Chapter 337: Deal with Death

"Is this really fine?" Ares asked with a sneer. "To allow a mortal such authority that he can bend the reality of an entire world to his will and not be punished for it?"

Hades raised a brow. "Do you have what it takes to go against him now?"

Ares growled. "Do not provoke me. You know very well what I am capable of, and how far I am willing to go when my pride is challenged and someone dares to question my authority."

Apollo hummed softly. "Then let your ego decide your next move and wage a war, if you can. Because from where I stand, the moment you or your playthings step into that realm, death will follow you like a shadow."

Ares clicked his tongue, clearly displeased. "Then help me. You have the power to torment the people of that world and force him to reveal himself. He possesses everything we should fear. If we allow him to nurture his strength unchecked, he will become a major obstacle for us in the near future."

"Then what’s your strategy?"

A voice that had no place in their conversation suddenly came from their left.

Ares’s eyes narrowed as he turned toward the woman. "Athena. I do not remember inviting you here."

Athena paid little attention to his hostility. She gracefully made her way toward the table before taking a seat apart from the others.

"I was asked by the God King to be here," she replied calmly.

"Odin?" Hades frowned. "What does he want now? To threaten us?"

Athena’s expression remained unchanged. She had never held a particularly high opinion of the gods around her, so she had no intention of taking sides in the matter.

In a flat, almost indifferent voice, the red-haired goddess spoke. "He has ordered Ares to abandon his plots against the Origin, unless he wants Odin to return him to the position he once held. Back to fighting the other side."

Ares roared.

The seat beneath him shattered under the force of his anger as he rose to his feet.

"He dares threaten me?!" His voice shook the chamber. "I will tear that crown from his head before I am finished with that abomination he and his friends are trying so desperately to protect."

Athena looked directly at Ares, her expression giving nothing away.

"Start with Death, then. She wishes for your presence in her domain, if you are willing. Why not pay her a visit and begin your hunt there?"

Ares fell silent.

His fists remained clenched at his sides, his knuckles tightening as he fought to contain his rage. After a moment, he growled, "Are you implying something, Athena? Are you certain you are here merely as that mad king’s messenger, or are your own emotions involved in this?"

Growling he added. "I remember hearing you being involved with that abomination some time ago too."

Athena met his glare without the slightest hint of fear.

"I am merely asking you to choose your next step carefully. I do not care what foolishness you involve yourself in, but if you are dethroned, the world will be plunged into mindless chaos."

She paused, her gaze shifting briefly toward the others before returning to Ares.

"I simply wish for the order to remain intact."

....

Kyle was currently standing close to the Core, the very source from which magic originated and spread throughout the realm.

Compared to the vast majority of other worlds, this one was relatively weak. And yet, it contained one of the purest forms of Genesis he had ever encountered. Perhaps that was why the other side was so eager to claim it.

He still had not unlocked all of his memories. He knew what would happen if he did. The sheer weight of everything buried within them could overwhelm his mind and erase whatever remained of his human existence, leaving behind nothing but the dry husk he had once been.

’You have been pretty silent these days, Adela,’ he remarked, calling the angel by her name.

As he spoke, he continued feeding more and more Genesis into the Core, watching the immense source of power respond to his presence.

At the same time, he prepared the pulse.

It was meant to wash over the world and ease away every memory that had ever recorded the existence known as Kyle.

[The System had suddenly lost almost all of its purpose now that the host had regained his powers and could easily deal with whatever danger came his way.]

The system had originally existed to guide his growth, helping him regain his strength one step at a time without overwhelming his vessel.

Even the recent skill he had received, King’s Dominion, which allowed him to use his abilities with greater efficiency, was nothing more than a glimpse of his unrestricted state. For a few brief seconds, he had simply been allowed to act as his complete self.

The truth was that every skill he had received, including God’s Eye, had been his own creation. They were abilities that belonged to him long before he had forgotten himself. In one way or another, they had always been meant to return to him.

And now that he remembered how to use them, there was little reason for the System to continue guiding him.

But Kyle knew there was still one purpose it could serve.

"I can’t remain in this state forever, or I’ll eventually damage my vessel."

The longer he continued using his full strength, the greater the chance that his physical body would collapse beneath it. And if that happened, the consequences would not be limited to him. The people around him would suffer as well.

’That’s why I’ll lock away my magic and skills within the limits I have prepared. And you, Adela, will keep track of how well my body is developing and how close it is to accepting my original strength.’

Kyle’s gaze remained fixed on the Core as Genesis continued to flow through it.

’You’ll also warn me if I subconsciously draw power from the strength I’ve sealed away.’

[The system would do that, host! Leave it to Aleda.]

Kyle faintly smiled before closing his eyes.

Time to release the pulse.