Chapter 318: Ascending to Godhood

Several hours before the five gods descended on the planet, the morning across Thyrandel had begun no differently from countless others. Gentle sunlight bathed the forests surrounding Steve's secluded residence while birds sang peacefully from the towering trees. 

A cool breeze drifted through the courtyard, carrying the fragrance of blooming flowers that Eveline had painstakingly cultivated over the years. It was a quiet life, one neither of them had imagined they would be fortunate enough to enjoy after everything they had endured. 

A small wooden table rested beneath the shade of an ancient oak where the couple sat together, sharing breakfast while occasionally exchanging lighthearted conversation. Steve slowly lifted a steaming cup of tea toward his lips, intending to enjoy the peaceful morning before resuming his studies later in the day. 

However, just as the porcelain cup reached halfway to his mouth, his entire body froze. His pupils contracted slightly while his gaze instinctively shifted toward the endless blue sky above. The relaxed smile that had lingered on his face vanished completely. Even the mana surrounding him fluctuated almost imperceptibly. 

Sitting opposite him, Eveline immediately noticed the subtle change in her husband’s expression. Although she had lived with Steve for centuries, she could count on one hand the number of times she had ever seen such a serious expression appear on his face. 

Carefully placing her own cup upon the table, she asked softly, "Honey... what happened?" Steve remained silent for several seconds before finally lowering his untouched tea back onto the table. His voice carried an unusual weight as he quietly muttered, "The barrier... the first threshold has finally broken."

Eveline blinked in confusion. "The first threshold?" she repeated. "What barrier are you talking about?" 

Eveline being unaware about the barrier separating Thyrandel and the divine realm was nothing odd. Throughout Thyrandel, only an extremely small number of individuals even knew such a barrier existed. Kings, Sages, Transcended experts... almost none of them possessed the qualifications to learn of it. 

Steve slowly leaned back in his chair before releasing a long sigh. "Long ago," he began calmly, "the World Consciousness established a barrier separating Thyrandel from the Divine Realm. Its purpose was simple... to prevent gods from freely walking among mortals. Without that barrier, beings who possessed divine authority would constantly interfere with the world's natural development." 

He paused briefly while looking toward the distant sky once more. "That barrier isn't a single wall, it's divided into several thresholds. As long as each threshold remains intact, higher-ranked divine beings cannot descend." 

Eveline gradually began understanding the implications. "And..." she asked carefully, "...the first one just broke?" 

Steve nodded. "Yes." His voice remained calm, but the seriousness behind it was unmistakable. "Which means Minor Gods can now descend into Thyrandel without being rejected by the world." 

Eveline's face immediately paled. She had spent enough time beside Steve to understand what those words truly meant. Her husband wasn't merely an ordinary human. He was Augustus... a rogue Demigod who had rejected being under the Divine Realm’s influence more than a thousand years ago. 

The very existence the gods had spent centuries searching for. If divine beings could finally enter Thyrandel again... then it was only a matter of time before they resumed hunting him for his folly. 

She immediately stood from her chair, unable to suppress the worry in her eyes. "Will they come after you?" she asked quietly. "Now that they can finally enter this world... won't they immediately begin searching for you?"

Steve looked toward his wife before a faint smirk appeared across his face. Unlike Eveline, genuine fear didn't exist within his expression. "Eventually?" he answered honestly. "They will definitely come after me." Then he shrugged as though discussing tomorrow's weather. "But it doesn’t matter." 

Seeing Eveline's confusion, he continued explaining, "Only the first threshold has broken. The barrier is still more than strong enough to prevent Major Gods from descending. At most, the Minor Gods will appear." His smile widened slightly. "And I can deal with a few Minor Gods." 

The confidence in his voice wasn't arrogance, it was simple certainty. After remaining at the Demigod Realm for over a thousand years, Steve had long since surpassed the limits of ordinary Demigods with his natural talent. Although the barrier had prevented him from ascending into true godhood, it had also forced him to continue tempering every aspect of his being. 

His foundation had become so terrifyingly solid that even most Minor Gods weren't opponents he particularly feared. Eveline naturally understood that as well, yet concern still lingered upon her face. "Even so..." she murmured, "...I don't like this." 

Steve reached across the table and gently squeezed her hand. "Neither do I." His expression gradually became more thoughtful. "But this situation isn't entirely bad." Eveline tilted her head slightly. "What do you mean?" 

