The wind whispered through the battered remains of the cult's outposts, carrying with it the acrid stench of burnt sigils and collapsed faith. Su Chen stood amidst the ruins, his long coat billowing behind him, his eyes scanning the horizon as the embers of the day's battle dimmed to fading light.
The cult's resistance had been fierce in the final moments, like a wounded beast lashing out in desperation. But it was ultimately futile. Their so-called divine blessings were no match for someone who had once stood at the edge of godhood. The last of the cult's sanctums had been reduced to ash. No more lies. No more rituals. No more spies whispering in the ears of humanity.
Still, as Su Chen gazed skyward, unease coiled in his chest.
A faint shimmer rippled across the sky like a second atmosphere—transparent yet unmistakable. It was the World Barrier, an ancient veil of protection encasing Blue Star. Built by civilizations long lost to time, it kept the divine from fully descending. For now, it stood firm.
But the gods were growing bolder.
He could feel them watching. Their presence was like invisible eyes pressing against his soul. Not just observing—but mocking. Speaking through dreams. Sending cryptic whispers into the minds of the unstable. They couldn't cross the barrier—not yet—but they could influence.
And that influence was growing stronger by the hour.
"Thirteen days," Su Chen muttered. "That's all we have before the veil fractures."
Behind him, Ye Meng approached, her spear still stained with divine-corrupted blood. "Is it really that fragile? I thought the barrier held for millennia."
Su Chen nodded slowly. "It has. But the gods aren't what they once were either. They've adapted. The cult was a distraction… but also a tool. The constant summoning rituals—they weren't just prayers. They were weakening the seams."
Wang Jun joined them, limping slightly from a bruised rib. "Then we have less than two weeks to do what…? Fortify the world?"
"No," Su Chen said flatly. "We prepare ourselves. We build, we awaken, we train. The barrier will fall. There's no stopping that. But when it does—we won't be ants waiting to be crushed. We'll be monsters they regret ever provoking."
The group fell silent. The cult was gone, but the real war hadn't even begun.
As the stars emerged, Su Chen turned toward the heavens. His mind drifted to the illusions many had reported seeing—the visions of cities burning, skies bleeding divine fire, oceans vanishing into voids. Each one more vivid than the last. Sent by the gods. Sent to break morale.
They were trying to bend the will of humanity before even setting foot on Blue Star.
But the World Barrier kept them at bay. Their power filtered, dulled, twisted by the barrier's ancient magic. They couldn't yet touch the land directly—but their presence was like a storm pressing against glass.
Cracks were coming.
That night, Su Chen gathered the commanders, generals, and all top-tier awakeners.
"We've entered the final countdown," he said. "The gods have declared this a game. We are the pieces. They think we'll dance to their rules."
He raised his hand, and a projection of the World Barrier shimmered above them like a celestial dome.
"But they underestimate what humans become when we are pushed to the edge."
---
Above the Barrier – Divine Realm
In a realm unbound by time, gods gathered on vast thrones of light, bone, and flame. A god with ten eyes leaned forward, each iris spinning like galaxies.
"The World Barrier still holds," he murmured. "But it thins. Soon, we descend."
Another, cloaked in chains made from the screams of lost stars, scoffed. "They scurry, thinking they can prepare. Entertaining."
A newer god, forged from the despair of dying worlds, hovered near the edge of the barrier. His divine form crackled as he reached toward it—and recoiled. The barrier burned even gods.
"Soon," the Crowned One said. "Let them gather their armies. It will make the slaughter all the sweeter."
He raised a hand—and the illusion spread again, this time stronger.
---
On Blue Star – Middle of the Night
Thousands of awakeners across the globe jolted awake. Visions of divine conquest flooded their minds—empires crumbling, skies split open, gods laughing from mountains of bones.
In the capital, Su Chen opened his eyes.
His lips curled into a thin smile.
"They're getting desperate."
---
From deep within the earth, beneath ancient ruins, a forgotten mechanism clicked to life.
A red rune glowed.
A whisper echoed.
"The seal is weakening."
And somewhere beyond the edge of reality, a god with a broken halo laughed.