Amanises

"It's a miracle he's lived this long," Truman remarked.

"He... was born this way." Sasrir was quite helpless; being the Vice-King of Heaven was truly exhausting for him.

"Hello, I am Leodero." Surprisingly, it was the furious Leodero who reacted first, suppressing his anger and introducing himself.

"Greetings, distant guest. I am Oseacus."

At that moment, a man in a white robe walked over, his smile radiant and full of vitality, his short golden hair glistening in the sunlight.

He gave Truman a feeling very similar to the Ancient Sun God.

"You've already met the angels beneath the Sun," Sasrir said, also introducing Truman to these angels.

"He's no weaker than the Ancient Gods."

Compared to a single Ancient God, naturally he wasn't weak, but the Ancient God Alliance was something even the Ancient Sun God had to treat with caution.

Moreover, the Ancient Gods from whom the Ancient Sun God intended to reclaim authority belonged to two major camps. Without sowing division, a one-versus-six fight would be unbearable for anyone.

Truman was here to push that very matter forward.

The two continued touring the Sun God's divine kingdom, while the three angels watched from afar.

"Why does he feel so weak?" Medici was puzzled. "And yet I dare not make a move against him. Even provoking him feels like it would invite disaster."

"Either of you two want to challenge him?" Medici goaded the other two.

"I'm not an idiot." Leodero snorted coldly, refusing to take the bait.

"Oh, really? I hadn't noticed." Medici blurted out a provocation, nearly making Leodero bristle again.

"We might be facing a war," Oseacus said, his smile fading slightly, his tone grave.

"That would be wonderful!" Medici raised an eyebrow. With his legion backing him, he was at his strongest—war was what he thrived on.

"This place..." Truman stared in astonishment at a city before him, several times more magnificent than the City of Silver. It was at least millennia ahead of its time.

Greek colonnades, Byzantine domes, Gothic spires—architectural styles lost to the ages were reborn within this divine kingdom.

"Using Beyonders as construction workers—that's certainly your style." Truman chuckled.

There was no shortage of low-sequence materials or Beyonders here. A simple selection process, and potions were granted.

For the humans of this era—and even later generations—this place was truly a heaven.

"This will be the future," Truman finally judged.

That the Ancient Sun God could become the Creator of the Third Epoch was evident from this alone.

"Why is the vampire progenitor called Lilith?" After touring that colossal city, Truman asked Sasrir.

"The roots of humanoid Ancient Gods all lie in humanity," Sasrir said.

Truman nodded lightly.

"Still, Lilith has maintained her humanity quite well. She's the only one worth cooperating with."

Sasrir was satisfied with the partner Truman and the Goddess had chosen.

"I've received word that the Demon Wolf clan has already set out for the Giant King's Court."

The Goddess stirred up trouble that quickly? Truman was somewhat surprised.

"It's related to the commotion you caused in the City of Silver."

The emergence of Chaos Sea aura awakened the Demon Wolf that had claimed the Fool Pathway. The location of its appearance made the Demon Wolf wary.

The Demon Wolf and the Giants were locked in an endless blood feud, each constantly seeking to devour the other. But the Demon Wolf was more frenzied—once its destructive urges were provoked, they were unstoppable.

"Affected by this, all the Ancient Gods have their eyes fixed on the Giant King's Court."

"...Then I suppose I can afford a laugh or two!" Truman shook his head with a light smile.

Around the time Truman met with the Ancient Sun God, the disturbance caused by the Chaos Sea Sefira's fluctuations had already begun.

In the divine kingdom of the Destruction Demon Wolf, within a rough yet tranquil temple, a figure took shape.

The Goddess of Misfortune, Amanises, opened her eyes, stepping out of concealment. Her expression was cold, as if a suppressed madness flickered beneath the surface.

She walked out of the crude temple and looked out upon an endless, primeval forest—a towering mountain range that pierced the clouds, its peak invisible.

Further off, several terrifying beasts seemed to be writhing, their howls unceasing, making the very earth tremble.

The Goddess walked in silence, heading toward the mountain's summit, as if on a pilgrimage, filled with reverence.

"Oooh!" A wolf howl echoed from the towering mountain, thick with undisguised malice.

The Goddess of Misfortune, Amanises, remained expressionless, calmly facing the massive demon wolf that blocked her path.

This demon wolf was terrifying, like a small mountain barring the way. Its body was covered in dark, short fur, its eight legs thick and powerful, and its pitch-black eyes fixed on Amanises with pure malice.

"I challenge you! The position of God of Misfortune belongs to the great Gozrat!"

The demon wolf spoke, strange light flickering across its body—the deepest, most profound darkness, radiating the power of concealment and fear, symbolizing silent destruction and oblivion.

Amanises looked past the demon wolf. Behind it, several similar wolves lurked, watching. If Amanises showed even a hint of weakness, she might be torn apart by the pack.

A mad Ancient God might need a subordinate god of misfortune, but it wouldn't care who filled that role.

And this was merely a typical day for the Goddess of Misfortune.

These demon wolves were impossible to kill, and utterly vexing.

Amanises had clearly grown accustomed to this routine of being challenged the moment she stepped out. She merely cast a faint glance at these walking aberrations before striding onward.

"ROAR!" The Eight-Legged Demon Wolf bellowed, its power of fear and secrecy spilling forth alongside the darkness.

But Amanises simply continued walking, her form transforming into a pencil drawing, then erased by a rubber. When she reappeared, she was already atop the mountain.

The power of secrecy and misfortune was formidable. Those Eight-Legged Demon Wolves, equivalent to Sequence 2 or Sequence 3 of later eras, could not even glimpse her retreating figure. Still, they were rather annoying...

"Amanises."

Another demon wolf approached, but this one was different. Its body lacked that terrifying aura, and it was far more elegant than the others. From time to time, crystalline Worms of Spirit burrowed in and out of its hide.

"Antigonus." The goddess nodded lightly. Before long, another demon wolf arrived at this spot. This one resembled Antigonus, its pitch-black pupils occupying three-quarters of its eyes, with a tuft of white fur on its forehead.

The God of Wishes, Kotar the Darkness Demon Wolf.

Hmph! Antigonus shot Kotar a look of disgust and walked on ahead without another word.

Ahead stood another divine being, half-human, half-beast. It was covered in black-and-white feathers, its head closer to that of a bird, and its pallid skin bore eerie symbols, exuding a thick, deathly aura.

The God of Death, Salinger.