Meeting Ikem''s smirk, the bird''s anger intensified. Golden light enveloped it as its wings sliced through the air going up fast into the vast sky, creating a fierce wind that threatened Ikem''s hold on the root.


    Thinking on his feet, Ikem halted the flow of mana to the root, causing it to shrink rapidly. The retraction brought him closer to the bird''s w, which he clung to desperately and at the same time creating an armor around himself to shield against the buffeting wind.


    They flew for a while until Ikem unexpectedly released the bird''s w, finding himself upside down. Surprised by his own actions, Ikem reacted too slowly to the bird''s decision to descend. The plummet toward the ground forced him to release the w. In free fall, Ikem remained calm as he saw an opportunity and sent mana to the root, which once again wrapped around the bird''s w. Ikem flew with the bird fast towards the ground.


    With the ground looming, Ikem muttered to himself, "Hope I have enough mana for this" This time, instead of retracting toward the bird, the root shot back toward Ikem. He floated for a split second. In that moment, he directed half of his remaining mana to the hand holding the root. Swiftly swinging it towards the bird''s wing, the root stretched as it grew in size, wrapped around the massive wing, and began to contract.


    The bird, sensing Ikem''s strategy, redirected most of the golden light covering it toward the injured wing to counter the contraction. Observing this, Ikem smirked and spoke aloud, "Was waiting for you to do that".


    Immediately after, he channeled more mana toward the root. This time, it didn''t grow bigger or longer; instead, it branched out, reaching for the other wing and wrapping around it. The bird shrieked in panic, sending golden light to defend the second wing. Ikem noticed a slight dimming of the golden light on the first wing which was something he was waiting for.


    Clenching the root, Ikem mentallymanded it to contract, breaking through the weakened golden light and audibly crunching through the bone in the wing. The pain caused the golden light on the other wing to dim as well, prompting Ikem to pump thest of his mana into the root, dropping his demigod form.


    The root on the second wing grewrger and reinforced its grip, easily breaking the bird''s wing. Another shriek of pain echoed, and Ikem stopped supplying mana to the root, allowing it to retract. Seizing the opportunity, Ikem fell onto the bird.


    Exhausted, hey on the falling bird''s back. With almost no mana left, he wanted to create a shield for the impending impact, but seeing his depleted state, Ikem chuckled while looking up to the sky. ''I did it, hahahaha"


    "The bird struggled in vain as it plummeted to the ground, its once-majestic wings now broken. With a gleam in its eye, it summoned thest of its strength, focusing the golden light under its belly in a final effort.


    The two treants, silent witnesses to the fierce battle, held their breath as the colossal bird crashed onto the ground. A deafening sound echoed, reminiscent of a huge brittle stone shattering upon impact.


    Moving quickly, the two treants rushed toward the fallen creature. A gruesome sight awaited them - the bird had somehow survived the fall, its head weakly moving. A flood of blood mixed with organs flowed from under its belly, a morbid testament to the severity of its injuries.


    The bird''s colossal form made it impossible for the short treants to glimpse its back, but they knew their young mastery there. Jumping onto the bird''s back, the water treant walked cautiously until he spotted Ikem, arms spread apart.


    Sensing someone''s gaze, Ikem turned and offered a blood-stained smile. Rushing to Ikem''s side, the water treant conjured a substantial water bed beneath him, lifting him up. Ikem, attempting to speak, could only cough out blood.


    With a serious expression, the water treant said, "Stop trying to talk. I''ll hear you out once you''ve healed".


    -----------------------------------------

 Chapter 50 Weird

    50 Weird


    That was thest straw for Ikem as he fainted. The stone treant watched as the water treant gracefully descended from the bird''s back, their young master floating in a water bed trailing right behind.


    "He was that hurt?" inquired the stone treant.


    "Yes, if not for the bird taking most of the damage, I don''t think we would have any young master left" responded the water treant with a serious face.


    A tremendous roar caught their attention as they both looked back at the bird, bellowing into the sky onest time before its head dropped dead.


    The two treants said nothing as they watched in silence. "I wanted to move to another ce to heal the young master, but I think it''s best if we heal him here so that he can see this sight when he wakes up" decided the water treant.


    The stone treant said nothing as it went into the forest; this time, it was its turn to hunt and prepare a meal for their young master when he woke up.


    In a small clearing nearby, the water treant sat down. Before ity the water bed cradling Ikem. Plunging its hand into the water bed, the water treant invoked its other attribute¡ªwood. The wood element gathered around and merged with the water, transforming the aqua blue water bed into a vibrant green. As the water turned green, the water treant withdrew its hand, and the water bed enveloped Ikem.


    The stone treant soon emerged from the forest carrying a huge boar. It wanted to say something but stopped as the two treants looked toward the bird''s corpse, which was now dried up. The corpse shook briefly, and after a while, the blood root crawled out from the corpse, moving towards the stone treant holding the boar.


    The stone treant looked down at the root with a strange face and said, "What even is this thing?"


    The water treant also wore a weird expression as it responded, "I don''t know, the same as us but only weirder".


    The roots seemed to understand what was being said as it took a small stickman form. "In my eyes, you guys are the weird ones" it spoke with an eerie yet amusing tone.


    The stone treant jumped back in surprise with the boar corpse, stumbling out. "It spoke?" he eximed.


    The water treant, equally surprised, left the floating green water bed and walked closer towards the root. "Since when can you speak?"


    "Since I was created, just like you guys. I always talk with the creator" the root, now in a spooky yetical stickman form, walked toward Ikem.


    "Understandable, but why speak now?" The stone treant dropped the boar corpse as it gathered around wood to make fire.


    The stickman root looked away from Ikem before regarding the two treants. "Just like you guys, I have evolved. Could have gotten here faster if the creator had preys it was feeding me or a drop of his blood"


    ''"I see, it seems being with the young master has benefited you a lot" the stone treant spoke up.


    "Indeed it has, which is why I feel the need to say this." The stickman''s voice turned serious as blood-red mana leaked out of it. The forest, once noisy, fell into an eerie silence as the treants also leaked out their mana. The air thickened with tension, and the surroundings seemed to respond to the escting mana in the atmosphere. The treant actions showed they were ready to take out the root, if it said or do something unreasonable.


    The stickman ignored the obvious threat and continued in a serious tone. "We all got an order from the creator not to interfere until the young master''s life is in danger, but this is it not it" It pointed at the healing floating water bed holding Ikem. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The energy releasing from the two treants lessened as they both looked at Ikem, then back to the stickman. The water treant then said, "I don''t get your anger; the young master is still alive, isn''t he?"


    ''Indeed, but that doesn''t mean he should get into or be in this state,'' the stickman said out loud.


    The stone treant then questioned the stickman, "You were with him during the fall and the whole fight; why didn''t you intervene then instead of going off on us?"


    The stickman was stunned by the question as the energy it was releasing diminished too. "My case with the young master is special. I could ignore the creator''s order and interfere, but at the same time, I don''t want to disobey his order"


    "Special? You mean the reaction you got with the young master after the creator handed you to him" the water treant said as it rubbed its shin.


    "Indeed, at the moment of the reaction, I kind of intertwined with the wooden elements in the young master''s body. So, in a way, I am now more for him than the creator" the stickman root said with a dejected tone.


    "I still don''t fully understand what you are trying to say, but I do understand that you don''t want to go against the creator''s order" the stone treant said as it rxed.


    "Yes, while I can ignore the creator''s orders and interfere in the young master journey, I don''t want to, as he was the one that gave me life" the stickman root said as it looked back at Ikem


    Silence ensued for a while before the water treant spoke out. "We indeed could have done better to ensure the young master didn''t reach the state he is now. We will pay extra attention to see that it doesn''t happen again".


    "Thank you. Now let''s get to cooking this boar". The stickman root''s voice returned to its previous state as it delved into the boar to drain it of its blood.


    The stone treant shook its head at the antics and with an amused voice said, "It''s more weird and interesting than we thought"


    The water treant nodded. "Indeed"


    In another part of the continent of the world Nana, Urs, the only daughter of the sun god Crepuscr, pondered her responsibilities as a leader. She inherited the full mantle after her father went to sleep, nothing seemed to have changed yet with his presence but she knew it was his guidance that led them to their current state. Adorned in her demigod form, Urs resembled her father, with long golden hair and huge golden wings. Shecked the halo-like light that always apanied her father. Seated in her golden pce atop the highest mountain in their continent and adorned in a silky white dress designed with gold, Urs gaze seemed to see through the pce walls as she looked at the harpies of different colors, her descendants, flying around the mountains they called home. "I wonder how my cousins are doing. They should have their hands full guiding their offspring. Well, the same can''t be said for the two younger cousins; they should still be at the stage of procreation" Urs thought to herself.


    "I wish I was at their stage; now, all I am left with is dealing with these ignorant elders." Urs looked down from her throne to see a group of old harpies seated in council, discussing their ns to take over the continent for her father''s sake. Their voices droned on, each iming to understand the will of Crepuscr better than the others.


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    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 51 Hot

    51 Hot


    They are referred to as elders due to their age and stature, but the intriguing twist lies in the fact that Urs, despite looking younger, is older than them and most of these elders are her direct offspring. Interrupting her contemtion, a voice interjected, asking, "Do you concur, Queen Mother?"


    "Huh," Urs responded with a weary, perplexed expression.


    The eldest elder, Molte, emphasized, "Mother, this matter holds paramount importance, and your insights would be greatly appreciated."


    "You''re well aware of my stance on this, Molte," Urs replied wearily.


    "We are gathered here to encourage you to reconsider and perceive the broader perspective," chimed another elder beside Molte. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "No matter how often you express this, my mind remains unchanged. My father decreed that humans are off limits, and we should concentrate on our own development first," Urs dered with a resolute tone.


    "Mother, I believe you''re cognizant of the nuance in Grandpa''s words," Molte remarked knowingly, fixing his gaze on Urs.


    Molte''s words prompted Urs to fall silent for a moment as she pondered, "Indeed, I recognize it. Humans are off limits for gods, but not for us." Remembering her observations of humans, Urs found herself developing an affinity for them, contributing to her reluctance to take any action against them.


    The other elders exchanged nces, knowing theplexities of Urs''s rtionship with humans. She had observed them closely, marvelling at their weakness, resilience and ingenuity. It was a sentiment not shared by many of the elders, who viewed humans as obstacles obstructing their lord.


    "Do you believe youprehend everything about my father?" Urs finally spoke, sitting up as regal aura leaked from her.


    Realizing he had upset his mother, Molte took a knee, clutching a staff made of fiery rocks. "I would never dare to im understanding of the Lord himself. My only aspiration is to assist my Lord in resolving the issues troubling him."


    Molte''s words resonated with the other elders, and they, too, knelt, dering, "Let us aid the Bright One in his endeavours."


    Urs found herself taken aback by the elders'' disy of reverence and their hopeful eagerness to assist her father. Gazing at their pious expressions, a part of her was tempted to nod and allow them to proceed as they wished. However, memories of the adoration she witnessed on the faces of humans shed before her, causing her to hesitate.


    "This matter requires careful consideration. I need time to ponder before rendering my decision. You may take your leave for now," Urs addressed the kneeling elders, massaging her forehead with a weary gesture.


    The elders nodded in unison, bowing before taking flight out of the pce. Now alone, Urs abandoned the fa?ade of regality and slumped into her throne.


    "Pleasing father, huh?" Urs mused, the phrase carrying a weight she hadn''t anticipated. There was a time when she, too, sought nothing more than to please her father.


    Unlike most demigods, Urs''s connection with her father was limited, not due to his unwillingness but due to circumstances. While demigods typically grow up in their parents'' realms, Urs couldn''t recall spending time in her father''s domain. His response to her requests to visit was always, "It''s too hot, and you are weak."


    Her childhood was spent outside her father''s realm, raised alongside a flock of birds. Urs, misinterpreting his actions, believed her father rejected her due to her perceived weakness. Undeterred, she trained relentlessly under his guidance, determined to prove herself.


    One vivid memory stood out¡ª the day her father unexpectedly agreed to take her to his realm. Urs stood in disbelief as he opened a portal with fiery edges, walking through it. Excitement overcame her, and she eagerly followed, only to be confronted with a harrowing experience.


    As the daughter of the sun god, Urs possessed a natural affinity for fire. Since birth, fire had been her ally and never harmed her. However, the first moments in her father''s realm shattered that perception. The fieryndscape was teeming with elemental creatures, and the overwhelming sensation of unfamiliar fire sent a shiver down her spine.


    Urs felt the intense heat surrounding her, and for the first time in her life, fire wasn''t her ally; it was a wild, unbridled force. The mes licked at her, burning with an intensity she had never experienced before. Panic seized her as she realized the scorching environment was beyond her. A piercing scream escaped Urs''s lips as she felt an intense burning sensation coursing through her entire body in her father''s realm. Swiftly, her father reacted, pulling her out of the fiery domain.


    All Urs could remember was the searing pain, andter, she awoke to her father''s sorrowful gaze. Her body was covered in blisters, her once-feathered wings now charred and bare. The agony of her physical injuries was matched only by the emotional wounds, as she grappled with the realization of her perceived weakness and the fact that scars on her face and body wasn''t healing.


    This ordeal caused a profound change in Urs. Despite her father''s kind and warm demeanour, she grew distant and fearful of him. He never sought to frighten her, maintaining a distant yet not entirely unapproachable presence. However, she felt a deep-seated inadequacy in her inability to please him.


    The traumatic experience made her understand why her father often wore an indifferent expression in her presence. Living amidst such fieryndscapes, mundane matters held little interest. The only asions his countenance changed were when she bore offspring, when they grew up and began to worship him, or when he spoke of his siblings and the humans.


    Urs surmised that the humans only triggered a change in her father due to their apparent weakness, yet they managed to obstruct his path in some inexplicable way. The fear instilled by the mes began to wane after her recent breakthrough into the fourth realm.


    A smile graced Urs''s face as she recalled the astonishment on the faces of her offspring and grandchildren when they saw her less apprehensive demeanour and healed wings.


    Raising her palm, a warm, golden light radiated within, creating a gentle cascade of luminous particles around her. In contemtion, Urs pondered, "Can I withstand the heat in his realm at this stage?"


    Seated in silence, she revisited the elders'' words. "Perhaps by doing this, I can face my father with pride. I also wonder how he''d react to seeing me fully healed."


    Rising from her throne, Urs retreated to her room, where a small statue of her father stood. Kneeling and sping her hands, she began to pray, surrounded by a soft, white-golden light. The act not only served as a calming ritual but also functioned as another form of training for her mana.


    --------------------


    Down in the deep oceans, Tide sat in his makeshift throne as he regarded his sons who gathered in front of him. It has been quite some time since his bet with his twin sister. Not wanting to lose the bet, Tide had to go into the murky water and the murder charade happening outside his water cave to seek out his offspring.


    Both he and Flowua are the progenitors of their Murloc race but never found it a responsibility to take care of their offspring, they only saw it as them fulfilling their father''s order. In a way their action''s is one of the reasons troubling their race.


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    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 52 Pride

    52 Pride


    Tide and Flowua, twin offspring of the sea god Jaws, has long reveled in the pride of their divine lineage. Their father, Jaws, has been the sole guide, steering their race with a firm hand. However, the prolific nature of the race procreation had spiraled out of control, leading to a challenging situation.


    Tide and Flowua, fueled by their inherent pride, has always confined themselves to their father''s realm, merely rying orders from the sea god without venturing into the wider oceanic expanse. Their reluctance to engage in the race progression had shielded them from the harsh realities of their undersea world.


    The twins, both harbor a penchant for power but without the desire for hard work, Now they both found themselves in an unexpected predicament caused by the father''s other and their own bet. Faced with a situation where victory demanded effort, they grudgingly embraced actions they had previously disdained.


    One thing both twin agree on and has a disadain for is their offspring. Their disdain statred and reached its zenith when they confronted the fragility of their own offspring. Expecting their progeny to mirror their strength and grow swiftly, Tide and Flowua were disillusioned. Their offspring proved weak and too dependent, necessitating the twins'' direct involvement in hunting and feeding like a servant¡ªa role they both scorn.


    Unable to bear the burden of weak descendants, Tide and Flowua reluctantly tended to their offspring until they reached a stage of self-sufficiency. Swiftly returning to their father''s realm, the twins sought refuge from the distasteful duties imposed by parenthood.


    As the natural order of the undersea world unfolded in its own time, Tide felt an impulsive need to intervene and expedite the inevitable ughter fest happening in the surrounding water. In his need to hasten the oue, he sought out his unique offspring¡ªshark men, born of his unions with a tiger shark and a great white shark.


    Simultaneously, Flowua''s offspring, the scaled ones, born of unions with an arapaima gigas and a massive electric eel, swam in the depths. Tide''s shark men and Flowua''s scaled ones, distinct in their lineage, eventually mated, giving rise to a new race¡ªthe murlocs, who now dominate the undersea realms.


    As Tide observed the shark men kneeling before him, he took a moment before inquiring, "Is everyone here, and where is your brother?"


    Drowz, his first son, stepped forward among the gathered shark men and replied, "No, father. More nsmen are waiting outside. The ones gathered here are the leaders. As for Surfz, he''s out gathering the remaining nsmen." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Tide nodded in acknowledgment before rising from his throne. "A significant change is imminent in the sea world. This transformation stems from my wager with my sister on who will deliver the best kingdom to our father."


    His gaze shifted to the assembled shark men. "I believe my sister is undertaking a simr endeavor as I am doing now, perhaps even more efficiently. She will have united the scaled ones and taken control of the murlocs under her domain."


    Tide continued, "A blood fest is unfolding outside. Ordinarily, we would wait until the poption reaches a certain number or only the strongest survive, but i now deem that uncessary and want to intervene."


    Drowz and the other nsmen knelt in unison. "What is needed of us, father?"


    Tide, now grinning, responded, "Simple. Gather your nsmen and murlocs under yourmand. Take control of the surrounding waters, simultaneously curbing the ughter fest. Additionally, when encountering a murloc race with an unreasonable poption, reduce their numbers."


    The nsmen, including Drowz, echoed, "Yes, your majesty."


    Tide''s grin widened at the title bestowed upon him. "Good. You may now go, and remember to keep me informed." With that, he watched as the shark men dispersed, each tasked with ying a pivotal role in the unfolding dynamics of the undersea realm.


    Tide''sughter echoed through the depths of his underwater realm as he envisioned the thousands who would soon refer to him as "your majesty." The allure of power and the promise of a kingdom fueled his amusement.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the vast sea, Flowua, Tide''s sister, had embarked on her own path of development. Her approach differed significantly from her brother''s, marked by efficiency and strategic prowess.


    Flowua swiftly gathered the scaled ones, led by her two mermaid-like daughters, who bore a striking resemnce to their mother. They both bore the name Raine and Raina. With her daughters by her side, Flowua orchestrated the clearing of the surrounding waters while simultaneously subduing the overgrown murloc race.


    In contrast to Tide''s more like egalitarian rule, Flowua adopted a prejudiced view, allocating most of the power to her daughters and the women, while the men served as assistants andborers.


    After two months of diligent efforts, Flowua sessfully brought everything under control. The once chaotic areas around her were now free from the frenzy of the ughter fest. All that remained was to cleanse the water of muddy residues and the lingering remnants of bones and flesh.


    Fatigued but determined, Flowua reflected, "I haven''t been this tired and drained of mana since training with Dad." With the turmoil subdued, she channelled her water maniption skills to clear the surrounding waters. Her two daughters, serving as dedicated subordinates, focused on the meticulous task of cleaning up the debris.


    Observing the gradual rity of the water, Flowua contemted, "It will probably take a month and a half to get everythingpletely clear." A smile yed on her face as she surveyed the busy scene. Eager tomence the construction of her kingdom, Flowua wished for a way to expedite the process, fuelled by the anticipation of wielding her newfound power.


    In the deste expanse of the northern continent, where a world of ice and snow reigned supreme, nestled at the base of a towering white mountain,y a small vige. This settlement, home to a poption of a hundred or more, boasted a central spectacle¡ªa colossal ice statue impably depicting the moon god, Mahu.


    More than five years had passed since Maul embarked on his journey to fulfill the destiny bequeathed to him by his mother. The passage of time had etched its marks on Maul''s countenance, transforming him into a burly figure with silver-braided hair, a full beard adorning his mouth. Standing at an imposing height of six feet, he stood bare-chested, bearing the visible scars of numerous battles. At his waist, two Viking axes hung, silent witnesses to his prowess.


    Alone in his small abode, Maul pondered a safe location for the uing hunt for his people. Finding no clear answer, he decided to rely on his usual old method¡ªtrusting his keen sense of smell. Rising from his seat, Maul transitioned from his human form to his demigod state¡ªa formidable silver haired werewolf.


    Maul had developed a routine of assuming his human guise when in solitude, reserving his demigod form for moments in proximity to his people. This precautionary measure started from a regrettable incident involving humans who share this frigid part of the world with them. Despite swiftly dealing with those responsible, the incident had instilled fear and doubt in his people, even his own children. His human form causes a lot of problems and discussion among his people so to avoid any future trouble, he chooses to keep the human state whenever he is alone.


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 Chapter 53 Hunt

    53 Hunt


    In the deste expanse of the northern continent, where a world of ice and snow reigned supreme, nestled at the base of a towering white mountain,y a small vige. This settlement, home to a poption of a hundred or more, boasted a central spectacle¡ªa colossal ice statue impably depicting the moon god, Mahu.


    More than five years had passed since Maul embarked on his journey to fulfill the destiny bequeathed to him by his mother. The passage of time had etched its marks on Maul''s countenance, transforming him into a burly figure with silver-braided hair, a full beard adorning his mouth. Standing at an imposing height of six feet, he stood bare-chested, bearing the visible scars of numerous battles. At his waist, two Viking axes hung, silent witnesses to his prowess.


    Alone in his small abode, Maul pondered a safe location for the uing hunt for his people. Finding no clear answer, he decided to rely on his usual old method¡ªtrusting his keen sense of smell. Rising from his seat, Maul transitioned from his human form to his demigod state¡ªa formidable silver haired werewolf.


    Maul had developed a routine of assuming his human guise when in solitude, reserving his demigod form for moments in proximity to his people. This precautionary measure started from a regrettable incident involving humans who share this frigid part of the world with them. Despite swiftly dealing with those responsible, the incident had instilled fear and doubt in his people, even his own children. His human form causes a lot of problems and discussion among his people so to avoid any future trouble, he chooses to keep the human state whenever he is alone.


    Opening the door to step outside, Maul was met with the formidable sight of werewolves, each adorned in different-colored fur and armed with various weapons, patiently awaiting their leader''s emergence. Unfazed by the biting cold, the werewolves stood bare-chested, donned in minimal clothing to cover theirher regions.


    A massive werewolf, his dark hair adorned with streaks of silver, strode forward. Behind him loomed a colossal sword nearly matching his size. Approaching Maul, the werewolf inquired, "Have you decided on the ce of the hunt, father?"


    As Wulv, his son, conversed aloud, a fleeting shadow of sadness passed through Maul''s eyes. Gazing at Wulv, Maul couldn''t help but reflect that he was hisst surviving offspring. However, a swell of pride apanied this realization, knowing that Wulv, his son, stood as the mightiest werewolf following in his footsteps.


    The werewolves in this icynd matured swiftly, reaching adulthood in just one year, this was a trait they got from there predecssor the wolf. In slightly over five years, their poption burgeoned, aided by the blessing bestowed by Maul''s mother. Maul, having fathered five children since his journey, saw most of them grow to adulthood only to meet their fate while hunting. The memory of his small and cute daughter being snatched away by a bird haunted him, and the pain resurfaced at the mere thought. Shaking his head to dispel the haunting memories, Maul walked forward, his massive hand finding its ce on Wulv''s shoulder, squeezing it gently. Pointing at his nose, Maul responded, "No, but I have this."


    Addressing the assembly of werewolves, Maul diverted their attention, "Let us offer our prayer to the goddess," before leading them towards the heart of their vige.


    Their procession toward the central statue drew out female werewolves and children from their homes. They joined the march toward the statue, forming a united front.


    As Maul reached the statue, his eyes lifted to his mother''s imposing figure, and a quiet thought resonated within him: "I miss her."


    Without the need for words, the werewolvesmenced their familiar prayer. Maul knelt on one knee, and the others followed suit, their voices echoing in unison, "Blesseddy of the moon, gentle and radiant, in your silver cocoon. As we prepare for this hunt, under your watchful gaze, guide our steps and illuminate our ways." A celestial disy ensued, as small lights, reminiscent of stars, emerged around the statue and descended upon each werewolf. The prayer concluded with Maul raising his gaze to the moon, letting out a resonant howl.


    The entire tribe, including the children, joined in, signaling to the icy continent that the wolves were about to embark on their hunt.


    The chilling howls echoed across the icy expanse, causing many creatures to retreat into hiding or gather with an unmistakable determination. The eyes of various strong beasts gleamed with readiness, acknowledging the imminent hunt.


    Maul, having concluded the ritual, rose from his kneeling position, his son Wulv and the other hunters falling into formation behind him. As they reached the vige gate, Maul surveyed the frozenndscape, his keen senses alert to the scents that lingered in the frigid air.


    A twitch of his nose signaled sess, and with a nod to his men, Maul spoke with a low growl, "Get ready." Shifting into a more wolf-like form, he and his hunters followed suit, morphing seamlessly into creatures built for the hunt. Maul dug his ws into the snow, propelling himself forward, disappearing swiftly into the vast whiteness. Wulv and the hunters, mirroring their leader, raced after him.


    The journey led them to a small hill of snow, where Maul halted, surveying the icy in below. His eyes scanned for the elusive prey whose scent had guided them. However, the challenge of hunting in this frozen realmy in the creatures'' adaptations¡ªmany sported white fur, camouging seamlessly with the snowy surroundings.


    Frustration crossed Maul''s features, a sentiment shared by the hunters. Hunting those with non-white fur proved easier, but such creatures were often prey, not the formidable quarry they sought. Maul''s acute hearing detected approaching footsteps, and as he nced back, satisfaction filled him at the sight of his assembled team.


    Resuming his werewolf form, Maul focused on the icy expanse, gripping two axes tightly. "The prey is out there. Keep your guard up; we''re not the only hunters around," he dered, his voice carrying the weight of experience.


    Acknowledging their leader''smand, the hunters descended from the hill, their steps creating a rhythmic crunch in the snow. Maul led the way, caution etched across his werewolf features, as they ventured forth into the frozen wilderness, getting closer to the elusive creature guided by its scent through the ice-covered terrain.


    All of a sudden a snowstorm surrounded them, the sudden change in weather caught Maul and his team off guard, a fierce snowstorm swirling around them, obscuring their vision. Reacting swiftly, Maul''smand cut through the howling winds, "Make a circle!"


    Wulv, wielding his sword, and the other hunters joined Maul in forming a defensive circle. But one of the hunters, caught in the storm''s chaotic grip, was seized by a massive paw with icy ws, disappearing from their midst. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Maul''s voice, tense with urgency, rang out, "They are here!" The hunters immediately broke the circle, understanding what their leader meant and the imminent threat. With one member lost, only ten remained. Maul divided the group, leading three, while Wulv took charge of the other half.


    Maul nted his axes into the ground, conjuring two ice pirs that lifted both teams above the storm, giving them a better view of their surroundings.


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 Chapter 54 Difference

    54 Difference


    Emerging from the storm on the icy tforms, Maul and his team saw two enormous snow-white bears standing on their two feet. The bears each held half of the fallen hunter''s torn body, readying to devour their prey.


    Without a word, the teams descended, attacking the bears. The creatures noticed the intrusion, and one bear raised its head to witness Maul descending from the sky, axes in hand. The bear raised its arm as a feeble shield, but Maul''s axes, fuelled by mana, sliced through the icy defence on the bear, severing the bear''s hand.


    The wounded bear roared in agony, summoning ice spikes to shield itself. Maul, agile and focused, leaped back to avoid impalement. However, one of his men, rushing in without caution, fell victim to the ice spike, pierced through by its deadly point.


    Maul, showing no outward reaction to the loss,manded the remaining hunters, "Don''t rush in carelessly. Focus on dealing small blows; leave the finishing blow to me." Out of nowhere hemoved his head to the right as a huge ice spike flew past him. Looking closely Maul saw the huge bear break the ice spike it created in half with its other hand while throwing it at them.


    The battle reached a climax as Maul, with a resolutemand, shouted, "Now!" He surged forward, agilely evading the ice spikes hurled by the wounded bear. His team followed suit, keeping pace with their leader as they broke through or dodged the remaining spikes in their path. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As the bear prepared to unleash its final desperate attack, Maul, undeterred, approached with unwavering determination. With each step, he shattered the iing ice spikes, closing in on the formidable opponent. The bear, sensing its impending demise, mustered all its strength,unching a final spike toward Maul.


    Instead of dodging or breaking the spike, Maul dered, "My turn," and seized the projectile. With a surge of power, he infused mana into the ice spike before hurling it into the air.


    The bear, driven by confusion and rage, charged toward Maul with a deafening roar. Above them, a foreboding sound echoed as the infused ice spike broke into pieces and soon descended from the sky. A single ice spear pierced the charging bear''s body, followed by a barrage of twenty more, raining down and impaling the creature from every angle.


    Maul''s men followed through, their weapons aglow with silver light, seized the opportunity. The first hunter, sliding skilfully across the icy ground, dodged a massive paw strike. In a swift motion, his weapon sliced through the bear''s leg, causing it to stumble.


    The next hunter advanced, his spear finding its mark in the bear''s paw after it missed its paw strike and pinning it to the ground. With precision, the third hunter, wielding a gleaming sword, leaped up and sliced through the bear''s paw, rendering it defenceless.


    Seizing the moment, Maul, with a swift and calcted approach, closed in on the bear''s exposed stomach. The mana and silver light emanating from his axes illuminated the scene as he delivered a powerful swing, tearing the bear''s stomach open.


    Without pausing to savour his recent victory, Maul immediately turned his attention to the second bear, which his son Wulv was valiantly holding off. A sense of urgency overcame Maul as he observed the bear''s imminent threat to his son.


    The bear, visibly damaged with one leg left and bleeding profusely, raised a massive paw, poised to tear Wulv apart. Maul, roaring with determination, infused mana into one of his axes and swiftly hurled it towards the bear. The axe acted as a catalyst, drawing snow and ice around it, forming a colossal ice axe construct. By the time it reached the bear, the ice axe had grown substantial enough to cleave the creature in two.


    Aware of the iing threat, the bear redirected its focus from Wulv to the airborne axe. In a desperate attempt to intercept, the bear caught the axe, but the speed and force were too much. The ice axe sliced through the bear''s palm, halting only when it reached the creature''s shoulder. The massive ice axe dispersed, leaving Maul''s original axe embedded in the bear''s shoulder.


    The bear roared in agony, but its cry was abruptly silenced as Wulv, seizing the opportune moment, thrust his silver-light-covered sword from beneath the bear''s neck. As Wulv withdrew the de, the bear''s colossal form crumpled to the ground, stirring up a cloud of snow.


    Maulsoon reached his son with a mixture of worry and relief in his eyes, scanning him for any signs of injury. A breath of relief escaped him as he found Wulv unharmed. However, his attention quickly shifted to the surrounding area, revealing the unfortunate fate of three of the men who had fought alongside his son.


    Wulv, tears streaming down his face, expressed remorse, "I am sorry, father. I couldn''t protect them."


    Maul, with a serious expression, ced aforting hand on his son''s shoulder, replying, "It isn''t your fault. You can''t always protect them all, son. Even I myself lost some men in this battle."


    As Maul contemted the situation, a realization struck him. "This seems to be the limit of how strong a werewolf can be without learning the right usage of mana." He wasn''t referring to Wulv, as he had personally instructed his son in the ways of mana. Rather, Maul had refrained from teaching the broader werewolf poption about mana usage. This was because of his Observation of the different interaction between mana and himselfpared to how it responded to his son, Maul recognized a unique connection between him and the mystical force "mana". It was as if mana, in his presence, was a favoured entity, eager to gather around him, while with his son, a coaxing effort was needed to get the mana to gather around.


    Maul''s contemtion deepened as he observed his son. The realization that his own power system might not be suitable for the entire werewolf poption weighed heavily on him. The silver light, a manifestation of his mother''s divinity, enhanced their weapons during the hunt, but Maul understood its transient nature. Relying solely on this borrowed power wasn''t a sustainable solution, especially considering the high casualty rate during hunts.


    In the wake of this understanding, Maul decided that upon returning to the vige, he would gather his nsmen and kin to teach them about mana. He could only hope that his people is able to explore and harness their own potential, as that would be the key to true strength for the werewolves. Maul envisioned a collective effort, where each werewolf could draw insights from their unique experiences and form a system that would benefit them all.


    A dragging sound diverted Maul''s attention to his men, dragging the bear corpse with its stomach torn open. One of them inquired about the other hunters, and Wulv, with a heavy heart, looked down. Maul, however, steadied his son''s shoulder and addressed the question "They didn''t make it" Maul stopped for a while before continuing "But they also made sure their people and children won''t starve for a day with the prey they sacrificed their life for," Maul announced solemnly. "They have earned their ce with the silver mother of the moon and motherhood."


