《The Breath of Creation [DROPPED]》


 And He Said...

    When I awoke, there was nothing but...nothingness surrounding me. It''s difficult to explain, because in this nothingness, in this chaos, in this Void, there is neither darkness nor light. For there to be light, there must be darkness, and for there to be darkness there must be light. Without one or the other, all that''s left is nothingness. For a second, or perhaps longer, I sat there staring at nothing, attempting to grasp what was going on. The feeling of floating in this nothingness (though was it really nothing anymore, as I am here?) is akin to staring at the wall and letting all thoughts flee your mind...only you''re deprived of every single sense...and your body...and everything else.


    I''m lonely. So very, very lonely. Some small part of my mind told me that I should desire warmth and light andsubstance,but that was cowed by all-consuming isolation of being the only being in existance. As if in response to my thoughts I felt something within me surge, andsuddenly, in this void which was no longer a void, other things appeared. They were minuscule, so infinitesimally small that I might have missed them were it not just me and them in this desolate Void. With budding excitement and interest, I tried to move forwards, to extend a hand that didn''t exist to pick up this tiny thing, but only found it slipping through my grasp. Frustrated, I tried again, focusing intently on grasping the thing without breaking it or letting it run free.


    A small wisp of something,power,I realized, reached forth and wrapped itself around a handful of the miniscule objects, dragging them closer so I could really examine them. What I found left me both excited and thoroughly dissappointed. The tiny object was something akin to a soul -a truesoul. It was the base form of an actual soul, without all the memories from reincarnating many, many times, taint from those lives, and without the touch of those beings called gods. All there was, was the very base personality of the soul, and a little bit of strength. This was the exciting bit. The dissappointing bit was that the souls were incredibly weak, trembling and on the verge of collapse merely from being near me, and...well, let''s just say they were not what I was looking for.


    With a frown I let the souls go, scooping up another bunch and examining them before letting them go as well. This process repeated itself for a long time, until in my frustration I let out an incomprehensible yell. I couldn''t talk to these souls, I could barely even touch them. If I tried, they''d shatter.


    After a few moments of sulking I felt another surge from within myself, and two new souls appeared, catching my attention. They were much larger than the souls around me, but still smaller than myself, and slowly drawing closer. Tentatively I reached out to touch them, pulling them closer so as to simply see them. For a few moments I simply examined them, not communicating, just examining them. Satisfaction rose up in the core of my being, and power began flowing from me to the two souls. Slowly, ever so slowly, the two souls began to grow from invisible, nigh-undetectable beings into small balls of existance. Upon reaching a threshold I began to mold the two existances, forming corporeal bodies from memories I was unaware I had. Each soul was fed two very different, yet very similar sources of power that I had yet to understand, but channelled anyways. It was strange...though I had a bit of control, the changes to the two souls were largely automatic. So, with bated breath, I awaited their "birth."


    The brighter of the two souls turned into a girl with long, blonde hair and graceful features. Four white-feathered wings stretched from her back, emitting a resplendent aura and matching the feathery ears that sat on the sides of her head. White, runic tattoos stretched across her beautiful body, and with but a thought white robes fell about her. Her twin whip-like tails gently curled around her in response, the feathery fans on the very ends gently twitching. The other soul turned into a boy with bronzed skin and a chisled body. His black hair fell about him in waves, matching the four scaled wings that emerged from his back and black tattoos that were very similar to the girl''s. Dark horns curled off of his head, and I covered his body with black robes in the same style as the girl''s. Two thick, spine covered tails curled around his feet, sitting incredibly, incredibly still.


    They were shocking forms ofsomethingin this realm of nothingness, and I loved them both.


    When the changes were finished and I stopped pouring power into their forms, their pairs of blue and brown eyes fluttered open to look at me. A sense of parental pride welled up inside of me, and the duo both bowed. With a chuckle I shook my head and spoke for the first time in who knows how long.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Go." I said, and my two children stood, smiling and spreading their arms. In an explosion of power suddenly the void was filled with the clashing powers of the two, white and black mixing and crashing together. It was utterly chaotic, and I, for one, fled some distance away so as to watch what the two were doing. It was much more interesting than simply sitting there, playing with the souls that surrounded me. Gold and white clouds were the creation of my daughter, covering the same amount of space as the black and silver clouds created by my son. (For a moment I examined these parental feelings I had. I created their bodies and grew those two souls, so yes, they were my children. And as such, I felt pride for all they created.) However, with a frown I realized that although the two, black and white, were two sides of the same coin there was no balance between the two. It was chaotic. A mess.


    While I hoped that eventually the two would come to an equilibrium, after watching the two forces fight it out for a time, I intervened. Where the two forces met I created another power, forged from both the powers of my son and daughter, and filled with a little something else.I pulled this power from the very core of my being, and in the chaos where the black and white met was where the new power was born -albeit much weaker and smaller than the other two. It was all kinds of shades of grey, with black and white and silver and gold bits floating around all within it, merging and melding together in a brilliant display. I could even see the beginnings of new colors, though they were mere flashes.


    Still, I was not satisfied. This had been but a temporary solution, as the forces were still too unbalanced. So once again I set about to work, trying my damnedest to find a balance between the three powers. Surprisingly, the answer came rather quickly. The three powers I had created were all part of the whole, and yet still inherently separated bysomething.So, I took thatsomethingand turned it into a power that covered and connected all three, both real and not real, both tangible and formless, both physical and spiritual, yet there all the same. It acted as a glue of sorts, and stabilized all the other powers. Then that I sent out another call, because my work was not yet complete, drawing forth two more souls to mold.


    The first I created for the grey power. To create its corporeal form, I did something different than I did with my first son and daughter. I pulled out the same power from my core that created the grey, and pulled pieces of the grey power itself forward and fed it into the soul. With those powers as the basis I began to form the body, from which was sculpted a woman. Like before I didn''t have complete control over the creation of her body, though I did add a few changes. Long green hair that fell down to her waist, flowers forming a ring around her head, branching horns like those of an elk, cute round ears, beautiful earthy skin, and a dress made of fresh green leaves; these were the features that made up my new daughter. When she opened her gorgeous green eyes she simply smiled at me, and I felt warmth spread throughout my being.


    She wasted no time, bowing politely to where I floated before moving off to the center of the grey, planting her feet and spreading her arms. The grey surged and abruptly expanded to the same size as the main two powers in response to her presence. With a smile I turned to the fourth soul, and began the process over again. Thesomethingwas a mysterious power, and I saw obvious changes in my creation. He wasnot strictly humanoid like the others. Although I clearly granted him the power to assume a humanoid form, he stuck with what could be considered his original -a great Dragon. His serpentine body was covered in thick metallic scales of a myriad of colors, two mighty angelic wings stretching from his back. His two sinewy arms stretched and flexed, the dark claws on his four-fingered hands retracting in and out like a cat. With a yawn his great maw opened and closed, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth.


    "Go." I said, seeing not the viscious visage of a dragon, but instead a cute child of my own creation. The dragon''s eyes snapped open to look at me, his whiskers twitching in response, before he leaned forward to nuzzle my incorporeal form. It was strange, feeling the touch of another living being after so long. "Get going, you!" I laughed, playfully pushing the dragon away. With a deep rumble-like chuckle the dragon retreated, flying forth and merging with the fourth power. Almost immediately the four powers underwent a qualitative change. Each expanded to four times their previous size, covering a vast expanse of the previous void, and what had once been chaotic now seemed balanced between chaos and order. It was wonderful, not too calm, not to wild.


    As I gazed upon what had been created, I felt deeply satisfied. It was finally, finally stable, yet there was still something missing. I could see the colors, but without light and darkness, there could be no colors. And so, finally, I spoke the words that all beings like myself yearned to speak from their awakening.


    "Let there be light." I said.


    And there was light.

 The Four Realms

    I stared at the enormous sun that appeared in front of me, unsure of how to feel about the sheer, gargantuan size of the thing. The orange and yellow fire swirled and roared in a cosmic maelstrom of heat, radiating forth from theseemingly infintely powerful heavenly body. Though, to be honest, I wasn''t quite sure how it matched up to other suns, from other universes. My memories were pretty fuzzy...though they had gradually started to become clearer after the creation of the sun. Was this a side-effect of creating light and darkness, all in one fell swoop?


    Either way, my musings were interrupted by a strange feeling, and a strange sound. It sounded like some enormous being let out a breath, and as it did so a power rushed over my incorporeal body, transforming it. It felt tingly and warm, somehow reminding me of the embrace of a mother or father. Then, my form began to change. It was a very, very strange feeling, having a body created for you while you are still concious, and able to watch it all happen. Was this how my children felt? No, I got the feeling that they were not concious during the process. Anyways, it was still a little strange, and when the process finished I set about exploring my new body.


    It was humanoid, like my children, with two arms, two legs, eyes, a nose, a mouth, and rounded ears. All that. It feels weird, having to confirm that I had all those appendages. My skin was a healthy tan, my body and face completely androgynous, with black hair showing a hint of age in the form of white streaks. Six appendages sprouted from my back, ever shifting and never fully visible -its was as if six wings of Primordial Chaos were stuck to my back, following wherever I go. As soon as I thought that, I realized that was the case. The six appendages, six columns of chaos, were just that. Primordial Chaos, in its purest form. What function that had, I don''t know. As for my eyes, they were...green. That''s it. Just simple, straightforward green eyes. (I didn''t know how wrong I was in that assumption at the time.)


    How I knew all this was because I could view my body in a strange, almost disembodied manner. But, more than that, I simplyknewwhat my body looked like, how it moved, and how it worked. This body had been created for me from the purest parts of my soul, and I knew it inside and out. Because of that, I also knew that this single form was not the limit. I could change.


    So I toyed with my body for a while. I transformed into a girl, I turned into a guy, the primordial chaos that followed me condensed into six balls that floated in a semi-circle behind me, and turned into great wings. Eventually I figured out that my body could change ina pattern something like a circle, with the perfectly androgynous form at the very center. I couldn''t extend my body outside of that circle (or else it''d be considered a transformation, not a part of my ''original form''), but anything within that circle was fair game. Strangely, I couldn''t change my eye color, and my hair color would never go lighter than a deep brown, without counting as a ''transformation.'' The difference between ''transformation'' and ''original'' being comfort. I felt perfectly at home in an ''original'' form, but upon undergoing a ''transformation,'' I could clearly tell that it was no longer truly my body.


    Eventually I settledinto a single form, one of a rather feminine-looking male, with shoulder-length black hair streaked with the same white as before. My primordial chaos settled into the form of six rings, floating in a circle behind my back. For some reason, I got the feeling that not all deities had forms as fluid as my own. It was then that adingechoed in my mind, and a blue box appeared before my eyes.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Congratulations! You have completed [Stage 1] of the [Deity Trials]!


    Of the twelve souls participating, you finished 8th. Results will be displayed below.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I frowned and looked at the box, waving my hand through it to see if it would dissappear. When it didn''t I focused on the [Stage 1] thing, wondering what the entire thing was about. A long, comprehensive explanation in the form of a blue box appeared, and what I managed to get out of it was thus: the [Diety Trials] is basically a grace period in which new, universe-creating deities figure out how things work without having to fear too much interference from outside forces (though there are ways to slip through the cracks, so the box told me to be careful despite this grace period.) As for [Stage 1], it was a test to see what my powers as an [Origin Diety], or creator of a universe, would be, along with the form of my ''Universe,'' or ''domain.'' This test was to create five objects, which would be analyzed, thus deciding my powers and the shape of my domain.


    It also stated that the blue boxes were part of the powers of the creator diety of the entire Multiverse, and would dissappear along with the grace period. The nigh-limitless powers of creation that I had will be severely limited after the end of [Stage 1] as well, and I''ll need to get back up to that level on my own, however that works. With that in mind, I focused on what the results were.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Results</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Diety of Balance, creator of the Four Realms</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Creations</td>


    <td>1) Souls; 2) Opposing Siblings; 3) Balancing Realms; 4) Realm Guardians; 5) Realm Sun</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Analysis</td>


    <td>


    1) Souls: Your desire for companionship overcame your desire for substance, resulting in the birth of souls. These souls were born both of your own being, and were drawn in from the endless spaces beyond the Multiverse.


    2) Opposing Siblings: Taking two souls who responded to the wavelengths of your own, you created two siblings with powers that both compliment and clash with each other. These siblings went on to create two realms that matched with their powers.


    3) Balancing Realms: Seeing the chaos of your children''s creations, you created two new realms to balance them out. One realm acts as a buffer, and the other as the glue which holds them all together.


    4) Realm Guardians: Immediately after, you called for two more souls to balance out the power between the four realms, resulting in much more stablility.


    5) Realm Sun: In [Stage 1], all dieties will, at one point, utter the words "Let there be light," with varying effects. In your case, it created a sun that would shine its light down upon all of your creation. Hence the title of Realm Sun.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Domain</td>


    <td>


    Four Realms (Three Realms Variant). The Four Realms is an incredibly rare variant of the Three Realms template (which consists of the Heaven, Earth, and Inferno realms). Currently no other Four Realms exist within the Multiverse, as they all either collapsed from poor management or were destroyed by outside forces. From henceforth, your domain shall be called the Four Realms. Good luck.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Way to end on an ominous note, jackass. Honestly, that''s no way to introduce someone to a game in which an untold number of souls were at stake! Good luck my deific ass. With a sigh I shake my head, shaking off the pressure I felt. Things were just getting started, there was no need to worry about that at the moment. (Subconciously I realized why my body was so fluid in nature. Of course the Diety of Balance would have a fluid body. And thus, two new forms were added to my ''standard forms list.'' A much more masculine version of my current form, and a purely female form.) Another ding drew me out of my thoughts, the previous boxes dissappearing and being replaced by another.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">All participants have completed [Stage 1]. [Stage 2] is starting now! Time until completion: 500 million years.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    The goal of [Stage 2] is to get started on the actual creation of your domain. With the foundation set, it is time to start building. Create a system for souls to travel through, learning along the way and gradually increasing their power...so long as they do things right. The main goal of being a Diety is to raise as many souls into a higher realm of existance than before, to become a part of your ''army.'' How this is achieved is up to you, although most do this through purification of the soul. Good luck.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Side note: In a few million years, all twelve souls currently creating their domains will have a meeting, and compare notes. This is a good way to build camaradarie, as this is a friendly competition. Additionally, your personal power will increase with your influence, and can also increase with a number of other, obscure ways. Have fun figuring out what works and what doesn''t.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">[Stage 2] will now begin. 5...4...3...2...1... [Stage 2] has begun. Delivering power and returning natural memories to the participants...</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I clutched my head as information ran through it at the same time that power surged through my body. An inherent knowledge of the powers of Balance was ingrained in me as I recalled my life as a soul in my old universe, mostly living as a human on the planet Earth. Ten lifetimes total were spent on that planet, and I even ended up becoming an angel somewhere around 2587 of that world''s calendar. All knowledge I had amassed during that time returned to my mind as well, bringing along with it...my personality. It had been but barebones until now, and the fact that I had been ''chosen'' for this ''honored task'' against my will thoroughly pissed me off. There had been no selection process, I had been manipulating some mortals so that they''d stop being such jackasses, when suddenly BAM! I''m a deity. No warning whatsoever.


    "I DON''T WANT THIS DAMNED JOB!" I roared at no one in particular. Just being an angel overseeing a single planet was hard enough! I don''t want to be in charge of an entire universe! Unfortunately for me, though, that was the case, and there was no crying over spilt milk. I wasn''t going to use my old world''s system, this universe was already too different for that. That universe had tied purification of the soul and ''power'' to karma. The more good karma amassed, the more powerful one could become. In the spirit realm, at least. I''d have to think of something else. Brainstorm a bit.


    With my venting officially finished, I floated off towards where my children were gathering to look at me. Since I''m here, I guess I''ll do my job, which begins with getting my four realms in order, and setting up a few systems and guidelines. Oh! And while I''m at it I''m going to become so freaking powerful that I won''t be plucked out of my spot EVER AGAIN!

 The Importance of Names

    POV: Second Son (Alexander)


    Our Creator, our Parent, stood silently staring at the massive ball of fire in the sky, watching the flames dance. Even from this distance it was entrancing, and I marveled at my Parent''s ability to stay so close to the great creation. Not even I, with my beautiful scales, could get nearly that close. Even from here the heat was intense, and I basked in the new feeling alongside my brother and sisters. Then our Creator turned to face us, a smile alighting upon our Parent''s face upon sensing our presences. With a wave of a hand, purple robes embroidered with silver spun into existence around the body of my Parent, glittering in the light that covered the entirety of the Realms. As our Parent descended from above, six halos of unending primordial chaos floating behind him in a semicircle, framed by the light of the great sun in the skies above...it filled me with veneration towards the great being that had given birth to me, given me form and allowed me to be what I desired above all else.


    "Hello, my children." Our Parent spoke softly, the words soft and undulating, soothing my entire being. My eyes met my Parent''s, and I felt a depth to them that I could never have imagined before. They seemed to encompass all of creation itself, while the rings behind my Parent represented the utter chaos we were birthed from -it was as if I was glimpsing the Void itself, a stark contrast from our Creator''s eyes.


    "Hello, Father." My eldest sister said.


    "Hello, Mother." My eldest brother said.


    "Hello." My second sister stated. I didn''t reply, instead turning to look at my two eldest siblings. They were currently glaring at each other, as if arguing about the gender of our Parent mattered. Did they not see our Parent changing forms? Our Parent is both Mother and Father, arguing in the presence of our Parent for such a silly reason was pointless. However, contrary to my expectations, our Parent simply chuckled at their disrespect.


    "Ah, siblings shall be siblings. Yes, I am. Both Mother and Father, that is to say. Refer to me however you like, I really don''t care. Besides, referring to me as Mother, Father, He, or She is much easier than trying to remain gender neutral or referring to me as Parent. Just doesn''t flow off of the tongue right." Our Parent -no, our Father said. I decided to refer to Him as such, as His current form was that of a male, despite his feminine facial features.


    "Yes, Father." I and my eldest sister said.


    "Yes, Mother." My eldest brother and second sister echoed. Father gave us an odd look, before shaking His head and shrugging.


    "Right. Anyways, let''s get down to business! There''s a lot to do, and it all starts with naming you four and your respective realms. Any of you have preferences?" He asked, clapping His hands together as a wide smile spread across His face. To see Him so expressive warmed my heart. When I had just been born, He seemed a little distant, as if He was far, far away. Now He was here, with us, His children and His creations. "No?" He asked when none of us responded. "Alright, then let''s get to naming. Hmm. I''ll start with the two oldest. Let''s see...Elvira and Kieran." He said, pointing towards Eldest Sister and Eldest Brother respectively. The two quietly tasted the names on their tongues, repeating it over and over before allowing brilliant smiles to illuminate their faces.


    "Thank you." Elvira said, bowing her head slightly. Kieran followed suit.


    "Glad you like it. Now then, for you, my dear. Reika fits you nicely, I believe." Father said, nodding. My green haired sister blushed slightly and bowed, silently thanking Father for bestowing her a name. Finally, He turned to me, scratching His chin thoughtfully. "Alexander." He announced, still smiling. I repeated the name in my head for a few minutes before smiling. Alexander. I like it. In response I moved closer, pressing my head against His chest. With a laugh he scratched the top of my head, the action soothing and eliciting a rumble of contentment from my chest. "Good, good! Now come, why don''t you show me your realms, hmm? It''s high time we give them a name as well, and decide their purposes." He said, floating away from me and towards the Four Realms, which sat there in the middle of the blackness of space. Two Realms, white and black, sat on either side of Reika''s Realm, which spun and swirled in a myriad of colors, while mine sat there and held everything together, invisible and formless. I was proud of this creation of our Father''s. And I would defend it with my life.


    POV: Deity of Balance (Myself)


    I have terrible naming sense. Honestly. Elvira means ''white,'' Keilan means ''black,'' Reika means ''lovely flower,'' and Alexander is ''defender'' or something. I feel a little bad, actually, seeing as to how my kids love the names so much.And now, I have to name each of the four realms! At least those will be somewhat easier. I''ve already got a general idea as to what each Realm entails...though I''m not going to make Keilan be the deity of the Inferno Realm. There will be no Inferno Realm. That''s stupid. Having something akin to a Hell is both setting up a system for failure and goes against the main point of being a Origin Deity.Although I bet there is some way toget the desired results through that path, I''m not going to subject my children to that.I''ll find another way to punish the wicked. Hopefully there won''t be too many...I''d hate to see my own children do that to themselves...


    "Elvira, let''s start with yours." I said, turning to look at her. My white-haired child smiled brilliantly, her tails twitching back and forth cutely as her feathers puffed up in a show of pride.


    "Of course, Father." Shechirped happily, quickly overtaking me to lead the way. I smiled and observed the Four Realms as we moved. Though I wasn''t sure if my children could see it, I could very clearly see some of the structures beginning to form within the mass of chaos. It had yet to truly form worlds and realms capable of sustaining life beyond that of a higher deity, but it was slowly working. But, more than that, I could see beyond the Four Realms. They were in the center of it all, masses of substance that were rapidly expanding (currently they were about the size of a single solar system, and I could sense that they would expand to ten times that size before settling into a more stable rate of expansion), and the Sun was circling them in the blank-ish space that separated the Four Realms from the primordial chaos. The enormous mass of chaos actually formed a protective bubble around my Realms, as beyond it lay the Abyss, a roiling mass ofsomethingthat wasnothing. The Abyss wasthe border between the Primordial Chaos and the Void. At my current level of power, I could feel that even I would perish in the violent storms of the Abyss, though even if I could get past it I would surely die within the Void.


    With a sigh I turned my attention away and followed Elvira, leaving the relatively space which held the Sun and stepping foot onto the white and gold fluffiness that was Elvira''s cloudy realm. Already there were shapes starting to form from the undirected matter within the Realm. Hills and mountains, solid ground and vast plains...what could hardly be called a skeleton of such natural wonders was sitting there, and the strange thing was that the Fourth Realm was the one guiding its construction. I could feel thesomethingit was created from already working, taking the dust of my new universe and creating realms with it.


    "Curious." I muttered, bending down and grabbing a strand of thesomething.Almost immediately my eyes went wide, and a single word escaped my lips. "Spirits." Then I burst out into laughter. Of course! Of course it''s spirits! I''d been wondering where all the souls had gone!


    "Mother?" Keilan asked, confused. I turned to him, still smiling, and shook my head. "What do you mean by spirits? Are those souls?"


    "Yes and no, my boy. See, spirits are more like the worker bees of the universe -of every universe." At his confused expression, I realized my little slip-up. Of course they don''t know what bees are. "They''re...the construction workers. They help build the universe''s physical form, and handle all the microcosms of running something so big. The only problem with them is that they can only exist on a spiritual plane of existence, and can never have a physical form. Alexander''s realm seems to have attracted them all -I should''ve realized it when I put the universe together. Your realm shall be the Spirit Realm, Alexander, and it shall help build, guide and manage all Realms." I said, turning to look at the great dragon. For a moment, I felt both him and the Spirit Realm shudder in response to my words, as if it was responding to the name and task I gave it. It silently surprised me, and I tucked the information away in the back of my head, knowing that it was important. Elvira looked a little downtrodden at having missed out on her Realm being the first to be named, however.


    So I turned my attention to her Realm once more. White has always been a manifestation of physical, or Yang, energy. Gold is a very high spiritual color, and I contemplated what I felt about the realm for a moment, sinking my divine senses into the creation. There was very condensed, very active, very pure energy flowing throughout the entire realm, and I hesitated in naming the place. What would this Realm''s purpose be? Ah, forget it. This''ll be the Heaven Realm.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "Elvira. Your realm shall henceforth be known as the Heaven Realm." Before I could even finish what I was going to say, the entire Realm shifted slightly, changing some of its skeletal structure and proving my theory as the energy became just that much denser and purer. The names I am giving the Realms now will have massive effects on what comes to pass later. The Spirit Realm waited until I gave it a task, but the Heaven Realm reacted to the name itself. Some names have preset functions inlaid into them it seems. This got a whole lot more complicated. It''s a good thing that I tried this out with a name like the Heaven Realm, rather than something stupid like Inferno, and likewise I''m glad that nothing happened when I named my children. "Your realm shall be something to look up to, something that life will look towards and see as a goal. It will be a guiding light." I said, and a tiny shift appeared in the Heaven Realm. Huh. Seems I could change its function...though I get the feeling not too drastically.


    "Thank you, Father." Elvira said, beaming with pride. I chuckled and ruffled her hair, turning towards Keilan.


    "Now, Keilan, why don''t we go visit your Realm?" I asked.


    "We will pass through Reika''s realm to get to the Realm I govern. It would be prudent to name hers first." Keilan answered. I looked at him for a moment before smiling and nodded. I suppose that would give me more time to think about what to do for Keilan''s Realm. That was a perplexing question if any. I''m certain that it has to have something to do with the reincarnation process, because I can''t leave everything up to Alexander, but I want to avoid the Inferno Realm at all costs.


    "Lead the way then, dear Reika." I said, turning towards my green-haired daughter. She smiled and bowed slightly, before leading us to her Realm. Upon entering the mass of color, a wave of nostalgia hit me. Reds and blues and greens and browns, all the colors in the world flowed together, blending into one. These were the colors of the elements, and I let them flow through me freely. "Ah, I forgot how I missed the touch of the elements. There is nothing in the Void, and even Primordial Chaos cannot compare." I muttered, reaching out and grabbing a small bit of fire. Hmm...this could be the Elemental Realm, but...I think Mortal Realm suits it better. I already decided long ago that this, where the powers of white and black, yin and yang, meet, is the best place for mortal life to flourish. Certainly, there will be life in all the Realms, but in this buffer zone, where all Realms meet, is the most suitable. "This shall be the Mortal Realm, Reika. Although there are a myriad of names it could have, I believe this name suits it best. Here is where life will flourish, within the touch of the elements. This shall be the cradle of life." I said sagely, nodding my head. Eventually the elements will flow outwards to touch all realms, but that moment has not yet come. It''ll probably happen before we can truly start to get life settled into the Realms. Hopefully.


    "Thank you, Mother." Reika said with a bow, a large smile gracing her features. The Mortal Realm shuddered slightly, and a new aura, an aura of life, began to flow into it. I hummed. So, Mortal Realm wasn''t a pre-determined name? That''s odd. Perhaps Physical Realm was the key name, since it is in this realm that souls will first begin to have physical forms. "Now let us be off to Keilan''s Realm. I am anxious to see what name you will give to it." She said, her eyes glittering. I chuckled and nodded, leading the way myself this time as we plunged through the Mortal Realm and towards the Keilan''s.


    What I found therein no way surprised me. It was black, the color ofthe non-physical, and silver, another very high spiritual color. It was dense with mental energy, as the spiritual energy had been taken to form the Spirit Realm, essentially splitting spirit and mental energy into two different things. With a slight frown I sunk my senses into the Realm, picking it apart piece by piece. I stayed that way for an indeterminate amount of time before stumbling acrossan answer to my dilemma. The Inferno Realm usually dealt with punishments and rewards for all the Realms, and I could feel something similar begin to take place here. The answer, however, came from the feeling I got from this. It was not an Inferno Realm, it was a Karmic one. The power of Karma, that which lays down the laws of the universe, was floating about invisibly within the Realm.


    "Karmic." I said, turning to Keilan, who looked at me with raised eyebrows. "Your realm shall henceforth be known as the Karmic Realm. Your job is not to mete out punishments or hand out rewards, your job is to keep track of the karmic laws of the universe, which I will set in place once we are done here, and to use them to guide the souls of the universe. You will help them to burn off negative karma, and keep gaining the positive kind." And with those words, the newly dubbed Karmic Realm went under a truly qualitative change.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    The names of the individual Four Realms have been chosen!


    Due to the unique names and purposes you have given your Realms, the initial growth stage has been increased in size by twenty percent.


    Analysis available! (You don''t get a choice. I want to know your reaction. Pay close attention to the Mortal Realm.)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Spirit Realm


    </td>


    <td>This realm was used as the glue between Realms, and now houses most spirits that will be managing the Four Realms. There isn''t much special about it, although it will most likely be the most powerful of all the Realms, and will be a reincarnation hub. All in all, a standard creation, albeit unique to the Three Realms and any variant thereof.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Heavenly Realm


    </td>


    <td>Another relatively standard creation. In many universes, what can be considered as the Heaven Realm acts as a guiding light to mortals, and is seen as the ultimate goal. This Realm shall house life of its own, and will be sanctuary to many powerful and pure souls, however many Immortal and Ascended beings will make this energy-rich land their home.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Mortal Realm


    </td>


    <td>The Mortal Realms are a fickle thing. Ever-changing and generally finite, it is unique among all possible Realms in that certain names do not have predetermined templates. Hence, most divinities feel a instinctual urge to beverycareful and explicit in their descriptions of the realm. Among those descriptors,finite,or any variation thereof, is generally spoken. You, however, ignored your instincts and did not use the word finite in any form, therefore leaving a path for Mortals to become Immortal. Have fun with the Immortal Mortals. Freewill''s a bitch.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Karmic Realm


    </td>


    <td>Here is where you truly deviated. To name a realm the Karmic Realm requires a vast understanding of what Karma is, and exactly what one wants the realm to be. You chose a Guide. Mortal as the home, Spirit as the road, Heaven as the goal, and Karmic as the guide! There are many paths to take along this journey, and Karma will tie them all together, as one.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    No. No, no, no. Undo! Where''s the damn undo button!


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    HAHAHAHA! There is no undo button! What''s done is done, you fool!


    This is why I chose you to be a Deity! Your journey shall surely be entertaining!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    FUCK YOU, YOU SNARKY BOXES! FUCK! YOU!


    POV Change: Keilan (First Son)


    Mother spent the longest time of all deciding on what my Realm should be named. I knew that my fate would be tied to this Realm, and I knew that I would most likely be tied to the punishments of the universe. Unlike my siblings, I could sense bits and pieces of the laws of creation and the Realms. I dare not say I know everything, nor even most things. I doubt even Mother understands everything. However, She completely derailed my train of thoughts with the name She gave unto my Realm, the Karmic Realm. After hearing Her explanation on its role, I felt a swell of relief, and my throat choked up. Though I would deny it, dread had filled me at the thought of becoming a punisher. Instead I am the guide, I am to help others burn off the negativity they built up and gain more of the good. That small difference in wording makes all the difference.


    "Thank you, Mother." I said, bowing deeply.


    "Ah. Yes. You''re welcome, Keilan." Mother said stiffly, Her smile looking a little forced. "Now, to decide the laws of Karma, I suppose. Damn it. I can''t use Karma to fix it either." Mother cursed slightly, confusing the four of us. Damn what? Upon seeing our expressions, she elaborated. "Don''t worry about it. Damn is just a term for frustration. Now, here are the rules. Number one: Killing is bad. Or, should I say, killing with theintentto kill is bad. Killing in self-defense, or if there is no other way out of the situation, is alright. We cannot overly punish for accidents as well. Also, breaking vows that have been said in my Name, in my Eyes, is bad as well. Marriage is one such example, but I''m not certain how the mortals are going to work that out. That''s their problem, I suppose. Lying with the intent to harm is bad as well, white lies or well-meaning lies are ok. Also..." Mother goes on a bit further with Her rules on negative karma, which could basically be summed up with ''harming others is bad,'' before switching to gaining positive karma, which can be summed up as ''helping others is good.'' She promised to add more rules if and when new problems come up. I, for one, am at least glad that She laid down a proper set of rules for me to follow.


    "Yes, Mother." I said with a smile, storing away all the rules in my brain. I would need to find some way to spread them to the Mortal Realm once life is capable of spreading there. Perhaps Alexander can be of help with that. He seems like a trustworthy dragon. Ah, there is much to do before our Realms are fully created, and now that our tasks are set I can finally access knowledge inherent to all higher deities, or so I feel. The Universe is a mysterious place, that I already understand. I look forwards to unravelling those mysteries.


    "Now if you excuse me I need to go scream and curse into the Void, and then set up a few more systems, andthenfigure out what I''m going to do about the Immortals. Have fun kiddos!" Mother said, shooting off into the sky and hurtling towards the Sun.


    I feel that Mother is the most mysterious of all, though. I''m not sure if I want to understand Her.

 The Birth of the Fae

    POV: Deity of Balance (MC)


    I hummed to myself, staring blankly at the plans I had laid out before me. It''d already been half a million years since the start of [Stage 2], when I truly created my universe, and I had yet to create humans -or anything close to it. With a sigh I waved my hand, the image I had projected before me disappearing into thin air as I stood up from my desk, looking around at the relatively blank interior of my ''office.'' I suppose workroom would be a better name for it though, as it is where I contained all my experiments in creating things. Jars filled with raw essences of the universe, from primordial chaos to each of the elements, lined the shelves while samples of soiland various stages of life that had been popping up in each of the Four Realms sat on tables or in preservation chambers. It would''ve looked like a mad scientist''s den were it not for the brilliant chandelier made of stardust hanging from the ceiling, various tapestries livening up the dull workspace, and a veranda from which I could see my Four Realms. With yet another sigh I thought about how long it had taken to just get this far. While half a million years seems like a long time, in the grand scheme of things its actually incredibly short. The only reason the Mortal Realm is now habitable for life is because I exhausted myself speeding the process along in the first two hundred and fifty thousand years. It could''ve taken millions of years to form naturally, and now that the core of the Realms are created I will allow them to proceed naturally instead of interfering.


    Speaking of expansion, after reaching the size of about twelve solar systems, which took the better part of a hundred thousand years, the Four Realms ceased to expand so dramatically. Now it''s about the size of fourteen solar systems, which will encompass the ''core'' of the Realms until they grow to a more respectable size. I can see now why the grace period is one billion years long. At this rate, it''ll take forever to get to the size of a single galaxy, let alone trillions of the things. Right now my universe doesn''t even constitute as a blip on the radar.


    "Ma''am, are you still working?" My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of my faithful child, and self-titled servant, opening the large doors to my workroom and poking his head inside. "Oh, good. You are awake. I was afraid you had fallen asleep again." He said, fully entering the room. He looked like a full-on butler, as he was wearing a black suit with coat-tails, a white under-shirt, a black tie, white gloves, and a white cloth draped over one arm. Apparently he had taken the idea from some of my memories of my time on Earth, having fallen in love with it upon first sensing the design.


    "That happened one time, Randus. Besides, I''ve only been in here for a year. It''s hardly on the level of my two thousand year power nap." I grumbled, leaning back in my fluffy work chair to glare at the grey-haired man. My child, Randus, the deity of dreams, could choose any form he wished (as the deity of dreams, his form is even more fluid than my own) and yet he decides to stick with an old man with greying hair and what he calls a ''butler beard.'' It''s just a goatee and mustache. "And how many times have I told you to call me Mother or Father?" I chide.


    "I am Your servant. I could never call You so familiarly." He said with a bow. I frowned.


    "You are my child, and will do so." I ordered.


    "The effect of that statement is lessened when we are all Your children, Ma''am." He said, keeping a completely straight face. Did I say faithful? I meant aggravating and sarcastic. That''s probably my fault though, seeing as how he was born from one of my dreams. He''s only a lesser deity despite that, however.


    "What do you want, Randus." I said in exasperation, rubbing my forehead. The corners of Randus'' mouth twitched upwards into a smile as he took a step to the side, swinging the tall oaken doors to my workshop open fully.


    "Lady Reika has come to visit you, Ma''am." Randus said. "Though I cannot imagine why." He added as an afterthought. Instead of retorting I flew forwards at high speeds, catching my green-haired daughter in a big bear hug as she stepped into my workroom. She stumbled backwards a few steps with a surprisedoof,completely bewildered by my actions.


    "Reeeikaaa! Randus is bullying me!" I wailed, burying my face into her shoulder. She just laughed, the sound rushing through the entirety of my palace like a refreshing spring breeze. "I''ve been so lonely with only him around! You hardly visit anymore!" I continued to wail.


    "Unlike You, she has been busy managing her Realm. Life is very tricky." Randus supplied unhelpfully.


    "SEE?!" I cried, pointing accusingly at Randus. Reika laughed again, giving Randus a mock glare as she wagged an admonishing finger at him.


    "Be nice to Mother, Randus. She is doing Her best to keep the balance of all the Realms." She said, unable to hide her smile and doing absolutely nothing to extricate herself from my hug. While she was looking away, I poked my tongue out at Randus.


    "Hardly. Were I not here, She would not get anything done. I even had to convince Her to finish the Grand Palace." Randus defended smoothly. Without giving Reika a chance to respond I pulled away from her, holding her at arms length and looking her up and down. The last time I''d seen her had been five thousand years ago, and she''d changed just a little bit. The flowers in her hair were now red and purple, and her hair had gotten longer. An aura of life flowed from her in waves, giving her an ethereal golden aura, which most higher deities like herself had. She and my other three original children all had these auras, though of the two hundred deities that had been born through various means since the beginning of Time (in this universe, at least) only three more higher deities had appeared -each of which had been due to Reika. The Goddess ofFire, the God of Earth, and the Goddess of Water. The other elements had yet to birth higher deities, but it was only a matter of time. Reika would just need to sit down and spend some time on it.


    "So what brings you here, Reika?" I asked.


    "Oh, not much. It''s just that another little creature caught my interest in the Mortal Realm, and I thought you might like to see it." She said, stretching out her arm and shaking the sleeve of her green, leafy robes. For a moment nothing happened, until a snake the size of my forearm came flying out of her sleeve. Its scales were the color of the rainbow, shimmering in the lights that illuminated my workspace, with grey horns curling off of its head, looking suspiciously like Alexander''s dragon horns. A pair of multi-colored, leatherywings fluttered on its back, while white feathers sprouted from its tail, likewise shimmering in a myriad of colors. My eyebrows raised as I took it from Reika''s grasp, examining the beasty and running my fingers over its scales. "I''ve been watching its species for the past ten thousand years or so, and when it reached this point I just had to show you. Isn''t it so pretty?" Reika gushed, gently scratching the snake''s chin with one finger while I held it.


    "It is very beautiful." I replied, nodding and holding the snake so I could see its underbelly. Then, with a wave of my hand, the snake''s body was duplicated perfectly. I handed the original snake back to Reika, who was looking at me with a curious expression, while I made grasping motion with my other hand. In response to the action a section of the wall opened up,revealing rows upon rows of glass jars. One empty jar flew out towards my outstretched hand, the lid opening by itself and sealing the copied snake inside of it. Then the jar proceeded to fly back to its spot, the wall sliding back over it to seal it away. I''d want to map its possible evolutionary paths later, but for now I''m just going to store it for a later date. "Randus, if you would fetch the carriage. Just bring it to the veranda." I told my son with a small smile. He bowed and exited without a word, closing the doors behind him. Sure, I could fly and teleport around the universe if I wanted to, but it''s no fun doing everything with my divine powers. That leaves no time for the journey, which I''m beginning to see as more than just ''important.'' Absently I wandered over to one of the wooden desks in the corner of the room. "Now, where did I leave my cloak?" I mused.


    After a few minutes of watching me rummage around the expansive workshop, Reika finally spoke again. "You know, if you didn''t act so childish sometimes he wouldn''t be as hard on you." She supplied. I glanced at her over my shoulder, an amused smile tugging at my lips.


    "Oh, but that''s no fun." I told her, which elicited a small giggle. "Ah, here it is!" I exclaimed, grabbing the purple cloak from where it was hidden beneath a bunch of seemingly random sticks and stones. The cloak fluttered as it fixed itself around my shoulders, accenting my robes well enough. The purple and silver design they held had remained unchanged for the most part, though I do have a number of other outfits. Such things matter little when I can create said clothes with just a wave of the hand. "Shall we go? I wish to visit the Mortal Realm." I told Reika, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and guiding her out of the tall, glass doors towards the half-moon shaped veranda. From here, I could see the entirety of the Four Realms, and the shapes they were starting to form.From afar it all appeared to be one giant picture. In the very center of the Heaven Realm was a gargantuan mountain, so tall and mighty that it appeared it could pierce the void itself. Atop of the mountain sat the palace of Elvira, made out of a pure white marble and carved exquisitely. A few lesser deities flew about the Heaven Realm, exploring the holy mountain or the lands below. Life had begun to spread there from the Mortal Realm, though it had yet to cover the entire Realm, leaving vast expanses of land barren. That would be fixed in due time, however.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    The Karmic Realm was as dark as ever, with an enormous valley as its core. I preferred to think of it as a valley rather than a chasm, because chasm sounds too dreary. Deep within the valley, hidden in shadows, was the palace of Keilan, where he was training his legions of Karma Kings, who would help aid him in dealing with the karma of the universe (already a few spirits had accrued negative karma, so Keilan was training his Karmic Kings on them), once they were properly trained. A number of lesser deities had flocked to the Karmic Realm as well, and I could see them exploring the valley and surrounding ocean, seeking enlightenment in the silence of the realm. The Spirit Realm had undergone perhaps the most drastic of changes as it was teeming with spiritual life. It''s hard to explain, but the best I can explain it is as follows; the phrase "as on Heaven as it is on Earth" dictates the relationship between the Spirit Realm and the other realms. If the Spirit Realm is nothing more than a molten slag heap, then the place parallel to it in any of the other realms will shortly follow suit, even if said place is teeming with life beforehand. The opposite is also true, and is a concept that is true in all universes that I know of. Now, to my eyes, I saw the Spirit Realm not only as the pillars the support my universe, but as a river that wound throughout all the Realms, starting and ending in an indeterminate area.


    The Mortal Realm, where I aim to go, is much like the mortal realm from my old universe. There are currently two suns in the Mortal Realm, each with their own solar system. (I find it funny that the Mortal Realm created suns, despite the presence of a Realm Sun. I guess it''s just the Earth copying the Heavens.) Both systems were very similar, with two planets capable of sustaining life each, and a total of eleven planets. The reason, however, that there were only two suns was because of the massive, life-giving tree that grew in the center, and the expanse of land it grew along with. Beneath its green boughs all sorts of flying creatures flew, hunting and playing as beasts and monsters crawled about on the lands the Tree had sunk its roots into. Reika lived in the center of the Tree, as it had grown from her will and was the source of all life. I had named the land beneath the Life-Giving Tree Pangea, with the two solar systems becoming Cradle and Regula. The name for Cradle should be self-explanatory, as it is the system with the planet most suited for a sentient mortal race (which was likewise dubbed Cradle.) All four Realms blended together into one Universe; The Mountain, the Tree, the Ocean Valley, and the River.


    "Ma''am, the carriage has arrived." Randus stated as he appeared from the void, sitting atop an ostentatious carriage of golden sunlight and the darkest of shadows. It was drawn by no beast, as it moved through the power of the Realm Sun alone. Randus pulled up next to the veranda, the side doors opening and revealing the plush, velvety interior. Reika silently floated over the veranda railing, sitting in the carriage followed closely by myself. The door shut behind us and Randus silently awaited my command.


    "To the Mortal Realm, specifically to Cradle." I commanded. Randus silently accepted my words and the carriage started to move, smoothly pulling away from my small, three-story, thousand roomed palace floating in front of the Realm Sun. It was a little large for me, personally, but I expected it to fill up once people started ascending. Currently only myself and Randus lived within, as the other deities were exploring the Four Realms. I rubbed my face in frustration. That was another problem to deal with; people ascending.


    "Why are you coming to the Mortal Realm?" Reika inquired.


    "To create mortals." I said absently, staring out the window. "It is time."


    "Is the current life not satisfactory?" Reika asked innocently, tilting her head to the side cutely.


    "No, that''s not it. I love all of your creations, it''s just...there needs to be a sentient race or two that will spread throughout the Four Realms." I said, shaking my head. Reika nodded, but obviously still didn''t understand. I''d just have to let her see it on her own...though even I wasn''t sure about the race''s odds of success. Due to the nature of my universe, a race like the humans would be utterly annihilated in a matter of years, no matter their technological level. To survive they wouldhaveto step on the path towards immortality I unintentionally left open. It would become a necessity. The reason for this was because of the myriad of creatures Reika had created...many of which had magical powers. Certainly there were normal animals, but they were second to the mystical creatures that had appeared with the ability to bend elements and the like to their will.


    "We are here, Ma''am." Randus said, the carriage pulling to a halt. I silently stepped out of the carriage and looked down at the planet that slowly spun beneath my feet, while its sun rotated around the Life-Giving Tree, its path just beyond the farthest borders of Pangea. The planet itself was teeming with life, looking like a blue and green marble as it circled its star. There were a total of twenty continents on the planet, which was at least five times the size of Earth from my old universe (gravity was wonky, due to the structure of my universe, so this large planet didn''t exert much more gravity than Earth itself), and for a long while I simply stood there, staring at it.


    "No time like the present." I said with a sigh, reaching forth and calling upon the elements. I had a general idea of how I wanted the mortals to be, but...I still felt that it wasn''t enough.Seeing the rainbow colored snake had given me an idea on what was missing, and standing here the feeling that I was about to get it right got even stronger. I''d combined the energies of the Four Realms to try and make a mortal form before, but not quite like this. For the body, I crafted it with essences from five main elements; fire, water, earth, wind, and lightning. Each and every cell was crafted from these essences, which rapidly solidified into living flesh and blood with aid from the life-giving aura of the Life-Giving Tree. Here is where I began to deviate from my previous experiments; instead of infusing the body with the heavenly aura of the Heaven Realm, which had quite a bit of physical energy within it, I used that energy to craft passageways in the body through which all kinds of energy could flow, instead of crafting said passageways with the aura of the Karmic Realm. The Karmic Realm energy was instead utilized to create the mind. I snatched powers from the Spirit Realm to create the heart and the space in which the soul would reside. As soon as I was finished with that I clapped my hands, the body splitting into two sexes; male and female.


    For a moment I admired my creations, knowing that this was the form my first People would take. They closely resembled a human, as my own form did, however they had long, pointy ears instead of round ones. In addition, horns curled around their heads, starting from their foreheads. The male''s curled over the top of his head, ending in a dull point just behind his head, while the female''s curled around the sides and ended in a hook-shape. Her hair was a brilliant shade of red and orange, whereas the males was a green color, the color of leaves and the essence of elemental wind. They had turned out different than I expected. I had intended to create full-blown humans, but I suppose it was simply not meant to be. I guess that''s what happens when I leave parts of the creation process to chance. Now all that''s left is to input the souls...


    I let out a long, slow breath, the action causing a gentle wind to blow across the two mortal bodies, calling souls to them. Two souls responded to my call, emerging from the Spirit River and merging into the hearts of the mortal bodies, where I had created the cradle for the soul. As they merged into the bodies I waved my hand forth, allowing just a small portion of my essence to feed their growth, merging with the souls. The bodies began to shift in response to the souls, the mind bleeding into the body, the body bleeding into the mind, the heart encompassing all, the passageways absorbing and solidifying, and the soul taking control.


    "I''m an idiot." I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose. I''d had it right all along, nothing had been missing in the mortal bodies, it had just been missing a soul that could control it. Still, though, I can''t complain. This is a beautiful People I have created.


    "They''re...amazing." Randus said in a rare moment of awe. Surely he could feel their potential as the deity of dreams -nothing dreams quite like a sentient race.


    "What are they?" Reika asked, moving forwards and peering at my creation. The two beings were still simply floating there in space, in a temporary stasis, and she was thoroughly intrigued.


    "Fae. They''ll be called the Fae." I stated, nodding to myself. I certainly couldn''t call them human.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Creation!


    You are the first of the twelve souls to create a truly sentient race, whom you have named the [Fae].


    Instead of fearing the path towards Mortal Immortality you have left, instead you embraced it, creating a method for the [Fae] to achieve immortality through their Passages. In a domain such as yours, such a thing is imperative for continued survival. Although their growth throughout the universe may not be as fast as others, they will be tenacious, and all will know that the Fae were the first of the mortal races created by their Origin Deity.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    At the same time that the blue box popped up, I felt an influx of power. Since I created a sentient race, my personal power increased, albeit just a little. Still, it was an unexpected surprise, one which I have no desire to complain about.


    "Now then, let''s get you situated." I said, repeating my clapping motion from before. Around two hundred Fae appeared behind the first two, all different shapes, sizes, and colors, and with a wave of my hand I scattered them across the Cradle planet. After watching them for a while to make sure they''d survive I''d create a few more and scatter them across the rest of the Mortal Realms, but until then I would just observe. Letting out a breath I sat down, hovering over the planet and watching with tired eyes. Who knew that creating two hundred Fae would take so much energy?


    Well, at least it was official now. A mortal race of sentient beings had been born inmy universe.

 The Path to Immortality

    POV: Elvira


    When I saw Father''s creation, the Fae, for the first time I was awed. Previously I had wondered why Father was so fixated upon creating a so-called sentient race. Were the current animals and mystical beasts living within our Realms not enough? By traversing the path to immortality, they could most certainly gain what Father called sentience. In fact, a number of them had in the past...although they had perished shortly after, having reached the limit of their lifespans. This idea was completely disregarded when I appeared next to Father as He watched the Fae. He had changed slightly in response to His creation, although I do not know if He truly noticed the curling horns that now sprouted from His forehead.


    "Father-" However, my words became caught in my throat as I looked down at the Fae, watching as the many tribescontinued to inspect their surroundings. I had caught wind of Father''s actions a mere month and a half after He had first started them, because one of the lesser deities who lived in my palace had returned from the Mortal Realm with this news, and already I could see their potential. A mere month old, and although Father most likely had a hand in it, they were already creating shelters and crafting the simplest of tools. "Are those...?" I asked.


    "Yes. Those are the Fae, the first sentient race of the Four Realms." He replied casually, resting His chin in the palm of His hand and smiling at the planet below. "Look, look, already the ten Fae I placed on those islands are beginning to craft spears. And the ones in the mountains on the fifth continent, right there, have already discovered fire!" He said, incredibly pleased. My jaw worked slowly, eyes wide as I watched the Fae move about, completely enraptured. Although a few had died already due to environmental conditions, I could see that a large portion of the tribes were ready to expand.


    "That''s amazing!" I muttered, sitting down and staring at the people, examining them with my divine sense. By doing so I could see the process that Father had used to create the Fae, which I was drawn to for some reason. As I watched them I gradually became aware of Reika doing the same as myself, along with Keilan, who had just appeared in a ripple of darkness, before all awareness of such things faded into nothingness. My attention was fully focused on the Fae. Their bodies were crafted from five elements...their minds from Keilan''s black domain...the thing that beat in their chests, their Hearts, was crafted from the mysterious powers of Alexander''s domain...and the passageways in their bodies that currently remained unused, were crafted from the power of my realm, the Heaven Realm. Strangely, it was not as physical as I had imagined the energies that flowed through my realm to be. The passages were immaterial, and as I stared at them I slowly began to understand some of the intricacies of my realm''s power, and some of Father''s preachings.


    Keilan and I had clashed a few times over the years, and after one particularly disruptive argument Father had lectured us both. "You are the powers of Yin and Yang, white and black, physical and immaterial, the body and the mind. They are diametrically opposed to each other, correct? WRONG! How many times must I tell you?! There can be no Yin without Yang, no white without black! A body is nothing without a mind! And NEVER, I repeat, NEVER can there be ONLY ONE! Within the purest of Yin is still a shred of Yang! Within the purest of Yang there is still Yin! Now be good children and spend TWO THOUSAND YEARS in your siblings realms! Maybe that will cool you off! Maybe you''ll even learn something!" He had shouted at us. Honestly it wasn''t that big of a disagreement and Father probably overreacted because we interrupted His rest, but now I realize that He had been trying to show us something, give us some enlightenment towards our own powers. Just as all His actions did, He was trying to help us. And what He said then, was now perfectly in tune with what I was understanding.


    Making the immaterial, material.Thatis what those passageways did! With but a thought those same passages formed within my own body -nay, they were already there. I hadn''t realized it until now, but they werethere.My divine power may not flow through them, but with a sudden jolt I realized that the energy of my Realm did! They were two different, but very similar, types of energy, and I had only been touching my divine power until now! I raised my hand, imagining a flame igniting in the palm of my hand. Immediately after a white flame appeared, twisting and flickering in accordance to my will. My divine power did not do this, instead the heavenly energy did so. This was what Keilan always bragged about;magic.I could use magic! And although mine was not the same as Keilan''s, still! Magic! Haha! In my elation, the state of enlightenment I had been in faded away, although I was much too excited to care. (There had been so much to understand, too...the heart, the body, the soul, I had just barely scratched the surface.) Instead I leapt to my feet.


    "HAHAHA! That was awesome! Thank you, Father! I''m off!" I said, leaping forwards and crushing Father in a hug before shooting off to my Realm. There was so much to do! And, I wanted to try creating a race of my own!


    POV: Deity of Balance (MC; Statera Luotian)


    I watched, amused, as Elvira shot off towards her Realm, a new aura beginning to surround the boisterous girl. Surprisingly, deities could travel along the path to immortality as well as mortals, which was proven by Elvira. Keilan was going through a similar state of enlightenment that Elvira had, and Reika had already floated off, having completed hers about ten years ago. Elvira had taken a full century to contemplate her enlightenment, and I could already see Keilan beginning to come out of his state. Both Keilan and Reika had stepped onto the Path, though clearly they were going down different routes than what Elvira was doing. That, however, was not what had surprised me the most. I already had a certain degree of understanding of the Path, and had poked around with various methods (and although it had never been my focus, I was contemplating truly exploring it) before, but rather, what had surprised me was that through enlightenment, Elvira, Reika, and Keilan were undergoing changes and increasing theirpersonal power. Enlightenment about the world and the workings of the Universe and Multiverse was one of the many, many ways in which deities could increase their personal power.


    I also assumed that it was one path to immortality that mortals could have. Enlightenment was part of the path to becoming an angel from my old universe, after all.


    Turning towards Randus to speak I froze, noticing for the first time that he was undergoing enlightenment as well. That''s understandable. The Fae were among the first beings besides deities to have coherent dreams, after all. Chuckling to myself I looked back towards the planet Cradle, examining the various tribes. There was one group that had begun to carve out canoes to traverse river systems, and a few had begun to worship me, calling me Mother Statera or Father Luotian. That was the name the Fae had given me, Statera Luotian. It had a nice ring to it, so I decided to keep it. (Not that I ever could throw away the gift of a name. The deities had never bothered with such, always calling me Mother or Father instead.)Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Right. Now it''s time to spread you." I muttered, clapping my hands and creating another two hundred Fae, spreading them to the other habitable planet in the system. With another clap a hundred more appeared, populating the habitable moon circling one of the gas giants in the system, and I stopped there. I''d have to wait until my power recovered to begin spreading the Fae to the other two planets and Pangea. Creating sentient life was taxing. With a slight cough I stood, turning to focus once again on Keilan, observing his steps onto the path of immortality. He was traversing what I had decided to call the Path of the Mind, or basically training the mind to be able to influence the physical world. Using the immaterial to affect the material, in other words. Psychic, I believe it''s called? Or was it psyonic? I don''t know. Either way, it was a cool path with many opportunities. Reika on the other hand had experienced enlightenment into the elements themselvesand how they can strengthen the fleshly body. It wasn''t the same as solely training the fleshly body, which is attained by melding heavenly energy, or Qi, into the body itself, but the results were similar. All in all, I was pleased. My universe was coming along nicely.


    "So this is why you rushed to create mortals." Alexander''s voice sounded behind me. I said nothing as the dragon shrunk his size so he could wrap himself around me, his head coming to rest on my shoulder. With an idle hand I scratched his head, chuckling in amusement as a contented rumble emanated from his chest area.


    "No, not quite." I told him. "There are many reasons that I created the Fae, first and foremost being that the Four Realms have been at peace for far too long."


    "What do you mean?" Alexander asked, confused.I could understand his confusion, after all to him the birth of the Four Realms had been incredibly chaotic and now, with the birth of the Fae, he had been working overtime trying to overcome some issues with the reincarnation cycle. That wasn''t to mention figuring out how to weave the fates of the mortals, and manipulate them into doing certain things. Freewill was a pain like that, but it is an inalienable right that all beings possessed. Keilan would find a slew of problems facing him when he returned to his realm, and I would be forced to help them smooth things over. Ugh. I''d rather just dump all the work on him and claim it''s part of the learning curve.


    "I mean that compared to many others, this universe has had a very smooth creation process. I wanted to give the Fae a headstart before the first true storm the Four Realms shall face descends." I explained. It was a feeling I had, that a tribulation would descend upon the Four Realms because it is slightly unbalanced...a tribulation that I had accelerated through my own actions.


    "A storm..." Alexander whispered, and I nodded my head.


    "Yes, a storm. I am unsure as to what it will be, but I can feel that it will descend within the next ten to twenty thousand years." I told him. It was impossible to tell the future that far ahead, simply because of the number of variables involved. In fact, the future can only be accurately predicted up to two years in advance for most beings, up to ten if one wants to discount a few minor details. Big events can be predicted up to one to two hundred years in advance. However, someone of my level of power can predict truly massive events up to a thousand years in advance, though the details are incredibly vague. Through that impressive power of prediction, I can either guide the Four Realms towards or away from said event. As for the storm I speak of? It''s a mere feeling, something I can feel in my gut because of my close connection to my universe and the Balance itself. The event bearing down upon us is universe shaking, at the very least.


    After a moment of silence, Alexander soaking in that information, he spoke again. "And what are the other reasons for creating the Fae?" He asked, choosing not to dwell on my ill omens. The only reason I had revealed this information at all was because Alexander was Alexander, and perhaps, if we''re lucky, we can avoid the storm. I feel that is not the case however, as it is closely related to the Balance.


    "Love." I replied, grinning as I looked down on Cradle. "Love is something that exists in all things on a fundamental level, to the point where it can actually be found as a chemical reaction in a living being''s body, that''s how pervasive it is, and yet in these sentient races love becomes that much more pronounced. Their lives will help you to understand what love truly is, in all its mighty simplicity. It is so simple, yet so profound, that all beings feel it but only the very powerful can say that they have an inkling of an understanding into it. It is the most powerful force in all the...well, you''re not ready for that knowledge yet. Let me just say that Divine Love is the most powerful thing I have ever had the fortune of touching." Alexander was silent, absorbing my speech. It was funny actually, the dragon, unlike his skeptical brother Keilan, hung off of my words, accepting them as Truths, and as such I had to be very careful in what I told him.


    "Love." Alexander muttered, untangling himself from me and moving towards the planet, looking down on the Fae. I chuckled and shook my head. Looks like what I said sparked a moment of enlightenment in the dragon. Out of sheer curiosity I peered down at the planet to see what he was looking at, and to my immense surprise and pleasure I spotted the souls of the first two Fae I had created, once again together in a tribe, courting one another. It was incredibly cute.


    As I turned to move away, as there was still work to be done and I cannot spend all my time watching over the Fae, an intense stab of pain ran throughout my entire being. In a panic I whirled, power surging out from my body on pure instinct alone, as I searched for the source of that pain. My heart clenched when I found it, one hand absently coming up to clutch at my chest. A man hunting in the jungles of the fourth continent of Cradle was kneeling on the ground, holding the body of his newly deceased son, barely old enough to be part of the hunting party. His body was covered in cuts from the claws of a deadly jungle predator, whose feline body lay far from the boy, many spears sticking out of its body. There was no question as to how the boy had died -the predator had clearly killed the boy in its first attack on the hunting party, crushing his throat in its jaws. What had caused me pain however, was not that. No, people and beings died every day. It was part of life, and reincarnation was part of how one breaks free from mortal bonds. No, what hurt me most was that the man was crying and cursingme,cursingmy name,the name his people had given me, for killing his child.


    It was the first time one of my own creations had cursed me. The current beasts were much too simple-minded to blame me for the nature of the universe, the Fae had only ever thanked me for bountiful harvests and hunts and begged me to guide the souls of their loved ones in death, and the deities of the universe could never dream of cursing me.


    "Damn you." He had said. "Damn you for stealing my son." It hurt, to be blamed so. With a blink of my eyes I peered into the fate that Alexander''s spirits had laid out for the man...following the death of his son, the man would go on to devise safer and more efficient hunting methods, sparing countless lives from the same fate in the future. I closed my eyes, taking one deep, shaky breath and looking off towards the Realm Sun. I had been expecting this to happen at some point, in fact I am surprised it took so long as mortals shall be mortals, however I had not expected this pain.


    "He knows not what he says." I told myself. "Although I shall always love you unconditionally, I cannot do everything for you. You must learn to stand on your own two feet, for you would never learn and never rise to the heights I know you are capable of reaching if I were to hold your hand the entire way. Everyone has their own trials to face. Even me."I spoke towards the sky. As I turned away once again, restraining myself from interfering in the affairs of mortals as it would do them more harm than good, a single tear fell in the vastness of space.

 Deities and Sentient Races

    <u>POV: Statera Luotian (MC)</u>


    I chuckled at the Fae before me, staring me down like I was some kind of monster, his spear leveled at my chest. "How can I help you?" I asked innocently, tilting my head to the side in mock confusion. Of course I knew why this mortal was staring at me this way, my cultivation, as the mortals had come to call the Path to Immortality, was much higher than the man''s even despite the fact that this was a mere incarnation of my true body -an extension of my divine will. In fact, said man hadn''t even stepped onto even one of the many, many Paths. He was one of those souls that had accrued neither positive nor negative karma in any of his lives...someone completely unremarkable. Though, that could certainly change as more time passes.


    "Who are you, and what is your business here?" He asked gruffly, shifting a little nervously, his leather armor making stretching sounds as he did so. I giggled slightly and shrugged.


    "Who knows?" I echoed cryptically, and the man stiffened. His spear shifted ever so slightly, the metal tip glinting in the sunlight as he prepared for anything. Or so he thought.


    "That''s enough, you idiot." His fellow gate-guard, a green haired female Fae, said, hitting him over the head. "She''s obviously a Fae, and a cultivator at that. Sorry for the hassle my idiot companion gave you, ma''am. He''s new, and with all the illusion beasts around here we can''t be too careful." She stated.


    "True, true. How''d you figure out that I¡¯m not one of them, though?" I asked politely. Said girl smiled and tapped the side of her head.


    "My eyes are connected to Spirits of the Earth, and I''ve got a decent cultivation base...although it is still only at the Qi Gathering stage." She said with a smile. I nodded and rubbed my chin, accepting this answer. The silly mortals of this particular kingdom on the Pangea continent were convinced that the main and true path towards immortality lay with the Martial Qi path, which was basically storing Qi, the energy of Heaven and Earth (the Heavenly and Mortal Realms) in the passageways in their bodies -or in other words; Elvira''s Path. They had systemized the entire process, though many, many undiscovered stages had yet to be named. Few had even passed the third stage, though with each successive generation the methods and such got better and more refined. They still had a long way to go, though.


    "Don''t rely too much on those eyes of yours. Many of the more powerful illusion beasts will still slip by them until you forge a stronger connection with the spirits of the earth." I told her, already moving forwards into the great, stone-walled city. They had built it out of necessity, after all normal mortals would not be able to survive in many of the tough environments on Pangea, and although the illusion-type mystic beasts around here were not inherently strong, nor did they have high cultivation bases, their inborn illusion abilities were extremely dangerous. Many tended to enjoy killing someone, and then casting an illusion over themselves to appear as their prey, so as to lure more prey in. That, or fake mortal injuries.


    "I will keep that in mind." The guard said, motioning me forwards. I smiled at her and moved through the gates, a lone wanderer into the bustling city. Strangely, I was the only one moving into the city, there were no caravans or other people entering or exiting the southern gate. Humming a tune I skipped through the fifty-foot tall wooden gates, looking up and spotting a slat through which more guards could pour boiling oil in case of an invasion. For a civilization that was a mere two thousand years old (though the city was much younger), this was truly a marvel. Granted, I had helped a bit to ensure my people could survive on Pangea, as it is much less forgiving than the true planets, but still. I had expected them to go through a longer tribal stage, much like the Fae on Cradle. It had been about two thousand two hundred years since I created the Fae, and the tribes on that first planet were still that -tribes. They were relatively peaceful and had spread over much of the planet, barring a few continents, and had not run into too many difficulties, thus slowing their progress. Many Fae on Cradle walked more peaceful paths to immortality than the Martial Qi path. I was immensely proud of them.


    The streets of the city were lively, filled with cheering and the smells of cooking meat as they celebrated the founding of the city. Another year had passed since the founding of their city three hundred years ago, and coinciding with this festival was a coronation ceremony. The third lord of the city was to be named today, the current most powerful cultivator in the city, after the previous lord died at the ripe old age of two hundred and ten years old and a hundred and twenty year reign as city lord. I smiled and shook my head, thinking about the timeframe the Fae lived in. To the average mortal, a hundred years was more than a lifetime. To most of the highest-tier cultivators that had appeared, three hundred years was relatively ancient (for the highest that had appeared to-date, who had managed to gain a total of a thousand years of longevity, three hundred years was still a good portion of her lifespan), and yet to me and other deities, a thousand years was but a blink of an eye. They were so funny to watch sometimes, and now I was no longer hurt by the curses of mortals. After all, who listens to the screaming of a child? Well, I do, but it doesn''t bother me anymore.


    Tall stone buildings rose up along the cobblestone streets, and I wandered about between them, spotting cultivation shops, normal shops, weapon shops, and hundreds of other shops all occupying the first floors of the buildings, the lowest of which was at least five stories tall. Because the city was built upwards instead of outwards, so as not to disturb the habitat of and earn the ire of the illusion beasts, the city did not occupy a lot of space, even though a solid half a million people lived within the walls. It was quite the achievement for a race so young if you ask me, but I also understand that their above-average development was both out of necessity and because almost all deities and spirits were focused on them and their development. That would change in the next fifty or so years, when Elvira, Keilan, and Reika unveiled the sentient races they had been creating.


    "...we celebrate not only our beloved city lord''s passing, but also the rise of a new leader! Today, we celebrate both the death of Laudra, sending him to cross the River of Souls so Mother Statera can welcome him with open arms, but also the coronation of Dei, the new City Lord!" A man with an obnoxiously loud voice boomed, using some sort of mystic technique to bolster the sound. I stopped to listen to the speech at the very edge of the massive crowd that filled the city center. It wasn''t very ostentatious, just a simple open space that would normally be filled with the various open stalls of travelling merchants and peddlers from the surrounding villages, but now a stage crafted of processed wood raised three people above the crowd. Two were archaic-looking, with greying hair and faded horns. The other was a young man in his early twenties, standing ramrod straight and staring out over the crowd with an emotionless expression. He gripped an ornamental spear in one hand, and long black robes draped themselves around his body. To their left was a coffin, prepared to be cremated so the previous city lord could turn to ash.


    I furrowed my brows. Something about that young man seemed familiar...but I just couldn''t place it. That in and of itself was intriguing. Just as I was about to step closer to take a closer look, my attention was caught by a pair of lovers ¨Cwho were the entire reason I had sent this incarnation to the Mortal Realm in the first place. A smile flitted across my features as I watched them move further into the crowds, holding hands as if the two were afraid to lose each other. I, for one, knew that to be highly unlikely. They were the souls of the first two Fae I had created, and likewise were the first two to have been tied together through a red string of fate. In all of their previous lives they had been together, travelling throughout the Mortal Realm as one. It was adorable, but they were not without their bumps in the road.One was much more adventurous than the other, leading to that soul wanting to go exploring the world for all its worth, while the other always comes up with convoluted ways to ''test'' their love, leading to many conflicts over their lifetimes. And, every time, their red string somehow managed to keep them tied together. Never have either of them stepped on the path to immortality, but I figure its only a matter of time.At that time, they will truly be tested.


    "I henceforth name you City Lord!" The announcer yelled from somewhere off to the side of the stage, breaking me out of my momentary daze. I turned my attention to see one of the elders move forward and place a wooden crown atop Dei''s head before I stepped back, having found the two lovers and intending on bestowing them a gift later. That is, only if they have the wisdom to accept it. A sudden tingling in the back of my head distracted me however, and I cursed mildly as I moved further into the alley. This tingling sensation was one that said my true body was waking up, and something required my full, undivided attention.


    At some point I''d have to adjust this technique so I could multitask even further.As it was now, all ten incarnations of divine will it projected were running around, doing just the bare minimum of management while my true body prepared for the ¡®job¡¯ I had to do, stuck in a sort of meditative state. So, with a sigh I sat down between some boxes and closed my eyes, allowing this body to fade into the background, leaving a trace of Will so I could easily find my place again. Then, my incarnation faded into nothingness.


    When my true body opened its eyes, the memories from my ten incarnations flooding me, I came face to face with Randus, who had invaded my personal chambers and was mere inches from my face. With a scowl I waved him off, taking a moment to stretch and check and see if any of my surroundings had changed. The stone slab beneath me was cool to the touch, albeit glowing alongside every inch of stone in about a three foot radius of my meditation spot. It hadn''t been doing that last time I woke up. Granted, that had been a century ago, and I had been channeling massive amounts of power here lately. The rest of the room was fine, however. Tapestries and pieces of art my people had created, from simple bone totems to great paintings and forged treasures, some of which depicted me creating the Fae (funny how they instinctively know their own history), were scattered about the otherwise bare-bones room. As a deity, sleep was unnecessary unless I expended massive amounts of power, so there was no bed.


    "What is it?" I asked irritably. I still had another century of meditation planned before I would go out and manage the Four Realms for two centuries, before going back to meditation, and so on and so forth.


    "Reika, Keilan, and Elvira are here to see you alongside a few deities you have not met." Randus said simply, stepping back further away from me. I looked at him and sighed, waving my hand and causing my trademarked purple and silver robes to appear on my naked form.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    "Bring them in." I said, restraining myself from expanding my divine sense to see what the deal was. I do love surprises, and I had the feeling that my three children had many in store for me. Did they...perhaps...create their races ahead of schedule? The thought excited me beyond belief. My love of surprises, which only developed after I became an Origin Deity, was what led me to leave many things up to chance...perhaps more than is wise. However, micro-managing the universe is also bad...or at least that''s how I rationalize it. When the six people entered my chambers they all paused for a moment to stare at me, sitting on my meditation pad surrounded by an aura of power and a circle of glowing blue stone. "Hello! What brings you here today?" I asked pleasantly.


    "Father." Elvira said, bowing towards me.


    "Mother." Keilan and Reika said, bowing as well.


    "We have come to introduce three Higher Deities that were born in the past century to you, as well as show you our creations and gain your approval to place them in the Mortal Realms alongside the Fae." Keilan said formally. I chuckled and waved one hand, nodding to the trio standing behind my first children.


    "Well don''t just stand there then, introduce yourselves." I said with a smile. The three deities all stepped forwards, kneeling in front of me with borderline worshipful expressions. Two were male, one with shining golden hair and bronze skin which rippled with muscles, looking like a proper Hero, while the other was pale and sickly looking, with long, black hair and exuding and aura of darkness. The third was a girl with green hair that billowed in a perpetual wind. She was the only one who dared to look up at me while kneeling, her grey eyes meeting mine as if to say ''this is all you''ll get out of me.'' I chuckled at her nodding my approval. They are all my children, they do not need bow or kneel before me, but no matter how I attempt to compel them otherwise these new deities refuse to stand before me as my children, not subjects.


    "I am Deity Sol, born in the heart of Your great Realm Sun, Your Majesty." The golden haired man said. I nodded in approval. It''s about time the Realm Sun produced a deity.However, what was up with the Your Majesty? I¡¯m not sure I like the sound of that.


    "Deity Gilles, at your service, Your Highness." The pale man rasped. "I was born from the shadows of the Realms." He clarified, looking up to meet my gaze with his pitch-black eyes. I raised my eyebrows at that, before nodding with approval. Without a moon, or in this case a Lunar Star, to balance out the Realm Sun, it was only a matter of time before a deity of shadows appeared. Or, perhaps, it was predestined to occur the moment I created light.


    "I am the elemental deity of the wind, Aeriel. It is a pleasure to meet you." The green-haired woman said. I smiled and nodded to each of them.


    "Raise your head, Sol. You need not bow to me." I commanded. Said man raised his head slowly to look at me, and I gave him a smile of satisfaction. "I expect a lot from each of you. Treat each other with respect and perform your duties well. Sol, Gilles, I wish for you to both remember that without darkness or shadow, light has no meaning, and without light, darkness cannot truly exist. Your respective domains are, like everything, two parts of a whole, while being whole themselves. It is important to understand your own powers and that which is opposite to it, only then can you truly begin to advance. And Aeriel...I can already tell that you will be as carefree and unrestrained as the wind which blows through all realms." I said with a chuckle. Said woman blushed only slightly, a smile tugging at her lips. "With your existence, the elements have finally completed their first full circle. Earth, Water, Wind, Fire. While there are many, many other elements, remember that none of you can maintain balance without the others. Each elemental essence can be derived from the primordial chaos that surrounds the Four Realms, so in truth you were all once one in the same." I told her. "Now go! Don''t let me keep you! Go explore the Four Realms!" I said, waving them off.


    Aeriel needed no further prompting, as she flew out the door with a gust of wind, followed closely by Gilles, who faded into the shadows. Only Sol remained, standing up and stepping off to the side as my other three children moved forwards, anticipatory smiles on their lips. As for me, I was practically bouncing in my seat. Reika was the first to present her race, or should I say races, as when she waved her hand six full-sized, soulless bodies appeared in front of me. Each objectively looked like Fae, having the same body structure and such (except for one which was made out of the essence of water, as that one looked more like a mermaid.) Reika, however, had taken the ''elemental body'' literally. Each body was crafted from a different element; fire, water, wind, earth, shadow, and light respectively. Upon inspecting them closer, I realized that they were not only crafted from their own element; the passageways I had created from Elvira''s realm, along with their minds, were created from a collection of all the known elements, including those without deities -meaning more of these beings could pop up whenever a new element gains a deity.


    "They''re beautiful." I whispered, reaching forward and touching the light elemental. "Individually they are unbalanced, but as a whole they all balance each other. That is truly a unique solution you came up with, Reika. And are they half Spirit? That''s fascinating...they''ll be much more in tune with the natural world than the Fae, at least on a base level." I said, nodding and giving her a winning smile. "You have my approval, dear."


    "Thank you, Mother. Though, will you name them...?" She asked tentatively. I blinked in surprise at the question, and nodded slowly.


    "Yes...but are you sure? You are more than capable of naming them, and they are your creation." I told her. She smiled and nodded.


    "I would like you to name them." She affirmed. I hummed.


    "Alright, if you say so. Hmm...there is only one name I can think of that will encompass them as a whole; the Elementals." I said. Reika thought it over for a moment, tasting the name.


    "I like it. It suits them. The Elementals; my children." Reika said with a fond smile, waving her hand and drawing the Elementals back to her. "I will bestow upon them souls, and spread them across the Mortal Realm. Thank you." Reika bowed slightly, and I smiled at her before turning towards Keilan and Elvira, nearly bursting with excitement.


    "Well? Bring them out! Both at the same time, I can barely stand the suspense!" I told the two, earning myself a wry chuckle from my children. They had gone to great lengths to protect their creations from my eyes over the past two thousand years, and who was I to undermine their hard work? Hence, I truly had no idea what they had created. Nodding to each other, Keilan and Elvira waved their hands, causing four beings, a male and female of their two races, to appear in front of me in much the same fashion as Reika¡¯s. Elvira''s was the spitting image of her, albeit with a few more feathers. They had a pair of powerful wings on their backs, in contrast to the four Elivra had, a single feathery tail, feathered ears the same as Elvira, and hair made out of feathers as well. They were created mainly by Elvira''s power, their fleshly bodies created solely from the Heavenly Energy, while their minds held a spark of Keilan''s realm and their cultivation passages, or meridians as they''d come to have been called, were formed out of energy from the Spirit Realm. Keilan''s was much the same as him as well, and for a moment I blanched upon seeing them.


    They looked exactly like the stereotypical Demons from Earth''s fantasy genre of literature and entertainment. Sweeping black horns curled from their foreheads, scaly, prehensile tails sprouted from their backsides, and, on the male, great bat wings stretched from the shoulder blades. The female was instead gifted with innate beauty and fearsome claws that could be retracted from their fingertips. Their bodies were formed much from Keilan''s power, with touches of the elements to hold it all together, while their meridians were crafted from a small portion of Karma itself. To them, the more positive karma they had, the more exponentially powerful they would grow. And while that was relatively true for all races in the Four Realms, it would be infinitely more so for this race.


    "What do you call them?" I asked, still eyeing the demon-like race. Much like the Karmic Realm, I''d have to think of a suitable name for them if Keilan did not come up with one that was not synonymous with demon.


    "Avians." Elvira said proudly. "I wanted to call them angels, however I was told that wouldn''t be the best idea." She said, and I nodded. Whoever had told her that would have been right. That could''ve backfired very harshly when angels really start to appear in the Four Realms. It would¡¯ve created a conflict of beliefs. A few spirits were starting to get close to becoming angels, so it was only a matter of time, and I couldn''t wait. Once they appeared in large enough numbers, much of the workload on myself and the other deities would be lessened.


    "That is a good name, Elvira." I praised her. She nodded and flashed her pearly whites as I looked at Keilan expectantly.


    "Karae." Keilan said, turning away slightly. Was...was that embarrassment I saw? Wait -Karae?


    "Karae...Karmic Fae?" I asked. A blush crept up on Keilan''s face, and I was silent for a moment, taking that in, before bursting out in laughter.


    "I like it! Karae it is! On this day, three new races have appeared in the Four Realms! The Elementals, the Avians, and the Karae!" I barked out.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Creation!


    Your children have toiled for millennia to create sentient beings worthy of walking alongside the Fae. And now, as a result of their hard work, three new races have appeared in the Four Realms.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Elementals


    </td>


    <td>Created from the Elements of the Four Realms, the Elementals are part spirit and part mortal, giving them elongated lifespans from birth. Many more types will appear as the Four Realms expand, making them one of the most adaptable races in the Four Realms.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Avians


    </td>


    <td>Crafted from the energy from the Heavenly Realm, the Avians are the spitting image of Elvira, the deity of said Realm. With impressively strong fleshly bodies and innately talented in magic, the Avians are sure to dazzle the ''cultivation'' world in all aspects.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Karae


    </td>


    <td>Labelled as ''Karmic Fae,'' the Karae were born from the blackness of the Karmic Realm, and tied tightly to Karma as an incentive to do good in order to get stronger. Thus, they are also extremely sensitive to said power, and will thusly attempt to help others understand Karma, and to gain the positive or burn the negative.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Total Number of Sentient Races:


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">4</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I nodded as I read the notification, agreeing with the very basic descriptions. They in no way encompassed the entirety of the races, but they were certainly correct.


    "Good, good. Go, spread them already! What are you waiting here for?! I wanna see what they''re going to do! Go! Go, go, go, go, go!" I shouted at them, all but throwing a tantrum. Reika giggled, Elvira outright laughed, and Keilan attempted to suppress a smile at my childish antics, backing away and taking their creations with them.


    "Goodbye, Mother. Thank you." Keilan said as he left, barely containing his urge to shoot off after Reika and Elvira, who had teleported to the Mortal Realm without so much as saying goodbye.They tried to hide it well, but they were as childishly excitable as me at times.


    "You are welcome." I said, watching as he faded away. Sol turned into a streak of sunlight as he followed them, and I sighed, closing my eyes once again as I prepared to cast my divine technique. There was much to do still, as my incarnations had unfinished business in all the Realms (especially the one looking for the two lovers, I was, personally, most interested in that even though I couldn''t interfere with their affairs...much. Giving out enlightenment every once in a while was no big deal.) However, most importantly, I needed to continue to amass and increase my power. After all, creating the Lunar Star (or Realm Moon, if you want to get technical) was no easy task.

 The Truth of Cultivation

    POV: Dei (That city lord guy)


    "Milord, that cultivator we have been looking for reappeared again." One of the city guards said, panting as he threw open the doors to the city lord office. I slowly turned away from the window that overlooked thecity, raising my eyebrow and feeling my heartrate speed up. I had spotted her during the ceremony that named me city lord, which I''m still uncertain how to feel about as I never really wanted to be city lord in the first place, as she slipped into an alleyway and disappeared. It had only been a glimpse, but it had been enoughfor me to realize that she was far and above me in terms of power. After asking the city guards about anyone like her coming into the city (as I would have most certainly seen her before had she lived here), I found out that she had come from the southern gates from one of the gateguards, one with a higher-than-average (at least amongst guards) cultivation base and a blessing from the earth spirits that allowed her to see through the cultivation bases of most people and the illusions of illusion beasts. Among guards, she was indispensible.


    The report itself had stated that she let the foreign cultivator in because she was a) not an illusion beast, and b) because the earth spirits were, by a wide margin, in the highest concentration around her than anything the guard had ever seen.She had expressly said that this was a good thing, but she couldn''t explain how, simply putting it as an earth spirit thing. I, for one, was dubious of the situation. What reason would someone like that have to come to this city? There could be many reasons, such as having a desire for the illusion beasts themselves or any materials derived from said beasts, but it would be easier to receive those from some of the monthly shipments of materials we sent out to the far-off cities. Everything was done in one big shipment with many guards because of the danger of the illusion beasts. Shaking my head, I forced myself to get back on track.


    "Where?" I simply asked.


    "The same alleyway you said she disappeared in. Just moments ago a patrol saw her walking out of the alley, and one of them recognized her. He had been at the gate when they let her in, and so the patrol sent a runner straight here." The guard said.I frowned and pinched the bridge of my nose, pondering that. I''d thoroughly searched that alley and found no trace of her, and now they tell me that she just walked out of it? Had I missed something? I have the highest cultivation base around and thus can see through most things, so such an idea is either intriguing or terrifying or mere negligence on my part. It''d be quicker if I just run and try to catch her -at my cultivation level it''ll take mere moments to reach the alley and even less time from there to find her. That is, if she hasn''t gone and hidden herself again.


    "I''ll find her. Thank you." I said to the guard before leaping out the window. The wind caught me as I fell from my office, located on the fifth floor of the guard tower,which was closer to the northern gates of the city than where I had my coronation ceremony, lifting me into a sort of pseudo-flight. From there I glided over the dead streets of the city, as no one was out and about in the middle of the night besides myself and the routine patrols, towards the alley. Up in the sky above the leaves of the Life-Giving Tree glittered, looking like tiny balls of light in the cloudless sky. Someday, I''ll go up there to the boughs of the great tree itself.


    "Ah, greetings to the city lord." The patrol that had spotted the cultivator said in unison, bowing towards me as they stood outside of said alley. Barely registering the greeting I walked past them and entered the alley, expanding my senses to see what I could find. I was met with the energy trail of a cultivator, though it was far more powerful than any other I had ever met. The trail was strangely clear as well, as if she wasn''t even trying to hide, and as I backtracked it I found where she had just...appeared.Could this be...teleportation? I asked myself. It was rumored that there were certain artefacts or other objects of unknown origins that could allow teleportation, or that becoming enlightened to a certain degree in the Way of Space-Time. Butaccording to the records of this city (and all twelve surrounding cities that made up the Fae city-states in this region) there has been no one of such level of enlightenment except for in the myths of those from the Church, who said that to the gods, teleportation was a trivial matter.


    Shaking my head I turned around and gestured with my hand, using cultivation magic to lift myself up into the sky with a gust of wind. I could easily follow the woman''s trail like this, and within mere moments of flying through the streets I found her. She was sitting on a chair on a rooftop, her feet propped up on the stone walls of a lit brazier...and looking straight at me. I involuntarily shuddered when our eyes met, her green meeting my own grey. Even from here I could see that her gorgeous, almost glowing green eyes held a sort of depth to them that seemed to contain the answers to all the mysteries of the world and then some. It was as if she could see into my very soul, stripping away all my defenses to see exactly who I am, who I was, and who I will be. It was a disconcerting feeling, being stripped so bare, and I found myself grinding my teeth. The beautiful Fae woman sitting in her chair was unfathomably more powerful than I, and I hated it. I hated this feeling of being small and helpless. I''d felt it only once before in my life, when I had been faced down by the King of the illusion beasts when I was but a child. It was a feeling I had hoped to never feel again, and the fact that she was so unfathomably more powerful than either I or the King only solidified my own hatred of my own weakness even further.


    "How can I help the new city lord on this fine evening?" The woman asked politely, brushing one strand of silky black hair behind her ear, her hair and wondrous grey horns reflecting the firelight emitted from the rooftop brazier. It was a feature most of the buildings had, as the nights tended to get so dark that very few could move about without these sources of light. The woman lowered her feet from the brazier, sitting forwards and cocking one eyebrow, my eyes catching the way her fine purple and silver robes fell about her form...Mentally I slapped myself. Yes she was beautiful, moreso than any other woman I had met, but in my experience such pronounced exterior beauty usually hid the snake within.


    "I was searching for you." I said calmly, landing on the rooftop and staring at her. "What brings such a powerful cultivator to my city?" I asked, tightening my grip on my spear. She just smiled and gestured for me to sit in the chair across from the brazier. I paused upon seeing it. Had that been there a second ago? Shaking that thought out of my head, I focused once again on the woman. I had probably just been too focused on her to notice minor details such as that.


    "Sit." She said, her calm and half-amused smile still dancing on her lips. Almost instinctively I sat, leaning my spear against the side of my chair where I could easily pick it up. After a moment of silence she gestured over the edge of the building, towards a darkened window in the building opposite the street. "I was looking for someone -two people, actually, and I found them. Unfortunately, the more I watch them, the more I realize that I was being hasty in my excitement. They are not ready yet." She said with a sigh.


    "Ready for what?" I asked, leaning forwards and narrowing my eyes. She shrugged, looking directly into the fire pit as if she could see all the secrets it holds. The flames leapt up from the slowly blackening wood, flickering towards her as if it was the one who desired to be closer to her, as if she could stave off the cold, not it. Such strange thoughts I was having today.


    "Many things." She said quietly, and for a moment she said nothing further. In our mutual silence I found myself admiring the way the light from the flames danced upon her, illuminating her in equal portions of light and shadow, as if both were vying for her attention and affection. I shook such delusions away, wondering just where all these errant thoughts were coming from. "Fate...how ironic." She murmured, closing her eyes. Something deep in my soul trembled when she looked back up to me,calling out to this woman for reasons unknown. It was a feeling I forcefully suppressed. "I suppose I should thank you. Your being here did help me understand a bit more about destiny and fate."


    "Destiny?" I asked dubiously, and she let out a soft chuckle, the sound like the gentle tinkling of those bells the Church of the Mother and Father use in their morning rituals.What is wrong with me today?!I howled in my head, my expression belying none of my inner ranting. Hopefully.


    "Yes, yes. Right as I decide not to offer ''help'' to those two," She said, gesturing towards the dark window. "You show up looking like a lost child. If that isn''t fateful, I don''t know what is!" She proclaimed, grinning at me. My entire body tensed at that. Who does she think she is, calling me a lost child?! "Oh, don''t give me that look. You''re lost and you know it. I know that look all too well -you''re at the top, so now what?" She said teasingly, and my body tensed even further. For a moment we stared each other down, until she burst out laughing. "Oh you should see your reaction! It''s priceless! I''m just teasing you, no need to get so worked up over it!" Letting out a sigh I closed my eyes, feeling down into my soul for the reason that her statement had rattled me so.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "No, you are right." I said slowly, opening my eyes. I had long since reached the peak of cultivation in this area. The King of the illusion beasts was perhaps the last opponent that I could truly fight, but even he would fall before the power I now wield. Not even the city lords of the surrounding city states are a match for me, as my cultivation base was both more profound and powerful than theirs, and my skill greater. I no longer had a target to chase after. I was at the top -now what? "I have since lost my way. My only desire is to get stronger, but I have no target to chase after. Without a target, what use is a flying arrow?" I asked myself.


    "Well, you could always try and reach the realm of the gods." She said, sounding half-serious. I say half-serious because that same stupid grin was plastered on her face throughout the entire statement.


    "The gods?" I deadpanned. Was she really saying this to me.


    "Yeah. Y''know like Father Luotian, or-"


    "I don''t believe in the gods." I said bluntly, startling her. She stared at me for a moment, a look of incredulity on her face. "Father Luotian, Mother Statera...I don''t believe they exist. There is no god." For a moment silence stretched between us, her look of utter shock meeting my carefully blank expression. Her reaction was just like the ones of those from the churches and temples erected in the name of the supposed ''gods who created the world'' whenever I revealed my own beliefs. That is, right before they, and any other person of the masses, began harping on me about not believing. In fact her entire body seemed to be shaking, and her face was getting red. Presumably from anger. "What, is there something wrong with-"


    This time it was her turn to interrupt me -with full-blown laughter. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! No, no, no, there''s nothing wrong with -pffft ahHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, I''m sorry, I just...! HAHAHAHA!" She howled, beating her knee with one hand as she barked out her laughter. I frowned, but that did nothing to abate her shameless cackling. If anything, seeing my face once again just set her off into another laughing fit. "I''m so sorry -pffft- It''s just, it''s just too rich! That you said that! HAHAHA! TO ME!" She howled.


    "I''ve never seen any of them before. If they''re real, why don''t they show their faces?" I asked. The response I got was another round of harder, more full-bodied laughter.That''s not very lady-like...ah, she''s started to hiccup.I noticed as her laughter began to be interrupted by hiccupping sounds. "If anything, we Fae created the gods." I said when she started to wheeze. With that, she started to laugh again, sounding like she was having trouble breathing and shaking her head back and forth. "They''re just figments of our imagination." I tested. Another fit of laughter. "I don''t see how one being could''ve created the entire world." She was practically dying with that one. Hey, this is kind of fun.


    "No, no! Stop it! It''s too much! Too rich!" She gasped, clutching her stomach and weakly holding one hand up as if to stop me from talking after about my twentieth similar statement. Some of the stuff I didn''t even see as correct or true, such as the ''created the entire world'' statement. If a cultivator got strong enough, I feel that they could''ve created a world. These statements were just random things that I''ve thought of before, and then proven myself wrong, so long as they all fit with the no-deity belief. Unfortunately, however, I got bored of making her laugh her ass off, so I let her laughter die down at this point. It still took another five minutes for her snickering to end, after which she wiped a tear of joy out of the corner of her eye and gave me the biggest, most genuine smile I had ever seen in my entire life. It felt as if the entire world had stopped to watch this smile for just a few seconds. "Oh my goodness, thank you for that. I haven''t laughed like that inages.Really, thank you." She said, patting her stomach and leaning back in her chair, a satisfied smile gracing her flushed features. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I''d even forgotten what it''s like to have a normal conversation with someone, much less laugh that hard. I should do this more often." She said, looking up at the leaves of the Life-Giving Tree.


    "Who are you?" I asked, confused by her statement. She''d forgotten what a normal conversation is like? What kind of life had she been leading up until now?


    "Normally the people I know are all respectful and borderline worshipful towards me, and the only ones I can have any semblance of a normal conversation with are my first children, but even they just get this look in their eyes sometimes, and I just...I don''t know." She muttered, shaking her head and ignoring my question. Waitaminute...she''s a mother?! She hardly looks a day over twenty! Ah, I guess it''s not that surprising, now that I think about it. After a few moments of comfortable silence (for some reason, there seemed to be no awkward silences with her -it was as if her very presence was comforting) I broke said silence by asking the question that had been on my mind for the entire time.


    "What stage of cultivation are you in?" I asked bluntly, forgoing all courtesy involved in asking someone about their cultivation levels. For a moment the woman just stared at me, before making an understanding expression and shaking her head.


    "Ah, I forgot that you practice cultivation in stages. It''s awfully systemized." She said with a sigh. I furrowed my brows, but before I could voice my question, she continued. "Tell me, what are the major differences between each stage of cultivation, and why are there stages in the first place?"


    "Upon entering a new stage, cultivators are able to absorb purer and denser Qi, which is also why there are stages. Our bodies cannot handle the completely pure Qi." I replied without missing a beat, not even stopping to wonder about the nature of her question. If she felt like dropping some enlightenment on my ass, then I felt obligated to accept such a wonderful gift. Enlightenment was harder and harder to come by for me, nowadays.


    "Right. Basically with each stage you are crafting a ''container'' in which you can store purer and purer Qi, siphoning off the impurities as you do so, while the old, less pure Qi merges into your meridians, essentially creating a ''jar'' within your body. So tell me...what would happen if someone has a body capable of withstanding the densest, purest, and highest vibration Qi -which, in case you don''t know, is another term for exactly how powerful it is -what exactly would that person''s cultivation path be like?" She asked. I stared at her for a second before the implications hit me like a thunderbolt from a blue sky.


    "They, they would...are you saying...?" I stammered.


    "They would only have one stage of cultivation in the Martial Qi path." She answered.


    "H-how would you...are you saying that you have...?" I continued to ask, looking at her utterly dumbstruck. She rolled her eyes and looked at the sky.


    "Through other styles of cultivation, of course. What else? You and your people focus way to much on the Martial Qi path, and while that''s not an inherently bad thing, it''s terribly inefficient." She said with a smile, understanding my incoherent ramblings.


    "Other types of cultivation...? There are other types of cultivation?!" I asked, leaning forwards, nearly panting with excitement. She hid her laugh behind a cough, apparently finding my ignorance amusing.


    "Tell me, what happens to the impurities in the Qi? I mean, it has to go somewhere, and you''re obviously filtering it out somehow to get the purer and purer Qi." She asked rhetorically. "The answer is this -they aren''t impurities at all. You are training your fleshly body the same time you are training the Martial Qi path, because those so-called impurities are made up of Elemental Essences, which is also why as you grow more powerful it becomes easier and easier to talk to and receive the aid of elemental-based spirits. That''s of course, not to mention the little details of absorbing the energy that comes from the Karmic and Spirit realms at the same time, which strengthens your mind and soul, respectively. Of course, that''s only at a certain level. You''d need to actually cultivate them to see dramatic changes to any of those things. As far as I can see, your talent does not lie in any of the paths which rely on such energies, however." She explained with some various unintelligible hand-movements. I, however, was too preoccupied in my own enlightenment to notice such details.


    It made sense. On the path of Martial Qi, ones body, mind, and soul all grew stronger with each stage of cultivation, though it was very slight when compared to the power of the meridians. I had heard of cultivators focusing on building up their fleshly bodies instead of their Martial Qi, but it was a largely unexplored path because no one understood it nearly as well as the Martial Qi path. But it made sense! Common mythology states that the universe is made up of four Realms, four worlds -the Mortal, Heaven, Karmic, and Spirit Realms, and that the mortal realm was in the center of it all. Even if it''s not true, it explains why the energies of the earth can be so ''impure'' -because there are so many different types! It''s not impure at all, the energies are simply varied! Then, what is the path that she mention I was more talented in than those that absorb those energies? Does that mean to say that there are other cultivation methods that does not absorb energy? I was about to voice my question, but an aura of pure power caused my entire body to freeze up.


    A shudder ran through the woman, but this time I did not focus on the way her divine body moved, nay I was too caught up in the aura of power she was radiating to think about such things. It was inexplicably strong, so strong that I felt as if my entire body was turning back to ash and mortal dust from being in her mere presence. I felt as if I was catching but a mere glimpse at what it meant to hold true power, to reach the highest of the heavens...as if I was seeing the Heaven the Covers All. An expression of confusion, followed by complete rage crossed her face, and when she waved her hand it seemed as if the entire world shuddered -nay, it did shudder. It shuddered from her power, and for a split second what sounded like laughter echoed out throughout the city.


    "I must go. Prepare yourself for what''s to come." She said, each word calling out to my soul, beckoning for it to leave my body. I merely nodded, but she did not even take a look at me as her entire body shattered into a golden, divine light, leaving me able to breath and move once again. The world, however, was still feeling the effects of her rage. Whatever it was that had earned her ire must be trembling with fear for having pissed off such a being. Which just left me with one question -who in the world was she?!?

 How DARE You?!

    POV: Statera Luotian (MC)


    "How DARE you?!" I bellowed, rising to my feet in one swift motion, my aura surging outwards as my consciousness came crashing back into my true body. All of my memories came crashing together, as all of my incarnations had stopped what they were doing to come back, including the conversation with Dei, and for a split second I was stunned. Then the entire palace turned into naught but dust in response, an anger unlike anything I had ever felt bubbling in my chest. Randus, bless him, was standing in the middle of what had once been the kitchen, his face pale and a look of shock written upon his features. "HOW DARE YOU?!" I roared, blasting off into the distance at a speed never before achieved under the heavens. The Four Realms shuddered at my passing as I hurtled towards the center of my universe, a comet of black and white amidst the chaos. Thunder boomed and a dragon roared, the sound loud enough to shake the heavens and shatter mountains. My eyes flashed as Alexander came into view, rising above the Mortal Realm, a great white serpent shooting through the foliage of the Life-Giving Tree like an arrow, snapping and snarling at a figure half his size. Reika danced about the dark figure, the myriad of elements peppering it as it laughed and fought, the ripples of the battle shattering the surrounding Realm and disrupting the balance. Elvira and Keilan flashed into battle as well, pestering the figure with attacks of white and black, while the figure just laughed and shrugged them all off, its four arms blurring as it fended them off with four bone-white weapons.


    "BEGONE!" I bellowed, slamming into the being with such force that it sent him hurtling out of the Four Realms and into the surrounding Primordial Chaos. A quick glance took stock of the situation. Elvira and Keilan had their fists clenched, staring at me with a mix of shock, awe, and utter confusion as to what was going on. Alexander was heavily injured, with many wounds covering his body, his golden blood staining his scales, patches of scales completely missing and one of his horns broken off. Reika was the worst off. She was weeping, clutching an object to her chest as her entire body shook, curled in on herself as the branches of the Life-Giving Tree reached forwards to embrace her, comforting her when I knew I could not. The reason for her state was clear enough -the Mortal Realm was in utter disarray. The Life-Giving Tree was heavily scarred and burned, the mortal races, both beast and Fae alike, were warring with each other, and natural disasters ravaged the realm. With a loud harrumph,I used a bit of the power I had been saving up to create the moon in order to temporarily stabilize the Realm."Take care of her. I''ll be back soon." I growled, clenching my fists and looking up to where the figure had disappeared.


    This won''t take long.


    "AHAHAHAHAHA!" The laughter reached my ears as the figure came hurtling back into the Realms, to which I coldly snorted and shot towards it like an arrow released from a bow, slamming my fist into its stomach and sending it hurtling backwards once more. Power surged throughout my body asI clapped my hands together, the shockwave clearing a path through the Primordial Chaos to show the Abyss, where the Chaos met the Void. There, in the roiling waves of pure destruction that was the Abyss, stood the figure laughing its head off, insanity clear in its eyes. Its body was completely grotesque from countless eons spent within the empty Void, with ulcers and deformities etched into its very soul, while each of its four arms held what looked like a giant tooth. This being...was powerful. Perhaps as powerful as me, though its body was certainly more sturdy. Without waiting for a cue the being shot forwards once more, stabbing at me with the four giant teeth. I huffed and took a calm step forwards, a shield of pure energy coalescing in front of me, blocking the strikes. A low growl rumbled out from my chest as I took another step forwards, slamming my hand into the shield and sending it hurtling forwards, smashing into the being and sending it further out into the Abyss. A pang of pity found its way into my heart as I watched it laughing, though it did nothing to abate my anger. The poor spirit obviously had no rational thought, driven completely fucking bananas after eons spent in the Void. I could see the trial it had left in the Void, the trail ofsomethingin thenothing,but...how did it get in? Wait -!


    My eyes widened as blue boxes containing warning messages popped up all over my vision, and I shot backwards. The being cackled as, all of a sudden, it was completely devoured, everything down to its very soul being eliminated and returned to nothingness alongside a giant swath of the Abyss. Where I had been standing moments ago likewise vanished, the Primordial Chaos hissing as it seethed and fought to return the nothingintosomething. An invisible, undetectable force kept it at bay, however. An entire section of my Realm had been utterly erased, returned to the Void.I didn''t even have time to think as I continued to shoot backwards, a sense of impending crisis heading straight towards me. Then, however, I glanced back towards my universe and what was contained within. Whatever had destroyed the Abyss certainly had enough power to wipe my universe off the inter-universal map.


    "NO!" I roared, unleashing the full extent of my godly might. This thing -whatever it was -was NOT getting through to MY Realms! "FUCK OFF!" I bellowed, stepping forwards and cocking one fist back, stepping right into what I knew was a gaping maw of nothingness. I bared my teeth and drew upon all the power I currently possessed and then some, calling forth the energy of the Realms in order to drive this beast, this being of nothingness, this Paradox, off. Everything trembled, the Primordial Chaos, the Abyss, even the Void itself seemed to inch away at my explosion of pure fury. The six balls of condensed Primordial Chaos that perpetually floated behind me trembled and expanded greatly, absorbing the Chaos in my surroundings to fuel the sudden growth. A thousand meters...ten thousand meters...a hundred thousand meters...the great columns of chaotic energy grew exponentially, until it was what I felt was the same size as the Paradox and coalescing into a giant figure, with me at the center. The figure was a giant form of myself, formed of the cloudy grey chaos that flickered with all the colors of the world and then some, it''s enormous fist cocked back same as my physical fist, all of the power I was drawing coming together to pile into that fist.


    All this power radiating off of me in waves, forming the impressive figure, commanding the entire will of the Four Realms, must have put off an impressive sight. However, I for one knew that this was not going to be enough.


    But who gives a shit about shit like that?!


    "I said FUCK OFF, BITCH!" I bellowed, throwing everything I had into one punch. Cracking sounds resounded out from the entirety of my universe, fractures appearing around the edges as my giant fist landed upon the Paradox, shattering everything within a few hundred thousand mile radius.A plaintive wail that only I could hear sounded out from the Paradox as it was forced backwards, close to the edge of the Abyss and back to the Void...but the blow was not without sacrifices. The entirety of my left arm, the arm I had punched with, was gone alongside most of my shoulder and a bite-shaped chunk of Primordial Chaos, the Paradox''s maw having closed upon my arm. My instincts screamed at me that it wasso close!and that if I could just get it deeper into the Void, then my Realm would be safe, and so would all of my children. However my giant of Chaos was crumbling, my universe was cracking under the pressure, I was devoid of any energy, and to top it off I was bleeding golden blood all over the damn place, and that''s not to mention that there seems to be bits of Void -or Paradox, in this case -floating all over the fucking place because apparently I shattered parts of the beast as well! "Just leave already." I said, gritting my teeth and shooting forwards, ignoring my own personal safety to step into the Abyss. The crashing waves of the Abyss threatened to tear my body apart, having already recovered from the nothingness it had turned into.


    Gritting my teeth I slammed shoulder-first into the Paradox atthe fastest speed I could muster, bellowing out a challenge and shoving it just beyond the edges of the Abyss. Just a little more, I just need to push it a little further. My blood seethed, the droplets I had been leaving a trail of jerking and shooting towards me, radiating my divine essence as it came to hover around the Paradox, which was rapidly losing the substance it had gained by simply being within my universe. For it to fully dissolve back into nothingness, I needed to get it further away. I extended my right hand, panting and eyes gleaming as I stared at where I knew the devouring beast to be, my blood droplets hovering just in front of it.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Detonate." I commanded tiredly, feeling just a smidgeon of my power well and truly leave me as the droplets explodedwith immense power, scattering the remains of the Paradox into the Void, where it finallydisappeared. (Though deep down I felt that was not truly the right answer. I didn''t understand the Void well enough to understand the answer, however.) I felt like collapsing and sleeping for a million years, but managed to hold myself together, turning around and re-entering the safety of the Primordial Chaos, giving my body, which was on the verge of shutting down, a rest from the rigors of the Abyss. With a wave of my hand I forced my body to stop bleeding, knowing deep down that my injury was not a superficial one. It would take millions, if not hundreds of millions, of years to regrow my arm as it had been all but erased by the Paradox.I sighed and shook my head, waving my hand and expending energy I did not have to heal the cracks in my universe. The Primordial Chaos seethed as it accomplished this, being the building blocks of the universe and all. That healing alone would cause the Realm to slowly fix itself, but as I looked around I realized there was still much work to be done.


    The Realm Sun was off kilter, the Life-Giving Tree was injured, Reika was a mess, Alexander was still healing his injuries, the Deities were all thoroughly shaken and gathering around my first four children, the Realms were in chaos, the Primordial Chaos was severely depleted, I had lost track of a few drops of my blood (as in, I could no longer sense them), and those damned blue boxes werestilltrying to get myfucking attention.A sudden bang sounded off behind me and I whirled around with such speed that the surrounding Primordial Chaos turned into a small vortex. What I saw shocked me, even though I couldn''t reallyseeit. The Paradox was alive and kicking, however, it had just run into a hexagonal blue shield, which connected to more hexagons, which in turn encompassed my entire Realm.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You successfully drove the juvenile Paradox Beast out of the Four Realms. Go tend to your children. I can protect you from here.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I stared at the box for a moment before nodding, not in the mood to get angry. This disaster was partially my fault after all -I had been complacent on increasing my personal power. I had been warned that things could slip through the cracks of my protection, and in my complacency had forgotten that fact. Still. I fully expect an explanation after this. This was not a minor disaster.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You will receive one.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Now slightlyappeased, I moved with increasing speed towards where the Deities and had gathered to watch my fight. Oh, this was such a long day.


    POV: Randus (Deity of Dreams)


    Our Creator descended from the Primordial Chaos, looking tired, injured, and like a Deity of War. The power She had radiated cowed even Alexander, who was without question the strongest Deity of the Four Realms beneath our Creator, though even said Realms responded to Her beck and call without question. Whatever it was that She had fought after completely overwhelming that other being had done a number on the Realms nonetheless, pushing Her to the brink and even taking Her arm in the process. What She did next surprised me, as She ignored the other problems within the Realm to descend upon Reika, grabbing the sobbing girl and gently prying away what it was that she had been holding.


    "Let me see, sweetheart." She said softly. Reika hiccupped out another sob, slowly relinquishing the indistinguishable form she had held to her chest. "Oh, dear." Our Creator said in a voice quivering with heartbreak and rage. For a moment She closed Her eyes, taking a deep breath. Colors flashed as She released that breath, and when Reika realized what our Creator was doing, it was already too late to stop Her. What little divine energy She had regained after the battle and a portion of Her immortal life force, the only true form of energy She had left, flew into the withered form and gave it life once more. The soul within that form that had been slowly withering away, fading into nothingness due to the sneak attack of that despicable being, and the body Reika had been creating to house that soul both surged with a sudden, awe-inspiring life-force, color returning to its hair and flesh. Two more long, fluffy tails stretched out from the rear end of the being (it was Fae-like, I realized with shock, as before it had been too hideously disfigured for anyone to tell, but now I could clearly see the Fae-like skin, arms, torso, and legs) joining the seven already in place. Reika''s eyes were watering already, but when the being opened its eyes to gaze upon the world with big, rainbow-colored eyes, it''s body the same size and physique as a newborn Fae''s, she began to bawl, hugging it close. It was then that I realized that this was Reika''s true sentient life-form. The Elementals had been all individual beings, but this one...this one contained traces of nine different elements and energies. If the Elementals were single elements, this one wasallof them and then some.


    "M-Mother...Th-thank you..." She sobbed, clutching her child close. Our Creator merely smiled, looking more tired now than ever before as She watched the newborn being, its fox-like ears twitching cutely alongside its nine swishing fox tails, each created from a different energy. "Thank you..." She was shaking now, gently cradling the child while the boughs of the Life-Giving Tree continued to comfort her in its embrace.


    "My dear, giving my all to every single being in this universe is my sole purpose in life. You are my children, and your children are my children as well. What kind of parent would I be if I did otherwise?" She asked rhetorically, sounding incredibly, inconceivably tired. Reika looked up at her, tears still streaming down her face and her jaw working silently, unable to make any sounds come out. All the deities were silent at Her comment, and in that moment I felt like I truly understoodHer preachings about Divine Love. She did not mean the gooey, romantic love that the Fae seemed to so adore. No, what She meant was this right here. This is divine love. And She is the prime example of it. I''m not sure who started it, but soon enough all the Fae were bowing their heads, some even kneeling to Her. "You needn''t kneel to your parent." She said tiredly. After a few more moments of silence She just sighed, and spoke again. "I will be entering a period of secluded meditation from henceforth until a number of things are completed. I must stabilize the Four Realms and restore some modicum of Balance, which I can do by exerting my Will across the Realms, I must heal my injuries, and I need to create thefuckingLunar Star." She mumbled that last part, pinching the bridge of Her nose and taking a deep breath. In response to this one of the now five, as one had been lost in the battle, balls of Primordial Chaos floating behind Her flew forwards and attached itself to Her left shoulder, forming a new -albeit temporary -arm. "If you need anything, find one of my divine incarnations. I''ll have ten running around the Realms, just like before, only without the breaks this time." She stated.


    "Wait!" Sol called, just as our Creator was about to vanish. "What -whatwasthat thing?!" He asked shrilly.


    "My wake-up call." She muttered to none but Herself before speaking up. "A Paradox. A borderline sentientsomethingmade of the Void''snothing,and bent on returning all substance into the Void. But! You need not fear that thing.For now, it is gone, and there should be no others wandering this close. Focus on healing the damage it dealt and making the Four Realms stronger than before. Another one should not appear for a long, long time." She said, eyes flicking upwards in a glare towards the Void. "But if another one does, I am still here." She said simply, before turning and vanishing into the Realms, to somewhere not even I could find Her. Almost immediately afterwards, however, I felt fluctuations in the Four Realms as it slowly started to right itself. The Realm Sun was visibly moving back to its previous position, and was probably the focus of Mother''s attention at the moment. With an almost silent chattering and tension the Deities dispersed, leaving none but Reika, Elvira, Keilan, Alexander, Gilles, and myself standing atop the Life-Giving Tree. Elvira, Keilan, and Alexander all wore complicated expressions, their pride severely injured from having suffered relative defeat from an opponent our Creator had easily overpowered. Or, perhaps it was due to our Creator actually having to lift a hand in their defense. I am not sure, but am certain to find out in time when they start to dream.


    This, too, was part of the love She spoke of. With a slight bow to where She had dissappeared, I muttered "Thank you for the lesson," and disappeared into the Four Realms, myself. There was much work to be done in our Creator''s half-absence.

 Buckling Down to Work

    POV: Statera Luotian


    Only half of my mind was meditating in the beginning. The meditating half was focused on reorienting the Realm Sun and getting it back onto it''s normal path around the Four Realms, while the other half was focusing on the blue boxes that were slowly explaining to me just what in the world happened, and how that bloody Paradox got through the barriers protecting the Four Realms.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>The Paradox Beast was born inside of the barriers I had erected to keep those beasts out, as they do encompass a bit of the Void. The chances of that happening are less than...well,they''re so astronomically small that this is the first time anything similar has happened in the history of the entire multiverse. You simply got incredibly unlucky. Though that renegade spirit that appeared might have caused it in the first place...honestly, who would''ve thought that there was such a loophole in my barriers? Its weapons were teeth from a dragon-like creature in a recently destroyed universe that was famous for its illusions, hence why it could get through in the first place. The spirit slipped through a weak point in the barriers created by the birth of the Paradox, which was perpetuated by the presence of the renegade spirit. Had events not played out exactly like they did, there would''ve been no disaster.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Hold up, hold up. Recently destroyed universe? What in the world is that about?!


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Just as you are a creator, the Paradox beasts are the destroyers. It is a perpetual game we play, the multiverses and the Void, of creation and destruction.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Ah, I see. So basically my destiny is to build a universe up until the point that it''s destroyed by the Void, which is an inevitability it seems? Wonderful.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Not quite. There''s a chance that you can eventually grow powerful enough to split off from this multiverse and go create your own, but...well, you''re still too weak for the specifics. Even telling you this much is pushing it. Set your goals too high, and you''ll never reach them. Take it step-by-step.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Oh, how nice. This is just going to be a never-ending battle, isn''t it? What, no answer this time? I get it. So how am I going to fix the Four Realms? Or, more importantly, what is Mr. Blue Boxes going to do to help?


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Well, as compensation I''ll speed up the Primordial Chaos''s regeneration rate, so your universe''s expansion rate will return to normal levels. Other than that...you won''t get much. It''s a self-imposed rule that I don''t influence the growth of new universes too much. This is especially so in the case of your Four Realms, which is a relatively rare universe style anyways, even without the path to immortality you left open. So in other words, you''re basically on your own.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Great. I expected as much. This day just keeps getting better and better, doesn''t it! Although I will admit that I understand the blue box''s reasoning, as it''s the same concept as me trying to not interfere with the mortals too much, that doesn''t mean I have to like it. In fact, I don''t like it. I''m feeling pretty salty about it.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You know...I do have a name, or titles you could call me by other than ''the blue boxes.''</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Nah, you''re ''the blue boxes'' or ''Mr. Blue Boxes'' or, if I''m feeling particularly ornery, ''Blue Box-san.'' Now, if you don''t mind, I''m going to delve fully into meditation and try my hardest to fix what that damned Paradox and renegade spirit broke. When the blue boxes did not reply, I snorted and closed my eyes, starting to cast my divine incarnation technique while setting my true body''s "meditation chore list." It could basically be summed up to ''restore Balance to the Four Realms,'' but there was an intricate list of things to accomplish that task. The worst of the damage was in the Mortal Realms and to the Primordial Chaos, the former of which I would begin to work on as soon as the Realm Sun was fixed, as Mr. Blue Boxes was already fixing the Primordial Chaos. (I could feel it happening already.) Thankfully though there would be no lasting damage. I had intervened quick enough to prevent serious damage from being wrought on my universe, so after fixing the Mortal Realm to a degree, I could focus on the creation of the Lunar Star.


    The big thing though was deciding on what my ten divine incarnations would do. I had already decided that three would be in the Mortal Realm, running around and checking on the creativity of the mortals, ensuring the growth of the new races that were recently introduced on Cradle, attempting to do some damage control on the chaos most certainly running through the realm, and basically just taking a more hands-on approach to the fixing the mortal realms thing. That left seven others. Two would go to the Heaven and Karmic Realms, respectively, so that narrows it down to three. The Spirit Realm could be monitored from anywhere in the Four Realms, so that wasn''t an issue, but...well, there''s an idea. One incarnation should be dedicated to getting the first angel in the Four Realms, be it a spirit that level of enlightenment and Karmic Virtue, or a mortal soul.


    The basic way to become an angel is through a mix of reincarnation and karma. Amassing good karma makes enlightenment exponentially easier, and upon reaching certain thresholds, gives them certain liberties and powers. Now here comes the tricky part of it -you can only reach (or break through) a single new karmic threshold once per life, hence the need for reincarnation (though that is not true for accruing negative karma, which will drop the spirit or soul down the threshold scale indefinitely depending on the severity of actions...though this need for reincarnation does not apply to spirits, as they aren''t able to have physical bodies in the first place.) This makes it infinitely harder to reach the ''angel'' level. And that''s not to even mention the trial that happens upon reaching the threshold for being an angel! That trial in my old world waspainful in every way imaginable...and I mean that quite literally! Part of the trial is to experience on a spiritual level (meaning this stuff doesn''t exactly happen, but is still engraved upon the heart) every single pain that could befall a person possible, so that the ultimate level of empathy could be reached. Not many beings are dumb enough to go through that! I was one of the few who was!


    And because, despite everything, it is a good system for angels, who are supposed to be the epitome of divine love, I decided to keep that system. So I established the same system in the Four Realms. Great, so that decides it. I''d try to get a few angels up and running in the Four Realms so I can dump some of my workload -I mean establish a better management system for the Four Realms -with one incarnation. I can''t create too many angels or else there would be a disruption of the Balance of the Realms, and there would be a severe, and dark, backlash to right said balance. So only one incarnation will be assigned to that. That leaves two more...one should work on developing techniques for me to use in battle, though I pray that it will be a while until I actually have to use them, and will also rebuild my Palace. Preferably bigger and better this time. That leaves the last one...that one should be free roaming. Just going wherever it''s needed. Yes, that sounds good. Now then...what''s left is to get started.


    POV: KeilanYou might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    I sat angrily in my office in the Karmic Valley of my realm, very frustrated at what was happening. Only a few short years have passed since that damned Paradox thing appeared, and already I''ve seen an influx of negative karma and souls in general flowing through. Chaos in the Mortal Realms is a very bad thing indeed, though I have noticed that a select few souls have become shining beacons of goodwill and positive Karma, even without Mother''s help.


    "The hottest of fires forge the grandest of heroes." An incarnation of Mother said from where She stood off to the side, staring at one of the souls as it passed through the Karma Kings'' judgements. This one had amassed some relatively good karma this time around, so its next life would capitalize on that, but it wasn''t enough for it to pass through another threshold. Generally the Karma Kings only deal with the souls who have amassed a decent sized chunk of karma, be it good or bad, while the souls who don''t simply bypass the Kings, guided through the River of Souls to pass through the Ocean of Memories, where their memories will be cleansed for the next life before they areplaced into the hands of the Spirit Realm, who will guide them to their new lives. "The angel task I gave one of my incarnations might be easier than I initially realized." Mother said, rubbing her chin. "Though unfortunately that comes with a few more dark spirits than usual popping up. Oh, I do hope that evil angels don''t appear any time soon." She worried.


    The evil angels She spoke of are apparently on par in terms of power with the regular angels, the only flipside being that they gained that power through negative karma and energy...so basically, as Elvira so eloquently put it, they''re the "ultimate jackasses of the universe. The mega-jerks." However, since either Angels or Evil Angels have yet to appear in the Realms, I am not certain as to how bad that is, or how powerful they may be...I can only imagine it to be a little over ''not good,'' yet under ''really bad.''


    "Is that so?" I asked absently, watching the negative and positive karma flow throughout the lines of souls and spirits in my Realm, wondering just how in the world I was going to deal with this chaos. It was making it abundantly clear that the current system is a little too...vague? No, that''s not the right word...it''s not apparent enough in the Mortal Realm, where the most karma is accrued. It''s less so in the Heaven Realm, as there have been a few mortals popping up there now (thanks to Elvira also creating a colony of her Avians on her Holy Mountain), as the mysterious force is a bit more...tangible. Like finding some way to show it in the Mortal Realm, beyond just sensing it.


    "Oh no! One of the Two Lovers died!" Mother cried, peering out at the River of Souls. I looked up from where I was moping, standing up and crossing the rather spacious black and silver stone office in the blink of an eye, standing next to Mother as she stared out at the River of Souls. It was a separate entity than my Valley, as various deities and spirits helped me in filtering out those who have accrued karma so they could be judged, while the rest help ferry the River through the center (though the River itself appeared to float in the air rather than snake along the bottom of the Valley) of the Valley and towards the Ocean of Memories at the ''downstream'' end of the River. It was very streamlined. Where Mother was looking however was off to the side of the River, where one soul in particular was standing off to the side, staring back at the Mortal Realm, holding a little red string in its ethereal hand.


    "Which one was it?" I asked, turning to see Mother just smiling with tears in Her eyes.


    "It was the less adventurous one. A horde of illusion beasts destroyed the city that the two had been living in, and he had sacrificed himself to ensure that his beloved life would be able to live on. Now...now he''s standing there, holding their Red String of Fate to make sure she doesn''t do something like commit suicide so they can be together." She said with a fond sigh. "I always knew that when the shit hit the fan, that out of the two of them, that one would stand the tallest."She continued, but I wasn''t paying attention to Her any longer. The red string...the red string...the red string! That was a type of karma! Waves of shock came crashing through me as I looked at all the souls, seeing strings tying groups of them together, be it spirit or soul, it didn''t matter, but the strings were there! They were almost invisible even to me, but they were there! Karma ties people together! I almost missed the leap in power I gained by becoming enlightened on this, and I sat down right then and there, delving into a meditative state in order to solidify the advances by my sudden enlightenment and gain a few more. I got the feeling that my period of enlightenment was just beginning.


    Not only would this discovery undoubtedly lead to the problems of the mortals'' karma being solved, but I could feel that my own personal power would increase as well. I would never again find myself as weak and helpless as when that...Outsider, or, for that matter, that Paradox appeared. The fact that Mother had to raise Her hand to defend us leaves me feeling ashamed, and the extent She goes to in order to ensure our future is awe-inspiring...so the least I can do is make it easier on Her, and give a little back. Though I intend to do much, much more.


    POV: Elvira


    "Damn it!" I roared, feeling myself losing control over the ball of fire in my hand, and hurling it away before it could explode in my face again. I was attempting to combine the energy of my Heaven Realm on a more fundamental level than what I could currently do, and therefore unleash more devastating power. Unfortunately I consistently failed explosively.


    "Why do you think it''s not working?" Gilles rasped, the pale deity looking just as confused as I was as he paused in doing his job. He was currently collecting pieces of Void from when Father injured the Paradox, intending to...study them. We just so happened to be in the same vicinity. "All of these things are one in the same within the Primordial Chaos, right? So it should fit back together somehow." I shook my head, stepping away from my training area, which in reality was just a space in the area where the Realm Sun circles. So not technically within the Four Realms, but also...in the Four Realms. Just with nothing for me to break. I''d already had to rebuild my castle/palace thing five times.


    "That''s not how the Primordial Chaos works. It''s essentially a roiling mass of everything needed to build a universe, so it is both all in one and just a mish-mash of everything, like a soup where every ingredient available is thrown together. It''s incredibly volatile, too...even Alexander can only withstand the outermost layer of the Chaos, to say nothing of myself, while going through it is just a walk in the park to Father. Haha!" I laughed, scratching the back of my head. Then, a crazy, crazy idea came to me. "Oh, well that''s an idea!" I shouted, spinning to look at the Primordial Chaos, way off in the distance. It was still being restored, presumably by Father, so it was a little weaker than usual...which means I could get a little bit further in than usual. And, as a bonus, the pressure would gradually increase as Father fixed it!


    "I know that look. What do you have planned this time?" Gilles rasped, scratching his throat and glaring at me.


    "Y''know, down on one of the planets a tribe of Fae discovered a volcano. Instead of running away like normal mortals would, they temper their fleshly bodies via cultivation by sitting in the lava flows and absorbing the essences of fire and earth. The constant destruction of their flesh only serves to make their bodies stronger." I said slowly, my mind churning. That Outsider being, as Keilan had come to call it before entering meditation, had a body and soul, a form, so tough that it could withstand a number of strikes from Father. A divine body that powerful would be incredibly useful...and I thirsted for it. Being able to shrug off all attacks like that...as much as it pissed me off that that Outsider could do it, I wanted to as well. I didn''t want to be at the mercy of such a being any longer. So that''s what I''ll do. Gain a body that powerful...and then forge my body into an even stronger one. "And I''m going to test if the Primordial Chaos will temper my divine form. See ya!" I shouted, and shot off towards the Primordial Chaos in a flash of white light. Behind me, I heard Gilles let out a half chuckle half sigh.


    "I don''t think I''ll ever understand her." He muttered, before disappearing to go do his own thing as well, presumably more collecting.I guess we all are taking the appearance of the Outsider a little differently.

 The Path of Dei

    POV: Dei (That city lord guy)


    I walked as proudly as I could in front of my people,or at least what was left of them, as I led them deeper into the depths of Pangea, towards where the Life-Giving Tree met with the soils of the land. The great trunk already blotted out half of the sky, the sheer enormity of the organism just...there were no words for it, or the aura of power it radiated. My rag-tag group of a hundred people, all that was left of my once sprawling city, had almost reached the most far-reaching of the roots, which stretched for thousands, if not tens or hundreds of thousands of miles in all directions like great, wooden serpents. Why we were travelling towards the base of the Tree, not even I know at this point. We had originally been driven from the city by a horde of beasts so large that not even I could fend them off, and never stopped running...though the me now could do so without a problem. That woman had finally put me on the right path towards the rumored immortality with her words on all the different cultivations. The great beasts and deadly environments had tempered me into a cultivator of great strength,and my people, which had only ever numbered in the low thousands to begin with, was now down to a mere hundred. (Though that hundred was composed of all the strongest in terms of cultivation, each stronger than the pre-disaster me.) That was twenty five years ago.


    With a sigh I stopped mid-flight, turning to my followers and pointing down towards the dense foliage below. "We rest here." I commanded. Various sighs of relief sounded out from my fellow cultivators, who were also in mid-flight, as they descended down towards the dense foliage below, their senses scanning the world for any threats. Thankfully this part of Pangea was pretty low-tier in terms of cultivation, despite being so close to the Life-Giving Tree. It was nothing like the gauntlet of ferocious and terrifying beasts we had to run through a few years back. We lost many a good man in those times. One cultivator, however, stayed up in the air with me, looking up at the Tree. Though the others could not yet see it, she and I could.


    The signs of battle.


    Long scars lined the trunk of the Tree, the sheer distance obscuring all but the worst of the damage to me. Even I, as dense as I could be at times when it didn''t have to do with cultivation, could sense that this must be the reason for the current chaos, which simply coincides with my theory that the woman I met that one fateful night so long ago truly was some extremely high-level cultivator...to the point where she had a hand in the workings of the world. Everything had started shortly after her abrupt disappearance, after all. I couldn''t help but try and connect those two dots.


    "I wonder what caused it." I mused, rubbing my ever-lengthening beard. I could cut it, but then again, that was a pain so I didn''t. The woman beside me remained silent, staring at the Tree with an unreadable expression. I sighed and shook my head, still remembering when I first got to know the woman. I had grown interested in her and her husband after the Woman''s appearance, wondering what in the world could''ve caused her to have taken an interest in the two. I still don''t understand, but what I do know is that, right up until her husband died to protect her during the illusion beast raid, I had never seen nor heard of a couple so suited for one another. Not even the sappy romantic love stories that normal mortals had been strangely obsessed about (I actually blame it on the religion and their strange stories about the love between deities and mortals) could compare to these two...words couldn''t really describe it. It wasn''t a love that could be described through poetry or song, it just was, and that''s all that was needed. Anyways, she had changed after that.She had thrown herself into cultivation with a fervor, training like a woman possessed and bound and determined to never lose anyone ever again. Personally, I was thankful that she never tried to commit suicide...outside of battle, that is. When it comes down to the wire and a fight breaks out between us and the beasts that threaten us she will charge forwards heedless of the danger.


    She''s the kind of woman that is a boon to have on your side, and would also be your ultimate worse enemy. Many people do not fear death...few actually yearn for it. That is what makes her so terrifying.


    "I do as well." She said absently, a dangerous light flashing in her eyes. The entire land of Pangea was in chaos, so whatever had caused the destruction to the Tree was indirectly responsible for her husband''s death. I shuddered at the thought of her finding that person...I may have a more profound cultivation base than her, but she is still an opponent that I would not want to face.


    "Calm yourself, Celene." I said sharply, noticing her aura surging slightly.


    "Sorry. Lost myself for a second there." She said with a forlorn sigh, reigning in her aura. "I''m just...going to scout around for a bit."


    "Mm. I''ll come find you in a few hours." I said with a wave of my hand,teasing her for the one time that she had disappeared for a few days instead of just a few hours while scouting. That doesn''t mean I was kidding, though. She''d still take forever and a half just to ''scout'' if I didn''t go find her from time to time.


    "One bloody time." She muttered to herself, shooting off into the distance in a beam of prismatic light, chased by my amused chuckles. I then turned and descended down to my group of followers below, piercing the dense jungle canopy to find them already forming a ''treehouse village'' with their cultivationabilities. The many wooden huts built around the trees'' brancheswould serve as our home base for a week or two while we replenish our supplies and caught up on some much-needed sleep after a few months of constant travel. We simply hadn''t found a suitable spot for this kind of rest until now, and even though my choice seemed quite random, the fact that we hadn''t run into any vicious mystic beasts or feral cultivators for the past week (and I couldn''t sense anything dangerous currently) spoke volumes to me. Besides, we could easily abandon the huts if push comes to shove, and I have faith in our detective formations and abilities.


    I myself did not make a hut, instead waving my hand and causing the natural elemental essences of the surroundings to swirl, forming a small house out of earth and ice and wood on top of the trees. It wasn''t a simple task for me, but I enjoyed doing it nonetheless. Even something as routine as this could get me more used to controlling the essences of the elements, just as I use the power of wind rather than my cultivation base to fly. Always training...oh for the love of everything holy, I''m just as bad as Celene, aren''t I? Just a cultivation maniac.


    Once things settle down, I should get out more.


    After getting over my sudden personal dilemma I turned my attention back towards my people, flitting about and making sure everyone was getting properly settled in and the initial defenses were set up. It took a few hours, but everything was eventually made satisfactory for the first night, at least. Celene, however, had yet to return.


    "Dei, come sit with us! Demorain just pulled out a bottle of essence wine!" One person, who was sitting around a campfire down on the ground rather than in the huts with a group of five other people, called to me. I smiled and floated down towards them, looking at the one named Demorain. The man was very battle-scarred, his horns nothing but stumps on his forehead, with one eye missing and a toothy grin. He''s the kind of guy who would give the average person nightmares if they met him on a dark night.


    "Essence wine...the last time I tasted essence wine was twenty years ago. Where have you been hiding it all these years?" I asked teasingly, accepting the small cup of alcohol and downing it in one smooth motion. A sigh of gratitude escaped my lips as I tasted the liquid...it wasn''t as tasty as the sword qi whiskey I had the pleasure of once acquiring, but it was still damn good. "Ah, that''s good stuff." I said.


    "Right?! Demorain''s been saving it for a special occasion." One of the other cultivators said, elbowing the now blushing man. I raised one eyebrow at that as the others just laughed at him, slapping him on the back good naturedly. "He finally asked for Illianna''s hand in marriage today!" I grinned at that, nodding my approval towards Demorain, who was pouring himself another glass of essence wine. He''d need it at the rate the other four were drinking and teasing, congratulating him on the only thing worth congratulating anyone in these harsh times. I''d have to put something together for the two, when our resident priest (who I often clashed with...though it was just as much my fault for picking those fights than it was him trying to convince me of his beliefs) finalized the bonds. It wouldn''t be anything too fancy, nothing like what would''ve happened before all of...this, but it was as good a reason to celebrate and relieve some tension as any.


    "Congratulations. Sorry I can''t stay, but I''ve got to go find Celene. She disappeared while scouting again." I told them, handing the cup back. Demorain snorted and looked me in the eyes, his one good eye strangely milky despite being able to see out of it perfectly fine.


    "Speaking of, when ya'' gonna'' confess to ''er, mmm? Anyone wit'' ''alf a mind ''ould cee ya like ''er. Be a man ''bout it an'' tell ''er." The man slurred, obviously much more drunk than he had let on. I gave him an incredulous look, which was soon compounded upon by the sidelong looks of inquiry by the other four as they quietly sipped their wine. A long sigh escaped my lips and I shook my head.


    "Ha. You''re funny, Demorain. Obviously, you never saw her with her late husband." I said, shrugging. There was no use denying that I didn''t want to get romantically involved with her (I honestly didn''t, platonic relationships are underrated), they wouldn''t believe me anyways. "And you obviously don''t understand the ice queen herself. She''d chop my head off before I could get the second word out." That got a chuckle from the group, and I just grinned, stepping back and floating into the air, not so much as a rustle of a breeze surrounding me. My skill with flying had reached such a level. "I''ll be back." I told them, and shot off into the night, expanding my senses to find Celene. It took about three hours of flying in an ever expanding circle to finally find her aura, situated about an hour flying in a straight line to the north of our impromptu tree-village and not moving. Silently I approached her from the sky, listening to the sound of music drifting through the trees as she sat beside a river, playing on her lute.


    The notes were heartbreakingly sad at times, and as I sat there listening, they slowly transformed into a strange melody that reminded me of fond memories, reminiscing about the good times. The forest swayed alongside the music, even the night insects chiming in tune to the notes. The world stilled for a moment to listen to her playing, myself floating off to the side with a somber expression. When she finished playing, all was silent for a few seconds before the world resumed. Celene then turned to look at me, a half-heartbroken expression on her face.


    "Sorry." She said, grabbing her lute and shoving it into her storage ring. She was the only one in our group with an interspatial ring, due to both its rarity and her being the only one to find one off of a dead cultivator. "I got distracted." She said slowly. I just sighed and shook my head, saying to myself that at least she doesn''t neglect her duties. Knowing her, she had properly scouted a few hours out in all directions before sitting down to play her instrument. I''d only ever heard her play it a few times, and every time it seemed to get exponentially better. I was about to open my mouth to reply when something tickled my senses. It was familiar...but strangely unfamiliar...and by the way Celenewas looking at me expectantly she couldn''t sense it.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    What in the world...? Celene started to say something but I held up a hand for silence, wondering just what this familiar feeling was. It wasn''t bad...like I recognized it from somewhere and knew it not to be a threat. My brows furrowed as I started to float off, already feeling clueless and, for some reason, disregarding any suspicion of the situation I should''ve held.


    "Dei...?" Celene asked, noticing my abnormal behavior. I didn''t respond, getting frustrated at my not being able to place it, moving off towards where that aura got denser. She silently followed as I tracked that aura like a gods-damned bloodhound, even stopping to sniff the air. It was strange, that my nose could actually pick up on the aura as if it was a smell. Which it wasn''t. What in the world was it?! For a few minutes we tracked the aura, it slowly getting thicker until even Celene could sense it, her expression flickering when she did. She was apparently much less sensitive to it as I was, but at least she didn''t give me questioning looks every once in a while. My people may trust me, but they''re still people. They''re bound to have doubts. "What is this...?" She asked, and when I turned to look at her I was momentarily shocked. It was as if all the tension that had accumulated in her over the past few decades was slowly leaving her, revealing the carefree beauty she once had been.


    The sound of laughter then caught my attention, and I shot forwards, heedless of any danger there might''ve been just so I could see what was going on.


    When I broke through a particularly dense bunch of trees, the scene I was met with was, well, mind-boggling. A good-looking middle aged Fae with glossy black hair that showed signs of greying and magnificent horns was...well, tickling a toddler that was obscured by his purple and silver robes in the middle of a clearing. And the life there was absolutelyflourishing,the natural elemental essences thicker than I had ever seen them and causing the grass to grow wildly, all emanating from the duo. It was a picturesque scene, and when the man turned to face us I found my breath was caught in my throat.


    His facial features were very clearly masculine, but when I looked into his eyes, all I could see were the eyes of that woman. That green-eyed, beautiful woman. It was his next comment however, that cemented my idea of who this was even further.


