After studying under many masters, Rychlen accumulated knowledge and wisdom, learned to handle clubs and bows, and also acquired the methods for interacting with others and leading them, growing stronger with each passing day.
“Still, Zeus must be pretty annoyed. He went through all the trouble of bestowing a heavy blessing on that kid, prepping him like butter, but now he can’t even intervene since the Divine Hall has trapped him, leaving him no choice but to sit there twiddling his thumbs.”
“Hmm. At this point, all that guy can do is send revelations or blessings through his believers, and that’s about it.”
Preying on debts owed by the child prophesied to become King of the Gods, they tried to manipulate things in their favor, but now it seems impossible.
Well, if those revelations and blessings are used well, they could still be effective tools… but I doubt old Zeus has the brains for that.
“So, wasn’t it Indra who asked the gods at the Divine Hall to hold back?”
“Hmm. Not sure what that guy was thinking when he made that request, but maybe it worked out for the best?”
Besides, Zeus wasn’t exactly thrilled, but thanks to this, we got quite the show.
“But, at this rate, the ten years promised might run out before the kid even becomes an adult. Will everything be alright?”
“Hmm, has it been that long already?”
“Yeah. Ten years fly by fast.”
Watching the kid grow made us lose track of time.
“Indra sacrificed his heart around 19 years ago, and three years later, the kid was born… so next year will mark ten years since that war.”
As roughly nine years passed, the chaos among the gods settled down somewhat.
The Ennead mostly lost their deity status except for a few survivors and fell into decline. The Lokapalas, who suddenly joined the fight, were utterly annihilated.
And the victors of Olympus weren’t in great shape either… hmm, let’s not dwell on that. It’s not relevant to the current story.
“So, now there are only two pieces of Baal left: one with Odin and one with Zeus. What do you think will happen?”
“Hmm.”
It feels like it’s about time those guys make a move. Hmm…
You can’t just turtle forever; if you wait until you’re dead, you’ll end up destroyed anyway.
Still, we have about a year left. Let’s wait and see.
If nothing happens… well, then I’ll step in.
Turtling too much just means getting fried by your own field eventually.
“Let’s just watch until next year.”
Whether Zeus moves or Odin does, something’s bound to happen.
—
And so, the following year…
The Eshir moved.
The wise god Odin, famed for his intellect, couldn’t accept the prophecy of certain doom easily.
Having discovered the sage faster than anyone, Odin spoke with him at length and realized the downfall of the gods was approaching.
Reacting intensely to this reality was only natural.
“No, it can’t be. There must be a way to avoid destruction!”
First: Denial.
The one-eyed god of wisdom denied the sage’s words, rejecting the inevitable future and the gods’ doom with fervor.
Of course, who would welcome unavoidable death?
“Lord Odin saying such things surprises me. Isn’t the wisdom in your eye enough to discern the truth?”
“Kuh… Kuh… Certainly, my eye tells me these words are true. But isn’t this too absurd? Why must most gods perish?”
To Odin’s words, I replied softly.
“With the disappearance of the king of gods, hope vanished from the gods. Surely, wise as you are, you understand this?”
“That… that…”
Odin hesitated. His wise eye revealed the truth in my words.
Thus, all he could do was…
“You! How dare you try to bewilder me with such absurdities! Your prophecy is merely empty talk meant to draw attention! To deceive me with such nonsense is unforgivable!!”
Second: Anger.
Odin erupted in fury, like a volcano ready to blow, spewing rage from his mouth.
Then, grasping his famous spear Gungnir—crafted by dwarves and blessed by gods—he pointed it at the sage.
But the sage, whose body was made of golem flesh, didn’t flinch, knowing there was nothing to fear.
Even if it were my true form instead of the golem, it wouldn’t matter. Could this spear, thrust with all his might, even scratch me?
“Now, retract those absurd claims. Admit they were lies. Otherwise, my spear shall pierce you.”
Third: Negotiation.
Despite his menacing words, a faint tremble and fear lingered in his voice.
Was the unknown entity’s wild claims truly so burdensome?
The chief deity of the Eshir, renowned for his wisdom, was begging—not negotiating but practically pleading—with someone who merely foretold the future.
“A cancellation won’t change what’s destined. Surely, wise as you are, you know this?”
At the sage’s quiet words, Odin had no reply.
He simply dropped his spear, Gungnir.
“How… how can this be? Why must the gods face ruin? Were we born only to perish?”
Fourth: Despair.
Tears began streaming from Odin’s single eye.
Though the sight of the old one-eyed man crying was unpleasant, what can you do? Even gods cry in the face of unyielding fate.
If he hated his fate so much, he should’ve done better when Baal was around. Tch.
Regret always comes after the fact.
“Well, if this world desires ruin, then perhaps we should embrace it. If it’s an unavoidable fate, we must submit.”
Fifth: Acceptance.
Tears still flowed, but Odin began speaking as if he’d given up on everything, clearly aware of the consequences of resisting.
This way… Odin would likely give up everything.
Or worse, he might kill other gods to save himself from a painful demise.
While deserving gods dying poses no problem, innocent ones shouldn’t suffer… which could cause issues.
So, I added one more word.
“If this world seeks ruin, what about another world?”
“Another world…?”
“Yes. Wouldn’t avoiding ruin be possible in a completely different world?”
A blatant lie. No matter how far away, any other world connected to this one will still face its doom.
Unless a fully isolated world is created and all connections severed, there’s no escape.
“Creating another world like the Divine Hall directly… but how?”
“That’s beyond my help. But I believe it’s not impossible.”
Just as I made my bottomless pouch, other gods putting effort could probably create small spaces somehow.
It might be tough, but if Odin succeeds, I might spare his life… though I’ll pluck out his eye.
At my words, Odin nodded slightly.
“Right. There must be a way. Finding none means ruin, but finding it means salvation for all gods. I’ll become the savior of all gods.”
In a small voice, Odin muttered hope, but his single eye was distorted by despair and madness.
There was only an ignorant old man left.
—
That transformed Odin spent decades within his territory, producing unexpected results contrary to my predictions.
“Goddess of Life!!! Something terrible has happened!!!”
It started with Keres, a dragon-turned-god swallowed by the energy of death, now one of the judges of the Underworld.
“Hmm? This is rare. Coming here from the Underworld.”
“I’m different from the other two; I often roam around during my days off! I visit the Divine Hall frequently too! But never mind that, something terrible has happened!”
Terrible? What could be so bad that the God of Death and Judge of the Underworld would panic?
“The Paradise! It’s being invaded by outsiders! A major disaster has occurred!!!”
“What?”
Did I hear that wrong? An invasion of Paradise? The afterlife realm I set up being invaded? What’s going on?
“Who could invade Paradise? And how? The path to Paradise should only exist in the Underworld?”
“Let’s go check it out together! You’ll understand faster once you see it!”
Wait, what’s happening in Paradise to cause this? I don’t get it at all.
Especially since I was expecting the Eshir to make a move soon, their silence was starting to bother me. Tch.
So, I headed to Paradise with Keres.
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