Athos was the first to wake in the dense, dim forest.
He stared at the palace within arm's reach, at its walls already covered in cracks. Fine beads of sweat seeped from the bumps covering his body.
He had just entered the Illusion Overlord's illusion and seen a true god.
In his mind lingered Its blurred figure and Its gentle voice:
"Athos, I knew of your betrayal and your ambition long ago. But that is only natural. I would rather be betrayed by you than become another deity."
"My child, do not follow my old path. Abandon everything here. Abandon all my sequence talents. Go to Earth and attain divinity there."
"Or die on Planet Earth."
"Whatever you do, do not become a god on Planet Earth. Even becoming a demigod carries risks."
Athos stared blankly at the multicolored eyeball in his hand. Like a glass marble, it quietly radiated a gentle glow and felt cool to the touch.
A few fragments flashed through Athos's memory.
He vaguely remembered how, brimming with confidence, he had joined forces with four other deities to ambush the Illusion Overlord.
He vaguely remembered something momentous happening at the end. The sky cracked, and the earth thundered. It seemed to have been a war between deities. The Harvest Mother Goddess, the Death God, Calamity, and the Rune Demon had arrived together.
After that, he remembered nothing.
Athos silently put away the eyeball, his gaze wavering.
He stepped forward, picked up a stone, and slipped it into his pocket.
"Hmph. A sentimental deity. No wonder you were the first to die." With both hands in his pockets, Athos finally noticed the others slowly waking.
Beneath her mask, the King of the Underworld frowned. She had just been trapped in an illusion, where ten years seemed to