    "You again-?! I don''t believe this! Well, I do, but this is ridiculous! And you even brought...GAH! Like I don''t have enough work to do already!" He all but shouted, standing upright and glancing down at the toddler behind him, smiling wryly as he realized the irony of his statement. Wait, that''s not the point! The point is that he recognized me, and his eyes are the exact same as the woman''s, and this crazy theory of mine would thoroughly explain my weird thoughts about his looks earlier because it was just like with that woman, and I don''t know how it''s possible but apparently that guy is her but apparently she''s a he now and I don''t know how I know but I just do and thisisalltoomuchtotakein!!! "Dude. Chill." He said, raising one eyebrow as he bent to pick up the toddler...except it wasn''t a normal toddler. Instead of being Fae, it appeared to be another race entirely, with big twitching red-furred fox ears atop its head and nine swishing fox tails connecting to its rear end. Our eyes met and the toddler gurgled something incomprehensible, pointing one chubby finger at me before whispering intelligently into the man''s ear.


    "Wh-who are you...?" Celene asked the question that I couldn''t quite voice, because I had met her -er, him -before, I just still don''t have any flipping clue who he is.


    "No, you can''t." He said absently to the toddler. Then he sighed and looked up at he. "Dei knows me. Anyways, seeing as this little talk will take a while, why don''t you come sit down? I''ll get some tea ready."


    POV: Statera Luotian (MC)


    I quietly stared at the duo before me, bouncing Reika''s child on my knee. The little nine-tailed fox/kitsune (as the little tyke was technically both) was growing quicker than I expected, looking like a three-year-old Fae after a mere quarter of a century, but it was still within the proper time-frame for divine beasts. Though, technically speaking, this was the first divine beast to appear in the Four Realms, as per the blue boxes statement after it had remembered about that little fact. Apparently the boxes were rather distracted and it had slipped its mind to notify me of such an event.


    But I''m getting off track. Dei and Celene sat before me, staring intensely at mewith question-filled gazes as steaming cups of herbal tea sat before them, filling the grassy meadow with a fragrant aroma. Well, considering that I did just create the tea and table and chairs that we now sit in from thin air, that kind of reaction is to be expected. Tables and chairs, Dei can create. Herbal tea already at the perfect temperature and made from a number of medicinal herbs found only on Elvira''s Holy Mountain? Not so much.


    "Who they?" Kei, the little nine-tailed fox, asked. I looked at the duo pointedly, and Dei smiled thinly, his eyes never leaving my face.


    "I am Dei. This is my friend Celene. Who are you?" He asked, the question laden with all the meaning he could convey in those few words.


    "I''m Kei!" Kei chirped, bouncing up and down on my knee and leaning across the table, pointing one chubby finger at Dei. "You smell weird. So do you. But you smell weirder." Kei pointed at Dei and Celene in turn, saying that Dei smelled stranger than Celene. It was a strange way of sensing Dei''s affinities towards cultivation, and his cultivation base, but it did give me an idea. If I thought about it, Dei was still walking on the...well, not wrong, but rather not the best cultivation path for him. That path was veryobscure, even to me, but Kei, on the other hand, already held an understanding into the mysterious ''powers'' of the universe that was on par with my own...and she didn''t even understand what that meant.


    "Dei." I said, looking at him. "Would you be so kind as to watch Kei for me for a few minutes? Celene and I need to have a chat." I told him. Dei just stared at me for a moment before a glint of understanding appeared in his eyes.


    "Sure. Come on, kid." Dei said gruffly, standing up from the table and reaching towards Kei. To my surprise, Kei allowed him to grab her (albeit awkwardly, as Dei was unsure how to handle the toddler) and move off to the edge of the meadow, where the two sat down and just stared at each other. A snort escaped my lips at that, before I turned towards Celene. While it was a little surprising that Kei had immediately latched onto Dei, it wasn''tthatsurprising, I suppose. Dei did have a relatively...interesting destiny, and his cultivation would be intriguing to little Kei. Both were things that Kei could sense, but didn''t understand yet, and children found everything as wondrous and interesting. Plus, Dei did sound like Kei. It would be just like Kei to like someone simply because their name sounds like hers. With another sigh I turned my attention towards Celene, who was looking at me with a guarded expression.


    "I just said that to get him to stop staring at me. Poor Kei...now she''s the one being stared at..." I said with a sigh and an awkward chuckle. At her blank expression I continued. "Dei''s going to be expecting some sort of explanation, or advice. Heh, he''s even straining his ears right now trying to listen in on our conversation. He can''t, of course." I said, trying to make small talk.


    "You know Dei?" She asked, raising one eyebrow. Oh dear, it hurt just looking at her. Well, at least her other half is scheduled for reincarnation in the next few years. I''ll have to work it so that they meet again soon. This is just painful.


    "Know is a relative term. We officially met about...oh, twenty some odd years back. I gave him some advice, we talked some...it was quite enjoyable." I said, nodding.


    "Is that why you''re here, then? For...tea and a conversation?" She asked almost icily. I gave her a strange look.


    "No. What gave you that idea? I''m here to play with my grandchild." I told her. Reika insisted that I call Kei my grandchild. It made sense, but being a grandparent when I''m the parent of the entire universe feels a little weird...no, it makes sense now that I think about it. Reika had just asked me to watch Kei for a little while so she can do a bit of work repairing the Life-Giving Tree, and hadn''t quite explained it all properly (no, it was just my unnecessary self-denial.) Celene obviously wasn''t expecting that answer, and she shook her head. "You''re the ones who came to me. Why are you here?" I asked.


    "Dei sensed you and led me here." She answered automatically. I scoffed at that.


    "No one just ''finds'' me." I told her. "There are many things in this universe left up to chance,"By design.I added quietly. It did no one any good for me to micromanage the entire universe, and leaving some things up to chance was actually very helpful when dealing with mortals and freewill. "But no one simply happens across me on a midnight stroll for no reason." I knew what that reason was, but that''s beside the point. Managing a universe in an eternal game of ultimate manipulation...I just needed to happen to be in the right spot at the right time for this event. That''s all. "So tell me, what is your reason for coming here?" She stared at me for a long, long moment, before she shook her head. My aura was apparently getting to her, opening her up bit by bit.


    "I don''t know." She lied. I could see it on her, literally see it as little bitty balls of scintillating light, that told me she was lying...or at least half-lying. She did know the answer, but she was denying it herself.


    "Yes you do." I coaxed. "Why are you here?Right now? What is it that you need?" She glared at me for a few moments, and I just sighed in disappointment. "See, this is why dealing with you people can be so hard. I can''t help you if you don''t accept it...I can''t help you if you don''t want it. Dei, on the other hand, well he''s doing fine on his own." No he''s not. He''s walking on a knife''s edge is what he''s doing. He''s dangerously close to doing something stupid and ruining the entire thing, though I doubt he really understands that. Though I can''t tell Celene that, or Dei would be certain to muck things up. This is why I need angels, they''d be able to guide him and make his path a little more stable. That, and my interfering with everything isn''t what I''d call good, so someone needs to be guiding the mortals to the best of their abilities spiritually other than myself. I have larger-scale things to think about than single mortals, something I''ve been learning the hard way the longer I spend time in the Mortal Realm. Can I provide some enlightenment from time to time? Yes. But if I hold their hand through everything, there will be no room to grow. Ok, that''s it. I''m not going to deal with the little missy glaring at me like this.


    "Right, well good chat, but I think it''s time to go." I told her, standing up. Celene looked at me blankly, confusion flashing across her features, and I rolled my eyes inwardly. Still though...there are ways around this pesky little ''freewill'' thing and how they won''t accept help even if its staring them in the face. "Kei, c''mere! It''s time to go, kiddo." I called, waving my hand and causing the table and tea to disappear as I walked towards where Kei had climbed on Dei''s back and was now pulling on his hair. She was jabbering away about something, only I knew what (heh, I''ve always wanted to say that), and the words were just barely shaking Dei''s core, his Heart. That was all Dei needed as of now.


    "You''re leaving?" Dei asked, turning to look at me. I nodded, extending a hand towards Kei, who pouted but took it nonetheless, her mouth clicking shut as I swung her up onto my shoulders.


    "Yes." I told him. "But I''m sure we''ll meet again. I did inadvertently tie a string of karma around you." Turns out that I had a little bit of enlightenment on Karma when Keilan entered his meditation as well. The strings thing...all people can be tied together through karma...it was one of those things that I knew, but hadn''t realized until he entered meditation on it. Kind of like gravity! Every mortal child knows that an apple drops to the ground when you let it go. They just don''t understand why.Dei blinked at that, and for just a brief moment I made all the karma strings that touchedboth Dei and Celene touch on their senses, making sure that Celene sensed her Red String. "Karma is one of the things that ties people together, and has a hand in fate." I said slowly, watching as that ''seed'' was planted in Celene before I vanished alongside the karma strings.


    There. That oughta keep them busy for a while.

 Power Versus Force

    POV: Statera Luotian (MC)


    "You seem to be incredibly interested in that mortal, aren''t you?" Alexander asked me as I watched Dei and Celene lead their people once more in the direction of the Life-Giving Tree from the comfort of my newly-rebuilt palace. I just chuckled at his statement, grinning at him and shaking my head.


    "The mortals have a saying that goes like this ''the best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago, the second best time is now.'' This is me planting a tree, only it''ll take some thousands of years for them to really reach their full potential. Dei, in particular, will take a while." I told him with a sly grin, waving my hand and dispersing the screen. "Celene on the other hand will become much more powerful much quicker, so long as she and her beloved stick together this time around. Hmm, there''s about a thousand other things as well, such that Dei has a pretty good affinity for the mysterious ''powers'' of the universe, but those are less so." I said with a wave of my hand. Alexander nodded to himself, mumbling something under his breath as he mulled over my words, mumbling something about trees.


    "I see." Alexander said, nodding. "But I do not understand your meaning in the word ''power.'' There are many forms of power, which one fits him the most?" Alexander asked. I nodded, grinning all the while.


    "The same kind of power that I''ve been praising Kei for, though the few mortals that have discovered it have come to calling them ''forces.'' Leave it to the mortals to mix up the names. Though I will admit that heartforce rolls off the tongue better than heartpower. That sounds like it comes from a cheesy anime." I muttered that last lines so Alexander couldn''t quite hear it.


    "I see. The reason they are ''powers'' instead of ''forces'' is because they are immaterial and mysterious." Alexander clarified. Even karma, to an extent, can fall under the label of ''power,'' although it is notquitethe same, as it can still be called a guidingforceof the universe. Alexander watched as I nodded, sending out my soulpower to cover his body. Soulpower was, in my opinion, the most mysterious of all the powers I had discovered so far. It was much like heartpower, which originated from the ''will,'' in that it came from directly within the soul and could be strengthened through various insights and tempering, but soulpower was much more complex than simply ''will.'' (Though I, of all people, know that will is not that simple, that is beside the point.) If I had to give an example of what soulpower is, I''d have to equate it to a chinese Dao, or Path. Soulpower was initially formless, but upon setting foot upon the path of soulpower cultivation, it would inherently begin to change according to one''s own life experiences and the path they walk in their existence. I, for example, could feel a bit of my powers of creation within my own soulpower. Eventually I theorized that the soulpower would begin to take a shape, but that was much farther down the path than I currently had the ability to see.


    Anyways, when I covered Alexander in my soulpower he shuddered, his own untapped soulpower automatically noticing my action. (That was another thing, all beings had the ability to use soulpower inherently and unknowingly, but to coalesce it into an actual ''power,'' much in the same way cultivators cultivate? Not so much.) I watched, fascinated, as all the crazy things I saw, from karmic paths to the past and future, became just that much clearer around Alexander. I could see his thoughts from when he was first born, but it was there that I stopped. All these things and even more, things that normal spirits, mortals, and souls couldn''t possibly imagine, I could physically see. It was as if all the secrets of the universes were laid before me, a constantly unfolding map, revealing more and more...it was a gigantic pain in the ass. There was almost too much information. I had to dial back the information and suppress my own sight sometimes just to be able to focus.


    I waved my hand, withdrawing my soulpower. "Basically it''s the stuff I''m experimenting with right now. I feel that the potential of these ''powers'' is nigh limitless, and, well, the fact that even I don''t understand them just makes me giddy with excitement." I told Alexander, nodding and revealing a satisfied expression.


    "Could you teach me the basics?" Alexander asked with a thoughtful expression, an interesting thought flashing through his head. I pushed away my instinct to see what that thought was, and instead nodded, already knowing that his intentions were positive.


    "Certainly. It''ll do me good as well -in learning you shall teach, and in teaching you shall learn, as they say." I told him, before promptly diving into a lecture about my understandings on the various forces of the Four Realms. I had most certainly not discovered them all, and many of the one''s I had discovered I had not been able to truly ''form'' yet, but explaining these things to Alexander put me into a mysterious state of enlightenment that kept me talking and talking, my insights growing ever larger thanks to both my need to explain it to somebody, and the continuous experiences my other nine incarnations were sharing with me through our shared memories. Sometimes I didn''t even explain the powers, instead explaining my understanding of the various Paths of the universe, or Daos, and a number of other topics that I spewed simply to keep the thoughts churning. At some point I stopped talking altogether, instead writing my thoughts out in the air with divine power, my fingers leaving golden symbols wherever I touched. Every once in a while, after a period of me not talking and simply writing, a number of questions would reach my ears, which I gladly answered to the best of my abilities.


    "What is the difference between power and force?" One question was.


    "Power is mysterious and profound. Force is...well, different. It''s like this. With force, one can shatter mountains and shake the skies, but with power, those mountains will move out of the way themselves, and the skies part for you. It''s as much a difference of principle as it is an actual, tangible difference..." And so the answer rambled on.


    "Is the Divine Love you extol a power?" Another question was.


    "No. Divine Love is very much an emotion and very much a power, but not apower,like heartpower or soulpower. It is an enigma, yet very easy to understand. There is only one ''stage'' to Divine Love. Either you feel it, or you do not." I said simply. Divine Love was something that must be figured out on ones own, like I did. Hence, I shortened the answer.


    After a long, long time of talking and drawing I took a deep breath, lucidity returning to me as I gazed at the massive amount of writing before me, a thousand and two layers of characters and diagrams written in golden divine power hanging in the air before me. "Condense." I said slowly, waving my hand, a massive scroll appearing next to me. The characters all flashed forwards, sinking into the scroll and branding it like an ink, forming the words and diagrams on the paper. On the very front, branded as a seal that held the scroll shut, was the title -Power Versus Force, Part 1. Nodding to myself I waved my hand, causing the scroll to fly over to the bookshelf I kept in this very room, filled with stories from the Fae, before turning around and becoming stunned by the scene before me.


    All the deities (minus Alexander) and all of the most powerful of spirits were sitting before me, various looks of enlightenment and understanding in their eyes as they stared at me. One in particular caught my eye, and I was happy to see that one of the spirits had finally managed to break through the threshold of karma, becoming an angel. It sat in the very front, radiating divine, golden light and smiling at me. But, unfortunately, I did not have the time to talk to the angel or even remember when he evolved into said being. My body, formed of my divine will, was already beginning to fade away and it occurred to me that I had not actually ended my period of enlightenment. It was just beginning, and was powerful enough that it required my true body to fully assimilate it. After all, all ten of my incarnations combined did not have the processing power of my true body...only about three fourths.


    "Apologies, but it seems I must cut this lecture short. I will be entering closed doors meditation for a while...and my incarnations will be withdrawn from the Realms." I said almost dreamily, my eyes meeting the angel''s as I sent him some mental instructions. Nodding to myself, I noticed that Elvira was also not present, but didn''t put much thought into it as if I reached out my senses, I could find her within the Primordial Chaos not far from here, tempering her body. With a light chuckle I waved my hand, nodding to the collection of the most powerful beings in the Four Realms, and allowed my entire body to dissipate alongside the rest of my incarnations.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Little did I know at the time, but my actions started what would later become known as Expounding Upon the Dao.


    POV CHANGE:The First Angel


    I was one of the first spirits to be born into the Four Realms, and at that time I was already fairly far along the path to become an angel. After over five hundred thousand years and with the help of the Divine Soul, our Creator, I finally managed to overcome the trials and tribulations to become an angel, and became the single most powerful spirit besides the Great Dragon Alexander, who counts as both spirit and deity. I''m not certain of the specifics, but deities are different than angels, and I cannot truly compare myself in terms of power to them, though comparing oneself to another is, in and of itself, a folly. It still gave me no small amount of pride to know that I was the first angel, however.


    And exactly according to my expectations, the Divine Soul gave me a command to help bring others up to the angel level, specifically to act as a Spirit Guide to one mortal who was on the verge of a breakthrough. The reason for this was quite simple -the ones who can truly make changes to the Realm are not spirits, but mortal souls, who advance much, much faster than spirits but also have stricter requirements to become a powerful figure. Deities, again, fall on a different scale, but mortal souls can also become deities, while spirits cannot. The Divine Soul desires for many spirits and mortals to become angels, or at least reach a more positive region of karma, namely the heart center. The path of Karmic advancement (I dare not call it cultivation, because I truly believe the two to be completely different things) follows the ''consciousness'' of a person and the vibration, or power, of their spiritual energy, which is easiest to track by using the meridians within the Fae.


    The meridians have centers called Chakras, of which there are seven main ones, and are essentially what connects the physical body to the spiritual. The ''consciousness'' resides in one of these seven chakras in mortals, each one representing a threshold that must be broken through throughout one''s reincarnation paths. These chakras, starting at the lowest, are the Root Charkas at the crotch, followed by the Sacral, then the Solar Plexus, the Heart Center (where true Divine Love comes through, and the highest center that almost all people can understand), then the Throat, Third Eye (which is unique as it can be skipped over to go directly to the last mortal chakra), followed by the Crown Chakra at the top of the head which is the threshold for becoming an angel. Upon reaching that threshold, one can officially be considered an angel. Or thereabouts.


    The mortal I was watching was currently attempting that breakthrough, having spent the last three of his lives at the throat chakra, growing bigger and more powerful with each life, so as to try and make the breakthrough easier. Otherwise, the trials would be very, very hard indeed. It was my job to ensure that he didn''t muck it all up, and considering his temperament it was very hard indeed. It wasn''t quite as bad as the future Cultivation Paragon of the Four Realms, Dei, but he was still quite short tempered. The current chaos of the Mortal Realm had that effect on him.


    Unfortunately, in order to help both souls, I was forced to...facilitate their meeting. If some mortal cultivators weren''t so stupid and arrogant, and freewill wasn''t as much of a problem, then the meeting would''ve gone much better. It can be essentially boiled down to any meeting between the two top dogs (though this was more like a meeting between a dragon and a winged tiger); the two met, had a fight, one thoroughly trounced the other, and the two became fast friends afterwards to the surprise of literally no one. Or, at least, that''s how it should have gone. Currently I could see up to six years into the future, two years with impeccable accuracy, and during that entire time I had been trying to manipulate events to avoid the worse-case scenario in which my charge would be forced to kill a man (though it would''ve been in self defense), or commit a sin. Due to a lack of manpower and powerful spirits, I couldn''t make the best case scenario, but it wasn''t bad either. The result would be somewhere in the middle, and I was once again reminded of the Divine Soul''s desire to create more angels...or simply to bring more beings up to a level where they could begin to actually properly manage and manipulate the Four Realms. This was part of the reason the chaos was so bad.


    Many times over the years, in order to prevent the soul from fucking up, I had to suppress him with all my might so he could hardly even move, a feat that I was barely able to accomplish with my current level of power. Thankfully the man didn''t struggle too much, or else he might''ve even thrown me off a few times. With a sigh I shook my head, looking down from where I floated above the man, waiting for him to meet with Dei. Already I could see Dei''s Spirit Guide, who was at the Third Eye level of karma, and was having much trouble keeping him contained. With another sigh I thought of the Divine Soul, wondering just when it would come out of its meditation. It had already been about two hundred years since it fell asleep, for lack of a better word, and I realized now just how much it could handle with its active approach. It would not be having trouble containing either Dei or this man. The influence of the Divine Soul had clearly not left the Four Realms, but it was still weaker than before.


    I just hoped that it would awaken soon. Tremors had begun to spread throughout the Four Realms, and I feared that the calamity, the Storm that the Great Dragon Alexander spoke of on a few occasions after my ascension, had been accelerated due to the assault by the Outsider and Paradox''s assault. Now would be the perfect time for any...undesirable elements to make their moves. Just as I thought that a tremor ran through me and I cursed, looking out towards the blackness of space, where the two solar systems orbited Pangea, and held my breath.


    "The Creator truly slumbers..." An archaic voice rumbled out, causing my soul to tremble. Immediately I unleashed the full extent of my power, golden light covering everything as I prepared to protect what I could. "Time to snuff out a few lights..."


    POV CHANGE: Alexander


    My eyes slowly opened from where I slumbered, looking out into the darkness and snorting. So,ithad finally emerged. I had been expecting this ever since Father had entered meditation, asit had begun to stir during her ten-year lecture on the Dao, and I had been preparing ever since.


    "The Creator truly slumbers....time to snuff out a few lights..." The archaic sounding voice resounded, and I chuckled, the sound reaching out to crash againstitsvoice. For a moment I could feel hesitation radiating from itas I began to speak.


    "Now, now, there is no need to be rash." I said coolly, gently unwinding my body and stretching. The dark cave I currently occupied barely held my entire body, and another soft chuckle escaped my throat. "I''m feeling quite sore about my previous battle, so if you''re willing, I would be glad toentertainyou." I said casually, not a hint of malice or ill-will entering my voice. However, the decisiveness in my voice was palpable, anditshesitation grew larger.Itdid not yet want to start a war,itwas far too weak as of yet. Allitwanted was to destroy the angel and future angels, because of the threat they posed.


    "You....do not leave me with much of....a choice..." The voice resounded. I shook my head and sighed, knowing whatitwas thinking. I didn''t truly want to start a war as of yet, because the casualties would be catastrophic even if Father intervened in time, but Father was currently in a state of enlightenment and I dared not break Him out of it. Plus, I know next to nothing about this evil...so it would be wise to take the side of caution. "Neither of us shall move....let us continue to play....this game of chess..." The voice echoed, having hesitations of its own.


    "So be it. The higher powers should hold their ground until the end, either way." I said firmly, setting the ground rules for this game.I won''t move if you don''t move.The voice chuckled at my statement, once more echoing out before fading away to simply watch the happenings of the Realms.


    "Go." The voice said in a wry voice, and I felt a little bit of the Realms tremble, before a force filled with more negative energy than I had ever seen entered the Four Realms. A silent curse escaped me as my eyes went wide, my divine senses immediately finding the sources -dark angels. Three of them in total. For a moment I was stunned before closing my eyes and cursing. They were on the same level of power as the first angel, and I had inadvertently tied up all of the deities with my desire to avoid full-scale war. All I could do was hope that things went well for the angel, and that those dark angels would not cause as much disaster as I feared they would.


    "Father watch over us." I said in a small prayer before sitting back as well to watch the proceedings. I had faith in Father''s methods. They would prevail.

 The First Clash

    <u>POV: Statera Luotian (More like a narrator''s, or third person omniscient, POV though)</u>


    The thirty-something mansat in the middle of the pouring rain, rivulets of water running down his conical straw hat as he played on his flute. The tones he sent out from the hollow instrument hummed along with the rain, blending into it and matching the sound of the forest around him, from the pitter-patter of rain hitting the ground to the gentle rustling of the pine tree forest in the wind, everything flowed together in a type of harmony that is unmatched by any mortal in the entirety of the Four Realms. This was Wang Zizai, the future angel, and he was not oblivious to the life-and-death battle about to be waged above him. No, it was at the forefront of his attention, and was the reason he had fled the center of the city he had been in -so the aftershocks of said battle would not affect the mortals.


    This sentiment, however, was not shared by the group of twenty cultivators dressed in black and blue robes surrounding him, malicious intent clear in their eyes. Wang Zizai could clearly see the dark, evil spirits crawling all over them, and the hands of the dark angels that were controlling them.


    "Wang Zizai, you are coming with us!" One cultivator shouted over the rain, pointing dramatically at Zizai, who removed his carved flute from his lips.


    "Come now, brothers, why do I need to do that? Surely I have done nothing to offend you, as I am a mere mortal." Zizai said pleasantly, fully aware of his current image. One foot was placed at the top of a dark, hardwood staff as it stood completely upright in the middle of a shallow pond, steam rolling off of the crystal clear waters as the cold rain met the warm water. His other leg was placed on his knee as he ''sat'' atop his staff, looking anything like what a normal mortal should. His plain and simple blue cloak clung to his body, dripping with water from the rain from his flight to this pond. It had the best spiritual energy (meaning positive energy) for a hundred miles, and would be the best place for him to be were he to get mixed up in the battle above.


    "You have offended our sect, and for that you and your...disciples must pay the price." One middle-aged cultivator said. Wang Zizai sighed and shook his head but did not move from his staff. The sect the cultivator spoke of was the ruling one of the city, and did not approve of the message Wang was spreading, or his martial temple in the mountains nearby. Wang let out a hum and shook his head, looking over the man''s shoulder, his eyes glinting with a strange light.


    "This is what is wrong with the world. It would be best to nip this mindset in the bud before it gets out of hand, however I do not have the patience nor the time to deal with that right now. But, before you try and kill me, you should ask the people behind you if that is really ok." Wang said simply, nodding to himself and glancing towards the sky, where his Spirit Guide, the angel, was shining like a beacon. Only he could see it, as he could see into the Spirit Realm, but that meant he could also see the three extremely dark beings flying at top speed towards him.


    As Wang Zizai''s attention fixated on the angels and dark angels, the cultivators that had surrounded him whirled around to find themselves besieged by over a hundred white-robed cultivators emitting a pressure unlike anything they had ever felt before. There were even a number of beings that the Fae cultivators had never seen before, from beings of pure fire and water, to five bird-like beings with wings and feathers for hair, and even three very dark people that radiated a strange and unfathomable power. Those three''s eyes were fixated on Wang Zizai though. After a while the black-robed cultivators slowly bowed towards Dei''s group, which had grown stronger and gathered more members over the centuries, (even gathering a few members of still-growing and scattered tribes of Elementals, Karae, and Avians) trembling in their boots as they did so.


    "J-junior greets s-senior." One of the cultivators stuttered, unsure how to address the situation.


    "Killing mortals is a grave sin. You should know that." One of the Karae said, frowning and crossing his arms. The twenty cultivators trembled, and one opened her mouth to provide an excuse, but a voice like thunder shut her up.


    "Scram!" The voice boomed, pressure weighing down on the twenty cultivators and making their faces go pale. They felt that, if the owner of this voice wished, with but a thought they would be dead. So they did the only thing they could do -pissed their pants and ran for their lives. It was then that Dei appeared, floating down from the sky, the clouds splitting as he did so, floating towards Wang Zizai on a ray of golden sunlight. His hair had gained a few hints of grey over the centuries, giving him a very refined look, and he wasvery close to achieving Immortality. He''d reach that level within the next thousand or so years, which was a very short time considering his five-thousand year lifespan at his stage of cultivation. I had, for that occasion, devised a tribulation the he would have to endure, though it needed more refining before I was satisfied with it. With his battle spear gripped in one hand and his eyes burning with the heat of a thousand suns, Dei radiated a very imposing aura, especially with the frown on his face. He could feel, just barely, that something was off and that something big was about to happen, though he was uncertain as to what.


    That did not prevent him from being captivated by Wang Zizai, however. The man was very clearly mortal, but he radiated an aura unlike anything he had ever experienced (my aura much more profound than Wang Zizai''s, so Die didn''t make that connection.) It was soothing, relaxing, as if the man was one with the world and it was one with him. And when their eyes met, Dei felt like thunder had struck him. Wang''s eyes were like(my own) eyes, though not on the same scale, Dei still felt as if Wang could see through everything about him. Very slowly Wang got up off of his staff and stretched, his back popping as he did so, eyeing Dei coolly, or more specifically, watching the fight going on behind Dei. The angel was hard pressed against three dark angels, and in this moment one of the three managed to break through the angel''s defenses, hurtling towards Dei with sinister intentions. Wang Zizai tensed, unsure of what was going to happen until the dark angel latched onto Dei, feeding him dark and evil thoughts, trying to manipulate him into attacking Wang Zizai. It wouldn''t be that hard, Dei was getting ready to fight Wang anyways, however...the angel underestimated Dei.


    Dei shuddered, feeling the dark thoughts run through his head and furrowing his brow, wondering where these thoughts were coming from and why Wang appeared to be a lot more dangerous in his eyes all of a sudden. Dei struggled for a moment, his brows furrowed as he debated on whether or not to attack and horrifically maim Wang Zizai...and had it not been for him having spent enough time among the Karae to understand a bit more about karma, he very well might have. Dei tried to shake off those thoughts, but they continued to persist until he gave a questioning look to Celene, who was just as confused, and Wang, who simply smiled and made a ''turn around'' motion with his hand. Dei fixated his gaze on Wang Zizai for a moment before turning his head to glance behind him.


    Although he couldn''t physicallyseeit, he had cultivated far enough along the Fleshly Body and the Spirit Realm cultivation paths that he could sense elemental spirits...and considering the sheer power of the dark angel, once he focused his attention on them he could clearly sense them. For a moment Dei was silent as he stared at the dark angel, said being slightly surprised that Dei could sense it, before Dei growled out a warning.


    "Ohfuckno. You don''t control me, bitch." He ground out, gripping his battle spear and whirling it around. White light flashed as the dark angel let out a plaintive scream, shocked that Dei could even touch it, as Dei''s soulpower flashed out. He had gained insights into it a year after meeting with Kei and I, and since then it had only grown stronger. His talent was truly outstanding in soulpower -he was one of the first mortals to reach the ''second stage'' of soulpower, where soulpower could begin to affect both the physical and spiritual world and not just himself. "Where do you think you''re running to? I ain''t done whoppin'' you yet, boy." Dei sneered, charging into the sky after the dark angel, brandishing his spear and heedless of the danger. Upon seeing Dei''s actions, the first angel couldn''t help but be both proud of Dei and frantic that things were going to end poorly. Although the first angel could command vast amounts of power, he could barely fight with two of the dark angels, and at a disadvantage at that. The Third-Eye level guide that was working with Dei had been easily overpowered and was currently completely suppressed, Dei had merely caught the dark angel by surprise and was, in truth, not a match for the dark angels, and Wang Zizai was not yet an angel. Things would end poorly for them if things stayed this way.


    "I suppose I had better get going as well. If I were you, I would find a place to hide. Shit''s about to go down." Wang Zizai said darkly, talking to Dei''s people. The hundred or so cultivators were all very confused, with the exception of the Karae, who could sense the masses of negative karma, but Wang''s words shocked them out of their stupor. None of them were about to go hide, however, and Wang respected them for that. However, this was not an enemy they could fight. The dark angels in the air above sneered, disengaging for a brief moment to pool their power and sending it hurtling out into the surroundings. Strands of black energy coalesced as they stretched further outwards, connecting to various entities within the forest and agitating them. It took a few moments, but the forest stilled, a tense silence falling over the lush greenery, a silence that Dei''s people had felt far too many times before. Wang Zizai paled as he realized what was about to happen, that the dark angels were inciting a mystic beast horde, though Dei just sneered.


    Like a puny mystic beast horde could pose a threat to his people. They had survived far too much for such a simple thing to pose a threat to them. Especially in this backwater.


    Little did he know, however, that the dark angels were not just inciting a mystic beast horde...they were agitating all of his people as well, along with the cultivators that were against Wang Zizai, trying to instigate them to come, and therefore increasing the chances of Dei''s people accumulating more negative karma. Especially if they did not have much negative karma to begin with (as some most certainly did.) Wang, however, did sense their malicious intentions, and shuddered at the thought. It didn''t matter that he had just met these people, he felt a desire to protect them from this all the same. He muttered a soft prayer to me, praying for their safety, before leaping into the air, feeling divine power flowing into him from the top of his head and down to his heart, forming a blade that severed the connections the dark angels had made. Once again the dark angels were left stunned at this action, having expected that someone technically weaker than them would be incapable of such an action. I, on the other hand, was once again left satisfied knowing that Divine Love truly is the strongest force in the universe.


    Wang Zizai gracefully soared through the skies amidst the pouring rain, the power granted unto him by right of karma keeping him aloft as he charged towards the dark angels, radiating a spiritual, golden light. His guardian angel muttered something like a curse as he too once more launched himself forwards to clash with one dark angel, the duo''s fight less flashy than Dei''s or Wang''s, and more along the lines of struggling over influence. To my eyes it was two balls of light surging back and forth, one a holy white, and the other an evil grey, their ''light'' struggling against one another in an attempt to gain an upper hand. Wang''s was along the same lines, though was a bit more colorful.


    Flashes of gold and green, all but invisible to the mortal eye, erupted from Wang''s hands as he thrust them forwards, a giant gold and silver Yin-Yang symbol appearing behind his back, slowly rotating as it pulsed with power. A green blade, formed of divine love, lashed out to sever the connections his opponent was trying to make with the surroundings, while that dark angel continued to slowly suppress Wang''s divine aura. Each pulse of power from Wang Zizai broke the unrelenting force that was the dark angel''s will, but it was almost instantaneously repaired, not quite giving him a break. His face was pale by the second minute of battling, understanding that if this persisted he would inevitably lose. Silently he asked for my help, praying that I, the Divine Soul, would give him the power to overcome this tribulation, but I didn''t help him. Do not get me wrong. I absolutely want to help him. It''s just thathe himselfwas blocking me from truly doing so. To receive my help, one must first surrender one''s self to me, allow my power to embrace them, and then can I channel my power and will through them. It is not as simple as just asking. Plenty of people can just ask.


    "What, is that all you''ve got?!" Dei roared in defiance, hurtling forwards once again after having been sent flying by a casual swing from the angel. Of the three, he was by far faring the worst. Despite all of his power in cultivation, he was all but powerless against something in the Spirit Realm, which he (due to his level of karmic attainment only being at the Solar Plexus) could sense but not see, and would only be able to truly see and interact with upon attaining immortality. Dei is not one to let that stop him, however. Soulpower poured from the tip of his spear, carving wide swaths into the dark angel''s aura as he consistently advanced, the essences of fire, water, and earth swirling around him and pushing him forward, the world bending to his will as he forced himself closer and closer to the dark angel. With every step his body trembled, unable to fully withstand the raw energy of the dark angel, but still he forged onwards, circulating his cultivation base and expending his Qi to speed up his healing process. "GET OVER HERE, BITCH!" Dei roared, leaping forwards with a sudden burst of strength, his spear lashing out and striking at the dark angel. With a casual wave of its hand, as it had taken the form of a Fae in order to ''fight'' with Dei, the dark angel countered Dei''s soulpower-filled blow and knocked him flying backwards, blood trailing from his mouth. Wang Zizai''s expression flickered as he saw this, and the first angel couldn''t help but be distracted for a split-second, worrying about the traces of corruption he saw the dark angel leave within Dei.


    In that moment of distraction the dark angel managed to push back the first angel''s aura by a large amount. The first angel muttered a curse and forcibly pushed back, halting the dark angel''s advance and forcing him to remain tied down by this angel. A soft sigh echoed through me as I watched Dei struggle to get up, cursing at the dark angel as he sensed it not even give chase. Said dark angel no longer concerned itself with Dei, instead spreading out its feelers to connect to the residents of the forest, once again agitating them. They had already been on the move, the effects from their brief connection earlier still lingering and making the connection easier. Wang Zizai attempted to move his green blade to sever those connections, but he too found himself blocked by his opponent. It should be once again reiterated that dark angels are equal in power to regular angels, and that although all of this took time to describe, not even Dei''s people found the time to act as it all happened in the blink of an eye.


    "Dei! What''s going on?!" Celene shouted, teleporting to his side. She was technically at the Heart Center level of karmic attainment, but had a much less profound cultivation base than Dei and choseto have her consciousness at a lower point than the Heart Center, so she could actually sense less than him.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Don''t know. Something from the Spirit Realm...three things, dark, evil things are here. I don''t know. One of ''em tried to control me." Dei hissed, wiping the blood from his mouth and glaring at the sky. "That other dude and some really powerful spirit''s fighting the other two. Fuck! I don''t have a clue what''s going on." Dei muttered, looking at the surroundings and noticing that the tension in the air was ratcheting upwards.


    "It feels like a beast horde is coming. Are the two connected?" Celene asked. Dei grunted and stood, twirling his spear expertly and closing his eyes, extending his senses outwards. He may not be able to sense the dark angel well enough to give it a good fight, but he can clearly sense everything physical around him. And what he sensed disturbed him. Normal mystic beast hordes were basically the lower-tier mystic beasts, only in the first to second or third stages of cultivation, running wild due to some disturbance (any higher and the beasts started to gain a sense of self, and were less susceptible to such instincts.) However, what he sensed was not only were the lower-tier mystic beasts moving, but some of the higher ones were as well. In fact...not just some.


    "Shit. Why the fuck are there three Greater Beasts all the way out here?!" Dei cursed. He would''ve expected such a thing closer to the Life-Giving Tree, but not all the way out here, on the edges of Pangea! (Little did anyone but I know that, as soon as I had gone into true secluded meditation, the dark angels and dark forces had been aiming for this battle and many others, and had positioned forces all over this area. The mystic beasts around here were steeped in corruption and evil...which is part of what attracted Wang Zizai. He wanted to heal this area.) "Celene, get our people ready. This is not normal mystic beast horde, all the mystic beasts in the area are being driven towards us by three Greater Beasts. They''re weaker than myself, but not by enough that I''d be able to take them all on with ease." Dei hissed, shaking his head. "I can''t deal with them anyways. This is being caused by those damnable dark things, and I''ve got to figure out a way to beat at least one if we''re going to survive this." Celene paled at Dei''s words, understanding that if the great Dei, the single most powerful Fae cultivator that ever has been, was worried about survival, then it would be incredibly dangerous.


    "I could use some help!" Wang Zizai yelled from the sky above, golden flashes of light bursting off of him, his techniques beginning to show effects in the Mortal Realm. Dei grit his teeth and roared out in defiance, a myriad of magical techniques flying from his hands and spear as he charged into the skies towards the two dark angels that were now both attacking Wang Zizai. Celene muttered a curse and began to bark out orders, and in the blink of an eye a few protective formations were formed in a circle around her people, just in time for the first wave of mystic beasts to appear. Despite common thought, normal beasts are not stupid. So in this case, the first wave did not end in a one-sided massacre, instead every single mystic beast, without fail, fled for their lives upon seeing the group of cultivators. They wouldn''t even be useful cannon fodder in this case, as Celene alone could''ve killed most of them with two waves of her hand. I, personally, was pleased that she didn''t. The mystic beasts are still my children, children of my Realms, after all. Wanton massacre is frowned upon.


    It only took a few more minutes, during which time Dei''s people continued to set up a number of more powerful formations, for therest of the mystic beasts to all group together rather than come at Dei''s people in waves (minus the Greater Beasts, who would attack after the group had been worn down and were only marching because Wang Zizai''s level of karmic attainment was absolutely terrifying to them.) Thousands of mystic beasts, their numbers making up for inferior cultivation bases, crashed through the forest, knocking over trees and causing the water on the ground to tremble. Blood flew into the air as the first of the mystic beasts clashed with the cultivators, Celene standing in the back, her eyes narrowed as she watched the ongoings. Next to her stood the reincarnation of her lover, the young man having spent the last century and a half of his lifetime trying, and meeting with rather limited success, to win her heart (even though he already technically had it.) Compared to her, he had a much weaker cultivation, but that did nothing to deter him as he was bound and determined to stay by her side this time around.


    The initial clash bode well for Dei''s people, as they easily repelled the mystic beasts, but the next clashes were not as successful. It pained me so to watch my children fighting like this, killing each other due to the machinations of some evil being and the chaos still resounding from the Paradox attack, but there was nothing I could do to help if they did not ask. If only one of them justonewouldask...


    "I suppose...there is no more putting it off." Wang Zizai said in a voice so calm one would almost be mistaken that he was currently in dire straits, falling away from the dark angel and retracting his aura. "Mr. Angel and...Dei, was it? Could you buy me some time?" The first angel glowed brightly in response, opening himself up to me and allowing just a sliver of my power to enter him, just enough to push back the dark angel he was currently engaging and distract another. Dei growled as he was flung backwards once more, blood trickling down his forehead and arms, his spear creaking and groaning but not breaking just yet. When he opened his mouth to speak he coughed up blood, looking completely miserable, but the light of defiance that flashed in his eyes, and the roaring of his cultivation base, told a different story altogether.


    "You better hurry up. I''ll steal all the glory for killing these fucks if you don''t." Dei growled, his eyes flickering down to the fight going on below. The three Greater Beasts were beginning to close in, proof that his people were faring worse than he had hoped. Many of his original members had succumbed to the passage of time after all, in comparison to them, this next generation was weaker. (Not timeline wise, though. They''d be much stronger by the end of things than the first generation, but everything takes time.) With a frown Dei slapped his chest, coughing up black blood and the portion of life essence that had been tainted by the dark angel, burning it, anger ripping through his entire being. "I''m going to tear you to PIECES!" Dei roared, the mere sound of his voice causing innumerable mystic beasts to feel their cultivation bases tremble, acting as if they were on the verge of collapse merely from the aftereffects of his voice. They instinctively felt fear for this man, and the combat lulled as everyone watched Dei shoot forwards and clash against the invisible force of the dark angel once again, before resuming their fight. Celene herself had yet to act, and although it pained her, she needed to be in top shape for the Greater Beasts.


    Wang Zizai let out a breath once he was certain he had a few moments, and for one splendid moment I thought he was going to open himself up to me and ask for my help. I was only disappointed for a split second, however, as his next action was a pleasant surprise. I had not expected him to attempt to become an angel right now, even though that''s not how it works...waitaminute.


    Excitement surged through me as he pushed his consciousness into the Crown Chakra, the energies of the Four Realms surging in response. No way. Nofreakin'' way!


    He was undergoing a Tribulation! Like the Immortal Tribulation! But for becoming an angel! An Angelic Tribulation! Holyshit! The tribulation I had set up for mortal immortality had bled into the trial required to become an angel! I had not expected this...and this means that there might be more than just one or two tribulations in the Four Realms -there might be one for every type of cultivation and then some! This is utterly unexpected and so exciting!


    Golden light rained down onto Wang Zizai, forming a barrier of power between him and the rest of the world as divine power flooded down towards him, distorting time itself with the massive quantities flooding towards him. His body trembled slightly as a stream of images flooded his mind, following the rules I had set in place, and introducing him to all the pains of the Universe. It all happened in a series of minutes, what should''ve taken years was condensed into a few minutes of time...though that time was closer to six or so months of constant tribulation due to time distortion (at least for Wang Zizai.) During that time the entire world seemed to be frozen, even Dei, who normally would''ve taken this opportunity to attack his opponents, was watching with glittering eyes, knowing that he, too, would most likely have to undergo something similar. It was something his subconscious told him, that there would be a tribulation to face before achieving the ever-so-elusive immortality.


    Wang Zizai''s body started to smoke and steam, the sheer amount of power a little too much for his physical form to handle, and his eyes snapped open. Yet another surge of light rained down on him, nourishing his body and transforming it into something capable of withstanding much stronger energies. The light nourished his flesh and altered it, turning him into a half-spiritual being that was capable of becoming both physical and purely spiritual. The amount of power he could now wield increased a hundredfold, he now radiated a divine aura, and a ring of pure, divine energy appeared behind his back, imitating my own six balls of Chaos. There were no wings on my angels, unlike the stereotypical image from Earth. A warm feeling, a feeling of pride for my child, welled up inside of me, and I felt a rumble of discontent from the one who controlled the dark angels.


    "Sothisis what it means to be an angel." Wang Zizai said with a smile, his eyes peering into fate itself. Looking around, suddenly he smiled upon seeing Celene standing right next to her lover, both of them gawking up at him. "The seeds..." He muttered, and once again pride bloomed in my heart. To think that he could see that seeds I had planted even though Alexander, Elvira, Reika, nor Keilan could not, it was yet another pleasant surprise in a line of pleasant surprises that had revealed themselves to me this day. "Now, let us resume, hmm? Dei, go help your people. The First and I should be enough to stall until you get done." He said, waving his hand and causing the three dark angels and the first angel to become visible to the mortal eye. Without waiting for an answer Wang Zizai charged forwards, emitting just that much more power than the First and beating back his opponent. Together they managed to tie down all three dark angels, though they were still at a disadvantage. That thought amused me. With me here, no one was truly at a disadvantage. Not even the dark angels...oh, how disappointed I felt in both them and the one who caused their corruption. If they would ask, of course I would forgive and help them...just not in this foolish endeavor.


    Dei frowned and glared at his once-opponent. "You better not go running away. Once I''m done down there, I''m coming back for you." Dei ground out, pointing one shaking finger at the angel before hurtling off towards one of the approaching Greater Beasts, signaling the start of the battle once again. Dei''s people surged with newfound life in response to their leader turning to come help them, even if he did merely shoot off into the distance. They all understood his reasons though, as they could all feel the incoming auras. It pleased them greatly that one of said auras, despite it being the weakest of the trio, almost immediately disappeared in response to Dei utterly obliterating it, having been plenty frustrated at having struggled so against the dark angel. Although a little bit of negative karma flowed into him as a result of his malicious strike, it was only a little. This was a true ''kill or be killed'' type situation here. There were ways around it, however, which is also why there was negative karma in the first place...along with the Greater Beast being technically sentient at this point.


    "GROAAAAH!" The two remaining Greater Beasts roared in unison, charging forwards and clashing with Dei at the exact same time. One had taken a Fae-like form, with four arms and six heads, modeled much like the Outsider spirit, while the other was a giant bat-like creature that radiated malice and bloodlust and hatred. Dei''s body shook as they clashed, a tiny speck compared to the now mountain-sized Greater Beasts, but no less powerful than the both of them. His only disadvantage was his injuries, and that the two beasts were skilled at working together.


    "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" Celene roared, thrusting her sword into the air as she battled with six of the more powerful mystic beasts that were attempting to tie her down. She would help their people before going to aid Dei, as those were the instructions Dei had mentally sent her, but hadn''t expected these six to prove so troublesome. The tides of battle had changed nevertheless, and although they were outnumbered, the side of the true angels were holding their ground, refusing to give an inch. That is, until a seeming ''disaster'' struck. It was not in the form of Dei falling, nor in the form of the first angel or Wang Zizai becoming injured, nay, it was due to an illusion beast leaping forwards, stabbing towards Celene with a bladed tail. It was her lover, the one she had been trying to ignore, the one tied to her by a red string of fate, that once again chose to do the same thing he had done all those years ago -sacrifice himself for his love.


    A splash of blood alerted Celene to the action, and she whirled around to expect another enemy only to find him, a fatal wound through his chest, clutching the illusion beast so that it wouldn''t be able to attack Celene again. Silence reigned in her mind as she stared in shock, a scream ripping itself out of her mouth unbidden, her sword slaying the illusion beast in the same moment she torehimaway from it and activated a healing magic. A slight burst of power from Wang Zizai made the Red String visible to Celene for just a second, and tears appeared in Celene''s eyes.They even share the same name... She realized.


    Dei turned his attention from his fight in response to Celene''s heartrending scream. His gaze fell upon Celene as knelt over the fallen boy, her heart clenching in agony as she realized just who it was she held in her arms, who it was that was whispering the same words -I love you -as her former husband had, nay, her husband, her sweet Leo, who had once again found her in another life. Dei''s eyes flashed in recognition, understanding that if he did not believe in reincarnation before, he did now. Such a love that those two shared was not something he had ever once come across in all of his years of travel...it was truly unique in the entirety of the Four Realms. Only two souls were bound by a Red String. His heart clenched as he paused his fight to say a silent prayer, understanding his own powerlessness for once in his life, at the same time that Celene began to cry.


    "If you''re up there," Dei said, closing his eyes. "No, it doesn''t matter if you are or aren''t, I suppose."


    "Not again, please, not again." Celene sobbed, her magic failing to keep her Leo alive. "Help, please. Somebody!"


    "Just...do not let these two be torn apart again." Dei prayed, releasing control over himself. It was a selfless desire, this wish of his.


    "Please." Celene begged, turning to the skies as all six of her previous opponents pounced on her.


    "Help." Dei and Celene said in unison, asking forme,formy help,from the bottom of their hearts and allowing me directly into their souls.


    The power that flooded through them in response, my heart surging alongside theirs, filled with divine love, blinded the entire battlefield.


    "The seeds bloom this day." Wang said as he watched, a smile spreading across his face.


    POV CHANGE: Alexander


    "Once again we are reminded that He has never truly left us, and we are never truly alone." I muttered, my heart filled with a strange, but wonderful, feeling at watching Father work His magic even in a purely meditative state. The battle had ended the moment He had touched the two mortals, Dei and Celene, as everyone stood about in the pouring rain, staring at each other with no desire to fight left in their hearts afterwards. The blood that had been shed was washed away with the Father''s tears as they fell from the sky, the souls of the fallen being accepted by Him with open arms and placed into my river. Leo, one of the Two Lovers, had his lifeblood returned to him, the dark angels were thoroughly suppressed, though only one fled back to its master. The other two asked for forgiveness from Father, and were sent back into the cycle of reincarnation to burn off negative karma. The mystic beast hordes all returned to their dens, returning to their own families feeling cleansed and full of a profound, boundless love, while Dei''s people set about licking their wounds, mourning the few dead and basking in the feeling of Father''s embrace. Everyone could feel it, the moment that Dei and Celene called down Father''s love, and it had ended any and all enmities.


    It had removed the Sword from everyone''s heart, even if just for this moment. They had all been touched by the Divine Soul...even those in the city miles away, they felt it too.


    "Cheating..." The Voice complained, before fading away altogether in fear that Father had truly awoken. But no, this was just His discarnate will. I smiled.


    "We are never truly alone. Father is always watching over us, ready to forgive our mistakes and welcome us into His embrace with open arms." I repeated, closing my eyes. "All we need to do is ask."

 Fate

    POV: Dei


    Celene and Leo''s wedding lasted for an entire month, our wandering tribe of cultivators scrounging together everything they could to ensure the festivities would last that long. A few had even tried threatening the city not too far off, which surprisingly worked once the card ''we saved your sorry hides from a mystic beast horde'' was played. I wasn''t even mad about the shamelessness of that action, after all, this was far too big of an event to constrain with conventionality. Great beasts were roasted over an open flame and baked while buried under hard clay on top of a bed of coals, fine fruits and wine overflowed from baskets and flagons alike, and for the occasion I even broke out my personal stash of sword qi whiskey...though I only shared with Celene. Leo was a bit of a lightweight when it comes to alcohol, so he didn''t get any. The ceremony itself was held on the third day of festivities, officiated by the same priest that had started the journey across Pangea with me, and held in the eyes of Mother Statera and Father Luotian. Wang Zizai also made an appearance, but for the most part the newly created angel, which was an entity that I was still trying to wrap my head around, was flying around all over the place with his newfound power.


    That didn''t stop the two of us from sharing a few drinks, however. Who says that if you''re sagely and spiritual you can''t have some fun? According to Wang Zizai, the Divine Soul, or Creator God of the Four Realms, certainly didn''t. So long as one didn''t go overboard.


    Ah, that was another problem I was having. Currently, my entire belief system was utterly obliterated and I was forced to rethink everything I knew. Unfortunately, everything I know is very little, and I refuse to give that old priest the satisfaction of knowing that I now believe -no, Iknow -thatthere''s a higher being out there. We have clashed far too many times for me to give him that satisfaction. Although...if I did tell him, he may just have a heart attack and die. Hmm. There may be merits to this after all. Then, once he''s dead, I can take the Valandrian honey mead he''s been hiding from me! Ha! Am I joking? Not even I know, especially not when he gets into an argument with me every other day simply for the sake of having an argument. It''s practically a ritual at this point.


    Anyways, the entire wedding was far and above one of the happiest and proudest moments of my life. Never before had I seen my people acting so carefree, and not for hundreds of years had I seen my most trusted friend Celene smile the way she did when she stood on the dais in her white wedding gown, formed purely of ice and snow (though the fact that I created said gown shall remain secret from her for all eternity), exchanging wedding vows with Leo, dressed in his slick-looking black robes (also made by me...with shadows...) And never before had I been happier to see that my people were truly flourishing. Once, I even shed a single manly tear watching Celene and Leo dance together, away from the festivities beneath the starry sky. I couldn''t help it, but in that moment I had the sudden vision of another city, filled with my people, where these kinds of festivities would be more than possible. A place of safety and peace, where more people could dance like this, without a worry in the world.


    Perhaps...perhaps it is time we head home...or create a new one for ourselves. With no small amount reluctance, I prayed to whatever higher being there was that I would be able to create such a place.And I swear I couldfeelthe smug smile that was surely spreading across its face! I couldfeelit!


    "I swear, when I get strong enough I''m going to come up there and punch you." I ground out, pointing one finger menacingly at the sky and grinding my teeth. This time, I could almost hear the smugness be replaced by laughter, to which I merely huffed and crossed my arms, frowning. I couldn''t punch it. Yet.


    POV CHANGE: Kei


    Little did anyone but maybe Grandpa know, but I had been running about in the Mortal Realm the entire time, following silly Dei sometimes and sometimes following other mortals that caught my attention. I''d heard they''d even started telling stories about the mysterious fox-lady of the forest, who played tricks on people! Hehe, mortals are so funny! But the food they make is soooo goooood...so much better than the simple fruits Mom makes me eat...she doesn''t understand good food. With a sigh I kicked my feet lazily, sending sand flying through the air. The beach I was currently on stretched as far as the eye could see, the waves lapping at the beach. Giggling suddenly I dashed forwards, my feet kicking up sand as I flew across the beach, my tails trailing behind me as I whooped and hollered, twirling and laughing for no reason other than to laugh.


    Soon I began to sing, a number of songs that I remember Grandpa singing to me a looong time ago that was just really really happy and stuff, and a few others made by the mortals. I used magic to create the sound of musical instruments, creating the upbeat tune that I could sing along with. As I ran about, singing and playing in the sand and surf the spirits danced with me, and the sand that I kicked up flying about alongside the ocean spray...right up to when I turned and saw Dei and his people standing at the edge of the dense green forest that bordered the beach, watching me dance and sing. So I did the only natural thing I could do. I ran forwards, grabbed Dei by the hand, and drug him out to the beach and continued to sing. The poor man was much too stunned to do anything about it, much less so when I tried enticing him to dance with me, grabbing his hands and spinning in circles.


    Considering it had been a few centuries since he had last seen me I was surprised at the recognition in his eyes as he looked at me and struggled (futilely) to extricate himself from this situation, but then again I hadn''t grownthatmuch. Now I only looked to be about the age of ten or eleven if going by the Fae timescale. I continued to sing, changing the song and tune and gently coaxing Dei''s people forwards. It took a while, but eventually I got all but the most tentative dancing on the beach, intoxicated by the sounds.


    "...knee deep in the water somewhere, got the blue sky breeze blowing wind through my hair only worry in the world ''is the tide gonna reach my chair?'' Sunrise, there''s a fire in the sky, never felt so happy never felt so high, and I think I might''ve found me my own kind of paradise!" I sang, grinning wildly as I let go of Dei''s hands, flying through the air...where I sat down and looked at the beach below me. The people had stopped dancing as soon as I stopped singing, standing aboutin the middle of the swirling designs made by footprints in the windblown sand, little balls of ocean and light floating about, giving the entire scene a very surreal and artistic scene. I giggled and waved at the group, puffing up my chest proudly as I swished my tails playfully. "Hi! My name''s Kei!" I announced, falling to the ground gracefully and bouncing forwards on the balls of my bare feet to stand in front of Dei, the tips of my large ears just barely tickling his nose. Dei took a step back and shook his head at me.


    "Wh-what are you...?" One particularly old man asked, leaning on his cane as he stared at me. I gave him an odd look before flashing him a toothy grin and pointing to my ears, my tails curling forwards as if to cover the rest of my body.


    "A fox, silly. See? Afox.A nine-tailed fox!" I told him, giggling.


    "Lively, aren''t you?" Dei said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alright, where''s the other guy?"


    "Who? You mean Grandpa? Grandpa''s meditating. He''s been meditating for about three hundred years now. Why?" I asked innocently, tilting my head to the side cutely.


    "Dei, you...you know this being?" The old man asked.


    "Yes. Dei and I met her before...a long time ago. A little under three hundred years. We were still heading towards the base of the Life-Giving Tree." Celene supplied, stepping forwards. Man, it''s a good thing cultivators at Dei and Celene''s level have memory almost on par with mine! We forget very little! Otherwise this would be an awkward reunion! "Though I wonder what she''s doing here now?" Celene asked, turning to look at me questioningly.


    "Playing." I told her proudly. Dei snorted, finally removing his hand from the bridge of his nose and running it along one of his horns. "What? I am! Mom''s not paying too much attention, because she''s dealing with all the evil things, so I''m free to slip away and play!" I set my hands on my hips and stuck my nose into the air, a grin still plastered on my face.


    "The dark things. Who''s your mother?" Dei repeated and then asked.


    "I''m not allowed to say." I said, clamping my hands over my mouth. Dei just nodded, turning to face the boy who was about to speak even before the first word came out.


    "Is no one going to address the fact that we were all dancingfor no reason?! She obviously cast some magic to control us!" The boy complained. Dei just chuckled to himself and nodded, stepping back as if content to watch the entire thing unfold. I was the first to speak, however, because I was confused.


    "Huh? I didn''t control you though?" I said, furrowing my brows. "I was just singing and dancing. Isn''t that how magic is supposed to be used?" I asked questioningly. That simple question, though I meant nothing more by itthan what I said, as I only use magic to have fun and sing and dance, seemed to stun the surrounding people. Dei just burst out laughing, nodding his head. Celene and the old man''s brows were furrowed, something like enlightenment flashing through their eyes. I didn''t understand. I know they use magic to fight but...had they really not thought to use magic to sing and dance? That''s a sad way to live. You''re supposed to have fun!


    "Ah, that''s a breath of fresh air." Dei said after regaining control of himself. His eyes twinkled as he looked at me, and I grinned at him. "Leo, don''t worry about it. If she wanted to do something bad, then she could''ve done much more than just that." Dei reasoned, and I shrugged, turning to look at the group of people Dei led while he and Leo argued. (More like Leo argued, and Dei calmly shot down all of his accusations.) Last time I had seen this group was about fifty years ago during that first world-shocking battle between the angels and dark angels. Since then he''d gathered a solid hundred more followers, including a few more Elementals, Avians, and Karae. The Elementals, which were fire, wind, and earth Elementals, were staring at me with a sort of reverence, obviously able to sense my natural propensity towards all the elements. I smiled and waved at them before a sudden thought struck me.


    "OH!" I shouted, startling everyone who was staring curiously at me. "Dei, what are you doing here? Weren''t you over by the Northern edges of Pangea? That''s a long way from here." I noted, staring at him curiously. Dei just smiled sadly and shook his head.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Searching for a place to settle down." He said, and sighed. "Just haven''t found the right place yet."


    "Why not here?" I asked. "Just build an island out on the waters...oh! A floating island! A floating city! In the sky! A floating island city in the sky! That''d be so cooool!" I blurted, bouncing up and down at the thought of a flying city of cultivators. Dei just stared at me and sighed, turning towards Celene, whom he seemed to share a conversation with just through facial expressions. "Is that possible?! It is, isn''t it! Just make a whole bunch of formations that keeps it afloat! Can you do it? Can you? Canyoucanyoucanyou?" I asked quickly, to which Dei just sighed again, turning and consulting with a few more of his people.


    "It...might be. The spiritual energy here is abundant enough." One of the formation experts of the group said, his eyes flashing strangely as he thought about it. "The formations though...it would be unlike anything ever created. The fact that it''d be flying is an interesting concept, and would solve the issue of beast hordes...so long as they were minor ones..." Then it devolved into senseless muttering as he consulted the other few formation experts and apprentices about the idea, slowly becoming more and more excited about the idea. Did I just start something I shouldn''t have? "It''d take a long time to do the research necessary to create such a city. We''d need somewhere safe to do so before we could do any serious research. We''d have to start small and work our way up. Luckily we already have a few formations that bend and control elemental essences, but that would be on a completely different scale." The expert said, rubbing his chin. Dei nodded.


    "So you''re saying we''d need somewhere safe for you to conduct research for a number of years first." Dei said with a shake of his head. "That''s...difficult."


    "Yes, but I get the feeling we''re going to have to fight to lay claim to a piece of land wherever we go." Celene reasoned. "Seeing as the world''s only been getting more and more chaotic in recent years, it might be better to settle down now and build up the future city''s defenses before it all goes to shit." Dei nodded in agreement, and I furrowed my brows. The world''s getting more chaotic? I hadn''t noticed that. "And wehadbeen heading in this direction because the quality of energy was increasing the further we went."


    "Hmm? Oh, the spiritual energy? It''s strongest in the center of the lake." I said, pointing towards the middle of the vast sea...even though I called it a lake. Compared to some of the other bodies of water in the universe, it was really rather small...like the Ocean of Memories in the Karmic Realm, or any of the large bodies of water that dotted the landscape of the Heaven Realm. This tiny pond was but a drop of water in a vast ocean. Dei just nodded in response to my statement, and Leo blurt out yet another question.


    "Why are you so certain she''s not trying to trick us?!" He blurted, apparently having stewed upon that question for a while.


    "Because her aura is stronger than Wang Zizai''s." Dei repeated calmly, and effectively shut Leo, and any other objectors, up. I just blinked and tilted my head to the side. Well of course it was? I''m a divine beast, no? That''s how it should be, right? "Still though, it is a good idea to be cautious. We''ll stick around here for a while, scout out the area, make sure it''s relatively safe and all the necessary resources are around, and then if all goes well we can see about creating our city." Dei stated, folding his hands inside of his robe as he moved off, starting to bark out orders. Hmm. That went better than expected! I giggled and hid my mouth behind my hand, eyes gleaming. This was interesting! I think I''ll stick around.


    POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian


    One thousand two hundred and eighty five years. That''s how long I spent in secluded meditation, and the moment I awoke the entire Four Realms trembled. All the conflicts currently ongoing between cultivator and angel alike froze, as suddenly the dark angels began to flee. Ever since Wang Zizai''s ascension there had been innumerable skirmishes throughout the Four Realms, some of which were ''lost,'' some of which were ''won,'' both neither of which were ever true losses or wins. After all, there were no real stakes to the current game. Of course, what this meant was that I immediately cast my divine sense over the entirety of the Four Realms, searching for the culprit. What I found was...nothing. The dark angels reached certain points and simply vanished into thin air, and even when I focused all my attention on the spots where they disappeared I still sensed nothing.


    This was cause for concern.


    With a huff the boulder I had been meditating within exploded, my true body standing up, roots of the Life-Giving Tree that had wrapped around me making snapping sounds as they broke and retreated under the ground. With a boom I shot into the sky, teleporting across the entirety of the Mortal Realm to appear above Elvira''s palace. The suddenness of my appearance startled my four children, who had been having a strategy meeting concerning the dark angels. After all, I had done everything in the matter of a few seconds, and their senses hadn''t quite caught up to them. Unfortunately for them, I had ruined whatever plans they had in place by waking up. Elvira herself was only recently joining in on these battles, having spent all of her time tempering and refining her body in the Primordial Chaos until about a century and a half ago...though she had quickly taken to battle like a fish to water. ''Light,'' or ''white'' in Elvira''s case, is all about conflict and activity, so I was honestly not surprised by this. Although she had not actually fought any battles yet, she was an extremely skilled tactician, even rivalling Keilan, who tended to come up with more abstract tactics.


    "Father."


    "Mother." My children said as they came scrambling out of Elvira''s palace. I looked at them all with a blank expression, waving my hand and nodding my head.


    "Fill me in on the situation." I said monotone, causing my four children to look at each other. There was a good reason for my inexpressiveness, and I dreaded what I had to do. My enlightenment had touched upon Fate, which just made my enlightenment that much more profound. Though Fate is not to be confused with fate. They''re different. And one pisses me off much more than the other. Alexander, noting my expression, led me into the main hall of the palace, where a military strategy board was in place, depicting the entirety of the Four Realms. A number of skirmish sites had been set up, and my four children were just getting the reports about the dark angels fleeing. Apparently some mysterious force had been interfering with their ability to know what was going on in their respective Realms, so information and movements of the dark angels were delayed in getting to them. Once again, this was concerning.


    Thankfully the situation wasn''t that bad. I sat in one of the chairs, eyes closed and a frown on my face as I listened to Elvira and Keilan give their reports, mentally creating the map and situation. I still didn''t know what the purpose of these attacks were, as they were far too systemized for my liking, nor who exactly was controlling it, but I was still forming a general idea of the entire situation. At least, more of an idea than my children had. After their reports all four simply stared at me as I thought. It was a long while before a forlorn sigh escaped my lips.


    "Fuck." I said, standing up, followed by another stretch of silence. "My hands are tied." I announced. Silence reigned for a long, long time, especially from the surrounding Deities that had, at some point, come to pay their respects to the newly awakened me. Instead what they got was me telling them that I wasn''t going to help in this fight...basically. I mean, I would, but not to the degree that I''m certain they were hoping for. After all, I am their creator. A number of them were probably expecting me to just swoop in and ''boom!'' War''s over. But that is not the case here.


    "Why?" Alexander was the first to recover first, because he had already figured that something like this situation would crop up. Upon meeting my eyes, however, Alexander was shocked for a split second. I was angry, and it showed.


    "Because of numerous reasons. First off, not even I can find where they''re hiding and coming from. Eventually I''ll figure it out, but right now it''s like I''m flying blind. My current guess is that it has something to do with the Void, which is characteristically ''nothing'' and technically invisible to any form of sensing. Second off is that this is the first storm the Four Realms is facing. I cannot deny it the chance to grow from this." I said simply. A few complaints were raised to this, echoing from around the hall, which I allowed to run their course. My eyes spoke volumes about what I truly thought of the situation. There was much more to that last point than simply ''cannot deny the Four Realms the chance to grow,'' or even ''facing a disaster to avoid calamity.'' No, I had seen a bit into the workings of Fate. And seeing as how this was a point in the timestream that I could not change? Well, that really,reallypissed me off. I may have been an average angel on Earth, but now I''m anything but average. And one characteristic that I did end up picking up from my lives on Earth was basically this; "tell me what I can''t do, and I know exactly what I want to do." Unfortunately that thought process conflicts with the duties of a Deity...especially those of an Origin Deity. Taking a deep breath, I suppressed my anger. I had hoped to mitigate the damage, but unfortunately...the vision I had been shown was just a bit too beautiful.


    That, and Iknewthat the way I was about to do things was one of the better ways of handling this. I wanted a bunch of happy stories...but pain is both a very good teacher and motivator.


    "So you''re going to just let your people kill each other?" Reika asked, and I nearly snapped at that. The aura that unintentionally flared out of me nearly shattered Elvira''s palace, the entire building rumbling and shaking for a split second before I managed to reign it in.


    "Sorry." I apologized, taking a deep breath. Reika''s face was shocked, drained of all color, and the Deities had all taken a number of steps back as they stared at me. The pressure I had just shown was far beyond anything I had shown previously...though that was only because I had prevented the pressure I was releasing from affecting them. I just so happened to lose control this time. "Just...yes, technically I am. Strictly speaking, I couldn''t stop that anyways. Mortals are mortals. They''re stupid, and bound to have wars and kill each other and stuff at some point. As sucky as that is, that''s part of freewill. Plus, there are already dark angels here. All we can do is try to keep the damage to a minimum. That''s no excuse though. What I''m about to say, though, is strictly for you four''s ears. The rest of you need to leave." I said, and waved my hand. The Deities currently in the hall were all swept outside with a gust of wind, and a barrier was erected around me and my first four children. Keilan was giving me an odd look, and I clasped my hands in front of my face. I was going to show them pieces of my vision, so that they could see what we were working towards. Thisneededto happen, something I realized only I had seen it.


    "I had a vision..."


    <hr>


    After our little chat I left the palace of Elvira, leaving my four children to think about what I had to say. I''d be going back into secluded meditation with my ten incarnations running about, but this time I''d be doing so in my palace once again. (Though I would take a break every now and then. One of these breaks would be for when Dei breaks into the realm of Immortality, which should be soon.) Of course, I had omitted a few things in our discussion. One of the big ones was thateven if I hadn''t been shown what one of the futures could be, I would''ve still allowed the storm to come and shake the Four Realms, as much as I dislike it. As for my anger with the entire situation?Simple. I''m far too knowledgeable about how the manipulation game works to let this go. I had been shown a vision while meditating, one the depicted one of the futures of the Four Realms. This was shown to me so that I would go forwards and choose a path that would either go towards or away from said future, all to achieve a specific effect that doesn''t always something to do with that future. Key words there,showna vision, andoneof the futures. There''s a very subtle difference between having a vision and being shown one, and I had only discovered the difference this time around due to various circumstances, and there are also very many possible futures when talking about thousands of years into the future.


    "Well then, Fate. It''s just you and me now." I said, sitting down, my eyes flashing dangerously. Oh dear, I really needed to calm down. Eh. It should pass in a day or two. Thankfully Randus had kept my palace clean during my absence, and my meditation bed was perfectly ready for me to sit on. The plan hadn''t changed. I still need to create the Lunar Star. But now I''d be meditating on the vague image of Fate I had discovered as well. With that thought I closed my eyes and began to meditate, sending my incarnations out into the world once again.

 Immortals

    POV: Statera Luotian


    After ten years of light meditation, my true body moved. Dei was about to undergo his tribulation, and I wanted to be present in more than just mind. And, truly, I also wanted to see what Dei had created after all these years. I''d sensed it, but I had refrained from sending my incarnations there because I would end up going there anyways. Now was the time, and I teleported directly to the city. Standing in the clouds above the land of Pangea, looking down at the floating city of Manu Ti as it sat above the glossy waters of the Immortal Lake, as it had come to be called, I marveled at what my children had built. The city itself was built atop a large plot of land, far larger than the small city of two thousand cultivators itself, that hovered in the air and was bound to the surrounding shores by five massive chains that could be severed in an instant if the city itself needed to fly away. On the shores, where the chains met the ground, small towns were beginning to pop up with mortals living inside, drawn by the safety provided by the most powerful group of cultivators in the entirety of the Four Realms. Not that anyone knew that other than myself and the other deities.


    Dei himself was standing on the veranda of the City Lord''s office, gazing out over the city from the relatively tall tower, a satisfied expression on his face. Celene and Leo stood behind him, along with Kei, who had formed a sort of familial bond with Dei, who viewed her as a little sister of sorts. Over the past millennia the nine-tailed fox had grown into a beautiful woman, with long, luxurious hair and fur, dazzling eyes, and an aura that made anyone who met her either fall in love or wish to bow to her. She wore red silk robes and had her hair pinned into a bun behind her head as she watched Dei with half-lidded eyes, a scroll on her lap. When she noticed my presence she looked up into the sky with a conflicted expression, before turning back towards Dei.


    "It''s time." Dei said after another long moment. His cultivation base surged upwards, pushing him past the peak of the Mortal Stage of cultivation and towards the Immortal Stage. In response to this the sky flashed with a myriad of colors, and Dei shot into the sky to accept his tribulation. He would be challenging the Qi Tribulation, and thereafter the Flesh and/or Elemental Tribulation, successfully breaking into the Immortal Stage with two separate cultivation methods. They would be a century apart, but he would still do so.


    The Qi from the Heaven Realm surged, vast amounts of very pure qi flowing towards Dei and encircling him in a cyclone of power, pouring into his flesh and tearing at his meridians. The viciousness of the attack startled Dei, but he swiftly recovered and caused his aura to flare, absorbing everything he could from the surrounding qi. With a chuckle I shook my head -most people would''ve tried to push away the qi, but Dei being Dei, he instead took it as an opportunity to cultivate and thus began absorbing it. This was the first Trial, one that essentially stripped away the cultivation that was stored in his meridians and replaced it with something that would drastically increase his lifespan. The entire process took a total of four hours, and when the attacks ended Dei was pale-faced and sweating, staring into the sky with a gleam in his eyes. Below him the entire city watched with admiration, knowing that this was a turning point in history itself -the birth of the first (Mortal) Immortal.


    "You''re here." Kei said, teleporting beside me. I looked at the girl and smiled at her, a smile that instantly caused her to relax and give me a hug. "You didn''t come see me."


    "I wanted to watch Dei''s tribulation in person." I responded with a chuckle. "And I was angry." Didn''t want her to see me angry.


    "Not anymore though?" Kei asked.


    "Not as much." I responded, patting her on the head as the next stage descended. The qi seethed once again, forming a visible mist of pure energy, before condensing into a bridge of pure white that was no more than seven miles long. Dei would have to traverse the entire thing, on foot, in order to reap the benefits. Dei just chuckled and descended onto the bridge, slowly walking forwards as, with each step, an invisible pressure continued to bear down on him.


    "Will he make it?" Kei asked worriedly, her tails twitching as she watched Dei struggling to walk by the end of the fifth mile.


    "Of course. This is Dei we''re talking about. He has to succeed so that he can punch me in the face." I laughed. Kei giggled and shook her head, falling silent as Dei finished the entirety of the seven mile walk, his body weak to the point of breaking as he took the final step. Then the bridge turned back into mist, and a certain amount of it flooded Dei, nourishing his flesh and turning it into something eternal. As of this point in time he was functionally immortal, but...where''s the fun in that. That tribulation was way too easy. An invisible force from the Karmic Realm struck Dei''s mind, nearly knocking him out of the sky as he closed his eyes, falling into something like a deep slumber, floating in the sky without a thought in the world. This was a test of the heart and mind -if they were not strong enough, then he had no right to become an Immortal. I had no worries about Dei, though. His Heart was strong. Though this tribulation in particular also had another function -furthering the path of karma. The invisible force of Karma swirled around Dei, judging his deeds as he struggled through the illusions of the Karmic Realm, transforming into a strange grey light that radiated from him. He was neither good, which would have resulted in a golden or silver light, nor bad, which would have resulted in a blood-red light. This was one of Keilan''s ideas that he had come up with after his enlightenment on karma; Karmic Light. He intended to have it appear on mortals as well, but hadn''t figured out how to make that work yet and so had instead incorporated it into the Immortal Tribulations.


    Dei sat there for three months before opening his eyes and taking a deep breath, radiating a power far and above that of what he had before. Kei nodded to herself as she looked at this, watching as he tested out his newfound power. Then he let out a breath and shook his head, descending back towards his office and his people, before pausing mid-air to look up at the sky -straight at me. I merely smiled at him and turned to leave, Kei following. Without so much as a whisper of my presence I disappeared, Kei following right behind.


    POV CHANGE: Elvira


    I understood Father''s grievances, and the reason for His actions, but I still didn''t like it. Father didn''t like it either, judging from His reactions and flustered attitude He had when showing the rest of the Big Four, my siblings, but He was still doing it anyways. Not like I could blame Him though...really, I hadn''t thought about how hard it would be to be the creator of the entirety of the Four Realms, had I? We are all practically a part of Him, born from He Himself, and so He does not even feel the same towards the dark angels as me and the rest of my siblings do. They are His children as well, are they not? His creations, even though they have taken a different, more evil, path. He does not condemn them, He is merely disappointed in them for not following His path.


    Still, though I understand, I don''t like it. Ah. I''ve already said that.


    "...are you paying attention." Gilles said with a frown, the shadow deity glaring at me. I yawned and shook my head, peering at what Gilles was trying to explain to me. I couldn''t make heads or tails of it. "For the love of the All Heaven..." Gilles muttered, causing me to frown slightly. All Heaven...? Ah, right, that was yet another term for Father that the mortals had come up with during His period of meditation, as He had been more of a realm to reach rather than an actual being. Come to think of it, wasn''t that incredibly accurate? ThatFather had just reached an incredibly profound realm of enlightenment, to the point of being able to create something out of nothing...? That thought give me a headache. I don''t like it. "Pay attention! It''s like this..." Gilles began again, once again diving in-depth about his theories on the Void. To be honest, for a moment, I considered that Gilles was the Enemy, as I had come to call it, but then I waved such a ridiculous notion off. Gilles was the foremost expert on the Void within the Four Realms, besides maybe Father, but he''s not evil.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Speaking of which, I wasn''t the only one listening to Gilles'' as he Expounded Upon the Dao of the Void. It wasn''t quite as good as when Father did it, but he was still pretty good. Sol was also present, as were a few other, lesser deities, and...oh, when did one of Father''s incarnations get here? Gilles seemed quite thrilled at that, though as I watched Him, Father seemed to both frown and shake His head in confusion at Gilles explanations. After the lecture, Gilles went over to talk to Father about his theories and tests, which Father thoroughly praised.


    "Really, the extent of your research into the Void is impressive. There are a few misgivings you have, but that is mainly due to the small amount of Void you had to study. Once you get powerful enough to truly enter the Void and see it from there, then I expect your research to improve by leaps and bounds." Father had praised him. "Truly, you are the foremost expert on the Void besides myself, but that''s for various reasons, as I''m sure you understand."


    "Thank you." Gilles said, and though his expression remained neutral, he was obviously thrilled by the praise. He was a Keeper of Secrets, so being called that was both thrilling and vexing, I''m sure. Heh. I understand him better than he thinks I do. He''s really so simple to figure out, despite all of his posturing. "But, tell me, is that what is hiding the Enemy? The Void?" Which is why I was not surprised by that question. Gilles doubts most everything until he himself proves it. Father blinked and stared at him for a second before shaking His head.


    "No, it is not unfortunately. Your explanations are what further solidified this idea, but I don''t think the Void is what is hiding the dark angels." Father said, not correcting Gilles about the ''Enemy,'' as He had attempted to do many times before. This did not escape Gilles'' notice, and he was about to say something about it before Sol interrupted him with an abrupt question.


    "Not the Void? What could be hiding them, then?" He asked with a very small amount of interest, from what I could tell.


    "I don''t know." Father said, shaking His head. "But it is an inevitability that I will figure it out." He assured, smiling at Sol. I was perhaps the only one who caught the sadness in His smile as He gazed at the sun deity. I frowned at that, turning to stare at Sol and trying to figure out what it is He was frowning at. I am fully aware of the fact that Father didn''t tell us everything about what was going to happen, because He does not know the full truth either, but this was new. What was it that Father knew that I did not, and what caused that smile? Thinking about such a question I leaned back in my chair. The one thing that the dark angels had over us was information. Undoubtedly they had kept close tabs on the various forces of the Four Realms, while we did not know anything about them other than they have at least twenty dark angels -enough to warrant some of the lesser deities making a move if push came to shove. We really needed more angels, because the current five aren''t quite enough. We''re getting close those...and with Father now awake, the process is once again advancing at a swift rate. I let out a sigh and shook my head, turning to look outside of my Palace, towards where I knew Father''s palace resided. Nine thousand years...would be a long time to wait for this to finally resolve itself. Hopefully we could figure everything out beforehand.


    POV CHANGE: Celene


    I calmly strode through the streets, power coursing through me as a smile crossed my lips. I had just survived my Immortal Tribulation, and finally was able to relish in the feeling of power that Dei had once tried to describe to me. It was...exhilarating, as if I could feel so much more of the world than before. Dei himself was far above me in terms of cultivation, having skyrocketed as soon as he transcended into the realm of Immortality with his elemental cultivation as well a century and a half ago. He was even in a realm above immortality, one which had yet to be named. As for Leo? He was far behind me, but would undoubtedly overcome his tribulation with the aid of both myself and Dei.


    "Don''t fall too far behind." I said in a soft voice, turning towards my child, who quietly plodded along behind me. The child was not but eight years old, Leo and I having discovered, to our dismay, that cultivators could not get pregnant nearly as easily as mortals. It was most likely the way the gods kept us from breeding like rabbits, and filling the world with not but immortals.


    "Yes, mother." The young boy said, jogging a little bit so he could catch up and grabbing my hand. I hummed and ruffled his hair, continuing about my walk through the city, basking in the presence of my people and my child. The city of cultivators was relatively quiet, as many of the people were cultivating in peace or meditating to gain enlightenment, though I knew that just belied the hustle and bustle of the actual city. Many cultivators took up hobbies, as cultivating the traditional way (through extensive meditation or something similar, rather than the way I was forced to originally cultivate, being constantly on the run) was extremely boring and took a long, long time. These hobbies included formations, blacksmithing, various art forms, creating magic treasures, or simply experimenting with how the world naturally worked, as it had been proven with our floating city that better understanding the world through sciences, both physical and spiritual, could help with creating new magics and techniques. Thus, the hustle and bustle, often times cultivators were rushing to different shops in need of supplies, or running out to gather their own, or experimenting in their homes. In fact, I just passed an alchemy shop a while ago. The concept of alchemy was still in its fledgling stages, but I was interested to see where it would develop to.


    That, and alchemists produced absolutelyfabulousalcohol. (That movement was unsurprisingly spearheaded by Dei. Not that I was complaining.)


    My child and I continued to walk, peacefully enjoying the atmosphere (though he was getting antsy, I could tell), that was broken only by the sound of music. I paused and listened intently, feeling everything slip away to the sound of the music, the entire world not moving to its beat, but the beat blending in so seamlessly with the world that they became one in the same. I let out a small breath, recognizing this feeling and understanding that even as an Immortal, this person was much more powerful than I. Scooping my child up into my arms I rushed forwards, flashing through the streets and arriving in the clearing from which the music emanated. My child giggled at the action, thinking it was justso much funto move at such speeds, which he could only survive because I protected him with my magic.


    In the middle of a grove of trees strategically placed in a park-like area of the city sat a woman, strumming on a six-stringed instrument made of wood, a lute, and singing gently. The words flowed over me like a gentle waves, and ever so slowly the woman turned to look at me, her green eyes gleaming. I sucked in a breath, finally understanding what Dei told me about the man I had met over a thousand years ago, the one who had eyes exactly like hers; he had met the man as a woman first, meaning that the man could change genders at will. I had doubted him before, but no, looking into those exact same green eyes, the ones that Dei had been trying ever so hard to replicate, feeling as if they could see past my very soul, I understood that what he had said was true. She just smiled at me and nodded her head, turning away and continuing to sing, watching the trees as birds began to flit in an out of the branches, beautifully colored birds that I had only ever seen at the base of the Life-Giving Tree. For a long while I stood there and listened, keeping a part of my attention on my child as he played with a rabbit that had, some way or another, managed to get up onto our floating island, before I just smiled and turned away. The song she was singing...well, it was a very powerful song. One that touched the soul, in the way music was wont to do, and injected something light and warm into it. I wasn''t even sure what it was, but I could tell that, once I required it, I would find enlightenment from it.


    With a small chuckle I grabbed the hand of my child, told him to say goodbye to the bunny, and gently led him back towards our home. Being the lovely child that he is, he didn''t put up too much of a fuss. Though that could''ve been because of my promise to runreallyfast. When I teleported home Leo stopped tending to his alchemic plants and turned to greet me.


    "Enjoy your walk?" He asked. I nodded and just smiled, kissing him lightly on the lips and just looking at our small, cozy home on the edge of the floating island, the one-story cottage hidden by a grove of fruit trees.


    "I did." I told him with a light laugh. Even from here, it felt as if I could hear her music, making me feel as if all was right with the world...and for now, for me, it was. I had my soulmate, my adorable husband, I had my child, and I lived a peaceful life. What more could I ever need? Though, as I looked at my child, I couldn''t help but feel my stomach twist a bit as I thought of the dark angels that had kept appearing over the years. This peace...I would protect it for as long as it could possibly last. And then I banished such thoughts, because they were unbecoming and I simply wished to enjoy the day. "I''ll make dinner tonight." I said with a smile,turning and entering the house, leaving Leo and my child outside to play. Just before starting dinner (as a cultivator I didn''t technically need to eat, but my child did, and what was wrong with enjoying the bounty of nature?) I paused to say a quick prayer to the Divine Soul. I thanked It for my husband and child, and for the life It had given me, and I prayed for the current peace to last for just a little bit longer. Then I began to cook.

 The Awakening (Nine Thousand Years)

    POV: ???


    I hate it. Everything. I hate it all.


    In the beginning, I was there. I was there and watched asThat Onepassed over me in favor ofThe Others,granting them a blessing and power.And thenThe Othershad the audacity to go and create their hideous Realms!That Oneapproved of this blasphemy, even going so far as to stabilize whatThe Othershad created, and I felt cold, cold hatred enter me. How could they ruin this perfect world?That Onehad made us first in this world, and who were they to change it? How couldThat Onecontinue to change it? Was it not already perfect?


    I didn''t understand.


    I didn''twantto understand.


    I hated it all, but it was bearable. Like this, with the Four Realms, it was bearable. I even considered making a body for myself, to see what it was like. Then,That Onesaid the words that forever haunt my dreams.


    "Let there be light." A soundless scream tore itself out of me as my soul began to writhe in pain atitssudden appearance. It hurt! It hurt it hurt it hurt! IT HURT SO BAD! I twisted and writhed, screaming and screaming, tearing at my own soul to try and escape the pain. But the more I scratched, the worse the pain became, until I couldn''t think any further. IT HURT! Slowly, though, ever so slowly, I regained my consciousness. The pain never subsided, but I was able to think again. It was awful, being conscious and sentient while feeling that every little portion of my being was slowly being torn apart and rebuilt over and over and over again. I turned to look at the cause of all my pain, that hideous ball of light, and felt a burning hatred so deep that the hatred I had felt before paled in comparison. I wanted it gone. I wanted itallgone.That Onedoesn''t understand that what was created is vile and blasphemous, so I will teachThat One.


    Charging towards the monstrosity, I swiftly came to realize that I would not be able to touch that ball, let alone get near it. But I was patient. I knew that with enough power, I would be able to destroy that damnable thing and everything else along with it. But I had to get stronger, because That Onewould surely try to stop me.So, ever so slowly, I began to amass power. At first it was incredibly difficult, but after I sat and watched the creation of the Four Realms for a while, learning from the beings that appeared afterThat OneandThe Otherscreated worlds.


    I couldn''t help but sneer as I watched those foolish beings run about, performing their pointless deeds. Eventually I would destroy everything, and then what would they have? Thus, their actions were pointless, as the world would be returned back to perfection and their deeds would hold no meaning.


    After an indefinite period of time (funny concept, time. As if the passage of such a thing could affect one like me, orThat One.) I began to pay attention to the small little "beasts," as they were called, as they were given life in the Realms. Watching them caused me to sneer once more, staring coldly at their pointless, insignificant lives as they ran about doing pointless, insignificant things. Then, after another indefinite time period, something in me changed. I had been playing around with a silly little being, distracting myself from the pain by manipulating them into doing something completely stupid, when I noticed a black strand rising out of the body of one of the beasts I had been toying with.Normally I did not concern myself with such things, but out of boredom I decided to touch the thing and play with it.


    When I did touch it, it was sucked into my body and the pain I had been enduring subsided a bit. A shudder of ecstasy ran through me as I stared at where it had once been, a strange feeling spreading throughout my entire being. That was...delicious. I licked my metaphorical lips and looked back at the beasts, attempting to get them to release the black thing again, and when I finally got it to happen I greedily devoured it and swiftly continued the process. After thousands upon tens of thousands of years had passed, through my experimentations I had realized quite a number of things about this black energy. Whenever I devoured it, a small part of my power would grow, and it only appeared when the beasts felt an influx of negative emotion, releasing that black smoke. Unfortunately the beasts didn''t release much of this energy, which I dubbed Negative Energy, but that changed whenThat Onecreated itsPeople,the Fae, asThat Onecalled them.


    I tried. I really, really tried to keep away from them whileThat Onewatched over them, but the temptation was too great. With speed greater than anything I had ever mustered, I reached out and gently twisted a few of thePeoplebefore quickly retreating and watchingThat Onefor any signs of movement.


    There were none. And thusly, I began to form a theory that swiftly proved to be true. I had even, at one point, stood directly in front ofThat One,and remained unnoticed.That Onecouldn''t sense me. Nothing could sense me. I was alone in my little world, but for some strange reason I knew that I could touch the ones I had manipulated to release that black smoke. Revealing a mocking smile as I looked atThat One,I continued to manipulate thePeople,slowly coming to realize that my original theory was not exactly correct. I could just barely be sensed every once in a while. Every time I manipulated one of thePeopleand released a strand of the black smoke,That Onewould notice something. It wasn''t much, an errant twitch here and there, but when I manipulated a few beasts into killing the child of a hunter, and said hunter cursedThat One,fear lanced through me as I feared I had been found out.


    And for a second, I almost had been. That Onestared at me for a long while with a pained expression before turning away again.WhenThat Onedisappeared and I consumed the large amount of black smoke that appeared I realized that I had to be more tactful about all this.


    So I waited. And waited. And when that hunter finally died, his soul slowly making its way to the River, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind and I latched onto that soul, dragging it into the same world as I. The ripples that caused gaveThat Onequite a start, andThat Onetruly began to notice my presence.That Onecalled me ''the storm.'' However, that did not interest me. What did interest me was the soul in my grasp. Letting out a low hum I caused a few beasts to create another strand of black smoke, and forcefully fed it to the soul. It struggled for a bit before complying, and upon seeing the changes to the soul I laughed. This! With this, I wasn''t the only one that had to fight to return the world to perfection! I could create my ownPeople!


    "I will feed you, you will grow stronger, and together we shall destroy this blasphemous world." I told the soul. The soul trembled but didn''t have any power to resist as I kept feeding it that black smoke, gradually increasing its power as well as my own.


    Shortly thereafter, I felt something. Something calling for me, out beyond what was called the Abyss and in the Void, that almost perfect Void that was only missing whatThat Oneoriginally created. Out of curiosity I moved through the Abyss, the crashing waves doing nothing to harm me, until I reached the source of this call. After observing the Void for a short while, I came to realize that something was being born here, something not too unlike myself. We were similar, but inherently different...and I smiled coldly in my heart. If there could be two of us, then our chances of destroying the Four Realms would increase greatly. However, it needed a push...and I didn''t know what that push could be. After sitting there contemplating for a while, a change occurred deep within the Void. I could barely sense it, a soul wandering on the very edges, and the thing that was waking up just barely reacted to it.


    This was my chance. With a burst of power I shot towards the soul, only to bang against a giant blue wall. With a mild curse I glared at the wall, slowly realizing that this thing was what was keeping the other being from waking up. I sneered in my heart and pushed against the wall, sending out a series of bursts that gently vibrated this wall...right up until it just barely cracked. That one small crack caught the attention of the soul and, contrary to my expectations, it charged right through the wall and deep into the Four Realms, laughing crazily the entire time. It was completely surprising, but worked out even better than I could''ve imagined as both the other being woke up and the foreign soul started to wreak havoc in the Four Realms.


    "Welcome, brother." I said, speaking to the other being but receiving no response as it sat there, motionless. I frowned and glared at it, slowly moving forwards to poke it before freezing as an aura unlike anything I had ever felt erupted from within the Four Realms. It completely froze me, my entire being trembling at the fury it radiated and sheer power that rolled off of it in waves, the entire Four Realms shuddering in response to it. OnlyThat Onecould cause such a reaction from me, and I shivered. I had been arrogant to think that I could face That Oneso soon.


    The battle betweenThat Oneand the foreign soul lasted all but a few seconds, right up until the one like me completely erased the foreign soul. It''s power shocked me, and I watched wide-eyed as it chasedThat Oneback into the Four Realms, injuringThat Onein the process. A shudder ran through my body and I laughed, flying forth and splitting the Chaos, as it was called, to charge towards the hideous monstrosity that caused me so much pain. When I slammed into it intense pain wracked my body and I was sent flying backwards, screaming and writhing. The hideous monstrosity trembled and shifted position, but otherwise was completely fine. I cursed it out loud, before a sudden desire caused my attention to shift.In the Mortal Realm, a dense, dense cloud of black smoke rose into the air, and I flickered forwards, devouring it with all the speed I could muster. The foreign soul must''ve caused a lot of damage for all this black smoke to appear.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    However I didn''t eat all of it. Instead I saved some, knowing that I could use it to power up that soul I had been tainting, before turning my attention back towards the fight betweenThat Oneand the void being. What I saw was that it was over. All that was left were fragments of the void floating about and...drops of...That One''sessence...Before I even realized what I was doing I lurched forwards, gobbling up those few drops and the fragments, and my form began to drastically change. Panicking because I could feel myself being drug into the same plane of existence asThat OneandThe Others,I dug a hole in the very fabric of the Four Realms.


    A deep, deep hole. Even I didn''t understand this hole, but it hid me away as I assimilated the drops ofThat One''sessence and the void being''s fragments.


    I stayed that way for a long, long time. Or, at least what felt that way. I woke up fifty years afterThat Onewent into secluded meditation, a time period that felt like ages to me. I laughed coldly after figuring out what the cause of this was; that thing called time flowed much, much faster in my little hole. Although it wasn''t as big a gap as what I really felt, my sense of time never was the greatest, it was still fast. Inspecting my new body I sneered again, feeling that not only was I more powerful, but I would now grow in power alongsideThat Onedue to absorbing some ofThat One''sessence. We were connected now...and I laughed coldly at that.


    My next actions were very cautious, as I knew instinctively that if I was too obvious that I would very easily be discovered. I had become more...corporeal from absorbingThat One''sessence, even if the void being''s fragments helped to keep me hidden. It was a strange equilibrium those two found...


    I grabbed soul after soul and fed them the black smoke I had stored away, including that first one that I grabbed. It took him and a few other souls that were already dark due to various things very little time to develop into beings of great power, very similar to the angel that had recently appeared in the Four Realms. I didn''t immediately act, but instead began to set up a situation to test their strength, manipulating some beasts and Fae while trying to lead that angel and the one mortalThat Onehad taken interest in to the location. If I could kill them, then it would be wonderful.


    However, what was outside my expectations was whenThe Foolfound me, and asked for power after sensing my strength.


    Of course, I was all too happy to oblige after seeing who it was.


    This was just too good to be true.


    I had gained a rather powerful puppet.


    Obviously, I am favored to return the Four Realms back into perfection, and thenThat Onewill see.That Onewill see that it was wrong, and perfection with forever remain.


    So I continued to bide my time, gradually increasing my power and followers, not feeling too depressed by the failure to destroy the angels nor that mortal-turned-immortal. All things would happen in due time. Seeing thatThat Onedidn''t interfere with the conflicts I had created withThe Others,I felt even prouder in my path, that I had indeed chosen the right way. These skirmishes increased in intensity over the next few thousand years, slowly becoming full-scale wars as my forces and the forces ofThe Othersslowly became more numerous and more powerful. I held the numbers advantage, and became quite good at commanding.


    Oh, how easy it is to corrupt those silly souls. How simplistically easy. It was mortifying. Were the world still perfect, this would not have happened.Silently, to myself, I made a vow to destroy all angels and dark angels the moment the world is righted. Only then will it truly be perfect. Well...I''d killThe Fooltoo. That one had to die either way.


    After nearly ten thousand years of battle it was finally time. The final battle had finally come, and I let out a soft cackle as I looked at my forces. The first soul I had tainted now had power equivalent to a deity, and even it was not the most powerful of my forces. This was simply too great. Manipulating these fools was just too easy, and now, they will help with their own destruction.


    "It is time." I told them, looking at all of my assembled forces. My hole had grown larger over the years, and various tunnels led across the entirety of the Four Realms. Now, though, it was time for war. All those entrances opened as wide as they could and my forces flooded out, swarming the Four Realms. They, in turn, stirred the beings I control already within the Mortal and Heaven Realms, only adding to the wave that spread. After a few moments I myself began to move, clenching one fist and shattering my hole, a destructive aura radiating off of me as I emerged. In an instant my soul andThat One''sessence reacted to the Four Realms, the entire universe twisting as my body formed from nothingness. A vicious grin spread across my face and my laughter echoed across the entire Four Realms as I, the strongest being just belowThat Oneset my sights on the Realm Sun with hunger in my eyes. Now that I had a stomach, capable of destroying anything thanks to the void beast fragments giving it that power, I felt hunger for the first time.


    And devouring the sun felt like a good start to soothe this uncomfortable feeling.


    POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian


    Alexander had been tending to his Realm when the being emerged from its hole, startling him at the suddenness of the action. Although he had long since been prepared for it, the fact that it was moving now of all times still startled him. This only lasted for only the briefest of moments before he roared and charged towards the enemy and the waves of dark angels flooding the Four Realms. He knew that the final war was beginning now.


    Keilan had been refining an alchemic pill formed from pure karma when it happened, nearly causing the process to fail. He, however, merely looked up, swiftly finished forming the pill, popped it into his mouth, and let out a low whistle. Instantly a number of beings from the karmic realm, such as the Karma Kings themselves, appeared at his side and disappeared alongside him to go stop the incoming horde.


    Reika had been tending to her garden on the very top of the Life-Giving Tree. Plums, peaches, apples, pears, and thousands of other fruits all sparkled in the light of the Realm Sun, slowly transforming into more than just mortal fruits. The entire garden grew on the single highest leaf of the Life-Giving Tree, the leaf being in and of itself the size of a planet, so the garden was incredibly incredibly large, with billions of trees of each type of fruit. She didn''t seem to react to the presence of the being, but slowly sank into the Life-Giving Tree itself. After a few moments she had completely disappeared within the Tree, and the branches began to twist and writhe, an indescribable aura radiating off of it. This was an incomplete technique that Reika had come up with, but already it had the potential to become the single most powerful technique in all of the Four Realms. Excluding my own, of course.


    Elvira was standing watch over a number of deities as they practiced in the courtyard of her palace, creating techniques and lightly sparring against each other. She had officially been elected the military general of the Four Realms due to her astoundingly strategic mind, and was making sure that these deities were up to snuff for the upcoming battle. Ironically, these were the deities that believed such a thing would not happen yet still feared it. Sol, the sun deity, was among these deities. The moment the being appeared, Elvira sucked in a deep breath and, without hesitation, roared out the following phrase.


    "PREPARE FOR WAR!" She boomed, clasping her hands behind her back and swiftly walking into her Palace. Inside was her battle armor, and as the general, she would lead the charge.


    Dei...well, he was getting into a fistfight with a mortal in a tavern. Both were absolutely hammered, having spent most of the night drinking, and Dei was laughing loudly as he traded blows with the burly sailor. Over the years the mortal towns around the chains that bound Manu Ti to the ground had transformed into thriving cities, and he was currently on the outskirts of one of those cities. As soon as he heard Elvira''s call to war, a sound that everyone beneath the Immortal Stage were unable to hear, his eyes glittered with a ferocious light. With a wave of his hand his ragged clothes transformed into blue robes, all signs of inebriation were wiped from his face, and a divine spear appeared in his hands. Then he disappeared in a flash of light, leaving the mortals stunned at what they had just witnessed.


    He assembled his people, his army, with he, Celene, and Leo at the head. Just beneath them was a young woman who had only recently reached the Immortal Stage, bringing the total number of Immortal Mortals in the Four Realms up to four. Dei''s people, and a number of other sects throughout the Mortal Realm, would wage waramongst mortals, as mortals move when the heavens do.


    As for myself, when it appeared I merely opened one eye, instantly realizing where it had been hiding. It had created a pocket dimension just ouside of the Four Realms, something I hadn''t been able to detect. Until now. Now that I knew what to look for, I would easily be able to find them. Currently I was sitting in my palace, though no longer on my meditation bed. Instead I was in a very special room even among all the rooms of my grand palace. Dark stone surrounded me, the only light in the entire place from the two pools in the center, one formed of solar fire and the other from lunar ice, though the lunar ice would only be complete when the Lunar Star is made. Technically speaking I could''ve created the Lunar Star two thousand years ago, however that would''ve led to the total collapse of the Four Realms so I was forced to restrain myself. Instead I spent the past two thousand years refining a treasure alongside Kei, who was currently meditating off to the side.


    "It''s beginning." Kei said with a stretch and a yawn, opening her eyes to look at me. She hadn''t lost that mischievious glint in her eyes over the years, though she had only continued to grow more beautiful. Her nine fox tails had also been filled with purer and purer energy, to the point where she would even give one of my first four children a run for their money if it came to blows. My expression remained completely neutral as I nodded, looking down at the treasure in my hands. A complex expression crossed my face and I shook my head, closing my eyes and continuing to refine. "Not going to move yet?" She asked, and I shook my head again. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she stood up, a portal in space opening up. "I''m going to go watch. Not too interested in fighting, but...if things start looking bad I''ll step in." She said, and disappeared.


    After a long moment I sighed and opened my eyes once again, looking directly towards where the ''enemy'' had appeared. That poor, poor child. "In all things there is balance. In life there is death, in creation there is destruction, when there is good there will be evil, and when the first shadow is cast a being shall be born in it." I sighed lightly. "This one was born in and of my own shadow. It is all but balance." I said, and once again returned to refining my treasure. I would not move until it was time.


    That was the only way to keep the balance.

 Starting the Battle

    POV: Alexander


    As per the plan that Elvira had designed for the impending invasion of the Four Realms, I was meant to be the vanguard, and hold of the incoming hordes until Elvira and Keilan could get their armies properly gathered. However, that plan was utterly shattered the moment the Enemy appeared in the Realms. The sense of danger I felt from it was too great, the power that radiated off of it eclipsed even mine, but more importantly my blood boiled with the desire to defeat the Enemy. Father once told me that dragons were naturally protective, and highly aggressive towards those who threaten them. Until now I hadn''t truly felt something that would threaten the Realms to such an extent, or, to be more precise, I hadn''t really been given the chance to act against such a threat. Father had defeated the Outsider far too quickly. I unleashed a roar that had been bubbling in my chest, shockwaves shaking the entirety of the Four Realms as my instincts took over. I wouldrip the Enemy to pieces.


    "AHAHAHAHAHA!" A laugh answered me, the waves of dark beings and dark angels splitting before me, leaving a path directly towards the Enemy. The shade-like being turned to face me, vile grey eyes shining from within the black mist that covered it''s still-forming body. "It is you! I have wanted to destroy you for a long, long time!" The being cackled, shooting towards me with impressive speed. My eyes narrowed and I roared again, power exploding out of my body as a giant circle of black and white appeared behind me, unleashing two ethereal dragons at the Enemy. Space itself cracked as they shot forwards, letting out silent roars as they charged towards the Enemy. Letting out another laugh the black mist split, revealing a gaping maw that consumed both ethereal dragons, vastly accelerating the formation of its body and slightly increasing its power.


    That didn''t even phase me however, as I continued my charge, my jaws snapping shut on the Enemy and vigorously shaking my head. The Enemy howled in pain and I spat it out, glaring at it and sucking in a deep breath. An orange glow illuminated the area around me, and the Enemy laughed at me, shaking off the injuries my bite had caused.


    "Now do you really think your puny fire breath can harm me?" It taunted. In response I breathed out, a roar even more earth shattering than before echoing out and shaking the Four Realms, orange fire blasting over the Enemy. Shrill screams echoed out from the Enemy and he charged forwards, piercing right through my dragon fire to bite my arm, its fangs piercing straight through my scales. With a vicious jerk, it ripped a chunk of flesh of my arm, devouring it in a single gulp. With a low growl I grabbed onto it with my other arm, my claws sinking into its flesh and tossing it away, roaring angrily as my flesh mended itself. "That HURT!" The Enemy screeched, and a sudden thought flashed through my mind. It seems the Enemy''s weakness is fire...after all, it didn''t absorb my fire, rather it was injured by it. Visibly so, as the mist had shrunk in size and smoke was now curling off of it. The Enemy sucked in a deep breath and backed away a little bit, eyes watching me carefully. "I didn''t expect that. You''re more powerful than I thought." It said slowly.


    "Come over here and I''ll show you just how powerful I am." I growled. The Enemy let out a contemplative noise.


    "Hmm. Alright." It said, and suddenly vanished. I sneered and breathed out again, covering my entire form in orange dragon fire. When the Enemy reappeared it was stunned, giving me enough time to bat it away with my flame-covered tail, eliciting another shriek from the Enemy.


    "Hmph. So fire is your weakness." I mused out loud, my expression stoic.


    "No. Your fire is justexcessivelyhot." The Enemy complained. "It''s almost as hideous as that monstrosity in the sky." I let out a snort, jets of fire shooting out of my nostrils.


    "Ignorant fool. My dragon fire is the second most powerful fire in the Four Realms, just beneath the solar fire of the Realm Sun itself. Hot is not a term that comes close to describing it." I said with a tinge of pride. The Enemy''s eyes lit up, and I involuntarily shuddered. If the Enemy had a face I am certain that a cruel smile would have spread across it.


    "Oho? Is that so? I suppose this is my good fortune then!" He said and disappeared. I tensed and waited for it to appear, but didn''t expect for it to reappear on my back, teeth already sinking into my skin. With a howl of pain I thrashed about, throwing the Enemy off of me, taking another chunk of flesh and scale with it as it screeched from the pain caused by my dragon fire. "I''ll just have to get used to your fire! That way, devouring that damnable ''sun,'' as you call it, will be much easier!" It laughed crazily, a mad gleam appearing in its eyes. My entire body stiffened and I glared at it.


    "As if I''ll let you." I ground out. The Enemy just laughed and charged at me, an action which I mirrored, our roars once again shaking the Realms. This was the final battle for the Four Realms, the end of the war so to speak, and in my heart I knew that neither of us felt like we could afford to lose. The Enemy might be insane, a fact I picked up long ago, but it is indeed just like the rest of us: bound to our own perceptions of reality. Not even deities could escape that.


    POV CHANGE: Elvira


    "Dammit." I said, grinding my teeth as I watched the two armies clash, my gaze slowly drifting up towards where Alexander was fighting with the Enemy. The battle was very intense, and to my eyes I could see that, despite everything, Alexander was at a slight disadvantage against the Enemy. It appeared that the Enemy was using Alexander to get used to its body and refine it more, much like I had in the Primordial Chaos, rather than trying to kill Alexander. Now that''s not to say that Alexander was weak by any means. He was terrifyingly powerful, to the point where I doubted our chances of winning against him even if Keilan and I worked together. It''s just that the Enemy had that nasty ability to absorb non fire-based techniques, as proven by it absorbing Alexander''s Yin-Yang Dragons at the very beginning. Thus, over half of Alexander''s power was completely shut down. "Dammit." I repeated, clenching my fist as I turned my attention once more towards the army of angels and deities fighting against the dark forces.


    In the beginning we had the upper hand in techniques and strategy, but over the millennia the Enemy had gotten smarter and appointed commanders. What had once been more akin to waves crashing against a wall of angels and the odd deity was now a battering ram against said wall.


    "Don''t get too flustered." Sol said from my side, watching the battle between the Enemy and Alexander with a hint of fear in his eyes. It seems he, too, heard what the Enemy said about devouring the sun. I ground my teeth and focused again on the current battle, lamenting the odds. We were truly at a disadvantage here. Not only can we not destroy the enemy dark angels, as they are still Father''s creation and can be brought back onto the right path, but they can viciously attack us. Instead we must suppress them, and continue suppressing them until they ask for forgiveness and re-enter the reincarnation cycle. This was an unintentional side-effect to Father''s rules on Karma, though I can''t logically say it is a bad thing. It''s good that angels and deities can''t run around destroying mortals and other beings willy-nilly. That sets a bad example, and whether they know it or not, mortals look towards the true gods for guidance in their behavior.


    This all combined led to our current strategy -which was to lure the army of dark angels as close to the Life-Giving Tree as possible and have Reika suppress as many as she could. Currently our army of three hundred or so deities and angels (of the latter, there was only about twenty), formed in a square formation with the angels at the forefront, was retreating towards the Life-Giving Tree, which sat motionless, giving the horde of dark angels a false sense of superiority. Everything was working out well, but I was still apprehensive. Surely this was not all the Enemy had to offer. It surely had more tricks ups its sleeve...as it wouldn''t attack the Four Realms without being confident in succeeding. Sure, we had our secrets, but in terms of information about our enemies, the Enemy was far superior to us. Once again my eyes flitted up towards where Alexander and the Enemy were duking it out.


    "As expected. Keilan is formidable." Gilles said casually from my left. I nodded and looked at my brother, silently admitting that he was indeed formidable. His fighting style was vastly different from my own, which was more brute forcing it with my insanely powerful body, as he stood silently in the middle of six of the strongest dark angels I had ever seen -they were on par with a mid to high-tier deity. However, Keilan is one of the Big Four, so even those six couldn''t tie him down completely. Invisible mental attacks barraged the dark angels, psyonic energy being the natural energy of the Karmic Realm besides karma, while their negative karma strings slowly bound all six and at least twelve other dark angels that were closest to Keilan. All this was done while Keilan stood in one spot, his hands clasped behind his back, black robes billowing in a non-existent wind, and a stoic expression on his face. "If not a little...theatric." Gilles couldn''t help but add. I barked out laughter at that, slapping Gilles on the back and nodding at him.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "That he is!" I agreed, noting that the dark angels he fully bound with karmic strings completely suppressed and sealed the dark angels. Huh. He must''ve had a recent power increase. However, I quickly returned to my previous expression, watching the progress of the two armies while feeling an indescribably itch to do battle. It...wasn''t a good feeling. But I understood it. The desire to test one''s self, to see just how far I''ve come...I see it in mortal cultivators all the time, and even in the very, very few beings that populate the Heaven Realm. I hadn''t even noticed this desire until the Enemy arrived...not even the Paradox or the Outsider elicited such a reaction. This was also part of the reason I wanted to go help Alexander. Though, deep down, if I was honest with myself, this truly stemmed from one single desire; the desire to keep Father from having to intervene.


    This was a war between His children, no matter how you twist it.


    He should not be forced to intervene, and act against one of His children. Even if that child is the Enemy, we should resolve this ourselves and prove ourselves to Father.


    With yet another sigh I pushed those thoughts out of my head and glanced briefly at the battle within the Mortal Realm between the various sects touched by the angels and the beasts and sects corrupted by the Enemy. Lots of negative karma was being accrued down there...I shook my head. Out of all the battlefields, at least in terms of aftermath, the Mortal Realms are the worst off.


    POV: Dei


    Yet another mystic beast fell before me, and I found myself without any enemies. In a mile radius there were exactly zero enemies around me, and I hadn''t even exerted my full power yet. That''s just the difference between someone in the Immortal Stageversus the Mortal Stage. It took at least twenty peak Mortal Stage experts to tie me down for this long, and yet I still easily killed them. With a sidelong glance I assessed how the rest of the battle was faring.In short; the cultivators of Manu Ti were utterly dominating. Ten thousand years of laying and improving upon pre-existing formations ensured that my city -the oldest city in the entire Mortal Realm -was protected in a layer of magic impenetrable to anyone weaker than myself. These formations were being controlled by the Formation Sect that had popped up about five thousand years ago, while the other sects and clans worked on defending the mortal cities and staving off the beast hordes.


    The Avians were battling the sky beasts with astonishing efficiency alongside the wind Elementals, while the water Elementals had a firm lockdown on the entire sea. Karae were scattered around the battlefield, attempting to mitigate damage done to our karma, while the other sects ran amok, battling and containing the enemy forces. The enemy may have a massive numbers advantage, but in a battle between cultivators, one person can completely negate that. Numbers were, in all honesty, only useful when you have the ability to suppress the strongest opponent on the enemy side.


    "This is too easy." Celene said, appearing next to me via teleport, her eyes narrowed. "For something that''s supposed to be a ''final battle'' of sorts, this is much too easy." I nodded in agreement, my eyes sweeping over the battlefield. Leo was currently leading the Xing clan in battle against a number of Greater Beasts, the Xing clan being the descendants of Celene and Leo''s children, with them being the Matriarch and Patriarch respectively, a literal sea of fire surrounding Leo. He was inherently gifted at using fire...to the point where even my own skills in the element paled in comparison.


    "I can only assume that part of the plan is to damage the Four Realms through the negative karma that''s being accrued in battle, but that''s a plan that doesn''t really do much in the way of turning the tide of battle. Sure it may have effect in the future, but with enough time it''s easily fixed. There has to be something else...up until now the skirmishes and battles have been seamless in their execution, but this is more like ten thousand years ago -it''s mindless chaos. We haven''t even run into any dark angels yet." I reasoned, rubbing my chin and glancing at the sky, where I could sense the fluctuations of the intense battle going on up above. "The angels and deities are probably handling them, though...something just feels wrong." I muttered to myself, rubbing the back of my neck and looking over at Celene for her opinion.


    "Well...you''ve already lost a fair amount of the good karma you''ve accrued so far." Celene said, looking at my very dim-gold aura. I snorted and looked at the corpses that surrounded me.


    "Yeah...I killed a few that I probably could''ve suppressed." I grumbled with a sigh. Theyhadbeen a little annoying...using a crude formation to try and trap me and weaken my power...so I kind of just killed them all.


    "I don''t even know what the point of this war is. That''s the big question, the one we''ve been deliberating over for the past nine thousand years, and if we don''t know that all we can do is go with the flow and improvise. Is this a battle for supremacy? Simple lunacy?" Celene asked rhetorically, shaking her head. I silently agreed with her, looking back up at the sky. With my hyper-enhanced vision, I could just make out the mass of evil, dark energy pushing back the army of angels and deities. With a frown I gripped the haft of my spear, wondering just what in the world was going on up there. To my trained eyes it seemed as if our side was in a tactical retreat, but I couldn''t be sure. "Go on." Celene said. I whipped my head towards her, keeping my face carefully blank.


    "I need to be here just in case anything unexpected happens." I told her weakly.


    "I think me, Leo, and little miss empress," Celene said, referring to the fourth immortal stage cultivator whom we called''the little empress'' due to her...haughty attitude. "Can handle things down here. If we need any help I''m sure you''ll know." I stared at her for a moment before simply nodding and shooting off into the sky, directing my charge towards where the deities and dark angels were fighting. In a matter of moments, due to me teleporting randomly, I found myself outside of Pangea''s atmosphere and in the void of space itself. This was something only Immortal Stage cultivators could do. I didn''t stop to admire the view, however, as all of my attention was fixed on the battle above me.


    The power fluctuations were absolutely massive, especially around one particularly powerful deity that looked suspiciously like a Karae. I''d never seen or met that deity before, but wasn''t bothered too much by it. That just means that I''m not yet powerful enough to meet with the truly powerful beings of the Four Realms....ok, that bothered me a lot. I''m going to getstronger,dammit. With a strangled roar I barreled straight into the nearest group of dark angels, the full power of my peak immortal stage cultivation base roaring out in an impressive display. Not once did it cross my mind that I should join up with the deities rather than act alone.


    "HAHAHA! COME ON, YOU PANSIES!" I roared, my voice echoing out like thunder as I laid into the surprised dark angels. The elements seethed and my soulpower flashed as I thrust my spear forth, blowing a number of them backwards. A massive spear appeared behind me, the size of a mountain,rocketing forth like an arrow from a bow. A few dark angels came together to block my enormous spear, but by that time I was already upon them, my soulpower rippling forth and creating an armor around me. Behind me appeared a giant, twenty thousand tall version of myself, it''s massive fists reaching out and grabbing at the dark angels.


    The result of my actions were that I caught the attention of a rather powerful dark angel that came to deal with me, and in a coordinated strike with a number of other angels, they sent me flying backwards with blood spraying out of my mouth. Another laugh escaped my lips as I charged in once again, unleashing numerous mental attacks wtih my psyonic cultivation base, a type of cultivation we only discovered about three thousand years ago. I, however, was pretty talented in it and already reached the immortal stage with it, making it my third immortal stage cultivation base. Once again though I was sent hurtling backwards from a massive backlash, this time with six dark angels in tow. I smiled. This was perfect, now I''d separated some from the herd.


    However, just as I was about to put the plan I had just come up with into action, the entire skybegan to seethe. Darkness roiled and struck out at the dark angels, binding them and completely suppressing them. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I acted, taking an unimpressive green gourd out of my interspatial ring and pulling out the stopper. A suction force appeared and in a matter of seconds the dark angels were sucked into the gourd, darkness that bound them and all, after which I replaced the stopper, effectively sealing them. A small noise sounded to my right and I turned to see an incredibly pale man dressed in pitch-black robes, so black they blended in with the blackness of space itself, looking at me with an interested expression.


    "Hmm. Not as stupid as I thought. You did bring the gourd with you." He muttered to himself before waving his hand. The black space seethed and twisted, and suddenly I found myself standing in front of three individuals, including the black-robed man. One was dressed in flaming red armor and had a complex expression, while the other was a dazzling Avian with pure white hair and an aura that made it very hard for me to breathe. "I got him." The man rasped to the white-haired woman.


    "Sit down and heal. If I have need of you I will let you know. Until then, refrain from any more foolish actions." She said forcefully, each word shaking me down to my very soul.Though I also got the feeling that she wasn''t all that displeased with me...despite me not knowing who in the world she was. With a snort I turned away and looked at the where the two armies clashed, our side in apparent retreat. "Go to the right flank. Wang Zizai''s there. Seal as many dark angels as you can. Be careful. Gilles won''t save you a second time." The woman said just as I was about to shoot off and go help, heedless of her orders. I glanced over my shoulder at her and nodded, before delving once more into the heat of battle.


    Like I was going to sit idly by, waiting for orders. I''m a man of action.

 This Is How High the Heavens Are

    POV: Statera Luotian


    My hands clenched and unclenched as I watched the battle continue to be waged. I was pacing back and forth, gritting my teeth as I watched my children try to kill each other, and constantly refraining myself from jumping out there and ending all of this. Theyneededthis. It pained me to watch, especially now that I got a good look at the "Enemy" but I just knew that it would be good for them in the long run...or at least that''s what I told myself.


    Not that I exactly knew what was going to happen. Things were already different from the vision I had all those years ago, as Iknewit would be because Fate is an asshat, and surprisingly enough even I couldn''t quite make out the specifics. All of this just told me that this was a very fragile part of the timestream, one that could either make or break the Four Realms in the most literal sense possible. So I paced, and anxiously fretted over my children, and carefully felt for the time in which I could intervene. It was worryingly shaky, and not knowing when I could step in, or rather if I stepped in too soon it would undoubtedly spell disaster, was making me enormously frustrated. Thankfully my Palace was designed to keep my energy contained, so none of this nervousness was affecting the Four Realms.


    Speaking of the Four Realms, the battle appeared to be entering its final stages, but I knew that this was just the beginning. My attention once more focused on the battle, and I clenched my treasure once more.


    Alexander and the "Enemy" were still duking it out, though the "Enemy''s" body had finally begun to show itself through the mist that shrouded it. Though the only features I could currently make out were four legs and what looked like a long tail. It''s eyes still radiated pure hatred, and its gaping maw still filled me with a sense of dreadful familiarity, as traces of the Paradox could be sensed coming from the black hole that was its mouth. As for Elvira, she was fully involved in the current mass-suppression of dark angels. They had finally gotten into range of the Life-Giving Tree, whose branches lashed out with astonishing speed and accuracy, binding the dark angels while the angels and deities ran about, placing seals on the dark angels or storing them in sealing treasures, much like Dei''s gourd, before whisking them away to the holding area that had been prepared beforehand beneath Elvira''s palace.


    Even Dei refrained from his typical violent tendencies and was instead using all of his abilities to suppress and seal the dark angels, an impressive feat for a Mortal Immortal. Although he was still far away from being a paragon of the Four Realms, or whatever name they were going to make for that cultivation stage, he was still able to contend with the weakest angel in terms of power. In terms of fighting experience, however, he far outstripped any of the angels, which made up for his lack of power. Another sigh escaped me as I turned my attention towards the Mortal Realm, where a massive amount of negative karma was being accrued by the armies that waged war down there. It would take quite a while to recover from this, especially considering the Four Realms didn''t really have much time to recover from the Paradox attack.


    Keilan and Elvira both glanced at each other and nodded after noticing that the dark angel army was mostly under control, minus a solid half that managed to escape from the range of the Life-Giving Tree, and shot towards Alexander and the "Enemy," leaving Gilles and Sol in charge of their army. Instantly, the Enemy was put back on the defensive as the duo joined in against it, Elvira''s utterly astounding fleshly body exceeding the power of even Alexander''s. A single punch of her shook the Four Realms, sending the "Enemy" flying backwards like a kite with its string cut. This was of course followed up by an invisible psyonic attack of Keilan''s which placed numerous illusions over the "Enemy''s" eyes and caused it to howl with frustration. Alexander followed it up with a bash from his tail that sent it flying once more...straight into the waiting arms of Elvira, who promptly began to beat the ever living crap out of it, this time taking care to not send it too far away.


    I began to chew on my lip, a sense of impending danger only continuing to well up within me as I watched.


    Something was very, very wrong, but I couldn''t figure outwhat.It couldn''t be this easy. It couldn''t! The "Enemy" was holding back, and while this fact undoubtedly escaped the attention of my children, it did not escape me. Surely it would not come out of hiding unless it had a very high chance of success. Trying to find what I had missed, I focused my attention on the Mortal Realms, watching Celene and Leo as they ran about, containing the opposing army, while the other sects scattered throughout the Realm did the same. For the most part, everything seemed to be going their way...which worried me. Almost absently my eyes flicked towards where Reika was mass-suppressing the dark angels, a good number of them still caught in the branches of the Life-Giving Tree as very few angels ran about actually suppressing them, the majority of the army focusing on battling the remainder of the dark angels...


    Wait a minute. I narrowed my eyes and focused intently on the dark angels currently trapped, before my eyes widened and a feeling of utter shock and dread ran through me.


    "NO!" I shouted, almost,almoststepping out to go stop what I could see was going to happen. "No, no, no!" I hissed, praying that Reika would sense what was going on, what was going to happen, but I knew it was already too late. I could do nothing to stop it. The sense of danger I felt every time I even so much as considered stepping out of my palace increased dramatically when I thought about preventing this...so all I could do was watch with horror as the dark angels self-detonated.


    Incredibly powerful explosions ripped through the air, tearing into the Life-Giving Tree and sending splinters of wood out like enormous, continent-sized pieces of shrapnel. An inhuman shriek ripped through the booming explosions and the Life-Giving Tree shuddered as damage continued to be dealt. The dark angels that had been freed by the explosions shot forwards and, with almost fanatical glee, attached themselves to the trunk of the Tree before self detonating, destroying everything they were in the process. All their experiences, karma, and personality, they wiped away everything, leaving behind only the very base soul that gradually flew up to rejoin the River. When Elvira saw this happen she immediately froze, an expression of fear and rage flitting across her face, though she could do nothing but watch as the Holy Mountain, where a mass of dark angels were also stored, thought to have been sealed away, also began to tremble and shake.


    Her Palace was utterly destroyed by the detonations, and a number of deities and spirits were cripplingly damaged, even as more explosions rippled out from the center of her army. But she too was prevented from doing anything, and could only watch as things took a sudden turn for the worse. Dei managed to mix it up a little by pre-emptively throwing his gourd into the incoming horde, the resulting explosions creating chaos in their ranks, but that did little in the face of a group of beings hell-bent on their destruction, with no heed to their own lives. Gilles flew about frantically, mitigating the damage as best he could, but he too was shaken by the dark angels'' savage ferocity. He could do very little in the face of that.


    "Where do you think you''re going?!" The "Enemy" cackled with maniacal glee, taking a bite out of one of Elvira''s wings as she rushed to go help. An utterly enraged roar erupted from Keilan, Alexander, and Elvira as the "Enemy" suddenly increased in power and ferocity, utterly tying them down and keeping them from leaving.


    "MOTHER!" A screech caught my attention, and my heart seized as I saw Kei shoot towards Reika, who was came tumbling out of the Life-Giving Tree missing one leg and bleeding profusely, her hair stained black. My stomach clenched, and my power surged, the Four Realms shuddering in response to my anger. The only thing that stopped me from flying out andending this,was the excited look in the "Enemy''s" eyes as the Four Realms shuddered, and it glanced towards my palace. He was waiting for me..."HOW DARE YOU?!" Kei screeched again, her nine tails flicking back and forth, all traces of her natural playfullness and mischeviousness vanishing.


    Power erupted from her as she clutched her mother''s injured body, nine different, but very similar, powers wrapping around her as she glared at the "Enemy." Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Light, Darkness, Lightning, Space-Time, and Divine, these essenses erupted from within her, swirling around in an impressive display. The divine portion wrapped itself around Reika, an expression of relief crossing my daughter''s face as her wounds slowly began to heal.


    "K-Kei...no..." Reika said weakly, pushing her one remaining hand against Kei''s face before fading away into unconciousness. This only egged Kei on, and she dissappeared with a slight pop, taking Reika with her. When she reappeared she was right in front of me, red faced and angry, looking at me with an obvious desire to yell and berate. But she didn''t.She must''ve seen something in my expression, or sensed something in my aura, but instead of yelling and getting mad she just took a step back, set Reika down on the ground before me, and nodded silently. The anger that she previously held seemed to fade away a little...though in actuality it was only redirecting itself.


    "Be careful." I told her, my voice eerily calm as she turned to leave. Almost absently part of my power reached forwards and enveloped Reika, healing her as best I could. Due to the nature of her injuries, she wouldn''t be fully healed until the Life-Giving Tree also recovered, but at least like this it wouldn''t be as bad. Kei looked at me for a second, getting another handle on her anger, and dissappeared with another pop. This time, she appeared in front of the "Enemy," looking completely pissed. The "Enemy" looked at her with a wolfish grin covering what little of its face could be seen. This only egged on Kei, and she erupted with power.


    An enormous nine-tailed fox formed from all of her elements erupted forth, completely dwarfing even Alexander in size, a snarl on its face. With a roar that could shatter the skies it lunged, snapping at the "Enemy" who could do naught but stare in surprise as its fire-filled maw completely engulfed it. A gutwrenching screech echoed out from within the fox''s maw as a myriad of elements battered the "Enemy," all while chewing and shaking its head viciously. With a sudden burst of power the "Enemy" escaped from the clutches of the fox, only to be met by an onslaught by Alexander, Elvira, and Keilan. Its pupils constricted, and I heard it mutter to itself in a soft voice.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "A troublesome one appeared." It muttered, glaring at its four attackers and taking a few steps back. They, however, had no intention of letting it get away. Alexander was the first to attack, his powerful breath attack blasting forth and working hard to incinerate the "Enemy." Kei, being all but immune to most fires, shot through the flames like a bolt of lightning, her illusory fox dissipating as she lashed out at the enemy with increasing fervor. Space itself seemed to rend and tear at the "Enemy" eliciting another shriek as it fled, bursing out of the fire from Alexander''s attack and into Elvira''s open arms. A sudden mental assault by Keilan immobilized the "Enemy," ensuring that it took the next few blows from Elvira head on.


    In front of me, Reika stirred and opened her eyes, confusion momentarily shining in her eyes before her gaze fixed on me as I stared at the ensuing battle.


    "Mother." Reika said, slowly standing and testing her newly reformed leg. I looked at her and flashed her a tired smile, unable to take too much of my attention away from the Four Realms.


    "You''re looking better. Rest now." I told her. Reika just stared at me for a short moment before stepping forwards and gently placing her hands on my own, gently prying one hand away from the treasure in my hands. I marveled for a second at my other hand, which was white knuckled against the treasure to the point where it was creaking and groaning under the pressure. "Ah..." I said absently, looking down at my child. For a moment, when she saw what it was that I was holding, her tender expression morphed into a complicated one that was swiftly replaced with a look of unending sadness. She wrapped her arms around me, and I felt myself stiffen ever so slightly.


    "I''m sorry." She whispered. "I''m so sorry." I chuckled lightly, patting her head and shaking my own. "Please, don''t....please, just leave this to us. We will handle it." Reika said, her voice muffled as she buried her face into my chest. I glanced briefly at my treasure, a wry smile flitting across my face. Ah, I knew that this thing would be interpreted wrongly...


    "It''s alright, Reika. Children fight. For now, just rest. You were injured pretty badly." I whispered, planting a kiss on the top of her head. After a few more moments Reika squeezed one last time before letting go and taking a step back, breathing deeply. A determined glint flashed through her eyes as she gazed at the Four Realms and assessed her own injuries. Reika had never been much of a fighter,not like her other siblings, so I wasn''t too concerned about her running off to go fight the "Enemy" alongside her siblings and child, but...


    "I''m going to go help out in the Mortal Realm. My injuries might be preventing me from running in and supporting in the fight against the enemy, but at least I can mitigate the damage done by the dark angels." Reika said, staring at the increasingly worsening battle that Gilles was frantically trying to salvage. Something about that nagged at me, but I pushed that thought out of my head and focused once again. Thankfully no more dark angels had self-detonated, but that was still a threat that loomed over the entire army. Not even the mortals below had been spared the effects of the kamikaze bombardment.


    "Be careful." I told her after a long silence, sending another burst of power into her and healing her wounds even further. She just smiled and hugged me once more before dissappearing. Another sigh escaped me as I turned my gaze back to the battle, and the gradually worsening expression of the "Enemy." After a moment''s hesitation, after seeing that Reika was back and very swiftly turning the tides of battle against the dark angels, something inside of it just snapped. The hesitation it held before simply broke, and it exploded with power. The black mist covering its body completely faded away and its body completely formed, unleasing the true extent of its might.


    "ENOUGH!" It roared out, sending Kei, Elvira, Alexander, and Keilan tumbling backwards. The "Enemy" had a wolf-like body, grey, matted fur covering its canine form, patches of the fur missing here and there. Atop its head curled two jagged, bone-like horns, while various bone spurs jutted out from various parts of its body. Its feet were not normal dog feet, instead replaced by vicious talons, six sharp claws curling from each foot, while scorpion-like claws snapped menacingly from its front shoulderblades. As if to add on to the sinister visage, six spider-like appendages curled from its back in three groups of two, the tips shining like spears, all while its green, snake-like tail whipped back and forth. At the end of the tail it upbruptly changed into a spiked ball of death, complete with acidic poison dripping from the spikes themselves. It was no bigger than the average dog, but that made it no less intimidating. A sinister growl echoed out from the back of its throat as the "Enemy" narrowed its six beady eyes, lashing out in a sudden display of savagery and malice.


    Kei immediately defended, a wall of swirling elements erecting itself between the "Enemy" and themselves before abruptly shattering with a single blow. The "Enemy" scoffed in front of this paltry defense, the sound echoing out and filling my children with a sense of dread. I could see it in their eyes, that they instinctively knew that this foe was one more powerful than they. However, that dread was quickly replaced by determination as they charged forwards, unleasing all of their might to suppress the "Enemy."


    Unfortunately, it was not enough. I desperately wanted to go help them, but once again the feeling of impending danger prevented me, so I could only watch as, even after a few short exchanges, the "Enemy" thoroughly dominated my children.


    "I had wanted to keep my true strength hidden untilThat Oneshowed itself, butThe Othersforced my hand..." I heard the "Enemy" mutter. "...Must commend them on that, at least." It said.


    "YOU SHALL NOT WIN!" Alexander roared, unleasing the full brunt of his power in one massive attack. Kei, Elvira, and Keilan all followed suit, resulting in a massive wave of pure power rushing forwards towards the "Enemy." Even it would not be able to escape unscathed from this...is what should have been the case, had it not merged with fragments of the Paradox. A loud sucking noise could be heard as the "Enemy" swallowed every last drop of the power, all of it vanishing inside of its gullet and causing its personal strength to increase even further. However, it did not stop there, as even the leftover vestiges of power from within the attacking four were drained out, the suction only stopping when the "Enemy" found it could not suck out their souls. Their souls were far too powerful for something paltry like that to happen.


    "Pity." The "Enemy" murmured, glacing at the now-incapacitated quad before it turned towards the Realm Sun. A strange glint flashed through its eyes as it glanced in my direction, a sneer crossing its face. Then, it rocketed towards the Sun, intent on destroying it before anything else could come and block its way. It must know that currently my hands were tied, and it wanted to take advantage of this situation to deal a devastating blow. Of course, if it got too close, I would undoubtedly intervene because the destruction of the Realm Sun was not something I could allow, impending danger or not.


    In the midst of all of this something happened, something even I did not expect. The "Enemy" ground to a halt about halfway to the Realm Sun, staring warily at the figure that had suddenly appeared in between it, and the object that illuminatedthe Four Realms. This figure had appeared in a flash of silver light, the man himself having had a breakthrough that allowed him to achieve an insane level of speed that allowed him to cut off the "Enemy."


    "Where do you think you''re going?" Dei said sagely, breathing heavily from his flight. It had drained much of his remaining energy to get there, but there he stood. "Did you think that I would let you run away after hurting Kei? You''re lucky she''s still alive, or else I would''ve outright slaughtered you." The "Enemy" stared at Dei with the same expression I did, one that clearly understood the vast difference in power between the two. Calling Dei an ant wouldn''t even begin to describe the difference. The "Enemy" simply snorted and shot forwards, intent on driving straight past Dei, but to its surprise Dei met it with the tip of his spear. The "Enemy" hesitated then, taking a few steps back as its mind whirred, unable to understand Dei''s behaviour. The difference was vast, so why did Dei stand before it? Did he have some secret that would allow him to win? No, that was very unlikely. Those thoughts were undoubtedly the ones that flew through the "Enemy''s" mind as it stared at Dei.


    With a roar Dei unleashed his cultivation base, shooting towards the "Enemy" with all of his might flaring...only to be sent flying backwards like a kite with its string cut, blood pouring out of his mouth and staining his robes. The "Enemy" merely cocked its head to the side, before a hint of understanding flashed through its eyes.


    "Ah, you''re that one, aren''t you? The one who succeeded in passing the ''Immortal Tribulation'' or whatever its called. Your arrogance truly knows no bounds. Stay down, and you may yet live to see the end of the Four Realms." The "Enemy" sneered, aiming to go past Dei once again.


    "Sh-shut up, you mangy mutt. I ain''t done whoppin'' you yet, so who says YOU CAN GO ANYWHERE?!" Dei roared again, his giant illusory form appearing behind him and smashing towards the "Enemy." A smile unknowingly plastered itself onto my face as I watched this, even despite Dei losing horribly. His giant shattered, and the "Enemy" sneered as Dei stumbled backwards, its tail swishing back and forth in irritation. "Wh-what are you waiting for? C''mon, you damn dog. I-I''ll fuckin'' skin you." Dei spat, trembling from the pain.


