Chapter 117: The Upperworld

Far above the clouds, where even the creatures of the Underworld had only glimpsed the heavens through the distant opening above, and far beyond where even the gods of the world had yet to see, there existed a magical land covered in endless clouds. Gentle light filled the entire realm without ever fading, illuminating golden pathways, floating lands, and countless structures made of white limestone.

This was Heaven.

In this place, magic was everything. It served as both their lifespan and their lifeforce, sustaining their bodies and allowing them to continue existing. It had only been a month since the first angels were created, yet their population had already reached twenty-four.

Their existence had only one purpose: to train, to serve, and to carry out the will of their Creator.

The first twenty-four angels had all originated from a single being. The First Angel, and was also the first among them to awaken his consciousness, and strangely enough, the moment he gained awareness, his immediate instinct was to give himself a name. He called himself Levectus, the First Angel and the First Sword of Liam.

Levectus began gathering magic from the surrounding air, slowly strengthening his body through the immense magical energy that filled Heaven. Only two days later, the second angel was born, and just like Levectus, her first action upon awakening was to give herself a name. She called herself Quantiam.

Although Liam had created the angels without assigning them genders, their bodies gradually began developing human-like characteristics as they accumulated more magic. Some eventually took on appearances resembling males, while others resembled females, much like how certain creatures could naturally exist without a fixed gender.

Despite these appearances, the angels remained capable of reproduction, allowing their numbers to continue growing.

Only two weeks after Levectus had been born, the tenth angel appeared. One week later, another ten emerged, bringing their population to twenty. Soon afterward, the remaining angels were born, bringing their total to twenty-four.

Although their existence was meant to serve Liam, the angels had organized themselves into a proper hierarchy. At the highest positions stood Levectus and Quantiam, with Levectus naturally becoming their leader.

Levectus was intelligent and possessed a charismatic presence that caused others to respect him almost immediately. He walked along a path made entirely of gold, heading toward a nearby house constructed from smooth white limestone. After several moments, he finally arrived.

"Levectus, the twenty-fourth has been born," an angel announced.

Levectus approached and saw the newborn angel standing silently before them. Like every newly born angel, it had no defined face, its features hidden beneath a layer of mist beneath its clothing. Its wings were also significantly smaller than those of the other angels, showing that it had not yet accumulated enough magic to fully develop them.

Levectus waited patiently until the twenty-fourth angel finally spoke. "Oradic."

The newly awakened angel had given itself a name.

Levectus extended his hand toward him. "Welcome to the Upperworld, Oradic."

The twenty-fourth angel suddenly spread its tiny wings. Brilliant light erupted from its body, covering him entirely before disappearing several seconds later. When the light faded, the shape of a bow could be seen forming along his arm.

"A ranged one."

The words escaped from nearly everyone at the same time.

The angels immediately lowered themselves to the ground and knelt before the newborn angel. Their left arms, which contained the weapons they had been blessed with, were raised toward the heavens as they recited the prayer passed down among them.

"O Entity who rules over the world, the true King and Creator, the one and only Supreme Being."

"Before your will, we offer our lives, our strength, and our very existence. We shall carry your words across the world and wield the gifts you have granted us without hesitation."

"May our blades strike where you command, may our bows pierce the enemies you condemn, and may our lives become instruments of your divine will."

"We shall serve you without question, protect your creation without fear, and remain faithful to the path you have given us."

"For you are our Creator, our King, and the reason we exist."

"Until our final breath, we shall serve you."

"The Entity."

"Forever and always.

The moment they finished their prayers, a strange glow suddenly began spreading across their bodies. The angels were startled by the phenomenon, yet none of them dared to move, remaining firmly on their knees as the light continued to grow brighter around them.

"Our prayers have been heard," Levectus quietly muttered, his eyes fixed upon the heavens. His voice carried a mixture of awe and certainty, and the other angels remained silent, waiting for whatever their Creator intended to reveal.

Seconds later, the mysterious glow suddenly vanished. For a brief moment, everything became completely silent, until an enormous beam of radiant light pierced down from the heavens, passing directly through the roof of the limestone structure as though the stone itself had become intangible.

The beam illuminated the entire chamber, forcing the angels to shield their eyes as an overwhelming brilliance descended upon them. Even Levectus lowered his head, unable to withstand the intensity of the light, while the air itself seemed to tremble beneath the presence that had entered their realm.

Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the brilliance began to fade. The angels slowly opened their eyes, and one by one, their expressions changed as they witnessed what had descended before them.

A presence stood within the remaining light, its form impossible to comprehend, yet every angel immediately recognized who it was.

Their Creator. The Entity.

A voice then echoed throughout Heaven, deep and overwhelming, carrying an authority that caused the very clouds beneath them to tremble.

"Carry the Sword."

The angels remained completely still as the voice continued, its command reaching every corner of Heaven.

"And let everyone obey its wishes."

The moment those words were spoken, every angel lowered their heads toward the ground. Levectus stared at the presence before him, his eyes filled with unwavering devotion as he finally understood the purpose of the command.

The Sword had been given.

And they would make the world obey its will.