Chapter 331: Truth Behind the Divine Realm

The faint smile on Theron's weathered face slowly disappeared after hearing Arthur's answer. The immense audience hall fell into silence once more, the only sound being the gentle rustling of countless leaves outside the palace as a breeze swept across the colossal branches of the ancient tree. 

Seated upon the throne that had grown naturally from the trunk itself, the ancient Godking quietly studied the young man standing before him, his emerald eyes revealing neither anger nor amusement. 

Since Arthur had entered the palace, every instinct honed over nearly a million years had continuously warned him of an unknown danger, yet instincts alone could not erase the pride accumulated throughout more than five hundred thousand years of ruling as a Godking. He had stood at the pinnacle of the Divine Realm while civilizations rose and disappeared in the mortal realm. 

Countless Minor Gods trembled before his presence while even his fellow Godkings acknowledged his strength. Even if Arthur possessed something capable of threatening him, that did not automatically make the young man stronger. More importantly, if word spread that the ruler of one of the Divine Realm's territories had allowed himself to be questioned without even asserting his authority, it would become a stain upon the dignity of his position. 

Arthur, meanwhile, remained completely composed; the faint smile on his face carried neither mockery nor respect. Steve, standing quietly several steps behind, sensed the atmosphere becoming increasingly heavy and instinctively narrowed his eyes. 

Without warning, an overwhelming pressure descended upon the throne hall.

The emerald glow surrounding the throne brightened instantly as an immeasurable aura spread through the palace like an invisible ocean and every pillar supporting the enormous chamber started trembling. The aura itself was strangely gentle in appearance, resembling the flourishing vitality of an endless forest, yet beneath that tranquil surface lay an authority capable of crushing ordinary gods into submission. 

Arthur's expression remained unchanged. The invisible pressure crashed against him with enough force to flatten mountains, yet he did not retreat. Purple strands of Aether emerged around him almost lazily, flowing through the air like mist. His aura spread towards Theron and the overwhelming pressure rushing toward him stopped as though it had struck an immovable wall. 

The hall trembled violently. The palace formations, designed to withstand battles between gods, began shining with increasing intensity as they struggled to contain their power. Their powers collided silently, yet the clash alone caused the surrounding to distort. High above the palace, the gigantic branches of the World Tree rustled violently. Throughout the surrounding territory, multiple Minor Gods instinctively looked toward the palace with expressions of disbelief as an indescribable pressure spread across the territory.

Meanwhile, Steve felt his entire body stiffen. Although neither aura targeted him directly, merely standing between two existences of such raw power caused cold sweat to cover his back almost instantly. His breathing became noticeably heavier, while his instinct screamed at him to retreat as far away as possible. For a brief moment, he understood just how enormous the gap remained between himself and true Godkings. 

His eyes shifted toward Arthur, expecting to see at least some sign of effort, but the young man continued standing calmly with his hands resting naturally at his sides, his expression carrying the same confidence as before. 

Only a few seconds passed, yet for Theron those seconds felt remarkably long. The more his aura pressed forward, the clearer the result became. He could sense Arthur was extremely young, and he clearly had not expected to be pushed back by him. 

Continuing this confrontation would accomplish nothing except escalate matters into an actual battle, and although he believed he could survive such a fight, he could no longer confidently say he would emerge victorious. 

More importantly, victory itself had become secondary. If two beings of their level truly fought within his territory, the consequences would extend far beyond this palace. The entire floating island would likely collapse, and even the ancient tree sheltering inside his domain could suffer irreversible damage. Protecting this territory had been his responsibility for hundreds of thousands of years. He refused to sacrifice it merely to preserve his pride.

The pressure filling the throne hall disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared as Theron slowly withdrew his aura, and almost simultaneously Arthur recalled his own without the slightest hesitation. The palace formations gradually dimmed as the burden placed upon them vanished, while Steve unconsciously released a long breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. 

Theron leaned back against his throne and looked directly at Arthur, he gave a faint, almost helpless smile. "It seems," he admitted calmly, "I have underestimated you." 

Arthur's expression softened ever so slightly before he asked in the same composed tone as before, "So... are you willing to answer my questions now?" 

The Godking remained silent for another heartbeat before nodding. "Very well, ask what you came here to ask."

Arthur wasted no time. "Do you know which Godking ordered five Minor Gods to descend into the mortal realm?" 