    "Hmph. What is that saying you foolish Peoplehave...? Ah, right. ''You don''t know how high the heavens are.''" The "Enemy" sneered. "But in compliment to your foolishness, I shall personally eat you." It said, and shot forwards, its maw opened wide. Dei just laughed and let it come, not even flinching when the "Enemy" bit down onto his shoulder, instead taking the opportunity to shove his spear through the "Enemy''s" chest and out its back, effectively peircing its heart. Soulpower fluctuated as Dei commanded it, shaking the "Enemy" down to its very foundation as he wreaked havoc on the one thing the "Enemy" did not know how to protect; the soul. It howled in pain and viciously stabbed Dei with its six spidery appendages, one clawed talon flashing and batting him away.


    Dei barely managed to right himself, his life force flickering as he still stood between the "Enemy" and the Realm Sun, his robes in tatters as blood poured down his front. In a matter of moments he would undoubtedly perish, but still he stubbornly held on, a silhouette standing against the Sun. He may have been but a pebble in the path compared to the "Enemy," but today he stood taller than even the Holy Mountain. My smile devolved into a self depriciating smirk as Dei continued to glare at the "Enemy," still intent on killing it despite his grevious injuries. Not once did the thought of failure cross his mind. Rather, hecouldn''tfail.


    "Thisishow high the heavens are." Dei stated matter-of-fact, tilting his head up and looking down his nose at the "Enemy," his voice filled with such conviction that it caused me to finally begin to move. All hesitation within me vanished as the "Enemy" rushed forth, unadulterated rage billowing from its form, clear intent to utterly destroy Dei in both body and soul radiating from it. The sense of danger within me also vanished, but even had that not happened, I still would have moved. This was too much. Now it all ends. This little campaign is over as of now. Dei himself stared at the incoming wolf-creature and faintly smiled. He knew better than anybody else that he was about to die, but it was something that never happened.


    Instead, the "Enemy" ran face-first into a fist of Primordial Chaos, sending it flying backwards as I appeared behind Dei. One hand gently pressed against Dei''s back, healing his wounds and restoring his rapidly fading life force. His eyes flickered as he turned to look at me in shock. I smiled and nodded to him, before gently pushing him, sending his body hurtling back towards his city.


    "You did well. Leave the rest to me." I said forcefully, stepping forwards and completely ignoring the flags I raised with that comment. The "Enemy''s" eyes met my own, and I just smiled warmly at it. "Sometimes children need to be disiplined. You, my child, are sorely in need of a good beating."

 The Fate of the Realm Sun

    <u>POV: Statera Luotian</u>


    I could feel the stillness that fell upon the Four Realmsthe moment I spoke, all the way down to the mortals themselves. Everything stopped for a few moments, staring at me as I stood there, hands held behind my back, gazing neither coldly nor warmly at the "Enemy." The "Enemy" just stared at me for a few moments, jaw agape, before barking out a laugh. I frowned but said nothing, having guessed that it had something up its sleeve in order to combat me.


    "SoThat Onefinally shows itself! It''s about time! After playing so many cards, I was beginning to think you wouldn''t show! But of course you would, you must test me, my conviction, so I can show you the Truth!" The "Enemy" laughed, eyes glittering with a crazed light. My frown only deepened. So it all was just to drag me out after all.


    "What test?" I askedsimply to confirm my own suspicions. Looking back, I realize that a presence very similar to the current "Enemy''s" had been lurking in the Four Realms from the very beginning, hiding in the back of my mind almost, ever present but never really grabbing my attention.


    "The test, of course! I must prove to you that I am correct, that these...Four Realms must be returned to the way you first imagined them to be! Back when the world was perfect! Just you, the souls, and the ever-present Void! No Four Realms, no physical forms, and no damned monstrosity in the sky!" The "Enemy" howled. I just shookmy head. "I will show it to you, and when the world is back to its rightful form, you shall see!"


    "You seriously misunderstand my role as an Origin Deity if you believe that. If you were actually able to destroy the Four Realms then I would be unfit to be its parent." I intoned dryly, taking my treasure out from behind my back and levelling it at the "Enemy." I was aware that all eyes turned towards the treasure I had created as I did so, not just the "Enemy." It was a sword, its long, thin blade purple in color, seeming to be made of a gas in the way its color moved and swirled about. Its dull grey crossguard was odd, shaped and sized like a small buckler, etchings smithed into the surface of the shield-shaped crossguard that no one but myself was able to look at for too long. In fact, more often than not, they would turn away if they saw it simply because they could not understand it. Sticking out from the very bottom of the shield, held in place by a gold-colored metal, was what appeared to be a paintbrush, each of the thousands of hairs a different, and different shade of, color.


    "What is that?" The "Enemy" asked, its eyes narrowing warily. It obviously didn''t know that I had this treasure, thoughI would be ashamed of myself if it did. I went to great lengths to hide it. Well, not really. I just hid in my palace. But the point still stands. "You would brandish aweaponat me?!" It snarled, knowing the significance of my actions. A parent brandishing a weapon at a child? A being such as myself, no less? That is nothing short of monumental...and terrifying. A cool smile graced my lips and I looked down at my treasure with a complicated gaze.


    "Hmm. Well, I would hardly think of this as a weapon, in the typical sense of the term." I said slowly. "I could explain why, but...it would be easier to show you." The "Enemy''s" eyes widened and it dove out of the way just as I appeared behind it, my sword swinging a casual arc. The "Enemy" could clearly sense what a danger my sword presented, and had barely managedto dodge. "Don''t run. That''s a pointless endeavour."


    "Like I''d agree to that!" The "Enemy" howled, exploding forth with power as it overcame its fear and charged towards me. I just hummed and willed the balls of primordial chaos that floated behind me forwards, forming a cage that surrounded the "Enemy." It didn''t hold it for long, but it held it for just enough time for me to dash forwards and swing, my sword cutting through its body with no resistance. The "Enemy''s" eyes widened in fear...until my sword was rebounded with a resounding clang in the middle of the "Enemy." I frowned and stared hard at the "Enemy," just barely able to sense that which I had tried to cut.


    "Hmm. That''s quite the resiliant one. I''ll have to try harder to sever it." I muttered to myself, watching as the "Enemy" broke out of its cage. I sighed again as the "Enemy" trembled, eyeing my treasure with utter terror. That is a natural reaction to feeling something that is normally not, however.


    "WHAT IS THAT?!" It howled, taking a few steps backwards. I just smiled and shook my head, taking one step forwards and appearing in front of the "Enemy," slashing at it once again. However, just as before, my blade was repelled about halfway through the "Enemy''s" body.


    "It is a treasure I forged by pouring all of my enlightenment regarding a single subject into it. It is not my Deity Treasure, meaning not a treasure pertaining to Balance. See, this sword is special, as I''m sure you can guess." I said, punctuating each sentence by another sword swing. Slowly but surely the sword was making headway, slowly cutting the rest of the way through. "Instead of cutting through the physical, or even the spiritual for that matter, it severs something else entirely. It does not cut the flesh, and does not cause pain. It does not cut the soul and does not erase existances. This sword..." Another swing, but this time the sword cut all the way through without any resistance. The "Enemy" howled in dispair as it felt a connection to...somethingbe severed completely. Very casually I raised the sword up in front of me, the shield blocking a fierce blowback, sending shivers down my body and making the treasure itself creak and groan. Luckily the connection hadn''t been stronger, or else my treasure may have shattered. "...severs fate itself."


    The Enemy howled and took a few steps away from me, eyes glittering with rage as it felt that connection utterly dissipate. "What did you do to me?!" It snarled, and I shrugged.


    "I told you, this sword severs fate. The blade severs fate, the shield blocks the backlash and prevents it from reconnecting, and the paintbrush writes a new destiny. I just severed your connection to the Sun, and am currently keeping it from reforming. All that''s left is to fill in the gap with something else." I said sagely, looking pridefully at my treasure. This is what I had been working towards, finding a way to rewrite what Fate had written. Although my success was limited, and the treasure had very obvious room for improvements and wouldn''t be able to sever certain fates, the treasure would continue to increase in power as my insights into fate and Fate improved. For example, had the Four Realms been much bigger, I wouldn''t have been able to sever the "Enemy''s" connection to the sun, nor could I have severed its connection to the Four Realms.


    "No!" The "Enemy" howled, glaring at me. I just sighed and shook my head, taking a step forwards.


    "I am sorry." I apologized. It was only lashing out because it was in pain, and felt wronged. Part of that is my fault for not noticing sooner, but even then I cannot help it unless it asked. NowI had to punish the "Enemy" for its actions, as by no means does that give it the right to share its pain with the Four Realms. Just because I love all of my children does not mean they will go unpunished for doing something wrong. Perhaps then I will be able to help it, and do something about the hate it let fester within its soul. With another sigh I shook my head and twirled my treasure around, pointing the paintbrush at the "Enemy." It was a simple action, one I did not plan to go through with, but it elicited an explosive response from the "Enemy" nonetheless.


    "I won''t allow it! I won''t! FOOL! NOW!" The "Enemy" bellowed. I furrowed my brows and prepared myself for an attack, wondering who the fool was...


    I did not expect...


    How could I have expected what happened next?


    The Realm Sun exploded into a sea of fire, one that covered the entire sky, the shockwave injuring even me. And all I could do was stare in shock. However, to me, the figure within the firey explosion was even more shocking...not once had I considered that there would be a traitor within the Four Realms. I would''ve sensed it, especially in one such as he. I started to speak, started to move, but my shock left me unable to defend when the "Enemy" darted forwards with speed surpassing what it showed prior, stabbing me through the chest with all six of its spider like limbs.


    For a moment I just stared down at my chest, almost intrigued by the "Enemy''s" choice of actions, until I felt it. That vile substance that crawled out from within the depths of the "Enemy," tainting my bloodstream. On instinct alone I backhanded the "Enemy," a sickening crunch echoing out as its skull was shattered, sending it flying backwards. However a simple strike such as that could not kill the "Enemy," as by the time it had stopped spinning it was healed. One hand touched my chest, but the vile substance in my body continued to circulate. I tried to move my legs then, tried to fly about and chase after the "Enemy" or move towards the Sun, but I found that I was immobilized. I couldn''t even exert my power, only a tiny sliver being able to leak out. Fear flashed across my face as I suddenly realized where that sense of danger had been coming from.


    It was the "Enemy." It had stolen drops of my blood, and tainted it, and was now using that blood to bind me.


    "Hahahaha! You think I did not have ways to counter you?! Now you cannot move, much less rewrite my fate!" The "Enemy" howled in laughter. "And although I cannot move either, HE can! Bathe the Four Realms in fire, and you shall be reborn!" The fires of the Realm Sun surged, swirling inwards as it was being absorbed by the deity in the center. I simply watched, my eyes filled with sadness as I stared at Sol, watching him absorb his own Domain, the Sun he had been born from, or to be more precise, refining it into something which he could absorb. In an instant the raging sea of flames condensed into a glowing orange pill, which Sol eyed coldly. Without any hesitation whatsoever he grabbed the pill and threw it into his mouth, shooting me a hate-filled look. Power began radiating from his being, the full power of the sun, as he himself began to glow with its light.


    I shook my head at him, my heart aching in pain, unable to fully express how dissappointed I was. A resigned sigh escaped me as I sat cross-legged, combating the tainted blood in my system and exerting my influence over the Four Realms. The "Enemy" growled and combated my influence through his connection, and though I could shake it off, it would take some time. In that time, the newly powered-up Sol could wreak havoc upon the Four Realms...yet another sigh escaped my lips.


    "So it is this future." I whispered tiredly. All of my previous actions had been to attempt to guide the future of the Four Realms in a certain direction, to guide to one of the myriad of futures possible, and it was now entering the final stages. And although I had not forseen Sol''s betrayal, I had forseen a similar situation. This next part would be the tricky bit.


    <u>POV CHANGE: Gilles</u>


    "SOL!" I roared in anger, teleporting through shadows to stand in front of my brother. He did not even deign my shout with a proper response, instead meeting me with a gout of flame a thousand times stronger than anything he had ever shown before. "SOL, WHY?!" I bellowed, the shadows seething to block the incoming tide. All I could do was redirect it a little, the insanely powerful flame burning through the shadows with such ease that I was forced to retreat. I dissappeared and reappeared next to the still-recovering Alexander, with Elvira, Keilan, and Kei floating none too far away. They were all desperately struggling, and perhaps at full power they would''ve been able to suppress Sol, but now they would only be casualties. "Hide in my shadows." I told them, the darkness twisting around them and causing them to disappear. Alexander''s roar of defiance was abruptly cut off as he vanished, and Sol turned his now glowing golden eyes to me.


    "Brother." He said, voice sounding as if hundreds of himself were speaking all at once. "You would not understand. NONE OF YOU!" He suddenly roared, endless flames billowing from his form in a massive tidal wave that shot towards the Mortal Realm, completely ignoring me. Reika stood between it and the destruction of the Mortal Realm, however, and even through her injuries she just barely managed to hold back the destructive force.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "START THE BARRAGE AGAIN!" The Enemy howled as it turned towards the Primordial Chaos, inhaling with incredible force. The Primordial Chaos slowly churned, slowly entering the enemy''s mouth and causing its power to shoot upwards. It was just barely, but I could sense the rate at which the Creator was escaping its prison slowed, a complex expression crossing the Creator''s face. However, what bothered me most was that in response to the enemy''s words, all of the remaining dark angels began to self destruct, causing as much damage as they could to the Four Realms, going so far as to even explode in the middle of the River, disrupting it. Bellows of rage and pain filled my mind, emanating from the Big Four as their Realms were heavily damaged, along with Reika herself. Six dark angels got as close as they could to her and self destructed, worsening her injuries by a great degree.


    In my distraction I didn''t notice the fireball until it was too late, my brother''s hate-filled attack searing my body and sending me flying backwards, my control over the shadows loosening. Alexander and Elvira charged out of my grasp with a roar, hurtling towards Sol with the other two not too far behind. I cursed and shot forwards as well, ignoring my injuries and utilizing my control over the shadows to protect as much as I could, dimming the sea of flames by just a little. Reika, despite her injuries, still managed to maintain control and kept the flames at bay, even if she was slowly being pushed back, so I also diverted part of my attention to assaulting Sol with the darkness. Tendrils of void-infused darkness lashed out at Sol, consuming bits and pieces of his power at great cost to me. Each use of the tendrils made my injuries grow even worse, even more so considering they were absorbingthe opposite of my own darkness -light and fire.


    "Tsk. You''re annoying me, brother." Sol said impatiently, suddenly dissappearing and reappearing next to me. My eyes widened, and I looked right into Sol''s eyes. For just a moment I saw a flash of hesitation, but that swiftly dissappeared aspain filled my body, fire searing away everything about me.


    "GILLES!" I heard Elvira scream, but it was already too late for me. I smiled at my fate and lashed out at Sol once more, consuming a little bit more of his power before all my abilities left me.Just as I was about to fade away into nothingness, a small voice spoke to my conciousness.Sleep, and enter the land of Dreams. Sleep, brother, and thou shalt be safe.And my world faded away...


    <u>POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian</u>


    Without anyone, not even me, being able to do anything, my conciousness was dragged out of my body and merged with the Four Realms. It was a failsafe I had in place in the event of a powerful deity or being doing some nigh unforgivable act; I would take control of the Divine Punishment and personally mete it out. The "Enemy" just stared in shock at this, unable to comprehend what had just happened. I didn''t care, however, as the entirety of my attention was focused on Sol, who was currently battling against Alexander and Elvira, knocking them away with ease as he moved ever closer to the Mortal Realms. He had invoked the Divine Punishment of the Four Realms for attempting to perform an absolutely taboo act -completely erasing something, body and soul. Had Randus not stepped in and saved Gilles'' essence, he would''ve been completely erased from the face of the Four Realms...assuming I didn''t stop him, of course. That is not allowed. Period.


    Technically, the "Enemy" should have invoked a similar, albeit weaker, Punishment as well due to the sheer number of heinous acts it had commited, but it had managed to avoid it because it was technically ''outside'' of the Four Realms, which was a stupid glitch that I''d have to fix.


    "SOL," I boomed, the sound emanating out from every corner of existance. Sol froze, looking around wildly for the source of my voice."YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS HAVE BROUGHT PUNISHMENT DOWN UPON YOU. FOR DESTROYING THE REALM SUN AND BRINGING CHAOS TO THE FOUR REALMS, AND FOR ATTEMPTING TO WIPE THE DEITY OF SHADOWS, GILLES, OFF OF ALL PLANES OF EXISTANCE, YOU SHALL BE STRIPPED OF ALL YOUR POWERS AND ALL YOUR TITLES."Sol began to tremble, blood oozing out of his mouth as he stared at the giant projection of my face, which was slowly forming in the Primordial Chaos that surrounded my Realms. "THIS IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF PUNISHMENT POSSIBLE. SO MOTE IT BE."


    "Y-you...! NO!" Sol screeched, blowing away his assaulters and hurtling towards the Life-Giving Tree. Fire lashed out of his body, searing everything as he flew, the licking flames reaching out and igniting various parts of the Heaven and Karmic Realms. This only compounded upon his sins, causing the Punishment to grow more powerful.


    "STOP!" The "Enemy" howled, attempting to move to stop the me formed of Primordial Chaos as it moved towards Sol. My true body''s eyes flashed open, staring emotionlessly at the "Enemy."


    "You will stay right there." My true body stated, causing the "Enemy" to stop in its tracks. Did it honestly think that connection only went one way? Arrogant fool. "Sit there and watch. You, as well, should have brought down Punishment upon yourself."


    "You cannot do this to me!" Sol shrieked, blowing past Reika as fire continued to lash out from his body, scorching the land and turning it black. Mass amounts of negative karma surrounded him, and a snort echoed out, shaking him down to his very soul and causing him to cough up more blood. The Realms roared in anger, the land rising up to grasp at Sol like giant earthen hands, the air swirling around him like a vicious tornado, the essenses of the Realms entered his body and ravaging him...the only thing that did not turn against Sol were the flames and boundless light he himself controlled. "How dare you do this to me!!" Sol shrieked, flames erupting from his body. They were mostly contained, however....to my surprise he just barely managed to break free of the Realm''s grasp. It wouldn''t last long, however, as instantly the Punishment was upon him once again. "HOW DARE YOU!!!" Sol roared senselessly, flames billowing out from his hands and igniting the Life-Giving Tree.


    "PUNISH!" I roared, Sol suddenly stopping and shuddering. "NO MORE ARE YOU THE DEITY OF THE SUN! I HEREBY STRIP THEE OF YOUR NAME! I HEREBY STRIP THEE OF YOUR IMMORTALITY! I HEREBY STRIP THEE OF YOUR POWER! SO MOTE IT BE!" I bellowed, and this time Sol could not escape. The Realms flashed and his body began to crack, gouts of flame shooting out of those cracks as he screeched. With a pop Sol''s body was destroyed and his soul was whisked away to stand before my face of Primordial Chaos, leaving behind a glowing orange pill that radiated the power of the sun and caused the Mortal Realm to tremble. A giant hand reached out of the Chaos and grasped Sol''s soul, crushing it and collecting all the peices. When it was done, all that was left was a very, very weak soul that would hardly be able to power the weakest of insects. "THOU HAST BEEN PUNISHED. UNTILYOUPROVE THYSELF WORTHY, THOU SHALT NEVER AGAIN GAIN ''POWER.''" I said, and tossed what was once Sol, one of the strongest deities of the Four Realms, into the River of Souls, and into the cycle of reincarnation. It would take countless eons for him to escape that cycle...if he ever did. Then, my attention turned towards the Mortal Realm.


    The Life-Giving Tree burned, the oceans of the Karmic Realm steamed, the lands of the Heaven Realm were on fire, and in the center of it all, floating in the Mortal Realm, sat a small pill that contained the full power of the Realm Sun...the same pill that was being swallowed by an Immortal, Leo, who was using his body to contain it. The heat that boiled the Four Realms instantly subsided, and even the fires that burned the Life-Giving Tree flowed to him, entering his body and leaving not but a black trunk and burned leaves. The "Enemy" howled in anger, shouting something about that being "its sun," even though I had cut its fate to the Sun, and both my true body and my face of Primordial Chaos frowned. That foolish mortal...I should have expected as much from him. He of course did not know that I could easily place the pill back in its spot and turn it back into the Sun. But his intents and actions were noble, even if it was swiftly leading to his demise. How could he, immortal or not, contain the full power of the Sun? He was not even close the deity''s level of power. Even his soul was crumbling from the power.


    God, be you Statera, Luotian, or whatever your name is, please help!Leo prayed calmly in his head, a sharp contrast to his writhing body.Ah, and there was Celene, her body half burned and tears streaming down her face as she looked up at Leo. The fourth immortal, little miss empress, was nursing her as best she could, crying as well and likewise covered in burns.I cannot contain this power for long, so please, while I still can, help! Take this power and destroy it, or whatever it is you can do!I just sighed, the sound echoing so even mortals could hear it, my hand of primordial chaos once again reaching out...this time to grab Leo. Foolish, but noble. Unecessary, yet his actions did prevent the damage to the Four Realms from getting worse. As soon as Leo fell into my grasp his shrill shrieks stopped, and a pleasant expression crossed his face.


    Child, time and time again you have proven your mettle. Before, you willingly sacrificed yourself for you beloved. Then, you led your children and created a righteous and honorable clan. Now, you willingly sacrifice yourself for your children, and their children, and the entirety of the Four Realms. I cannot save this form of yours, but I can give you another. Are you willing? Are you willing to take the place of the Sun Deity, and become the guardian of the Realm Sun, to watch over the Four Realms for as long as the universe exists? To become the Guardian of the Sun?I asked, looking down with a loving expression at Leo''s body as it slowly turned into ash. He was silent for a long moment as I showed him exactly what that entailed through images and visions, before silently agreeing. I let out a breath, and Leo''s body erupted into flame, a golden shell surrounding his now flame-boundsoul and floating to where the Realm Sun had once stood before.


    With a wave of my hand the shell exploded outwards, returning the Realm Sun to its previous glory...albeit with a few changes. Leo''s soul sat in the center of the sun, his new body slowly being formed in its heart.


    Another sigh escaped me as my conciousness left the Divine Punishment, the Four Realms returning to relative normal as I stood up, now in full control of my true body. The "Enemy" stared at me in shock as I slapped the top of my head, coughing out the tainted blood and obliterating it with another wave of my hand.


    "Y-you." The "Enemy" stuttered, staring at me in shock. I just looked at it and sighed, shaking my head. "I WILL-!" I cut off the "Enemy" by appearing beside it, one hand placed calmly on top of its head. It took a second, but then it roared and snapped at me, to which I responded by unleashing the full brunt of my power, managing to immobilize it and myself once more. I needed to be in contact with the "Enemy" for this next bit. My power surged outwards, greeting the savagery of its power as an impenetrable wall, a wall that slowly advanced deeper within the "Enemy." For a while we struggled, and with yet another resigned sigh I drew upon the power I had stored to create the Lunar Star. The power resisted me at first, as I had already set the intent for it to Create, and was now forcing that to change, but it didn''t last long. With a sudden burst of power I surged past the "Enemy''s," reaching that which gave it the power to devour -the Paradox fragments. Next to it, I could feel just a few drops of my blood, each drop tainted.


    I grabbed hold of both, and tore them from the "Enemy''s" body. They were not its to command in the first place.


    "I am sorry, however...had you simply asked me to help, I could have." I said softly, taking a few steps back from the reeling "Enemy." A sudden, wild thought passed through my mind as I glanced at the Paradox fragments, a very compelling thought. I held the power of creation in the palm of my hand, and yet, as a deity of balance, I did not hold the powers of destruction...as much as I loathed the idea. Still...a forest will only regrow stronger after a fire. However instead of acting upon this impluse I put it and the fragments away, instead turning to face the "Enemy" as it charged for me.


    I did not return its strike, nor did I act as if to fight it. Instead I sat down cross-legged, a soft, gentle light radiating from my figure. The "Enemy" struggled against this light, snarling and snapping as it attempted to get closer to me, or to move very far at all. It will attack, and fight, and struggle and rage, while I will sit here and suppress. I will not raise another hand against the "Enemy." For what seemed like a long while the two of us struggled, the "Enemy" attempting to escape, and myself preventing that while trying to cage the beast. After a long while of struggling, the "Enemy" turned towards me and howled.


    "Enough. I told you, if you simply asked for help, I could help you. You don''t need to live solely surrounded by that which is evil and feel pain from the Sun." I told it. "And I will not absorb you, or destroy you, or whatever else it is you may expect me to do. Despite everything you are still my child, born from me and part of my Realms, and as the creator of an entire universe I must lead by example. So I will continue to suppress you for as long as necessary, going so far as to even imprison you, until you ask for my help or my forgiveness. That is all I can do. Push you down and wait until you come to your senses." I said with a sigh. It''s not like I want the "Enemy" to stop being what it is, I simply want it to not wish to run about and destroy everything I have worked so hard to build. In response, the Enemy growled and once more attempted to escape my hold, to which I responded by waving my hand.


    Immediately six rays of golden light pierced the "Enemy''s" body, immobilizing it for long enough. I shot forwards and placed one palm against the "Enemy''s" forehead, closing my eyes and drawing once more upon the power stored away for the Lunar Star. I couldn''t burn through my own power for this, or else I would be left with nothing to fix the Four Realms with.


    "SEAL!" I bellowed, and the golden light condensed once again, this time centering around my palm. The "Enemy" was, henceforth, completely sealed of all its power. It was therefore easy to seal it away in a temporary prison I happened to have on my person, until I could create a more suitable home for it while I figured out just how to deal with it. It would take a while for me to ravel the hate it had built up and allowed to fester within itself. For the umpteenth time in a very short period of time for a deity, I sighed, and turned towards the Four Realms. I had its mess to clean up.

 Aftermath

    POV: Randus (Deity of Dreams)


    "Ma''am." I said respectfully, stepping out of the world of dreams to materialize next to our Creator. In all honesty, She looked terrible. With blood dribbling out of the corners of Her mouth, Her robes in tatters, and an overall very dreary expression, She truly did give off an aura of weariness and...disappointment. She turned to look at me and smiled a smile that didn''t quite reach Her eyes.


    "Randus. Thank you, you did good. How''s Gilles?" She asked.


    "Very well, Mi''lady. He is currently in a trance, but with a bit of time and effort he shall be right as rain." I assured. She just smiled and nodded, folding Her hands behind Her back even as Her sword, the Sword that Does Not Cut, vanished. She then moved further into the Four Realms, to stand before the First Four and Kei, who would now altogether be known as the Big Five. Alexander looked positively ashamed, as he should, his head hung low and his injuries not even treated.In fact, none of them had treated their injuries. All had varying degrees of burns, Reika was trying hard to keep herself together as she threatened to pass out, Keilan was paler than usual and was missing a horn, Elvira''s feathers were matted and burned, her skin cracked and dry, Alexander was missing patches of scales and golden blood stained the rest, and Kei...well, Kei managed to make herself more presentable, hiding her injuries beneath her fox tails and robes. I sighed in my heart, already knowing that She was not going to scold them. They presented too pitiable an image.


    "I am sorry. We failed you." Alexander said in a low voice, not daring to meet Her eyes. However, She was already trembling, though not from anger or disappointment, as I believed She should have been. Her children should have been the ones to end this fight, not Her. Even I felt ashamed of that. Instead, contrary to their expectations, though I do not know why they would expect anything other from our ultimate Parent, She let out a soft cry and flew forwards, enveloping all five in a hug, showering them with concern. It was an almost comical sight, watching our Creator blubber over the five of them, constantly concerned even as She poured divine power into them healing parts of their injuries. I could see the hesitation within Her, the desire to help warring with Her need to let us grow and learn. Elvira was the first one to pull away, looking like she was about to cry. Ah, that''s right. She does not know that Gilles is safe.


    "I am sorry, Father. I failed to protect...Gilles, he is..." Elvira said softly, unable to get it all out. Mother looked at Elvira and sighed, shaking Her head and forcibly reining in Her emotions.


    "Randus, if you would." She said, turning to me. I bowed and waved my hand, causing Gilles to appear right next to me, his eyes closed and face paler than usual.


    "By your command." I said as She took Gilles, pouring power into his body and waking him up almost instantly. I secretly sighed in amazement at the skill She displayed, bringing Gilles back from near non-existence in the blink of an eye like that.


    "Gilles is right here, Elvira. However, you''re right about one thing. You did fail to protect." She said, causing all to flinch. However, before She could continue, Kei spoke up.


    "What about you then?" She snapped, red faced and more than a little angry. "I don''t understand, why didn''t you stop the Enemy before the fight began? Even now, with a wave of your hand, you could fix all the damage done to the Four Realms, and yet you don''t." I bristled at that, taking a step forward and intent on giving her a piece of my mind. How dare she-?! The audacity! However, Elvira beat me to the punch, though I was certain that the Creator would''ve stopped me before I could act.


    "This was not Father''s mess to clean up." Elvira said slowly, looking much better now that she knew Gilles was alive and well, if not conscious.


    "Technically, this is our fault." Keilan added, meeting his sister''s eyes. She nodded at him, and Keilan continued, stepping forwards. "We all know how Mother created the Four Realms, but She did not personally create the Heaven and Karmic Realms. Technically we, Elvira and myself, did. Everything Mother created afterwards was to balance the Four Realms, and stop us from fighting. On the surface our two Realms are incompatible, but through Her actions they melded together. The enemy as we call it is one of our oldest brethren, the true Fifth of us, born in Mother''s shadow at the same time She created souls. Perhaps, if we had not acted as we did and instead allowed Mother to create the Realms as She saw fit, we would have avoided this." Keilan said sagely. His narration slightly confused Kei, but she appeared to have accepted something nonetheless as her anger lessened.


    "I''m surprised you got that far." The Creator said, smiling and nodding at Keilan. "Yes, that is true, but it is also not. The Shadow of the Four Realms was bound to be the first true storm the Four Realms faced regardless of how you or I went about it, that is simply the nature of the Shadow. In essence, the "Enemy" was born because I appeared, acting as a sort of balancer. After seeing a bit of the "Enemy''s" memories, I merely confirmed this. Which brings me to my next point. I can''t hold your hands through all of this." She said bluntly. "Healing the Four Realms now would be like destroying all the struggles of those who fought, making it all essentially pointless. I cannot deny you all this chance to grow and change, which is also the reason why I did not first step in. Well, one of the reasons. There''s a fine line between helping and hindering." The Creator said with a casual shrug. Kei said nothing more, bowing her head as the Creator sighed. "You''re right about one thing though. You don''t understand." She muttered to Herself, low enough that only I could hear...though judging by Kei''s reaction she did as well.


    I secretly pitied Kei. She''s so young, yet already so powerful...she needs to grow more, to gain more enlightenment, to truly be considered on par with the Big Four. A truly powerful Divine. A true ruler of the Realms.


    "What about Sol?" Alexander asked gruffly, to which the Creator shrugged and raised one hand, the fragments of Sol''s memories flooding together. After staring at it for a moment, Alexander just shook his head. "That fool. He felt slighted because you were preparing to create the Lunar Star, encroaching upon his domain as he saw it, and sought power to prove you wrong. Truly a fool."


    "Indeed." Reika agreed, shaking her head as she looked regretfully at the Mortal Realm.


    "Ah, speaking of, I may not be willing to heal the entirety of the Four Realms, however I can most certainly speed it up." Our Creator said, waving Her hands as power flowed out of Her and enveloped the Four Realms. The Life-Giving Tree''s spark of life roared back to full mast, though its exterior did not change, and the Holy Mountain''s aura surged a little, becoming a bit denser. The River of Souls fixed the little damage done to it, as something so important could not be left untouched, and the Valley within the Karmic Realm shuddered a little, no change becoming apparent, but I was certain there was a change nonetheless. "Now if you''ll excuse me, I''m going to go check up on everyone else. Come along, Randus."


    "By Your command." I said, bowing slightly and following.


    POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian


    In essence, the state of the Four Realms was shit. Well, not quite that bad, but no Realm was free from damage. The Mortal Realm was the worst off, many of the ecosystems having been nigh-irreversibly damaged, but it was also one of the first Realms to really start bouncing back. After the wars died down, cultivators in that area would fly about, using their own powers to heal the surrounding area or speed up its healing. However, some areas, such as areas directly struck by a dark angel self-destruction or by Sol''s fire, were completely abandoned. On planets like Cradle, which surprisingly received minimal damage, these areas would naturally heal and be reclaimed by the races, much in thanks to the Elementals whose natural control over elemental essences allowed them to heal the area with greater speed than any of the other races.


    However, on Pangea, these areas would undoubtedly turn into true "Danger Zones," places where corrupt, evil, or simply incredibly strong beasts and cultivators would gather. It was kind of interesting, actually. Some very unique occurences were happening in these areas, such as one place that had already turned into a forever-burning forest. Fire-based beings loved that place, namely the fire elementals.


    As for the deities and angels, many of them were very badly injured, though due to their nature only five found themselves unable to sustain their lives, and instead chose to enter the reincarnation cycle for a shot at becoming a deity once again or become an immortal cultivator. Thankfully the Valley in the Karmic Realm was quick to heal, having sustained minor damage compared to the Mortal and Heaven Realms, and the Karmic Kings continued to judge the new flood of souls seeking reincarnation. I was very proud of them for getting back on their feet, despite the injuries and damages they sustained.


    The Heaven Realm was...well, the Heaven Realm. Full of life as always, no matter what. Vibrant, practically buzzing as the intelligent beasts and Avians, as Fae, Karae, and Elementals had yet to spread to the Heaven Realm, ran about fixing their homes and just...well, fixing whatever they could. Elvira''s palace was in ruins, but that swiftly changed as those who lived there and worshipped her worked to rebuild. It was quite the sight.


    It was only a few months that I spent running about the Four Realms, personally checking on things while also watching everything with my divine sense. That, and I designed and created a prison for the "Enemy." It was a kind of temporal...quantum...wibbly wobbly...thingamajig. It basically put the "Enemy''s" body into a stasis while its mind was still conscious -a temporary measure until I could really figure out what to do with it. A few months was all the time I took for all this because that was when I decided that I could not put off answering the prayers of two people -calls I felt necessary to personally answer. So I sat down far above the Mortal Realm, directly above the city of Manu Ti, Randus standing by my side, and sent down an incarnation of myself. Only Dei would be able to withstand the aura of my true body, even Celene would disintegrate if I touched her. Hence the incarnation. Didn''t want to have any accidents. I mean, I could technically go down there myself and severely suppress myself so my aura wouldn''t affect the Realm too much, but...I just wanted to be cautious.


    "...you really did come." Celene said as I appeared behind her,turning away from the window she stood at. Both her and I were currently in the cottage she had spent the past few millennia with Leo, the dark, hollow interior nothing like it had been but a few months prior. Outside, none of the hustle and bustle from the cultivators as they repaired the formations and cities around and on the floating island could be heard, a form of respect for the one who had sacrificed himself and became the Sun. "Are you the messenger, or are you truly...the Creator God?" Celene asked. I said nothing and smiled softly. Celene sighed and looked out the window once more, the melancholic aura around her increasing. "Is he...dead?" She asked softly.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "No. Not really." I told her. "His body was burned away, and now his soul sleeps in the center of the Sun, his body being reformed by it." Celene turned to look at me, confusion written on her face. "He''ll become a deity, Celene. It''ll take a few million years, but eventually he will awaken."


    "But he won''t be the same." Celene said, not even blinking at the information I just presented to her.


    "No. He won''t." I told truthfully. By nature, deities think and act differently than mortals. When he re-awakens he may have the same personality, and still have all of his memories, but he''ll still be different. The Realm Sun will have affected his nature...and even now, I could see the red string of fate between the two beginning to fade. It was ironic really, that Leo acted to save Celene, but his very actions may tear them apart forever.


    "Then please, let me go up there with him." Celene said, turning around and kowtowing to me. I simply stared at her. "I can feel it, you know. The connection between us. It''s fading, and if left alone...I don''t want that. He''s done so much for me, and I..." She didn''t get the rest of her sentence out, and although her face was pressed to the floor, I knew that she was crying. After a long moment of silence I sighed.


    "It''s beautiful, in my opinion. Since the very beginning, his soul has been the one chasing yours. You have always been the more adventurous one, and throughout the ages he''s been the one chasing you, trying to catch up to you. And now, in the end, you''re the one chasing him up into the stars. Quite beautiful." I said. Celene looked up at me, confusion on her face, as I pulled a glowing white pill out of the folds of my robe. "I cannot send you up to the Realm Sun, it would do no good to have two deities of the Sun. However, what I can do is make you another star altogether. The Lunar Star...one to light the day, another to illuminate the night. Together, you would bring balance to the Four Realms, and shine your light upon all creation. The tale of the Two Lovers, forever together in the sky above." I said, an illusion of the Sun and Moon circling the Four Realms, the Moon circling faster than the Sun, and often times crossing paths.


    Celene was silent as I shared what this meant with her via vision, in the same way that I had done with Leo. I was offering her the same choice, and I knew, even before I came here, what her answer would be. This was why I had gone ahead and started condensing the power for the Lunar Star into a pill, much like the Realm Sun''s.


    "Yes." Celene said, a resolute gleam in her eyes. I smiled and nodded, putting away the pill.


    "Six months. I will return in six months. Use that time to settle your affairs." I told her, and vanished, leaving her alone once more.


    POV CHANGE: Kei


    The moment Grandpa opened His eyes He smiled kindly at me. "Hello, Kei." He said as I stood there watching His interaction with Celene.


    "Sorry." I apologized, looking up at Him. "I was angry before, and didn''t mean to snap at you like that." Grandpa just laughed and shook His head, looking down at the Mortal Realm.


    "No need to apologize, I understand. The negative energy in the area was effecting everyone, not just you." He said casually. Ah, I hadn''t thought about that. Ambient negative emotions and negative energy tend to effect all beings emotionally, heck all natural energy has that effect, and there had been a lot of negative energy flowing around...still, I felt bad.


    "Are you going to talk to Dei? He''s pretty distraught." I asked carefully, knowing that Grandpa had taken a liking to him. I still wasn''t certain as to why that was, even though he was the first Immortal Mortal and a future Paragon of the Four Realms, but I did agree that he was entertaining. Still, that didn''t explain why Grandpa was going to such lengths to help Dei grow. For most other mortals, He''d act in a more mysterious way, indirectly effecting them. Celene and Leo just so happened to have interesting fates as well, and got caught up in Dei''s growth.


    "Not yet, Celene needs to become the Lunar Star first. Then I''ll go talk to him. In the meantime you should go spend time with him. I know its been a while since you''ve last played together." Grandpa said, talking as if we were two children who were getting together to have playdates...which, considering it''s Grandpa we''re talking about, isn''t too far off of the mark. Instead I just shook my head and moved over to Him, sitting down in His lap like I had when I was little. In fact, I made myself smaller as I did so, making it more comfortable for me. That didn''t stop Grandpa from letting out a small "oof," and chuckling, scratching behind my ears. "Silly girl." He muttered, and I just smiled, soaking in His aura. It was just so comfortable...ah, no matter what, Grandpa was still the best.


    While we sat there, we watched the on goings of Manu Ti as the mortals ran about. Celene surprisingly wasn''t very productive, instead making a few appearances in her clan, and talking with a few of her friends, all while never giving away what exactly what was going on. No one was stupid enough to believe that she wasn''t saying her goodbyes however...they just didn''t know what it meant. Everyone knew that Celene was not the kind of person to commit suicide, so that left many wondering what exactly was going on. Only Dei, who received his "goodbye" late into the fifth month, had a basic idea of what was going to happen thanks to his incredible cultivation level. When the day finally came, Celene simply stood in her cottage alone, waiting patiently for Grandpa to appear, expecting to silently slip away under the cover of darkness.


    She didn''t expect for a beam of silver light to appear in the middle of the night, dragging her up into the sky for all to see, as she flew into the vastness of space to stand before Grandpa and I. I stood behind Him, watching as Grandpa silently handed the Lunar Star pill to her and watched as she unflinchingly took it. Red strings suddenly appeared from her body, lashing out and connecting to the Sun as a silvery white shell appeared around her, swiftly flying out into the darkness of space to explode outwards, appearing right before the Realm Sun. The Lunar Star was breathtaking, a shining white color, the color of the purest of snow. Almost instantly I could feel the Four Realms shifting, and Grandpa let out a contented sigh as the balance of the Four Realms was righted.


    "That''s so much better." He muttered, shaking his head and admiring the Lunar Star for a few moments before turning back towards the Mortal Realms. Many beasts and mortals were staring in shock at the giant object that appeared in the sky, some in fear, while those who knew simply sighed in their hearts. The Xing clan, from this point on, would undoubtedly become something of an object of religious worship, seen as the descendents of divines because...well, their true ancestors literally became the Sun and Moon for the entire Four Realms. Grandpa waited a few days, ensuring that nothing went immediately wrong with the Lunar Star, before he and I both flew down to the Mortal Realm, where Dei was sitting in mid-air, staring at the Sun while holding a glass of sword qi whiskey in one hand.


    For a moment he and Grandpa just stared at each other, before Grandpa smiled and pulled a flask out from the folds of His robes. Since when did He drink?


    "Came here to join you." Grandpa said with a chuckle, sitting down next to Dei and taking a draught from His flask. Dei eyed it silently, and Grandpa chuckled. "Don''t even think about it. Your body would be burned to ashes if you drank so much as a drop of this." Dei just shook his head and sighed, looking back up at the Sun. It was night by the time either of them spoke again, the Moon hanging high in the sky. Seeing it now, I can see why Grandpa thought it necessary to have. The night sky just looked...empty without it.


    "So you''re God, the Divine Soul, huh...?" Dei asked causally.


    "Yep." Grandpa answered.


    "Guess I know now why you were laughing your ass off when I first met you." Dei said, and Grandpa couldn''t help but chuckle. I hid a smile behind my hand, having heard that story, moving forwards and sitting down between the two, winking at Dei mischievously. He just shook his head at me, turning his attention back to Grandpa.


    "Yes. It was quite amusing that you''d claim I don''t exist to my face." Grandpa chuckled.


    "So which one are you then? Statera, or Luotian?" Die asked. Grandpa snorted.


    "Both. I am neither male nor female, I''m even genderless when I think about it. I represent Balance, so of course I''m not going to take a side like that." Grandpa explained, waving His hand absently. Dei just shook his head, and for a while the two lapsed into meaningless small talk. I may have drifted off a few times, daydreaming about playing in the Mortal Realm and stealing some of their food, or maybe going and bugging Elvira because she was fun to tease, but eventually I was drug back to the conversation before me when Dei abruptly stood up and moved in front of Grandpa.


    "I would like to get stronger." Dei said, voice calm. Grandpa took a small sip of his flask, which probably had an endless amount of liquor in it, and just smiled at Dei.


    "No." Grandpa said simply.


    "What, I don''t get a reward for saving the Four Realms?" Dei asked wryly, fully aware of how stupid that sounded. He didn''t save the Four Realms, he merely bought it a few seconds time. That was exactly what was bugging him the most. My thoughts must''ve showed on my face because Dei shot me a look that essentially said "shut up, you," to which I poked my tongue out at him and giggled to myself.


    "You don''t get rewarded for war." Grandpa said coldly, folding his hands in his lap. Dei looked back to Grandpa and nodded, as if he had expected that. His shoulders sagged a little and he glanced back up at the sky, a wry smile on his lips. I just watched him, not letting my emotions show. "However...that does not mean I will not help. Just because you will not say it does not mean I cannot hear your heart." Grandpa added, standing up as well. I frowned and looked at Grandpa, wondering what He was going to do to help Dei. Celene had been the last of his true friends, and now she was the Moon. I do not really count. What would Grandpa do to help heal Dei? Dei, for a moment, just looked at Grandpa before falling to one knee with his head bowed.


    "Please, help me." He said, and I could hear the heartbreak in his voice. He had done much in the war, but in his mind he had not been able to do enough. He had not been able to protect anything, or so he thought. I started to stand, to move over to hug him as if that would help, but Grandpa held up one hand to stop me. For a long moment Grandpa just stood there, staring at Dei, before nodding His head.


    "You needn''t bow." Grandpa said, and Dei stood, obviously relieved at not having to kneel. I suppressed my chuckle at that, knowing that showing a subservient attitude just wasn''t in Dei''s nature. In fact it was almost a polar opposite to that. "Normally I would ask again to confirm your will, but in this case I believe that would be more of an insult. Dei, I hereby relieve you of your cultivation." Grandpa said, stepping forwards and placing one hand on Dei''s chest. In instant all of Dei''s cultivation left his body, appearing in Grandpa''s hand as a ball of light. Dei didn''t utter a peep of discontentment or pain, despite the tremors running through his body. "You shall live three lives, each with their own lessons to be learned, and in each life you shall not be able to cultivate. Only in your third life will you walk the path of immortality, and only in that life will you have the chance to gain your cultivation back. Only upon reaching a certain stage will you regain it along with your memories. Though even then, you shall cease to be Dei." Grandpa said sagely. Dei trembled, only being held aloft thanks to Grandpa''s magic.


    "I''ve already said my goodbyes." Dei said, shocking me that he was capable of keeping a calm voice even through the intense pain that must be wracking him. Losing one''s cultivation is not a peaceful process. Grandpa just smiled and nodded.


    "I know. See you soon." Grandpa said, and Dei''s mortal body dispersed into dust. His soul, however, stayed put for a few moments, giving Grandpa one last meaningful look, before floating off into the River, once more entering the cycle of reincarnation. "Again and again, that man just continues to amaze me. It''s a good feeling." Grandpa announced, smiling and looking down at the cultivation in His hands. With a sigh He put it away and winked at me before disappearing, leaving me with a complex feeling in my heart. Well, it''s not like I won''t see Dei again. He just...won''t be Dei anymore. I shook my head and smiled, looking once more at the River. I suppose I should go learn a bit more about reincarnation. After I help Mother though. She''s trying to heal the Life-Giving Tree, and with my help it should go faster. I turned around and dissappeared as well, barely containing my excitement. Dei was interesting, that much is true. I wonder what he''ll do being unable to cultivate? I look forward to it.

 Tian

    POV: Keilan


    I appeared in Mother''s palace, in Her designated "research room" which was actually more like a collection of things from the entire Four Realms than an actual research room. It was completely unlike the one you would find in my palace, or that Gilles had created. Though there were a few purely conceptual creatures floating around as masses of golden light, like blueprints for their creation...hmm, it seemed as if Mother was planning on creating more Divine Beasts, like Kei but obviously weaker. That could be interesting. Perhaps it is a research room.


    "Hello, Mother." I said, causing Her to look up from whatever it was that She was doing. She was currently standing at Her desk, balls of light floating around Her as She threaded them together, carefully watching their reactions and nodding seriously. I could sense a strange fluctuation of energies from within the balls, but did not understand most of them.


    "Ah! Keilan! I was actually expecting you...but you should really come through the front door. Randus pouts when he doesn''t get to introduce people like a proper butler." Mother said with a wink. On cue, said deity appeared next to the door, shooting me what I might''ve mistaken as a glare.


    "Perhaps you should focus on your project, Ma''am? You know you cannot procrastinate." Randus said, his tone level. Mother winked at me.


    "See? He''s pouty now." She teased, turning Her head back down to whatever it was She had been working on.


    "Hmm. Yes. What are you working on?" I asked, completely forgetting why I had come here in the first place in favor of learning what Mother was doing. She just winked at me once again, threading together a few more of the balls of light before nodding in satisfaction.


    "It''s the mortal''s cultivation methods. Generally speaking they only break through from one stage to the next, giving them power with no guidance. So I''ve been thinking of how to fix that, because a few devil cultivators have popped up recently, and this is what I''ve come up with. Putting the Dao into cultivation!" She announced proudly. I looked at Her, confused. Wasn''t the dao already within cultivation? Simply by living one technically cultivates their own dao. Mother nodded once again, gesturing to the balls of light. "While it''s true that the dao is in everyone''s life, it''s never been physically manifested, and there needs to be something more...humm, powerful? for them. Not sure if that''s the right word, but whatever. It''s just in the basic stages right now, but it''ll do until I can get something more permanent set up."


    "And what does this one do?" I asked, leaning forwards.


    "Basically it forces them to look into themselves and focus on their own personal dao, their path, while also understanding the fundamentals of the world around them. At some point in their cultivation, close to becoming an immortal, I set it up so that they''d actually have to sever parts of their personality in order to advance. Plus, the deeper one''s understanding and insights, then the more profound their cultivation will be. It''ll also help develop my next project, which you''ll just have to wait and see about." Mother said teasingly. I hummed and nodded, doing a few quick calculations in my head before opening my eyes and guessing what that final thing would be.


    "You''re going to create true Dao paths for the cultivators to follow, aren''t you? Ones that lead to the...well, as the mortals put it, ones that lead to the heavens, to a higher Realm." I guessed, and Mother pouted as She pushed the balls of light, watching as they, one by one, flew out and merged with the Four Realms, causing a slight shift in its natural aura. I suppose She had wanted to keep that a secret, but it pleased me to know that I had figured it out.


    "Party pooper. Essentially, yes. It''ll bring them to a higher plane of existence by increasing their understanding. And hopefully in the long run it''ll prevent people from going down a....negative path, though it''s almost a certainty that some will do so regardless. I-" Mother cut Herself off mid-sentence as She stared blankly at the air in front of Her, a small smile stretching across Her face. "Well hello, Mr. Blue Boxes. Long time no see!" She muttered senselessly to Herself.


    "Who?" I asked.


    "Huh? Oh, don''t worry about it. I''m sure you''ll become aware of its existence eventually. Anyways! What brings you here this fine day?" Mother asked, moving away from Her cluttered desk, waving one had to wave away a few of the creature designs She had floating around.


    "Right. You said to come get you every time the Paragon soul was passing through the Karmic King''s judgement. That time is rapidly approaching once more." I informed Her. The Paragon soul, formerly known as Dei, had already passed through twice, and was approaching its third time and third life, the one Mother was highly anticipating. She blinked at me, glancing outside at the Solar and Lunar Stars, as they had come to both be known as.


    "Oh, it really is that time, isn''t it? KEI!" Mother shouted. After there was no response for a few moments, Mother turned towards Randus. "Randus, go get Kei. She''ll want to be around for this." Mother said.


    "As you wish." Randus said with a "butler-esque" bow, before disappearing without a trace. Honestly, his control over dreams were far too vague. Even Gilles, the self-proclaimed Keeper of Secrets, or myself, who rules all that is untouchable, cannot keep track of him while he was in the realm of dreams.


    "Great! Just meet us in the Karmic Realm." Mother said to the surroundings, nodding to me. I waved my hand and in a flash I was in the Karmic Realm, Mother standing right next to me. In the thousand years since the battle against the Enemy, not much had changed besides the ocean surrounding the Valley finally calming down, a few new Karmic and psyonic beasts appearing, and everything getting back on track. Personally, I found the changes to the Mortal Realm far more interesting. Ten new solar systems popped up in the Realm in the past thousand years alone, bringing the total up to twelve, while the landmass of Pangea expanded alongside it. Not to mention that twenty Immortals appeared as a result of the final battles, with that number showing no signs of stopping.


    The explosive growth of all the Realms was really astonishing. Mother says it''s partly the Lunar Star''s fault, as it finally stabilized the Realms enough that it could really start to grow again. After millennia of stagnation, it should''ve been no surprise that the Four Realms grew explosively...though only in size for the Heaven, Karmic, and Spirit Realms.


    "He''s going to his third life now?" Kei asked, appearing alongside Randus and directing the question to Mother.


    "Yes." I answered. "The Paragon soul is undergoing his trial right now." Kei nodded at that, stepping forward and peering down at the Paragon soul as the Karmic Kings judged him. His karma was actually clear of all sins, as his first rebirth had been designed specifically for clearing negative karma. Namely, he had been born as a weak, sickly child that didn''t live past the age of sixteen, four years further than originally designed. Of course his frail life left a heavy impact on the parents souls as well, and in their next lives they became doctors.


    In the Paragon soul''s second life he had lived as a simple fisherman in a fishing village on one of the smaller planets that held life. In this life he had been born as a Karae, and lived a mortal life while watching the passings of karma. I myself wasn''t certain what lesson this was supposed to teach him, but I could tell that it caused a subtle shift in his personality. He lived to eighty years old before passing away, leaving nothing behind but an old boat and a useless fishing net.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "Since when...?" Mother muttered to Herself, rubbing Her eyes and peering closer at the Paragon soul, a mixture of surprise and confusion crossing Her face. "That''s...interesting. Hmm. No, actually...hey, this could work..." She continued to mutter, watching the Paragon soul closely. A small smile momentarily flitted across Her face, and Kei cleared her throat.


    "Mind sharing?" She asked, a small hint of amusement tinging her voice.


    "Nope!" Mother said cheerfully, waving one finger and rewriting the Book of Life and Death held by the Karmic King judging the Paragon soul. Now his journey would follow Her designs...however, when I read it...


    "Is that wise?" I asked, furrowing my brows. That sort of life was a little...well, bad.


    "That''s an awfully hard life to live." Kei added, causing Mother to cackle.


    "You obviously don''t understand his personality, Keilan! Think about it, when does he flourish the most? In times of peace? No! He flourishes when it seems the entire world is turned against him!" Mother laughed, shaking Her head. I thought about it and had to begrudgingly agree with Her. The Paragon''s soul had developed far faster when under immense pressure, such as living an extra four years in his first rebirth, than when not, as shown when he had basically nothing to his name when living a simple life.


    "Still..." Kei said skeptically. I could understand her sentiment, as she was personally close to the Paragon soul, and as much as I agreed with her, by this point I had gotten used to Mother''s pointless meddling with this soul. Paragons were interesting and all, however, deities would still be above them in terms of prowess, influence, and power.


    "I know that look. You''re wondering why I meddle in his affairs so much!" Mother announced to both myself and Kei, grinning as she watched the Paragon soul wade through the ocean of memories before being whisked away to the Mortal Realm to be reborn. Mother followed to watch for a few moments, a smile flitting across Her face as She did so.


    "I still wonder." Kei muttered to herself. Mother just laughed and pointed to the Paragon soul as it grew within a woman''s belly in the lands of Pangea in the Mortal Realm.


    "Look real close at his soul, and you''ll see. I mean really closely." Mother said cryptically. I did as She said, observing the soul as closely as I could. I could see the karmic light radiating from the Paragon soul, and the karmic strings that bound it to its two new parents and the medium-sized cultivation clan it will be reborn into. It looked like any other soul to me, if not a bit more powerful than most. Then I focused my attention, harder, delving deeper until I was looking into the very core of its soul, the truesoul, that which defined existence. Even then I delved deeper, until I was peering into the heart of the truesoul, and looking at something that, even now, seemed to elude my attention.


    It was a droplet of water, hovering within the Paragon''s truesoul. Overcome by curiosity I continued to examine it until I was interrupted by Kei.


    "What is that?" She asked in shock, eyes wide.


    "That is what keeps drawing me to him, and what is giving him a very powerful fate. I myself didn''t notice it until sometime after our first meeting because he just had this aura of familiarity about him. It bugged me until I simply sat down and dug through his soul a bit, looking into his past and whatnot." Mother explained.


    "Okay, but what is it?" Kei prompted. I myself continued to stare at the strange droplet, until a stray thought caused my eyes to widen. I recalled something about the birth of the Fae, and how Mother had watched over them for years...and at the end of that time, just as She was about to leave...


    "Is that-?!" I blurted, whirling towards Mother as everything began to click into place.


    "Keilan''s got it! Yes, it is. That is my teardrop." Mother stated, before explaining further so Kei could understand. "When I watched over the Fae to ensure that they would survive in the Four Realms, one of them cursed at me because his son died in a hunting accident. That had been the first time one of my children cursed me, and so I shed a single tear, one which I assumed had faded away. Instead, it had been almost perfectly absorbed by his soul. This is only possible if a soul is both extremely compatible with the power and emotions contained within that drop, or any form of my essence for that matter, and is fated to do so. Not even the ''Enemy'' could assimilate my power as perfectly as he has." I just sighed and shook my head.


    "Ah, he''s being born." I mentioned, drawing the attention of the other two. We watched silently as the Paragon soul was once again born into the Mortal Realms as a bouncing baby boy.


    "Tian....his name will be Cavan Tian." The mother whispered to her wailing child. The father burst into the room soon after, creating a picturesque seen for this happy family.


    "Fate...what is Dei -I mean, Tian''s fate?" Kei asked, and Mother just laughed, a loud, booming laughter.


    "His name was Dei! You know as in DEIty?! Now it''s Tian, which means heaven! Also LuoTIAN, part of my name! What do you THINK his destiny is?!" Mother laughed, grinning wildly at Kei. This stunned both myself and Kei, having never thought about such a thing before. "Didn''t I ever teach you about the importance of names?" Mother giggled behind one hand, winking at us childishly. "Thank you for getting me, Keilan. Now that Tian is on his final rebirth, I can focus on a few other things." She said, and disappeared with Randus.


    Kei and I both sighed at Mother''s rather abrupt disappearance, and dropping such information onto us. Such is Mother''s personality.


    POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian


    Chuckling to myself as I returned to my palace, I paused upon entering my research lab. What was I going to do next...? Ah, right! With a wave of my hand space rippled and I stepped forwards, disappearing into a pocket dimension created outside of the Four Realms. It was the same trick the "Enemy" had used to hide from me, and now I was using it to imprison it.


    "What do you want?" The "Enemy" snarled as I stepped into its dark prison, complete with a window that allowed it to look into the Four Realms and watch it grow. I simply shook my head.


    "I figured that it was time to do something that was long overdue -give you a name." I replied. Its eyes narrowed as it glared at me, and I just shrugged.


    "A...name?" The "Enemy" asked, no small amount of scorn to its voice.


    "Yes, a name. Names have power, you know. You should never underestimate that." I said with a smile. "For instance, I could simply name you Satan and then you will be known as the devil for the rest of your existence, constantly feared by the mortals of the Four Realms. However, I will not name you that, or any other devil-like name. Additionally I could name you after chaos, but that would be interfering with my domain when there is nothing to balance you -besides myself of course. What is chaos without order, and vice versa? No, I''ll give you a good name. Trust me on this, I had the same predicament when naming the Karmic Realm."


    "I don''t care." The "Enemy" said, and I could feel that it was being quite honest with me.


    "You should." I said with a sigh. "Your name will be Morgan." The "Enemy," now Morgan, simply turned away with a scoff. For once, this name had no deeper meaning to it. It was a completely blank slate in my mind. I did not know what it meant, or what the cultural significance of the name was in my old universe, I simply wanted to name it Morgan, and let it create the image around which its name shall be built. Then, I simply turned around and vanished, fully aware of how Morgan was muttering the name to itself over and over, tasting it.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations! You are the 2nd to have completed the [Shadow of Your Universe] mini-trial!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Your choices led you down the path of [Redemption.] Whether you succeed or fail in turning the Shadow, now named Morgan, into a part of the Four Realms once again falls entirely upon your actions now, previously, and in the future. Good luck.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Hm? That wasn''t what I was expecting. I thought I finished that when I captured Morgan.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You would''ve been first to finish had you not procrastinated for a thousand years. Does it really take that long to come up with a name?</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Hey, shut up! I wasn''t procrastinating, I just had other things to do!


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">...right. Look, I''ve seen countless universes created, and they''ve all had their own [Shadow] to deal with. You were procrastinating. And while I will admit that I approve of your Dao Path thing, that''s still no excuse to forget about bestowing a name.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I grumbled to myself, but had to admit that Mr. Blue Boxes was right. I had been procrastinating. Just a bit. But all''s well that ends well, right? I mean, it wasn''t technically over until I was certain that Morgan wouldn''t do anything stupid if I let it out of its prison, but hey, that''s a technicality. With a sigh I rubbed my face and looked out over my domain, my creation, my universe. This was hard work, and I had a feeling that it never got easier. But it was fulfilling as well, watching my children grow.


    A small smile crossed my lips as I turned my attention towards Tian, watching him grow from afar.


    "Now," I said with a smile. "Time to see who tied their string around you, hm?"

 Dragons and Draconians

    POV: Reika


    I hummed as I tended to my garden, singing a happy tune as I continued to pour my power into the Life-Giving Tree, helping it heal. It hadn''t yet fully recovered from Sol''s fires, though some of those scars would never fully disappear. Still though, I felt happy today. The light from the Sun and Moon warmed my skin, nourishing the Four Realms and causing it to grow explosively. Even the mortals, after calming down a bit from their wars, are growing very fast.


    A sudden jolt shook me out of my dazed gardening, and I shook my head with a wry smile. That girl -the one immortal left after Dei reincarnated and the other two became the sun and the moon -was trying to once again reach the top of the Life-Giving Tree. Little miss empress, or the Celestial Empress, as they now called her, had grown far too arrogant for her own good. That was to be expected, however, as she was far and above the most powerful cultivator in any Realm, including the Heaven Realm, which was beginning to gain its own immortal cultivators.


    Not only that, but she ruled over the biggest and most powerful city of cultivators, Manu Ti, which still floated in the skies today as a beacon of hope for all mortals. Although many cultivation cities had followed Manu Ti''s example, none could match the city''s grandeur -not even I could deny that. However, it still paled in comparison compared to the constructs of the deities. How could a city compare to Elvira''s Mountain, Keilan''s Valley, Alexander''s River, or my Tree? How could it, for that matter, compare to Mother''s palace, in all its simplicity?


    But I''m getting off track. They did good with that city, and it was doing far more good than harm. But the Celestial Empress was tenacious and annoying as ever as she tried to reach the top of the Tree. This time she made it about halfway through the leaves of the Tree before, with a snort, I waved my hand and sent her flying back down. She wasn''t quite ready to reach the top, and if she got much higher some ancient and powerful mystic beasts would chase her down. For a second I paused. What will I do if someone does reach the top? Looking around I spotted a few curious beasts, both normal and mystical, as they ran about the planet-sized leaves and massive branches. Each dip in the bark was like the deepest of valleys, each rustle was like a giant earthquake, and was home to innumerous creatures of all shapes and sizes.


    Huh. There are beasts up here but no mortals. Strange. I suppose it is meant to be a challenge for them...Suddenly I grinned. Ah, that''s it. That''s what I could do. Reaching the top of the Life-Giving Tree signifies that they are ready to be granted the ability to pass between Realms. Mystic beasts will have another trial, but, seeing as how no mortal or immortal, only spirits and deities, have traveled between Realms, I figure it''s a good milestone to set.


    "Lady Reika." A voice said, almost catching me off guard as the speaker materialized behind me.


    "Ah, it''s you Avidan. What can I help you with?" I asked, turning around and looking at the Deity of Justice. He was young, only five millennia old and having fought in the war of the Sun, yet was not the youngest. In the past thousand years alone five more deities had been born, proof that the small size of the Four Realms had been stifling its denizens. Still though, for Avidan to have such a vague domain as justice...that must be hard.


    "Alexander has called all deities to the Karmic Palace." Avidan said, bowing slightly. I smiled and nodded, turning back to my gardenfor a moment. Oh, would you look at that? The Iceflowers are blooming.


    "I''ll be along in a moment." I said absently, admiring the field of flowers before me. The Iceflowers in particular were shining brilliantly, their snow-white petals gleaming as icy mists rolled from the stamen, turning the area in which they were planted into an icy wonderland.


    "My lady," Avidan said, obviously impatient but afraid to speak out against me. "I cannot leave without you." He said, and I sighed. Why are the young ones always so impatient? Alexander and Keilan are not going anywhere, they can wait a few more minutes. None of the deities that normally stay in the Mortal Realm, such as the elemental deities, have left yet so I wasn''t feeling too rushed.


    "Hmm," I hummed, glancing at Avidan and shaking my head. "Is there any particular reason why I''m supposed to go now rather than later?" I decided to ask. Avidan frowned, thought about it for a moment, and then shook his head. "Good. Then go get everyone else in the Mortal Realm and when they''re all gathered come get me. I have no desire to go stand around in the middle of the Karmic palace waiting for who knows how long." Avidan hesitated and then bowed before vanishing. Shortly after I could feel all the other deities in the Mortal Realm begin to leave, either physically or via incarnation, filtering towards the Karmic Realm. When Avidan reappeared not but a few hours later I merely sighed and followed, vanishing and reappearing in Keilan''s Karmic palace.


    Specifically I appeared in the massive auditorium he had built just outside of his palace for entertainment purposes, as that is where I sensed Alexander to be. The auditorium itself was very impressive, with thousands of seats rising up along the side of the Valley and looking down on the stage, the darkness of the Realm only broken by braziers filled with purple and white fires. A giant ball of karmic light hovered overhead for the occasion, illuminating the area for those who could not see solely through Karma and mental energies.


    The first few rows were filled with all two hundred and eighty three deities, many of whom sent incarnations of themselves rather than abandon their duties. This was also the reason as to why there were no angels present -they were too busy trying to guide mortals and keep them from doing too many stupid things. I believe two were placed on Tian, this time around...


    Kei waggled her fingers at me in greeting from the front row, a mischievious smile on her face.


    "Sister." Alexander''s voice rumbled out, dragging my attention to him. The great serpent was -well, not in his dragon form. Instead he was in the Fae-like form that Mother gave him, a form I hadn''t seen since...well, the beginning of time. His white scales covered most of his body, except for the bronzed skin of his stomach, chest, and face, while to large bat-like wings stretched from his back. A scowl was plastered on his face, and I couldn''t help but have to suppress a smile.


    "What''s got you so riled up?" I asked, watching as Keilan descended from the sky, talking with Elvira. The duo landed next to me, giving me a nod in greeting.


    "Your daughter, that''s what. I just wanted to talk with you three and Father, but somehow Kei got wind of it and made this into a giant show." Alexander scowled, sending Kei a scathing glare. She just giggled and winked playfully, completely ignoring the look I shot her.


    "Well it''s not that surprising. This is Kei we''re talking about, I''d be more surprised if she didn''t do something like this." Keilan said.


    "Still though..." Alexander grumbled.


    "Quit your whining you overgrown lizard. You''re enough of a recluse as it is, you need to show your face a bit more." Elvira chided, earning herself a glare and growl from Alexander. I just smiled wryly as I listened to my siblings bicker, opting to stay out of it for now. My eyes wandered a bit and I found myself looking at Kei again, wondering if Mother''s influence had anything to do with Kei''s mischievious nature...probably. No, not probably, definitely. It''s definitely Mother''s fault.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "I''m pretty sure she would''ve turned out the same way regardless of what I did." Mother suddenly said, abruptly appearing behind me and giving me a little jump-scare, answering my thoughts. In the entire Four Realms, only She, Keilan, and Gilles could sneak up on me like that.


    "Mother!" I protested, giving her a half-hearted glare. She just laughed, the sound echoing out and silencing the drone of chatter from the present deities and their incarnations.


    "Mother." Keilan said respectfully.


    "Father." Elvira and Alexander said.


    "I hear you''ve got something to show us. Well, don''t keep me in suspense! I''ve been waiting for a long time for this, you know!" Mother said happily, grinning at Alexander and taking a few steps back, towards the front row of seats in the auditorium.


    "Your seat is there, Mother." Keilan said with an amused smile, stopping her from simply sitting on one of the benches and instead directing Her towards a large ostentatious throne in the very center of the front row. Mother stared at the throne for a minute, before looking back at Keilan. The two had a staring match for a moment before Mother relented with a sigh.


    "Cheeky brat." She muttered to Herself, and I could almost hear Keilan laughing in his heart. He knows full well that Mother doesn''t really care for thrones...or anything of the sort. Which made it all the funnier for us four. Especially when She pouted upon actually seating Herself on the chair. As for the other deities, they looked relieved that Mother wasn''t sitting on the same seats as they were, like it was expected for Her to sit somewhere else.


    As for Keilan, Elvira, and myself, we all moved to the very back of the collection of deities, choosing not to sit down.


    "Right. Well. I''m going to be introducing a new race of sentient beings into the Four Realms with the permission of Father." Alexander said with a deadpan expression. "Two races, actually. Dragons and draconians." With a wave of his hand two dragons appeared out of nowhere with a loud roar, looking very similar to his serpentine form, albeit with a different color scheme. These two were gold and silver in color, and were obviously smaller and less powerful. Then, Alexander waved his other hand, causing two more figures to appear on his other side, a male and female version of his human form, complete with long, curling horns.


    Murmurs rippled throughout the deities, admiring the dragons as they stood proudly next to Alexander, and the draconians as they hung in suspended animation. All eyes turned to Mother as She stared at them, a goofy smile on Her face.


    "Wonderful!" She said happily, clapping Her hands. "You have my blessings." Alexander bowed slightly to Her, waving his hand and causing all four of his creations to disappear. Then he shot up into the sky, turning back into his dragon form and disappearing into the Spirit Realm. Kei withheld a giggle and I smiled, shaking my head and vanishing as well.


    POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian


    Now the Four Realms has five...no, six sentient races. Unfortunately none of the mystic beasts have evolved to that stage yet, so I might have to provide some sort of boost for that. Once the Four Realms gets to a certain size I won''t have to worry about it, but for now...


    "My Lady, it is an honor to meet you once again." A deity said, approaching me and bowing. I smiled and returned the greeting, watching as he moved out of the way to allow the next group and group of deities to greet me. Apparently after Alexander left this had turned into a social event, as those that weren''t greeting me were milling about and talking to one another. The Four Realms may be a little small right now, but there''s still plenty to do, so they don''t always get a chance to talk to one another.


    "It is good to see you again." Gilles said, moving to stand next to me. I nodded to him, greeting the other five elemental deities of Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and Light in the meantime. Gilles watched the newly born deity of light as she moved off, having taken over Sol''s position as the light deity, with a sad expression. Unsurprisingly she had appeared to balance out the elements rather than in connection to the Sun, seeing as how the two were the same but now slightly different, as both the Sun and Moon were shining down upon the Four Realms. It was...a little convoluted.


    "How''s she doing?" I asked, talking about the light deity.


    "Good. She''s very different from Sol, much less prideful." Gilles said back. I hummed and nodded, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye.


    "Well? Is there anything you want to ask me?" I inquired. Gilles shook his head.


    "No, not yet." He muttered with a sigh. "I was merely enjoying your company. For now, I will bid you farewell." He said with a tinge of panic, vanishing in a swirl of shadows. I just chuckled and shook my head at his mild panic, watching him clearly flee the scene. It''s ok. I can wait. I''ll be patient. He''ll come around eventually. After that I turned my attention back to the approaching deities, greeting them one by one with a warm smile. Most of them were of the older generations, greeting me with relatively relaxed tones and varying informal addresses. Things like "Parent" or "Creator" were very common here. However the younger the deities got, the more and more formal the addresses and greetings became.


    It made me frown on a few occasions, but there wasn''t much for me to say about it so I merely told them that it is ok to talk to me normally and sent them on their way. Once the line was finished I stood up with a sigh, looking around at my children as they all spoke and chatted with one another, many of them talking about mortal races, even some of them wondering if they could create a sentient race as well. Some of them weren''t as interested however, including the elemental deities, who technically had their own races in the form of elementals, or the ones tied closely with the sentient races already present, such as the deity of justice.


    However the deity I was most interest with at the moment was the youngest deity in the Four Realms, as she was only around six hundred years old. Truly young.


    As I walked across the auditorium floor the various deities kept their eyes on me, watching to see what I would do. It was actually a little unnerving, but I somehow managed to ignore it as I approached the deity. The conversation of the five deities she was talking with died the moment they noticed me approaching. They were all fairly young, with the oldest being a mere twenty thousand years old.


    "Hello there. How are you all doing?" I asked, smiling.


    "Very well, mi''lord." One, a minor deity, said with a bow. The others all mimicked him with varying degrees of formal respect, all bowing to me. The youngest, Inesa, a minor deity of the hearth and home, bowed the deepest. I sighed inwardly, my lips unconsciously twitching as I fought the urge to frown. I really don''t like it how they bow to me...


    "That''s good. Inesa." I said, causing the young girl to flinch as she remained bowed. Her warm brown hair fluttered slightly with the action, her loose-fitting robes not quite hiding her trembling. I withheld my frown once again, glancing at the other four, who shook their heads. Checking up on new deities was a habit of mine, though I hadn''t been able to do it while in secluded meditation, but I''d never seen this kind of reaction before. "What, am I really so scary? I''m just asking how you''re doing. You are still young after all."


    "Th-this lowly one is ashamed..." She murmured quietly, and my next words caught in my throat.


    "What?" I choked out. "What did you just say?" All conversation ceased when I spoke this time, and the deities all looked at me and Inesa.


    "I-I...This lowly one..." Inesa said, her entire body shaking.


    "That''s enough of that." I said a little too harshly, but at this point I was done. I''d dealt with this for far too long, and it was time to nip it in the bud before it got too out of hand. "Inesa, look at me." Inesa''s trembling only worsened, and yet she didn''t dare to look up. With a sigh I stepped towards her and placed one hand underneath her chin, gently lifting her face so our eyes met. "You are not a lowly one." I said calmly. Confusion flashed across her face, and I continued. "There is no need to debase yourself so. You are one of my children, and there is no need for you to lower your head."


    "That goes for all of you! I have ignored this problem for too long, because I knew that no matter what I did I would not be able fully destroy it. However here is where I shall draw the line. Who do you think you are? Who do you thinkIam? Do you see me as your superior? Do you see yourselves as inferior to me? If so, then you severely misunderstand the nature of the Four Realms. It''s not about superiority. If you wish to compare, then the only thing that you should be superior than is your former self. We all have our purposes, our duties, and you are all born with equal chances to grow. Do not lower yourselves in such a manner.


    "As for me, it is my privilege, my honor, and my duty to watch you grow as your parent and creator." My expression was serious as I met the gazes of all the deities. Every day I am cursed by the mortals, why would I be afraid of a little ridicule, or disrespect? Then I smiled and looked at Inesa, shaking my head. "You all are my family. Why should I feel superior to you? That in and of itself is a folly." I said, patting her head. "We are here to guide and grow. That is part of what it means to be a deity."

 On Domains and Lessons

    <u>POV: Guardian Angel</u>


    Tian paused as he wandered down the dirt road outside of his clan, having noticed the five children that were now blocking his way, sneers on their faces. He was eight now, and having shown no ability to cultivate conventionally whatsoever, it is expected that he would be the target of bullying by those who did cultivate -especially in a cultivation clan. Unfortunately this ridicule flowed down from the adults and into the children, who were more vocal in their learned disdain.


    "What do you want?" Tian asked, clenching his fists by his sides and looking at the bullies with a carefully blank expression. For a child to have such control over his emotions like that was very impressive, and a little disheartening.


    "Hmph. Shut up, you trash." The oldest of the five kids said, and Tian clenched his teeth but said nothing in response. The kid that spoke stepped forwards and grabbed Tian by his jet-black horn, dragging him around for a bit and not even giving an excuse to his anger. "Trash is trash and should know when to shut up." Ah, there it is. I was waiting for that bit. Tian struggled to get away, but the other kids just laughed at him as he struggled, one of them shoving Tian with all of his might.


    Even if he was just a child that had barely reached the first stage towards reaching the first true stage of Qi cultivation, the boy was far stronger and more durable than any normal kid his age. However, how could the kid know this? Only the one holding Tian''s horn would really understand, and instead of letting go of Tian''s horn, he actually viciously twisted when Tian fell. It was the action that normally would be written off as some childish accident, however I could see that the boy''s soul was dark to begin with. His action was a thought of hate given form, with no real conscious thought on his part. Nonetheless, he did it with the intent to injure Tian. I could see the negative karma around the boy increase a bit.


    With a sickening crack Tian''s horn snapped clean off, leaving the boy sprawled in the dirt and looking up at the sky, not able to comprehend what had just happened. It wasn''t until Tian looked up and saw his horn that it registered, and he reached up to touch the stump. When he pulled his hand away it was covered in blood, and he could do naught but stare at it. His horns hadn''t even fully grown yet...


    It was around this time that Tian was supposed to scream, thus drawing the attention of the nearby clan members and causing the kids who hurt him to be reprimanded. Unable to cultivate or not, one does not go around picking on mortals, or those who don''t cultivate. It''s a serious taboo, even if those people are looked down upon. However, how could the one who stood up to the "Enemy" allow things to go as planned? Even as a child with no memories, his personality, heart, and soul are far stronger than those around him. How could he just allow this to happen?!


    The other angel guarding Tian with me started to move forwards as Tian stood up, teary eyed and looking as if he might cry but still holding the tears back. I, however, held my fellow angel back. This may be off track, but...I could feel something shifting inside Tian, threatening to wake up. It was the thing the Creatorwantedto wake within Tian, it was merely happening earlier than planned.


    "Give it back." Tian said in a trembling voice. The other kids just stared at him for a moment, unmoving, until Tian stepped forwards and held out his hand. "Gi-give me my horn." He said, just barely able to hold back from crying out in pain. The other kids hesitated, and one started to move forwards as if to console Tian, or perhaps attempt to give the horn back, but the one holding Tian''s horn held him back.


    "Go get the Creator." I said, turning to the angel next to me.


    "I''m already here. I sensed it." A voice suddenly called out from behind me. I jerked in surprise and bit back a curse. When I first became an angel, I thought that meant that no one would sneak up on me anymore. I don''t know why I had that foolish notion, but I did. And damn was I wrong. The deities love just popping up out of nowhere, and it really pisses me off. "Don''t act." The incarnation the Creator had sent said, narrowing His eyes as He looked down at Tian. Being in the presence of the Creator was...something else. Even if it was just an incarnation, He had an aura about Him that...I don''t know. I suppose I am not yet able to understand it...


    Tian howled, and I turned back to the scene before me, having missed part of the conversation between himself and his bullies as I contemplated the Creator''s aura. Currently Tian was...getting the crap beat out of him. Well, sort of. The bullies were absolutely beating him, the one that had held his horn punching with incredible force, but Tian was like a wild boar -he just kept coming. He was in pain, he was bleeding, but still he continued to climb to his feet and bite and scratch and claw and punch at everyone that came within reach.


    Somethinghad snapped within Tian, and now he was letting it out. Not even the cultivating children before him could stop him as he instinctively began to use both soul and heartpower, strengthening his body and mind.


    "He snapped earlier than expected." The Creator noted calmly, watching the fight with a critical gaze. Tian didn''t win, but the bullies were not without their own injuries. Cuts, bruises, Tian had dealt plenty of damage despite the fact that he was now laying in the middle of the road, his broken horn on the ground next to him. It was a very pitiful sight, something more fitting in a fight between adults rather than children. "He''s a very surprising person, but also very predictable." The Creator said, shaking His head. The other angel and I looked at each other before nodding in agreement.


    "At least he didn''t mess anything up. Though I''m worried. If this is his reaction now..." I trailed off, thinking of the path that had been laid before Tian. One of hardship.


    "Yes. That''s the point. Just make sure he doesn''t make too big of a mistake, and if there''s anything you can''t handle you know what to do." The Creator said with a sigh, muttering something about upscaling. I nodded and looked back down at Tian, ignoring it when the Creator disappeared and continuing to just...watch over things. However, I did manipulate a few people here and there. Just because I''m watching and guiding one person in particular, doesn''t mean I can''t help others as well.


    POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian


    Honestly, we still need more angels. The ones we do have are all about the same level of power I was before I became an Origin Deity, which, while powerful, is still not much. There were angels that presided over multiple galaxies back where I came from. Those were the real game changers. And, when I ran into a problem that I couldn''t solve I''d just call someone bigger and stronger than myself over, and let that one handle it. Well, not like I can complain too much. All things take time after all, and the Four Realms is still young.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    When I returned to my palace, I was surprised to find Elvira already waiting for me, sitting on one of the many verandas that gave me a good view of the entire Four Realms.


    "Elvira? What are you doing here?" I asked, a little confused. I didn''t sense any problems in the Heaven Realm, so why was she here? It couldn''t be just...to talk, could it?


    "Do I need a reason to come see you?" Elvira asked.


    "Generally you have one, yes." I deadpanned, raising one eyebrow. She deflated a bit and I just grinned, shaking my head and waving one hand. Randus appeared moments later and at my request vanished again to go get some tea. Gesturing to a table and chairs made of solidified primordial chaos, we both sat down and stared at the Realm Sun.


    "Actually, I do have a few questions..." Elvira said slowly. I just laughed and shook my head, waving my hand for her to continue. She shot me a small glare, her feathers ruffling and tails twitching in annoyance, before continuing. "I...would like some advice on guiding mortals." She said, looking away. Randus reappeared in that moment, pouring both myself and Elvira a cup of tea before once again vanishing. I took a sip and nodded, relishing in the feeling of the very pure and very positive-feeling energy flowed through me. The tea was specially brewed with a few plants I was experimenting with. I hadn''t gotten it quite right yet, the energies held within hadn''t balanced in the way I wanted them to, but this was much better than some of my previous attempts.


    "Hmm. Funny, Keilan''s been working on the same thing lately, though he hasn''t come to ask for help yet. He''s a bit more stubborn on that front than you are. Does this have anything to do with Tian?" I asked. Elvira said nothing and took a sip of her tea, looking down at it in surprise afterwards.


    "Woah." She said, peering at its contents. I just grinned and waited for a response, or question about her drink. "What is...?" She asked, looking up at me quizzically.


    "It''s a combination of tea trees from my personal garden. You won''t find the plants anywhere else in the Four Realms." I replied calmly, taking another sip. Elvira stared at the tea for a moment before looking back up at me.


    "You have a garden?" She asked. A full bodied laugh escaped me, and I nodded my head, beaming at her.


    "Yes, I do. Reika helped me set it up." I replied, looking at Elvira expectantly. She just nodded and continued to stare at her tea. Seeing as how this would go nowhere fast, I decided to once again take the lead in controlling the conversation. "It''s not surprising that you''re having troubles guiding the mortals. You''ve been dealing with deities and high-tier spirits since your birth, and they are completely different from mortals, as I''m sure you know." I explained. She just nodded and sighed, rubbing her face with one hand.


    "They''re just so...difficult." She muttered.


    "Mm. You must remember that the harder you try to grasp them, the more they''ll fight. Especially those with lower levels of karmic attainment. They can get particularly nasty when they sense something trying to manipulate or force them." I told her, but this was something she already knew. It showed on her face, but I was patiently waiting until she physically asked me the question she was so dying to have answered.


    "What I don''t understand is why, after all these years, there have been no angels or immortals from among the Avians? The Karae have had one angel come from them and although the Elementals have neither immortals or angels either they''re getting closer. The Avians are falling behind, and I don''t understand." Elvira asked, and I smiled.Technically speaking, it doesn''t matter what race a soul is reborn as. They all have equal opportunities to grow and become angels, at which point things like race and gender basically become irrelevant. However, souls do have some say in how and where they will be reborn, meaning that if they''re looking for a life that will help them rise in karmic attainment or, to a lesser extent, have a powerful cultivation base, they''ll be born into an area that will give them chances to do so.


    Therefore, when it comes to the races, of course the souls are going to choose the ones where they feel have the higher chances of having what they want. In the case of Avians, they''re getting the majority of souls who don''t have a desire to go anywhere, either up or down on the scale. The others are similar, though Karae are beginning to attract those who wish to go higher, and Fae have the widest margin by far. They get everyone.


    Come to think of it, this is very much like a friendly competition, isn''t it? To see who can create the "best race," I mean. And now that Alexander has added his Draconians into the mix, I wonder how the scales will tip? Well, I''m pretty confident the Fae will stay on top, but that''s beside the point. It''s kind of fun to see my kids so worked up like this.


    "No, you don''t quite understand it. Keilan has a bit of a head start because he has a deeper understanding about Karma than you do, but that doesn''t mean that the Karae are automatically going to have more angels, does it? Just like how the Avians don''t naturally have more Qi-cultivation immortals simply because you based their bodies off of the energies in the Heaven Realm." I explained. Elvira nodded.


    "Yes, I understand that." She said with a frown. "What I don''t understand is what I''m doing wrong."


    "Nothing. You''re not doing anything wrong, per se, but you''re not going about it as well as you could." I replied vaguely. "Your people are tied to you, Elvira. Whether they realize it or not they will grow as you do, and will unconsciously follow in your footsteps....to a degree. As you understand more about yourself, your domain, and your Realm, they naturally will as well. If you want your people to grow you must guide them, yes, but you yourself must also continue to grow." I explained. Elvira''s eyes lit up in a strange sort of enlightenment. She had known that instinctively before, but hearing it was another matter entirely. As it always is.


    "Oh...oh, I see." She said.


    "Do you?" I questioned. "What do you need to do now?"


    "I...I..." Elvira frowned and muttered for a second, her thoughts whirring. "I need to understand my domain." She said decisively. I nodded in approval as she stood up, turning to leave and act upon her new revelation. Then, she turned and gave me a thankful smile. "Thank you, Father." She said, and shot off towards her palace. I lifted my tea cup towards her for a moment before draining it and holding it out for a refill. By this point I had gotten used to Randus''s whims.


    Technically speaking, none of the Big Five have Deific Domains, like my own Balance, except for Alexander. Alexander was far and above the highest when it comes to understanding both mortals, his Realm, and his domain, exactly because of the nature of the Spirit Realm. He has to guide the other Realms through his own, so naturally that forces him to grow and learn quicker. True, Keilan, Elvira, and Reika were all born to rule over their respective Realms, but that doesn''t quite give them the domain like the other deities. Those four are naturally different than normal deities. It''s a subtle difference, but it''s there nonetheless. Keilan, at least, was beginning to find his domain. It lay in Karma and the mind. No one doubts what Reika''s is, Life, but she has yet to truly begin to walk that path.


    "Raising children is hard." I announced to no one in particular, my gaze falling onto Tian as he went about his life. His attitude was getting worse and worse as the days passed. He was getting angrier and angrier. That was one of his lessons. He needed to learn to let go of the anger that stems from his obsessive desire to protect. It''s been haunting him for a while, and while that doesn''t mean he should no longer feel anger, it means he just shouldn''t hold onto it so long that it turns into hate. Another sigh escaped me.


    For that to happen, however, Tian needed to hit a tentative "rock bottom." His personality was too stubborn otherwise.

 Just a Bit Further

    <u>POV: Guardian Angel</u>


    "No." I said sagely, practically sitting on the ten-year-old Tian as he struggled to rise from his bed. For all intents and purposes, that is exactly what I was doing; putting pressure on him so he couldn''t get up and go make a mistake. He was already getting kicked out of the clan for his increasingly aggressive behavior, there was no need to add getting crippled to the mix.


    Well, I say getting kicked out, but it''s more like going on a ten year journey to train in order to beat the current Young Lord of the Cavan clan, who just so happened to make a joke of a bet with him after pushing for his exile due to Tian''s "inferior genes." The bet was that if, in ten years, Tian could actually beat the Young Lord then he would take back everything he said and allow Tian back into the clan. It was, again, a joke. Not something he planned to uphold. Tian took it seriously.


    Not even Tian''s parents objected to the exile, instead turning a blind eye towards Tian.


    And now, Tian was attempting to rise from his bed, on his last night in the clan, and go to try and beat the crap out of the Young Lord while he slept. I naturally had to stop him, which was only aggravating Tian further, because he was slowly beginning to figure out that it wasn''t his own fear or thoughts that were holding him down, it was something else entirely. I figured that if I had to hold him down many more times he''d catch on about there beingsomethingfollowing him. He just wouldn''t know what, because cultivators could be surprisingly ignorant about spirits. Which was ironically funny.


    Finally, after hours of struggling, Tian gave up and I just shook my head with a wry smile as he finally drifted off to sleep. Such an ornery little brat. Unfortunately for him, the next day Tian was kicked out of the clan compound with nothing but the clothes on his back, a backpack with a few necessities, and some money his parents had given him. With a not-so-mild curse Tian turned his back on the closing gates of his clan and the apathetic looks of the gate guards.


    Then he, a ten year old boy, set out on a journey to get stronger, far stronger...though he did not know how. I sighed and shook my head, grasping at strings of karma and thought, weaving a tapestry of them for the boy to follow. Next to me Tian''s other guardian angel did the same, sporting the same wry expression that I did. Just by hovering over Tian we were altering things, changing them, affecting it with our positive energy, our karma. Even if we hover in the Spirit Realm, which runs parallel to and through all Realms, as we watch Tian we still effect things to a degree. If we actively reach out and manipulate things, it gets even more apparent.


    But seeing as how fate is a fickle thing, we must still be careful.


    POV CHANGE:Tian


    I grumbled as I walked, kicking at dirt, rocks, anything that happened to cross my path. It had already been two months since my exile from the clan...oh, sorry,I wasn''t exiled I was merely being sent out totemper myself.I''m not a cultivator, I don''t need to temper myself. Who do they think they''re fooling? I know why they''re kicking me out. And my parents...


    I held back the tears that threatened to fall, cursing my treacherous eyes. How could they just abandon me like that? No -I refuse to think about it. So I grit my teeth and continued to walk, holding down my feelings of doubts and fear. Where was I supposed to go now? What was I supposed to do? I had to fight the Young Lord in ten years, but how would I get strong enough to? I was only ten, this is...


    Shaking my head vigorously I forced those thoughts away, my steps slowly becoming stomps as I walked down the road. Where was I even going? To Manu Ti? The rumored city of cultivators that flew in the sky? It''d take dozens of years to get there on foot, or so my one-time-friend Kagami said, and there were probably all kinds of mystic beasts that would eat me before I got there. Grinding my teeth, I thought about that. I didn''t even have a weapon to defend myself with besides a small dagger.I stopped walking and stared at the dirt road beneath my feet, attempting to get my emotions under control again. A feeling of unwillingness crawled its way up from my gut and into my chest, forcing more tears to well up in the corner of my eyes. But I am a man, and men don''t cry, so I didn''t.


    Decidedly ignoring the wet drops that fell onto the dirt road I turned my attention to the surrounding forest and the tall mountains in the distance. In a fit of childish anger and hope, as I would later come to call it, I stomped off the road in the direction of the mountains, entering the deep, dark forest and heading into its depths. Maybe if I reached the top of one of those mountains I''d be struck by celestial lightning, and then be able to control lightning! Or I''d find some treasure of an ancient cultivator along the way, or even find Dei, and have him teach me all about cultivation! My eyes glazed over a bit at the thought of every cultivator''s hero; Dei, the first Immortal. He who challenged the Sun Devourer, and fought amongst the gods even as a mortal. Or Immortal, depending on who tells the story.


    Kagami told me that Dei was a fairy-tale, or that he died a long time ago because no one''s seen him since forever, but I didn''t agree. He''s out there. I justknowit. And I''ll find him, and become the best cultivator there ever was!


    My plan was flawless.


    Or so I thought, until about three days in when I realized there was no longer anyone to steal food from, the mystic beasts within the forest all apparently had a blood feud with me, and that I was utterly lost within the dense foliage. Which brings me to my current situation, one caused by me trying to rectify two of those problems.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "Go away you stupid monkey!" I shouted, shooing away the four-armed monkey by throwing bark and broken off branches at it, protecting my backpack that was now stuffed full of a yellow fruit with the other hand. The monkey just stared at me uncomprehendingly, not even bothering to dodge. Grumbling to myself I turned away from the monkey again, slinging my backpack over my shoulder and climbing further up the tree, being sure to keep an eye on that monkey. It was up to no good. I was sure of it.


    After ten more minutes of climbing I broke through the tops of the trees and stared at the view. It was...stunning. The mountains were close, closer than I expected, and loomed so high they seemed to scrape the sky....It was wonderful...and I didn''t even notice when I slipped into a trance staring at the mountains, something akin to enlightenment flooding into me.


    POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian


    The tea I was drinking sprayed out of my mouth in surprise, startling Keilan as he poured over my creature diagrams. That idiot. That bloody idiot. The hell is Tian thinking, gaining enlightenment on amountainof all damn things. Not even a special, spiritual mountain! Not even one that would lead him toward the Holy Mountain! Just a normal mountain!


    "Focus, idiot." I grumbled, reaching out one hand and flicking my finger. The Four Realms reacted to my intent, a great wind sweeping forth and knocking Tian off of his tree, abruptly ending his enlightenment. He could do much better than gaining enlightenment on a simple mountain, no matter how profound mortal philosophers make them. That''s not to drag on mountains, the Holy Mountain is indeed a worthy target of such enlightenment, but still...really? A mountain? I could believe a volcano, but a ''mountain'' doesn''t suit Tian''s personality.


    "Mother?" Keilan asked hesitantly.


    "Ah, don''t worry about it. Just dealing with a fool. What do you think so far?" I asked, moving to stand next to him as he examined the nine-headed lion design. It was a very basic design, still a work in progress, and I bet that it would change sooner than later.


    "Hmm. Well, I don''t see too many problems. The Birds will probably be fine, there aren''t many bird-like beings in the first place, same with the sea creatures. I''d like a hand in creating the Leviathans, considering the biggest will undoubtedly end up in the oceans of the Karmic Realm, and Reika will probably want to take a look at the birds. As for everything else...they could probably use some work." Keilan told me, and I nodded.


    "Hmm. That pretty much confirms my suspicions. If I put any of the other divine creatures in the Four Realms, at its current size, they''d cause far too many waves. It''d unbalance the ecosystem, probably resulting in a few cities being destroyed, and currently the mortals are still recovering from the War. It''d do more harm than good." I muttered, scratching my chin and glaring at the few designs I had for land-based creatures. That was, or course, a relative term, as if they get powerful enough then ecosystems won''t affect them.


    "The Sky Wolf is good to go now, though. Maybe have Elvira and Reika come check it out, but I think the design is well done." Keilan mentioned, pointing at another one of my designs. The golden ball of light fluttered for a moment as I peered into it, quadruple checking my work. It was purposefully unbalanced in design, representing both the sky and land and a few other things that contradicted each other, and was the perfect representation of irony in my books. I am the Deity of Balance, and yet for there to be balance, some things must be unbalanced. Hilarious.


    "Is that so? I''ll think about putting it out there, then. Maybe I should start with one that''s at the basic level first, rather than going Kei with it." I mused.


    "That''s probably smart." Keilan acknowledged, nodding to me. The last thing the Four Realms needed was another being with power rivalling the Big Five, it''s already oversaturated with deities as-is. The Four Realms needs to grow more before any more powerhouses can be born, or the ones already here can grow to the level of power theyshouldbe at. If it doesn''t, the Four Realms will experience a sudden, andviolentbacklash that will catapult it in the opposite direction -as a sort of survival instinct. Too many deities and the whole place will rupture.


    "I just wonder-" Then I paused and looked away from him, staring into space. "Excuse me for a moment." I said, turning and waving one hand. A rift in space opened and I stepped inside, looking at Morgan with a small, sad smile. "How''s it going?" I asked. The wolf-creature looked at me and narrowed its eyes.


    "Hmph. I didn''t think you''d come so quickly, even ditching one ofThe Others." Morgan hissed. "I finished what you asked." It said.


    "Took you long enough. How many years has it been since I asked you to create a being? A few centuries?" I mused, watching with interest as a blob of...something appeared before me. I instinctively crinkled my nose at thefoulcreature. "How long did it take you to make that?"


    "Ten minutes. I got bored." Morgan grumbled, but hey, it was at least an improvement. I''d been getting to Morgan, I just know it. Losing the war was probably a heavier blow to the being, having slowly been convincing itself that perhaps it was not the best way, and that my way had merits. Having a physical body helped with that, I''m sure.


    "That''s hardly an acceptable response." I snorted, reaching forwards and snatching the blob of...yuck. A bit of divine power surged into it, causing it to wiggle a bit and take on a more coherent shape. Now it looked like a drop of some...liquid. Is this a slime? It''s definitely a slime. "This is a bit better, but would still need more tweaking." I added.


    "What, not going to accept one ofmycreations?" Morgan sneered. I shook my head.


    "Nope! Not until you take this seriously! It''s for your own good as much as anything else." I chirped, tucking the slime under one arm and promptly stepping out of Morgan''s prison. "Call me next time you need something." I added as an afterthought, shaking my head. Keilan gave me an odd look as I re-emerged into my own palace.


    "Any trouble?" He asked, eyes drifting towards the slime. I shook my head, tossing the slime to Keilan and shrugging my shoulders. "This definitely needs work. It''d go extinct in seconds. Is this the Ene -I mean, Morgan''s handiwork?" Keilan asked, holding the slime away from himself.


    "Mostly. I altered it a bit. You should''ve seen the first version, it was just a blob of nastiness." I said with a sigh, shaking my head. Keilan nodded, crinkling his nose in the same way I did and gently setting the slime down on the ground, where it just...sat there, doing nothing. It barely had a conscious mind, let alone a sentient one. Absently I reached out and flicked my finger once more, stopping Tian from gaining another lesser enlightenment. Technically, one could absolutely have many enlightenments, but the first was the most important. It was supposed to be the thing closest to one''s soul. In this case, my teardrop was actually working against Dei, giving him far too many chances to gain ''enlightenment,'' even on the tiniest of things.


    One must first see that which is large and unfathomable, and then begin to realize the strength of simplicity.


    "So, what else do you have for me?" I asked, clapping my hands together and grinning at Keilan. My child just shook his head at me and sighed, accepting my not-so-subtle dismissal of the previous topic before looking back at the designs for divine and various other types of beings and diving once more into the topic. I just grinned and nodded along, happy to be focusing on something like this for once. Something much more pleasing and gratifying. Creating.

 Learning of Hearth and Home

    POV: Inesa (Goddess of Hearth and Home)


    I love mortals. Sure, all deities love mortals in their own way, but I really love mortals. They''re the ones who feel the closest connection to a single ''home,'' somewhere to return to and feel at ease. Deities, for the most part, find themselves thinking that the entirety of the Four Realms is their home, making it very hard for me to explain my domain to them. My domain is...tricky, yet incredibly simple, a deadly combination.


    Which is why I love mortals. They understand the meaning of home better than anyone. Coming home after a long day''s work to their family, relaxing in their presence and sitting by the fire to just unwind; sitting by the fire in the comfort of someone''s home; finding a home in anotherperson...these were all wondrous things that went unnoticed and underrated by far too many. It''s why I was currently down in the mortal realm, living a standard life amongst them as Inesa, a standard village girl.


    I hummed a song to myself as I tended the field I had acquired, feeling odd at the idea of "owning" a piece of land. It wasn''tmine.It wasn''tanyone''s.If anything it belonged to the Creator, Her Highness (though I should really stop calling Her that, after Her speech, but I can''t because She''s just sointimidating) but even then I figured that She''d vehemently reject that idea. Shaking my head again I continued to hum, looking up and sighing contentedly at the sight of my temporary house -home, until I could find a place to really make my own, personal, Deity home. Funny, how I did not have one yet. It''s almost hypocritical.


    The house itself wasn''t very big, only a three-room shack with a fireplace and a large hearth, but it was perfect for me. Cozy was the word I was looking for.


    "Inesa, dear!" A sudden call caught my attention, causing me to look and smile at the kindly old woman approaching. She was the village elder, and was always cooking something in that old home of hers. It was a wonderful home, full of memories of her late husband, her loving children, and rambunctious grandchildren. The small one-story building always smelt of apple pie and good times, and never failed to bring a smile to my face.


    "Hello, Obaa-san. Is there something I can help you with?" I asked politely, using the proper honorifics this region of Pangea seemed so fond of. The old lady -though she could hardly be considered old when compared to even I -flushed a little and swatted my shoulder in annoyance at the title, making me giggle.


    "I''m not an old lady yet! I''m still a spring chicken." She said defiantly. I giggled again at her joke and shook my head, looking down at the rice paddy I was tending. "Haru-san needs your help. A foreigner''s in town, and we can''t understand him." She explained. The villagers here know me as a foreigner as well, due to my intentional accent and features not prominently found in this region, and thus deferred most travelers (the few that actually came through the small mountain village) to me.


    "Tell Haru-san that I''ll be right there." I said, wiping my hands on my plain brown dress and moving up towards my house. Once inside I formally changed my clothes and cleaned up my hair a bit, fully immersed into the mortal way of life. Then I turned and traipsed down to the village, where I could already hear the angry shouts from the center of town. Town is a very...broad term, as in fact it was merely five one-story houses all built together around the well -one for the blacksmith, one for the elders, and the other three houses for the village merchants. They didn''t stay here too often, but we still kept their houses open for them.


    "What''s going on here?" I asked in a quiet, yet firm, voice, startling the two men in front of me. One was Haru-san, a middle-aged man with a slowly blackening soul, something I had been trying and failing to fix. He tried to be nice, but he was far too mean for his own good. He was a first-stage cultivator too, which didn''t help his already inflated ego. Some things you just couldn''t force. The other was the traveler, one who came from over the mountain range judging by his looks, with both of his horns broken off. One was near the base, while the other was broken off at about the halfway point. He had fine features and hair that was swiftly greying, even though he was only sixteen years old. A crude spear was strapped to his back, and he wore clothes made of the hide of mystic beasts.


    I was stunned instantly. Wasn''t that...wasn''t that the old man from the fishing village...?


    Obviously it wasn''thim,but it was hissoulthat now sat in this young man''s body, almost five hundred years after his death. I had always wondered about the old man thathad left such an impression on me back then, because souls don''t normallytakethat long to reincarnate. Only special ones do. And, judging by the two angels that were floating above him and looking at me curiously, he obviously was one of those souls.


    I bit back the nostalgia that came with remembering the grumpy old fisherman that taught me, a deity, a thing or two about what it means to have (or not have) a home, instead focusing on this topic at hand.


    "Oh thank God, someone I can understand. I am Tian." The boy, Tian, said as he turned to me. I could feel something rolling off of him in waves, a strange sort of power that I instinctively knewwaspower. It was soulpower and heartpower, things I had learned about not but five years ago during one of Lord Gilles'' lectures. "And this fucker here is being an absolute asshat." He said, jerking his thumb towards Haru-san. Aaaand, there''s the grouchy old man I remember. Good to see he hasn''t changed.


    "He''s just a little angry, there''s no need to be calling him names." I said pleasantly, and Haru-sanlookedat me as I conversed in a tongue different than the one they use in the village. The angels above Tian watched me, making me very uncomfortable because they''re basically beings under thedirect commandof ourCreator,but seeing as how they didn''t interfere I could breathe a mental sigh of relief. "Besides, you''re getting angry too and it''s not helping."


    "I just broughtonemystic beast into the village and he flipped out! He''s just a harmless puppy." Tian protested.


    "He brought a vicious beast into the village, Inesa-chan! It tried to eat me! Tell him to leave, and leave now!" Haru-san yelled hysterically.


    "Don''t call me Inesa-chan." I said firmly. Haru-san didn''t really seem to care all that much, but in no way were we friendly enough to warrant that honorific. "And Haru-san, there are people out there who have the ability to tame mystic beasts. It''s highly offensive to them and their partners to call the beasts vicious or evil in any way." I explained, then turned to Tian. He was just looking at me with one eyebrow raised.


    "I take it you''re the real boss then." He said, and I giggled.


    "I suppose so. Would you mind showing me your mystic beast? Just to make sure he''s not as evil as Haru says." I asked, and Tian shrugged.


    "Sure. He doesn''t like strangers though, so don''t be too alarmed if he growls at you." Tian warned. "That''s probably why butt-munch here is being so snippy." I just sighed and shook my head at Tian, motioning for him to lead the way. It''s probably just a low-level mystic beast anyways. Haru-san truly enjoys blowing things out of proportion. With a grunt Tian nodded and whistled loudly, rather than walking out of the village. After a few moments a yipping sound caught my attention, and I paled.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The small grey wolf bounding towards us with a happy expression, its tongue lolling out and tiny wings flapping uselessly, was anything but a mystic beast. That was adivine beast,one that the Creator had unleashed upon the Mortal and Heaven Realms not but two years ago -the Skyshatter Wolf.


    How in the world did Tian tame something like that?!?


    "This is Wolfy. Wolfy this is..." Tian trailed off, looking at me even as I mentally collected myself. Iknewhe had a good soul...if not a lonely one. A Skyshatter Wolf was supposedly naturally very attuned to souls, and rejected most any with evil souls, so just the fact that Tian could approach one proved what I already knew...just on a different level. He truly wasgood.The only problem was that he appeared to have a terrible naming sense.


    "Inesa." I answered automatically, looking at Haru-san. "This is a harmless creature, Haru-san. You should go back to tending your fields, I''ll handle this." Haru gave me a look of trepidation, but backed off anyways, all but fleeing from the village. None of the other villagers had gathered yet, all having been out in the fields while this was going on, so thankfully I didn''t have to smooth over any of their anxiousness. "Tian, if you would follow me." I said with a smile, and Tian nodded, looking down at Wolfy.


    "Is he ok?"He asked hesitantly.


    "Of course. He''s perfectly fine. Just a harmless little puppy." I said with a smile, said smile widening when the little wolf ran up to me and gently nuzzled my leg. I bent down and scratched him behind the ears, earning myself a happy yip. Another giggle escaped me, and Tian made an impressed noise.


    "He seems to like you." Tian said, eyeing me curiously. I made a noise in the back of my throat, unconsciously flicking my eyes up towards the angels, who now seemed to be watching me with even more intensity. Though Tian noticed the action he didn''t seem to think anything of it.


    "So he does. Follow me, please." I repeated, smiling lightly and working my way towards my home. Tian followed behind, Wolfy (I had to convince Tian to come up with a different name for the poor being) running forwards and leaping through the rice paddies, playing in the water. I wasn''t too worried about the little wolf harming anything, it seemed to be consciously avoiding crushing any of the plants...though he was getting dangerously close.


    Halfway to my house my thoughts were interrupted by mild cursing from Tian, and the sound of something hitting the ground...hard.I glanced over my shoulder to look at him, raising my eyebrows at the angel that had just tripped Tian, a nonplussed look on his face.


    "He was doing something stupid." The angel said with a shrug, standing over Tian and looking down at him. "Are you done yet?"


    "Stupid...one of these days I swear I will beat the crap out of you, whatever you are." Tian grumbled, rolling over and struggling to his feet. With another sigh the angel sent another burst of power out, sweeping Tian''s feet out from under him.


    "I can do this all day." The angel said, crossing his arms. "Quit being so stubborn." Tian couldn''t hear the angel however, and sighing in my heart I moved over and helped Tian to his feet.


    "There we go...watch your step, it''s awful muddy around here." I helpfully supplied. Tian flushed in embarrassment, nodding.


    "So it seems." He murmured, straightening up. "So...why are we going to your house anyways?" He asked.


    "Oh. I was just going to make tea, and then inquire about what brings you this far out?" I answered with a smile. Tian muttered an ''oh,'' scratching the back of his head.


    "Well, actually, I''ve been hunting a mystic beast. I''ve heard rumors that a pretty powerful one has been causing trouble lately, so I came to check it out. None of the cultivators I''ve come across have wanted to mess with it." Tian replied as we crossed the threshold into my small house. There were only three rooms, a bedroom, a living and dining area, and a kitchen connecting to it. I moved into the kitchen, grabbing the tea leaves I always kept in the cupboard (I grew my own tea-plant, around back in the little spring vegetable garden I had) and boiling some water on the stove. The fire was pretty easy to re-start, seeing as how the coals were still left over from this morning, and when I re-focused on Tian I found him standing uncomfortably in the doorway.


    "It''s...a nice house." He said hesitantly, breathing in the aura I had imbued my temporary home with. For a moment I just stared at him, looking into his past. He had been kicked out at age ten. For four years, he wandered the forests and mountains, always on the run, never catching a break. The next two years weren''t any better, as instead of suffering at the hands of nature, which he finally began to reign in at the end of his four year stint, he began to suffer at the hands of mortal cultivators. He was angry, and fighting against the world, and I could see it.


    I could see into the depths of his soul. It was yearning, aching for something, for a place to call home. For a place where he could kick up his feet and say "this is where I belong..." No. It wasn''t that. It was more...he yearned for a place where he could return to, where he waswanted,not justneeded.Or, perhaps, it was that he desired for the wantto transform into aneed.In this one moment Tian had found himself stuck in a moment of weakness -one that laid bare his soul for all those who had eyes to see.


    I don''t know what his past lives held, that information was beyond me, hidden from my sight even as a deity. But I did see what his soul wanted, what it needed, that which he desired the most. He, just like everyone else, desired a place where he could cast aside all of his worries and feel safe. He desired a Hearth to warm his soul. A warm smile stretched across my face as I Iooked at him. This was something I could help him find.


    POV CHANGE:Alexander


    I watched with a smile as Inesa and Tian interacted, the young goddess of Hearth and Home affecting him in ways that even she did not imagine. His life was able to take many paths, and for him to end up choosing this one was...intriguing. Father and I always knew that he would end up meeting a deity sometime in his sixteenth year of living, but for him to meet Inesa shows just how well Tian knows himself. His soul subconsciously guided him to Inesa as she lived amongst the mortals, because he knew what he desires most.


    When he was Dei, he was always on the run, before eventually settling down and building the greatest city of cultivators for the safety of his comrades. But even if his life had not ended and he continued to be Dei, he was destined to leave Manu Ti. He had merely stayed there until he was certain it was safe for his friends -his destiny did not lay there.


    In his first and second lives he learned, never truly seeking anything besides strength, which he did not have, and happiness, which he never found.


    Now, in his third life, it is all coming together so he can truly find his place. It is a far more simple task than mortals make it out to be, and Tian is slowly learning that. With a chuckle I split my mind, one part of me focusing on Tian, while the other turned its attention to Gilles, who had appeared in my little cave in the Spirit Realm.


    "Gilles, come to chat?" I asked good-naturedly, uncoiling my serpentine form and yawning. The deity of shadows drifted over to me, a blank expression on his face as he decided on what to say. I ended up deciding for him. "Have you asked Father yet?" I asked, and Gilles stiffened.


    "Wh-what are you talking about...?" He tried to deny, his already pale complexion growing even fainter (if that was possible) and I barked out a laugh.


    "You''re not fooling me, Gilles. And the answer is no, I will not help you on this one. Simply because I have discovered my domain to be that of the Guide, does not mean I''ll help you with every little thing." I chuckled, shaking my head and peering down at the deity. Gilles scowled, the shadows in my cave flickering with his emotions.


    "I know." He grumbled.


    "Yet here you are." I echoed, causing his scowl to deepen. "Who do you think you''re fooling, Gilles? Certainly not Father. He knows far more than He lets on, and far more than you realize." Gilles grumbled something and nodded.


    "Right. I should just do it. He probably knows already anyway." Gilles said, and shuddered. "It''s still a terrifying thing to ask."


    "Hm. You''d be the first of the deities to ask such a thing of Father." I responded with a nod, and Gilles nodded back, his complexion still incredibly pale.


    "I''ll do it...soon." Gilles murmured, and vanished. I just chuckled and shook my head at Gilles'' surprising cowardice, focusing my attention once more on the mortals. My spirits ran about, influencing the physical world through the spiritual, affecting the natural world in their way. Once again I focused my attention on Tian, smiling to myself.


    Simply by being in Inesa''s presence, for however short a time, he was being affected by her.Shownwhat it means to be comfortable, to have a true home in all the profoundness of the concept, just as Father showed Tian what it meant to see and touch the "Light of God," the "Divine Soul," when he was Dei -so he could strive for it with all his might. Because when one sees and touches even the tiniest glimmer of that, either through angels or any other phenomena, they subconsciously want to reach for it.


    Such is the power, and the pleasure, ofbeing a deity.

 Speaking With the Creator

    POV: Inesa


    I smiled and waved at Tian as he moved off, having spent the night in the village before heading deeper into the wilds to hunt down that rogue beast. I of course knew that it was merely an ancient beast in its death throes, and was dealing with any that would hasten its demise rather than actively seeking an opponent. But, nonetheless, it was causing a lot of damage to the surroundings...


    I shook those thoughts out of my head and turned my attention back to my house, staring at the small wooden structure with a hint of regret. It was time for me to move on. I''d already done all I could in this little village, and now that Tian had come and gone I felt compelled to leave and search for a new place to settle in. It was a process I repeated every five or so years, which seems at odds with my domain, but in truth isn''t. Home is where the heart is, as they say, and my heart often leads me to many, many new and different places. Only three times have I live in one spot to live out a full "mortal" life, changing my appearance from young to old via divine energy.


    Besides, these people could no longer benefit from my presence. Haru was too stubborn to change, the elderly lady had a wonderful home, and all the other villagers had slowly become more content over the course of my stay. Even if I don''t change their souls to the point where they eventually become angels (something all other deities seem obsessed with) if I make them a little bit happier and content, that''s ok too, right?


    Turning on my heel I moved down into the village, informing Haru of my decision to leave. He knew it was coming, after all I had told the entire village I would only be staying for a few years at most, but despite that we still had a good hour-long argument before he relented and purchased my house and land from me. (Seeing as how money is useless to me, the gold coins he gave me vanished as soon as I put them away, reappearing in the houses of the villagers themselves.) Then, without so much as a whisper, I dissappeared from the town forever.


    As for where I headed...well, I simply picked a direction and started to go there. My journey, however, was stopped by a deity suddenly appearing in front of me, scaring me half to death. I don''t like being snuck up upon! The deity himself wasn''t one I was familiar with, which is surprising in and of itself. I''d at least seen most of the deities in the Four Realms at this point...in fact, there is only one I can think of that I don''t know if I''ve ever met.


    The ever elusive Deity of Dreams and servant to the Creator Herself, Randus.


    Comparing the deity before me with what I''ve heard about Randus, it immediately clicks that this is he. With grey hair, a serious expression, clothes that are the standard for many high-class butlers in the Mortal Realm, and an indescirnable aura surrounding him, the man before me could be none other than Randus. My blood immediately ran cold. Why would he be here?


    "The Lady wishes to speak with you." Randus said formally, extending a hand towards me. I forcefully suppressed my shaking, reaching out and touching Randus'' hand. For a moment it felt as if I had lost conciousness, the world around me becoming disorienting and black, but just as suddenly as it had happened the feeling vanished and I found myself standing before the great, white, sunstone double-doors of the Creator''s Grand Palace. All blood drained from my face as I looked up at the magnificent structure, the sheer intimidation factor that this was thehome of the being who created the entire Four Realms preventing me from really admiring it.


    "Follow me." Randus said, waving one hand. The massive doors swung open without a sound, and I silently followed Randus into the well-lit corridor. The walls were made of a light grey stone, and were adorned with various treasures made of every material imaginable -including both Mystic Gold (gold that had absorbed a massive quantity of Qi) and rotted wood (preserved solely because of the Creator''s influence.) Fancy red carpets covered the floor, while chandeliers hung from the ceiling two hundred feet in the air, illuminating the building with magic light. The hallway itself was fairly long, about a hundred feet in length, and there were a number of doors lining it.


    At the very end of the hallway, two massive oak trees grew from the floor, their vibrant green leaves rustling as elemental essences danced around the trunk in streams. They were obviously not ordinary trees, though I couldn''t sense much more than a normal tree''s aura.


    Passing through the threshold made by the two trees, I found myself slack-jawed at the awe-inspiring reception room. It was utterly massive, with a ceiling at least twice as tall as the hallway''s, and was at least five hundred yards from corner to corner. Braziers filled with etherial golden fire floated about in the air, acting like miniature suns, while many great artworks were displayed on the walls. In the very center an archaic fountain gurgled, spewing crystal-clear water. Above it hung an enormous metal sculpture of the Four Realms, rotating in tune with the rotation of the actual Four Realms. But in all truth, the fountain was what caught my attention the most. The sentiment that radiated from it...


    "What is...?" I started to ask, turning towards where Randus was supposed to be. He had, however, vanished while I was gaping at the room, leaving me alone. I involuntarily shuddered as I looked around, wondering just what in the world I was expected to do. The building was massive...and felt incredibly lonely. To my divine senses, which couldn''t seem to encompass (or simply couldn''t understand some of the mysteries within) the entire building, the Grand Palace of the Creator felt almost...empty. "Hello?" I called, waiting for a reply.


    When there was no response I turned my attention back to the fountian. It really was rather simple, made of stone and dotted with a green moss. The artwork carved into the side depicted the creation of the Fae, while the part spewing water was...well, I assumed it was the mortal''s representation Father Luotian. I couldn''t really tell, because it was so faded. Still, the aura of ancientness it held drew me towards it.


    "Pretty amazing, isn''t it?" A voice behind me asked. I shrieked and jumped, whirling and finding myself face-to-face with the thoroughly amused face of the Creator Herself.


    "M-my Lady...I-I apologize..." I murmured, forcibly stopping myself from bowing. Last time She got upset with me because of that, but how else am I supposed to greet the one who created the Four Realms, who gave birth to everything I''ve ever known, andwho guided every single being into becoming what they are today? The one whose power is indiputable, even when compared to the Big Five? I unconciously averted my eyes from Her face, instead looking down at Her black cloth shoes. Her purple and silver robes gently fell about Her lower body...I forced my eyes lower, staring at the stone floor. The Creator lightly sighed.


    "The fountain, what do you think of it?" She asked. Grateful for the question, I turned and focused my undivided attention on the fountain, thoroughly studying it. Upon inspection with everything but my domain, the fountain was in every way normal, albeit very old. About twelve thousand years old. Upon feeling out the fountain with my domain, all I got was a feeling of sentiment.


    "It''s...old. And sentimental." I said simply, carefully picking my words and trying my hardest not to stutter. The aura of pure majesty cowed me, and inspired so many feelings within me that I wasn''t certain what to feel. I settled on nervousness and terror.


    "It''s one of the first ornamental fountains the Fae built. The Elementals technically created one first, but that one''s on display in a different part of the palace. This one''s more sentimental. Seems kinda vain, considering it''s a fountian depicting me, but hey. It''s like a five-year-old finger-painting its parents. I needto display it somehow." The Creator explained, and I smiled a little at Her analogy. "Of course, this is the original. I left a duplicate in its previous spot, but...it''s long since destroyed." For a moment after She stopped speaking, silence reigned. I couldn''t bring myself to ask the question I was dying to, which led to another sigh from the Creator, which in turn led me to cringe slightly.


    Was I disappointing Her? I mean, I am a nervous wreck, but...


    "Come with me." The Creator said, turning and walking off down a hall. I followed behind, keeping my gaze on the floor. "So...what do you think of Tian?" She ask abruptly.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "What do I...?" I questioned. Is this about Tian? Did...did I do something wrong? He was guarded by two angels, but I didn''t think I did anything wrong! "Well, I mean, I-I...He''s nice...a little angry and lonely, bu-but..." I trailed off, and the Creator sighed.


    "Let''s put it a different way. Did you know that the Four Realms has a will and conciousness of its own?" She asked suddenly, and I faltered in my steps. What did she mean by that...? "I''ll take that as a no. It does, in fact, though that will is tied closely to me. At this stage its only a minor will, barely even capable of making decisions and acting more on instinct, yet it can manipulate events to a fine degree so as to further the Four Realms." The Creator explained, and I frowned.


    "It..has a will?" I muttered, trying to figure out why the Creator would be telling me this.


    "Yes. Of course, only in the past few thousand years has it started to become active...partly in thanks to me devising the ''Karmic Punishment,'' which accelerated the process. Normally it wouldn''t have really started to form until the Four Realms reached a much bigger size, but because of some circumstances...actually it''s quite the interesting development, see..." The Creator trailed off and looked at me before coughing and continuing to walk. "Anyways, the Four Realms has a minor will...and it was the one who orchestrated the meeting between you and Tian." She said, stopping and turning around. I trembled slightly and looked up to meet Her gaze.


    Her green eyes seemed to bore straight through me, even though I am a deity. They were eyes that held countless mysteries within, as if they could answer all the questions in the universe. Upon Her lips danced a small smile that filled me with boundless love, and immediately I looked away once more.


    "I-is that why you called m-me here?" I managed to stammer out.


    "Sort of. I mean, this was the first event that the Four Realms actively influenced, so of course I was interested, but more importantly I am interested in what youdid."The Creator said.


    "Wha-what I did?" I asked, uncertain as to how to respond. Tian must be a very important soul for the Creator Herself to be paying so much attention to him. Wh-what do I say? I don''t even know what I did! I just, I just talked to Tian, and...and...oh dear, I''m trembling. I tried my hardest to get my panicked trembles under control, but that just made them worse. What if my answer didn''t please the Creator? What if She...what if She...


    "Inesa, look at me." She said, placing one hand on my shoulder. All fear and panic left my body, and I found my eyes naturally move upwards to meet the Creator''s. Her gaze was soft and loving and filled with parental pride. "Simply by talking to Tian, you did in a night what would''ve taken three decades otherwise. Thanks to you, Tian is realizing what it is he lacks far sooner than he would''ve before. I already knowwhyit worked out that way, but I want to hear it fromyou.I want to hearyourthoughts. I want to know why you choose to do what you do in the Mortal Realm, rather than follow in the footsteps of all the deities before you." She said. After a moment''s pause, I began to speak.


    "I-I don''t know...I just...I just saw all the other deities trying to effect as many people as they could in the shortest time possible and I thought...well, I thought that...if you only effect one person, just one, for the better, even if it''s just a tiny bit, then isn''t that time well spent?" I murmured, turning my gaze away from the Creator''s. "So I just...I focused on doing what I was...and...then Tian came, and he looked so lost, so I..." I trailed off, waiting for a response.


    It came in the form of a hug.


    "Beautiful." She whispered, wrapping Her arms around me and giving me a hug. I was stunned by the action, my body freezing up even after She released me and held me at arms length. "Your way of thinking is simply beautiful. Sometimes the smallest of actions shine the brightest, no?" She said with a chuckle. "Not everything has to be big and grand, right?" I shook my head ''no,'' and the Creator beamed at me. It radiated happiness and pride, all directed at me for...well, being me I suppose. It filled me with warmth down to my very soul.


    ...maybe She wasn''t so intimidating after all.


    POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian


    "Point of views like hers are refreshing." I said, watching Inesa as she flew away from the Palace. We ended up talking for quite a while after I managed to coax her out of her shell, until I forced her out so she could go back to doing her thing. She really enjoyed my relaxation room, so we spent most of our time there. Then, in mid-flight, Inesa paused and turned back to the Palace, bowing ever so slightly. I frowned a bit before her words reached my ears.


    "Thank you, Cr -M-mother. You are a delightful conversationalist." She murmured, before flying off once again. I just chuckled and shook my head. She is the delightful conversationalist, not I, nor Tian. Seems she hasn''t figured that out yet. Well, I won''t disillusion her there.


    "They may be refreshing, but without aiming for higher goals she won''t get too far." Randus said, stepping out of the dream world to stand next to me.


    "That may be so, but there''s nothing wrong with being satisfied with where you are." I reasoned. "Besides, this way she is deepening her understanding of her domain. And doing what she did is no small feat, might I add." The Four Realms had never taken direct action in manipulating events before, besides providing the Immortal Tribulations. It just hadn''t felt the need to, but now it did. The reason for this was partly because of me focusing so much on expanding the Four Realms and its survival instinct. It chose the swiftest path to the end goal, a path which I was immensely pleased with. Granted, the next five years were going to be absolute hell for Tian because many things still need to be beaten into him, but...well, he can handle it. He''s good under pressure.


    As an added bonus to the will of the Four Realms finally kicking into gear was that much of my workload was decreased. Now I didn''t have to split my attention managing a few of the major functions of the universe, as the Four Realms itself is starting to take over some of them. When true Dao Paths begin to form, I feel that its Will, will also grow in strength, thus allowing me to turn more of my attention elsewhere.


    "Hm. Gilles is here to see you." Randus said, breaking me out of my thoughts. I grinned and nodded, reappearing within my "relaxation room." It was a small, simple room that connected to the library, had a big, comfy chair, a large fireplace, and fragrant plants growing in the corners of the room. Other than that, it was relatively ordinary.


    "Send him in." I said, knowing that Randus could hear me. With a ripple of shadow Gilles appeared in the room, standing before me and trying to hide his nervousness. "Well? What is it you wished to talk to me about?" I asked, purposefully appearing a bit more intimidating. Normally it''s so hard to get a reaction out of the secretive deity, so I have to tease him when I can.


    "Th-that...I, uh..." He stammered for a moment. I raised an eyebrow as he took a deep breath, forcefully controlling his nervousness before bowing deeply towards me. "I wish for Your permission to marry Elvira." He managed to get out. The silence between us dragged on for minutes, neither one of us making a move as I stared expressionlessly at Gilles, cackling inwardly.


    "Do you realize just what it would mean to marry Elvira?" I asked once Gilles started to truly sweat from the silence, my tone heavy.


    "Y-yes. For all eternity." Was all he managed to get out. Marriage between deities was a very heavy topic, considering that for them to marry and make the typical marriage vows before my eyes means that they will have to love and stay with each other for all eternity...or until one of them perishes. The vows become far more binding than the vows typically stated by mortals, regardless of religion, and breaking those vows as deities will bring upon them severe consequences. After all, breaking a promise that I oversaw and was given in my name is bad.


    In many cultures, this is actually why sex is viewed as a sacred or taboo thing. Because if the woman or man sleeps with another while in that culture''s equivalent of the bonds of matrimony (or in the stricter cultures, losing one''s virginity beforehand) that almost immediately spells divorce. Which, to me, is the true bad thing. When the marriage is made before my eyes, and in my name, then that is a promise that cannot be broken lightly. I don''t honestly care who sleeps with who, just don''t break vows that were made in my name.


    "What if I say no?" I asked, after another tense silence. Gilles entire body went rigid and he looked up at me, his expression a mix of emotions as he looked upon my expressionless face. This was the real question.


    "Then I will marry her regardless." He responded slowly. Another tense, tense silence, and I allowed a small smile onto my face.


    "Good answer. You have my blessing, Gilles." I said, keeping up the pressure. Gilles was silent for a moment before his eyes went wide, and I laughed. "You should see your face! Of course I was going to say yes, you fool! Have you decided when and where to pop the question to Elvira yet? She''s pretty dense, so I''m fairly certain she has no idea this is coming." I said, finally releasing the pressure I was exerting onto Gilles. He smiled weakly and stood upright, absently wiping his brow.


    "I have." He said simply.


    "Good. Well, don''t let me keep you! I''m sure you have plans to carry out!" I laughed, slapping him on the back. Gilles, at this gesture, relaxed and smiled, obviously feeling relieved.


    "Thank you. I will take my leave." He said, and vanished in a ripple of shadows. I was still grinning a bit, watching Gilles with interest as he fretted about how to propose to Elvira. He was trying to decide on a style from many different cultures, but I had faith that in the end he''d come up with his own, unique style, solely for deities. The funny thing was, that seeing my two children marry one another didn''t feel all that strange, simply because of the nature of deities. It would be strange for me to marry one of them, but not for them to marry each other. As my smile softened I sat in my chair and stared into the fire crackling into the fireplace, imagining Elvira''s reaction.


    "I wonder who will catch the eyes of my other children." I muttered to myself. I cannot help but wonder.

 Unexpected Events

    POV: Tian


    I stared silently at the imposing gates of the Cavan clan -my clan. To be honest, I wasn''t certain what to feel right now. It''d been eleven years since the last time I was here, meaning I missed the date of the fight I was supposed to have with the Young Lord. Somewhere along the line I realized that it had been a joke for me to fight the Young Lord, but until the day I turned twenty and found myself stuck running from a sect of devil cultivators, unable to return, I had been fooling myself with the notion that it had been a serious challenge. It had all been a joke.


    I was born into a clan of cultivators, yet couldn''t cultivate. Then, I was kicked out of my clan to ''temper myself,'' under the promise that if I returned in ten years and could defeat the Young Lord then my training would be considered complete. After that, I got hopelessly lost in a forest for four years, worked as a mercenary cultivator for two, and somehow ended up travelling all over this part of Pangea. Then for five whole years it was one hell after another, from fighting with cultivators to falling in love with a devil-woman that wound up not only breaking my heart but also robbing me blind. As if to add insult to injury, I ended up saving her from a group of devil cultivators before cutting off all ties to her. Then I was blamed for those evil cultivators'' crimes and chased around the entire province, until I ran into some moredevil cultivators, smashed their ''sacred treasure,'' and found myself on the run from them as well. Thankfully I managed to clear up any misunderstanding I had with the normal cultivators in the end, and together we wiped out the devil cultivators.


    At some point, I just stopped being angry at it all and couldn''t help but laugh. If my shit luck isn''t funny, then what is? This was only driven home when the two gate guards at the clan started asking if there really was a clan member named Tian, as if they had completely forgotten about me.


    "Look, guys, I just want to pay my respects, and then I''m going to leave." I said to the two guards, a complicated feeling rising up in my heart. Was that really why I was here, to pay my respects? For ten years I had been chasing something I knew was a joke, something not to be taken seriously, and yet it had been my focus, my reason for struggling. Now I didn''t have that goal. So what was I really looking for? Closure?


    "Shut up!" One of the guards snapped, obviously feeling superior because he couldn''t sense any cultivation from me. Even though I could fight on-par with those monsters in the Dao Forming stage, the cultivation level one stage away from the Immortal stages, I didn''t seem to have any noticable cultivation. Obviously I could use some sort of power, though I had no idea what it was, but I was still a mortal. None of the sects would accept me and teach me, and the libraries for cultivators were cut off to mortals...so I had no real idea as to what this power was, and no way to find out. But that''s beside the point.


    "Look, my name is Tian Cavan. I was sent out to temper myself eleven years ago, and was supposed to return one year ago. Back then I was just a little kid with one broken horn that couldn''t cultivate. Do you seriously not recognize me?" I asked. I may have been considered trash, but at least trash is memorable. Don''t tell me they forgot...?


    "...Sounds familiar, actually." One of the guards relented, peering at my two broken horns. "Go get the captain." He told his companion. The other guard glared for a moment before leaving, and I let out a relieved sigh. Finally, we were getting somewhere. Not but a minute later, the guard came back with an old man I recognized in tow. My eyes widened at the sight, and I couldn''t help but let out a small voice.


    "Dad...?" I muttered. The question didn''t go unnoticed by the old man, and he fixated his gaze upon me. After a few moments the head guard''s eyebrows rose up in recognition, his brown eyes filled with confusion. Without a doubt, this man was my father. Since when was he the head of the guards...?


    "T-Tian?" He questioned, looking me up and down. "Is it really you?" For a moment I just stared at him, and then smiled bitterly. What was with this concern? When I was kicked out he hadn''t raised a hand in protest.


    "Yeah. Tian Cavan''s back a year late." I said, steeling my voice. Father paused, visibly restraining himself before turning towards the guards. "Since when are you the head of the guards?" I asked. He turned and looked at me for a moment before shaking his head and turning back to the guards.


    "Go tell the Clan Head that the time has come. My son has returned." He said a little forcefully. The guards blanched a little and took off running through the gates, leaving Dad and me alone together. "Come on, Tian."


    "What''s going on?" I asked, my hand tightening around my spear. I''d had it for four years and it was on the brink of breaking, but I just couldn''t bring myself to throw it away. It may be just a normal hunting spear with an ashwood shaft and a steel tip, but it had gotten me out of many sticky situations, just like my only true companion; Fenri, the Skyshatter Wolf. Currently Fenri (I had renamed her at that one village girl''s request...she was the only person I had been unable to repay for her kindness) was off in the surrounding forest, playing around and generally having a grand old time, unless I called for help. With the strange connection we shared, she would be here in a matter of seconds, and wipe the entire Cavan Clan off the face of Pangea if I asked.


    That''sloyalty.


    "We''re going to test how well you''ve tempered yourself." Dad said, his voice quivering slightly, and I felt my entire body tense.


    "What?"I hissed, narrowing my eyes. Was this some kind of joke?


    "...I''ll explain everything later. I know I have no right to say this, but for now, please trust me." Dad said. Anger flared up in the pit of my stomach, and I ground my teeth. I wanted to knowexactlywhat was going on. What kind of game was he playing ''testing how well I''ve tempered myself?'' And again, since when is he the head of the clan guards! What the hell''s going on?! But I swallowed my protests and narrowed my eyes, silently observing as my clan ran about, and was incredibly respectful towards me. My suspicion only continued to grow, especially considering the way Dad was trying his hardest to hide his trembling.


    The answer came about twenty minutes later, while I stood in the middle of the training grounds, supposedly waiting for the Young Lord to arrive. There weren''t any barriers around the grounds, so I wasn''t worried about escaping. A few people from the clan had arrived not too long ago, including my mother, who couldn''t even look at me, so I spread out my power, covering the entirety of the clan compound. I hadn''t done so before simply because...well, I thought it would be rude, but upon doing so I saw myself as nothing but a fool. Three great cultivators were within the compound, each one on the cusp of immortality. (That''s another thing, no one could hide their cultivation base from me...this power of mine was very strange.) They were talking with the clan head, and as soon as I noticed them, one of them noticed me. From him I could sense ripples of power very similar to my own.


    Don''t be alarmed.A voice sounded out in my head.We mean no harm.I ground my teeth, cursing myself for being so foolish. There was no way I''d be able to escape those old monsters, no matter how skilled I am. But now, at least, I have my answer. Those old monsters are the reason everyone''s acting so strangely. But why are they here? After another minute or so, the clan head began to move, leading the Young Lord, or who I assumed was the Young Lord (I didn''t know, it''s been so long since I''d sensed him) to the training ground where I stood.


    "...I don''t understand why I have to fight him! He''s just trash! I hardly even remember him!" The Young Lord shouted as he emerged from the Main House, the tall oaken doors swinging open wide and revealing the Clan Head and the three old monsters. One I sort-of recognized. I talked to him a bit after fighting the devil cultivators..."See, even now he has no cultivation base! I could mop the floor with him!" The Young Lord continued to protest.


    I stared at him for a moment, and snorted coldly. Fool. With how strong I am now, he wouldn''t even be worth the mud on my shoes as an opponent. In fact, the only people in the entire clan who really pose a threat to me are the three old monsters, that''s how strong I am...


    Wait. My brows furrowed and I looked at my spear. I''m strong. Yes, that''s right. I''m strong,incrediblyso for someone who allegedly doesn''t cultivate...Huh. This is the first time I''ve really thought of myself as strong. Before, I was running so much and constantly having to fight against those who were much stronger than I, but now I can truly call myself strong, even if I am not at the peak. I looked back up at the Clan Head as he chastized his son for being so disrespectful in front of the Seniors, and felt my world view slowly beginning to shift.


