Chapter 74: What are gods up to?

Liam opened the Planetary Archive and began scrolling through the updates that had accumulated while he was asleep. Hundreds of minor events had occurred during his absence, but several notifications immediately caught his attention.

[First Organized Multi-Settlement: Etia Established]

[Legendary Players Now Exist: The Defying Nine]

[The Defying Nine: Erid, Adin, Siar, Cull, Mizyuk, Retian, Gajia, Trias, Vax]

Liam stared at the names for a moment before leaning back.

"Ohh, should I make some of them become pantheons?"

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before remembering something.

"I mean, I already made Trias one of the pantheons. Speaking of pantheons, I should check on them after this."

He scrolled down slightly, revealing another series of developments that had occurred across the planet.

[Multi-Settlement Civilization Has Become Common]

[The Demon Race Has Become the Most Powerful Race]

[The Gnome Race Has Become the Second Extinct Race]

[Cause of Extinction: The Gnomes Chose Solitary Development. A Massive Earthquake Later Buried Their Entire Civilization.]

[An Emerging Heated Conflict Will Bring Chaos Across the World]

Liam’s eyes stopped at the final notification.

"Conflict? With the demon race and the others?" He stared at the words for another moment before his expression became slightly more serious. "Isn’t that basically a world war?"

He quickly opened another section of the archive.

"System, compare the forces of the demon race and the other races."

System: The Demon Race currently possesses combined forces comparable to combined forces of the Lizardmen, White Elves, and Humans.

Liam’s eyes widened slightly.

"So they are a threat, huh?"

He continued scrolling, finding several more developments that caught his attention.

[The Player’s Presence Has Become Widespread Due to Intervention and Revelation by the Pantheons]

[Dedicated Learning Institution Established: Gajia Academy]

Below those major events were countless smaller records, ranging from massacres and natural phenomena to political conflicts, discoveries, wars, and the rise and fall of settlements. Liam briefly skimmed through them before finally closing the archive.

"Now let’s see what the pantheons are up to."

Liam activated Planetary Consciousness Expansion.

The moment the ability took effect, something within his consciousness began to move.

It felt as though an enormous body of water had suddenly been released into countless narrow channels, rushing through every corner of his mind at once. His consciousness expanded outward, branching through forests, mountains, oceans, settlements, and even the deepest regions of the planet until the boundaries of his perception seemed to disappear entirely.

"I can see it..."

Liam’s voice became almost a whisper.

"Everything."

His perception stretched across the world.

He could see the smallest creatures crawling beneath leaves, insects moving through the soil, and tiny beasts hunting through dense forests. His awareness expanded toward the mountains, where enormous beasts wandered between cliffs, before reaching the skies where dragons soared above the clouds, their immense wings casting shadows over the land below.

He could see the settlements as well.

The world that had once been little more than scattered tribes had transformed into something far more complex. Roads connected settlements, buildings filled the cities, merchants moved between territories, soldiers trained with weapons, and ordinary people went about their daily lives without ever realizing that something far beyond their understanding was watching them.

His perception shifted again.

He saw dwarfs standing around enormous forges, their bodies illuminated by the orange glow of molten metal as hammers repeatedly struck heated weapons. He saw demons gathered around a massive carcass, tearing into the flesh with their bare hands while others laughed and celebrated nearby.

His awareness traveled farther.

Dark elves sat silently beneath the night sky, their bodies completely still as they meditated beneath the moonlight. Beastmen sharpened their claws against stone and metal, while fishmen moved through rivers and oceans that stretched across the world.

Liam continued observing until his perception reached the pantheons.

And then he stopped.

The scene before him was strangely different from what he had expected.

The five pantheons were gathered together beneath the same roof, interacting with one another with a casual familiarity that almost made them look like siblings living in the same house. They argued over insignificant matters, exchanged remarks, relaxed in each other’s presence, and occasionally laughed together.

Liam stared at them for several seconds.

After watching civilizations rise, fight, develop, and disappear, seeing the pantheons behave so casually was almost amusing.

"So that’s what you’ve been doing all this time..."

Then Liam decided to reveal himself.

It had been centuries since the pantheons had last seen their creator, and his return would not be something they could mistake for an ordinary appearance. The atmosphere inside their dwelling suddenly became unnaturally still as a strange presence began gathering upon the empty throne.

Particles of light slowly formed above the seat.

First came the outline of a body.

Then the legs, torso, arms, and head gradually took shape, each part being constructed piece by piece as though reality itself were assembling him. His clothing followed, materializing around his newly formed body until the familiar figure of Liam sat upon the throne.

The pantheons slowly turned toward him.

For centuries, they had carried out their duties, watched civilizations develop, and shaped the world according to the will of their creator.

And now, after all that time, he had returned.

Liam rested comfortably against the throne and looked toward the five pantheons with a faint smile.

"It’s been a while, my dear pantheons."

The five of them immediately rose from their seats and bowed their heads toward the figure upon the throne. Their voices echoed through the chamber at the same time, perfectly synchronized.

"We greet the Great Entity."

Liam looked down upon them in silence for a moment, his expression calm and unreadable. With a simple motion of his hand, he gestured for them to raise their heads.

"Rise."

The five pantheons obeyed without hesitation.

"I have been overlooking everything." His voice was neither loud nor forceful.

"I have witnessed your actions, the civilizations you have guided, the conflicts you have influenced, and the legacies you have allowed to flourish."

Liam slowly raised one hand, resting his cheek against it as his gaze remained fixed upon them.

"I could simply choose the next additions myself. After all, this world was born from my will."

A faint smile appeared across his face. "But I would rather hear your opinions."

The pantheons remained completely silent, waiting for him to continue.

"So, let us discuss the matter together." Liam’s eyes seemed to gleam with an unfathomable depth, as though countless years of history were reflected within them.

"Tell me, my pantheons... what do you believe this world still lacks?"