The Guardian gods Chapter 867

The instant Ikenga returned to his domain and materialized on the other side of the threshold, a delighted cackle resonated telepathically amongst the sibling deities.

"My anticipation for the success of your scheme is boundless, brother," Crepuscular's voice boomed, laced with a chilling amusement. "It has been an age since we were last able to truly extend our influence within this realm."

A slow, contented grin stretched across Ikenga's face upon hearing his brother's words.

This was the most profound and meticulously concealed aspect of his grand design. The ultimate goal transcended mere resource control, economic subjugation, or even the rescue of his nephew, Tide. The Mage Towers were intentionally conceived as a catalyst, a means to corner the presumptuous Paragons and compel them to violate the cosmic edicts that currently restrained the Origin Gods from direct intervention in the mortal sphere.

The initial cost of this intricate plot would be paid in devastation. Innumerable mortal lives were destined to be utterly annihilated in the cataclysmic offensives the Paragons were poised to unleash. However, these very actions—the desperate, border-shattering atrocities perpetrated by the mortal supremes—would forge the precise metaphysical paradox required. Their reckless expenditure of power would destabilize the world, creating the sole legitimate and cosmic prerogative for Ikenga and his kin to descend in their unbridled majesty.

Deep down, Ikenga's motivation stemmed from a place of sheer vindictiveness. The haughty expressions of those specific Paragons who had dared to imperil his own offspring remained etched in his memory. The sheer audacity had grated on his very soul, simultaneously serving as a stark reminder that the denizens of Nana had utterly forgotten the true power of the Origin Gods.

The mortal sovereigns, having glimpsed but a minuscule fraction of cosmic might, suddenly found the temerity to threaten the very creators of their existence. Bound by the world's stringent bylaws, the Origin Gods had no choice but to observe passively. Yet, this impending conflict would irrevocably alter that dynamic. An all-encompassing war involving multiple Paragons was destined to pose an existential peril to the planet itself.

A single, unrestrained Paragon posed a significant threat to the world's integrity. The clash of several Paragons in a desperate, genocidal struggle for dwindling resources amounted to little more than an open invitation for divine intervention.

From a mortal perspective, it would appear as an apocalyptic tragedy. But for Ikenga, it was a perfectly logical maneuver to permanently re-establish the absolute hierarchy that this world had begun to disregard.

His gaze returned to the mortal plane, focusing on Ember's form. The sight served as a potent reminder of the vastly different passage of time experienced by divine beings operating on a higher plane of existence. To Ikenga, it felt as though mere moments had elapsed since his last encounter with Ember, prior to his discussion with Tide.

Yet, in the mortal realm below, months had already evaporated. Ember had since emerged from the spirit realm, traversing the lands cloaked in human guise and utilizing this intervening period to discreetly procure the necessary local materials for the eventual construction of a tower.

As Ikenga surveyed the shifting panorama, he observed that Ember was not the sole entity undertaking such maneuvers. Entire contingents of godlings were already in motion across the continents. To evade premature detection by vigilant eyes, they all adhered to a uniform strategy, masking their true nature and operating under the guise of ordinary human beings.

This world was undeniably imbalanced. By sheer virtue of their lineage and blood, an entire race was already surging far ahead of the others, securing the foundations of the future before the common mortals had even registered the commencement of a race. However, far from causing him displeasure, this harsh reality only elicited a satisfied smile from Ikenga.

Ikenga possessed absolute certainty that Ember would disseminate information about the gathered materials amongst his people. He had made a deliberate choice not to bind the youth with a divine oath of silence. Ikenga intended to leverage this precise juncture to assess the true character and capabilities of the godlings.

Within the context of the Origin Gods, the godlings occupied a distinct position. They were designated as the protectors of the mortal plane, the vanguard positioned on the front lines in the event of any external invasion. Among all the entities within their dominion, the godlings were expected to be the unwavering bulwark, the ones the Origin Gods could implicitly trust to hold their ground.

