Global Gods : Skill-Resonance Awakened Chapter 393 393: Ch 393 : A Million Years Long Guilt

Within the grand and transcendent City of Gods, an atmosphere rich with fragrant blossoms and ancient incense permeated the air.

Adam found himself in solitude amidst the royal palace gardens, his gaze fixed on the countless, iridescent spheres that floated serenely above.

Each orb represented a distinct world, a preserved haven for souls currently undergoing the intricate process of restoration.

A single, glistening tear made its descent down Adam's aged face, a testament to a millennium of isolation and the profound sorrow that had shadowed him since the conclusion of the Old Era.

Witnessing these souls, his companions and kin, brimming with renewed vitality served to thaw the frozen shackles around his heart.

"Now, only you remain," Adam murmured, his voice laced with emotion as he looked at the lustrous jade token held within his hand. "Soon, we shall all be reunited. We will achieve the unimaginable, a feat that eluded us for ages. We shall ascend, not as fading whispers, but as a unified, resounding declaration."

He gently wiped his face, a radiant smile dispelling his current melancholy. With renewed resolve, he straightened his posture and addressed the vacant space. "Thea, what is our current count? How many memories has the Emperor successfully retrieved from the epochs past?"

Before him, a sophisticated interface of violet light materialized, the system panel activating in the air.

[Of the 5 billion souls belonging to the ancient gods, I currently hold the complete memories of 50 million Gods,]

Thea's melodious voice responded.

[The collection process is ongoing. Master is presently traversing the River of Time, extracting the fragmented recollections of these old Gods at regular intervals.]

A lengthy, cascading roster of names materialized, names unspoken since the colossal conflict between the Gods and Demons.

Periodically, the Overseer would immerse himself in the volatile, ever-shifting currents of the River of Time. He endured the intense mental pressure of experiencing millennia of history in a mere heartbeat, only to return to the City of Gods to recuperate and meticulously sort the recovered information.

"That is truly remarkable... ," Adam reflected, his eyes scanning the list. "Gradually, they will all surpass the pinnacles of their former existences. They will necessitate every bit of that regained power for the trials ahead. The Demon Lords will not stand idly by as their domains are reclaimed."

The moment these words escaped his lips, a dazzling beam of cosmic light pierced the garden's center. As the intense radiance receded, Sunny emerged, his violet eyes alight with a playful, triumphant glow.

"I overheard your mention of the Demon Lords, Adam," Sunny remarked, a sharp, confident smirk gracing his lips. "So, I decided to make an appearance and bring you tidings that I believe you will find exceptionally... gratifying."

Adam turned, his intrigue immediately captivated. He understood that Sunny's characteristic smile often preceded seismic shifts in the fabric of reality.

"Indeed? Your demeanor suggests the heavens have smiled upon us, Emperor. What news do you bring?"

Sunny leaned against a column of pristine marble, his posture relaxed yet exuding the lethal elegance of a predator that had just vanquished its prey.

"While navigating the void and charting the extent of my dominion, I discovered a Domain of Negation, a colossal dark sphere spanning trillions of light-years. It was a most vexing anomaly, but my senses indicated that the billions of missing Reincarnations of the Old Gods were imprisoned within its core."

Adam leaned closer, his breath catching, "What were they doing there? Was it a sanctuary? Did the Void Mother guide them to a place of safety?"

"A sanctuary?" Sunny emitted a dry, mirthless chuckle. "No, Adam. They were being exploited. It was a soul harvesting ground. A slaughterhouse. An entity from the deepest void, or perhaps from the very concept of nothingness, a Beyonder, had ensnared them. It was draining their divine essence, their governing laws, and their very life force until naught remained but hollow shells."

Sunny's expression grew grave as he gazed upon the ethereal bubbles scattered throughout the garden. "Upon entering that abyssal darkness, I was utterly exposed. My abilities were rendered inert. My specializations ceased to function. My fundamental laws were suppressed. For a fleeting moment, I was merely mortal."

Adam's eyes widened considerably. "If even you were thus restricted... then these Gods... they were utterly defenseless."

