Global Gods : Skill-Resonance Awakened Chapter 359: Ch 359 : Stagnation

As Sunny glided along the shadowy passages of the profound emptiness, his ethereal cosmic shape wavering like a specter amid the void, the domains inside him basked in a time of unmatched serenity.

Deep in the heart of his soul's inner realm, the City of Gods, the Realm of Advancement, and the expansive Multiverse of Gods flourished in perfect harmony.

Thea's silver essence infused every particle of the air, serving as the supreme network for the entire domain.

Via her influence, all prayers reached their mark, every hunger was satisfied, and each soul found peace.

This formed the ideal paradise... an unbreakable haven where notions of starvation, disease, and dread had been erased from existence by the Sovereign's decree.

Yet, as the ancients understood, flawlessness demands a toll.

Atop the lofty terraces of the City of Gods, a pair of silhouettes gazed out over the boundless, gleaming vista of the inner realm.

Mammon, the demigod embodying Greed, rested against a balustrade forged from the purest alloy.

Next to him was Nova, Sunny’s eldest demigod offspring, her aura exuding a force that lent gravity to the surrounding atmosphere.

“Don’t you think their progress is turning... stagnant?” Mammon inquired, his golden gaze sharpening as he observed the people far below.

“Observe them. Their time passes in contemplation and creativity. They aim solely to attain Demigod status and then halt. With the demons unable to touch them... with them sheltered in the Master’s grasp... the urgent spark has faded away.”

Nova traced his line of sight. In the distance, a vast society of cultivators celebrated a feast. No haste marked their actions, no drive pushed for the following advancement.

“This is the irony of tranquility, Mammon,” Nova responded, her tone bearing the authority of an Empress. “The demons served as the grindstone honing their resolve. Devoid of extinction's shadow, complacency has set in. They believe a secure level suffices. Yet that sufficiency leads only to gradual demise.”

She faced Mammon, her features growing stern. “One path alone can rekindle that spark. We need to pull back the oversight. We must ease the Master’s grip and permit their innermost, shadowy urges to emerge anew.”

Mammon tensed. “Are you proposing we permit division among them? To revive the ‘Us versus Them’ divide?”

“Strife drives progress,” Nova declared resolutely. “When a cause for battle arises, advancement comes instinctively. If we keep guiding their steps, they’ll stay infantile indefinitely. We have to let the beings split apart, for within that split lies the drive to surpass their present bounds.”

Mammon shook his head, his thoughts already weighing the factors. “I grasp the concept, sister, but putting it into practice is daunting. Lifting the controls would make interstellar conflicts routine. These societies wield tech and sorcery that can demolish stars. Absent the Master’s Law to bind them, they’d unleash those arms against one another. The death toll would prove... devastating.”

“Should they perish,” Nova rebutted, “the divine boon of Nine Lives remains. And once those lives end, judgment awaits their souls. Those pursuing elevation through valor will ascend; those craving mere slaughter will face Hell.”

The Heaven and Hell framework in the Inner World stood ironically vacant at present.

Sunny’s Law barred major offenses and ill will, leaving Hell as a quiet, deserted chamber.

And with no beings perishing under his dominion, Heaven stayed hushed too.

Yet Nova’s idea would alter everything. It would transform the Inner World from a frozen Eden into a dynamic forge of trials.

“Sister Thea,” Mammon addressed the vacant space. “What’s your evaluation?”

The silver vapor around them stirred, solidifying into Thea’s graceful, see-through figure. Her eyes reflected the impartial reasoning of countless data streams compiled over hundreds of years.

“My calculations show,” Thea started, her tone gentle yet starkly truthful, “Big Sister Nova speaks true. Growth rates have plummeted 84% since the demon issue resolved, with the leftover progress tied solely to the Tower of Eternity.”

“The residents have tailored their ways for ease over elevation. To arm the Master with a mighty force, we must dismantle the ethical safeguards. We need to permit their failures.”

Mammon glanced between Nova and Thea, sensing the burden of choice. “And the blameless? The young ones ensnared in these inevitable splits? Can we really observe realms in flames just to witness survivors from the ruins?”

“You’re correct, Mammon... but that reflects life’s raw truth; we cannot impose changes on nature’s rules...” Nova stated. “Our role is to shape this New Bubble as architects... And to guarantee the highest caliber of beings within it.”

“Maybe we should consult the Master,” Nova proposed, seeking a decider.

“That’s off the table,” Thea cut in, her silver shape wavering.

“The Master has clearly handed internal domain management to us. He’s channeling his mind toward the Cosmic Bloodline and locating the Old Gods.”

“Disturbing him over this would betray our responsibilities. The choice falls to the Council of Demigods.”

“Then we’ll submit it to a full Council vote. Let the shared insight of his creations determine his subjects’ destiny.” Mammon exhaled. He realized the supporting demigods, those devoted to artistry, vitality, and invention... would reject conflict outright.

“As you say, Mammon,” Thea replied with a subtle, cryptic smile.

In the frigid, mute void, Sunny sensed a disturbance via his Nihilium Omniscience. He chose not to meddle, yet every exchange from the discussion had reached him.

‘Stagnation...’ Sunny pondered, his cosmic core throbbing with a deliberate, weighty beat. ‘They’re not mistaken. A garden deprived of light soon suffocates in its own excess.’

He pondered introducing select Demon Gods and demigods into his inner realm as foes, but swiftly rejected the notion.

Those demons stemmed from a concealed power. Admitting any trace of their core into his soul equated to smuggling a Trojan Horse into his lineage.

‘Thus, they must summon their own inner fiends,’ Sunny concluded.

A twinge of hesitation struck him. He had labored tirelessly to rescue these souls, granting them existence beyond the Spire of Sins’ horrors.

But he recognized his status as a Nihilium Royal... a lineage not merely governing existence, but forging it. A motionless existence spelled doom.

“I’ll allow the Council to vote,” Sunny murmured into the emptiness. “Yet I’ll hasten the hunt for the Old Gods’ Reincarnations. They represent the genuine links between eras past and yet to come.”

“Should my realm enter a fresh Age of Conflict, I desire it guided by those versed in loss’s sting and triumph’s heights.”

His gaze shifted to a remote, pulsing glow, a rudimentary multiverse vibrating with a known essence.

“Thea,” Sunny ordered, his words piercing back to his soul. “Should the council opt to remove the barriers, restore the ancient Gods’ memories to them. Make that the spark for the coming age.”

With an abrupt surge of Void Step, Sunny streaked across the dimensions, pursuing additional leaders for his inner realm.