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 Chapter 55 Scars

    55 Scars


    His words carried a mix of respect and reverence. Maul''s men looked down with sadness, but as he continued, acknowledging the sacrifice, their expressions shifted to one of understanding and respect. Maul''s nose twitched as he affirmed, "These two bears weren''t the prey that I caught the scent of, but these two will do. Besides, this battle rattled the prey, so its scent is now gone. "Pick up the prey; this was a sessful hunt, and we will now head back to the vige with pride." Maul said as he howled up to the moon which was always present on this side of the world, his men and son followed right after as they also started howling.


    The howl spread through the Icy in as the creatures in it understood a prey must have fallen under the wolves and now the hunt was over.


    Maul approached the bear that was struck with his axe, extracting the now bloody axe, snow gathered around wiping the axe clean, Maul proceeded to stomp his leg hard sending mana through the ground. Snow started gathering around the corpses, forming an icy grave for his fallenrades. The werewolves, admiring and thankful for their leader''s action, nodded in unison. With renewed vigor, they began pulling the two bear corpses, returning to the vige with a mixture of sorrow for the lost and pride for the sessful hunt.


    Back in the eastern continent, Ikem continued his journey, nearing the destination marked on his map. Six months had passed since the encounter with the bird, and Ikem had faced numerous challenges, oveing each one with resilience and determination.


    Reflecting on his journey, Ikem traced the burnt scars on his body, a visible reminder of the trials he had endured. His face, fortunately, remained unscarred, but the pain from the fresh wounds lingered. Closing his eyes brought back vivid memories of fire and agony, a haunting nightmare that yed every time he tried to rest.


    A visible expression of pain crossed Ikem''s face, causing concern in the eyes of the two treants apanying him. The two regretted the incident, realizing the gravity of their mistake. If they had known the oue, they would have steered their young master away from the perilous route. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The unfortunate event unfolded a week ago when Ikem and the treants encountered a new and awe-inspiring sight¡ªan active volcano. The sight of the ming mountain, with its molten magma flowing down, fascinated them. Creatures inhabiting this extreme environment added to the spectacle. Caught in the moment, Ikem momentarily forgot the teachings of his father, and the treants, captivated by the view, made no objection when Ikem suggested exploring the fiery mountain.


    Several factors contributed to the treants easily agreeing to their young master''s request. The forest had be increasingly perilous, with creatures growing more formidable and absurd. The treants, initially enjoying a leisurely journey, found themselves needing to stay vignt at all times. While they could have concealed their magical energy to mask their presence, doing so would have ced the burden of facing all the danger solely on Ikem. And it was evident that the danger level had surpassed what their young master could handle alone.


    The most ridiculous creatures that put a bit of fear into the two treants was a bizarre and perilous encounter with luminescent butterflies, creatures seemingly harmless until they unleashed a threat that sent shivers through the treants. These enormous butterflies dropped small dots of glowing pollen with each p of their wings. Initially perceived as harmless, the danger became evident when the butterflies approached and perched on the treants, releasing the glowing dots of light.


    The seemingly innocuous pollen proved to be insidious, prating the treants'' bark and started eating them up from the inside. Swiftly realizing the threat, the two treants took decisive action, eliminating the butterflies. Unfortunately, the damage was irreversible, and the treants, now harboring the intruding substance, faced a dire situation.


    With no means to counteract the internal damage, the treants made a desperate decision. They removed their own cores, instructing Ikem on what to do with them. The young master, horrified at the turn of events, followed their guidance as the treants emerged anew from the ground where their cores had been nted, like trees. Yet, this near-death experience became one of the reasons the treants consented to exploring the volcano with Ikem. They didn''t mind staying away from the forest a bit.


    As they approached the volcano, thendscape transformed, presenting a new and intriguing environment. Ikem thrilled to be away from the dangerous forest, wearing a big smile. However, the closer they came to the volcano, the more oppressive the heat became. The temperature rose dramatically, making the happy tour be nearly unbearable. Ikem felt the difort, but it was the two treants, with their wooden physiques, who suffered the most from the intense heat. The excitement of exploring the volcano was cut off by the harsh reality of the scorching environment they were about to enter,


    Ikem''s tion faded into trepidation as he recalled his father''s cautionary words: "I hope, son, you nevere across an opponent of your opposing element." When he had asked his father about the element, the response had been "fire"¡ªironically, the very force he was happily walking into.


    The once-happy expression on Ikem''s face morphed into concern as he surveyed the volcano, Which now in his eyes turned into a dreadful threat. ncing at the two weakened Treants by his side, Ikem voiced his unease, "This was a bad idea; I think we should leave now."


    Seemingly waiting for Ikem to utter those words, the two Treants vigorously nodded in agreement, "Yes, we should leave, maybe another time."


    As the trio turned away their back to the volcano and began retreating into the forest, their footsteps abruptly ceased at the thunderous roar emanating from behind them. Turning back with horror-stricken faces, they beheld a colossal lion, with its fiery mane illuminated chasing a huge rat with mes at the end of its tail.


    The rat ran past them as they were looking at the lion who now stopped chasing its escaped prey. Instead, it shifted its attention to the trio¡ªtwo walking trees and a hairless ape¡ªstanding before it, an unusualbination in the lion''s eyes as it took small steps forward.


    As the lion slowly approached, the three took a step back. The water Treant spoke up, "We should make a run for it."


    Ikem concurred but added, "I don''t think it will just let us do that, besides this type of animal usually has a pack" observing the lion drawing nearer.


    As if on cue, two roars came from the surrounding volcano as two Female lioness ran towards the huge lion, upon closer look the lioness were just a tad bit smaller than the lion and at their ws and feet is a small embers of mes wrapped around it.


    Bara said nothing, but instead disyed readiness with its waving roots, seemingly poised for action. The lion, perceiving the imminent threat, roared, and the lioness echoed the sentiment. Their slow approach transformed into a sprint.


    08:47


    The stone Treant proposed, "We should fight back."


    "That seems to be the only option," voiced the blood root this time.


    Ikem surveyed their surroundings, realizing the disadvantage. "This is bad; it has the home court advantage." Ikem needs a medium for him to manipte roots as he is not yet capable of making roots appear out of thin air and one thing Ikem has confirmed after looking around was the scorching ground offered none.


    "The young master and I are useless in a fight. The only ones capable of significant damage are Brix and Bara," dered the water Treant, using the names assigned by their young master¡ªBrix for the stone Treant, Bara for the blood root, and Aqua for itself.


    "Get ready," Ikemmanded, swiftly assuming his demigod form. The mana within him obediently coalesced into a protective armor, and simultaneously, a circr shield materialized in his left hand, while a sword appeared in his right.


    Observing their young master preparing for the battle, Brix attempted to follow suit, summoning rocks from the surrounding to form an armor around him. However, he halted, realizing that the rocks carried fire elements¡ªharmful to his Treant form.


    Noticing Brix''s hesitation, Ikem offered a quick solution, "It doesn''t have to adhere to your body; you can let it float around you as a shield."


    epting Ikem''s advice, Brix nodded. The dark ming stones gathered and merged into a circr shield, mirroring Ikem''s. With thatplete, Brix used his own mana to shape the earth elements around him into a formidable stone ax, bypassing the problematic fiery rocks.


    Aqua, acknowledges that he was the weakest link now, but he still wants to be of help so he decided to emte something he had seen his creator do. Five massive water drops condensed around him, but the challenging environment caused steams to emanate, demanding more mana to sustain the water drops.


    Bara said nothing, but instead disyed readiness with its waving roots, seemingly poised for action. The lion, perceiving the imminent threat, roared, and the lioness echoed the sentiment. Their slow approach transformed into a sprint.


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 Chapter 56 Destination

    Chapter 56 Destination


    While Ikem would typically also charge towards the lion, this time he stood his ground. The lion, nearing, initiated its first attack¡ªa scorching breath. Ikem instinctively shielded himself with the construct shield, only to realize that it wasn''t the optimal choice, requiring additional output of mana to prevent dispersion from the fiery onught.


    Without hesitation, Ikem bellowed, "Brix, shield!" In response, Brix swiftly positioned the floating circr rock shield to intercept the fiery breath, allowing Ikem to evade by leaping backward.


    Exploiting the small distraction, one lioness seized the opportunity and charged. Instead of engaging in closebat, it ignited the small ember on its leg, unleashing a me-infused w that materialized in the air, poised to strike Brix.


    Ikem, quick to react, hurled his shield construct toward Brix. Catching it just in time, Brix defended against the fiery assault. Meanwhile, Ikem dashed towards the lioness, intent on eliminating one of the threats. Sensing the ineffectiveness of its breath attack, the lion ceased and turned its attention to Ikem, who was now closing in on its queen.


    A fireball materialized at the lion''s mouth, aimed directly at Ikem. Bara, always vignt in defending Ikem, unleashed a wave of blood roots that intercepted the fireball. The roots, effective in warding off the mes, were, however, singed in the process.


    Without ncing back, Ikem tossed his sword at the charging lioness. Although the lioness skillfully evaded the sword, Ikem grinned as the weapon suspended in mid-air before swiftly returning towards the lioness, who sensed the impending danger. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Reacting swiftly, the lioness swiped its tail at the sword, attempting to knock it away and buy time. Yet, Ikem anticipated this move; the sword halted just as the lioness''s tail approached, causing the swipe to miss. The sword then resumed its trajectory, deftly carrying the lioness''s tail with it.


    As Ikem closed in on the lioness, poised to strike the decisive blow, the pain from losing its tail triggered a deafening roar. In response, a massive wave of fire erupted in a circle around the wounded lioness.


    Ikem, unprepared for the sudden wave of fire, released a muffled breath as it pushed him back. A growing sense of danger gripped him from behind. Opting not to look back, he dispersed the shield enveloping his body and concentrated his mana energy on his back, summoning a substantial shield construct to ward off the impending threat.


    Meanwhile, Aqua struggled against the advancing lioness. Determined to keep the threat at bay, he hurled a floating water ball in its direction. The lioness retaliated, swiping its me ws at the swiftly approaching water ball. The collision resulted in a burst of steam, obscuring the lioness momentarily.


    Capitalizing on the momentary cover, Aqua seized the opportunity to create distance. Two water balls spun rapidly at his palm, and just as a pair of fireballs shot out from the dissipating steam, Aqua threw the spinning water balls. The water effortlessly sliced through the fireballs. A detonation sounded out at the same time.


    Immediately hearing the detonation sound, the remaining water ball converged in front of Aqua, capturing a red streak of light which turned out to be the lioness. Astonished, Aqua barely had time to articte his surprise. He only recalled sensing the fire elements gathering at the lioness''s feet and the ensuing explosion that propelled it in front of him with ws poised to strike. Reacting instinctively, Aqua narrowly avoided a potentialceration.


    With the lioness ensnared in his water, a sharp gleam emanated from Aqua''s eyes. Extending his hand toward the captive lioness, a surge of mother water gathered, ready to submerge and drown the threatening creature.


    The lioness, sensing Aqua''s intent, panicked, its limbs iling. However, Aqua''s expression soon shifted as the lioness''s skin heated up, causing the water to boil and steam to rise. The sh of opposing elements strained Aqua as he fought to maintain the water prison ensnaring the lioness.


    Suddenly, Brix''s horrified scream shattered the air "Young master!!". Aqua''s attention split as he witnessed the colossal lion dangerously close to their young master. Its ming ws struck the massive shield Ikem had conjured for protection.


    At the moment of feeling the impending threat, Ikem made a split-second decision. He dispersed the armor enveloping him, focusing all his energy on defending his back¡ªthe origin of the danger. The w attack connected, and the first thought that crossed Ikem''s mind was, "It''s heavy."


    The w hit the shield, blocking it then the second wave of attack came resulting in a colossal explosion upon impact. The shield shattered, and Ikem was sent flying into the forest. Brixseeing that roared in anger, causing the ground to quake. Magma, concealed beneath the earth, erupted, adding chaos to the already tumultuous scene. This at the same time created a distance between the lion''s and Brix.


    Brix wanted to act on his anger but prioritizing his young master''s safety, Brix, after creating distance, turned and sprinted into the forest, following the path of burnt trees. Seizing the opportunity created by Brix''s earthquake, Aqua further destabilized the already conflicting elements, causing an explosion of water that threw him and the lioness apart. Quickly regaining his bearings, Aqua dashed into the forest, tracing Brix''s footsteps.


    Deep in the forest, Ikemy in a small crater, screaming in pain and turning in difort. Bara, wanting to aid, wrapped itself around Ikem. Slowly, Ikem''s screams subsided as hey within the cocoon. The burning sensation on his skin gradually eased. The attack proved more formidable than anticipated; while he might have endured the heavy w, the unexpected explosion shattered his protective construct.


    "Young master!!!" Brix''s anguished cry echoed through the forest as he raced to the crater. With great care, he carried the red wooden cocoon containing Ikem out from the crater.


    "It''s alright, Brix. I''m not heavily wounded, but the fire did a lot of damage," Ikem''s spoke out as he reassured Brix of his safety from within the cocoon, prompting him to calm down.


    Brix clenched his fists, his gaze fixed on the volcano. His fury was evident, but it shifted as he noticed Aqua approaching. "Quick, help the young master," Brix urgently called out, passing the cocoon to Aqua.


    Bara, sensing the healer''s arrival, slowly unwrapped itself from around Ikem. A hissing sound emanated from both Brix and Aqua as theyid eyes on Ikem''s burnt skin. Without hesitation, and with an expression of pain crossing Ikem''s face, Aqua covered him in a soothing green water bed, stabilizing his condition.


    Feeling Ikem''s situation was now under control, Brix dered, "I''m going back to kill that lion and hispanion."


    "Don''t bother doing that. Unless you can move them away from the volcano into the forest, there''s a little chance of winning," Bara advised Brix in an attempt to calm him.


    "I agree. You should have also noticed the intelligence and power shown by these lions. The excess mana that appeared doesn''t seem to benefit us alone; it''s affecting many of these animals," Aqua added, his gaze fixed on his hands.


    The excess mana in the atmosphere had caught the attention of the two treants during their journey with Ikem, as out of nowhere they felt the abnormal increase in mana . They experienced elerated growth, now towering over Ikem. The surplus mana also yed a role in the escting danger posed by the local fauna.


    A coughing sound drew the attention of all three, and they turned to see Ikem in the floating healing water bed. "Leave those creatures alone for now. They greatly suppress us with their element and surroundings. Next time, I will meet them on my own terms when I get stronger. For now, we should head back on our journey."


    And so, that was how they arrived at their present moment. Gazing beyond the forest, Ikem pondered what awaited him on the other side, as he drew closer to meeting his mother''s family. During the journey, he delved into the book his father had given him, feeling a sense of anticipation as he considered applying the knowledge he had gained.


    Observing his travelingpanions and the sun descending, Ikem suggested, "Let''s head to bed. We all have a big day waiting for us tomorrow." With that, Ikem approached a tree, cing his hand on it. The tree responded by opening up like a door, revealing an empty hollow space. Walking inside, Ikem disappeared into the tree, and it closed behind him, leaving no trace of the entrance. This skill was learned through his journey, allowing him to find sce and rest within the dangerous and protective embrace of nature.


    The night passed in its usual rhythm, with nocturnal predators hunting undisturbed. Ikem rested peacefully within the tree''s protective embrace. The tree opened as the sunlight spilled into the dark space, and Ikem''s eyes squinted against the morning light. Brix stood outside, announcing, "Time to wake up, young master."


    An excitement that had momentarily faded during the journey surged within Ikem as he leaped out from the tree, eximing, "Let''s go quickly, we are so close." Sprinting forward, Ikem led the way toward the ape''s territory.

 Chapter 57 Drink

    Chapter 57 Drink


    The sun hung high in the sky when Ikem reached the entrance of the ape''s domain. Taking a deep breath to calm his excitement, he stepped forward, only to swiftly retreat as a wooden spear flew out,nding precisely where he had just stood.


    A bow construct materialized in Ikem''s hand, and he looked up to find an ape perched in the tree, armed with a spear. Ikem and the ape locked eyes until Aqua''s voice came from behind, "Your appearance, young master." Realizing the issue, Ikem dispersed the bow, revealing his demigod form.


    Confusion crossed the ape''s face, and though it seemed like it wanted to move, it remained in ce, abandoning its aggressive stance. The silence lingered until Ikem questioned, "Are you with the apes residing in this forest?"


    No clear indication showed that the ape understood, but Ikem caught a flicker of surprise in its expression. Without offering a response, silence settled over the area. After a while, Ikem''s demeanor shifted as armor constructs enveloped him, and he wielded a sword and shield in each hand. The treants also readied themselves as they too sensed multiple mana signatures approachingthem at a decent speed.


    Observing Ikem''s actions, the ape resumed its attack stance, readying its spear to throw it. The forest held its breath, tension escting as the impending confrontation loomed.


    The silence lingered as the multiple mana signatures reached them. The spear-wielding ape jumped down as if on que, and at the smae time primates of various sizes and colors emerged, each perched on a tree.


    Silent gazes from the apes were fixed on the trio until faint footsteps echoed from the forest. All eyes turned to see an old gori, using a stick for support, approaching Ikem with measured steps. The spear-wielding ape walked toward the elderly gori, whispering some words. The elder nodded and said nothing before scrutinizing Ikem, circling him.


    Having seen enough, the gori spoke, "Who are you, boy?"


    Ikem was taken aback by the gori''s ability to initiate clear conversation on its own but quicklyposed himself. He was about to proudly proim his lineage as the son of the Lord of Nature, Ikenga, but he remembered his father''s journal and decided to chose a different path.


    "I am the first son of Panacea," Ikem proimed with confidence, locking eyes with the elderly gori. Surprise flickered across the gori''s face, and Ikem''s words had a ripple effect on the surrounding primates. The once-quiet area buzzed with the chatter of primates talking and pointing at Ikem.


    "Silence," the elderly gorimanded, striking his stick on the ground. A small wave spread out from the impact, surprising Brix, who felt the earth elements surrounding the gori.


    Approaching Ikem, the gori sniffed him before questioning, "You im to be rted to that being, child."


    Ikem understood the reference and nodded firmly. The elder uttered one word, "Proof," catching Ikem off guard. He pondered what he could show to prove his im.


    "I only have this," Ikem said, pulling out the book his father had given him. The elder gori examined the book before reaching into its fur, retrieving a glowing green leaf.


    As the glowing leaf appeared, Ikem felt the book in his hand tremble, same goes for the elder as the leaf also had a reaction. The book and leaf detached from their owners and floated towards each other, merging seamlessly. The once in book now bore a glowing green leaf imprint on its cover.


    The book returned to Ikem''s hand, and the elder, along with all the primates present, immediately knelt and bowed. "Your Majesty," they proimed collectively, surprising Ikem with their enthusiasm. Stepping forward, Ikem lifted the elder gori and addressed them, "Stand up, everyone. There''s no need for this."


    The elderplied, cing a hand on Ikem''s shoulder. "I am happy to finally meet you, child. I thought I would be long gone by the time you would appear before us. I am truly happy that I held on all this while," the elder expressed, his tone tired yet content.


    Ikem wanted to respond, but the elder gestured for him to follow. "This is no ce to talk. Come, take a look at your new home and territory. Yourpanions are invited, of course." A gori with red skin and a ming presence came forward and carried the elder, at the same time casting a curious look at Ikem before leaping onto a tree and swinging further into the forest.


    Ikem, puzzled by the look, signaled to the treants, saying, "We are here; let''s go." With that, he leaped onto a tree and swung after the primates.


    Brix and Aqua exchanged nces before shrugging, their arms stretching to grab onto a tree as they followed Ikem.


    As they swung through the forest, a fruity aroma gradually enveloped Ikem the further they headed into the forest. Initially attributing it to the abundance of fruit trees, he soon realized the scent grew stronger even after they were past the fruit trees. Eventually, they reached an opening.


    The opening revealed a breathtaking sight¡ªarge pond connected to a waterfall, beside the walls of the waterfall are holes made in the mountain where each primate made their homes. Hanging from various trees in the open spaces were rattan beds, intriguing Ikem with the question of how they learned to craft such things.


    However, what truly captivated Ikem was a massive cave where the presence of his father seemed palpable. The fruity scent was also most potent there. The elder observed Ikem heading towards the cave and silently followed. Brix and Bara, curious about the familiar presence of their creator, trailed behind.


    Approaching the cave, Ikem discovered a towering tree at its center. As he drew near, a branch extended toward him, revealing the tree''s sentience.


    The elder, surprised, eximed, "It''s alive, how?" Ikem turned to him, curiously asking, "What do you know about this tree?"


    The elder quickly regainedposure, clearing his throat before gazing up at the tall tree. "This tree stands as a sign of your father''s reign over primates and his im over this territory. I remember how the tree sprang from the ground with your father and mother standing on top of it, proiming his rule over us after defeating me in a battle," the elder reminisced.


    "It has been something of a symbol for us. We recently gained a certain level of mindfulness and understood a bit of the being your father was, the tree became a focal point for worship and a resting ce for our departed, in hopes of getting closer to your father and mother, Panacea," the elder exined.


    Chuckling, he added, "Hahaha, it''s still something of a surprise to me that this tree is alive. I thought I understood your father, but it seems I''m stillcking," conveying a tone of self-mockery.


    Ikem couldn''t quite articte the whirlwind of emotions surging through him. Although he had read about his father''s conquest of the primates, the details had remained elusive. Now, hearing the elder''s words filled him with excitement. However, his focus remained on the peculiarly sentient tree and its familiar energy, reminiscent of the tattoos and markings on his father''s body.


    "I don''t think father knows about this tree; otherwise, he should have mentioned it in the book. I should keep an eye on this tree," Ikem pondered silently. He attempted tomunicate with the tree, but it remained unresponsive, confirming that it had recently gained consciousness. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shifting his attention back to the elder, Ikem inquired, "What is this fruity smell that I have been perceiving all this time?"


    "Hahaha, follow me," the elder chuckled as he led Ikem further into the cave. Soon, they arrived at a small area covered withrge ntain-like leaves. Pulling aside the leaves, Ikem was met with the sight of purple, fruity-smelling liquid. Eager for an exnation, Ikem asked, but the elder remained silent, summoning a small stone bowl.


    Reaching out to scoop a bit of the purple liquid, the elder took a hearty sip beforescooping once more and offering the bowl to Ikem. Hesitating briefly, Ikem closed his eyes and took a small sip, only to open his eyes wide and proceed to take big gulps.


    "Wow!" Ikem eximed, pointing at the liquid. "What an amazing drink this is!" The elder chuckled again, pleased with Ikem''s reaction. "That, my young friend, is the nectar from the various fruits you saw on the way here. Some of the fruits are magical and unique that only grow deep within our territory. The fragrance you noticed earlier is the natural aroma of these fruits after they have been preserved for a long time. The liquid is not only delicious but also known for its rejuvenating properties."


    Ikem, still savoring the taste, couldn''t help but express his gratitude. "Thank you for sharing this incredible discovery with me. I''ve never tasted anything like it."


    Ikem Looked over to Brix and Aqua while offering them the bow " You guys have to try this" The two treant already curious went ahead and grabbed them selves a drink to which they gulped down while nodding at the after taste.

 Chapter 58 Family

    Chapter 58 Family


    " This is truly unique, You guys have been full of surprise since we met you" Aqua said as he looked at the elder with an appreciative gaze. Brix nodded to show his agreement.


    "Hahaha, Such humbling word''s is appreciated my friend" the elder goriughed with pride in his voice.


    Bara hearing the praises from the treants, stretched out a root into the pool of juice and started absorbing, it drank for a while before regathering itself into a small stickman figure as he sat on Ikem''s shoulder.


    The elder watched all this beforeplimenting Ikem " You are also full of surprises young highness" " This is Bara, he has been with us from the beginning of our journey and a gift from my father" Ikem answered the elder.


    The elder nodded while pointing at the two treant " I am guess they are from your father too"


    "Indeed, they go by the name Brix and Aqua" Ikem nodded while gesturing from the elder to know who he meant.


    " If you had had enough to drink, we should go ahead and address the people waiting outside as they will be yours to lead from now on" The elder said to Ikem and the treant before walking back out from the cave.


    Ikem halted his motion of drinking when he heard the elder''s word, dropping the stone bowl he was holding Ikem ran to the elder " You don''t n on leaving everything right now to me, are you?"


    " Indeed, that is what i n to do your highness" The elder responded while still walking.


    " I am not familiar with them, I believe I will need your guidance for them to ept me" Ikem asked nervously.


    The elder stopped a bit to look at Ikem before saying " Your highness, I have to inform you that you have not to prove to anyone out there as they already have epted you as the leader, as for getting to know them, that is exactly what we are leaving this cave to do"


    The elder continued his walk while Ikem followed in silence, all of a sudden the elder broke the silence " You don''t have to get to know everyone but this a few people you have to at least know about as they are vital for our people"


    " The first is called red for now, as we have not been able to name ourselves, she was the red primate that picked me up, when we first met. She acts as the guardian and the protector of this settlement taking right after her father who died protecting us, as you may have noticed she is tune with fire and uses it well to protect us"


    " The second one will be my son, he is the eye and informant of this settlement. He is the one with the spear you met outside, he inherits my ability to use earth elements so he is very durable and able to ry a message to everyone, if something that possesses a dangeres into our territory. He has a lot of primates under him who acts as an eye from different position in the forest, one of his men was the one to inform us once my son saw you guys"


    " The third one is rted to, as she is your mom''s sister. After your father took your mother, her sister took over in guiding our people, wasn''t as good as your mother but she learnt a lot from your mother as they were very close, she was one who came up with the ideas for the fruit juice, not only that she was able to gather herbs useful for healing the hurt ones"


    " Thest one is the hunter, He is strong, unbelievably strong. He has not shown any outrageous ability like fire, water and all that but his skin glows with an earth yellow which boost his strength tremendously, he was the one that made most holes you see the primates are living on. We as primates have no need to hunt for meat as we can only do with nts and fruits, but your father introduced meat to us, cooked one''s delicious if cooked the right way. The hunter a strong admirer of your father took it up himself to be a hunter and supply meat to us, he also has other primate under him who follows him to hunt"


    " These are the ones you need to know for now, but some other like the ones with ability for water, nts, fire, even the invisible wind are also good to know, can be turned into a good fighter when needed" The elder said as they reached the cave entrance.


    Hearing the elder talk about magical abilities made Ikem remember one of the most important thing his father wrote on the journal, quickly grabbing hold of the elder shoulders, Ikem addressed seriously " I need to ask a favor of you elder"


    The elder heard Ikem serious tone before saying " Ask me of anything your highness"


    Ikem nodded before saying " I need you to gather females who have shown the ability for earth, wind, fire and water. The other''s who have shown weird talents can also be gathered but these four should be the main focus"


    The elder was stumped by Ikem''s weird request. Ikem saw the elder look but he was still innocent even though he knew what he was to do, so he looked innocently at the elder before asking " What?"


    The elder shook his head amused before responding " I will get right to it your highness"


    Ikem and the elder walked outside the cave to see that a lot of primates was already gathered around, there were fruit''s of different colors everywhere, Primates of burly sizes can be seen pulling the corpse of animals that have been hunter and leaving it over to the female primate who were by a huge bonfire, reading the meat and getting it ready to be eaten, the smell of cooked meat wafted all over the air.


    Ikem was about to ask the elder what was happy when sudden he was talked by a hug, Ikem did nothing as he felt the warmth of the hug, gently pulling away who was hugging him, a smell ofnt''s and herb hit Ikem all over his face as he connected the Dot to who was hugging him.


    " Aunty?" Ikem asked as he separated from the hug, Ikem got a closer look at the female primate and he immediately saw a resemnce with the statue adorned with flowerin his father realm, tears unknowingly fell from his eyes.


    " I am sorry it took this long for me to see you son, I was stuck with a sick primate that needed my help" Ikem heard the female primate speak as she rubbed her hand all over his face, " You really bear a resemnce with my sister, you both have such beautiful eyes"


    Words left Ikem''s mouth before he knew it " I look like my mom?".


    " Hahaha, Indeed you do boy, it seems you didn''t know much about your mother" The female primate asked.


    Ikem nodded before he hard the angry voice of the female primate admonishing his father" What the hell was your father doing anyway" This left Ikem bbergasted as a chuckle left his mouth as he nodded " Indeed what has he been doing"


    " Come with me son, I have a lot to tell you about your mother" The female primate took Ike''s hand ready to pull him away when she was halted by a stitch in front of her. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What is this stick for husband" the female primate asked the elder.


    " Husband?" Ikem asked out loud, to which the elder nodded. "I forgot to mention that but she indeed is my Wife"


    The feisty primate who still haven''t gotten her answer asked one more time " Why are you blocking my way and time to spend with my sister''s son"


    The elder sighing took back the stick and said " I am not blocking your way but he still has something he needs to do and some people to address" The elder said while gesturing with his head at the primate''s looking over at them.


    The female primate huffed before letting Ikem go but not after requesting " Make sure you pay me a visitter son" she said as he walked away but not before ring at the elder.


    Ikem unknowingly let go of a breath he didn''t know he was holding " Please tell me my mother didn''t have the same character as her"


    The elder quickly shook his head " No, your mother was totally different which was why I wanted her but your father got to her first, leaving me with the feisty one"


    The elder looked over to Ikem, while shaking his head " I don''t know why you want me to gather all this women but i will be praying for your safety son"


    The elder walked away while muttering " It seems I have to prepare for a caretaker for his highness before mu timees, it seems like waking up to a diarrhea will be a routine for him for a while with all this women he is nning on taking"

 Chapter 59 Enemy

    Chapter 59 Enemy


    The elder shuddered like he had a bad memory before quickening his steps to get away from Ikem. Ikem watched the elder behavior with a weird look on his face " Hope not all this primate have a weird behavior"


    Ikem steadied his nerves, drawing in a deep breath before venturing into the clusters of primates gathered beneath the forest canopy. As he approached, an unusual stillness swept through the group, each primate shifting aside to make way for him. However, one figure held his ground¡ªan imposing hunter whose skin seemed to radiate an inner glow.


    The hunter, engrossed in dismembering a deer skin, met Ikem''s gaze with a blend of fierceness and gentleness. Ikem joined him, observing the skilled dissection. "Those creatures are quite swift. Was it challenging to catch them?" he inquired.


    The hunter, relinquishing the stone knife, peeled the skin effortlessly. "Not really, especially with a circle of hunters closing in. Sounds like you''ve hunted them too," he responded, meeting Ikem''s eyes.


    "Indeed, I''ve encountered many on my journey here. They make for delectable meat," Ikem remarked with a grin.


    The hunter agreed, "Couldn''t agree more, young lord," rising from his work, revealing his immense stature. Stretching out his hand, Ikem hopefully proposed, "I''ll need your guidance and assistance in the times ahead."


    The ape regarded Ikem''s hand with curiosity before looking up, stating solemnly, "Happy to be of service anytime, your highness." Taking the ape''s hand, Ikem shook it firmly. "This signifies an agreement between two men," Ikem exined.


    "I''ll leave you to your work. Hope to sample your creation when it''s done," Ikem said as he moved away.


    "Most certainly," the hunter''s voice echoed behind him.


    Pleased with the encounter, Ikem proceeded toward his next target¡ªthe female gori with red skin. Despite themotion around, she remained focused on her task, perched atop a tree near the waterfall.


    Ikem spotted his target and, assuming a running stance, sprinted to build momentum. With a powerful leap, he effortlessly scaled the waterfall, seizing hold of a tree trunk as he made his way to where the female gori resided. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You should be down there, your highness; after all, thismotion is for you," she remarked as Ikem approached.


    Havinge close, Ikem settled beside the female primate. "Then why aren''t you part of themotion?" he inquired.


    Her gaze diverted from the sky, she exined, "This is something you''lle to notice, but our biggest enemy is the sky and the creatures that live in it. I am the only one in this settlement that can keep them away."


    Recalling his encounter with the scary eagle and gaining his first scar, Ikem nodded understandingly. "Trust me when I say I have an idea of what you''re saying. I had an encounter with such creatures myself," he shared, meeting her eyes with newfound understanding.


    Smiling, Ikem exposed his canines, "How do you deal with these creatures when theye by?" he inquired.


    The female primate ignited her hands, mes dancing at her fingertips as she thrust them forward, unleashing a wave of fire into the sky. Ikem, observing the disy, felt a twinge of difort as memories resurfaced.


    "That isn''t enough to kill them," Ikem pointed out, indicating the mes.


    Nodding in agreement, the female primate responded, "Which is why I said I am the only one keeping them away. These sky creatures despise the mes, so when I spread them out into the sky as I just did, they have no choice but to angrily retreat."


    Ikem, initially poised to speak, remained silent as the female primate continued Talking. " There are special sky creatures with different talent, a relic of such creature was kept by my father from the battle fought by him, the elder and your father"


    " My father met his demise at the hands of such a sky creature. He was able to inflict a huge wound on the creature causing it to flee but he himself was also wounded and with no healing ability around in the settlement, he died. Being his next of kin and one that inherited his ability, i took over his job of guardian" Ikem absorbed the weight of her story, drawing parallels to primate being talked about in his father''s journal.