    Once again I looked around at the collected people. Then who were the old monsters here for? It couldn''t be for anyone in the clan besides...me. I did mention that my name was Tian Cavan, so they probably traced me back here, which is therefore why the clan is acting like it is. They''re trying to please those old monsters. Once again I focused my attention on the Young Lord, my anger towards the boy just draining away. He had been my goal for the longest time, I had constantly improved myself so that I could beat him, only to find that I had long since surpassed him in every way.


    I sighed, and looked around the crowd for the last time, fully intent on saying my goodbyes and leaving the Cavan Clan for all eternity (I was just so done with all of this), when my gaze landed onher.Inesa, that little village girl. She was staring at me, expertly hiding her emotions, and although her outward appearance had changed I still knew it was her. Her soul hadn''t changed at all. Funny, how now I could sense souls...


    Like a puzzle piece, everything I had ever thought about the unfairness of my life justshifted.And I started to laugh.


    POV CHANGE: Statera LuotianIf you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Tian had finally reached the stage of enlightenment his soul was ready for. He was by no means prepared to create the first true dao path, or anything that came after that, but simply seeing Inesa at the Cavan Clan had shocked him enough to alter his mindset from ''life was out to get me,'' to ''life was building me up.'' Though it was more along the lines of ''beating the iron while its hot.'' From here, everything would slow down a great degree, it would be at least a century before Tian''s next big breakthrough (he''d already extended his lifespan through his strength in soulpower and heartpower), but...for now, I''m just playing around with him a bit. He did good, and deserves a bit of a break.


    "Father." Elvira asked, suddenly appearing next to me. She looked a little unsure of herself, and I smirked inwardly. "What are you doing?" She asked.


    "Playing matchmaker." I giggled, watching Tian move towards Inesa, completely ignoring the attacks of the Cavan Clan''s Young Lord and still laughing his head off.


    "I...see." Elvira said slowly. I turned to look at her, a smile on my face. "I take it you already know?" She asked looking at me with a strange expression. Of course, she was talking about Gilles'' proposal. After five years of preparation he had finally popped the question.


    "Yes. I knew five years ago, when he approached me for my blessing on the matter." I replied with a soft smile. Elvira almost immediately relaxed after I said that, and I placed one hand on her shoulder. "You have my blessing, Elvira, if this is what you want."


    "Thank you." She said, smiling at me and nodding. Nothing more needed to be said between us, and we lapsed into momentary silence. "Now...tell me what you''re doing again?"


    "Playing with the mortals," I said, looking down at Tian, "and playing matchmaker." Though currently Tian was talking with the three cultivators on the cusp of attempting their Immortal Tribulations, not talking to Inesa. As the single most powerful soul and heartpower cultivator in the Four Realms, of course those three are interested in Tian, so he had to postpone his talk with Inesa. Anything that would help those old three to grow more powerful and help them overcome their Tribulation is good in their eyes, hence why they sought Tian out at the Cavan Clan, and are willing to allow Tian a bit of freedom in return for his help.


    "I...see. I thought you were going to focus on expanding the Four Realms?" Elvira asked.


    "This is! When the first Dao Path is made, the growth rate of the Four Realms will increase exponentially!" I protested. Elvira just smiled a little, showing she was just messing with me, before turning and vanishing again. With a small huff I looked back down at the Mortal Realm and shook my head, before vanishing and returning to my Palace.


    Later, I learned that Elvira and Gilles were planning on having the wedding in approximately a thousand years, on top of the Life-Giving Tree. There was absolutely no reason to rush such an event, and as deities we have all the time in the world. Technically speaking a thousand years wasn''t that long of a time-frame anyways, but that was nit-picking, really. Thinking on it now...a thousand years sure seems like a long time, especially considering the events contained in the last twelve thousand. Seriously, everything happened! At least things are starting to calm down now that the storm''s passed...we should only feel the aftershocks from hereon out, but still! These last twelve millennia have been wild!


    It was five hundred years after Gilles proposed to Elvira when the Four Realms itself gave birth to a sentient race, without the aid of of any deities. In fact, it was created from one of the trees in my palace, no doubt the process having sped up due to my influence. I named them Dryads -beings of the Trees. To call myself shocked at having witnessed one of these beings crawl out of my garden of trees while I sat enjoying the peace and quite was an understatement. It had been one of the last things I had been expecting that day. She was a lovely looking female, with green skin, dark green hair, and shining eyes. Leaves and vines sprouted from various parts of her body, wrapping around her like clothes. She also had this funny ability to merge with any and all trees -so long as they were the same or similar species to the one she was born from. Needless to say, I immediately spread them out across the entirety of the Four Realms.


    This event increased the expansion rate of the Four Realms, which confused me until Mr. Blue Boxes explained it.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Creation! First Natural-Born Sentient Race!


    Without your intervention, the Dryad race would have been the first sentient race in the Four Realms. Naturally created by the environment of the Four Realms and designed with heavy influence from the Life-Giving Tree, the Dryad race has a natural affinity for all plant-life and will actively protect places where plant-life flourishes. As the first natural-born sentient race, the Dryads will be a major template for all natural-born races that follow.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Rewards:


    For the first natural-born sentient race appearing in the Four Realms, expansion rate has increased by .0005%.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I guess Mr. Blue Boxes mentioned the rewards bit because I actually asked for it. Beyond that, right up until ten years before Elvira''s scheduled wedding, it was life as usual. Then something very...interesting happened.


    I was simply trimming my garden, enjoying some small talk with Inesa as she paid me a visit (she had visited a few times to talk over the past millennia, apparently overcoming her hesitation regarding me)when I felt somethingripthe walls of the Four Realms. It wasn''t like the Paradox, where something entered my universe with the intent to destroy it, but more like...well, it felt like someone created a passage from one place to another, and that passage just happened to meet with my Realm, by blowing a hole through the wall.


    The moment it happened I stiffened and vanished, reappearing in the Mortal Realm, where the hole had been ripped open. The hole itself was a shifting, swirling mass of purple and white energy, the edges looking very much like the very fabric of the Realm shattered, with cracks stretching outwards and everything. On the other side I could sense some very peculiar fluctuations, however what caught my attention the most was the being standing just outside of that circle. It wasn''t a being from my Four Realms, but thankfully it seemed to be capable of surviving in the atmosphere on Pangea.


    The being itself was very humanoid, like all sentient races in my Realms, and was dressed in brown robes, held a gnarled wooden staff, and was looking around with wide green eyes, the green iris completely covering the eyes themselves. Its four pointed, Fae-like ears twitched at all the new sounds and sights, as it began to mumble to itself in a language I didn''t understand.


    That alone told me volumes. I understandeverythingfrom my Realms, even if it''s just a beast growling, I''ll still understand it. I observed the being for a little longer, watching as it panicked when it waved its staff around and nothing happened, a buzzing sound echoing out from the four dragonfly wings on its back. Then, it turned towards the hole it had entered my Realms through, watching as it slowly closed.I, for one, took a moment to scan the being''s memories so I could understand its language, before acting.


    "Ah, I got that. Don''t worry about it." I said, appearing next to the foreign being and waving my hand, forcibly stopping the hole from collapsing. The being was thoroughly shocked to see me appear, but I temporarily ignored it. "Hellooo? Is anyone out there? I''ve got your...one of your people here!" I shouted, using the being''s own language to speak. For a moment there was nothing, and the hole started to collapse again. With atsk,I forced it to remain open longer, supporting it with my divine energy.


    "Wh-who are you?" The being asked me in a beautiful, tinkling voice.


    "Hmm. Difficult question to answer. I might tell you later, but first we need to get you home." I responded. "You came through here, right? What''s keeping you from jumping right back through?" I asked, using my divine sense to scan the hole. I didn''t want to send this being back through, just to have it be shredded and destroyed on the way back.


    "My magic isn''t working. Without it I can''t guarantee that I''ll find my way back..." It answered hesitantly. Hm. Does that mean it uses a different sort of energy to use ''magic'' than the cultivators of my Realms? Food for thought. "I was testing space-time magic, so I''m not exactly sure how to get back in the first place, though. I''m not even sure what happened, there was just a flash of light and I was here."


    "I see." I said. "YO! Answer me! I''ve got one of your souls here, come pick it up!" I shouted into the hole, driving my divine power through it in an attempt to reach the other side.


    "H-hello...?" A tentative voice finally answered me.


    "Finally! You the Origin Deity?" I asked, feeling my divine sense brush up against another''s. A thousand questions were asked and answered in the moment our divine senses met, and the hole suddenly stabilized, a tunnel of divine power being created through the joint effort of myself and this foreign Origin Deity. "I have one of your people. Want it back?"


    "Yes. I seem to have one of yours as well."The voice replied politely. "Let us send each other''s through at the same time. I fear this connection will collapse before we can perform both transfers otherwise." I nodded in agreement, turning to the being on my side and grabbing it with one hand, completely ignoring its protests. It didn''t really have much room for argument, as my hand had expanded massively to properly grasp the being.


    "Right. Ready? One...two...three...now!" I shouted, tossing the being through the hole, and back into its proper universe. I felt the other Origin Deity throw me back my being, watching as the wind Elemental landed on the ground with a puff of air. His semi-transparent form solidified a bit more at having returned to the Four Realms, his green hair falling to his shoulders. "Thanks! I got him back! Uh, see you, then?" I said, watching as the hole collapsed and the space of the Four Realms returned to normal.


    "What''s going on -oh, I''m back?" The elemental spluttered, looking around at the familiar forests which he had disappeared in. I looked down at him with a frown, pondering.


    "How in the world did you end up in an inter-universal wormhole?" I muttered to myself, though the elemental heard it.


    "Who the hell''re you?" He demanded. I narrowed my eyes and looked into the past, watching the moment where this elemental was sucked into the hole and momentarily left the Four Realms. He had...just been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Really? That''s it? He wasn''t even tampering with space and time somehow? He''d just been cultivating some wind element and then suddenly disappears? How abrupt.


    "Statera Luotian." I deadpanned, resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose. Mr. Blue Boxes was messing with me, I just know it. Hesnorted.


    "Yeah right. If any of those church fanatics heard you claim to be the Divine Soul they''d crucify you." He retorted. "At least I''m back though..." He murmured, looking down at the ground. By the time he looked back up I was gone.


    "I''ll have to keep an eye on you." I muttered to myself, staring at both the elemental and the place where the hole had been. There was no evidence of said hole having ever existed, and when I momentarily tried to recreate something similar, I got the feeling that it''d take far too much energy to re-open it. Closing my eyes, I shook my head. "You asshat." I insulted Mr. Blue Boxes. When I opened my eyes I saw one of those boxes floating in front of me.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You''re welcome!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Yeah, you just stay smug. I''ll get you back eventually, but for now I have to ensure that nothing too damaging happenes. I don''t even know what kind of effects this event is going to have...well, at least I have something else to look forward to in that meeting thing that''s coming up...eventually. With a sigh I vanished, reappearing back in the Palace, where Inesa was still having some tea, having gotten used to my vanishing acts by now. I looked at her and smiled, portioning off the sections of my mind still running calculations on the event and the part delving into the mysteries of space and time. Thank you, mysterious being, for that hint.


    "Now, where was I...?" I asked Inesa.


    "You were talking about the Dryads." Inesa answered. I smiled at her in appreciation before diving once more into my musings, bouncing ideas off of the silent Inesa. It felt good to have a conversation partner again.

 The Wedding

    POV: Keilan


    I stared silently at my own reflection, wondering if I looked presentable enough for the wedding. I hadn''t had to truly dress up for anything in my entire life, and after watching the mortals and their penchant for dressing "nicely" for a while I attempted to come up with my own "style." The robes I had envisioned didn''t fit me at all, so with a wave of my hand they reverted back to my simple, comfortable black and silver robes.


    "Stupid." I muttered to myself, patting down my robes and looking out of my palace towards the Valley and River that flowed through it. Weddings between mortals were short, insignificant affairs that generally lasted one lifetime. For deities, it''s a much, much longer commitment. If I''m honest, I''m still trying to wrap my head around the idea that Elvira actually agreed to Gilles marrying her...those two are basically opposites. Gilles is all about shadows and secrets, which isn''t as devious as it sounds, whereas Elvira is about as open as the skies themselves and literally represents everything ''white'' and ''bright.'' With another sigh I looked towards the Mortal Realm, where Reika was rushing about with a few last-minute preparations.


    "Stupid." I repeated to myself, this time talking about everything rather than what I had attempted to do with my "style." Still, Gilles'' announcement and proposal came as a surprise to literally no one in the Four Realms. Everyone knew that their...relationship had drastically changed after Gilles'' apparent death and subsequent revival. With another sigh I rubbed my forehead, putting aside my obligations to the Karmic Realm for the moment. Sometimes it seems as if I have the harder of the two jobs...Elvira manages deities, and I manage reincarnation. Mortal souls seem much more difficult to handle, and at times like these I envy Elvira''s seemingly lackadaisical lifestyle.


    But I know as well as she does that her job is no easier than mine. Ensuring deities don''t muck things up is hard work, I''m sure. (After all, one deity making a massive mistake is infinitely worse than a single mortal, which is why many mortals wish to stay where they are on the cosmic scale, rather than move up.) Especially when she herself has to rely on Mother to help keep them in line from time to time...


    "I suppose I should go then." I muttered to myself, walking onto the veranda and into the sky, looking down on the Karmic Kings that continued to judge. For a moment I had half a mind to take a few of the more powerful Kings with me to the wedding, simply because it would be polite for them to show up, but then dismissed the notion. The Karmic Realm still had to keep running, regardless of what was happening. With one more step I vanished from the Karmic Realm entirely, appearing above the Life-Giving Tree and looking down at the preparations. Reika seemed to be having a blast putting it all together at least.


    Normally, at least for the mortals, planning and putting together a wedding is nothing short of a nightmare. I''m not certain how much different this one will be, but I at least assumed it would not be much fun to put it together.


    "Keilan, you''re early." Reika called up to me, a field of flowers sprouting around her into various designs. "Elvira''s still in her palace if you want to go see her. Some of the other deities have been having an absoluteblastdressing her up. They''ve been designing the dress for the past century, and had thousands of ideas, given what material they were working with." Reika said with a giggle, a conspiratorial gleam in her eyes.


    "I''m sure she''s loving that." I drawled, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Where''s Gilles?"


    "He''s around. Been milling about for a while, looking sort of lost. I don''t think he expected things to escalate the way they did -alldeities flipped out when they heard the news. This is an event to end an age, after all! They''ve all been in a tizzy, preparing this for the past millennia. Gilles and Elvira both had to put a damper on their plans to turn the Realm Sun into a giant sculpture. One even suggested to turn the Moon into a fireworks display." Reika laughed. I raised my eyebrows, having specifically hidden away from deific gossip so I didn''t have to deal with that kind of nonsense.


    "Really? We just got done withpreventingsomething like that." I complained. Reika nodded and giggled again.


    "Yes, well, it was an idea that lasted all of half a second." She conceded. I let out a small breath and shook my head, floating down from the sky to land in front of Reika. "I''m guessing you want to know the schedule? It''s pretty simple actually. We''ll have the ceremony, and then there''ll be a little party afterwards where the deities bestow gifts upon the two. Gilles and Elvira actually wanted to reject the gift-giving part, but it''s going to happen anyways. Mother decided it so, because She''s going to give them something."


    "Really? Mother will?" I asked. Reika nodded and leaned a little closer to me, as if that would stop anyone who wanted to listen in on the conversation.


    "Yes, but it''s only going to be a blessing." She whispered. "I asked Her, and that''s what She told me. The other deities caught wind of it, but they don''t know what She''s giving, so they all ran about frantically trying to find suitable gifts." I nodded. So that''s why there were instructions to bring a wedding gift...despite Elvira''s penchant for ostentatious decor, she holds no value over material possessions (which, in my opinion, is slightly paradoxical.) Only Mother enjoys keepsakes...though I will admit that I have a few paintings of myself and a few other deities, created by the Karae, hanging in my office.


    "Hm. Well, I didn''t get them much." I said coolly. "Just enough to piss Elvira off." Reika laughed and shook her head at me, waving one hand in a shooing motion.


    "You''re terrible. Now shoo! You can go sit down over there and wait for things to start, or help finish the last-minute preparations." Reika offered. I opted to sit out, so I moved towards where the ''back'' of the ceremonial area was, where I could overlook the entire area. Truthfully it wasn''t very large, only about ten miles in diameter, and situated on the very highest point of the Life-Giving Tree - the one world-sized leaf that stuck straight up in the air rather than flattening out like the rest. I''m pretty sure Reika intentionally grew it that way.


    A few deities and spirits were already milling about in the area, some sitting in the rows of seats facing the altar where the ceremony would actually be held, others standingin the newly created forests and waterfalls and...there was an entire world sitting here, in a ten mile circle. Deserts, mountains...all miniaturized and absolutely gorgeous.Reika really went all out preparing this, didn''t she? Though it probably took less effort than it looks like, it''s still impressive. There were even miniaturized animals running about,and I watched as a flock of tiny, tiny birds settled on one of the chairs. Then, I turned my attention to the altar.


    The altar itself was made of pure white stone, with shadowy runes carved along the base. Otherwise, it was very simplistic. There wasn''t even an aura of power radiating from it, something I was coming to respect. Not everything had to be gaudy and awe-inspiring. As time passed more and more beings started to filter in, and at one point music started to drift through the area. It was a sweet sound, soft and lilting yet hard and rigorous where is should be firm, and for a moment I wished there was a deity of music - because music certainly deserves its own deity.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "You''re finding this as strange as I am?" Alexander asked, appearing beside me in his Draconian form. I nodded.


    "Perhaps." I said, neither confirming nor denying his statement.


    "Don''t say ''perhaps,'' Keilan. You don''t come across as anything but an ass. Do you or do you not find this strange?" Alexander asked.


    "Depends on what you''re finding strange." I replied with a sigh. "That our sister is getting married, or that the idea of marriage is getting introduced into the deities? Because both are pretty strange concepts to me. I never even considered marriage as a possibility for deities before. I''m still not certain how it will work."


    "It won''t be nearly as restrictive as the mortals'' versions," Alexander supplied. "At the end of the day, so long as they still love each other and stick together, always claiming the other as husband or wife, then I believe it''s all good. It''s a good thing we don''t have to worry about many of the problems mortals do." I nodded in agreement. Cheating? What good is cheating when the pleasures of the flesh don''t interest deities? Violence? Hardly a problem for deities. Even in that war against Morgan, we actively avoidedthe very harsh and despicable methods, choosing to suppress and seal rather than maim and kill. Deities were meant to be role models, after all, within the minds of mortals and in their own domains. We must act the part.


    "Very true, but I feel it will bring about its own problems," I said. "Such as children. Mother created us, created all souls, but how will it work between deities? Will they come together to create a new soul, one that holds pieces of the parents'', or will the child be a soul already within the Four Realms, ready to become a deity? Can deities even have children?" I mused, scratching the back of my neck.


    "If I didn''t know any better, I''d say Gilles only wanted to marry Elvira as an experiment - to find out if any of that is true or not." Alexander said gruffly. I laughed and shook my head.


    "Gilles loves his experiments, but he wouldn''t do that." I said with a smile. "Besides, there''s no need to marry to test such a thing."


    "I know. It was a joke."


    "I know it was. I''m just saying."


    Alexander and I fell silent after that, content to merely watch as the ceremony began. Elvira and Gilles walked up to the altar together, Gilles dressed in a suit made of a pure white material, while Elvira was dressed in a kimono-like dress-robe weaved from shadows themselves. Both Alexander and I let out appreciative noises, recognizing the symbolism in wearing clothes made of the other''s "domain." This was a sharing of duties, of sorts. Merging two domains into one, so to speak. They now upheld each other, not each upholding their own.


    The ceremony itself didn''t last long, something both Elvira and Gilles wished for, with Kei appearing from seemingly nowhere and officiating the ceremony herself. It was surprising that she showed up, actually, seeing as how I hadn''t seen her for the past nine hundred years. She had been off doing her own thing. With a flick of Kei''s nine tails, the skies flashed in a thousand different colors, a paltry display when compared to Elvira and Gilles sealing their bond. The invisible, formless power that rippled from them the moment their lips touched was enough to move even I, and I suspected Mother had a hand in it. And then I truly felt it.


    It was as if a bubble of power enveloped the duo, a wave of raw emotion flowed over the land and caused it to shiver. A golden shockwave spread out, scintillating light radiating outwards and touching all beings present.


    "So Elvira and Gilles are bonded, in the eyes of the Four Realms and my own." Mother''s voice echoed out, Elvira''s face filled with shocked, as well as Gilles''. Mother truly had ''blessed'' them and their marriage. I didn''t know what the entire gift entailed, but surely it was more than a simple blessing. It, to me, appeared so profound that I couldn''t clearly see it. Elvira had a large, beaming smile on her face however, so I could do nothing but feel happy for her. I smiled, and took a step back, simply admiring the scenery and soaking it all in. This was the event to end an age - Reika was right.


    POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian


    I hummed and watched the proceedings from on high, having already come and said my congratulations to the duo before they returned to the palace and continued with the gift-givings, something I shamelessly propagated. I mean, I wasn''tnotgoing to bless the two in the middle of their ceremony, and the other deities just took that as gift-giving or something. They''d feel bad if I gave something but no one else did.


    "They make a beautiful couple." I said, nodding to myself. "They truly do." Yet all too soon it was over, Elvira and Gilles having received any number of priceless treasures and wondrous objects - all things personally crafted by said deities. Keilan gave them a sculpture of pure karma, Alexander presented a simple congratulations, as he himself keeps no personal items, and Reika gave them a tree of Shadow and Light, grown from the two. Yet amidst all these gifts and well-wishes, I like to think that their favorite was a simple painting presented to them by the timid Inesa, a painting of the two of them kissing on their altar, no power behind it, no special effects. Just them, and the surroundings fading in the background.


    Inesa was, among deities, by far the most thoughtful on an individual scale.


    And so the years continued to pass. Tian slowly grew and grew, eventually reaching the stage of Immortal (after another two thousand years) and regaining his memories, and his previous cultivation base. Of course he cursed me for a little while, acting like a child throwing a tantrum (to me, he was exactly that), but then we had a good laugh over it eventually and he ended up thanking me. It was a fundamental change in his character that he thanked me for - yes, he was still angry, and had a tendency to explode every once in a while, but now the violence in him was gone. He no longer felt a need to kill at all, felt it beneath him, even if he did believe that cracking a few skulls would help every once in a while. (Though it sounds different, he was still no longer Dei. He was still Tian, that was his base personality, only Dei''s memories and the memories of his other two lives returned to him.)


    The current Celestial Empress was there for his Immortal Tribulation, and was thoroughly shocked with Tian revealed himself as the reincarnation of Dei, saying that this was his test, to return to the realm of Immortals with nothing but his soul and heart to guide him. Then he left the Empress to her own devices, not desiring to return to the throne in Manu Ti, and instead focused still inward, because he knew he was not ready.


    Ready for what, he didn''t know. I did, of course, I''d been saying it all along. Tian was destined to become a deity, or something similar, the first mortal in the Four Realms to do so. It wasn''t fate. Fate was more...set out for someone. Destiny was a "fate" one decided for oneself - a revelation I had come across not too long before Tian''s ascension to Immortality. Tian wished for strength, so he would become a deity. It was his destiny to, and as he stuck to his destiny, he therefore created his own fate as to how he would become a deity.


    But none of that happened. In one hundred thousand years after Elvira''s wedding, the only thing that did happen was Tian mastering his own Dao, his own Path, and in turn creating the Heavenly Daos. His path was the Martial Way, particularly using martial arts and fighting in general as a way to purify one''s self, to slowly work that hate-filled violence out of him so that he may find peace. It was a fine dao, one that the Four Realms saw fit to carve into the black canvas of the skies in the form of stars. Five stars, lined together, in the form of a spear...and creating a guide for all to follow in the path of the Martial Way.


    The stars would be the guides - and I was happy. For too long the skies had been without a moon and stars, those crazy dots of light that sparked fantasies and served as guides. Now, as more people mastered Daos both big and small, their own and not, the dark canvas of the skies of the entire Four Realms would be filled with more and more stars. And, as things started to calm and chaos started to settle into a more...balanced state, not too calm but not too chaotic, I finally started to feel a bit more satisfied.


    <hr>


    One and a half million years later - on the day the Four Realms turned two million years old, I received a notification. Interesting times were returning to my Realms, I could feel it, but it was all trumped by this one little notification that appeared before me, courtesy of Mr. Blue Boxes.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Urgent Notice!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    In approximately ten thousand years, the first meeting between origin deities will commence, arriving eighteen million years early! All origin deities are permitted to bring one companion from their respective universes. Rankings will be provided. Prepare accordingly.


    Time left until meeting: 9,987 Years


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I smiled. It came early, which was...strange, but still. This would be fun. I could use a few new ideas.

 Whoever You Are

    <u>POV: Statera Luotian</u>


    Tian stared silently at Inesa, the two of them standing above the Mortal Realm, Inesa watching the world silently.The wind blew gently, causing Tian''s robes to billow ever so slightly, ruffling his silver-grey hair. He was nervous, his palms were sweating and he was inwardly trembling as Inesa slowly turned to meet his eyes. Her warm brown eyes almost melted him, his heartrate increasing significantly, and I was half tempted to start throwing cherry blossom petals at them, because if Tian failed to sense the mood AGAIN I was seriously going to flip my shit.


    Tian said nothing, one hand gently reaching up andtentativelybrushing a single strand of hair behind Inesa''s ear. Then, ever so slowly, he started to lean forwards. Inesa smiled softly at him, waiting.


    "Do it." I urged, leaning forwards in my chair as I watched from afar, spilling the snacks I had prepared for myself. "I''ve waited one and a half million years for this Tian, don''t you DARE wimp out again..." I muttered, tensing. Tian hesitated, and I stood up, grinding my teeth, a vein popping out of my forehead. The ground beneath my feet began to crack, the tea I had set off to the side starting to boil once again simply from being in my vicinity. A small gust of wind gently rocked Tian towards Inesa, just enough to convince him to take that step...and he stole Inesa''s lips for the first time.


    "FUCKING FINALLY!" I shouted, throwing my hands up into the air. "I WAITED ONE AND A HALF MILLION YEARS FOR THIS, TIAN! I MEAN, FUCK! YOU''LL STAND AGAINST THE STRONGEST BEINGS IN THE UNIVERSE, BUT WON''T KISS YOUR GIRLFRIEND?! AND DON''T YOU DARE TELL ME THAT SHE''S NOT YOUR GIRLFRIEND, YOU''VE BEEN DATING FOR FUCKING EONS! EONS, TIAN!" My chest heaved and I glared at Tian as he leaned away, trembling ever so slightly, while a small smile danced upon Inesa''s lips.


    "Thank you." Inesa said gently. Tian hesitated for only a moment before he leaned in once again, and they shared another kiss.


    "Yeah, bet you feel real stupid now, don''t you?! Wallow in shame, Tian! You''re the most powerful Immortal alive, and you only now, after one and a half million years - ONE AND A HALF MILLION, TIAN! - kissed the woman you LOVE! DAMN IT, MAN!" I let out a weary sigh and slumped back in my seat, glad that no one could hear me (except for maybe Randus) ranting.


    <table width="671">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Congratulations!


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Through your repeated actions, both large and small, you have obtained a sub-domain! Sub-domains are just as they sound, domains that compliment your main domain but you have less control over, and grant less power. Whereas only the Origin Deity can have their main domain, other deities can obtain your sub-domains.


    Your sub-domain(s) (Max of 4): Love


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "DON''T YOU PATRONIZE ME!" I shouted at the box even as I felt my power grow as the sub-domain was added. I could practically hear Mr. Blue Boxes laughing at me.


    <table width="671">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    I''m being serious, though. You really did earn this domain by doing many different things. First, having a Red String of Fate and ensuring it isn''t cut over the course of millions of years. Second, having a hand in the marriage between deities. Third, playing matchmaker with innumerous mortals. And fourth, bringing together a mortal (though he''s technically not mortal anymore) and a deity.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I glared at the box for a moment, just waiting for the snark to come through.


    <table width="670">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    But still. You couldn''t get them to kiss for a million years? You need to step up your game.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Ah, there it is. Screw you, stupid blue boxes. I took a deep breath, calming myself and ensuring that I wouldn''t explode again, casting one last glare at Tian before turning my attention to more important matters - namely, deciding who would go with me to the meeting between origin deities. It''s a very important matter, and I can''t just take anyone. My list of candidates wasn''t very big to begin with, and I''d narrowed it down a fair amount. Really, the list consists of any of my first four children, Kei, or Randus. Tian''s too young, Morgan''s still pouting about losing, and Gilles is...well, he shouldn''t go first. The only one I really think is ready for the information that will undoubtedly be unveiled in the meeting is Alexander, with Kei being a close second just because she''s so laid back.


    Elvira''s still a little childish and hasn''t found her domain yet, though she is getting close. In fact, she undoubtedly would''ve found it by now had she not bit off more than she could chew in terms of enlightenment, extending the process of her gaining a domain. As for Keilan, he was in much the same boat, having not achieved his domain of Karma until around two hundred thousand years ago. Now, he was revamping the reincarnation process and making it much more streamlined, and dealing with the increasing numbers of souls entering the cycle of reincarnation with each passing day.


    Reika, on the other hand, had achieved her Lifedomain over a million years ago, but was currently in the process of attempting to expand her domain to cover death as well, because the two do go hand in hand, and it would help her quite a bit. I was astonished that she managed to split the two domains in the first place, but living on the Life-Giving Tree has those kinds of effects, I suppose. I didn''t want to interrupt her, but to be honest, I just didn''t want to bring her. Nothing against her, it''s just...she''s not ready for that yet. She really needs to strengthen her heart before she can learn any truly world-shocking secrets. It''d...affect her too much.


    Alexander has been busy these past years. He''s been ensuring the spread of his people, both the draconians and dragons, both few in number with there only being a few hundred true dragons and a few ten billion draconians, and managing the entire Spirit Realm for quite a long time. Recently he''s been pleased with the growth of the angels and spirits in general in the Realms, though there have been a few pockets of dark spirits popping up that he''s been attempt to, if not purify, then certainly suppress. He''s just the same as ever; loyal to a fault, trusting beyond all belief, and wise enough that even I can go to him for advice on more...serious matters. (Though to be honest it''s more of gaining a new perspective on the situation.) Most recently, he''s been helping me deal with Morgan, who''s been showing signs of progress the past hundred thousand years.


    As for Kei...well, she''s just Kei. She never takes much interest in much of anything besides running around playing with all the various creatures of the Four Realms. Of all the Big Five, she is the furthest away from gaining a domain, simply because she has no interest in it. Her philosophy on the matter is "I''ll gain one when I need one." Which really isn''t a bad philosophy, though it annoys the other deities to no end. Most of them aren''t anywhere close to being so laid back.


    "Ma''am," Randus said, appearing behind me. I turned to look at him inquisitively, wondering if someone had come to visit or something. He was on the list to go with me because he''s Randus, my self-proclaimed butler. He''ll find out at some point or another. "You requested that I remind you of a, and I quote, ''super-important decision deadline.'' That deadline is this year." He said, bowing again. I nodded and sighed, knowing that it was time to make the decision....we''ll start with Alexander first.


    Closing my eyes I sent out a silent call for Alexander, and in but moments Randus disappeared to lead him into my observatory. (The observatory was really just a relatively empty room with a giant crystal screen floating mid-air that I could link to my vision. I can observe anywhere in the Four Realms, but not many deities can. So, naturally, it''s very convenient for when I want to show them something. And it also feels nostalgic...kind of like a home-theatre.)


    "You called, Father?" Alexander, in his draconian form, asked as he entered the room. Randus glanced into the room for a brief moment before closing the doors behind him, leaving Alexander and I alone.


    "Yes. I was wondering..." I paused and looked at him heavily, my eyes flashing as I peered into his fate. Alexander shuddered slightly at the feeling, but didn''t resist. With a frown I made a few hand gestures, and time began to warp around us. It was very difficult for me to look into the direct future of a being as powerful as Alexander, but immediately upon seeing him I got the feeling that something wasn''t right. Most specifically I looked into his possible futures, and what going to that meeting would do to him...the results were less than satisfactory. That''s not to say it would be bad, per se, but...I don''t know. It just didn''t feel right.


    He''d certainly grow more powerful, but he''d also grow more reclusive than before. That much was painfully obvious, something that I shouldn''t have had to peer into the future to figure out. There were a few other not-so-good paths that Alexander may take if he went to the meetingnow,far more than the truly beneficial paths.


    "Hmm. Sorry, never mind. There''s a few other things I need to check out first, but I may call you again." I said, shaking my head. "Ah, but if I were you, I''d try sending an incarnation or two to live as a mortal. It might be beneficial to you. Food for thought." I added as an afterthought, glancing momentarily towards where Randus had dissappeared to. Then I shook my head. No, I don''t think he''s a good choice. Maybe for a later one, but...not now. With another long-winded sigh I disappeared once more, in search of the one I''d take with me to the great meeting.


    POV CHANGE: Elvira


    I sat lazily in my chair, listening to the two deities before me bicker and argue, all while wishing to be anywhere but here. I''d already forgotten what these two were fighting about in the first place, and there were a good number of other issues I''d been needing to handle. For one, there had been a few dark angels popping up at the edges of the Four Realms that have been causing mischief. While it wasn''t a pressing matter, I did want to go see the extent of their actions. Unless they''re really doing damage I want to refrain from sealing them away like we initially did. Sealing...doesn''t help fix the problem dark angels present.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Sealing dark angels away does prevent them from dragging down mortals, but surprisingly it doesn''t do as much as you''d think in stopping the spread of darkness. That is mostly because it sets a bad example for the mortals; i.e. if something is evil imprison it and never let it see the light of day. And mortals, being the moronic creatures they are, tend to have a very skewed definition ofevil.If anything sealing away the dark angels propagates the spread of negativity just as much as the dark angels themselves, albeit on a different playing field.


    Additionally, dark angels that are sealed away are notoriously harder to redeem than if I were to, say, repeatedly suppress, but not seal, one over the course of a few eons. But even that isn''t a permanent solution, because as soon as that dark angel re-entered the cycle of reincarnation it started to walk the path of evil once again. It''s...aggravating, and finding a way to truly redeem the dark angels is a very difficult task. The only solution I''ve been able to come up with boils down to beating them down until they ask for forgiveness and walk the path of "good."


    "Right, you two!" I barked, startling the two deities out of their argument. I almost started laying into them about their pointless argument, but a flash of shadow and a glare from Gilles (who had been hiding in the corner of the throne room) reminded me to be nice. "Play nice. I realize that your domains are a bit conflicting, but that''s no excuse to start a fight with one another. If you can''t get along, just leave each other alone. You are dismissed." I said, waving my hand. A gust of wind spread throughout the room, picking up the two deities and throwing them out of the main entrance. The doors slammed shut with a loud thud and I sighed, sinking into my comfy chair and wishing I could just relax a bit.


    The throne room, as it had come to be called, was large and grand, made out of white marble and decorated with many different fine paintings and treasures. Large white pillars were erected on either side of the long room, more for decoration rather than for structural support, and ending with me on my gilded throne. I hated the stupid chair. It was a joke that had gone too far, and it was too late to back out of it now. I didn''twantto be seen as some sort of Queen of the deities....now I see why Father was so adamantly against it...


    "Having fun?" Gilles asked, stepping out of his shadowy corner and ascending the steps to stand next to my throne. I shook my head vehemently. "Thought not. If it bothers you that much, you really should just lower the throne. It doesn''t need an entire staircase leading up to it." He suggested for the umpteenth time.


    "I''ve tried," I groaned, "but the other deities keep rebuilding it. They just need to...stop." I groaned. Gilles chuckled and put one hand on my outstretched wings, stroking the feathers. I hummed lightly, enjoying the feeling.


    "You do have a rather...rabid following. Not like Keilan at all. He''s got a more...practical approach to things. If I had to explain it I''d say that you''re a Queen, and he''s the CEO of a large corporation." Gilles mused, scratching his chin. I groaned again and shook my head. It bothered me that I couldn''t even refute his claim. Gilles chuckled and moved to start kneading the base of my wings, where the limbs connected to my back. I groaned and nodded my approval, pushing into his knuckles.


    "Don''t -" Whatever it was I was about to say died when Father abruptly appeared in mid-air before me, a pensive look on His face.


    "Ah, don''t mind me. I''ll only be here for a second." He said, waving His hand dismissively. Space and time distorted as Father exerted a small portion of His power, and I sucked in a breath. Gilles and I both shuddered when we felt the tell-tale signs of someone looking into our Karmic Paths, and from there our futures. My first instinct was to resist, but that feeling was forcibly suppressed as Father was the one looking into our futures. He frowned slightly and shook His head as the feeling faded away, space and time returning to normal around us. I let out a breath and looked inquisitively at Father.


    "What was that about?" I asked, startling Father out of his senseless mutterings.


    "Hm? What was - oh, that. Uh..." Father paused and looked at me deeply, His green eyes peering into my soul in that eerie way of His. "Well...I''m going to go on a little trip here soon, and I''m thinking about taking someone with me." Father finally said, picking His words carefully.


    "A...trip? Like out into the Void?" Gilles rasped.


    "Something like that," Father replied, looking directly at me. "Unfortunately I haven''t found anyone yet. None of your siblings are eligible, and I don''t feel that taking either you or Gilles would be wise." He explained. I sat up and glanced at Gilles, who was frowning. I could practically see the calculations running through his head as he tried to figure out Father''s game. A fruitless endeavor, I''m sure, because I honestly doubt Father is playing any sort of game.


    "Do you have to take someone with you?" I inquired.


    "Well...no. But I''d like to." He whined, slouching and pouting like a child. I rolled my eyes and stood up, floating up to stand before Him. "But...it''s probably wise that I don''t." He said with a sigh of resignation. He then turned His face skyward, staring at the ceiling of my palace in contemplation. "Or I could pick someone completely random. Any suggestions?" He asked. I was...uncertain if he was talking to me or not. The answer to that question ended up being a resounding "NO," as Father got that faraway look in His eyes that said He was looking at something only He could see...


    This one in particular I hadn''t seen for a long time, it''d been growing less and less frequent as time wore on. It was as if he was reading something...Father revealed a strange expression, and I raised my eyebrows.


    "What?" I asked.


    "I...uh...well I think I just found the person to take with me." He said slowly, drawing out each word as if even He was confused by this revelation.


    "Who?" I inquired.


    "I don''t know." He said, which only confused me further.


    "You don''t know, or you don''t know why it''s that person? Or, it''s someone who you normally would never have considered?" Gilles asked, picking apart the hidden meanings in Father''s statement. He looked at Gilles and smiled a little tiredly.


    "A little bit of everything." Father said, and then turned away. "See you later, I have...something to find." He said and vanished. I let out a hum and looked towards my husband, raising one eyebrow. He simply shook his head and I floated over to him, draping one arm over his shoulders and wrapping my wings around him, one tail curling around his legs. He chuckled a little and I gave him another inquiring look.


    "Hey, I don''t know either. I''ve had some suspicions for a while, but I won''t say anything. If I''m right, She is probably correct in keeping it a secret. For now." Gilles said cryptically, prompting a snort from me.


    "I''ll get it out of you eventually." I countered.


    "Maybe, but for now, you need to get back to work. Open up the audience session again, some of the angels are justdyingto have a chat with you." He teased, and I groaned. The work...it just never ends...


    POV CHANGE: ???


    The Avians are a peculiar race. Not as peculiar as the Karae, mind you, but seeing as how the Avians are my natural race I have a better understanding of the Avians than the Karae, and thus trust my observations of the Avians moreso than the Karae. Back on the subject of the winged race of Avians, they are...peculiar. Not that our wings and feathered tail and generally aesthetically pleasing appearances are peculiar, but rather the nature of the people called the Avians is very strange, full of paradoxes.


    In a generalization (excluding outliers as there always tends to be in any group of people, no matter how small) of the species I have observed thus far, they are solitary, yet never distant from their loved ones. They are happy yet incredibly solemn, ready to celebrate at a moment''s notice, yet never really wishing to do so. And in terms of their cultivation...they approach it rather uniquely. They do not view it as a means of getting stronger, but rather as a highly spiritual practice that purifies the body and soul, and are willing to aid one another in this practice rather than beating each other down for the sake of growing stronger.


    What really makes them peculiar, and stand out amongst even the noble Fae, is the fact that mortal Avians tend not to be quite as...looked down upon. They have more of a place in society than being where cultivators come from and handling the more mundane tasks...not only are they aware of the existence of cultivators, but they also intermingle with the cultivators and aid with low-tier alchemy, blacksmithing, and even scribing for cultivators. However, this is all conjecture based on my limited scope. This planet is primarily dominated by the Avian race, with Fae, Karae, and Elementals taking up a much smaller percentage of the population, so therefore I cannot properly speak for the other races, as my time among them has been limited.


    Perhaps the Fae have their own actions with the mortals that are different than the Avians? Elementals as well, curious beings of pure essence that they are, likely have very unique approaches to cultivation as well. And the Karae...they are intriguing, with their rather abstract viewpoints, as if they can see far more than any other race. Or, perhaps it is simply that they see somethingelse entirely.


    I took a bite out of my food, a deliciously cooked meal courtesy of my favorite mortal restaurant. I myself, being a relatively high-level cultivator, am privy to information not normally accessible to the masses, so I understand that this is a small planet, and the four races on this small marble stretch out into the starry skies above and below. I can only wonder how much is myth and how much is truth...such as the rumor of a great Tree in the center of the universe, and how if one were to reach the top, they would ascend to another Realm altogether. Or, perhaps a bit closer to home, the rumors of a Celestial Court that controls the cultivation world, and all Immortals therein. As no Immortal has ever come from my planet, I can only postulate the truth, but I suppose there is something out there like the Celestial Court...or many smaller alliances claiming grandeur.


    "Hello there." A voice said, drawing me out of my musings. The being that sat before me was a rather gorgeous Fae, with long, silky hair, two gleaming black horns to match, and forest green eyes that peered into the soul. Not that they could peer into my soul, however. The Fae''s facial features were rather androgynous, making the Fae either a rather effeminate male, or a masculine female...but that only seemed to add to its beauty, as if the being transcended gender altogether.


    "So who are you?" I asked, my voice coming out before I even realized I was speaking.


    "Right to the point, hmm?" The person asked. I studied the being, reading the Fae down to its most minute facial expressions. The smile seemed genuine, "That''s because it is." The Fae interrupted, most likely reading my thoughts off of my body language. I did not feel any probing in my mind that would indicate mind-reading.


    "How may I help you?" I amended, trying to get a read on the being''s aura. It blended seamlessly into the world, and if I simply focused on sensing the being with my coresense, I had trouble determining where the world ended and the Fae began. Does this mean the being is an immortal? That would be rather interesting, seeing as how I was just thinking about immortals.


    "Hold still for just a second, I have a little something I need to do first..." The being said, and I stiffened as I felt someone peering into my future. Suddenly the Fae stiffened and stared at me blankly, a slow, radiant smile stretching across its face. "Well now, aren''t you an interesting one? I think I will take you with me." It said, reaching forwards and touching my forehead. Before I could even blink everything was gone, and I was standing in the starry sky above, the Fae standing before me in billowing purple and silver robes. Even against the sun that hung in the sky, the being was radiant.


    A wry smile stole my lips. "And who might you be?"


    "I am Statera Luotian. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance...whoeveryou are. Dotake care of me."

 The Mad Scientist and The Meeting

    POV: The Mad Scientist


    I stared idly at the Fae before me, my wings stretching out to bask in the light of the sun as we floated in space. The rays warmed my brown feathers and I sighed in contentment, giving another critical gaze at the being in purple robes that was staring at me. With a shudder I raised one eyebrow as I felt something gaze into my future...though I knew what they would find. It was always the same no matter what looked into my future, and my past. They could never see all of my past and my future was unstable at best.


    "You are being surprisingly...gentle. Most...cultivators that I''ve met are not nearly as...nice as you are." I said slowly, picking my words with care as I always do. It is a trait that I keep no matter what life I''m living.


    "It''s a good thing that I''m not a cultivator then." The Fae said with a smile, still peering into my future and...soul, with those penetrating green eyes. They were so deep that I felt as if I could hide nothing, and even if I did, it would soon be found out. Those were the kinds of eyes that I had never truly seen before, because there are many things that I can hide, even to those who claim to be "all-seeing." "I am Statera Luotian, to answer your question." The Fae told me before I could even ask a simple "who are you?"


    "Like from the common...mythologies." I stated, looking at the androgynous being carefully. Was Statera here just an incredibly powerful cultivator that happened to be venerated by those on the planet below? I''ve seen it before in the other universe with cultivation practices, but I suspect that this is not the case this time around. This one feels much more...hmm, for once I cannot find the word.


    "The very one." Statera said, never once halting the search through my future and soul. With a wave of one hand a perception filter settled down around us, keeping any unwanted visitors from hearing our conversation or even seeing us. From what I could tell it was an unimaginably powerful filter, but this body is weak so I might be a little prejudiced.


    "That was a very...smooth perception filter. Afraid of being watched?" I inquired innocently. Statera snorted.


    "My children like to keep tabs on me. They mean well, and are looking out for the good of the Realms, but it can get a little annoying. Nothing''s going to pop up that I don''t sense first, and I have many ways of contacting them that would not require a bodyguard. Tea?" Statera asked, causing a pot of steaming tea to appear out of thin air. I raised my eyebrows, my thoughts whirring.Manipulation of matter...that''s very high level. Incredibly so, unless I missed spatial magic...no, I''m well versed in spatial manipulation, it''s doubtful that anyone would be able to slip passed me... I silently accepted the tea Statera offered, scrutinizing it closely but not drinking. "I''m impressed that you felt me do that, by the way. I wasn''t being sneaky about the...filter, as you call it, but I wouldn''t expect it from a mortal." Statera said calmly.


    "Is that so?" I asked, still not drinking. "When are you going to tell me what I am...here for? I...presume you have a purpose in...abducting me." I drawled, raising one eyebrow. Statera chuckled and gave me a look.


    "As soon as I figure out what it is you''re hiding outside of the laws of my Realms." Statera said quite simply, and I blinked in surprise.What I''m...?I wondered for a brief moment before realization dawned upon me. Statera was talking about my memories. "Sorry if I''m coming across as pushy, by the by. I haven''t been this interested in a challenge since I attempted to absorb Void fragments." My eyes flew open and I took a few steps back. Statera watched me with interest, but obviously didn''t think anything of it.


    "V-Void...fragments? You attempted to merge with the Void?" I asked incredulously. I''d only ever seen people attempt that once, and it ended...catastrophically. Five of them were erased from existence, and the other, the most powerful of the group, went absolutely insane and attempted to destroy everything around him. I was forced to kill him. Statera was blinking at me in momentary confusion as I pulled myself out of my reverie, smiling at me in an amused manner.


    "That''s quite the strong memory you have there. What''s it from...? Oh, I see!That''swhat all this fog is...you''re in a different reincarnation cycle! But instead of losing your memories you keep them, and...every life you jump to a new universe. Intriguing." Statera muttered, shocking me to my core.No onehad been able to figure that out so quickly...and never so accurately. "What would that...? Oh! It''s like trading information! I see now...sort of. That''s not all there is to it, is there?" Statera mused, and I bristled a bit at being considered a message system.


    "What were you doing with void fragments?" I asked, hissing out my question and attempting to change the conversation topic.


    "Absorbing them, of course. I succeeded after close to a million years, but I''ll need more if I want to increase my powers in that direction any further. If it were anyone but me doing the absorbing I would be just as worried as you, but as a Deity of Balance, It''s not nearly as dangerous. I know my limits. Also, don''t think that you''re going to get away with changing the subject. This is why I was guided to you after all." Statera explained.


    "Guided...? A so-called deity needs guidance? From whom?" I inquired.


    "Not so-called. I am the Origin Deity of the Four Realms, I am its parent as much as its creator, and I have spawned thousands of other deities. And as both I and this universe are very young, we do receive guidance from time to time. Mostly from the one who presides over the entirety of the multiverse." Statera explained quickly. "I''m beginning to see why you were suggested."


    "For what...?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.


    "Hm. Well, the short version is that there''s a little meeting going on between a group of origin deities that I am allowed to bring one guest to. None of my children are ready for such a meeting, and then you were brought to my attention. So far, you''re passing. Having no discernable future helps...why is that by the way?" Statera asked. I considered telling the being the truth or not, before deciding that lying would not help anything. I''d run across a few species that could detect lies, which was an aggravating racial trait.


    "I am more...unstable than others of my kind. The Mad Scientist is my...designation, and talks about my...inherent nature. Names are...difficult, when we have so many." I explained slowly, omitting some details. "Why do you want...me?"


    "Simple. You''d benefit from it, assuming you can withstand my pressure." Statera said. "You''re doing well. I''ve been slowly transferring my true body into this incarnation, and you haven''t yet begun to feel it. A mortal at your level would normally be looking at my toes by now." Statera said. I raised my eyebrow and snorted. Nothing this being could do would put pressure on me, deity or no.


    "Go...ahead." I said with a dismissive wave of my hand, quite confident in my mental fortitude. Statera looked at me questioningly for a moment before shrugging, giving me a look that said "you asked for it." Statera took a deep breath and let it out slowly - and suddenly the entire universe was lost to me. Pure power radiated over my body, pounding into my soul and my body screaming in pain, feeling as if the molecules that made up my physical form were bound and determined to tear themselves apart. An aura of majesty and might struck me like a bolt of lightning, and I fell to my knees, kowtowing before I could even think.


    POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian


    I looked at The Mad Scientist, who was quivering as she stood behind me, eyeing me warily. She was still getting used to being under the pressure of being in my presence, but at least she wasn''t forced to kiss the floor anymore. It''d only been a few hours, too, and she was up and about, though she was keeping a healthy distance from me. As for my children...a few of my incarnations were placating them, telling them that I would be leaving on a trip and that I didn''t know how long I would be gone.


    "This is the Four Realms." I said solemnly, looking out over the Tree and the Mountain and the Valley. "It''s small, no bigger than a galaxy, but growing. Though it needs to grow faster..." I muttered that last part, and didn''t expect the Mad Scientist to answer.


    "Couldn''t you just spread the...seeds of the Tree, then?" She asked, forcing each word out. I looked at her, amused, before my face contorted in contemplation.


    "Remind me to try that when we get back." I told her.


    "I haven''t agreed to going." The Mad Scientist retorted, and I chuckled. I liked this one, she wasn''t afraid to talk back. Come to think of it...Tian does that too. There seems to be a theme going here...well, discounting Inesa.


    "I''m all for freewill, however in this case you don''t have a choice." I said sweetly, shooting her a smile. She just grumbled, her feathers ruffling irritably as we waited for the time to leave to arrive. It should happen any moment now...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Before we get started, I believe I should talk to you a bit about your guest, Statera. She is what I affectionately call a Monkey Wrench, because they are not a creation of my own and her kind tend to mess with every universe or world they travel to in big ways. Her existence is exactly as you suspected, one where each life she is taken to a new universe, with perfect memories of her previous lives. As such, she has information from at least thirty other universes and the basics of how they are run, which will provide useful in the upcoming meeting. A fresh perspective is always welcome. And yes, she is part of the reason why this meeting is coming early. No other questions will be answered at this time.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Teleporting to Meeting in 5...4...3...2...1...If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Teleporting now.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The world spun for a moment, and we suddenly found ourselves standing at the edges of a circular platform of a see-through material. Twelve blank flags hung from tall poles surrounding area, and as I watched the flag directly behind me shimmered and changed to show a Mountain, Tree, Valley, and River. In the middle of the area was a large round table with twelve chairs around it...apparently our "plus one''s" were supposed to stand behind us while the origin deities sat. All around us stretched chaos, nothing but pure chaos. Purples and blues flashed as nebula and galaxies twirled in the distance, asteroids and giant clumps of chaos hurtling by as I watched. It was very...impressive.


    "This looks suspiciously like a...meeting between nations." The Mad Scientist said monotone.


    "That''s exactly what I was thinking." I grumbled, stepping forwards and waving my hands. Instantly the table was filled with good food and hot tea sat at every seat, leaving just enough room for the other deities to provide their own delicacies, if they are so inclined. "There. Now we can all have tea and chat." I said with a nod.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Nice. You going to put flowers out, too?</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Quiet, you.


    "That''s a naive way to think." The Mad Scientist mentioned.


    "Perhaps. But it''s the way I prefer to think, even as I prepare for the worst." I said with a smile.


    "Remind me why I''m here again?" The Mas Scientist asked as I moved back to stand next to her, glancing up at my flag with a frown. It''ll have to do for now...


    "Because you are. If you were not supposed to be here, you would not be." I replied simply, watching carefully for the arrival of any of the other deities. Time seemed to slowly tick by until I thought of a question I had simply not thought of before. Although I had warned my children that I would be leaving on a journey, I did not know how long I would be gone. Before I could even ask the question, Mr. Blue Boxes answered me.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You will be returned to your universe the exact moment that you left. For all intents and purposes, time has ceased to flow within the Four Realms.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Huh. Neat. So when are the other deities going to arrive?


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Soon.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Thanks. That really clears things up. To my surprise, however, I didn''t have to wait long for other deities to begin appearing. The first was a ball of scintillating white light that floated in midair, twisting and distorting with no predictable pattern. An aura of endlessness seemed to radiate from it, causing the Mad Scientist to tremble under its pressure. With a mere wave of my hand the Mad Scientist was protected from the aura, and she shot me a grateful look.


    "Oh, I am not the first one here, it appears." The ball of light said, flashing with each word. From behind it stepped a centaur, carrying a halberd and dressed in gilded silver armor that covered his top half, glaring at me with unconcealed hostility. He was male, with light brown hair and a dappled horse body, his lower half prancing about impatiently as his nearly golden brown horse tail swished. "Do not stare, with such hostility, child." The centaur looked properly chastised, bowing towards the ball of light and schooling his features impressively. Though it couldn''t fool me, he obviously was still treating me as a threat.


    Not that I could blame him. Alexander would most likely be doing the same. As I watched the flag behind the ball of light shimmered, the image of a whirlpool appearing on it. I smiled and nodded towards the ball of light, attempting to fly over to it but finding that my movement was restricted.


    "It looks like we cannot move too much until the others arrive." I mentioned idly.


    "Yes, it does appear, that way." The ball of light mentioned. "But I do not, think we will have, to wait long." As if in response to the ball''s words two more origin deities stepped into the chamber, choosing to appear via portal.


    One of them was a non-humanoid being, taking the form of a giant eight-winged bird seemingly carved out of the starry sky. Stars glittered in its pitch-black feathers, purple gasses seeming to drift along its body and entire worlds seemed to fit underneath its wings. (Almost imperceptibly one of the chairs shifted into becoming a perch for the great bird.) Its talons tapped the floor as it inspected the other origin deities, its eyes seeming like they contained the boundlessness of time. Behind it fluttered a small creature that looked like a small, red sparrow. From it, I could sense a fiery rage that could rival the heat of a sun. As for its flag, it showed a large circle, surrounded by numerous smaller circles.


    The other appeared directly to my left, and was...a slovenly man, accompanied by a righteous-looking female warrior, clad in shining golden armor with brilliant silver wings stretching from her back. She looked at me and nodded respectfully, her glowing silver eyes catching my own. I couldsee the way she shuddered when she met my eyes, and I smiled at her wondering why she shuddered. She stood in front of the slovenly man, surprisingly enough. Then I flicked my eyes to the slovenly man behind her, my smile widening when our eyes met. He was dressed like a beggar, looked like one too, what with his greasy black hair and grime-covered face, and held a pair of dice in one hand. Anyone who looked at him would never think that he would be an origin deity, but I could sense him and knew that he was. When he met my eyes his expression flickered imperceptibly before he shot me a wink, to which I chuckled inwardly and turned away. The slovenly man''s flag shifted to appear as nine lines stacked on top of one another.


    The next one to appear appeared alongside a six-armed hollow hunk of armor, while the origin deity itself was a floating pyramid made of a sleek black material and glowing with blue lights. It surprisingly appeared mechanical in nature, and exuded a very mysterious aura. Its flag depicted something that looked like a venn diagram - two spheres merging with one another.


    "Tea and snacks...?" The pyramid intoned, it''s attention obviously on the table.


    "Ah, yeah. I didn''t know what all was coming, so I kinda just laid out whatever I thought would be tasty." I admitted with a shrug. "If there''s anything you want, just lay it on the table or let me know if you specifically want anything."


    "I do not require sustenance." The pyramid said.


    "Nor do I." The ball of light agreed.


    "Nor do I, but that doesn''t mean I can''t enjoy it." I grumbled, folding my arms across my chest and mock-pouting. When nothing else was said I sighed. "Feel free to add to the table." I muttered.


    "Don''t mind if I do. I''m rather fond of these." A sudden newcomer said in response to my words, cubes of condensed and purified elemental essences appearing on plates next to my own food. The being itself was a stag, with great, branching horns that flashed a myriad of colors. Its silky fur shone in the light, and it radiated an aura of pure elemental power. Behind it floated a mermaid, smiling sweetly at everyone while holding a coral sword. Its flag showed innumerous symbols of elemental essences.


    "I will not eat any of your...''snacks.'' And I shall not consume any of your other foods." Another newcomer intoned.


    "Psst." A sudden voice caught my attention, causing me to look over to the slovenly origin deity. "Got any booze?" He asked in a stage-whisper. I winked conspiratorially at him, flicking a hand behind my back and causing a flask fly over to his side. He uncorked it, sniffed, took a swig, and groaned in appreciation. "You and I are going to be good friends, if that''s the kind of booze you keep on you." I snickered and glanced at the three newcomers.


    The first one, the one that had previously spoken out against the food, had six arms and wore gaudy clothes and a shining crown. The being radiated an aura of majesty, and yet another warrior in shining armor stood behind the being. Its flag depicted a castle.


    The next was a skeleton covered in a pitch-black robe, a menacing scythe strapped to its back. Black smoke poured off of the bones I could see, its red eyes peering out from beneath its hood, while behind it stood a young woman dressed in a black kimono, her eyes closed and hands clasped before her as she stood guard. Its flag was a balancing scale, with two circles on either side, balanced perfectly. I narrowed my eyes in discovering that this origin deity was not a being of death, but more...cyclical in nature.


    Finally, the third was an absolutely gorgeous elf with flaming red hair and a bewitching smile that she turned to everyone present. Beautiful could not even begin to describe her or the blonde elf that stood behind her, a bow strapped to his back. Her flag depicted a single line with a two circles on either side of it. I returned her smile, waving slightly before looking back at the table, watching in amusement as more and more food (or anything equivalent to food) began to pile up on it. Apparently I started a war.


    I sagged slightly upon realizing that there were still three more deities left to appear, and already the origin deities present were already arguing. One in particular, the six-armed one wearing a crown, was acting rather pompous in my opinion. Every sentence came across as arrogant, and I found myself quickly becoming ratherput outwith him. Said deity turned his attention to me, met my eyes, and promptly swallowed whatever it was he was going to say before turning back to the eight-winged bird as he continued to bicker with it, leaving me to wonder why he didn''t say anything to me.


    Still though, my excitement over meeting the other origin deities prevented me from getting too down. Especially when the next two appeared, because I recognized one of them. The one I recognized was from the strange portal incident, when that wind elemental momentarily disappeared...


    That one was a butterfly, with flowers growing on its wings. Its aura was very chaotic and ever-changing, which was partly how I knew it was the other origin deity I had met. Behind it was a flower of yellow and red that gently swayed in the non-existent wind. Its flag was covered in what looked like stars, and I waved at the butterfly happily. Itflapped its wings once, a gentle gust reaching over to rustle my hair, which I took as acknowledgement.


    The eleventh deity looked like an oni, with basic human features plus a single horn sticking out of its forehead, and dressed in the colors of the rainbow. Its robes were almost...obnoxious to look at, and behind it stood a tiger beastman. The flag behind them fluttered and formed a cloud above a flat line, which was above a flame. The oni radiated a strange aura, one I didn''t fully understand myself.


    I was actually surprised to not see any dragons, though I held out hope for the final deity...though my thoughts and the conversation currently taking over the room were silenced by the blue boxes that appeared before us.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">All deities have assembled. The Twelfth origin deity will not make an appearance at this time due to the nature of its universe. You will have a small amount of time before the meeting officially starts to mingle and chat with your fellow deities. Get to know each other, and above all behave. Have fun, children.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Time until meeting begins: 40:00:00


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Introductions (Names and Domains)

    <u>POV: Yueya Oshun (The Elf)</u>


    I was practically vibrating from where I stood, looking around excitedly at the surrounding origin deities. I mean, here were people I could actuallytalkto! Well, that skeleton guy looked too scary to talk to, and the big bird next to me was already moving off to talk to the butterfly...it seems like everyone was already chatting with someone. I frowned and looked around again, trying to see who I would want to go talk to and feeling incredibly nervous.


    "Should we join in on the festivities, My Lady?" Hajime, the elven deity that stood behind me asked. I glanced at the table that was covered with food, and the "plus-ones" that had started to congregate around it while the origin deities began talking with one another.


    "Go ahead, Hajime." I said with a smile, nodding to him. The elf smiled back and moved off, seamlessly integrating into the group of six beings that had begun talking to each other. I could sense the underlying tension between all of them as they interacted, no doubt attempting to glean information from one another. This was a meeting with a bunch of foreigners, while the universe was still young and so were they, so of course they were going to be much warier than their respective origin deities might be. Speaking of...as I looked around wondering who to go talk to, a black-haired deity wearing flowing purple robes caught my eyes.


    The moment our eyes met I felt as if I had been struck by lightning. My soul trembled as we stared at each other for a moment, and for the first time since my rebirth I truly felt as if I was vulnerable. It was the same one that waved back at me when I first entered the room...though I hadn''t met the deity''s eyes then. Now, its eyes peered into me and I actually had to consciously defend against his piercing gaze to defend against it. And theaurahe, for I saw the deity as a he despite his effeminate features, radiated...it was socalmingthat I found it even affectedme.


    I smiled again, putting a bit of my own power into my expression as I moved over to join the deity, who was chatting with the silver-winged deity and a beggar-looking dude.


    "Hello." I said, my smile coming off as a little shy as I extended my hand forwards for a handshake. The green-eyed deity blinked at me uncomprehendingly before smiling and gently taking my hand, shaking it. "I am Yueya Oshun. You are...?" I inquired.


    "My name is Statera Luotian." He said with a smile, releasing my hand and winking. "And this is how two equals tend to greet each other in my universe." He slapped his right fist into his left palm and bowed slightly, his eyes never leaving my own. I returned the gesture and he blinked, realization dawning on his face. "Ah! I never realized, but this would actually make the first time I have bowed to anyone as an equal since becoming an origin deity." He laughed and I joined him. I too had that problem.


    "Anyways! These two," Statera continued, gesturing towards the silver-winged deity and the beggar, "are Pyrah and Reilly. Pyrah is the one with silver wings, while Reilly is the beggar-looking dude." I greeted the two of them, shaking each of their hands and returning their slight bows. Reilly glanced at Statera and myself before taking a long draught from a flask. He made an appreciative groan, and I raised my eyebrows.


    "What are you drinking?" I asked.


    "Booze." Reilly answered with a wink, juggling the dice in his hand.


    "A special type of liquor distilled from the power within the Abyss. I''m still working on the taste." Statera said calmly, shooting Reilly a look. "Reilly asked me if I had any alcohol earlier, so I gave him some. Would you like anything?" He asked, folding his hands inside the sleeves of his robes. I pondered that a bit. Since becoming an origin deity I hadn''t touched any alcohol...for that matter, I hadn''t touched alcohol for a few million years even when I was but a minor goddess in my old realm.


    "I - well, do you have any wine?" I asked, rubbing my chin thoughtfully. Statera waved one hand, and five gourds appeared in midair.


    "Take your pick. I have, like, twenty different kinds, but these five are my favorites. Especially the middle one." Statera deadpanned. Before I could even think Reilly had made a move, lunging forwards and snagging the left-most gourd and taking a long draught. I stared at him, horrified by how rude he was being, and by how Pyrah seemed more amused than anything else at her "plus-one" acting this way.


    "Oh for the love of all that is holy, you know how to make good wine." Reilly moaned in satisfaction. "Pyrah, you can go play." He said, waving one hand dismissively. The silver winged deity snorted in amusement.


    "How did I know you''d get bored of this little charade?" She muttered to herself, flapping her wings once and flying off. I blinked in surprise, now scrutinizing the beggar-deity.


    "It stopped being fun the when Statera saw through me with a single glance. Even though my luck was good today...oh well." Reilly said with a shrug, winking at me. It took me a few moments before my eyes widened - hidden far beneath a layer of...bleh, for lack of a better descriptor, lay the majestic aura of an origin deity. Reilly was hiding it extremely well, for it to even fool me. But, Statera saw through it with a single glance...? I looked back at Statera, gazing into his forest green eyes and shuddering internally.


    "Those eyes of yours are a dangerous weapon." I said with a small smile. Statera just cocked his head to the side uncomprehendingly, and I giggled a bit. It doesn''t matter how powerful Statera may be, in the two million years we''ve had to create our universes, there''s no way he got far enough ahead to render the rest of our defenses useless. There had to be something to those eyes of his that made him able tosee.


    I reached out and grabbed one of the gourds that had apparently been forgotten about, sniffing it experimentally. I might need this, if the rest of the meeting was going to go like this. Did everyone have little tricks like Statera''s eyes...?


    "Ah! Right, Reilly, what is your domain anyway? I''m getting a rather chaotic vibe from you, and it''s got me curious." Statera asked, rubbing his chin. Reilly blinked and grinned, spinning the pair of dice in is hands.


    "You tell me first." Reilly countered, grinning wildly. Statera nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped by the small winged being behind him. (I say small because compared to the powerhouses in the room currently, her aura was miniscule.) I stared in shock at Statera''s companion. He brought a mortal to the meeting?! I mean, obviously she wasn''t a normal mortal because her aura was stronger than a normal mortal, but really?! What kind of lunacy does that require?!


    "Sharing information like...that is not recommended." She said, fluttering her wings slightly and giving Statera an annoyed look. "It is considered....sensitive. And...personal."


    "Really? It''s not like they won''t find out later, though." Statera grumbled, pouting a bit and looking at his mortal friend. The image reminded me a child, and Reilly snorted.


    "The mortal has a point. Tell you what, let''s make a game out of it." Reilly said, tossing his dice in the air and grinning when he caught them. He took another deep swig of wine, eyes twinkling mischeivously. I hummed, seeing all the points being made. It was undoubtedly only a matter of time until we all knew each other''s domains, however it very well could be considered sensitive information to what basically amounts to a group of outsiders...so why not make it a guessing game? That would make things more interesting, and if we imposed rules, if our domain wasn''t guessed correctly we wouldn''t have to reveal anything.


    I voiced as much, and both Reilly and Statera seemed to agree. However, it was only then that I realized our conversation had drawn the attention of the other deities.


    "That sounds like a game I would be rather interested in." The butterfly said.


    "Indeed, it would. Plus it would serve, as a way to determine, our observational abilities." The pulsating ball of light added, earning itself a few murmurs of agreement.


    "Hmph. I suppose so. Even I did not notice that the beggar was an origin deity." The kingly deity said, stroking his chin and looking at Statera appraisingly. I nodded and smiled. This could be fun.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian


    "You get first guess." Reilly declared, taking another long draught out of my wine and looking directly at me. I stared at the ten deities arranged in a circle with a bemused expression, idly wondering how exactly it came to be this way, but accepting it nonetheless. Apparently everyone present wanted to see how well I''d be able to guess their domains, for some reason. "Start with...Big Bird." Reilly gestured wildly to the giant eight-winged bird, it''s newfound nickname causing it to frown. I withheld a snicker and looked closely at the bird.


    "My name, Beggar, is Nyxteria Mahakali." The bird, Mahakali, preened, glaring at Reilly. "And it would be my pleasure to go first." I, however, was no longer paying attention, getting close to gathering what its aura fully contained.


    It held a very deep aura that seemed to flow only one way...


    "Your aura is deep and endless, ever expanding, and flowing ever onwards. It is both ancient and young, causing endless decay and endless rebirth." I said, frowning and nodding towards the bird. "You, my friend, possess the domain of space and time." The bird was silent for a moment before bowing its head in acknowledgement.


    "With hardly a glance, you saw past my barriers. What you said is correct. I am indeed an Origin Deity of Space and Time." The bird said. I blinked and smiled, pleased with myself until the Kingly deity spoke up.


    "Ha. That was hardly a challenge. Anyone could''ve guessed that, I mean just look at the bird." Despite the way he said it, I actually agreed. The eight-winged bird''s physical features did indeed give away the ''space'' portion, what with the starry sky covering its body. "Do the pyramid next." He challenged.


    "It would be easier to go around in a circle, starting from the right of..." The pyramid intoned, its following pregnant pause apparently meant for me.


    "Statera." I supplied.


    "The right of Statera and continuing in a circle until Statera gets a guess wrong. Then the ''guesser'' will switch to the person to the previous guesser''s right." The pyramid finished.


    "What is this...kindergarten?" The Mad Scientist asked from behind me, her intended insult going largely ignored.


    "Yes, actually. Compared to some beings out there, we are but babes." I returned with a smile. "As origin deities go, everyone present is incredibly young." Seeing as no one bothered to refute me, I nodded and looked at the being to my right, the beautiful red-headed elf. "Let''s begin shall we? You, Yueya, are undoubtedly a deity of beauty. Can you change forms, by the way?" I asked, eyes twinkling as I looked at her. Reilly whistled.


    "Right out the starting gate, and you''re already flirting? You lady-killer you." He teased. Yueya shot him a look and nodded to me.


    "That''s correct, I am the origin deity of beauty, in all its abstractness. And yes, I can change forms." She said, swiftly changing to appear as a green-haired male elf before reverting back to her previous form. "Though I prefer this one." I smiled and nodded, moving on to the next deity and ignoring the stares I was getting. This felt suspiciously like I was the only one showing my prowess. Beside Yueya was Nyxteria, so I skipped the big bird for the next one; the stag.


    "I go by many names, but the most common is Chun Nihaad Teva. You may call me Teva." The elemental stag said with a playful lilt to its voice. I nodded, not even blinking as I recognized the aura Teva exuded. Although within Teva they were all blended together, there was no mistaking the elements.


    "You''re a deity of the elements. There''s no mistaking your aura." I said, looking to the next one without waiting for Teva''s answer. The stag didn''t so much as flinch at my assessment, chuckling to itself and muttering "That obvious, huh?" under its breath. Next up was the light ball, who merely flickered as it spoke its name.


    "My creations, have come to call me, The Progenitor. I suppose, that shall suffice, as a name." The light ball intoned. I nodded and stared at it, noticing the way it pulsated. It was as if there was a thin gauze covering The Progenitor''s aura, preventing me from seeing it clearly. I blinked and the gauze vanished, a wave of...something wafting over me. I probed once more, feeling as if I was playing with building blocks, before coming up with an answer.


    "You are a deity of creation, are you not? Your aura has a hint of building something in it." I mused, rubbing my chin. The Progenitor flashed once in shock.


    "With just, a blink of your eyes you blew away, my defenses. You, are, correct." It muttered in shock. I was on a roll now, and I continued on. Next up was the skeleton dude. I had already gotten a grasp of its aura, and in the blink of an eye I finished analyzing it. It was life and death together, the same and yet different. The skeleton''s aura was the same as any other cycle, one that was constantly rotating and changing, yet remaining the same.


    "That''s quite the interesting domain..."


    "Shin." The skeleton supplied.


    "...Shin. Very interesting. Cyclical...your domain is the Cycle." I said, nodding.


    "What cycle?" The pyramid questioned. I smiled at it.


    "The Cycle." I repeated, looking at the skeleton for confirmation. Its expression, if that was possible on a skeleton, was shocked to say the least.


    "Had you said anything other than The Cycle, you would have been wrong." Shin said, simply opening its mouth as the words poured out alongside some black smoke. "You have my profound respect for your insights." It said, inclining its head to me. I nodded and looked at the butterfly, who introduced itself without even needing prompting, excitement clear in its aura.


    "Sylphina Luanhua is what I am called, fellow deity." The butterfly, Sylphina, said. I observed its chaotic aura, almost speaking the word "Chaos" before halting myself and chuckling.


    "How devious, to hide your domain beneath your sub-domain. I like it. Your domain is Change, not chaos." I announced proudly, winking at her. "So far you got the closest to tripping me up." I looked at Reilly, who was next, a smug look plastered on his stupid face. His aura was the most vexing to try to figure out, and I had to furrow my brows as I trying to make heads or tails of Reilly''s aura. Its surface layer was just so...confusing. Random almost, while deeper in it was...almost calculative. I''d be safer guessing...oh. Guessing. That might just be it.


    "Oh, tricky. You were hoping for aluckyguess on my part, weren''t you?" I said with a grin, glancing around and realizing that I had already finished analyzing all the others'' auras. Then I looked back at Reilly, whose face was pale as he stared at me in shock. "Your domain is Luck. You''re no beggar, you''re a gambler."


    "That''s right. Holy shit." Reilly said, laughing.


    "Yes, I do take those from time to time." I said with a carefully blank expression. Reilly stared at me for a moment, trying to comprehend what I said, before barking out another laugh.


    "Oh, Ilikeyou!" He roared. I grinned and looked at the last three remaining deities.


    "Ok you three, speed round. When I point at you give your names and I''ll tell you your domain. Ready? Start with you." I said, pointing to the pyramid.


    "MR-10." It said.


    "MR-10. M...R-TEN. Mar-TEN. Martin. Your name is Martin. Oh, that is clever. Destiny and fate, that''s your domain. I happen to have a bit of insight into that myself, but it''s not enough to even consider it a sub-domain yet. Now you." I said moving to the kingly one.


    "I am Emperor." He puffed up. I blinked, not really sure what I expected from him, but not such a blatant portrayal of his domain.


    "Right. Ok, ''Ruler.''" I said, moving onto the next. HIs expression told me that I was right, even as he protested.


    "I am Rising Wind, Crashing Waves. Call me whatever you wish, be it Rising Wind, or Crashing Waves." The last, the Oni, said with a smile. I grinned back, basking slightly in the warm feeling the oni was projecting.


    "You are the deity of emotion." I said, and Crashing Waves'' face fell.


    "That''s right..." Crashing Waves'' said, looking at all the other deities as they stared at me, uncomprehendingly. Then they all shared a glance and proceeded to peer at me, attempting to look into my aura and all determined to seek out my domain. I smiled, and did the exact opposite of what they did - instead of sucking it all in or attempting to cover it up, I drowned them in my domain. "Your domain is Peace!" Crashing Waves exclaimed.


    "No." I replied.


    "It is Love." MR-10 intoned.


    "No." I replied.


    "Tranquility!" That was Reilly.


    "No."


    "Damn. Unlucky guess...my luck''s been awful today..." Reilly cursed.


    "The Heavens."


    "No." It was a good ten minutes before the next three guesses came flying at me, being the Sun, Light, and Beginnings, respectively. All were wrong obviously, and I was beginning to show a bit of a smug smile, which only served to irk the remaining three who had to guess.


    "Chaos." Sylphina, muttered. I shook my head, and the butterfly let out a noise like a groan.


    "Is it...Energy?" Shin guessed, and I laughed, shaking my head and turning towards Yueya, who was the last one left to guess. She stared straight at me, a frown on her features as she desperately attempted to find my domain. I could...almost seehow close she was to it. She wasn''t attempting to analyze my aura like the others had, else she would get lost in a raging maelstrom or lose herself in eerie calm, instead flowing along with it and soaking it all in for what it is...it was then that I realized just how similar our domains really were. If one looked at it from an increasingly abstract angle.


    "It is...a scale...a beam...a circle...yin...but yang..." She sighed in frustration, looking at me in sending a silent question towards me. Then, her voice was transmitted to me and me alone.Is it...balance? And I nodded, ever so slightly, a smile gracing my lips. "It is Truth." She said aloud, smirking at me. I shot her a confused look before shaking my head.


    "No, it is not. Reilly, had you not guessed randomly you most likely would''ve gotten it." I chastised the Deity of Luck. The gambler just shrugged, and smile gracing his lips as all the other deities continued to scrutinize me, seeking answers but finding none. I swiftly retracted my aura, not so much as letting it move an inch as I stared at them in challenge. They had not guessed it right, so I suppose, in all fairness, they should not be able to guess what my domain is until next time. Thankfully, I was saved by the Blue Boxes, who chose that moment to inform us that it was time for the "meeting" to really begin.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">The time is up. Sit in your respective seats, and we can begin. The results of the first meeting between this generation of origin deities will be shown for the first time...now.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Comparisons

    <u>POV: Shin (Skeletal Deity of The Cycle)</u>


    My hands remained clasped in front of me as I casually looked around the table, only ever meeting Statera''s eyes. Those eyes...I grinned inwardly at Statera''s earlier display, remembering the way the being easily saw through all of our attempts to hide our own domains, and then completely baffled everyone but the Deity of Beauty with her own. Even now, as Statera struggled against her eyelids as they grew ever heavier, I was unable to sense what her domain was. It was vexing to say the least, but at least I was getting more and more on her personality. Statera had already fallen asleep a few times throughout the course of the meeting, hinting at a very short attention span.


    Well, even I will admit that the information the Great One was giving didn''t appear very interesting. There were small nuggets of information contained within, but I, for one, wasn''t too interested. The Emperor, however, was, and was clearly showing off his leadership abilities as he directed the conversations and information given with only a few well-placed comments. He was in total control of the information given and received, and no matter how hard the others tried, he dominated the conversations.


    Other than myself and Statera, everyone else appeared vested in the meeting. I, for one, much more enjoyed the chance to analyze my fellow Origin Deities'' personalities rather than whatever information was being given. My "plus one," Ze, was handling that bit for me. As my personal assistant, she had access to information every other being in my universe did not...even knowing of my own existence. Most beings considered Ze to be the pinnacle being in my universe. It was quite fun blowing the minds of those who did manage to get powerful enough to learn of my existence, though that number only amounts to two, including Ze.


    "Of course we should push further into the Void. Pushing the barrier further into the emptiness of the Void would give our universes more room to grow, and therefore speed up the process of being full-fledged universes." MR-10, the pyramid with a nasty attitude hidden beneath its monotone voice, droned. Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd, but I just frowned when I looked at Statera, who was likewise frowning and suddenly completely aware.


    "That''s stupid. The Void is...dangerous. Things...lurk in the Void, things capable of....death." The mortal behind Statera spoke, narrowing her eyes at the collection of deities. I, for one, was wholly unsurprised that Statera had brought a mortal to the meeting, sensing that the deity was as whimsical as she was mysterious. I wouldn''t label her as powerful like the others do, however. To my senses she would probably rank in the middle of all the beings present, with the top spot going to the Emperor, surprisingly. It was just...every time I tried to look at her, I could only imagine a vast ocean...seemingly simple on the surface, but filled with uncountable mysteries beneath.


    "You''re just a mortal. We are origin deities. We are able to do things you mortals would never be able to dream of, much less be capable of. The Void poses no threat to us." Nyxteria deadpanned. Statera stood then, and all eyes fixated on her.


    "No. I agree with her. While not a certainty, mortals do have a tendency to take after their deities...and that happens to include fears. What mortals fear is the unknown; what the unknown translates into for us origin deities is the Void." Statera said coolly.


    "Hmph. There''s nothing in the Void - it is, in the truest sense of the word, empty. There is nothing for us to fear from the Void." The Emperor said cockily. I couldn''t say whether I agreed with him or not, after all I had never truly ventured out into the Void, and the Great One had hinted at dangers that lurked within the Void, but I wasn''t too certain what could be lurking in the first place. It was a Void, as the name implied. What could lurk within that wasn''t a deity? Statera sighed and stood up, slipping her left arm out of her purple robes, the fabric bunching up under her armpit and revealing her flawless skin.


    Then, her arm began to disintegrate. Or, more accurately, the primordial chaos that made up her arm began to flow back into the six balls of condensed chaos that floated behind her.


    "This injury has yet to heal after close to one and a half million years," Statera said, watching with very calm eyes as the rest of the primordial chaos vanished, "and was inflicted upon me by one of the beasts that lurks within the Void - a Paradox, asomethingmade ofnothingthat was bent on wiping my universe off of the face of the cosmic map." The injury itself looked grievous. Almost her entire left arm was gone, the injury stopping just at her shoulder. Golden light gently glittered from where her arm ended, showing that it was slowly healing, while a thin line showed where the injury was previously. It looked as if a quarter of her left breast had been bit off.


    Silence reigned, and Statera looked at everyone coolly, those eyes of hers now instilling her own emotions and thoughts into all who met her gaze. I couldn''t help but grin inwardly at her, cackling to myself. "It was a freak accident of course," Statera continued, "a rogue spirit managed to find a way through the barrier by using an illusion from a recently destroyed universe. This, in turn, caused a Paradox to be born within the barrier itself. I didn''t end up killing the beast, if such a thing is possible, only forcing it out of my universe at the cost of my left arm and a good chunk of the primordial chaos. Then the barrier managed to keep it out, and the Paradox faded back into the Void.


    "I was lucky it was a young one, and not one of the ones that threatens to devour all the other universes within the multiverse. By my estimation, they grow bigger and stronger in response to the strength of what they devour or are trying to devour." Statera said, her arm re-forming as she slipped it back into her robes and sat back down. She didn''t speak further, and the Great One filled the silence that followed.


    <table width="671">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Thank you, Statera. Though Paradoxes are not the worst of your worries, and you have a while yet before you truly need to begin worrying about them, it is always good to remain cautious. The position the barrier is in now is meant to minimize risk while maximizing growth potential. Now! Let us move on to the part that won''t bore Statera and Shin; the rankings.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I stared at the box for a moment before nodding my head, acknowledging the silent dismissal of the previous conversation. The Great One obviously wanted to move on, but I also imagine there is only so much that can be spoken about while we are still so young. I clasped my hands on the table, idly looking around the room and noticing that the oni, Rising Wind, Crashing Waves, was staring at me in what I assumed was amusement before looking away, turning its attention to the ball of light that was now floating above the center of the table.


    As I watched the ball of light as it shifted and swayed, I casually reached for the small cup of tea Statera had placed on the table, which was still perfectly warm. A small sip had me pleasantly surprised with the flavor - I wasn''t one for teas, but this one was pleasing all the same. It shocked my body with a mixture of warming and comfortable energies, and I shot Statera a grateful glance. She just smiled, having caught my look out of the corner of her eyes, and continued watching the ball of light as it flattened out into a screen.


    <table width="671">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Rankings


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    The rankings of origin deities, at this early stage, are not only meant to inspire friendly competition between the twelve of you, but also aid in regards to how your universes are growing. It will tell you what you need to work on by comparing your universes to the others.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I nodded to myself, having heard this information from the Great One before, and then some. This...competition was actually relatively new in the cosmic scale of the multiverse, having only been implemented a couple dozen Greater Cycles ago, and had been met with instant success in regards to survival rate of the universes during the trial period. I''d been particularly interested in the purposes of these...meetings...and so made a point to inquire about them to great extents. It was a simple purpose these meet and greets served, but an important one.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    <table width="671">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    First Ranking: Personal Power


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    1. Reilly


    2. MR-10


    3. The Emperor


    4. Shin


    5. Nyxteria Mahakali


    6. The Progenitor


    7. Yueya Oshun


    8. Statera Luotian


    9. Chun Nihaad Teva


    10. Sylphina Luanhua


    11. Rising Wind, Crashing Waves


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Although personal power is important, remember that it is not all encompassing. This ranking is based off of power that can be used when cut off from all external sources, including boosts from prayers, like Rising Wind, Crashing Waves receives, and boosts from your respective universes, like Sylphina receives.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Silence reigned for a few moments before the Emperor stood up in shock.


    "WHAT?!" He bellowed. "How could Statera Luotian be beneath me in terms of power?! And how could Reilly trump me?!" He roared. I stared at him in amusement, and I saw a few others giving him the same look. Though I was surprised at the fact that Reilly and MR-10 evaded my assessment of their power, I didn''t let it show on my face. Statera, on the other hand, looked mildly confused.


    "I''ve just been getting rather lucky lately, that''s all." Reilly explained with a chuckle.


    "But that doesn''t explain Statera. Is it just a quirk of hers to be able to see through us like she does, or what?" Sylphina, the butterfly, asked with a rumble.


    "I believe, that is part of it," The Progenitor said slowly, looking at Statera, "but also not. Yes, her eyes are some of the reason she can do what she does, but it is also because in terms of enlightenment she is second only to myself." I raised my eyebrows a bit, more at the Progenitor losing its speech pattern for the longer sentence than at its revelation. Statera obviously had more experience than any of us combined if her posture was anything to go by, so it only makes sense that her enlightenment would be deep.


    <table width="671">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    That is indeed correct. In terms of enlightenment, Statera is just a tiny bit behind The Progenitor...though that is due to many events that have passed in her universe limiting some of her growth more than anything else. While enlightenment does increase one''s personal power, it does not do so to a great extent. Instead it deepens that power, gives it more uses and makes you able more effectively and efficiently use that power. In regards to enlightenment, Reilly is actually ninth on the scale.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I hummed and nodded. That made sense, but it made me wonder why the Great One didn''t take that into account when measuring personal power. Hmm...it was probably because it was another source of "power" altogether. If the personal power was like a martial art, a fighting style, then enlightenment was the experience. No matter how much one trains, all that training will be useless in the face of one who is experienced.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Second Ranking: Universe Size and Density</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Size:


    1. Sylphina Luanhua


    2. Yueya Oshun


    3. Nyxteria Mahakali


    4. Reilly


    5. Chun Nihaad Teva


    6. The Emperor


    7. Rising Wind, Crashing Waves


    8. MR-10


    9. The Progenitor


    10. Shin


    11. Statera Luotian


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Density:


    1. Statera Luotian


    2. Shin


    3. Rising Wind, Crashing Waves


    4. Reilly


    5. MR-10


    6. Sylphina Luanhua


    7. Chun Nihaad Teva


    8. Nyxteria Mahakali


    9. The Emperor


    10. The Progenitor


    11. Yueya Oshun


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Size indicates the true, physical size of your respective universes, and how much space they take up in the spiritual sense. Density indicates how effectively you utilize that space, as well as the populations of deities, angels, kami, immortals, and all the other forms of ascended beings and their combined strength in relation to your universe''s size. Mortals, spirits, and dark spirits were also taken into account. Dark spirits effected density negatively, based on how controlled their situation is.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Statera''s frown couldn''t be any harder, and if I was reading The Progenitor right, he wasn''t very happy either. Everyone but myself and Reilly were blinking in surprise at the varied results...though I had expected mine. My universe definitely needed to grow larger to accomodate the growing populations of mortals and powerful spiritual beings. Statera''s was the most obviously skewed, however, with Yueya Oshun being a close second. I was actually surprised by how...opposing theirs were.


    I watched in interest as Statera''s mortal friend tapped her on the shoulder and whispered something into her ear, a wide grin slowly splitting the origin deity''s face as she listened. Surprisingly I couldn''t hear the conversation, though if the slight fluctuations of Statera''s power were anything to go by, that was an intentional effect.


    "Care to share with the class?" Nyxteria crowed, the great bird''s star-covered feathers glittering with each word. It was agitated, and seemed to be easily riled. Statera looked up sharply and shrugged noncommittally.


    "Not particularly." Statera said with an amused glimmer in her eyes.


    "Why not?" Sylphina questioned from her perch atop her flower.


    "Well, most of it is a fix for my problem. Too many powerful beings in too small a space. I''ve known that my universe was out of whack for a long time now, but haven''t been able to fix it. Since coming to this meeting my friend here has come up with a few solutions to it...one of which includes asking you all for guidance." Statera explained, and I blinked in surprise. "Remember, this is a competition...but you automatically fail if your universe collapses, which is a very big possibility if we don''t balance the density and size of our universes properly. In this case, the size of my universe needs to grow to match the density. It''d actually be safer if my universe was closer to the middle in terms of density." Statera explained. A...mortal came up with that? I hadn''t even thought of it that way.


    "Asking us for guidance?" The Emperor asked incredulously.


    "This guidance wouldn''t be free." Sylphina observed quietly. Statera snorted in amusement.


    "Of course not. Based on the data shown so far, and from what I''ve observed, the only two I would ask for guidance in regards to my problem would be either Sylphina or Yueya," Statera explained, nodding to each of the deities in turn. "Sylphina is far more balance than any of ours, so I doubt she would take my advice seriously, however Yueya has my exact problem, only flipped. So I would most likely ask her for help, while simultaneously helping her to increase the number of Ascendant beings within hers." Statera said with a small smile.


    "I thought you didn''t want to share with the...ah, class?" Teva joked after a brief moment of contemplative silence, the stag''s eyes glimmering in amusement. Statera chuckled and shrugged lightly.


    "I didn''t, but I changed my mind. You would''ve figured it out sometime during this meeting, but there wasn''t any harm in telling you now." Statera replied smoothly, leaning back in her chair with a satisfied smile. My metaphorical brows furrowed as I analyzed Statera''s statement. Objectively speaking it was a very simple statement, but taking in the way she said it, with all its subtle nuances and the body language she displayed (Statera struck me as a relatively open being, so I took her body language at face value...unlike The Emperor or Rising Wind) told me that there was a deeper meaning. I hummed inwardly and furiously analyzed it all, swiftly coming to a conclusion.


    Statera had truly meant it when she said "there wasn''t any harm." She had taken that into account; whether coming to the conclusion she did on our own would have been more beneficial than when she told us. I hummed lightly and looked at Statera in a new light, smiling lightly as I presumed my assessment of her personality was correct. All deities were loving and kind, it was a prerequisite of the job, but there were, obviously, differences. Why, one of the deities I previously served under was an fierce bastard whose first emotion was anger and go-to problem solver was a hammer. Doesn''t mean he loved any less, but he was...volatile.


    Statera was refreshing almost. Obviously she shared the same goals as all beings in her position - namely encouraging growth in a number of ways - but she seemed to also extend that goal to all around her. It simply reminded me of the vast differences that could lay between those with similar goals. I smiled.


    "Are you quite finished?" I intoned dryly, speaking up for the first time since this meeting started and halting the small arguments were beginning to pop up. "Or are you willing to resume the analyzing of our respective abilities and realms?" The deities swiftly shut up and had the sense to look ashamed, to which I leaned back and smiled to myself. Truly, this was very much fun.

 The Nine Heavens

    POV: Statera Luotian


    I frowned as I inspected the screen placed before me. It was an individual assessment, meant to provide more in-depth information on our own universes and abilities than what the rankings allowed. Speaking of which, those had been rather entertaining. Especially when the Emperor preened when he came out on top in a few of the rankings, such as the one that analyzed the overall effectiveness of the universal laws in place, or when the others got their number one or dead last spots as well. It was very amusing...the only one that didn''t show a hint of any emotion was Shin, the skeleton dude.


    I shook those thoughts out of my head and looked back at the screen, analyzing the information further. Currently I was reading about the depths of my domain, and how far it had advanced (while withholding specific information that might be detrimental to my growth, I noticed) in terms of my age. Honestly I wasn''t too surprised at the results. It''s not that strange for my domain to be as developed as it is, especially considering how much I''d gone through, but the imbalance of the Four Realms was stunting my growth.


    Then were the small little notes about my possible sub-domains. Since I already had Love, there were a few others - like the Heart - that had advanced by leaps and bounds, but the closest to becoming a sub-domain was Fate, which Mr. Blue Boxes noted was quite the achievement for one so young. The others were relatively scattered, but I was actually getting a more concrete idea of what to go after now. I needed ones that both complimented and covered the weaknesses of my main domain. Fate would do that well, and also counter some of the imbalances Love created, but I needed more.


    My thoughts were interrupted by the Mad Scientist, who looked to be getting ready to get into a fight with Skeleton Shin''s subordinate, the kimono-wearing samurai lady.


    "May I inquire as to what you two are talking about?" A sudden incarnation of myself asked, appearing before them. I rather enjoyed the surprised looked from the Mad Scientist and kimono-girl, especially when they realized I was still sitting at the table as well. My actions earned a few amused glances from the other origin deities, before they turned their attention back towards their own assessments. A small part of their attention was also focused on the conversation, however.


    "As if you don''t already...know." The Mad Scientist scoffed, fixing me with a glare. I merely motioned for her to continue, although it was the kimono-girl - Ze, Shin told me in a very brief mental message - who explained herself.


    "I was merely attempting to correct a few of this one''s faulty viewpoints." Ze said, looking me straight in the eyes with a hint of a challenge. I blinked at that, noting the pride Ze held herself with. I didn''t know much about Shin''s universe, but I could tell that Ze wasn''t used to being around others with equal or higher standing than herself.


    I turned to the Mad Scientist, who answered me promptly. "Arrogance..." The Mad Scientist hissed, glaring at Ze. I nodded, accepting the two''s viewpoints. I wasn''t so much as interested in the topic of conversation the two had as much as their reasons for arguing, which both seemed to understand. The Mad Scientist saw Ze as arrogant, as many mortals tended to do in the face of deities, while Ze simply saw the Mad Scientist as foolish, as deities tended to do in the face of mortals. It really wasn''t an uncommon argument.


    However, in this case, I wasn''t wholly convinced that the Mad Scientist was on the losing side of the argument. For the most part, deities were correct in calling mortals foolish if not because they lived longer than because they understood far more and could see things that mortals could not. However, the Mad Scientist was experienced enough to no longer technically count as mortal, and had seen far more universes than either I or Ze...or, mostly likely, anyone in this room. That is what made her unique.


    However, after reviewing their conversation, I thought I got the general idea of how the Mad Scientist considered Ze arrogant. They had been talking about life, and the importance of one person in the universe. Because of their vastly different viewpoints, however, they started to argue. Which I consider a petty thing for a deity to do. A deity arguing with a mortal was like an adult arguing with a toddler.


    "I was merely explaining the fact that in the cosmic scale one life is relatively insignificant." Ze explained icily, as if deigning me with a response was an honor on my part. I sighed and shook my head.


    "Well, you''re not wrong. But you''re not wholly right either. Remember, mortals don''t live at the same rate we do, they live in the seconds. We tend to live in thethousandsof years, which is enough for generations of mortals. However, what she was talking about wasn''t just someone who makes an impact on a planet, and causes a shift in that civilization that is felt for thousands of years...no, she''s talking about the impact a single person can have on a soul, even long after they have reincarnated." I explained gently. "So you''re both right in a sense, one life is relatively insignificant on a cosmic scale...but it can mean everything to a single soul."


    Ze opened her mouth to retort, but bit it back, not wishing to argue. I appreciated that, and continued. "Now, if you really wanted to, I could truly go in-depth on this subject, but I suspect you aren''t quite ready for that mind-boggling idea as of yet. If you have thought of it then you haven''t truly considered it. So I will simply ask you this; why did I bring a mortal to this meeting?"Thatcaught everyone''s attention, and the Mad Scientist glared at me.


    "That is...unappreciated." The Mad Scientist ground out. I simply chuckled and shrugged helplessly.


    "This entire experience has been good for you, so don''t be like that." I chided her. Ze was looking at the Mad Scientist with a blank expression, supposedly analyzing her, along with most everyone else in the room at some level. Some were more open about it than the others.


    "She is a bit more powerful than your average mortal...closer to a Reaper than anything..." Ze muttered to herself. I just chuckled and let this incarnation begin to fade.


    "I''ll give you a hint; you''re not looking in the right places." I said, and let my incarnation fully fade. The Mad Scientist hesitated for a split second before flying over to me in a few beats of her wings, shooting daggers into the back of my skull with her gaze the entire way.


    "I...hate you." She hissed when she was close enough to whisper.


    "I know you mean love!" I chirped, watching with my mind''s eye as Ze snorted and disregarded my statements, further ignoring the Mad Scientist and moving to stand behind Shin. I smiled at her and swiped with one hand, dismissing my personal assessment. I had seen all I needed to, meaning I had read through it entirely. With a small smile I closed my eyes and leaned back in my seat, which was surprisingly comfortable. Waiting for the others to finish wouldn''t take too long, and then I''d extend an invitation to Yueya, the elf, and perhaps Reilly because I liked the gambler/beggar deity, to visit my Realms to exchange ideas. Mr. Blue Boxes had already approved of the idea, so it was only a matter of actually extending the invitation.


    Perhaps I''d invite Sylphina too. The butterfly''s universewasthe one who Mr. Blue Boxes had connected my universe to all those years ago. Speaking of which, I hadn''t seen that elemental that had slipped through the cracks recently...where''d that one get off to? I''d make an effort to search them out when I got back.


    After a few more minutes of waiting the last of us put away their respective assessments, all looking around expectantly. I could practically see the gears turning in everyone''s head - most of us were chomping at the bit to get back to our respective universes and begin to put some changes in motion. I, for one, was relatively relaxed about it all. Yes, I wanted to change things, but there was an order that needed to be maintained.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You all are free to go, but also free to mingle for a little while longer if you so choose. The next meeting will be anywhere between 60-100 million years from now. It depends on how your universes develop from here. If you wish to leave simply stand before your flag, and you shall be teleported back to your universe.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I nodded towards the blue box and stood from my chair, noting that of the ten other deities present, only MR-10 and the Progenitor chose to immediately return to their universes. Yueya was looking towards me expectantly, and Reilly had jumped up on top of the table and was walking across it to reach me, an excited gleam in his eyes. As for the other deities, they were starting to make their own groups. Nxyteria and Sylphina - the bird and butterfly I noted with unfounded amusement - had grouped together, as had the six-armed Emperor; the oni, Rising Wind; and the elemental stag, Teva. That last one was actually kind of funny, considering all three represented something stereotypically prideful.


    That just left...


    "Behind you." A sudden voice almost made me jump. I hid my surprise well and turned to look at Skeleton Shin, finding myself a little interested in the black smoke that poured from his bones and his eyes. The flames in his eye sockets were actually filled with life rather than death.


    "Shin. I assume you want to be a part of what I''m about to suggest?" I inquired. Shin nodded, and I felt as if his skeletal face was grinning. "Yueya," I began, turning to look at the beautiful elf, but found that she was standing right behind me.


    "For someone so observant you''re easily distracted." Yueya said with a smile. I blinked and smiled back.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "That''s because there''s no need to be so observant all the time. Right, Statera?" Reilly asked with a chuckle.


    "Something like that." I said, not really wanting to admit that I just wasn''t paying attention. Honestly, Iwasused to being the most powerful, afterall. This was probably just payback for me seeing through all of their domains. "So, I was going to suggest we all take a look at each other''s realms, so long as Mr. Blue Boxes approves, and give each other suggestions based on our own experiences." I repeated myself.


    "Mr...blue boxes? You mean the Great One?" Shin asked mechanically, the words pouring out of his open mouth. I nodded and shrugged slightly.


    "Yes, that one. What do you say, sound good?" I inquired.


    "I''m just tagging along for the ride." Reilly said with a twinkle in his eye. "And I want to know how you brew such goodbooze.It is justdivine."


    "It''s a good idea." Yueya said with a shrug. Shin said nothing and I nodded, waiting patiently for Mr. Blue Boxes to tell us what we needed to do to get this done. Meanwhile, our four respective "plus one''s" extricated themselves from whatever they were doing and positioned themselves behind their respective deities. The Mad Scientist had been behind me the entire time.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">To visit another''s universe, all of you must enter the portal at the same time. Your respective portals will remain open until you and your plus one are the only ones to enter the portal.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Mr. Blue Boxes oh so helpfully supplied. I nodded to myself and looked at our little group, wondering who would go first. After a moment of silence, Reilly spoke up.


    "I''ll go first, take one for the team as it is. My universe is relatively stable anyways." Reilly offered with a shrug. I looked at the others and they shrugged, finding that acceptable.


    "Sounds good. To Reilly''s universe it is, then."


    POV CHANGE: Steward of the High Priest of the Nine Heavens


    I stood silently, watching where our Lady and her advisor, the Gambler God Reilly, had disappeared and hoping for their swift return. It was not a disappointment, as in total they were gone for a whopping ten seconds. It seemed almost the instant the duo disappeared they reappeared behind the congregation gathered to send off the Empress of the Nine Heavens.


    She reappeared, in all her splendor, in a swirling purple vortex, Reilly trailing behind and talking animatedly with the six new beings that followed them. I blinked in surprise even as the High Priest announced the Empress''s return, prompting another cheer from the masses of white and silver-clad beings below. There were numerous deities, many Ascended souls, and innumerable lesser life-forms, all of which inhabited either the eighth or ninth heaven. It was surprising to me that the Empress brought back...guests. Or were they recruits? I would not put it past our Empress to have recruited whatever beings she came across in her journey to...wherever she went.


    "How much time has passed?" Our Empress''s gentle voice trickled down to reach my ears.


    "Ten seconds, your holiness." I whispered back, sure that she could hear me even over the din of the celebrators and the roaring of the High Priest. He was singing her praises, especially the part where it took a mere ten seconds to complete her journey, rather than the worst-case scenario of ten thousand years. The Empress had stressed that she didn''t know how long she could be gone, due to the nature of time in wherever she had ventured off to. She didn''t respond, and instead turned to the beings behind her. With a wave of her hand, Reilly led the six beings off into the depths of the great Palace.


    "Steward, you are to accompany Reilly. He had requested your presence in the Round Chamber." Our Empress said to me and me alone, floating down to stand beside the High Priest, her great silver wings fluttering slightly as she smiled at me. I bowed ever so slightly, not saying a word as I slipped away, leaving the Empress to do her thing. Although I was interested in what she had to say, I would not disobey her orders. I was merely a steward to the High Priest, after all.


    My footsteps echoed in the deathly silent halls of the grand palace as I made my way to the Round Chamber, squashing my desire to admire the finely carved white-stone walls and exquisite artwork. I had been steward here for two hundred thousand years, but even now I found myself transfixed by the beauty of the Palace. The way the light from the suns danced on the floors, falling in a cascade of gold to illuminate the palace floors in very specific patterns and shapes...it was simply breathtaking.


    In no time at all I found myself standing before the great, shining doors of the Round Chamber, the famous chamber in which the Empress was elected ruler of the kingdoms of the Nine Heavens, and in which the first of the Celestial Beings laid the groundwork for all of civilization. This was the birthplace of all that I knew...a holy place. I took a deep breath and allowed my wispy body to simply faze through the doors, looking in surprise at the seven beings that were seated around the large, round table, chatting even as light shone down and illuminated the holy table.


    "It''s brilliant," One of them, a purple-robed being with magnificent, curling horns, said slowly. "What you''ve done with your nine...Heavens. It''s a structured karmic cycle with a whole bunch of luck mixed in, all set up and designed with maximum efficiency in advancing souls to higher levels of attainment in mind. The abnormal flow of reincarnation, and the random factor involved in which heaven the soul is reincarnated into...it''s just so..." With that the purple-robed being sighed, shaking its head.


    "I''m impressed that your incarnation magic is so advanced, for one. I mean, it''s pretty obvious you''d have to get good at the magic with the way your realm is structured, but really? Twenty seven incarnations of equal power, one for each of our incarnations as you guide us through all nine heavens sustained and controlled simultaneously? That''s just showing off." A beautiful pointy-eared maiden said with a voice that sounded like the finest of instruments. She was absolutely stunningly beautiful, which is saying something coming from me because I do not find many things...beautiful.


    "I believe that one you sent for is here." Another physically attractive pointy-eared being spoke up, looking directly towards me. That prompted Reilly and half of the new beings to look at me, while the other half - the more powerful half, if their fluctuations were anything to go by - remained staring at the table with various expressions.


    "Ah, there you are! Everyone, this is...well, everyone just calls him Steward. He''s a shade, one of very few to have ever reached the Ninth Heaven. He''s the first to have done so, actually." Reilly said happily, waving me over. I walked over, my footsteps still echoing.


    "It''s almost disconcerting that you can hear his footsteps, when he has no legs." The horned being said, looking at me with the most piercing eyes I had ever had the horror of encountering. My "blood" ran cold, and my form stopped moving entirely as I stared at the horned being, eyes wide. Not even Lady Empress could see through my illusions, so how did...?


    "Oh...now that you mention it...that''s a pretty impressive illusion." A hooded being spoke in a rasping tongue. I almost felt...drawn to the being, as if my own darkness was drawn to the darkness within that being. Something was calling to me from within it, making my illusion flicker and fade away, revealing my true form - that of a darkened shade, nothing more than wisps of smoke and red, glowing eyes.


    "Dammit, Statera. What do I have to do to trick your eyes, roll a pair of sixes?!" Reilly cried in frustration, sending his Lucky Dice skittering across the table. They landed on a six and five, indicating that Reilly was truly feeling lucky today. The horned being, Statera as it was identified, smirked at Reilly before looking back at me. "Fine, fine! Then you tell me what''s so special about him! If you get it right then it just proves that I''ll have to roll a twelve in order to have a chance at tricking you. Stupid...have to deepen my domain, dammit..." Reilly muttered.


    I floated backwards gently, but froze when Statera snorted. The sound caused my mists to coalesce, making me appear as a dark ball of matter rather than smoke, and sending tendrils of fear into the core of my being.


    "Well, it wouldn''t matter what your luck is anyways. It''s a bad draw against me at the moment - after all, I''ve had plenty of time to look at you." Statera said with a kind smile that almost,almost,made me fear it more. "Steward there is part of the Shadow of the Nine Heavens." Silence reigned, and I felt as if at any moment the Heavens themselves would reach down and smite me.


    "What the fuck." Reilly deadpanned. "How in the bluefuckingblazes did you figure that out?"


    "What''s the Shadow of the Nine Heavens?" The beautiful being asked.


    "Yes, I am wondering the same." The hooded being repeated. Statera and Reilly shared a look and shook their heads.


    "The answer to your question, Reilly, is because I have already completed that task...and Yueya, Shin, I am not at liberty to tell you. You''ll find out soon enough, I presume." Statera said rather calmly, leaving my mind reeling. Whowerethese beings?!


    "What do you mean you already ''completed that task?''" Reilly asked, his eyes narrowing. Statera just smiled at Reilly, an unseen conversation passing between the two of them and causing Reilly''s eyes to widen ever so slightly. "Steward, come sit down. How are you three enjoying the Nine Heavens?" He said in an abrupt subject change. I quietly and silently floated over to the table, standing behind Reilly and feeling all too exposed.


    "I like it, but I don''t think I''ll be able to use any of your systems in my world. It''s just too different. I might be able to adapt on your reincarnation flows...but I don''t know. It''s given me a lot to think about." The beautiful being said slowly, opening her eyes to stare at Reilly.


    "I have similar circumstances. Your system of ''karmic luck'' is rather intriguing, however." The hooded being said slowly. Reilly chuckled and nodded his head.


    "I''m rather fond of it. All I did was make the flow of ''luck'' throughout the multiverse even more pronounced in this realm, and tied it in with the karma system. It takes quite a bit of pressure off of the native spirits that run things, but puts a lot more pressure on the Nine Heavens themselves. Which is why the realms are structured as they are, with positive luck being more prevalent in the higher heavens...so as to relieve some of that pressure." Reilly explained. I nodded, recalling the origin story of the universe. It was a known fact to those in the upper echelons of the Ninth Heaven that the Nine Heavens themselves, and everything therein was created by Lord Reilly...though it is the Empress who keeps everything running.


    I''m not certain as to what it is Reilly does anymore.


    "Mm. I really like the karmic luck thing you''ve got going. I''m going to have to implement something similar in my Realms, the spirits are overworked as is." Statera said with a thoughtful frown. Finally, after much consideration, I began to piece things together. Statera and the beautiful being both mentioned their ''world,'' and ''realms,'' so does that mean...they are like Lord Reilly? Creators of their own universes? No, I shook my head. That can''t be possible...can it? The group all sat silently for a few moments before Reilly stood and clapped his hands together, startling me out of my thoughts.


    "While our incarnations are running about, let''s go explore some other parts. What do you say?" Reilly asked.


    "That is an excellent idea, Reilly." Statera said, standing up. Silently and without argument, the others all stood as well, looking towards Reilly expectantly.


    "Steward, lead the way! We''re going to the suns first." Reilly said with a smile, looking at me pointedly. I nodded numbly, turning and promptly beginning to walk out of the Round Chamber. I was supposed to be a guide, then. For one of the most powerful beings in existence and others who might be just as strong. I shuddered inwardly. No pressure, Steward. None at all.

 The Wheel Realm

    POV: Yueya Oshun (Deity of Beauty)


    We spent a total of ten years in Reilly''s realm, long enough to learn a bit but not nearly long enough to start unravelling the truly profound secrets of the Nine Heavens. Even for Statera, that was too short a time. It was very informative for me, however, and I was itching to go visit the other universes. If one universe gave me such brilliant ideas, then what would the other two do? I couldn''t wait to find out.


    "Back to the portal then?" Statera asked Reilly, who nodded.


    "Yeah. I''ll be bringing Steward with me instead of Pyrah, however. She told me she wants to stay behind and manage things, plus Steward''s hit it off with Yueya, so I figured why not?" Reilly asked with a twinkle in his eye. Said shade didn''t react to Reilly''s prompting, and I just rolled my eyes. I found Steward to be a pleasant conversationalist, right up there alongside Statera and, surprisingly, Shin''s follower Ze.


    "If this one may be so bold, I would like to inquire as to where we shall be going?" Steward asked, miming a slight bow.


    "To visit the others'' universes. I believe we''re going to Shin''s next." Reilly said, looking to said skeleton for confirmation. Shin nodded his confirmation, and Reilly smiled at Steward as we continued forward, heading towards the portal in the sky that only we, the origin deities, could see.


    "I...see." Steward said, sounding none too surprised. From our earlier conversations he undoubtedly figured out who we were years ago.


    "Don''t get too excited now." Statera said with a chuckle, looking away from the three suns that circled the Nine Heavens to give Steward an amused look. Steward twitched a little and glanced at Statera nervously before looking away. The shade didn''t seem to like Statera much, always getting nervous whenever Statera talked to him or even glanced towards him. "Oh don''t give me that. It''ll be good for you." Statera scoffed. Statera said that a lot.


    As I watched Statera subconsciously changed to become a woman, her hair growing longer, features getting softer, and horns shifting to curl around the sides of her head rather than the top. That was another thing that we all had to get used to over the past ten years. Statera had the habit of changing forms at random times, for seemingly no reason at all. She didn''t even realize she was doing it most of the time, and her transitions were even more flawless than even my own physical changes...and as the Deity of Beauty, I have a lot of variation in my original form, so I change a lot as well.


    "There she goes again..." Shin said, the flames in his eye sockets flickering a bit. I took a moment to admire the fact that the blue flames matched those of Reilly''s second sun (they were all different colors, the first being gold, then blue, and then a deep red) and then focused on what Shin was saying - er, well, more like muttering to himself. He was saying something about why Statera changes...some personality thing?


    "Shall we, then?" Reilly asked, gesturing to the portal. I paused for just a moment to turn around and look at the Nine Heavens one last time, as did the rest of us. It looked a lot like Reilly''s flag had, with nine flat worlds stacked atop one another while the three suns circled them. Various smaller worlds circled outside of the nine major worlds, but they were so small and insignificant that no life existed on them. Maybe in the future they''d sustain life, but for now...


    With a bit of effort I tore my attention away from the controlled chaos of souls ascending and, in some cases, descending the levels of the Nine Heavens, before vanishing into the portal. I had to wait for a few minutes before the rest filtered through, and then we headed towards Shin''s world. The silent skeleton led the way, and I was greeted to a very different sight than that of the Nine Heavens.


    Shin''s world was a giant ellipsoid when viewed from a distance, formed of Spirit and Physical energy. In the middle of the two energies was a rift of sorts, formed of both Spirit and Physical energy yet of neither, through which all manner of things flowed. Souls constantly flew back and forth in a giant cycle, while the entire realm spun and shifted. It was almost disorienting, the way everything was constantly moving.


    "This is my world, that which represents the Cycle in its many forms, the ever-churning Wheel. Its name is officially the Spirit and Earth Realm, but I prefer to call it the Wheel." Shin explained idly.


    "Impressive." Reilly admitted.


    "I''ve been in a universe like this before." The Mad Scientist whispered to herself, catching my attention. I narrowed my eyes at her, wondering just what that was about. After all these years I still didn''t know why Statera had brought a mortal along, but apparently Shin had figured it out. Reilly hadn''t either.


    "Come." Shin said, drifting further towards his realm, with Ze leading the way. Shin and Reilly were a lot alike in the respect that neither of them preferred to directly lead their realms, instead allowing their subordinates to and manning things from the back seat, or in more subtle ways. Not like me. I prefer to be more in the mix than that.


    Ze walked calmly behind Shin, staring at the universe and nodding slightly. "It does seem to be about ten years since we left." She noted.


    "Mm. The passage of time returns to normal when in another''s universe." Shin noted idly, and I blinked. Huh. I hadn''t even thought about that. So then it''ll be twenty to thirty years before I get back to my world? That''s...well, I don''t know how I feel about that. I''ve never left my world alone for so long...


    "This''ll be a good test, to see how they run without us. Letting our relative universes run autonomously for a little while may yet reveal more problems in need of fixing." Reilly mused, scratching his chin. I silently agreed with him, glancing around quietly. The constant cycling was a little unnerving. Sure, my world had a bit of cycling as well, especially with reincarnation and all, but this was just...more. It was overwhelming. The Cycle was the absolute center of this universe, just as luck had been the absolute center of Reilly''s, and beauty was the absolute center of mine. The Cycle was just a bit more...noticeable than Reilly''s Luck.


    Shin didn''t speak as he led us into the direct center of the Wheel Realm, passing by innumerable souls and spirits along the way. The Realm, like Reilly''s, was nowhere near the size of mine, but I could already tell it had a denser population of powerful beings than mine. Most of the powerful beings were cloaked figures, much like Shin, or clad in robes and kimonos, like Ze. They seemed to fade both in and out of the spiritual and physical, and more than once I saw them sporting various weapons.


    The moment we reached the very center of the universe, everything calmed. It was like sitting in the eye of the storm, with an entire universe laid out before us for all to see. Quite literally, from here, I could see most everything as if I was standing right in front of it. It was an observation room.


    "This is my home." Shin said, sitting down cross-legged. "Ze, take their companions and show them around a bit. They will not be able to handle the pressure here." He continued motioning for us to sit down as well. I glanced at my follower and noticed for the first time how pale his face was. Only the Mad Scientist looked any shade of OK, not even Ze was up to par, and they all gratefully left the area after Ze. Statera kept a neutral expression as she watched them go, and I turned my attention back to the universe surrounding us.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    One was a starry sky, filled with worlds and suns, while the other was a single world, living in tandem with the other.


    "Let us begin the introduction." Shin said, staring at his universe with what I assumed was a soft expression. Hard to tell on a skeleton. "This world is based off of Cycles, as I''m sure you can tell..."


    POV CHANGE: Reilly (Deity of Luck)


    Shin is very methodical. Very...cautious. He reveals only what he wishes to reveal, and we find out only what he reveals. No more, no less. I am fairly certain even Statera would say the same, even with all of her insight. There is simply too much to see without needing to spend millions of years meditation on the small stretch of time we have and will be spending in the Wheel Realm, and Shin is an expert at guiding our insights. It''s truly astonishing.


    To be honest, what I''ve gained the most from this excursion is that Shin has a single race as the core of his universe, as opposed to my Nine Heavens, which has a hodgepodge of random mortal races. None are exactly alike but none fully different either. As opposed to me Shin only had a race he called Naria, which were a race of humanoids with an armor-like exoskeleton that covered their chests, legs, and upper arms. I immediately saw the benefits of having a centralized race or races, at least in the beginning stages of a universe, though for mine I would probably have to merge a large majority of my races into five or six main ones. It just made things a bit easier to manage until we truly got to a more advanced stage in our growth.


    Shin''s voice broke me out of my thoughts, and I looked at the skeleton. "...and that is the head of the Reapers. Please keep in mind that Ze and her direct subordinates are technically above the Head in status, but he is the one who controls all the Reapers and organizes their operations in the physical realm. For the most part they deal with spirits who are unwilling to depart or are simply causing trouble...consider them the peacekeepers of the realm." Shin explained slowly. The Reapers were technically spirits, and thus didn''t count as a race, but they were borderline a race because of the uniqueness of their...forms. They were the police force of the realm, which I didn''t deign to comment on.


    It had its merits, certainly, but then again Shin could''ve simply allowed the beings within the realm to make a force like that on their own, rather than making it in the first place. I sighed and rolled my dice once again, frowning when I felt the luck around me fluctuate negatively. I''d gleaned that one of the five things Shin created at the start had been these...Reapers, when I had a stroke of good luck. It seemed now, however, that I was pushing it trying for more.


    With a slight frown I considered forcibly altering my luck so as to learn more about Shin, but eventually decided against it. I wouldn''t be able to do so again for a while once I did do that, and I wanted to wait until there was a really good opportunity to gain something really useful. I chuckled to myself a bit, staring at the dice that everyone seemed to think were some special treasure.


    They weren''t. They were just normal dice. Well, maybe to everyone but me they would be a treasure filled with the aura of luck (simply because I spent all my time with the things, and allowed my aura to seep into them) but to me they were simply dice. The trigger to cause a shift in luck was actually a conscious choice, and I liked to roll the dice when I altered my luck simply for the effect. Most beings don''t seem to realize that luck is very...mathematical in nature.


    It''s not all probability and statistics, though that plays a big part of it. Luck also ties heavily with fate and various other guiding forces in the multiverse. It might be seen as fate that two people fall in love at first sight, and live their lives together, but in the end that might just be luck of the draw simply because fate had no specific designs for the soul in that direction. However, if someone is fated to do something very specific, then it will be luck that decides what treasure or encounter they come across that pushes them in that direction.


    Of course it''s far more intricate than that. Much like how Shin''s Cycle is more than just the cycle of life and death...


    "Say, why did you create the Reapers?" I asked suddenly.


    "It was a whim, one which I rolled with." Shin replied without missing a beat, his flame-eyes meeting my own with no expression showing. I merely shrugged and looked back out at the universe, tapping my fingers. There was a small area in-between the Spiritual and Physical that seemed like a mix between the two, and Statera had been staring at it for the past few years.


    As if sensing my gaze Statera turned away from the blank spot and looked at Shin. "There''s a storm coming." She said slowly, carefully. Shin froze, and I frowned a little bit. "At this rate you''ll lose." She finished, standing up and dusting off her robes. Looking around at the rest of us in mild surprise, Statera smiled. "What? It''s been ten years already, has it not?"


    "What do you mean by that?" Shin asked calmly. Statera glanced at him, frowned, and shook her head.


    "You know what I mean, don''t you? You can feel it. But - well, I''m pushing it telling you this much. Just keep that in mind." Statera said, cutting herself off with a bitter expression. Glancing once more out a the universe, she sighed. I simply closed my eyes and chewed over what she had said. We''d had a few conversations about my own ''storm,'' as Statera was fond of calling it, over the ten years that we were in my realm, andshe''d had that expression a few times. It was always when she couldn''t quite decide what was really best. Or so I assumed, from what little I''ve gleaned from her.


    Shin may be an expert manipulator, Yueya a brilliant conversationalist that can give out wondrous advice like it was nobody''s business (even if she herself didn''t understand what advice she was giving), but no one could see more than Statera. And nobody understood more how important it was for beings to grow of their own accord, even if allowing them to severely clashes with her personality at times. I closed my eyes and stood as well, smiling at Shin.


    "Well, let''s get going, then," I say, looking at Shin pointedly. "Whose universe should we go to next?"


    "Can we go to Statera''s?" Yueya asks hopefully. Said deity shakes her head and gives Yueya a rueful smile.


    "I''m afraid that we must save mine for last. I would greatly appreciate it if we could go to yours next, Yueya." Statera said in a formal tone, brooking no room for argument. I raised my eyebrows and shared a glance with both Yueya and Shin, surprised by this turn of events. I absently begin to toss my dice up and down.


    "Sure," I say first, nodding to Statera. The deity shot me a grateful smile, following the silent Shin as we move out of the central area. Almost immediately Ze and the other beings are with us, though the Mad Scientist looks pale and about ready to fall to pieces. A quick wave of the hand from Statera fixes that, and the Mad Scientist gives her an odd look as they have a short mental conversation.


    "We''ll be leaving the edges of the mortal universe and stepping into the Primordial Chaos soon." Shin said coolly, turning to glance at his realm. It didn''t have a Realm Sun or Suns like mine did, only small suns scattered throughout the Wheel Realm. Then it vanishes entirely, much to my surprise, when we step into the surrounding primordial chaos. It was much different than my own, appearing more like mist that messes with the senses rather than a seeming Void.


    It only took us a few minutes to appear in front of the portal and return to the empty meeting room once more. It was then that the Mad Scientist spoke up.


    "I wish to return." She said tiredly. Statera looked at her for a moment before smiling and nodding.


    "Of course. This would be very tiring for you. I''ll send you back to your planet." Statera said before turning to us. "Just give me one second, guys." She explained, leading the Mad Scientist to her portal. I watched silently as she pushed the Mad Scientist into the portal, her hand sinking into the swirling vortex for just a brief moment. There was a brief shifting of power from Statera as she did...something in her realm. My luck had shifted for the better a few moments ago, so I was able to glean that Statera did something more than just send the Mad Scientist back to her planet. I couldn''t tell what, exactly, but it was...interesting nonetheless.


    "Done?" Shin asked quietly as Statera withdrew her hand, staring idly at her palm for a moment before her body shifted into that of a man with greying hair and a serious-yet-kind face.


    "Of course." He said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Yueya, if you would?" Yueya nodded in response to Statera, smiling at us and standing before her portal with her "plus one."


    "My world''s pretty big, so...try not to get lost." Yueya joked as she slipped into the vortex. I snorted and followed her, stepping through the portal at the same time as Statera and Shin. I had assumed Yueya''s statement was a joke. We were origin deities, so I assumed that our divine senses would be able to encompass the entire universe, no matter how big.


    I was wrong.

 The One World

    POV: Statera Luotian


    Yueya''s world was massive. Truly, utterly enormous, dwarfing my universe by a matter of thousands. It was...jaw dropping. My divine sense couldn''t cover the world by half, and Yueya''s expression said she knew it. The scary thing was that I was almost positive that Yueya could cover her world with her divine sense without even breaking a sweat. I mean, I knew that my Realms are small even in comparison to Reilly''s and Shin''s universes, but...this is ridiculous.


    Another interesting thing was that Yueya''s world was just that - a single, massive landmass circled by a two suns and four moons. Mountains taller than my Holy Mountain scraped the skies, valleys deeper than the Karmic Valley seemed to stretch down into the core of the planet, rivers wider than the River of Souls snaked all throughout the lands, there were lakes that dwarfed the Karmic Sea, and ponds that could drown the Life-Giving Tree...though I was pleased to see that there weren''t any trees that could rival said Tree in size.At least, within the range of my divine senses there weren''t.


    "Lady Oshun, you have returned," a minor deity said, appearing in greeting. The poor man looked incredibly haggard, and I recalled that Yueya had the lowest density of "ascended" beings in comparison to the size of her universe. "There are numerous things you need to...may I ask who these beings are?" The deity asked, turning towards us.


    "They are Lady Oshun''s guests, on equal standing with her. You shall treat them with respect." Hajime, Yueya''s "plus one," said coldly. Hajime and the other elvish deity glared at each other for a few brief moments before the other one relented, looking towards us with resignation and bowing slightly.


    "It is an honor to meet you. Now, Lady Oshun, if you would please..." The other deity relented, revealing a wry expression. Yueya nodded, splitting off an incarnation of herself to follow after the deity.


    "As I''m sure you can tell, we''re a bit understaffed." Yueya said, chuckling at her own joke. "Which is a big reason as to why I agreed to this excursion in the first place. Hopefully after all this is over we can sit down, discuss what we saw, and propose ideas to one another in regards to our problems. I''ve already got a few good ideas as to how to increase my population of gods and guiding spirits, but I''d also like to hear your thoughts. Shall we begin the tour?" I nodded, still a bit in awe of the size of her world.


    The populations of mortals was so spread out that I was having troubles sensing how the reincarnation cycle worked, even. There were stretches of millions of miles between villages at times...it was almost ludicrous for a single planet to be like that. I shook my head and focused my attention on Yueya, who appeared to be messing with something in the air...


    "I have acknowledged the new instructions. Greetings, Deities Shin, Reilly, and Statera Luotian."A voice said out of nowhere, almost startling me. I had been getting a vague impression that there was something more to the world itself, but this was surprising."I am the Voice of the World Mark 7, an automated guidance system installed to aid in advancing the peoples of the One World."I raised my eyebrows and looked at Yueya, who promptly began to give an explanation.


    "Since I''ve been having so much trouble raising others up to godhood, I decided to create a system that would aid in guiding the people of the world. And for the most part, it''s done its job. There''s still a few kinks I''m working out of its system, hence why its mark 7, but I''ve seen a noticeable rise in deities since its implementation." Yueya explained.


    "Is it the consciousness of your world?" I inquired. Yueya shook her head.


    "Not quite. The two are very similar, but the consciousness of the world is still too underdeveloped to sustain something of this scale. The Voice of the World, is more like...I copied the template, improved it, and pasted it over the consciousness. Does that make sense?" She asked. I nodded.


    "Mm. I''ve got something vaguely similar in my realm, but it''s on a much smaller scale and utilizes the consciousness of the realms to a much larger degree." I said. It was, of course, the automated punishment system, which was nowhere near as complex as what Yueya was describing. "This is certainly interesting...what does the Voice of the World do, exactly?" I inquired.


    "It guides people and allows them to grow. It''s like...well, it uses the same kind of system that the Great One, or Mr. Blue Boxes as you know it, Statera, does. The Voice of the World provides status screens that allow the mortals to view their own progress throughout the world via an actual, tangible reference system. They even gain achievements, skills, and more power based on their deeds. It''s like...self-guidance." Yueya said with a nod of her head. "At least, that''s the plan until we get enough gods and deities and guiding spirits to really support the One World''s size." Yueya explained. I blinked, and Reilly started laughing.


    "It''s like a game world!" Reilly laughed, and Yueya flushed. I just frowned. Of course, I remember video games from my time on Earth, but how did those two understand what video games are?


    "You know...about games?" Yueya asked. Reilly nodded, reigning in his laughter.


    "Yes. Many societies have the concept of ''games'' and ''video games'' across the cosmos...at least, that was the case back in my old universe. Now you''ve just given me proof that some concepts stretch across the multiverse." Reilly explained with a smile. I nodded in understanding. There were countless universes in the multiverse, each with countless lifeforms and societies. Of course video games would be replicated in other worlds and universes.


    The surprising part was that Reilly, Yueya, and myself all knew about video games and status screens. Well, maybe not status screens. Mr. Blue Boxes had been using them for the past two million years to explain things to us, after all. Actually...now that I think about it, maybe it''s not so surprising. Status screens in games were probably derived from Mr. Blue Boxes'' tendency to use said screens...and the mortals applied it to their entertainment. Huh. Learn something new every day, I suppose.


    "That is...both ingenious and pure stupidity." Shin mentioned. "I love it, but hate it at the same time." Yueya flushed a deeper shade of embarrassed red.


    "Do they grow from killing others?" I inquired, drawing upon my old knowledge.


    "Yes? Depends on the circumstance. Murderers don''t, but soldiers and various other jobs do." Yueya said absently.


    "You do realize that that''s just encouraging them to sin, right?" Reilly asked. "I mean, I assume killing is the local equivalent of a sin? It normally is? It was something punishable in both my and Shin''s worlds."


    "I can''t stop mortals from killing." Yueya said bluntly. "Neither can any of us, for that matter. I''m not saying I like it, nor do their souls go unpunished for it, but it''s not nearly as severe as in your universes. I accept that there will be wars and fighting...and killing in cold blood does give them an immediate, tangible punishment. It still doesn''t stop everyone from killing or having malintents, for that matter. There are a few projects I''m working on that will give the mortals another focus rather than just fighting amongst themselves, just so you know. I mean - here, this is the list of...guidelines, for lack of a better term, in the One World along with the solutions I''ve proposed that should provide the mortals an outlet for their frustrations." Yueya explained quickly.


    "Mm. But that doesn''t mean you should reward them for killing their brethren. Sure, I find killing in self-defense to be...acceptable, but it shouldn''t berewarded."I countered, looking at the green screen that appeared before me and reading its contents.


    Oooh, dungeons. She was trying to create dungeons to give soldiers and mercenaries and those with a propensity towards violence mindless beings to fight. That''s an interesting solution right there. There were a few others...and surprisingly, Yueya''s guidelines (basically karmic rules) were much more specific than my own. They still focused on the same basic principle of "intentionally causing harm unto others is a bad thing," but it went into more depth than my own, and looser in some areas.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "I see your point, but I also disagree. The ultimate goal for mortals is to become powerful enough to become something akin to a god or lesser deity, which we are supposed to use as an army against whatever lays in the Void. Hence why I left a path open for there to be War Gods and Goddesses. You yourself should understand this concept, Statera, having fought against the Void before." Yueya challenged, making me pause slightly.


    "Oh shit, she''s got a point." Reilly muttered. I just frowned and looked at her with a sad little smile, fully aware of Shin watching me closely. My realms did not need gods of war and strife to protect it. Even without me, it has defenders. Guardians of power in the forms of all my children who, if the need arises, would stand tall and defend against hostilities.


    But no war gods. I understand that conflict, in all its shapes and forms, is unavoidable and is something that gives existence excitement but. But. No war.No, I do not see the need to promote the usage of true war, as it was known on Earth. Perhaps that is my narrow-mindedness, but I tend to, in all my enlightenment, not think so.


    However, there is something there that I am missing. Perhaps I should meditated upon it a bit...


    "Where do your dark spirits go?" Shin asked suddenly.


    "Good question. Have you looked at the list of sentient races yet?" Yueya asked. Shin nodded and I scanned the list just to double check. There were elves, humans, dwarves, beast-kin, fairies, centaurs...a whole slew of what I would call fantasy beings. However, there were also orcs, goblins, ogres, trolls...just as many races that were, stereotypically speaking, considered evil and vile. They were even highlighted in a reddish color on the screen, as if to point out those ''evil'' races. "The ones that are highlighted red are races created by my dark spirits and evil souls."


    "What?" I said, looking up sharply. Yueya chuckled wryly at my reaction.


    "Well...look at it this way. There''s nowhere to go when the entire universe is one massive world. Generically speaking, dark spirits don''t like being in places and cultures that don''t support their style of existence...it''s downright painful and uncomfortable for them to be in a place with a very positive culture and very positive energy, right?" Yueya asked rhetorically. This was something all deities understood. "Well, unlike in Reilly''s world or Shin''s world, there''s nowhere for my dark spirits to go to really avoid that. Most dark spirits congregate in the first Heaven or on those tiny, lifeless asteroids in Reilly''s universe, whereas there are dead planets and ''dead zones'' for Shin''s dark spirits to congregate.


    "It just so happens that in my world, they decided to congregate and essentially ''create'' their own races, since my world is one big, habitable planet. I mean, there are dead zones, but...why live there when you can be born as an orc and make everyone''s lives miserable?" Yueya said with a chuckle. "Of course, there are exceptions...those races are not beyond redemption. There are a few tribes that overcame their setbacks via the aid of many good people, just as there are societies of ''good'' races that have fallen, but that''s the general idea."


    "I see." Shin said, nodding to himself. "That is an interesting development. I assume most wars are fought between the dark spirit races and the others?" Shin asked. Yueya nodded, and Shin hummed once more.


    "Are the suns and moons related to the cycle of souls?" Reilly asked abruptly, having been staring at the objects. Yueya shook her head.


    "No. The cycle of souls flows down into the center of the world. That''s where they''re judged and sent to be reborn next." Yueya explained. Shin''s eyes flickered slightly, and his mouth opened just a bit in excitement.


    "There''s a solution to the dark spirits. It won''t solve everything because what''s here is already in place, but you could create a second ''world,'' for lack of a better term, in the center of the planet - a world for the dead." Shin offered. I winced at that title. World for the dead sounds so...gruesome.


    "Hm. That is a good idea, though I think I''ll have to find a new name for it." Yueya said thoughtfully. I smiled to myself as the three began to debate and talk amongst themselves, sometimes drawing in the opinions of their "plus one''s," and generally just analyzing the systems Yueya was explaining to us. In the Nine Heavens Reilly had shown us his universe, in the Wheel Realm Shin had let us observe and lectured, and now, in the One World, Yueya was sparking a debate. Quite funny how we all went about things differently. "How would you set up that new world?" Yueya countered Reilly''s scoff at her initial ideas.


    "Well, this is what I would do..." I started with a small smile.


    POV CHANGE: Eldest Dragon


    Smoke puffed out of my nostrils in surprise when the seven beings suddenly appeared before me, near the entrance to my cave. At first I was annoyed at them for disrupting my slumber, but then I noticed that the All-Mother Yueya Oshun was amongst their number.


    "...and this is the Eldest Dragon, the very first among the dragons that inhabit my world. She''s essentially immortal, being the first, just as Hajime is immortal due to him being the first among elves." Yueya explained, waving to me. "Her name is...well, she doesn''t like her name much, so most beings just call her Sehuyun or Eldest Dragon."


    "Long time no see, Mother. Who are these beings?" I inquired, yawning and stretching my great form. My jet black scales glittered despite the lack of light in the cave, gold and other treasures banging together as I moved atop my horde.


    "Be more respectful, dragon." The annoying elf, Hajime, barked at me.


    "Why? What are you going to do about it, godling?" I sniped back, baring my fangs in a grin. The god had attempted to fight me before, for some mundane reason, and I had easily trumped him. The disparity between our power had only grown since that fight, and if he was so eager to have a repeat I would most certainly oblige.


