"It's a miracle he's lived this long," Truman quipped.
"He… was born this way," Sasrir said, exasperated. Being the deputy lord of this divine kingdom was exhausting.
"Hello, I'm Leodero," the furious Leodero said, calming himself first and introducing himself.
"Hello, distant guest. I'm Aucuses."
A man in a white robe approached, smiling vibrantly, his golden short hair gleaming in the sunlight.
He reminded Truman of the Ancient Sun God.
"You've now met all the angels under the Sun," Sasrir said, introducing Truman to them.
"He's not weaker than an ancient god."
Compared to a single ancient god, certainly not weaker, but the ancient god alliance was something even the Ancient Sun God treated cautiously.
Moreover, the ancient gods whose authorities the Ancient Sun God aimed to reclaim belonged to two opposing factions. Without dividing them, facing six at once was untenable.
Truman was here to push this agenda.
They continued touring the Sun God's divine kingdom, the three angels watching from afar.
"Why does he feel so weak?" Medici wondered. "Yet I don't dare attack him, or even provoke him—it feels dangerous."
"You two, who's up for challenging him?" Medici goaded the others.
"I'm not an idiot," Leodero snorted, refusing the bait.
"Huh, really? I didn't know!" Medici's taunt nearly set Leodero off again.
"We might be heading for war," Aucuses said, his smile fading, tone heavy.
"That's fantastic!" Medici raised an eyebrow. Backed by his legion, he thrived in war.
"This place…" Truman marveled at a city several times grander than Silver City, its architecture millennia ahead of its time.
Greek colonnades, Byzantine domes, Gothic spires—styles lost to time were reborn in this divine kingdom.
"Beyonders as builders, that's your style," Truman chuckled.
Materials and low-sequence Beyonders were abundant here. A simple selection process granted potions.
For humans now and in future eras, this was a true divine kingdom.
"This is the future," Truman concluded.
The Ancient Sun God's rise as the Third Epoch's Creator was evident here.
"Why is the vampire ancestor called Lilith?" After touring the grand city, Truman asked Sasrir.
"The roots of humanoid ancient gods are human," Sasrir replied.
Truman nodded lightly.
"But Lilith retains her humanity well, the only one worth cooperating with."
Sasrir approved of Truman and the Goddess's chosen ally.
"I've received word: the Demon Wolf clan has marched on the Giant King's Court."
The Goddess stirred trouble this fast? Truman was surprised.
"It's tied to the disturbance you caused in Silver City."
The Chaos Sea's aura awakened the Demon Wolf occupying the Fool pathway from slumber. Its emergence in that location heightened the wolf's vigilance.
Demon Wolves and Giants were mortal enemies, ceaselessly craving each other's destruction. The Demon Wolf, madder still, was unstoppable once its destructive urge was sparked.
"As a result, all ancient gods' eyes are on the Giant King's Court."
"…Then I'll have to laugh twice!" Truman shook his head, chuckling.
Likely during Truman's meeting with the Ancient Sun God, the Chaos Sea's ripples triggered the upheaval.
In the Demon Wolf's divine kingdom, within a rugged yet serene temple, a figure took shape.
The Goddess of Misfortune, Amanises, opened her eyes, emerging from concealment. Her face was impassive, a suppressed madness flickering within.
She stepped out of the rugged temple, gazing at a vast primeval forest and a towering mountain range piercing the clouds.
In the distance, monstrous beasts roamed, their wolf howls unceasing, shaking the earth.
The Goddess walked silently toward the mountain's peak, as if on a pilgrimage, devoutly.
"Awoo!" A wolf's howl echoed from the mountain, its malice undisguised.
The Goddess of Misfortune, Amanises, remained calm, facing the massive Demon Wolf blocking her path.
This wolf was terrifying, like a mountain barring her way, its dark fur bristling, eight sturdy legs planted firmly. Its black eyes glared at Amanises with malice.
"I challenge you! The position of God of Misfortune belongs to the great Gozlat!"
The wolf spoke, its body shimmering with eerie light—deepest darkness, spreading powers of concealment and fear, symbolizing silent destruction and dissolution.
Amanises glanced behind the wolf, where several similar Demon Wolves lurked. If she showed weakness, they'd tear her apart.
A mad ancient god might need a subordinate God of Misfortune but cared little who filled the role.
This was just another day for the Goddess of Misfortune.
These wolves couldn't be killed, only annoyed.
Amanises, accustomed to such challenges, glanced at the walking characteristics, stepping past them.
"Roar!" The eight-legged wolf bellowed, unleashing darkness laced with fear and concealment.
But Amanises merely walked on, her form becoming a pencil sketch, erased by a rubber, reappearing at the mountain's peak.
Her powers of concealment and misfortune were potent. The eight-legged wolves, equivalent to later eras' Sequence 2 or 3, couldn't track her, though they were irksome…
"Amanises."
Another Demon Wolf approached, distinct, lacking the fearsome aura. More elegant, its body glistened with Worms of Spirit burrowing in and out.
"Antigonus," the Goddess nodded. Soon, another wolf arrived, similar to Antigonus, its black pupils dominating its eyes, a tuft of white fur on its forehead.
God of Wishes, the Dark Demon Wolf, Kotar.
Hmph! Antigonus glanced at Kotar with disdain, striding forward.
Ahead stood a half-human, half-beast divine creature, covered in black-and-white feathers, its head bird-like, pale skin etched with eerie symbols, exuding a thick aura of death.
God of the Dead, Salinger.
(End of Chapter)