    As the female primate finished her narrative, Ikem, with a newfound understanding, initiated a proposition. "I have a proposal for you," he said, locking eyes with her.


    Perplexed, the female primate inquired, "What is the proposal, your highness?"


    "I want you as a mother to my child," Ikem dered seriously.


    Shock registered on the female primate''s face, caught off guard by the abruptness of the request. Reflecting on the story of the father in front of her, she couldn''t help but remark, "Asking people to bear your offspring seems to be something your family does a lot, huh, your highness?"


    With a grin and a scratch of his head, Ikem simply replied, "I guess."


    " I agree," The female primate said as she went back to looking at the sky.


    To her unexpected agreement, Ikem subconsciously uttered a surprised "Huh." He had anticipated needing considerable persuasion.


    The female primate, looking back at the sky, calmly exined, "No need to be surprised. I am at the age of having a kid of my own. I would have agreed to anyone that proposed it first." Her response was neutral, leaving Ikem to contemte the unexpected simplicity of her agreement.


    Ikem only nodded at that as they both sat in silence. As they both sat in silence, a joyous noise below caught Ikem''s attention. Looking down from the tree, he observed that the celebration had already begun. The female primate spoke from beside him, breaking the silence, "You should get going. It''s important for you to be there. We can continue our talk after the party."


    Ikem nodded and descended from the tree, offering a parting suggestion, "Next time, bring the relic you kept. I''d like to take a look at it."


    The female primate remained in solitude as Ikem left but was interrupted by his head popping back up. "I forgot to ask for your name," he confessed.


    An amused glint shimmered in Aine''s eyes as she responded, "Don''t have one. Why don''t you give me one yourself?"


    Ikem pondered for a moment before uttering the first name that came to his mind, "Aine." The primate repeated the name to herself, then nted a kiss on Ikem''s forehead. "I like it," she dered.


    Curious about his own identity, Aine asked, "What about your name, your highness?"


    Ikem''s simple response was, "Ikem," before swiftly descending from the tree.


    As Ikem rejoined the festivities below the waterfall, the party was in full swing. Food was distributed, and fruit juice was brought out, enhancing the jubnt atmosphere. Ikem took advantage of the celebratory mood to engage with the primates, bridging the gap between them.


    When Ikem sensed that the party had reached its climax, he directed mana into the earth, causing vines to emerge and transform into a tform. Standing atop it, he cleared his throat and infused his voice with mana, ready to address the gathered crowd.


    "Brothers and sisters," Ikem began, his voice projecting with a newfound confidence. "I stand before you today not as a stranger but as one of your own. The elder has entrusted me with the responsibility of leading ourmunity, and I am humbled by this honor."


    A murmur of approval rippled through the crowd, and Ikem continued, "Change is upon us, and I understand that change can be unsettling. But it is through change that growth urs, and our development as amunity relies on each and every one of us doing our best. I''ve learned about the incredible strengths and talents that each of you possesses, and together, we can ovee any challenges thate our way."


    Ikem''s eyes looked at the waterfall to meet Red''s fiery gaze, and then informant''s determined expression, his aunt''s reassuring smile, and the hunter''s stoic confidence. "Red, as our guardian, I trust you to keep us safe. Your abilities with fire are not just a source of protection but a symbol of our resilience. Informant, your eyes and ears see beyond what others can perceive. Keep us informed and alert us to any dangers that may threaten our home."


    He turned to his aunt, "Aunt, your knowledge of healing herbs is invaluable. Your dedication to the well-being of our people is a testament to the love you have for ourmunity, it will be appreciated if this knowledge can spread to the young ones. And Hunter, your strength and determination in providing for us do not go unnoticed. Your efforts ensure that no one in our settlement will ever go hungry.


    Ikem paused, allowing his words to sink in. "Each of you ys a crucial role in our survival and prosperity. As your new leader, I promise to listen, to learn, and to lead with integrity. But remember, leadership is not a one-person task. It is a collective effort, and I implore each of you to contribute your best. Together, we will face the challenges ahead, and together, we will build a future that honors the legacy of those who came before us."

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60


    The clearing echoed with a resounding chorus of approval and support. Ikem could feel the unity in the air, a shared determination to forge ahead into a new era for theirmunity. With a renewed sense of purpose, Ikem descended from the tform, ready to embark on this journey of leadership and change alongside his newfound family.


    Night came down fast, as Ikem found himself a tree toy on as he looked up to the night sky, the night wind blew by causing the feather and scale left by Tweet and Boros to tickle Ikem''s chest. Looking down at his chest, Ikem picked up the feather until it was at eye level.


    " It''s been a while, I wonder how they are doing" Ikem thought to himself as he sent mana into the leaf activating it.


    The feather glowed up with white light before leaving Ikem''s hand and levitating in the air, sitting up Ikem c?eard his throat to speak out but Tweet beat him to it.


    " Finally decided to check on me huh" Ikem smiled as he looked at the feathers.


    " It''s been a busy journey, I just got to mom''s ce today and wanted to let you know that I''m safe," Ikem answered.


    " Were your mother''s people weing?" Tweet happy voice came clearly from the feathers


    " They were amazing tweets and guess what I just got a new wife" Ikem spent the night under the tree discussing with Tweet about his journeys and ns ahead, it took a while before the tiredness got to Ikem as he needed to sleep.


    " I am very tired now, tweet, we have to wait for the full charge to continue our talk" Ikem said in a tired tone.


    " No problem and take good care of yourself" Tweet said and the feather light slowly dimmed.


    " Goodbye" Ikem said as his eyes went shut.


    Four years had passed since Ikemst had his talk with Tweet and embarked on his journey bonds with the Four Primate Women who he came to take as wives, The elder was able to hand pick women from his description but since he already gotten Aien himself, he could only take three from the women the elder found. Ikem fulfilled his role as a husband as a month after getting with the women they got pregnant, the pregnancy took a period of over 6 months before the women got intobor. During this time, Ikem''s character had matured, fast as he guided the primates while at the same time providing time for his wives and new kids, it took a year for his kids to get to their young age and that gave Ikem time to proceed again as he got his women pregnant.


    The four women¡ªAien, Aquara, Phyra, and Terrana¡ªeach bore a child, with elements simr to their mom just as Ikem was hoping it would be. Some of his kids bore his wooden elemental talent but he only hand picked the one with the best talent. The children, born with innate magical talents, were named Ember, Ripple, Zephyr, and Terra. Each child radiated the power of their respective element, a living embodiment of the bnce Ikem and his father had sought.


    Given birth to offspring wasn''t the only thing, Ikem was doing the whole year, he adopted his father''s attitude of experimenting and observing how things goes, Also Ikem himself benefits from the experiment so he was happy doing it, Ikem spend most of his times with primate that has an elemental affinity and tries to see if they can train the same way he does. Ikem gained a lot of insight from the experiment which will be useful to his kids when they start their training.


    Ikem often found himself wandering through the lush forests surrounding the settlement, contemting the quietness and harmony he felt surrounded by trees. One day, as he strolled beneath the towering trees, he encountered his treantpanions, Brix and Aqua. The treants witnessed Ikem slowly maturing in their eyes and it brought them great pleasure when Ikem let them name his children.


    One of the favorite pastimes for the two treant was to have Ikem kids ying around, as the kidsughter brought them a lot of joy, the two treant hadn''t stopped their growth in height as now they can stand shoulders to shoulders with some trees in forest, so the kids all have a great time when they climb over the treants body while ying chase.


    "Ikem," Brix spoke with a deep, rumbling voice, leaves rustling as he moved, "we have seen the bnce you''ve brought to these people. Our task here is done, and we must seek new ces where our strength and wisdom may be needed. I don''t know how many life forms such as ours that has spawned from the excess magical energy and exposure of the creators''s divinity but we feel the need to gather them as this may be our new purpose"


    Aqua nodded in agreement, its branches swaying gently. "Fear not, young master. The seeds of your efforts have taken root, all you need now is time for it to grow. We are leaving knowing of your growth in strength."


    Ikem, though sad to see his treantpanions depart, understood the need and the importance of their journey. "Thank you, Brix, Aqua. Your guidance has been invaluable, and your presence will be missed, mostly by the kids. May your roots find fertile ground wherever you go."


    "Bara, we will be leaving the young master care in your hands" Aqua spoke out to the red root, who quickly turned into a stickman " I will do that without you even mentioning it"


    " Will really miss you guys" Bara said as both him and Ikem waved goodbye to the two treants.


    With a gentle rustling of leaves and a parting breeze, the treants embarked on their new journey, disappearing into the depths of the forest. Ikem watched them go, a mix of emotions in his heart¡ªgratitude for their guidance and excitement for the future thaty ahead.


    Time went by as Ikem''s kids all grew up to their mature age, Ikem didn''t procreate again as he was tired of it so he left the job of expanding their race to his kids, at the same time he gathered his four kids that has shown the most talent to gather at the cave in front of the huge tree.


    Ikem hasn''t being in his human form since he settled down with the primates, but he was still growing as he was now taller and physique got more bulkier, once thing to notice was that he now has shade of green all over the hairs in his body, the color change stated after the core in his heart got bigger and more element move into his body. Even the skin under felt more rough and barky like trees, IKem was expecting to look a lot different the next time the core gets bigger.


    Walking into the cave, Ikem found Four apelings standing and admiring the huge tree. Ikem took note of the diversity in the appearance of kids with only one of them having a tail and the other tailless, each bearing an appearance simr to their mother.


    Walking to the absent minded kids, Ikem had to clear his throat to gather their attention, Immediately seeing their father, Zephyr the most active of his kids ran a whole circle around Ikem asking continuously " Why have you gathered us here dad, what is this huge tree doing in here, is there a secret mission you have for us"


    A vein can being seen present on Ikem face as he was being bombarded with question, stretching out his hand, Ikem grabbed Xephyr by his throat while lifting him up before regarding his other kids who were already used to their brother behavior, still holding Zephyr, Ikem pulled out the book his father gave him.


    Looking at the book and his kids, Ikem said " You all are about to embark on a different journey because of your talents, You may have noticed that i let your other siblings grab themselves a mate, you are also about to do the same but your case will be different"


    " You have been informed about your lineage as the descendant of the god of natures and curses, This book was handed to me by your grandfather and in it bears a ritual that is to be performed under the right conditions which is you guys" Ikem said as he raised the book for them to see. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ember his child with Aine stepped forward " I have heard about grandfather a lot, but i still find it hard to believe that he is real"


    His other children nodded in agreement , but Ikem pointed at the tree behind them and said " This was also left by your grandfather before he went into his deep sleep"


    The tree seems to understand what Ikem said and the branches stretched out grabbing hold of the kids and at the same time gave them a huge scare.


    "Hahaha, Stop scaring them Osisi" Ikem said to the tree which let them go and they all backed up while staring Vigntly at the tree.

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61


    " Now gather in a circle" Ikem said as he let go of zephyr who joined his siblings to form a circle.


    After they formed a circle, Ikem bent down and started writing anguage he didn''t understand around his kids. Each time he wrote something down he looked at the book in his hand to make sure he got it right, it took about a minute for him to finish writing down the word.


    Blood red roots stretched out from behind Ikem as it morphed into a small red de, which he handed over to his daughter Ripple as he gestured for her to cut open her palm, an expression of fear came over Ripple as she looked at her father with questioning eyes.


    Ikem stretched out his hand to fumble her hair while speaking in a calming tone " There is no need to be afraid girl, daddy will never do anything to hurt you"


    Terra, his favorite kid, calmly took the de away from his sister and proceeded to close his hand around the de, while pulling the de as it cut his hands open and blood started dripping into the writing.


    Handing the de over to ember who with no hesitation cut open his palms as blood started flowing into the writing, zephyr the most excited for no reason quickly took the de from ember while cutting open his palm, now all that remained was Ripple who after seeing her brothers also no longer hesitated as she cut open her palm.


    Seeing that everything was ready, Ikem pulled out the glowing leaf in front of the book and dropped the leaf at the center of the circle, this time it was his turn to cut himself which he did as his green golden blood fell onto the leaf.


    Almost like the leaf has been starving, it quickly absorbed Ikem''s blood while at the same time changing as It turned to a branch as it dug into the ground with roots spreading out and sucking the blood falling from the kids.


    The writing Ikem wrote down on the ground started glowing an eerie purple, staining the branch which was now growing bigger the more blood it sucked, the huge tree felt a simr aura from the purple light as it also started growing purple.


    Ikem''s breath almost hitched as he felt a gaze simr to his father''se from the now growing branch, the gaze felt empty like it was not really there but he felt it and currently the gaze was looking at the tree.


    After a while the gaze receded and was no longer present, Ikem let out a breath as he felt himself perspiring, the branch by this time had grown into a small tree reaching the waist height of his kids and soon after growing a certain height.


    Ikem''s expression changed as he felt mana start gathering around the tree,the mana elements were different, fire water earth and air, the different mana elements gathered at the tree and soon turned into four fruits of different colours.


    The purple glowing writings seemed toe alive as they left the ground while coiling around the trees and getting into each fruit. Once thest writing went into the fruit, the ritual ended as the mana dispersed around the cave.


    Ikem kids almost like something that had been holding them in ce has let them go as they all fall down with a thud. Ikem no longer maintaining hisposure ran to his kids to check on them, and calmed down once he noticed they were just weak from losing too much blood.


    " Can you help them Bara" Ikem said to the only one who knows a lot about blood.


    " No problem" Bara said as red roots stretched out to the wounds on the kids palm getting into it before glowing red as it filtered the excess blood it had and let the pure blood flow into the kids. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    This went on for a while as soon Bara retracted his roots, Ikem stepped forward as his hands glowed green as he healed the de wounds, this was something he was able to do after the change in the core in his body.


    A groaning sound could be heard as the kids all woke up while looking around confused but soon the expression changed as they felt a huge attraction to the small tree holding four fruits in it, they all stood up and walked to the tree with each grabbing hold onto a fruit they were most attracted to.


    With no hesitation they easily picked off the fruit while biting into it, soon rity appeared in their eyes but before they could say anything,a huge cocoon of light surrounded them each. Ikem watched all this Quietly as he said nothing, the journal in his father''s book mentioned that something simr was to happen after they took the fruit.


    The small tree seemed to have finished its job as it turned into ash and at the center of the ashy the glowing leaf torn from the book. Ikem went and picked up the leaf and put it back to where it was before.


    Back to the the four kids, after the cocoon covered them, their minds was brought to a forest and the center of the forestid a giant simr to them, the only difference being the horns on the giant head but something they say made them know this was their grandfather, they saw a writing simr to the one''s there father wrote on the chest of the huge being.


    A huge voice sounded over the huge space bringing their attention back from the giant and listened to the voice "Inherit the essence of elemental fate, my descendants, for henceforth your beings shall be bound to the very elements you now bear. Choose sessors wisely, for as each of you designates an heir, bear forth a fruit embodying the wisdom of your elemental journey, that they may inherit both your legacy and the elemental essence that courses through your veins."


    After hearing the voice, four curses flew out from the giant before imprinting into four apelings, soon after they were thrown out from the forest. In reality Ikem watched as the cocoon surrounding the kids dispersed with a curse mark imprinted on their forehead which disappeared immediately after.


    Zephyr, seeing his father spoke out excitedly " I think we have seen grandfather dad" Ripple spoke right after him also excited " He was huge dad, howe you are not that big" she asked out but Terra stroked her head to calm her down while regarding his father.


    " We were brought into a weird space where something was said to us, do you know what that is about father?" Terra asked to which Ikem nodded but before borating he asked " How do you feel"


    Hearing his question, there expression all changed as they thoroughly looked to themselves to see if there was anything different, it then came to their notice of the changes in the colour of their furs, Ember furs now looked a chase redder than it was before, Terra looked a lot like dusty yellow, Ripple furs looked a lot blue while Zephyr looked a lot like the colour change in Ikem but his was lot lighter green while his father was deep green.


    That was the only changes as they felt like there were certain invisible things around them that has a lot of attraction to them, they tried to interact with the elements surrounding them, the element tried to be stubborn but for some reason they felt some small attraction to the apelings which shouldn''t be there as there physique wasn''t the type they like but for an inexplicable reason the attraction is there.


    Clearing his throat, Ikem got back the attention of his kids who were amazed with the mana element around them, "For your situation, i have to inform you that you have been cursed"


    Hearing the word "Cursed" the expression of the apelings changed, They don''t know the meaning but they subconsciously feel like it is something bad with the way their father said it.


    " No need to look so grim, not all curses is bad as in the case of guys, the curse gives you a better chance at seeding than the other''s, I won''t go deep into it now as that will be taken in our next lesson of the energy and element you are now feeling clearly which is called "Mana"


    " What i can tell you is that the curse has two stages which activates when the condition is right, there is the active curse state where other elements from now won''t react well or get closer to you, then there is the state where the curses transfers to all your descendant who gets the elemental attribute you have now that means that some of your kids won''t bear the curse only those with the same elements as you will bear it"

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62


    " This can be a lot to take, meet me back at the cave tomorrow, where your mana training will begin with your other siblings" Ikem said to his kids who now looked deep in thought as they walked out of the cave.


    The apelings left the cave with a mix of confusion and curiosity swirling in their minds. The realization of being cursed had cast a shadow over the initial awe they felt for the newfound mana surrounding them. As they stepped into the vibrant, magical world outside, the elements seemed to respond differently to their presence. It was as if the very air recognized their changed state.


    Terra, Ember, Ripple, and Zephyr exchanged nces, silently processing the information their father had shared. The notion of a curse wasn''t entirely negative, but it did carry an air of mystery and uncertainty. Their thoughts were interrupted by Zephyr, the youngest of the siblings, who broke the silence.


    "So, we have this curse, and it''s supposed to help us, right?" Zephyr asked, trying to make sense of the situation.


    Terra nodded " from father''s words it will put us above the rest, and i trust his word"


    As they walked through the forest surrounding on the way to their caves, the apelings couldn''t help but notice the subtle changes in their surroundings. Flowers bloomed brighter, and the leaves of the trees rustled with a newfound energy. The creatures of the forest regarded them with a mix of curiosity and respect.


    Now left alone at the cave, Ikem looked at the tree who stretched out a branch Ikem held on to and then established a connection. " What happened Osisi?" Ikem asked the tree.


    The tree has now been capable of thought since after it''s birth responded " I felt a simr energy like the one inside me so I instinctively reacted to, but it looks like I made him mad"


    Ikem wanted to respond on how he doesn''t think his father is angry but thinking back on the scary empty gaze he felt a moment ago, Ikem kept his mouth shut " He''s is in a sleepy state, i don''t think he''s is angry maybe he was just reacting instinctively to something familiar yet unfamiliar"


    There was no response from the tree until Ikem asked " Do you feel any changes?" " No, nothing has changed, still the same as before" The tree responded before taking its branch back as Ikem also proceeded to walk back out from the cave.


    A few moments back before the branch fully bear fruit''s, In Ikenga realm where he was sleeping, his eyebrows can be seen to have twitched the same as the ritual began, the curse tattoo around him also began to glow which caused a small smile to show one his sleeping figure.


    It is important to note that Ikenga Isn''t fully conscious but some part of him can still react to things around like like knowing that his son has settled deon and had his own kids to begin the ritual he had prepared for him, this shows that everything is go well for his boy so that is something of Joy to Ikenga.


    The following day, the apelings gathered once again in the familiar cave, ready to delve deeper into the mysteries of mana. The air buzzed with anticipation as Ikem began their next lesson.


    "Now that you''ve felt the essence of mana and begun to tap into your elemental abilities, it''s time to explore the intricacies of the curse and its second stage," Ikem exined, gesturing to a diagram he had drawn on the cave wall.


    "As I mentioned before, the curse has two stages. The first is the active state, which enhances your connection to mana. The second is the hereditary stage, where the curse passed down to your descendants who share your elemental attributes."


    The apelings exchanged nces, realizing the long-term implications of the curse. Ember spoke up, "How do we control it? And what if we don''t want to pass it on?"


    Ikem nodded, understanding their concerns. "Controlling the curse is impossible, as the owner of the curse is leagues above you. As for passing it on, once you decide on a sessor the curse activates on its own without you needing to do anything. The curse is not a burden; it''s a gift. Your descendants will inherit not only the curse but also the potential for greatness thates with it."


    The apelings took a moment to absorb the information. They knew that the power they got nowes with great responsibility, and the choices they made would shape not only their destinies but those of their future generations.


    " No to inform you on why this curse is good and puts you above many in this world, my father and i have been learning of this energy called mana once it was found out that, i can''t use divine energy, Mana was the energy we found usable to me"


    " Mana in its purest form is attributeless, but with manaes elements, the elements are all around us and in everything we see, with the help of mana the elements bes visible in which we see trees and even the fire used to roast meat has elements in it which gives it it''s fiery form"


    " You four each bear an attribute from the four main elements, Ember being me, Terra being earth, Ripple being water and Zephyr being air, from this four elements you then gets other diverse abilities for example from the element of earth I got the diverse ability of nts"


    Ikem stopped for his kids to absorb what he just said before asking " Do you have any question"


    They all shook their head which prompted Ikem to continue " Some of your siblings also bear affinities diversed from this four main elements but some of them don''t even bear any affinities at all and are attributeless"


    Confusion came over there face, to which Ember asked out loud " Why is that" n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    " Good question Ember, It''s a miracle that the four of you has the four main elements, My dad mentioned in his journal if it didn''t happen I should proceed another way but since you guys gained this element it is something amazing"


    " Reason why some of your siblings don''t bear an attributees from the cycle suppression when affinities ofdifferent attribute can''t coexist with each other so nothing is left for the person in this case leaving them attributeless, no this is why you are a nothing short of a miracle"


    " You see there four main elements can coexist with each other and at the same time suppress each other in which water suppresses fire, fire suppresses air, air suppresses earth and earth suppresses water. The cycle should be this way but because of the different diversities from the elements, you can see fire suppressing wood, and air blowing out fire, the same as too hot of a fire burns out water leaving steam and nt suppressing earth by prating and breaking apart earth"


    " This one might be hard to understand from your expression, but a simple way to summarize it will be that if your elemental abilities is strong enough it beats out the advantage other elements has over it, so in this case the one with the strongest fist wins"


    Understanding bloomed in their face to which Ikem grins before snuffing out their growing ambition " While getting your elements to be stronger is the case, you also need to expend more mana in exchangemeaning That the amount of mana spent on fire to burn out wood will be twice as much needed for fire to burn out water and getting it into steam, sometimes that amount isn''t needed if the environment is favourable to you at that moment"


    " Environment, what do you mean by that?" Ripple asked Ikem.


    " It''s simple, if i am surrounded by woods, i am stronger and have no need to expend too much mana to exert my abilities but if i was to be in an environment with arge body of water or fire then I need to expend a lot of mana to use my abilities"


    They all nodded hearing that, " Now back to why your curse is good for you, It has to start with an experiment I started with the primates outside once i wanted to teach them how to use elements, it came to my notice that my physique as a demigod is different from mortal species"


    " But first let me start with, I have no idea why a lot of creatures out there seem able to use their abilities without needing to reach a certain stage, almost like an instinctive talent!!!" Ikem said the word talent and something seemed to click within him as he excitedly stood up and brought out his father''s journal before his finger glowed green as he started writing inside it.


    " But first let me start with, I have no idea why a lot of creatures out there seem able to use their abilities without needing to reach a certain stage, almost like an instinctive talent!!!" Ikem said the word talent and something seemed to click within him as he excitedly stood up and brought out his father''s journal before his finger glowed green as he started writing inside it.


    The apelings watched their father''s excited expression as they heard him speak out loud to himself " I have been calling it elemental abilities all this time while instead it should have been called talent, just like I inherited from my mother the talent of fast healing and nt maniption from father. The creatures then just have a talent to them which coincides with a certain element"

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63


    "But if that''s the case, then the animals and creatures with talent should expend a significant amount of physical and mental energy to utilize their talent without mana. If not, then I should have an easy time oveing the fire lion after its breath attack," Ikem pondered for a while before another thought urred to him.


    "Maybe I took a different approach with those creatures the moment I started interacting more with mana rather than my talent. Ikem remembered how, when he used his ability, the mana left in his body would swoop in to replenish the spent physical strength and mental energy. However, his father suggested that instead of letting the mana passively interact within him, he should take control of it, leading him to his current stage."


    "If talent is like a muscle, then the more you use it, the stronger it gets. If I had just let the mana be and continued using my talents, by now, I would have no need for a medium to use my abilities. Simply by stretching my hands, I could manipte the nts around me. As for recovery, it follows the understanding that a muscle grows stronger the more you use it, and the same goes for mana; the more that is spent, the more I should have after recovering."


    "Have we been going the wrong route all this time?" Ikem thought to himself as he looked at the journal, closing his eyes. Ikem''s attention turned to the core in his body, instinctively feeling that there would be a significant transformation when he reached the next stage after this core stage.


    Ikem felt that after the core stage, he should be able to make nts appear out of thin air around him and have no need to be limited to controlling only nts in his immediate vicinity. That means, in the fourth stage, he should be able to create an environment favorable to him, no matter where.


    Thinking about that, Ikem opened his eyes before rubbing his chin. "It seems there is an advantage in both paths. However, some animals and creatures don''t all have talents, but they bear an elemental affinity, from my observation. So talent may be something I don''t quite understand yet."


    Shifting his attention back to the kids, Ikem apologized for his behavior as he continued his exnation of why the curse was beneficial. "From my observation of primates with elemental affinities, I tried using the same approach I used to get started with mana. However, it proved difficult, as the individuals themselves find it challenging to sense the elements they are ustomed to."


    "Sensing the elements is what I call the first stage for mortals. Thenes the next stage, something like convincing and attracting the supposed element. There''s something else challenging for mortals in this stage, as elements are well blended with each other. They have to differentiate and pick out their own element before attracting it to them."


    "The third stage for mortals is the first stage for me as a demigod, which my father called the mana adaptation stage. We''ll delve deeper into thatter, but from my exnation, you can already think of the few benefits of the curse."


    Zephyr raised his hands excitedly as he gestured to the invisible air around him. "We get to skip the first two stages and begin with the third stage. Also, we get to be extra sensitive to the elements attributed to us."


    "Exactly. You have noticed the change yesterday when you became sensitive to the elements around you, which is something most mortals have to reach the fourth stage to be able to do. The curse grants a physique simr to the demigods. We have to start a few exercises to see if there are any more changes."


    "For your first exclusive lesson, as your siblings will be joining in the next, I want to focus back on yourself. Take a deep breath and assume any position you findfortable. When you have done that, focus on the colorful dots of lights surrounding you."


    Ikem watched as his kids gathered their first mana while he spoke. "Once you have focused on these colorful lights, find the one you are easily attracted to and attract them to you. This should be easy for you guys."


    It took only the time it took to take a breath for Ikem to feel the mana stirring around him as it gathered towards his kids. "Good, now you just do nothing. Focus on absorbing and attracting the mana element to you. Just feel the changes taking ce as the element gets into different parts of your body."


    Ikem saw smiles creeping onto his children''s faces as he also smiled, knowing that the first step had been taken. Now, he could focus on his other kids. Over the next few days, Ikem guided his children through the basics of manipting mana. The siblings practiced channeling their elemental attributes, experimenting with the newfound power coursing through their veins. Each had a unique connection to the elements, and their abilities began to manifest in distinct ways.


    Years went by with Ikem training all his kids. It took about three years before the four advanced to the second stage, while their siblings were still in the first stage. Ikem noticed that man worked differently from his kids, even after they gained their cursed physique. They still couldn''t create simple constructs, but they could conjure the elements to manifest out in thin air.


    When Ikem asked how they were able to do that, they could only briefly exin that the elements didn''t respond when they willed for a construct. Instead, the elements moved in a certain pattern in their bodies beforeing out as what they imagined. An example would be when Ikem asked for ember to construct a sword; instead of a sword construct, what appeared was a whole ming sword. It took a lot of mana to maintain andcked flexibility.


    Apart from that, when the kids reached a good enough stage, Ikem had them start reconstructing the whole settlement. It didn''t take long before a small vige was built. After the vige was constructed, it was then divided into four ns, each led and popted by the cursed ones. His other kids focused more on popting their race to increase diversity. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    One interesting aspect of the cursed ns was how they carefully bred among themselves. Now, it wasn''t unusual to see an apeling with an elemental affinity for ice, and the same applied to other elements like iron, magma, and even strangely, poison.


    Simultaneously, the ns introduced something called spells, where a certain pattern in the body could be traced to conjure mes, even for the attributeless and people with opposing elemental traits.


    Ikem and his kids found a way to take advantage of their inability to construct and learn about the different patterns traced by the elements in their bodies. They were able to create various spells by actively changing the patterns themselves. There was a lot of surprise and excitement when one of the attributeless apelings, for some reason, tried to create a fireball by following the known pattern and seeded.


    The whole settlement was changing by the day as trees were cut down, and the poption grew. Soon, there were barely any traces of primates left, as the apelings became the main race of the settlement. It wasn''t that anything happened to the primates, but the environment wasn''t suitable for them, or they were dying off, and the ones that remained moved.


    The four wives of Ikem stayed with him because of the attraction they still had for him and their kids. The apelings had a unique sense of architecture, and their buildings were designed to bring out the full advantage of their race. There were nts everywhere for them to grab and swing away or poles specially built for apelings who preferred swinging from pole to pole.


    At the top of a mountain, a pce built with wood stood. Deep inside the pce sat an 8-foot giant resembling a humanoid gori, with his hand on his chin, wearing a thoughtful expression. nt roots could be seen growing from under his feet, connecting to a huge nt with wide leaves, causing a gust of wind each time they blew as they fanned the giant.


    This was Ikem, whose appearance had changed a lot over the years. Under himy the leather skin of a lion, showing traces of fire elementals flowing in it, but it didn''t bother Ikem as he enjoyed the warmth the giant''s leather skin brought him.


    Suddenly, the rxation Ikem showed vanished as an expression of horror came over his face. He stood up from the seat with trembling legs, struggling to take a step forward. Pushing on, he reached his pce door, weakly managing to open it. Ikem fell to the ground as he crawled with fear on his face, sweat raining down from his body.

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64


    Finally crawling to an open space, Ikem looked up to the sky as his eyes widened. First thing Ikem noticed was that the sun disappeared and something was moving up above the sky, he could tell as whatever it was has a glowing luminescent light glowing up under it.


    " What the hell is that" Ikem thought to himself in desperation as he looked up to the sky, whatever that was was causing a whole lot of pressure to him, he can''t describe his feeling even his father never has this much presence whatever that thing was was scary and clearly above them.


    Ikem wasn''t the only one under this pressure as the whole of Nana and every being living inside of it was all under the same pressure, even birds were no longer flying up in the sky, predators were no longer chasing their prey, even the prey themselves no longer ran from their predator.


    Everyone just stood in ce as was perspiring, they couldn''t even look up to the sky where the pressure wasing from, the only know that anything above them was huge as it caused darkness to descend, the only ones managing to look up to the sky were the demigods but that soon changed as it seemed that whatever was above them felt the demigods gaze.


    Ikem was still looking up to the sky to make sense of what was above him when all of a sudden he stopped breathingpletely as an eye bigger than the sky above them opened up from where the luminescent light wasing from to gaze down into their world.


    For some reason as soon as Ikem saw the eyes he felt like it was specifically gazing at him, the same goes for the sun god daughter Urs, the children of the goddess of death Rot and Xerosis who were in the underworld but strangely looking up to a big eyes that appeared in their mother''s realm.


    Tide and Flowua themselves who were deep underwater were spared from the gaze, as for some reason, they can''t see the sky from deep under the sea where they live but they could clearly see this eye and pressure on them for some reason.


    Mual wasn''t spared either from the gaze and pressure down in his northern kingdom, he like Ikem was alsoying on the icy ground to look up to the sky trying not to breathe in case he attracts the attention of whatever was looking at them. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Almost at the same time the gaze descended upon the, each gods in their realm all stirred in their sleep but they still couldn''t wake up, while stirring in their sleep, Nana the consciousness was also awakened when she felt the gods fighting back and struggling.


    Nana''s attention was soon attracted by the eyes in the sky, a look of worry came over her came as she whispered to herself " Should i consider myself lucky or not" obviously she recognized whatever being was gazing over her world.


    Nana looked over herself, found she still wasn''tplete and she still had a lot to learn so she was about to go back to sleep but she felt her children struggling in their sleep, Nana understood the sleep was something needed for the gods sighed as a huge corporal female body came four from the huge, ignoring the huge being in space with her, Nana cupped her hand as the souls of each gods came out from their body.


    Ikenga in his sleep was struggling trying to wake up and run as he was feeling a whole lot of pressure on him for no reason and he can''t see what was happening because of this damned sleep, so he was taken by surprise when his soul felt a calling, he immediately noticed the familiar presence calling him so he answered and with that his soul was drawn out from his sleeping form.


    Following the calling Ikem ascend quickly to sky and soon found himself in space and right beside him was his siblings soul cupped in their mother''s huge hand.


    " Why are you guys so stubborn?" Ikem and his siblings heard a soft voice speaking into their minds.


    Crepuscr who was most familiar with the voice screamed out " mother" as he looked up to see a huge face looking down into the cupped hand.