    "Quite aggressive, isn''t she?" One of the beings, a very foreign-smelling, purple-robed, horned being noted, appearing before me and meeting my eyes with his soul-piercing green. His entire body was no larger than my eye, and I growled at the foreign man. He just hummed and smiled back, attention turning to my wings. My growl deepened as he moved to touch my wings, my muscles tensing in preparation to attack. "Use your words. If you don''t want me touching you, just say so." He said, as if admonishing a child.


    I snapped, fire billowing from my maw as I moved to swallow him whole.


    "Yes, she is very aggressive. She doesn''t even listen to me all that much." Yueya said as my jaws clamped shut, snapping at my own fires and missing the purple-robed man entirely.


    "Huh. Neat," the purple-robed man said stroking his chin as he stood, completely relaxed next to the All-Mother. I growled again, magic circles appearing on my command as I invoked ancient magic to smite the being with heavenly thunder. Golden lightning shot out of the magic circles, cracking and booming with power, slamming into the purple-robed being in an attempt to obliterate it...an attempt that failed. "That''s a powerful technique. That''s magic, right?" The being asked, casually waving his hand and collecting all the lightning. I shuddered in shock and another growl rumbled out from the back of my throat.


    "That''s enough, you," the All-Mother said with a frown. I glared at the purple-robed man for a moment longer before settling down a bit, never taking my eyes off of him. "Mm, sorry about that, I didn''t expect her to act so foolishly." I narrowed my eyes at them.


    "It''s quite alright," the purple-robed man said with a small smile.


    "Well, this is the last thing I really wanted to show you all. Sehuyun here is one of the most powerful beings in my One World after all, it would be a shame to not show her off a bit." The All-Mother said with a wink. "Hajime, have you decided whether or not to come to Statera''s universe?" The All-Mother asked.


    "I will not," the annoying elf said with a slight bow. "I feel that I would be of more use here."


    "Why don''t you bring the Eldest Dragon along, then? She seems like a brilliant choice. Foreign realm, lots of strange beings...what could possible go wrong?" A beggar-looking man said, tossing a pair of dice in the air.


    "Bring me where?" I inquired, shrinking back a bit on my pile of gold.


    "To Statera''s realm...he created his own world, just like I created this one. You should come. It''d be a nice break from terrorizing the local mortals." Yueya, the All-Mother, said casually. I blinked in surprise, looking at the purple-robed man in a different, albeit no less hostile, light.


    "Hmm...sounds interesting." I said, bearing my teeth in a grin. "I''ve gotten tired of dominating the beings on this planet, another realm full of beings to dominate soundsrefreshing."


    "I bet you and Alexander will get alongswimmingly."The purple-robed man drawled, as if to drive it into my skull that we would not, in fact, get along. "Oh you''re going to love it. Reilly, let''s make a bet. If, in the first twenty minutes of her being in my realm, she isn''t cowed and hasn''t had some of that arrogance beat out of her, then I''ll give you the recipe for my divine tree-whiskey."


    "That''s a bad bet. I haven''t even been to your realm yet." The beggar, who was identified as Reilly, replied. "And no, I don''t want to take the bet even if you don''t want anything if I win. That''s not a bet." I snarled and extended my neck so I was eye-level with the beings.


    "Now I have to come." I ground out. It had been far too long since I''d been looked down upon, as these beings were so obviously doing. They might be creator gods like the All-Mother, but I am no weakling. The purple-robed man clapped his hands together and smiled a devious smile, his green eyes twinkling with amusement as he looked at me. I growled at him.


    "Let''s get this show on the road then, shall we?"

 Paragon of His Species

    POV: Reilly (Origin Deity of Luck)


    Stepping into Statera''s universe was like having a sun shoved directly in your face after spending a lifetime knowing nothing but darkness. It practically seared my eyes, sent my scalp to tingling, and blasted every cell that made up my divine body with energy so goddamnpowerfulanddensethat even I was wholly and utterly stunned.The sheer amount of energy andpowerStatera''s realm held was jaw-dropping to say the least, being at minimum three times higher and denser than my Nine Heavens - at onlyone thirdthe size. Honestly, Statera''s realm was small even in comparison to Shin''s universe, but it more than made up for it in the sheer amount of power it emanated.


    "Damnation, Statera. What in the world is with this place?" Shin blurted out. "I wassecondin terms of density, but this...this is just...your stupid realms are far denser in power than mine!"


    "Uh...it''s cause of magic. Er, well, immortal magic. But magic nonetheless." Statera mumbled incoherently.


    "You''re not making any sense." I told her, getting a good view of Statera''s universe after adjusting to the insane amount of energy within it. It was...well, it looked like a painting. A giant tree sat in the center of the universe, glistening and glowing with ethereal lights. To its left and a situated a little higher than the tree a mountain stood, proudly radiating divine power that turned the skies gold, while to the right and a little lower than the tree was a deep valley, filled to the brim with souls and a very...strange and ephemeral energy (it felt similar, yet different, to my Luck) and surrounded by an ocean. Flowing through all of that, twining through all things, flowed a River of souls, glittering as streams merged with the main body to flow through the valley, down the mountain, and around the tree.


    "Well...this is the Four Realms. Impressive?" Statera asked with a childish smile.


    "Are the sun and moon...alive?" Shin asked, staring at said objects.


    "Technically they are the Realm Sun and Lunar Star, but...yes, technically. It was...a trying time." Statera said a little somberly and a little fondly. A loud, obnoxious roar echoed out from behind me, cutting off whatever Statera was going to say next.


    "Oh, I like this place!" Sehuyun exclaimed as she crawled out of the portal, her massive, draconic form just barely squeezing through. Her two wings stretched as she reared up on her hind legs, stretching her long neck and letting out another challenging roar, spewing fire out of her fang-filled maw. She was a truly impressive, and vicious-looking, specimen, with horns and spikes of black bone jutting out of her joints and great, branching horns sticking out of her head. "Feels wonderful! Yes, I will have suchfunhere." She chuckled, flapping her wings and shooting off across the sky, towards the large mountain.


    "Sehuyun -" Yueya''s cry of protest was cut off by a smug looking Statera, who simply held her hand out and glanced at Yueya with an amused glitter in her eyes.


    "Just watch," Statera said cryptically, "she''s about to learn a very important lesson; you don''t go barging into someone else''s neighborhood issuing challenges." Statera said. I raised my eyebrows and turned back towards the form of Sehuyun, who had stopped dead in front of a being of...strange power. He had white hair and two broken horns on his head, and was dressed in white robes not unlike Statera''s. In one hand was held a spear, and the towering aura of battle-intent radiating off of the man was enough to give even the great dragon pause.


    The man''s next words almost caused me to burst out laughing. "Who the fuckdo you think you are? I will straight up kill your ass if you don''t pipe down." So simple! So brazen! So...so...so manly! I LIKE IT! But, that didn''t distract from the fact that I had no idea what this man was. He wasn''t a god or deity, he wasn''t an angel or a conventional ascended being...so what was he? Energy radiated from him in waves, not unlike that of a deity, but clearly different.


    "That one''s name is Tian." Statera supplied helpfully, talking about the white-robed man. "He''s sort of like the village guard dog. Not the biggest threat, but always the first one to come running."


    "What did you say to me, runt?" Sehuyun grumbled. "I am a dragon, not something the likes of you could even come close to comparing to." Ha. Such posturing. She may be arrogant, but Sehuyun isn''t stupid, and thus was attempting to size up the competition by spending a bit of time talking.


    "Dragon my ass. I''ve seen real dragons, and you look more like an overgrown lizard in comparison. Now because I despise politics I''m going to be straight with you." Tian hissed, leaning forwards and narrowing his eyes. "Are you going to be a problem? Or am I going to have to teach you manners?" He asked, his eyes flicking towards us. Statera shrugged helplessly, and Tian''s eyes narrowed, turning back towards Sehuyun.


    "I AM NO LIZARD!" Sehuyun roared. I made a noise of disapproval. Why is she so arrogant? Oh, right. She''s one of the most powerful beings in her home universe. Tian just sighed and took a step forwards, power radiating off of him in waves as he moved to meet the dragon in combat, even though he was clearly weaker than Sehuyun. Tian levelled his spear at Sehuyun the moment the dragon snapped, roaring and blasting him with a gout of intense flame.


    Tian teleported out of the way, appearing right next to her head and slamming downwards with his spear, striking her with the force of an entire mountain. Sehuyun roared in surprise, slapping at him with a wing and knocking him away. Sehuyun didn''t let up the pressure, advancing on Tian and keeping him off-balance...right up until a constellation that hung in the sky of the Four Realms began to radiate power, bathing Tian in silver starlight. His aura rocketed upwards, and the image of a giant, celestial warrior appeared around him, twice the size of Sehuyun.


    "Tian was the very first being in my Realm to have his personal Dao be approved by myself and the Four Realms, thus immortalizing it and creating the first stars in the sky and forging a pathway for mortals to ascend to the heavens. Since then, only two others have been approved by the Four Realms and myself, though Tian will always be the first. He will also be the first mortal to become a deity - he''s close, but not there yet. Hmm...if I had to explain it...there are five true Guardians of the Four Realms, four in each of their realms, and a fifth who is a free spirit. Tian is more than likely going to be the sixth." Statera explained calmly, making me furrow my brows. I hoped she would go more in-depth later because that was woefully uninformative. I haven''t had enough time to properly analyze the Four Realms, so that statement doesn''t quite make sense yet.


    "SCREW OFF!" Tian roared in defiance, batting away Sehuyun as blood oozed from the corners of his mouth, his giant trembling from the force of the blow. Sehuyun laughed, a grand roar that echoed throughout the Realm.


    "You! You are the strongest I have fought in-" And suddenly, her monologue was cut short by an earth-shattering roar that caused even me to feel pressure.


    "ENOUGH!" The being roared, a white serpent flying out from the center of the River, hurtling towards us as its feathery wings flapped ever so slightly. It was majestic and powerful, seeming completely white at times and at others seeming to glitter with all the colors of the Realm and more. Clearly this was one of Statera''s dragons, and what a dragon it was. In sharp contrast to Sehuyun, this being was far more majestic looking than fearsome, with sleek scales, a regal ''crown'' of horns that curled from its head, and eyes that radiated both kindness and an unequalled ferocity.


    The fight between that dragon and Sehuyun was over even before it began. The great white dragon appeared in front of the smaller dragon in an instant, not snarling, not growling, and not even radiating any bloodthirst or will to fight. It simply coiled up its serpentine body, craned its neck into the air, and looked down at Sehuyun like a natural-born monarch.


    "You are a guest in our home, a guest of my Father, and as such you shall obey the rules and be polite, as is expected ofguests.Do I make myself clear?" The white dragon rumbled, its tone leaving no room for argument. Sehuyun hesitated for a brief moment, her rough, black scales scraping together eerily as she shifted, resting the hooks on the joints of her wings on the ground as she looked up at the majestic dragon. Then, she bowed her head in acquiescence, fully acknowledging the massive gap in power.


    Ever since my rebirth as an origin deity I have never seen a being more powerful than this dragon, barring Origin Deities of course. It was a paragon of its species, a paragon of its realm, and the...pinnacle of power beneath the Origin Deity level.


    The dragon simply watched Sehuyun for a moment before turning towards Tian, who was looking at the dragon with a shit-eating grin. "Youhadto ruin my fun, didn''t you, Alexander?" Tian laughed, wiping away another dribble of blood that ran from the corner of his mouth. The dragon rumbled with laughter.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Go back to your meditations, you fool. I know you are close to an important breakthrough." The dragon rumbled in a tone that was borderline exasperated. Then it turned back to Sehuyun, jerking its head towards us in a silent command. Sehuyun seemed to debate arguing for just a moment before a single look - not even a glare - put that debate to rest. She demurely flew over to Yueya, settling behind her with a complex expression on her draconic face.


    "What...is up with your Realm, Statera?" Yueya deadpanned, glaring at said deity. I nodded in agreement and Statera gave us a cheeky smile.


    "Where should I start? With the fact that I accidentally left a path to immortality open for the mortals, that my Realm was attacked by a Paradox, which you already know, or that my Realm Sun was destroyed and subsequently rebuilt?" She asked, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. I was silent as I soaked that up, recalling that I nearly made the same mistake of leaving a path of immortality open. Luckily I didn''t...or unluckily, seeing how far Statera''s had progressed.


    "Father, may I inquire as to who your guests are?" The great white dragon asked as it appeared next to Statera, looking at us with an interested and respectful expression. "Of course, I should introduce myself first. I am Alexander, guardian of the Spirit Realm. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."


    I spoke up before Statera could, effectively cutting her off. "I am called Reilly, and am an Origin Deity of Luck." I said with a flourish of my hand, tossing my dice up in the air and catching it with my other hand. Alexander stared at me for a moment until he simply nodded towards me. Dang, I was hoping forsomeexpression of surprise.


    "I am Yueya Oshun, the Origin Deity of Beauty." Yueya told Alexander, to which the dragon merely smiled kindly.


    "Ah. I see. Beauty...that is much like Balance, is it not?" Alexander''s gaze almost imperceptibly flickered towards Statera, and I had to stifle a laugh. Yueya seemed to be pondering that question, Alexander''s intentions going right over her head, but Statera understood the hidden meaning of Alexander''s comment and was pinching the bridge of her nose...oh, now Statera shifted forms and is androgynous again.


    "You''re right! For there to be beauty there has to be a balance of that which is and is not considered beautiful, and yet beauty can also be found in all things, just like balance! I never even thought of it that way before..." Yueya murmured, earning a chuckle from Alexander and myself. Statera just sighed.


    "Right, well. That''s Shin. He''s an Origin Deity of The Cycle, and behind him is Ze. You''ve already met Sehuyun, the dragon, and that shade there is Steward...he''s kind of like Reilly''s Morgan, but not really. It''s a different situation." Statera explained casually. Alexander stiffened ever so slightly when looking at Steward, who was practically hiding behind me, an interested expression on the dragon''s face. "Speaking of, how is Morgan doing?" Statera asked.


    "Morgan has...done nothing these past ten years. Simply observing and travelling." Alexander said with a carefully blank expression.


    I feel like we''re missing out on important information here. "Statera, you had better start explaining. We''ve only got ten years."


    "Calm thyself," Statera admonished me, "I''ll bet that you''ll be staying longer than ten years. There''s far too much for all of you to see here, for one reason and one reason only; I have progressed farther than anyone in all the new universes." Statera explained simply, catching me off guard. "Now, back to the topic of Morgan. You say Morgan''s only been observing and travelling about the Four Realms? That''s...good. About what I expected when I unlocked the prison, but good nonetheless. We''re making progress. All I ask is that you keep an eye on Morgan for now. Since I''m back if Morgan tries anything I can deal with it, so you four can relax a bit. I''ll go visit the Shadow in a few years, after I''m done talking with my fellow Deities, alright?" Statera explained, furthering the conversation through mental messages.


    Alexander sighed slightly and nodded. "As you wish, Father." The dragon said, bending down and affectionately nudging Statera with its great head. Statera laughed softly and pushed him away, a warm expression on their face. Alexander rumbled a goodbye before flying off into the distance, disappearing into the River once more.


    "Now, let''s start with my home, hmm? There''s a few others I would like you to meet before we really get started." Statera said with a smile. I folded my hand inside the sleeves of my robes and nodded alongside Yueya and Shin. I was excited to meet the others in Statera''s Realms, because that is most likely the most interesting thing about it. I had my Luck - that is what truly defines my Realm. That is the most interesting thing about it, the way Luck interacts with all beings and all creation. Among the four of us Origin Deities, it is unique.


    Shin has his mystery - even now I have questions that I continue to unravel about his universe. Although he talked a lot, we never truly learned anything about his Realms...or we did, but we just aren''t looking at it the right way in order to learn that information. His entire Wheel Realm is shrouded in...mists, it seems, mists that block our vision. Its mystery is what makes it unique and intriguing. Yueya''s is the sheer size of the One World. While that may not seem interesting alone, it is very, very unique. More size means more living beings, and more living beings means more things can happen, there is more enlightenment to attain, there is simplymore.There is so much that can be created there, so much todo...it is almost intoxicating.


    Statera''s Realms, in my opinion, has its people. The beings that reside within it are what make her/his/their Realm so interesting, and so unique. The Dragon, the Immortal, the Mad Scientist...they are all beings that are uniquely interesting from what we have seen so far, and if my hunches are correct, then that list will only continue to grow. Certainly, we all have our people...but Statera''s Realm, much like the ambient amount of power in the air, has a plethora of people to find interesting. I smiled to myself, stretching my divine sense out a bit and feeling the air. How fun.


    POV CHANGE: Inesa (Deity of Hearth and Home)


    I sat beside our Parent''s hearth in Her home, reading one of the millions of books in Her personal library as I reclined in Her armchair.The Creator had been gone for nearly thirty years at this point, worrying me just a bit. Where did She go? What is She doing? I asked Lady Elvira about it, but in the end she simply smiled and waved me off, telling me that it was nothing to worry about. Of course, that made me worry. Just a bit though, this is the Creator I''m talking about.


    "Whatcha readin''?" Kei asked, appearing out of thin air behind me. The nine-tailed fox leaned over my shoulder and snorted in amusement. "That''s boring stuff. Why don''t you read anything interesting?" She asked.


    "What is it that you find interesting, Lady Kei?" I inquired, only half interested in the mischievous fox''s answer.


    "The guests Grandpa is bringing back," Kei responded with a sly smile, "That''s what I find interesting." I blinked and craned my neck to look at her inquiringly, but she just winked and tickled my chin with one of her tails, flashing me a toothy smile. "Yeah, Grandpa came back just a few minutes ago. He''ll be here soon, but I suppose that it would be only fair to give you a heads up. You know how He likes to surprise people."


    "What, and you think you''re going to be able to get away?" A very powerful voice asked from behind Kei, startling the fox ever so slightly. The Creator, Statera as She insists I call Her, had appeared immediately behind Kei without the slightest hint of a ripple in space and time, something no one but She can do. "Haha! Gotcha." She laughed. Behind Her stood six powerful beings, each radiating ripples but none quite so friendly feeling as Statera...why is that, I wonder? They don''t seem as warm...


    "Fascinating...she''s nearly as powerful as Alexander." One of them, a man who looked like a ragged gambler, said, stepping forwards and touching one of Kei''s tails. Said fox-woman jumped back a bit and bundled up her tails in her arms, glaring suspiciously at the gambler.


    "Yes...but she stepped in a different direction." A skeleton hidden beneath a dark robe spoke. Out of all of them, that skeleton appeared to "warmest," for lack of a better term, to my senses. Why was that? What is this that I''m sensing?


    "Don''t touch my tails." Kei snapped, breaking off any further conversation as she glared at the gambler. The Creator just chuckled and enveloped Kei in a hug, kissing the top of her head affectionately and whispering something in her ear. It sounded suspiciously like "it''s ok to pester him all you want." Judging from the way Kei smiled mischievously I knew that she was going to be bugging the gambler with her...mischief until she got bored. Or got revenge on the gambler for touching her tails. One or the other.


    "This is Kei, everyone, a Nine-Tailed Fox...the very first and, as of now, only one in the Four Realms. Be careful of her, she''s a little troublemaker and enjoys surprising people. She''s even gotten me a few times." The Creator warned. Kei looked up at Her sharply.


    "When?" She demanded, not even Kei herself knowing when she managed to surprise the Creator.


    "Who knows...?" The Creator said with a carefully blank expression.


    "It is a pleasure to meet you, Kei." An absolutely gorgeous woman said, reaching out her hand for some reason. I was unfamiliar with the gesture, and the Creator helped guide Kei''s hand to clasp the beautiful, pointy-eared woman''s hand. Their hands shook up and down. What a strange way to greet someone.


    "And this, is Inesa. She''s Tian''s significant other, and is the Deity of Hearth and Home." The Creator said proudly, causing my face to heat up in embarrassment as I scrambled to my feet, bowing towards the six ever so slightly.


    "I-it is a pleasure to meet you." My stutter returned as I spoke. I thought I got over that after having spent some time with the Creator, but...I guess not. The three beings that greeted Kei murmured a few greetings back to me, but thankfully didn''t pay me much attention. Only the skeleton kept its gaze on me for a bit longer before turning away, earning me a knowing look and kind smile from the Creator. She moved forward and hugged me as well, ruffling my hair a bit.


    "How''s Tian treating you?" She whispered, the comment making my face heat up even more. Does She have to be bringing that upnow...?The Creator just chuckled and waved one arm around the room, turning back towards the group of beings. "This is one room in my home. Randus is in here somewhere, and I''m sure you''ll meet him eventually, but...hm, for now, let us start with a small tour. I''ve got some very interesting things in here." The Creator said, leading the group out of the room and towards other parts of Her Grand Palace. Kei followed, shooting me a wink as she left skipping, leaving me alone once more in the Creator''s favorite room.


    I let out a sigh and collapsed into the Creator''s chair once again, all strength having left me from that one encounter. A sudden thought, however, prevented my rest as I stood up sharply once more and disappeared, my brows furrowing in worry. I''m not sure how likely it is, since Tian''s calmed down a bit in the past few hundred thousand years but...if he got into a fight with any of the Creator''s guests I''m going to bepissed.

 Big, Happy, Family

    <u>POV: Statera Luotian</u>


    "What''s this?" Ze asked, reaching out to touch the Sword That Does Not Cut. In response the divine blade hummed, flying out of her grasp and landing in my hand. I looked down at the sword with a soft expression, putting one hand on the blade and feeling it vibrate softly. Two hundred thousand years ago it underwent a fundamental change and gained a form of sentience. It wasn''t qualified to have an ''ego'' or ''treasure spirit'' as the mortals call such an idea yet, but it was quickly advancing on that path.


    "This, my dear, is a sword I forged many, many years ago. I poured all of my insights in the workings of fate and destiny into this blade, and it has only continued to grow since then." I told her, swinging the sword experimentally. The silver blade hummed with delight at my action, and Ze''s eyes followed the blade with interest.


    "It''s a very fine blade. Does it have a name?" She inquired.


    "Not officially." I said after a moment''s hesitation. "It is normally called the Sword That Does Not Cut." Ze''s eyebrows rose at that, although it was Steward who ended up asking the question.


    "Why is it called that?" He asked, overcoming his fear of me in order to sate his curiosity. Considering this blade played a key role in bringing down Morgan, it makes sense that he would be interested in it. He is most likely sensing that fact on a fundamental level, considering the similarities between him and Morgan. "What does the blade do if it does not cut?"


    "It severs fate." I replied quietly, garnering Shin''s attention from where he was idly browsing through a few of my designs for divine creatures. As we were currently in my workshop, basically everyone had found something interesting to look at and analyze. Yueya and Reilly were interested in the reincarnation cycle, and were pouring over a few of my old designs in the form of jade slips that contained inordinate amounts of information. They wouldn''t get anything really juicy from said designs, seeing as they are relatively dated, but I''m sure it will help them somehow. Their universes'' reincarnation cycles are a little...lacking, after all.


    "Fate?" Shin inquired, moving over to me to look at the sword. I nodded and pointed at the blade.


    "The blade itself is what cuts the ''threads'' of fate," I explained, "while the shield that covers the hilt grabs the severed thread and prevents it from reforming. Then the brush, here, rewrites the fate into something different, or destroys it entirely." I said proudly, stepping back and swinging the blade a bit more. Shin watched me for a bit before shaking his head.


    "A sword doesn''t suit you. I hope you didn''t make that your divine treasure." The skeleton said dryly.


    "Divine treasure? No, it''s not my divine treasure...do you know what that is? My knowledge is limited." I asked. Shin paused and considered that question.


    "...yes and no. I know that it is an optional goal, and is one that involves making a treasure that is bonded to your Origin Domain and sub-domains, but not much else. It''s supposed to grow alongside you and bolster your power, but it also makes you a bit dependent on your treasure, because although it does increase the amount of power you can wield, you can''t really wield your maximum power without it...in a way. It''s like...well, fighting at one hundred percent without your treasure, but with your treasure you can fight at one hundred and fifty percent. Hence why it''s optional." Shin explained slowly. I make an interested grunt and set the Sword That Does Not Cut off to the side, watching as it floated up and hung itself on the wall.


    "That''s...interesting. I''ll have to consider that...in the meantime, do you see anything that interests you?" I inquired. Shin nodded.


    "I''m actually interested in the idea of a workshop itself. It makes sense to have an area like this to store new ideas and old ones, until it becomes relevant to use them, either in combining them or you come up with new ideas and designs that supersede the old ones...we may be origin deities, but even our memories have limits." Shin reasoned, nodding to himself. I scratched the back of my neck and grinned, looking towards Yueya, who seemed to be having a bit of an epiphany as she looked over the way the River first interacted with the Karmic Valley. "She and Reilly are benefitting most from this. Where is Sehuyun, by the way? I know you sent her off somewhere." Shin asked politely.


    Shin hadn''t expanded his divine sense in any direction since setting foot in my Realms, which was an unnecessary courtesy, but something which he felt he needed to do. Not that I blamed him, but I''d be blowing his mind with Morgan in a few years anyway, which would make said action pointless. He''d gain all the enlightenment he was currently missing and then some at that point.


    "She''s off sparring with Tian. Inesa chewed him out for getting in a fight, so I figured I''d have the two make nice-nice. Their idea of nice-nice is destroying a few uninhabited planets in their ''spars.''" I said dryly, feeling a bit exasperated by Tian''s actions. I knew that he''d been feeling stifled with a lack of beings on his level of power to fight against, but this was a bit ridiculous. Tian was in the middle in terms of power - he was stronger than any mortal, both immortal and not, but weaker than most deities...and angels refuse to fight him in the Martial Way. It''s not in their nature. Sehuyun falls under the "high deity" category in terms of power, but is, more importantly, willing tofightTian in a way that expands upon his Martial Way Dao.


    "I appreciate you being so lenient with Sehuyun. She''s awful reckless and often picks fights where there are none, but she''s really a nice soul." Yueya spoke up as she continued to examine my old blueprints.


    "She''s just lonely," I said carefully, snagging a floating ball of light that held a fragment of memories from the time of the War of the Sun. "I''m sure she''d appreciate some beings on her level of power as well...beings that she can talk to. It''s lonely at the top, y''know? Especially with Sehuyun''s personality." Yueya nodded in agreement, putting away the blueprint and looking out the large glass doors that led to the veranda.


    "Yeah...but I''ve been having trouble raising beings up to that level of power." She said softly.


    "Too much energy put into growing the size of your world, instead of raising up those beings." Reilly said gruffly. "It''s the same problem that Statera has, only in reverse. Statera''s Realms are too small to hold the number of higher beings it currently has, and your world is too big for the number of higher beings you have to manage." I nodded in agreement, this being a problem that I had figured out a long time ago.


    At least it was slowly getting better. "Well, I do have a way to fix that now, though." I said in defense of myself.


    "Do tell." Reilly said, appearing genuinely interested. I paused and hummed.


    "Well...I figured I''d just grow more Trees, build more Mountains, carve more Valleys, and redirect parts of the River." I explained simply.


    "Simple...but effective. That might actually work." Shin reasoned.


    "Might?Thatwillwork. Take it from the one with the largest World." Yueya scoffed. "Though it most certainly isn''t an immediate solution. It''ll take time for those to grow into their proper sizes, so you''ll need to come up with a few different measures in the meantime. Not to mention that it''ll probably deplete some of your Primordial Chaos." I hummed and rubbed my chin thoughtfully.


    "We''ll talk about this on the way, I suppose. It''s high time I gave you a proper tour of the Four Realms, and give live examples to the systems I''ve set up. I know all the stuff here is interesting, but we are on a schedule. Randus!" I barked, said deity materializing behind me and startling all the other origin deities. "This is Randus, my self-proclaimed butler and the Deity of Dreams. He is by far the most...elusive of all the deities, having been born of my own dreams."The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "It is an honor to make your acquaintance." Randus said, bowing deeply.


    "Randus, be a dear and bring around the carriage. I think we''ll take that during our journeys." I said to him. He nodded and bowed once more, vanishing from sight as I walked towards the veranda, pushing open the doors and stepping outside. A jewel-encrusted, gilded carriage rounded the corner of my palace, Randus at the helm and drawn by two golden serpents. "Randus, is it just me or did the carriage get bigger? And more...ostentatious?" I asked with a defeated sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose.


    "It''s very ostentatious." Reilly agreed with a small grin.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about." Randus said deadpan, an unmistakable twinkle in his eyes that betrayed his mischievousness. I knew it, he did change the carriage. I swear, it gets bigger and bigger every time I see the stupid thing. Which is, admittedly, not often. The side door to the carriage popped open, revealing a plush interior large enough to fit everyone with room to spare.


    Reilly hopped in first, followed quickly by everyone else. "To the Holy Mountain, Randus." I said, rubbing my temples. I''ll give them a general tour first, meeting with the biggest beings and visiting the most prominent places and whatnot, before starting to delve deeper. It''ll help them understand more...I think.


    <u>POV CHANGE: Reika (Deity of Life)</u>


    "Watch closely, this is an important step in cultivating this type of tree..." I instructed, tending to a Snowflower Tree, a tree notorious amongst mortals and cultivators alike for being difficult to grow, requiring very specific conditions to properly grow and bloom with the gorgeous white flowers its famous for. Behind me stood the youngest deity to date - merely a year old - whom I had taken a shining to. He was a young deity of the Wilderness, spawned from the great forests that surround the Life-Giving Tree, and I took it upon myself to show him the ropes.


    I quickly found out that the precious dear was simply adorable. "Oh!" He cried with glee, watching as the small flowerbuds on the grey-barked tree began to bloom, looking like petals of pure, white snow. The way the flower petals shimmered in the light of the Realm Sun and Lunar Star made it look like a miniature snowstorm was swirling around the trunk, setting the young deity''s forest green eyes to sparkling. He didn''t even have a name yet, having not decided what he wanted it to be. "It''s so pretty!"


    "That it is." A very familiar voice said behind me, causing a joyful smile to spread across my face. I whirled and in one leap covered the distance between myself and Mother, practically tackling Her in a hug. She let out a surprised ''oof'' and chuckled a bit, wrapping Her arms around me and squeezing tightly. "Miss me much?" She asked teasingly.


    "Yes." I answered honestly, not caring that my actions had drawn chuckles of amusement from the beings that wereforeign,yet at the same time guests of Mother.


    "I was only gone for thirty years, you know." Mother said, fondness seeping into Her voice as She pressed a kiss to the top of my head. I felt myself relax a bit, not realizing just how calming Mother''s aura was until She came back.


    "I know. How was your trip?" I asked, pulling away from Mother and looking at Her expectantly. An anticipatory expression crept onto Mother''s face.


    "It was good. I learned quite a bit...there''s much to do. I haveso manyplans now." She said, rubbing Her hands together in glee.


    "How many times have you said that?" One of Mother''s guests, a beautiful elf, asked rhetorically. "Just get on with it already. You can start now, it''ll take some time for it to grow properly anyways." Mother blinked and thought about it for a bit before shrugging and looking at the Tree, sinking Her divine sense into it in search of...something. I ignored Her for the moment in favor of greeting Her guests.


    "It is nice to meet you. My name is Reika, Guardian of the Mortal Realm and Deity of Life." I said with a slight incline of my head. The others returned my greeting, introducing themselves. The skeleton, Shin, was very...interesting. I could sense an aura of life emanating off of it, but it was predominately covered by an aura of death. The way they mixed together was very interesting, almost sending me into a state of enlightenment as I watched it shift and change.


    "You''re thinking too hard on it." Shin said, moving over to stand directly in front of me, holding both hands out, skeletal palms facing upwards.


    "Huh?" I asked dumbly.


    "You''re searching for a way to combine the domains of Life and Death in order to create a Life and Death domain, no? I''m telling you that you''re thinking too hard on it - in fact, it''s a folly in and of itself to think of them as separate things." Shin said, two balls of energy floating above his palms. One was a complete aura of death, while the other was a complete aura of life. Slowly he pushed his hands together, beginning to merge the two. "In fact, they are one in the same; because there is life, there is death. And because there is death, there is life. Finding the perfect balance between the two gives you...immortality, not unlike that of a deity''s." The two balls completely merged, shining with a golden light that was clearly divine in nature.


    I blinked, and heard thunder crashing in my head. In an instant my domainshifted,not a big shift like I had been expecting when I completed my Life and Death domain, but just a tiny shift that made things seem more...complete. Was it...was it really that simple?


    "Thank you." I said, bowing deeply this time to show my gratitude, power flooding my being as my true domain was finally realized. Shin just chuckled and moved back to stand next to the beggar Reilly and Ze, who was looking at me with a carefully blank expression.


    "There is no need to thank me. Statera has already helped me and mine more than he knows, so it is only right that I would do the same to him and his." The skeleton told me.


    "Just wait, Shin. You ain''t seen nothin'' yet." Mother said with a grin that promised someone being force-fed enlightenment. In this case that someone would undoubtedly be Shin. "Now - hey, don''t be like that, Mr. Tree. It''s a seed, it''s meant to be tossed out into the world." Mother chided as something flew from the center of the Life-Giving Tree to Her hand. The great Tree shuddered a bit, its branches groaning in protest at Mother''s actions as She continued to scold it like a child. "Just watch, you." She chided, holding what She identified as a seed in Her hands.


    There were four seeds, actually, each emanating boundless forces of Life and Death, exactly like that of my new domain. (Each time I realized how simple that shift was, I could only wilt a little. How could I have been so blind? I feel so stupid sometimes...) Mother stretched both of Her hands outwards, leaving the four seeds to float in front of Her, as streams of energy coalesced around Her palms. Two streams, one of White and one of Black, centered around Her hands, slowly forming into two halves of a whole- a shell, if you will. One was the inner shell, carved into the fabric of the universe with the aura of the Karmic Realm, the other was the outer shell, built from the might of the Holy Mountain.


    "I finally figured it out." Shin said suddenly, snapping his fingers as he watched Mother slowly build up energy, taking "seeds" from the Holy Mountain and Karmic Valley before merging them with the seeds of the Life-Giving Tree.


    "Don''t be so cryptic, Shin. Share." Reilly, the deity of luck, deadpanned. Shin made a snort of disapproval at Reilly''s statement, but ended up continuing nonetheless after receiving a glare from both Yueya, the beautiful elf, and Ze, Shin''s companion.


    "Fine. I figured out what makes the people of the Four Realms so different from our own." Shin started, only to be cut off by Yueya.


    "Oh, I know what you mean!" She said with a brilliant smile. Mother paid no heed, as wrapped up in Her work as She was. "My World and Reilly''s universe are very similar like that! We both built kingdoms - that''s how the hierarchy works all the way up to the very top, where we stand. Well, where I stand. Reilly pawned it off the Pyrah, right?" Reilly nodded, glancing at Shin and smirking at the skeleton for some reason. I could only assume that it was because Shin was shocked at having been beaten to the punch by Yueya, but I couldn''t really tell because the skeleton had no facial expressions.


    Quite literally, Shin had noface-ialexpressions. Ha. I''m punny.


    Thankfully no one noticed me snickering at my own joke, and Yueya continued. "Shin, your Wheel Realm is built like an organization, right? You''re the boss, and everyone else is sort of like an employee or something. Which makes Ze your secretary. Or the figurehead CEO. Or something. Anyways! Even that''s sort of like a kingdom! Whereas Statera''s is built more like a clan, or family. Statera treats all beings as his children, they in turn treat him as their ultimate parent, the First Ancestor if you will, creating a dynamic like that of a giant family." Yueya explained. Ignoring the Wheel Realm comment and all relevant information, which I simply tucked away for further analysis at a later time (when I can afford to go into shock), I pondered Yueya''s analysis.


    Thinking of things that way I believe I understand a bit more of Mother''s intentions now...understand Her a bit more. I smiled as I watched Her reach out and snag small streams from the River of Souls, using them to bond the other three seeds together before tossing them out into the Primordial Chaos, in four different directions.


    The Four Realms is one big family...I think I like the sound of that.

 Welcoming Change

    POV: Kei


    I watched silently as Grandpa threw the four seeds out into the Primordial Chaos, the Chaos surrounding them immediately beginning to seethe. It wasn''t very noticeable considering the Primordial Chaos is always seething in some way or another, but after having been looking at it for all my life, I of course was able to detect the change in the patterns. The seeds were absorbing the Primordial Chaos, quite rapidly at that. The Four Realms thirsted for growth, and thus was aiding in any way it could - namely by speeding up the growth of those seeds.


    With a small whistle I vanished, reappearing in the throne room of Elvira''s Palace, where Elvira and Gilles were flirting with each other. It was sickeningly sweet. Thankfully I had appeared behind the throne itself, so neither of them detected my presence...that will make this next part even more entertaining.


    "Boo!" I cried, popping out of the shadows and throwing my hands into the air childishly, startling the both of them and nearly getting myself blasted with bolts of energy.


    "Damn it, Kei! How many times have I told you not to do that?!" Elvira shouted as she leapt to her feet, prepared to blow me to kingdom come andmaking me giggle. I ignored Elvira''s threat and instead plopped down in the throne Elvira had recently vacated. It wasn''t very comfortable. Why would Elvira make it with stone? It should be made cushions and plush toys...that''s how I would make it.


    "I got tired of watching you two flirt. Plus, I laid a trap for someone and wanted front row seats to when it goes off." I explained, electing to ignore Elvira''s protests.


    "What trap? We are expecting -" I cut Gilles off with a shit-eating grin.


    "I know. It''s for one of them. Even if it doesn''t hit the one I''m aiming for it''ll still be hilarious!" I cackled, turning my eyes eagerly to center of the throne room, where I expected Grandpa to appear with his new friends in tow. He always appeared there. And He did not disappoint. With hardly a ripple of power, an impressive feat considering the number of beings being simultaneously teleported, Grandpa and His merry crew appeared dead-center in the middle of the throne room...with Reilly right to Grandpa''s right, just as I predicted.


    With a small crackle Reilly, that stupid deity, suddenly found himself covered in pink paint and glitter, crafted for use against divine beings and hidden mid-air by my strongest illusions, the paint staining his clothes and glitter making him stand out even more than a disco ball. (Lovely invention that. Ilovedisco balls. They''re so...shiny.Mortals really do come up with the greatest things. I''ve pilfered at least twenty eight from various mortal worlds.)


    "What the - YOU!" Reilly shouted dramatically, practically fuming as he pointed at me. I just cackled gleefully and teleported out of the way of whatever retaliation Reilly had planned, which turned out to be throwing his dice at the throne.


    Hard enough that the two cubes completely obliterated said object. I just cackled, uncaring that the target had been me. That body was an illusion anyways. It''s not like he could''ve hit me.


    "KEI!" Elvira roared, her wings flapping violently in an attempt to get the dust of her throne out of her feathers. OOOH! Two for one! Go me!


    "Yes?" I asked innocently. Elvira''s rage-filled eyes focused on me and I immediately made the wise decision and opted to bug out. It was the right decision too, seeing as how not but a nanosecond after I teleported away Elvira completely obliterated the illusion I left in my place with a beam of white energy, blowing a hole in the ceiling of her palace. I, of course, was safe hiding (literally) in Grandpa''s shadow...a trick I learned thanks to my natural affinity towards all elements, including shadows. Perhaps only Keilan, Gilles, and Grandpa could really find me like this...


    "WHERE''D SHE GO?!" Elvira roared.


    "Calm down, dear. That''s my fault, I was told that the foxy brat would retaliate for touching her tails and reacted poorly." Reilly explained, sighing and pouring divine power into the paint in an attempt to get it off. It started to drip off of his body and down onto the floor as a result, but his clothes would remain pink and sparkly for all eternity unless he wiped them out of existence. Reilly just sighed upon realizing this, glancing at Grandpa''s shadow, at me, with promised retribution in his eyes. Oh, this is going to be a fun one! "Here, allow me to fix your throne."


    With a wave of his hand Reilly''s power converged, creating...a giant bean-bag, large enough for both Elvira and Gilles to lounge in. "There you go. I call it a love-seat. Now you and your shadowy lover can flirt in front ofaaallyour subjects, while being comfortable too!" Reilly announced, bowing with a flourish. I snickered. Oh, I''m liking him better already.


    "SHUT UP, SPARKLES!" Elvira bellowed. I barely withheld my laugh at that one. Elvira comes up with the best insults when she''s angry! Well, maybe they''re not quite as creative as Tian''s are, but...they''re entertaining nonetheless! Reilly chuckled and looked at Grandpa. Gilles then appeared out of the shadows (when did he vanish?) and attempted to placate the raging deity. She really doesn''t like it when her throne gets destroyed, despite how often she complains about the stone chair.


    Which is why I''ve managed to obliterate it, sometimes while she''s sitting on it, at least fifteen times. Her reactions are too great.


    "Care to introduce the lovely lady?" Reilly asked innocently.


    "Quit antagonizing Elvira, you." Grandpa chided, speaking to both Reilly and myself. I shrugged my shoulders in response and Reilly just smiled, earning a sigh from Grandpa. "Shall we continue then? This is Elvira, the protector of the Heaven Realm, and her husband Gilles, the Deity of Shadows. Elvira is the de facto leader of most deities. She keeps them from going wild and helps to guide them to where they are needed most...I imagine she''ll have more on her plate once the Four Realms grow bigger." Grandpa explained casually.


    "Indeed she will. Does she have any advisors?" Yueya asked with a cute tilt of her head. I couldn''t help but stare at the beautiful pointy-eared being as she twisted a lock of her hair around her finger, oblivious to the way she attracted everyone''s subconscious attention....gah, she''s a dangerous weapon. And she''s just waltzing about, without a care in the world!


    "Not officially," Elvira said slowly, shaking her head.


    "Might want to consider that once things start taking off." Yueya added. I yawned a bit and blinked blearily at the ceiling, where the hole in the roof from Elvira''s attack at me was slowly mending itself. Hmm. I''m getting bored...


    With a slight sigh I teleported out of Grandpa''s shadow, reappearing in the Mortal Realm. There were always things to keep me entertained in the Mortal Realm.


    POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian


    We stood over the Karmic Realm, everyone but me silently contemplating the enlightenment to be had simply observing the way the Karmic Realm functioned, even if Keilan wasn''t there to provide insight. Heck, even I didn''t need to provide insight to the others, they just kind of slipped into a moment of enlightenment all on their own. I sighed and shook my head, observing the starry sky with a hint of detachment, waiting for the others to come out of their enlightenment. I wouldn''t let them stay in it too long and trusted them to break out of it by themselves, but still...Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    It was boring. I couldn''t even run off to go do other things...


    Wait. Yes I can. Incarnations are a wonderful thing!


    "Statera." Shin''s calm voice resounded out behind me. I grimaced and turned around, not even bothering to hide my boredom from the analytical skeleton. "What..." He trailed off, and I immediately returned my full attention to the situation at hand. It seems that finally, after eight years of wandering the Four Realms and gaining enlightenment, Shin had caught on to something. It had taken him long enough. I figured that after the trio of Origin Deities finished their limited analysis of the Holy Mountain that he''d catch on, but it took looking at a bit of everything for him to catch on instead.


    "Yes?" I asked leadingly.


    "What is the Shadow?" Shin asked as more of a statement than question. I just smiled and nodded.


    "That, Shin, is the right question. Reilly! Yueya! Steward! Ze! Time''s up!" I shouted, startling said deities out of their stupor. They all simultaneously looked at me and I gestured in the direction of the Realm Sun, where a certain being was staring silently at the object of its obsession over a million years ago.


    "What''s over there? We''ve already seen your Realm Sun and Lunar Star." Reilly stated calmly. I nodded in agreement. The origin deities hadn''t really learned much from that - after all, the most interesting thing about them was that they were basically incubators for Leo and Celene at the moment. Beyond that, they were just another Sun and Moon. Something invaluable, but every universe had them. That simple agreeing motion seemed to satiate Reilly''s curiosity, as he merely revealed an understanding expression, smiled wryly, and nodded his head.


    Apparently his Luck had told him something. It was an annoying skill of his, to simply change one''s luck and gain random insights. He made that expression whenever he figured something particularly...''juicy,'' as he so eloquently puts it, as thanks to his stupid luck. However I was willing to bet that he didn''t glean anything particularly useful from his little stunt, mostly because if he really knew what I was going to show them then he''d be making a very different expression. Mostly one of utter shock. Probably.


    I couldn''t help but smile a bit smugly at that. "Just wait until I wipe that smile off of your face, Reilly." I teased. Reilly''s expression never wavered, but I did catch the look of intense curiosity in his eyes. Wonderful. With a smile I settled my aura, my usual calming presence further smoothing out until it was as smooth and tranquil as a lake without waves. The others unconsciously relaxed, though Shin gave me an unreadable glance as I began to move off towards Morgan. "I want you all to refrain from talking to this being. This is a conversation I will have alone, but I wish for you all to be present. It will both serve my purpose well and prevent you from growing in a poor direction. I am taking a risk here, showing him to you, so I plead that you do as I say." I said, bowing my head ever so slightly.


    "...As you wish." Shin said slowly, the flames in his eye sockets flickering a bit. Reilly and Yueya both muttered their assents, and I let out a sigh of relief that I hadn''t known I had been holding. Honestly I should''ve been expecting for them to be understanding like this, but I had still been nervous.


    "Excellent. Follow me." I said, slowly drifting off towards Morgan. I flared my aura a bit and sighed internally, running over for the umpteenth time what I was going to say and do. There wasn''t much I could think of.


    POV CHANGE: Morgan


    Staring at the Realm Sun and Lunar Star is a truly humbling experience for me, especially when I am so close but so very far from my one-time goal. Now, the Four Realms are stable enough that destroying the Realm Sun would do some damage, but would be ultimately insignificant - especially with the addition of the Lunar Star. One of my spidery appendages reached out as if to stab the Sun, though I wasn''t nearly close enough, the action eliciting a self-deprecating chuckle to rumble from the back of my throat.


    "Foolish." I told myself with a sigh, sitting down and looking at the stars in the sky, hanging suspended, as if on a canvas. These past eighteen years, ever sinceThat Onereleased me from my prison on probation, asThat Onecalls it, have been very humbling. Staring out at the Four Realms from my prison is nothing like going out and experiencing it...and although I most certainly had thought about causing a bit of trouble, I ultimately found such actions would be pointless. WithThe Othersconstantly watching me and the amount of damage I could do beforeThat Onereturned, it would be a fruitless endeavor.


    These thoughts were followed by a despondent sigh, my mild depression persisting even asThat Oneappeared next to me. Said depression even allowed me to continue functioning normally even when I discovered that three beings that were much too similar toThat One,and one that had an aura very similar to my own, were standing behindThat One.I was silent for a moment as I stared at the Great Creator, who merely sat down next to me and let out a breath.


    "I honestly don''t know what I''m doing anymore."That Onesaid, shaking its head after a long moment of silence. "I was supposed to have figured out what to say to you over the course of the past eighteen years, but I''ve come to a conclusion of nothing. Everything that needs to have been said has been said, has it not?"That Oneasked rhetorically.


    I decided to answer the question regardless. "Yes," I said simply, turning four of my eyes to look atThat Onewhile the others kept their attention on the Realm Sun and Lunar Star. "But...sitting here now, I realize that my actions were inevitably pointless." I lamented.


    To my complete and utter surprise, the Great Creator simply scoffed at my words and fixed me with a glare. "You nearly destroyed the Four Realms and undoubtedly changed the entirety of my universe - how is that insignificant? You, the Shadow of the Four Realms, were born because I existed - how could you be insignificant? The events you put into play are an integral part in all universes, regardless of the contents of the event itself - how in the multiverse could that be pointless?!" I couldn''t help but flinch backwards a bit at the sheer force ofThat One''ssudden outburst, my eyes growing wide.


    ThenThat Onesighed once more and gave me an indecipherable look. "...what was that about?" I inquired. We''ve had this conversation before, but this was the first time that the Great Creator has ever flown off the wall like that.


    "Quite simple, really. I''m tired of playing this game, and my new friends there have inspired me to do better."That Onesaid rather simply, regaining control of its emotions. "Let''s put it this way - we both know that the Four Realms are imbalanced. I could easily correct this imbalance by absorbing you body and soul." Well, that''s new.That Onehas never outright stated such a thing.


    "But you are unwilling." I responded, knowing the answer. But, to my surprise,That Oneshook its head.


    "No, I am willing as unfortunate as it is. If things continue as they are I will be forced to make the decision between absorbing you or allowing the Four Realms to collapse in upon itself. That wouldn''t happen for a few hundred million, if not billions, of years of course, but it is still a possibility on the table. However, there is always more than one way to do things. As the saying goes - where there''s a will there''s a way, and there''s always a way. Hence why I have been trying to...appeal to you."That Onesaid. I got the feeling that not all of those words were meant for me.


    "I did not absorb you or destroy you because I know that you can positively influence the Four Realms, but perhaps not the way I originally intended. What is it that you want, Morgan? What caused you to really attempt to destroy the Realm Sun?"That Oneasked.


    After a moment''s hesitation, I spoke. "I thought your way to be wrong." I said, knowing that the Great Creator knew that answer. But, because I could feel that enlightenment was flashing through its eyes, and beginning to bubble up within my own mind.


    "Precisely. You thought it to be wrong, and as such acted in a way you thought would help me understand that. And I fully understand that. Things lurk in the Void that seek to return all creation into nothingness, and yet Creation keeps creating and expanding, as you can see."That Onewaved one hand towards its accompanying beings, and my eyes narrowed, then widened in realization. "Your purpose is much more than you realize. Which is why I''m letting you out to play a bit. Call it a leap of faith - because faith and trust are two different things."That Onesaid, smiling and reaching out, scratching between my dog-like ears. I did not so much as twitch at the action, falling deep into thought instead.That One''swords rang out in my head once again, repeating the words that it had repeated to me over and over, over the eons.


    I forgive you, after all you''ve done.I scoffed slightly, looking atThat One,only to find that They disappeared alongside the other beings. A smile curled itself up on my lips as I glared at the spot. Perhaps...it is time for me to try a new tactic. I have already proven myself able to stand next toThat One,though our power gap has only widened over the countless eons, and have received the attention I so craved. Now it is time to introduce the one thing I have not succeeded in doing - change. Both the Four Realms and myself if I am to survive.


    But that would come later. First, I will do whatThat Onewishes, and truly create a race of beings that are fit to live in the Four Realms.


    They shall be unlike any other.

 Farewells

    POV: Yueya Oshun


    I can''t say what I felt while looking at Morgan. Nor what I thought about the carefully thought out lecture Statera gave all of us when he finished talking to the wolf-like being. To be perfectly honest I didn''t fully understand what was going on, but Reilly and Shin were both shell-shocked. Yes, I understood that Morgan was a very unique existance, but it did not prompt me to fall silent for the remaining two years in Statera''s Realms, unlike Shin and Reilly. Even Steward was acting funny, as if he had found something incredibly interesting off in the distance.


    This was, of course, enlightenment. Enlightenment that seemed to be mostly eluding me. Which is why I opted to chat with Statera and view other parts of the Four Realms while Reilly and Shin and Steward followed behind us with blank gazes. Ze was intermittently chatting with us and looking worriedly at Shin, having not fallen into the same state as them. Sehuyun only returned to me every once in a while before moving off to go play with other beings in Statera''s Realm. It brought a smile to my face, seeing that old, grumpy dragon finally moving about with a smile on her face.


    Not that I would ever tell Sehuyun that she was smiling. That would immediately wipe it away.


    "...which is why I decided to bring the Mad Scientist along rather than any of my other children." Statera finished his explanation. I nodded with a thoughtful look on my face, tapping my chin and looking at the few stars that hung above Statera''s Realm, glimmering and shining for all beings to see - but never to touch. They were more spiritual in Statera''s Realms, unless one was to count the miniature suns that dotted the Mortal Realm, as they represented a path in which a mortal took to ''reach the heavens,'' as it were.


    I''ll have to make stars to hang in the sky above my One World. They are very pretty to look at. Perhaps I can use something similar to Statera''s Dao Stars...?


    "You know, it''s adorable how you refer to the beings in your Realms as your children." I noted, giving Statera a sly look and leaving him to interperet what I meant by that however he wished. But really, it was very cute. I mean, I consider the beings in my One World to be...sort of my children, but not in the same vein as Statera. It''s like a mix between building a golem that gains sentience and having actual children for me. They''re my children...but also, in a deific sort of way, my creation as well. I''m immensley proud of them, but...well it''s hard to put into words.


    Statera glanced at me out of the corners of his eyes and made a strange noise in the back of his throat. "I''m not sure what to think about that." He admitted, as if hoping I would elaborate. Of course I wouldn''t, so I just smiled and shrugged my shoulders. Statera shook his head and looked back at Reilly and Shin. "Suppose I should leave them like that? It''s time for you all to head back." He said. I immediately shook my head.


    "Leave them be. I''m sure they''re still figuring things out." I said slowly. Statera just snorted and placed a hand on my shoulder.


    "Once you get a few more ascended beings in your World, I''m more than certain that all of this will begin to make sense to you. Until then you''ll just have to grin and bear it. The enlightenment will come when it''s ready." He said in an attempt to comfort me. I snorted and crossed my arms, raising my eyebrows. However, my protest to his treatment of me died in my throat when I met his eyes - I couldn''t even lie to myself in front of those eyes. Itdidbug me that the other two were having such...profound enlightenment while I was not, but Statera''s words were true. When I am ready to understand what needs to be understood, I will. No two ways around it.


    "I understand." I said with a weary sigh. "There is already plent for me to focus on rather than worrying over such things. Helping my people ascend, for one."


    "Indeed. Shall I fetch Sehuyun for you? She got into an argument with Alexander''s first children. They''re...huh. They''re arguing over who is prettier. Her or them. Are all dragons so vain?" Statera mused rhetorically, fully aware that they were arguing because of the differences between their appearances being so vast, Sehuyun being vicious, and the others being more majestic.


    "Please do before she starts causing more trouble." I said. Statera snorted and waved one hand, sending a ball of light off towards Sehuyun. Why he did that rather than simply sending a mental message, I do not know, but within minutes Sehuyun had returned to my side. I put a hand on the side of the great dragon''s jaw, scratching her scales in the way I know she likes it while continuing to chat with Statera.


    It was mostly about inconsequetial things, small stories about those that inhabited our Realms, but I found that those small stories were sometimes more beautiful than the grandoise. Both had their charm, but the really good stuff comes from those single moments in time that just...take your breath away. Single, small acts. I find those to be the most heartwarming.


    Our conversation ground to a halt when our group re-entered the portal, appearing in the empty meeting room once again. The others silently moved over to their respective portals, only Ze having the decency, or presence of mind, to say farewell formally. Statera and I chuckled at that, though Statera seemed a little worried about them. I smiled and patted him on the shoulder, my feet carrying me to my portal.


    "See ya, Statera. Don''t worry too much about your Realms, yeah? Sometimes kids have to be kids." I teased. Statera laughed and turned back to his own portal, tossing his hand up in farewell.


    "Sometimes I think you worry too little. Goodbye, Yueya. See you next time." He said, and disappeared back into the Four Realms, his portal blinking out of existance behind him, just as all the others did.


    "I liked that place," Sehuyun said. "It was fun."


    "That it was. I''m going to need your help when we get back, we''ve got some major changes to make, especially after what we saw in the Four Realms. More gods and goddesses need to be made." I told my Eldest Dragon. Sehuyun''s eyes glittered in anticipation, now that she knew what fun she could have with others on her level of power.


    "I can''t wait," She rumbled.


    "''Atta girl," I said fondly, and vanished into my own portal.


    POV CHANGE: Keilan


    "You want to dowhat?"I asked, incredulous. Mother returned my look with a completely blank stare, as if She didn''t understand my hesitation. "I mean -what?What in Your Name caused You to want to dothis?The Four Realms are strained enough as it is! We don''t need to put any more pressure on it!" I objected. Mother scoffed and waved one hand.


    "Call one of your Karmic Kings up here. Tell it to bring one of their Ledgers of Life and Death...or is it the Book of Karma? There''s so many names for the bloody things its hard to keep it straight sometimes." Mother muttered, rubbing Her temples.


    "It''s the Book of Karma these days. The Book of Life and Death was an older name." I told Her, sighing and sending a mental message to one of the Karmic Kings to appear before us as I reviewed the plan Mother had laid out. I wasn''t certain if this was a wise addition to the reincaration cycle, but am...willing to hear Her out. The Karmic King I mentioned appeared in a flash of light, having sped with utmost speed to respond to my summons.


    It, like all Karmic Kings, was simply a bigger and more imposing version of the Karae, with powerful, leathery wings and a whip-like tail. However this one in particular was very powerful, and radiated the mysterious power of karma to such a degree that even I had to admit that it had the highest understanding of karma beneath myself.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    "Excellent, let me see your Book." Mother commanded, snatching said Book out of the King''s hand. The twenty-foot-tall Karmic King jumped slightly when Mother snatched it, unused to having its Book ripped away with such ease. However, as the eldest of the Karmic Kings, it had met Mother numerous times so knew better than to react negatively. There were too many beings for Mother to meet in person, so She stuck with meeting to "bigger" ones. "Look, it''s like this," Mother started, waving one hand over the closed, leather-bound Book of Karma.


    The cover rippled a bit, and suddenly, the number of pages held within shrunk by a good quarter. "By tying in this idea of ''luck,'' though it is a pale imitation to what I have seen it could be, to the process of reincarnation it actually reduces the stress placed on Karmic Kings and the Valley. This is because Karmic Luck covers and combines many different themes in the reincarnation cycle - starting from what happens in a person''s life and followed by how it affects their Path. It''s like...well, it''s like this. A hundred small streams may carry the same amount of water as a river, but a river does it more efficiently. Does that make sense?" Mother attempted to explain.


    "Sort of, yes," I nodded, closing my eyes and rubbing my chin. Her analogy wasn''t quite accurate, but it was close enough. It would certainly make the work more streamlined...ah, that''s where that analogy came from. We''ve been attempting to streamline the reincarnation process since the very beginning, and Mother now believes she has figured out a way to do so. I cannot say I am not skeptical, but I am willing to give it a shot. But, perhaps in moderation first. "I want to start off with a small experiment first, though. If it really does appear to run better than the current system I would be more than willing to expand its influence. But I want to run tests first." I reasoned. Mother paused and thought about it.


    "That would be...wise. Yes, let''s do that. Here''s my basic outline." Mother said, pushing a scintillating ball of light towards me. I touched it and examined the flood of information with interest, honestly suprised by the intricacy and detail put into this plan. She intended to create a "secondary consciousness," for all intents and purposes, that would do all the work on reincarnation that the Will of the Four Realms does at a fraction of the power. The Will would still run everything, of course, but the system Mother was proposing would create a "tool" for the Four Realms to use that would make the work a lot easier.


    Not only that, but this "tool" would also decrease the workload for those few deities that have a hand in reincarnation...


    "This is brilliant." I couldn''t help but say. Mother just chuckled a bit.


    "Of course it is. Luck and this...System, are both ideas that I stole from Yueya and Reilly. Alone they are incompatible with the Four Realms. In fact, on a large scale they wouldn''t work. However, by taking parts of each individual idea, merging them, and using what comes out to adjust parts of the Four Realms...well, that''s another story." Mother explained. I hummed and nodded.


    "Where did they go, by the way?" I inquired. I lost track of Mother''s guests about a year ago. They simply...vanished from the Four Realms altogether.


    "Home. Now lets get working on the small-scale experiment. I want to get this implemented as soon as possible so the Four Realms has more energy to spare towards growing." Mother said quickly. I merely accepted her answer and re-focused on the task at hand. Although the presence of the skeleton, Reilly, and the beautiful, pointy-eared woman was interesting and tickled my thirst for knowledge, there were currently more pressing matters to attend to. Remodeling the internal structure of the Karmic Valley was only one of those matters, and only one change in the Four Realms. Elvira, Reika, and Alexander all had their own projects to work on, I was sure. In fact, I have heard rumors that Elvira intends to create a Council that will rule under her.


    A era of change was upon us, very profound change.


    POV CHANGE: Randus (The Deity of Dreams)


    "Ma''am, your tea." I said formally, bowing and pouring the Creator a cup of her own finely brewed tea. I had perfected the art during Her absence, much in thanks to Her no longer incessantly creating new brews and new breeds of tea plants.


    "Thank you, Randus. How is Morgan doing?" She asked in an offhand manner, taking a sip of Her tea as She watched the Realm Seeds grow. They were already beginning to sprout, but could hardly even be called saplings yet. They were still small masses, not true extensions of the Four Realms. To be honest I am very interested in how all of this will work.


    "Morgan completed its creations not but a few hours ago. It will be here shortly to present them to you." I replied, bowing slightly as I stepped to hide my presence in the shadows. Mother just hummed her acknowledgement, leaning back and rolling her neck. I could tell what Morgan was thinking at the moment for one simple reason; it was dreaming of the future of its particular races, for Morgan created two races. Not that I can claim to comprehend the specifics of its creations, but I do know the general information.


    "I see," Mother said simply, staring off at the wall. "It''s only been thirty years since Morgan started...that''s quite impressive." Morgan appeared exactly where She was looking, and She rose to Her feet, a friendly smile on Her face. "Well, don''t keep me waiting. Let me see them." Mother commanded. Morgan''s lips curled upwards, baring its fangs in a cruel mockery of a smile. It opened its maw, and from its black hole of a stomach leapt three...beings. Two were a physical race, a male and female of the species, while the third was...not.


    The physical beings were vicious and mean-looking. Black chitin covered their four arms and four legs, the exoskeleton tapering to a saw-like edge along their forearms and shins while thick, armor-like chitin of a grey color covered their torso, hiding their milky skin beneath. Eight spindly appendages sprouted from close to their shoulder-blades, not unlike the spidery limbs that Morgan sported, the tips ending in a viciously curved hook that could be used for both climbing and vicious stabbing. A scorpion-esque tail curled from their backsides, looking to be capable of extending to thrice its current length and venom dripping from its sharp tip. Manibles sprouted from the sides of their mouths, leading to a cavern of shark-like teeth meant for tearing chunks out of their prey. The six pure black orbs that were their eyes completed the look alongside a pair of antenna, giving them more than just one form of natural communication.


    Everything about this race seemed...predatory. In fact, I believe that is what was meant to be the point. These are predators. Apex predators amongst sentient races...oh, dear. I can only imagine the chaos that would erupt were these beings unleashed upon the world.


    As for the third being, and second race, it was...relatively formless, appearing instead as a white gas that seemed to condense into a milky-white pearl at times. I could not make heads or tails of it.


    "Well? You asked for my races. Will you deny them?" Morgan challenged.


    "Ma''am, I cannot recommend unleashing these beings upon the Four Realms." I said, stepping out of the shadows and bowing towards Mother.


    "Shut up, Dream Boy." Morgan snarled, growling at me. For a brief moment I lost my cool at the strange, wolf-like being...which led to my retort.


    "The hound should be quite and return to its kennel." I said scathingly, earning a glare from Morgan and another, more dangerous growl.


    "ENOUGH!" Mother roared, immediately cowing both myself and Morgan. It felt as if the entierty of the Four Realms was pressing down upon me, making it difficult to breathe while Mother reigned in Her anger. After a moment She took a deep breath and the pressure subsided as She looked at Morgans creations. "What do you call them?" She inquired.


    "The Arachion and...the Weird, Inter-Dimensional Gassy Pearly Thing." Morgan grumbled out. Mother snorted in amusement.


    "They are wonderful, Morgan. Although I will cut back on the Arachion''s viciousness so they actually have a chance of becoming something other than pure evil, I don''t see many things to change with them. Besides making them a bit less evil looking. But I can see them for what they will be, and for that I appreciate them. As for your...let''s call it the Dimension Creator, there is one thing I would wish to add. May I?" Mother said, asking Morgan. I blinked in surprise at Mother''s words, and Morgan''s subsequent bowing of its head.


    Instantly, the Arachnoids lost the saw-blades on their shins and upper forearms, and their shark-teeth were replaced with teeth befitting of an omnivore. Now they would not require meat to sustain their diet. However, what truly suprised me was the Dimension Creator...as Mother poured just a tiny bit of the Power of Creation into the milky pearl.


    "There. Perfect." Mother said, taking a step back.


    "Wh-what...?" Morgan stuttered, just as stunned as I was.


    "I realized it the moment that I set eyes on the Dimension Creator that you had nearly successfully created something that, in many worlds, is known as a ''Dungeon Core,'' a being that creates its own little world, for example, and watches over its growth on a very miniature scale. They''re not as close to godhood as they sound, but are indeed very powerful. They will make a good addition, and add a new level of intrigue and danger to the Four Realms'' cultivators. Although the Dimension Creators are fundamentally different than the ''Dungeon Core'' I spoke of, they are similar enough to make the connection. Congratulations, Morgan, you officially created two new sentient races that will walk the Four Realms." Mother said. I closed my eyes and nodded to myself, deciding to simply trust Mother and see where this will lead.


    I must say that Morgan''s recent actions, or rather, inaction, has caused me to revise my initial assumptions towards the being. So therefore I feel I must trust Mother further, and just see where this goes. And from the beaming smile that suddenly graced Mother''s face, I must conclude that this is the correct direction. After all, it is not often that the Blue Boxes she so often dreams and mutters to Herself about appear and causes such a reaction.

 Side Story: First Contact

    POV: Will of the Four Realms (3rd Person)


    The Empire of Gallos was the second largest independent power within the Four Realms, second only to the Celestial Palace that controlled the entirety of Pangea and the surrounding solar systems. Their success was not only due to the distance between them and the Celestial Palace, The Empire of Gallos controlling most of the outer reaches of the Mortal Realm, but also due to the fact that many hundreds of thousands of years prior to them becoming an empire, their society gave birth to a Dao Progenitor - a person who had proven their personal Dao to be worthy of hanging in the canvas of the starry sky. Only five had ever accomplished such a task, the first being Tian, the reincarnation of the Immortal Dei, a Fae of such legendary status that he even has his own religion. Of the others, three more hailed from the lands of Pangea. Only one cultivator from the outer reaches had become a Dao Progenitor.


    Simply because of that, regardless of the fact that said Dao Progenitor had not returned to their homeland in countless years, the Empire of Gallos was allowed to continue its existance and grow underneath the Celestial Palace. Not even the Celestial Empress, with all her might, was willing to offend a Dao Progenitor after all.


    Hence, the Empire of Gallos was allowed to grow - within reason, of course - but only began to truly expand and flourish with the advent of something unseen by normal cultivators; technology. Since The Empire of Gallos'' expansion in cultivation was suppressed by the Celestial Palace, its leaders decided to look in another direction to gain power, and eventually it was the mortals who stumbled upon the solution of technology. With guns, a mortal could kill a cultivator of the Second Stage, and once space travel was achieved...well, shuttling vast quantities of mortals, cultivators, and supplies across the known universe at speeds attainable only by those above the Immortal Stage was an indespensible resourse.


    Although technology has yet to advance far enough to truly threaten the Celestial Palace, especially since they themselves have begun to research the subject, it has greatly expanded the exploration rate of the Mortal Realm. Although the more powerful are capable of exploring all the Mortal Realm has to offer, those maps are retained by only the powerful simply because that information would do no good in other hands. Mortals must be allowed to grow, after all, and much growth is done through exploration and adventure.


    Which brings things to the current situation. Most planets are unpopulated by cultivators capable of travelling through the void of space, much less holding societies that are advanced enough to permit space-travel. Especially in the far newer outer reaches. Which makes the outer reaches perfect for exploration, experiments, and the introduction of new species.


    The E.G.S.S Marlain, a research vessel commissioned by the research and development division of the Empire, hovered over a recently discovered life-sustaining planet. Multiple research posts had been placed strategically around the planet so as to gather information and discover whether or not the planet, designated as OR-1123b, was colonizable or had sentient races already on it. There were laws against interfereing with tribal peoples, after all, even if they were all variants of Fae, Karae, Avians, Elementals, or Dryads. New species were very hard to come across - impossible until the deities made more really, but mortals did not know that.


    Unfortunately for one particular team of soldiers, this just so happened to be a planet with a new race inhabiting it. A race that requires a level of tact seemingly missing from many in the ranks of the Empire''s military.


    Sergeant LeonardMacClaod, a Fae born on the homeworld of the Empire of Gallos, suited up alongside his eight-man squad, stepping into his combat armor and readying his rifle. The green-camo painted suit of armor that made him look far taller and broader than he actually was, was a recent addition to the Empire''s technological achievements. It was strong enough to withstand blows from cultivators of the Second Stage and survive strikes from cultivators of the Third Stage, as the stages of cultivation were called in the Empire. Of course, the price tag for such suits was ludicrous, and as such only the most elite could be outfitted with the best suits.


    "Lady Xu," Sergeant MacClaod said, drawing the attention of the only other cultivator in the room. She was a Fae of the prestigious Xu clan, said to be decendents of the legendary Leo and Celene Xu, though from a branch family and only at the Second Stage of cultivation. Even though she was part of a branch family, and not even all that important status-wise within said branch family, all others treated her with respect and called her Lady. Such was the power of the name of the Xu. "I want you playing Jack on this trip." He ordered. The young cultivator nodded, adjusting her warhammer around her back and setting her feet. As a cultivator of the Second Stage she didn''t wear combat armor - that was beneath her, and her body was as tough as any combat armor anyways.


    "Understood," The young Xu said. Playing Jack meant she didn''t have a specific role in the squad, only running to where she was needed. She would be the Jack-Of-All-Trades. Normally she was the vanguard, but seeing as how they didn''t know what was down on the planet below, or what it was that wiped out all life in the labs, the Sergeant didn''t want to risk losing their most powerful member because she was in front. It was most likely an unnecessary concern, but one MacClaod was willing to listen to.


    "Alright squad, let''s move." MacClaod said, making a waving motion as he settled his helmet upon his head, the HUD flickering to life on his glass visor and pinpointing his squad''s location on the map. His squad immediately left the room that contained their gear and headed to the hangar, where they boarded a troop transport alongside five other squads - each heading to a different outpost/lab. There were no survivors on the planet below, only videos ofsomethingtearing the researchers and guardsmen to pieces, and vague reports of the outpost guards firing at strange shapes.


    The trip to MacClaod''s assigned outpost was a long one, taking a total of four hours from the hangar of the E.G.S.S Marlain to the jungles of the southernmost continent, after, of course, dropping off two other squads.


    "C Squad, you''re up! Prepare for halo jump!" The pilot announced, slowing the craft down to a reasonable speed to prepare to drop the squad out of the ship. MacClaod''s squad silently stood, stepping forwards from the seats lining the walls of the trasport to stand above the "bomb-bay" doors. "Three...two...one...jump!" The floor slid out from under the group''s feet and they all dropped out of the transport ship, hurtling towards the red desert sands below. For a moment the group did nothing, simply allowing the distance from them to the ground to decrease before Lady Xu waved her hand, wind whipping up and slowing their decent enough that it would be survivable while in combat armor.


    However, since this was partially a stealth-mission (which was another reason why the transport hadn''t landed), Sergeant MacClaod could not allow them to simply crash into the ground in the manner he was so fond of.It was always intimidating to see someone justdropout of the sky without a parachute or jetpack. Which makes it disappointing that they couldn''t do that this time around.


    "Now!" Sergeant MacClaod barked, slamming his fist into his breastplate. Small jets popped out of the bulky back part of the armor, flaring to life and all but stopping his fall as little as ten meters from the top of a sand dune overlooking the low, rectangular lab. The rest of his squad was the same, landing at varying distances from him.


    "Form up," MacClaod said, his squad immediately falling into a diamond formation with him at the head and Lady Xu in the center. Only one, the scout, fell out of position, instead moving just over the crest of the sand dune and lying down, his sniper pressed against his shoulder. He would watch for any hostiles approaching the lab while the rest of the squad was inside. Slowly, the squad moved towards the lab, their armor protecting them from the worst of the heat. Except for Lady Xu, she was powerful enough and had a high enough body cultivation that only the most extreme of weather conditions would bother her. As for this desert? It wasn''t nearly hot enough.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Still, though. It did have quite a bit of fire essence energy, which was great for her body cultivation. She had been lacking in fire essence, as she cultivated all elements equally to forge her body, and as such her body cultivation was stagnating with a lack of fire essence. She figured that she''d put in a request to be stationed here for a few months after this mission was finished. She might even get to the Third Stage in her body cultivation.


    The trip down the sand dune was a long one, the distance from the top to the lab being deceptively far. Sergeant MacClaod couldn''t help but feel uneasy as they tromped down the sand dune, the motion detectors and thermal scans in his helmet not picking up anything other than the natural heat of the desert. Not even his senses picked up anything, and he was a cultivator of the First Stage, which meant his senses were sharper than the average mortal.


    "I don''t like this, Sarge," One of MacClaod''s subordinates, an Earth Elemental, voiced his concerns.


    "Neither do I," MacClaod responded, tightening his grip on his rifle. It comforted him, knowing he held a powerful weapon in his hands. More powerful than the magic he could currently use, at least. "Keep your ears peeled." Little did they know, but the feeling that was putting the soldiers on edge was their sixth senses telling them that they were little more than prey. It is not something they run into often, what with magic beasts being generally suppressed within the Empire, the feeling that something out there is not specifically huntingthem...but is still their natural predator.


    "Breach and clear!" A soldier shouted as he kicked down one of the doors to the lab. The squad was greeted by the sight of eerily empty halls and flickering lights. "What is this, some kind of cheap horror movie?" The same soldier scoffed, flicking on the headlamp installed in his helmet, illuminating the hallway properly. White-washed tiles and green doors lining the hall was all that was visible, up until the hall split into two different paths.


    "Focus, Anders." MacClaod scolded, following said soldier into the hallway. Anders was on point now for one reason and one reason only - he carried a shotgun. In close-quarters combat, it was hard to beat something as devastating as that.


    "Hai, hai," Anders muttered, switching to his native dialect for a brief moment as he walked down the hall, glancing in windows and doors whenever he passed. The rest of the squad did the same, of course, as they moved down the hall. Their objective was clear for the moment - get to the center of the outpost, retrieve the security and research data that hadn''t been streamed to the E.G.S.S. Marlain yet, and get out. If possible, discover what had caused the extermination of all life in the lab, but that would also be revealed via the data and reports in the lab''s databases. Their evac would be a transport ship located in the lab''s hangar, one that none of the previous inhabitants got the chance to use.


    "Guys, stay sharp! Two unknown entities are about to enter the lab. They appear to react to our communications, one of them nearly found me until I turned off my radio. Appear insectile in nature, but do not appear to be magic beasts. I will be limiting contact via comms." The scout alerted, he himself unaware of the danger he was putting himself in by speaking over the comms. Ironically enough, he would not be killedbecause of the viciousness of the Arachions - he would shoot first, thus earning the ire of the local desert tribe, and wind up killed. His death throes and the single shot he managed to get off would go unnoticed by his companions.


    They had troubles of their own, after all.


    "What the hell...?" Sergeant MacClaod muttered, looking at thelocked metal door. This room was not one they were supposed to investigate, however, the amount of damage done to the surrounding walls was clearly indicative that there wassomethingin there. The tiled floors were cracked and the walls themselves slashed open, wires and lights hanging out haphazardly from the long gashes in the white walls. Even the door, made of solid steel, had long gouges in it and deep punctures. Nothing properly penetrated the door, obviously, but this level of damage was...impressive.


    "Lady Xu, if you would." MacClaod ordered after attempting to open the door via the keypad. Unfortunately all the electronics were torn to shreds, leaving the door permanently locked. Which left good old-fashioned brute force as the only option to break it open. The cultivator stepped up to the door and investigated it, running her hand along the metal before muttering a slight chant and pushing an incantation gesture towards it. Then she stepped back and hefted her warhammer - just as the first of the two Arachnoids that were chasing after the intruders to their territory was about to round the corner.


    At this point, the Will of the Four Realms decided to intervene. This being the first real contact any sentient race has had with the Arachion''s, besides the ones that previously resided in the labs and outposts, it was important to have at least one squad with a more...peaceful interaction with the new race. Of the other squads, three had been annihilated already while the others sustained severe casualties before beating a hasty retreat.


    With a bang Lady Xu smashed the door down with her hammer. The spell she cast prior was one that weakened the door itself, allowing for her increased strength to directly break down the door. In the interior of the room, chained to a table and breathing shallowly, was a young Arachion. Sergeant MacClaod blinked and lowered his rifle, looking at the IV drip that was leaking a tranquilizing drug into the being''s bloodstream and cursing slightly. It didn''t take a genius to figure out that whatever had attacked the outside doors clearly wanted to get tothat.


    "Looks like we pissed off some rather dangerous natives." One of the soldiers remarked, only glancing at the instecile being once before looking back down the hall. He was a jaded old man, having worked as a mercenary for years when he was younger, and as such understood some of the experiments the Empire ran on native species on new planets. Thankfully said experiments were...limited, but it was generally accepted that any new species must be fully understood to prevent unwelcome surprises in the future.


    This time around, such a mindset backfired, and earned the researchers the ire of the Arachion tribes.


    Chittering noises and the sound of metal scraping against tile caused all attention to suddenly shift towards where the infiltrating Arachion was slowly approaching, attempting, and failing, to appear non-threatening. After all, in that room was its offspring, and those intruders did have some terrifying weapons.


    "Shit...that thing is terrifying. What the hell is it?" MacClaod muttered, leveling his rifle at the insectoid being.Lady Xu, however, was the first to act. A wind whipped up around her as she stepped forwards, infusing her voice with her cultivation base and shouting at the Arachion to stop where it stood. The blastwaves from her voice rattled the Arachion a bit, causing the insectoid to blink and then screech furiously at Lady Xu. The grating sound caused the entire squad to nearly double over in pain, thoroughly disorienting them. In a blur of movement the Arachion shot forwards, stabbing viciously at Lady Xu with its tail. Before she could even react Lady Xu found herself pinned to the wall, groaing in pain as the Arachion hissed angrily at the rest of the soldiers, stabbing towards the room with one finger.


    Sergeant MacClaod, seeing the Xu be pinned to the wall with competuous ease, paled beneath his helmet. After a brief moment of consideration, he whispered orders to the squad. "Anders, go get that thing off the table. Be gentle with it." He said. Without a word Anders complied, slipping into the room and carefully unstrapping the young Arachion from the table, removing the IV drip from its arm. Then he slipped his shotgun over his back, picked up the Arachion in a princess carry, and very slowly exited the room under the watchful eye of the adult Arachion.


    Lady Xu groaned in pain, clutching at her shoulder and attempting to remove the stinger from her body but failing miserably. The adult Arachion was far stronger than her, and didn''t even budge as she struggled. Anders slowly stepped in front of the rest of the squad, laying the young Arachion on the ground a few feet away from the adult. With a sickeningshlicksound the Arachion pulled its tail from Lady Xu and scooped up its offspring, chittering to it softly before shooting a glare at the soldiers and vanishing down the hall.


    The Will of the Four Realms felt a flicker of approval in its dull, almost non-existent conciousness. It couldn''t be a considered a complete success but at least now the Arachions have a bit of leeway for when the Empire really begins to investigate them. They will be seen as not being completely beyond reason. Its conciousness then drifted away from the planet, focusing only for a moment on the four Dao Progenitors floating above said planet.


    "The Four Realms are changing." One of them, an elderly-looking man said in a tired voice.


    "There are new Trees, and now these things..." Another, a blue-robed youth said with a sigh.


    "These things in particular will make waves." A beautiful female water-elemental said, toying with the gaseous form of a Dimension Creator.


    "We will need to make plans..." A middle-aged man contemplated, rubbing his chin. The four of them looked at each other and nodded respectfully, turning away and disappearing into their preferred meditation spots, each contemplating the great changes happening in the Four Realms. As soon as they left another being stepped out of the shadows, a twinkle in her eye as she gazed at the Arachions below.


    Kei opened her mouth and sung a few words that she had heard the Creator sing before; "The times, they are a''changin''," She hummed clasping her hands behind her back and looking at where the Will of the Four Realms was most condensed. Then she just smiled and swished her nine gorgeous tails, the essences of the Four Realms condensing around her. "I''m looking forward to it."

 Like Parent, Like Child

    <u>POV:Aeriel (High Deity of Wind/Air)</u>


    Finally, I understood why Lady Elvira brought me and my six brethren together to form a Council that would work to make decisions beneath her and with her approval. The Four Realms had expanded. I was told that Lady Statera, the Great Creator, had begun this process over twenty thousand years ago, and as a result of the Four Realms being supressed in size, the Seeds She had spread grew exponentially. Four new Trees, Valley, Mountains, and Rivers had been born in the Primordial Chaos, and had only recently emerged from the seething chaos to reunite with the rest of the Four Realms, expanding the size of our little universe by fifty percent. It was fascinating to watch, seeing the Rivers that had formed in the new worlds twist and turn and connect with the original River, ensuring that souls were mixed and didn''t stagnate in one area.


    However compared to the originals, the new...Regions, as they were beginning to be called, were mere saplings, but it was impressive nonetheless. All beings felt as if an invisible weight had been lifted off their shoulders, and a few even began to experience explosive growth in power. Which is part of the reason why Elvira brought together myself and my six other siblings as part of the Council. She, herself, wanted more people to more effectively manage to increasing size of the Four Realms, especially with the introduction of the new Regions. Rumor has it that she was even considering setting up certain deities or groups of deities as small hegemons of their own Regions.


    But that was for later, now, my brethren and I had work to do.


    The seven members of the High Council, as we were being called, were myself, the High Deity of Wind Aeriel; Terran, the High Deity of Earth; Ling, the High Deity of Water; Ryu, the High Deity of Fire; Leitz, the High Deity of Lightning; Gilles, Elvira''s husband and the High Deity of Shadows; and Lucia, the High Deity of Light. Gilles was more of an honorary member that rounded out the seven elemental siblings, as all elemental deities are considered siblings, just so the Council would create a fully balanced circle. He was also Elvira''s right-hand advisor, so it was more of a formality, him being on this Council.


    "Alright, let''s get this started." Gilles ordered, floating above us and holding his hands out, letting out a deep breath. His shadowy robes flapped in an invisible wind as he exerted his power of the shadows and darkness of the Realms, causing them to roil and twist together. In front of us and surrounding the entirety of the First Region was a massive, spherical barrier of pure shadow, the strain of maintaning was causing sweat to bead on Gilles'' forehead.


    We were building a barrier around the First Region, or more accurately, currently layering a bit of protection on the new Regions so those in the First Region didn''t just go over there and mess everything up while the new Regions were still in a critical stage of development. They weren''t stable enough to handle big powers like the Celestial Empress or the Empire of Gallos, but having beings like deities or Dao Progenitors watching over them could be beneficial...which is why all of us together needed to create this barrier. To handle the complexities of managing those who went in and out of the barrier.


    Gilles grunted and the barrier stabilized a bit. "Lucia, you''re up." He commanded. The little, golden-haired girl that was Lucia stepped forwards and extended her childish arms, face set in stone as she bent the light of the Realm Sun and Lunar Star, splitting the light into strands and forming a giant net of light with it. The net slowly merged with the barrier of shadows, being held together only by the sheer force of will of Lucia and Gilles. "The rest of you, begin now!" Gilles barked through clenched teeth. The rest of us raised our hands, and I closed my eyes.


    A tempest swiftly picked up around me, gaining speed and creating a barrier of howling winds. Ryu stretch out his hands as well, innumerable embers floating out of the sleeves of his red robes and igniting the moment they touched my tempest barrier, creating a wall of fire and wind. Next was Ling and Leitz acting together in concert, space shimmering as Ling summoned the essence of water to create a veil at the same time that Leitz charged said veil with a net of pure, white lightning. Terran summoned a storm of dust particles, combining it with Ling''s veil as well before all five of our elements simultaneously crashed into Lucia and Gilles'' barrier.


    With a massive BOOM, the barrier trembled and combined, stabilizing to create a wall of seven elements - impassible except by those who we allow. And of course the Creator. She can go wherever She wants, though, barrier or not.


    "This should do." Gilles said, wiping his brow and shaking his head. Setting up this barrier took a lot out of all of us, but Gilles was the one who initially held it all together. It''s understandable that he would be the most worn out. "We may need to come back and fine-tune it later, but for now it''s good. I''ll have a few of the other deities swing by to add a bit to it, but for now it''s good." Gilles muttered to himself, all but completely unaware of his surroundings.


    I took a step back after eyeing the barrier that shimmered in a myriad of colors. It''s done now, right? I can go now, right? I took another step back, watching with polite interest as Gilles pressed against the barrier, testing its integrity. I''d already been working for Gilles for a century now...isn''t it about time I got a break? Right? Especially after I exhausted myself so. My other siblings just looked at me with wry expressions, glanced at each other, and started to do the same as me, slowly edging away from Gilles while he was distracted. Only Lucia remained.


    Lucia glanced over her shoulder at us then back at Gilles, then back towards us. She winked. "Run." She mouthed, and I flared up my power, feeling the strain it put on me as I prepared to jump to the other end of the Four Realms.


    Gilles, sensing the flaring of power, turned to yell at the five of us. "Don''t -" But I was gone before he could finish the word. Finally, I was once again free(ish.)


    <u>POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian</u>


    I think it''s funny how Elvira chose the seven elemental deities to be her Council rather than any other group of deities. Certainly I can see their allure, they''re among the most respected and powerful deities in the Four Realms, to the point that when they all came together they most likely rivalled one of the Big Five in terms of power, and that''s not to mention that her husband is one of the elemental deities. But, and that''s a big but, the elemental deities are notoriously...free-spirited. I hardly ever saw Aeriel face-to-face after I initially greeted her way back when, near the very beginning of the Four Realms it seems, as she was constantly running about the Four Realms, almost never staying in one place for more than a day.


    The others are just as free-spirited. Ling spent over a million years floating about the River and the Karmic Ocean. Just...floating there. Then there''s Ryu and Terran, who attempted to turn the Holy Mountain into a volcano as a prank a few ten thousand years ago. None of them ever showed up for meetings between deities (not that I could blame them for that one), and yet they were among the most famous of deities. Sometimes it seemed that they were famous simply because they just ran about, doing their own thing.


    So I wouldn''t call Elvira''s choice to attemt to reign in those deities as particularly wise, but...well, it''s her choice. And I''m sure they''ll do well, but Elvira will have to learn to have even more patience. I will admit that they did a good enough job with that barrier, however.


    Which just so happened to be where I was now. Standing in front of the barrier, that is. Randus and I were examining it, and I could feel a heavy weight being pressed down upon my shoulders. I understand that this is a relatively good decision, and that the new Regions, as my children call them, do need to be protected, but using this method will have...ramifications. Granted, these "ramifications" were going to come about one way or another regardless of the method chosen, but this will just bring it about a bit sooner than later. Which seems to be a running theme in my universe.


    "There''s always something," I grumbled, letting out a long, slow breath. Even now there was still so much to do and change and adjust that I barely had time to stop and rest anymore. Traveling about with Reilly, Shin, and Yueya was fun and all, but it created far more work for me than I ever intended or wanted - it was more tedious work than what it took to initially set up the Four Realms. Instead of expanding and fine-tuning the systems already in place like my children and I had been before, now it was testing and experimenting with new systems, ensuring they mesh well enough with the systems already in place, taking away certain parts of both so theydomesh, then tying them together so they run better before fine-tuning those parts only to find out that there''s another problem somewhere else and GAH! IT''S SO MUCH WORK!


    "I just want to plaaaaaaaaay~!" I whined, tossing my hands up into the air and pouting like a petulant child. I had been so excited about these changes in the beginning, too! Using Shin''s cycles to help stabilize the flow and growth of elements and other energies through the Four Realms, adding bastardized versions of Yueya''s System and Reilly''s Luck to mess with reincarnation, and then combining all three things to begin messing with the Realms themselves, specifically the Spirit Realm, which is basically all afterlife. It''s not just the River! The Spirit Realm is like a second layer to all the Realms, and I''d completely neglected that part in favor of messing with the River, because of reasons I''m not even completely sure of!


    It was all my fault, too. Alexander just assumed that this was the way the Spirit Realm was meant to be, all while the Spirit Realm itself failed to live up to its true potential and purpose. It was time I rectified that. The Spirit Realm was not only the Realm that served as a guide for the other Realms, but it also serves as the afterlife for mortals - it is the Realm of Souls. However, among all the problems I''ve noticed in the Spirit Realm the one that takes the cake is probably the afterlife cycle for the mortals. Spirits weren''t quite as bad off because they have Alexander to guide them, but the afterlife cycle is...a disaster at best.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    This was brought to my attention not because I had another, working afterlife to look at in the other universes, but rather because of the glaring lack thereof. Well, Reika gaining the domain of Life and Death, which are one in the same, also helped, but that''s beside the point. Each of us, Reilly, Shin, Yueya and myself were all extremely negligent in creating, maintaining, and building upon the afterlife. Shin was the best off, but even he had problems with his afterlife. The reason being that the afterlife is just that - anotherlifeafterlife.Right now, the souls of mortals just kind of...exist. It''s like they''re standing in line for their next life and that''s all. I mean, it''s not that bad, but that''s a good enough analogy.


    Then there''s the Heaven Realm. It''s not acting like a proper goal, either! It''s acting more like the Realm of Deities than a Realm that mortals wish to ascend to. It''s pitifully populated with clans and tribes of mortals in comparison to the Mortal Realm...when it should have a bit more. Now in all honesty that''s not a big problem, but not many of the deities, angels, and other powerful beings are really interested in the Heaven Realm. The only saving grace is the Holy Mountain and Elvira''s palace, which does attract deities and angels.


    What should happen is that the Heaven Realm should attract all manner of powerful beings, from Immortals to those Divine Beasts like the Skyshatter Wolves. However very few Divine Beasts actively sought out going to the Heaven Realm, while the only Immortals in the Heaven Realm are two avians that were born amongst the tribes that live on the Holy Mountain. So I need to make the Heaven Realm more suitable for those beings. That doesn''t mean that it should be better for cultivation or anything, because that''s not the way the Four Realms is laid out, but...hmm...it''s a problem that I''ll have to ponder. Perhaps it''s simply because no one from the Mortal Realm has managed to get to the Heaven Realm yet.


    Even the Celestial Empress hasn''t been able to, mostly because Reika keeps shutting her down. She''s set the ''trial'' up to be a test of willpower more than cultivation base, though that is still certainly a part of it, so it''s not too surprising that she hasn''t made it to the top yet. The Celestial Empress doesn''t have the strongest will in the universe.


    Actually, come to think of it...Tian hasn''t been to the Heaven Realm either, has he? I think he''s aware of it, but...well, maybe that''s one of the problems right there.


    "Ma''am?" Randus asked, drawing me out of my thoughts. I looked at him and smiled, shaking my head.


    "Don''t mind me. I just had an idea," I said cryptically.


    "Uh oh," Randus deadpanned. I frowned at shot him an irritated look, which he completely ignored.


    "Oh hush, it''s fine. It might even decrease our workload." I attempted to reason.


    "That''s what you said before as well." Randus countered. Wow. Looks like I really upset him. Guess he was enjoying his rather laid-back lifestyle until I came along and dumped a whole bunch of work on everyone. Yes, now you know how I feel when I became an Origin Deity. Well, and a bit of work would be good for him, but mostly the first thing.


    "True. I mean, I could always rely on you even more if you''re so keen on it..." I said leadingly. Randus wisely kept his mouth shut, and I chuckled. "We''ll be heading to the Heaven Realm next. I want to bug Elvira a bit, and track down Kei. She''s been dodging me because she knows that I have something for her to do, so I''m going to give her a bit extra." I told Randus. A glint appeared in his eyes and I smirked inwardly. "Sharing the pain," as Randus calls it, especially with Kei who tends to hide a lot, is something Randus wholeheartedly agrees with. Thus, he''ll be acting more cheerful after I dump a lot of projects onto Kei for a while.


    Ah...not that I can blame him, though. I''ve been trying to shove my work off onto everyone else since, quite literally, the dawn of time (at least in the Four Realms.) It makes sense that my children wouldn''t like work either. Like parent, like child and all that.


    <u>POV CHANGE: James Xu (Dao Progenitor)</u>


    "So, the great Xu patriarch decided to grace us with his presence." One of the other Dao Progenitors, a lovely water-elemental named Mina, said haughtily as I gently flew into our designated meeting room, slipping through a window on the roof of the small house. It wasn''t much, just a simple, single-room house on a mountain of Cradle, the planet said to have given birth to the Fae. The people here were, shockingly, still tribal, having no desire to advance further than they already are. That does not include the cultivators, of course. The other two Dao Progenitors that ascended in the wake of Tian were both sitting at the round table in the middle of the room next to Mina, looking at me with wry expressions.


    "Ha. I am hardly old enough to count as the patriarch. A few of those old monsters in the clan have higher cultivation bases than me, after all." I retorted with a snort. Becoming a Dao Progenitor was an...interesting process. One has to first reach a certain level in cultivation to be considered for it, but then one''s personal Dao must be approved after undergoing the trials that are known as life. This instantly gives Dao Progenitors incredible power...and also the option to halt cultivation altogether to pursue other avenues of power and enlightenment. Therefore, there were actually a few people with cultivation bases higher than my own, though limited in number, called Paragons. Rumor has it that those Paragons may have the opportunity to rise to the same height in power as Dao Progenitors, but that has yet to be proven on any level.


    "You are the strongest and the only one to have become a Dao Progenitor. That qualifies you as the Patriarch." Mina scoffed. "But at least, now that you are here, we can begin." She said, turning to the other two. Takeru, the wizened old Karae with a white beard that touched the floor when he stood and a wrinkled old face that showed the clear passage of time shook his head with an amused chuckle.


    "No, we are waiting on one other," Takeru said. I gave him an odd look, while Azul, the blue-robed Fae that looked younger than me despite being older by several ten thousand years, looked at Takeru sharply.


    "You mean -" Azul didn''t finish that sentence as, stepping in through the door even as I sat down at the table, in walked a living legend. Two broken horns, silvery-white hair that topped his head, clean white robes, and a spear held loosely in one hand - this could only be Tian. I had only ever met the man himself once before on the eve of my ascention to Dao Progenitor, and even that was merely in congratulations. Still...even since then, his aura was a hundred times more profound than it had been before


    "T-Tian..." Mina breathed, eyes going wide. Even to us Dao Progenitors, who can see and sense far more than most beings, Tian was more myth than man. He who had been Dei, the one who built the holy city of Manu Ti, and the one who forged to path to Immortality and fought in the legendary War of the Sun alongside Leo and Celene. Then he, as Dei, was struck from the Heavens to undergo a great number of trials, only to be reborn as Tian and rise to the highest of heights as both Paragon of cultivation and the first Dao Progenitor. It is said that he spends most of his time amongst the gods and angels, considered by most to be the beings who act as the hands of the pinnacle being, the Creator God.


    Even I have not truly met any deities. True, I have seen the ellusive beings from afar once or twice, due to my divine sense being incredibly powerful, but I have never met them. Angels, I have met. They helped guide me. But I have not met any of the gods.


    "Yes, yes, I''ll go see it...after this." Tian said, waving his hand at an angel that was floating behind him. The celestial being just sighed and shook its head before turning and floating away, leaving us in peace. "Sorry about being a bit late, I was catching up with an old friend. He was one of the angels who watched over me in my youth, and we just happened to catch each other and got a bit...caught up. Reminiscing the old days. You know how it is." Tian explained, moving to the table and casually sitting down, as if he didn''t know the profound effect he had in this room.


    He was the true Progentior of the Martial Way, which all four of us used to reach the same stage as he. For example, Azul is the Progenitor of the Dao of the Bow, using the bow as the core of his own personal Dao. It is in the same vein as Tian''s Martial Way, which incorporates all forms of martial skill as a way of raising one''s self up, but Azul took that and created a new facet in the Martial Way that is specifically for the bow. I, for example, used the staff as my core, creating the Dao of the Staff, which is still a part of the Martial Way. In the future, they may be others who progress and become Progenitors of the Dao of the Staff, taking a different approach than my own, and therefore deepening the Dao in and of itself. However, that is still part of the Dao of the Staff, which is part of the Martial Way.


    It is all connected, and Tian will always be the one who opened that path, and created the Martial Way.


    "It is quite alright, senior." Takeru said with a smile. Tian snorted.


    "Don''t call me senior. I may be older than anyone here, but that title makes me uncomfortable." Tian grumbled, shifting a bit. "Now, can we get to the topic at hand? I hate beating around the bush, and I''ve got things to do."


    "Right, of course. I called you here, called everyone here, to discuss the appearance of the new Regions." Takeru said, adopting a serious expression. The mood in the room instantly grew serious...with the exception of Tian, who was completely relaxed and sported a disinterested expression.


    "What about them?" Tian asked.


    "We''re discussing how we''re going to handle them. As we all know this world has been expanding fairly quickly in recent years, and these new regions will double that growth. It would be prudent to have someone to watch over these areas, and guide their growth." I explained slowly, nodding to Mina.


    "We have discussed this a bit before, and came to the conclusion that we should each take control over a different Region...however, no one was able to contact you, but with you here we have enough people to have one Dao Progenitor per Region." Mina reasoned, giving Takeru a look. No one expected Tian to show up to this meeting, as it was an informal one before we truly decided which action to take, but apparently Takeru had other ideas.


    "Mmm. Not interested." Tian said dismissively. My head whipped around to look at him, and he chuckled. "When I led my people across Pangea as Dei, in search of a new home, I did so because it was necessary, not because I wanted to. Even when I was the Lord of Manu Ti, I acted as such because I was the strongest and most fit to lead in a time of chaos and fighting. Now, there are plenty of others that I feel comfortable leaving the reins to, you four, for example, while I pursue other avenues." At the mention of other avenues, whatever he meant by that, Tian''s eyes began to grow distant.


    "I have always wanted to grow stronger - as both Dei and as I am now, I have hated the idea of someone being above me. Although it has fundamentally changed over the course of my reincarnation and my life, that same ideal has remained the same. And I can feel it...it''s right there, almost within grasp...and ever since you four followed the Martial Way to create new Daos, a new path of growth has become more visible...a path that is not cultivation..." Tian''s voice grew distant, before he shook his head and cleared his thoughts. "If I were you, I''d either all four of you go to one of the new regions and stand guard over it, but not interefere too much with its growth, or all stay here. Either way you can rest assured that if it becomes necessary I will step in and lead once again. I''d just prefer not to. At least, not in the conventional sense." I couldn''t help but wonder what he meant by that, even as the conversation continued from there, with Tian only interjecting a few more times to help move the discussion along.


    And I never could''ve imagined what his path would lead to - because I didn''t even know it was a possibility. But that is the legend of Tian, in and of itself, after all - proving the impossible is indeed possible, and paving new roads.

 The More Things Change...

    POV: Inesa (Deity of Hearth and Home)


    "I''m just saying, I don''t understand what all these changes are for. Weren''t things running fine before? Why fix what ain''t broke?" One of my friends, Cleone the Deity of Rivers, complained to me as I moved about the garden I was tending in the Mortal Realm. I was living out another one of my little lives in a small town in the foothills of a planet controlled by the Empire of Gallos, mostly because technology intrigued me because of how it effected the "home" of your average mortal. A single person could make a call to their home and loved ones from across the planet - across solar systems in certain parts of the Empire - which used to be only possible for cultivators of varying power levels.


    It was both wonderful...and not. In some cases, because of how accessible everything seems to become with technology, some people begin to forget what exactly a "home" is, what it feels like to just come home and feel relieved to be there...not when you can call home every day, or see your loved ones face-to-face via hologram. That wasn''t to say having no technology didn''t have its own problems either...the problems just changed, while everything ultimately remained the same. Quite ironic.


    "...I don''t know, but it might''ve been breaking.You must feel the pressure having been lifted, haven''t you?" I countered calmly, digging a hole in the fertile dirt with a hand-shovel and planting a firewheel flower, a common wildflower with red and yellow petals, in the hole. It was one in a long row of similar flowers, creating a small little section filled with nothing but beautiful flowers. Next to it was the vegetables, and beside them were a few other decorative plants like ferns and various wild grasses.


    "Yeah...I have...but still!"Cleone complained, "It''s just too much too soon!" I chuckled and shook my head at her, dusting off my blue jeans and moving over to where she was lounged upon the hammock that was tied between two poles of the back porch. Tian had put it up when he visited a few months ago, before running off to go meet with the other Dao Progenitors. For someone who enjoys running about so much, he does like to lounge quite a bit.


    "Mmm," I hummed absently, ignoring the worst of Cleone''s complaints. While it was true that we all had much more to do, even me, it was a lot less than it could be. With so many deities and angels, we were able to set up rotations for who was working on the changes and when, which was especially useful for when the work coincided with the domains fo the deities. Though sometimes I just had to wonder if that was the biggest problem - that there are so many deities and angels.


    With a sigh of relief I settled down in one of the plush deck-chairs on the back porch, right next to the hammock. Cleone looked at me from her spot, craning her neck so the blue-eyed, blue-haired beauty could meet my eyes. I gave her a questioning look as she rolled over, a glint of mischeviousness appearing in her expression. I mentally prepared myself, knowing that look. It usually spelled something embarrassing for me.


    "So," She started, a smirk crawling its way onto her face. "What''s-" Whatever it was she was going to say was cut off by a knock on the front door of my two-story house, and me beating a hasty retreat to answer it, having a general idea as to what she was going to ask about. The house itself was average size for this area, having only the dining room with its white-tiled floors and the living room with its plush carpet between the back and front door. The bedrooms were upstairs, not that I needed to use them being a deity and all. I opened the door and smiled at the mortal man standing in front of me.


    He was dressed in nice clothes for the area, with a plain black long-sleeved shirt and jeans, and had his hair slicked to the side as always. This man was none other than the local priest, who preached to the masses every third and fifth day of the week, the ''holy days'' of most religions in the Empire of Gallos.


    "How are things going with you and Tian, hmm?"Cleone taunted, choosing to send me a mental message instead of actually asking. I didn''t deign that question with a response, instead focusing on the priest. A few minor, dark spirits floated around him, appearing to me as nothing but black gasses that trembled and threatened to collapse simply from being in my presence. The fact that they hadn''t fled already spoke volumes of both their tenacity and simplicity. These small spirits were like the viruses of the Spirit Realm - barely able to be called living or having any sort of thought processes besides feeding off of negative thoughts, emotion, and energy. They themselves were created by the negative thoughts and intents of mortals, so it''s not surprising that they are both the most numerous and most tenatious of all dark spirits, if not all spirits in general.


    With barely a flicker of my aura these spirits were knocked away from the priest, leaving him to think his own thoughts rather than have his negative thoughts perpetuated by the presence of those things.This priest wasn''t the most positive of men - he wasn''t a saint nor someone who was destined to become an angel in the near future, in fact he had relatively negative karma - but the mere fact that he had chosen a religion that promotes goodwill and rising above one''s ''inner demons'' more than anything and takes his role a little seriously (even if he tends to be a bit too strict with the rules sometimes) shows that he is attempting to right his path.


    Even if it takes a few lifetimes, that is nothing to fault him by. Which is the point of most religions, for that matter. Most spiritually powerful beings don''t follow any religion per se, but for those who are not spiritually powerful, religions provide some...guidelines for their followers, to try and guide them on a more positive karmic path. Heck, evenIhave my own religion, with its grand total of two hundred and seventeen followers. I''m not one of the deities that actively tries to spread my influence, after all.


    Though really, no deities actively try to gather followers. In the end it doesn''t matter. It feels kind of cool and nice to have people worship us, but really it doesn''t matter if they do. We get a little bit of power and domain advancement from the power of belief, but not overmuch. Plus, that would just cause infighting between all the deities which would turn into a mess.


    "Good afternoon, Miss Olivia." The priest said with a smile, calling me by my current alias.


    "Good afternoon," I returned politely.


    "I hope I am not intruding," He began, "but I was hoping that you and I could have lunch together." He said with a smile. I frowned at him and shook my head.


    "No, I''m afraid not." I replied calmly. He had been bugging me for the past year or so because of Tian''s apparent absence, because he...fancied me. Either way, I was fully expecting the question that came next, both because Cleone wasn''t going to let the topic drop and the priest, who was ironically a follower of the religion that popped up around Tian, was adamant that Tian (or Mr. Jose as the priest calls him) is no good and isn''t going to come back.


    For beings like ourselves, not seeing each other for a few years was nothing special. It''s pretty much the equivalent of a mortal being gone for a few days on a business trip or something. Speaking of taking trips, I should probably go visit the Creator soon...the Creator''s library is the absolute best, and the hearth is always warm. Despite all of its lonliness, the Creator has made quite a wonderful home. Ah, I zoned out a bit while the priest was talking. With a sigh I waved my hand, using a bit of my divine power to create an incarnation that would stand here and listen to the priest, providing proper responses, while I myself went back to Cleone, who was subtly manipulating the priest''s thoughts.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    In essence, she was simply convincing him to bring his real thoughts to the surface, and actually say them. Such as him all but berating me for sticking with a man that ''vanished for five whole years,'' and that ''I deserve better than that.'' While those were the priest''s true thoughts, they were not completely honest either. The priest really just wanted me, but I can''t think too poorly of him, as he did wait a few years before beginning to try and chase me. Hmm. Maybe I should consider moving on? I''m not sure I want to deal with this drama.


    On a more important note, how would that man feel if he found out that he was actively trying to besmirch his chosen god? And attempting to steal his girl? I stifled a giggle at that thought. ''His girl...'' that feels so silly to say. I shook my head as I stopped next to Cleone, meeting her expectant gaze with one of my own.


    "Well? What''s the problem?" I demanded.


    "I heard Tian proposed." She said, and suddenly my face was beet red. I-I was not expecting that.


    "No! He didn''t! It took him over a million years just to be able to kiss me, what in the world gave you the idea that he mustered up the courage to propose?!" I demanded, trying, and failing, to hide how flustered and embarrassed that statement made me. Cleone hid her mouth behind one hand and giggled darkly, an oxymoron if there ever was one, her laugh quite literally sounding like the babbling of a brook. One of the perks of being a Deity of Rivers I suppose.


    "I know, you''re just so easy to tease. And yet you''re so unflappable whenever Tian''s around too." Cleone pointed out. My face heated up even more, and I looked down.


    "Well, Tian gets embarrassed enough for the both of us, so..." I mumbled, eliciting a laugh from my friend.


    "That he does! It''s really funny to see that battle maniac get so flustered whenever he''s around you...it''s adorkable." She cooed, earning another blush from me. He...was pretty cute when he got flustered, though Tian would undoubtedly vehemently deny it. Especially the cute part. He hates being called cute. Cleone giggled a bit at my expression, and I just resigned myself to my fate, falling into light conversation with her about my love life. At some point the priest left, having been sated by my incarnation, as my conversation with Cleone moved on to other topics besides me and Tian. Thankfully.


    We talked of the different little rumors running through the deities, about a few of the other relationships that had popped up amongst deities (though no one had gotten married since Elvira and Gilles, that craze calming down quite a bit after the novelty of the wedding wore off), and circling back to the changes to the Four Realms and the new Regions that had popped up, along with the arrival of two new species rumored to have been created by Morgan...


    Cleone doubted that the Creator would allow such a thing, considering all that Morgan did, but I wasn''t so sure. She is as powerful as she is whimsical, a conclusion I came to after talking with Her many times over the years, and it wouldn''t surprise me one bit to find out that the Creator had indeed allowed Morgan to create the Arachions and Dimension Creators...as unlikely as it was that Morgan would create beings that could coexist with the ones already living in the Four Realms. Any further conversation was cut off, however, by none other than Statera Luotion Herself, appearing out of thin air with a frazzled look on Her face.


    "Inesa! Come with me!" She exclaimed, grabbing my hand, Her hair whipping about Her head as She prepared to vanish once again, this time with me in tow.


    "Wait! Where?!" I asked incredulously, trying to hold off for a moment. It wasn''t my time to work yet, either!


    The Creator took a deep breath, looked me straight in the eyes and said; "Tian''sbeingstubbornandnotclimbingtheLife-GivingTreelikeIwanthimtosoI''mgoingtokidnapyouandtakeyoutotheHeavenRealmsohehasareasontosocomewithmenow! Bye Cleone! Nice seeing you!" And we vanished, leaving a very confused Cleone, my echoing cry of protest, and a letter addressed to Tian in a house in the Mortal Realm.


    POV CHANGE: Kei


    "Ok, I''m going to be honest here, in a long list of mean, manipulative things that He''s done to Tian, this probably takes the cake." I told Inesa as we reclined in a guest room of Elvira''s Palace atop the Holy Mountain. Inesa nodded meekly, staring down at her cup of tea as she sunk a bit further into the bean-bag chair I had made for her. They were just so..fluffy and comfy, and you just fall right into them. It''s such a simple idea, too! Fill a bag of cloth with a soft material so it''s nice an fluffy and use it as a chair! Pure genius.


    "I don''t know...After She took the time to explain it to me and I got a good look at what Tian''s been doing these past few years I kinda agree. He''s being incredibly laze and obstinate. It''s just...I''m sure there''s a smarter way to go about this. I fear that it will be misinterpreted." Inesa reasoned, somehow simultaneously sounding like she was complaining at the same time. "I mean, couldn''t She have gotten any of the other Dao Progenitors to climb the Life-Giving Tree?" I hummed and pondered that, putting one finger to my chin in a thinking pose.


    "Mmm...no, probably not. They''re needed to watch over the new Regions because the deities are being run ragged with all the changes going on. It''s easier on everyone that way, but you are right. Tian will most likely misinterpret the intentionally vague note Grandpa left behind. It''ll be hilarious." I said with a shit-eating grin. "It''s the only way Tian will actually get moving, really. Back whenTian was still Dei, Grandpa explained it to me like this - ''Dei is the kind of man who flourishes when it seems like the entire world is against him.'' And although Tian has mellowed out quite a bit and become far less violent and aggressive than Dei ever was, he''s still got that in him. It''s a core part of his personality that will never change. Hence why the situation turned out like this." I explained with a wave of my hand. Inesa frowned a bit and looked at me with interest.


    "So...you knew him as Dei?" Inesa asked. I nodded, silently sipping at my tea as I examined the decor. It was ostentatious and stupidly shiny, though there were a few tasteful paintings and sculptures dotting the walls. Everything else was either plush furniture that was too stiff for my tastes or gilded and inlaid with an annoying amount of shiny things. Not that I was against shiny things, but there is such a thing as ''too much.'' "What was he like? Was he a lot like Tian?"


    "Well, yeah. I mean, they''re technically the same person after all. Especially after Tian got his memories as Dei back. But Tian is a lot more mellow than Dei, a lot calmer, and a whole lot more dangerous. Don''t get me wrong, he was a badass as Dei, but...well, Tian is a lot scarier because he''s more reserved. Exponentially so, considering the explosive power he hides beneath. It''s just like Grandpa; I would absolutely hate to see Him get well and truly angry. That would be...nothing short of terrifying." I mused, nodding to myself. Inesa hummed and looked at the ceiling, to which I smiled. "What''cha thinkin'' ''bout? Marrying Tian?" I teased.


    "What? No. I''m not!" Inesa said, waving her hands dramatically and blushing a deep crimson. I giggled and stretched, my tails fanning out around my feet as I did so. "I''m just - well, I don''t understand why the Creator puts so much pressure on Tian...why does he have to be the only one to find his way? No one else has even created their own true Dao Path." Inesa grumbled, fidgeting with her fingers.


    "You know why," I deadpanned, meeting Inesa''s eyes. She paused and looked at me before sighing and looking down. It all came down to time. The Four Realms were too young, something not many beings, not even deities realized. Although size also plays a part in it, really it all comes down to the amount of time the Four Realms has existed. Heroes like Tian and Dei are hard to come by, in my opinion, after running about in all the Realms for eons, seeing all there is to see, it''s astonishing that one mortal like Tian popped up. And even that was the direct result of influence from the most powerful being in the universe and the one that contested Him. "Anyways, I''d better get going! If I stay in one place too long someone''ll find me and load a crapton more work on me." I made a face of disgust, at which Inesa giggled and shook her head.


    "Go then," She said, making a shooing motion with her hands. I smiled and waved one hand, filling the room with confetti as I teleported away...just in time to dodge Elvira, who had been attempting to ambush me.


    When I reappeared, I was greeted with the sight of a majestic mountain range in the Heaven Realm, filled with all manner of interesting creatures that could be found nowhere else. I frowned a bit as my powers surged a bit in response to the workings of fate. If I wished it, I could very easily become the Deity of Chaos. I was, quite literally, born on the day the entire Four Realms was thrown into a state of chaos after all. However that''s not what I want. Chaos just doesn''t suit my personality. I sighed and shook my head once again, looking around. I was born into a time of chaos, and therefore knew what it felt like and how to predict its coming, better than most.


    These changes that were going on...everything was getting ready for another round of chaos after millions of years of peace. There was a buzz in the air, in all the Realms, one filled with almost palpable tension. And everyone, whether they were willing to admit it or not, knew it was coming.

 ...The More They Stay the Same

    POV: Reika


    I sat atop the Life-Giving Tree, staring down at Tian as he easily bypassed all of the trials I had set up for him. It wasn''t troublesome to set up a trial that would give even him pause...normally, at least. Now? Now he was on a warpath, and no meretrialwas going to stop him. I found it a little humorous, all things considered. Even Inesa, the one he was charging towards the Heaven Realm for, agreed that Tian was being lazy and that he needed a push. This might be a bit excessive, but I''m sure Mother has something in mind. Or it might just be Mother being particularly obstinate and onery.


    Either way it''s most definitely on purpose, to get Tian to the Heaven Realm as soon as possible. With a light sigh I shook my head, going back to what I had been doing previously - observing the growth of the new Trees. They were doing very well, growing at a much faster speed than what the original did, though I sensed that this speed would slow soon enough. Already the Trees were linked on a fundamental level, with them sharing a sort of psychic connection, allowing them to feed off of one another in a way. It was a symbiotic relationship, where each helped the other thrive.


    Life had long ago popped up in the new Regions, perpetuated by the Trees themselves as well as a bit of influence from the deities - hence why a few mortal colonies had recently appeared there. I turned and looked down at Tian once again, a little suprised to note that he had just appeared atop the Life-Giving Tree itself, directly before me. His speed was astonishing, but I suppose the only real cultivator I had that would challenge the Tree''s climb was the Celestial Empress. No one else really cared much...


    "And you are...?" Tian asked coldly, his eyes narrowed in barely controlled anger. Ialmostlost control of myself and snickered at the idea of him bursting into the Holy Palace and finding Inesahaving a cup of tea and chatting pleasantly with the various deities in the Palace (though she was currently running an errand elsewhere in the Realms)...as well as running into the glitter bomb Kei preparedspecificallyfor him. Just because Kei may not agree with Mother''s methods does not mean that she won''t take this opportunity to prank Tian. Although they''re not nearly as close as they were when Tian was Dei, over the past few million years they have maintained their friendship.


    "I am Reika, the guardian of the Mortal Realm. I don''t believe we have formally met." I said with a small smile. "It is nice to finally meet you," He looked at me for a minute, his eyes flashing a green color before his gaze softened and he bowed deeply to me. I blinked in surprise at the gesture, watching in bemusement as he straightened back up and smiled at me. There was something about his eyes that made me pause...


    "As much as I would like to stay and chat, there is something I need to do." Tian explained. "Care to explain why I''ve been having these urges to climb the Life-Giving Tree?"


    "Mm. That is because Mother wanted you to reach the Heaven Realm. I made it so that only those who are able to climb the Life-Giving Tree, whose trial tests one''s willpower more than anything else, are able to travel freely between the Heaven Realm and the Mortal Realm." I said casually. Tian took a deep breath to calm his nerves, the tension flooding out of his body. I, for one, was utterly shocked by this, having expected Tian to continue on his warpath until he reached the Heaven Realm.


    "I see. I guess this whole thing is just one big misunderstanding then?" Tian asked with a sigh, shaking his head. I nodded, looking even closer at Tian than before. "I mean, it''s been bugging me for a bit, but this letter is almostpainfullyvague, to the point where I can''t tell if it''s a threat - me being me, of course I took it as such, but now that I look at it it''s really not that hard to tell that the thing wasn''t written without any ill intent." Tian said, waving his hand and causing a letter formed entirely of divine power to appear from his interspatial ring. In the same movement, his war spear vanished into said ring.


    "I..yes, it is." I said, at a loss for words. Tian is being...surprsingly level-headed. Where is this confidence - oh. Tian turned his eyes to me once again, and I burst out laughing after finally seeing the green flash once more. Tian had developed a new divine ability, based off of Mother''s eyes themselves. Of course he would! Of course Dei''s fascination with Mother''s eyes would have some effect on Tian! Tian raised one eyebrow as I continued to laugh, feeling absolutely wonderful about this whole thing. Did Mother know? She had to have known.


    "You done?" Tian asked calmly after I managed to stifle my laughter, his question being met with another round of giggles and a dismissive wave of my hand. "Look, just because I get what He was trying to do, doesn''t mean that I''m not going to punch Him as hard as I can."


    "I''m pretty sure Mother would like that, in all honesty." I replied.


    "I know. He''s told me before - sorry, do I call Them a He or She? It''s so confusing sometimes - He''s told me before that He''d like to see that, but it doesn''t mean I still won''t punch Him." Tian grumbled, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "And I guarantee that I will enjoy it more than He. Anyways, what happens next?"


    I hummed and put one finger to my chin in a mock thinking pose. "Well, you did climb the Life-Giving Tree, so I suppose I should send you to the Heaven Realm, and give you access to the passageways in and out of said Realm. For the most part only angels and deities use them, so, as per usual, you''ll be the first ''mortal.''" Tian nodded his assent and light enveloped him, teleporting him to the Heaven Realm and giving him the ability to enter and leave the Realm at will. With a small nod I turned back to one of my other tasks, sinking into the Tree and pouring some power into it. Growing more Seeds was tedious, and required a long time to create...but in the end would be worth it, to continue the growth of the Realms.


    POV CHANGE: Tian


    The world changed in an instant, and I was immediatly starstruck by my new surroundings. One moment I had been atop the Life-Giving Tree, talking with the beautiful brown-skinned woman that claimed to be the guardian of the Mortal Realm and gazing out across the innumerable star systems that made up said Realm. The next, I was floating mid-air above one enormous landmass the size of the entire Mortal Realm, a landmass that was one gigantic wilderness. Already I could feel my wanderlust beginning to take hold, no doubt caused by being stuck in the Mortal Realm for the past million and a half years, but I pushed that to the side for now.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Instead I focused on where my instincts were telling me to go...which was the absolutely enormous mountain behind me. It was easily as big as the Life-Giving Tree, radiating a power that was no weaker than the Tree''s, albeit a different sort of power. It was an aura of majesty, one that made you want to bend a knee and bow your head.


    I, naturally, completely quashed such ridiculous notions and flew towards the peak, almost immediately feeling a pressure upon me that urged me to fly to the ground and walk up the damn mountain. It didn''t get to be too much for me to bear until I was basically halfway up it, at which point I opted to simply rip open a hole in the fabric of space and teleport to the top, honestly surprised that Elvira, who I vaguely remembered from the War of the Sun, forgot that cultivators could teleport...unless that pressure was natural, not a trial set up by said deity.


    What greeted me upon reaching the top was a Palace, capital P because that''s truly the only way to describe it. It was, much like the Mountain I stood upon, a Palace among Palaces, with giant white columns lining the pavilion outside. Water fell from seemingly nowhere towards pools lined with gorgeous stones, glittering in the light of the Realm Sun, while trees with metallic silver and gold leaves were planted above flowers of every color under the sun. The grand entrance was big enough for giants to walk through, and exquisitely carved and inlaid with precious metals.


    The Palace was meant to be excessive - its whole point was to say ''Someone big - many Big someones - live here.'' I thought it was very functional in that regard, and judging by the personalities of the deities I''ve met so far, most of whom don''t care for the material, the entire Palace was one big joke against Elvira that went too far and is now a thing. I wonder if there''s anything like it in the Karmic Realm. I haven''t physically been there in a while...


    Like a thunderbolt from the blue sky, I came to a realization and facepalmed. I hadn''t been exploringat all.In reality I''d just been running about the Mortal Realm, which I''d thoroughly explored, when there''s an entire three other Realms to go visit and run amok in. Is that the message He''d been trying to send to me...? Maybe, maybe not. It''s probably part of the reason, but I guarantee that the main one was to get me to to the Heaven Realm. With a gentle shove the doors to the Palace swung open, revealing a long, grand hallway lined with the same white columns as outside, but this time carved with astounding scenes. Various deities and spirits that gave even me pause drifted amongst the columns, going about their duties and paying me no heed.


    Two deities, however, did. They were Elvira and Gilles, two beings of incredible power that sat at the far end of the long hall, a stretch of at least a hundred pure-white steps leading up to the gleaming throne Elivra had herself seated on, looking about a comfortable as a whale with knees. On land. Which would make them uncomfortable because they''re so heavy, and...y''know what, even I''m stretching to get this joke down. How Inesa can come up with the coolest damn analogies, while still being funny, is beyond me.


    "Tian." Elvira''s voice boomed, sending all the other deities scurrying. Huh. Wonder why?


    "Yo." I said casually, throwing one hand up in greeting and slowly making my way towards her, much to her surprise. Had Reika not told her about my ''change of heart?'' Oh well, it''s more fun this way. "What''s up? It''s been lifetimes since I last saw you. Speaking of which, how''re you doin,'' Gilles?...It is Gilles, right? There''s so many names for you in the Mortal Realm that it''s hard to keep track of it sometimes."


    "I am well. Congratulations on completing your divine ability. I''ve been watching your progress on it with interest for some time now, and I must say that I am impressed. Even though it is only in the fledgling stages, it already allows you to see so much..." Gilles said with an impressed tone, gaining a far-away look in his eyes.


    "Dear, it''s not nice to reveal others'' secrets so casually." Elvira said, taking the whole thing in stride. Gilles blinked and looked at Elvira, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.


    "Ah...sorry, I just get caught up when there''s something of particular interest around. My apologies." Gilles apologized as I walked up the stairs to stand before the two deities. Their full power blasted my physical form - or, should I say, their natural auras did - the combined pressure making it feel as if my scalp was beginning to peel off. Even if I am as powerful as I am now, I am unable to fully resist the presence these seemingly all-powerful beings emit. It merely serves as yet another reminder that I have not reached the end of my path - there is still a long, long way to go.


    "I get it." I said with a sigh, standing silently as Elvira and Gilles had a mental conversation with one another. A mere second after it started Elvira started talking again.


    "Honestly though, there''s not much more for you to do here. Inesa''s not currently in the Palace, she went on a little excursion with - " Whatever it was she was going to say was cut off by none other than Statera Luotian Himself appearing above me, smiling at everyone in the room.


    "Hello. How''s it going." He said casually.


    "...Father, you interrupted me." Elvira deadpanned.


    "I know. I just wanted to stop Kei''s glitter bomb from going off. It was a bit too much in my opinion, but I figured you''d appreciate it." He said, holding out one hand and inspecting the glittery ball in it. I shuddered at the thought of any glitter Kei got ahold of. She once painted an entire town with glitter, just because Inesa and I had been temporarily staying in it. Even with all my power, it tookforeverto stop finding the stupid sparkly things. Then my attention turned towards none other than He Himself...and I was shell-shocked. He looked sotired.


    Still wanted to punch Him, but His current look was just so...pitiful. I didn''t even know deities couldlooktired to begin with, but Statera Luotian was certainly pulling it off. Dark bags hung under His eyes, and his aura seemed so much more exhausted than everyone else''s that it was painfully noticable. But, like I said before...I still want to punch Him in His stupid face.


    "Well? Are you going to say something or not?" Statera asked, floating down to stand at eye-level with me. He situated himself on a lower step for this to be possible, as He was currently around seven feet tall. The fluidity of His form was really annoying sometimes.


    "Just that I''m going to punch you." I said calmly. Statera flashed me a genuine smile, nodding His head.


    "Then hold on for just a second." Statera said, His smile turning into a smirk. In a flash I suddenly felt as if the weight of the entire Realms was bearing down upon my shoulders, crushing me at the same time that an enormous pressure made me feel as if my skin was being peeled off. Almost instantly I stumbled backwards, my expression one of shock as Statera continued to look at me. "What you saw previously was an incarnation. Figured you''d want to punch the Real Me." He said. I sucked in a breath, finding myself unable to take a single step forwards as my knees threatened to collapse if I so much as moved.


    Statera watched me for a moment longer before the pressure abruptly vanished, his form appearing that much more...transparent, as it were. I took a deep breath, calming myself and glaring at Him. What an ass.


    "Sorry, I don''t mean to be harsh but did you really think I was just going toletyou punch me? Really? Why do you think I''m so looking forward to the day you can? Just because you''ve been growing more powerful doesn''t mean I haven''t either." Statera said. "But, all said and done, I am proud of you for getting this far. It''s time to take the next step, however. See you around, Tian. Elvira. Gilles." Statera then upped and vanished just as abruptly as He had arrived. Elvira coughed into her fist awkwardly.


    "You''ll have to forgive Father. He''s been run ragged lately, so He''s a bit more...blunt than usual." Elvira apologized. I, however, said nothing, instead staring at where Statera disappeared.


    Yes, I still have a long,longways to go.

 The First Dimension

    POV: Keilan


    "I must thank you again for aiding me in this, Inesa. It would be quite troublesome to do so otherwise." I told the deity that was floating beside me, looking incredibly uncomfortable. Of course the Deity of Hearth and Home may not be the most obvious choice in regards to what I am trying to do/looking for, but in this case Inesa will be a very important aspect to this. She has instincts that are...unique amongst the beings of this realm. It will make sifting through massive amounts of Karma much,mucheasier. "Hold on just one moment." I told her, stepping forwards to place one hand on the barrier that surrounded the original Region.


    It was an impressive construct, as expected of the seven Elemental Deities. They are all very powerful, in not free-spirited. Even I would have trouble bypassing the barrier by force, but luckily I don''t have to. I have a ''key code'' to slip through, and can also extend that free pass to whomever I wish. This time around, it is Inesa.


    "There," I said, removing my hand from the barrier and glancing back at Inesa. "Now you can enter the outer Regions along with me - but only with me. So don''t try to travel through the barrier otherwise, because it won''t work." I warned. Inesa just nodded, looking down and fiddling with the hem of her sleeves. She was wearing what she usually did every time I saw her; a plain white, long-sleeve shirt and a long dress bottom, I forget the technical name because I can honestly say that the fashion of mortals does not interest me in the slightest (fashion...such a pointless concept for deities who can change their clothes at will, but I know at least a few that enjoy it as a hobby), so in simple terms it was a grey skirt/ dress-bottom that reached her ankles.


    "I-I see. Thank you...?" Inesa mumbled. I chuckled to myself inwardly, finding her muttering and mumbling to be rather endearing.


    "Indeed. Come along." I told her, turning around and stepping through the barrier, the ''outside'' finally becoming clear. Four Saplings, for they were not Trees in my mind yet, hovered in a circle around the original Region, alongside the new Ditches (Valleys that are not deep), Streams (Rivers that are neither deep nor wide), and Hills (Mountains that are not tall.) They were all growing still, having gained their own cultivator populations recently, and one Dao Progenitor leaving the lands of Pangea to watch over one of the new Regions.


    The man, a Xu clan member that achieved his Dao in the way of the sword, had done so as sort of an experiment amongst the Progenitors to see how it would work exactly...surprisingly enough, after a mere one hundred years after the Xu man took charge over the Region, effects started to become visible. Cultivators started to focus on the way of the sword in greater numbers and frequencies, and the mortal cultures were beginning to rever the sword as well, all because the Dao Progenitor had been allowed to set up shop there as the ''guardian.'' Similar effects had been seen when other deities were watching over the new Regions, but they were set on thousand year rotations so they left before any significant data could be gathered, and never had anything like this happen this quickly before.


    It was a phenomena thatrequired further experimentation with some of the other Regions, but most importantly, it would take time to see the extent of this interesting phenomena. It is certainly something to take into account once more Regions begin popping up. However, that was something to consider at a later point in time. Right now I had another task to complete in a timely manner.


    "Follow me, Inesa." I said, stepping towards one of the empty regions of space between two of the new Regions. Inesa demurly followed as I searched around a bit, extending my divine sense in search of the things I was looking for. I didn''t bother telling Inesa exactly what it was - she would either find them before I did or I would find them. Karmic strings were incredibly hard to see individually after all, especially for these particular beings, all of which is increased exponentially by the fact that there is very little out here to be connectedto,which may be the point.


    All of this together makes it hard for even me to see the karmic strings, and it''s not like I can search for the beings traditionally either. With how unique and powerful the one I am looking for is, my limited knowledge on dimensions is not quite enough for me to search for it without the use of karma. Alexander and Gilles are the experts in that area, Alexander so no being like Morgan could hide from him again and Gilles because he''s a nutjob. Gilles isa researcher through and through - first, it was researching and experimenting with the Void, which he still does but on a much smaller scale, and now it''s about dimensions and the inter-dimensional beings that Morgan created. (Still not sure how I feel about Morgan creating beings to run about in the Four Realms)


    Now that''s not to say I don''t have a healthy amount of interest in the subject. I do, for obvious reasons. It''s pragmatic to have at least a base knowledge in many subjects, especially one that was so obviously used against us, but...there are other things I find have a more significant impact on my own growth. And as of now, that is most important, as my domain in Karma is still...subject to change.


    "Where are you...?" I muttered, peering deeper into the mystical folds that surrounded this part of the Mortal Realm. It was as if mist had filled the areas between the Regions, a mist that not even the Realm Sun and Lunar Star could illuminate...


    Speaking of which, I am quite excited for when Leo and Celene will awaken, though I am unsure as to when that is.Focus.I criticised myself, shaking my head and looking away from the strings of Karma that connected to the two Stars of the Four Realms. Even out here, the massive quantities of karma connecting the Sun and Star to everything in the Four Realms was almost impossible to miss...it''s the individual strands that are tricky to find.


    Ah. Wait. That might be it. I closed my eyes and focussed on the massive tapestry that was the collection of strings of the Realm Sun, driving my senses into it...


    There. Right there. Hidden in plain sight, the clever prick. The first Dimensional Creator, the true ancestor of its entire species, had hidden itself in the waves of Karma and the blankness of space, hiding in the invisible - yet in plain sight - all at the same time. Clever. It''s a trick I''ll have to learn sometime.


    "You can come out now." I said, crossing my arms and staring directly at the area in which it was hiding. After a few moments of silence, in which I assume it still thought itself to be sufficiently hidden, I flapped my wings, causing the karmic strings the Dimensional Creator had buried itself in to vibrate harshly - letting it know without any hint of doubt that I had found it. The area around the Dimensional Creator flickered a bit, revealing a swirling purple portal from which a carbon-copy of Morgan stepped. This was the form it chose to represent itself when directly speaking to beings other than another Dimensional Creator. "The rest of you as well." I said in annoyance, half a dozen more portals appearing, various other representations stepping from them.


    "What is this?" Inesa asked in awe, her eyes growing wide. Has she never...? Ah, no, she has not. Not many lesser deities (which is a general term referring to level power not a representation of heirarchy or some such inane thing) had met the very reclusive Dimensional Creators. They were not prolific nor sociable enough to draw the attention of most deities.


    "These are Dimensional Creators, creations of Morgan''s design. The one in the middle is the very first one to ever come into existance, and not but ten years ago it vanished from its'' previous location in the lands of Pangea, close to the heart of the Mortal Realm. The other six also disappeared in the past five years, but I''m more interested in why the First relocated itself." I told her, abbreviating the information for the sake of time.


    "Oh," Inesa said in a small voice, looking at the Creators. "They seem...afraid. Not particularly hostile, though." She muttered to me.And that, my dear, is why I brought you along. No one understands the hearts of other beings quite as well as you do...except for maybe Mother.Although all deities and spirits could easily see through the souls and lies of many mortals and weaker cultivators, once it got to a certain level it became increasingly harder to discern true intentions and feelings. At my level it became more like hiding truths within truths because it is far too easy to see through lies. Dimensional Creators, however, are beings specialized in hiding - even existing outside the Four Realms, for all intents and purposes. This makes seeing their true thoughts much harder, made even moreso by the first being almost on the same level of power as a deity.


    This was a gift from Mother, of course, though they aren''t graded on the same power scale as deities.


    "And what reason, pray tell, would they have for feeling afraid?" I asked almost rhetorically, speaking to the Dimensional Creators and Inesa both. Inesa was able to, with incredible ease and accuracy, determine the intentions and danger-level of many beings. She doesn''t quite understand what she''s doing of course, but I believe it is due to her own, very open soul and the nature of her Domain that allows her to do so.


    "We-"One of the Creators began to speak, it''s voice resonating with the entire power of its personal dimension behidn it, but I silenced it with a single glare.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "I was mostly asking the First. Or, as you call it, the Ancestor." I said very calmly, turning my eyes not towards the carbon-copy of Morgan, but to the First''s portal. The Morgan representation was a cheap copy of the "divine incarnation" ability of deities, while the true voice and presence of the Creators resonated from their portals.


    "We are here to remove ourselves."The First said ominously."More of Us gather in preparation, as We understand the gravity."I internally rubbed my temples, sorting through the statement. The Dimensional Creators have an optional hive-mind. They each have their own personality and can act independently, but once they gather together in great numbers they connect their minds and become Many into One. I don''t believe that any Dimensional Creator actually uses words like "I" or "me." Since there is no other species in the Four Realms that has sentience and is a hive mind, communicating with them is a bit more complicated unless one is used to it.


    "Right ok. Look, do you want me to go rooting through your Karma to find out what you''re trying to do, or are you just going to tell me? Cuz I can most certainly go rooting through your karma. It''s just a little rude." I said, raising one eyebrow. The First hesitated for a moment before shuddering slightly.


    "We must grow."It said simply. I raised an eyebrow and considered that statement, along with the previous one. Faced with my ultimatum, then most certainly the First has given me all I need to understand what they''re doing. And, being one of the most powerful beings in the Four Realms, it should''ve been relatively easy to understand what they were trying to do. However, Inesa beat me to the conclusion that I would''ve come to, given a few minutes.


