Return to the Womb

Another two hundred years passed.

No new gods were born, and no changes came from the activities of living beings. Aside from plants growing in more places, the earth had changed little from two hundred years ago.

But on this day, the disaster Ryan had foreseen finally happened.

Perhaps it had truly occurred, or perhaps it was merely the God King's paranoia. In any case, after enjoying himself with his children once again, the Sky Father declared that he had seen discontent and resentment in their eyes.

"So you've finally made your decision?" Uranus laughed maniacally. Standing by the sea, he threw the last child he had found, Rhea, onto the ground before him.

"You've been suppressing your dissatisfaction with me. Are you planning to turn your blades against me now?"

"We aren't, Father." Hyperion said, "We've all sworn an oath. No one would dare act against you."

"Yes—" Uranus interrupted his child's defense. "An oath. What a fine excuse. I can think of another one for you."

"For example, you don't have any weapons yet, do you? If you want to sit on the God King's Throne, you'll at least need a long blade."

The Twelve Titans fell silent. They knew their defenses were meaningless, so they quietly awaited the God King's judgment.

Things like this had happened many times in the past. The God King would always find some reason, reasonable or otherwise, to punish them as he pleased. The Titans thought it would be the same as before: they would suffer pain or endure mental humiliation, and they were prepared for that. But clearly, this time the result would exceed their expectations.

The gods had yet to realize how serious the problem was, because Uranus was truly going to do it this time.

After all, Gaia still had not given birth to another God Child in five hundred years.

"Titans, listen to me. I've thought of many ways to deal with you. For example, I could lock you all in the Abyss as well."

Turning his back on them, Uranus's voice suddenly grew calm.

He did not look at his children's expressions. He knew they would act frightened, but they were not truly afraid. Unlike those monsters, they were True Gods.

Abusing his authority would bring the world's punishment. Imprisoning a few monsters without a Divine Office would only weaken his divine authority temporarily. But if he imprisoned all twelve True Gods, the Divine Offices corresponding to them would lose control, and the consequences would continuously fall upon him.

That was what happened to Zeus in later generations. After defeating the Titan God Race, all the Titans who submitted to him, apart from Crios and Cronus, escaped disaster.

The weather could be replaced, and time and space had never been fully controlled. But if he dared to imprison the sun, the consequences would be enough for his elder brother to take his place.

It was only later, after Zeus's many children were born and the sun, moon, and stars all had gods who could replace them, that the Titan gods gradually faded from the divine court under his suppression.

But Uranus had no replacements now. For more than a thousand years, he had ceaselessly considered how to deal with his children. Only now had he finally come up with an idea.

How could a god "exist and not exist"? It would be enough for him to be born, yet also never be born.

Thus, the God King made up his mind, and his supreme divine power began to surge. His two thousand five hundred years on the God King's Throne had allowed him to nearly complete that final step. In terms of strength alone, he was no weaker than Great Divine Power.

Under the terrified gazes of the Twelve Titans, Uranus turned the sky into a blade and condensed it in his right hand. He looked at the gods before him and passed his final judgment in the name of the God King.

"You are rebellious, cowardly, and imperfect gods. You possess power, but you are unworthy of it. So, as your father and your King, I will mercifully give you another chance to do it over."

The Titans were somewhat bewildered.

They did not understand what their father meant. Once a god had been born, how could there be any talk of "doing it over"?

Only when the God King's right arm swept across the earth, and he seized his Firstborn, did the Titan gods finally understand how they would "do it over."

"Ah—!"

When the sky swept across the earth, Gaia's anguished voice resounded throughout the world. She had been waiting on the Divine Mountain for her husband to return when she suddenly felt immense pain. The earth was being torn apart, and as the manifestation of a personality, the Earth Mother felt it all herself.

She was absolutely certain that it was the God King's power. Supreme strength was forcibly cleaving open her abdomen, and she felt something familiar being stuffed inside.

Okeanos?

Amid her painful wails, Gaia seemed to recognize the source of the aura.

"Ahhh—!"

The next moment, an even more intense pain struck. This time, it was Tethys. Soon, as one familiar aura after another appeared, Gaia lost even the strength to wail. When Cronus also returned to the womb, she lay dazed atop the Peak of Divine Mountain, gazing at the sky that had remained unchanged for ten thousand years.

That had once been her beloved, but now it was her enemy.

The two of them could not coexist in this world. She was absolutely certain of that.

"Gaia, are you all right?"

No one knew how much time had passed before Uranus's voice came from the distance. The God King's tone was filled with joy, because he had finally solved the problem that had troubled him for so long.

"I no longer have to worry about my children." Uranus said cheerfully, "Prophecy can be delayed. It's possible. As long as they remain in your womb, they will never have been 'born.'"

"But you're violating my instincts."

There was no emotion in Gaia's voice. She did not even know how she could still speak. "As 'embryos,' they will absorb my power. But as fully grown gods, they will gain no enhancement from it."

"Yes, you're right. So I have to thank you, my God Queen." Uranus's voice suddenly softened, becoming as gentle as it had been a thousand years ago.

"I will remember what you've done for me."

"Now, let us celebrate this moment."

He drew Gaia into his arms, but the Earth Mother remained unmoved.

The God King did not care. He was the King of the Gods, and the gods were supposed to offer him everything they had. His children should do so, and so should Gaia.

············"It's begun."

Ryan raised his head and looked at the chaotic celestial phenomena.

The sky and earth had drawn together once more, but everyone who witnessed the scene felt an inexplicable sense of dread. The Source Sea trembled faintly, as though something terrifying was about to happen.

The wheels of Fate had begun to turn. Just as the myths foretold, the God King's Divine Office was about to change hands.

"The feast is about to begin, yet I'm the only audience member."

"Of the four primordial ancient gods still existing, only Gaia has completely taken on a personality. And only her fate is the most tragic."

"Perhaps this is the beginning of Gaia's transformation—a memory powerful enough to be etched into eternity, ensuring she will never trust a creature known as the 'God King' again."

Ryan narrowed his eyes slightly and walked out of this cave for the first time.

Between the earth and the Abyss lay a place that was still empty of everything. Later, it would be called the Underworld.

Eternal night and darkness intertwined there, while the Earth Mother and the Abyss converged there. Although most of Khaos's myths took place aboveground, the Underworld was actually the most terrifying place.

Ryan wanted to have the upcoming conversation there. If nothing went wrong, the Underworld would be his new home for the next Age.