    This was Ikenga''s first time seeing the face of his new mother and boy was she beautiful, the familiar presence he felt when he was in his god''s womb was no face to face with him, a small smile came over Ikenga''s face.


    " Your sleep is beneficial to you as it is to our world, why do you force yourselves to wake up" Nana Spoke once again into their mind.


    Jaws spoke out this time " We felt ourselves in danger and the sleep was inhibiting us to do anything"


    " You were not in any danger, it was just his presence that was causing a disturbance to you" Nana answered softly.


    " His, do you recognize him" Ikenga asked he noticed the way she was referring to whatever was beyond the hand covering them.


    " I don''t know him specifically, but I know of their existence" Nana responded as she opened up her cupped arm for the gods to gaze at the being hovering above their world.


    A lot of gasps came out from the gods as they couldn''t believe what their eyes was seeing " How is such a thing possible" this time it was Mahu who spoke out with trepidation in her voice.


    Meanwhile Ikenga was thinking to himself " What the hell type of verse or universe was he reincarnated into" In Front of Ikenga was aspace whale he couldn''t even begin to describe the size, but he know that the sun looked smallparing to this whale, the whale looked like it could swallow the sun and their world at the same time.


    Nana spoke at this time " That my children is one of the child of the kaos himself and in the known universe they are called both destroyer and enrichers of worlds"


    Keles asked in a nervous tone " So which one is it here to do"


    Nana let out a small chuckle " Not the destruction part as our world is still right in front of you so obviously it wants to enrich it which is why it is looking, looks like your children caught it''s interest"


    " How, what is special about them?" Crepuscr asked.


    Nana shook her head and answered " Nothing but if i were to guess, it will be because of the elementals living inside your children and also hahaha because it is curious on why they are still trying to look at it even though they are weak"


    Ikenga asked something that has been of bother to him " Does it know that we are now also staring at it"


    Nana let out a chuckle again as she answered " Indeed it does, as it is something expected of a''s consciousness and it''s divine being, we just are of not interest to it so it''s ignoring us"


    The expression of the gods changed hearing Nana''s word but also because the eyes of the whale closed as the nose above its head opened up.


    Nana spoke this time once again " Do you know why they are called destroyer and enrichers of world"


    Keles answered this time " They could easily destroy world with their huge body, as for enriching, maybe it release something from its body into the world"


    " You are notpletely wrong, but they don''t destroy world with their body, they swallow it whole, hearing is the scary part, the world doesn''t die after being swallowed as it can survive and live inside of it, it has swallowed suns before so the world is notcking in sunlight, but this creature also bears corrosion in it that eats away world slowly digesting it. No why they are called enrichers is simr but what they release isn''t from their body but from the world they have devoured"


    " There are two sides to this, which is that, for a new world like ours. It will enrich us with treasures or life forms from different world but the down side is also the same treasure and lifeform it releases, owners of the treasures can seek it out if it has been fully corroded, in this case exposing our world and for the life forms it may introduce a life form that managed to survive inside of it and whatever survives inside of it, is clearly above our world"

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    " So we just leave it to luck and hope whatevernds in our world is good," Ikenga asked with a disturbed expression on his face.


    " Exactly, we can do nothing but hope for the best, I don''t n on watching the rain of miracles as I still have some sleep and lessons to catch up to" Nana said as her huge corporal form slowly receded into the.


    The Five gods watched their mother head back to sleep while their soul floated in outer space looking at the Whale, nobody said anything but it was easy to guess that none of the gods was happy with what they were seeing.


    The whale nose fully opened at this time with a burst of pressure. An array of light came out from the nose before spearing and falling down into the Nana. The gods watching the array of light were able to notice the huge stones, seeds, nts and weapons of different types that came from it.


    The stones came in different sizes as as they fell down onto the, they all caught on fire, Ikenga Knowing the effect of stones falling from sky stretched out his hands to see if he could exert his will to stop it.


    Ikenga found himself frozen in ce as he couldn''t move because he noticed the whale attention was on him, the whale didn''t even open its eyes to look at him but Ikenga knew he was being watched, calmly taking his hands down, Ikenga watched along with other gods as whatever was spewed out from the whale turned into a meteor shower raining down into the.


    The gods watched the whole time as the whale did whatever it wanted to do, so after the whale nose closed and with that it moved, almost like the space environment was full over water. The huge whale slowly swam away.


    Once the huge whale began moving, the gods felt themselves being attracted back into their realm and were ovee with the feeling of sleepiness, the gods didn''t fight the attraction but instead let themselves be pulled.


    Crepuscr spoke before disappearing " Hope our children can handle whatever it is thates from this bizarre incident"


    Nobody responded but from their head movement, it can be seen that they agreed. Ikenga before being pulled away noticed an eye on him to which he looked back to see Mahu smiling at him before blowing a kiss as she disappeared. A smile came upon Ikenga''s face as he was pulled back to his realm before falling back asleep.


    Back down into the Nana, Ikem Knew that he had beenying down on the ground for a whole week and a day before the huge creature went away, the once vibrant and thriving now echoed with the sounds of explosions, panic, and the cries of its distressed inhabitants. Ikem could only watch as one of the fires raining down fell on his pce destroying it. The impact from whatever fell on his pce threw him away from his lying position.


    Ikem couldn''t move until the whale was far away from the, and this whole time he couldn''t move, he heard a huge explosion sounding off from different ces and his people shouting and screaming out in panic.


    Once Ikem found he could move, he didn''t care about the damage from the impact; he immediately ran down from the mountain his pce was located in. On his way down the mountain, he could see buildings destroyed with smokeing out from holes made from what fell from the sky. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Watching the destruction around him, Ikem let out a loud roar full of anger up to the sky, it took a while to calm down. Ikem understood being angry wasn''t going to help; he had to first start by gathering those who survived.


    " Your highness" A voice caught attention, he looked to see a member of the zephyr n surrounded by wind run to him.


    That was only the beginning as apelings from different ns moved toward Ikem; it seemed like his roar caught everyone''s attention. These apelings were sent from the different ns to take care of the situation in the pce.


    As for the four main ns, they each upy an area of their own, a bit far from the mountain where the pce is.


    "Your highness," the Zephyr n member panted as they reached Ikem, their eyes wide with concern. "The situation is dire. The creature of darkness has wreaked havoc across Nana, and the damage is extensive. We need to act swiftly to salvage what we can and help those who have survived."


    Ikem nodded, his gaze sweeping over the approaching apelings from various ns. His once majestic pce nowy in ruins behind him, a stark reminder of the tragedy that had befallen their.


    "We must unite our ns and devise a n to restore order," Ikem dered, his voice resonating with determination. "Send word to the leaders of each n. We need to convene and strategize on how to rebuild and defend against any further threats."


    As messengers hurriedly dispersed to ry Ikem''smand, a sturdy ape from the Terra n approached. "Your highness, the earth has been disrupted by the impact. Landslides and fractures have made some areas hazardous. We must tread carefully."


    " leave rescuing the survivors to me, i got it handled, just focus on making sure that the rescued n member and apelings are taken good care of "


    Ikem stood in the ruin, as his body started glowing red from the inside, red veins like roots can be clearly seen from how they were glowing from up under his skin, This was Bara who now lives in symbiosis with Ikem after he advanced to the Fourth stage.


    The fourth stage was a stage in Ikem power advancement, he still couldn''t exin how the stage worked but his knowledge of the stage started when his Core grew up once again at the time the hair in his body have turnedpletely green, he became in a way a living tree as he was now capable of hiding his presence the way the treant did.


    He stayed in the third stage for a year before he got a reaction to the element living in his heart, the reaction started when he was sleeping before his consciousness was brought into a green space surrounded by wooden elements, it took a while for Ikem to notice that the space was the space in his heart.


    Once he took notice of that, he heard the collective voice of the element living in his body " What is wood to you?" After the question, Ikem was thrown out of the space but from then on it became something of a nightmare where every time he fell asleep he was being asked the same question.


    The question became something that was part of Ikem''s life as he pondered on what wood is to him, he was smart enough to understand it wasn''t really about wood, but it had something to do with the element itself.


    Thinking deep?y into, Ikem turned the question to what he wants the wooden element to be able to do, that made it easier for him as he began thinking back the time he watches he father gives life to nts, Ikem knew he had a lot of limitation with his element but his father who also has the same element made it so incredible that it seems like there was no weak so if that was the question then he wants the wooden element to do what his father is able to do.


    Given the elements that answer didn''t work as there was no reaction after he delivered it, that got Ikem to get stumped until he took the question to his closest friend Bara who has been growing alongside him all this time.


    " Hey Bara, This might be a weird question but what is wood to you?" Ikem remembered asked Bara the question this way.


    Bara disyed no hesitation as he swiftly responded to Ikem''s question. "For me, wood and nts serve as vessels for life and nourishment. Wood, in particr, is my conduit for consciousness, enabling me to sustain my vessel through the essence of blood."


    Surprised by Bara''s unexpected answer, Ikem stood in contemtion. He began reflecting to himself, "Achieving what my father did with the woods/nts seems impossible. It demands a profound understanding and connection with different elements to coalesce and bring forth life."


    "I shouldmence with something I am at least familiar with, a realm where I''ve gained some understanding. Whathas captivated me about my father''s connection with nts is how he gives them life. So, for me, wood symbolizes life. Building on Bara''s exnation, wood''s capacity to absorb nutrients and sustain life makes it a tangible representation of life force. Bara, as a wooden lifeform, possesses the unique ability to absorb life force, particrly in the form of blood.If so then what significance does blood hold for me, and how does it intertwine with the essence of life?"

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    "All life forms, including me, a half-divine being, require blood for survival. Although I don''tprehend if it is the same for the gods, I still recognize the vital role blood ys in life," Ikem muttered unintentionally, unaware that he was speaking aloud, with Bara attentively listening.


    "Wood signifies life for me, but how can I imbue wood with life?" Ikem recalled that Bara, at times, referred to himself as ''we''¡ªa collective representation of small consciousness.


    An audacious idea struck Ikem: "What if, through Bara, I could infuse life into wood?"


    Hearing Ikem''s words, Bara felt a profound rity. Recollecting his initial encounter with Ikem and the peculiar connection thereafter, he realized, "This is my purpose."


    Looking at Ikem with solemn determination, Bara spoke, "Let''s do it, Ikem. Let''s bring your dream of giving life to fruition."


    With that, as if an unspoken agreement had been reached, before Ikem could respond, he sensed the elements in his heart stirring. Ikem concentrated deeply toprehend the unfolding events, receiving only the word "Answered." Subsequently, Bara began glowing red, transforming into a drop of blood that gracefully entered Ikem''s body and journeyed straight to his heart.


    Upon reaching Ikem''s heart, the blood breached the space where the core resided, merging with it. The core disintegrated, transforming into a small green tree with blood-red rootsthat were intertwining with Ikem''s veins. This seamless connection allowed the absorption of blood to be a shared experience.


    The whole transformation led Ikem to the fourth stage where a whole new experience awaited him and right now he was about to disy one of the abilities from this stage. Blood red roots started flowing out from Ikem''s body taking root into the ground and quickly spreading all over the mountain.


    It took a while before Ikem felt that he had connected with the mountain, closing his eyes, with his connection to the roots Ikem felt the flowing blood/life force of his people buried in the ruins, even those that were buried he could feel them and clearly underwood where they were.


    Supplying Mana, blood red roots stretched out into the ruins fishing out those that have survived, while at the same time the roots formed mouth from where ikem''s voice was clearly ryed to his people in the mountain " Everyone should gather at the top of the mountain, no need to grab your properties leave everything behind where you are and gather at the mountain top, leave the rescuing to me " N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Hearing their King''s voice, the apelings all calmed down as they began marching up to the top of the mountain. Ikem with his blood senses and roots manages to find those buried deep under ruins, for those heavily wounded he would send one of the healers from the ripple n to go and help.


    It took about 30 minutes for Ikem to rescue everybody, by this time thousand''s of apelings had gathered around the mountaintop. Retracting all the blood roots back into his body Ikem sat down at the temporary stone throne crafted for him by the terra n.


    " Tell me the damage status, you have gathered while I was rescuing" Ikem asked the members of the four main ns gathered around him. These people were elites of cursed n hand picked to serve at the ce at their strength level is at the second stage ready to advance to the third stage.


    " Your highness, thendscape has taken a lot of damage, our farnd also wasn''t spared from the disaster, The food storage was also hit, but we have managed to salvage the most we can from the damage, by estimation it will be able to keep everyone here well fed for about a week"


    " I see, the food problem is of no problem, that can be handled. Now every member of the Terra n avable, I want you all to start with repairing the destroyedndscape, A messenger is already on the way to inform the four n so they will soon be joining us here, do the best you can before the other n members can join in"


    " Members of the Ripple n, divide yourselves into two where one group focuses on taking care of the hurt apelings and the other should focus on shut down the mes causing by the rain of fire"


    " I need four people out of the Ember and Zephyr n to journey out with me, I know a ce with plenty food for us, as for the members left gather a few capable people out of the apeling groups to protect yourself from danger, and the zephyr n do what you do best: make sure to keep everyone informed of any changes"


    " When the four n regroup with you guys, Make sure the follow the same arrangement" Ikem said all this before standing up.


    Ikem cleared his throat as the originally noisy mountaintop quieted down as they attentively listened knowing that their leader was ready to talk.


    "As your leader and father, I want you to know that we will face this adversity together, united as one resilient people. Our farnds, the lifeblood of our sustenance, have been struck by the cmity. Our food reserves, a source of nourishment for generations, have been diminished. I am assembling a team of capable n members, skilled in the ways of survival and resourcefulness. Together, we will venture to thend left for us by my father and our lord Ikenga to replenish our food supplies"


    "In the meantime, I implore each of you to remain strong and resilient. Help one another, share what little we have, and stand united in the face of adversity. We will rebuild our farnds, replenish our food reserves, and emerge from this darkness stronger than ever before" After saying that Ikem looked at the n members left, if the food reserve run lows and we are not back yet, you can assembly a group of hunters to gather food.


    With nothing left to say, Ikem walked down the mountain with the members, each of the carrying weapons of their choice.


    Back to the Zephyr n messengers ready to inform the four cursed n of their leader''s word. Surrounded by a tier two spell "Windy boots" The Zephyr n messengers, still enveloped in the protective gusts of the "Windy Boots" spell, pressed forward through the ravagedndscape. The once lush forest, home to various magical creatures and flora, nowy in ruins. The twisted branches of fallen trees and the charred remains of foliage bore witness to the destructive force that had swept through.


    As the trio made their way across the ins, they encountered the destion that had befallen the area. Pirs of smoke rose in the distance, indicating fires that continued to rage unchecked. The ground beneath their feet crunched with the remnants of the once-vibrant ecosystem. The wind carried with it a haunting silence, broken only by the asional creaking of damaged trees and the distant crackle of mes.


    After a solemn hour of traversing the devastatedndscape, the messengers arrived at the location where the four cursed ns were encamped. The camp itself bore the scars of the disaster, with tents torn and structures partially copsed. Some members from each n were gathered, tending to woundedrades or mourning the loss of loved ones.


    Approaching the leaders of the four cursed ns, the messengers bowed respectfully before delivering their message.


    "Wee on behalf of the King," spoke the messenger, his voice carrying above the mournful whispers of the camp. "The mountain pce has fallen, and everything is in ruins. The King sends word for all ns to regroup back at the mountain. Together, we can strategize and face whatever threat has befallen us."


    The leaders of the four cursed ns exchanged nces, their expressions a mix of grief and determination. One by one, they nodded in agreement. Despite the tragedy, the fact their father is alive and well shows them that the situation can get better.


    "We will gather our people and join the regrouping," said the leader of the Ember n, his eyes reflecting the mes that had ravaged the surroundings. "But what of sustenance? Our food supplies are scarce, and many have perished."


    The Zephyr messenger nodded, understanding the urgency of the situation. "Our king anticipated this. He instructs each n to contribute what little food remains. Together, we shall share resources and face the challenges as one united front.


    With a shared resolve, the leaders of the four cursed ns began organizing their people. The messengers, now assisted by the n members, distributed what meager provisions had survived the disaster. As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the scarredndscape, the messengers and the ns continued their preparations for the journey ahead¡ªa journey that would require not only physical resilience but also caution as there might be creature that will see this as an opportunity to attack suchrge group of gathered apelings.


    Night came by as the four n leaders sat in circle of a campfire while discussing how long and how much danger there will possibly be in for their journey back to the mountain, Ripple had a look of realization on her face as she spoke out loud " What about the shrine, no message about the shrine has gotten to any of us"

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    Hearing Ripple words, the look of recognition crossed everyone face as they all seek out the three Zephyr messengers " Did father mention anything about the shrine you guys"


    The zephyr looked confused at the question as they all shook their heads showing that they had no idea about what the leaders were talking about. Terra poke calmly to calm everyone down " No need to panic besides the one that resides in the shrine should have no problem surviving this disaster"


    In the eastern continent, where the humans dwelled in their primitive age, the disaster wreaked havoc among the scattered tribes. The seismic upheavals and destructive forces imed many lives, leaving the survivors in a state of shock and grief. The primitive human settlements, built from wood and stone, had suffered extensive damage.


    Among the survivors was Omadi, a resourceful chieftain who had managed to lead his people to a safer region prior to the disaster. However, the loss of their brethren weighed heavily on the hearts of the human tribes. As they mourned their losses, curiosity also gripped them regarding the strange objects that had fallen from the sky.


    Venturing into the impact zone, the humans discovered remnants of the disaster''s aftermath. Among the debris were peculiar resources, unlike anything they had seen before. Shiny pieces of metal, strange artifacts, and most intriguing were the small seeds.


    The humans, still in the early stages of experimenting with iron and steel, marvelled at the fallen treasures. The shiny metal fragments seemed to possess qualities beyond their understanding. Omadi, recognizing the potential of these newfound resources, gathered the tribe''s craftsmen and wise elders to deliberate on their use.


    As for the seeds, they had no hesitation in nning on how to nt it as they see it as a possible resource that will prevent them from venturing into the forest in search of food.


    As the humans examined the metal fragments, they noticed their durability and malleability. The chieftain spoke, "These materials are unlike any we''ve encountered. With them, we can learn to forge tools and weapons stronger than our current ones, we can even improve our settlement making it stronger. Praise the sky for the gift it has bestowed upon us." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The head-hunter in the vige had no fear. He was the first to start picking up the rare resources. A horn with a piece of flesh hanging on it caught his attention. He picked it up to observe.


    As soon as the head-hunter picked up the horn, it moved like it was alive. It cut open the hand of the head-hunter before turning into dark red smoke. The smoke got into the wound, sealing it back up. All of this happened in seconds. Confusion clouded the head-hunter''s face as he stared at his hand, cut open but miraculously bloodless. Unable toprehend the bizarre turn of events.


    Shrugging off the strange urrence, the head-hunter called out to his people. He urged them to pick up the resources so that they could head back to their settlement.


    On the icy northern expanse of the continent, where snow-covered peaks and frozenndscapes dominated the scenery, Maul, the formidable leader of the Werewolf Kingdom, stood amidst the chaos. His fur, usually a majestic silver-gray, was dusted with ash from the fires that had torn through their territory. His only son, a young werewolf prince, stood at his side, both surveying the aftermath of the disaster that had befallen their kingdom.


    The once-mighty castle that loomed over the snowy ins nowy partially crumbled, its towers reduced to ruins. The howls of werewolves mourning their fallen kin echoed through the cold air, creating an eerie symphony of grief. The icy winds carried the scent of destruction, and the ground bore the scars of a battle against an unexpected enemy.


    Maul, his eyes reflecting both sorrow and determination, turned to his trusted advisors and the leaders under him. The council, a mix of experienced warriors and wise elders, gathered around their leader, awaiting guidance in these dire times.


    "The very essence of our kingdom has been shattered," Maul began, his voice resonating with the weight of their losses. "But we are survivors, who have managed to build a kingdom in this continent with its weathered countless storms. We must rise from these ruins, for the sake of those we have lost and the future of our people."


    The werewolf prince, his ck fur also dusted, stepped forward. "Father, what is our next step? How do we rebuild from this devastation?"


    Maul ced a paw on his son''s shoulder "First, we must ensure the survival of our people. Gather the remaining supplies, tend to the wounded, and mourn our fallen kin. We will need to regroup and find another sanctuary since this devastation has already ruined thend for us."


    The council members nodded in agreement, their expressions a mix of grief and determination. One elder, known for talent in mapping outnd said " I can bring my map, for you to decide our next ce of settlement your highness"


    Maul nodded acknowledging the elders word''s, before looking over to his son Wulv " Take the men other there and gather as much food as you can, if need you can cross the sunnynd to gather resources"


    Wulv, hearing his father''s instruction nodded as he walked out; the elders also did the same, leaving Maul alone in silence.


    " If father was here, His blessing would be what my people needed right now" Maul thought to himself as he looked at the destroyed earthen soil.


    Because of the conditions in this icy continent, it is hard to find people with elemental talent that doesn''t branch from the water element. The only possible ce possible to find such talents is the sunnynd where the humans reside, but Wulv has no n on asking the humans for help.


    If this disaster spreads like he thought it did, then the humans are certainly in a worse position than his people, if they are in a better situation none of the humans has yet shown an understanding of the usage of mana. Rubbing his furred chin Wulv thought to himself " I have check out these things that feel from the sky maybe if i can find something good"


    Someone already had the idea of checking what fell from the sky and this was the human''s upying the sunnynd located in the middle of the Icy northern continent. This particr tribe of humans lives on a border close to the icy ins where Maul and his people reside.


    This tribe of humans has had a problem with maul before and they already paid the price, this became something of a story to their kids and future generations of a white haired beast capable of tearing people in half.


    The humans after the incident have bothe to fear Maul and his people, but thankfully Maul showed no aggression towards them as they no longer got attacked, this made them realize that they had somehow offended the beast and it came for revenge.


    The humans through their observation of their neighbour the beastly monster, they let a lot of things like imitating the weapons and way of hunting they have seen, this led to them being one of the strongest tribes in the whole whole sunny part of the northern continent. This imitation even went to the level of copying the status of the goddess Mahu because they saw how the monster worships so they tried to do the same.


    This imitation brought them some surprising results like the women having more kids and having a higher safe delivery, the goddess statue also blessed their imitated weapon making it stronger for then when they hunt, it went to the level they worship the statue more than the werewolf in hope of getting more gifts or favours. Today, the tribe out of curiosity even though they were beyond terrified went out to seek out the things that fell from the sky and destroyed there home and killed a lot of people, there curiosity led them to find a lot of things simr to the weapons they imitated and this brought them joy as they forgot the pain of losing their loved ones as they frantically began going to each crash sites.


    Their journey led them to a particr stone the size of the average humans, there was still heating from the stone but it was bearable, the leader of the group Bj?rn approached the stone with caution by the closer he got the less on guard he was as he saw nothing of what he was looking for.


    Shaking his head on not finding more weapons, Bj?rn turned back before gesturing to his people that nothing was here and with that he started heading back to the group, behind him from the stone a blob of red skin fell out from the stone, small tendrils came from the small skin before piercing into the leader unguarded back causing him to scream out in pain.

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    The shout grabbed everyone''s attention, and they looked at their leader with concern. He focused on his back, where there was no sign of pain or blood. "What was that?" the leader asked, examining himself for injuries but finding none.


    "Maybe it''s just one of those annoying flies," he mumbled to himself as he rejoined his people. They collectively sighed with relief upon seeing that he was unharmed. However, as the leader followed behind the group, he suddenly noticed that his vision became blurry. Unbeknownst to him, his eyes turned dark red before returning to normal as he regained his sight. Shaking his head to dispel the slight dizziness, the leader absentmindedly continued following his group.


    Meanwhile, deep beneath the surface of the vast ocean, in the mystical underwater kingdom ruled by Queen Flowua and King Tide, the disaster wreaking havoc on the surface world had an unexpected impact. The natural barrier of water shielded their realm from the destructive forces affecting other territories. Consequently, their kingdom not only remained unscathed but also experienced an unusual influx of resources.


    News of the disaster''s aftermath reached Queen Flowua through her aquatic messengers. She promptly convened a meeting with King Tide through a water mirror, amunication device constructed by their people. This meeting involved not only Tide and Flowua but also their council of advisors. The royal chamber, adorned with bioluminescent flora and popted by an array of aquatic creatures, buzzed with anticipation.


    "Queen Flowua, King Tide," spoke an advisor murloc, a wise seahorse with iridescent scales. "The upheaval on the surface has presented us with an opportunity. The currents carry tales of metal and stone structures falling from the sky¡ªunknown artifacts of great power."


    King Tide, his regal presence evident in the ebb and flow of the ocean currents around him, nodded. "We must investigate. Send scouts to gather these artifacts and assess their potential. Our kingdoms can both benefit from this unforeseen boon."


    Queen Flowua, her flowing mane of seaweed reflecting both wisdom and curiosity, added, "But let us not forget the delicate bnce of our underwater ecosystem. We must ensure that the artifacts do not disrupt the harmony of our home."


    Scouts and explorers, a diverse array of aquatic beings, were dispatched to the surface to investigate the fallen treasures. What they discovered surpassed their wildest imaginations. Enormous metal structures, some resembling fortresses, and others intricate devicesy scattered across the ocean floor. Among the debris, they found swords forged from metals not known to the underwater realm and seeds that glowed with otherworldly energy.


    As the artifacts were brought before Queen Flowua and King Tide, the council reconvened to discuss the potential applications of these newfound treasures. The seeds, glowing with energy, were sealed in ice by both Tide and Flowua, unsure of what to expect and the dangers around them.


    The mysterious weapons had strange, unknown drawings that shone when swung, exhibiting unparalleled strength and agility underwater. The council marveled at the prospect of enhancing the kingdom''s power and defenses with these extraordinary weapons.


    The murlocs and nsmen under Tide and Flowua used this opportunity to grab themselves some resources they believe will be useful to them, of course this didn''t escape the eyes of both demigods but they paid it no mind as they made sure whatever was taken wasn''t of much value.


    Unbeknownst to Tide and Flowua, one of the murloc hid something that will be a huge problem to both their kingdom and possibly the whole of Nana.


    The situation in the Western continent where, Urs and her people reside was the same as the underwater kingdom. Once Urs and her people noticed that they could move after the whale moved away, they all took to the sky with their wings to avoid the impact of the rain of fire from the sky.


    The only thing that took damage from the Kingdom of the Harpies was their home which was on the ground, the food resources, farmnd and storage but their people were mostly safe. Once the rain of fire stopped Urs and her people flew down to save whatever they could. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    During this process, they came across few treasures on their own which the elders immediately took a liking to as they were intrigued with this never seen before weapons and structure, with no haste they immediately focused on gathering everything that fell on their site.


    The humans sharing the continent with the Harpies weren''t safe from the disaster; they all took direct damage from whatever fell from the sky, Urs with her kindness for the humans in her continent flew to different viges while let go of her condensed golden me that fell from the sky onto the resident of each vige, healing them.


    While Urs wanted to continue doing that for every vige but not wanting to be found out by the elders, she could only provide help for a few viges before flying back to her people.


    The humans saved by Urs had a lot reverence for her and they all roared to the sky whenever she flew past them, before leaving each vige she had saved, Urs made sure to remind them of the treasures that can be found from this rain of fire, she wished that the humans like her people will find something of use to them.


    The continent of the western continent is huge so Urs couldn''t provide help to every human settlement and one of the human settlement she couldn''t save happen to see her golden light figure dropping rain of fire and after a while came a roar of gratitude, most of this settlement hoped that the golden light figure will flew over there ce and provide help but sadly Urs was limited by her circumstances, so they all watched as the only their only hope for help flew away.


    The humans could only grit their teeth as they saved their own people, at the centre of the settlementys one of the treasure that fell from the sky which was a cracked ck spear with it''s handle dug deep into the group and it''s sharp tip facing up to the sky.


    Eric, the son of the head of the settlement who died in this disaster, was attracted by their spear. The spear design was something Eric has never seen before, getting close Eric noticed from the cracked surface of the spear came blood that instead of flowing down into the ground flowed up instead to the tip of the spear.


    Once Eric saw the blood, he became attracted to it as he subconsciously licked his lips licked someone parched, with no hesitation to danger Eric ran to the spear cupping the now condensed blood on the tip of the spear before putting his lips to his cupped hand and drank up the blood with some of it flowing down his chest.


    Once Eric finished drinking the blood, it seemed like rity came back to him as he looked around confused " Huh, what was I doing here again" Saying that eric looked around confused before his attention was taken to the spear, this time he grabbed hold of the spear twirling it around like he was familiar with it before walking back from the crash site ready to attend his people and his new position. Eric may not have noticed his pupil is now blood red.


    Down deep in the of Nana, where the space and realm of the underworld resides, Roth and Xerosis took a deep breath once the eyes of the whale disappeared.


    Roth looked to his sister before asking " What was that?"


    Xerosis looked at him and was about to respond sarcastically but remembered that her brother was just asking out of fear, she also wanted to ask at the same time but Roth beat her to it " I don''t know" That was all she said as they both fell silent.


    Soon their expression changed as they felt Large surplus of soulsing into their realm, Roth and Xerosis could only stand in silence as the iing souls flew past them, they noticed the souls weren''t only humans but also the souls of thoseing from the lineage of gods like their mother.


    This wasn''t the first time they have seen the souls of the other race but the difference this time was the amount of souls flowing in at the same time. This went on for a while before the influx of souls stopped. Soon they noticed the subtle shaking of the realm showing that it was expanding and rowing in power from the souls that just came in but that didn''t bring a smile to the faces of the twin demigods.


    " Something is happening up there and it isn''t good," Roth said as his sister nodded.


    " Go check it out, let me handle the souls that just came in" Xerosis said as Roth nodded before closing his eyes to talk to the realm consciousness which agreed before opening up a portal to the surface world which Roth walked through.


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 Chapter 69

    69 69


    Roth walked through the portal expecting to be surrounded by the forest to hide the portal, but contrary to that, after he walked through the portal he found himself in an empty space full of fallen trees. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Wanting to find out the reason for this, huge bat-like wings unfurled from behind Roth as he took to the sky, using the sky view Roth was able to see the destruction around him, with fire rising in some ces. The air full of taste he wasn''t expecting to feel from the surface world which was "Death"


    Skating his head, Roth pped his wings as he flew from where he was to see if the situation was the same everywhere but to his surprise, death and destruction was everywhere. Halting over a human settlement, Roth watched as they cried over the death of their loved one, soon at one of the crash site a golden sword caught his attention which Roth flew to and picked up before looking at it and the human settlement knowing that none of the humans are capable of creating such exquisite sword such as this. Throwing away the sword after picking it up, Roth began paying attention to the crash site noticing the out worldly things in it, haven seen enough Roth flew back to the ce where he came from as the portal was still opened, waiting for him.


    Flying through the portal, Roth was met with the distressed expression of his sister as she grabbed his hand and saide with me. Confused, Roth said nothing as he let himself be dragged until his sister pulled him to an area filled with soul before pointing at them.


    Looking at where Xerosis was pointing, Roth took notice that the souls being pointed at were the apelings, looking at the souls Roth didn''t notice anything different so he looked back at his sister " What exactly is wrong with them"


    This time it was Xerosis turn to be confused as she looked at her brother " Can''t you see that something is wrong with them"


    Roth shook his head before saying " You are more versed in things concerning the soul than me"


    Xerosis hearing that nodded as she held onto her brother''s shoulder before her eyes started glowing white light as she spoke " See as i see through me" With that Roth eyes started glowing white.


    As soon as Roth''s view changed with the help of his sister, his expression changed as he saw the abnormality with the souls " what is that?"Roth asked his sister.


    " I don''t know but it clearly wants them" Xerosis said as she pointed at the apelings.


    Roth agreed but he pointed to the other apeling around who was showing no abnormality " Why aren''t they also affected, they are of the same race"


    Xerosis shook her head to show that she was also confused, from Xerosis point of view the souls of these particr apelings have a weird roots glowing with purple light that is tethered to them and is fighting with the realm to pull out the souls.


    Roth spoke out this time as he looked at the purple glowing tree " Don''t you feel the trace of divinity from this Purple light, sister"


    Hearing that, Xerosis probed deeper with her senses and soon she picked up what a bit of the divinitying from the roots, feeling and sensing that her tone turned serious as she said " I think we should get the realm to stop resisting and let the roots take them, this clearly is above us"


    Roth nodded as he said " I was thinking the same thing too, this is above us. We should just record and report the incident to mother when she wakes up".


    Xerosis nodded as he closed her eyes tomunicate with the realm, but the realm didn''t act to her thought instead the realm established a connection with Roth sending out intentions on whether Roth agrees with Xerosis decision.


    Roth didn''t immediately respond as he said " Sister, before we let them go, I think you should follow behind to see where they are being taken to and possibly who"


    " Don''t you think it''s dangerous to do that, brother?" Xerosis asked.


    " Not really, I believe whoever it was doesn''t want our mother as an enemy," Roth said confidently with a smile on his face.


    Xerosis thought for a while before agreeing, with that they both gave their confirmation to the realm consciousness, once the realm got the confirmation, purple wooden tendrils seemed toe out from open space before taking hold of the apelings soul and disappearing.