Consequently, they still required rigorous testing. It was necessary to draw them into the vortex of conflict periodically, ensuring their continued sharpness and competence, even as the Origin Gods planned to remain detached from mortal entanglements. As it stood, the godlings were counted among the calculated factions expected to adopt an aggressive stance in the impending resource conflict.

With invaluable foresight regarding the locations of essential components, they held a definite advantage. However, this benefit served as a double-edged sword, a trial in itself. Ikenga aimed to gauge the godlings' attentiveness to the world's subtle, ever-changing currents.

Their approach to these known components would illuminate their true character, bifurcating their potential courses of action into two distinct paths.

The First Path entailed the godlings seizing and relocating all requisite mines and bedrock to their own territories, prioritizing absolute consolidation and maintaining exclusive control over the mage towers.

The Second Path would demonstrate their sufficient awareness and respect for their own limitations, taking only what was necessary to fortify their current standing and influence, while patiently awaiting the emergence of major components before embarking on tower construction.

Ikenga and his brethren observed with keen interest, anticipating the godlings' decision. The chosen path would fundamentally shape their perception by the Origin Gods and dictate the precise actions that would be required when the opportune moment arrived.

These two choices, silently presented by Ikenga, were already under consideration by the godlings' rulers. The allure of uprooting and transferring the mines directly into their dominion was palpable, a feat of geomancy achievable by the Cursed Apeling Terra Clan.

Yet, the rulers possessed the wisdom to understand that not all that appeared valuable truly was. They were keenly aware, having been informed by Ember, that knowledge of the mage towers would not remain concealed indefinitely; it would soon become common across the globe.

Should they opt to relocate every necessary mine to their domain, a mere glimmer of insight from the human Paragons would suffice to expose their clandestine activities. The mere contemplation of such a discovery sent a heavy, suffocating dread through the rulers. To pilfer everything would mean confronting the unified, enraged power of humanity's elite forces, an escalation that would herald nothing less than the utter annihilation of their own kind.

This implied, inevitably, that some of their own populace would have to be disappointed, as there would simply not be enough towers to accommodate everyone.

To preempt internal discord, the rulers tacitly agreed to maintain strict secrecy regarding this knowledge from the general populace, particularly from the Paragons within their own ranks. Months of quiet observation following their initial assembly had finally afforded the leaders a clear understanding of individual loyalties. Those few deemed trustworthy were discreetly added to the roster of prospective tower recipients, while others were slated for systematic marginalization from the central power structures.

Nevertheless, even as they resolved to limit their own acquisition, the godlings could not fully suppress their ingrained pragmatism. This presented too significant an opportunity to pass up the chance to subtly diminish the human race's potential strength. They would certainly secure only what was needed for their own stability, plus an additional quantity sufficient to ensure the humans would be short by at least two towers.

With these resolutions cemented, the leaders made preparations to enact their strategy under the cloak of absolute secrecy. They dispatched their personal operatives, expertly disguised as humans, to infiltrate the targeted mines and bedrock locations.

Suddenly, the strategic importance of the Terra Clan surged in the estimation of every godling ruler. As a lineage uniquely favored by the elemental forces, their specialized geomancy was indispensable for a heist of this magnitude. Seizing this opportune moment, each godling leader formally petitioned Zephyr, requesting the assignment of at least two Cursed Apeling Terra Clan members to their respective contingents.

The Terra Clan's innate mastery over the elements, combined with Ember's ongoing advancements, would transform the calculation of the precise harvestable quantities into an exact science. More crucially, their proficiency guaranteed the ability to extract the resources without leaving any discernible trace or magical imprint that might alert the humans to the subterfuge.

Among the assembled rulers, Ethan was more than satisfied with the council's concluding deliberations. In truth, he had already been harboring plans to hoard this information for his own selfish objectives. Now, he could leverage the collective strategy as a supplementary tool in his power play to solidify his claim to the throne and keep the haughty Vampire Lords effortlessly ensnared in his machinations.