The question caused Theron's expression to grow noticeably more serious. His fingers lightly tapped the armrest of the living throne as though organizing thoughts buried beneath hundreds of thousands of years of history. "Before I answer your question I need to tell you something," he finally replied. "We Godkings left the affairs of the mortal realm behind long ago." 

Seeing the confusion appear within Arthur's eyes, Theron continued before he could interrupt. "The Divine Realm may appear magnificent to those visiting for the first time. Endless divine energy, eternal life... it truly resembles paradise. But paradise is only paradise for those who have not reached its limits." 

His emerald eyes drifted toward the enormous branches extending beyond the palace walls. "Once someone reaches the limit of the Minor God realm, this place becomes a prison. There are no resources capable of allowing us to continue advancing." 

Arthur frowned slightly, clearly not expecting such an answer. Theron noticed the reaction and gave a faint smile. "Many ancient Minor Gods who were at the peak of their realm eventually accepted reality. They abandoned ambition and fused themselves with their Divine Domains, choosing eternal stability over impossible progress. That is how many of today's Godkings came into existence. But not everyone accepted such an ending."

His voice gradually became heavier as he continued. "Before the Divine Realm became isolated from the mortal world, there were already gods who had reached the realm of Major God." He paused briefly before looking back at Arthur. "Now imagine that after countless ages of stagnation, a path toward further advancement suddenly appears once again. What do you believe such individuals would do?" 

Arthur remained silent for several moments before answering thoughtfully. "They would leave the Divine Realm... and try to search for resources to progress." 

Theron slowly nodded. "Exactly." 

Arthur's brow furrowed further as the implication settled within his mind. "So you're saying there is an entire faction of Godkings preparing to invade Thyrandel... and that they're the ones who sent the five Minor Gods?" 

"That," Theron replied quietly, "is the most likely explanation." His gaze sharpened noticeably. "If you value your life, I would advise you not to cross paths with them. They are... considerably less benevolent than I am."

Arthur remained silent after hearing Theron's warning, carefully studying the ancient Godking's expression. There was no trace of deception within those emerald eyes, nor did he sense any hidden intent through his divine perception. Theron genuinely believed the words he had just spoken. The situation just became much more complicated, if an entire faction of Godkings desired to return to the lower worlds, then the five who had attacked Avalon were merely the beginning of something much larger.

He slowly folded his arms before asking, "You said they aren't as benevolent as you. What exactly do you mean by that?" 

Theron released another quiet sigh, the sound carrying an exhaustion that seemed to have accumulated over countless ages. "Because," he answered after a brief pause, "someone like you should not exist." 

Arthur's brows drew together slightly, but before he could interrupt, the Godking continued. "According to every law established by the World Consciousness, ascension into true godhood requires a divinity bestowed upon an individual by the world itself. Without it, no living being should be capable of crossing that threshold. Yet you stand before me possessing strength that rivals a Godking while lacking even the faintest trace of divinity granted by the World. You are an anomaly beyond every law governing this realm." 

Theron's gaze remained fixed upon Arthur, "Those who seek absolute order cannot tolerate anomalies. If they discover your existence, they will either kill you... or, should they fail, seal you away for eternity. Just as they once sealed the Dragons... and the Elves." 

The words hung heavily within the vast throne hall. Steve, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, frowned almost imperceptibly. Although he had some knowledge about ancient history from the tomes he recovered from around the world, he still lacked a lot of knowledge about the gods. Theron, however, was quickly filling the gaps. 

Resting one hand against the arm of his throne, Theron continued. "Long before the Divine Realm became what you see today, there existed four great Pantheons. The Human Pantheon, the Dragon Pantheon, the Elven Pantheon, and the Beastmen Pantheon. For countless ages they coexisted in an uneasy balance. There were conflicts, naturally, but none severe enough to threaten the realm itself. Then, as the ages passed, the resources capable of supporting Godkings gradually dwindled as the World consciousness slowed down their creation." 

Theron's voice grew noticeably quieter. "The Beastmen and Human Godkings reached an agreement. Together they trapped the Dragon and Elven Godkings behind ancient seals." 

Arthur listened without interrupting, sensing that the story had not yet reached its conclusion. As expected, Theron's expression darkened further. "But greed never ends with one betrayal. Once the Dragons and Elves were removed, the Human Pantheon turned upon its allies. The Beastmen Godkings suffered the same fate as those they had helped imprison. In the end..." He slowly spread his hands. "...only humanity remained."