    Xerosis followed right behind and soon she got to the ce where the soul were being attracted to, if Ikem was here he would notice this was the apelings first settlement, this was where it all started.


    First thing Xerosis noticed was how the surrounding was destroyed but what got her attention the most was the purple branches that stretch out to cover arge piece ofnd and then fall down to the earth to form a cage, Like it was defending something from the sky.


    The branch cage has a lot of huge hole showing that whatever fell from the sky broke through and from those huge hole, Xerosis was able to site the souls moving toward arge purple tree, Xerosis watched attentively as the souls got into the tree each time glowing purple, she couldn''t get close enough but she felt the faint divinity from the tree.


    The tree seemed to notice it was being watched, which Xerosis picked up immediately before descending back to the underworld.


    " Was i wrong, for a second i felt like someone was watching me" Osisi said to himself as he watched thest soul getting inside of him.


    The huge purple tree Xerosis saw was Osisi, who used to live in the cave in the primate settlement, but after his strength got to a new level, he walked out from the cave with the help of his roots, now he resides at the centre of the settlement.


    This ce has had a lot of changes since the rise of Ikem and his people, now this ce was the most sacred ce for the apelings. It was a fact that both apelings and primate bury their loved ones around Osisi in hope of getting closer to their god Ikenga. But this ce became more sacred after Osis took his root at the centre of the settlement. A lot of buildings in the settlement were taken down and rebuilt into a shrine, at the cave where Osisi used to reside is where the statue of Ikenga was built by Ikem together with his Kids, Inside the cave was the most beautiful of structure and architect the apelings could achieve at their stage.


    Even though the rebuilt building was called a shrine, it would be better to call it a ce of learning as after the statue of Ikenga was built, the apeling started worshiping him and in return they got a blessing from him which oftenes in a dot of green light.


    The apeling noticed that with the blessing, no matter your elemental affinity, nature shows a favourability to you, animals they used to hunt or ran away from, now take its own initiative to approach them. The shrine soon turned into a ce where a lot of apeling coexist with different animals, as they interacted more with the animals the less they felt the need to hunt for it and eat it, but that was mostly the case for the apelings in the shrine.


    Noticing this, the apeling and Osisi took an interest in such power different from mana and that was how the shrine was formed, to learn and understand this power of grace, the shrine wasn''t only a ce to learn the power of grace but also a ce to study and create spells for the different elements. It can be said that most spells that the apelings in Ikem kingdom knowes from the shrine.


    The shrine today was different from how it was supposed to be and the cause of this was the rain of fire that fell from the sky after whatever was above their world left. In hope of saving everyone and animals in the shrine Osisis spread out his branches which covered the whole settlement forming a cage, except the cave which was protected by its own structure.


    Using his branches to take whatever fell from the sky was helpful, but it only brought a small time for some apelings who were in their shrine home to run into the cave. Before whatever that was falling from the sky broke through his branches tearing them apart and burning them. This went on for a while before it stopped raining fire Osisi could have retracted the branches by now but for some reason after the destruction stopped he felt the curse power in his body reacting differently, Osisi felt that something he should be doing was being prevented.

 Chapter 70

    70 70


    This was the first time for Osisi power to react like this since he himself know that he hasn''t able to make the power move or react since he knew he has it, so he was at loss on what to do but it didn''t take much time as the curse power inside of him moved on it''s own to connect to different root before breaking into some space underground.


    Once the roots broke into the underground, Osisi noticed how the roots took hold of some apeling which Osisi thought was weird but he soon felt a simr power from the apeling souls which came from the same source as his " Curse". n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Feeling that connection, Osisi instinctively knew what he had to do so he stated tugging at the root to pull away the soul but he was then been fought by a power he knew for a fact was stronger than him but he felt no danger which prompted him to pull harder and that seem to work as the greater power let go of the souls which got back to the surface world and now resides inside of him.


    For some reason once the soul got to the surface world, Osisi felt himself being watched but to his surprise no one was there when he looked. Osis felt the apeling souls which after getting inside of him curled up like a child and started sleeping after being covered by the cursed power, Osisi was bewildered by everything as he retracted his branches.


    Osisi in silence thought about what just happened, but he couldn''t find any exnation for it, but a certain thought came to him which was that maybe him and Ikem has been wrong this whole time about him having cursed power " Maybe I am cursed and this is one of the condition for the curse to activate"


    " Next time Ikemes over, I will have to bring up this topic with him" Osisi thought to himself as the apelings hiding in the cave all walked out looking at the destruction around but none of their expression changed or was panicked instead they all ran to each crash site to see what it was that fell from the sky.


    A few moments back before the Whale moved away. Inside the enormous space of the space creature lies ruins of countlesss that it has eaten, on one of the''s ruins lies a huge head the size of a football with one of its horns missing.


    Any advanced civilisation will recognise that most creatures that bear this appearance aremonly known as demons that reside in abyss.


    One thing particr about this demon was that it was of a high level to be able to survive in the stomach space of this enormous whale.


    Even though most of the demon body part is gone, it''s head is still alive, capable of thought, feeling that the whale stopped moving the eyes of the demon rolled around.


    " This is myst chance of leaving this creature''s stomach, if not then I am at the risk of being digested. I wonder if the others have managed to escape or have they been digested"


    " I wonder how long I was inside here, myyer probably has been conquered by another abyss demon" the demon thought to itself before its eyes looked up to the opening nose of the whale.


    Soon in the demon''s eyes, the ruins around it started floating up attracted to the opening before being ejected out.


    The demon watched all this before it beganughing hysterically with a twisted smile on its face, the reason for thisughter was that most of the ruins been pushed out this time is where most of its body part was.


    Any civilization that knows anything about the abyss demons, know that if a demon reaches a certain level, killing them is no longer possible as any part of them that manages to survive will eventually lead to it bing whole again.


    The demon wasughing because it felt the king lost connection with its body part once they left the space of the stomach, but soon theughter stopped as the demon noticed that the amount of body part it felt a connection with wasn''t much.


    Soon the expression of the demon changed as it felt itself floating upward. This time it turned into a full blownughter, soon the demon was once again exposed to the beauty of the boundless space filled with stars.


    The demon wasn''t able to enjoy the view as it sensed five familiar presence which prompted it to look at where the presence was but it saw five golden souls looking at the whale.


    " Five gods? And not your typical gods but Origin gods. This isn''t good" the demon thought with squinted eyes before it felt itself falling into the huge world below it.


    Once the demon prated through the sky of Nana and started falling down to Earth, it felt its long lost power with it squeezed out before covering itself for protection.


    As the demon fell, it surveyed the surroundings from the sky, it felt its body part split between continents but its expression was no longer of joy, instead cautious and thoughtful.


    The continent where its body part fell was upied by creatures with presence simr to the origin gods it saw, which means that those body parts will be hard to recover if it doesn''t regain his full strength.


    Another thing was that the demon knows that it can''t fall on any of the continents bearing a presence simr to the gods as that puts it at risk of being exposed.


    " Even if I stay hidden, the gods will soon notice something wrong" the reason for this was something of a blessing and curse every high level demon has to bear.


    Abyss demon''s most troublesome characteristics most civilisation finds troublesome is their immortality and this goes for any demon both high and low.


    Once in a war with any world, this trait is one of their greatest cards as after a demon dies it''s soul is pulled back by the abyss where it''s reborn and joining the battle once again.


    The soul of an abyss demon can be brought back to the abyss because of the abyss imprint, so as long as an abyss demon bears this imprint they are immortal unless you destroy the abyss itself which is impossible to do.


    This trait bes a problem for higher level demons whose abyss imprint has been worn out over the long years of imprisonment. The whale is one of the only existence that derives abyss demon their Immortal ability as one you are entrapped in the creature stomach the abyss can''t call back your soul and revive you, instead you stay inside the stomach as it corrodes the abyss imprint away.


    Once the imprint wears out, an innate ability acquired by all high level demons manifests which is another form of immortality where any of their different body parts bears the demon''s consciousness. This form of Immortality isn''t exactly liked by the demons who have lost their imprint because the body parts have to take over another living being and the being consciousness meaning that there is a risk of the consciousness deviating and having its own thought overriding its instinct of bing whole.


    The demon now falling onto the of Nana is now under the same circumstances, it wouldn''t have minded if it never escaped the whale stomach as there is hope of one of its body part leading it to be whole but now it escaped, the chances of it bing enemy with its body part is huge.


    This is because the demon and it''s body part now has one goal which is to sacrifice this world to the abyss and once again receive the abyss grace and imprint, The body part consciousness from the moment they take over anybody residence of this will subconsciously work on creating chaos in hope of sending this world into the abyss. This act will lead to the origin gods knowing that an abyss demon has infiltrated their world.


    " This is not good, five origin gods and now I have to face my split self" A look of glee crossed the demon''s eyes as it looked to the continent that haven''t been paid any attention by any of the gods which was the southern continent.


    " Hahaha, good the harder conquering this world proves to be, the better the reward i will receive from the abyss" Laughing maniacally the demon head deviated as it fell down to the southern continent.


    The demon falling looked inconspicuous with another rain of fire, making its journey to the southern continent easy. Once the demon headnded, it caused a huge explosion chasing away every creature around.


    The demon head stayed in the small hole is silence as it waited, it has lived for a long time and being in countless world to understand that Curiosity is an attribute every creature bears meaning it may take time but certainly someone will approach this crash site in hope of seeing what fell and that''s when it will move.

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71


    The demon didn''t wait for much longer as it heard voices moving closer to where it wasying. Hearing the voice the demon used itsst remaining power to turn into a flower with a captivating smell.


    The humans inhabiting the area of the crash site, got closer with each holding onto a wooden spear but that soon changed as they caught the whiff of the scent from the flower.


    The smell seems to have an adverse effect as one of the humans used the spear it was holding to puncture the person closer to him. That seemed to set things off as he was also punctured from behind.


    It took a while before the sound of battle ended, now only one human remained with three wooden spearsing out from different sides of his body.


    Stumbling to the flower, the human knelt down, getting his nose closer to the flower to take a sniff when the flower disintegrated turning into ash as it flowed into the nose and the opened mouth of the human.


    After the flower disintegrated, silence befell the area as the human body began to violently twitch which stopped after a while. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    A chuckle escaped from the human as his body slowly stood up while he spread his arms apart while looking up to the blue sky " Finally the mighty Murmur is back"


    Not minding the the spears in his body, Murmur walked towards the sight of battle before gesturing into thin air where corporeal souls of the dead humans moved towards his opened mouth, the souls turned into dots of lights as they got into his mouth while he chewed with his eyes closed " Oh, how much I have missed tasting the souls of humans"


    Grabbing onto the spears in his body and pulling them out, Murmur showed no expression of pain as the whole immediately filled up, looking around the forest Murmur showed a look of thinking " If memory serves me right, the human settlement is this way"


    With that Murmur walked into the forest and behind himy a ce of gore with blood staining the ground everywhere.


    Back at the Eastern continent ruled by the god of nature, a house could be seen in a deep forest of this continent, the house was able to stay untouched by the rain of fire which shows the mystery surrounding this ce.


    If Ikem was here, he would recognise that this house was the ce where his father made his home in the outside world.


    This particr area of the forest has quite a unique sight to it which was the tree here looked a lot different than anywhere in the Nana, The trees stand as tall as three story buildings but unlike your normal trees, some trees can be seen with leaves on fire, some has water on the tree, some looked no different from trees but the glowing green leaves says otherwise.


    Some of the trees looked like their bark was made of rocks with trees growing out of the rock. Soon a creaking sound can be heard as loud footsteps moved closer to the house.


    Looking at where the footsteps came from, nothing can be seen in sight but only a tall green foot, following the sight of the foot upwards, you will be met with the sight of a gentle gaze from a dinosaur with a tall neck.


    From a bird''s eye view, a small forest can be seen on the back of the dinosaur with birds asionally flying in and out from the forest.


    " Finally everyone is here" A voice came from the house as a treant with leaves that has water droplets that never seems to fall into ff walked out from the house, and behind the treant was another treant that looked more like it was made of stones but the nts limbs and head showed the unique structure of this treant.


    As soon as Aqua and Brix walked out of the house. The tall trees around them all sprouted a huge face from their backs and the huge heads on the long neck dinosaurs all came down to a visible height.


    " You all know the reason why we are all gathered in this sacred city pace today, Our world face a disaster never seen before, leaving devastation in its wake"


    " I am sure you all have seen the treasures that came with the disaster, but they are of no use to us. The only thing worth our attention is the nt life that came with this disaster, even as this moment we talk, the nt life is rapidly spreading"


    Aqua stopped speaking before continuing " This is one of the reasons on why we are gathered here, over the years we have taken it upon ourselves selves to preserve nature and keep it as bnced as it should be, but today this disaster had destroyed the very nature we all swore to protect"


    " Brothers and sisters, I employ you to use all your power to bring back the lost bnce, not only for this continent but those beyond ours, which is where our esteemed members the dinosaurse in to guard and lead you in your journey across the continent"


    This time Brix spoke out " As for the invasive nts, you find along the way, pleasey no waste to them but instead with our connection to nature, wee their presence into our world"


    With that said, Brix and Aqua took on their full form as they turned into giant walking trees, with them leading the way the other treant around also changed their form and followed right behind.


    Behind them, Earth and nts moved to cover the house once again. Brix and Aqua after they left Ikem began their own journey, at first they both had no idea where to start but they both did one thing which was go to an area affected by a big fight between magical creatures and restore the area that has been affected.


    They continued this way for a while before it developed into the them helping out weaker creatures by making the stronger creature move out, they both understand that this was the natural way of things but the stronger creatures aren''t giving the weaker creature a chance to survive, this encounter led to them staying in this area for a while as they all gathered the dangerous animals together at a ce and the weaker ones at a different ce.


    This didn''t turn out well as the stronger creature fought each other for territory or a chance to grow stronger, while the supposed weaker creature attacked each other because the other was weaker and was a chance togo up in the food chain.


    This led to both Brix and Aqua being stomped for a while as they didn''t know what to do, this went on for a while as they no longer interfered in the natural process of living animals instead they did their best to restore the destroyed environment.


    One day Brix too it upon himself to take a creature that has be endangered and cater to it, this gave the creature a chance to survive and this led to it bing the sole survivor of it''s endangered race, this gave both the treant ideas as they decided that from now now they are only to intervene once a race be endangered to give them chance at life once again.


    During their journey, the also met other transformed treant, some of the treant has no other element except for wood while some by chance have other element coexisting with them, this brought great joy to Brix and Aqua as they shared their gain to the other treants who also like what the two were doing so they all joined in.


    This lead to a bunch of treants supervising a certain area of the forest, when this is above them they all inform Brix and Aqua who helps them solve it. The creation of this group of treant led Brix and Aqua to develop a new magic, not really a magic but they connected with their creator in his slumber signing a contract with nature.


    This led tomunication between treant to be unhindered as they can also connect with each other no matter the distance.


    As for the dinosaurs, it was nothing but an unexpected encounter when Brix and Aqua after signing contract with nature was able to perceive things differently, as in the sight the long neck dinosaurs turned out to be one of the great extension of nature, where ever there huge step walks by bes a water source for the parched animals, the bird''s living on their back help spread seed of life everywhere they take a step, it can be said that what Brix and Aqua was doing consciously the dinosaurs were doing it just by existing and moving around.


    Back to when Ikem and his men left the mountain in search of food, Ikem and his men can be seen speeding through the forest with Ikem holding onto a map pointing to the ce left for him by his father in case his people has a need for food.

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72


    The more they went deeper into the forest, the more Ikem noticed the damage that has been done to the surrounding, he was expecting to be attacked by a few animals by now he barely could see any animal roaming around in the forest, the only sight of animals were those that didn''t hide on time as was crushed.


    Seeing all this lessened Ikem anger as he felt like his people losing food and buildings was nothingpare to the situation of the forest, Thinking about that a look of concern crossed Ikem eyes as he thought to himself " What if the area father has for growing food wasn''t spared from this disaster"


    Thinking that Ikem took his speed up a notch as hewas worried and wanted to make sure that this journey wasn''t for nothing, His increase in speed wasn''t appreciated by his men following behind as a huge gap was created, Ikem noticed that as he looked back to see them struggling.


    Taking a breath to calm down " No need, even if I ran there faster, whatever damage that can be done is already done, nothing changes. I can only hope there will be something we can salvage from the ruins"


    Ikem and his men continued this way for an hour but there was a short break as his men needed to replenish their mana, they soon got to the area of Farnd but before they took a step into the area.


    Ikem''s aura changed as he looked deep into the area, The amount of life force he was feeling beyond this area was something he had never seen or sensed before, Ikem ispletely sure that the lifeforce near the farnd was certainly above him.


    " Is it worth the risk?" Ikem asked himself as he debated whether going over to farnd is something he needed to do, there is the choice of him leaving this farnd to whatever creature that was in there but this farnd is now the only hope for his people in this disaster.


    Turning back to the n members following him, Ikem said " I need you guys to back as far as you can from this area, if there is no signal from me in 30 minutes.Use everyst drop of mana you have to make sure you escape and ry the message to the n leaders and the elder Osisi"


    " Now go" Ikem said as him men without protesting as they moved as far away as they can, understanding that for the leader to give such an instruction shows whatever was beyond this area is league above them.


    Looking back at the forest, Ikem walked to a small tree that was at waist height for him as he ced his hand on the tree, closer observation shows Ikem hand split open as Blood red root came out from it before getting into the small tree.


    Taking a step back, Ikem watched as the tree shook before the roots holding the tree came out from the ground, at the same time the tree bark shook as a face formed in it. The face looked at Ikem as Ikem looked back at it.


    Nomunication was needed as the tree understood as it walked into the area where the farnd. This ability was one of Ikem abilities in the fourth stage which stemmed from his understanding and want to give life to nts, which is something he understood he needed Bara for, which led them to merge. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As for how he now gives life to nts, starts from the unique physique of Bara as a sentient root. A tree doesn''t have one singr root but multiple which it uses to stay held to the ground, where Bara, as a sentient root, acts as a central entity with multiple roots forming a collective consciousness.


    Bara is able through blood absorption to grow and multiply his root, now Ikem''s idea in giving life to nts through Bara stems from this hive mind type ability where he lets the roots created by Bara parasite another tree, as the roots are all Bara. The parasitized tree is taken over by the roots spread into it.


    Now you have a whole new Bara, another interesting thing about this was how the parasitized tree also has the ability to such suck blood and grow in strength. Now Ikem used this ability on the tree so that it can scout the farnd for him to seen can get a glimpse of whatever was over there.


    Using his connection with the root, Ikem was able to see through the tree as it got closer to the farnd. Ikem''s eyes widened as he saw fruit and foods of different types growing well without disturbance like nothing fell from the sky.


    Sighing Ikem noted that both the tree and new Bara was already dead as he felt no connection, but then his expression changed as his body began changing with blood red rootsing out from his body forming a full body armour covering even his face. That wasn''t the end as the armour ignited with blood red me covering Ikem whole.


    Ikem fist clenched seeing that as he knew that his people had no need to worry about food, but then all of a sudden Ikem view was filled with a huge snake like eye that seemed to have mes flowing inside it. Thest thing he saw through the tree was a huge mouth opening before a shower of me came out from the open mouth.


    Sighing Ikem noted that both the tree and new Bara was already dead as he felt no connection, but then his expression changed as his body began changing with blood red rootsing out from his body forming a full body armour covering even his face. That wasn''t the end as the armour ignited with blood red me covering Ikem whole.


    Soon a huge wave of me came from the sky, showering Ikem in it. Inside the me shower Ikem expression showed no change as he felt the me not getting close to him but then his expression changed as he felt the me burning away his blood red me " This not the normal elemental me"


    " Bara Use my blood for ignition" Ikem mentally told Bara who he is symbiosis with, a view inside Ikem body will show how small red roots stretched into his bloodstream before the red mes surrounding him burnt brighter as it began pushing out the me shower.


    The me shower didn''tst long, as soon as it stopped Ikem moved from his position as the red mes surrounding his amour went out, at the same time a huge wooden red sword formed in his hand as his looked up to the sky but what he saw surprised him as his mouth stayed agape.


    " What in father''s name is that '''' Ikem almost shouted out loud. The sky above Ikem where the me shower came stood a red behemoth, resembling the size of a giraffe. However, this creature, unlike thenky and skinny build of its earthly counterpart, exuded pure muscle and power. Massive wings, like two colossal shadows, stretched behind it, casting an ominous presence over thendscape.


    If Ikenga were present, he would have recognized the legendary dragon¡ªa creature of unparalleled might, a sight most mortals could only dream of witnessing. Now, the dragon''s aggression bore down on Ikem, who stood transfixed by the imposing figure before him. Meanwhile in Ikem''s mind, Bara seeing the dragon through Ikem felt like the dragon has a simr aura around it, like they have met before " I would certainly not forget meeting such a beast so where is it from" Bara thought to himself.


    Bara wasn''t the only one feeling a simr aura as the dragon pped it''s wing before descend back to the ground, Ikem stood on guard as he watched the dragon but was soon confused as he watched the dragon stretch its neck out before sniffing around Ikem.


    A weird look came over the look in the dragon eyes as it looked at Ikem before a deep booming voice sounded over the forest " Have we met before Boy"


    Hearing the voice, Ikem looked at the dragon deeply as he tried to see if he had met someone simr before, the more Ikem looked the more familiar the dragon started to look to him. With his mouth wide open Ikem asked " Is that you Red?" " Red?" the dragon muttered to itself like the name was familiar, yet at the same time unfamiliar.


    Slumping down to the ground, causing up a dust storm, Ikem watched the dragon close its eyes. Dispersing the armour and sword all over him, Ikem looked at the dragon weirdly.


    " I remember Father, saying that red will look a lot different next time that we met, but this change is too much" Ikem thought to himself as he walked closer to the dragon while raising his hands as he felt the hard scale all over the dragon.


    Meanwhile, Red who had his eyes closed wasbing through his memory to see where the name came from, the transformation from a dinosaur to dragon was a small simple change as in the process, Red also got a lot of inheritance memory loaded into his brain and dragons is a race where Inheritance of memory is one of their main thing, the inheritance memory not onlyes from their parent''s but also other dragons who left information the felt needed for the race in the memory.

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73


    Red has no parent and wasn''t a born dragon so the amount of information he got was a lot, to make up for hisck in knowledge as he can''t be a full ascended dragon without the knowledge to back it up, that said the inheritance memory ovepped the small memory he has before his transformation which was he didn''t recognize his name.


    Combining through his thoughts, Red began to see and understand where the name came from and the memory behind it, not only that he noticed that in his real name, "Red" was part of it. Real name is something all true dragons have to distinguish them from dragon beasts who are also dragons but have no inheritance memory or dragon rted abilities.


    Smirking to himself, " I wonder how those prideful old dragons will feel knowing that one of their own was named by a origin god"


    Opening his eyes, Red saw Ikem brushing his scale . Standing up to his full height. Red took down his head a breathed out from his nose ruffling Ikem hair " The little ape has finally grown"


    Rolling his eyes, Ikem said with a smile on his face " Nice seeing you again red"


    " Where is your father?" Red asked as he looked around.


    " Sleeping," Ikem answered as he shrugged.


    Red chuckled, his deep rumble echoing in the forest. "Ah, the luxury of slumber. I envy him."


    Ikem chuckled in response "You''ve been sleeping for quite some time, Red. The world has changed," Ikem said, ncing at Red with a thoughtful expression.


    Red nodded, acknowledging Ikem''s words. " Is this change, what woke me up from my sleep?"


    Ikem understood what Red meant, nodding his head " The rain of fire wasn''t the only change, the whole world itself has been changing since your sleep"


    Red shook his head before replying "I was woken when the child of chaos made his presence know"


    " Child of Kaos?, how do you.." Ikem stopped himself from asking the question remembering his father specifically warning about asking Red anything that can be rted to his change.


    In his father''s words, it is something above him. Changing his words, Ikem said " Is that what it is called?"


    Red picked up on Ikem change of word but didn''t react much, nodding his head " Yes, they are destroyers and enrichers of world, and from what I have seen, this one was enriching your world"


    " Are you referring to the rain of fire as enrichment?" Ikem asked with his voice raising a bit. Hearing that what was killing his people being called a gift was something Ikem found outrageous.


    " Why the anger boy?" Red asked, confused. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Ikem looked up to Red as he said " What you refer to as enrichment was a disaster for my people and the kingdom i was building"


    A weird look came upon Red''s face as he regarded Ikem " You haven''t really seen what fell from the sky have you?"


    " Not really, made my way here immediately after seeing my people was safe," Ikem said as he calmed down.


    " What are you really doing here then? '''' Red asked Ikem as he turned walking back to the farnd.


    " The disaster made us lose our food resources, even the stored one, then i remembered dad having a ce like this" Ikem answered as he gestured to the farnd.


    "Oh" Red said beforeughing " consider yourself lucky boy, If i wasn''t awake then you will have had nothing left here"


    Ikem hearing that nodded " I was curious on how this ce looked untouched from all the disasters"


    " Even though I didn''t remember much after I woke up, I still consider everything around this ce mine so when the rain of fire started I wasn''t going to watch it destroy what is mine" Red said proudly.


    Ikem was surprised as he looked back at Red " You could move with all that pressureing from the child of kaos?"


    " Not really but I had some help" Red said with a smirk.


    Ikrm only looked deeply at Red but didn''t say anything as he focused his attention back on the nts and fruit around him.


    Walking up to a tree an grabbing the fruit off it, Ikem bit into it as he close his eyes to savor the juices and taste " Wow the amount of mana in this fruit is catching up to mana of a first stage apeling"


    Red also picking up a fruit and throwing it into his mouth said " It is something created by your father after all"


    This continued for a while with Ikem and Red talking, Ikem mainly telling Red about all the years that he has missed when all of a sudden Ikem stoppedughing from the joke Red told him.


    " I forgot to inform my men that I was safe, '''' Ikem said as he disappeared from where he was standing. Ikem while running picked up on the mana signature of his men getting farther away.


    The mana inside Ikem moved, strengthening him as he picked up his speed, with every step he took plowing the ground. Soon the back view of his men appeared in front of him, bending his knee and taking a huge leap. Ikem fell from the sky to appear in front of his men who were blinded from the dust he caused from his fall.


    Tilting to the side, Ikem dodged a wind de that flew out from the dust, swiping his hand. Ikem blew away the dust to see his men on guard with each of their hands glowing with magical light.


    "Good reaction" Ikem said as he saw their dumbfounded faces.


    One of his men screamed out loud "Grandpa, we thought you were dead" The Zephyr n apeling that screamed out covered his mouth quickly as he realized what he just said.


    All apeling understood they were offspring of Ikem, so they all knew he was their grandpa but no one refers to him as that except for head children from the cursed n.


    The other men around moved away from the apeling that said that, but to their surprise, the reaction they got was Ikemughing " No need to look so horrified son, I was the one at fault for not informing you of my safety first"


    Seeing that their leader wasn''t showing any anger, the apeling calmed down before one of the Ember n asked " My king, did you find the resource?"


    " Not only did i find the resource, I got to meet an old friend, follow me" Ikem said as he started walking back to the farnd while at the same time exining to his men of the visage of red as to get them prepared when they meet him.


    Ikem stopped as he took on a serious expression " No matter what, never ask him what he is, just view him as another magical unseen creature"


    " Understood" His men answered cautiously before Ikem nodded as he went back to his usual appearance.


    It didn''t take much time before they all came to the farnd, the ns men following Ikem stood stunned at the entrance as they took in the sight of red giant formying down while eating fruit.


    Red was also looking at the apelings at the same time a weird look crossed his eyes as he looked back at Ikem "Are you all rted?" Red asked.


    " Yes, they are my grandchildren" Ikem answered proudly as he gestured to the apelings toe closer.


    " Now I understand why you were so angry" Red said as he looked at the apelings.


    Red looked at the scared and petrified apelings " Handle your case with them, we can continue our talk after, meanwhile let me go out and see what i have missed"


    Ikem nced at Red appreciatively as Red unfolded his wing to fly off, sound of taking a deep breath could be heard as Ikem looked back at his men.


    " I told you guys to be prepared," Ikem said as he looked at their shaking legs.


    " My king, I don''t think any normal person will be prepared enough to meet such creature" One of the Zephyr n member said.


    " Still that was disgraceful of you guys, you could have at least given him the respect of a greeting. I may not have told you guys but he is a good friend of my father, Your god Ikenga" Ikem said as reprimanded them.


    " We apologize for our manners your highness" The nsmen said as they all took a knee.


    " I know his presence is scary, but he made no gesture of being a threat. I hope to see something better next time" Ikem said as he looked back at the trees.


    "Understood," the men said as they bowed.


    " Now back to why we were here in the first ce, Which among the Zephyr members here is the fastest?" Ikem asked.


    " I am your highness" One of the Zephyr n members stood up.


    Ikem opened his hand as wood tendrils appeared out of thin air turning into a huge rattan bag, which he threw at the n member who caught the huge bag.

 Chapter 74

    74 74


    Ikem gestured to the farnd behind him " Put as many food as you can into that bag, pick out one person from the Ember n beside you to act as your protector, I want you to hurry back to the mountain and gather all avable Terra and Zephyr n member, have with you a carriage to pick up the food here"


    " Yes" the zephyr n member answered as he gestured to a female member who stood up and joined him as they went into the farnd.


    " As for the rest of you, I want you to pick off the fruits and usable nts, Have it ready for the nsmen before they all get here" Understood, the men said as they went to work.


    Ikem picking up Red mana signature went up the mountain near the farnd, " You really have grown up boy" Red said as he watched Ikem getting up the mountain.


    Ikem soon got to where Red was, " Hope I didn''t keep you waiting"


    " You didn''t, it was fun watching you reprimand and ordering your people" Red said amusedly.


    " I hope their behaviour didn''t anger you," Ikem said as he looked at Red.


    Red hearing Ikem worldughed out Loud, " Quite the opposite boy, their fear of me was enjoyable besides what type of dragon would I be if my mere presence doesn''t strike fear"


    " Dragon" Ikem took notice of how Red referred to himself. " Apart from that, boy i really think you should take time to look through the things that fell from the skies, I assure you will find something that will boost your people as a whole" Red said seriously.


    Ikem hearing Red serious voice asked " You really are serious when you said they were enrichers"


    " I am, beside I myself also got some good things while i was defending the farnd" Red said as he opened up his mouth, where a ring covered with warm red light came out from.


    Grabbing hold of the Ring, the red light dispersed. Looking at the ordinary ring, Ikem focused to see if he could find something different about the ring but he found nothing, looking back at Red who had a smug look on his face " You n on telling me what it does?" Ikem asked.


    Red raised one of his ws and pointed at the Ring which glowed a bit before things started falling from the rings, gold sword shield, a huge pile of iron and stones. Ikem stood with his mouth open as he looked at the rings.


    " How is this possible?" Ikem eximed as he looked at the ring.


    " This boy is what you call a storage ring, guess where I found it from?" Red said as he looked at Ikem.


    Ikem already knowing the answer looked up to the sky " You mean to tell me that things like this is what was falling from the sky"


    " Exactly and lot more possibly better than this" Red nodded as he answered Ikem.


    Handing the ring back to Red, who proceeded to store everything back. " My people will have found this supposed treasures you talk about" Ikem said as he new that his people fixing the mountain would surely start noticing the supposed treasures.


    " I bet those guys and Osisi are having a st right now" Ikem said out loud to himself.


    " Who are you talking about?" Red asked Ikem as he swallowed back the ring.


    " This amazing group my people formed for research purposes and a weird old tree that has my father cursed divinity tainted to it" Ikem answered Red not bothering to hide about Osisi''s existence.


    " You have gotten this far with your people, and a divinity tainted cursed tree. That is something quite rare" Red said, surprised about the group formed by Ikem people and the existence of a cursed tree as even in his inheritance memory there rarely is any information about a divinity tainted cursed tree.


    " I would like to meet this tree, you mentioned Ikem" Red said as he looked at Ikem.


    "Got you" Ikem said to himself as he looked back Red " I''m sure they all will be happy to see you and learn more about your ring" Ikem said as he responded back to Red while at the same time chuckling in his heart, he hoped on Red being interested in Osisi as maybe it may give chance for him to glimpse at the knowledge Red seems to hold for no reason.


    " Still i am worried about this treasure shower" Ikem said to red as he looked at the view from the top of the mountain where he could see different crash sites of things that fell from the sky.


    " What is there to worry about?" Red asked, confused.


    " I feel like it isn''t a good thing that anybody could get their hands on these treasures, I fear it will give rise to a lot of scary people, maybe the rise of nations.This continent will turn into a ce of war over a treasure or maybe because of two race not liking each other, the same can be said for other continents too" Ikem said with a deep look in his eyes.


    Red stayed silent after listening to Ikem talk " I didn''t think of it that way yet, but what you say is true. This also reminds me of where they are called destroyers, there is a possibility that something other than treasure has fallen into our world and we know nothing of it yet"


    Haering what Red said Ikem sharply looked back at Red " You mean that there is a possibility of something out of this world out there" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    " Possibly yes," Red answered.


    " This is not good, I have to somehow inform the other demigods. They have to keep an eye out if there is even a chance of something being out there" Ikem said as he started walking around.