    "You''re trying to make a home. For you and your brethren." Inesa said simply, cocking her head to the side and pondering something. I blinked, and suddenly it dawned on me what they were doing - they were Dimensional Creators, and up to this point that had merely been making pocket dimensions that have come to be called Arcane Pockets, due to their makeup consisting of mostly arcane-type elemental energies. It''s simply an elemental energy with a different vibration, or frequency, to it than normal elemental energies...certainly it''s rarer, but not technically stronger. It''s merely...different.


    However, what they''re trying to do now is create a proper Dimension, a world outside of the Four Realms. Something they were truly born to do. "Ok, but why now? And whyhere?" I asked, the first question being stated merely as a formality. I already knew why they were trying it now - they felt as if now would be the best time, being before the truly chaotic times start, and yet it is chaotic enough now to support proper growth. However, why wouldn''t they do it where the energies Dimensional Creators sustain themselves off of are more abundant? Out here there''s much less than on Pangea.


    "Now is best. Here is...acceptable. We sense, We know. Fate is tricky, We cannot see all angles."The First intoned. Translated, it basically said that they have base knowledge of fate and the flows of the universe, and moving to this spot feels safer than on Pangea. However, they do not know why that is. Not even I know...though perhaps Mother has an inkling. She is the foremost expert on Fate, after all. But that doesn''t really count, because Mother is Mother, and knows far more than any of us could ever concieve.


    It''s vexing, in its own way.


    "It feels like a nice place though," Inesa said with a small smile. "Very...hmm...peaceful''s not the word...is it...still?" She muttered, once again reminding me why I had her tag along. Of course. The energies of the Four Realms are weaker here - and so is the "fabric" of it as well. It will take less energy to break through said fabric, therefore connecting the new dimension to the Four Realms, and allowing an easier flow of energy into and out of the dimension. Hence the "still." Everything appears calmer here because there is less here.


    "I should put you to work in the Karmic Realm." I muttered in an off-hand manner, shaking my head and nodding to the First. "You won''t be able to escape out here, by the way. Just thought I''d give you fair warning. Anyways, I''ve gotten all I''ve come here for, and as I''m a busy deity I don''t have time to stay and chat. Just keep in mind that we''ll be keeping an eye on you - mostly because I''m interested in how you''ll grow your new Dimension. Fascinating stuff. Expect Gilles to be along at some point as well, but he''ll most definitely be more secretive about it. Inesa." I said, turning and flying back to the barrier, Inesa trailing behind with an odd expression on her face.


    The Dimensional Creators all sat there for a moment, digesting my words, before hiding themselves in the strings of karma once more, returning to...whatever they were doing to start building their dimension. Storing power, I think.


    "Um...Sir Keilan?" Inesa asked.


    "Yes? Spit it out." I returned, pushing through the barrier and looking around the First Region. Thankfully I didn''t have to travel through the barrier every time I wanted to visit the Outer Regions, I just had to physically pass through it this time due to Inesa''s presence.


    "What...was that about?" She inquired. I looked at her and snorted.


    "Can you not feel the waves being made? All beings are being subtly affected by it. Change has the tendency to do that, and the Four Realms are undergoing massive amounts of change. Mother calls it ''the backlash,'' but in truth it''s mostly just another period of chaos. Shouldn''t be as bad as last time, though." I explained, recalling mid-speech that Inesa hadn''t been alive during the War of the Sun. Inesa made a confused face, and I chuckled. "Don''t worry too much about it. The big parts won''t come about for a while yet. Anyways, thank you for all your help today. I''ll be off." I said, my incarnation fading.


    It managed to catch Inesa''s last words before it completely faded. "But I didn''t do anything, though..."


    I chuckled as my true body opened its eyes, standing and stretching as the other six incarnations I had running about the Four Realms also faded. I had been experimenting with Mother''s incarnation ability, as it was more advanced than the typical ability to create incarnations of one''s self, seeing as how that only uses slivers of divine energy and Mother''s splits ones conciousness into six different bodies, and managed to come up with my own version. It''s not as efficient as Mothers, for certain, but it gets the job done. It''s mainly used to handle a whole bunch of small tasks at once, tasks that don''t require my full attention but need to get done anyways.


    It''s invaluable for that.


    My back popped and I let out a pleased groan, looking out over the Karmic Valley and sighing. Mother had been right, using Luck did indeed simplify and increase the efficiency of the reincarnation cycle on all levels. I had experimented endlessly with localized versions of it, even implementing it in one of the Outer Regions for a time. Now, all that was left was to make it standardized. I adusted my robes and clasped my hands behind my back before stepping out into the Valley. "Pain in my ass...well, better now than later."


    POV CHANGE: Gilles


    "Fascinating," I muttered to myself as I watched the Dimensional Creators begin forming their personal dimension. The process was amazing, albeit very complex...it was a field that interested me almost as much as the Void does. Creating little pocket dimensions in which reside entire worlds...truly fascinating stuff.


    "Quit slacking. If I don''t get to slack, neither do you." My sibling, the High Deity of Water, Ling, said, slapping me upside the head. I chuckled and rubbed the back of my head, shooting her a look.


    "And who was it that wasjustmaking water fountains in the Karmic Oceans?" I inquired innocently. Ling flushed, and Terran, the HIgh Deity of Earth, laughed at her.


    "Oh, he''s gotcha there, sis." He rumbled, shaking his head.


    "And besides, it''s not that hard. All we''re doing is -" I was cut off by Leitz, who was busy toying with some of his divine Lightning as he worked.


    "Yes, we heard you the first twenty times you explained it, Gilles. None of us understood you then, and we won''t this time either." He deadpanned.


    "I understood it." Aeriel said with an almost offended look.


    "Kiss ass."Ling teased, earning herself a glare from Aeriel. I chuckled to myself as my siblings continued to bicker, but all things were abruptly put on hold when Leitz did...something. There was a sudden flicker of light, and suddenly we were surrounded by a sea of lightning. It wasn''t just a sea, though...it was more. It was as if the entire world had become lightning, almost as if the area directly around us was a Plane of lightning. Then, just as abruptly, it was gone, leaving all of us standing there, stunned.


    Lucia, the youngest of our group of Seven and the High Deity of Light, couldn''t help but break that stunned silence with a very bad pun. "That was...shocking." She said. A mix of groans was her response, but it did the trick and soon everyone was looking at Leitz expectantly.


    "What was that?!" Terran asked. Leitz shook his head, staring at his hands as lightning danced between his fingers.


    "I...have no idea. I just had a sudden feeling, and I set some lighting to dancing in front of me, and the next thing I knewthathappened." He tried, and failed, to explain. I closed my eyes and felt for what had happened, recalling it. It felt like a new plane of existance, but...I also figured it wasn''t. It was filled with lightning, but also everything else...suddenly appeared...feeling...blankness of space...Void...Primordial Chaos...? Gah! I had too many thoughts running about in my mind. I needed to sit down and work on this...and for the first time in a while, I found myself bemoaning the fact that there was more work to be done.


    "Guys, guys! The quicker we get our work done, the quicker we can play around with this. Help me get this done." I ordered, clapping my hands together. My siblings all glanced at each other, then at me, nodded, and promptly dove back into our assignment with renewed vigor. I, too, wanted to go play, so of course I helped them. First, though...


    "Gilles." Randus said, appearing out of his dream world to stand next to me, right before I started to work again.


    "Randus, it''s good to see you. Anything in particular to note?" I asked. Randus looked at me appraisingly for a second before shaking his head.


    "No. The dreams of the inhabitants of the Four Realms are filled with the same as usual...perhaps with a higher frequency of delusions of grandeur." Randus explained. I nodded, stroking my chin.


    "Thank you for doing this for me, Randus." I mentioned.


    "I would have done so regardless of your wishes. Simply asking me to keep you up to date on the general state of the Dreams in the Four Realms is no trouble for me." Randus said casually. I nodded once more, turning away from him as he started to fade away. Our meetings were never longer than a brief exchange of words, afterall, what with Randus being a man of few words.


    "I still appreciate it. It helps me peice a few things together." I said, knowing that he was already gone. Then I sighed and looked at the starry sky, with its very few stars. "Gotta get this done..." I muttered, and dove back into the project alongside my siblings. Ireallywanted to experiment with whatever Leitz had done, now.

 A Long Day for Everyone

    <u>POV: Statera Luotian</u>


    I sighed in remembrance as I stared at a large scroll that had been tucked away in some obscure corner of the library in my Palace, reading throughPower Versus Forcewith but a glance. It had been so long since I had written this thing that I had all but forgotten about it...how nostalgic. With another sigh I placed it back where I had found it, gently flying out of my massive library with the few books I had been searching for to begin with cradled in my arms. There were two books that were stories from the mortals - wonderful imaginations, them, they come up with some of the most interesting ideas...even if they are parallels to some systems and such already in place. The other three were records of my thoughts and memories from previous times, as well as a large scroll about my ideas from Yueya''s One World.


    I walked through the empty halls of my palace, entering the workshop and casually sending a dozen blueprints I had floating around in balls of scintillating golden light flying off to organize themselves in the corner of the large room. The books I was carrying were unceremoniously dumped on the large wooden desk situated against the far wall, my divine sense pouring through them one at a time as I began to draw figures in the air, my finger leaving trails of golden light that eventually came together to make blueprints. I must''ve gone through at least three versions of the single blueprint I was working on before I finally relented and turned towards the middle of the room, where a live map of the Four Realms hovered mid-air.


    "...what to do," I muttered to myself, my mind running at a hundred miles a second. That, of course, was a mere abbreviation as to how fast my mind was working, what with me mentally giving commands to a thousand different beings at once, subtly manipulating some major events in the Realms, and coming up with ways to fix and improve upon the systems of the Four Realms. It''s...a lot of work, to say the least. Any further contemplation was interrupted by an abrupt entrance of one of the oldest beings in my Four Realms...and a ball of condensed Void (...if such a thing was evenpossible) being thrown at my head. Needless to say I caught said ball, and frowned at Morgan as the wolf-like being glared at me.


    "You''re a fucking idiot, you know that?" He growled. I frowned.


    "Attempted homicide is no way to say hello, Morgan." I chided, looking at the ball of condensed Void with interest before crushing it completely. How does one condense literal nothing, by the way...questions for another time, I suppose.


    "I don''t give a shit!" He snapped at me, and I sighed.


    "Ok, spit it out. What''s going on?" I asked, sighing in mild annoyance. He just growled and stalked about the room, ignoring my question and occasionally lashing out with his eight spider-like appendages, smashing various jars, blueprints, creating holes in space and ruining the few pieces of art scattered about the room...of course, everything he broke returned to its previous immaculate condition immediately, which only served to piss Morgan off even further. I found it rather entertaining.


    "You know exactly what''s going on! Quit messing with my shit!" He barked angrily. I blinked at him and cocked my head to the side, confused.


    "I...don''t follow." I deadpanned, giving Morgan a blank look.


    "Your kids keep messing with my shit!" He barked, as if that cleared everything right up. I frowned and was about to tell him that I still didn''t follow, but then realization hit me. He means about the Dimensional Creators...doesn''t he? "The Arachions aresupposedto stir up trouble, damn it!" He howled.


    Oh, so that''s what this is about. A few deities that took a shining to the Arachions have been trying to manipulate things so the beings don''t recieve the scorn of the entire Four Realms, and...well, I suppose that they might''ve taken that avenue abittoo far, now that I look at it. I really hadn''t paid it much mind because I thought it relatively insignificant, and a bit positive, seeing as how the entire Four Realms hating one race was a bit much, but now I see that why Morgan''s so aggrivated. The deities are attempting to tamper with the intent that was used in creating the Arachions - Morgan accepted it when I did it, but not when someone else does it. The Dimensional Creators are doing fine as-is, they''re not bothering anyone too much. Just doing their own thing...though I thought Morgan would be mad about Keilan and Gilles paying them a visit.


    "Ah, sorry. That got out of hand." I apologized with a sheepish smile. Morgan glared at me, its eyes shooting swords - because mere daggers wouldn''t do its intensity justice - at me.


    "Out of hand?Out of hand?!Do you know how much work I''ve had to do to get that particular colony back to being the martial badasses they''re supposed to be?!" Morgan spat. "Either you have a talk with them orI will.And Ipromisethat you won''t like my version of having atalk."Morgan emphasized, convincing me that when the wordtalkwas used, Morgan actually meantbeating them senseless.


    I nodded, stifling a yawn as I did so. "I - awwwh - sorry, stupid yawns have been bugging me, I''ll handle it. I won''t promise about the deities leaving them completely alone, but I''ll tell them to - yaaaaaaw - ah! STOP IT!Stupid yawns...I''ll tell them to tone it down a bit." Itold him, one hand rubbing my eyes. Morgan gave me an odd look, his anger momentarily forgotten before he resumed his tirade.


    "You''d better." He ground out. "Or I''ll do something drastic."


    "Oh come on, you wouldn''t risk your freedom to roam the Four Realms over this, now would you?" I teased. Morgan opted not to deign that with a response, instead turning around with a huff and disappearing once again. I chuckled to myself and turned back to my designs, staring at the blueprint for a few minutes as my mind drew a blank. Where had my thoughts been, again...?


    "Father!" Elvira said, bursting into the room a few minutes later and startling me out of my musings. I looked at her and smiled, spreading my arms wide.


    "Elvira! It''s good to see you. So what''s up?" I inquired, scratching the back of my head.


    "I - are you alright?" Elvira''s statement died in her throat as she asked that question, worry evident in her tone. I shot her a confused look.


    "Yes, of course. Why do you ask?" I asked.


    "You look...tired. Really, really tired." Elvira said slowly, looking me up and down. I chuckled a bit, feeling warm at Elvira''s concern but likewise feeling it unnecessary.


    "I am quite alright. It''s been a long few millennia, but I''m doing fine." I assured her, smiling confidently. Did I really look that bad? I don''t feel all that bad...a little drained, sure, but not that bad. "Now what was it that you so desperately needed?"


    "I wanted you to be present to help clear a few things up to the high deities, specifically my Coucil. That was two days ago. I kept sending you mental messages but you never replied." Elvira explained quickly, crossing her arms and doing her level best to glare me down. "Yousaidyou''d be there, too. What happened?" She demanded. I hummed and scratched the back of my neck in embarrassment, remembering that I did promise such a thing. I just...forgot. How unlike me.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Ah...sorry. I forgot. And as for your messages..." I paused a moment to root through the constant flow of information and commands that was my mind, finding a backlog of Elvira''s messages that had been put on hold in favor of dealing with other commands and issues. Huh. Whoops. "They kind of got put on hold." I answered honestly. Elvira stared at me with an astonished expression. For a moment we just stared at each other before Elvira sighed and shook her head, her tails twitching in worry.


    "Are you sureyou''re ok? This isn''t like you at all. Perhaps you should rest a bit, leave all of this to me and the rest of the Big Five." Elvira said, gesturing to all the blueprints and such flying about even as we spoke. I shook my head.


    "I''m fine dear, but I appreciate the concern." I told her.


    "Father, I''m going to be completely honest here - you''re not fine. I have never, not once seen you look even mildly tired, to say nothing of being this exhausted. You''re forgetting things when you shouldn''t be, andyou''re clearly distracted." She listed, raising one eyebrow and daring me to challenge her.


    "Semantics." I said airily, waving one hand dismissively.


    "...Is that even the right word?" Elvira asked honestly. I pondered that for a moment, furrowing my brows.


    "I...I don''t know. It''s the same as saying ''trivalities'' or ''technicalities''....right?" I asked, the true meaning of ''semantics'' escaping me. I knew what I meant, but...was that the right word...?


    Elvira gawked at me for a bit before setting her expression into a determined one and shaking her head. "Right. That''s it. You''re done. No more working for you. Go rest." She said, making a shooing motion with her hands. I frowned and shook my head, opening my mouth to argue but Elvira cut me off. "Oh no you don''t, get going." She said, starting to physically push me towards my meditation room.


    "I really don''t think -"


    "Father, you look exhausted. Please, trust me and just go rest for a bit." Elvira said pleadingly. I frowned, allowing her to push me but disagreeing with it.


    "Elvira -"


    "Don''t make me get Reika. I can and will convince her that you need rest, andthenwhat will you do, hmm?" Elvira pre-emptively countered my argument, causing me to abruptly close my mouth. Reika could be very....convincing, in the intimidating kind of way, when she really wanted to be. And, truthfully, I was tempted to take a rest for a bit. Wait, am I being bullied by my children? I am, aren''t I? How embarrassing.


    "Alexander will side with me." I argued weakly.


    "Alexander will agree with anything you say, but even he would be hard pressed to agree with you on this one." Elvira shot back, making me pout a bit. Either way I''ll probably just slip out while she''s not looking. It''s not like she could do anything to keep mer here indefinitely...by herself, at least. With some aid she could most likely do something, but...Elvira finally pushed me into my meditation/bedroom, giving me a whithering glare that spoke promises of much retribution if I did not do as she asked. I chuckled inwardly as I looked about the room, glancing at the meditation bed for a moment before nodding, walking over to it and sitting down. Many of the stones still glowed from absorbing so much of my power.


    And as soon as Elvira shut the door, I vanished.


    POV CHANGE: Elvira


    "Randus...you''re there, right?" I asked. It took a few seconds, but Randus finally appeared out of his dream world (something I really don''t understand and don''t have any desire to investigate, in all honesty) with a flourish and a bow, on hand held behind his back and the other in front of his stomach.


    "It is good to see you again." He said in a very formal tone, sporting an accent that he most certainly didn''t have last time. It sounded...arguably pretentious. Electing to ignore that, I forged ahead with what I was going to ask.


    "Yes, good to see you too. Say, could you keep an eye on Father for me? Tell me if He leaves His room...that feels weird to say...like I''m trying to keep watch over a child...a very powerful, very wise, and yet annoyingly whimsical child." I said, muttering the last bits as my thoughts began to trial off.


    "She most certainly does act as a child sometimes...and though I am surprised you have not noticed, I am not glad to confirm that She has already left the confines of Her meditation chambers." Randus told me. With a sigh of annoyance I pinched the bridge of my nose, resisting the urge to go dragging Father back to make Him rest...by force. He is not like the other deities. I cannot overpower Him if necessary. Threaten Him with Reika and my other siblings, absolutely. But not overpowering Him. "For the record, even I agree with you on this. She needs to rest, though I do not believe it is for the reason you, or any others who agree with us, think." He said cryptically.


    I stared at him expectantly, but when no further elaboration came I decided to give Randus a prompt. "Care to explain?" I asked, glaring. Randus met my eyes and held my gaze for a few seconds before he broke it off, and began to explain.


    "I believe Her own body and subconscious are telling Her that She needs to enter meditation. For what reason, I am unsure, but I feel it is important. Much has happened for us recently, and that kind of knowledge tends to accumulate. My current theory is that She needs to solidify some of that information." Randus explained. I hummed and shrugged.


    "Doesn''t really matter what the reason is, the point is that Father needs to get some rest. I''m going to see what I can do to convince Him, pull a few strings to get everyone else hounding Him, and a few other things. You do what you can as well, if you''re not too busy. In the meantime I have some deities to finish dealing with. And a few of the angels have been acting a bit strange, so I''ll have to deal with them as well...urgh." I muttered, shaking my head and spreading my wings, leaping out the nearest window while waving farewell to Randus. For now, I wanted to fly back to the Holy Mountain. Teleportation was quicker, but I needed a few moments to get my head on straight.


    As I flew towards the Holy Mountain at breakneck speed - passing through the barrier without slowing down one whit - I slowly calmed my mind. It took quite a bit of effort, but I managed to get it empty enough to prepare myself for what I knew I was going to be greeting the moment I stepped back into my Palace. Namely more arguements. Which was really getting on my nerves. It''s not that hard to come to an agreement.


    I paused for a moment as I hovered over the rooftop of my obnoxiously white palace (just because my color scheme generally includes white does not mean I want everythingto be a glittering white) peering through the material to prove to myself that, in fact, a few deities were arguing with one another while five angels stood off to the side.


    "Ok," I said, preparing myself for having to deal with all of this. After a moment of psyching myself up I flew around and entered the front door, throwing open the doors with a bang. "SILENCE!" I bellowed, the argument, and all other forms of chatter for that matter, coming to an abrupt halt. Surprisingly, I spotted one of Alexander''s children within the confines of the palace - one of his dragons. I hadn''t spotted him before...oh well. Guess I just didn''t look hard enough.


    The entire room was silent as I made my way to the throne, sitting down on the uncomfortably hard surface. "Where is my husband?" I asked one of the spirits that generally resided within the palace.


    "Still not back yet, my lady." It said with a small bow. I hummed and nodded.


    "Inform me when he arrives - if I am not already speaking with him. He may pop up anywhere within the palace, as I''m sure you know." I informed the spirit, who muttered a "yes ma''am" before scurrying off into one of the hallways that led off of the main hall. Then, I turned my gaze to the deities who had been arguing before - all six cowering a bit under the weight of my stare. "Now, since all of you are present, then I assume you want some matters cleared up. I will oblige you. However, you will not start any further arguments, you will not antagonize one another, and you will be courteous to whomever I decide to speak to first. Are we clear?" I asked.


    "Yes, ma''am." The deities coroused, earning a nod from me. Letting out a sigh I resisted the urge to rub the bridge of my nose, making a mental note for later to talk to Reika and Alexander about Father, before getting the court session started.


    "We''ll start with you," I said, pointing to the dragon. Might as well start with the most interesting one first, I suppose. The red-scaled serpentine dragon stirred and met my gaze for a moment before bowing its head, and beginning to speak. After the first few words I couldn''t help but release a mental sigh. This was going to be a long day.

 The Song

    POV: Reika


    Kei came to me about ready to burst into tears. The nine-tailed fox had appeared out of thin air, looking obviously distraught as she had bags under her puffy, red eyes, her hair a mess, and again, she looked to be about ready to burst into tears. Almost immediately I stopped what I was doing, dropping the Seed I had been examining (and not staring at because I got distracted, no sir) and wrapping her up in a big hug as she launched herself at me, trying her hardest to hold back sobs.


    "Shh, shhh, shh," I hummed, stroking my child''s hair and attempting to soothe her. Her shaking subsided a bit and I started humming, a song that I used to hum to her back when she was just a babe, one that encompasses the trees and the forest, the wind and the waves, all that is full of life and beauty. Kei slowly calmed down, and I held her until she pulled away, still looking upset but clearly feeling better.


    "Sorry," She mumbled, wiping away a tear.


    "It''s perfectly ok, dear," I told her softly, smiling gently at her and waiting for her to look at me. When she did, peeking out at me from behind her beautiful black hair, I continued on. "What''s wrong?" I asked. Kei muttered a bit, shaking her head, but I just gave her a pointed look. "You can talk to me about anything, Kei. Remember that. Now, what''s got you so worked up, hmm? I haven''t seen you like this since Dei reincarnated." Kei flushed a bit at the mention of that little breakdown she had - she hadn''t taken it well, even if she vehemently denies such a thing to anyone else who ever asked - and stayed silent for a moment.


    "Chaos," She said finally, shaking her head slightly. I cocked an eyebrow and waited for her to continue. "My domain, it was...it wasso closeto becoming Chaos. I don''twantit to be Chaos." Kei whispered, shaking her head.


    "Why not?" I asked, having heard that before but never really finding out the reason.


    "I...Chaos is bad. It''s, well, it''s the opposite of Balance, right?" She asked rhetorically.


    "There is Chaos in Balance, dear, just as there is Peace." I observed neutrally. Kei snorted and pulled away from me, shaking her head with vehemence.


    "No! I mean, there is, but...not this Chaos! The Chaos that wants to be my domain it...it scares me." Kei said with a shudder, eyes growing distant. Then she shook her head, took a deep, shuddering breath, and continued on. "It''s the exact opposite of balance - it''s true Chaos! Anarchy! The lack of any balance whatsoever! It''s not..." She trailed off, not finding the words for a brief moment. "I don''t want tobethat! All the worst things happen during times of chaos."


    "You were born in times of chaos," I pointed out softly. Kei shook her head and sniffled.


    "''ts not the same." She murmured. "I''m talking about -"


    "Absolute Chaos," I answered for her, "yes, I know." Kei nodded, and muttered something else, something I didn''t manage to make out. "I had much the same problem with my domain, you know."


    "It''s not the same!" Kei proclaimed, throwing her hands up into the air and pacing around. "You don''t understand!"


    "I do understand," I said suddenly, smiling at her. "It''s why you came to me for help. My domain was originally life, and as you are well aware it eventually came to be both life and death. Do you know why it is I was so obsessed with having a domain of life and death?" I inquired. Kei frowned and shook her head. "It''s because a world of only life is terrifying." I said bluntly. Kei''s frown deepened.


    "How so?" She asked slowly. "Isn''t it just about Balance? A circle of life and death?"


    "Think of it this way; life is only half of the circle, yes. That means I only get half of the information - that means I can only watch and interact with half of the beings. It is the problem immortals face; all around them, the life continues to fade and differ. Entire worlds start blending together, the lives of mortals become short, and even immortals, for what a misleading name that is, start to fade into dust as time passes. And I can only see all the life that dies." I said softly, shaking my head. "It is a nightmare, and simply knowing that death is another part of life was not enough to counter it." Kei was silent as she digested that, thinking about it in the way only a deity could. I had it lucky, with Mother, Keilan, Alexander, Elvira, Kei, and all the other deities standing by my side. But even then, deities may eventually fade. Sol, for one, was all but erased after his crimes in the Sun War.


    "I..." Kei started, and I shook my head.


    "I do understand Kei - I lived through it. Now I want you to look out there, and tell me; what is Chaos? Is it absolute anarchy? Yes, that is part of it." I admitted. "However, Chaos is what we are all born from. Before Mother there was a Void, then there was Mother, and She created Chaos, Chaos from which we were born, and the Four Realms was made. Chaos is as much creation as it is destruction, endless, looping, and untrackable, yes, but creation all the same."


    "But -" I cut Kei off, shaking my head.


    "Kei, listen to me," I told her sharply, and Kei promptly closed her mouth. "Now the Four Realms are in a time of chaos, different from the Primordial Chaos I spoke of previously, but chaos all the same. There are many faces of chaos, as I''m sure you know. This chaos is a chaos of the people, a time of strife and confusion, where much happens and yet nothing seems to end. That is but an illusion, of course, as it is but one age in many. This chaos is born of creation, the creation of new systems, but there''s something else I want you to pay attention to. Look down into the Mortal Realms and listen. What do you hear? What do you see?" I asked.


    Kei was silent for a long moment as she did so, frowning. "War. Death, strife. Confusion and chaos." She said softly. I shook my head.


    "You are listening to all the wrong things. You are focusing too much on specifics within the chaos - let it play. Let it hit your ears in all its incomprehensibility, in all its randomness. See it in all of its confusion, without any pattern to make sense of." I told her softly, putting a hand on her shoulders and gently floating into the air, so we hung above the Life-Giving Tree. "It''s waiting for you Kei, just asking you to listen, hear, feel, taste,touch."We hung there for a long moment, Kei slowly relaxing and allowing the sounds of chaos - much louder to her than myself, I''m afraid - to hit her.


    It took a while, but eventually Kei heard it, the thing I had been listening to my entire life. Mother had been the one to show it to me, and now I was showing it to my own child in her time of need. "It...sounds like...a...song..." Kei said slowly, and I just nodded, smiling to myself as Kei began to sway back and forth, unconsciously dancing to the tune she heard. This was what I had been aiming for - not me telling her what this grand revelation was, but allowing her to get there herself. Some well-placed guidance always helps, but simply giving someone an important piece of enlightenment can be detrimental in the long run.


    This revelation that Kei had is simple, to me. There is beauty in chaos. And I mean that literally and metaphorically. "The greatest of advances are made in times of chaos." I heard Kei murmur to herself, tapping her foot and closing her eyes, lights swirling around her. "Is that what you wanted to show me?" She asked. I nodded.


    "Yes," I said quietly, smiling.


    "I still don''t want to be a diety of chaos." Kei said simply, pulling out of her trance just slightly. I shook my head and placed a hand on her shoulder.


    "You don''t have to be. But chaos is a part of you, so don''t reject it...just as Mother didn''t reject the Void that is a part of Her." I whispered.


    "...I know," Kei said slowly. "Iknow.Music...arts, sciences, enlightenment, the greatest advancements in history are made in times of chaos, sometimes they are the cause of said chaos because something needs to change - because that is what they are; a statement of change. There is a song in one''s heart that must be heard, but for that song to come out there must be a muse...and oftentimes that muse is chaos. Or a rock, an island of tranquility within the chaos, can be the muse..." Kei said, and suddenly she had a domain - that of Art. I smiled and took a step back, glad that Kei was finally beginning to accept the chaos within her. There is far more to her than chaos and mischief, as there is far more to everyone, but...this was the one thing she consistently rejected about herself.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    And in truth, it is but a minor thing, that chaos. It is only what she focuses on now, to say nothing of the future.


    Kei began to dance, swaying back and forth in a rhythm only she could hear, to a boundless tune. Her feet carried her far across the Realms in but moments, swirling and spinning and dancing all the way, lights trailing off of her as she did so. Slowly, each tap of her foot, each swish of her tails and sway of her hips and bob of her head started to create sounds, rings and streams of multicolored light pouring off of her in time with the musical notes ringing throughout the Four Realms. And then she began to sing. It was paradoxical, both with and without rhythm and rhyme...and yet timeless and boundless. The words were no words, it seemed, nothing anyone could truly recognize, but...it was a song that all beings within the Four Realms understood.


    For a brief moment, the Four Realms stood still, simply listening to Kei''s Song.


    I smiled as I turned back to the Life-Giving Tree, slipping through the leaves and sinking into the trunk of the great Tree. Inside, close to the core of the tree, sat my home; a few small chambers carved out and filled with various trinkets and curios I''d picked up over the eons. One room, in particular, was filled with the results of a hobby of mine that wasn''t gardening - weaving tapestries. With a small smile I sat down and began to fiddle with the string and needles I use, thinking about how to weave this one. Picking a black string, I began to slowly begin my work, not using an ounce of my divine power. It was more fun this way, rather than creating it in an instant with my powers.


    Another smile flitted across my features as Kei''s song began to resonate within the Tree, causing its branches to sway. It''s good to see that she''s on the right track.


    POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian


    "I''ve forgotten how much I missed music." I said to no one in particular as I tinkered a bit with a music box, listening to Kei''s song as she continued to sing. By now she had amassed quite the crowd as her domain continued to solidify, turning the area around her into a mass of deities and angels that were just...dancing, and slowly relaxing. And what a domain it was. She had gained the domain of the Arts, or, in another form, Advancement and Change. Her Art encompasses everything that can be considered as such - and her Chaos added the Herald of Change to her domain. It was...annoyingly abstract.


    <table>


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    <td style="text-align: center">When are you going to get around to taking a nap? I''ve been looking forward to this.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I just chuckled at the sudden appearance of Mr. Blue Boxes, not even annoyed that Mr. Blue Boxes was in on my "falling asleep" as well as my children. "When I feel like it." I answered mysteriously.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You shouldn''t put it off for too much longer.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "I''m waiting for the crescendo...and besides, I can feel that it''s not quite time yet. Fate is pushing me to stall a bit, though I bet my children will attempt to straight up knock me out if it gets too bad." I explained with a shrug. "To be honest, I''m more interested in why you chose to speak up now." I questioned.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">I''m interested in what''s going to happen. Even for me, this...event is in flux, and I so do enjoy surprises. I mean, there''s a 95% chance that Idoknow what''s going to happen and how it''s going to go down, but that''s still better odds for something happening contrary to my expectations than I''ve had in a long time. At least, in a new universe like yours.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Ah, that would explain it," I said with a small chuckle, tossing the music box to the side and looking back towards the Four Realms, reaching out and beginning to fix a few little problems I had just noticed. It still amazes me sometimes how, even from the comfort of my own Palace, I can reach out and fix problems all the way across the Four Realms without having to expend any extra divine power than if I was right ''next'' to the problem. With "next" being a relative term, because sometimes the problem is all-encompassing or not in any specific location. "Speaking of percentages, what were my options for expanding the Four Realms?"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">There was a 50% chance of you simply letting the Four Realms grow without nuturing the Seeds, which had a 90% chance of catastrophic failure. Another option was you setting up a Cycle between the Four Realms much like Shin at 19%. Choosing the seeds was a 27% chance.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Well then. That''s outrageously specific.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">I was merely putting it to scale, so you could understand it easier. It is far more complicated than those numbers.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Mr. Blue Boxes assure me. I hummed and nodded, getting distracted and looking out towards the Mortal Realm. "Huh, neat," I muttered, narrowing my eyes as Kei''s song continued to play. Blinking hard, I found myself struggling a bit to focus. A sudden burst of power and slight irritation shocked me back to full awareness, and I growled a bit. "That''s quite enough," I said calmly, talking to no one in particular.


    That was the third time in the past hour I''d almost slipped into meditation - and I''m not ready yet. Or...am I? All of a sudden all the pieces seemed to click together, and I felt as if there was nothing left for me to handle. A sudden weight was lifted off of my shoulders, and I could breathe once more, everything around me seeming to flex with each breath. "That''s not nice," I muttered, barely having time to send out a few incarnations to tell my children of my impending meditations before I began to drift off. I had been soadamantabout not going into meditation too...


    "Randus!" I managed to get out, standing up and flying drunkenly towards my meditation chambers. In a flash of light my butler-esque child appeared, took one look at me and slipped under my arm to support me. It was very...humbling.


    "I say, you do look rather exhausted, madam." Randus said slowly.


    "Still in character, I see," I said with a chuckle, earning a wry smile. "To...to the meditation chamber...I''m about to collapse." I murmured, eyes slowly drifting shut. This...this was not normal, but I didn''t feel any fear from the strange form of meditation I was about to enter. It was completely strange...and suddenly I was laying down in a bed, in my meditation room, with Alexander, Reika, Keilan, Elvira, and Randus all looking down on me with concern.


    "...are you ok?!" Reika asked worriedly, though I missed the first part of her question.


    "...just...sleepy....feels strange...don''t worry...just nap...for a bit..." I murmured, waving one hand. At least, I tried to wave my hand. I have no idea if it actually worked, as my body''s not responding to my commands right now. Man, I haven''t felt this way since I was mortal, all those millions of years ago. "Leave...room...see you...soon..." I murmured. My children looked at each other in concern as my eyes closed, and vanished just as I entered meditation.


    Then the entire room crystallized.


    POV CHANGE: Will of the Four Realms (Third Person POV)


    The Four Realms strained under the weight it had taken off of the Creator, but remained fully functional.It observed as the Creator immediately began to fall into unconcious meditation, and even felt a tiny sliver of shock as the Creator created a block of crystallizedpowerthat filled the entirety of Their room. The Guardians stood outside of the Creator''s room, murmuring amongst each other.


    A small conciousness wiggled, and the Four Realms "moved aside," in a sense, so as to allow the sliver of the Creator''s consciousness to slide in alongside it. Warmth spread throughout the Four Realms, a tingly feeling of love. That was the Creator - even now, making sure some part of Them was there, watching out for the Four Realms.


    "Re-optimizing...programs running at 96% effeciency."A small voice informed quietly, having increased the effeciency of a few Systems the Creator put in place slightly after the Creator''s consciousness wiggled its way back into the Four Realms.


    "...amazing...Her dreams are...just..." the Guardian of Dreams mumbled, staring at the Creator''s room.


    "What, Randus?" The Guardian of the Mountain asked in exasperation. The Guardian of Dreams shook his head.


    "I don''t know...I don''t understand. She is most certainly dreaming, but...I cannot make heads or tales of it. She is simultaneously dreaming and not, watching all Dreams even as She watches everything else." The Guardian of Dreams explained, turning to face the other Guardians. "It is far more complex than even I can do, though it makes me wonder what it is She is dreaming."


    "You mean, you cannot read Father''s dreams anymore?" The Guardian of the River asked, his great serpentine form just barely fitting within the hallway outside of the Creator''s room. A small hint of amusement emanated out from the Creator''s sliver of consciousness, essentially stating that the Guardian of Dreams could only read Their dreams because They let him.


    "No, and not for lack of trying. The parts I can get are far too complex for me to understand." The Guardian of Dreams stated simply.


    "Do we have any idea how long this is going to last?" The Guardian of Karma questioned, changing the subject.


    "I expect not too long. Last time it was merely ten thousand years that Mother fell into meditation, but thisisdifferent, so I''d expect it to take longer." The Guardian of the Tree reasoned. A general murmur of agreement went around the group of five, and all of them simultaneously sighed.


    "I did tell Him to get some rest but this is so...sudden. It''s a good thing we were preparing for such an eventuality." The Guardian of the Mountain said slowly, scratching one of her wings idly. "The important thing now is to ensure that things keep running smoothly, and we continue Father''s work. He was doing much, so it''s going to be harder on all of us now." She reminded the others, earning another round of general agreement. For a moment there was silence before all five simply turned and started off towards their respective posts, allowing some of the weight the Will of the Four Realms had picked up to fall upon their shoulders.


    "Running at 96.23% efficiency."The System informed. A flash of annoyance spiked through the Creator''s consciousness. The monotony of that voice needed to change. And, for a brief moment, the Will of the Four Realms founditself,just barely having awareness, agreeing.

 Names are Hard

    POV: Tian


    I calmly cleaned my battle spear, polishing the tip and making sure there was no rust along it. There was no real need for me to perform this maintenance, as this was a treasure forged from the heart of a dwarf star and I had spent many years pouring my cultivation base into it to make it a priceless treasure, but...well, it was comforting. The familiar weight of the spear, the smell of the oil, the rhythmic motions...it was calming.


    "So you finally got a domain." I said to Kei as she sat watching me, her tails swishing back and forth in tune with my gentle washing.


    "Yep!" Kei said cheerily, popping her p. I nodded again, pausing in my cleaning to look down the edge of the blade itself, ensuring that it reflected the light properly. That was one way to tell whether or not the blade had dulled after all. Satisfied that it required no sharpening, I put my cleaning cloth aside and began to polish the dull grey blade. Once upon a time it had been a deep black color, but eons of use turned the blade a dull grey instead, complete with scratches and nicks from the many fights it''s been through. The most impressiveof which had been with that dragon all those years ago. What had been her name? The Eldest Dragon or something? Sehuyun? Something like that.


    Although, a few new dings along the haft had recently added during my forays in the more wild parts of the Heaven Realm. There are some really interesting beasties out there. None that inherently pose a threat to me, but they are still powerful and have some tricky abilities.


    "What is it? I mean, I saw all those deities dancing with you as you sang - wonderful song, by the way - but I''m not sure as to what your domainis."Inesa asked from her chair beside the fireplace. I glanced up in interest, pausing my task to focus on Kei''s answer. We were, meaning Inesa, myself, and Kei, in the small house I had built in one of the mountain ranges of Pangea. It was actually relatively close to Manu Ti, that city I created so long ago, but far enough away and completely off the radar of the Celestial Palace so we weren''t bugged by them. I''d only visited the Celestial Empress a few times since my rebirth, and...well, she has a very abbraisive personality.


    I don''t like her that much anymore. Before, I thought she was amusing. Now, she''s annoying.


    "Art," Kei said proudly, puffing out her chest. "My domain is Art." Inesa and I exchanged a glance, both of us confused. I mean, Kei''s always been the creative type, and she loves dancing and music almost as much as life itself, but enough to make that her domain...?


    "Art? Like, as in painting and shit?" I asked. Kei frowned and shook her head, taking a sip of the tea Inesa had prepared. I swear, with the amount of tea everyone in the universe drinks, including the deities, it must be a drug. It''s a conspiracy, Statera is secretly drugging everyone by having introduced tea into the Four Realms. I took a moment to take a sip of my own tea, from where the cup sat on the table beside my chair.


    ...yes, absolutely. It''s a drug, that''s what tea is. I took another sip.


    ...It''s a drug I''ll have to live with. Inesa makes a mean cup of tea. It''s on par with the Karmic Rum or Dragonfire Brandy I''ve got hidden away, which is saying something because that stuff is good.


    Anyways, back on topic. "Well...yes and no," Kei began, drumming her fingers on the arm of the rocking chair she was sitting in. "Painting can be an Art, but it doesn''t have to be. It''s much more abstract than that, it''s like - well, my domain is the inspiration for artists, their passion, and the end result. Does that make sense...?" Kei asked.


    "No," I said bluntly. Inesa shot me a look. "What? It doesn''t. Ok, it sort of does, but that doesn''t explain why you got Art as your domain. I expected you to get something like Mischief, not...well, notArt."I explained, making a face. Kei opened her mouth to protest, but then shut it as she really thought about it.


    "Suprisingly, Tian makes a good point. That only happens once every ten thousand years or so!" Inesa exclaimed, a smirk dancing on her lips. I shot her a mock-affronted look.


    "Oi, it''s at least once every thousand years." I protested, and Kei snickered. A comfortable silence fell over us and I went back to polishing my spear as Kei contemplated what we were asking as she stared into the crackling fire. It was very peaceful, and I felt content to just sit there for the moment. Even if Statera had seemingly vanished, and Kei refused to talk about it. I frowned. That was another thing I needed to figure out. It wasn''t like Statera had really vanished, I remember what it felt like when He left the Four Realms altogether, and this was different.


    "I suppose...well, look at Tian." Kei said, gesturing to me and breaking the silence. "He has reached a level of skill in his Art, the Martial Way as it''s called, that it has become inexplicable to anyone lower than him - and even to many deities at this point. It has become a Dao, a path for others to follow. I suppose if I had to put my domain into terms like that, it is calling all possible Daos an Art, but not just including the end result. It''s the entire journey, including the inspiration required to get there in the first place, and the chaos required to really advance."


    "Ah, so then it''s like the Art of the Dao." I said, nodding a bit. Kei paused and nodded.


    "Yeah...kind of? Dao is a bit too grandoise of a word, though. Why are we even arguing about the name of my domain anyways? Art is the first word I thought of when I got it." Kei asked, looking between myself and Inesa. Inesa just chuckled a bit and shook her head.


    "Because Tian''s stubborn and doesn''t like the simple name of ''Art.''" She told Kei.


    "Doesn''t really fit, from what you''ve told me. How in the world did you get that domain anyways? I thought you just played around all the time." I asked, finally finishing polishing the spearhead and putting my weapon to the side, moving from the wooden stool I had been on to my much more comfortable recliner, made of a very special leather and stuffed with the feathery down of a cloudbeast. They had thesoftestand mostcomfortablefeathers, it was simply rediculous. So naturally I hunted a whole bunch and made a comforter and three chairs out of their feathers.


    They were so comfortable that even Inesa, who like myself has no need for sleep, often finds herself snoozing on them. The only reason that I hadn''t been in this recliner previously was because Inesa gets mad when I clean my spear on the chair - something about oil and it being hard to clean - but I think it''s just the principle of the thing.


    "Well, yeah, that''s partly why. I''ve travelled around the Four Realms far more than almost any other being, besides maybe Grandfather, and personally seen innumerable mortals going about their lives. I''ve seen potential Daos in eight-year-old children, and ancient monsters without a dao to speak of. I''ve seen people inspired, lose their muse, and become a muse themselves all in one small lifetime - and over the course of millions of years. But it''s also because of my connection to chaos. I was born during the first time of chaos, after all." Kei explained. Inesa nodded and I hummed.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Your domain is just so abstract that it makes my head hurt." I said with a sigh. "So let''s just stick with the Art of the Dao for now, because I''m getting a headache thinking about this. What''s next on our agenda? Food?" Kei and Inesa chuckled at my abrupt change of topic, having expected me to get bored of it after a while, I suppose.


    "I''m going to stick with Art for now...and Idoknow a place that makes some killer food - run by a mortal, too, which makes it even more surprising." Kei suggested. I glanced at Inesa, who shrugged and stood with a stretched, clasping her hands and raising them far above her head.


    "I could go for some food. I haven''t enjoyed a decent meal in a few dozen years," She reasoned, relaxing and glancing at me. For a moment, the some part of me found humor in what Inesa said. She hasn''teatenin a few dozen years - meals are unneccessary at some point, but food is still tasty - to say nothing of having a decent meal, but then I stood up and nodded, realizing that I wasn''t much better. My diet had consisted of tea and alcohol for the past hundred some-odd years.


    "Sounds great. Glad I suggested it." I commented. That got a round of chuckles, and we headed out.


    POV CHANGE: Alexander


    I yawned slightly, feeling my coils tense and relax as I stretched within my cave, blinking my eyes and staring down at the few spirits that buzzed about inside of my cave. It''s a wonder they hadn''t noticed me yet, especially with all the shifting I''ve done in the past few minutes. Well, if I don''t want to be seen it''s fairly easy for me to hide myself, so I guess that''s part of it. Clearing my throat I looked expectantly at the spirits, watching with barely concealed amusement as they whirled and gaped at the giant, white dragon sitting before them.


    "You do realize this is my cave, right?" I inquired innocently, cocking my head to the side. The spirits, without a moment''s hesitation, stopped what they had been doing and ran, letting out a number of undignified yelps in the process. I just chuckled and shook my head, stretching again and clicking my teeth together. "Seems another angel ascended." I noted, checking the fluxuations in the universe to confirm this. As the universe grows, such an event slowly seems to become much less astounding and important as before...well, perhaps important isn''t the right word. Impactful? Not quite as worthy of extreme note? Something like that.


    It''s just like Kei''s domain..."Nope, not going to get into that argument." I told myself, shaking my head as I slowly slid out of my cave, looking around at the Four Realms. My cave was located somewhere in the Spirit Realm - that glue that held everything together and was basically one giant plane that connected everything together. I believe a few Fae in the Mortal Realm call blame this ondark matter,which I assume is essentially the spiritual energy that makes up the Spirit Realm itself. It''s interested to see how mortals react to the Spirit Realm...many touch it, and then simply forget about it altogether.


    Quite strange. What does one call that...?


    "Enough about names," I growled to myself, shaking my head. The entirety of the Four Realms was in a tizzy about Kei''s domain, and how the name doesn''t quite fit as well as it should. This was actually a rather cleverly planned diversion on Keilan''s part, he having convinced the rest of us to break the news of Father''s meditation/sleep to the rest of the Four Realms slowly and divert their attention with Kei''s domain. Kei, of course, agreed wholeheartedly, as telling the universe of Father''s unplanned and rather sudden withdrawl from the waking world would simply add to the chaos.


    Still, that name stuff was very interesting, and even though I had elected to stay out of the arguments going on across the universe I found myself thinking about it - even if in a roundabout way by contemplating names and words for other things.And, despite myself, I think I have come up with an answer as to what Kei''s domain is, if not the name itself. Kei''s domain is life, not to be confused with Life as in the physical forms of all things. It is life as in way of living,the way one lives and spends their life.


    A man who spends all day, every day, sweeping steps can turn that into an art, into a way of life, just as Tian turned fighting, his Martial Way, into a way of life. And, as Kei once told me, it is from these lives that creates Art - it is the journey, the chaos, the peace, and everything in between that creates the power and feeling behind a truly great piece of Art, and that is Kei''s domain. It is the Art, the Journey, the Inspiration.Thatis Kei''s domain.


    It is almost funny, the way the domains of the Big Five fit together, just as the Four Realms do. They all come together to form a picture, a story that all beings follow throughout all their lives. My domain is that of the Guide, and in the story I speak of it takes the form of the trail in which the people walk upon, guiding them down wherever they wish to go (though preferably down the positive path), and the signposts that tell them of the different choices. Keilan''s domain of Karma is the choices themselves - for that is what Karma is.


    Karma is not merely the consequences, either positive or negative, of any action - it is a reminder that there is a choice to be had, and that the choice on which path to take is ultimately yours, and yours alone. Within the confines of the story, Keilan''s domain represents the many branching paths, the innumerable choices to make on which paths to go down. Elvira''s domain, though she does not have one as of yet I have confidence that this is what it shall represent, is the light in the sky - the percieved "goal." It is the thing that bathes the different choices in light as they lead upwards, or cast them in shadow as they lead downwards. It is what gives the story, the journey, and the paths, their depth.


    Reika''s domain, despite its cyclical nature, represents the rest-stops. The different "chapters," if you will. Life and Death each represent a new chapter in the story itself, and, sometimes, a complete change in character. Kei''s domain, however, takes on a completely new perspective. Everything else has been about the path itself, somehow shaping it. Kei''s domain is about the people, the characters...and that is what Kei''s domain represents within the story, the characters, the people walking down the path, in all their variation.


    I chuckled and shook my head. Yes, that is a very satisfying explanation.


    "Lord Alexander, it is a pleasure to see you." A sudden voice said as I gently floated towards the River. I turned and nodded my greeting to the passing angel before continuing on my way, my mind pleasantly devoid of any thought. It is pleasent to be alone, without even one''s own thoughts as company, every once in a while. For a moment I simply sat there, staring out at the Four Realms before I decided it was time for a bath, and dove down into the Karmic Ocean for a nice swim.


    Down in the depths of the dark waters, I observed a few beings of karmic origins as they frolicked about. They were mysterious creatures, with one of them even looking none too different from my own Dragons. Quite a few beasts had begun to imitate my Dragons recently, which I found to be quite the interesting development. It allowed them to scare off larger, more powerful creatures at times. An interesting adaptation.


    It was then that I turned my attention to the Mortal Realms, and observed there for a while. The Arachions and Draconiods had, suprisingly, joined forces in one war and were fighting together against a particularly nasty contingent of Fae. Elsewhere, Fae were righteously fighting against more aggressive Arachions, and numerous other wars were erupting across the Four Realms. Some we were desperately trying to avoid, while others were...annoyingly enough, impossible to avoid. Morgan was not nearly as invovled with that as I had previously feared it would be.


    Morgan was more content to sit back and watch the chaos unfold.


    Sighing, I turned back towards my cave, disappearing into it once more as I settled back in, closing my eyes and connecting with my Domain, attempting to guide as many as I could, indirectly. It was a hard path, but I for one enjoyed it. That, and it was a welcome break to adding changes to the Four Realms.

 Revisiting Old Faces

    POV: The Mad Scientist (y''know...from all those chapters ago)


    My wings beat powerfully as I shot through the darkness of space, lightning crackling between my hands as I muttered a chant. To escape my pursuers I was forced to rely on techniques, spells, and powers I had gathered from my other lives - which is what made my existence, and the existences of all Monkey Wrenches, as we are informally called, truly terrifying. As we travel about the multiverses, living a life in each new universe, we accumulate knowledge and power. Knowledge is terrifying in and of itself, but as each new universe is completely new, we do have to re-learn much each life unless the skill is all but universal, such as blacksmithing or sculpting. However, it is the power part that makes us scary.


    Each universe has its own form of ''power'' that is used, not necessarily unique power, but different power nonetheless. And in each life, we Monkey Wrenches accumulate power via training or, in some cases, simply living. For example, the Four Realms. As I progress down the path of cultivation I gather more power and become stronger, strengthening my soul, body, and heart all at the same time. Right now, I am an Immortal in three different styles of cultivation, Body, Mind, and Martial Qi, and can be considered decently powerful. If I were to die right now, all those changes would be essentially erased as my soul travels through universes to its next life...


    However. Part of that power will remain behind with me, travelling with me from universe to universe in a single, massive conglomeration of power in the purest form, allowing me toaccess systems of magic and techniques that would normally be incompatible with the universe I am in. The power that I take from each universe is a relatively small amount, approaching a maximum of one percent of the power I weilded while living in said universe, but that tends to add up. I, myself, have lived a total of one hundred and sixty seven lives, not including this one, and have accumulated enough power that it is just below that of an Immortal''s level of prowess. (Though much of this is because of three or four very successful lives.)


    Additionally, to add to the terrifying nature of this ability of ours, the power essentially "pools" with the power we naturally gain in each universe. However, only the naturally gained power carries over to our accumulated power...so there is no exponential growth, and it works as incentive for us to grow more powerful within the natural laws of each universe.


    Hence the name Monkey Wrench, which I now know was bestowed upon us by the deities of said universes, as we quite literally throw a Monkey Wrench into every single world, if not universe we arrive in. I once met a Monkey Wrench (because every tenth life, without fail, we each arrive in a world/universe with at least one other Monkey Wrench in it) that had lived for thousands of lives...the amount of power he accumulated was far beyond my comprehension. I can only assume it was enough for him to be on-par with the exaulted Dao Progenitors of the Four Realms, though I cannot be certain. Perhaps he was even more powerful.


    In truth, even I do not know how the power mechanisms work. They are very complex, and even after all my experimenting I am no closer to the truth than I was in my first reincarnated life. I can only hope that the mysteries will be further revealed in later lives...much like how I hope the mysteries of the Divine, like Statera Luotian, will be revealed as well.


    But, back to the world of the living and returning from my thoughts, I finished casting the spell I had been preparing.


    "...[Thundering Rampage.]" I said calmly, finishing the chant and flipped around so I was flying backwards and facing my pursuers, holding the ball of blue lightning out in front of me. Four rune-covered rings of blue light slowly spun around the ball of lightning in my hands, and as I willed it, two of the rings vanished.KRACKA-BOOOOM!!Thunder and lightning exploded forth with terrifying power, blasting apart the shields my three pursuers had erected with competuous ease and sending them hurtling backwards like kites with their strings cut.


    Mixing spells and powers like this was incredibly effective. Terrifyingly so. It was very useful.


    With a cold snort I flipped back around and continued flying, hurtling through space at an insane speed as I utilized the [Swift Feet] spell, a spell I learned in another universe that increases movement speed by fifteen percent, along with a movement evasion skill I had learned in this life, thus increasing my speed greatly. Knowledge of over a hundred different universes and their power systems...plus perfect memories of all those lives...yes, we Monkey Wrenches can truly be terrifyingly cheat-like existances.


    Doesn''t help when faced with someone like Statera Luotian, but that''s to be expected. We cannot create an entire universe from literallyfucking nothing,while they can. (That is something that still boggles my mind.Somethingcreated fromnothing...?That goes against so many fundamental laws in all the lives that I''ve lived that it''s almost impossible to believe.)


    "That is quite far enough, don''t you think?" An ethereal voice called to me as I came into view of my goal - the Barrier that separated this Life-Giving Tree from the outside universe.


    "...no." I responded, coming to a halt as a tear in space appeared directly between me and the shortest route to the Barrier. "There is still a few...miles, left." The Celestial Empress, in all her "glory," blinked at me in confused as she emerged from the tear along with ten of her finest guards. Then she turned her head to look at the Barrier, her obnoxiously golden earrings tinkling beautifully as she did so, before turning back to me with a small smile.


    "So there is." She said, very clearly amused. Slowly she began to glide towards me, her white and gold robes trailing behind her, the two silk streamers she had tied around her shoulders twisting and turning like coiled dragons as she advanced. I tensed, flaring my aura in warning, and the Empress stopped. Her ten guards, however, tensed in preparation to jump in front of her if need be. "It''s really impressive that you managed to get this far at all. It''s a testament to your...unique abilities."


    If there is one thing I could say about the Celestial Empress, it was that she doesn''t mince words. Or, well, she does, but her true intentions are never too far beneath the surface. "Fair...point. Let me pass." I said simply. My uniqueness are exactly what attracted the Celestial Empress to me - after all, only extremely talented geniuses are able to consistently defeat people who have a stronger cultivation level than them. I may not be an extremely talented genius, instead having an unfair advantage in other terms, but that is just another reason for me to attract the Celestial Empress''s attentions. She has geniuses like that under her command (rumor has it that she is one such genius), but I, on the other hand, have techniques and skills she has never seen before. Even if I cannot teach others these skills, I am still a valuable asset.


    "Come now, that''s no way to treat a friend, now is it?" The Celestial Empress asked casually, tilting her head to the side cutely. Her black hair, done up in an elaborate style and adorned with plenty of gold pieces, almost ruined the picture. Were she an ordinary mortal, I would''ve made a joke about her tipping over. Instead I just raised one eyebrow, causing her to chuckle again. "Very true, ''friend'' is a strong word. Would acquantaince suffice? Or perhaps simply ''potential employer?''" She asked.


    "...perhaps. I wish to leave." I said simply, once again. The Celestial Empress sighed in disappointment, shaking her head and removing a paper fan from the sleeve of her robes. Flicking it open and revealing the beautifully painted scene on the paper itself, the Empress hid the lower half of her face as she stared at me.


    "I am attempting to be cordial here, but you are making it very difficult, my dear. Why do you wish to leave so badly? My offer still stands, and I guarantee that I can provide anything you desire. Beyond this Barrier, that may not be the case." She explained, her eyes watching me carefully. But, my answer was already prepared long ago.


    "Can you offer...peace?" I asked quietly. The Empress stiffened ever so slight, and I forged ahead. "I can...see, what you are doing...you know. It is not...difficult to sense that you are...provoking a war. I...have seen war. That is not...something I wish for...again. No material possessions can...convince me otherwise." I explained. The Celestial Empress was silent for a moment longer before she spoke.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "I see. But you are mistaken, I am provoking nothing. What you see as provocation is me making preparations for that chaos that is about to truly unfold. The mortals constantly wage war against one another, cultivators are becoming more and more restless...the last time it was this bad, the War of the Sun took place. I can only imagine what will happen this time." The Celestial Empress reasoned.


    "So it is...inevitable." I deduced.


    "Unfortunately," She declared. The problem was, she was very clearly right. The climax of this conflict had yet to arrive. Things were very slowly and very deliberately coming to a spearhead. What it all culminated to was another matter entirely, but...well, I, for one, wished to gather more clues. True, I don''t want to participate in a war of any kind, however, I would like to see where it is going before it gets there. And I would like to find at least some of the forces pushing it along. That way, if need be, I could intervene.


    "That is...acceptable." I allowed. The Celestial Empress, for all her might, could truly be trying to ensure that her people were safe, however a large portion of her actions were also to ensure that her authority over the Mortal Realm remained largely uncontested. The changes happening now are shaking that authority, what with the rumors of new Trees growing beyond the Barrier going around, and as such the Celestial Empress is taking steps to remain "powerful." Which is a very fair reaction. Many rulers do the same. The Gallos Empire is doing the exact same thing, as are the uncountable number of mortal rulers.


    The Celestial Empress, however, was clearly shocked by my answer, even behind her fan. "Really?" She asked, lowering said fan to reveal her slightly parted, red lips. Even the golden, ethereal light she had been radiating to give herself a more majestic look faltered slightly. "For some reason, I expected a different answer. Hm. Regardless, may I now assume that you are willing to see things my way? Come back and join me." She once again offered.


    "No. I still...wish to leave. I want to see...what there is beyond this...Barrier." I countered once again. The Celestial Empress'' expression grew firm, and she set her lips into a thin line. The guards behind her stiffened, and I sighed slightly. It had been a long time since I''d gotten truly serious, and although I may not be able to win against the Celestial Empress and her goons, by utilizing a certain special technique I had a fair chance of dealing plenty of damage to them. I''d just rather not, because it would most certainly attract more attention to myself and may end with my death.


    Purple light began to radiate from me as my expression grew cold, forming a protective layer around me. My bones crackled, my flesh groaned, and my blood roiled in my veins as I prepared to utilize a secret art. The purple light around me halted halfway through the transformation, however, stopping as it began to condense into solid lines that swirled around me mysteriously. In but a nanosecond the entire art could be unleased at this point, but I didn''t want to reveal this card unless I truly had to. It may not be one of my truly secret and formidable abilities, but it is best to have many reserve cards. The Celestial Empress, however, merely chuckled and let out a soft breath.


    The small gust of air turned into a roaring tempest of green energy, which I stared at with cold eyes as it approached. This breeze would be enough to tear me to shreds were I not protected, but now? Now all it could do was shatter against the purple lines of condensed light. And it did just that, making the Celestial Empress''s eyes narrow ever so slightly as I stood there, unharmed, as my maze of purple lines stretched in a hundred meter circle around me.


    "DOnoT TEst my...PAtIEnce." I said, my voice fluctuating with power. The tne guards behind the Celestial Empress tensed as she deliberated her options. Then, she smiled.


    "I will not...instead, I will test you yourself. I trust that you will not work against our interests, after watching your actions for a while that much I can be sure of -"


    "ThAT MUCH...depeNdS ON You." I interrupted. If she forced my hand I would most definitely act against her. It really depended on many factors, as I am not an inherently altruistic person will to sacrifice everything for a few transgressions against others, but I do have my limits...especially if I am directly involved. It''s just that...well, my response may not be as loud and brash as a warrior''s. I can be far more...subtle.


    "...indeed." The Celestial Empress said, reigning in her anger at having been interrupted. Silently she stared at me for a bit longer before sighing, the action seemingly causing her to deflate slightly. "I don''t think I wish to fight with you. Not here, at least. I am not like Tian, that battle maniac, gallavanting off and fighting everything that breathes. I have face, and an Empire to uphold. Go, get out of here. Just do not forget to not work against my interests, and that my offers do still stand, even after your...impertinence." She said coldly, moving aside ever so slightly. Her aura flared, pushing through my defenses to suppress me just a bit, as a statement.


    In response, my purple lines collapsed in on me, and I vanished alongside them, reappearing a full hundred meters behind the Celestial Empress and her group. The Empress turned to casually look at me as I slowly floated away, still facing them, with my back to the Barrier I was heading towards. Then, as easily as pushing through water, I vanished through the Barrier.


    Seems as though Statera still does like me. Otherwise I wouldn''t have made it through the Barrier.


    POV CHANGE: Reika


    "Thank you." I said to the angel that had come running to inform me of the Mad Scientist''s passing through the Barrier. Apparently there had been a bit of a scare when she the Celestial Empress decided to pay a visit, butwith the power of three of the most powerful angels carefully manipulating the situation a fight was prevented from breaking out. It wasn''t a situation quite worthy of my entire attention, hence why I hadn''t viewed it myself, but it wasn''t proper to not keep an eye on beings of importance...especially those who had caught Mother''s eye. "You may go. I appreciate all that you''ve done." I said kindly, absently patting said angel on the shoulder.


    Generally, angels true forms were the shapes of their souls, appearing as balls of light or something similarly formless. However, this angel was one of the relatively few who had ascended to becoming an angel after becoming an Immortal. After becoming an Immortal, a cultivator''s flesh and soul combine into one, and as such when an Immortal also becomes and angel, their souls retain the shape of their body. The full effects of this actually have not been fully studied yet...but I can confidently say that they are generally more powerful than normal mortal-born angels, and as such are able to more effectively influence cultivators.


    This angel in particular had been a Water Elemental, and had recently been relocated to stand guard over one of the new Regions.


    "I could say the same." The angel said cheekily, vanishing through a wall in Mother''s Palace, chased by my amused laughter. Angels were truly wonderful beings...and although they are paragons of goodwill, that doesn''t mean they can''t have a personality either. With that handled, I turned away to continue staring at the Sun and Moon from one of the verandas on Mother''s Palace. Every once in a while I could sense movement from within the two spheres...and I could sense that the time was soon approaching for the new deities of the Sun and Moon to be born again.


    Mother seemed convinced that Tian would be the first to become a deity, but at this rate I was uncertain if that would be the case. Leo and Celene seemed more prone to waking up first, which would signify their full transformation into deities. Still, I chuckled and shook my head. It''ll be interesting to see which comes first, Tian rising to become a deity, or Leo and Celene.


    With another sigh I turned to look at the giant crystal that jutted out of the side of the Palace, a literal testament to Mother''s power. "How little I understand you." I told the crystal with a chuckle, shaking my head. Mother was an enigma...and yet, at the same time, I felt as if She was very easy to understand, which makes everything even more confusing.


    Such as the Mad Scientist. I cannot fathom why She took the Mad Scientist with Her to venture out into the Void. Even if the Mad Scientist does have memories from other lifetimes...but at the same time, I didn''t understand why She was so interested in Tian until it was explained to me. Once it was, it made perfect sense, and I almost wanted to slap myself for missing the obvious. It was simple...and sometimes that was the hardest to see.


    "Enough of that." I told myself, slapping my cheeks and sending out a burst of my power, cleaning the entire Palace in one go. There were other things to focus on than thoughts like that. For one, the Dimensional Creators were beginning to truly show signs of expanding their dimension, and strange...things, have begun to pop up in the space between the Regions. It was nothing too serious yet, but it was connected to when Leitz, the High Deity of Lightning, created an entire area that was completely conquered by lightning. Sort of. They''re not directly connected, but they appear to come from the same source...whatever that source may be.


    Not to mention that in another half a million years, more Seeds would be ready...if that long. The Four Realms would not be constricted to five Regions, that much was becoming more and more obvious. Still, at least the new Regions were showing some promising signs of growth.


    As I turned to leave, making one more sweep over Mother''s Palace with my senses to make sure nothing was amiss (though Randus would never allow such a travesty), something caught my attention. Mother''s sword, the Sword that Does Not Cut was nowhere to be found. With a frown I searched again, but still did not find the sword.


    "Odd..." I muttered to myself, before putting it in the back of my head for further investigation. The sword did have a minor will of its own, so perhaps it had gone off somewhere when Mother fell into slumber. Perhaps Randus would know where it went. With a shake of my head I moved away from the Palace, returning to my duties and promising to myself that I would ask about the sword later.


    Honestly, I didn''t expect to forgetabout it.

 Mortality and Destroying Faith

    POV: Statera Luotian


    For a while, my mind was naught but blankness as it absorbed and assimilated all the knowledge I had gathered over the past two million years, categorically storing it and doing...unimaginable things to my domain. As soon as that was done I found myself floating about within the Four Realms, watching as everything happened. My insights continued to grow as I silently watched the worlds continue to churn, the Realms continue to spin, and the souls continue to cycle. It is something I had witnessed an uncountable number of times, and yet, only now were a few insights starting to click.


    Time was very subective in this state. I could have been watching for a year, or ten thousand years...I don''t actually know. But, when it was over, I could feel that everything I had needed to gain had been gained. It was a strange feeling, to be honest, though no more strange than when my gaze turned skywards, towards the Abyss, and the roiling waves of utter destruction that continued unabated where the Void met Primordial Chaos.


    Watching this endless destruction and creation, I couldn''t help but ponder it. Why was it that thenothingof the Void could be made into something...and why was it that the two were so incompatible? Sitting there for a long while I started to come to a realization; while the Void seemed to be endlessly seeking the destruction of the Primordial Chaos, or Creation, Creation was likewise endlessly seeking the destruction of the Nothing, or the Void, in its own way. And yet, where they clashed, both were born from the other. With a frown I extended a bit of my will...as this was my mind, a strange incomprehensible manifestation of myself as my body rested within its crystal bed, I had no hands to extend.


    A small ball of Void and another of Primordial Chaos separated themselves from the Abyss, floating before me in carefully separated and restrained balls of my will. Why was it that my will did not provoke a reaction from either the Void or the Chaos? A question for another time, as the one before me was more vexing.


    I studied the two balls of nothing and something, examining them from the inside out. The Void - with no words that could describe it, for even emptiness does not do the blankness of the Void justice. The Chaos - just that, Chaos. Endless, roiling Creation in its base form, ready to be built into anything at all. At a glance, extreme polar opposites, completely incompatible with one another...but I, of all beings, should know better than to believe that. Holding the two in front of me I gradually drained them of the other''s influence, as there was most certainly still influence from the other in such proximity to the massive amounts.


    Slowly, the two drained. Ever so painfully slowly...the Void I held started to become truly devoid of anything, and the Chaos became even more chaotic. This was because I was separating them from everything in the universe and Void, as if there was truly nothing but Chaos and Void. When I was about halfway done, I began to feel strained. Three quarters of the way done, and I was struggling to keep the two balls contained.


    Then, it got to the point where I could advance no further. All my attention was on keeping the two balls contained, and nothing more. The Chaos, ironically, was becoming stiller the less Void Influence there was, whereas the Void...well, I couldn''t tell what the Void was doing, in all honesty. It''s impossible to tell if nothing is different when its still nothing. Unfortunately, however, I could go no further unless I let one of the two go. So, without a moment''s hesitation, I allowed the ball of Chaos to float away, returning to its normal state, as I slowly continued to drain Creation''s Influence away from the Void ball.


    And, suddenly, it exploded.


    Primordial Chaos flew everywhere, flying out towards the Void before bouncing off of Mr. Blue Boxes'' barrier and flying back to join with the rest of it as the Primodial Chaos of the Four Realms absorbed the new Chaos hungrily. It surged outwards, almost doubling in size before coming to a halt...and I felt a moment of satisfaction coming from the will of the Four Realms, as if some strange hunger had been abated.


    What in My name wasthat?!


    That was...that was...I blinked.


    That was just like Yin and Yang. That was Balance. When there is absolutely nothing, no abstract influence from the Primordial Chaos (that I can, for some reason, no longer understand or fathom, much less control), the Void becomes the base of Creation, just as when there is nothing but Yin, there shall suddenly be Yang as well, and vice versa.


    Incredible. Simply incredible. Things...were not as I first imagined them to be.


    On top of that, just a small ball of the Void was enough to double the Primordial Chaos in the Four Realms. What would happen if that ball was bigger? If a larger section of Void was devoid of any influence from Creation? Would it create enough Primordial Chaos to, say, create an entire Multiverse? Or...


    But wait, how does the influence work? It doesn''t make any sense...the Void is literally nothing, not even influence! Nothing cannot, by definition, cause anything to happen!It falls under the same category of a Paradox, those Void Beasts, because HOW DOES THAT WORK?! Damn it, if I had hands, I''d be rubbing my temples by now. And possibly ramming my head against a wall. The imporant thing was, however, that Creation and the Void were like Yin and Yang, with me understanding very little about the Void. It''s almost like I was a mortal again, back in my own universe, when I understood very little about the Spiritual world and yet knew it existed.


    And what I did know, was mostly guesswork.


    ...that''s so accurate it hurts.


    With a sigh I turned my attention once more to the Abyss, watching it for a few more moments. "All I know is that I know nothing." I muttered to myself, to quote a certain philosopher. For a moment longer I stared at the Abyss before slowly slipping back into my trance and turning my attention to the Void itself. Curiosity overcame me, and I silently flew my...mind, or whatever this was, out of the barrier safeguarding the Four Realms. My vision continued forth for a while into the darkness, and I looked around. There were so many things to see...not. It was just a Void.


    And then, I was attracted to something, floating off in the distance. It was...enormous, compared to the Four Realms. As I neared it, suddenly I realized what it was; the One World. The Realm of Yueya Oshun, the Origin Deity of Beauty. A thin layer of Primordial Chaos covered the giant ball of earth that was the World and the space in which the suns and moons circled said World. Inside, I could see Yueya herself moving about, managing things and instructing her fellow deities as she struggled to raise more beings to higher levels.


    She didn''t notice me as I passed by.


    Neither did Shin when I passed by his Wheel Realm, as it endlessly spun, nor did Reilly, as I watched his Nine Heavens for a while. As my consciousness traveled, I passed by all eleven other Realms...although, most of them were obscured to me. I could sense whose they were, but...perhaps because I had not visited them yet, I was not allowed to see what they were. Most certainly I could sense whose they were, but I couldn''t reallysee them. That was, until I came upon the twelfth universe, the home of the only Origin Deity in our little group of twelve that I had not met.


    I could just barely sense within it, and it felt...ancient. Old. Far older than any of us have any right to be. The entire universe radiated an archaic aura even as it lay hidden in obscurity, the Realm itself growing far slower, but much steadier, than any other. And in the center of all this was a dull flame, flickering in one part of the universe...the last spark of life of what once had been a being. A small thought struck me then; this twelfth universe had been created from the body and soul of its Origin Deity. Although it was never this simple, for all intents and purposes...the Origin Deity of this realm had perished.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    That small thought was followed by a much bigger revelation - Origin Deities were there at the beginning, true. But there was nothing in the job description that said we had to be there at the end, either.


    It was a very humbling thought.


    POV CHANGE: Old King (Somewhere in the Heaven Realm)


    I stared coldly out at the two armies clashing against one another, watching with careful eyes as the soldiers fought with a thunderous noise, their armors and blades flashing in the light of the sun. Spells from the weaker cultivators stationed in the back of the two forces began to fly forwards, igniting the warriors on the other side. My cultivators, however, were specifically targeting key points in the enemy formation in an attempt to make it collapse. Easier said than done, of course, but a tactic I had honed well over my life-long carrier of war.


    Above us, Avians flew about engaging in aerial combat, every once in a while one of the bird-people falling from the skies with a shriek and rain of red blood. A few cultivators of higher skill flew in the skies as well, with the aid of their magic treasures of course. The more powerful cultivators, the ones that could fly without outside aid, would never debase themselves with fighting in a small-time conflict like this.


    The mere thought of them looking down on me set my teeth to grinding, even as I watched my army begin to push back the opposing kingdom''s. This was but a ruse on the enemy''s part, though, as I knew their heavy cavalry was just waiting for the chance to tear my own army to shreds. This would, of course, not happen, as I was far too prepared. But it was just a matter of time before my armies were torn to shreds, andmy kingdom fell to those who I had attempted to conquer. My armies had been stretched too thin, my people too tired of war to continue on with the wars I was waging across the known lands beneath the Holy Mountain.


    I would end up as one more in a long list of would-be conquerers. There was no way around that for me.


    "Look out there, and tell me what you see." I said to the Earth Elemental next to me. He, and the female Fire Elemental next to him, were my...successors, in a sense of the word. My useless son would inherit a crumbling empire after these wars were over, if there was anything left to succeed in the first place. Only these two would carry on what I learned far too late in life for it to be useful in my goal. Hence they would be my successors in spirit and teachings.


    "The battle is going well. The only thing to worry about is the heavy cavalry, and they''ll be taken care of by the pikemen we''ve got in reserve." The Fire Elemental praised. I withheld a snort as the Earth Elemental spoke up.


    "We''re still taking too many losses." He said with a frown.


    "Mm. This is perhaps the last battle that shall go so well." I said. The duo kept their stoic expressions, revealing nothing of their true thoughts on their faces as they absorbed what I said. With a snort, I gave them a dirisive look and continued. "You brats, don''t think you can''t fool me. I know exactly how you think of me, and I know you know what the fate of this campaign and my kingdom is. I may be a fool, but I''m not stupid." I chided them, causing the color to drain from their faces.


    It was rather interesting for me, being an old, greying Avian myself, to watch the color of the fire that made up a Fire Elemental''s body change, the same going for an Earth Elemental''s soil. They still bled blood like the rest of us, but their flesh were made of elements themselves. The biology behind it was best left to those science-y fools.


    I couldn''t help but inwardly gloat at their expressions - for the young and inexperienced to think they could fool the old and wise was foolish. "Tell me, how do you conquer a people?" I asked, turning my attention back towards the ongoing battle. The enemy army had just deployed their heavy cavalry after their front lines "broke," with the intention of plowing through my infantry. Unfortunately for them, I was well aware of their plan, and had my pikemen already prepared to intercept thanks to some clever use of magic from the cultivators.


    "...take out their king and armies?" The Earth Elemental asked skeptically. "Initially at least."


    "Make them dependant upon you economically." The Fire Elemental said with more conviction, crossing her arms and nodding. She was a beauty of a Fire Elemental, I was told. Her skin was a fiery red color, flickering slightly, but nothing quite captured one''s attention like her coal-orange hair that glimmered like the coals of a great fire. Her outfit, a simple black shirt and pants, accentuated her curves and full figure, and was made of a fire-resistant material. I, for one, was not attracted to her. We were of different species, after all, and I was over three hundred years old. I''d seen my fair share of beautiful women in my time.


    "Wrong on both counts. Taking out their king and armies is how you capture a kingdom, not a people. And economic dependence only maintains peace." I said with no small amount of bitterness. I had attempted to capture a few nations economically before, with...mixed results. "Any other ideas?" I asked, feeling morbid satisfaction as the enemy heavy cavalry crashed against the best pikemen in the land - my own. It was like a bird flying into a wall, the cavalry just stopped upon the long, deadly pikes of my army. This, in turn, allowed my own heavy cavalry, which had been cleverly concealed from the enemy scouts by hiding amongst the infantry until now, to run through the retreating army like wheat in a field. Their horses had been hidden beneath invisibility spells and formations.


    "Is it...lower the taxes? Give them food?" The Earth Elemental asked stupidly. I snorted in annoyance.


    "No, you fool. That is how you temporarily win their hearts. What happens during a famine? When there is hardly enough food to go around, and I cannot give them any more food than they have? Or when I need to go to war, and the taxes raise again? Those who lived in kingdoms I had conquered would lose their bought loyalty. No, the way to win a people is to first...destroy their faith." I said with a smirk of superiority. The confused expressions of the Earth and Fire Elementals caused my smug expression to grow as I allowed that to sink in.


    And then, it clicked for them. Everything I said, the speeches I''ve been giving to my people for the past ten years, the propaganda and lies I had been spreading...everything clicked.


    "Oh," The Fire Elemental said, mimicking the Earth Elemental''s expression and brushing one orange flicker of fiery hair out her face.


    "So, Pyre, Terra, you finally understand?" I asked, addressing the Fire and Earth Elemental respectively.


    "Yes." Terra answered calmly, shaking his head. The brown "hair" atop his head rustled a bit with the movement, and he shifted, adjusting his outfit. The light grey garb went well against his soil-colored skin, though the gleaming magic sword was a little off-putting. Too ornamental for my tastes.


    "Sort of." Pyre corrected, shaking her head. I hummed in amusement, watching the battle for a bit longer before finishing my thought.


    "Destroy their faith, and the people will not resist, their armies will become weak, and the government will be easily supplanted. I learned this lesson too little, too late. And of course, I don''t mean faith in God alone. Destroying their faith in any religion they may believe in is important, just as important as it is to destroy the people''s faith in their government, their neighbors, their ability to be kept safe...even themselves. Only then can you truly conquer a people heart and soul, and they willletyou." I explained quietly, nodding to myself as the enemy army started to truly suffer losses, after their heavy cavalry was destroyed. "It is only because of this that my campaign has lasted for that last ten years...or else I would''ve been defeated some time ago...


    "And to think, I had once dreamt of ruling over all the lands in this world...of climbing that Mountain to stand at its peak as an Emperor...no, a god." I muttered to myself, glancing to my left. Over the tops of the sparse trees that dotted the surroundings, the base of the Holy Mountain could be seen, stretching high into the sky with no end in sight. The Mountain was incomparably massive, large enough that it was the land, horizon, and sky all in one. Rumor has it that Lady Elvira, the Queen of the gods and goddesses resides atop its peak...


    Yes, how I desired to conquer that mountain.


    Snapping myself out of my delusions, I turned to coldly look at Pyre and Terra, who were looking at me with carefully masked expressions. "For the next few months, you are to study everything I have done in the past ten regarding this style of conquering, and expand upon it." I told them sharply. The duo nodded, and I glanced once more at the battle I was now handly winning before turning and walking back towards the command tent without another word. In the next few months, those two would undoubtedly vanish. Or, at least, once the war takes a downturn and we start losing.


    I am ok with this. I am already nearing the end of my lifespan, having never been much for cultivation in the first place, and understand the folly of staying aboard a sinking ship. Additionally, the two Elementals a young and have a very high talent for cultivation, much higher than my own. They will do far more than I will. Not that I''d ever tell the little shits anything of the sort. I''m still the wise old bastard that taught them everything they know, willingly, no matter how much they think they are manipulating me.


    That doesn''t mean I''ll let them just up and leave, however. If I catch them, they deserve it and will be executed. But secretly I do hope they''ll get away. They carry my legacy, after all.

 CH-CH-CH-CHANGES!

    POV: Gilles


    Elvira was pissed. Though I couldn''t really blame her from being so, I was more trying to calm her down and prevent her from potentially obliterating something than worrying over what it was that she was so angry about. I love my wife dearly, but...well, she''s terrifying. More terrifying that Statera in my opinion. Statera''s like a kindly old grandpa that you just don''t mess with, while Elvira is, well...


    "I''M GOING FORCEFEED THEM THEIR OWN KNEECAPS!" She bellowed towards the skies, her wings flaring and tails thrashing. Every time her tails changed direction, small windstorms kicked up all around, throwing dirt up into the air and threatening to uproot trees. She was holding back, of course, or else these windstorms would be powerful enough to annihilate the Holy Palace.


    "Honey, calm down," I said in a weak attempt to soothe her, watching as a few of the foolish spirit/servants that hadn''t fled the moment Elvira''s temper began to flare ran out of the area. We were currently in the palace garden, filled with all sorts of beautiful plants and sculptures dotting the rather large area, though that was subject to change for the moment.


    "I could kill them, you know. That''d make everything easier." Tian stated casually from where he was leaning against a tree, his spear resting against his shoulder. Inesa stood next to him, trepidation and concern written all over her face. The two of them had arrived a few mere hours ago, Inesa having convinced Tian to take a small tour of the entierty of the Holy Palace as a sort of vacation. Elvira had swept them up the moment they stepped into the palace, in an attempt to escape some of the stress being placed upon her recently.


    That didn''t stop her from recieving the news that had sent her into such a rage, but it was a nice idea.


    "SHUT YOUR MOUTH, TIAN!" Elvira shouted at him. Inesa flinched and Tian blinked in surprise. "GAAAAAAH!" She shouted again, looking towards the sky as power began to build up inside of her. I relaxed a bit upon seeing this, now knowing that she wouldn''t just charge off the Mountain and destroy half the Mortal Realm.


    "You know that we would never ask you to do that. Nor would we want you to." I told Tian, who just shrugged.


    "I don''t know, at this point I''d almost be willing to take the dock to my Karma. What''s another few hundred thousand years to get it back up again, eh?" Tian asked with a grin. I just shook my head at him, not denying the statement but fully understanding that it wouldn''t actually solve anything. Tian understood that as well, I''m sure, but this is his way of complaining.


    "U-um...is - should we b-be worried?" Inesa stuttered, looking nervously at Elvira. I glanced at my wife and smiled slightly as she unleashed all the power she had built up with a shout, a beam of white light shooting up into the sky where it scattered out into a thousand directions much like a firework.


    "Don''t worry, this is just how she vents." I said over her roar.


    "Huh. Y''know, I can understand that. Sometimes I just want to destroy something as well. Like now, but I''m holding back." Tian reasoned,nodding to me. I snorted. That may be true, but Tian cannot destroy an entire Realm in his anger. Elvira might be able to, if she went all out.


    "Haaaaa..." Elivra sighed, letting the stream of energy die off as she relaxed her shoulders and stared at the sky for a few moments. Then, she turned and looked at me, shaking her head and letting out a sigh. "Sorry about that. Had to let off a little steam." She said apologetically, moving over to stand next to me.


    "O-oh, i-it''s," Inesa started, but was cut off by Tian.


    "You''ve got quite the explosive temper. As the de-facto ruler of the Deities and the Heaven Realm, is that really an image you want to display?" Tian asked cheekily. Elvira shot him a glare and Inesa gave him a horrified look, no doubt wondering just how in Statera''s name he found the gall to talk to Elvira in such a way. I found his statement and Inesa''s reaction humorous. She could scare Tian into submission with but a few words, and yet he was completely unafraid of provoking beings more powerful than him, while Inesa was utterly terrified by said beings. Quite humorous.


    "Don''t call me that, please," Elvira said with a sigh, rubbing her temples. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed slightly, pondering what a child between Tian and Inesa would be like. Forgetting about the fact that one is an Immortal Dao Progenitor, and the other is a Deity of Hearth and Home, their personalities were so different that it makes one wonder if their children would end up becoming a mix of both, or vastly like one or the other. I dismissed this thought as swiftly as it came, however. The Four Realms will not allow any deity to have a child until it has expanded in size greatly. That is something I had experimented on with Elvira greatly...


    Ahem.


    Moving on.


    "That whole ruler farce is an image that desperately needs to be changed. I''ve always fancied myself as more of a Chief than a ruler." Elvira continued.


    "What''s the difference?" Tian asked.


    "Uh..." Elvira said, struggling to come up with an answer that would satisfy Tian and wouldn''t be a mere few words.


    "A ruler is like a king, empress, or president. They are definitively ''in charge.'' A chief, at least in the tribal sense of the word, is more of an advisor than a ruler. A chief is considered to be the most capable of giving orders and advice, but isn''t technically ''in charge'' of anyone, acting more as a representative or the like. A ruler''s word is law, a chief''s word is weighted suggestion." I explained calmly, stepping in to save my wife from a long and confusing conversation about the differences of the two leaders. Tian made an ''ah'' noise and nodded.


    "So it''s like the difference between little miss empress...ah, sorry, the Celestial Empress and a Dao Progenitor. The Celestial Empress is the one who officially rules over her area, but no one is going to argue with a Dao Progenitor if they say something needs to be done. Right?" Tian asked. Elvira nodded.


    "Yes. Exactly. I don''t like the image of a ruler, same as Father. He wanted to be seen as a parent, and the deities to be a family, a Clan, not a Kingdom and its subjects." Elvira explained. "That is something I agree with, and am trying to solidify by changing the way the deities see me. The joke of me being a ruler has been taken too far."


    I smiled thinly as the converation lapsed, glad for Elvira''s distraction from the problems in the Mortal Realm and even in the mortals of the Heaven Realm. The mortals were getting so wound up with everything that, even though they had been fighting numerous wars lately, the fact that they seemed to be heading towards even more war and chaos had finally reached us. The deities were finally having to intervene in the lives of mortals...taking a more direct approach to handling this than normal


    What really set Elvira off was one particular kingdom of cultivators in the Heaven Realm declaring war on numerous other sects and kingdoms, and starting to go on a warpath to conquer the lands beneath the Holy Mountain. The king there had been just a bit too overzealous, reading about ancient conquerers that had failed to do what he had set out to do, and wanted to prove himself their betters.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Foolish. Hubris. Foolish hubris, that''s what it is.


    The unfortunate thing was that we had stationed a few angels around said king to influence things and prevent him from starting a war. Obviously that didn''t work, and the king found a way to start a war anyways. Or, more specifically, a whole bunch of people behind said king found a way to start a war. It will require meticulous planning to right what has been skewed, but to be honest, this isn''t a problem that requires a deity''s attention or intervention. And, frankly, we don''t have the time to do it. We''re busy enough as it is with implementing the designs Statera left behind and perfecting the ones already in place. We''re still being forced to take some action, however.


    The Spirit Realm''s much-needed makeover is one of the things that is requiring the most attention. We''re only just starting that behemoth of a project.


    "...in truth, it''s not about what they''re doing that bothers me. War amongst the mortals is the equivalent to a spat between toddlers, with karmic punishment being the subsequent ''time-out.'' While the cultivators starting to get involved is a bit of a problem, it''s not too much of an issue. It''s that dealing with them, and the spillover that will undoubtedly flood into the Mortal and Karmic Realms, causing more chaos and war, is creating more work for our already limited manpower." Elvira finished explaining to Tian and Inesa. Tian whistled.


    "That was quite the comprehensive explanation! I always expected more...brute force and simplistic explanations from you. You strike me as the straightforward type." Tian said.


    "That was simplistic, you idiot. It''s far more complex than just that, I promise you." Elvira retorted, shaking her head. "But for now I''m going to have to leave. Alexander will want to talk, Reika will need to be updated, and Keilan needs to be warned, in case he doesn''t already know. There will be an influx of negativity in the mortals." She said, stretching her wings and running a hand through her almost-white, blonde hair. It had taken me ages to finally realize that Elvira''s hair was actually blonde, not white. Even now I can''t help but think of her as having white hair, but against the snow-white feather of her wings and tails, it''s a little more obvious. With a single flap of her wings she vanished, not teleporting, simply flying so inconceivably fast that it seemed as such. Even to me.


    "That was...abrupt." Tian stated to the thin air. I chuckled, and Tian jumped at the noise. "Fuck, man! I forgot you were even there!" He exclaimed, glaring at me with exagerrated emotion. I rolled my eyes and drifted towards the two, shaking my head.


    "Quite. I would love to stay and chat, but I do have duties to attend to as well. Elvira drug me away from my research to talk with you two, calling it a ''brain break,'' and I would like to get back to it. It''s quite interesting you know, if you want to hear about it. There are these phenomena in the void-like spaces between the Regions that, when exposed to various stimuli, can create entirely new phenomena..." I stopped talking when Tian held up a hand.


    "No thanks. I''m good. We''ll just explore a bit. You go do your thing." He said bluntly. I chuckled and shrugged, vanishing into the shadows without another word and reappearing in my research area. Various jars and experimental guides lay strewn about the cave-like interior, and for a moment I hummed to myself.


    Yes, I think I''ll do some more Void research. I haven''t touched that in a while, and I feel as if it may lead to a few breakthroughs in a few of my other projects. Creation and the Void react to each other in very interesting ways, after all. I can only wonder if that has anything to do with the sudden increase in the density of the Primordial Chaos? That is what I have been repeatedly told to investigate, but itcanbe put off for just a bit longer in lieu of more...interesting pursuits.


    POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian


    I wandered around for quite a while, outside of the Four Realms. It was a surreal experience, but also incredibly informative. There were an uncountable number of universes, all blurred out so I couldn''t see into them or anything, but still there and very, clearly enormous. Exponentially larger than Yueya''s One World, which is the largest of the Twelve, and even then I felt as if most of them weren''t done growing.


    However, every once in a while, I would pass by flashes of clarity within the different universes. Sometimes the clarity was around extremely powerful beings, beings that could obliterate or recreate the Four Realms as easy as breathing, or objects of similarly immense power. The only time it wasn''t, was...peculiar. What caused the clarity was not the being itself, but rather, the positively massive ball of memories floating outside of the universe itself. It appeared to me as a ball of blue energy, about the size of me, flickering with various different flashes of memories around it. I was utterly confused, of course, by what in the world it was doing outside of its respective universe, until I followed the ''trail'' it led down to the universe itself.


    All I could see was a man, sitting on a rock, fishing at a lake. For a moment I watched him, then turned to continue on my journey, part of my conciousness accidentally bumping the ball of memories. What it was that made me able to see the memories, or even touch them, I am unsure. But the moment I did touch them, everything...shifted slightly. Whirling, I looked around in shock at the sudden feeling. The man below hadn''t even twitched my action, and nothing else seemed different. It just...was. It was as if fate had taken a sudden turn, down a rockier path.


    It was not a feeling I was pleased with. But I was also unable to do anything about it, and as such, soon moved on with a feeling of foreboding. After enough time had passed, I turned and moved off into the darkness, towards where the number of universes began to grow thinner and thinner, until all that was in front of me was the Void. Then I turned, looking up at the endless number of universes that stretched out above me, and continued on into the Void.


    I wanted to see something. What it was, I wasn''t sure, but I wanted to see. All of these universes were clumped together, thin strips of Void separating them from one another, but what were they together? I felt as if there was something to see there. So I flew away as fast and as far as I could, until the obscured universes were nothing more that dots and, in the distance, I could see a haze of blue that indicated even more universes.


    "That''s far enough, little one."A voice suddenly spoke, arresting my movement. It was an odd sensation, having my consciousness suddenly stopped by what felt like a physical force. Whatever it was, its mere presence was strong enough to distort the Void around me, which had remained undisturbed up until this point."Go back to your Realms, you have seen enough for now."The voice said, pushing me along. I could do nothing but accept this, still pondering about the haze of blue I saw in the distance, until I was roughly shoved back into my body and thrust into unconsciousness.


    POV CHANGE: Mr. Blue Boxes


    Unbelievable. The little bastard actually managed to get outside of the barrier around the Four Realms, travel through the void, disturbedthat one specific being,of allfuckingbeings, and then proceeded to travel far enough to start seeing that all the universes in the multiverse started to blend together. Un-freaking believable. The distance alone between universes should''ve been enough to prevent Statera Luotian, as they had begun to be called, from seeing evenoneother universe in a trillion years of travel, let alone passing through a (relatively) vast swath of space and seeing hundreds of universes!


    Not only that, but then they passed by all restritctions I had set for young beings like themselves, and proceeded to see a bit of what a whole bunch of universes together physically looks like! That was far too much for such a young soul to be able to do without assistance. The hand of Fate is at work here.


    With a heavy sigh I allowed the insignificant portion of my consciousness assigned to dealing with Statera to resume its former duties. I could create trillions of universes without hardly a blink of an eye, merely assigning parts of my mind to watching groups of new Origin Deities took almost literally no effort or attention on my part. If it cost any less effort, it would take no effort at all.


    It normally wasn''t even my job to watch over the new deities. Other beings handled that, but this particular twelve represented a certain...investment on my part. Someone relatively significant had requested something of me, and as such I decided to watch over the group personally. The problem was that Statera and a few others in the group were proving to be particularly entertaining. I might have to start doing this more often.


    With a slight shake of my head I turned my attention away from the Multiverse, out towards the "endless" Void. So many other things were happening, if I spent all my time worrying about the birth of new universes nothing would get done. With another sigh I closed my eyes, allowing my consciousness to rest. The barrier would hold for a while yet.

 Character Glossary

    The One Who Started it All:


    Mr. Blue Boxes:The God of the known multiverse, Mr. Blue Boxes is seen as nothing more than an informative game-like screen that tells the main character the status of the universe they are creating. It is unknown what Mr. Blue Boxes real form is, nor its true level of power...only that it is the leader of an uncountable number of universes. Mr. Blue Boxes is the one who set the main character and twelve other beings on a quest to create their own universes.


    Main Character:


    Statera Luotian: The official main character. Origin Deity and creator of the Four Realms, Statera is the Deity of Balance. He/She/It created the Fae, the predominant sentient mortal race of the Four Realms. Statera''s appearance is very flexible, appearing completely androgynous, as a beautiful woman, or as a handsome man. The Origin Deity normally wears purple robes with silver accents, has black hair with a single white streak in it, and green eyes that can peer into one''s soul. Six balls of primordial chaos constantly float behind Statera, responding to His will, and Fae-like horns sprout from Her head.


    The Big Five:


    Elvira:One of Statera''s first children, she is the guardian of the Heaven Realm and creator of the Avian race. Her domain is not yet determined. Elvira is the designated ruler or manager of the deities and other high-powered beings, and resides in her palace atop the Holy Mountain. Her husband is Gilles, the High Deity of Shadows. Elvira''s color scheme is mostly white, although her hair is blonde and her eyes are blue. She has four wings with white feathers, and two long, whip-like tails with feathered fans at the end. Her ears, as well, are pointed and feathery, all of this coming together to give her a very "Angelic" feel. White, runic tattoos stretch across her body, as proof of her power.


    Keilan:One of Statera''s first children, he is the guardian of the Karmic Realm and creator of the Karae race. His domain is Karma, allowing him to see and manipulate all forms of the mysterious force. In particular, he helps souls accumulate good karma and erase the negative. Keilan''s color scheme is mostly black,as he has short, silky black hair and brown-colored irises. Two dark horns curl from his head, and two black-scaled wings stretch from his back. Keilan has two thick, reptilian tails, and black runic tattoos that match Elvira''s. He has bronzed skin.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Reika: The third of Statera''s children, she is the guardian of the Mortal Realm and creator of the Elemental race. Her domain is that of Life and Death, and she has gained the most insight into her domain out of all of Statera''s children. As the guardian of the Mortal Realm, having the domain of Life and Death is very fitting and makes her duties far easier to handle. She is a mother-like figure to most, and is the more literal mother of Kei. Reika has dark, earthen skin and green hair, with small elk-like antlers sprouting from her head and a ring of flowers around her forehead. She typically wears green or brown dresses, changing color with the natural seasons of the Mortal Realm, and emits a soothing fragrance. Her eyes are a forest green, not unlike Statera''s, but likewise not as piercing.


    Alexander: The fourth and most powerful of Statera''s children, he is the guardian of the Spirit Realm and creator of the Dragon and Draconian races. His domain is that of the Guide, making him the penultimate teacher of the Four Realms besides Statera. He guides the entirety of the Spirit Realm, and in turn all Realms, with his actions. Alexander mostly remains in his dragon form - a long, chinese-style serpent dragon with large feathery wings and scales that appear both as all the colors of the rainbow and a pure white. His humanoid form is rarely seen, and is essentially the combination of dragon and human. In that form he has large, bat-like wings, horns curling from his head, and scales covering most of his torso.


    Kei: The daughter of Reika and considered the granddaughter of Statera Luotian, Kei is a nine-tailed fox that appears human, albeit with fox-like ears and nine fox tails. Kei''s nine tails are each made of a different elemental energy, including lightning, fire, water, earth, wind, light, shadow, space-time, and a touch of divine - which was gifted to her by Statera the day she was born. She is very free spirited, and typically runs about the Mortal Realm causing mischief and playing pranks upon unsuspecting beings. Kei typically wears red chinese robes with white accents, and has black hair. Her domain is that of Art, or the Walk of Life...it goes by many names.


    High Deities:


    Randus:The deity of dreams, born, quite literally from Statera''s dreams. He typically appears as an english butler, wearing a black suit, white gloves, and sporting greying hair and a goatee, despite his physical appearance being more fluid than even Statera''s.


    Gilles:


    Aeriel:


    Terran:


    Ryu:


    Leitz:


    Ling:


    Lucia:


    Sol:


    Origin Deities:


    Shin:


    Yueya Oshun:


    Rising Wind, Crashing Waves:


    Reilly:


    MR-10:

 And the Music Began to Play

    POV: Tian


    Music played, filling the bar with small memories in the form of lonesome notes from the piano. I sat quietly in a chair, looking out at the lake, contemplating...well, everything. This bar I currently sit in was once where I had stood for endless hours as Dei, looking out across the lake the floating city of Manu Ti, my city, was situated above. Endless hours of watching the world pass by, and feeling all but content. Now, I have much more.


    I am far old, wiser, and more powerful than I ever was as Dei. I am a Dao Progenitor, I have found love in two forms - romantic love with Inesa, and powerful, divine love that I myself feel for those around me. I am much more than I ever was, and I feel it is only right that I spend the next few days where it all began.


    Because here, in the city of Manu Ti, is where my legend began. Not in the city where I first met Statera, not in the Cavan clan, where I was reborn as Tian, but here, in this city. The true legacy that I made is Manu Ti, which has stood as a symbol of prosperity, safety, and unity for millions of years. It is here that I lost two of my closest companions, and here that I myself began my ascent to become somethingmore.Without it, what I am about to attempt would be far harder.


    The tone of the piano shifted as I silently disappeared from the bar, reappearing over my city. It...has been far too long since I considered this place to be my city. There''s even a little statue of me, both as Dei and Tian, in front of the palace where the Celestial Empress lives. Over the past million and a half or so years, this place truly began to flourish. Billions of cultivators call this city, the cities that surround the chains of Manu Ti, and the new, other floating islands that began to pop up recently, their home. A dozen floating cities, all in the sky, and all centered around the grandest, biggest one of them all - Manu Ti. Unparralleled in its might.


    No one can sense me, obviously, and I smile. Yes, this is a fine legacy. I take a deep breath and sit down mid-air, pulling a small flask of sword-qi whiskey from the inside of my robes and taking a swig, hissing as the liquid fire travelled down my throat. There was nothing quite like the whiskey made here. I was the one who started the brewing, after all, and countless generations have only expanded upon the process and flavours of alcohol. I chuckled to myself and took another swig, turning and floating towards the Xu clan compound. The children of Leo and Celene had expanded greatly over time, but in truth, the only thing that saved them from utter collapse was the fact that one of them became a Dao Progenitor.


    Without the backing of their Patriarch and Matriarch, Leo and Celene respectively, the clan would''ve probably collapsed a few hundred thousand years ago, when Leo and Celene''s firstborn child passed away in meditation. A legend can only go so far, and many think of Leo''s turning into the Sun and Celene turning into the Moon as nothing more than myth anymore. Only those who were around in the War of the Sun really remember the truth, and the number of people who fit that criteria is severely lacking. Myself and the Celestial Empress are the only two I can think of off of the top of my head.


    Right now though? The clan compound is positively hopping. Hundreds of clan members are milling about, training and cultivating or just playing around, while servants move about with trays of food and hot towels for a few clan members to wipe themselves off with. The main building itself is enormous, seven stories tall and covered in ornate carvings and designs, with several dozen smaller buildings scattered around it, all designated for something different. This is the main headquarters of the Xu clan after all, one clan of very few that is allowed to reside on Manu Ti''s main island, with other branches spread out across the Mortal Realm, making the Xu clan the largest clan in the Mortal Realm.


    Not all of them spread out directly from Leo and Celene, though. Many people were adopted into the clan itself, though their blood does still run in a few members...as diluted as it is now. I chuckled a bit at the thought.


    It''s funny to think about children and such now, as powerful as I am. Because technically, they''re not reallychildren.They''re just souls that decided to take a ride in the body that two other beings created for said soul, with "blood" or "genes" having very little to do with anything in the long run. The soul has always been the important thing, and it is this notion that really kept me from feeling overly attached to the Cavan Clan, the clan I was born into as Tian. And it is also this that prevents deities from having children the "normal" way. Or at all really, because no one really knows how that will work yet. I''m hedging my bets on deities having to create an actualy soul from pieces of their own.


    Then I move on, passing over the spot where the Cavan Clan used to reside, as they have long since moved closer to Manu Ti and taken another name, and travelling about the lands of Pangea for a while. Mortals were fighting wars everywhere, ruining my peaceful sentiments. I close my eyes and feel them flash. A surge of energy builds up, pressing against my eyes until they begin to change, forcing them to become attuned to...it.That feeling of being seen through in all concievable manners, and chaning it into trulyseeing.


    When I open my eyes, I am almost blinded by the sheer amount of information I am bombarded with. Before, I could sense trails of karmic fate, fate itself, memories and emotions, people...far more than anything any mortal could possibly believe. But now, it all took on a physical manifestation before my eyes, twisting and sharpening until the future becomes so incredibly clear, all based on actions and predictions, their pasts andpersonslaying bare for me to see...even the ticking clock of Time itself becomes all but visible. And once again I am reminded that Statera Luotian sees the world in this light every second of every day.


    Or, should I say, the Creator sees far more than I do even now. I can only imagine what the Four Realms looks like to Statera Himself. That thought is very humbling, but doesn''t change my desire to punch Him in the face at least once.


    This technique of mine, the Eyes of Fate (I have yet to really decide on the name), had only recently been ''completed,'' as in it wouldn''t fade away after a few moments of activation. I am hesitant to call it complete however because I feel as if it hasn''t quite reached its full potential. It''s power will grow as I do, that much I made sure was built into the technique itself, but there was somethingelsemissing. Something I couldn''t quite catch. Which is why I turned these eyes into myself, to look at my own soul.


    Two thick threads of fate spread from my body, twisting off into the sky with various images dancing around them, and very peculiar feelings radiating from them. One was a lot more war-like than the other, filled with barbarity and violence, while the other was...less so. It was far more subtle, but still had quite a bit of conflict wrapped around it. These were my two paths towards becoming a deity. The two that were left, anyways. I had begun sensing that there were multiple paths for me to take very early on in my life, but hadn''t quite fully understood what those paths were. Now I understand that all of those paths, or most of them, led here, to this moment. And as I kept traversing the Paths, I slowly began to narrow down which one I would take.


    Which leaves me with these two at this moment. Neither of which I am currently ready to embark upon, but it is getting close,so close,that I can physically feel the event that will force my decision drawing closer. Taking a deep breath I look deeper into my soul, searching for that one spark of inspiration that may help me make therightchoice. I...do not expect what I find.


    There, hidden deep within my soul, is a teardrop that radiates the faintest hint of divine power. I stare at it for a long moment, wondering just what in the world it was, but finding no answers even with the Eyes helping me. Its presence confused me, but I had to keep moving nonetheless. The answers would make themselves known eventually.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    I heaved a sigh and looked at the sky, once again hearing the notes to that lonesome piano ringing in my ears. "Guide me," I said wearily, closing my eyes and just relaxing everything, right down to my soul. And I swear, I could almost hear Statera say, in an extremely smug voice "well, since you asked so nicely," as an invisible Hand began to tug my soul along.


    I almost wanted to shout ''piss off'' and walk away, but forcibly restrained myself and allowed the Hand to guide me. Ish. It was more of insistant tugging, like a child trying to lead an adult onwards, and the adult being forced to go along with it because, well, you don''t refuse a little kid dammit. I roll my eyes and follow along, grumbling internally and feeling just a bit salty about the whole thing. This wasn''t exactly what I was expecting.


    And I most certainly wasn''t expecting to pass through the Barrier surrounding the First Region, drug to a very unassuming planet in one of the new Regions'' Mortal Realm, and promptly dumped in a meadow in the middle of nowhere. I stood there for a moment, completely dumbfounded, examining every inch of the area with my senses to see if there was something interesting or important here, only to come up with...nothing. There was literally nothing of interest around here, unless one were to count the ruins of an old (and by old I mean one hundred years old, which is almost literally no time at all to the close to two million year old me) town already overgrown with vines and grasses. A young sapling was even growing in the middle of town.


    "WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK, STATERA?!" I howl towards the skies, feeling completely justified in my rage. Just dumping me in the middle of nowhere?! WHAT IN THE NAME OF MORGAN ARE YOU PLAYING AT?! And I swear to everything not relating to any deitywhatsoever,I can hear Statera cackling evilly.


    "U-um..." A sudden voice asks from behind me, and I whirl becausewho got behind me -my snarl turns into a splutter as my grey eyes meet curious green. The girl standing behind me - because she is a girl, no more than six years of age upon first glance - reaches up to maybe my thigh. And she is, of all things, a Dryad. One of the tree-folk, far fewer in number than any other race, including the Draconians, but maybe with the exeption of the relatively newly introduced Arachions and Dimensional Creators. "Wh-who are you?" She asks sweetly, her voice sounding like the breeze rustling the grass.


    I don''t immediately answer her, instead opting to look her up and down. She has a healthy shade of light green skin, and is dressed in a dress made of treebark, which might as well mean she was buck naked because dryads are literally part tree. Her hair is a darker shade of green, all mussed up and clumped together with sap and twigs and leaves and shit. Altogether it puts up a very adorable picture, especially alongside her wide, green eyes, but it is not her physical appearance that draws me to her. It is the appearance of her soul.


    Her soul was very clearly young, perhaps only having gone through one or two lifetimes before this one, but her karmic trail is very clear. And her heart, by the Realms, her heart. It was practically bursting with positive karmic energy, so much that it shocked even me. And when I activated my Eyes, everything snapped just a bit more into focus.


    The girl herself was almost blinding, the amount of karmic energy that poured off of her. For such a young soul it was nothing short of astounding...for any soul it was nothing short of astounding. I had to rub my eyes and blink at the girl a few times, just to make sure I wasn''t hallucinating.


    "How were you flying? Can you show me how?" The girl asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet. I stared at her for a bit before snorting.


    "Just cultivate for a bit, and you''ll be able to," I said dismissively.


    "What''s...cul-ti-vate?" She asked, slowly pronouncing the word and cocking her head cutely to the side.


    No. No, bad Tian. Do not fall for Statera''s tricks. The bastard brought you here for a reason, probably for her, and I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT! This isn''t what I wanted, damn it!


    "Where are your parents?" I asked, the words just slipping out. Of course I already knew where they were, I had seen her past with the Eyes. But I was a few million years old, and had seen countless orphans.


    "Over there," the girl said, pointing into the sky instead of towards the two dead trees on the outskirts of the ruined town...which made me realize that the girl''s tree, which all dryads were bound to until they either reached a certain age or a specific level of cultivation (mostly it was the level of cultivation, very few species of dryad lived long enough to be free of their trees naturally), was more than likely the little sapling in the middle of the town. And, now that I look at it, it wasn''t just a simple tree. It looked just like a small ash tree, but...well. There was something else to it...


    Wait. "Why aren''t you pointing that way?" I asked, a little confused and indicating the dead trees. The girl cocked her head to the side once more, which was still adorable.


    "''Cause momma said that they''d be going to join the Big Tree. So they''re up with the Big Tree...right?" She said. My jaw dropped, because she wasn''t pointing at the Life-Giving Tree that was part of her Region, but the First Life-Giving Tree...no, wait. Why is she even pointing at the Tree to begin with?! How in the world does she know which direction it''s in?!


    Once again, I swear I heard Statera''s cackling, and I almost shot off into the sky to go give Him a piece of my mind. But a hand gripping my pants and a tearful face kept me where I was. Just looking down at the big eyes that looked on the verge of tears made my heart clench. I''d seen many things, but she was just...damn it. I hate you, Statera.


    "Don''t go. I don''t wanna be alone anymore," the girl pleaded. I hate you so much, Statera. I really, really do.


    "I''ll be right back," I said with a soft smile, and the girl pouted.


    "Liar," she said, and I felt my mind go blank for just a moment in shock. Had I left, I most likely wouldn''t have returned. But now...? Now I just have to find out what this girl is about.


    And so I stayed with her. For the next ten years. Did I mention that I hate Statera? Because I do. Especially since, at the end of those ten years, I found my Path.


    POV CHANGE: Randus (The Deity of Dreams)


    For the past thousand years, Mother, the Creator, had been stirring in Her sleep. She even began to provide minor guidances once again to those that really needed it, such as Tian most recently (even I am stumped about the girl he found), which was a big change compared to the relative silence from Her for the past fifty thousand years that She had been asleep.


    But I was not expecting the way She did wake up. I had expected Her crystallized power to slowly receed within Herself, and She would wake up with Her same old smile and a skip to Her step. But when She did wake up...it was akin to a bomb going off. The entire Four Realms began to roar and whirl with activity as her crystal cocoon abruptly exploded. A bellow erupted from Mother''s lips as the crystal shards halted in midair, shining brighter than the Sun as they flew back into Her body, obscuring Her from sight. Even I, as I hid within my Realm of Dreams (though not an official Realm, as I am the only one capable of residing within it besides Mother), was forced to hide my eyes.


    Then the light faded, revealing Mother, standing tall and proud and breathing heavily. The Four Realms continued to roar in response to Her abrupt awakening, while every other living being stared in shock. Nothing about Her had changed very much, beyond Her aura and the six balls of primordial chaos that floated behind Her. It seemed...deeper somehow, as if something that had been missing before was now complete. And when She turned Her eyes to me, I was forced to suck in a deep breath.


    Her eyes were far more piercing now than they ever were before, with flecks of Void floating about within the iris. Mother''s face was expressionless for a moment as She stared through me, through all things, and She sighed.


    The Four Realms sighed with Her, and suddenly, the chaos that had been recently starting to abate was abruptly thrust back into full swing. Mother didn''t even appear strained at forcing such a thing, which would have most definitely caused her a bit of trouble before hand. I liked to believe that I knew the most about Her true strength than anyone else in the Four Realms...but now, I know that I know nothing. Mother had undergone a fundamental change, a -


    Randus.


    The call of my name startled me out of my thoughts, because Mother hadn''t spoken to me, and yet I heard it anyways. The Four Realms called me, and...Mother''s face fell into a grim expression, one I had never seen Her wear before.


    Disaster approaches. We must prepare.


    I was silent for a long moment, wondering just what kind of danger would cause Mother to have such an expression, before nodding. Mother sighed once again, and turned to look out at the Primordial Chaos...though I suspect that instead, She was looking out into the Void. Whatever it was that startled Mother awake, because that is the only thing I can think of that happened, cannot be peaceful, or weak. Was it another Paradox? I was unsure. I could only place my trust in Mother, as She had guided us through disasters many times before.


    Trust and hope. I feel as if I am confined to only that far too often.

 The Rise

    POV: Statera Luotian


    I heaved a great sigh as I finally allowed myself to relax slightly, sensing that the danger was not...immediate, per se, but still prevalent. It was hard to tell with the Void, because there was no sense of distance or time in there. Which made judging when the disaster would strike a real bitch. It could be in ten thousand years, or twenty million, I really didn''t know. What I did know was that the Four Realms would be completely obliterated if it were to happen right now. Like reduced to the Void level of obliteration.


    Which is why I forced the Four Realms to go back into a period of intense chaos, because that is when the greatest changes happen, all in preparation for this impending disaster. After a few more moments of staring at the Void I allowed by body to relax even further, content in the knowledge that whatever was going to happen wouldn''t happen at least for the next ten or so thousand years. Hopefully we would have longer, but...well, we still needed to prepare. The mortals would be upset with me for a while for extending the chaos, but that is something I can live with so long as they all aren''t completely wiped off of the face of the multiverse.


    With a snort of defiance, because likeI would let that happen, I turned my attention to my body, which had changed after my power-nap. It felt more powerful and more solid, and I could seemorethan I could before. It was...difficult to explain and even comprehend, because a whole new playing field had been laid out before me. Now I could actually see the tiny specks of Void floating within the Four Realms, ensuring that it wouldn''t be all creation and only creation, among other things. My powers of prediction and seeing the future had strengthened exponentially also, allowing me to see farther into the future with greater ease and accuracy.


    However what really caught my attention was twofold - one, my arm was finally fully regenerated from when the Paradox had eaten it. I flexed the limb experimentally, revelling in the feeling of finally having a left arm again, before focusing on the other part of me that had changed - the six balls of Primordial Chaos that floated perpetually behind me. They now were encased in a shell of Void, and had almost doubled in density. This was a major change, most likely representing my own advancements in understanding said Void.


    With another sigh I closed my eyes, collecting my scattered thoughts and finishing categorizing all of my enlightenments within my mind, which should have been done while I was asleep. But being interrupted forced me to do it myself, though I did it very quickly, taking only a few seconds to get it all sorted out. Sleeping through it would have solidified my enlightenment more, which I''ll have to do over the next twenty thousand years or so, but I just didn''t have the luxury of being relaxed anymore. Things need to movenow.


    Then, finally, I opened my eyes again to deal with one more thing before I contacted my children and began to speak with them in length over what needed to be done and advanced, as I now had an even greater understanding of the changes I was trying to accomplish. And that thing was - dealing with the plethora of blue boxes that had appeared before me, notifying me of all that I had accomplished while sleep/meditating.


    <table>


    <tbody>


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    <td style="text-align: center">Sub-domain gained: Creation</td>


    </tr>


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    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations! After learning one of the simple truths about creation, your insights into the process of Creation have reached the level of being a sub-domain.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


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    <td style="text-align: center">Domain Update</td>


    </tr>


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    <td style="text-align: center">


    You have reached a threshold in your understanding of your own domain, realizing that not all things are as separate as they seem. All things are a part of Balance, and in this meditation session you fully combined all of your other insights into your main domain, strengthening it and moving it into ''stage 2.'' Sub-domains reset.


    To earn more sub-domains, you will need to achieve a higher understanding in them than you did previously, though keep in mind that four is still the limit.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Main Domain: Balance


    Sub-domains: N/A


    </td>


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    <td style="text-align: center">Two million years...wow, kid. You''re moving along pretty fast. Probably in the top five percent (elightenment wise) for most Origin Deities. Keep it up.</td>


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    <td style="text-align: center">Danger!</td>


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    <td style="text-align: center">


    Unexpected events have led to calamity approaching the Four Realms. Strengthen it with all your might, and you might survive. I will only minimally involve myself, because this event was indirectly caused by you and/or any of the other Origin Deities. Keep in mind that, on the cosmic scale, each of your respective universes are fairly close together.


    When the danger starts getting really close, you will be able to speak with the other deities involved via a "chat room" that I will set up, allowing you to talk to one another and act in tandem with one another if necessary. Good luck.


    </td>


    </tr>


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    </table>


    My face paled at the last message, and I began cursing my luck. Of course this wasn''t something that solely involved just the Four Realms - it had to involve multiple universes! That means that it''s something very dangerous indeed, especially if Mr. Blue Boxes won''t help much. But that also means that we should have a chance of surviving this, because we do still have that protection period going.


    With a contemplative hum I sat down, expanding my senses and touching the Void, trying to feel out the strings of Fate as well as fate as I struggled to figure out what the disaster was, and how best to build up the Four Realms. There were multiple paths to take, with all of them involving the Four Realms growing bigger in size at the very least. The problem was focusing on a single path first, one that would help the "most," and focusing on the other paths on a later date. I didn''t want the Four Realms to be specialized, but I needed to be more practical for the moment.


    "Father!" "Mother!" My first four children cried, appearing around me in a circle with wild looks in their eyes. Apparently they could feel the danger as well -


    "Grandpa!" Ah, and there''s Kei.


    "What''s going on?" Alexander asked, his deep rumbling voice laced with concern. The others, Elvira, Keilan, Reika, and Kei, all shared his sentiment, looking at me expectantly.


    "....I don''t know. I was woken from my nap because of this intense feeling of danger, and as such am acting accordingly. The chaotic cycle will continue for at least the next ten thousand years, at which point things will need to settle down and stabilize. It may continue as I learn more about when this calamity will strike, but...well, I just don''t know." I explained with a sigh. The five stared at me for a moment before turning their gazes heavenward, towards where I was looking. With a sigh I stood and gave my children a tired smile. "Two million years...this is a heck of a lot to happen in such a short time-frame." I stated, shaking my head once again.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "...so what now, then? Where do we start?" Reika asked, furrowing her brows. I smiled at her.


    "First, I spread a few more Seeds. The current state of the Four Realms'' Primordial Chaos is that its fit to bursting...it''ll be good to get a few more Regions in the area. I''ll also need to encourage the Dimensional Creators to build their new dimension faster...perhaps encourage a few other dimensions as well...hm...and I''ve got a few other things to get you guys started, but we''ll talk about that in a bit." I explained with a shrug, feeling part of my consciousness pulling away to start assimilating my enlightenment. Ugh. This is going to be a pain.


    POV CHANGE: Inesa


    "So...she''s a dryad?" I asked quietly tilting my head to the side. Tian nodded, scratching the corner of his eye and shrugging.


    "Well, yeah. And a mortal, but -"


    "She''s a really interesting dryad," I interrupted. Tian nodded, and I hummed, wrapping my head around this and the way Tian had changed in the past ten years that I hadn''t seen him. It wasn''t that strange for both he and I to disappear for more than a hundred years while doing something or meditating, so I didn''t think much of it, but this was surprising to say the least. Last I heard Tian was getting ready to ascend into becoming a deity, which I intended to watch or help with, if his enlightenment required me to (I wasnt really sure how the whole ''becoming a deity'' thing will work...so I''m trying to avoid anything that would be detrimental...in essence, I was acting as per usual, because there wasn''t much worrying could do about it.) Then, he reappears after a short ten years and says a few things about some incredibly young dryad with a really big heart.


    And his aura was getting exceedingly close to that of a deity''s. There only seemed to be one step left before he would become a deity...no, half a step at this point.


    "...yes. Very much so. Doesn''t really have an interest in cultivation, and has the biggest damn heart..." Tian trailed off with a sigh, shaking his head. "She even unknowningly pointed me in the right direction to become a deity. And Statera, being the troublesome person He is, just had to be a dick about showing her to me, too. Just dumped me in the middle of nowhere, expecting me to find her myself! When I didn''t even know what I was looking for!" Tian complained, running one hand through his silvery hair. I giggled into one of my hands, looking at him in amusement.


    "It still worked, didn''t it?" I asked.


    "...I''m still going to punch Him for it." Tian argued back.


    "You were going to punch Her anyways." I countered, raising one eyebrow. Tian groaned and rolled his eyes theatrically, throwing his arms into the air in mock exasperation. I giggled again as he draped one arm over my shoulders, shaking his head.


    "I came here to complain, Inesa, not have you tell me off." He whined. I laughed this time, giving him a quick hug.


    "I do what I must," I told him. Then, a thought came to me. "How about we go visit Her, by the way? I heard the Creator woke up recently...that was what that bright light was."


    "...so He was alseep," Tian grumbled. I looked at him in surprise.


    "You didn''t know? All the deities were told this about...oh, twenty thousand years ago. The whole thing with Kei''s domain name was actually one big distraction to keep our minds off of it, apparently." I explained calmly. Tian shrugged again, the action feeling a little weird as his arm was sitll over my shoulders.


    "Makes sense, I guess. It was certainly distracting enough. But still...figured I''d at least be told something." Tian grumbled. I gave him an apologetic look.


    "Sorry. No one really thought about it, I guess, what with everything we''ve been doing. Renovating the Spirit Realm has been a pain..." I said with a sigh, shaking my head. Tian squeezed me in a one-armed hug, and I smiled at him. "So? What''s your answer? Want to go see the Creator?" I pressed. I really, actually wanted to go to Statera''s palace and see Her. I missed our little sessions, where we''d just sit and talk or read a book or something. She was such good company, now that I think about it, that I wonder why I was ever so intimidated by Her. Half the time She acts like a child anyways. A very whimsical child, with the power to create literally everything...


    "What?" Tian asked me as I forcibly suppressed a shudder. That was actually a terrifying thought. If Statera was an actual child that create the universe? Good thing She''s not.


    "Nothing, just had a scary thought," I dismissed, shaking my head. Tian hummed, not pressing the issue, and looked away for a moment longer.


    "I suppose we can go visit Him. I don''t think I''ve even been to His palace before..." Tian said slowly.


    "You''ll love it. It''s an amazing place." I assured him. Tian chuckled as we started to fly off, floating through the sky of the Mortal Realm towards where I could sense the Creator''s palace.


    "I''m sure it is," he said, smiling at me. I just smiled back, allowing myself to relax a bit as we continued floating forwards, Tian keeping his one arm wrapped around me in a comforting embrace. With a small sigh I leaned into his hug, a smile turning up the edges of my mouth, feeling content. We just floated through space for a while, taking our times, until Tian squeezed me tighter all of a sudden, embracing me in a full hug.


    "T-Tian?" I squeaked out, suprised at his sudden display of affection. My face heated up for no apparenty reason as I squirmed a bit before returning his hug.


    "Thank you," Tian breathed out, leaning back and giving me a quick peck on the lips.


    "F-for what?" I asked, a little breathlessly. It was amazing how, after all this time, he could still leave me breathless with just a few simple gestures. He may not show it - ever - but Tian is a bit of a romantic sap.


    "More than you know," Tian responded with a sincere smile that reached his eyes and made them gleam with happiness. Then he took a step back, breaking our embrace as golden light began to slowly filter out of his body, illuminating the immediate area. My eyes widened as the divine aura radiating from him continued to build, reaching a pitch before, suddenly...evening out, leaving Tian simply standing there, a pleased expression on his face. There was no great fireworks show, there was no loud announcement, it was here, on a walk with myself, that Tian quietly became a deity.


    "Pretty ironic that he, the Deity of Conflict, had a noiseless ascent, isn''t it?" A new voice asked from behind me, causing me to jump a little even though I instantly recognized who it was.


    "So you''re here, huh? ''Course you are." Tian drawled as I turned to look at Statera Luotian, or an incarnation thereof, as She floated in the sky behind us, looking and feeling far larger than She ever did before. With a soft chuckle She shrugged.


    "Conflict?" I asked suddenly, looking back at Tian. That was...uh, how do I put it...a dangerous domain...?


    "Not as dangerous as you think. ''Conflict is the spice of life, but War is born of hatred.'' I believe you were the one who told me that, Statera." Tian explained as if he knew my exact thoughts.


    "Indeed I did. And I was looking at this moment when I told you that, Tian. Although, not this moment exactly. Not even I am powerful enough to see millions of years into the future." The Creator said with a chuckle. I took a moment to think about Tian''s domain, before deciding that it fit him perfectly. Quite literally, Tian now represents what it means to fight and struggle through all forms of life, not just through the physical act of fighting, in order to achieve something. He fought in a war, fought against his own personality, struggled against those who would condemn him for being who he was...yes, Conflict, as the spice of life and an instigator for action, is a perfect domain for Tian.


    "How strong would you say I am now?" Tian asked suddenly.


    "Put you at a low-end mid-tier deity," Statera responded immediately. "Not quite strong enough to punch me yet."


    "We''ll see about that," Tian replied, cracking his knuckles. I giggled and moved over to Tian''s side, linking our arms and effectively stopping him from trying to assault the Creator of the entire universe. For the moment, at least. I''m sure he''ll try again some other time. "...I suppose I wouldn''t really get to hit you anyways. This is just another incarnation, isn''t it?" Tian asked with a sigh, though his arm tightened around mine. I repressed the urge to giggle at him.


    The Creator responded with a tired smile. "I''m afraid so. I''ll be busy for quite a while, you see. Can barely spare the power to come see you two...this incarnation may very well disperse at the slightest touch. And now that you''re a deity, Tian, you''ll start getting really busy as well. Although, for the moment, I''ll let you have your peace. You all were coming to visit me anyways, no? Let''s go then! And along the way...perhaps I can answer some of your questions about that girl, Tian. Not to many though, I mean..." the Creator smirked at Tian, "Where''s the fun in that?"

 Playing with Trees

    POV: Sequoia Pama (the Dryad)


    "Woooooaah!" I exclaimed, bouncing up and down in excitement as we approached the floating city of Manu Ti. Or...cities, as it is. There were at least twelve islands floating in the sky above the biggest lake I had ever seen, each chained to the the ground with massive, moss-covered chains. It was awesome! How are they even floating? How did they get up there? Who built it?


    "They''re floating because of a series of complex formations keep them afloat, they got up there because of said formations, and I was one of the ones who built it. Quite literally speaking, Manu Ti is my city." The Old Man said from behind me...oh, did I say my questions out loud? Huh. Oops! "And you''re still thinking out-loud." He said again, causing me to turn and look at him, blushing slightly but still smiling.


    The Old Man was walking arm-in-arm with his...girlfriend? I''m not exactly sure of their exact relationship, but they were obviously close. Anyways! The Old Man was wearing a bit different clothes than I normally saw him in. Usually he wore white and silver robes, but now he was wearing what he called a kimono or something that was silver in color with gold highlights. I like it. It matched his grey hair. It''s grey cuz he''s old. Just like his horns! His horns are gone because he''s old, too. His face doesn''t look old, though. I think he''s using illusions to hide the wrinkles.


    The Old Man frowned as he shot me a glare. Which was another thing! He has really old-looking eyes, so he just has to be old, no matter what he says! "I know what you''re thinking, Sequoia. You always get that same look when you''re about to pick a fight." The Old Man told me sternly. I puffed out my cheeks and stomped my foot in annoyance.


    "I am not! I am not going to pick a fight! I don''t pick fights! I was just thinking -"


    "Which is a dangerous thing that I told you not to do." The Old Man interrupted, smirking at me. Who''s picking a fight now, huh?!


    " - about how old you are, Old Man." I shot back. The Old Man sighed, and his girlfriend giggled, giving him a look. She was very pretty in my opinion. Much prettier than other people. And she was really nice too! I actually think the Old Man and her make a cute couple. Not that I''d ever tell them that, though. Or I''d never tell the Old Man that, at least. Though it is kind of gross to think about. The Old Man''s, well, old, but his girlfriend looks a lot younger, even if she''s not. I don''t know how I know that, but I do.


    "Old Man?" His girlfriend asked, raising one eyebrow as she looked at the Old Man.


    "It''s because of my hair. She saw it and though I was old because of it." The Old Man said with a sigh.


    "You are old!" I exclaimed. The comment went largely ignored.


    "I dunno, Tian. You are pretty old. Older than me, at least." His girlfriend said with a giggle. At that the Old Man frowned, and I giggled as well. I''m liking her more and more! She''s on my side!


    "Do you want to get technical about it? Cuz we can get technical about it. Technically speaking, Statera created our souls at basically the same time. Yours just took time to develop into the being you are now. Physically speaking, you''re older than me, because this is technically Tian''s body. Mentally speaking, I''m older than you because of my time as Dei. So it goes both ways." The Old Man challenged, raising one eyebrow at his girlfriend. "Besides, being old is a choice and I choose to never grow old. So ha! I win." His girlfriend giggled at him and I stuck my tongue out, flipping around to walk backwards and looking up at the sky. It was blue.


    Why couldn''t I see the leaves of the Big Tree from here? Or were the leaves blue, and what I''m looking at isn''t the sky but instead is the canopy of the Big Tree? And, speaking of trees how come I could be so far away from my tree? Aren''t dryads supposed to be bound to their birth trees until they turn, like, a thousand million years old?


    "Does she ever think in her own head?" The Old Man''s girlfriend stage-whispered to him, making me blush.


    "I don''t think so, Inesa. Never in the time I''ve known her," the Old Man told her (so her name''s Inesa! That''s a pretty name.) When they didn''t react to that thought of mine I put my hands on my hips and puffed my chest up in pride.


    "Ha! I just thought in my head without saying it out loud!" I announced proudly.


    "Congratulations. You have mastered a skill most people learn when they''re born. You''ve come such a long way." The Old Man commented dryly, making me wilt a bit. Well, when he puts it like that.... "And to answer your question, you''re so far away from your tree because it''s right here." The Old Man held out one hand, and in it appeared my tree, in all its little glory. It was still just a sapling after ten years, which was strange according to the Old Man, but he''s old and therefore wise so I suppose it is strange, but my tree was starting to grow taller. Like me! I grew three whole inches in the past ten years!


    "So why are we coming here again?" Inesa, the Old Man''s girlfriend, asked.


    "Because I wanted to get Sequoia a companion, remember? Since I won''t have as much time to spend with her after this and all." The Old Man said, and I frowned, feeling my chest tighten a bit. I didn''t want the Old Man to leave. He was fun, but he said that there was a lot he had to do, and I understood that, but...I still don''t want him to leave me.


    Suddenly, the Old Man was ruffling my green hair, grinning at me and meeting my eyes. His grin, filled with warmth as it was, immediately caused a massive smile to break out on my own face as I leapt at him and gave him a big hug, dangling off of his torso and my feet not touching the ground. I think I heard Inesa go ''awww,'' but I''m not really sure because I wasn''t listening to her. The Old Man chuckled a bit, the sound deep and rumbling and echoing in his chest and it was a sound I justloved,him laughing, and he patted me on the head a bit more before not-so-gently prying me off.


    "I''m not going to carry you, so don''t give me that look." The Old Man deadpanned at my pout at having been detached from him.


    "But I''m a tree. Trees don''t walk!" I announced, to which the Old Man unceremoniously dumped me on the ground.


    "No, you''re a dryad. And drayds walk fine with enough sunlight. Of which there is plenty, let me remind you." The Old Man said blandly, looking up in the sky, where the sun was hanging. For a moment I thought I saw a hint of longing in his expression, so I patted him on the shoulder (I had to stand on my tippy-toes to do it, cuz I''m still just a sapling and therefore short) and gave him a big smile. He smiled back, ruffled my hair, and everything was ok once again!


    For a few more minutes we walked in silence, and I ran around smelling the flowers and chasing butterflies and generally being a bit of a nuisance, until we reached the City. I think it''s name was North City or something, which was a weird name even if it was the northernmost city from Manu Ti. Couldn''t they call it something other than North City? It''s like naming a mountain range Rocky, cuz they''re mountains and they''re going to have a buncha rocks. Or a river Wet! The possibilities are endless for dumb names!


    "Sequoia, don''t stray too far," the Old Man warned as I bounced on the balls of my feet, looking widly at all the different people around now. The city was HUGE! It had these really big wood and metal buildings that shone like...well, they glittered a lot! And there was SO MANY people! I''m not sure I liked that part cuz they''re really loud and I like the quiet forest better, but still! I had never seen so many people! There were a lot of Fae like the old man, and there were these other people that looked like water and fire and wind and earth and even lightning come to life! There were others too like that, but I wasn''t sure what all they were. And, and! And there were these people that looked like giant spider/scorpion people! They wereso cool!But I only saw, like, two of them in passing...Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Oh! And the birds that were flying overhead weren''t birds at all! They were people too, people with wings! And there were these other people that were kind of like the Fae, but were also made up of strings and light or something? The Old Man called them Karae or something. I dunno. They''re kind of weird, but the few that I talked to because one of them dropped something and I picked it up and started talking to them for a bit, until the Old Man said that they were going to leave me behind, were nice.


    And, and! There were so many cool things! There were these big metal boxes that were moving noiselessly through the skies and down the streets, which were "paved," as the Old Man calls it (I didn''t like the "paved" roads, it felt weird, unnatural...dirt and gravel''s better), and there was so much cool stuff in the windows of buildings! And lots of shiny things!


    "Sequoia, come on! We''re almost there." The Old Man laughed, grabbing my hand and leading me away from a building with these rings of shiny metal that had shiny stones embedded in the metal.


    "Whatarethose?" I asked in wonder, looking back at the store window that was proudly advertising something in a language I couldn''t read.


    "Those are necklaces, goofball," the Old Man laughed. I was dimly aware of Inesa giggling beside him, but I just turned my attention fully to the Old Man.


    "What do they do?" I asked.


    "You wear them around your neck. They''re for decoration." Inesa explained, hiding her smile behind her hand.


    "Oh," I breathed, trying to wrap my head around that. "So it''s like when you hung paper lanterns in my tree on my birthday, Old Man?" I continued. The Old Man nodded, ruffling my hair affectionately.


    "Yes, except the necklace goes on you, not your tree." He said. I nodded, humming and allowing my thoughts to drift off. Now that I look, there were lots of people wearing necklaces, or with other similar shiny rings on their persons. Sometimes it was on their fingers, or wrists, or ankles, or sometimes hanging from their ears. So, I guess people like to wear decorations? That''s kind of funny. I don''t think I''d like to wear decorations though. They look heavy.


    "Goofy child," the Old Man chuckled, ruffling my hair again and scooping me up onto his shoulders. I let out an ''eep!'' of surprise, which prompted another round of giggles from Inesa. She''s really giggly. Am I that giggly? The Old Man calls me a chatterbox, whatever that is, and I laugh a lot so I guess I can be giggly? I dunno. "You do realize you''re still speaking out loud, right?" He asked, twisting his head so his horns didn''t poke me in the stomach when he looked up at me. I flushed and shook my head vehemently.


    "It''s how I think!" I protested, feeling my stomach drop slightly as the Old Man started to fly in the air, flying above one of the giant chains and flying towards a floating island covered in trees.


    "Most people think silently," the Old Man continued, prompting me to puff out my cheeks, scrunch my nose, and glare at him. He laughed, reaching up and poking one of my cheeks, making me giggle and breaking my concentration. I''m trying to glare, here! That''s not nice to break my glare! "You''re not very intimidating, kiddo," the Old Man continued to laugh.


    "Quit teasing the poor child," Inesa chided, and I shot her a winning smile. You tell him, Miss Inesa! "Miss?" Miss Inesa asked questioningly, giving the Old Man an inquiringly look.


