Translator: Ryogawa
TLC: Hedonist
Fernando nodded and caused yet another rainbow pathway to appear without looking like he used any spatial energy at all, out of which Han Hao stepped through.
“Father, why are you here?” he asked as he gawked at the others. He quietly walked towards him and assumed a position beside him.
Han Hao’s appearance caused the other overgods’ expressions to visibly shift. They likely knew that Han Hao had formed a new Quintessence in the Fringe, but as they hadn’t met him in person before, they kept their guard up while sizing him up.
Han Shuo didn’t answer his query and turned to Althea disapprovingly. “Why did you rope Han Hao in? What does this have to do with him?”
Opening Aethernia was a really dangerous affair and Han Shuo wanted to bear the risk alone. He wouldn’t let Han Hao join him on this perilous journey.
“He has a new Quintessence. Any Quintessence overgod is obligated to fight Her,” Althea said plainly, “Not to mention, She would definitely go after Han Hao after re-emerging from Aethernia. I’m involving him for his own good.”
“That’s right. Those of us with Quintessence should work together. We need all the power that we can get,” Azdins, the God of Light, said approvingly.
After a cold humph, Han Shuo didn’t say anything else and brooded on his own.
“The battle of the gods cannot continue to drag on. Now that we have gathered together, let us go through the rules of the battle for our two newcomers,” Althea said. “I’m sure you all understand that we won’t be allowed to personally participate in the battle and can only guide the participants on the big picture, right?”
Althea furrowed her brow and turned to Han Shuo and Han Hao. “These are the rules for those who bear the Quintessence, all for the sake of our own good. It wouldn’t do all of us any good if there is too much chaos from rule breaking. Do you two have any issue with it?”
“No,” Han Shuo said with a shrug. Han Hao didn’t initially say anything, but begrudgingly nodded after hearing the answer.
The battle of the gods had something fundamental to do with the power of Quintessence overgods, who could easily dominate normal gods. The moment they joined the fray, the entire battle could be overturned in an instant, having the potential to disrupt the natural flow of the battle.
Just as the gods guided the many lifeforms of this universe, the Quintessence overgods could guide their subordinates for their own benefit. But if they involved themselves in a massacre of normal gods, the chain reaction could cause the entirety of Elysium to end up as a desolate wasteland. For instance, if Nestor, Amon, and Cratos personally fought, they could wipe out all the gods of the Dominions of Water, Light and Life, and the same could be said if those dominions’ Quintessence overgods did the same in revenge. Nobody would benefit from such an outcome where no gods remain in Elysium, causing the generation of faith to no longer be possible and ending with them losing control of their Quintessence.
Seeing the two of them assent to the condition, Althea pondered for a moment before she continued. “I don’t care how you choose to start joining the fight, nor can I stop you from doing so. But one thing must be stressed: we are running out of time, so it must begin soon and end quickly.”
“Althea, how did that brat form a Quintessence? Ours were granted to us by her. Is it really possible to form our own?” Monroe asked while shooting Han Hao an odd look. The other gods turned to him as well, all filled with questioning looks.
Shaking her head, Althea said, “Even I don’t know how. His Quintessence is indeed unique, much like how unconventional of a lifeform he is. It is not something I could’ve predicted.”
“Time is running short, so I shall be sending you all back,” Fernando said when he noticed Han Shuo’s expression turning sour by the moment. He immediately opened the pathways once more to urge the others to leave.
The first one to leave was the Goddess of Destiny, Althea, followed by the God of Light, Goddess of Life, and the rest, leaving only Fernando, Nestor, Amon, Cratos, Han Shuo, and Han Hao.
“I believe we should have our own discussion here,” Nestor said as he turned to Fernando.
“I will instruct my subordinates to construct spatial transference matrixes to link up the Dominions of Death, Darkness, Destruction, Space and the Fringe. The three cities in my dominion are also ready. Once the matrix is complete, they will be able to join your armies against the Dominions of Light, Life, and Water at any moment.”
“Very well. With this advantage, we’ll be able to assault and retreat as we please.” Nestor then raised an eyebrow and said, “However, we don’t intend to start with the Dominion of Light.”
“Then, who will you be attacking first?” Han Shuo wondered.
“The Dominion of Destiny!” Cratos said. “All these years, she has watched coldly as our dominions fought among ourselves. Since she has said that even her dominion wouldn’t be able to escape this fate, we should let her have a taste of what it’s like!”
Han Shuo’s heart skipped a beat as he turned to gawk at Nestor, Amon, and Cratos. Fernando and Han Hao were just as surprised, however, it didn’t sound like they had been joking.
“Very well. I was about to suggest that from the start,” Fernando said, taking a deep breath as some light seemed to return to his empty eyes. “The only dominion to escape the damage wrought by the battle of the gods is hers every single time. Who knows how much power they have managed to amass over the aeons… Since we have a chance to strike back, we should make them pay!”
Han Shuo didn’t think Fernando would be for the suggestion either. The Goddess of Destiny’s favoritism for her own dominion had gotten on their nerves.
The other three looked each other in the eye and started laughing abruptly. Nestor said, “Since we all want to go there, we should start discussing the details. Bryan, oh, I mean Han Shuo, we will need the Fringe’s full support. Afterall, the number of elites you have has suddenly shot up.”
The concept of the passage of time doesn’t seem to apply to this space. Only after they had chatted for who-knows-how-long and finalized their plans did Fernando personally send each of them off.
When he stopped through the spatial pathway, Han Shuo emerged right above the Hexopolis, the sole city in the Fringe. Han Hao didn’t come with him and instead asked Fernando to send him to the Dominion of Destruction with Cratos. As godhunters were special gods who had betrayed their respective Quintessence overgods, they couldn’t generate faith for them, but they were still necessary. Han Hao still needed them.
Han Shuo wasn’t in a rush to return to Pandemonium. Instead, his avatar went looking for Salas and Wasir at the Hexopolis to ask them to prepare for the arrival of those from the Dominion of Space. Karey had acted much faster than he had imagined; right after he asked for Salas and Wasir in the Hexopolis, Karey appeared outside the city in a bright flash. After announcing his identity, he entered and started discussing the matter of the transference matrix with Salas and Wasir.
“Salas, Wasir, work with Karey to get the transference formation ready in short order.” Han Shuo didn’t say anything else, leaving everything to Karey before heading to Pandemonium.
Ten years swiftly passed, during which many transference matrixes had been set up all over the Fringe and the Dominions of Death, Destruction and Darkness. They were now fully prepared for war.
Han Shuo’s main body could now use a super spatial refraction mirror to communicate with the other three Quintessence overgods in their respective dominions. These days, they were reorganizing their forces into one before their imminent attack on the Dominion of Destiny.
But during such a crucial time, Han Shuo received word from Han Hao through his magic mirror that the Dominions of Light, Life and Water had started attacking the Dominion of Destiny before they did! It was a completely unexpected turn of events for everyone involved.
At the same time, the Dominions of Earth, Wind, Lightning, and Fire announced the formation of an alliance to attack the Life-Water-Light alliance’s dominions while they were away. That was how the unprecedented battle of the gods started.