    " No need to be riled up, there is a small chance of this happening but i do agree with you informing the other demigods so that they could keep an eye out," Red said in contemtive voice.


    " What is your n Red?" Ikem asked red who fell silent as he began thinking of what he wants to do, there is no need for him to continue guarding the farnd as Ikem already imed then so it''s protection is up to him.


    " I think I will first have to go meet up with other ascended dragons before deciding on my next step," Red said after thinking for a while.


    Ikem yet again was surprised as he looked at Red " There are more like you out there?" " Yes, and they should have also woken up at the same time I did" Red answered Ikem as he unfurled his wings.


    " I will pay you and your people a formal visit next time. Hope I am still invited then" Red said as he slowly took off to the sky.


    " We will be ready to attend to you anytime youe, and it was nice seeing you again Red" Ikem said as Red took off and within a blink of an eye turning into a ck dot in the sky.


    Ikem stood at the mountain as he watched Red fly away, " It''s truly scary knowing that there is more of him still out there, the kingdom need to keep an eye out for any sighting of such beings near us'''' Ikem thought to himself.


    Ikem stood at the top of the mountain watching his men take down and gather the food getting it ready for transport, "The next step for the kingdom is to gather all these scattered treasures, if possible i would want the humans to hand over any treasure they took but that won''t go well as they won''t just hand over anything good thing they have"


    " I think it''s time we have an early contact with the humans around us, build a better rtionship just in case and it will be a good excuse to keep an eye on them. I really wish this treasure event never started, the kingdom will have to pick up its pace if we don''t want to be outdone by anyone lucky to pick up a good treasure" Ikem thought to himself as he sighed.


    The sun was slowly going down, before Ikem from the top of the mountain saw arge group of apelings heading to the farnd, standing up from where he was sitting. Ikem went down the mountain to meet them.


    By the time Ikem went down the mountain, the apeling team had already gathered at the farnd and were already working together to pack up as much food as they could. A figure caught Ikem attention from gathered apelings " Terra"


    Hearing someone call him, Terra looked away from the nsmen he was guiding to look at where the voice came from " Father, I hear you went away on a walk with an old friend"


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 Chapter 75

    75 75


    " He already left, why are you here? I only requested from the ns men not the leader" Ikem asked terra who still have a happy smile on his face. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The smile on Terra face slowly faded away as he scratched his head " I thought maybe you need a more capable and stronger soldier around you"


    " Well, I am happy that you are here as i have something i need you to do" Ikem nodded as he pulled in his son for a hug.


    Blushing after breaking away from the hug, Terra asked " What do you need me to do"


    "Come with me" Ikem said as he walked further into the farnd.


    " What do you think of this ce" Ikem asked while walking.


    Terra, hearing his father''s words, looked around as he seriously said " Amazing, this ce is the most efficient farnd I could possibly think of. Even after plucking away the fruit and usable nts, I could feel the earth reacting to fill up the created gap. The kingdom have no need to bother with nting ever again or ever go hungry as long as we have this ce"


    Ikem nodded hearing his son''t word " This is exactly why i am happy that you are here, for the past years, you and your siblings have been on the mission to expand our kingdom ground, right now you are your people are exempt from this mission"


    " Once every food here has been brought back to the kingdom, I want you and your n members to build a stronghold around this ce, this will be the ce for your people to live and guard from now on" Ikem said as he held Terra''s shoulders.


    Terra said nothing as he looked at his father " Why me father, Ember is the strongest among us meaning he could guard this ce better than i could"


    " True, he would have been a better choice but his element is fitte for issues such as this, it wouldn''t have been possible for him to find out that this ce can replenish food as you did, your people are more sensitive to earth than most, also when i said guard, I never meant for you to fight but using your earth crafting capabilities to built a defense that can''t be broken through"


    "Also because of this", Ikem said as he gestured to a tree. Unlike most tree in this farnd that has fruits in it meant to be eaten this one has no fruit or anything of the sorts, it looked like apletely normal tree.


    Terra looked weirdly at the tree finding nothing different, " Hit it with all you strongest move" Terra heard his father say from right behind him.


    Terra had no destination as Rocks covers his whole right hand, at the same time forming a stone ax which he got into position and struck with full strength at the tree, the sound of two iron shing together was heard they moment the ax struck the tree.


    The unexpected sensation made Terra drop the ax he was holding, not paying min to the ax terra got closer to the tree to see when he struck but to his surprise no scratch was found on tree, " How I could split iron with with that ax"


    Ikem walking to the tree while feeling it up said " This son is one of my father''s sessful creation of him mixing the wooden element with the four main element, I don''t know if you remember your two treant uncles who you use to y with as a kid came forth from this"


    " I didn''t know this would be here as i have read about father doing something like this, Imagine my surprise when one of the team members ran to inform me that there was a tree without fruit and how they couldn''t cut it down no matter what"


    " This tree right here son can be used to armor up our people if used right, even the leaves cane in handy as they could be used as arrow hea, a lot of these trees can be found here in this farnd which is all the more why it has to be guarded" Ikem said as he looked at his son.


    As Terra absorbed the significance of his father''s words, a sense of responsibility settled upon him. He looked around at the fertile farnd, realizing the potential it held for his people. The idea of creating a stronghold and using the unique resources at their disposal resonated deeply within him.


    "I understand, Father," Terra replied with determination. "I will do my best to ensure the safety of our people and make this stronghold impregnable. We''ll build a home here that can withstand any threat."


    Ikem nodded approvingly. "I Hope you do because there might be a huge changeing soon and this ce will prove to be far more useful than we ever thought it would be"


    Terra with a serious expression nodded as he continued walking with Ikem pointing out the herbs, and other useful nts that will be of use to them, as for how Ikem have knowledge of these herbs and nts, the credit is all up to his father''s book.


    The day went by fast as the trees were emptied, looking barren but in Ikem senses and eyes, it will take but a month for everything to look like it was before.


    Ikem watched the men fill in thest carriage with a Terra n member pulling it joining the long line heading back to the kingdom.


    " I need to find an animal group to subjugate to fill in rolls like this" Ikem thought to himself as he watched his people easily pulling the carriage, the weight bring no problem to them but it was a good visage for both him and his people.


    " Son, i will be leaving most of the nsman here with you, In a week or so be expecting a lot of visit from the people in the shrine as they will know best of what to use these rare trees for"


    "Also will you are reiming thisnd and expanding your territory, make sure to gather all the things you found that fell from the sky, they will be a special group who wille pick it up, as for the humans make no contact but do not avoid them like you do before"


    " I will also be leaving you with a Zephyr n member who will be a messenger between you and the kingdom, understood?" Ikem asked while looking at his son.


    " Yes," Terra answered with a sad slight tone.


    Ikem picked up on that " I will make your siblings will be paying you asional visit, i may do the same too when i have the there" Ikem said as he pulled his son in for a hug.


    " I will miss you dad" Terra said.


    " Me too," Ikem replied.


    Ikem walking behind a carriage looked back to see his son and nsmen waving goodbye at them, Ikeem turned with a smile as he did the same before looking back with, aview at his expression showe he wasn''t happy.


    " If not for this sudden change, I won''t have to put such pressure on my son. Enricher my ass" Ikem thought to himself with a clenched fist.


    The entourage continued for a while as the sun went down, a bon fire was created as everyone started making food to eat, meanwhile Ikem was releasing red roots from all over his body which was parasitizing the tree all over the camp to make sure his people won''t be suddenly attacked.


    The whole night went by fast with Ikem rarely having to move, No powerful or big animal came to them, most animals that came close were grabbed up by the Bara''s who now have dead carcasses all around them.


    The team went back to their journey as Ikem reabsorbed the Bara''s back into his body as he followed behind them. When it was afternoon the whole entourage already caught sight of the mountain and a cheer could be heard as everybody started moving faster with new found energy.


    It didn''t take much time to reach the root of the mountain, Ikem went up the mountain first and he couldn''t help but marvel at how helpful magic was, the destroyed mountain andndscape now looked like it was never touched or destroyed, Terra nsmen really outdi themselves.


    As Ikem made his way up the mountain, he caught sight of a newly built house. His son Eriri really overdid himself this time. Eriri was one of Ikem who has the wooden element. His son was one of the best builders the kingdom has, sadly he received no curse but his son still fought hard to show how good and relevant he is.


    Eriri to prove himself created a group together with his sibling with simr talents, where they took on the job of using their attribute to build houses together with the terra n, the group were also the best farmers as they use their abilities in growing food and nts, thinking back on the farnd Ikem thought to himself " It seems Eriri will be losing some part of his job soon"

 Chapter 76

    76 76


    Ikem''s face was filled with a smile as he saw people walking out from their new home greeting him. It seems his children had everything in control while he was away.


    Making his way up to the mountain Ikem sensed most of his family members gathered in the pce, it seems they were having a serious discussion.


    Walking into the pce, the animated voices of his family members engaged in a lively discussion. As he entered, the chatter quieted, and all eyes turned towards Ikem.


    Seeing it was there father who came, everyone stood up before bowing " wee back your highness"


    Ikem nodded with a smile on his face as he walked towards his throne to sit down.


    " Were you able to find the food, father?" Zephyr asked out loud after he saw his father sitting down.


    " I did, the areing up the mountain right now as we speak" Ikem nodded as he answered.


    " Eriri, you and your people should go outside and organize the food brought back, make sure every apeling household receives a bountiful amount of food, and you know what to do with the remaining food"


    " That reminds me what were the procedures on building the new storage house" Ikem asked out loud as he looked at everyone. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    " We all decide that building it underground is the better choice after seeing what happened this time" Eriri spoke as he looked around at everyone before looking back at his father.


    " Well done, now get going. Remember toe back for Family dinner" Ikem said as he watched Eriri walk out from the ce.


    The whole pce was quite for a while before Ikem asked " What was it that got everyone riled up"


    Hearing his questions, the n leader''s avable all looked at each other before Ember sat up from his ce and walked to the Center.


    " It all started on our journey back to the mountain" Ember said before pausing to find the right word.


    " We noticed an increase activity on the human settlement we passed along the way, at first we heard the sound of people screaming so we all went to check it out to see what was happening, on your way we noticed a lot dead human corpses lying around showing signs of being cut by a sharp weapon"


    " The closer we got, the more body we found until we came across two humans each wielding weapons clearly above them and us, one of the humans had a sword covered in mes while the other human held a sword covered in golden light that enchanted it sharpness"


    " Me and the n leader never intervened and watched as the two humans battled until they both fell dead, obviously they body never managed to kill each other instead it was the weapons that caused there death"


    " Upon closer observation, we noticed the swords was using the minuscule amount of mana left in their body and life force to exert their full effects"


    Ember stopped talking for a while as he took a deep breath " This led us to back track and start picking up whatever fell on the crash site of our previous settlement, a lot of them and much more is now stored in the pce storage"


    " As for how this led to our argument, the humans fighting wasn''t the only one the only ones we came across, a lot other humans are now on a rampage, we were even attacked by some, we are now discussing on whether we shouldunch an attack on their humans and take away whatever weapons they have since they are showing that they can''t handle it" Ember said as he went silent before walking back to his seat.


    Ikem sat in silence with his hand on his chin, before asking " Which of you agreed onunching an attack on the humans?"


    Red and Zephyr raised their hands as Ikem nodded " And you Ripple was against it?" Ripple nodded as she said " Both I and Terra was against it, but since Terra went out they now both have the stronger voice"


    " We are not going to do anything to the humans, I was even nning on extending them a hand" Ikem said a rubbed his chin.


    " It is impossible to control what all the humans who live in this continent do, we don''t have the people and resources for it, also as it stand they humans in number are a lot more than us"


    " We need time to grow and strengthen ourselves, also as it stands the humans aren''t the only one we should be worried about" Ikem said as he rubbed his brows.


    " What do you mean by that father" Ripple spoke out hearing what her father said.


    Ikem looked at their serious expression beforeughing and said " Nothing you should wore yourself about"


    Not wanting to continue on the topic, Ikem asked " I am sure you have gone through the treasures picked up, What do guys think about it"


    Zephyr with excited voiced stood up " It''s amazing father, things we have never thought of possible just fell on our front door from the sky,who would have thought that weapons can be inscribed with an elemental effectthe most amazing one was a box that turned out to be a storage space filled with gold, pearls and diamonds"


    " Then there are some weird weapons that boast the physical stats and this one for example" Saying that Zephyr brought out a hand fan inted with feathers.


    Ikem watched intently as he instilled man into the Fan, which he swiped towards thin air causing a small gust of wind to appear.


    " It can me a much stronger wind if I added more mana, but I don''t want to mess up the Pce" Ikem gestured for Zephyr to hand him the fan, which Zephyr stood up and did, Ikem looked serious at the small hand fan, with his naked yea he saw nothing outstanding from the fan.


    But when he explored with his mana sense, Ikem felt small wind current from the feathers the fan was made with, Ikem tried instilling mana as he closely observe as the mana web toward a small writing where the feathers were extended from, the mana from the small writing diffuses across the feathers causing the wind current to react.


    " It seems this small writing is what should be studied and then the usage of magical creatures parts" Ikem threw the fan back to zephyr who happily took his new beloved weapon back.


    " Father, you now see what I said we should move against the humans, these weapons anybody with ess to mana can use them, it pays no mind on whether you arepatible with it or not" Ember said with a serious expression.


    " Trust me I understand son but until the humans shows any aggression towards us, we have no right to act against them" Ikem sad in a distressed tone as he was also worried.


    " Son we only worry about the humans, what about our own people, do you think they won''t be tempted like the humans or that many apelings now each bear untold treasure and weapons in their home, yet no one is saying anything" Ikem asked as he looked at his son seriously.


    From the expression on his children''s face, it seems the thought hasn''t crossed their mind. " We need to focus on our people now before paying any attention to the humans"


    Ember stood up from his seat as he bowed to Ikem before turning to his sister Ripple " I apologize for my blunder sister"


    Ripple seeing her brother apologize smiled " It''s okay brother, I agree with everything you said but there must a good reason before we show aggression towards other race"


    Ember nodded hearing his sister word as he looked back at Ikem " Father, you brought up an interesting topic on how our people supposedly are hiding treasure or weapons they found, what are we to do about it"


    " That is a good question son" Ikem nodded at Ember question before asking his children a question of his own " What do you all think we should be worried about, the weapon or the person wielding the weapon"


    Zephyr being the first to answer said " Obviously the weapon"


    Ikem showed no expression as he continued asking " Why the weapon son" " Because the weapon is the one with the ability to deal a lot of damage depending on how much power the weapon can drain from its user" Zephyr said as a matter of fact.


    Ikem looked at his other children " Do you all agree with him"


    Ember and Ripple shook their heads to show they disagreed, " You both agree it''s the wielder of the weapon, why is that?"


    Ripple spoke out this time " A weapon can be wielded without the wielder, depending on the person it can either be used in a good or bad way, so the wielder should be the one that should be worried about, as the question now stems on why you want to wield the weapon"


    Creation is hard, cheer me up!


    Like it ? Add to library£¡


    Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.


    Emmanuel_Onyechesi

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77


    Ikem nodded " My thought align with what you said Ripple, but Zephyr also bring up a great point if we consider the possibility of sentient weapon that forces the user hands, so it''s a great take from both of you"


    "Now for another important question," Ikem said as he sat upright on his throne.


    " Some apelings outside this pce, has secretly taken a treasure for themselves and we have no idea of any capabilities the treasures can have, now the question is what will make these apelings possibly wield there weapon and use it against us" Ikem asked that as the Pce fell silent with everyone having a serious look on their face.


    The silence held on for a while but Ikem didn''t push anyone for an answer instead he gave them time to think, as this was something he was also thinking on his way back and with his children here they cane up with a way and implement it.


    " The cursed ns" Suddenly Ember spoke, breaking the silence, which led everyone''s attention to turn to him.


    " Our people has no need to go hungry, life is great for everyone but one thing most apelingsck that the cursed ns don''tck is magical talent"


    " I don''t know if talent is the right word, as we ourselves don''t even know how talented we are but we do know we do better when ites to things like magic and this is all because of grandpa''s curse"


    " We will all be in the same situation as the other apelings if not for this curse. Mana training became a lot easier for us but for the other apelings, the amount of time they spend just on training alone is too much yet they can''t achieve what apelings if the cursed ns can achieve in just a week or a day"


    "There is almost no second stage apelings outside of the cursed n, except for our siblings like Eriri and others of direct lineage from father"


    " All this to say that, the only reason the apelings will turn against us is if they think the cursed ns hold a secret concerning our talents," Ember said in a solemn tone.


    Ikem nodded as he looked at the others " Do you agree with him"


    Ripple and Ember nodded to show they agreed with him, Zephyr also spoke out " Now brother mentions it, most apelings outside of the cursed n are Idle and have nothing to do except for training to bridge the gap, they don''t even qualify as servants to work in the pce"


    " I am happy we all are in the same thought process, now we have found our problem, how do we go about solving it?" Ikem asked as he leaned back to his seat.


    The pce fell into silence once again, this time Ikem could see they were clearly struggling toe with solutions.


    " It seems this is there limit, still I am happy they were able to think so clearly" Ikem thought proudly as he looked at his children, this was one of his father''s way of training him in what he called "Critical thinking" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Ikem seeing they were still struggling decided to step in and help them out " How about we build up an academy for the apelings excluding the cursed ones"


    Zephyr looked at Ikem before asking " how does that help them or change the situation?"


    " Well son, the academy is for them toe together to find a solution for their problem, we can offer them resources and pick out special teachers from those in the shrine to help educate them on the elements, hopefully they can gain something from it to find a solution"


    " But father, those from the shrine are really helpful to the ns and there are very few of them. We can afford to lose any of them for something like this" Ripple said with a furrowed brow.


    " The fact of them being few numbered indeed is a problem, which is why from now on. The five cursed n will be be responsible for sending out a group of apelings who have shown talent required to stay and be part of the shrine group, That way the number problem will be solved"


    " But doing that will leave us with a lesser number of nsmen" This time it was Ember who spoke up.


    " Indeed, I will be making an announcement concerning that. Our people have gottenzy over the past few years and no longer procreate. I will be speaking out in that to encourage everyone to fill our numbers up. Also you guys are exempted" Ikem said with a grin on his face, seeing his children embarrassment.


    " Can we all agree on the apeling problem temporarily solved" Ikem asked, seeing that everyone has got the question answered.


    The children all nodded, " It hasn''t been solved but this can be a first step and we adjust properly from there on"


    " Now, I have to inform you that your brother Terra will be gone for a long time," Ikem said as his children immediately looked at him.


    Ripple immediately asked " Did something happen to big brother?"


    Ikem calmly smiled and shook his head " He''s fine but he has a mission assigned to him which will lead to him being away for a long time, I hope you all find time to visit him"


    Ember spoke out this time " Does this mission have to do with the food source?"


    Ikem nodded in agreement " Yes, the ce turned out better than I thought, with it our people will have no need to ever go hungry but also because I came across an important resource in the area that can prove to be of good help to our people"


    " Ember, you may be the first one to meet your brother as this resource may require your n expertise" Ikem said as he rubbed his chin.


    " Is it a metal resource?" Ember asked eagerly.


    " Might be simr but even better, I wouldn''t want to spoil the surprise. I trust you will know best what to do with it when you see it" Ikem said amusedly, one of Member''s interests was cksmithing, he find great joy in experimenting with different iron, most weapons now used in the kingdom are supplied by his ns.


    "Now, I want to assign a mission simr to what I discussed with Terra earlier. There''s a potential for significant events in the future, and I want us to be prepared for anything. That''s why your brother is safeguarding our most crucial asset at the moment¡ªthe food source."


    "I''m aware that you''ve been working together to expand the kingdom''s territory, but it''s time to divide your efforts for greater efficiency. Additionally, please provide reports on the materials and resources you''ve discovered during the years of expansion. This information is vital for the kingdom''s strategic nning."


    "I aim to maximize the advantage you already possess and unleash its full potential. Ember, once things settle down, I want you to lead your n to upy the area where I defeated the fire lion. The fire mountain there will significantly boost your strength. After gaining control of the mountain, secure the surrounding area, ensuring all valuable resources fall under the kingdom''s control."


    Ikem turned his attention to Ripple. "As for you, Ripple, your n is indispensable everywhere. Your unparalleled healing ability with the water element is currently unmatched. To fully utilize this strength, embark with your people to find a location with arge body of water. Your goal is not to take over or expand but to train proficient healers and fighters. Once they reach a certain level of strength, send them to different ns to act as healers when needed."


    ncing at Zephyr, Ikem continued, "Zephyr, you are equally crucial as Ripple''s n. In your case, find a ce near the mountain with your n members. It''s vital you are close to me, and in case the world needs to be informed, you''ll be the messenger. Simultaneously, you share the responsibility with Ripple, sending out trained and strong n members to act as messengers between the ns."


    " If anyone has any problem with arrangements, don''t hold back and speak out" Ikem said as he leaned further back into his throne.


    Zephyr furrowed his brow, "Father, while I understand the importance of rying messages, being stationed near the mountain may limit our ability to respond swiftly to emerging situations in other parts of the kingdom. What if, instead, we establish a central hub at the crossroads between the mountain and the territories of Ripple and Ember? This way, we can efficientlymunicate in all directions."


    Ripple nodded in agreement, "I agree with what you said father, but dedicating our entire n to training healers and fighters might weaken our overall strength and resources. What if we focus on producing a specialized task force, a quick-response team? This way, we can address urgent needs without spreading our resources too thin."

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78


    Ember chimed in, "And father, while the fire mountain is undoubtedly advantageous, the area I''m supposed to upy might not be suitable for our n''s survival. What if we secure a territory with abundant resources first and use it as a base forunching expeditions to the fire mountain, ensuring the safety and sustainability of our people?"


    Ikem listened attentively, considering their perspectives. After a thoughtful pause, he replied, "Your concerns are valid, and I appreciate your input. Let''s revise the n, taking into ount your suggestions. Zephyr, establish the central hub as you proposed, allowing for swiftmunication. Ripple, focus on creating a specialized task force for quick response, maintaining the flexibility of your n. Ember, prioritize securing a resource-rich territory first before venturing to the fire mountain. Together, we can refine our strategy and ensure the prosperity and security of our kingdom."


    The three nodded in agreement, appreciative of the coborative effort to enhance the initial n.


    Ikem knocked on his head like he just thought of something " I haven''t asked yet but I hope you all have broken through to the third stage as for all this n to be implemented, you all are needed to be of a certain strength"


    Ember, Ripple and Zephyr said nothing but release the mana deep in their newly formed core, obviously showing that they have broken through.


    Ikem nodded as he stood up and stretched from his throne. " Enough of this serious talk, I believe things had been sorted out outside, we should go join the Family for dinner"


    "Finally, I was starting to get tired from all this seriousness" Zephyr said as he bounced out from his seat as he ran out from the pce.


    Maul, the imposing king of the werewolves, stood in the icy hall of his new fortress, addressing one of his trusted elders, Grendan, with a nod of gratitude. "Grendan, your map of the northern icy continent has proven invaluable. Thanks to your guidance, we''ve found a suitable ce to rebuild our kingdom, far from the human settlement."


    Grendan, with his snow-white fur and wise eyes, dipped his head respectfully. "It is an honor to serve you, my king. This part of the northern territory provides not only a harsh and secure environment needed for us but also abundant resources for our kin."


    As they discussed how the relocation went, Maul''s sharp senses detected a hint of concern in one of the elder''s eyes. "Speak your mind, Erik," Maul encouraged.


    The elder Erik hesitated before voicing his worry, "My king, Words have reached my ears about the humans already applying usage of the treasures that fell from the sky. These objects are referred to be of celestial origin by the humans, the sunny part is now engaged in a small war where the humans fight each other in hope of taking the other treasure. Their newfound confidence may embolden them to encroach upon our newnds."


    Maul''s eyes gleamed with a mix of curiosity and wariness. "I haven''t fully paid attention to those treasures yet, are they really as powerful for humans to gain that type of confidence, as you say?"


    Erik wanted to answer, but another elder named Jar interfered, "let me answer this question my king as this falls under my jurisdiction"


    Jar took a moment to gather his words " the weapons per say isn''t that powerful but depending on the will of the wilder the more powerful the weapon is, my men and i have observed that the weapons need mana to activate, depending on the amount of mana spent the stronger the ability the weapon disys, but that is not to say that there isn''t a limit to how strong the weapon can get. From observation a normal human with such weapon can pose a threat to a lunar adept werewolf"


    " As we all know, the human still can''t use mana well except for the blessing they get from the queen mother of the moon, meaning they can''t force out the full ability of the weapons and that''s where the will of the wielderes into y as the wielder can use their own life force to out the weapon strength"


    "This could pose a threat to our kind. We must be prepared. Tell me more, Jar. What do we know about these artifacts, and how can they affect our kingdom?" Maul''s expression got more serious after he heard what was said.


    " We have had time to look more into the weapons but I can assure you my king, Even though these weapons sound unbelievable at the moment, It doesn''t pose much threat to us as long as we are ready also the chance of any of these weapons threatening a werewolf above the lunar adept is slim, if there are such weapons I believe it will be one in a thousand among everything that fell from the sky.As for how this can affect the kingdom, the humans, always hungry for our knowledge and strength, might see this as an opportunity to challenge our supremacy in the north."


    Maul growled softly in contemtion. "We cannot afford to underestimate humans. If these treasures hold such allure, they may indeed attempt to challenge us. We must fortify our defences, Erik, I need the expertise of you and your men to gather information on the movement of every possible human settlement we can. Find out how they move and whether they will a direct threat to our kind."


    Erik nodded, "I will dispatch capable scouts to keep an eye out to investigate the whereabouts and nature of powerful treasures that may pose a threat. So we can nip if from the bud before it grows"


    Wulv who had been silent this whole time also spoke up, I also have another urgent matter I think everyone should know. Maul massaged his brows as he asked " Is it as bad as the human problem?"


    " Possibly, as this problem is much closer to us than the possibility of what the humans can do" Wulv said with a distressed face.


    " This started after we moved to the this new settlement, I was out on a hunt with the men when a huge shadow with wings flew past us, at first i thought it was just the normal snow eagle but the shadow cast over us was too big for it to be an eagle, also the stormy weather made it hard to see the shadow figure"


    " I had to tell the men to fall back and as I was the only celestial Initiate there, I went after the shadow alone, on my tracking of the shadow, I came to notice that this shadow was definitely not the snow eagle as this one bears a tail following behind it"


    "My suspicion was confirmed when during my tracking of the shadow led me to a group of those troublesome snow bears, when a huge with w from the sky grabbed onto one of the bears with ease. As I was watching from a distance, I was able to get a glimpse of the creature and I have never seen such a beautiful powerful creature father. Its scales are adorned with frost, but alsoposed of crystalline ice that refracts light in a mesmerizing disy of blues and whites. This majestic creature seems to calm the blizzards at will and exhales an icy breath from its nose with every breath. Eyes that sparkle like frozen sapphires, it has an ancient and regal demeanour to it, embodying the unforgiving beauty of the coldestndscapes"


    A weird look came over Maul''s face and the elders as they regarded Wulv who seemed lost in describing the dragon he saw, of course none of them knew it was a dragon. Maul cleared his throat which brought Wulv back from his fantasy.


    " Sorry for the weird act, but once you all get a glimpse at this creature. You will all understand" Wulv said with a blush which is unnoticed from his ck furred face. But his expression soon turned serious.


    " That wasn''t the end of my encounter with the creature after it took hold of the bear, a female voice soon appeared in my head saying this exact word " Have you seen enough young wolf, this should satisfy your curiosity"


    "I looked around to see who was taking when soon i was a shadow covered my hiding ce, I looked up to see the creature above me with the bear in hand" Wulv expression soon changed into one of horror.


    " Being up-close to this creature, made me get a glimpse of its strength and I can safely say that its strength is a bit above you father, I could hardly move or speak in the creature presence, which seemed to amuse it because of the word it spoke right after" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    " Rx young wolf, I am of no threat to you and your people" This was its exact word, Wulv said as he looked at his father. At the same them I also heard the creature whisper " I don''t want the anger or sour feeling of an Origin goddess on my head"

 Chapter 79

    ?Chapter79


    The expression on Maul face changed as soon as he heard that, looking intensely at Wulv he asked "Did she say those exact words"


    Wulv nodded before continuing his story, "After the creature dered on not wanting to be an enemy to us, it took off once again into the stormy snow, but she left a word before leaving ''I will be paying you kingdom a visit in the near future, I hope on being weed with an open arm''


    Wuly said as the pce fell into silence, which Maul broke by asking out loud "Is there a possibility of the creature being one of the things that fell from the sky''


    Wuly shook his head, "I don''t think so father, the way the creature moved and talked showed it wasn''t new to the area"


    Ilearing Wuly word, Maul sighed as he thought to himself "A creature that knows about mom, possibly other gods, but for whatever reason I have never heard of such creature not even from mom and dad''


    "We should have no need to worry about the creature for now, since it ns on paying us a visit in the near future, we should be ready for it then and things will be different then as the kingdom strength will have grown stronger then" Maul said to calm the elders who now looked ufortable in their seats.


    Hearing their king words seemed to calm them down as they all nodded vigorously, "Indeed the kingdom strength will be a lot stronger, it seems I have to put in more time learning of those powerful treasures, in order to quickly boost the kingdom strength" Erik thought to himself.


    Seeing everyone was back to normal, Maul nodded before asking "Apart from the elders and my son Wuly, has there been another werewolf that has broken through to the Celestial initiate stage"


    An elder named Lars who hasn''t spoken till now and was in charge of understanding the miracles from their goddess, it can be said this elder was one who led to the power system of the


    werewolves.


    "There hasn''t been any breakthrough yet my king, but I believe we will have a boom of members who will break through to the celestial initiate in the next full moon and celestial event"


    "ve you discovered the next stage after the celestial Initiate?" Maul asked intrigued.


    Different from Ikem, who was taking a different approach to his people power system, Maul and his people also created a power system that worked for them.


    It can be said that Maul and his people may have taken a simr path as Ikem but because of the environment and continent they lived on, their path diverged.


    Different from other continents, the Northern continent is a ce with a lot of snow and ice, the ice and snow were so much you would think most of the mountains found in this continent are made of .


    The extreme weather led to most elements notpatible with the area to stay away from it, meaning elements such as fire and earth are rarely found in this continent.


    That is not to say that such elements aren''t avable in the northern regions but it can only be found at the centre of the notorious continent which different from the snowy ins is a sunny ce and stretches for miles and this ce is where most humans have made their home as they can deal with the extreme icy weather and conditions.


    Now what this has to do with Maul and his people is that most werewolves are mostly born with an ice elemental attribute, some rarely are born with the wind attribute. One affinity which is alsoN?v(el)B\\jnn


    exclusive to werewolves is the moon affinity.


    Lars was one of the first werewolves that received grace from the statue of their goddess Mahu, after Maul requested that a power system should be created to enhance their people''s strength, at first it started with Maul exining to Lars his process of training which the same way Ikem was trained.


    At first the elder situation was the same as Wuly when Maul taught him, it took a while before the elder got started with his mana training, andpared to the apelings the werewolves have it easy when ites to mana training.


    Even though the element isn''t eager to move towards them the same way it does with the demigods, but because of the extreme snowy environment leading torge amount of ice elements, the werewolves don''t have to sort out the element they arepatible with instead they only have to focus on getting the ice elemental to move towards them.


    Maul seeing that the elder was able to get started was happy as that means the other werewolves can be trained in a simr way but then Lars said "my king, I feel like this way isn''t really bringing out the full strength of our werewolf race"


    Maul was intrigued as he asked "What do you have in mind


    Lars at the time took a while to gather his words before speaking "I was thinking if we are to create a system with our goddess at the centre of it all" Lars said as he pointed up to the glowing moon up in the sky.


    "We seem to be full of strength when the full moon shows its form, our strength increases, senses be sharper and we also enter a state where we fell our blood boiling, thankfully we are still capable of keeping our senses together, I was thinking what if we integrate this method into our power system"


    Maul, hearing that, thought for a while before agreeing, but at the same time the way of mana training was spread among the werewolves and their strength was increasing with a werewolf knowing about mana.


    This outrage of mana training led to a lot of geniuses in the way of mana training being discovered, to which Maul took action to gather these geniuses with elder Lars as the head where they all worked together to bring to life the idea Lars had in his head.


    One day a breakthrough was found when Lars and the whole werewolves pack prayed to the statue of their goddess under a full moon, like usual blessing came out from the statue which fell on him, but this time something was different as Lars felt that the blessing umted in his body led to a quality change as he began to feel closer to the moon where their goddess resides.


    This led him to stand up from his paring position which led to people looking at his as his action was in a way disrespecting their goddess and messing up their praying ritual, Lars didn''t min their expression but instead he looked up to the moon as howled out loud "I feel it, the goddess presence" With him howling, silver dots of light like stars appeared around him as he buffed up with his height increasing at the same time, he raised his hand with ice appearing in it taking whatever shape he wanted it to be, but soon immediately after the transformation wore off as he slumped to the


    ground.


    Maul ran to pick him up, which Lars tightly held Maul''s hand before whispering "I found the way my king'' and then he passed out.