"Precisely," Sunny affirmed. "Their laws were consumed. Their physical forms were reverted to a mortal state. Because their spiritual energy was being siphoned so relentlessly, they had but six or seven years of life remaining before they would have disintegrated into dust."

Chronos, the God of Time, experienced the most profound tragedy. His immense duration had led to such exhaustion that he confused six years with six decades. Within that absolute void, subject to a soul-devouring parasite, his perception of reality disintegrated. He believed he was awaiting a demise that had already claimed his spirit.

"And you?" Adam inquired, his voice barely above a whisper. "How did you manage to escape a snare designed to nullify all existence?"

"The Domain attempted to consume me," Sunny responded, his tone acquiring a new, steely resonance. "However, it found my essence... unpalatable. Nevertheless, the silence was undeniably real. I was akin to an incredibly resilient, immortal human navigating a soundless labyrinth devoid of light. My initial pace was dismal, yet as I progressed, a transformation began. I did not merely endure the darkness; I started to comprehend its nature."

He ambled through the garden, hands clasped behind his back. "I encountered Chronos. I witnessed the utter despair in his gaze; he had relinquished even the strength to remain upright. He urged me to surrender and perish alongside him. But resignation is not a path I readily tread."

"My inherent adaptability initiated a rewriting of my very soul's code. This adaptation transcended the physical, establishing a conceptual shield. I compelled my innate abilities to flourish in an environment devoid of sustenance."

Adam regarded Sunny as if he were encountering an unknown entity. To adapt to a Law of Negation while under its direct influence was an act that defied logical comprehension, a testament to sheer willpower.

"Once the initial flicker of recovery ignited," Sunny elaborated, his posture radiating a justified sense of accomplishment, "the subsequent advancements occurred with astonishing speed. But then, the architect of this ordeal revealed itself. An entity embodying absolute Nothingness. A Beyonder. It assailed me while I was still grappling with the pervasive silence. We became locked in a brutal confrontation of raw physical force and unadulterated Faith."

He paused, a dark, almost mirthful spark igniting in his eyes. "And then, the true absurdity commenced. Deimos, the Lord of Discord, decided to make an unexpected appearance. He pursued me into the darkness, under the misguided belief that he was the hunter. He failed to grasp that within a Domain of Negation, a Demon Lord becomes merely a conspicuous, albeit clumsy, source of sustenance."

"The Beyonder, detecting a nascent soul, shifted its focus. It disregarded me entirely to satiate itself with him."

Adam experienced a profound sense of disbelief, as if he had ingested something foul. He grasped the edge of a stone bench, seeking stability. "You mean... Deimos was present? Inside that sphere?"

"He was," Sunny affirmed, his smile widening considerably. "And deprived of Faith's protection, and his Laws rendered ineffective, he was utterly defenseless."

"The Beyonder swiftly ended his existence, obliterating his physical form in an instant. I seized that crucial moment of distraction to finalize my adaptation. I restored the Gods, unsealed the pathways to Veridia, and then... well, I engaged in a rather decisive discussion with the Beyonder. By the time I concluded, I had not only rescued the Gods but also reclaimed every single multiverse that creature had imperiled in preparation for its next consumption."

Sunny moved closer to Adam, his voice descending into a low, resonant cadence.

"Deimos is irrevocably gone, Adam. His thread of existence has been severed. The Law of Discord lies in ruins, and its reformation is millennia away. The Demonic Realm is currently in disarray, a rudderless entity, and its remaining Lords are paralyzed by fear."

Adam stood still within the tranquil garden, the distant sounds of the ongoing festival a stark contrast to the gravity of the moment.

The Lord of Discord, the primary adversary of their age, the very being that had tormented reality since its dawn, had ceased to exist.

"The demonic realm is in utter chaos..." Adam echoed, the words tasting of immense triumph. "Emperor... you have not merely salvaged our past. You have forged an unimpeded path for our collective future."

Sunny gave a slight nod, his gaze drifting upwards towards the unseen, distant limits of the Real Void. "This is merely the prelude, Adam. The Demon Lords are now in hiding."

'That enigmatic patron of Lom must be incandescent with rage. And I? I wield quintillions of Faith points and command hundreds of newly acquired multiverses. The entire landscape of power has irrevocably shifted.'