Steve slowly stood, his gaze once again drifting toward the heavens. "As long as the barrier remained fully intact..." he explained, "...I couldn't ascend." He raised one hand before slowly clenching it into a fist. "The moment I became a true god, the World Consciousness would've immediately ejected me from Thyrandel. It would've treated me exactly the same as every other deity." His eyes gradually brightened. "But now... things have changed."

A subtle ripple spread throughout the surrounding mana as Steve unconsciously released a trace of his power. Although it lasted only a brief moment, the pressure alone caused the flowers throughout the courtyard to sway gently beneath an invisible force. "The first threshold breaking means the world's rejection has weakened." 

He looked toward Eveline with a smile that carried both excitement and determination. "I can finally ascend to godhood... without being expelled from this world." Eveline's beautiful eyes widened. "You're going to break through?" 

Steve nodded. "I've waited more than a thousand years for this opportunity." There wasn't the slightest hesitation in his voice. For over a millennium he had deliberately remained trapped at the Demigod Realm despite possessing more than enough strength to advance. 

Every attempt would've ended with him being forcibly expelled into the Divine Realm where countless enemies patiently awaited his arrival. Remaining within Thyrandel had been both his greatest protection and his greatest limitation. Now, for the first time in centuries, that limitation had finally begun disappearing. 

Eveline slowly approached him before wrapping both arms around his waist. She rested her forehead against his chest while remaining silent for several moments. Eventually she whispered softly, "Just... be careful." 

Steve smiled gently while embracing her in return. "Always." She looked up into his eyes before speaking once more. "Promise me you'll come back." Steve chuckled quietly. "When have I ever broken a promise?" 

Eveline couldn't help smiling despite herself. "More times than I can count." Steve laughed, the tension surrounding them easing considerably. Yet neither of them truly forgot the seriousness of what was about to happen. Eventually Eveline stepped back and nodded. "I'll wait for you here." 

Steve gently brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear before replying, "It shouldn't take long." His gaze shifted toward the distant mountains where countless mana veins converged.

Without another word, Steve's figure gradually faded from the courtyard, leaving only a faint breeze behind. Eveline remained standing alone within the courtyard for several seconds before quietly returning to the table. Steve's tea still rested there, untouched and gradually cooling beneath the morning sunlight. 

She slowly picked up the cup, staring silently at the gentle ripples across its surface. Although Steve had spoken confidently, she couldn't completely suppress the uneasiness growing within her heart. After all, they weren't speaking about ordinary mages or even Demigods. 

The enemies Steve had hidden from for over a thousand years were true gods. Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away, Steve reappeared atop the summit of an isolated mountain that overlooked hundreds of kilometers. 

The location possessed one of the densest concentrations of mana throughout the entire continent while remaining completely abandoned due to its harsh environment. Standing alone beneath the open sky, Steve slowly closed his eyes. 

He took one deep breath before allowing the aura he had restrained for more than a millennium to rise freely. Instantly, the heavens reacted, clouds across hundreds of kilometers began swirling violently while immense quantities of mana surged toward the mountain from every direction. 

Birds fled in panic, magical beasts instinctively retreated into their dens, and even the surrounding mountains trembled faintly beneath the pressure radiating from Steve's body. He opened his eyes once more, his calm expression gradually becoming serious. "It's finally time..." he murmured to himself. 

Then, without any further hesitation, he released every remaining seal he had placed upon his body. The aura of a Demigod who had accumulated power for over a thousand years erupted into the heavens, announcing the beginning of an ascension unlike anything Thyrandel had witnessed since the ancient era.

Unlike ordinary breakthroughs, ascending to Godhood wasn't simply about accumulating enough energy. It was the complete transformation of one's existence both body and soul. Every cell, every strand of soul, every law one had comprehended would be refined into divinity itself. A single mistake during the process meant total annihilation, body and soul erased together.

Steve slowly raised one hand as a golden light emerged from within his body for the first time in centuries, illuminating the entire mountain.

The heavens responded immediately.

BOOOOOOM!

A thunderous roar echoed across the skies as black tribulation clouds began gathering from every direction, stretching for hundreds of kilometers. The sunlight disappeared beneath the rapidly expanding sea of darkness while bolts of golden lightning danced endlessly inside the clouds.

Steve merely looked upward without the slightest trace of fear. "I've waited long enough."

With those quiet words, the first stage of his ascension officially began.

***

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