    Whenrs woke up, he was surrounded by everyone ready to hear how he achieve the result, Lars got himself together before speaking " We have may have been using this goddess blessing the wrong way, instead of using the blessing for making our weapons stronger for hunting, we are


    supposed to let the blessing umte which will then lead to a quality change, which you saw what happened"


    "After the change, I feel a constant small connection to the moon in the sky, which i know with each improvement the connection will be stronger" Lars said as he looked at his paws before clenching them.


    Maul nodded hearing Lars word, "What about your mana, is there any difference"


    Hearing that the elder immediately sat down as he looked inside to see elements now surrounding what he assumes to be the blessing of their goddess, wanting to see if there more changes Lars tried attracting the elemental around him to towards himself but nothing changed he still had to convince the element to move toward him but then he looked at the blessing inside of him.


    A thought came to Lars which he acted on immediately, the silver blessing soon surrounded his figure, at the same time he tried absorbing the mana element around him, he expression soon changed as he felt the element easily moving towards him as soon as he makes contact with but soon he grimaced as he felt the blessing rapidly wearing away showing that this state can''tst for long. This was how the werewolf created their own power system, which for now has four stage namely called: The Moonlit Novices, in this stage the werewolf undergoes a symbolic initiation ceremony under the statue of the goddess and full moon, where the pledge allegiance to the moon goddess, in this stage you are granted minimal control over ice maniption and exhibit physical attributes in the expense of your mana and saved blessing.

 Chapter 80

    ?Chapter80


    As for the training method, at night when the moon is out you are to use the new connection to connect with the goddess to absorb moonlight which is the blessing normally given away by the goddess and during the day is your basic mana training. The enhanced statests for 1 minute at the full mastery of this stage.


    The next stage is what is called the Lunar Adept: This stage is when the werewolf gains experience and long exposure to the moonlight, now they no longer have to be connected to the goddess to absorb moonlight. During the night, ice maniption bes more refined, allowing for the creation of intricate structures and controlled elemental attacks, the senses and agility greatly improves. The training method is not much different from the first, butbat scenarios are added to refine ice maniption as the enhanced state nowsts for 10 minutes.


    The third stage which most elders are now in is called the Celestial initiate: This stage is quite intriguing as in this stage, the werewolf uses its connection to the study of the night sky, identifying constetions and understanding their influence on lunar energies. This stage is marked by the ability to draw power not just from the moon but also from other celestial bodies which is now called by the werewolf constetion augmentation. The requirement for this stage is to journey to specific locations aligned with celestial events to enhance their connection with the broader cosmic energies, most werewolves gain a different understanding of the constetion from these celestial events. The three main ones are the Celerity constetion which enables the werewolf with an enhanced speed burst; The other being the Aegis constetion which enables the werewolf with the ability of shielding Radiance and thest one being the Luna veil constetion which enables the user with moonlit Invisibility. It is important to note that one can onlyprehend one constetion ability.


    As for the fourth stage, no one has advanced to it yet to understand the changes and how it truly works, this was how the werewolf figured out a system that worked for them which is why they were able to quickly build up an ice pce and homes immediately after the moved from their previous settlement.


    Maul was intrigued when he learn of the different stage of the werewolves created, he also wanted to change his own system to their but found out that it was impossible after all he himself has already advanced to the fourth stage which he already decide on the path that worked for him so all he has to do now is to continue on that.


    Wuly his son changed system immediately which led to the third stage where heprehended a constetion no one had gotten before which was Draco''s insight constetion that granted him the ability of tactical intuition.


    Once Maul got Knowledge of the ability Wulv got, he immediately handed over the leadership of army and their training to his son, which led to Maul now fully focusing on leading his people.


    Back to Maul asking Lars If he had discovered the next stage in the power system, "There is a theory about the next stage my king, but the mastery of the celestial initiate has to be reached before thoughts of how the next stage will bees up"


    Maul nodded hearing the answer, before looking over to Wuly, ''Son pick out soldiers who feels that their chance of breaking through the next stage ising, hand them over to Elder Lars he knows well the best way to prepare for their promotion ritual''


    "Understood" Wuly said while nodding.


    "This meeting is over for now; everyone already knows what they need to be doing. I am hoping next meeting will be us focus on expanding our reach further in this northern part Maul said as everyone


    stood up from the sets crafted with ice while bowing their head towards him.


    Maul was soon left alone ice the lee Hall of his pce, but different from his normal warm look, his eyes now hold a cold chill to it. He had a hand on his chin, at the same time with his other hand tapping the handle of his ice-cold throne which caused a constant ticking sound in the quiet pce. "Humans and now unknown creature, Interesting I wonder how well they will fare when faced with my icy power'' Maul thought to himself as a cloud of cold air left his mouth turning into small ice parts that fell on to his white fur.


    Different from Ikem who merged with Bara in his fourth stage causing his ability to mutate a bit, when Maul was faced with the question of what ice was to him. He had no hesitation to answer that ice meant a cold death to his enemy, but merely freezing their col body wasn''t enough for him he wanted whoever was his enemy to fell the through nature of cold body in physical and spiritual form.


    The lee element inside of him agree with his answer which caused his advancement into the fourth stage where he now bears the power to freeze even the soul of his enemy, at the same time those souls frozen is tethered to him always bearing the constant piercing cold of his power.


    "Whatever that creature is, it better behave. I don''t mind adding a new pet to my collection" Saying that a huge corporal wolf appeared beside Maul, around the corporal wolf were the shivering souls that fell under the Maul ice power.


    Meanwhile on the sunny side of the northern part, the humans have been in a constant war with each other since the treasure fell from the sky and they gained a taste of supernatural power. The war has been ongoing for over three months now.


    The forest and surrounding looked even more damaged than it was after the rain of meteorite, human corpse is littered around dismembered, some showed signed of being burned, while some looks like they were drowned in water and others looked they have been sucked dried as they held on to their heart.


    Flies can be seen buzzing around dead bodies, bring about disgusting smells. Luckily the ongoing war finally stopped at the expanse of a lot of humans, the oue of this war led to three big tribe being the leaders over this sunnynd.


    The three tribes-maintained a month worth of journey distance between each other, a lot of tribes has been subjugated during this war leading to the tribes each having thousands of humans under them.


    One of the head leaders of the three big tribe was Bj?rn, who now has big rumour spreading about in all the tribes together. The rumour stated that he was bitten when he was out with his men gathering treasures.


    Whatever has bitten him gave him supernatural powers and it is a well-known fact that he is the strongest human in the sunny ce, stronger than the other two leaders. It can be said that if the other two leaders weren''t in hold of powerful weapons, they couldn''t have stopped Bj?rn from being the one true ruler of the sunny side.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The two were able to use their weapons to fend off Bj?rn but they knew this won''t hold him off for long which is why the two leaders formed an alliance which caused Bj?rn to halt his attack. Now the question is how Bj?rn alone was able to be such a problem even though the two leaders have capable men equipped with good weapons around. It all starts with the weirdness of the people led by Bj?rn, unlike the normal humans with powerful weapons, Bj?rn men showed unnatural strength than humans should be capable of.


    If the two leaders were leading men with weapons to fight, Bj?rn can be said to be leading men with


    or without weapons, as they are able to overpower those with weapons and grab the weapons from them.


    On the side of the tribe lead by Bj?rn, an unruly sight can be seen taking ce with men pinning women down out in the open; human boy parts can be seen roasted over a fire with some humans with red eyes eagerly looking at the meat waiting for it to be cooked.


    No houses can be seen on sight, only humansying around everywhere, some sping their weapons tightly as they fell asleep. At this unruly ce was a tent, decorated with human head, at the same time beside the tentys a rubble of stone which upon closer look shows a resemnce to the statue worshipped by the werewolves.


    Onemon trait among the humans that resides in this area was how different they lookedpared to most humans, their tall height, huge body size and muscles that seems like it''s threating to rip out from under their skin, their eyes and expression shows how close to being sane they really


    are.

 Chapter 81

    ?Chapter81


    Inside of the tent found on this site was Bj?rn who sat in a throne made on human''s bones, traces of skin and meat being picked off can be seen on the bones as some patches on skin can be seen left on some bones.


    Bj?rn''s appearance can be said to be unrecognisable from his previous looks, physical changes such as darkening of the skin, subtle alterations in facial features, Increased height andrge muscles. While sitting in his bone throne, Bj?rn massage his head with a look of confusion in his eyes, He has been in this condition since he was pushed back by the other two leaders, before that he felt like he was in a deep sleep and now just woke up to see that everyone in his tribe has changed, even he himself and not only that he was confused on how the number of his tribe got this huge.


    "This situation has been this way since I got bit by that mosquito at the crash site'' Bj?rn thought to himself, as that was when he began have a few changes like his emotions being out of control, a small anger turns into rage, and when he lusts for a woman, he loses everymon sense.


    Thest thing he could remember was how confident he felt when he was when he saw the weapons his tribe manage to gather, with that he imagined himself being the sole king of the sunny side, but he was still rational to know that his tribe wasn''t the only one that got good loots.


    So, be snuffed out his dream of conquering or so he thought. From the moment the thought on conquering got into his mind, the demon skin that got into his body saw this as an opportunity toplete take over his new human host, so every night from then on Bj?rn was faced with dream of thousand on people kneeling under his feet, with countless women around him.


    At first his dream was bearable, but it got to the level he even killed the vige head to everyone surprise as he wanted to fill what it was like being a leader, the new position lessened the brunt of the dream but after a week of him being a leader, it got worse he wanted more and that was his first. step to disaster and when he could no suppress his emotion and gave in and attacked the neighbouring tribe.


    Bj?rn could hardly remember what happened when he took his people to attack the tribe, everything went dark and the next thing he knew was him standing with an axe realising dark smoke and around him was corpse of people he knew and those he didn''t, he remembered the look his men and everyone around gave him when he looked at them "Fear"


    That was the beginning of his long dream, as with every new tribe he attacked, the more he could hardlye back to his sense. The demon took control of Bj?rn when he could no longer supress himself, the demon doesn''t have its full consciousness, but it knows that it wanted to cause destruction and disorder everywhere.


    It knew that this is something the abyss will like, so with taking over Bj?rn it brough chaos wherever it went. The demon was feeling confident as with every human it killed and drained of their blood, the more it felt itself recovering and this started to show in Bj?rn physical appearance as his white darkened and looked ashy, his height increased, his selera darkened, and his pupil turned red. With every fight and human it killed, it felt it''s body slowly bing whole.


    But his confidence ended when he went back to Bj?rn tribe settlement, with the humans it captured. As soon as the demon walked into the settlement. Its step halted as it looked wearily at the statue of the Mahu it found in the settlement.


    "A god?" The demon thought to itself, it never urred to the demon that this world has a god in it as none of the humans it has met were using abilities except for the magical weapons they got their hands on which the demon thought that the humans of this world was quite lucky to get such good things from the child of Kaos.


    The demon felt that if the weapon was the only thing the human of this world has, then taking over this world was something that will be easy for it and its other counterpart. But now Infront of it is a proof that taking over this world won''t be easy.


    The demon took steps back and never dared walk into settlement, "Have I been in the sight of this god, this whole time" The demon thought to itself as it walked backward, but soon its step stopped as it looked at the statue.


    "Why isn''t it reacting'' The demon thought to itself as it looked at the statue, it knew the presence of a foreign body should have been felt by the goddess the moment it took a step into the settlement but now that he was retreating the statue has made any move to stop it.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Hey, you" The demon pointed at one of his human soldiers. The human pointed out was shaking in his ce in fear as it wanted nothing to do with this demon who has taken over their leader. The people of Bj?rn tribe understood that something was wrong with him the moment the demon took over as they knew that the behaviour exhibited by the demon was something Bj?rn their tribe best hunter would do.


    The human pointed out tremblingly walked toward the possessed Bj?rn, as soon as he got close Bj?rn took him by the throat lifting him above the ground and said "Destroy that statue over there" before throwing the human towards the statue.


    Bj?rn controlled his strength to make sure that the human never hits the statue in case he attracts the anger of this goddess worshipped by these humans, the human fell below the statue as he looked back with fear at Bj?rn who only threw his axe towards the human and gestured for him to take it down.


    The human swallowed the word that wanted toe out of his mouth and picked up the axe before looking at the statue with a look of sadness, the human understood that this statue was what made sure that n was well fed and the only thing they had to do was bow there head a few times and pray sincerely for a blessing, now this demon wants them to take down the statue.


    The human looked around the settlement to see the look of the women and children looking at him with fear in their eyes, they also understood the importance of the statue to them. Looking back at the demon, a firm look came over the human "I don''t want to die in the hand of that thing" The human whispered to himself before striking at the statue, the axe easily dug into the statue crafted with stones. The demon watched wearily as the human chipped away at the statue before bringing it down.


    The human happy with his job done looked back the demon to see that the demon was not paying him no mind but was instead looking around wearily and looking up to the sky. The demon looked around to see if a punishment would strike the human, but nothing happened after a while. "It seems my guess was right. The demon thought to itself as it walked into the settlement. "This god didn''t respond probably because of two reasons, its either dead or probably asleep, but my guess will be asleep judging from the reaction of the humans in this settlement" The demon thought as it reached and took over the axe it handed to the human before shing at the human dividing him in


    two.


    Sitting down at the rubble of the statue, the demon began thinking to itself. "If there is one god, then there is also another. It seems my thought of simply going on a rampage will have to change, what will the main conciousness do in this situation"


    Looking at the humans standing stunned in their ce, the demon gestured for them to move on with their works and gestured for his men and those captured to walk into the settlement. Meanwhile, at the back of the team of those captured by Bj?rn and his men. A bit away from there was a shadow hiding, the shadow showed a human with a gold ne on and in his hand was an


    instrument resembling a binocr.


    The human was able, with the help of the binocrs see what was happening near the settlement and seeing the demon hesitation the human knew he found something good and useful, and from the human shaking breath, it can be seen how excited he was.

 Chapter 82

    ?Chapter82


    This human is from the other side of the sunny side, a human who managed to escape was able to bring information of an ashy demon going around killing and enving people, if that was all the humans would have never paid it no mind, what got their attention was how the supposed demon was moving closer to their own territory, like the demon wasn''t happy with thend and tribes it conquered.


    Scouts were sent out once they received information about the demon but none of the scouts were able to make it back as the demon somehow as able to spot them and kill them, that was when the One of the leaders offered to use a treasure his n found which was the ne this human had on, the person wearing the ne gain the ability to hide their breath that they can even use it to get close to magical creatures an off them with the creature knowing that anyone was near them. That still wasn''t enough guarantee for the two leaders, so they found the binocrs, to which the human can use to observe from afar rather than getting close to the demon, so with these two treasures the human scout has been following Bj?rn in his ughter journey and asionally sending back information and now this human saw something crucial that may be able to deter the demon away from them.


    Meanwhile The demon possessing Bj?rn was now perplexed as its thought was preupied with the thought of gods being in this world, ''I will need an army, this is something I can no longer do alone, or maybe I should seek out the other body parts, that way I can quickly regain my strength''


    The demon shook his head at the thought "Seeking the other skin isn''t a good choice, they won''t just allow me to assimte with them willingly, I myself wouldn''t want to be assimted either, it really is a different feeling having a whole full body and a thought of my own besides, besides if I am the one to offer the abyss this world, i would have no need for the main consciousness'' A big scary grin came upon the demon face at the thought of bing a full whole abyss demon of its own.


    "Looks like I will have to make my own army" The demon thought to itself as it sat up from the stone rubble before walking to Bj?rn tent while gesturing at the few leaders of the settlement to join him. The possessed Bj?rn sat in his tent with the co-leaders looking ufortable in their seat as they have no idea on why this creature that took over their leader wanted.


    The demon not minding the fear of the human around him disyed, looked coldly at them, "You all are gathered here for a quick message and job I need you all to aplish immediately


    "First, pick among yourself which one will lead a group to go out hunting for those magical creatures, bring back the whole corpse of every magical creature you have hunted. You are to continue doing that until I have said that it is enough"


    "As for the rest, dig up a big pool and have the women fill it up with water'' The demon said as he looked at the humans.


    The tent was quite for a while as no one responded, one of the human men manged to speak out "Umm, Bj?rn I don''t think we can do what you just said besides even if we can, we will lose a lot of men in the process"


    Bj?rn showed no reaction to what the human said, but he adjusted himself into his seat as he coldly spat out "I am sure, I never asked for your opinion and i wasn''t asking it was an order"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Also, you'' Bj?rn said as he pointed at the human that spoke up. "Since you are worried about how many will die in the process, make sure that you are one of those that died else you will meet a painful death in my hands"


    The tent fell silent again as Bj?rn said nothing, but everyone immediately stood up from the seat to immediately go do what was required of them, as for the human that spoke up he was still frozen in his seat breathing heavily.


    "I will blink, make sure you aren''t in my eyesight when my eye opens up'' Bj?rn said out loud particrly to no one, but the frozen human immediately stumbled from his seat as he ran out from the tent.


    After the tent was empty again, Bj?rn with a mad look in his eyes sniffed the air but was left. disappointed. "So much fear in the air, yet I can''t do nothing with them'' Bj?rn looked down at his ashy body.


    "Not enough, this body need to be transformed more, i can''t even eat the souls of the humans that I have killed now I am also being depraved from feeding from fear, after this ceremony, I have to continue my ughter, a lot of blood and flesh is needed for further changes" Bj?rn thought to himself with a mad look in his eyes.


    The reason, the possessed Bj?rn asked for the human to gather magical beast corpse was because he wanted to create an army, this way of creating an army has its own advantage and disadvantage which is that the people transformed in the process will have a lot mental problem, like decrease IQ, acting like beast and having an unusual taste for flesh and blood, as for the advantage, the process is quick and if you have enough strong will to hold own the crazy thought, then congrattion you are weed into the stage of those who can be stronger.


    So, in a way, the demon was helping the humans by introducing to them a new system of power. As for the consequences, it is up to the humans to bear. If possible, the demon would rather sacrifice every human in this settlement to the abyss in exchange for abyssal demon who would act like his soldiers.


    But the demon doesn''t really trust its own race, especially that there is a chance of the sacrifice attracting the attention of a stronger demon, who won''t hesitate to kill him off at his now weakened state and take over job of taking over this world.


    Still this ceremony still has a risk of its own as it needs for him to introduce leak a bit of the abyss breath into the ceremony and that is also a risk of its own as any demon can pinpoint on that and gain ess to this world.


    The human who walked out of the tent immediately gathered together, one of the humans who is Bj?rn blood brother spoke up. "How do we do this, I volunteer to lead the hunting team as I am the best we have after my brother''


    One of the humans, spoke up "f, are you really nning on following that demon''s words, I hope you know that isn''t your brother any longer"


    "Yes f, why don''t we use this opportunity to run, the demon surely can''t keep any eye on us from inside the tent" Another human chimed in.


    f, Bj?rn brother spoke up with a serious expression on his face ''I know that is no longer my brother, I would ratherply with the demon words that to disobey it. We can we run to if we escape, how long do you think it will take for that demon to conquer the whole sunny ce, no one has even managed to put up a fight against that thing''


    "Even if we manage to run out from the sunny ce, what awaits us is the cold icy weather when we won''t evenst a whole day before turning into ice, no ce is safe for us so I would rather follow that demon and have a ce to sleep and eat than being in a continuous run and fear of my life" f said as he walked out from the group to pick out men who will go hunt with him.


    As for the humans he left behind, they all just stood in ce with a look of thinking in their eyes, "He''s right, following that demon is better than being against him, I would rather not be in the state of Finn over there" One of the humans said as he pointed at Finn who was the one sentenced to


    death by Bj?rn.


    The group all looked at Finn, before they all shuddered at the same time, before sprinting away to Join f and immediately dig up the pool required of them.


    As for Finn, he stood outside the tent while whispering to himself ''I don''t want to die, I don''t want to die" Continuously over and over again until something seemed to snap inside of him as he began running out from the settlement while screaming "I don''t want to die"

 Chapter 83

    ?Chapter83


    The whole settlement looked weirdly at Finn''s figure as the they shook their head at the craziness before going back to minding their business, whatever reason that got him acting like that, no one was ready to find out.


    A team was formed with Bj?rn as the leader, in the hands of the hunter were the magical weapons they tribe gathered from the ns they have conquered, the team also consist of the prisoners they have captured in hope of using them as a bait and giving the hunters a chance at offing whatever creature they meet.


    The team set off, while the other behind immediately began digging up the soil while informing the women to go and fetch water. f and his men were cautiously walking in the forest, but they have been moving for a while now, yet they haven''te across any creature yet.


    One of the hunters spoke out "f, we might need to change our approach on letting these creaturese find us, instead we should go look for them else we don''t have any chance onpleting the order of that demon"


    "Damn it, I should have joined the team left for digging up pools'' Another hunter chimed in as he is regretting joining f team as now there is a chance of them notpleting the goal required of them.


    Meanwhile f is silent in thought. "The forest has been pretty much barren since the rain of fire; animals can be rarely found lying around or patrolling like they used to. It never really bothered us as we have been feeding from the food captured from defeated tribes"


    "But it still shouldn''t be like this as animals also need food so where the hell are they?" f thought to himself while looking at his panicking team.


    "Quite down everybody, there is still a chance ofpleting the mission. The best trackers in the team should all work together to find the tracks left by the animals, the animals also need to hunt and feed. Thee routine and ways may have changed because of the rain of fire but it still hasn''t changed the fact that they need to hunt, so all we need to do is find the tracks''


    Everyone quieted down hearing f word, before nodding and quickly pointing out the best tracker, soon with the trackers help they managed to find a track which they all happily and eagerly went after, forgetting the fact that there may be anger ahead.


    Even f himself wasn''t on his guard as he was too eager to follow the track, for everyone in this team right now, a track means there is a chance of the the wrath of the demon waiting for them.


    A cave, a bit far away from the hunter''s group, a brown bear can be seenying down inside of the cave, around the bear was the bones of animals it hunted. Some of these bones bear simr appearance to a human.


    The bear was sleeping cosily in the cave when all of a sudden, its nose twitched as it caught a scent, they bear didn''t react but only shifted a little bit but soon the bear noticed the scent was getting closer and there were too many of this scent.


    The bear opened its eyes to look outside of the cave but saw nothing, for some reason the bear didn''t move but was only looking at the sky with fear, like something scary was up there waiting for it at the same time the bear was also a bit weirded out as it was thinking to itself that no other animal should be out at this time especially after the rain of fire.


    The bear lied in silence while looking outside the cave soon the scent got close enough and surely a bunch of humans appeared in sight, with some of them naked and bare footed, while some had a nt weaved together to cover them up but one thing the humans had inmon was that they all


    were wielding a weapon.


    Soon the human approached the cave, a caught sight of something in it looking at them. Normally the humans should have been scared of such sight but this time they all were pointing at the bear in happiness.


    "Hahaha, we found one'' the humans screamed out once theyid an eye of the bear, one of the trackers in happiness of finding a creature and having a chance of not dying at the demon''s hand forgot to fear the beast in front of it.


    "Ahhhh" A scream rang out from the cave causing the human celebrating to stop and looked at the cave where a furred hand was holing one of the trackers, everyone with a hitched breath watched as a huge head came out from the cave as the furred hand brought the captured human closer and, in their eyes, bit the human in half while throwing the other half away.


    The hunters slowly retreated as the bear walked out from the cave, one of the hunters dropped his weapon as he put a hand over his mouth with fear all over his eyes. The bear that appeared was huge, it wasn''t even standing up, yet it towered over everyone here and to add to the scary sight was the blood dripping from the bear''s mouth.


    "Roaaar" Almost like a signature the human went into panic as everyone even f began screaming in fear, some dropping their weapon and even trying to run away.


    The bear not knowing why things are still moving at this time of the day but one thing it knows is that its territory is being invaded and it has to defend, as soon as the human dropped their weapons the bear immediately rushed at them.


    Everyone was taken back by the sight as they all were scattering trying to get far away as possible, the bear killed two humans and was about to get on its third target when the human screaming pointed the sword he was holding at the rushing bear when all of a sudden the weapons burst a me causing the bear to halt while looking wearily at the me.


    f about to rush into the forest looked back to see this scene which caused him to stop as he thought to himself "We have hance" Thinking of that. f immediately screamed out loud while pointing at the human holding a ming sword "Everyone gather together we have a chance, the bear is afraid of mes''


    Everyone running looked back to see the sight of the bear staying away from the mes, halting their step, they all go their selves together before walking back toward f.


    "Everyone with me enchanted weapon should work together to deter the bear while the rest will focus on taking down the bear" f made a n quickly as everyone regrouped.


    There was still doubt about f words, but the hunter stilled agree to it and with that four-hunter stepped forward with each holding a weapon, and with a tightened hold the weapons burst a me, the four-hunter walked cautiously closer to the bear joining the hunter who has been holding off the bear this whole time and with the hunter they formed a circle trapping the bear.


    The bear, still wary of the mes, circled cautiously, searching for an opening. Its massive form loomed, but the hunters held still as proof was showing that the big bear was now sacred of them. f, wielding his axe, led the charge toward the bear with the remaining hunters, their weapons raised, and determination etched on their faces while roaring at the same time. The ming sword-wielders all took a step forward, causing the bear to retreat further from the mes.


    As the bear hesitated, the hunters and f seized the opportunity. They closed in, attacking from all sides. Axe with lightning dancing around it, swords with frost air around, all swung with precision. The hunters with ming weapons continued to dance around the bear, keeping it at bay.


    The bear, realizing the danger it was in, roared in frustration. It swiped its massive paw, knockingn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    one of the ming weapons out of a hunter''s hand at the same time sent him flying out. This caused the other me wielders to scream out in fear and tightening their hold on their weapon which caused mes on the weapon to be bigger, but that came with a price as the humans can be seen quickly losing mass.


    f took note of that as he quickly shouted "Keep it up! We''ve got it cornered. Don''t let it break through the fire!"


    This encouraged the other hunters to also sacrifice their own life force as their weapons grew stronger The hunters pressed on, their coordinated efforts proving effective. The bear, weakened and disoriented, struggled against the onught. The ming weapons continued to be a crucial deterrent, preventing the bear fromunching a full counterattack.

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84


    The bear fearing its end roared out loud, with a magical light surrounding it, and soon after in the eyes of f and the hunters, a replica of the bear appeared in the circle. The replica immediately swipes at one of the hunters, but nothing happened as the w went through the human showing that it was just an Illusion.


    f''s eyes narrowed as he realized they were dealing with more than a simple huge bear. "Hold your ground, everyone! It seems this bear has some tricks up its fur."


    The bear using the small chance it created rushed out from the circle, this seemed to be thest straw from the me wielders as they all fell to the group looking drained.


    f realizing that this was bad, wanted to ask the hunters to retreat when from nowhere a golden arrow flew towards head of the bear, easily getting into it anding out from the other side.


    f and the other hunters stood astounded as Finn walked out from his hiding while holden onto a beautifully crafted arrow, it can see that the hand use to draw the arrow was sucked dry like a mummy, but Finn didn''t seem to care as he walked towards the bear while muttering "I don''t want to die"


    The bear figure halted after the arrow went through its head before falling with arge thud to the ground. f and the hunters immediately let go of their weapon before they are sucked dry as they all ran towards Finn.


    "Finn, you saved us" f and the hunter screamed out as they ran to Finn, but Finn showed no outward reaction as he bypassed them while walking towards the bear and pointing at it while looking at everyone with a crazed eyes "This prey is mine alone"


    This halted the hunters as they looked at Finn, "It seems you have lost it Finn, that belongs to Bj?rn not you" One of the hunters spoke out.


    "Exactly, this is my offering to my Him. I killed this prey, so I am the one to offer this prey to him" Finn said as he raised his bow showing that he was ready to defend the bear.


    "Wow, Hold on a minute Finn. We agree this prey is your and you can offer it to Bj?rn yourself but what if you could offer this bear and more to him, you work together with us we can find prey that will greatly satisfy him" f said while sincerely looking at Finn. Finn seems to like f word as he took his bow down while putting his head down in thought, " Indeed, if I find more and stronger prey for him. It will greatly please him to keep me alive" Finn nodded to show his agreement.


    Meanwhile f was thinking to himself "I thought so, He''s doing this for a chance to survive and keep his life"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Okay, let''s take back this bear to the settlement since it won''t be safe leaving it here for any creature thates across it" f said as the hunters, even though tired all worked together to carry the huge bear corpse back.


    That was how, f, Finn and the hunters worked together to find creatures, while downing them and bring them back to the settlement, the sun quickly fell turning day into night, a few shadows can be seen carrying something big while slowly but steadily walking to the Bj?rn settlement.


    As soon as the shadows got into the lighting from the camp light in the settlement, a scary sight came into view, with a bunch of dried mummies looking human carrying a huge tiger corpse while walking towards a small heap that can be shown to be the corpse of killed animals.


    After the mummies dropped the tiger and was about to walk back into the forest, a booming voice came from Bj?rn tent. "That''s enough, rest and prepare yourselves for the ritual"


    Hearing the words, f, Finn and the small men left all dropped down like puppet no longer held by a thread, seeing there tired figured the women rushed towards with each carrying a steaming bowl in hand.


    f and the men didn''t even say a word as they downed the content in the bowl not minding the scorching heat as they roared out "More please" The women didn''t mind as more food and drinks were offered to f and his men so they were full but still couldn''t move as they all looked up to the night sky.


    "We survived; we really survived all that" f said out loud to no one but himself.


    No one responded but chuckles could be heard from the group of men looking up to the skies. So, a loud snoring sound came from the group showing that they all fell asleep.


    The women and other looked at them sleeping and left them there since they have been overworking themselves all day.


    "f, wake up" f in his sleep could hear someone screaming out his name and at the same time shaking him.


    Soon f opened his eyes to see a group of people hovering over him "What is it" f asked with anger evidence in his voice.


    "Bj?rn requested we all get into the pool immediately "One of the hunters who was awake by this time spoke up.


    Hearing the word Bj?rn, f immediately stood up while pushing everyone aside while muttering to himself "You could have started with that"


    Soon f and the hunter got to the pool that was dug out, because no right procedure was followed the pool was dirty and muddy, but that didn''t change nothing as people was filling up the pool, f even noticed that someone one of them was those they had captured.


    "Stop gawking and get into the pool" f and the hunter heard the familiar scary voice speaking from behind them. Not even bothering to look back they all jumped into the


    pool.


    Meanwhile Finn stood his ground as he looked back to Bj?rn who was now also staring at him with an amused expression on his face, "You disobeyed my words" Bj?rn asked while walking closer towards Finn.


    "I don''t want to die; I don''t want to die" Finn kept muttering to himself as Bj?rn got closer to him. When Bj?rn got closer Finn immediately noticed the height difference as he had to look up to be able to meet Bj?rn dark red eyes.


    Immediately kneeling, Finn desperately thought of ways to save himself, so he spoke out loud with shaky voice "Bj?rn please I don''t want to die, I am a lot more useful to you alive than dead"


    "Ask them, if not for me they won''t have made it back to deliver all those animals you requested, I even had the most kills. Please Bj?rn" Finn cried out loud with his body


    shaking as tears and snort left his face.


    Meanwhile Bj?rn heard Finn word and looked over to f and the hunters who


    immediately took their heads down, acknowledging the truth in Finn''s word.


    "Humans and their terrifying potential" Bj?rn thought to himself as he looked back down


    to the kneeling Finn.


    "I wasn''t really expecting them to get back the required amount, yet they did even though it came with a price" Bj?rn thought to himself while looking at the damaged body of Finn and f.


    Finn in his kneeling position saw Bj?rn''s feet walking away from him, but before he could raise his head. he heard Bj?rn voice "Get in the pool, if your result after the ritual satisfies me then you get to live"


    Hearing that, Finn wanted to jump and scream out loud, but he quietly stood up with his head down and got into the pool.


    Bj?rn walked toward the heap of dead animals where a small ritual ground had been set. up with fire sticksid out in different positions. Swiftly, Bj?rn, with his axe, took off the heads of the animals. At the same time, he cut his hand, causing thick purple blood to flow down to the ground as he walked to the centre of the small ritual ground. From the centre where he stood, red light bloomed from his feet as he started muttering unknown words. The more and louder he spoke, the brighter the light became.


    As for the people in the pool, they immediately began holding onto their ears when Bj?rn started speaking the unknown words. The louder Bj?rn spoke, the more diforted they felt, and soon the pool was filled with the screams of humans desperately scratching their ears.


    The red light under Bj?rn''s feet soon took the shape of a magical circle, where a small


    whirlpool formed, causing the blood from the animals to be sucked into it. Soon after, the small whirlpool began spewing out purple blood, which flowed toward the pool from a small drainage connecting to it.


    As soon as the purple blood mixed with the muddy water, it began spreading out, and soon the entire pool turned purple. As for Bj?rn, he immediately stopped talking when the whole pool''s colour changed, and his wound immediately healed. The red light and whirlpool began dimming and closing out.

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85


    While the whirlpool was closing Bj?rn was holding onto his axe while looking seriously at the whirlpool, the closer the whirlpool was to closing. The more tense Bj?rn got, soon the whirlpool closed offpletely causing Bj?rn to let out a deep breath.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    As soon as the portal closed Bj?rn looked over to the humans into pool, who by now was no longer standing upright but twitching from the paining with their transformation at the same time struggling from being drowned in the water.