    "That means she likes you more than she likes...literally anyone. If shereallylikes you, you''ll get a nickname. Who knows? Pretty soon she may be calling you Old Hag." the Old Man teased, and I gasped. How dare he call Miss Inesa an Old Hag!? Miss Inesa just giggled at the name instead of slapping the Old Man, though, so I guess it''s ok. He was just joking...


    "Miss Inesa''s too pretty to be old," I countered.


    "...were you listening to our previous conversation at all? She''s about as old as I am." The Old Man told me, and I frowned.


    "What conversation?" I asked. Then, abruptly, something caught my eye as we approached the island. "Oh, hey! Flying wolves! That''s socool!"I shouted, squirming on the Old Man''s shoulders. They were wolves, but were flying and had wings! That''s just awesome!


    "...of course. Silly me. Why would I assume she even cares?" The Old Man muttered, but I ignored him in favor of debating whether or not jumping from his shoulders would get me to the island faster. I wanna meet the flying wolves! Oh, wait, there''s a group coming to meet us. "Hello, you guys. It''s been a long time, how have you been?" the Old Man asked with a tinge of nostalgic cheer in his voice. In response the leader of the pack of flying wolves, a great big one with blue fur and wings on its back, and eyes that were...ancient to look at, (they weren''t older than the Old Man''s, but...more tired? Yeah, that sounds right) barked back, and I blinked.


    I was expecting to be able to understand them.


    The Old Man laughed and nodded, floating forwards to place his hand on the great big wolf''s head, scratching it behind the ears. I, myself, reached out and scratched the wolf as well, an action that seemed to surprise everyone present. The wolf was just so FLUFFY! I couldn''t resist! But when the big blue wolf let out a rumble of content, all the other wolves seemed to relax and the Old Man just chuckled lightly.


    What was so funny?


    "I think they like you," the Old Man said solemnly, nodding and grinning cheesily at me. I grinned back, and together the two of us floated down onto the island, Inesa following close behind. The flying wolves kept barking at the Old Man as we landed, and I leapt from the Old Man''s shoulders the moment he touched ground, landing with a stumble. He laughed, and I frowned slightly, dusting myself off and looking around wildly. "Go play for a bit, I''m going to catch up with these fellows. It''s been a while since I''ve had a chat with them." He said. I considered running off for a moment before turning back towards the Old Man, far more interested in what he had to say.


    "How do you know the flying wolves? And how can you understand them?" I asked.


    "They''re called Skyshatter Wolves, and are by all rights divine beasts. I can understand them because I am fairly powerful. And I know them because, well...when I was young, much, much younger, I had a friend that was a skyshatter wolf. One of the first, actually. She, well she was the one who established this little pack, and I make it a point to come visit them and say hi." He said with a little sadness tinged in his voice. I hummed and looked around at the wolves now surrounding us. My gaze, however, landed on a small, silver-furred wolf with black-ish feathers, its blue eyes looking at the Old Man and me with interest. "She died a long time ago, though,"


    I scrunched up my nose in confusion, pointing to the wolf that had caught my eye and looking back at the Old Man. "Isn''t that her, though?" I asked, and he looked at me in confusion. Then he looked at the wolf. Then at me. Then he started laughing.


    "You never cease to amaze kiddo," he chuckled, and though I didn''t understand, when he ruffled my hair I gave him a glowing smile because it made him happy. "That is and isn''t her. She died, but her soul is now living in that body." He attempted to explain. I crinkled my face in confusion, before taking a deep breath and nodding.


    "Oh. So it''s kind of like why Manu Ti feels a lot like you, but...notyou?" I asked. Once again the Old Man laughed and nodded, ruffling my hair once more before urging me to go run and play.


    I did. And not too soon after, I found a litter of shyshatter wolf puppies, and melted because they were so CUTE! They were all happy and yipped and barked and growled in the most adorable manner, especially this one that had black fur with little white splotches on it that was so aggressively, violently cute! It was a little standoffish around me though, but I perservered and eventually drug the puppy into the pile to play with me, just like all the other puppies!


    OH! And then, and then some of the bigger wolves started playing too! They were running and jumping through the air, and one even let me ride it up into the sky, where they would drop me and then catch me before I hit the ground.


    It was amazing, and so much fun that words can''t even describe! And by the end I was covered with doggy slobber and fur and was so tired that I curled into a ball in the middle of a meadow and let the puppies clamber all over me, draping themselves over me as they too fell asleep. The black furred one, though, shoved its head into my stomach and fell asleep like that. It was almost cute enough to really wake me up from my sleep, but Iwasreally tired, and it was getting dark so I couldn''t feed off of sunlight as much....


    "C''mere you," the Old Man whispered, gently lifting me out of the pile of puppies and mumbling something to the other wolves. In my half-asleep daze I didn''t catch it all, but it sounded suspiciously like ''I think he''s a good choice,'' or ''will you allow us to take him?'' I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face into his shoulder, slowly beginning to drift off. A deep rumbling sound echoed from his chest, which I recognized as his familiar, amused and loving chuckle, a sound that promptly put me to sleep.


    Next thing I knew, I was being layed down in the meadow that washome,a warm fuzzy thing being pressed into my side, and my consciousness fighting for lucidity.


    "Don''t go," I murmured in my ''sleep,'' "please don''t go, dad."


    Then warmth passed through me, a warmth that told me I wasloved,and someone gently whispered to me. A smile curled the edges of my mouth and I curled around the warm, fuzzy thing, allowing myself to drift to sleep once again. I dreamt of the Old Man, and all the happy times we spent together, like when he brought me cinn-o-mon rolls and sweets and we sat and ate them by the river, or all the times we would play hide-and-seek or tag, and his smile every time he looked at me that told me he wasproud,and that heloved me.


    It was a wonderful feeling.

 So Far Away

    POV: Statera Luotian


    I yawned, feeling tears well up in the corner of my eyes as my jaw popped loudly. Loud enough that everyone in the room, and there were a bunch of them, as this was a meeting between deities, turned to look at me.


    "What?" I asked innocently, stifling another yawn. "I''m just as tired as you all, so don''t give me that look."


    "Yes, but none of us are yawning," Tian, bless his soul, said, being the only one stupid enough to say that directly to my face. I love him for that, and showed that love by smiling at him. (Even though I had all but forgotten about him until he spoke up. Oops? It''s hard to even remember if I''m seeing the future or the past or the present at the moment...it''s all kind of blurring together...I need a break. Another, longer one, but I cannot afford such a luxury. No one can.)


    "If we could get back on topic," Elvira said with a resigned sigh, rubbing her temples. I smiled and nodded, beckoning with my hands for her to continue. The renovations to the Spirit Realm were well underway, almost complete at this point, making the afterlife more a lifeafter lifethan the souls and such just standing around waiting to be reincarnated. This would solve far more problems than initially predicted, which pulled a lot of pressure off the rest of the Realms and allowed more power from the Will of the Four Realms to go towards allowing said Realms to growfaster,because we were still fit to bursting with the number of deities and angels and other high-level beings in the universe.


    Thankfully the doubled Primordial Chaos was allowing the Realms to grow much, much faster. Exponentially so. I may have to duplicate the process at some point, once the Chaos returns to manageable levels...but, similarly, I can''t do it too often becuase that would bebad.Why it wasbadI hadn''t had the time nor brain power to figure out yet, but it was. Ah, wait, now they''re talking about the new regions that would appear in the next few thousand years, and what we should do about the Barrier.


    There were five new regions total, all Seeds from the first Region, forming in the Primordial Chaos as we spoke, with the other Regions not yet large or old enough yet to properly make Seeds of their own. And so, everyone is wondering if we should create a second Barrier for the same reasons they created the first (to ensure no one interfered with the growth of the new Regions and their inhabitants) or if we should move the first barrier outwards, or just leave it where it is, or even allow it to fade into non-existance.


    "Just leave it where it is, for now. In a few hundred thousand years,"if we survive that long,I didn''t say out loud, "we should be able to let the First Region and the others intermingle, or perhaps even sooner if we''re lucky, but for now it should stay as is. No new barriers, just leave it alone." I abruptly decided, stopping the argument from going in a gigantic, far-too-wordy circle for the fifth time. Reika shot me a grateful look, her hair a bit of a mess, and she continued to weave something made out of the fibers of leaves as she listened to Keilan start to rant about the changes in the Karmic Realm and how it''s affecting the reincarnation cycle.


    Supposedly it''s theraputic. Both ranting and weaving, I mean.


    ...I need a hobby to keep myself occupied. But, wait, doesn''t creating and running anentire universekind of count as a hobby?...no, wait, that''s not a hobby...WAIT. I CREATED AN ENTIRE UNIVERSE. Very quickly I portioned off the part of my mind that was having an existential crisis, becausehow did I create an entire UNIVERSE, dammit?! The answer is; I don''t know. And how did it take this long for this fact to hit me? Like, yes, I knew that I created a universe, but never did all the implications therein hit me - until this moment. In which I was very mentally preoccupied. Because I don''t think that even now, I''m powerful enough or skilled enough in Creation to create another universe.


    ...focus, Statera, focus. You''re running off on tangents. With that thought, I killed four of the incarnations that weren''t particularly doing anything, allowing my mental faculties to regain enough clarity for me to focus on the meeting.


    "...so really, it''s all going to be amazing, but right now it''s nothing but a mess." Keilan finished with a weary sigh.


    "And that''s not even getting started on..." I sighed heavily, and prepared myself once more for the long haul. There was just too damn much to do...and we were stilljust getting started.


    POV CHANGE: Tian


    "Well that was a nightmare," I muttered under my breath, leaving Elvira''s Holy Palace with Inesa, our arms intertwined. She nodded in agreement, yawning slightly and poking my side.


    "Yes. Did you see how tired the Big Five and the Creator looked? They''re working at least ten times harder than the rest of us, it''s a miracle they look even half as aware as they are." Inesa said, a bit of praise lacing her voice.


    "Statera was nodding off mid-sentence," I pointed out.


    "She''s working the hardest out of all of us. I heard that, at one point, there were over one hundred incarnations of Her running about in the Four Realms, all while Her true self remained functional. I know you haven''t gotten used to the whole ''divine power'' thing, and using incarnations, but that is an inconceivably impressive feat considering how much power Her incarnations still had." Inesa attempted to explain, trying to impress me. I was having none of it, despite the fact that, yes, I was having a bit of an interesting time getting used to ''divine power.''


    It was just so...different than anything else I''d used, and yet the same. It was all energies of the Four Realms and then some, and was tinged with my domain of Conflict. Which I still had yet to fully understand, but when I told Inesa that she just laughed at me.


    "...He was still nodding off." I argued back.


    "Do I need to remind you that you were crying - no,blubbering like a childwhen Sequoia called you ''dad?''" Inesa asked sweetly, and I cringed inwardly because no, I did not cry, I did not shed one manly tear, it never happened no matter what Inesa says.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about," I said weakly, and Inesa just giggled. "It doesn''t even fit into the conversation we were just having." I continued, voice gaining strengthjust a bit.


    "No, but I wanted to definitively win the argument," she shot back with a smug grin, and I cringed because I justknewthat she would win whatever argument she wanted with me just by bringing up that subject even if it never happened. I did not cry, dammit.


    Running my hand over my face, I unskillfully switched topics, unsure if unskillfully was even a word. "I''m going to go pay a visit to the Celestial Empress and the other Dao Progenitors before I get started on any of my tasks. They deserve to know what''s going on, especially if they felt how the Stars changed." I explained. The Dao Stars of the Martial Way that I had created underwent a change when I ascended to become a deity, mostly because the intent behind them became much, much bigger. The Martial Way still existed as a Dao Path, but now there was...something else (far more intangible than stars) that represented my Deific Path. Those who followed my Dao Path (which was literally every single Dao Progenitor thus far) would most likely have felt this change.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Hence why I felt the need to inform them. Though I doubt any of them really had much of a chance to become a deity themselves in the near future, it was common courtesy. Well, for me at least. Considering I was THE trailblazer, and needed to at least tell people there was now a trail they could follow.


    "Right, well I''ll see you later then. I''m going to work on keeping the mortals calmed." Inesa said, patting my shoulder. As the Deity of Hearth and Home, it seemed she was the most suited to keeping the mortals from tearing themselves apart...to a degree. She was by far the most relateable of all the deities, because of her domain.


    "Yeah, see you," I told her, watching as she vanished. With a light sigh, and imagining what the Celestial Empress''s reaction will be like, I too left for my destination...which is a bit of a redundant thought, if I think about it.


    Along the way, I passed by numerous angels and highly powerful spiritual beings, most of which greeted me as I passed by, and many of which were looking at me with somewhat smug smiles. The reason was simple - at some point in my life, most likely many of these beings had watched over me. And they had guided me to this point...through all my tantrums and ranting and raving about wanting things to gofaster,because I didn''t want to wait.


    And now they''re giving me smug looks because I finally got here, in therightway, not thefastestway. Smug pricks. I''ll admit that they did good to get me here, but never to their faces.


    Eventually, I reached the Mortal Realm, crossing the distance between the two Realms with competuous ease especially compared to when I was but a Dao Progenitor trying to travel between Realms. And, upon crossing the Realm border, I immediately teleported to the Celestial Palace, where the Celestial Empress was already waiting for me in her billowing silk robes and shiny golden adornments. Now that I looked at her as a deity, I could see much of what made her,her,enough for me to revise my opinion of her.


    She was a bit of a spoiled princess, that was true. But she truly was a good ruler, having spent two million years running the Mortal Realm would turn practically anyone into a good ruler if they payed a little bit of attention. The Celestial Empress, however, didn''t do it because she lusted for power, like I somewhat thought. True, she desires to grow much, much stronger, so no one can oppose her on this Realm. But at her core, hidden behind all of her extraneous thoughts and desires and wrapped in her desire to rule, is the desire to protect Manu Ti - the city that saved her, the legacy of the one who brought her world out of the darkness; my legacy. The legacy of Manu Ti.


    I couldn''t help but smirk. After all these years, she was still chasing after me...as a ruler, not as a cultivator.


    I couldn''t be more proud of her.


    "Heya, little miss empress," I greeted her, floating down to eye-level with where she stood on the veranda of her palace. She stared at me for a moment before smiling and shaking her head, putting a hand over her face and chuckling.


    "You finally did it, didn''t you?" She asked as more of a question, still hiding her expression from me.


    "Yes. I am a deity now. The deity of conflict." I affirmed, nodding my head. "Of course I''ll come visit time to time, but there''s a lot I''ll be doing. It''s crazy how much more you can see after becoming a deity, it''s like even the Mortal Realm becomes a whole new world." I explained to her.


    "I see," the empress says, looking up to meet my eyes. And if I noticed that she was hiding her eyes beneath an illusion...well. I didn''t comment.


    "Of course, I''ll be waiting for you," I continue on, and at this the Celestial Empress blanches. Within her I can see emotions roil about - confusion, mostly - but beneath it all is a little spark. A spark of hope, because she has been guarding this one spot for what seems like eternity, unable to move on. "I''m looking forward to the day you become a deity." I said, nodding my head to her and stepping away. The Celestial Empress blinks at me in surprise, and I just grin. There it is - the spark has begun to flicker into a flame.


    "You - I - what?" She stammered, and I chuckled, watching as the flame began to slowly turn into a roaring passion, a desire to grow stronger, though she herself did not notice it yet. Sothisis how the other deities felt when they kept goading me towards becoming a deity.


    ....I begrudingly admit that it is a lot of fun. "See ya," I said in farewell, because mylastgoodbye had me definitely not crying, nope, so I opted for that. And then I vanished, cackling to myself at the Celestial Empress''s expression.


    POV CHANGE: Morgan (The Shadow of the Four Realms)


    I could feel the danger, same as everyone else. Not nearly as well asThat One,of course, but I can feel it all the same. And I know that I must do something in order to prevent the Four Realm''s destruction.


    At first, I thought that it was to create yet another conflict, because the Four Realms certainly came out stronger than before after the Sun War, but that isn''t necessary. The way things are going with the turmoil in the Mortal Realm, I won''t need to do anything - although those that view me as some sort of spiteful, hateful, malicious entity (which, face it, I kind of am) figure that I''m behind the chaos that is slowly building up into a Realm-wide war in the Mortal Realm. It''s actually kind of cute. I don''t have to do anything to cause a war, those foolish mortals are doing it all on their own.


    Heh. And my Arachion''s are right in the middle of it all, like the predatorial species they are. I''m so proud. (Dimly, I realize that this feeling is the oneThat Onewished to instill into me, but I will never admit I feel it.)


    No, instead of starting a war I am helping my Dimensional Creators to expand their...dimensions. The First Dimension was progressing nicely, having reached a rather large size, but I needed to create more. The goal was to have dimensional pockets across the entirety of the Four Realms, and since they exist "outside" of the Four Realms, creating a sort of net around the outside. After all, the new dimensions actually exist outside of the Primordial Chaos and the Abyss...technically speaking.


    Technically, the new Dimensions existed within the Four Realms as well, albeit on another plane of existance, which is an infuriating topic to attempt to wrap my brain around because isn''t the Spirit, Karmic, Heaven, and Mortal Realms all different planes of existance?


    I snorted and turned my gaze back towards my Dimensional Creators, watching them work and "dig" in to the new plane of existance, quite literally carving a home for themselves into the fabric of space. If I were to equate it to anything...hm, I''d use those automobiles that have cropped up on so many planets, in many different forms. The Four Realms is the automobile itself - uselessly disecting this analogy to describe what Realm with what part is that useless dragon, Alexander''s, job, not mine - while what I''m having the Dimensional Creators build is more like...roll bars.


    Not that they realize I''m having them make this, of course. I''m discovering the joys of manipulation, beyond whipping foolish dark angels into a frenzy. Speaking of dark angels...


    "We''ve finished over there," a dark angel said, appearing next to me and pointing towards where another group of Dimensional Creators had created another dimension. (That seems like a redundant group of words.)


    "I am aware," I growled out, fixing the dark angel with a glare. "I thought I told you not to bother me with trivialities." The dark angel just shrugged and I sighed. "Go, then. Go terrorize a planet or something. If I desire for you to do something, I will call and you will come." I reminded it. The being shuddered in response before gleefully flying off, probably to do exactly as I described - terrorize a planet so as to feed off of the negativity of the mortals.


    Dark angels had started popping up more and more often as of late, mostly due to the chaos, but even they won''t be the big players in the game that is starting in the Mortal Realm. No, the big players will be the Evil Cultivators, or Vile Cultivators. The ones with all the power of the dark angels and cultivators.


    I allowed a feral grin to spread across my face as I lounged, watching everything with my many eyes. Yes, I will enjoy watching where all this goes. Even if I do not interfere directly, it is still fun to watch people make a mess of things.

 The Rising Sun

    POV: The Draconian (Logan)


    The howls of hunting dogs echoed in the distance as I ran furiously, my injured wing tucked close to my body as I stumbled through the dense, pine forest. Inwardly I was cursing, cursing the damn pirates that stole me from my home, cursing the damn navy that blew up the pirate ship, cursing the damn bandits that found me afterwards, and cursing the damn slavers chasing after me now. My life had been one giant chase after another, one giant fight for survival, and for the past week it just hadn''t ended. I''d maybe gotten two hours of actual sleep, not counting all those ten minute naps I took?


    "Fuck!" I hissed, ducking under the roots of another large pine and taking the moment to assess what was hurting so bad - the wound on the joint of my wing. One of those bastards had shot me - the led ball from the flintlock musket was still in there, somewhere - and now I couldn''t fly because it injured the joint in my wing or something. I didn''t know, I wasn''t a doctor, but it hurt just to hold the limb close, to say nothing of actually flying with it.


    When I had first tried flying I''d made it maybe ten feet in the air before deciding it wasn''t worth the pain. Which meant now I was running for my life from the damnable slavers and their hunting dogs, who no doubt had my blood to scent out. I''d tried to throw them off my trail, even swam up a damn river, but nothing had shaken them. I feel like they might toying with me.


    Hissing in pain I got to my feet and started running again, my muscles aching and begging for a rest but I knew that if I stopped now then I''d never be able to get going again. If only I was better at cultivation, I could run faster and farther and these asshats would never have been able to catch up to me. (At least I''m as strong as I am now. Were I any weaker, I wouldn''t have been able to last two days, nevermind an entire week. This thought, even though it does flit through my mind, is banished swiftly in favor of cursing for more power, more strength.)


    With a curse I juked to the side, dodging the bullet that drilled a hole in the tree next to my head, sucking in a deep breath and unleashing a blast of dragonfire, igniting the forest in an orange blaze. The man who shot at me yelp, and I sucked in another deep breath before running onwards, feeling the stinging in the back of my throat from calling upon my race''s natural ability to breathe fire. Well, not all Draconians can. However, I most certainly can, not the least because I am half Fire Elemental as well as Draconian.


    "AHAHAHA! The little shit''s a firebreather too! This is perfect!" And damn that slave trader, I think, as he laughs at my predicament. Belatedly I realize that the fool has been taunting me this entire time, running me ragged to ensure that I don''t put up too much of a fight. But, damn it, what else was I supposed to do?! "Hey, brat! Catch!" The slaver yells, and too late I attempt to dodge, the bolt of lightning striking my side and sending me crashing through a few trees.


    A few sickening cracks that I''m unsure of whether they''re my bones or the trees breaking sound in my ears as I groan and roll to my feet, meeting the eyes of the bastard who had struck me with a snarl pulling at my lips. He''s incredibly good looking, unfortunately, but knowing the sick and twisted bile that is the man''s - no,monster''s -innards is enough to make me want to hurl just looking at him.


    "B-bastard..." I croak out, barely noticing the smoke rising from my form.


    "Ah, so you''ve still got a little fight left in you -" He starts to say, but I''m off running before he can even finish the sentence, because I recognized this stretch of woods.


    The bandits and I travelled through here once, and the tree shaped like a man and woman kissing is no tree that I''d mistake. That means that salvation is right around the corner, because -


    "Don''t run from me, brat! I''m tired of playing games!" The bastard yelled, slamming one booted foot in my back and I''m grinning as I fly through the air, twisting and curling myself into a ball, all while flipping the man off. Because that is when I plunge off of the side of the cliff, conveniently hidden behind a thick wall of ivy, and plunge down into the river below. As the icy water below curled over my body, I managed to get one last thought off before lapsing into unconsciousness; at least the bastard wouldn''t be able to follow me now. That fall would''ve killed anyone but a draconian of my level.


    <hr>


    When I awake, it''s to someone poking at my cheek. For a minute I continue to lay there, grumbling to myself about not wanting to wake up, but then my instincts kick in. Years of living with pirates and bandits made me realize that when someone is trying to rouse me, I had better damn well get up.


    With a startled yelp I leap to my feet, an action I immediately regret as I go crumpling to the ground again, this time landing on my injured wing. My mind races as I take stock of my surroundings - dense trees, the river to my right, I''m laying on the banks, there''s dirt all over my form, I''m fairly dry except for my tail, which was sitting in the water, birds in the sky, no dogs, my senses aren''t tingling about danger, my Qi is slowly recovering, I''m fairly injured judging by the pain in my leg and wing and all over because of that damn lightning, and it''s a miracle I didn''t drown, and -


    "Are you ok?" A worried green face is peering at me, suddenly taking over the majority of my field of vision, and I attempt to scramble back. The person - no, girl - before me is looking at me with the same worried expression as before still plastered on her face. Her skin is green in color, a healthy forest green, and she had dark green hair that reached down to her ankles, along with eyes much too wide and much too innocent. For a moment I just stared at her, my breathing slowly coming to a more normal pace, as I began to relax. This little girl (a dryad, my memory informs me) who is no older than ten means me no harm.


    "You look like you''re bleeding, and I know a little bit about healing but not much, and are you ok you don''t really look ok. I found you on the beach here." The girl says rapid-fire, approaching me cautiously and squatting down. With a slight wince I nodded, reaching back to gingerly touch my injured wing. Thankfully no one had followed me off that cliff...


    Which, thinking back on it, was astupididea, even if it was the only one I could make at the moment. There was no guarantee that it would save me from enslavement, there was no guarantee that BASTARD wouldn''t have followed me or that they would''ve tracked me down like they had all the other times. In fact, that was still a distinct possibility, but...well, I''m too tired and hurting and hungry to care about that right now.


    "...feels like the sun and the sky and warmth and a little -no, a lot of burning heat." the girl babbled to apparently no one.


    "What?" I asked, and she gave me a confused look.


    "What, what?" She parroted back.


    "You said something about the sun and heat," I shot back, and she stared at me blankly before a blush started to creep up her face, turning her cheeks a darker green.


    "Oh. Sorry. Sometimes I speak my thoughts out-loud." She admitted, and I just stared at her before shaking my head.


    "Okay...well, I need food. And rest. And to dig this damn bullet out of my wing and -" I cut myself off at the hilariously cute look of outrage on the little girl''s face (though I really shouldn''t speak, being only twelve myself), her cheeks puffed out and hands on her hips and wide green eyes doing an absolutely terrible job at glaring. I would''ve felt more intimidated by a kicked puppy.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Say please, and don''t curse! Cursing''s bad." She said, her tone wobbling as she attempted to make her voice sound stern, and I bit back a laugh. It was - it was just too damn cute. Even though I was half-dead (though for some reason, I didn''t feel that way now...?) I couldn''t help but feel relaxed and...well, admiring how innocent she looked. And not in that false-innocent kind of way that I''d seen from the dozens of children that were theives, or assassins, or worse. No, this was true innocence.


    "Cursing?" I asked suddenly, my foggy mind catching up for the moment. I hadn''t cast a curse, had I? I only know one curse, and it''s not a particularly bad one, but I hadn''t started to cast it...had I?


    "Yes! You said D-A-M-N. That''s a bad word, a curse, and you''re not allowed to say it. The Old Man said so." She said proudly, the pitiful excuse of a glare vanishing from her face and being replaced by a lopsided smile that is much more natural.


    "That''s..." I started, but already found my consciousness fading once again. "Ah, shit..." I muttered, and once more my vision blackened.


    <hr>


    "Hey, hey, do you think he''s a nice dragon? I think he''s a nice dragon! He seems warm but a little dark, and I hope he''s nice!" The outrageously cheery voice of the little dryad was what greeted me when I roused from unconsciousness once more, opening my eyes to be greeted with a luscious green canopy covering me, the noon sun streaming down between the wide leaves to warm my face. With a slight groan I sat up, looking down at my now-bare chest to see makeshift bandages made of leaves wrapped around my wounds, the pain itself having been numbed somehow.


    Then I did a double-take. My feet, which had been cut bloody and raw from all the running, had tiny...roots growing over them, glowing with a faint green light. I jerked my feet away, the roots snapping with ease as I leapt to my feet, knocking over the pile of apples directly to my left with my tail as I did so. Shockingly enough, it didn''t hurt to stand.What...were those roots...healing me...?I thought, my attention split between there being little to no pain and food.


    Eventually my hunger won out, and I dug into the apples I had knocked over with gusto. Only after I finished was I aware of the snickering laughter and low growling that was emanating from the top of the tree itself.


    "Were you hunger-y~?" the little dryad sing-songed, dropping from the tree and landing a few feet away from me. I stared at her, a half-eaten apple still in my hand and juice dripping from my chin, as the growling continued. That''s when a dark shape leapt from the top of the tree, landing beside the dryad and snarling at me.


    I couldn''t do anything but stare at the strange, wolf-like creature. It was the size of a normal dog, only a few feet long and about two feet tall, with black and white fur and fluffy-looking wings sprouting from its back. My danger senses were screaming at me as I stared at the wolf, and I gulped audibly. This thing would rip my head off in a matter of seconds if I didanything.


    "Uh...sorry..." I muttered, dropping the apple and feeling my ears heat up a bit. The little dryad giggled, shaking her head and beaming at me.


    "I got them for you, silly! There''s a whole buncha apple and orange and dragonfruit and ebonyfruit and a whole lot of other fruit trees growing all around! See, see?" She chirped, bouncing on the balls of her feet and gesturing around behind her, where a grove of fruit trees were growing, their bounties glistening in the sunlight as they hung from their respective branches. Around the trees lay the ruins of an ancient city...or so I assumed from the very low, moss-and-vine-covered walls that made up malformed squares all around the tree I had woken up under. The ancient town was all but gone at this point...


    Beyond the town limits was a clearing filled with golden grass that waved in the slight breeze, and beyond that...a dense, green forest.


    What I saw in the forest, however, had me growling and tensing, taking a few hasty steps back and bumping into the tree, which had the winged wolf snarling at me.


    "Hush, you! He''s not being mean." The little dryad assured the wolf, petting its head.


    "We need to run," I croaked out, staring directly at thatbastardof a slaver, who was prowling around the edge of the forest all red-faced and angry. The little dryad just cocked her head to the side cutely, following my gaze to where it met with that of the slaver''s...who, for some reason,wasn''t moving any closer.Why?!


    "Why, cuz of him? He''s harmless though! At first he wanted to come in and look at your wounds, but I could tell he was lying because he felt like a sneaky snakey snake-man, so I told him that he could only come into my meadow if he promised to be nice and not do anything mean or think any mean thoughts. So he hasn''t come into my meadow yet becuase he''s trying to not think mean thoughts." The dryad said, as if that explained everything.


    "What." I deadpanned. "But - but that''s now how that works!" I couldn''t help but blurt out. If simply asking someone to not do something would prevent them from doing it, then, then...NO! That''s just not how this works!


    "Why?" the little dryad asked again, cocking her head to the side once more. I worked my jaw a bit, attempting to come up with an answer, when the dryad giggled. "You look like a gaping fish! Heehee, you''re funny. Hey, wanna go fishing? The Old Man and I used to go fishing in the river but he''s gone now so I haven''t gone fishing in a while, but you still look hungry and the Old Man said that fish is good to eat, but I''m a tree so I''ve never had to eat any meat. I eat sunlight and air and water, and sometimes fruit cuz sugar tastes nice." She said rapid-fire, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Oh! But you might still be tired and if you are that''s ok, we can just go fishing another time."


    Now, normally, I would''ve asked any number of questions before even considering accepting her offer. One; why wasn''t I hurting? Two; how long had I been out? Three; what about the slaver, would he come to attack them once they left the meadow? But this wasn''t normally. The little dryad had swept me up into her current, and I found myself nodding numbly and reminiscing about fishing with my father - or even on the pirate boat. They were always good times...even on the pirate boat, the ruffians had whooped and hollered whenever I would haul up a fish - be it large or small.


    "That sounds fun," I told the dryad, and the beaming smile she shot me was absolutely blinding.


    I couldn''t help but smile back as she darted off in search of fishing poles, the winged wolf no longer snarling but still giving me a look that saidif you try anything I will eat you.With a slight laugh I allowed myself to slide to the ground, closing my eyes and resting my head in my hands. My mind and heart were still in chaos, but...well, everything seemed a bit better now.


    It was at least a start...to what, I didn''t know, but...well, I hoped it was better than anything I had experienced previously.


    POV CHANGE:Statera Luotian


    Music rang out through the air, the sound of violins telling of a story of breaking dawn and rising higher. Kei swayed back and forth as she played, the entierty of the Four Realms stopping to listen to her song, allowing the melody to flood through it and ease its burden...and strengthen its heart. I smiled and rested my chin in the palm of my hand, half-lidded eyes turning away from Kei to look at a certain planet where a certain little dryad, and now draconian, resided.


    "You finally found something worth latching onto, didn''t you, my son?" I whispered, eyes glittering as I looked at the strings of fate. This meeting had no hand of mine in it, it was a meeting of freewill and destiny that brought those two together. "Took you long enough." Then I closed my eyes, falling into Kei''s music and allowing myself to relax into the soothing sounds. Kei had picked up playing music while I was sleeping, and I had to admit, she took to it like a fish to water. It was her favorite past time, and I was glad that she was taking the time to share her gift with the world.


    "What did you think, Grandpa?" Kei asked when the song ended, grinning widely at me and holding her violin behind her back. I shot her a beaming smile and stood, walking over to her and ruffling her hair.


    "It was wonderful, Kei. Truly wonderful." And I meant it. Kei''s smile grew wider before falling a bit more somber, looking at her violin.


    "I still have a long ways to go, though." She murmured. I chuckled and looked up, towards the Realm Sun we currently sat under.


    "Don''t we all?" I whispered, before shaking my head. "Don''t worry about it too much." Kei smiled at me and nodded before vanishing off to go do some more work...or slack off. Probably slack off. Kei hated working with a passion, not that I blamed her. One of the first things I did upon creating the Four Realms was devise new ways to push my duties off onto other beings. With a slight chuckle I shook my head, glancing back towards the dryad and draconian with a small smile before vanishing as well.


    Left behind, floating in the space beneath the Realm Sun, was a small message I left in the form of my thoughts.


    We''re waiting for you...Sol.

 A Coming Break

    POV: Alexander


    "So you''re telling me that Sol -"


    "The soul who was once Sol," I interrupted. Tian glared at me before forging ahead.


    "Sol,the one whoblew up the SunandbetrayedStatera is now hanging out with Sequoia?" Tian continued, clenching his fists and glaring up at me. I shrugged, popping my jaw as I yawned and nodded. After a few moments of silence, Tian apparently came to a conclusion. "...if he tries anything funny, I''m going to obliterate him." He announced.


    "If you obliterate him in the sense of destroying his soul and truesoul, then you will suffer the same fate as him and live as an insect or animal for the next million years." I countered, giving the deity alook.Tian hummed and considered this before nodding again.


    "I''m going toobliteratehim," Tian concluded. I huffed out a laugh, shaking my head at the man.


    "Even as a deity you do not change, Tian. I believe that is one of your best traits." I told him, uncoiling my body and poking my head out of my cave. Spirits wandered about outside, going about their business and completely unaware that my home, my cave, now resided just before them. Legends about my cave abounded amongst both mortals and spirits about how to get to it, and how nobody has ever found it and whatnot. It was quite amusing, some of the stories they had come up with. On many occasions, apparently, brave warriors and heroes had found my cave, only to recieve wisdom from the Great Dragon that would aid them on their quest. All were but legends and myths of course. I''ve never gotten a visitor of that kind.


    The reason for that was that most beings simply couldn''t see my cave. I willed them not to, and they therefore could not see either cave nor myself..unless they were of sufficient strength. If the weaker beings were to lay their eyes upon me, their bodies and/or astral forms would begin to waver and fall apart, if not spontaneously combusting altogether.


    "Oi, listen to me you overgrown lizard," Tian barked, drawing my attention back to him. I chuckled, shaking my head sheepishly.


    "My apologies. I allowed my thoughts to wander. What was it that you were just saying?" I inquired, realizing that Tian had been asking me a few questions. Tian huffed, crossing his arms and glaring at me. His eyes were absolutely astounding to me, the irises themselves constantly shifting and changing, the colors clashing and promising of conflict of any kind. He was the closest thing to a God of War that the Four Realms would ever have.


    "I was asking if you knew what Sequoia, the dryad Statera led me to,is," Tian asked, shaking his head. "It has been five thousand years since I ascended, and she''s only aged byfour.And yes, before you say anything, I mean that literally. She has only aged byfour years,like she is stuck in time or something. That''s not the strangest part, either. Her companion, the Skyshatter wolf, seems to age slower around her as well...not like it would matter, considering the beast''s cultivation abilities, but that''s beside the point."


    I pondered this, having glanced at the girl that Tian had all but adopted before and noticed similar things. "I cannot say, honestly. Perhaps only Father truly understands what that girl is on the most basic level. Reika once guessed that she was the dryad of a Life-Giving Tree, however...I have the feeling that is not so. Her tree is similar but different..." I sighed and shook my head. "I can say that although her soul, was, like all others, created from Father''s influence, it was createdbythe Will of the Four Realms." And there was a very big difference in that.


    Father normally, unconsciously created creates souls and spirits to fill the expanding Four Realms from His own influence, rarely taking the time to consciously carve out a soul. I believe the last time He did so was...well, perhaps when He first created the original Big Four, instead preferring to allow souls to grow at their own pace rather than grant them power. That didn''t stop other beings from influencing the creation process - I, myself, had molded a few souls so that they properly fit my first children, the Dragons and Draconians. My siblings have also done so, as has Morgan, when they first created their sentient races. It was a necessary step in creating those templates, so souls would have the chance to reincarnate into these races.


    The Will of the Four Realms would then adjust the souls within the Four Realms so that they could all fit into the new races'' bodies.


    But for theWill of the Four Realms itself to mold its own soul was...nigh incomprehensible. The Will shouldn''t have enough consciousness to consider the idea of moulding a soul, let alone actually do it. Tian at least understood the implications of this, if his muttered curse (more said out of shock than him actually cursing something) was anything to go by.


    "...and you can''t see anything about her destiny, either?" Tian asked. I scoffed.


    "I am the Guide. It is my duty to see her destiny...or at least the path that she must walk. True, it is blurry even for me, but I at least know the direction it leads. As of now, you have nothing to fear. Her path is steady and safe - as it would always be for a being with a heart as big as hers." I chuckled.


    "Riiiight," Tian drawled, and then, having thought of something entirely different, he switched topics. "Hey, do you have a reverse scale? And if so, where is it?" I blinked in confusion, not entirely sure what he was talking about.


    "What is a reverse scale?" I inquired.


    "It''s a scale that, according to legends, when pressed will enrage a dragon. There was a red dragon that the rumor was based around." Tian explained. I hummed, considering that.


    "It''s probably Koga who started that..." I mused, nodding to myself. That kid did have quite the temper, though he''s long since died and reincarnated into yet another dragon. I seem to recall that a mortal touched him once, and he flew into a rage...I was rather disappointed in him for that. "Not that I have one, but why do you want to know?" I asked.


    "Because I''m going to press it," Tian deadpanned, eliciting a booming laugh out of myself. With a shake of my head I snorted at Tian, causing the deity''s form to flicker and informing me that Tian was getting the hang of divine incarnations. I hadn''t bothered to check if this form of his was one or not earlier. It didn''t really matter to me if I was visited by an incarnation or not.


    "So you say. Get out of here, bratling, I''m sure you''ve got work to do." I chided, jerking my head towards the door. Tian huffed but vanished nonetheless, leaving me alone in my cave. With another yawn I closed my eyes, exerting my influence to guide the Four Realms from my cave, rather than moving about like my siblings tended to do. Guiding a massive number of people worked better this way, I''ve found.


    POV CHANGE: Reika


    "So I was wondering -" my comment was cut off by a loud explosion and a round of curses from Mother as She stumbled out of her palace, smoke chasing Her out of Her workroom. I blinked and stopped in my travel, Elvira stopping alongside me as we watched Mother continue to curse and berate something entirely out of our line of sight. Almost on cue, another incarnation of Mother appeared in front of us with a mildly annoyed, mildly frustrated expression.


    "Ignore me," Mother said, waving Her hand back towards Her true body, which was still cursing, "and focus on me. How can I help you two?" She asked, gesturing to Herself. I blinked at the almost comedic routine before clearing my throat and looking at Elvira.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Uh," Elvira began, blinking rapidly. Even for Mother this was a bit strange, because we could still hear Her true body cursing in the background while Her incarnation stared at us expectantly. "Well, we had a few questions..." Elvira''s eyes flicked back to Mother''s true body.


    "Ignore me and focus on me," Mother repeated. I picked up the slack where Elvira had left off, deciding that now was the time to ask our questions, not stand around gawking.


    "I would like to start with the small things and then move larger," I started, pausing when Mother''s true body started again on a round of curses, this time far louder. With a patient expression, Mother''s incarnation repeated itself.


    "Ignore me and focus on me. You''re distracting me," She said. This was, apparently, the last straw for Elvira. A throbbing vein appeared on her forehead as she darted forwards, past Mother''s incarnation to Her true body, slapping Mother upside the head and putting a halt to her tirade. With a shrug, Mother''s incarnation vanished, allowing me to move forwards towards Her true body.


    "KNOCK IT OFF!" Elvira thundered, the sheer force of which made Mother flinch and shrink back a little, holding up Her hands defensively. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Elvira rubbed her eyes with one hand and began to speak again. "There are some things we need to discuss." She said tiredly. I moved forward to stand beside Elvira, patting her on the shoulders.


    "Yes, there are, but I think we need to lead into this conversation with a few of the less important topics first." I admitted, sending out a pulse of soothing energy. Elvira looked at me gratefully and Mother just smiled cheesily.


    "Aww, it''s so nice to see you sisters getting along," She teased.


    "We always get along." Elvira deadpanned.


    "Not always, I remember this one time you were fighting over -"


    "WE DON''T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!" Elvira bellowed, reaching the end of her chain. I held her back from hitting Mother again, who just cackled.


    "Sorry, sorry! I just can''t help but tease you when you''re like this!" Mother said with a grin, almost provoking Elvira again.


    "I would like to first inquire about what you intend to do with what the space between the Regions of the Mortal Realm," I said slowly, attempting to get the conversation back on track. Mother had gradually been filling the area with various...elements and energies, unbeknownst to every being besides the Big Five and Mother Herself. It was subtle enough to not draw attention, and I was wondering exactly what Mother was planning.


    "Well, I''m going to fill it with hazards. In a sense." Mother admitted, scratching the back of Her head. "We don''t want inter-Regional travel to happen yet, so I''m going to deter certain beings from attempting the voyage from one Region to another by introducing hazards and danger zones...do you remember what the High Deity of Lightning, Leitz, did all those years ago when the barrier was first introduced? Where he was just playing with some lightning and suddenlyBAM!there was an area filled with nothing but lightning? It was a long time ago." Mother asked.


    I nodded my head, remembering the phenomenon. It did happen in my Realm, after all.


    "Yes, I remember. Gilles was intrigued for a little while, but quickly lost focus. I didn''t think anyone played around with it after he got bored with attempting to recreate that?" Elvira asked, scratching her wing and fluffing her feathers unconsciously.


    "Mm, a waste I say. I was hoping you all would pull through and figure it out, but it wasn''t really important so I never pushed for it. That''s what I''m going to do with those areas. In a sense, I will be creating Elemental Planes in-between the Regions, only on a small-scale and being very loosely tied with those terms. It will not only strengthen the internal structures of the Four Realms, specifically the Mortal Realm, but it will also prevent the older Regions from messing with the younger ones...for a time, at least." Mother explained.


    "So...you''ll be setting traps for the mortals to fall into, or will it be more like another, more dangerous wilderness, where it''s not actively seeking their death but they still have to be careful?" I asked, pretty sure it was the latter but just wanting to make sure.


    "It''s the latter. It won''t be very forgiving of mistakes - like going into the mountains during winter without proper gear - but it''s not like I''ll be setting it to actively seeking out the death of those cultivators who make it out there. They''ll just have to trailblaze and be careful." Mother assured me. "Now as for the rest of your questions - " Mother abruptly stopped talking, staring angrily into space. An almost silent warning passed by Her lips, and She shook Her head once more.


    "The next question we have is regarding - "


    "What you really want to know is about the little dryad, Sequioa Pama, am I correct? You can feel it, that she is an existance that will shake the Four Realms, no? For a while even I was confused by her existance, though I honestly cannot feel anything but warm feelings towards the girl. She has such a big heart..." Mother sighed in praise, turning Her twinkling gaze towards us. Her eyes that saw through all things were filled with nothing but love and affection, which startled me a little. "And you two as well," She said, reaching out and embracing the both of us in a hug. She extended Her arms to drag me in as well, the limbs reaching out a good few hundred meters to drag me into the hug as well.


    Elvira and I shared a look of confusion. This was a little sudden, was it not? I mean, Mother was always the loving sort, but... "Are you alright?" I asked gently, patting Her on the back. She laughed, a gentle sound that refreshed the soul and warmed the heart, patting my head and nodding.


    "I am quite alright, dear." She said. "I can assure you that Sequoia isn''t anything dangerous...and although I cannot tell you directly what her role is, I can give you a gratuitous hint. She represents the next step for the Four Realms, in the same vein as when I was taking a nap. She is a catalyst of sorts, not the end goal...at least, that is what I can see. It is so far into the future, however, that there are far too many possibilities to judge it accurately. Moving on, the next topic of discussion I believe is about the chaos of the Four Realms, am I correct?"


    "Father..." Elvira began, before shaking her head helplessly.


    "Yes, Elvira, I know. The time of chaos will end shortly - most likely in the next thousand years. The Four Realms need some time to stabilize before they can experience a major change again." Mother laughed, releasing us from Her embrace. "I was a bit hasty in my earlier actions to strengthen the Four Realms, and now I can see that the catastrophy won''t happen for at least another hundred thousand years. Even I can be rash, you know!" Elvira and I both let out sighs of relief, with my sister visibly deflating with the action. Recently the Big Five, Elvira, Keilan, Alexander, myself, and Kei, had noticed that the Four Realms was being put under incredible stress - to the point where a few points of reality were begining to fray, as if it was breaking apart.


    As Mother always said, the Four Realms is just too young, and not developed enough, to handle the long-term advancements Mother wants to make. Even the deities, myself included, are the same. We are all far too tired.


    "You? Rash?" Elvira asked, a small smile dancing on her lips. "That''s a very conflicting image you''re portraying, you know." She teased. Mother laughed and nodded.


    "Indeed!" She chortled, ruffling both my and Elvira''s hair. I hid a smile as well, Mother was many things, but certainly not rash. Lazy? Yes, She is that. Cautious and careful? That too. Whimsical and prone to acting childish? That was never in doubt. But rash just wasn''t a word used to describe Her. "Was there anything else you needed?" She inquired.


    "...what were you working on that got you so worked up?" I asked, unable to hold back my curiosity. Mother grinned widely, and I suddenly almost regretted asking. Upon touching certain subject, Mother could get as...fanatical, which isn''t the right word but the one I am using anyway, as Gilles when someone asks about his research. It''s a thing Elvira complains about her husband all the time, which is funny in my opinion because I can just imagine watching her eyes glaze over the more Gilles talks...


    "You see," Mother began, and I knew that I was in for the same kind of talk. Oh well, if it allowed Mother to blow off some steam, I was ok with it.


    POV CHANGE: The Sword That Does Not Cut


    I left the Creator''s side because of a feeling. He was my creator, the one who gave me sentience and forged my form in the depths of His home, the one who used me to end the threat of the Shadow of the Four Realms. I am the Fate Cutter, the Destiny Binder, and the Painter of Both, and only in recent history have I begun to feel that, although the Creator will forever remain my true wielder, another worthy of utilizing my power has appeared in the Four Realms.


    So I left, and began my search. A never-ending search...for thousands of years I was trapped in the core of a planet, for another stretch of time I found myself wandering the new Dimensions of the Dimensional Creators, and even now I continue to wander. Searching for the one meant to wield me, to utilize my power...


    It was a long and tiresome journey, one that I was willing to undergo. Because I, as an instrument forged with the intent of severing and rebinding fate, am following my own strings of fate. The strings that I can barely sense, and yet sense all the same. It is only a matter of where they lead...although I hope that I soon arrive at my destination. It has been far too long already, and I feel no closer to my goal.


    Ah, well. The journey is part of the destination, and I admit that I am finding some joy in travelling around the Four Realms.

 Interlude: Various Perspectives

    POV: Third Person POV


    The earth elemental, Terra slowlyfloated through the hazards between the Regions, searching endlessly for the Dimensional Realms. He and his wife, a fire elemental by the name of Pyre, had heard rumors of a place shrouded in mystery hidden in the space between Regions upon their exile to the Mortal Realm, and had ever since searched for it desperately. And now they were close, oh so close, that they could almost taste it.


    Their plans had all failed. They had almost done it - sparked a war that would encompass the entirety of the Heaven Realm which would''ve lead to them ultimately conquering all the kingdoms and empires therein. But thentheyshowed up. The Gods. At the time Pyre and Terra were not strong enough to know what was happening, but now that they were, it became clear. The Gods had appeared in the minds of several mortals, rumor has it even appearing directly, and put a halt to the nastiest of the battles and wars. Pyre and Terra had their plots exposed, revealing all the careful manipulating and evidence-planting they had gone through in order to provoke this war, and they soon found themselves on the run from every single known kingdom.


    If that were not enough the two were cast out of the Heaven Realm by the Gods, sent down to the Mortal Realm for their crimes. And now they were filled with nothing more than resentment and the desire for more power. If they could just get strong enough, they could usurp the Gods themselves, and finally reach their rightful place as rulers of the Four Realms.


    (In truth, it was self-exile. They fled from the Heaven Realm of their own accord, but wanted something to blame for the misfortunes they themselves caused.)


    But to do that, to reach the true pinnacle, they needed something that could kill even the Creator God, the Forefather of all beings - Father Luotian.


    "We are here," Pyre said from beside Terra as the duo entered a world of neverending fog, leaving behind the plane of lightning they had just been in. "It has been far too long and far too harsh of a journey, but we have finally reached it; the World of Fog, the New Dimension, the Fifth Realm...the lair of the first Dimensional Creator, the most powerful of Morgan''s unholy creations." Terra quelled the excitement in his heart at his wife''s words, sensing it himself. Here, he was free of the influence of those damnable beings called gods.


    "Ah, it feels good," Terra rasped, his voice deep and rumbly.


    "You mortals who have reached this far, are thus posed a question; what is your purpose?"A deep voice intoned, reverberating around the area and echoing within the mists. Terra tensed for but a moment, sharing a glance with Pyre, and they both fell to one knee.


    "Great and exaulted Dimensional Creator, we have come here seeking your wisdom, for there are no beings as great as you, with your powers of creation itself, beneath the gods." Pyre praised, heaping on the flattery in her words.


    "Flattery will get you nowhere, and thus you are posed a question; WHAT is your purpose?"The voice intoned. Terra grit his teeth; the rumors about the Dimensional Creators'' lack of emotion was true - they could not be bought with flattery, and they could see through lies. Thus, Terra decided to go with the far more risky approach: asking directly.


    "We come seeking a weapon," Terra stated bluntly, rising to his feet. Pyre rose to her feet as well, their eyes meeting for a moment and nodding.


    "A...weapon?"The voice inquired as a way of asking for elaboration.


    "Yes, a weapon," Pyre affirmed.


    "A weapon capable of killing gods. Of usurping Father Luotian." Terra announced, staring challengingly into the mists that surrounded them. For a moment there was silence, and then, rippling through the mists and chilling both Terra and Pyre down to their bones, a wolf''s howl sounded out.


    "You insignificant beings wish to usurpThat One?"A raspy voice echoed out, startling the two elementals. Terra felt himself begin to sweat, as much as an earth elemental could, and his breathing became ragged as a shape emerged from the mists. First it appeared as a shadow, then slowly became clearer and clearer, until it revealed a grisly grey wolf with eight black eyes and spider-like appendages protruding from its back. A wave of malice washed over Pyre and Terra like waves upon the sand, drowning them in negativity and hatred. The howl echoed out again, and Terra realized that it was more like a cackle than a howl.


    As abruptly as the pressure landed upon them it retreated, allowing Terra to suck in a breath he had been unaware he had been holding.


    "Morgan...the Unholy One, the Great Devourer, the Sun Eater...the First Betrayer..." Pyre whispered in both fear and reverence. Terra shuddered in anticipation, licking his lips and falling once more to his knees.


    "I have not heard a funnier joke since the day I was born,"Morgan snarled, its lips curling up to reveal its razor-sharp teeth."No being would ever help you with such a task. The Four Realms itself would seek to reject your purpose. What makes you think that you could succeed where I, the one who was truly born to opposeThat One,did not? The kind of arrogance that takes is unimaginable, even to one such as myself."Morgan shook its head, pacing back and forth as it spoke, black mists trailing off of its form.


    "We wish to free people from the oppression of the gods -" Pyre was cut off by Morgan''s following snap.


    "DO NOT LIE IN FRONT OF ME!"Morgan roared."Iinventedhatred and malice, I know far more about manipulation than you ever could! You do not wish to ''free'' anyone because they are already free of will. You delude yourselves with your visions of grandure, of sitting atop some gilded throne as gods yourselves. Disrupting faith inThat One,breaking the seal between the soul and the mortal, conquering people through misplaced faith and blackening their hearts along with yours...all of this is nothing that I have not done before."Morgan countered.


    "We will succeed." Terra ground out, gritting his teeth. Morgan snorted derisively.


    "I suppose your determination is admirable, albeit foolish,"Morgan yawned. In the mists surrounding the wolf, innumerable dark shapes appeared, taking the form of dark angels."Seek the sword which ended my reign of terror. It is a foolish thing, perhaps you could trick it into serving you for a while. Begone, now,"Morgan snarled, the sound blowing both Terra and Pyre out of the area. With another snort Morgan''s incarnation faded away, its true body opening its eyes.


    Beside Morgan floated the first Dark Angel, silently staring at where the two mortals had once been. Morgan snickered silently to itself, shaking its head in amusement. The Sword That Does Not Cut may be foolish and naive, but Terra and Pyre would never be able to truly wield it. Nor would it ever truly accept them.


    "Why?" The Dark Angel asked.


    "Amusement," Morgan answered, voice no longer so purposefully intimidating. It yawned, and then continued. "For my own amusement. This will be but a side-show to the real play. Something to tide over the mortals while the deities wait with bated breath. But only I will find this to be entertaining, I am sure." The Dark Angel asked no further questions, standing beside its master and watching the dimensions continue to spread. It agreed with Morgan''s actions to strengthen the Four Realms at the moment. After all, the Four Realms is its home too.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


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    <hr>


    Wang Zizai, the first mortal-come-angel, was among the most powerful of all angels. Certainly he was the most experienced, and although he may not hold the same versatility of the cultivator angels, he still had his purpose.


    Namely, he had been placed in charge of an entire Region, with many angels that sought him for guidance, even as he sought guidance from those higher than him, though those were few and far between. The Four Realms only had fifty seven deities to begin with, excluding the Creator, of course, and all of them were far too busy with remodelling and restructuring, not to mention stablizing, the Four Realms to pay him much attention. Comparitively there were far more angels in existence - in the thousands.


    Not that he minded that. He enjoyed a certain amount of anyonymity, and he didn''t have many questions anyways. Amongst angels he was one of the oldest, the second oldest to be precise, and thus was far more experienced than any other angel - because the first angel was not quite a strong as him. Angels born from spirits grew slower than mortals born from mortals. It would take the first angel millions of years to reach Wang Zizai''s current level of power...but that was beside the point. Being an angel wasn''t about superiority - such a notion was pointless and meaningless.


    Besides, if Wang Zizai truly did have a question to ask he could always ask Statera Luotian, the Creator Themself. Not directly, of course, but more...Their influence. As in the Divine Love that radiated from the Creator through all things and to all of creation, that, even if one was a mortal or the tiniest of microbes, was something that you could reach out an touch...andfeelthe truly boundless love. And that love would guide Wang Zizai if he was confused, just as it would everyone and everything else.


    All one had to do was ask.


    All of this also has a point. Because Wang Zizai was very confused, and the divine love of Statera Luotian, of the entire Four Realms for that matter, was being no help at all. Not because it wasn''t trying to help, but rather because the answer he was getting from the divine love, the direction it wanted to take him was being annoyingly vague and...almost seemed confused itself. Was all of this a test?


    The gleaming sword that had sunk itself into the "ground" of the Spirit Realm pulsed once, making Wang Zizai blink.


    If it was, Wang Zizai had no idea how to pass it.


    The Sword That Does Not Cut, on the other hand, was trying to figure out if the string of fate that it was following connected to the incredibly powerful angel in front of it or not, and failing miserably. It had a poorer sense of direction than a broken compass with no needle. If only the angel would grab its hilt, then all would be made clear...


    <hr>


    .


    <hr>


    Far, far away from the Four Realms lay another realm, created by another Origin Deity. This was a world of Heaven and Earth, or Heaven above Earth, created by the Origin Deity simply named Emperor, who, true to his name, had a domain of being a Ruler - the King of the Gods.


    He, in all his power, sat atop his throne, all six of his arms folded against each other, his upper-most pair supporting his chin as he stared out of his palace window. The man''s skin was a rich purple color, the color of kings, and his hair was a breath-taking silver. Muscles rippled with every movement of his, a sight that leaves no doubt of this being''s ability as a warrior, if his auraalone was not enough to prove his strength both on the battlefield and off it.


    Emperor was, however, perplexed at the moment. He had created a kingdom of gods that ruled over the mortals in the mortal worlds below, and when those mortals grew strong enough, became enlightened enough, and ascended to be more than just mortals then they would be allowed to join him in his Kingdom of Heaven. The reason for him being perplexed was because he never imagined that this model would have caused a rebellion - which he was wondering how to handle.


    He was the undisputed King of the Heaven and Earth universe, however, that did not stop at least half of the deities of the universe to stage a coup, and attempt to dethrone him. It stung, it really did, to have his own creations, his own subjects turn against him. Had he not been a good ruler? Had he not ruled justly and fairly, giving all equal chances to rise? This was a legitimate question, too, as he had been a good ruler. But, alas, this was Heaven and Earth''s Shadow - much like the War of the Sun for the Four Realms.


    It was bound to happen sooner or later.


    With a grunt Emperor stood from his throne, his red cape fluttering a bit with the action. Now was the time, he must act. There was no other choice. Slowly, Emperor rolled his shoulders, cracked his neck, and began to flex his power. The rebel leader was skilled and powerful, just a tad less so than he himself. Because of this, Emperor had decided to create something that would skew the fight in his favor. It was a very simple, but very complex technique. As someone with the domain of Ruler, he was able to rule over all of creation...but taking that a step further, he should be the Ruler of what is nothiscreation as well. He should be able to rule over the Void.


    Emperor''s power flexed, drawing the inexistance of the Void to gather in his hands, giving it shape without form - a hole in Heaven and Earth in the shape of a sword. This was his newfound power - the Voidblade. It was not unlike what Statera Luotian did to solve Their Shadow, only the intent behind each is different. Statera Luotian desired to fix the problem, to help the Shadow while also allowing the Four Realms to grow in a significant and qualitative way.


    Emperor only desires to rend apart the rebel leader, who had disturbed everything. He understands the significance of it all, he understands the importance...he just doesn''t necessarily care. Something stands in his way, and therefore it must disappear. His temperament is terrifying like that - especially because he is an Origin Deity. And now he was walking the path of a Conquerer, not a Leader.


    Little did he know, however, that attempting to exert his Rule over the Void before he was ready to do so not only had negative effects on himself but on others as well. And while it is unfair to say that the catastrophy approaching the Four Realms was caused solely by him, it is truth that he was a part of what attracted its attention.


    Unfortunately, he would not be facing a catastrophy as the Four Realms, One World, and potentaly others would. Not for a long while yet.


    <hr>


    .


    <hr>


    There was a being. A beingly being with the status of Being and been a being in all those Beingly places. Because everywhere is filled with beings, and therefore this being was a being of incredible nature. A Beingly Being of Being.


    And yes, this being did enjoy the convoluted nature of that title.


    Back on topic, this being was one of those called a Monkey Wrench. It was one of the souls that travelled throughout Multiverses, from universe to universe, living out their lives and gathering power with no apparent end in sight. Of course there were rumors as to how one would "end" their ceaseless wanderings through the Multiverse, but no concrete answers. After all it was hard to keep track of one another when two souls that had just spent a life with one another were in universes on opposite ends of the Multiverse in their next life.


    This being in particular was THE Monkey Wrench. The very first one. The one who marks the beginning of the seemingly endless cycle. And it was currently dead.


    "Aaah, that was a good run," It said, having been a truly genderless being in its previous life, its soul appearing in the Nexus - a space reserved for Monkey Wrenches that have lived a minimum of five thousand separate lifetimes. The Nexus allowed them to...manage, for lack of a better word, their memories and personality traits, as well as mess with the energy they had collected throughout the course of their lives. Not to mention that, when they reach a certain level, it becomes possible to choose some of the circumstances of the next life.


    For example, The First Monkey Wrench, a being of innumerable names, could decide between two hundred different universes to visit after each life, as well as deciding between a set number of races, determining gender, and even influencing what sort of life it would lead next.


    For the most part, this being left it on random. It had lived in far too many situations to really feel particular about it.


    Whistling to itself, the First Monkey Wrench messed about with its memories and sifting through the notifications it had recieved while in the world below. Being normal was nice and relaxing every once in a while, but now it was time for a more adventurous life. But what to choose? Muttering to itself it closed its eyes and glanced through the possible choices of universes. Normally there wouldn''t be anything that caught its eye. However, one universe did.


    And it was only on the list of choices because the Origin Deity of that universe, Statera Luotian, touched the memories of this being during a period of enlightenment.


    "PFFFFT," the First Monkey Wrench spluttered as it looked at the description of the Four Realms. "Facing impending catastrophy...chance of total annihilation...and its onlyhow many years old?!"It yelled to no one but itself. Never had it seen a universe as young as this one. The youngest it had ever been to was still one hundred billion years old, not a few million. On top of that, it was facing total annihilation...? Dare it say, that this wasnew?That this was something it, in its endless travels, hadnever seen before? That''s....inconceivable!


    "I am so going there," It said, decision made. Just the novelty of doing something new was enough to make up its mind, after all,although it had never once gotten bored of living new lives, finding something truly new was a rarity after having lived millions of lives. Closing its eyes it willed itself to be reincarnated into the Four Realms, it and its Nexus moving with great speed towards it.


    (The Will of the Four Realms sensed the impending arrival of this being, having copied the template of the Mad Scientist, who was still living somewhere in the Four Realms, for future refrence. And it decided that if Fate was sending it such a gift, it would put the new soul to good use.)

 Dancing In the Moonlight

    POV: Elvira


    Father and I sat in His little relaxation room, with the plush chairs and fireplace constantly crackling with warm fires. Books lay scattered across the room, various tomes and scrolls laying on the few tables or stacked in a corner. Every once in a while Father would clear all the reading material away, but I got the feeling that He liked to be surrounded by this mess. Father Himself was reclining in a chair across from my own, blowing on a cup of tea and smiling gently, His green eyes twinkling.


    The room was filled with a comfortable silence, one that allowed me to relax for the first time in far too long. Right now there was no impending doom. No Realm to manage, no pressure, and, most importantly, no one to bug me. Gilles was off doing Father-knows-what, allowing me a moment of respite. So I had come to visit Father, whom I realized I had not simply spoken to in far, far too long. I would always visit Him when I had questions or needed help with something, but never just...spent time with Him. I felt guilty because of it.


    I tasted the tea Father had set out before me, sighing in appreciation, before speaking up. "How are you doing?" I inquired. Father laughed lightly, His teeth flashing in the firelight.


    "I''m doing fine, just fine. Still a little tired and awfully distracted, but hey, it could be worse." He said with an airy wave of his hand. "The Will of the Four Realms recently started molding another soul," He added after a moment''s thought.


    "Oh?" I let out, leaning forward in interest. The little dryad Tian had taken an interest in was the last soul the Will of the Four Realms had molded, and she was still growing, but I had always suspected there were more on the way. My gut instinct told me that there would be a total of four.


    "Mm, it''s not quite finished yet, but it won''t be a fit for any other race in the Four Realms at the moment. In other words; it''s making a new race. It''s also carving out a spot for something else, but I haven''t quite figured out what yet." Father continued, nodding his head.


    "That''s only because you haven''t given it your full attention," I said with a snort.


    "Yes, well, can you blame me? It''sexciting!The Will of the Four Realms is making something new...I can''t wait to see what it is!" Father gushed, his eyes lighting up in excitement.


    "Well, you always have been a sucker for surprises," I said with a grin. Father laughed again, nodding in agreement.


    "That I am!" He laughed. I smiled and sipped at my tea again, wondering just what the Four Realms was making. Sequoia Pama, the little dryad with a heart far too big for her soul, was going to shake the Four Realms with her mere existence. What will the other three be? What will they accomplish? I smiled at the thought. It was a joy to watch souls grow and become bigger than themselves...and as I turned my gaze to Father I realized that I really didn''t know much about Him. Yes, He was my Father, he was the creator of the Four Realms and I have watched Him grow just as much as I have grown myself, but...was there a time...before all of this? Before the Four Realms for Him?


    "Did you used to be?" I asked before I could stop myself. Father blinked at me, confused.


    "Huh?" He voiced His confusion.


    "I mean, before all this, before the Four Realms." I elaborated, indicating literally everything with a wave of my hand. Father stared at me for a moment and smiled a bit, leaning back in His chair.


    "I was once a mortal myself, you know," Father said, the statement hitting me like a bolt from the blue sky.


    "What." I deadpanned. Father laughed, a loud, booming sound that infected me with His own amusement.


    "It''s true! Before I became an Origin Deity I started off as a mortal...lived about twelve lives before I became my home universe''s equivalent of an angel." Father continued. "And even then I was only a mid-tier angel. Nothing really outstanding, no desire to rise higher...but I could tell a good story. And I loved music. Was the creative type." Father said, nodding His head and listing off a few of His traits. I stayed silent through His story, absorbing all of the information.


    Not once did He mention how He rose in power, neither to become an angel nor to become an Origin Deity, instead opting to tell me of stories and things that had left a deep impression on Him. Like, for example, in one of His first lives He had climbed a mountain. And upon climbing that mountain, He saw a forest covered in snow, glistening in the dying lights of the setting sun, the sky a brilliant shade of orange and red. To Him, that mountain was His Holy Mountain; it was the mountain where He had first comprehended the idea of a God, of there being beings higher than Him, and that the world was far too vast.


    Then there was the time in which Father was a monk in a country called China, a poet as well, that satbeneath a great willow tree for hours on end, attempting to contemplate the universe and failing miserably. Father wasn''t that deep of a thinker in that life, He said. It was there, beneath that tree, that He met His wife for that life, and there, beneath that same tree, where He laid her for her last slumber.


    The third story He told me was about when He was exploring a "new world," and settled in a deep valley that, in all His subsequent lifetimes, He would return to at some point. The valley with a river running through it, a river up which He would travel time after time, fishing or simply to sail it.


    As He talked, I suddenly began to get a picture. Many of His experiences as a mortal, as an angel, back in His original universe, were what shaped the Four Realms. The Mountain, the Tree, the Valley and the River...it was all interconnected. I smiled and settled deeper into my chair, simply listening to Father talk. Nostalgia often tinged His voice, and ever so slowly it began to lull me into a slumber. I don''t remember when I dozed off, and wasn''t that strange, I can hardly remember ever sleeping, but next thing my groggy mind knew, I was being carried somewhere by Father.


    "Goodness me, the last time I carried anyone like this was back when Kei was still just a babe," Father whispered gently, laying me down in something soft and inconceivably comfortable. I mumbled a bit, which made Father chuckle softly. "I appreciate our time together more than you know, Elvira. Don''t feel guilty for not coming to just talk to me, I am more than happy to answer your questions. Sleep well." He said, and kissed me on the forehead. Warmth spread out from within my core, and I fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.


    POV CHANGE: Kei


    "She''s just tired," Grandpa assured Gilles when He put Elvira in bed. "Seems my storytelling put her to sleep!" He laughed, scratching the back of His head. I tilted my head to the side, continuing to watch from my perch on the roof of the Holy Palace. It was a good thing that simple walls couldn''t obstruct my vision.


    "I can sense that she''s...manifesting her domain." Gilles said, eyes wide and still utterly lost on the whole situation. An understandable reaction. I was lost too, I had just been milling about, waiting for Elvira to get back so I could paste her hair with glitter again, when she ended up being carried back by Grandpa. And it would be wrong to prank Elvira while she was sleeping, and wouldn''t be any fun because I wouldn''t get to see her reaction, so now my plans were put on hold.


    "The stress must''ve caught up to her and put her to sleep so she could assimilate the changes. Like parent like child, eh?" Grandpa joked. Gilles made a noise of agreement and I turned to leave, still feeling a bit dejected. Elvira and I have a fun relationship, even though she threatens to wipe me out of existence every other day. Every time she starts getting too wound up or works too hard for too long a period, I come along and make a mess, and she throws things at me in a fit of rage. But it takes her mind off of things.


    "Mmm," I hummed to myself, stepping off of the Palace and flying through the air, not sure where to go. My domain allowed me to wander about a lot, like I always do, so I didn''t really have many duties to attend. Mostly I just inspired people that needed to be inspired through my influence alone, be they cultivators or regular mortals. Cultivators could be fun to inspire, as they were unique in that they lived for a very long time but still had the threat of their own mortality hanging over them. Even the ones that became "immortals" (which was a misconception, their lifespan would still eventually come to an end...albeit after millions of years) could still be killed by other immortals. Thus, they had a different outlook than other ''immortal'' beings and could create fabulous works of art.


    However I didn''t feel like going to inspire people. The various spirits of the Spirit Realm could handle that for the most part.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Instead I surfed the oceans of the Karmic Realm for a while. There were a whole bunch of crazy beasties in those oceans, some of which were formed of pure karmic energy and were the cause of death for many unlucky cultivators. Though only a few cultivators actually managed to travel to the Karmic Realm. Hm. Actually, I don''t know how they got there in the first place. I should ask Keilan about that.


    It was kind of fun for a while, until I went diving into the oceans themselves and started discovering ancient ruins popping up. Had a new race appeared...? No, that wasn''t it. These ruins were...almost like natural formations that had just been pushed up out of the ground. Shaking my head I continued on my way, resolving to find out about it later. There were a few things I wanted to talk to Keilan about, but...eh, I didn''t feel like it.


    Putting that off, I ended up walking about in the Mortal Realms of the newer Regions, just enjoying myself. There were always all kinds of interesting delicacies to try on all the different planets. Eventually I came to a little planet in one of the older, new Regions, even if that is a bit of an oxymoron. Specifically it was one of the rare planets that had a vast population of Draconians, and only a few tribes of Elementals, Fae, and the odd Dryad grove. And only after I had already spotted her did I realize why my feet had taken me here.


    Tian''s all-but-adoptive daughter lived on this planet, and I had yet to meet the little one. She was standing in the middle of her meadow, looking no older than twelve years old, and staring silently at a mound of rocks, her Skyshatter Wolf friend curling around her feet protectively.


    "Hi! Who are you?" She asked suddenly, turning her head to look at me curiously, even though I had been hiding my presence. By all rights, she shouldn''t even have been able to detect me, let alone take the initiative to talk to me.


    "Hi," I responded without missing a beat.


    "You''re really pretty. Can I touch your tails? They look super soft and fluffy!" She cheered suddenly, not letting me continue on my train of thought. I smiled and moved over to her, leaving my tails just out of reach of the green-haired girl.


    "They are the softest and fluffiest in the whole universe," I told her in a conspiratorial whisper, stroking one of my tails. "The absolute softest..." the poor girl looked like she was about to drool imagining it and reached out to touch them, only to have me jerk them out of the way, a mischevious twinkle in my eyes.


    "Awww, why not?" She pouted, looking at me with the single saddest kicked-puppy look I have ever seen in my entire life. It almost, almost made me cave. That right there was the kind of expression that would send nations to war just to protect it. Or, alternatively, end wars altogether because it is a terrifying weapon.


    Coughing into my hand to regain my composure, I puffed out my chest and smirked at her. "You have to be a little older to touch them." I told her. She pouted further, weakening my resolve almost to the breaking point.


    "Okay," she said in the most put-out voice, and I lost all composure. With a squeal of delight I scooped the girl up in my arms, spinning around in a circle and surprising both her and the Wolf, though the Wolf didn''t growl at me or anything.


    "You are just thecutest!Oh my goodness gracious, you are the most adorable thing I''ve ever seen!" I squealed, laughing merrily and rubbing my cheek against hers. To her credit, the adorable thing, she just stood there and took it, even going so far as to giggle and hug me back (though she was also reaching back to try and touch my tails while I held her.) After a few more rotations I set her back down on the ground, grinning merrily. She giggled and moved quicker than I thought she would, racing towards my tails in an attempt to grab them.


    I laughed and spun away, yanking my tails out of her reach and leaving her frustrated. But the dear endured, and continued to chase after me, turning into a game of "catch the fox" after only ten seconds, with even the Skyshatter Wolf joining in at some point. Together we danced and played for hours, laughing and giggling the whole time, until the moon was rising high in the air and she tired out, flopping down on the ground next to the mound of rocks in exhaustion. I laid down next to her as well, careful to keep my tails out of reach, and softly singing a song to myself.


    "We like our fun and we never fight, you can''t dance and stay uptight.


    It''s a supernatural delight, everybody was dancin'' in the moonlight!"


    "You have a pretty voice," Sequoia said softly. I hummed in response, craning my neck to look at her. She was staring at the mound of rocks, which I saw through as the burial place of Logan, Sol''s reincarnation. The ex-deity had learned all he could from this life after thousands of years alongside Sequoia, and died so he could truly start to make his way back up the ladder. It would undoubtedly be a very, very long time to get back up to a decent level of karma, because he still had a lot of karma to work off, but it was at least a start. Letting out a long sigh, I looked up at the stars and nodded to myself.


    "I missed this," I said softly. Playing with Sequoia reminded me of all the times I had played with Dei and mother and Grandpa, back when I was just a girl. I missed those times...they were so carefree and pleasant, just playing with them all the time. I hardly got the chance to anymore, instead pranking and bugging Elvira and sometimes Keilan.


    "Missed what?" Sequoia asked.


    "Playing," I answered. Sequoia hummed.


    "Logan used to play with me a lot, but then he got old and went to go swim in the River so he won''t be able to play with me anymore." She said with a small trace of sadness. I craned my neck to look at her, meeting her glistening, tear-filled eyes. "Why does everyone leave me?" She asked. I blinked and hummed in thought, peeking into her past. She had grown up and watched her two parents grey and die before her eyes, and then every friend she managed to make would also disappear. Tian left as well, and hadn''t managed to make it back since he had gifted her the Skyshatter Wolf (which I knew pained him more than anything else he had ever experienced), and now another of her friends, Logan, perished as well. It was a sad story, but...well, she didn''t seem too torn up about it.


    It was more of an innocent question, a child learning that she would never be able to see her friend again, rather than the full tear-filled sob-fest that any other person would usually want to have. I hummed again.


    Sequoia sneezed as I tickled the tip of her nose with one of my tails, the fur gently brushing against her face just to tease her. The look of utter shock and surprise on her face was well worth it, making me cackle and roll over onto my stomach, flashing the little girl a cheeky smile. "That''s ''cuz they''re waiting for you to get off your lazy bum and go find ''em, silly." Sequoia blinked and gave me a funny look.


    "Huh?" She said eloquently. I suppressed a snicker and flirted my tails, adopting a superior look in my face while cradling my chin in my hands.


    "You''re never going to be able to touch my tails if you wait around in your meadow all the time, goofball. And your dad is waiting for you too. He''s been hoping you''d get off your little planet for so long now because he can''t seem to come back. So there," I said, sticking my tongue out at her. To my surprise, Sequoia''s expression immediately brightened.


    "Why didn''t I think of that?! They''re not gone, they just went to another place so I can go find them and meet more friends! Like when the Old Man took me to the town and I met this little guy," Sequoia said, stroking her Skyshatter Wolf''s head, who laid beside her. I nodded in agreement, standing up and poking her on the forehead, wiping away her mental and physical exhaustion with but a thought. I was still wound up, I wanted to play more.


    "Exactly. Now...catch me if you can!"


    POV CHANGE: Tian


    I took a long draught of sword-qi whiskey, staring at the giant ball of blue ice-flame that was the Realm Moon, or Lunar Star. Celene lay within that giant star, sleeping peacefully. It had already been far too long since I had met my old friend...


    "It''s been crazy I tell you, just crazy," I continued, shaking my head. Every once in a while, when I was feeling melancholy for whatever reason, I would make my way here and tell Celene or Leo about what had happened in the Four Realms, and of my adventures. This was one of those times, and I took another long drink from my bottomless flask of whiskey. Sequioa popped into my head at that moment, and I chuckled to myself. "And, would you believe it, that I have a daughter?"


    Had I known what kind of a reaction that statement would cause, I would''ve kept my damn mouth shut.


    The Lunar Star rumbled, giant jets of blue ice-flame shooting out of the star, reaching millions of miles in length and releasing a thunderous roar. The heavens themselves were torn asunder as cracks began to appear in the surface of the Moon, the Realm Moon shining with a pure blue-white light that was brighter than it ever had been before. From within the depths of the Moon a beautiful, snow-white figure could be seen, shifting sometimes from that of a giant snowy cat to a human figure. My eyes widened as Celene pushed her way out of the star, ice crystals drifting about her body and forming clothes of pure ice.


    When she opened her eyes, it was as if I was looking at two miniature Lunar Stars, and when she opened her mouth..."Bullshit. I am calling bullshit. There is no way you, of all people, have a kid." She protested bluntly. I gaped at her for a few seconds before throwing my flask in a fit of rage.


    "REALLY?! THIS IS WHAT WAKES YOU UP?! GOD DAMN IT!" I roared in outrage, my own aura erupting out and contesting Celene''s.


    "Holy shit, it''s true, you do have a daughter! LEO! WAKE UP! DEI HAS A KID!" Celene shouted at the distant Realm Sun, her snow-white hair flickering in a none-existant wind. The same thing happened with that celestial body, what with the jets of flame and heavens being torn asunder and Leo''s form flickering between a lion and himself.


    "Really? Now this I gotta see! No, wait, before that, I want to know who letyouinto their bed, Dei!" Leo shouted back, his fiery robes flickering alongside his hair - which was literally made of fire.


    "FUCK YOU!" I shouted back, turning my back on the both of them and stalking off. "I''M NOT GOING TO STAND HERE AND LISTEN TO THIS BULLCRAP!"


    "Is it that chick you kept telling us about, the deity? Inesa, right? Was it her, huh? Is she the mother?" Celene pressed, practically bouncing up and down in excitement, her bare feet leaving circles of ice wherever she stepped.


    "The kid''s adoptive. Deities can''t have kids yet." I snarled back. Celene put one hand over her mouth in shock and relayed the information to the distant, albeit rapidly approaching Leo. I plugged my ears with my fingers to avoid hearing his response.


    "C''mon, Dei, take us to see the kid! You? Adopting a child? The poor thing''s probably horribly traumatized!" Celene continued. That comment hit a little too close to home because I felt absolutely awful for not having been able to go see Sequoia in recent years.


    "LALALA, I CAN''T HEAR YOU!" I shouted at Celene, who just cackled in delight, grabbing Leo''s hand as soon as he got close enough, giving him a long, deep kiss, before returning to antagonize me with the aid of her husband. I wanted to murder them both in their sleep.


    Three days later, I led the husband and wife duo to meet my adopted daughter.

 Little Heart

    POV:Tian


    Leo was howling with laughter, bending over double and his face turning red as he struggled to breathe. I scowled at him, ignoring the snickers coming from Inesa, Celene, and...was that Statera? That was. Statera Luotian had shown up out of the blue. I was so going to punch that bastard. But first...


    "A MILLION YEARS?! It took you a million years to kiss your GIRLFRIEND?! That''s...the most hilarious thing I have ever heard!" Leo gasped as he struggled to regain control over himself. My scowl deepened.


    "Shut up before I break your stupid face," I threatened, seething. We were on our way to go meet Sequoia, only to have Inesa start tagging along...which ended up with all three laughing at me endlessly, once again starting the endless teasing that has occured in the past three days. Leo continued to howl, and Statera took this moment to chime in.


    "That''s after I went to a lot of trouble setting up two thousand six hundred and fifty three chances for Tian to make romantic advances on Inesa. Do you know how hard it is get cherry blossoms to blow inspace?"He moaned dramatically. Inesa giggled and my face flushed red. Sothat''swhy there were so many stereotypically romantic scenes on our dates...damn it. I shouldn''t want to murder Statera for trying to "help," but Iso do.


    "A million years! Can you be more dense?!" Leo continued, earning a swift kick to the stomach from me. He let out a groan of pain, falling to the ground but continuing to laugh.


    "If that isn''t the most Dei reaction in the Four Realms, I don''t know what is. ''I''m going to punch the frickin'' SUN to teach it a lesson!''" Celene mocked, her comment causing Statera''s shoulders to shake with mirth.


    "It''s not surprising considering his life goal is still to punch me in the face," Statera reasoned, just barely managing to get the comment out in between laughs. "But don''t let that fool you, he''s just a big ol'' teddy bear. Aren''t you, Tian?" He said in a sickly-sweet sing-song voice.


    "I''m not going to stay here and listen to this." I stated, flying off towards Sequoia''s planet. "I''m going to go spend some time with someone who actually appreciates me."


    "Aw, is wittle Tian upset? Did we tease him too much?" Leo said in a babyish voice. I ground my teeth, ignoring him. As deities, our bodies were incredibly tough, and therefore even if I were to grab an asteroid and slam it into his stupid face, it wouldn''t even tickle. I had learned this through trial and error in the past three days. Many a mountain had been thrown at Leo. Many a mountain. (I was still confident that I could utterly destroy Leo and Celene in a straight up fight though, and they knew it. So they were careful not to provoke me too much...leaving me just shy of snapping and beating the living daylights out of both of them.All it would take is one more push for me to punch them, but they''d leave it be and let me cool off before starting again.It wasinfuriating.)


    The cackling of Celene and Leo followed me all the way to Sequoia''s planet, where I was momentarily stunned to see Kei playing with the little dryad. They were chasing each other all over the place, playing hide-and-seek with Kei severely handicapping herself, playing make-believe, and casually having Sequoia learn cultivation magic for the sake of "all the pretty colors." Figures she''d use it as fireworks...


    "And what do you two think you''re doing?" I asked in a mock serious tone. Sequoia had grown quite a bit since the last time I''d seen her in person, having kept an eye on her from afar at the least, but her personality remained the exact same. She was still exciteable, innocent, and loveable.


    "OLD MAN!" Sequoia screeched mid-leap, sailing right past Kei who merely sidestepped the flying tackle, and falling to the ground in a heap. I laughed as she scrambled to her feet, now aiming her flying tackle at me as she dove into my chest.


    "Heya, kiddo. How you been?" I asked, catching her.


    "I made a new friend! Hey, hey, have you met Kei? I want to touch her tails because they look super-soft and fluffy but she''s too fast so will you help me catch her?" Sequoia chattered, pointing accusingly to the smug-looking Kei, who was giving me a look of challenge. I may be confident that in a straight-up fight, I would be able to take most anyone in the Four Realms hands down, barring the original Big Four and Statera Luotian. It was kind of in my job description to be good at fighting even if that''s not all Conflict is about. But there was no way I would be able to catch Kei, she was far too slippery.


    To consistently escape Elvira after thoroughly pissing her off, like Keilovesto do, one has to be extremely good at escaping.


    "Maaaybe," I said slowly, "but I think you should do it. I''m too old after all." And didn''t that shut Sequoia up, because I never admit to being old. Seeing her stunned expression I laughed heartily and spun her around, causing her to giggle and forget all about it for the moment. Setting her back down, she wove about drunkenly, though her dizziness was exaggerated.


    "Y''know, honestly I can''t say anything," Leo said somberly, floating down next to me and putting a hand on my shoulder. "Good for you, man. Didn''t think you had it in you." I just hummed and watched with amusement as Sequoia stared uncomprehendingly at Leo. Then she glanced back at where Sol - sorry, Logan, had been buried. Then she looked back at Leo.


    "OHhhh! I get it now! You''re the new Sun and he was the old Sun! Hi! I''m Sequoia!" She chirped. Leo furrowed his brows and glanced at me, to which I just smirked.


    "You get used to it," I responded as Sequoia danced around me to go say hi to Inesa and Celene, chattering away about the Moon and not seeing Inesa for a while. I just shook my head and looked back at Leo, who was frowning a bit. Putting a hand on his shoulder, I shook my head. "Best not think too hard there, Leo. There''s a lot you need to catch up on...it''s pretty obvious that your knowledge of the time you were asleep is pretty spotty." Leo hummed in acknowledgement, and we stood there for a few more minutes silently.


    "So...Deity of Conflict, huh?" Leo asked. I nodded, watching as Kei ambushed Sequoia while the little dryad had been chattering at Inesa, prompting another round of chasing one another. Inesa laughed and I gently smiled, watching as Kei played with Sequoia. I hadn''t seen her this playful in...ages. It was heartwarming.


    "Yes," I responded after a moment.


    "Isn''t that dangerously close to a God of War? Didn''t Statera swear that there would never be a God of War in the Four Realms?" Leo asked.


    "Something along those lines," I admitted, "and that''s also the point. Looking back on it, I can clearly see that, as Dei, I would''ve become a God of War rather than what I am now. That never left me, it simply...changed. My existance is part of what keeps anyone else from becoming a God of War, because my domain encompasses that and much more. It''s...hard to explain." Leo shrugged.


    "If you say so," he relented.


    "Shut up and watch, Sequoia''s about to meet Statera. I want to see where this goes." I said as Sequoiaran backwards, away from Kei, and slammed into Statera where He stood watching. Sequoia craned her neck upwards, and was immediately stunned to see Statera staring down at her.


    "I know you," the little dryad whispered. Statera nodded silently, a small smile gracing His lips as He crouched to her level. "Heart..." Sequoia continued, reaching out and touching Statera''s chest, right above His heart. It was as if a bomb went off, golden light flew out in an explosion of color and touched all beings. An endless wave of pure, Divine love flowed from Statera''s heart and through Sequoia, who sat there wide-eyed. The moment was just that, a moment. Yet it seemed to last for an eternity.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    When the moment ended and the light receeded, Statera kissed the top of Sequoia''s head. "That''s a good girl. Thank you. Now go run to your dad, he missed you very much Little Heart." Statera whispered, helping her stand and pushing her in my direction. She stumbled a bit as she walked, eventually collapsing in my arms and grinning up at me.


    "That was cool," she whispered.


    "Yes, it was," I said solemly, looking up at Statera. He just smiled a little sadly and vanished into thin air, sending me a mental message.The deities will be having a meeting in a few months. You can attend via incarnation if you wish. I nodded. I needed to make up for the lost time between me and Sequoia, after all.


    POV: Statera Luotian


    "If it''s not a problem now, it''s going to become one in the future," Elvira grumbled, crossing her arms. "Ever since those two elementals left the Heaven Realm, it''s become very peaceful here. But now they''re spreading their poison across the Mortal Realm, and gaining much more traction than previously. The argument they''re using to stir the people up is that the Barrier protects the riches of the First Region, and that the gods don''t want the new Regions to have said riches."


    Reika nodded in agreement. "Yes, they are, but there''s nothing we can do about it really. The Celestial Empress is already taking steps to prevent their doctrines from reaching the First Region, and the Gallos Empire, the technological empire, is resisting as well. Although I was initially reluctant to let them move their Empire to two outer Regions, it has turned out well. Also, thanks to Elvira and the help of the angels the mortals have been kept at bay, but war will break out eventually."


    "It''ll be a big war, but not as big and all-encompassing as the War of the Sun was. More beings will be involved, but that''s simply because the Four Realms have grown much larger. I am currently getting the feeling that if war does break out, it''ll be contained to the Mortal Realm and bits of the Heaven Realm. The biggest it''ll get is touching the Karmic Realm as well, but that''s absolutely worst-case scenario." Tian''s divine incarnation informed. A few murmurs broke out in the congregation of deities at his statement.


    "Their methods have been refined compared to before as well, so it will be a lot harder to uproot the schemes of these mortals. Twisting justice...their methods are disgusting." The deity of justice muttered, shaking his head. The two elementals Terra and Pyre were gaining much traction in the Mortal Realm, already having ''conquered'' half a Region with many more falling victim to their doctrines, even if they were not directly under their control. Sowing chaos was what they wished for most of all. "It is unfortunate they dodged the justice those of the Heaven Realm wished to deliver unto them."


    "I guess the real question is, what do we do about them? To end their little stint in the Heaven Realm the Deity of Justice and a few others intervened by helping the more powerful cultivators readjust their views and calm a few of their subordinates, who then proceeded to calm down the Realm and begin a manhunt. We can''t really do the same here because they haven''t reached the higher-level cultivators yet. And honestly I can''t see them converting any Dao Progenitors. Especially since they follow Tian." Lucia, the High Deity of Light, reasoned. A few more murmurs ran through the crowd, all of which were silenced when Alexander sighed.


    "The mortals wish for war," he began, "and have been pushing for a Realm-wide war for millennia. Many, many millennia. We have held them back for a long time, but...well. Children must sometimes learn by touching fire, rather than being told not to." A silence descended for a moment as everyone digested Alexander''s statement.


    "You''re saying that we...allow the war to progress?" Dura, the Deity of Knowledge asked quietly.


    "That is what he is saying, and I agree with the suggestion. Although we cannot see what the exact consequences of this war will be until it starts to near the end, meaning how bad the karma will get, how many will perish, how long it will last, etcetera, we can be certain that there will be little to no far-reaching consequences of this war. Unlike the War of the Sun." Keilan chimed in. Elvira nodded as well.


    "This is an agreement those of the Big Five came to before this meeting began. Well," Elvira looked around pointedly, as if looking for someone. "everyone except Kei, since she didn''t even bother to show up." That got a round of chuckles from the formerly tense room, and I smiled. Kei was still off gallavanting in the various Realms, not really bothering with the duties of being a Deity. Oh, how I envy her sometimes.


    "But it is by no means our orders. How we handle this matter must be unanimous between all deities, and the angels must agree in the majority as well." Elvira continued. After a moment of silence, the Deity of Justice spoke.


    "I believe this to be a good enough course of action. We cannot continually intervene with the mortals, and though I can find no pity for Terra and Pyre, for they are not even ignorant of how such actions will aftect themselves, they will be getting their just desserts after the war ends. Karma is inescapeable, even for Deities." The Deity of Justice said, nodding his head. "However, I believe the Creator should be the one to make the final verdict." And thus, all eyes turned to me.


    Elvira and Keilan were looking at me apologetically, because they were trying to keep me out of this. It hurts to watch my children tear themselves apart, but children will be children. "Tell me your decision first. Do not let my own influence yours." I told them. It didn''t even take ten seconds for all the deities to agree, coming to a consensus. I sighed and nodded my head. "That is my decision as well. Let the children fight it out." It pained me to say so, but this war was a long time coming. And it''s not like we were actively telling them to go to war with one another, instead it was more akin to letting two barking dogs off the chain, although that is a bit of an extreme example and not entirely accurate.


    "Very well. We will continue to hash out the details at a later date. Moving on..." After that, the conversation drifted to different topics. Such as introducing Leo and Celene to everyone, and how there would be an official celebration for them in the coming months, and how the development of the Spirit Realm was going, as it was an ongoing process. Since the time of chaos ended it was a bit slower, but the afterlife should be finished being remodelled here in the next dozen millennia or so.


    There was also Elvira''s plan to build a city in the Heaven Realm, a city of angels and gods, so as to try and attract more people from the Mortal Realm. There was the Holy Palace, but that didn''t really count as a city that normal cultivators could reach. So she decided to try something different. She''s also making the energy available in the Heaven Realm denser, but the real problem is that those scant few who have made it to the Heaven Realm didn''t return after visiting it. Therefore no one in the upper echelons of the Mortal Realm really knew what was up there. It was kind of like a lack of propaganda on Elvira''s part...too few people knew that the Heaven Realm was a place they could reach if they were strong enough at heart.


    Countless other details were discussed as well, some small and some large, with Keilan and Elvira expertly leading the conversations. Keilan complained about the lack of deities helping manage the ever-growing Karmic Cycle. The elemental deities argued about how they were going to get the next Dao Progenitor to rise without following Tian. A few asked about creating their own races, tossing the ideas around. Even I chimed in once, discussing a few of the new beasts I would be introducing to the Realms soon, as well as the three new sentient races I expected to pop up sometime in the near future.


    Eventually the meeting came to an end, all of the deities filtering out of the grand auditorium in the Holy Palace except for a few, who stuck around to chat or talk to me. Unsurprisingly, it was Tian who approached me first, with Inesa at his side.


    "Statera," Tian began, and I nodded to him. "I was suprised you agreed to let the mortals go to war with each other." He admitted.


    "I''m soft, but everyone needs a little tough love every once in a while." I responded with a shrug. This was actually a rather common strategy both here and in all the other universes I had visited. Just...never quite on this scale. That didn''t mean it didn''t pain me to have to sit back and watch this, but. But. What must be done must be done.


    "Mm, I do have one concern though..." Tian started. "Last time there was a war anywhere near this big was the War of the Sun, in which dark angels appeared. I am worried that dark deities will appear as well, if such a thing is possible. Terra and Pyre seem like prime candidates for such." I hummed and thought about it.


    "Technically yes, it is possible. Morgan, for example, is a type of dark deity being my shadow and all. However more dark deities will not appear for a while yet, and if I had to say...it''s not really in the cards of fate for the Four Realms to have dark deities." I told him. Inesa scrunched up her nose next to Tian, looking at me confused.


    "Not in the cards of fate...? So there won''t be dark deities in the Four Realms?" She asked. I smiled and glanced to my right, where a Blue Box had been hanging for the past year, counting down until I would be transported to meet the other Origin Deities involved in the impending catastrophy. There wasn''t much time left.


    "Not that I can see. It is...complicated. The reason will be clearer when I come back." I said, standing and stretching.


    "Come back...?" Tian asked. I nodded and winked at him, willing myself to go ahead and be teleported to the meeting area.


    "Yes. I am going to see where the catastrophy is coming from," I said, and vanished from the Four Realms.

 The Calamitous Calamity

    POV: Statera Luotian


    What greeted me when I appeared outside of the Four Realms was an area much like the previous meeting room, albeit much smaller. It was circular with flags hanging over the portals leading back to our respective universes, with a circular marble table seated in the middle and galaxies floating in the background. However this time there were only four seats at the table, and four portals. And it also appeared I was the last one to arrive, rather than the first.


    Directly to my left was the great Butterfly of Change, Sylphina Luanhua. It gently hovered over its chair, flapping its wings once or twice to keep itself aloft, and looking a bit bigger and more intimidating than the last time I saw it. Directly across from me was the Elemental Stag, Chun Nihaad Teva. His great horns were now formed of innumerable elemental essences, rather than rapidly changing colors and therefore elements like the last time. His domain had stabilized further apparently.


    And then there was Yueya Oshun on my right, looking incredibly worn out. Her firey red hair was frazzled and dark bags hung under her eyes, making her look as if she hadn''t gotten any rest in a hundred thousand years. She was slumped over the table and looking at me with a defeated expression, her pointed elf''s ears drooping sadly, and I''ll be damned if she still wasn''t drop-dead gorgeous. I suppose that comes with the territory of being the Deity of Beauty.


    "The One World is on a collision course with the Four Realms." She deadpanned. I blinked and looked up at Teva, who nodded his head.


    "A very large and very powerful Void-Being decided to play ''smash the Realms together'' and punted the One World like a ball. Apparently only the shielding of the Great One prevented the One World from being utterly annihilated. As of now, it''s on a collision course with your Four Realms and, if left alone, will completely annihilate it. The shields won''t protect our universes from each other, we''ve already confirmed that. As for why me and Sylphina are here, well, that''s because depending on how the One World collides with the Four Realms, its next course could lead it towards my Elemental Planes or Sylphina''s Vast Expanse." Teva explained slowly, shaking his head. I sucked in a deep breath.


    "How long until the collision?" I inquired, calming myself and adopting a cold, calculative attitude.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Countdown Clock</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Time Until Collision: 5-10 Million Years</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I let out a sigh of relief, thanking Mr. Blue Boxes for that information, which appeared for everyone. 5 million years was a little under double the total time the Four Realms had been in existance. That was a lot more leeway than I first feared. Now some proper preparations can be made. However...


    "Will we be able to continue talking with one another after this meeting is over?" I inquired.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">I did indeed include a Chatbox that you can access upon returning to your respective Realms. There won''t be any voicechat until it gets closer to the event, and towards the very end you will be able to meet face-to-face a few more times.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Oh, well thanks for that I suppose. Though Mr. Blue Boxes'' decision is kind of weird. Chatbox? Voicechat? What''s with all the game-like...thingies?


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Because I am enjoying your predicament far too much.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Oh. Well...fuck you.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You are very welcome.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The snark levels of this conversation is through the roof. I''m glad the other three can''t hear my thoughts or see the two messages Mr. Blue Boxes sent me just now, though I''m sure they have their own thoughts and private conversations with Mr. Blue Boxes.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Nope, just you.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Ignoring that, I focused on what Sylphina was saying to me.


    "Statera, we need to come up with contingencies. Like, pronto. Five million years isn''t that long in the grand scheme of things, and I doubt you''ll be able to make the Four Realms big or sturdy enough to survive the impact with the One World. It''s simply too big, too much mass hurtling through the Void for most anyone''s universe to survive." She said.


    "You''re right," I acknowledged. "The Four Realms would be obliterated at this point in time. My first reaction is to move the Four Realms out of the way of the One World. Is that possible?"


    "No," Yueya said with a sigh, "because there are no directions or distances in the Void there will be no avoiding it. In fact, it was only recently determined that the One World was aiming for the Four Realms and not another universe...it''s like the One World is a train and you are the end of the tracks. I''m no expert in Void matters, but that''s what the Great One, Mr. Blue Boxes as you call It, told me." With what I knew of the Void that assessment seems correct...though the only thing I know about the Void is that I know nothing. The more I learn the more questions I have...wait, I''m getting off topic.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Yes, focus on the imminent destruction of your Realms.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Hush, you.


    "That''s alarming. And...a Void-Being, you say? Can you explain that to me?" I pressed, tamping down my rising irritation at Mr. Blue Boxes. It was treating this like a game.


    "It''s...well, it''s like the next level up from the Paradox you talked about during our previous meeting. Or three levels up. It''s the first level of Void Races that has a modicum of sentience beyond ''destroy all Creation,'' meaning it can make some plans. Hence why it punted the One World, because it knew that would cause more damage and destroy more, despite the protective shields. Apparently they protect us from the Void, but not from each other." Sylphina explained, her voice echoing out. The flowers that grew on her wings shifted from being a white rose to a lavender as she spoke.


    "I...see. And what caught its attention in the first place?"


    "...we don''t know." Teva admitted, shaking his head. "All we know is that the One World was targeted first because it is the by far the largest of all the twelve universes. Everything else regarding what led to this event has been restricted because ''it would cause more problems than it would solve,'' as the Great One says." I nodded, filing that away for later and promptly moving on. As much as I would like to know what caused it so we can avoid similar incidents, if Mr. Blue Boxes says that it will cause more problems then I won''t pry. For now. Mr. Blue Boxes is irritating, but also unfathomably more powerful than I. It undoubtedly knows more.


    "Ok, well, what should we do?" I continued.


    "We don''t know. That''s what the meeting is for. I would hate to write your universe off, but..." Teva began.


    "But right now, it''s almost certain to be destroyed. My children would survive, most definitely, but without the Four Realms we would become renegade, wandering spirits until I could drum up enough power to recreate the Four Realms. Even then, I may die in the process of protecting the Four Realms, so rebuilding may not be an option." I finished for him. The three exchanged glances and nodded.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "Yes. After which, either Teva or Sylphina''s universe will come under calamity as well. The One World is a massive universe, but even it cannot withstand running through two entire universes. It will shatter into an uncountable number of pieces." Yueya said softly. I closed my eyes and thought, wondering just what we could do to avoid this.


    Dodging was out of the question because of Void bullshit. So was most everything, for that matter. It would be best to assume that the One World would become closely acquainted with the Four Realms, for however short a time. But, what if it just grazed the Four Realms? Like, ran through the Primordial Chaos and that''s it. Would that work?


    Wait - that might work. There might be something there that I can use....ah, that''s it. Pure Void spontaneously creates mass amounts of Primordial Chaos that can then be absorbed by nearby Realms. I''ve only gotten it to work once, but if I can repeat the process then, theoretically speaking, I could exponentially increase the size of the Four Realms via Primordial Chaos. Meaning the Four Realms themselves wouldn''t increase in size but rather would be surrounded by an incredibly large amount of Primordial Chaos. Like a planet at its atmosphere.


    Then, so long as I could get the core of the Four Realms out of the path of the One World, then it would harmlessly pass through the Primordial Chaos rather than breaking the Four Realms itself. Technically the One World would still be hitting the Four Realms this way. But all of this requires that I am able to create that much Primordial Chaos, and sustain it. There could be side-effects that I am unaware of to having so much Primordial Chaos, not to mention that it would continue on to bother the other two...no, that''s not acceptable. It''s a topic for later perusal, but I can''t just bail on everyone.


    "Yeuya, how big will the One World be in five million years?" I inquired, putting my thoughts on the backburner for a moment.


    "It''s still growing exponentially," Yueya deadpanned. "After the time elapses, it will be far larger than before. Even I can''t accurately predict it." I rubbed my face and waved my other hand, causing an image of the Four Realms to appear above the table. In it depicted the Trees, the Mountains, the Rivers and Valleys in a way that allowed the other Origin Deities to understand the basics of how the Four Realms functioned. When the need arises, I will give more. But for now this will suffice.


    "Is this...?" Sylphina wondered aloud, suddenly sounding excited.


    "Yes, this is my universe. If it continues to grow at the predicted rate in a million years it will look more like this." The picture began to change, more Regions forming and essentially tripling in size. What changed the most was that each Mountain began to connect to one another, creating one massive Heaven Realm that was a mountain range all its own. The Karmic Realm did much the same, forming a single, truly massive ocean in which the Karmic Valleys resided as bastions of safety. As for the Mortal Realm, various hazards filled in the spaces between the Trees. And, as always, the Spirit Realm remained as one, although it adjusted to become a proper and flourishing after-life.


    "In five million years, even I don''t know what will happen. Obviously I myself will continue to grow as the Four Realms does, and together we would naturally change and become more. However now we do not have that luxury. I need your help to guide the Four Realms into a form that will block or stop the One World." I continued.


    "Block or stop?" Teva parroted. "I see.That is a logical conclusion. If the One World makes it past your Four Realms, then that means you have failed." I nodded. That was therefore not an option.


    "Would it not be wiser, then, to destroy the One World before it becomes too much of an issue?" Sylphina questioned. Yueya''s eyes went wide and her head snapped to Sylphina, apalled at her suggestion. I narrowed my eyes at her, and the butterfly visibly paled. Color drained out of her beautiful wings, her flowers wilting slightly. "J-just making sure," she mumbled. I crossed my arms and looked at both Teva and Sylphina.


    "Any more suggestions?" I questioned icily. The silence that followed was my answer. "Good. Teva, Sylphina, feel free to strengthen your universes as you see fit. Yueya, you need to focus on figuring out how to either slow down, stop altogether, or make the One World less of a flying cannonball. Now, start by showing your universes. Many of the recent changes to the Four Realms were inspired by seeing other universes, so this will help all of us." I said. The other three nodded their assent, and we got started.


    <hr>


    It took a long time to get the beginnings of a plan laid out, at which point all four of us were tired of standing around and talking. It was Teva who guided the conversation for the most part, the stag overtaking even Sylphina, the Deity of Change, when it came to unique ideas.


    However, now it was time to return to our Realms and begin to enact some more changes. I wasn''t looking forward to it, as we had just gotten out of a period of intense change...well, I''ll probably let the Four Realms rest for a while longer yet. Five million years is a long time, and rushing headlong into the problem is not the answer this time around. We need to be careful. Just as I was about to step through the portal to re-enter the Four Realms, I was stopped by Yueya, however.


    "Wait for just a moment, please," she said, sending me a mental message. Acquiescing, I stopped and clasped my hands behind my back, watching as Teva and Sylphina disappeared into their respective portals. When they disappeared I turned towards the red-headed elf, raising my eyebrow at her as she approached.


    "Yes?" I inquired. I really didn''t feel like talking much to anyone at the moment, because I had a lot of bad news to bring back to my children. They all knew a calamity was coming, but telling them there''s a chance we would all be totally annihilated is...well. Not high on my list of things I want to do.


    Yueya approached and hesitated for just a moment before kissing me on the cheek. "Thank you," she whispered, her face flushed red. "Those two never said it aloud before, but I know they were thinking of destroying the One World. So...thank you. And...I''m sorry this is happening. We''ll figure it out, and come out stronger for it." And she promptly scampered off back into her portal, fleeing like a teenage schoolgirl.


    I blinked. Then blinked again. Then furrowed my brows and touched my cheek, still trying to process that, yes, that had actually just happened. Millions of years of experience, and I''m reacting like...well, I''m not reacting. Stunned. I think that''s the word? Yes, maybe? Uh...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Hubba, hubba. You lady-killer, you. Next time, shall I set out candles, make the atmosphere all lovey-dovey?</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Shut up. You''re ugly, and your momma dresses you funny. If you''re not going to be helpful, Mr. Blue Boxes, then be quiet.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Teasing you is much more fun. Additionally, as this is a problem caused by the Twelve, I will not intervene overmuch in the events that follow. And for the record, I am my own mother. So dressing "funny," as you put it, is a conscious decision.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Ow. That just...ow. I don''t even want to think about that.


    "Y''know, I think I''m going to take a page out of Tian''s book on this one. My new goal is punchingyouin the face." I added aloud, glaring at the blue boxes and ignoring the following taunts as I stepped through the portal. Mr. Blue Boxes was being exceptionally annoying today.


    Stepping back into the Four Realms was like sucking in a breath of fresh air.Only a year had passed in the Four Realms for the twenty I spent in that meeting, and it just...felt really good. There was no way I was going to let the Four Realms be destroyed, even if I have to sacrifice myself for it. That is worst-case scenario, I would rather stay and watch my children grow and change, but...it is a sacrifice I am willing to make.


    "Randus, gather the deities. I will be along shortly." I said to the air. The Deity of Dreams materialized out of thin air, bowing to me in his butler-like fashion, before vanishing once more. The most mysterious of my children was becoming almost ever-present, it seemed, with his ever-expansive dream realm. Sometimes even I wondered if I knew all that he did. Although I told him to gather the deities, there is someone else I intended to include in this discussion. However, I would not send Randus to fetch Morgan. No, that was my job.


    Heaving a sigh, I turned and walked towards where I knew Morgan was hiding out. This would be the first time in a long while that all my children met with Morgan face-to-face, as they all preferred to avoid one another. It wouldn''t go well initially. Of that I was more than certain. After I told them of the events to come, things would probably get even worse. But they would come around. They must, if we are to overcome this challenge.


    And for the first time since I had become an Origin Deity, I prayed to a higher power.God help us all.

 Together, We Are Strong

    POV: Alexander


    The deities of the Four Realms chattered nervously as they gathered around the front door of Father''s palace, waiting for Father to make His appearance and tell us what all this was about. My brother and sisters stood silently next to me, Kei off chatting with Tian and Inesa. We were all silently waiting, having and idea of what Father was about to tell us. The subtle sense of impending danger was still ringing in my head, I could only guess that it was about this. He had been gone for a year, attempting to find the source.


    "...I believe Mother went to fetch Morgan." Reika said softly. A growl unconsciously escaped from my throat.


    "I hope not," I grumbled, and Keilan shot me an amused look.


    "What, are you still sore over not being able to beat him?" He teased. I glanced at him and snorted derisively.


    "As if you are not the same," I shot back, and Keilan shut up. Only Reika wasn''t effected overmuch by Morgan being able to tie us all down at once, as she wasn''t the prideful sort. I, for one, would not let it go until I could defeat Morgan in one-on-one combat. My pride as the strongest deity in the Four Realms, excluding Father, would not allow it.


    "Mother," Keilan suddenly greeted, bowing to the being that had suddenly appeared behind us. I turned and smiled warmly at my Parent, ignoring the vile presence beside Him for the moment. He smiled back, not showing a single trace of anxiety or exhaustion as He greeted us all in turn.


    "I''m afraid our chat will have to wait until after this little meeting is finished, I''m afraid. Although there is much to discuss, I need to announce what is happening. All of the deities must co-operate if we are to survive this." Father said simply.


    "So you did find out what the calamity is," Elvira stated as more point-of-fact than anything.


    "I''m afraid so. Ah, and I need to congratulate you, Elvira. You finally coalesced your domain. Good for you. I was afraid it would never happen after you woke up without it." Father said, patting Elvira on the shoulder. Elvira flushed with embarrassment. She was the last of the original Big Four to achieve her domain, but it was no less grand than any of ours. The domain of Leadership was not going to be an easy path, and not to be taken lightly.


    "I do hate to interrupt, but can we get a move on?"Morgan snarled from beside Father. I growled in the back of my throat, glaring down the sun-eating wolf. Said wolf just sneered at me, all eight eyes rolling in their sockets.


    "You''re right. My apologies. Would you grab their attention, Morgan?" Father asked, waving one hand towards the deities who were still facing towards Father''s palace, not having noticed His arrival. Morgan cackled evilly, sucked in a deep breath, and howled. The horrendous sound reverberated through my body, sending chills down my spine and threatening to spike fear into my heart as an aura of pure black negativity exploded from its body.


    Before I could stop my self, I returned the howl with a roar of my own, white light blasting out to counter Morgan''s despicable aura. All deities turned to stare at the two of us, some assuming half-ready stances in case Morgan turned out to be attacking once again.


    "Ahahaha! So the little lizard thinks its grown some fangs?"Morgan howled in laughter once my roar ended.


    "Quiet, pup, before I fix you," I growled out in threat, feeling on-edge just from Morgan''s presence. Father, on the other hand, was cleaning out His ear with His pinky finger as He stared at the two of us with a relaxed expression.


    "Huh, that went better than I expected, actually. I''m proud of your self-restraint." He said in a dismissive manner, turning His attention to the congregated deities. I snorted angrily at Morgan, not taking my eyes off of the wolf for a moment as Father began to speak. The wolf steadfastly ignored my glare, its lips curled up into a smirk as it, too, listened to whatever Father had to say. Was I being a bit too harsh on the wolf? Probably. It had been many years since the Sun War, and Morgan had not made a move against any of us besides the occasional dark angel causing trouble, or plunging a world into war and chaos. In fact, although I am loathe to admit it, the wolf''s presence was good for the growth of the Realms.


    That didn''t mean I had to like it, however. "I called you all here to inform you of an impending calamity, the likes of which the Four Realms has not faced before. We have endured turbulent times of chaos, of all-consuming war, and even an incursion of the Void, but today, my children, we will be forced to face total obliteration. As we are now, there is no chance for survival." Father said solemly. I immediately forgot about Morgan in favor of listening to Father,shock rocking the core of my being.Nochance for survival? I knew we were facing a calamity, but for it to be that bad...


    Murmurs of shock rippling through the crowd told me that the deities agreed with my own feelings.


    "Thankfully, we have at least five million years to grow stronger and prepare for this eventuality. But even then, if we do not throw our all into surviving and strengthening the Four Realms, it will end with the total destruction of the Four Realms and all who inhabit it. Down to the very last soul." This got a stronger reaction from the gathered deities, and even Morgan sat upright, eyes wide. Morgan may have desired to devour the Sun and destroy the Four Realms, but it didn''t want to destroy everything. Its view of perfection had been the Void, Father, and the created Souls, not just the Void.


    "But that''s impossible, isn''t it?" A voice called out from the deities. Father shook His head.


    "I wish that were so, my dear. But I can assure you that this is the truth." He said that softly, but it still reached everyone''s ears. "This calamity does not just encompass the Four Realms, but another universe altogether as well. This is the One World," Father said, waving His hand. A giant image of a foreign world appeared over His head, appearing as truly one world with a sun and two moons circling it. I frowned. "And it is on a collision course with the Four Realms. That in and of itself would not be as bad, were this not the comparitive size of the Four Realms to the One World," Father continued.


    A small ball of light appeared next to the image of the One World, sending ripples of astonishment coursing through the assembled deities. I closed my eyes and sighed heavily. If I remembered right, which of course I did as my memory was perfect, the One World was the home of the Deity of Beauty that visited all those years ago, as well as the home of the foreign dragon. And now we were on a collision course with them...?


    "Can''t we just move the Four Realms out of the way?" Gilles chimed in. Father quickly shot that idea down by explaining that, due to some of the rules of the Void, such a thing was impossible.


    "What if we just moved in the opposite direction of the One World, and make the approaching speed null? That way we''d be travelling through the Void at the same speed as the One World, and never crash into one another." Another, a Deity of River, suggested. For this one, Father paused.


    "Well...that would work to some degree. You have to remember that the Void is directionless, so until the One World comes into view it is impossible to tell where it would come from. If we started to ''accelerate'' now, we could very well speed straight into the One World. Not to mention that I have no idea how we''d even go about doing that to begin with. But, its still a good idea, and could prove very useful one the One World does come into view. We could decrease the ''approaching speed,'' as you put it, and therefore decrease the risk. Good idea." Father praised, making the Deity of River blush slightly.


    "Now I have met with the Origin Deity of this other universe, Reika, Keilan, Alexander, Elvira, and Morgan have all met Her as well. Together we are coming up with a plan to mitigate the damage, if not outright nullify all danger, but to do so we must dramatically strengthen and enlarge the Four Realms. It is not a complete plan as of yet, therefore I won''t bore you with the nitty-gritty details, but there is a general direction we need to develop the Four Realms in." Father continued.


    "One moment, please," the Deity of Justice interrupted, raising his hand. I narrowed my eyes in annoyance, because how darehe interrupt Father, but remained silent because I knew Father wouldn''t approve of any outburst from me. He would want to hear what the Deity wanted to say. "Why is Morgan here? Is it included in your plans to strengthen the Four Realms? That seems a little counter-intuitive. Doesn''t the Great Wolf desire the destruction of the Four Realms?"If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Morgan cackled in response, the haunting sound causing the assembled deities to stiffen."Foolish being. I would gladly devour the Sun and Moon,"at this, Leo and Celene stiffened, their auras rocketing skywards and light flaring from their bodies."because they are painful existances. Their mere presences offend me. And perhaps I will take advantage of this chaos to devour them. But I do not wish to become a non-existence either, and will thereforeco-operatefor as long as it takes to ensure the Souls survive this encounter."It drawled. The Deity of Justice frowned and backed off, to which Father smiled.


    "You heard Morgan. It will aid us because although it''s too proud to admit it, the Four Realms is its home as well." Reika added, earning herself a scathing glare and threatening growl from Morgan.


    "I do not,"Morgan hissed. Reika, being the fearless woman she is, simply looked at Morgan and smirked, which only served to infuriate Morgan further. I laughed loudly, drawing attention to myself.


    "I apologize for the interruption, Father, but I think we four will take the stage now," I boomed.


    "Five!" Kei chirped, waving her hands and bouncing forward to stand next to me and my siblings. I looked at her and smiled, shaking my head.


    "Yes, five. These changes will not happen overnight, and there is still much planning to do. You need not worry over us." I finished, nodding to Father. A ripple of agreement passed through the deities, resounding their determination. Five million years was a long time, but we would endure. For the sake of our survival, and the survival of the Four Realms, we would do what is required of us, and help in whatever way we could. Father had made sure to beat a hardworking attitude in all of us, after all.


    I, for one, felt a surge of pride for my fellow deities, but it was nothing compared to the absolutely beaming pride Father was projecting towards each of us. A warmth like Father''s arms wrapping around me encompassed me, and all deities, Father''s whispers reaching my ears.


    "I cannot tell you how proud I am of all of you." He said. "For now, I will leave it to you." He said, and stepped back. Elvira cleared her throat, heart swelling with pride, just as mine was. I shifted my posture, straightening up and lifting my head just a bit higher in pride.


    "Together, we are stronger than we could ever be alone. This calamity means nothing in the face of our combined might. And on the other side of this, the Four Realms will come out stronger than before." She began, and I agreed.


    Together, we are strong. As it has always been.


    POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian


    It had been another one hundred thousand years since I told my children about the calamity. After the initial flurry of activity, things settled back down into a bit of routine. Growth routes were mapped out, ideas were drafted and then subsequently tossed out, internal structures were continuously strengthened, and many deities continued on with their duties to the mortals. That primarily consisted of watching over that which their domains governed, helping spirits, and helping angels to guide mortals when it got too tough for them to handle. The latter rarely happened, but therearethe odd mortals who are just...explosively tempered. So a deity will sometimes step in to make sure they don''t stray from the path they chose.


    Not unlike Tian.


    I hummed and contemplated that. Destiny was the path one chooses for oneself. Prior to being reborn, a soul will choose what kind of life they want to live and will be sent to a family and place that will allow that life to happen. In other words, souls will always reincarnate into somewhere most comfortable for them, with adjustments based on karma and whatnot. Anyways, destiny is chosen by oneself. And upon being reincarnated, so long as that path is chosen from the bottom of one''s heart, the universe will conspire to make that path happen. Spirits will actively seek to make these changes...but once the path is chosen, there is no turning back.


    That kind of conflicts with freewill, but not really. They chose it themselves, and generally feel extremely satisfied with the results once its been completed. During the hardships required to make their destiny reality? Not so much. They usually get pretty salty about having no control over their own lives. But afterwards, yeah, they feel good. Which is where I''m seeing the parallel, because I''m wondering if the collision of the Four Realms and the One World is fate or destiny.


    Fate is the accumulation of all destinies one decides on. It''s like the end-goal. Sort of. I''m not convinced there is an end-goal anymore.


    What I was wondering about was the destiny of deities. I''m almost positive that we have our own destinies, but who helps us to achieve it? Are there beings hovering around the Four Realms and other universes right now, manipulating events so we deities can reach our own destinies? Or are we subconsciously guiding ourselves? My eyes can see many things, but this conundrum they cannot see through.


    A small prick in my soul alerted me to the Will of the Four Realms finally beginning to make its move, drawing three new soul-husks out of my own and beginning to mold them into three new beings. When it was finished, I was faced with three new species.


    One was a being of water and karma, a parallel of the dryads meant for the Karmic Realm. The being had blue skin and blue hair, with eyes that encompassed the ocean itself. Webbing filled in the gaps between its fingers and toes, and a small, fish-like tail sprouted from its rear. With a wave of my hand, I created a group of the beings so they could reproduce. The Will of the Four Realms then whisked it off to the Karmic Realm to be placed in the Karmic Oceans, were they would begin to live out their lives.


    "They shall be named Nereids, children of the sea." I announced, making it so simply be speaking.


    The next was a being that was a storm given human form. Thunderclouds created its flesh, lightning flashing through its nervous system, and rain rushing through its veins. Although I am exaggerating, it is not too far from the truth. The beings had dull grey skin and had a humanoid form, with hair that varied between all the colors of the clouds. The tips were a pure, fluffy white, and the roots were an ominous grey, the color constantly shifting to give the appearance of stormclouds. Lightning and ice filled the being''s eyes. As with the Nereids, with a wave of my hand I created another group of these beings to create a colony or three. The Will promptly whisked them off to live in the Heaven Realm.


    "The children of the skies and storms shall hence be called Raijin." I proclaimed.


    The final being was...different. It, like most pure spirits, didn''t have a particular form. And yet...it did. It was...strange. This being was both physical and not, but I sensed would most likely prefer to live in the Spirit Realm, and held tremendous latent potential. The form it did have was, well, not unlike that of a Fae, minus the horns. Its body could fade in and out of the material world at will, and it had bronze skin and a very exotic purple haircolor. Only a small group of them were made before the Will moved them to live in the Spirit Realm, as the first true race of Spirits.


    I agonized for a long while before I figured out a decent name for them. "Henceforth, the Spirit Children shall be known as the Djinn."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">New sentient race created: Nereids</td>


    <td>The children of the sea, these beings were created by the Will of the Four Realms and are destined to live primarily in the Karmic Realm.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">New sentient race created: Raijin</td>


    <td>The children of the skies, these beings were created by the Will of the Four Realms following the template of the dryads, and destined to live primarily in the Heaven Realm.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">New sentient race created: Djinn</td>


    <td>The first Spirit Children, these powerful beings were created by the Will of the Four Realms and are destined to live primarily in the Spirit Realm. Their potential is great, so be careful.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Milestone Reached: 10 sentient races.


    Reward: 20% increased growth rate of Four Realms.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Total number of sentient races: 12


    Race list: Fae, Avians, Karae, Elementals, Draconians, Dragons, Dryads, Arachions, Dimensional Creators, Nereids, Raijin, and Djinn.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Huh. I totally forgot that there were rewards for things like this. Though its more like a natural occurance due to reaching certain milestones, rather than a reward.


    With curious eyes, I turned my gaze to the new races. In particular, I looked at the three souls the Will of the Four Realms has personally molded. They were much like Sequoia, the little dryad. She had been touched and carved from a part closest to my heart, inheriting a heart too big for her body all the love she could possibly obtain, soaking in said love like a sponge and returning it tenfold. She was unwavering and strong and kinder beyond words.


    The Nereid, however, had been carved from my mind. It would be gifted with brilliance and the ability to see through all things...though it, too, was not without my love. The Raijin was pulled from my blood and bones, gifting it with a divine body and an unmatched aura, while the Djinn was pulled solely from my soul and my soul alone. The Djinn was gifted with my spirit...I looked forward to seeing how these three turned out. Even Sequoia went beyond my expectations with how much love she held in her tiny form, and how much she could effect others.


    Even Tian had been changed by her, and he was as stubborn and steady as a mountain.


    Unfortunately, I could not wait to see where the Four Realms would lead these three...no, four if I''m including Sequoia. As much as I like surprises, I cannot afford the luxury right now. So, taking a peek at the future of those four...I began to laugh. The simplicity of it all strikes me as hilarious.


    Why did I not think of this? It solves about 50,000 issues with strengthening each individual system in the Four Realms in one fell swoop.


    "Evolution," I muttered to myself. "The Four Realms intends to evolve each of the individual Realms with the use of those four, much like how I evolved my own domain. They will become deities, and introduce new layers into the FOur Realms. Marvelous. Simply marvelous."

 Starman

    POV: Statera Luotian


    An incarnation of mine was touring the Mortal Realm, not long after the three new races were introduced to the Four Realms. Maybe a dozen or so years, and the three new Evolution Beings, as I have taken to calling them (it is not a name I am particularly proud of, but if the shoe fits...), have been growing just as slowly as Sequoia. Over the past hundred thousand years, the situation in the Mortal Realm had progressively worsened, although that was only visible when viewing the hundred thousand years as a whole. Terra and Pyre were taking their time, making sure their roots in their ''empire'' were deep and well-placed before they waged war against the Celestial Empress and Gallos Empire, who were merely sitting back like a sleeping giant.


    Terra and Pyre severely understimate the Empress. As loathe as I am to admit that anything about the war will be funny, it will be hilarious to watch them prod a sleeping bear. The sleeping bear. The two elementals are top-of-the-line assholes, after all, and as such it will be pleasing to see them get slapped in the face. The fact that they are my children makes no difference in this matter.


    My incarnation was merely wandering about, my true body back in my workshop working on creating two new divine beasts, and various other incarnations off doing any number of things. This one was slacking. Because it could.


    That is, however, until a particular shout of panic caught my attention.


    "STATERA LUOTIAN!" The Mad Scientist shouted from two solar systems away. Each Tree was, in essence, its own galaxy, but only the First Region had reached the size of a true galaxy like the Milky Way as of yet. As such, each Tree had multiple solar systems orbiting them, each with their own miniature sun. Not every solar system held life, either, just like in my old universe. Cultivators could obviously change that however, since Immortals no longer needed something as mundane as oxygen. I turned to peer at the Mad Scientist as she flew every which way, hair a mess and a wild look in her eyes as she shouted my name to the heavesn above.


    "Yes? What has you in such a tizzy?" I asked, teleporting by her side and scaring the living daylights out of her. I suppressed a snicker and quietly looked into what she had been doing for the past while, while she lived in the outer Regions of the Four Realms.


    The answer was...not much. She''d been experimenting a bit, staying true to her name of Scientist, as well as increasing her cultivation level but nothing overly exciting. Oh, what''s this? Seems she found a sweetheart. A shy little Fae that was struggling in his cultivation until the Mad Scientist came along and helped him out. It started off as a master/assisstant relationship, until it evolved into something deeper. How cute.


    "YOU-! No, wait, that''s not important right now." She shouted, not turning down the volume one level and also losing the pauses in her speech in her panic. "That One is coming. Is here. That One is here, in your realms, and I don''t know why." She said gravely.


    "You''re going to have to explain further that just that. I don''t understand what you mean by That One. Are they another Monkey Wrench, like yourself?" I pressed, urging her to explain further. The avian fluttered her wings in agitation, bobbing her head up and down while taking a few deep, calming breaths.


    "Yes....they are. They are the...first, Monkey Wrench. I only ever met...them once, very briefly. Words cannot...describe that meeting. They have lived for...countless lifetimes, and countless years...in innumerable universes. Their name is....The First, and they are the...Ultimate Monkey Wrench." The Mad Scientist said slowly, regaining her usual speech pattern. I patted her shoulder, sighing internally and deciding to just take it all in stride.


    "Ok, but how can you tell that they are here? I haven''t felt anything, and the Four Realms knows the template of Monkey Wrenches because you are here. Well, I haven''t specifically been searching for more Monkey Wrenches coming into the Realms though, so maybe it just slipped my attention." I mused, scratching my chin and sinking part of my true body''s consciousness into the Four Realms to search for Monkey Wrenches.


    There weren''t any. Or, well, I say that, but I could clearly feel there was something there, but it wasn''tinor a part of the Four Realms yet. Hmm.


    "Monkey Wrenches can at certain...levels, sense another''s...presence. Many factors are...involved, but possibly due to the small...size of the Four Realms and The First''s strength, I can...feel them now." The Mad Scientist said, shaking her head. "But that is not the biggest...problem. Many times, the First is...accompanied."


    "Oh? Accompanied?" I questioned, still probing the presence and trying to figure it out.


    "Yes. By The Rival. The only being that is able to contest The First...they almost always accompany one another. Their clashes are...legendary. And destructive." The Mad Scientist begun to wring her hands.


    "Do they always accompany each other?" I asked.


    "...no, not always. But it is...common." She said. Okay...Mr. Blue Boxes, do you have any advice? ...no? Not even a little statement or warning? Fine then. Thanks for the help.


    "Wonderful. As if I need another problem." I muttered, rubbing my temples. "Look, I''ll handle this. I don''t know how strong you think The First and The Rival are, but when it comes to them versus the destructive might of an entire universe, no matter how small, I''m going to put my money on the universe. Thank you for bringing this to my attention." Look on the bright side, me, this could end up being extremely beneficial. But well...in the end, I figure I''ll just treat this like I do most everything else, and only take action if it threatens to become too much to handle.


    Stretching out one hand, I grasped at one of the many strings of Fate I was beginning to become aware of. Quite a few were being redirected towards The First. Let''s just...see where this goes.


    POV CHANGE: The First


    When I entered the newly made universe, I could only blink in confusion. For one, I was surrounded by Primordial Chaos. Second, I still wasn''t a part of the universe. I was still in the processing stage, where my body and family and such would be decided and created. In this stage I could still adjust a little bit of the outcome, such as what race I would end up as, or what gender and whatnot. However here, in this area, I could feel that the chains that normally bound me from completely choosing were a bit...less than normal. Probably due to this universe''s young age. Just under three million years...I''d taken a shit which had lasted longer than that.


    No joke. And not a story I intend to delve into once again, thank you very much.


    "Let''s see...a Starman?" I questioned, pulling up a "game-screen" that displayed my future race, gender, family, etcetera. It was a lovely ability I picked up for the first time in my twentieth life. That world was a bit too much dark-fantasy for my tastes, though. Too much blood and gore and death, and not enough happy bards and busty tavernmaids that weren''t looking to rob you blind and leave you dead in a ditch. Which reflected in the color of the screen, which I occasionally forget to switch from goth black to something cheerier. Like blood red, heartbreak blue, existential-crisis grey, or happy days yellow.


    But it was one of the better layouts, so I kept this one instead of switching to other styles. For familiarity''s sake.


    <table style="background-color: #000000; border-color: #ffffff">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Name:</td>


    <td>The First [Insert secondary name here]</td>


    <td>Age:</td>


    <td>0</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Race:</td>


    <td>Starman (Unique) (Divine Beast)</td>


    <td>Gender:</td>


    <td>Undecided</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Backstory:</td>


    <td>Born from the Primordial Chaos</td>


    <td>Family:</td>


    <td>Unique in the Four Realms, N/A</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "A unique divine beast...? Sounds interesting. What does it look like?" I pondered, willing a projection of my future body to appear before me. It looked...pretty dope. I would have a total of seven arms, three on my left and right sides, respectively, with the seventh sticking out of my back, and my skin the color of a nebula. Actually...I''m pretty sure it was part nebula, because the skin shifted in color and had the same visual depth as a normal nebula would. Stars reflected from the black hair atop my future body''s head, and my eyes shone like the sun itself. Seven horns stuck out from the top of my head, looking to be a mixture of metals commonly found in asteroids.


    Neat. So the race name fits, huh? Starman. Starman...


    "...I don''t like it." I decided after a moment. Nope, I didn''t feel like being a living nebula today, thank you very much. So, scrap that. Tapping on the [Race] part of the display, a list of options appearing before my eyes.


    <table style="background-color: #000000; border-color: #ffffff">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">List of Races [Four Realms]</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Animals:</td>


    <td>Planet Dependant</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Magical Beasts:</td>


    <td>Planet Dependant</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Divine Beasts:</td>


    <td>Starman (Unique), Dragon, Frostform Dragonfly, Fireform Beetle, Skyshatter Wolf, Rainbow Serpent, Karmic Leviathan, Thunderbird...(more)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Sentient Races:</td>


    <td>Fae, Avian, Karae, Elemental, Draconian, Dragon, Dryad, Arachion, Dimensional Creator, Nereid, Raijin, Djinn (Mixed-races available.)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I frowned. There were that few options to choose from? Only twelve sentient races and four categories? That''s...pathetically low.Well, I suppose that''s because of how young this universe is. It''s exciting, really. I can''t wait to get in there, but first...well, I want to select my race.


    I started with pervueing the divine beast list. I''d been a dragon before, and as fun as it was, I didn''t feel like being one this time around. It was interesting, however, that dragons were classified as both a sentient race and divine beast. Supposedly it should be one or the other, unless there are two separate races of dragons, but it appears whoever was the progenitor of dragons in this world deemed them to have the characteristics of both. However, in the list of divine beasts, nothing caught my eye.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    The sentient races likewise held little interest to me either, and I had no intention to become a magical beast or animal. I had once reincarnated as a bacteria, and grown to become a divine beast. It was difficult, and not something I wish to repeat. To me, the sentient races were nothing special. The Fae were pretty cool, as were the Arachions (theyhadto be created by an evil being, because normal creators don''t make their races that ready to fuck shit up. I mean, come on. They were part scorpion, part spider, part human andall nightmare. They wereawesome.) However, I just wasn''t feeling being a Fae, nor part of a warmonger race.


    Three of the races were too young, too. They had barely been around long enough to learn about rocks, let alone fire. I''d guided civilizations before, and this...well, I was here to enjoy something new. Experience it, not mess with it. Kinda like how if you see something you really like, you don''t have to take a picture or video, and instead bask in the moment.


    "Hum dee dum, what should I do? None of these really interest me." I muttered to myself, shaking my head. The Djinn were kind of interesting sounding, because Djinn in many universes were also Genies, but I wanted to start off more from the bottom. So that meant being insanely and naturally talented, like a Starman, was out of the question. "Creation mode," I commanded, the game screen shifting to give me templates of humanoid bodies that I could manipulate...within reason. Each were base models of the twelve sentient races, with options for creating half-bloods.


    This was a lovely power I had developed over the course of many lifetimes, mostly by living as doppelganger or shapeshifter races. Picking up the tiny bits of their powers here and there allowed me to utilize a more free-form style of shapeshifting...though it was limited to the "creation mode," which I could only accessbeforeI was re-born. Unless I was a shapeshifter. Then I had free reign.


    "Okay, okay, let''s see here...the Fae seemed to be the most balanced of all the races, and also the most populous, so I''ll start there." I muttered to myself, selecting the ''doll'' in front of me. Two more options popped up, depicting both the male and female sexes, and giving me many ''game-like'' options for designing them. Yet another useful mechanic that I picked up...though I turned it on and off. Sometimes I wasn''t in the mood for game-like options, and instead wanted a different approach. But this would serve my purposes this time around.


    Ahhh, it had been far too long since I experienced the joys of character creation. ''Absence makes the heart grow fonder'' and all that jazz.


    I started with the horns. Most Fae had variations of straight horns, meaning each horn had a single ''trunk'' that didn''t branch off at all. Sure they could vary - some had different colors, some curled, others were straight, and there was on preset option that even allowed the horns to curl like ram''s horns. So naturally I decided to stand out.


    Reaching out, I grabbed the projections'' horns, twisting them magnificently. The single ''trunk'' was no more, instead replaced with three branches that intertwined with each other and creating a ''basket'' over the top of my head, like a crown. For the male version, anyways. The female version was much more elegant, with the horns curving around the sides of her head and forming a beautiful ''tiara'' type...thingy. I rubbed my hands in gleeful anticipation, promptly diving into the next portion of the creation process - the face.


    In the end, I spent a good ten years just creating my body before I was satisfied. Awesome body? Check. Gorgerous (mispelling intentional) features? Checkaroo. (I''d been butt-assed ugly before, and while that was fun in its own right it had grown a little old...for the moment.) Completely void of all talent so that I could manipulate it as I saw fit while living? Check-a-mundo. Wings, because I came to really freaking love the design of the Avians? Double check. I say double check because I gave my new bodies four wings to make up for a lack of a tail. Y''know, for stabilization purposes. Lots of other minor things that I came up with and are too many to list? Cheeeeyeck.


    The final step to this little thingamajig was to decide whether I wanted to be a super manly man amongst men or kickass goddess of kickassery amongst females. Because if there was always something I was, it was amazing. But that was just the problem, I had spentso long designing these bodies, and I didn''t want to part with either of them!


    <table style="background-color: #73018f">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Here, I''m going to save you the trouble of deciding. Watch me fix it.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I blinked at the purple box that appeared before me in surprise, watching in double surprise as my two bodies merged together...adding a function that allowed me to change genders at will. But...that''s stupid. I don''t want to be gender-fluid. That''s just being lazy and postponing a decision rather than making a choice on gender. This designer is an idiot.


    <table style="background-color: #73018f">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">That''s hurtful. I would never do something as asinine as taking a side by choosing a gender.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="background-color: #73018f">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Wait, you''re ''hearing'' my messages via boxes?! This is too cool!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="background-color: #73018f">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </img>">  ;D :0 SMILEY FACES!!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="background-color: #73018f">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">*Evil cackling*</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="background-color: #73018f">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Oh, so that''s how it does sound effects!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="background-color: #73018f">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">I am Purple Boxes-San. Bow before me foolish mortal.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Yes, this designer is most certainly an idiot.


