Apocalypse's cold, emotionless announcement descended like a divine decree from the heavens, drowning out every sound on the battlefield.
The Destructive Energy gathering aboard the Holy Light Warships and the two sides fighting on the ground alike fell into an eerie silence.
A will that covered the entire globe pressed down like an invisible hand, forcibly pausing the bloody opening act of this God War.
Observer... World Reconstruction... Age of Divine Selection...
Qin Chuan frowned, his mind racing. He quickly reached out to Dies Martin and Aleisa, Lady of Night, through Divine Sense. "Did you receive the announcement too? Were you also classified as 'players'?"
After a brief silence, Dies Martin's voice sounded in Qin Chuan's mind. "Kid, something's wrong. I never thought Apocalypse would issue an announcement like that."
Aleisa's voice carried a trace of confusion. "Does Apocalypse intend to put every one of us in the same category? Blue Star humans and hostile deities alike?"
It was not just Dies Martin and Aleisa.
At that moment, every deity across Blue Star, including the fanatical Angels who had called for the purification of all things, was gripped by unprecedented bewilderment and offended fury.
These deities walked among countless worlds, spreading faith or destruction. They had believed their conquests and expansion took place with Apocalypse's tacit permission, or at least within its rules, and treated each world as their own hunting ground.
Apocalypse had seemed more like a lofty maker and witness of the rules, while they were privileged participants under those rules—collaborators, in a sense.
But now Apocalypse's announcement had labeled them "players," right alongside mortals they regarded as ants.
How absurd!
To treat them as equals to those feeble mortals?
It was an affront to the dignity of the Gods!
Anger rose in the Gods' hearts, only to