    Watching this scene, Bj?rn let go of Axe in hind hand as he looked up to the night sky with arms spread apart, the sound of pain and suffering all round him "This is the sound, I have missed this sound of misery"


    Bj?rn had a look of joy in face as he closed his eyes to full take in the sound around him, soon the sound of pain ended, and the pool was just full full of human bodies floating around not making any movement.


    The ritual Bj?rn did was a ritualmonly known among demons who doesn''t want to use abyssal demons as soldiers, so they create one of their own, the catalyst for this ritual is the blood of magical creatures.


    Abyss demon and most creatures have a thing inmon which is their animalistic features of horns, ws, tails and eyes. So, in this ritual the animal''s blood in absorbed into the abyss where the animal''s essence is infused deeply with the abyss breath which is then spit out which is the purple blood that filled up the pool.


    As for why the pool was necessary, it is to dilute the effect for the humans, because if it''s not diluted, it which achieve the opposite effect which is it will kill every human here and if they managed to survive, they will turn into an uncontroble abomination which will look like a fusion of every creature blood used in the ritual.


    Bj?rn watched as the still floating body, began changing in his eyes, the before normal body began filling up like it was being pumped with air, the purple water also began diluting soon the before dirty pool turned in to a clear water.


    It didn''t take long before the humans filling the pool all stood up as they looked down at their body, clenching and opening their arms as they feel the power running rampant inside of them.


    Bj?rn meanwhile was paying attention to something else, as he looked closely at their expression and eyes to see if anyone of them was able to keep their sanity as this was one of the major cons of this ritual which is that most transformed people be less human and more like animals, only a special few manages to keep their senses.


    Bj?rn got what he was looking for as he looked over to Bj?rn and the hunters. Bj?rn and the hunters now have also changed their look as there before thin mummified body now looked even better and more powerful, what Bj?rn appreciated the most was in their eyes he was able to see sanity.


    Bj?rn thought they even looked better as their eyes have something more in it which was savagery.


    "Hmmm" Bj?rn thought to himself as a human walked out from the pool and was calmly walking towards them, looking at Finn who was now almost as tall as him.


    Bj?rn said nothing as Finn knelt on knee before "Did I meet your requirement Bj?rn Bj?rn said nothing as he looked over to f and the hunters, before gesturing at them toe over, soon f and the others got out from the pool. as for the other humans in the pool, there was still a look of confusion on their face, but they were also slowlying out from the pool.


    "Your names is now something I think you are qualified for me to know" Bj?rn said as he looked at Finn, f and the other hunters.


    Finn spoke out first before f answered, soon the five other hunters announced their names "Johan, Sigmund, Hans, Otto and Ralph


    Bj?rn nodded hearing the names "You seven are now the co-leaders of this settlement, divide among yourselves the transformed humans, we are going on a conquering journey" Bj?rn said as a scary smile came upon his face, the other seven leaders felt their blood boiling as the sane look on their face disappeared as they also began smiling eerily like Bj?rn.


    This was how Bj?rn, and his men turned into a nightmare for the people on the sunny side as with every tribe the conquered and ritual performed, they stronger they grew which pushed other two leader to form an alliance which halted Bj?rn in his steps and causing him to move back to his settlement.


    Bj?rn massaged his head as he recalled all this memory, "Last thing he remembered was himself screaming at the two leaders on how one of them managed to gain possession a purification de and the other got one annoying shield he couldn''t get through"


    "If those two never had those weapons, I would have gotten full control of this human The demon inside of Bj?rn said out loud to itself. In Bj?rn obsession and with a maniption of the demon inside him, Bj?rn signed an unknown contract which was thepletion of his desire to be the sole leader of the sunny side in exchange for full control of his body and soul.


    The demon would havepleted the contract but got stopped which was what led to Bj?rn gaining back control of his senses and body. Deep inside the essence of Bj?rn soul a demon can be seen sitting inside of it, this demon looked weird as its body was missing a lot of parts but somehow it was alive, closing its eyes the demon said "It will take time, but I will soon get full control of this body"


    Meanwhile, Bj?rn stood up from the bone throne he was sitting on, looking at the throne. Bj?rn found out weirdly he isn''t disturbed by the sight instead was thinking on how the throne was crafted well.


    Shaking his head at that, Bj?rn walked out from his tent to meet a scene straight from


    hell, smell of blood everywhere. Men fucking women, some holding a human thigh and eating it, weirdly in this sense were children hurdled together with malnourished skin and nk look in their eyes as they looked at the pandemonium in front of them. Bj?rn was taking in the sight with his hand holding his head, he thought to himself "Something is wrong, I should be feeling something else in this sight but somehow i am only angry on how disorganized the chaos is"


    Just like his throne, Bj?rn felt like there was a beauty missing in the scene in front of him, the children shouldn''t have been pushed to the point of this nk look, Bj?rn thought to himself "It would have been better if the children were crying and had the light of unattainable hope in their eyes"


    Bj?rn expression changed as soon as he thought of that, causing him to take a step back in fear, "What the hell is wrong with me"


    "Stop, everyone should stop with this degeneracy" Bj?rn screamed out at the top of his voice, which took effect as everyone looked at Bj?rn position and seeing the angry look on his face, they all stopped as no one wanted to anger the demon.


    The whole settlement was silent except for the few cries of women here and there, soon the seven co-leaders walked up to Bj?rn as they knelt down "What is your order master"


    "Master?" Bj?rn thought to himself as he was taken back with how he was being referred to, that was when one of the co leaders caught his eyes.


    "Brother" Bj?rn said as he looked at f who now looked different from how hest remembered him, on the upper body of his brother were scary scars that Bj?rn took note of didn''te from a creature.


    "Brother?" the seven co-leaders hearing the unfamiliar word all looked up to Bj?rn, to see if he was joking but their expression soon changed once they took a closer look at


    him.


    "Bj?rn, is that you" f stood up immediately but stopped himself as he was scared that maybe the demon was ying a joke on him, so he stood still while looking at Bj?rn. Bj?rn did something surprising which was walking up and hugging f who tensed up as he noticed the strength In Bj?rn hands that could easily squeezed him in half. Bj?rn seemed to notice that as he took a step back and said to f "It''s me brother, I''m back" f and the co-leaders said nothing but take a look at each other before f smiled as he looked at Bj?rn "I thought I lost you to whatever that thing was brother"

 Chapter 86

    86 86


    Bj?rn hearing f words grimaced before looking at f "Whatever that thing was is still inside of me, I can only say that I am lucky to be back on my senses for now"


    f said nothing before Bj?rn looked at the kneeling co-leaders, "Come inside we have a lot to talk about" Bj?rn said as he walked back into his tent.


    The co-leaders all stood up before looking at f, nothing was said but it can be seen that they were actively using their eyes tomunicate. f nodded before walking into the tent, the other co-leaders followed right after.


    Inside the tent, Bj?rn sat in his throne made of bone and in front of him was a table where the other leaders sat in silence while looking at Bj?rn.


    "I remember things that happened after I was possessed, but I don''t remember the settlement being the way it was right now, can anyone tell me why the settlement is in this state" Bj?rn asked as he looked around at the leaders.


    Finn spoke up calmly "Bj?rn, since you remember most things then you also have to remember that we are no longer the same maybe not even humans anymore"


    "Our transformation came with with a lot of not so good cons and the state of the settlement is a testament to that con, we no longer have some emotions that should have been there, our aesthetic or taste has changed, something orderly and nice is something we no longer like"


    "The sight of chaos, sin, blood is what keeps us calm, after you were held off by the two leaders, we no longer had anything to do, we could no longer fight, bring about fear so we thought of a new way to keep ourselves entertained" Finn said as he calmly looked at Bj?rn.


    The other co-leaders said nothing but from their expression they agreed with what Finn said. Meanwhile Bj?rn had no expression on his face hearing the words.


    "I understand but I''m am still disappointed if that was everything you guys could do as the co-leaders of this settlement"


    "We lost a war, you didn''te around to discuss ways to improve our tactics in order to have a better chance at winning next time instead you let your instincts take over like animals" Bj?rn said in a steady tone.


    Looking at the co-leaders who didn''t seem to take his words seriously, Bj?rn moved his right hand to the side of his throne where his axe covered in blood was within reach.


    "Do you know why that demon made you co-leaders?" Bj?rn asked while gesturing to everyone at the table.


    Sigmund one of the hunters who survived spoke up this time "Because we were different from everyone, we were able to keep our sense together after the ritual"


    "Now, how would that demon react if it saw that you guys have given into your instincts like everyone else" Bj?rn said as he grabbed hold of the axe.


    Not waiting for the leaders to talk, Bj?rn spoke up "You know my behaviour has also been affected just like you guys, I should feel repulsed at the things you do or say but yet I feel nothing rather than you did well"


    "But, you see maybe it''s because I recently got my sense back and haven''t personally indulged in any of your debauchery, I don''t feel or rather I don''t like the way things is"


    The aura around Bj?rn changed and the leaders felt the simr presence that always put fear in them, Bj?rn looked at the scared leaders while stroking his bloodied ax "you now have two choices in front of you, tame your instincts or indulge in your instincts"


    The tent fell into silence, only the hastened breathing of the leaders could be heard as they really started thinking deeply into Bj?rn''s words. None of them really understood the demon but one thing they knew was that they are doomed once they are no longer of use to it.


    There is also another thing bothering them which is if the current Bj?rn was still himself, then how much has he been influenced by the demon.


    Shaking their heads, "none of that matters once we are dead" the leaders all thought before bowing their heads to Bj?rn.


    "We deeply apologize for our past behaviours" they all said together.


    Bj?rn hearing that smiled as the scary aura around him dispersed as he looked at the leaders " See how easy it was to get things in control" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    " We have indeed changed, no longer humans but more like beast which is why we should incorporate that into our way of living, the people outside this tent all follow our way of doing things"


    " If the leaders act like animals, then they act like animals but once you reign in your instincts, they also do that because you all are stronger than them. They have no choice but to follow your lead" Bj?rn said while looking at them.


    " Do you all understand my point?" Bj?rn asked as he ced the ax back to its position.


    "We do" f spoke up as the others nodded showing that they agreed.


    "Now we all are on the same page, you are to go out there and get things under control. You all already know your men, also for the women that has been defiled, have some wise check if they have gotten pregnant"


    " If they have, a better amodation should be kept for them, as for the children bring them back to their parents, since some of them are still humans have some men go out hunting to prepare food for them"


    "But keep this in mind while we are to bring order back to this settlement, we are not to forget we are transformed humans and still have our own needs"


    "Which is why" saying that an eerie smile came upon Bj?rn''s face.


    "While putting things in order, leave some loopholes that can bring about chaos, like picking out someone women and taking special care of them which will bring about the anger and jealousy of other women"


    "The same thing with food, it should be distributed unfairly which will bring about chaos, observe never interfere unless needed also have some peoplee in and remake this throne of mine, the same material but make it look good"


    Silence befell the tent once again as the leaders all sneaked a nce at Bj?rn from the corner of their eyes.


    At the same time, they all were thinking to themselves "is this still the same dude that was telling us to bring orders, it seems the demon influence on Bj?rn is stronger than they thought to themselves"


    Meanwhile Finn was looking deeply at Bj?rn "I think I am starting to understand what you are looking for Bj?rn"


    Bj?rn looked over to Finn with raised brows "Really, what''s that?


    Finn took a moment before responding, his gaze unwavering. "You aim to exploit the primal instincts within us, using them as tools to control and maintain dominance. It''s not just about establishing order; it''s about mastering the chaos within, steering it in a direction that serves your purpose."


    Bj?rn smirked, acknowledging Finn''s perception. "You catch on fast, Finn. We are no longer bound by the same rules as ordinary humans. Our transformation has granted us a unique advantage, and we must use it to maintain control over this settlement. Fear, desire, and the struggle for power¡ªthey are the primal forces that will shape the hierarchy within ourmunity."


    "We lost a war, we need to adjust ourselves to be better, so the same thing won''t repeat itself, which is why we are to use everything to our advantage" Finn nodded thoughtfully. "So, while we present ourselves as leaders restoring order, behind the scenes, we create the conditions for chaos to thrive. It''s a delicate bnce between control and chaos, where we exploit the vulnerabilities of humans and our own kind to keep them in check."


    Bj?rn chuckled, his eyes glinting with a mix of cunning and satisfaction. "Exactly, my friend. The puppeteer pulls the strings in the shadows, orchestrating a symphony of discord and unity. In this dance of chaos and control, we will solidify our dominance, and the others will unknowingly dance to our tune."


    Meanwhile the demon inside of Bj?rn mind smirked "Exactly, just as you are a puppet yourself boy"


    Finn''s expression grew serious as he considered the implications. "But, Bj?rn, how far are you willing to go? Are there limits to the chaos we sow? What if it spirals out of control and endangers us all?"


    Bj?rn''s smile faded for a moment, reced by a contemtive gaze. "There are always risks, Finn. But we must be vignt, watchful of the bnce we tread. We control chaos; we don''t sumb to it. If it threatens to consume us, we adjust our strategy. After all, it is meaningless if it leads to our own downfall."

 Chapter 87

    87 87


    Finn nodded, a newfound understanding in his eyes. "I''ll stand by your side, Bj?rn, but let''s be cautious not to be victims of our own creation."


    Bj?rn''s smile returned, tinged with a hint of gratitude. "Agreed, Finn. Now, let the dance begin, and may the chaos serve our purpose."


    Meanwhile the other co-leaders looked weirdly at Finn and Bj?rn not really understanding what was being said but f had a sharp glint in his eyes showing that he was following the conversation.


    Deep into the sunny side, where houses built with woods can be seenyed out, people can be seen moving around building more houses, children can be seen chasing each otherughing out loud, women can be seen gather together cooking on a big bonfire,pared to the hellish sight at Bj?rn settlement this ce was heaven.


    Further into this huge settlement was a tall huge house where the two leaders of the settlement are losing hair and sleep thinking of a way to boost the power of their people. Inside the house was arge table with two seats at its end.


    In the two seats sat a man and a woman, the man had a pure white de twirling around his hand while he held a hand to his chin while looking at the woman.


    The woman herself had a peculiar looking shieldid on the table in front of her.


    "Einar, the building of the settlement has been going well, have you made any progress yet in understanding your weapon" The woman who goes by the name Helga asked.


    "Not really Helga, however I found out that my weapons shouldn''t be used to understand anything, if not for the fight with that demon. I would still have believed that this was just a good looking de that I didn''t mind keeping close to me" Einar answered as he looked at the de.


    Helga nodded hearing that "the same goes for my shield, I haven''t been able to push out it''s power until the fight with the demon, apart from that it has been imprable"


    "So we can both agree on moving our attention to the other weapons and try to understand better ways to use it" Einar asked.


    "That will be good but after the war, a lot of our men are now scared of even using the weapons, they fear on losing their own life to the weapons"


    Einar hearing the word sighed, the fight with the demon did more harm to them than good, after Bj?rn men transformed they could hardly be stopped unless the weapons wielder sacrificed more of their life force to output more damage.


    This led to a point in the war where Einar and Helga men dropped dead and sucked dry after killing two of Bj?rn men, the more they fought the more the men feared the weapon they were wielding. If the war had continued any further, Einar wouldn''t be surprised if his people gave up and surrendered to Bj?rn.


    "I understand them being scared but if we don''t understand how to better use those weapons, we will all be at the mercy of the Bj?rn" Einar said while looking at Helga.


    "But we have no clue on where to start, going in blindly is dangerous as we can lose people in the process and this can be detrimental overall from our people''s current state of mind" Helga said as she shook her head.


    "So what we need is a win or a miracle to guarantee our people" Einar asked as he rubbed his beard.


    Helga nodded, showing she agreed with Einar''s word, all of a sudden Einar struck the de he was holding into the table.


    "How about the statue we found out about from Bj?rn settlement" Einar asked.


    Helga looked at him, "What good can the statue do now, it may have been useful during the war but we before we couldplete it, Bj?rn attacked"


    "I had some men look into why the statue was at Bj?rn settlement, my men found out it was something they prayed to help them during their hunt and their women was able to give birth more easily"


    "The found out the statue blesses them with some power they use to coat their weapon at the time to make it stronger, we maybe start there in understanding mysterious powers since this one hasn''t been of danger yet to anyone"


    Hearing what Einar said, Helga a looked amazed as she canprehend how a simple statue was capable of things like this "How did they get hold of the statue and why is possessed Bj?rn scared of it"


    "I have no idea why possessed Bj?rn is scared of the statue but I did find out where the statue came from"


    "Supposedly the statue was copied from the furred men who live outside of the sunny side, the people of Bj?rn settlement at the time saw how the furred men worshiped the statue so they copied it" Einar said with a smile on his face.


    Hearing about their neighbors, Helga''s expression changed" Was there any repercussions from the wolf men for using something of theirs" Helga asked.


    Einar shook his head " No, they didn''t even make any move or react like it was of nothing to them"


    Hearing that, Helga shook her head " Who would imagine that the ones were all grew up to fear are the ones who never bothered with us, now our enemy is one of our own"


    Einarughed hearing that "I thought of the same thing too when I learnt of the statue origin"


    "So we are to build the statue and hope it blesses us, which is in a way a miracle of its own, that way our people will feel like we achieved something prompting them to look forward to more and hopefully create a Miracle of their own" Helga said while looking at Einar.


    Einar smiled hearing Helga summarizing his ns, "indeed Helga"


    As they continued their discussion, Einar and Helga gathered a group of skilled craftsmen and builders to begin the construction of thestatue of Mahu. The news spread quickly through the settlement, and the soldiers, tired and scared from the previous conflict, began to find renewed hope in the prospect of a new miraculous and not harmful power that could aid them in their struggles.


    Days turned into weeks, and the statue began to take shape in the center of the settlement. The craftsmen worked diligently, and Helga oversaw the process with a determined look in her eyes. Einar, always resourceful, sought guidance from the vige elders on how to properly consecrate the statue once it waspleted.


    The elders had no profound ideas or ways, but throughout their time of living, they have in their own way tried to understand the world around them, by creating superstitious understanding of things so Einar was hoping their superstitious knowledge will improve the chances of the statue taking a liking to them.


    One evening, as the statue nearedpletion, the vigers gathered around, their eyes filled with anticipation and curiosity. Helga addressed the crowd, "My fellow kin, we have faced many challenges, but none like the one from Bj?rn, but we have managed toe across an ancient power Bj?rn himself is scared of and so seek the aid of this ancient power. Let this statue be a symbol of our resilience and our determination to rise above the darkness that has befallen us."


    Einar stepped forward, holding a small pouch containing herbs and behind him were men carrying the corpses of animals. "Before we unveil the statue, we must offer our prayers and blessings. May this statue bring us the strength to ovee our enemies and protect ournds."


    The vigers joined hands as Einar began the ritual, the elders all dressed up and washed cleanly, began singing and dancing around the statue. This went on for a while nothing happened but soon glitter star like lights appeared around the statue causing everyone to hold their breath.


    The elder, seeing that as a sign that whatever they were doing was working, began dancing harder and faster so the light around the statue reached its limit, the sound of ss being broken sounded all over the settlement as the light around the statue dispersed all over the people in the settlement.


    "Amazing" Helga and Einar muttered as they watched the effect of the light, seeing that their previously drained men looked much healthier, their skin no longer sagging and full of strength. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Helga couldn''t help but feel a surge of hope and optimism, as she screamed out loud. "We have witnessed a miracle, my people. Let this be a turning point for us. With the power of this statue, we shall face our challenges and emerge victorious."


    As the night descended, the vigers celebrated around the newly consecrated statue. Einar and Helga watched with satisfaction, knowing that they had given their people a chance and reason to believe in something greater than themselves. At the same time, they have halfway stepped foot into magical and supernatural things.


    As the night descended, the vigers celebrated around the newly consecrated statue. Einar and Helga watched with satisfaction, knowing that they had given their people a chance and reason to believe in something greater than themselves. At the same time, they have halfway stepped foot into magical and supernatural things.

 Chapter 88

    88 88 n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Deep in the core where an ethereal never ending could be seen, this was the resting ce of Nana who at the moment is still asleep but that still doesn''t stop her from knowing things happening in her world which is her body.


    Nana''s attention never stays on the until recently, Nana felt an unfamiliar energy and presence somewhere in her body, Unlike the ones around the dinosaurs which sheter found out about, this energy felt deeply dark and corruptible.


    Just the small leak of it was threatening to corrupt the surrounding, She divided her attention to look at where the energy came from and to her surprise. It was from the humans but she quickly found out that the human was normal as he had something dark inhibiting him. Hopefully the being inside of him performing the ritual didn''t make it arge scale one, instead it was a controlled scale, which Nana was thankful of, she could have interfered in the process and cut off the ritual but her existence has a rule they have to abide by.


    If the demon had performed arge-scale ritual she could do nothing but only watch and hope for the best, Nana started paying attention to the demon after that. She watched how the demon changed other humans, quickly raising an army and bringing destruction to the people around.


    The demon was unstoppable, and Nana felt that something should be done which could halt the demon''s progress, which is why she paid attention to the two leaders who were putting up a fight against the demon.


    The two humans and their people were weak but they still managed to hold up well when fighting the demon, which prompted her to make use of the loophole in the rule pertaining toexistence such as her.


    She has to be careful of her actions as anything she does can be seen as him taking action to protect herself which is something not eligible to her at the moment. Making that decision, Nana paid attention to two useful treasures that fell on the northern continent.


    Contacting her son, who was in sleep, she made a request of the usage of his power which she was granted as he cursed the two weapons to always manage to find themselves where they are most needed, somewhere in the northern continent purple light fell from the sky onto two weapons.


    From that moment on was a strange happening of creatures like birds and animals taking interest in the weapons, but soon losing interest and dropping it off. If paid close attention, it can be seen that the two weapons were slowly making there way to their sunny side where they were both needed, these two weapons were the so called "Purification de" and "The hopeless armament"


    Nana understood well the properties of the two weapons which she felt will be good to fend and hold off the demon, she wasn''t naive to believe that the weapon will led to the humans winning, but from what she has observed so far, the demon somehow is in a contract with its possessed human and seeing as the contract is slowly burning out the more the demon conquers and take over she could guess the contract content.


    Nana hopes by halting thepletion of the contract, it will enable the human to gain back his consciousness and hopefully things change but quite truthfully Nana doesn''t care about the humans change, she just wants to stop the contractpletion to prevent the unleash of an abyss demon into her home and world.


    Looking at the result, it seems it worked out well but the possessed human didn''t seem toe out normal, Turning her attention back to the other settlement where Helga and Einar were carrying out their Worshiping ritual to Mahu. If possible she wouldn''t want the gods and the humans to cross apart. That seems to be just an idealism at this point, humans need the gods now especially in this situation.


    "I wish I could provide them help with providing a power system, but I have already done a lot. I will leave the rest to them" Nana said as he divided consciousness merged back to the main in the ethereal space as she continued her sleep.


    Meanwhile at the western continent, up high in the mountains surrounded with uniquely constructed buildings and a new bridge connecting to each other, no harpies can be seen flying around and the usually free air surrounding this country of wingmen is no longer there.


    Above the main mountain where their golden pce is, harpies of different colors could be seen fanning their wings up high in the sky as tears fell from their face while looking down at Urs who in front of her had two of her sons lying dead in golden ted ground in front of her.


    Urs was trying to keep herposure as the leader of her people, but she felt herself losing control of that restraint the more she looked at her dead sons. They didn''t die of being attacked or by ident, instead it was the years that caught up to them.


    "It seems 120 years is the limit for my children and grandchildren if they never breaks through to the Fourth stage" The harpies are the second oldest race in Nana after the humans, so they have been here for a long time and this was the first time they are losing one of their own to natural causes, not by the ws of a beast or ident but by old age.


    "I sometimes forget that things and people age" Urs thought as she looked toward her other children who have also aged a lot.


    Looking down at her hands that has soon sign of aging, Urs thought to herself "It seems in the uing future i will be watching my kids leave me one by one" Urs before she broke through the fourth stage has never felt the effect of old age, she felt she could live a lot longer and things changed after the fourth stage, she could potential feel her life force her increased a lot, possibly thousands of years and who is to say that won''t change the stronger she got.


    Tears slowly dripped down Urs face as she clenched her heart while looking at her sons, "What am i to do in this situation father"


    Urs had no idea on how to go about her son''s burial, she can''t possibly bury them under the soils like the normal harpies, they are of a higher blood and have to be presented better. Thinking of that, Ursual remembered her powers in the fourth stage.


    Wiping her tears, she looked at everyone before proiming out loud "Fly as far away as you can from this ce" The haripes hearing that momentarily stopped mourning as they looked to their queen.


    The harpies hesitated a bit before those close to her took off the sky while at the same time guiding everyone to stay as far away as possible.


    Seeing that they were far enough, Urs spread out her hand as she chanted out loud in the godsnguage "Phoenix embrace"


    This was the name Urs gave to her power at the fourth stage, because of her situation with her father and his mes, when she was naked what mes meant to her, the situation on what urred in her father''s realm was all she could think about.


    Which is why the first thing her powers did was to merge into shape into something she always deeply wanted from her father "A guardian, who can shield her from his fiery mes" And her powers at the fourth stage took the shape of a golden phoenix like creature that lives inside of her.


    The golden phoenix emerged from Urs''s outstretched hand, its majestic wings unfurling as it circled above her. The air shimmered with intense energy, and the harpies watched in awe as the divine creature took form. Its radiant feathers glowed with the essence of the sun, casting a warm andforting light upon their mourning queen.


    Urs''s tears ceased as she locked eyes with the golden phoenix. A silent understanding passed between them¡ªa connection forged by the mes that had shaped her existence. She felt theforting presence of her guardian which is a manifestation of her strength and the embodiment of protection she had always sought.


    With a determined gaze, Ursmunicated her intentions to the phoenix. The golden creature spread its wings wide and descended, its ethereal mes transforming into a delicate yet sturdy cocoon around Urs''s fallen sons.


    As the phoenix''s mes enveloped them, the lifeless bodies of Urs''s sons underwent a serene metamorphosis. The golden cocoon absorbed their essence, weaving it into a tapestry of light that resonated with the harmonious energy of the phoenix.


    Urs, standing at the center of this radiant spectacle, felt a deep connection to the transformative power of the Phoenix Embrace. The cocoon gradually ascended into the air, carrying her sons towards the heavens.


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 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89


    With a final burst of golden light, the cocoon dispersed, releasing a cascade of glowing embers that rained down upon the mountainndscape. Each ember found a resting ce, embedding itself into the soil, rocks, and air, bing a part of the very essence of thend.


    Urs knew that her sons had found their final resting ce, bing one with the mountain and the sky and skies that raised them. The Harpies, witnessing this sacred ceremony, bowed their heads in solemn respect.


    "May the Phoenix Embrace carry their spirits into eternity," Urs whispered, her voice resonating with a mix of sorrow and gratitude. The golden phoenix, having fulfilled its duty, flew back to Urs while dispersing into a burst of golden lights.


    Looking around where the Ember of her son''s body fell, Urs thought to herself "This might be a bit selfish but as a mother, i want you all to be besides me as long as you can"


    With that done Urs made her way back into the pce which is her home, The harpies in the sky knew their queen needed a time alone so they all dispersed, with their wings beating in harmony.


    A week passed before Urs appeared in front of her people, now the council was called upon as their kingdom needs some tending to.


    The council and elders all stood up as Urs walked into the throne room, as soon as she sat down they all bowed before also sitting back down in their seats. "So how has things been for the past week i was mourning"


    Iris one of the female elder spoke up, "Your highness, if i may"


    Urs looked at her and nodded prompting Iris to stand up from her seat "My team and i have made a small progress in understanding how the weapons from the sky works, It came to our notice that there may be a simrity to it with our third stage of power system" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Research shows traces of intricate patterns of mana, of course that isn''t the only thing needed as resources are also important, meaning such effects can''t be given to any crafted weapon, the weapon has to be crafted with special resources needed like iron bearing traces of fire in it for the weapons to be able to burst into mes and withhold the heat without any damage on the weapon"


    "The only problem we have now is understanding how they managed to inscribe the mana patterns in the weapons, which is why I have a request your highness" Iris exined as she looked at Urs.


    The power system in the Harpies'' kingdom closely resembles that of the Apelings. Like the Apelings, the Harpies ce significant emphasis on the mana attribute. Initially, they faced difficulties in training their mana like the Apelings due to the challenges of finding and picking out your own attribute among the other attributes floating in the thin air. However, over their long years of life, the Harpies have adjusted their power system, making it more essible.


    It is important to note that most attributesmonly found among the Harpies are the fire, wind, storm and lightning.


    The first stage of their reformed power system is called ''mana awakening,'' during which Harpies discover their innate mana attribute. Not much is done in this stage except for meditation to understand the nature of their mana.


    The next stage is ''visualizing elemental wings,'' which urs after the Harpies gain a basic understanding of their mana nature. In this stage, through meditation they imagine their wings transforming into the ethereal manifestation of their chosen elements. Delicate and transparent feathers that shimmer with a constant breeze for the wind element, Wings aze with controlled mes that dance along the edges for the me elements, Wings surrounded by cloudy sometimes dark, brooding clouds that crackle withtent energy for the storm elements andstly Wings infused with crackling bolts of lightning that form intricate patterns for the lightning elements.This process requires careful attention to each feather on the wings, turning them into a conduit for their mana attribute and facilitating the gathering of mana towards them.


    The third stage is ''Merging and Physical Sensation.'' Once the second stage isplete, physical changes take ce on the wings, such as small wind currents or mes dancing around them, the effects are created because of the mana attributes actively moving to inhabit the wings. This stage is perilous and rewarding, requiring Harpies to gain control over the elemental energy coursing through their wings. During this process, they also gain insight into intricate mana patterns, acquiring abilities such as creating a wind tornado with a wing p or enveloping their wings in mes for defensive maneuvers. It''s crucial to note that failure to gain control could result in the mana attribute taking over their wings, leading to severe consequences like being burned to crisp by your own wings or tearing the owner to shreds from the wind current generated from the wings.


    The hypothesis for the fourth stage, which no one has reached yet, is called ''Elemental Integration and Embodiment.'' In this stage, the Harpies believe that their previous weaknesses will be addressed. As their wings are the focal point of their power system, if attacked can leave them vulnerable, they theorize that after gaining control of the elements and acquiring abilities, the wings will in turn affect the entire body. For example, a Harpy with a me mana attribute might gain immunity to a certain level of mes. This integration will also enhance all physical attributes, and most importantly, the wings will no longer be the primary requirement for using their abilities. Harpies can create a wind tunnel with a wave of their hands, independent of their wings.


    As for the fifth stage, no ideas have been brought up yet as they still haven''t had any harpies that have broken through the fourth stage, who can confirm if what the theorized is right.


    "What is your request Iris?" Urs asked as she tilted her head not quite understanding why her affirmation will be needed but nheless she doesn''t mind hearing the girl out.


    "Like i said before your highness, there is a simrity with the weapons working and our power system, my team and i would like to conduct a research which would requires Harpies of different elements that have attained the third stage" Iris said the research part a bit silently as she looked down in fear.


    "I don''t know why, you keep bringing this nonsense up when the other council members already disagree with your disposal" Molte said from his seat as he knocked his cane down to the floor while looking displeased at Iris.


    Urs''s meaning was thinking on Iris''s words, "I can''t really offer my people up for a research, the harm outweighs the benefit and it is not a good look if the people know their queen is offering them up to be used as research, but what if the benefit outweighs the loss. We could gain a much better insight on how our power system works and that in turn leads to more abled harpies strengthening us all as a whole"


    "But from Molte and the other elders'' look, they won''t agree with Iris''s proposal" Ursual thought to herself as put on a thinking face.


    "Molte, why do you and the other council members disagree so heavily with Iris''s proposal? I am sure you all could see the benefit in her request" Urs asked as she looked at Molte and the other council members.


    Molte shifted ufortably in his seat before responding, "Your Highness, it''s not that we don''t recognize the potential benefits. We are concerned about the well-being of our people. Sending them into such experiments, especially with unknown risks, raises ethical questions. We must prioritize the safety andfortness of our people."


    Another elder, Thalia, spoke up, "I understand the curiosity and the desire for progress, but we have to consider the consequences. What if something goes wrong during the research? We could end up harming our own citizens, and that is a risk we cannot take lightly."


    Urs nodded, absorbing their concerns. "I value the safety and happiness of our people as much as anyone. Iris, Molte, Thalia, let''s find apromise. Iris, can you assure us that the research will be conducted with the utmost care and precautions to minimize any potential risks?"


    Iris nodded fervently, "Your Highness, I promise we will take every precaution necessary. We won''t proceed if we aren''t confident in the safety of our harpies. It''s for the greater good of our kingdom, and I believe the potential benefits could be significant."


    Molte leaned on his cane, contemting the situation. "Your Highness, perhaps we could establish an independent oversightmittee to monitor the research. This way, we ensure transparency and ountability. If themittee deems it too risky at any point, the research can be halted."


    Urs considered the suggestion. "That''s a wise proposal, Molte. It maintains a bnce between progress and caution. Iris, do you agree to have an oversightmittee to supervise the research?"


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