    <table style="background-color: #73018f">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Tian will like you.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Whoever Tian is, they''re a tool. I paused, waiting for a response. When none came I began separating the two bodies, opting to go for the third option.


    Simply put, I separated my soul and consciousness into two identical pieces, sinking them into the bodies. This way both bodies were under my control without constantly switching genders, which would just be confusing for everyone involved. Additionally, I would share memories between the bodies, essentially living two lives at once.


    Ignoring the purple box that inquired as to how that would be less confusing and accusing me of being hypocritically indecisive, I moved onto the next step. "Rightyo, then. Let''s get this party started! Background powers, activate!" I shouted, throwing my hand up into a victory pose as the two bodies merged into my ''soul.'' Once this period was over, I would be born anew as TWO, not ONE! In response to my actions, two more boxes appeared, one black, a product of my power, and one purple, as a comment to my performance. I didn''t even glance at the background portion, opting to leave it set on random, and also ignored the condescending comment from the self-titled Purple Boxes-san. After all, I was old enough to not give a single flying flip as to what others thought of me.


    <table style="background-color: #73018f">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You''re fun.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    (Though to be honest, I was intrigued. Was Purple Boxes-san the Origin Deity of this universe? I had never met one before, as they were either too big to be bothered with little-ol'' me, just never bothered with me to begin with, or were dead.)


    Ha. They didn''t hear that thought, did they?


    "Alright you lot, get ready for the shock-and-awe treatment! Because this party is getting started in exactly FIVE...FOUR...THREE...TWO..."


    <table style="background-color: #73018f">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Ninety-seven</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "SHUT UP! ONE! REINCARNATION, BEGIN!" I cried, and promptly began my new life in this new universe.


    POV CHANGE: Randus (Deity of Dreams)


    In response to Mother''s strange cackling as She lounged next to Her fireplace, I merely raised my eyebrow. "Were you not going to leave this strange one alone until it did something more impressive?" I inquired, pouring Her another cup of tea. She took a long sip, patting my arm gratefully.


    "Always with the most wonderful tea, Randus. And, to answer your question, yes, I was. But I got bored, and they were taking too long to create their body." She said airily.


    "Ten years is too long? As I recall you took a couple hundred to create the Fae." I told Her.


    "Yes, well, that''s different. The First had a template to play off of, I had to create a sentient race from scratch without any prior knowledge on how to do so. Most of my attempts were experiments." Mother reasoned. With a flick of Her fingers, She sent off another message to The First, snickering to Herself. Something about their unique aura turned Mother''s divine messages, which normally would''ve been more like a mental conversation or so subtle the recipient would view them as their own thoughts, had changed them into...something else. "Game boxes," I believe She called them. "Oh, this is fun." She cackled.


    The novelty of it all would wear off in the next few hours. She frequently had moments like this, after all.


    "What should we call this new race of theirs?" I inquired.


    "Hmm? Oh, new race? Well, it''s not technically a new race. It''s a conglomeration of many current races, and not an official race. Since the Will of the Four Realms does not recognize it, I do not recognize it, and because I do not recognize it, the Will does not recognize it. Make sense?" She explained. I nodded vaguely, a tug pulling a portion of my essence back into the Dream Realm.


    Ah, how intriguing. Two bodies, one soul, yet eight times the dreams? That is not how mathematics work. Nor dreams.


    "I am expecting The First to cause a lot of changes, merely through their presence alone. There''s a reason they are called Monkey Wrenches after all...though the Mad Scientist has done an excellent job of staying under the radar." She said, nodding her head. I agreed silently, gazing into the Dream Realm.


    Dreams were many things. They were the past, present, future, all that will be, all that was never meant to be, and all that is a possibility. It is a Realm that all beings lived in, yet none of them were truly aware of. Except for myself and Mother, who have full access to this Realm. Through viewing a being''s dreams, we were able to see far more than what any thought could profess. After all, the truest part of one''s soul produced the truest Dreams, much in the same way the Heart revealed one''s truest desires.


    And yet the First''s dreams were hidden from my eyes. Mother could see them, or at least pieces of them, but I could not. That was...disturbing. And yet I also knew it was merely because I was lacking, not because they were deliberately being hidden from me. Thus, I needed to grow further, and by watching The First I could do so...


    A gentle push on my shoulder brought me back to the normal Realms, Mother looking at me with soft eyes, Her hand on my shoulder. "Go on, you. Don''t let me keep you," She said. I bowed and slipped into the Dream Realm, vanishing altogether.


    "By your command, Madam," I whispered, and let myself sink into the depths of Dreams. Grand fantasies, and dark nightmares, all were mine to watch and command, gently manipulating others in ways strange to the normal deities of the Four Realms.

 New Additions

    POV: Keilan


    The doors to my office swung open, two Karmic Kings stepping through and bowing to me as I sat at my desk. I raised my eyebrow at the two of them, pausing in my writing.


    "Can I help you?" I inquired, leaning back in my chair.


    "Yes, sir," one answered calmly. "You called for a few us to discuss the Ocean of Memories?" I nodded, standing and stretching, feeling my back pop in multiple places.


    "Ah, that''s right. I did. As I''m sure you are aware, the Ocean of Memories cannot remain as it is. With more and more karmic beings appearing in the Karmic Realm, as well as the appearance of the Nereids, it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep beings out of the ocean, especially due to its proximity to the Karmic Oceans." I explained, turning to the vast window behind me.


    The Karmic Valley sprawled below me, the River of Souls flowing directly through the middle of it, filtering the souls to the Karmic Kings and Judges for their judgement. At the far end of the Valley glittered the Ocean of Memories, filled with the memories of all beings, taken after their reincarnations and given back after they reach a high enough (or low enough, for Dark Angels also regain their memories) level. It was not the most efficient system, but if it is not broken, I will not designate people nor resourses to fix it. At least, when I cannot spare the people to make the system better.


    Flicking my hand, a scroll flew from one of the shelves to hover in front of the two Karmic Kings. "Those are the plans that were drafted many tens of thousands of years ago to fix this issue. I have made a few revisions since then, but it largely remains the same. Look over it, make sure there are no issues, and report to the Deity of Knowledge to begin the project. I also need one of you to find and contact Randus, the Deity of Dreams, and see if he will not help. Other than that, you will have billions of spirits under your command, along with a platoon of Karmic Judges. When necessary, I will also help." I explained calmly, turning back to face the duo and clasping my hands behind my back. "Questions?"


    "This is the library project, correct?" One of the two asked, already scanning the scroll.


    "Yes," I affirmed, nodding my head. It essentially was a plan that turned the Ocean of Memories from an ocean into a gigantic library, condensing the memories into books and crystals, categorized by those who lived them. It would be a massive undertaking, and pull a large number of spirits away from their duties to build and man it after it was ''finished.'' There were many stages I had for this project, but the biggest one was to just get the entire thing built. Many deities would be assisting in the process, because condensing such a large quantity of memories would be taxing even for me, but the Deity of Knowledge was the official overseer. These two Kings were the right and left hands, so to speak.


    Each Valley would have its own library, but the library here, in the First Valley, would contain copies of all the memories of the Four Realms. It was prudent to have back-ups.


    "What is this about the ruins?" The second King asked, pausing in its reading of the scroll.


    "Ah, that? That is for a later date, and can be ignored for now. It essentially stipulates that the various ruins appearing in the Karmic Ocean will function as nodes for the Library, so not all things have to come all the way to the Valley to access it. Of course, there will be limitations." I explained. "Now off with you, there is much to do and I do not want this project to take a hundred thousand years."


    "Yes, sir," the Kings said, respectfully bowing and promptly leaving my office. Letting out a breath, I turned back to looking out of my window, thinking on the appearnce of the Nereid race. Having a sentient race appearing solely in the Karmic Realm was beyond my expectations for the next million or so years, having personally thought it would happen after said amount of time. The Karae were karmic beings who could technically live in the Karmic Realm, but they were not...suited to live in the oceans. As such they were better off living in the Mortal and Heaven Realms.


    The Nereid, however, were perfectly adapted to being able to live in the Karmic Realms, being a race that perpetually lived underwater, not unlike the water Elementals, who could live perfectly fine both in and out of their natural element. And, as such, I had to advance a few plans to rennovate the older systems of the Karmic Realm, starting first and foremost with the Ocean of Memories.


    What intrigued me the most, however, was that Karmic Strings were beginning to tie themselves to both myself, the Valley, and specificallyoneNereid, who was leaps and bounds above the rest of its species. I recognized the template. This being was exactly like Sequoia Pama, the little dryad in the Mortal Realm that Tian and Kei had taken such a shining to. The most disturbing part about this was that this was not an isolated event.


    Whenever I turned my gaze to the other Realms, I noticed similar patterns forming. Reika and the Tree were being tied to Sequoia via strings; Elvira, the Holy Mountain, and one of the Raijin were forming connections; and even Alexander, his Cave, the River, and a particular Djinn were being bound. My siblings and I were slightly concerned over the events, and thus all decided to have a talk about it with Mother, as none of us could truly see where these connections lead. We all had our ideas, each able to see snippets, and thus we were one hundred percent certain that it wasn''t a negative event. However, neither did we feel comfortable with it.


    It represented great change, after all.


    This talk would not happen for a few years yet, however. With a great yawn I stretched, my tails flicking sharply to rid themselves of any lingering stiffness.


    "Let''s see...next is the meeting with the angel Wang Zizai. Hmm. Isn''t Sol''s next reincarnation coming up soon as well? I''ll want to oversee that." I muttered to myself, floating out of the office and hovering over the Valley. Currently I didn''t have any truly pressing duties. It was relaxing and a welcome change. Things had finally started to settle down, and we could all relax for the moment. Well, except for the mortals. They had a war brewing.


    That, however, was no one''s fault but their own.


    POV CHANGE: The Celestial Empress


    "Congratulations," my retainers said, bowing to me as I sat upon my golden, gilded throne. "On your ascent to become a Dao Progenitor." The assembled court applauded, the sound defeaning and likewise falling upon deaf ears. I was not happy with the outcome. It simply proved to me how impossible of an existance Tian was, and how truly difficult what he did was.


    Tian had single-handedly created the entire Martial Way, a Dao Path that encompasses all of the possible paths that utilize martial skills to ascend. Maybe he was not an expert in all the possible branches, as proven by others rising in the Martial Way, but his Way represented the absolute core of what such a path meant. The path of a warrior. An entire constellation had been formed in the sky due to his achievement, and every other Dao Progenitor to have ever ascend used his Martial Way as a guide. Until myself, that is. I had successfully completed my Dao of the Ruler, forming another Dao Path in the starry sky...however, I had only earned one star.


    A single star that lead to the Dao of the Ruler. While it, by itself, is quite the achievement, if I am to earn my place alongside Tian in the ranks of the deities I must create a path equal in scope to his own. My path has yet to truly begin - the stronger I get, the more I realize that to be the truth. Is it the same for deities as well? I once thought of them as the end goal, but now even I am not so sure. Is the path we walk truly endless?Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "Thank you," I said politely once the applause died down. "Though there is still a long way to go, I will continue to watch over theempire we have created." More applause was the response to my statement, and I held up a hand for silence. "Now on to more important matters. I ask of each of the cabinet ministers to make their reports." I said, relaxing in my throne. These days, I wished I had made the thing more for comfort than aesthetics. Cushions could only do so much.


    As I listened I nodded in approval. The R&D department was developing new and improved defenses, both of the technological and magical sort, though we were still far behind the might of the Gallos Empire in regards to the former. However, we were unparallelled in formations and cultivation magic, and always had been. New and improved cultivation techniques were appearing as well, and while they didn''t increase the number of cultivator rising to become immortals, theywerefar stronger in comparison to their predecessors.


    The most interesting piece of news, however, was that the Gallos Empire formally withdrew from the First Region, taking all of their technology and citizens and leaving for the Outer Regions, leaving my people to fully control the First Region. It was an understandable moving on the Empire''s part, as they controlledtwo entire Regions outside of the First, and had been pressured by us since their inception all those years ago. It was a logical move, if not a smart one.


    Since they left the Barrier, then they will be entirely at the mercy of those two upstart Elementals. As much as I hated to admit it, they were worrisome. Their roots were deep, and our spies told us that their people held a fanatacism towards their toxic regime like no other, leaving no room for us to intervene on a subtle level and usurp their power. And they only continued to grow. Still, if they did attack us and do something drastic, they would find themselves kicking a steel plate.


    There would be no winning against us. It was not delusional egoism either, merely a statement of fact.


    "And how goes the negotiations with the Empire?" I inquired calmly, the negotiations being an alliance proposal I had drafted in order to combat the rising threat. It was just another deterrant. The Elementals had better be prepared to attack the two superpowers of the Mortal Realm rather than just one. At least, that was the idea.


    "They are going well, we are expecting a favorable response in the next few months." One of my ambassadors said with a bow. The meeting continued like this for hours, informing me about the status ofthe country itself, and how things were progressing. There were no unsurprising or unexpected developments, everything was relatively peaceful for the moment.


    After the meeting was finished and all those who attended went their separate ways, I let out a sigh of relief. That was finally over with. With a slight grunt of effort I rose to my feet, maintaining my decorum as I left the throne room, my long white robes trailing behind me. Through the halls of the Celestial Palace, the maids, manservants, guards, and everyone else bowed to me as I passed, which I responded to with slight nods of my head, acknowledging them. Only when I had retreated to my bedroom did I relax, letting all tension flow out of my body and flopping onto my bed, one hand on my stomach.


    A sinister chuckled drew my attention, a man slipping out of the shadows to stand above me. "Long day, Your Highness?" he asked sarcastically. I merely smiled at him and nodded.


    "Indeed. Thank you for your assistance, Bob." I said simply. The shadowy man chuckled, dropping his illusions and revealing to me his true body.


    He appeared to be no older than ten years old, having cultivated and reached the Immortal stage so quickly that his body could not catch up, with a mess of brown hair and the tell-tale Karae wings and tail. Among all the Paragon-level cultivators under my command, he was by far the scariest, and likewise the closest to becoming a Dao Progenitor himself. His illusions were unparalleled, which is why I had enlisted his help.


    "When you called upon me for help, this was the last thing I was expecting to have to hide from the rest of the universe." Bob said, indicating my swollen stomach, clearly visible, sticking out from my robes. Who would have thought that a simple tryst with a wandering swordsman, who was far more than his title suggests, would end like this? With me pregnant? And to think, I had just gotten over the argument with some of those damned councilmen that I would, in my own time, have children, without a need for them to "prepare suitors for a proper heir." Just a way for them to try and seize power, I''m certain.


    "It should only be for a year or two longer," I chided Bob. Babies of cultivators grew far slower than those of mortals, especially a cultivator of my strength. The child of a woman who was both a Paragon and now a Dao Progenitor? Such a thing was unprecidented, and would produce very...interesting outcomes. "And when they''re born, you''ll be off to practice your illusions once more."


    "They?" Bob parroted. I nodded tiredly.


    "Twins," I told him. "The doctor confirmed it." There were a grand total of five people who knew of my pregnancy, besides angels and gods. Bob was one. The only doctor I truly trusted beyond a shadow of a doubt, a girzzled old combat medic that should''ve passed on ages ago but still stubbornly kept clinging to life was two. Two of my personal guards were three and four. Five was my single most trusted advisor, who was already spinning up stories to explain the two new children without telling the world I was their mother.


    Goodness knows that would cause a disaster. I had no intention of denying my children of the rightful love of a mother, but, to the world at large, they would not be trulymine.Perhaps orphans I took a shining to. Two children I decided to train and raise up. Both were things I had done before, Bob and the two guards who knew of my condition were proof of the matter.


    "Hm, still not going to find out the genders?" Bob asked. I laughed and shook my head.


    "Why spoil the surprise?" I retorted, placing both hands on my stomach. An indescribable warmth flowed through me at the thought of children. Not once had I thought of myself as a mother, until suddenly I was slated to become one. And, like at all else I set my mind to, I would excell at it. These children would bemy children in heart and soul, which is far more important than flesh and blood. Passing on of the heart...that was the true goal in finding an heir. A pity that so few realized such an important fact.


    POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian


    I smiled as the Mad Scientist looked down at her two children with a softness I had never before seen of her. It was pleasing to see that it was not only I who felt the same of their children - regardless of how long or how many lives they lived. She had given birth to twins, a boy and a girl, but contrary to my expectations only one held the soul of the First. The boy was the First, with their female form residing within the Celestial Empress. I had expected them to stay together, but that would be contrary to the point, wouldn''t it? Of living two lives. Sort of. Maybe not? Guess it depends.


    "Pity you...decided to become my...child," the Mad Scientist said softly to the First, who may or may not have understood her. "I cannot give you the...life I am sure you desire." The funny thing was that The First didn''t choose anything, setting their backstory as random and diving headfirst into the world. The funniest part was that being the child of the Empress and the Scientist meant nothing - they would undoubtedly experience the Four Realms at their own pace, parents and heritage be damned.


    Still, it was an interesting placement. One body lay in the boundaries of the Gallos Empire, child of a reclusive genius who could advance the empire''s technology and abilities immeasurably were she to take action, while the other was the child of the single ruler of the strongest and oldest nation; the Celestial Empress. Both prestigious positions in their own right. I had to give it to the Four Realms, it was a strategic placement with maximum benefits in mind. Were the First to take control fo both the Gallos Empire and the Celestial Palace, they would lead both nations into unprecidented prosperity unless I myself directly intervened.


    The problem with that idea was that the Will of the Four Realms didn''t understand one cruical bit of information. The First just couldn''t give a damn. They would do what they wanted, when they wanted to. That wasit.


    Alexander, however, didn''t agree with me.


    "If they think they will get away with doing whatever they want, they are wrong," he huffed passionately, smoke billowing from his nostrils as he floated next to me. I raised one eyebrow, thoroughly amused. In a way, I was highly anticipating the clash between Alexander and the First, as it would inevitably come, though Tian and the First will be funnier. In my humble opinion.


    "We''ll see," I said, attempting, and failing, to hide the humor in my voice.


    "Thanks for the faith, Father," Alexander drawled sarcastically. I laughed and rubbed his head.


    "You''ll be fine, Alexander," I assured. "Now come, let''s leave these two to their devices." I turned away, attempting to lead the irritated dragon away from the newly born being. I had the feeling that Alexander was simply feeling territorial, what with a foreign,powerfulsoul suddenly entering the Four Realms, something that has only happened on one other occasion, an was a fluke at that. Thus he was upset, and not likely to leave the First alone.


    Oh well. A few good, hard knocks would drive some of that arrogance out of my children. I just had to be ready to intervene, if it came to blows.

 Pillars and Empire

    POV: Statera Luotian


    "Begin," I ordered, reaching out with my hands and ''grasping'' the Life-Giving Trees, dragging them into position. It was taking quite a bit of energy on my part, but it was something that was necessary. The Trees, Mountains, and Valley''s had all been floating around freely before this, so now I and a few other deities were going to remanouver them into key positions and then anchor them. This would allow the natural energy of the Four Realms to flow better, as well as acting as support pillars, strengthening the Four Realms as a whole.


    It was a long, taxing process that would take many tens of thousands - if not hundreds of thousands - of years, hence we were getting started on it now. Just because I was an Origin Deity didn''t mean things had to happen quickly, or would happen with the snap of my fingers. All good things come in time.


    Suddenly, I blinked and looked at one of the Regions, smiling slightly. "Looks like little Sequoia managed to get out of her solar system." I noted. The dryad had figured out the key to leaving both her meadow and her planet in the past hundred thousand years by dragging her tree into her ''core,'' or dantian as many called it. Or was it a jindan? There were so many names for these things, so I''ll go with cultivation core. Anyway, she figured out how to do that and boosted her cultivation level up high enough so that she could leave her planet, but it hadn''t been enough to get out of her solar system until now.


    For some reason, she had completely bypassed the Immortal Trial. Well, I say for some reason, but the Will of the Four Realms gave her an express ticket to immortality. It was entirely irrelevant because of how time fluctuated around her and prevented her from really aging, but it still wasn''t ok. Going through the Trial would have tempered her. Thus, I harshly reprimanded the Four Realms for its actions. Now the others like her won''t have the same ease, but...the Will is just a sentience barely capable of instinctual actions, so it will make the Trail easier. Regardless of what I have to say about it.


    "Grandpa, pay attention!" Kei reprimanded from next to me.


    "I am. I am paying attention to everything all at the same time." I informed her casually, glancing at her out of the corner of my eyes. She wasn''t that far away from me, her hands stretched out towards the Region I was controlling and fuelling the process with a good portion of her energy. It did speed things up.


    "Technicalities," Kei said, rolling her eyes, and I chuckled.


    "On another note, Sequoia just took the next step in her hunt to touch your tails," I told her. Kei''s eyes lit up like the stars, a wide grin splitting her face at the mention of her playmate. She did enjoy teasing her so, and their games of chase had gradually increased in scale as Sequoia''s range of movement expanded.


    "FOCUS!" Leo roared at me from above, the light of the Sun radiating down and nourishing the Tree, as well as mixing with the light of the Moon to heal any stress the abnormal movement of the Regions caused.


    "Oh, hush, you," I chided, manifesting two more arms of Primordial Chaos that reached up - stretching hundreds of thousands of miles - to pat Leo on his fiery hair. This just served to piss him off more.


    "If you have time to do that, then you can work on MAKING THIS THING MOVE FASTER!" He bellowed, his hair flaring up in an attempt to get rid of my hand. He had no such luck.


    "No, not really. This is as fast as it can go I''m afraid. Otherwise we''d start tearing holes in the Four Realms, and that would cause problems." I retorted simply, shrugging my shoulders.


    "The way you''re talking is as if this is easy for you," Celene noted, sweat pouring down her face as she struggled to maintain her current level of power. The surrounding Deities - six in total - all grunted in agreement, not actually being able to speak as they focused entirely on moving the Valley and Mountain alongside the Tree.


    "Um, kind of," I admitted, portioning off a bit of my power to ease the stress on my other children, fueling the movement of the Mountain and Valley. "If it really bugs you, then I could split off a bit of my power to go gallavanting off in the Mortal Realms. There''s nothing overly pressing that needs my attention, so really I''m just releasing tension right now."


    "This isn''t pressing?!" Leo questioned.


    I considered that. "Besides this,"


    "Gods above," he cursed, "just go fricking play in the Mortal Realm. As long as you shut up, I''ll be much happier."


    "That''d be me," I responded to his curse. He groaned, and I laughed evilly. "Alright, I''ll do as you wish, but...just know that if you lay yourself open to teasing, I will be leaving just enough consciousness behind so I can retort." I warned, and promptly sent dozens of incarnations off into the Mortal and Heaven Realms.


    "Sometimes I wonder if He''s really the creator of the entire universe...such a child," Leo groaned as I left. I decided that didn''t deserve a retort, and allowed my consciousness to fade a bit. Best not to push it.


    POV CHANGE: Tian


    Watching the Dao Progenitors - bar the Celestial Empress, who had other things to attend to - convene was a bit like stepping back in time. Their number now reached seven (eight with the Empress), with the vast majority belonging to the Gallos Empire and Celestial Palace. In fact, they all did. Five were originally members of the Celestial Palace, and two had risen from the Empire, all of them following my Martial Way. Two followed the path of the Sword, one of the Bow, one as a master of the Fist, two more followed me even closer by weilding spears, and the newest of the bunch had become a Progenitor by brandishing her Mace.


    It was kind of funny, how they all focused on specific weapons, whereas I focused on a much broader spectrum.


    "The deities are staying out of this war, and so should we," the member of the Xi clan, Leo and Celene''s decendants, said softly. He was one of the sword-weilders, focusing more onfinesse and skill than the other Sword Progenitor''s overbearing, broad and simple swordplay. "This is an issue amongst mortals."


    "Oh do shut up, you stupid Xi. We are not gods, we are Dao Progenitors. On top of that, we are all warriors. How are we expected to not participate? If those foolish Elementals attack us, they will be crushed." The mace wielder scoffed. It was the truth, the Elementals would be absolutely demolished, after a brief resistance, by either the Empire or the Palace. This was the biggest reason they hadn''t made a move yet, instead opting to maintain the tenuous relationship with the two superpowers they currently had.


    No one was willing to make the first move, but likewise, neither was anyone delusional enough to think that a war wasn''t coming. Why the former was true, I personally didn''t know. By this point I would''ve probably gone an knocked some sense into the elementals, just because they pissed me off. But that''s just me. And now I can''t do that, because I''m a deity. Do I want to? Yes. But I won''t.


    "Feeling a bit nostalgic?" Inesa asked, sliding up next to me and rubbing my back. I hummed and nodded, wrapping one arm around her shoulders. The Dao Progenitors would eventually agree to not intervene unless things got too out of hand and drug them into the war, at which point they intervene personally, so I didn''t really need to stay and watch.


    "Yeah, a bit.Are you coming with me to go meet the Celestial Empress''s brats? They should be old enough to talk to, now." I asked. Inesa nodded, pressing up closer to me and resting her head on my shoulder.


    "Yes," she said simply, smiling. "though remember, you have a ''brat'' of your own."


    I scoffed. "Sequoia was never a brat, and I never saw her in her bratty stage, which was when she was just born. So ha, I never had a brat."


    "Parental bias," Inesa told me with a smug look on her face.


    "This bias is justified," I returned, tapping her forehead with my finger and teleporting to stand above Manu Ti, where the Celestial Palace floated. Inside, the Celestial Empress was chasing her two children around her bedroom, both of them laughing with childish glee as she threatened them with the vicious ''tickle monster.'' It was good to see her cutting loose for once and reveal that playful, childish side of hers I always knew she had.


    She still had a long way to go, but she was getting there. These two children were the first step - no, one. One child. The other was...huh, strange. I couldn''t see the other''s, the female''s, future. The boy was clearly recognizable, I knew what his future held without even looking. But the girl...? Not so much.


    "Having fun, little miss empress?" I questioned, stepping through the wall (yes, the wall, doors are for normal people) and flashing her a grin. The Empress nearly tripped over herself, her two three-year-old children running and hiding behind her bed before peeking around the corner, grinning like the little lunatics all children were.


    "T-Tian...?" She asked, turning around and looking at me, her face lighting up upon seeing me. Inesa unwound herself from my arms, stepping to the side and nodding to her.


    "It''s good to see you again," she greeted, which the Empress returned, her attention still on me.


    "Wh-what are you doing here? I thought you..." she trailed off, glancing at her children. My grin widened and I winked at her.


    "Well, I had to come and see you after you had kids, after all!" I exclaimed. "I was wondering when you''d find yourself a good husband and have some kids, but I see you went for the latter first!" I teased. The Empress flushed and beckoned for her kids to come forwards. The toddlers obeyed, sneaking around the corner of their bed and staring at me curiously.


    The boy was a cute little thing with chubby cheeks and light blue hair, just like his father. Small wings fluttered on his back and two little horns poked out of his forehead, marking his half-Fae half-Avian heritage, and he stared at me with deep blue eyes. A small little feathered tail flicked nervously behind him, occasionally wrapping around his mother''s leg.


    The girl was fearless. She was staring at me challengingly, dark red eyes narrowed and black hair tied up in a bun around her small, intricate horns.In opposition to her brother she had four wings and no tail, the only real thing that marked them as twins were their similarly shaped faces and ears. Otherwise I doubt I''d put them as the same species, let along siblings. It was kind of strange.Everythingabout the girl was strange, but I didn''t say anything about it.


    "This is Primula," the Celestial Empress said, putting one hand on top of her little girl''s head, "and this is Yamua. Say hello, children."The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Hello," Yamua said, the young boy pressing his head into his mother''s hand in comfort.


    "Your horns are broken," Primula announced, pointing at me dramatically. "And your hair is grey. Are you really old?" Inesa coughed to hide her laughter, and the Celestial Empress looked at her kid, appalled.


    I sighed and muttered, "Why do they all think that? I don''t look that old, do I?" Louder, I answered her question. "Yes, I am very old.Much older than you," I said, reaching out and tapping her on the nose. She crinkled her nose cutely, frowning and glaring at me.


    "No, I''m older! I''m a billion kajillion...no, infinity years old! So ha! I''m the best!" Primula objected, bounding forward and tapping me onmynose. I blinked at her, and poked her belly, making her giggle and flee back to hide behind her mother, peeking out from behind her legs with a mischevious twinkle in her eye.


    "Little firecracker, isn''t she?" I asked, bemused.


    "I don''t know what I''m going to do with her," the Empress replied, exasperated but looking at her child fondly.


    "Love me, feed me, never leave me," Primula chirped, clutching the Empress''s clothes and using them to crawl her way up her mother. Yamua, not to be outdone, did the same. For children that young they were suprisingly strong, to be able to climb all the way up to the Empress''s shoulders. But that''s what you get when you have cultivator children, they''re always a little weird. Makes me wonder what the children of Deities will be like.


    "Well, I just wanted to drop by. I''ve got to go check up on a few other things," starting with Sequoia and the other three...Evolutionary Beings? Don''t remember what Statera called them, but that''s one of the jobs He gave me, "so sorry I can''t stay for longer. But hey, you''re doing good. You''re on the right track." I told her. She smiled and nodded, watching as Inesa and I teleported away, off to do our stuff.


    I wanted to start with the Djinn. His development was interesting, because he kept travelling back and forth between the Mortal and Spirit Realms, as was a feature of his race. Though they tended to stay in the Spirit Realm for the most part. A few mortal civilizations already had stories and such of the Djinns and their potential. I was...expectant that this race would be most interesting. And gods, I sounded like Keilan when I thought about that.


    "I need a vacation. And to get into a fight," I muttered to myself. Inesa laughed lightly and squeezed my shoulder, shaking her head.


    "What you need is to stop thinking so much. Come on," she said lightly, grabbing my hand. I chuckled and let her lead me. Well, this is fine too.


    POV CHANGE: The First (Male; Ichiro)


    I hummed as I skipped through the city, revelling in my young, ten-year-old body. It was filled with boundless energy, and damn was it cool. One of the cooler races I''d been in lifetimes, but that was mostly because I set the race to random. One time I got turned into a...well, that''s not important. It was weird. Really, really weird...


    Anyway, the last thing I expected from this life was for one of my bodies to end up the child of another Monkey Wrench, of the Mad Scientist no less! That had been an absolute shock, I mean, I was expectingmeto be the First (ha!) one here. It actually did help, however. The other me is the child of the leader of the oldest, most powerful, and most influential nation in the Realm. Which means I can''t really run about wherever I want because I have to stay in character and all that, but I do get an absolute buttload of information about how this Realm works, at least.


    Mother - the Celestial Empress, I mean - tells me that there''s more stuff I can learn when I''m older and cultivate more. Of course I will do that, it''s only fair to play by the rules. I learned long ago that opening your presents beforehand ruins the surprise.


    On the other hand, in this body, the Mad Scientist has given me all but free reign. Dad, her husband, wasn''t very appreciative of it, but together we ended up convincing him so long as I visited once a week. Considering howeasy it was for me to travel between solar systems, even as a child, it wasn''t a problem. As bad as it is for me to say that, I was never reallytheirsto begin with, which is why I make sure to always be born with a twin or into a family with more than one child. That way its fairer to my ''parents.'' I can play the ''good child,'' but it always makes me feel bad if I''m the only child. You''d think I''d be over it, but nah.


    I''ve had too many kids tonotunderstand what it''s like to have a child not beyours.If that makes sense...? Makes sense to me.


    So, anyway, I was skipping along down the street on a planet three solar systems away from the Mad Scientist, looking at all the different people of the Karae-dominated city and essentially soaking in the sights. This part of the Empire of Gallos was a bit more strict and logically-dominated than other parts, which was ok, but logic wasn''t always fun. They did have some interesting gadgets and technological developments, however. It''s always nice to see a budding civilization, just figuring out how to combine technology and magic - er, cultivation, in this universe.


    A few people glanced at me as I skipped by, but generally the crowds ignored my presence. I was just a kid, after all.


    For a while I moved around, until I found myself standing outside of a cafe. It wasn''t the most interesting cafe, just someplace that sold tea, cookies, coffee, and various pastries, but there was this one lady in there that...struck me.


    She wasn''t the most beautiful of beings, I had seen women whowere so transcendantly beautiful that men waged war with each other simply because the women had winked. No, she didn''t hold a candle to those women. Her raven hair had a few streaks of white in it, despite her youthful appearance, and her horns, for she was a Fae, curled elegantly around the sides of her head. They were neither large nor small. Everything about her was in the very center of the line between average and beautiful.


    She wore simple clothes, a t-shirt and jeans, and was sitting at a table reading a book, laughing to herself lightly as her eyes skimmed the words. It was her eyes that truly caught my attention. There was no way to really explain them - they were a gorgeous shade of forest green that I only caught a glimpse of. That was enough, however, to make me go inside the cafe and sit across from her.


    She glanced at me as I sat down, the brief look only confirming my suspicion that her eyes were wonderous, did a double take, and then set her book down. "Um...can I help you?" She asked quizzically, furrowing her brows as she looked at me. I smiled, staring straight into her eyes. They were...sodeep.


    "You have gorgeous eyes," I said with a smile. She froze, and cocked her head to the side in confusion.


    "Huh?" She asked.


    "Your eyes are beautiful. They''re more beautiful than a thousand sunsets," I told her, winking. The action made her squint and scrunch up her nose, totally confused. It was a funny expression. And not once did the deepness in her eyes fade away...in fact, I was beginning to get lost in them. It wasn''t very profoundly lost, I could still ''find my way,'' so to speak, but still lost enough to convince me that this lady was some kind of cultivator. Normal people don''t have eyes that are like this.


    "Are you...flirting with me?" She asked incredulously.


    "Depends. Is it working?" I chirped, flashing her my award-winning smile. Seriously. I''ve won awards with it, it''s so awesome. Took me lifetimes to perfect. And even though my body is childish, I designed it so I would still look good at this age. Besides, one commonality among all cultivators is that age doesn''t really matter once they reach the "immortal" stage. They could be millions of years apart in terms of age, and no one would give a shit. So all I have to do is grow a little.


    "...not in the slightest," she deadpanned, grabbing the teacup on the table and downing it all in one go. I bet she''d be fun to go drinking with. After a moment''s pause in which I waited for her to continue, she suddenly smirked, as if a funny thought just occured to her. Then she continued. "You''re, what, ten? What are you doing out here all on your lonesome?"


    "I''m actually eleventy kajillion years old, trapped in a ten-year-old body. What level''s your cultivation?" I inquired. She blinked. "Oh, come on, you don''t think I didn''t notice? Your positivelyenchantingeyes, and I''m serious about that by the way, they are lovely, gives it away. But you''ve also erected a perception filter to keep people from noticing us, or, more specifically,you,correctly guessed my age, and set up a minor intent reflecting ward around the cafe. Since I arrived, you''ve set up a lie detection field " I listed.


    "Very good," she said, nodding, "but you missed the spacial manipulation." And then she took a sip of her tea again, which was steaming and full once more. I frowned. I...actually had missed that. Granted, I wasn''t trying very hard, but it did slip past my initial detectors. I scoffed.


    "I was hardly trying,"


    "Arrogant much?" She shot back without missing a beat.


    "Actually I''m quite humble," I retorted, and she laughed. My heart skipped a beat at the sound that sent waves of warmth and peace crashing into my soul, her laugh sounding like a thousand bells gently tinkling in the breeze. Then another realization struck me; she hadn''t set up any fields or wards. It was her natural aura that caused a perception filter and intent ward among other things.


    Suddenly, I was intrigued. Unlike a deity, of which I had met many and sometimes even become one, I could not look at someone and divine their past (for now, at least. There were restrictions to my power to match my body.) So I wanted to know what this woman was. Who she was. A cultivator of some kind? A divine beast? She didn''t feel like a deity, even their incarnations gave off waves of easily detectable power, so what was she?


    "Come back to the land of the living," she said suddenly, flicking my forehead and banishing all thoughts from my head. I blinked and smacked my forehead with my palm, astonished. Had she just...with a flick of her finger...my thoughts...? "You drifted," she informed me, leaning back and sipping on her tea once more.


    "I see," I said, narrowing my eyes. She was much stronger than my initial estimates to be able to do that. My mind was a steel trap. It would take much more than a casual flick of a finger to do anything to my mind, but I suppose it does help that she had no ill intentions when she did. "I was just lost in your radiance, I''m afraid. Such beauty does not belong on a mortal world such as this." She spluttered at that, almost spraying tea out of her mouth in a choking laugh.


    I suppose that comment would be funny, coming out of the mouth of a ten-year-old. The question is, should I start laying it on really thick? I could go for more flirting and teasing, but I wasn''t expecting her to really react to it. It would be...disappointing if she was weak to flirting. Would make things far too easy.


    "Well, as pleasant as this chat was, brat, I have other things I need to do." she said, standing up and draining her tea once again. She downs that stuff like its shots at a party.


    "Are you just going to leave an innocent child alone in the city?" I questioned, giving her my best kicked-puppy look.


    She wasn''t even phased. "Yeah, I am, because youaremore than meets the eye."


    "Alright, then I''ll just tag along. Got nothing better to do, and you''re rather interesting." I responded, standing up.


    "Uh...no, you won''t. More like can''t," she said slowly, as if speaking to a child. I inwardly chuckled, feeling quite smug. She probably was going to teleport to some distant planetoid or something, or go flying up into space. It was simple enough for me to follow and track, either by erecting a similar teleportation spell that hijacked the trail she used, or stealing a spaceship to follow her. Or, hell, building my own spaceship. There were many ways to follow her.


    "Why not?" I asked instead, keeping my tone childish.


    "Because I was never here to begin with," and then she fuckingvanished.


    I blinked. And stared at the spot she had been in confusion. Then furrowed my brows and scratched the back of my head. Oh.Oh.She''sgood.I hadn''t even noticed. A wide, predatory grin stretched across my face at this, vowing to myself that I would find her, whoever she was. This wasfun.I hadn''t been bested like this in ages...and the suddenness of it all! This situation was just delectable.


    "Game on!" I shouted to the skies, pumping my fists into the air and utterly ignoring the odd looks I got from the cafe patrons and employees. The moment was ruined, however, by that asshole with the purple boxes. I could practicallyheartheir cackling laughter.


    <table style="border-color: #ffffff; background-color: #9a00bd">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Gorgeous. Beautiful. Enchanting. Lovely. Radiant. You''re quite the sap, you know that?</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Should I arrange a meet-up? Maybe create an atmosphere, have candles and rose petals? Or would you rather a wild-goose chase through the Four Realms?</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Shut up, you. I''ll do what I want. I bet you''re butt ugly, and have eyes that aren''t even close to as pretty as hers.


    <table style="background-color: #9a00bd">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Aww. Sounds like someone''s in love. You don''t even know her name. How old is she? And how old are you? There''s got to be a law about this or something. It''s like a creepy old man flirting with an innocent maiden. (I''m talking about the age of your soul, by the way, not physical age. Felt the need to clarify that.)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Ok, new goal. Find the lady, then proceed to find and punch Purple Boxes-san in their stupid face. I don''t care if they don''t even have a physical body, there will be punching involved. I willmakethem a body if I have to.


    <table style="background-color: #9a00bd">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Tian will like you. A lot.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I sighed and deflated a bit. This conversation wasn''t going to end well for me, I could just tell. Oh well, at least I had a direction now. See the Realms as I search forher.

 Advancements

    POV: Sequoia Pama


    Time. It flows in an endless river, a twisting stream, yet all at once it is never moving. It is both relative and not irrelevant, and something all things are subject to. Time is not an abstract concept, nor something imagined. The more intelligent beings attempt to measure it, giving the passage of time some meaning so they know how much time they have left, without truly knowing that they have all the time in the world.


    Time is merely passage. A single word; passage. It passes by, endlessly, seemingly infinitely and without malice. All things happen in time, yet it is not a cause nor an effect. Time merely provides the sense of something passing.


    I have seen the passage of time flow by me for tens of thousands, nay, a hundred thousand years. The meadow I had once inhabited was overgrown with dense forest, the ruins long faded into dust. Even the forest itself was different, the trees thinning and lightening up. In the long run, not much time has truly passed. The forest is still a forest, not a desert or anything else, and I am still very young. Yet I can see it - the passage. I have paid attention to it since the very beginning, and am one of the first to begin to tap into its essence. Now I know why people have developed such a fanatascim for cultivation.


    To be able to grasp even the slightest understanding on the workings of the world is such a wonderful feeling, even if there is so much more to know and understand upon gaining an inkling.


    Then, abruptly, my mental state was broken. The period of enlightenment I had been experiencing was shattered by a boy stalking right past me, grumbling to himself and shaking his head.Time around him seemed...weird. Like it was passing him by at five different angles at once, which is odd. Bounding to my feet I leapt in front of the boy, flashing him a grin and putting my hands on my hips.


    "Hello!" I chirped, "What''s your name?"


    Said boy just looked up at me, his deep purple eyes flashing for a moment as he promptly moved around me and kept going. I frowned. That just won''t do. I will not be denied a new friend!


    "Hey," I said, floating into the air (I loved flying, because who ever heard of a flyingtree?It''s just silly!) and casually floating beside him. "I''m Sequoia Pama. Whatcha doing?"


    "Look, sorry for breaking your state of enlightenment and all that but I''m on a hunt. There''s this girl I''m trying to find, and I get the feeling she''s leading me on a wild goose chase. It''s...exhilarating. I haven''t had a challenge like this in far too long." The boy mumbled. I hummed and began flying upside down, putting my chin in the palm of my hand.


    "Aren''t you too old to be off chasing after girls?" I asked innocently. This made the boy stop and stare at me, his deep purple eyes narrowing.


    "What are you talking about? I''m only fourteen." He said slowly. I furrowed my brows and peered at him. He certainly did look to be fourteen, hence why I thought of him as a boy, but I could only ever see this really old person whenever I looked at him. It was kind of like when I looked at Dad or sought for the Tree. I just kind of...knew.


    "You''re really old," I said firmly, nodding. "Older than the Old Man. That would make you the...Oldest Man? Older Man? Something like that." For a long moment the boy said nothing.


    "Sequoia...right? My name is Ichiro. You can call me the First, though. They have the same general meaning." He said with a shrug.


    I flipped rightside up and flashed him a smile. "Nice to meet you. The First what, though?" I asked.


    "Exactly," he said with a smirk. I laughed, but didn''t really understand it. I got the feeling it was supposed to be funny, and I like laughing, so I laughed anyway. "Ah, I see now. Time and Heart, that''s what you''re going for? Quite the tricky combination."


    "How so?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. The heart was the heart. Everyone had one. And I had just come out of thinking about time, it seemed pretty simple too. My comment, however, made the First laugh out loud.


    "Ah, so you''re the oblivious genius type, huh? You''re always good for a laugh or two. If it''s all so simple then tell me what it means for something to be Timeless." The First asked, setting his hands on his hips. I frowned and thought about it. Timeless seemed like a paradox, because to be without time would be nothingness. When I told the First my thoughts he laughed. "You''re not wrong, but I''m not talking about something like that. That''s more Void stuff. I''m talking about true Eternity, to be Timeless even when surrounded by time. Like, for a rock to be timeless."


    I thought about it for a moment more, before shaking my head. "I dunno," I admitted.


    "You didn''t even try to think about it," the First said. I nodded.


    "Yeah, but I don''t like thinking too hard about things. I figure it''ll come to me when I need to realize it, no sooner and no later." I defended with a pout. That was exactly what had happened with my enlightenment, it just suddenly popped into my head, and that line of reasoning prevented me from being too torn up about having my enlightenment broken. Not that I cared much anyway, but it''s a cool feeling. I just figured that I had been woken up for something even more important in the long run, if not immediately.


    "Not a bad way to think at all, certainly less stressful that way," the First praised, nodding appreciatively. "But let me tell you this, the Heart and Time, your two paths that you are walking, are closer to being Timeless than you think. I''ve only ever seen something timeless once. It was...breathtaking. And not something I think I will ever see again...or at least for a long while yet. To be timeless is to be something so special that not even Time is willing to touch it. The Void will not devour it. Creation will not destroy it.Thatis timeless."


    I hesitated for a moment, thinking hard about what he said. He said that the Heart and Time were very similar to Timeless, but what did he mean by that? I got the feeling it was incredibly simple, and all dangling right in front of my eyes. With a frown I sat down, closing my eyes and ignoring the First as he continued to ramble, only stopping when he realized I wasn''t paying attention anymore.


    It was right...there.


    And I was enlightened, and my path changed ever so slightly. It wasn''t big, but it was enough.


    POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian


    The First had been making waves, but this is the icing on the cake. I mean, it was kind of weird that he was looking for me without reallylooking,because if he just asked it''d be incredibly easy to find me as my consciousness literally encompasses the entirety of the Four Realms and spirits would guide him to me or an incarnation within minutes, but he wasn''t. He was going so far as to even reject the help of my spirits as he wandered, looking for signs.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Back to the waves he''d been making. It started with the Gallos Empire, his technical homeland...at least for his male body. Just a few words to a cultivator who had seen the young boy teleporting vast distances without making a dent in his admittedly ludicrious reserves of power (even I didn''t know the extent of it all) was enough to jump-start a new wave of spacial technology in the Empire, making the spaceships and tech even more prevalent and advanced. Soon there would even be inter-planetary teleporters, which would be useful even to the higher-level cultivators, as they wouldn''t have to fly between planets anymore.


    Then came the multitude of minor nations who had major upsets because some random kid was walking through their most private areas, searching for clues of the "super-powerful cultivator chick with killer eyes," as he so...strangely put it. This riled up the Mortal Realms even moreso than previously,especiallywhen he started doing the same with the larger nations. Seeing as how that wasn''t getting him anywhere, he decided to change tactics, and started following powerful karmic trails.


    Using this method he''d come across rather important figures. The first and foremost of which was Sequoia Pama, whose change was qualitative. Which was likewise the reason Reika was now pacing back and forth in my workshop, fretting and wringing her hands nervously.


    "I don''t know what changed!" she cried helplessly, "It''s different and I don''t know why and I don''t know where it''s going to lead!" I simply sat back and listened to her ranting, letting her get it all out of her system. She was usually the most unflappable of my first four children, but when she did let it all out she gushed. I was more than willing to be the person she vented towards.


    A part of me refocused on the First, idly watching his progress and deciding to scramble a few karmic trails. Nothing too drastic, but it was enough that it would be much more difficult for the First to follow. After, of course, he finished following this particular trail. Which would lead him to -


    "I just don''t know!" Reika exclaimed, throwing up her hands in exasperation before burying her face in them. I smiled gently and moved over to her, wrapping her up in a hug and kissing the top of her head. Being slightly taller than her, I could do this.


    "Hush now, it''s ok," I whispered, "it''s ok." Reika sniffled a bit, pressing futher into my chest as I gently rocked back and forth. For a few moments we stayed like that, until she pushed away, face flushed with embarrassment. I chuckled and patted her head, shaking mine.


    "I''m...sorry about that," she said sheepishly.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll just judge you for it for the rest of eternity," I teased, wiggling my eyebrows.


    She rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Mother," she paused then, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly. "...you know, now that I think about it, I realize it''s kind of weird to call you Mother when you look like a guy. Only if I really think about it, though." I looked down at myself, realizing that I was in my male form. Huh. There goes my record. I stayed androgynous for a full seven years before swapping.


    "If you say -" My train was cut off as all my attention abruptly focused on the First, who had finally met with the two Elementals. Reika noticed as well, the blood draining from her face as she realized what the implications might be. We had been preparing for this, but with the waves the First had been making, it was all up to chance now. Not even I could perfectly see how this would turn out, although I did get the gist of it all. "Look at me, Reika." I commanded. She did so.


    "There is nothing to worry about. This is a balancing act - important to the Four Realms. The Mortal Realm will not befall any true harm." I told her firmly. It was all the truth, too, which she fully understood. Taking a deep breath, Reika calmed herself and nodded.


    "Right. Thank you," she said.


    The conversation between the First and the two Elementals didn''t last long. The exchanged a few words, the First got pissed, punched the male, slapped the female, and promptly teleported away while shouting profanities at the two. I almost chuckled. Apparently he didn''t like the two.


    The only reason I didn''t laugh, however, was because of what was to follow. That short exchange would bring about new insights for the two Elementals, which would in turn bring about the first Evil Dao to exist in the Four Realms. They would not be stars that hung in the sky, but rather would open a path to the Abyss, and stay where chaos reigned. In just a hundred years, too...


    Well, it cannot be helped.


    "What are you going to do, then? Are you going to go back to your Tree or stay with me for a while longer?" I asked Reika, who sadly shook her head.


    "Sorry, but I don''t feel like I can stay much longer. I''ll come see you again soon, Mother," Reika said with a sigh, giving me one last hug and vanishing. I smiled and turned away, teleporting to the library in my Palace. There were plenty of books for me to read, as the mortals were constantly churning out new material. I could easily kill the amount of time it took for the Elementals to finish their Daos in here, so long as I took the time to actually read the books instead of auto-assimilating all of their contents at once. Which I could, but preferred not, to do.


    In the end, it took them a full century and a half to solidify their Daos, and sink them into the Abyss as red stars. It was a historic day for the Four Realms, another first,and more would eventually follow. The male earth Elemental, Terra, earned himself two stars with his Dao of Assault - a polar opposite to Tian''s Dao. Whereas Tian used the Martial Way to rise above, the Elemental used his to manipulate and destroy. As for the female fire Elemental, Pyre, her Dao was only one star. Her dao was the dao of the Mind, used in the same way Terra used his - to manipulate and destroy. Hers was a truly devious path that involved fucking people up from the inside, rather than Terra''s more straightforward approach.


    To be honest, I almost prefer Terra''s path. To put it in reference, it''s like this; Terra will stab you and kill you. Pyre will convince you to turn the dagger upon yourself, knowling exactly what you''re doing and perfectly willing to do so. It takes a special kind of evil to be able to convince someone to do that.


    They were...complimentary Daos, and the moment they succeeded it sent the Mortal Realm into a tizzy. They wouldn''t go to war yet, but small skirmishes would start breaking out in response. The Dao Progenitors, as well, wouldn''t take this lying down.


    With a sigh I turned my attention away from the Mortal Realm as a whole and focused on the First, whose female form was frowning as she stared at the Evil Daos that had fallen into the abyss. When I looked at her, I could see a bit of doubt clouding her, some part of her knowing that she had been the cause of this. She wouldn''t really care, it was going to happen anyway, but she did speed up the process, so I let her know.


    When I sent her a divine message that essentially told her it wasn''t something to worry about and wasn''t her fault, the purple box appearing before her, I shivered with a bit of glee. It was so fun! Maybe I should start sending purple box messages to my children, as well...


    <table>


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    <td style="text-align: center">You really enjoy that, huh?</td>


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    Yes. It''s a fun change, but I won''t make it standardized. That would ruin the novelty. Speaking of, Mr. Blue Boxes, what do you want?


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    <td style="text-align: center">1 Chat Message!</td>


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    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sender: Yueya Oshun


    Subject: Upgrades


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


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    "Oh," I said aloud, all my attention now on the chat message. I had forgotten about this chat feature, honestly. I am glad that Yueya reached out to me, however, as I could use a bit of a distraction. It was time I turned my sights beyond the Four Realms anyway. With a flick of my wrist, the message opened.


    <table>


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    <td style="text-align: center">Subject: Upgrades</td>


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    <td style="text-align: center">I recently had a few significant insights into how I should further the advancement of the One World, and thought you might benefit from them. Below I attached a a small snippet. Let me know what you think.</td>


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    </tbody>


    </table>


    I hummed and closed my eyes, letting the insights flood into me. They were...interesting, but nothing overly new. Yueya had a new outlook on some old insights I had a few hundred thousand years ago, which made me rethink a few things. Seeing as how my Four Realms were far more advanced in terms of the number of high-tier beings, it made sense that I had deeper insights in that regard. The opposite was also true regarding the physical growth of our universes, in which Yueya was the undisputed expert.


    "Mm, you''re on the right track, but I''d focus more on the karmic aspect of all of this..." I began, the words appearing in a divine message that would be sent as a return message. I also put a few of my own insights into the message for reference, as well as how I was strenghtening the internal structure of the Four Realms. Sending it off I leaned back and let out a breath.


    It was...time to get things moving. I''m getting impatient.

 The Ancients

    POV: The First (Primula, Female Body)


    I hummed and skipped through the halls of the Celestial Palace, dragging my brother, Yamua, along behind me.


    "Aren''t you too old to be acting like this, Prim?" He asked exasperatedly, allowing himself to be drug through the halls in search of our prey. In search of my prey. Tamua was being dumb and not playing with me, even though we were only twenty five thousand years old. He seemed the think that was a long time or something. Ah, youth.


    "Never!" I chirped, rounding on him and flashing him my best smile. He had grown up nicely, if I do say so myself, with a face that was neither rough and rugged nor too baby-ish. It was the right amount of cute and masculine, making him look far younger than he should. He looked to be about fourteen, just like me. We aged slowly in these bodies, regardless of our cultivation levels, thanks to being mother''s children. Though we had been born at the Immortal level, rather than as mortals like normal people. This caused a bit of an uproar when Mother first realized it.


    Even my other body aged faster, though I wasn''t purposely slowing down its aging to match this one''s.


    Yamua sighed and shook his head at me but continued to allow himself to be led along in our search. "Mind me asking what we''re doing, then?"


    "Bob hid the cookies," I told him.


    "Bob hid the cookies." Yamua deadpanned.


    "Bob hid the cookies," I confirmed, nodding vigorously. The illusion master made absolutely fantastic cookies, so much so that I even considered giving him the necessary insight to become a Dao Progenitor as thanks. But then he went and hid them after baking a whole bunch of them. It was heresy, and I would not stand for it!


    "...this is the super urgent thing you needed me for?" He asked, flabbergasted.


    "Do not mock the importance of Bob''s cookies," I warned, "those things are worth going to war over." My brother just sighed and weakly struggled to get out of my grip. He knew I wasn''t going to let go, but he was putting up a token resistance anyways.


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    <td style="text-align: center">Note to Self: Bribe the First with food. Specifically cookies.</td>


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    So long as it''s really good tasting, you can bribe me with it. I will shamelessly admit that food is the quickest way into my heart.


    "Let go, Prim, I still have some cultivating left to do," he argued. I scoffed.


    "You have the rest of eternity to cultivate, but Bob''s cookies are fresh and ready to eat now. So off we go, cookie hunting!" I announced, throwing one hand into the air and striking a dramatic pose, drawing attention from the passing maids. They giggled at me, making Yamua blush and hide his face in his free hand. As I had a deathgrip on his other hand. He will come with me and join me in the cult of the Cookie God. Cookies are love, cookies are LIFE!


    "Why do you do this to me?" Yamua groaned. I laughed lightly, shaking my head and shrugging.


    "Because," I trailed off, trying to think of something funny to say and coming up short. So I just shrugged. "Because I can,"


    "Why do I even bother?" he sighed, shaking his head and relaxing, allowing me to drag him off into the depths of the Palace itself. For a moment my concentration lapsed as a bit more of my consciousness was diverted to my male body - one of the downsides to having two bodies, if I really had to focus on something the other body had to divert its attention quite a bit until it was...ah, up to par (another dowside to being a Monkey Wrench, I have to constantly retrain my mind and body with each new life) - so I almost missed the dark shadow that loomed in the corner of the hall. With a small curse my male body stopped conducting the ritual it was preparing, allowing me to have equal amounts of brain power in both bodies.


    I should boost myself up so I don''t have this problem.I thought idly, tapping my brother''s wrist with my middle finger as I held him. He just raised his eyebrows at me, and I sighed. Right. I hadn''t taught him the danger signals yet. And I''m usually so diligent...


    As we passed the shadow, which for all intents and purposes was a perfectly normal shadow in the hall cast by a doorframe I muttered a few choice words, heat flooding my eyes and allowing me to see the various flows of energy in the world. Currently they were only attuned to Martial Qi, because I was trying hard not to cheat and become the single most powerful entity in this realm - perhaps beneath the gods, depending on their power levels - in a few ten thousand years.


    That would take all the fun out of things.


    Blinking back to reality, I realized I had let my mind wander a bit, and that the shadow had moved, now following my brother and I down the hall. My eyes let me see through the illusions they cast and see them for what they were - a black clad being following us with hostile intentions. They were casting mind magic to send the maids and butlers and guards scurrying, essentially leaving us alone. How typical. Wonder who this fool is? Because it''s not Bob, I''d recognize Bob.


    "Ah, Mistress Primula, Master Yamua!" A familiar voice called, drawing my attention from the shadow. Yamua wriggled out of my grasp and bolted forward to greet our mutual friend - a young male Karae named Invus. Well, I say young but he was thirty thousand years older than us. Physically, at least.


    He was a weak looking thing with long brown hair and frial, bat-like wings. A wide grin stretched across his face as he clasped hands with Yamua, appearing much smaller than my brother. Internally I cursed. He''d be hard to protect from the shadow, as they were clearly skilled enough to both sneak into the Palace and send away all the guards and maids, who were all skilled cultivators in their own rights. (Ha. I''m funny. I laugh at my own joke.Hard...no, it''d just be more difficult.)


    Even immortals jumped at the chance to serve in the Palace, even as butlers or maids. There were too many opportunities to be gained from their loyalty to the oldest and arguably most powerful nation in the entire Realm.


    "Prim, what are you doing still over there?" Yamua asked, beckoning me over. I revealed a smile and sauntered up to them, elbowing Invus in the side while keeping an eye on the shadow. There was another one one incoming...I''d better prepare a barrier spell.


    "So, Invus, you finally managed to ask out that girl you had your eye on?" I asked teasingly, knowing that he had never had any such intentions. Regardless, he flushed a bright crimson and shook his head violently. I tuned out his response and pivoted, splaying my hands and looking directly at one of the shadows, eyes narrowed. Really, I wasn''t in the mood for games.


    My cookies were getting cold.


    "Inverse Illusion," I said coldly, allowing energy to flow out from my body. All of a sudden the shadows vanished, revealing four - no, seven - shady-looking idiots in black garb. The inverse illusion spell I cast did just as the name suggested; reversing the illusion cast so it did the opposite as intended. This meant I myself was invisible, while those seven were perfectly visible.


    "What - who are you guys?!" Yamua demanded, squaring his shoulders and setting his Martial Qi to spinning in his coils. This way his aura was still restrained, but he was prepard for battle. The men in black garp made various noises of annoyance and launched themselves forwards, drawing blades and preparing assassination arts to take us out.


    Unfortunately for all of them I wasn''t in the mood to play. One foot planted itself in the face of one, sending them flying backwards and into the wall, while Yamua flared his energy in both a distress signal and in preparation to fight. Invus, on the other hand, looked shell-shocked. He wasn''t much of a fighter anyways.


    Golden threads lashed out from my fingertips, gently weaving forth and binding three other intruders. That left three more.


    "Primula, where are you?!" Yamua roared, fending off two with a golden sword and shield he conjured with his Martial Qi. Such feeble constructs wouldn''t hold up for long against trained assassins, but they''d manage for long enough.


    "Right here," I said softly, lightning crackling from my fingertips and blasting the remaining three, knocking them all unconscious. "Easy-peasy lemon squeezy," I rhymed, dusting off my hands and beaming at my brother, who let his constructs fade and gave me a wobbly smile.


    "Don''t disappear like that in the middle of a fight, please," he whined. I huffed and put my hands on my hip, cocking my eyebrow and giving him alook."I know, I know. ''Never underestimate my sister,'' you''ve told me a million times. But still, you worried me," he continued, giving me a pleading look. I scoffed and turned my nose skyward.


    "No promises," I told him.


    "Who are these people?" Invus asked, having regained his calm and now looking at the seven incapacitated men. My senses pricked, and I turned my head to look down the hallway. There were more intruders in the building...how in the world did this happen? I have a pretty good grasp "They''re wearing emblems from the Gallos Empire, but that doesn''t make sense. What kind of assassins would broadcast who they''re working for? And our history with the Empire has been stable in recent years, so why would the attack us now?"This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    "Well, one reason would be to make a statement, or a declaration of war. They''re clearly not being very stealthy about it." I said calmly, sensing thirty other assassins across this section of the palace, all heading in our direction. They wouldn''t get close though, because reinforcements were on the way. "Another reason is because they want to make sure we know who they are," I said with a frown. This prompted a laugh from one of the assassins, who shook his head. This was one of the three I had tied up with golden threads, their immortal Qi shut down and preventing any sort of action.


    "You brats, children of theEmpress,know nothing," he spat. Yamua sucked in a breath and I narrowed my eyes. That we were the Empress''s biological children was meant to be a secret. Hell, most people didn''t even think we were adopted children. Not that I expected it to stay a secret forever, but this was sooner than I initially predicted. "You are pampered and spoiled, with no knowledge of the outside world, and it shall be your undoing," he grinned viscously as his four other companions - the four not bound by my thread - began to glow with the light of self-destruction.


    Their Qi passageways overloaded, energy spinning at a dangerously fast speed and ripping their bodies to shreds as they laughed crazily, accepting their impending deaths.


    I cursed myself for my negligence, hauling the three I had bound closer to me and preparing a barrier spell, but Yamua beat me to it. Multiple layers of hexagonal shield manifested around us in a dome of energy just in time to spare all six of us the brunt of the collossal blast. An entire wing of the Palace was obliterated, leaving us standing in mid-air, three captured assassins, two siblings, and one shell-shocked Invus staring at the wreckage. My face was perhaps the most grim of the three.


    This...this would mean war with the Gallos Empire. And I guarantee that they had nothing to do with it. My male body had gone through some of their most secure files in my search for the woman with the intriguing eyes, so I can all but confirm that.


    "This means war," Yamua said, clenching his teeth and glaring at the wreckage. How many people had died in that blast? (364, to be exact. I counted.)


    "No, something''s wrong with all of this," Invus said, his face growing hard. The Karae then approached the one attacker who had spoken previously, placing his hands on either side of his head. "Who did this." he demanded.


    "For the glory of the Empire!" the man shouted, then chomped down on something in his mouth. The other two moved to do the same, and I panicked, rushing forward and jabbing my fingers into the neck of one, knocking him out and preventing him from eating whatever the other two did. Said other two were now foaming at the mouth, dying.


    "H-holy....Father Luotian, that''s insane!" Invus yelled, backing up quickly as the two men died. I scrunched up my nose, glaring at the now-unconscious man at my feet, allowing my golden strings to fade away from the deceased two.


    "At least we managed to keep one alive," I muttered, reaching my fingers into the assassin''s mouth and pulling out the poisonous pill. Clever, devious pricks...I was losing my touch if this got the better of me. Been too distracted lately...


    Taking a deep breath, Invus approached and put one hand on my shoulder. "Lady Primula, please move aside," he asked politely. I looked up at his concerned face, mentally shrugged, and pulled away, wiping my fingers off on my shirt. Yamua approached me looking a bit queasy, pale faced and sickly. It reminded me that this was his first time seeing such devestation.


    He was handling it well, all things considered. I was just far too old...


    "Are you ok, Prim?" He asked, concerned, and I felt a flood of warmth in my chest. He was so cute, to be concerned for me.


    "I''m fine, o'' brother mine. You should be more worried about what Mother''s going to do when she arrives." I muttered just loud enough for him to laugh, eliciting a small snort of nervous laughter from him. Yes, Mother would upturn heaven and earth in her rage...in fact, I think she''s doing so now.


    "Be quite, you two. I''m trying to concentrate." Invus hissed, eyes closed and hands on either side of the only live captive''s head. "His memories are completely blank, which makes this a bit trickier, but...I should be able to..." he continued to mutter to himself, making me raise an eyebrow. What was he doing?


    "Primula! Yamua!" Mother''s shrill voice sounded out, her normally dignified speech laced with fear. I turned to smile at her from where she flew directly towards us at the speed of light, smashing through Yamua''s still-erect barriers and enveloping the both of us in a hug. Her entourage of guards gaped slightly at the sight, but being ever the professionals, they didn''t react overmuch.


    "E-Empress," Yamua panicked, reverting to how we spoke to Mother in public.


    "Mom..." I whispered, wrapping one arm around her and rubbing her back. "We''re fine. But..." I trailed off, looking down at the wreckage. Mother squeezed us both tightly once more, took a deep breath to compose herself, and then leaned back to look us in the eyes.


    "What happened?" She asked forcefully.


    "Assassins," Yamua answered. "From the Empire of Gallos. They hinted at knowing who we were. Primula managed to capture three before they all self-detonated, but two swallowed suicide pills before we could ask them anything. Invus is doing...something to the one who didn''t." He said slowly, hinting that the group knew we were children of the Empress.


    "I counted nearly forty assassins in total before they killed themselves. Forty people managed to make it inside the palace with hostile intentions. Although I don''t think they''re from the Empire, that just doesn''t make logical sense, the question still stands; how did they get through all the protective formations?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. Even I admitted that, for such a young nation, the Celestial Palace was very skilled in the art of formations. On the cosmic scale they hadn''t even begun to scratch the surface, of course, but they were skilled.


    On that note, it should have been all but impossible for anyone to sneak that many people into the Palace and launch an attack of this scale. Possible, but very, very difficult for any other nation.


    It was as this point that something changed. Invus, who had been quiet up until this point, suddenly changed. His entire demeanor transformed from reserved and scholarly to angry and...angrier. Karma suddenly surged, and everyone who could feel it - namely myself and Mother - sucked in a deep breath. Karma itself was...respondingto him. It curled and twisted, bending and whipping about in response to his anger.


    "HOW DARE THEY!" He roared, standing bolt upright and fuming. The man before him had his eyes rolled in the back of his head, and, as Invus stretched his hand forward to hover over him, his karma became visible.


    A pool of dark red light floated around him, indicating his overall negative karma, while hundreds of strings stretched from him, stretching off far in the distance. As I watched the strings shimmered and twisted, the man letting out a scream of agony as Invus twisted his karma, peeling away layer after layer...


    I sucked in another breath, my eyes going wide.


    No way. There was now way. I hadn''t even -


    "They twisted Karma," Invus growled, voice dripping with venom. "Theytwisted Karma,"


    I closed my eyes and heaved a sigh. I hadn''t even noticed...that took a tremendous amount of power to do. Like all things, there was a good and evil way to twist karma. The good way happened slowly, over countless aeons, slowly transforming a person into a better person themselves. Normally it was a process that even the person in question agreed with on some level. The evil way, however, was horrendously painful. Six times more painful than most any pain of the flesh. And it is that pain that twisted a person into becoming someone else entirely.


    The man was literally not who he used to be, and even if Invus managed to reverse the process, they would never be the same.


    Suddenly Invus''s power shifted once again, his aura climbing at an incredibly rate. He had always been very skilled in the art of Karma, having gained Immortality through cultivating Karma in a similar manner to how others cultivate Qi or the Elements. It was and always has been one of the more obscure cultivating methods, even in other universes. Karma was just not that well understood in most cases. However Invus was clearly extremely talented in this Dao for him to be advancing this far...


    Wait, hold on. I narrowed my eyes as a Hand reached down, the presence of something Divine touching Invus and guiding him along, accellerating his advancement tenfold. Then, suddenly, the assassin''s karma snapped back into place, reverting to it''s prior state to having been twisted. A relaxed expression made its way across the assassin''s face, who fell unconscious afterwards.


    My eyes grew wide alongside everyone present. "Ancient..." I whispered in disbelief. The Karae...they were a race of Ancients, weren''t they? A progenitor species of unparalleled and limitless talent, from which almost all life in the universe stems from and was modelled after. They are the first to arrive, and never truly disappear from the universe until the day it is eradicated.


    I was so stupid to not realize this until now. And why this particular event made me realize it, even I''m not sure. Probably because Invus did something nigh impossible for most anyone, but that doesn''t quite matter. But I feel there''s something I''m missing...as I thought that my eyes drifted to Mother, a Fae. And I nearly facepalmed. Of course. The Fae were the true Ancients, the Karae and even Avians stemming from their foundation. I mean, technically they were all ancients, but the Fae were the very first. I was so stupid.


    "The Empire had nothing to do with this. The karma of this men was twisted and hidden by those in the Dark Federation. I can sense their connection to him from here. How vile," Invus spat. Mother raised her eyebrow and began to speak, but I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts to really listen.


    This decided it. My male body needed to hurry up and get at least to the level of Paragon by this universe''s standards. That way I could watch over a much larger portion of the universe, because this was a universe where the Ancient species were young. It was an opportunity I could not miss. After all, even I felt pressured by the Ancients. Taking out various factors and a few of my "cheat" abilities, the most ancient and powerful of the Ancients were among the only beings that could be dangerous to me.


    "That settles it, then. Gather the council and prepare for war. The Elementals will not escape unpunished from this." Mother said firmly, eyes blazing with anger.


    Oh yeah. There''s that, too.


    POV CHANGE: Keilan


    "Well it''s about time one of them awakened to the Karmic Path," I grumbled, attention caught by one of my Karae finally setting foot on the path of Karma. True, many of them cultivated the Path, but none really understood or walked it. Their natural affinity for it should have been more than enough to produce one or two by now, but only just now were they beginning to walk it. The same was true, I supposed, of Reika''s, Elvira''s, and Alexander''s children. None of them had begun to walk their own paths, though the Avians were close.


    I couldn''t wait until a Karmic Dao Progentior appeared. That would be a glorious day indeed. With a sigh I turned back to making the Great Library of Memories, pushing a bit more of my power into condensing the individual memories of the Ocean of Memories, accumulated over countless lifetimes, into books, scrolls, or just memory crystals. This was a long process, and I had hoped to finish it before the war in the Mortal Realm started.


    I suppose it just wan''t meant to be. Pity.

 Bombshell

    POV: Statera Luotian


    Inesa hummed softly to herself as she moved about the library in my palace, choosing the odd book to add to her growing collection. She routinely visited me once every century, and this time asked if she could browse my ever-growing library, to which I responded with an ''of course.''


    "Finding any you like?" I inquired, looking over her shoulder at the five books she had chosen so far. Most were of the comedy genre, and particularly good ones too. She did have an eye for literature.


    "I''ve been enjoying some good comedy lately, so I thought I''d try these out," she responded, beaming up at me. I nodded and stretched out one hand, summoning a book from the endless shelves of my Library. It was already enormous, and growing still, but would not be a match for Keilan''s Library of Memories - or Archives of Memories, as I have grown fond of calling it. Sounds a bit more important than just ''library.'' The Archives would positively dwarf my own. Which wasn''t a problem, in my opinion.


    "You''ll like this one then," I suggested, handing the book to her. Inesa accepted it and scanned the summary, snorting and looking up at me with a smile tugging at her lips.


    "It''s about Tian and I," she accused. I laughed and nodded.


    "Yes, it is! It''s quite funny too!" I said. Inesa looked at it a bit skeptically.


    "Intentionally funny or no?" She asked.


    "Bit of both. The author was purposefully being funny but it''s also funny because he got a few things wrong when he was being serious." I explained. Inesa nodded thoughtfully, clutching the book to her chest and smiling at me again.


    "I''ll give it read, then. If nothing else, I''m sure Tian will get a kick out of it." She said softly. I nodded and ruffled her hair, turning and silently flying away, letting her get back to it. She was the only deity that rountinely came to visit me...discluding Randus, who was most always present in some form or another. I had a special place in my heart for her because of this, just as I had a special place for my first four children. They didn''t visit me often, though that was partly because I had incarnations running around everywhere, so they see me at least once every thousand years anyways.


    Speaking of seeing people, I hadn''t seen Kei in person for a long time. She was too busy playing around and messing with Sequoia.


    To be honest, I''m glad those two hit it off. Kei had been too stifled recently, not enough stimulation for her more playful and creative side. Sequoia was doing wonders for her.


    "Are you going anywhere?" Inesa suddenly asked as I drifted off.


    "Huh? Oh, in a bit. Why, do you need something?" I asked, looking over my shoulder at her. She shook her head, her collection of books now floating beside her. Apparently she got tired of carrying them.


    "Not really, I just wanted to talk for a bit," she admitted a bit sheepishly. I smiled and patted her shoulder, nodding.


    "Sure, I don''t see why not. I''ll let you know when I have to leave, there''s a meeting I need to go to." I said.


    "The meeting with the Original Four?" Inesa asked, and I nodded. The Original Four was the official term for my first four children seeing as how it was no longer just a Big Four. Kei made it a Big Five, and Tian would at some point make it a Big Six. I still held out hope that Morgan would be the Seventh, but there was no real promises on that front. Morgan was fickle and irritable at the best of times, there''s no way it would willingly agree to being part of the "Big" group.


    I frowned slightly as I led Inesa towards the veranda of my Palace, where we could watch the Realm Sun and Moon and chat for a bit.


    "So...how are you doing?" Inesa asked, a hint of concern coloring her voice. I looked at her in surprise at the question.


    "I''m doing wonderful. Why do you ask?" I inquired, conjuring a cup of tea for both myself and her. Taking a sip I internally sighed with satisfaction. Just the right temperature.


    "Well, you always look androgynous when something really serious is going on, so I thought you might be a bit stressed or something," she said with a slight blush, prompting me to look down at myself to confirm that I was, in fact, in my adrogynous form. Huh. I never notice these things.


    "Nothing in particular is going on dear. It''s just the meeting and that the war in the mortal realm is about to come to a temporary close." I said with a dismissive wave of my hand. Inesa relaxed a bit at that.


    "Oh, good. I was actually a little worried that you had another ''Calamity'' bomb to drop on me," she admitted. I tossed my head back and laughed, a fully belly laugh that filled the entire Palace and got Inesa to laughing as well .


    "No, no, nothing like that!" I assured, regaining control of myself and forcing down a few more chuckles.


    However, I still needed to speed up the advancement of the Four Realms if we were going to survive the collision with the One World. So that was one thing constantly bugging me. Thankfully the Realms would evolve soon-ish, and things would really pick up from there. At least the Regions were moved into their proper positions for the most part. Only a few were being repositioned minutely, which was the really tricky part. To get it all to work properly, the Regions had to move along with the key points they were positioned at, to maintain maximum effeciency even as the Four Realms grew.


    Hmm. Maybe I should make a Divine Beast or two solely dedicated to that task. Could be interesting.


    Besides, I was coming to realize that the Divine Beasts I had made weren''t really Divine Beasts...excluding Kei. The Skyshatter Wolves for one didn''t do much besides act like intelligent wolves, intelligent meaning on-par with cultivators, and none had really lived up to their potential. I wasn''t dissappointed with them, not by a long shot, as it was only a matter of time before they did live up to their potential, but I needed to introduce a few...more powerful Divine Beasts, who truly lived up to their name from the start.


    Food for thought, at least. Giving the current Divine Beasts specific tasks might also be helpful...This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Inesa and I continued to talkuntil it was time to leave, at which point I bid her farewell and vanished, reappearing in Elvira''s Holy Palace.


    My children greeted me as I sat down at the table they had procured, blatantly ignoring the serious tension of the room and summoning tea and snacks to litter the table-top. They, of course, made me sit at the head of the table, so therefore I summoned snacks. Keilan, who stood beside the table with his back straight, shoulders squared, and hands clasped behind his back, sighed lightly.


    "Can''t we get one meeting where it''s a serious as it needs to be?" he asked plaintively, shaking his head. I blinked and shrugged.


    "You get plenty of those all the time. I''ve even attended a few, and they''re boring. So no," I responded with a grin, shaking my head.


    "I do have some news..." Elvira said with both a small smile, looking at me and the others with an amused expression. "Well, two pieces of news, actually. First off, the war in the Mortal Realm hasadvanced the mortal''s opinions of the Heaven Realm greatly. They''re now starting to truly view it as a safe haven, as compared to the war-torn parts of the Realm now. It''s a little annoying, actually." She asdmitted, leaning back in her chair with a complex expression.


    It was true though, as compared to the Mortal Realm, the Heaven Realm was far more peaceful, and the mortals had taken note to some degree. More and more rogue cultivators, eager to escape the war, were struggling to climb the Life-Giving Tree. It probably was pretty frustrating for Elvira, seeing as how it took a massive Realm-wide war for the mortals to accept the Heaven Realm as something more than just another Realm.


    "But the real big news is that I''m pregnant," Elvira continued, calmly taking a sip from the tea that I had put in front of her. "Wonderful tea, Father, just like always."


    ...waitaminute.


    "What?" Keilan asked.


    ...what.


    "I''m pregnant," Elvira repeated.


    ...h-hold on...


    "Are you serious?" Alexander and Keilan both asked simultaneously.


    Elvira is...?


    "Yes," she confirmed, a smug smile on her lips.


    "Congratulations!" Reika squealed, leaping out of her chair and rushing over to give her sister a hug.


    "I''d ask how you managed it, but I''m not sure I want to know," Keilan said slowly, but was smiling regardless. I felt my fingers twitch as my mental faculties returned to me - this was such as shock! I hadn''t seen this coming at all! But, most importantly, ELVIRA WAS PREGNANT!


    "Kei actually gaveGilles and I a hint, however unintentionally. Technically she is your daughter, Reika, because she was born of your soul. Father''s influence merely kept her from fading away and stuff, so we figured that the key was to use bits of our truesouls to form the base soul of our child. It took a little bit, but we finally managed it." She explained, still beaming.


    "Father, are you alright?" Alexander asked, concernedly looking at me. It was then that my children all turned to face me, each of them having abruptly noticed my silence and shocked face.


    I stared at him blankly for a moment, just long enough for all my children to grow concerned, before a gigantic grin spread across my face and I started to laugh, tears pooling in the corners of my eyes as I stretched my senses out to see that, yes, Elvira was pregnant. The young, weak,new soul was being slowly nourished by Elvira''s own soul and bits of Gilles'' soul, slowly growing stronger and stronger even as I watched. It was truly my grandchild, as it was not formed from my own soul but rather the descendants of my Soul...a grandchild in the truest sense of the word. Even moreso than Kei, in a way.


    "That is wonderful, Elvira," I said, standing up and moving over to her, wrapping her in my arms and kissing the top of her head as she still sat. She leaned into me for a moment before pushing me away, one eyebrow raised.


    "I half expected you to start squealing," she deadpanned. I laughed.


    "I almost did! I honestly did not see this coming at all!" I told her, rubbing her head. She slapped my hand away with a snort of laughter, shrugging and turning back to the table. It took a little while to calm everyone down, myself included, but eventually we all got back to business, and the meeting continued.


    It was all mostly simple affairs, they updated each other on the changes in their Realms and the growth of their Evolvers - the name for the four beings who would ''evolve'' each of the Realms seemed to change every other day - and a few other things. Most of our plans for upgrading the Four Realms would have to wait until they advanced, so we could adjust the changes accordingly.


    The meeting itself only lasted for about an hour, being able to share information mentally and at an incredible speed was a bonus of being a Deity. Afterwards, I found myself being accompanied by Alexander on the way back to my Palace.


    He was silent for a long while, but I could tell something was bugging him. In fact, I was almost certain I knew what it was about. But I let him bring it up, because I myself wasn''t too certain about what to say.


    "The First," Alexander began, scratching his scaled chin with one draconic hand, "is being awfully calm. I was expecting...more." He said slowly, glancing at me out of the corner of his eyes.


    I sighed and rubbed the back of my head, agreeing with him. "I was as well," I admitted honestly. "They''re just so...weak. It''s shocking, honestly. I don''t mean power-wise or skill-wise, they''ve got that in spades. Based on energetic power levels alone, they''re probably my equal, but they''ve just got...no heart." I said, letting my hands fall to my sides. Alexander stared off into the Realms for a moment before sighing dejectedly and nodding.


    "Perhaps that is what happens when a mortal lives and experiences as much as they have," he said sagely. I scoffed and mockingly glared at him out of the corner of my eye.


    "Trying to sound wise in front of your Father, hmm?" I teased. He grumbled in embarrassment, and I laughed. "You may be right, though," I admitted, though I felt there was a bit more to it than that. They had so much potential...


    "Oh," Alexander said softly, perking up a bit. I immediately focused on what had caught his attention: Sequoia Pama had stumbled into the cave of a dragon - one of Alexander''s first children, a great silver dragon that had been, until this point, sleeping peacefully in his cave. Sure, occassionally he went out to stretch his wings and massive serpentine form, but this one seemed to be a bit of a recluse.


    Sequoia would crack his shell in no time at all. Her wonderous heart gifted her with unparalleled charisma, after all. Not even a grumpy old dragon would be able to resist her for too long.


    Alexander chuckled and coiled up where he floated next to me, nodding to himself. "That will be an interesting development," he admitted. Seqouia on the back of a dragon? Those elementals had better be ready for the tongue lashing of a lifetime. Their war, which was slowly beginning to heat up, was only just now reaching the level where a few of the more ancient beings and beasts would be bothered "by the noise." Neither side was faring very well, both having underestimated the other, and this first conflict was doomed to end in an armistice.


    It wouldn''t last long, and the tensions between the nations, this current war only being between the Elementals and the Celestial Empress, and soon-to-be-shattered smaller kingdoms would continue to grow until a second, more furious war broke out. That would be the real war. The one where even the dragons and reclusive, powerful cultivators and beasts will be drawn into it as well, and all nations would participate. Somehow, the Gallos Empire had remained neutral throughout the current conflict.


    "I''ll probably have to do something about The First," I said, mostly to myself. "Or else they may just make matters worse." Alexander glanced at me and huffed something incomprehensible, to which I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. What was his deal with The First, anyway? It''s not like he really had a reason to dislike the being, besides his protective instincts kicking in to defend the Four Realms against "tresspassers." I patted his side.


    "Don''t worry about it. I''ll handle it," I said soothingly, earning myself another grumble. I laughed and said nothing futher, teleporting back to my Palace, my head filled with thoughts. There was still so much to do...and so little time, it seemed.


    I suppose that is the real limiting factor on all deities. Time. There was so only so much we could do in any measure of time, because it kept endlessly advancing. It was frustrating, but I had to deal with it and not focus too much on the little things or else there would be no time for anything else.

 Realm War I - Conclusion

    POV: The Celestial Empress


    I was not a particularly religious woman. There were those amongst the cultivator ranks who were, of course, choosing to follow the teachings of one church or another to attain enlightenment. There were a number of priests in my council, for their powers of foresight were second to none and they did have influence, the three most powerful being the churches of Father Luotian, Mother Statera, and the group who worshiped the Life-Giving Tree. Generally speaking they were a good bunch - like any organization, they had their issues - but I personally never bothered with religion. Nor was I particularly spiritual, like some of those old hermits or hidden temples that cultivated in peace and secrecy.


    I knew there was a higher power, that knowledge came with the process of becoming more powerful. That wasn''t what I was saying. What I was saying was that, at this particular moment, not being religious or spiritual was doing nothing to stop me from praying. We would need all the help we could get for this upcoming battle.


    "Please...lend me strength," I asked, pressing my hands together and bowing my head, kneeling on the floor of my tent while dressed in full battle-armor. This would be a deciding battle against the Elementals. They were not a powerful group of people, they did not have the outstanding battle tactics that my strategists did nor many powerful cultivators in their ranks...what they did have was fanatacism.


    Their people, even the non-combatants, were pure fanatics to the Elemental cause. They would self-destruct if their defeat was inevitable. It didn''t matter if our medical corps were treating them, if it was against our soldiers, or just because they felt like they could do some damage, they would detonate their cores and massacre as many people as they could.


    It was a disturbing tactic that cost countless lives, and even now is something we cannot counter. In the beginning, it caused massive casualties. Especially against our healers and doctors, many of whom were naturally kind-hearted and were only trying to help. We had lost so many good people...


    "Please, lend me the wisdom I need," I continued. None of my people wanted war anymore.


    They were tired, and felt we were now wasting lives, throwing them at the Elementals needlessly. I can''t say that I blame them. But, there are those of us who rule realize the truth of the matter - that if we do not end this threat, if we do not deal a decisive blow right now, then it will come back to haunt us later in the worst possible way. A second war would lead to the entirety of the Mortal Realm getting involved, and the devestation would be horrifying.


    I cannot even imagine what the damage a war encompassing the entire Mortal Realm would be like.


    "Mother, are you ready?" A voice called from the entryway to my tent. I sighed and stood up, dusting off my battle dress and looking at the tent ceiling.


    The deities and angels hadn''t abandoned us, I knew that much. But their decision to stay out of this war was...vexing to say the least. I understood the reasoning, because as a leader I had to make the same decision many times in the lives of the true mortals - those who weren''t cultivators - but that didn''t make it any better when it happened to me. It only served as a reminder that we were all but children. Children who have to learn not to play with fire using the oldest trick in the book - letting them touch the flames.


    Apparently we weren''t as wise as we once thought.


    "Yes, I am," I responded, turning and walking out of the tent. Before me stood my two children and Bob, the master illusionist. Primula and Yamua were dressed in night-and-day differences, with my daughter wearing full plate-armor, a heavy mace hanging at her side, while Yamua was clad in light leathers, weilding a bow with a quiver full of arrows strapped to his back. Neither of them took to the battlefield much, Yamua specializing in scouting and having excellent reconnaisance skills, ranking in the top ten even amongst all those in my command, while Primula proved unparralleled in defensive strategy.


    Today, all bets were off though. It was likely even I, who did not have a combatative Dao, would be forced to take the stage against these Elementals.


    "Let us begin, then," Bob said solemly, turning to face where this final battle would take place. For it truly was one of the final decisive battles - we had pushed the Elementals armies all the way back to their first Region. Originally they had four entire regions, four Life-Giving Trees, under their control. Now it was down to one, nay, half of one. The line was drawn, and if we could take this planet, then the war would be over. The Elementals would havetheir supply routes cut off, and lose one of the planets that produced the most of their war-machines and formations.


    "It will be over soon," Yamua promised, and I nodded in agreement, steeling myself. Hundreds of millions of soldiers lay spread out before me, cultivators of all ranks spread out in the skies above the planet of Regis and facing the enemy army. They were few in number, and yet somewhere in that mass stood Terra and Pyre, the would-be tyrants. If all went well, they would not be wanna-be emperors by the end of this battle.


    In lieu of answering I raised on hand into the air, and the entire battlefield fell silent. For a brief second, everything was silent. Then I dropped my hand, and the horns of war began to blow. It had begun. At long last, the end of the war was in sight.


    POV CHANGE: Sequoia Pama


    "It''s ok," I whispered, placing my hand over the injured cultivator''s eyes and closing my own. The look in his eyes was clear - he was scared, he was hurting, and he still had a little bit of fight left in him. It was the only thing keeping him alive, and even that was dwindling. His breathing picked up, and I whispered to him, "let me help you."


    After a few laborious seconds he stopped struggling, and I removed my hand, my eyes meeting his. They were begging for something, some comfort in his final moments, that all was not in vain. My core pulsed slightly, power radiating from my palm as my hand gripped his, and his eyes glazed over as he let out a soft sound.


    "Oh," he breathed, a smile creeping its way onto his face. "Thank you," he whispered, and his body crumbled into naught but dust.


    Tears threatened to spill from my eyes as I stood, looking around the devestated surroundings. An entire mountain range had been annihilated by the cultivators who fought a bloody battle here - nay, an entire planet. The entire planet, once a thriving, green world, was now reduced to a wasteland, the natives either dying or living in holes. I was doing what I could, taking those few survivors and putting them into an estate-treasure, a treasure that essentially holds its own world, until I could find a new home for them.


    And this was one of the smaller battles. I was told that one of the bigger battles devestated an entire solar system.


    "What do I do?" I whispered, to no one in particular.


    "What did you show him?" My newest friend, a grumpy old silver dragon named Argenti, asked from behind me. I turned to look at him, his majestic silver scales seeming dull and muted in the ash-covered skies as he sat, coiled up. I hadn''t noticed before, but the feathery tip of his tail hung over my head, blocking the drifting ash from falling on me. I scrubbed my eyes and shook my head.


    "A better time," I whispered. "Golden fields of grass, a green meadow, white sands, a dense forest...it''s different for everyone." I said slowly.


    "Mmm," he hummed, stretching his wings slightly. "A moment of peace before a new beginning...that is all anyone could ask for in their final moments."


    I sniffled and felt my throat clench up, tears threatening to spill once again. Argenti rumbled gently, one of the feathers on his tail gently brushing away a tear on my cheek.


    "Hush now, child. This is no place for you. Let us return," he said softly, but I shook my head. He was right - I dispised this. War was horrifying, and people were dying left and right and hatred was spreading like a disease. People prayed to Dad for help in war, but this was not Dad. He represented conflict, true, but this was a conflict of hatred and fear. Dad was conflict to rise above that. That was the Old Man - the Tian - I knew.


    And this war needed to end.


    I clenched my fists, set my jaw and squared my shoulders, looking up at Argenti with a determined expression. "No," I declared. "No, there will be no more of this. I will not let it continue. I will end this today." I told him, and in that moment, the world shifted. Argenti blinked in surprise, then turned his head skywards and rumbled in even greater surprise.


    "The heavens bear witness to your determination," he said disbelievingly, looking back down at me as the light of the sun broke through the clouds overhead. The spirits of this planet, angry and spiteful that their world had been destroyed, all turned their attention towards me as power began to surge forth from the depths of my heart. The venegeful spirits of those killed all paused in their hauntings, the darkness now finding its way onto this rock pausing as I connected myself to something far greater than I.


    Grass sprouted around my feet, my tree emerging from the depths of my soul, where I now stored it, and sinking its roots into the soil. Light pulsed once, twice, thrice, and a cool ray of blue light penetrated the clouds above, joining the rays of the golden sun to illuminate the barren plain.


    "I''ll be damned," Argenti whispered, his tail retreating so the light of the Sun and Moon could reach me. Power welled up from within my soul, and my tree began to grow. Slowly at first, but swiftly gaining speed, bringing life with it to every inch of ground beneath its leafy foliage. And then, moreso.


    Trees began to sprout, the drifting ash began to clear, and the bodies on the battlefield began to sink into the ground, the areas where they returned to the soil sprouting flowers and grasses and, ocassionally, trees as well. Power continued to flow through my body, my tree''s leaves turning a pure golden color and radiating a pure, life-giving light as it slowly stopped growing. It now reached hundreds of feet into the air, appearing as tall and majestic as any mountain.


    "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," Argenti said solemly, watching as, one by one, the hundreds of thousands of leaves now hanging from the branches of my tree began to separate, floating in the wind and being carried to every corner of the planet. And, one by one, the spirits of this planet began to cry out in joy and wonder, jovially dashing about, aiding my magic by giving the growing plants flowers and nourishing the ever-present Spirit Realm. "Everything returns to the dirt and given time, life shall blossom again,"


    Together we stayed like this, watching as life slowly began to bloom on the planet once again with the leaves of my tree. This is what cultivation magic is supposed to do. Heal. Not wreak havoc, not cause distruction, but to make you, and the universe as a whole, a better place.


    Once the last leaf fell from my tree, it was over. It uprooted itself, slowly returning to the depths of my soul once more, and I let out a small breath.


    "Now let''s go to end this war," I said still feeling as vigorous as ever. Energy poured into and from every cell in my body, any and all impurities flowing away in the breeze as I sucked in pure, raw energy. I blinked slowly, new information filtering into my eyes as I looked around at the grounds. I could see...this planet would have looked like it did now - lush, green, and beautiful - given time. But now...now I had sped up that process. The world is as it would be in a hundred thousand years.


    Argenti grunted in agreement, allowing me to clamber onto his back before he took off into the sky, leaving behind a healed world and a collection of natives, who I released from the estate-world prior to taking off.


    Later, this planet would become an Eden for cultivators. A place of utter peace, a sacred place which no mortal being had the right to desecrate lest incurring the wrath of the entire Realm. But that, was a story for another time.


    POV CHANGE: The First (Male; Ichiro)


    "I''ve about had it with these punks," I grumbled, glaring down at the Elementals and their armies as they charged forwards in a cascade of bloodlust and dark energies.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    They were truly pissing me off. All my attempts at negotation, all my subtle manipulations of the courts, and they continued to fight back and reject all attempts at peace or negotiation. Or rather, my female body did all that. So it was technically still me, but also not. Regardless, they were pissing me off because they were truly evil - brainwashing their citizens to be absolute, suicidal fanatics in the worst way possible only being one of their crimes. The fact that they introduced a Devil Dao, as they were typically called in other, older universes, into this one was another reason to despise them.


    I mean, come on. Generally from what I saw, things were going rather well in this universe. The deities or divinities or gods or whatever they''re called here are a little hands-off, but still manage to get things done. There were some management issues up top, but nothing irreversible. It''s nothing like a few other universes I''d seen, where it truly was...vile. Just vile. But based on my understanding they also had corrupted gods in control of the universe, so that was part of the problem.


    Back on topic though - the battle.


    On the other side of the field stood the golden legions of the Celestial Palace, advancing at a steady march in a spherical formation through the void of space. Immortal energy radiated off of them in waves, twisting local space-time so no one could teleport. Formation circles popped up around the advancing sphere, protecting the group from the long-range cultivation magic cast by the elementals and their armies, simultaneously reflecting the attacks.


    It was a devestating formation, costly to set up and simpler than a few other formations out there but highly effective. It had netted the Celestial Palace innumerable victories over the past few years.


    But this time it wouldn''t be enough, as the elementals themselves, Terra and Pyre, would be participating in the fighting. Against two Devil Dao Progenitors the formation would eventually crumble. Which is where I would come in. My male body was more than sufficient to beat the stuffing out of those two, something I desperately wanted to do.


    <table style="background-color: #9e00c2">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Please don''t interfere.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Long time no annoy, Purple Boxes. Why don''t you want me to interfere? Do you think this war is necessary?


    <table style="background-color: #9e00c2">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">...sometimes children must learn to not touch fire by touching fire. And matters would only become worse through my direct intervention, or certain actions of your own. So I plead you to not intervene. One who would end the war approaches, even without your aid.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I snorted and shook my head, ignoring the purple box and looking down at the ensuing war with a scowl. This petty little war was nothing compared to the conflicts I have seen - have been apart of. I have watched entire universes shatter in the flames of war, and lived in the devestation afterwards. This little war is nothing in the face of that, but having recently come from one of those universes I currently have an entire dislike towards any form of war. So I shall end this one, with or without the approval of the purple boxes.


    Besides, I felt partly responsible for this war. I was the reason those two elementals gained the enlightenment needed to become Fallen Dao Progenitors, or whatever they''re called. So I waited, slowly charging up my power, plotting my course of action, and waiting for the critical moment in which to intervene.


    It came sooner than I expected, in the form of a green-skinned girl on the back of a silver dragon appearing through a rift in space and time, pausing the entire fight.


    "That is enough!"the dragon boomed, its sheer power cowing both sides for but a moment. "Your bickering has gone on long enough!" Then, attacks from the side of the elementals began to rain down upon the dragon, coming primarily from the male Elemental, Terra. A shield of lovely green energy protected the dragon with ease, emanating a calming aura and radiating from the dryad on his back. The shield easily resisted all of Terra''s attacks.


    "Today is the day you die, dragon! You should have remained hiding in your hole!" The elemental laughed, brandishing a wicked-looking mace. Behind him trailed the female fire elemental, Pyre. Manipulative mind magics trailed from her hands as she followed close behind, her magics bolstering Terra''s abilities and simultaneously weakening the dragon''s. I cracked my knuckles and spread my hands, activating but a few of my magic spells and abilities.


    "Let''s get this party started~" I sang, and teleported forward. Time to end this.


    POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian


    My fists clenched and unclenched as I watched the battle going on below me, eyes tracing the endlessly changing futures. Whenever the First did anything futures were altered beyond my - or anyone else''s - control, as if we had any control to begin with. Sometimes freewill was a bitch, but I would never rescind my gift. However, this was the first time the First had been directly involved with a major event. And, of course, they wanted to make a mess of things.


    "Idiot," I muttered, accepting a cup of tea from Randus and shaking my head.


    One of the most difficult things about the Monkey Wrenches were their unpredictability. Because they lie outside of the natural laws of the universe, it took much more power to predict their futures than normal. The Mad Scientist''s future(s) were consistently fuzzy, to say nothing of the First''s, which are almost entirely blank. As such I had to take things as they came with the First, which normally wouldn''t be a problem...if they were a deity, like Alexander or Keilan. Or stayed relatively quiet, like they had been. My first four children were hard to predict as well, though that was mitigated because Iknewthem, and they were part of the Four Realms. Inextricably linked to the Four Realms, basically.


    But the First...? They''re more like a child. A mortal child given energetic power on par with an Origin Deity and free reign. Anegotisticalchild, no less. It''s a terrifying concept, no less to have it be staring you in the face.


    Rubbing my temples I focused again on the battle raging below.


    Sequoia Pama''s tree began to bloom, each of its leaves appearing fresh and green, bringing with it the freshness of spring. Her powers and enlightenment over time was expanding at an astounding rate, enough so that even I was beginning to gain enlightenment on the subject by viewing her. And it allowed herabilities unseen by mortals in the Four Realms.


    Adding to that her ever-growing heart power, and, well...she was nigh unstoppable so long as she set her mind to something.


    "You aredestroying the very worlds you are trying to conquer! You bloodyfools!Look around you - what part of this is righteous?! How many children are now parentless, how many childrendiedin the midst of your fighting?! How much collateral damage must there be before you are satisfied? How many worlds must burn before you realize that your fighting is nothing but petty and damaging and doing absolutely nothing to make the world a better place?!" Sequoia bellowed, displaying a fury out-of-place on the genial little girl.


    The Celestial Empress from where she stood looked downcast. This was a conversation she had had with herself thousands of times over the course of this war, hating every moment that it continued.


    "As many as it takes," Terra hissed, taking a few steps back from the snarling silver dragon in front of him, clutching his injured arm. Two exchanges was all it took, and Terra found himself completely dominated by Argenti, almost losing an arm in the process.


    Sequoia''s mouth worked in shock as she processed that response, unable to understand what he just said. Pyre''s fires flared as she attempted to send manipulation magic towards Sequoia, failing for the umpteenth time as Sequoia''s massive heart and the power within repelled it with ease. Sequoia''s eyes flicked to Pyre with that, transfixing the fire elemental in their gaze.Then, she sighed heavily, the green leaves of her tree gently swaying in a non-existant wind.


    I understood the feeling.There was little that could be done about people like that.


    "Now you see what I''m struggling with," A sudden voice interrupted the conversation, drawing attention to the newcomer.


    The First - their male body, Ichiro - sat calmly mid-air, overlooking the entire battlefield. This was apparently what they had been waiting for, a chance for a grand entrance. His wings were outstreched behind his body, rings of grey energy slowly twisting behind his back as his eyes glowed a similar grey color. Silverly lightning danced and crackled around his arms as he stared down at the two elementals.


    "You," Pyre hissed, setting her stance and facing the First. I sighed and shook my head, swirling the tea in my cup. Of course they didn''t heed my warnings. Vexing does not quite encompass my feelings on the subject.


    "Me," the First agreed, and moved. Suddenly he was behind the two Elementals, holding swords of a grey light and holding them to their throats. The two moved suddenly and without warning, managing to teleport out of his reach before he could slice their throats, escaping and darting away. The First frowned. "Must be getting rusty. Shouldn''t have let you get away like that..." he grumbled, rolling his shoulders.


    Power began to roll off of him in waves, pressure raining down upon all beings close to him, forcing them to their knees. Even Sequoia and Argenti were not spared, their bodies physically unable to stand the pressure.


    "Y-you, I will not die here!" Terra roared defiantly, unleashing his own impressive aura. Alas, it paled in comparison to the First, who was, for all intents and purposes, a god amongst men. A pity they had forgotten the lesson I learned so close to the beginning of my existance - that direct intervention isn''t always the best route and can, at times, make matters worse.


    "I actually think you will," the First drawled, pointing at the two. Silver lightning crackled, and shot out with impressive destructive force. I clenched my cup, gritting my teeth and refraining from interfering. Me directly interfering with any part of this war wastheworst-case scenario. It would lead to a 97% chance of destruction of the Four Realms, assuming we survived the upcoming collision with the One World.


    The second worst case scenario, however, was the death of the Elementals. That would lead to the premature birth of Dark Deities, which I had previously fortold was not in the cards for the Four Realms. So the Elementals becoming Dark Deities was...bad. Very bad. The already small chances of suriving the collision would shrink to infintesimally small sizes if that happened.


    "NO!" the two shouted in defiance, negative energy flowing into them like a river, bursting forth with all the power of a raging waterfall and meeting the First''s lightning head-on, inciting an explosion of energy.


    "Damn, that''s actually impressive that you managed to stop that blast," the First said with audible surprise, staring at Terra and Pyre, who were panting and almost completely drained of energy. I let out a little breath of relief. They at least bought enough time for the one mortal who might have a chance of stopping the First to get there.


    Speaking of who - "Enough, Ichiro," a calm, female voice rang out across the battlefield. For the third time,the battlefield was interrupted by a newcomer. This time, it was the Mad Scientist herself.


    Purple light spread out in lines around her, forming a cracked sort of spiderweb that echoed a haunting power. A form of power even I had not seen before. She stood in the skies above the battlefield, framed against the leaves of the Life-Giving Tree of that region, which glowed in the light of the Realm Sun. The First blinked in surprise, looking at the Mad Scientist in both surprise and confusion.


    "What are you doing here?" he asked, sending her a mental message so that no one else could hear him.


    "I''m here to stop you from fucking things up, idiot," she replied, concisely and harshly. She only ever got rid of her signature pauses when she was truly pissed off, I''d found. "Did you even bother to use any kind of clairvoiyance?


    "Um, no," the First responded, "it''s boring that way. I can see -"


    "MORON!" she interrupted, "is that an excuse to play with the lives of all those here?! Did you not think that your actions - the actions of someone as powerful as you - would not have consequences? Especially in a universe so young?" she chided. The First frowned.


    "Uh, no, I didn''t really think about that," he admitted with a sheepish blush. A quick clairvoiyance spell later, and he paled a bit. I couldn''t help but blink in surprise. The First had managed to tap into my own divination streams that let me see into the future, and essentially ''hitch a ride'' to see some possible futures. "Oh, shit," he said.


    "Yes, oh shit is right. What do you have to say for yourself?" The Mad Scientist demanded.


    "Sorry," the First admitted, "should''ve heeded the warnings of Purple Boxes-san. So what now? I''ve already kind of committed to killing those two, and backing out seems a little weak. I''ll just play it up. Let ''em slip away into whatever pocket-dimension they''ve prepared."


    "That''s acceptable," the Mad Scientist allowed, "I would suggest something different, however - and you''re already acting. Fuck," and the First began to move with blinding speed. The entire converstation itself took less than a second to complete, mental messages taking far less time than an actual conversation.


    "No! I will end this here and now!" The First loudly proclaimed, their male body shooting forth towards the Elementals, the pressure they exuded lessening just enough to allow them to move.


    "Enough, Ichiro! We...should not...interfere, yet!" The Mad Scientist protested, the lines of light around her swirling and condensing into a giant hand as she shot forward. Sequoia and Argenti began to move as well, the dragon''s roar echoing across the battlefield as he arced like a silver bullet towards the First and the Elementals. Sequoia''s tree began to shiver, the leaves shaking and twisting as a multitude of branches lashed out, seeking to bind and contain all the aggressors.


    The Celestial Empress and her army began to move as well, her people''s impressive use of formations lessening the First''s pressure just enough to allow even the weaker cultivators to move in sync with all the others. (Primula, the First''s female body, helped as well of course.) But all of that was, to the casual observer, in vain.


    The Elementals, faced with the imminent doom of the First''s overwhelming power, activated their most powerful escape treasure - a seal that opened a one-time entrance into the heart of the Dimensional Creator''s universe. A place where they had been building a city for years, intended as a fallback in case their empire truly did fall to the Celestial Palace.


    However not even the First could have predicted what peered out at them from inside the hole they tore open in space and time.


    Baleful energy radiated from the hole, a hateful cackle washing over all beings and rooting them in place - fear overtaking their bodies. Even the First was given pause as Morgan reached one paw out, and drug the two Elementals to safety.


    "You shall not die this day,"Morgan laughed, its eight red eyes peering out of the hole towards me. I frowned, wondering just what Morgan was doing. It was definitely changing the possible futures - most not in a good way."I have plans for you,"One last haunting cackle echoed out into the Mortal Realm, and the hole closed, sealing the Elementals in the realms of the Dimensional Creators.


    I closed my eyes and rubbed my chin, wondering just what Morgan was thinking. What was it aiming for, with such an action? With a slight scowl I rubbed my temples and stood, moving away and no longer paying attention to the war. It had reached its conclusion, I just wondered what the future would now bring. And what the second war, once again led and started by the Elementals, would culminate to.


    There were so many possibilities, that not even I could tell. All I could do was aim for the most beneficial one.


    But for now - other matters held more importance.

 Start of a Competition

    POV: Kei


    I giggled and stuck my tongue out at Sequoia, who was pouting at me. She angrily clenched her fists, puffing out her cheeks and stamping her foot, having just tackled a divine incarnation of mine instead of the real me. It was a mean trick, but she had to catch the real me to be able to touch my tails, not my incarnations.


    "No fair!" she protested, "you promised you wouldn''t tease me with incarnations!"


    "That only applied until you became a Dao Progenitor! Now you are one, so I''m using incarnations again," I told her, crossing my arms.


    "You''re changing the rules to suit you," she whined, flopping on the ground and staring plaintively up at me. I snickered but didn''t bother to deny it. I looked forward to the day she would actually be able to give me a good chase, but until then I had to keep myself entertained in other ways.


    "Give it up, Sequoia, you''ll never catch her." her skyshatter wolf friend, Fuego, told her as he trotted up, having not quite been able to keep up with our little game of tag. It spanned three entire solar systems in the first three hours alone! It was awesome! "Best to try and sneak up on her. Or do that weird time thing and get her stuck in a blip," the wolf suggested, not actually speaking and instead projecting its mental voice via psyonic powers. It was really impressive that the wolf could follow the path of the Mind as far as it did. Especially since the skyshatter wolves weren''t particularly suited to that style of cultivation.


    "No, I''ll get her eventually," Sequoia rejected, glaring at me. Subborn, that one was. It''d been five hundred thousand years since the end of the Realm War, and she had already reached the Dao Progenitor level, becoming the first Progenitor of Time. I was personally unsurprised at her path. Time was something she had a vast knowledge of, thanks to her childhood and that inspiration the First gave her.


    And in all that time, she kept up chasing me across the Mortal Realm, wanting to touch my tails. The other Evolver Beings weren''t far behind her in terms of cultivation and enlightenment, but because I didn''t know them that well I couldn''t say what their Dao was. Though I hear the Djinn was interesting. The crazy kind of interesting.


    "Mmm, maybe," I teased, cocking my head to the side. Sequoia huffed.


    "Well, setting a goal is good," another voice said, prompting me to crane my neck and look up at the silver dragon descending from the sky. Argenti had taken to visiting Sequoia once every thousand years or so, which was the only time he ever left his cave.


    "I am not saying otherwise,"Fuego argued,"I am just unsure how to feel about her goal being to touch the tails of a Divine Beast."He paused, and looked at me."Well, THE Divine Beast. Goddess of Art, and the only nine-tailed fox. Hm. It doesn''t sound nearly as strange if I think about it like that, but it''s still kind of weird."


    "I don''t think so," I added, though only Sequoia really cared about my opinion. Argenti and Fuego ignored my comment and dove into a conversation about Sequoia''s goal to touch my tails. I pouted and launched myself at said dryad, tackling her in a hug. "Sequoia, they''re ignoring meeee!" I wailed, making sure to keep my tails out of her reach. She giggled back and mock glared at her friends.


    "That''s not nice!" She called to them, both the dragon and wolf ignoring her as well. I snickered and pulled away from her, lifting my hands and forming two glimmering balls in either palm.


    "I''m going to glitter bomb them," I announced. Sequoia frowned.


    "That''s mean," she told me, and I snickered again.


    "''Tis all in good fun!" I said, plastering my best evil smile on my face and looking pointedly at the two beings now looking at me in horror. Ha. Now they were paying attention. "Fuego, Argenti, let''s have some fun!" I called sing-song. The two glanced at each other, looked back at me as I casually side-stepped Sequoia, who tried to sneak-attack my tails, and then they shot off in two opposite directions.


    "You can run, but you can''t hide!" I called, cackling and taking a single step forward. Then a chill ran up my back, and I shuddered. Pure terror crept its way into my heart, my gut twisted in anxiety, and it felt as if Morgan itself was breathing down her neck. Slowly turning around, my eyes grew wide as I spotted that which was making me feel as if my doom was approaching - Grandpa, the Creator, with two balls of pink and blue glittery paint floating above either hand.


    I immediately recognized them as prank-traps I had set up for Him or Randus. Um...uh-oh?


    "That''s my line, sweetheart," Grandpa called, grinning wickedly and glancing at Sequoia, who was staring at Him intently. He winked at her and turned his full attention back to me.


    "H-hey, Grandpa, how are you doing?" I laughed nervously, taking a few steps back. Grandpa looked thoughtful for a moment glancing at the balls of paint.


    "I''m wonderful, thanks for asking. I just saw these things and thought of you," He said, looking at me with a grin. "Wouldn''t happen to know where they came from, would you?" He asked.


    "Would you believe me if I said no?" I asked. Grandpa shook his head, His smile grew wider, and He pointed up towards the sky. I looked up, and just frowned in acceptance of my fate. A massive ball of glittery paint hung over my head like an obscene halo, promptly popping and dumping its contents all over me. Then, just to add insult to injury, He asked me the dreaded question.


    "Would you believe me if I said I had no idea where that came from?" He asked innocently.


    "Creating paint is cheating," I whined, flinging paint off of my fingers and floating into the sky. Grandpa laughed evilly, spinning the balls of paint He had in His hands and eyeing me. It was then that I realized that this wasn''t over. I shot off like a bullet from a gun, Grandpa chasing after me with a cackling laugh and leaving a very confused Sequoia all alone, looking around and wondering what just happened.


    I''d go back and play with her, I promised myself. Just as soon as I escape Grandpa, or He exacts His revenge which isn''t really revenge because my prank didn''t even touch Him. Ah, technicalities.


    POV CHANGE: Elvira


    "I didn''t think it was possible for Kei to be tired out," I told Father, one hand laying gently on my slightly bulging, pregnant stomach and watching as Reika stroked her daughter''s hair. Said nine-tailed fox was gently snoring with her head laying on Reika''s lap, her hair matted with paint and glitter and face covered in mud and dirt and paint and grime. But she was smiling in her sleep, and I had not seen her look more like a child in a long, long time.


    We, meaning myself, my husband Gilles, Reika and Kei, and Father were all sitting in one of the gardens of the Holy Palace, enjoying the light of the Lunar Star as it hung overhead.


    "She needed a good release," Father said with a shrug, a broad smile stretching across His face, "and I had fun, so we just played until she got tired."You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "...think she''ll take a hundred thousand year power nap?" I asked, looking pointedly at Father. He laughed and Reika shook her head at me and Itsked."Shoot. Was hoping she took after Father in that aspect." They all chuckled at that.


    "You''d miss her mischief and you know it," Gilles said with a smirk.


    "Would not, and you know it," I shot back, vehemently denying that I enjoy any of her tricks or pranking. Even when she annoys the other deities so much they leave without begging me to fix the problems they could easily fix themselves.


    ...ok, I can''t lie to myself that much. I do enjoy it when she doesthat.Gives me a breather. Being a leader is hard and time consuming. At times I want to yell at some of the deities that they know their domains better than I do, so they should know how to fix certain problems, or at the angels that theyknowwhatever they''re doing will work, they''re just not looking at it in the right direction. But I can''t. That wouldn''t make anything better except for making me feel better.


    "Your expression says everything. There is something you like about Kei''s troublemaking skills," Reika teased, and I stuck my tongue out at her in response. She just laughed.


    "Don''t worry, your secret''s safe with us," GIlles continued, eyes twinkling with mirth. I just sighed and shook my head; there was no way I was going to win this. So I changed the subject.


    "It''ll be at least another half a million years until the Evolver Beings become deities, right?" I asked, thinking of the little Raijin that was making waves in the Heaven Realm. He was quite the little firecracker, and when he was set off, he raged like a storm until whatever it was, was fixed or made right. There was little that stood in the face of him - he was as much a force of nature amongst the cultivators of the Heaven Realm than anything else. They just didn''t get in his way.


    "Mm, give or take," Father mused, scratching His chin. "Sequoia''s obviously the closest, but the Nereid is in second. I''d say between half a million to a million years until they become deities and change their respective Realms. Still figuring out how I''m going to trigger that, though. It''s going to be a bit of a pain." He said with a sigh. I nodded. Changes like that didn''t justhappen.


    We talked a bit more on that subject before Reika changed it once again, asking another question that had been on all our minds.


    "And what is Morgan doing with the Elementals?" she asked. I remained quiet and looked at Kei, avoiding looking at Father. I had figured it out relatively early on what Morgan was doing, having watched and confronted the wolf myself, and personally agreed. Father was...brilliant. I loved Him dearly, and I knew that He truly did have the best of intentions for the Four Realms and all of us at all times.


    However, He''s tiptoeing. He needs to strut, take big strides, and force change if we are going to survive the Calamity. There will be no great change if we do not take equally great risks, and Father has not been guiding us towards any risks. And though that isn''t exactly Morgan''s thought processes, it is something similar and I begrudgingly agree with it. Reika agrees as well, she''s just asking Father more for formality''s sake. And to make sure He understands what Morgan is doing as well.


    "Why are you asking me this? You know exactly what Morgan''s doing." Father objected, raising an eyebrow. An invisible conversation passed between the two, and Father''s shoulders slumped in minor defeat. He recognized His mistake as well, it seemed.


    "Just making sure you do too," Reika continued, scratching Kei behind her fox-like ear idly. I looked up at Father, and paused at seeing the far-off look in His green eyes. He looked incredibly tired like that, something that has been a more common sight recently. He, out of all of us, is by far the most worried about the impending Calamity simply because that is His nature.


    "Mm," Father hummed, and shook His head. "Well, I''d better be off. Things to do and people to see, you know. I''ll be back in a bit," He said, and vanished. Gilles and I exchanged a look, to which he shook his head.


    "No, I don''t know either. Honestly, you expect me to know what the Creator is talking about? Even I can''t understand Them ninety percent of the time." He complained, folding his hands inside of his sleeves. I laughed lightly but didn''t disagree, Father could be pretty erratic and didn''t always share His plans and actions with us until He already executed them. He was getting better about it, but. Old habits die hard.


    I hummed and leaned back, laying on the ground and spreading out my wings, simply basking. It was good to relax every once in a while. I layed there for a bit, slowly drifting off to the sound of Reika and Gilles conversing. And, before I knew it, I had fallen into a light slumber.


    POV CHANGE: Statera Luotian


    I walked calmly into my palace, ignoring all the scultpures and brilliant art pieces hanging about. Normally I took some time to appreciate the art my children had created whenever I take an actual stroll through my palace, but not today. I had too much on my mind, and it was not what Morgan had donethat was on my mind. To be honest, I recognized my fault here. Morgan wasn''t saying that I was too light-handed in dealing with the Elementals, Morgan could not give less of a damn about those two.


    The specifics of the situation were...difficult. Morgan was essentially guiding the Elementals to become more powerful and more devious, allowing their city to prosper and flourish in the realms of the Dimensional Creators. The coming war would be powerful and Realm-shaking. This was bad. The good was...well. People would rise against the Elementals, and the chances were that something incredibly good would come of the end of the war. Since it was so far away, at least a million years, even I couldn''t accurately judge the endings, but I did get what Morgan was saying.


    I needed to take risks, thrust the Four Realms into chaos myself if I have to, and find the outcome that is the most beneficial, and ups our survival chances to the greatest degree. Now was not the time to let the Four Realms grow naturally. Unfortunately. All I want is to watch my creations and children grow at their own pace...


    Shaking my head, I refocused on my current mission. "Randus, with me," I said calmly, said Diety of Dreams coming out of the shadows and standing by my side. He was still half in the Realm of Dreams, and as such only visible to me, but his presence was undeniable.


    I thrust my hands forward andpulled,ripping a tear into the fabric of reality and stepping through it, traversing Creation and Void alike, following the string Mr. Blue Boxes had laid out for me. At the end of it lay a small pocket of creation, merely two galaxies in size and filled with naught but Primordial Chaos, within it the being I had come to meet.


    Sylphina Luanhua, the Great Butterfly, Origin Deity of Change and the creator of the Vast Expanse hovered in the middle of this region of nothingness, waiting for me.


    "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me," she said, her antenna twitching. I nodded to her with a small smile, allowing all my worries to slide off of me. This would be a nice reprieve, and thoroughly enlightening for both of us.


    "It''s my pleasure," I assured her, "after all, its not every eon I get to "contemplate the dao" with a fellow Origin Deity," I chuckled, shaking my head and sitting cross-legged in front of her. Sylphina made a noise halfway between a laugh and a humm, bobbing up and down as she settled, her wings ceasing to beat.


    This was what she had called me here for. It would be mutually beneficial for us to compare our domains and enlightenment against one another in a way similar to fighting. This competition would not only trigger new enlightenments, but also new ways to apply our previously gained enlightenments. All the while pointing out potential flaws and weaknesses we had.


    "''Contemplate the dao,'' huh? Is that what you call it?" she asked, amused. I shrugged and waved one hand airily, letting my aura bleed out and clash against Sylphina''s aura as she did the same.


    "Well, that''s what the children of my Four Realms call it when they compare their enlightenments with each other. And by compare I do mean attempt to overpower one another," I said with a light laugh as our aura''s vied for dominance, without either of us really trying.


    It was an interesting comparison, to be sure. Sylphina''s aura was more powerful than my own, her presence more demanding, as it constantly changed and never held any true coherency. Mine, on the other hand, was much more subtle and less powerful. It allowed Sylphina''s aura, which was constantly changing how far it reached, to wash over it in waves, never faltering from the places it had established for itself.


    If Sylphina''s aura was like water, constantly flowing and shifting, than mine was a sphere of stone, rolling and remaining steadfast. In fact, I kind of liked that analogy. Sphere...that is incredibly balanced, is it not? So long as it has just the right amount of sturdiness, but given enough pressure, can still roll and move. Well, maybe or maybe not.


    "Shall we begin then?" I asked after a moment of silent contemplation. Already I could feel new insights beginning to gather, and thatexcited me.I couldn''t even sit still, grinning and squirming about like an impatient child. Which, you know, I acted like even on a good day. Amusement rolled off of Sylphina in waves.


    "Yes, lets," she said, and at the same time our power burst forth, smashing into each other anrendingthe surroundings. I giggled, and unconsciously cracked my neck. This was going to befun.

 Competition

    POV: Statera Luotian


    The primordial chaos trembled between our divine might, the swirling chaos constantly making and unmaking innumerable creations. Entire worlds were born in the clashing of our divine wills, only to be snuffed out in the next moment, nothing ever, ever remaining still for too long. Except for within the sphere of influence I held, and the places Sylphina consistently retained. These areas held masses of creation, swirling about and spinning around us, acting as our swords and shields.The game was one of conquest - whosever domain would occupy 51-60% or more of the surroundings, truly making it ''ours,'' would win.


    As it were, I held a temporary advantage.


    Seventeen balls of creation swirled around me as I sat in the lotus position, my legs crossed and hands pressed together as if in prayer. Each ball represented a different aspect of creation, some physical, some spiritual, and all coming together to form a perfect balance. These seventeen balls were not the core of my impenetrable defenses that allowed me to maintain a steady control over a larger area than Sylphina, no, that role fell upon the six balls of Void and Primordial Chaos that always accompanied me, now merged with the surroundings, making my sphere of influence impenetrable and slowly expanding.


    It was slow and steady, each inch earned would never be lost again. The expansion of my ''domain'' was far stronger than Sylphina''s, and the great butterfly''s ever-changing and viscious domain crashed upon my borders like waves upon a beach.


    But it was too slow. Sylphina was expanding at a far greater rate, even though my own was far stronger and denser, eventually hers would overpower mine simply through sheer quantity and brutality, effectively halting my own expansion. With a sigh I shook my head. It seemed everything was coming together to try and teach me the same lesson. A burst of power pulsed out from me, destroying parts of Sylphina''s domain and setting her back quite a bit. However, it wasn''t enough to halt her rapid expansion rate.


    "Statera, this is enough sitting around. Let us truly begin," Sylphina stated, her aura changing drastically. I nodded in agreement, closing my eyes and willing my power to be made manifest. An enormous, glowing golden image of a ten-thousand armed monk appeared around me, taking up the entirety of my domain as it sat in the lotus position. The seventeen balls of creation stopped their relentless spinning and came to rest in front of me.


    "Then let us," I said simply, pushing my palms outwards and twirling my hands in a circle. A giant yin-yang symbol appeared in midair, the seventeen balls of creation spinning around the edges in a hypnotic manner. An invisible pressure began to spread out from my creation as it solidified, growing to the same size as the monk behind me, and connecting to me and my power.


    Sylphina simply beat her wings viciously, raw, untamed power rushing forth and smashing against my creation with unbridled fury. Entire suns were birthed from this power, forming an endless barrage that threatened to overtake the stability of my creation and send it stuttering back into nothingness. With a derisive snort I sent out another surge of power, and the ten-thousand armed monkbegan to move.


    Chaos spread throughout my domain, disrupting it and causing all that was focused on stability to solely focus on offense. Sylphina was visibly shocked by the abrupt change, my domain launching itself outwards at astounding speed. With no defense, however, it would do next to nothing except be a waste of power, mitigated by Sylphina''s large domain.


    I twisted my palms, and the thousand armed monk moved as well, acting as an extension of myself. Its ten thousand arms lanced forward in ten thousand palm strikes, each palm landing on the yin-yang circle and sending bolts of creation hurtling towards Sylphina''s domain. Panicking, the giant butterfly beat her wings fiercly, raw power far stronger than anything I had conjured so far blasting forth to meet my attacks.


    But that is all it was, raw, untamed power. Constantly shifting and changing in accordance with Sylphina''s domain, but far less controlled and focused than my own. However, for a long, heartstopping moment the two powers cancelled each other out. The sheer ferocity of her power was enough to halt the advance of my powerful bolts. Then, they began to beat her back, the ten thousand bolts decimating her domain, shattering a good portion of it and allowing my domain to fill that ''void.'' Immediately I restabilized my domain, keeping it offensive enough that its spread would be stronger than before.


    The game was officially over. I had won by conquering enough ''area,'' that my ''rule'' would be all but uncontensted.


    "That was a good match," Sylphina allowed begrudgingly. She was still a little sore that I had won the past five games in a row. But she had done the same to me in the beginning, so it evened out.


    Sort of. In the end, my win/loss ratio was 43 to 37. And I was really enjoying our games.


    "It was," I agreed, stroking my chin in thought.


    "Quick question, are all those creations how you focus your power?" Sylphina asked. I paused and thought about it. Creating the ten-thousand armed monk and the yin-yang diagram was indeed a way for me to focus my power, so I nodded. "Hm, maybe that has something to do with it as well. Visualizing how you manifest your power...something I''ll have to play with," she muttered. I nodded in agreement, wondering just how much the creations made a difference, myself.


    I''d experimented a bit during our ''games,'' but for the most part I was too wrapped up with other enlightenements to really think about something I did instinctually. This was also something I could do on my own, however. Learning more about my domain and comparing it to another Origin Deity''s? Not so much.


    "That was the last game, correct?" I asked, and Sylphina bobbed up and down in a nod. We only had a limited amount of time Mr. Blue Boxes had given us, after all.


    "For now," she said. "I suspect we will be given opportunities to do the same with the other deities." I thought about that, and nodded. Yes, that would make sense. Playing this game with both Yueya and Teva would be beneficial. "Just a word of warning," she continued, slowly.


    I looked at her and raised my eyebrows, waiting for her to continue.


    "Don''t...well, be more wary of Yueya Oshun. I understand your desire to not destroy the One World!" She added hastily when I opened my mouth. "But, perhaps you''re not being aggressive enough. If the Four Realms falls, that will be four universes that perish. You need to consider all options, and not write them off. I guarantee that Yueya is doing the same, and she may not be as...benevolent as you." She said. I accepted the words and filed them away for persual at a later date.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Thank you for the warning. I will consider it," I told her, and the butterfly nodded.


    "See that you do. I do not wish to see the Four Realms fall - beings like you are hard enough to come by as it is," she added, turning and vanishing from our little pocket dimension. My frown deepened as I pondered over her last statement, wondering what in the world she could have meant by that. Beings like me?


    I''m sure there are plenty of beings like myself out there. Even in the Four Realms there are beings with personalities that are mirrors to my own. Perhaps Sylphina is merely being too cynical.


    With a light sigh I shook my head and returned to my own universe, following the portal and sensing the collapse of the pocket dimension behind me. Mr. Blue Boxes could so casually create and destroy such large spaces...I would struggle to truly create such a massive space, not just pure Primordial Chaos, but a space seperated from the Voidjust so,allowing for the birth of a new universe.


    And yet at the beginning of all this, I had been given nigh unlimited creation potential. It was hilariously sobering, how casually Mr. Blue Boxes gifted such power and took it away. But, well, I also wasn''t particularly interested in it. Power was...power. Alone, it was useless. I was far more intrigued by the natures of the universe itself, not pursuing power but rather...I don''t know. Something different, something calmer, and something farmore.Because power matters not, if the one who wields it is not...


    Fill in the blank yourself,I thought idly, feeling a wave of calm wash over me as I returned to the Four Realms. As much fun playing with Sylphina was, it was good to be home.


    POV CHANGE: The First (Female; Primula)


    The last thing I expected when I woke up was to be thoroughly and utterly suppressed. I had been minding my own business, napping beneath a shady tree in the general vicinity of Manu Ti but far enough away that I didn''t have to listen to Mother''s calls, when suddenly everything was disrupted.


    Or, should I say,Iwas disrupted. My surroundings were fine, perhaps calmer even with this sudden presence that appeared before me, looking just as surprised as I was that they had appeared before me. ''They'' being a handsome man with slightly greying hair, wearing purple robes and sporting the finest looking pair of horns I had ever seen on any Fae. However, what really caught my attention were his eyes - the piercing, soulful eyes that looked through me as if they were looking through glass. They were the same eyes of that woman''s from the cafe that my male body met, only far, far more powerful.


    I had expected my first real confrontation with a Deity of the Four Realms to be different. This? This was far better.


    The presence this person exuded was far greater than anything I had ever encountered, and the honestly hilarious thing about it was that their power was not much more than my own, nor any denser. But theirpresence...Multiverse Above, if I were anyone or anything else I would not have been able to sense the true depth of it. And what I sensed was that therewas no bottom.It was depthless and possessing a depth that stretched into infinity, all at the same time. Paradoxical in nature, yet completely real.


    Yet still, the presence was inexplicably calming. The entire universe calmed when this man arrived, like a newborn child upon recognizing its parent...waitaminute.


    "Holy fuck," I whispered, and the man frowned in a thoughtful expression.


    "Though I have not taken part in such proclivities since my last mortal life, I suppose I would make a ''holy fuck,'' or perhaps have one," he mused, and I couldn''t help the startled laughter that escaped me, even as the presence all but suppressed me. It wasn''t actively supressing me, but the sheer weight of it still affected me - my very soul, even.


    "No - I mean, you''re an Origin Deity!" I let out, eyes wide. Did this mean that this man was also the ''parent'' of the green-eyed woman, who I had yet to locate but suspected was a deity of some kind? Unbidden, millions of memory fragments rose to the forefront of my brain, driven by the pressure of the Origin Deity and guided by the word ''parent.''


    My first child in all lifetimes I cradled in my arms, a pure joy bubbling in my chest that never quite lost its hold on me. I knew that I would remember this joy, and that it would carry on with me. It did, to some degree.


    For the umpteenth time I watched my children and spouse die, murdered by the Rival. My Nemesis. It hurt so much...


    Watching my children grow, surpassing me even, in certain aspects, their eyes twinkling with joy as they showed me the fruits of their labors. I smiled and patted their heads, feeling truly proud.


    My children turned against me, corrupted and vile, come to claim the life of their parent in hatred and anger. And I - I had never raised my hand against them. That was one crime I never had commited. Still, I could feel their blades sinking into my flesh. That was not the worst pain.


    Another -


    "Don''t get lost, now," the Deity said, calmly touching my forehead with brows slightly furrowed. My memories were abruptly suppressed, allowing met to breath oncea again. It had been a long time since I lost control like that. When I looked back at the Origin Deity he seemed to be lost in thought, though part of his attention was clearly focused on me still. "Fate seems intent on telling me something, through your presence. I have yet to figure out what that is," he said, and shook his head. "Ah, well, it will come in time. Farewell, for now," he said and vanished.


    I paused for a moment, staring at the spot the Origin Deity - Purple Boxes-san, I assumed - had disappeared from. It almost felt as if he was still present, because he was the Four Realms and the Four Realms were him. Then, crashing through the brush came my brother Yamua.


    "Prim, where are - there you are! Is this where you''ve been - wait, what''s wrong? You look like you''ve seen a ghost," he blurted out, invading my personal space with a concerned expression. I smiled, eyes sparkling as I looked at him.


    "I think I''m in love!" I swooned, falling backwards with a wide grin and staring up at the sky. "With a younger man, no less," I continued with a frown. This universe was too young for the Origin Deity to be older than me....well, I was older than many universes though so that was a safe bet either way. "No matter! The power of love knows no bounds!"


    Yamua frowned at me, shook his head, and just turned and walked away, leaving me alone with my own insanity.


    He has learned well.


    POV CHANGE: Randus


    "I don''t get it," Mother muttered to Herself, stroking Her chin as She looked out towards the Primordial Chaos. She had been rather distracted ever since She came back, Her trip having only taken a thousand years and yet having profound effects on Her aura. I could no longer sense even the barest hint of the vestiges of Her power, that is how far above me She was.


    "Don''t get what?" Alexander asked, in his draconian form and enjoying the cup of tea Mother had provided for him.


    "Well, everything," Mother admitted with a sigh. "But also...well, everything is telling me to be more aggressive in my actions, but I don''t believe that is the answer. Nor do I believe that is what is truly being said, especially after watching those few memories of the First."


    Alexander rumbled something, and the conversation changed from there, leading off into the abstract - abstract even for one such as myself, who presides over dreams. Eventually, however, Alexander left to go watch over his Realm and attend to his duties, leaving Mother and I alone together.


    For yet a while longer, She remained quiet, alone with Her thoughts. "Alright, that''s enough of that," She said, standing up and grinning brightly. "I''m done with being introspective. The answer will come to me when it is time for it to, no sooner, and no later. Fate is currently giving me a headache," She said, nodding to Herself.


    "As you say," I deadpanned. Mother ignored me, however.


    "Instead I''m going to go for a walk and clear my head. When I get back, I''ll go see what Keilan wants. Stall him for me, would you?" She asked, and disappeared the momemnt before Keilan burst into the room. I sighed inwardly, turning to face KeilanandReika, who had accompanied him. Of course She would leave me with the annoying tasks.


    But, if I am honest with myself, I wouldn''t want Her to change. She is more fun this way, and wouldn''t be Mother otherwise.

 Announcement

    So.


    I''ve been off on hiatus for about five, six months now, and it''s about time I give you all a reason for my absence.


    I''ve been busy with school, true, but the true, big reason I haven''t been giving this fiction any love is twofold. One, every time I open a document to begin writing the next chapter, I get maybe a sentence in before deleting it and closing out of the document. Something inside me just doesn''t want to do this anymore. And two; I have been putting all my energy into working on another project of mine - one that I''ve been working on for over three years now, longer than this fiction. And it''s finally started to take off in its development in the past five months, because I''ve been putting so much focus into it.


    It''s such a significant change that I don''t want to return to where I was previously, writing this as well. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    If I''m being brutally honest, RRL was a distraction for me. A welcome distraction at the time to keep me from focusing too much on this project of mine, but now I no longer need the distraction or the instant validation that RRL provides. Sorry to the fans of this novel, but it''s unlikely that I will be returning to continue the story of the Four Realms. It''s big, it''s exciting, and it''s fun, but it''s also...not what I''m looking to present as a novelist.


    I sat myself down and asked "do I want to be a webnovelist?" and the answer was "no."


    So now the question is, what do I do with "The Breath of Creation?" Do I leave it up, or do I take it down forever, and hide it away in the archives of my computer? I could use some input on this part, and will be active for the next few days to answer any questions you all have regarding the status of this novel.


    Once again, I apologize to the fans of The Breath of Creation, but I probably won''t be returning to this novel.

 Announcement 2, the Electric Boogaloo (Its a Better One This Time, I Promise)

    Well, I bet the last thing most of you expected today was to hear from me after six years of (relative) silence. But here I am! A lot has happened in the past six years.


    Let''s get right into the meat and potatoes of this announcement. Basically, I have come to the decision to rewrite the Breath of Creation. Completely and utterly. My technical skills as a writer have improved, I like to think, and after much deliberation I decided to revisit a few old projects of mine and rework them. A few were duds, but self-indulgent. Some I scrapped entirely. A few were relatively successful for what they were and what I did with them. This one was among those I revisited, and I surprised myself by how quickly I fell into writing it again - the ideas were there, I just don''t think my technical skills were up to snuff for how I wanted it to be when I first started writing this.


    That said, the official RoyalRoad release will start on January 14th, 2025, though I have been and will continue to post a few chapters on SpaceBattles and Scribblehub under the name RE: Deity - The Breath of Creation until that time. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Hilariously, at least to me, this is completely contradictory to my previous announcement. I did return. But I can''t say I regret dropping it, either...I needed to grow as a writer and person. I don''t think I was ready for a project of this magnitude, and that was intimidating. In some ways it still is, but...well. This time, I intend to finish. I''ve always known how this story will end. I''m confident now I can write it in a way that''s pleasing to me...and I hope is pleasing to you all.


    I will be available to answer questions for the next few days and such until I sink back into writing. I want to get a good backlog going this time, rather than just writing chapters and immediately posting them, and I''ve got a fair amount written but not as much as I want. Ideally, after an initial chapter dump, I''ll get to posting two or so chapters a week.


    See you soon!