Arthur's gaze hardened slightly as he absorbed the revelation. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked after several moments. "You're a human Godking yourself. Revealing something like this doesn't benefit you." 

Theron gave a faint, weary smile. "Perhaps not, but remaining silent benefits no one either. I chose neutrality long ago because endless cycles of vengeance solve nothing. Even so..." He paused briefly before looking directly at Arthur once again. "The humans living in the mortal realm are innocent. They know nothing of the choices made by their gods. They deserve the opportunity to determine their own future rather than inheriting the consequences." 

Arthur considered those words carefully. Theron continued before the silence could linger too long. "Unfortunately, circumstances are changing. The ancient seals imprisoning the Dragon, Elven, and Beastmen Godkings are weakening at an alarming rate. Something the World Consciousness recently did..." His gaze sharpened slightly. "...started their deterioration which no one anticipated."

"Since the human Godkings created the seals, can’t they repair it?" Arthur asked. "If they're weakening, reinforcing them should be the obvious solution." 

Theron slowly shook his head. "That would have been possible in the past. But now... it’s too late." He rested both hands upon the throne before continuing. "They had deteriorated beyond a certain point, and any attempt to strengthen them risks destabilizing the entire structure. The moment that balance collapses, the prison breaks completely." 

Arthur understood immediately, trying to repair the seals now would be no different than striking cracked glass with a hammer in hopes of making it stronger. 

Theron quietly asked, "Tell me, if those imprisoned Godkings finally regain their freedom after spending countless ages trapped because of humanity's betrayal... what do you believe their first action will be?" 

Arthur lowered his gaze in thought. "They'll seek revenge." Theron remained silent. Arthur continued, "They'll hunt the Human Godkings responsible for sealing them... and afterward, their hatred won't simply disappear. Even if the humans living in Thyrandel had nothing to do with those events, they'll become targets simply because they belong to the same race." 

A faint nod escaped the ancient Godking. "Precisely."

"The situation is even worse than that," Theron continued quietly. "Despite their overwhelming strength, even Dragon Godkings cannot permanently kill another Godking. Every one of us hides our Life Core so deeply that even beings of equal rank cannot easily locate it. Defeating a Godking and truly ending one are entirely different matters. However..." 

His expression became noticeably grimmer. "...Minor Gods possess no such protection. Once the seals fail, they will become the first victims. Entire pantheons could disappear within weeks. And even though the world consciousness wouldn't allow the massacre of the human species, there would be a lot of deaths among mortals." 

Arthur frowned. "If the Godkings can't truly kill one another, then how can they so easily kill Minor Gods?" 

The question had barely left his mouth before Theron gave an almost amused smile. "It seems the mortal realm has forgotten far more than I expected." 

Arthur waited patiently, but the Godking merely folded his hands together without elaborating. He quickly realized Theron wasn’t going to answer it. Rather than wasting time pressing the issue, he chose to focus on information that would help him immediately.

After a brief silence, he asked, "Then let me return to my original question. Among the Human Godkings from the group you mentioned, do you know who ordered those five Minor Gods to descend into Thyrandel?" 

Theron's answer came almost instantly. "No." Seeing Arthur's disappointed expression, he continued calmly, "You are forgetting something important. I remain neutral and those who actively seek influence over the mortal realm have little reason to inform me of their plans. They neither trust me nor require my approval. Whatever discussions occurred among them happened without my knowledge." 

Arthur quietly exhaled before nodding. Although the answer wasn't the one he hoped for, it was not entirely unexpected. If Theron truly stood apart from the other factions, it made sense that sensitive matters would be concealed from him. After a few moments of thought, he asked his final question. "Then at least tell me where these Godkings who wish to return to Thyrandel are gathered." This time Theron did not hesitate. "That..." A faint smile finally appeared on his face. "...is something I can answer."

…

Several minutes later, after receiving the information he sought, Arthur and Steve walked side by side through the corridors of the colossal palace. As they stepped out onto one of the enormous branches supporting the palace, the endless sea of clouds stretched before them once again. 

The same Divine Realm that had appeared almost tranquil upon their arrival now carried a completely different meaning. Beneath its breathtaking beauty lay betrayals that had endured for hundreds of thousands of years, and a conflict that threatened to consume not only the divine realm but the entire mortal world. 

Arthur silently looked toward the distant horizon where the territories of other Godkings lay hidden and his expression gradually became resolute. 

***

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