The Guardian gods Chapter 5: Explanation

He recounted his predicament to the being, which was thrilled to encounter such an unusual circumstance. The creature, being intelligent, recognized the opportunity presented to it.

The creature then proposed to the sun god that they should mate. The sun god readily agreed but was immediately confronted with a new challenge: how to proceed with the act.

Due to the vast difference between the sun god's humanoid form and the creature's own, mating was impossible. Therefore, the sun god reverted to his primal form—a colossal flaming bird, strikingly similar to a peacock.

This transformation nearly cost the creature its life; had the sun god not reacted swiftly to temper his aura and the surrounding flames, the creature would have been reduced to cinders.

Now sharing the same form, their mating was effortless. The creature became pregnant after their very first encounter, but subsequently fell into a profound slumber.

Crepuscular, having discovered the means to create life, desired to continue this endeavor. He sought out other female magical birds for mating, only to find that none conceived.

He was perplexed for a time, suspecting he was performing the act incorrectly. Through his connection to the world, he contacted Nana. Nana revealed that the first creature he had impregnated was under her protection.

As a divine being, it should have been impossible for him to impregnate another creature whose life level wasn't sufficiently high. Even if he succeeded, the mother's capacity would be insufficient to provide the necessary energy for the child's successful birth.

The reason the first creature conceived so rapidly, Nana explained, was that the initial sperm released by the gods into any fertile egg is exceptionally potent. Subsequent attempts, however, require significant trial and effort.

Crepuscular then grasped that the creature's deep sleep was a protective mechanism, designed to preserve the nascent life within and simultaneously dedicate its entire life force to ensuring the child's survival.

This implied that the creature would perish immediately after childbirth.

Following this revelation, Crepuscular ceased speaking and gazed at me before stating, "The aura you sensed belonged to my child, the very first demigod of this world."

"Based on my observations, it takes a decade for a demigod to be born," Crepuscular added.

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My immediate thought upon hearing this was, "I am going to be a father." From the circumstances described, it was clear the mother would not be human.

Strangely, the notion didn't feel repulsive to me. However, having been human previously, it struck me as somewhat peculiar. Tales from my former world often depicted gods as promiscuous beings, engaging with anything available.

Never in my wildest imagination did I envision myself becoming such a warrior. The distinction between us, however, is that I would not pursue pleasure indiscriminately; I am a warrior bound by an obligation.

The idea of seeking a human female crossed my mind but was quickly dismissed, as Nana had explicitly forbidden any contact with humans for the time being.

I had no desire to discover the consequences of disregarding that directive. If the other gods had refrained from such actions, it indicated they too were unwilling to face the repercussions of disobedience.

"Since we are discussing demigods, I must inform you both that I underwent a similar process to Crepuscular, though the outcome differed," Jaus announced.

"Two demigods resulted from my union. Even Nana herself cannot fully explain why, but we understood that this came at a significant cost."

"The mother of those two demigods turned to ash immediately after their birth." It was our collective speculation that the half-gods had drained every last iota of energy from their mother, leaving nothing behind.

Jaus paused for a moment. "The reason I was not involved in the division of the lands is tied to my divinity, which is related to water. As there are no other gods with such a domain, the majority of this world's bodies of water belong to me."

"I have spoken my piece. Keles will conclude the rest." With that, Jaus fell silent and leaned back onto his throne.

At the mention of Keles, Ikenga's attention shifted to the goddess of death, whose presence could easily be overlooked if one wasn't looking directly at her.

Keles noticed everyone's gaze upon her, and a subtle purple light emanated from her eyes.

"Jaus's situation regarding the division of lands is comparable to mine, yet distinct," a voice as cold as a whisper emanated from Keles.

"Upon my birth, a peculiar event occurred in this world, known only to Nana and myself until I informed Jaus and Crepuscular."

"My own genesis gave rise to a separate dimension, distinct from the small realm in which we were born."

"The dimension I created was a desolate, gray expanse, perfectly suited for my divine nature. The act of its formation caused my own primordial realm to merge with it."

"This fusion of my realm and the new dimension tore open an unforeseen gateway. All the lingering spirits and souls that had failed to dissipate since Nana awakened flooded into my newly formed realm."

"When Nana first gained consciousness, Mana began to permeate the world. However, this colossal surge of Mana prevented the departed souls and spirits, who would normally fade after death, from vanishing, compelling them to remain."

"Nana confessed she had no plan for these souls. Yet, with the advent of my new realm, the deceased spirits discovered a sanctuary, leading them to flock into it en masse."

"My own realm demands considerable attention, so acquiring new territory didn't immediately seem beneficial. However, the very concept of self-creation sparked my curiosity."

Keles then proceeded to elaborate on her unique creation method, which diverged significantly from the other two deities.

As a goddess, she found the notion of allowing a lesser being to taint her, even for the purpose of fulfilling Nana's wish, utterly unacceptable. Nevertheless, she recognized that Nana's request had to be met one way or another. Thus, she fell into deep contemplation.

During this period of intense thought, striving to find a solution to her predicament, she discovered two extraordinary souls within her new realm. This encounter ignited an astonishing idea within her.

This idea represented her final option, as all her previous considerations had proven fruitless. If this particular plan failed, she would be forced to seek out a lesser being for procreation and then eliminate it once its purpose was served.

With renewed resolve, she seized the two souls, transforming them into minuscule droplets of liquid. Subsequently, she sought out two human bodies that had been deceased for approximately an hour.

She meticulously extracted every last vestige of essence from both bodies, effectively mummifying them. Now, she possessed all the necessary components. Keles took her seat upon her throne in her realm, with the four liquid drops essential for her plan hovering before her.

Her ingenious plan was to incubate the two souls she had found. However, souls are inherently ethereal and cannot remain within a womb. The two extracted essences, however, would serve as the vital catalyst for the souls to securely reside within her womb.

Keles proceeded to combine the liquids. During this fusion, she introduced her own divine golden blood, which facilitated the successful outcome she desired.

The liquids transformed into two crimson crystals, each imbued with a subtle golden luminescence at its core. Keles, seated upon her throne, gazed upon her creation with admiration. This moment of appreciation, however, was brief, as she then consumed both crystals. They now resided safely within her womb.

Ikenga stared, dumbfounded, at the goddess of death as she recounted her method of creation. The sheer audacity of her actions was somewhat overwhelming for him to grasp, yet he understood the underlying principle, even if she made it appear deceptively simple.

"Has anyone else attempted creation in the manner Keles describes?" Ikenga inquired.

"When she shared her experience, Crepuscular and I were eager to replicate it," Jaus responded.

"And how did that turn out?" Mahu interjected this time.

"Nothing we tried worked. We lost thousands of souls in our attempts to achieve a similar result," Crepuscular sighed, providing the answer.

Keles then resumed speaking, stating, "Our extensive experimentation led us to conclude that my unique divinity was the key factor in the process's success. None of you possess an innate understanding of matters concerning death as I do."

This revelation left me somewhat disheartened, as I had hoped this method was more palatable than the others. Concurrently, I observed Mahu, who also appeared dissatisfied with the explanation provided. I surmised that the being she had selected would likely not survive the ordeal.