The title of Ruler of Eternal Darkness was not unfamiliar to William.

He had encountered the phrase numerous times while reading about Tamasya in the novel, and more recently, Tamasya herself had awakened a path bearing the same name.

The memory surfaced immediately in his mind, and with it came another question that had been bothering him for some time now.

Was there a connection between a path and a title?

The thought kept coming back to the edge of his mind for several seconds before he cautiously checked with the system first.

He was still uncertain about how much Nir was supposed to know regarding concepts such as Paths. If the information itself was restricted to Nir, asking the wrong question could create unnecessary complications.

After a brief pause, Orion finally permitted him.

Only then did William look toward Nir and ask, "What exactly is a Path? And how is it connected to a title?"

The moment the question left his mouth, Nir’s expression changed subtly.

For the first time since their conversation had begun, she seemed genuinely surprised.

"I do not know where you learned about Paths," she said slowly, her voice carrying a hint of seriousness, "because natives of the Scarred Realm should not possess knowledge about them."

Before William could respond, Nir suddenly fell silent.

Her eyes drifted upward toward the endless starry expanse surrounding them. The amusement in her expression vanished entirely, replaced by sharp focus, as though she were listening to something beyond his perception.

Several long moments passed.

Then she exhaled quietly.

"It seems we are running out of time," she said with visible reluctance. "Forgive me, but I cannot answer your questions regarding Paths right now. There are more important matters I need to address before our connection ends."

William frowned slightly, though his expression quickly relaxed into resignation. The situation was frustrating, but after everything he had experienced recently, he was already accustomed to receiving half-answers from beings vastly more powerful than himself.

Nir straightened slightly before continuing.

"The Council of Gods that I mentioned earlier possesses an officially recognized enemy—an existence that threatens the stability of the entire system. These enemies are collectively classified as beings of the Underworlds."

Her tone became calmer, more formal.

"This classification includes demons and every species that originates from the same fundamental root. To simplify things for you, the Abyss itself is one of these Underworlds."

William nodded quietly. That much was unsurprising. Throughout history, demons had always been treated as universal enemies regardless of race or faction.

"The Abyss is considered the highest level among the Underworlds, and since hierarchy works differently here, the deeper you live, the stronger you are, the complete opposite of the seven existence planes." Nir continued. "Abyss’s inhabitants are also the weakest in all seven underworlds. In many ways, the Abyss resembles the Scarred Realm. Both stand at the lowest boundaries of their respective sides."

The rotating projection of realms shifted again, and now a dark mass appeared beneath the cone-shaped structure, like an endless abyss clawing upward toward existence itself.

Over countless eras, the Council of Gods has changed its methods when it comes to dealing with the demons, many times in response to the Underworld threat. Different strategies were attempted, alliances were formed and abandoned, and wars were fought and forgotten. However, we are now entering a new era, and the Council has recently revised its policies."

Nir paused briefly before looking directly into William’s eyes.

"I cannot reveal the full details, but the Council has decided to select Heroes from the Scarred Realm. These heroes will act as representatives of various gods and complete missions assigned by the Council. Most of these quests will revolve around weakening the influence of the Abyss and the underworld within the Scarred Realm."

She raised one hand toward the lowest layer of the projection.

"You can think of the Scarred Realm as the first defensive line against the Underworld invasion. The demons or underworld beings would have to cross the whole scarred realm to reach the next existence plane; there is no other path to the higher planes than this. That is one of the reasons why it is also called the Battlefield."

Her finger then pointed downward toward the dark abyss beneath the structure.

"And similarly, the Abyss serves as the first line of offense from the Underworlds. They continue pushing upward endlessly, seeking to devour every existence plane standing above them."

William listened silently while trying to organize the overwhelming amount of information.

"You do not need to understand every detail immediately," Nir said. "What matters right now is your decision. If you choose to become my hero, I will grant you special authorities and privileges. In return, you will participate in these quests and earn merit through your contributions."

A faintly playful smile appeared on her face again.

"The greater your achievements, the more benefits you will receive from me and sometimes from the Council itself. As for me, increased accomplishments from my hero will strengthen my influence, elevate my standing among the gods, and allow me to win several extremely irritating wagers against my peers. There is also merit and authority that can only be achieved if your heroes are strong and perform well. In the start, each god can choose only one hero; he must be a native of the scarred realm. I want to choose you."

William almost laughed at the casual way she admitted the final part.

"That," Nir concluded, "is all you need to know for now. You may ask two questions related to this topic before we end our conversation and our time runs out."

William thought carefully for a moment before speaking.

"How will this hero recruitment policy affect Aris and the Scarred Realm as a whole? Any idea about the consequences of such a change?"

Nir nodded, as though she had expected the question.

"In simple terms," she replied, "the appearance of Heroes could either bring unprecedented peace... or plunge the realm into even greater chaos. The current balance of power is stagnant. Once heroes begin appearing, that balance will inevitably break."

Her expression gradually turned colder.

"And let me be honest with you, William. Most gods do not truly care about the lives of natives living within the Scarred Realm. Their primary concern is preventing the flames of the Underworld invasion from reaching their own homes. Mortals may die as much for all they care."

A quiet sigh escaped her lips.

To them, heroes are disposable weapons. If one breaks, another can simply be created."

William looked at her in genuine surprise. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"I understood that much the moment you mentioned the hero’s purpose," he admitted, "but I did not expect you to say it so openly, considering that you are a god yourself."

Nir laughed softly.

"That is the irony," she said. "I do not belong to a home that I am desperate to protect or keep safe from the demons. Perhaps that is why I do not feel comfortable sacrificing countless innocents simply for convenience."

William slowly leaned back and stared into the endless cosmos surrounding them.

"So even gods act out of self-interest," he murmured to himself.

Nir watched him silently for several moments before speaking again, though this time her voice carried an unfamiliar softness.

"You carry a great deal on your shoulders, don’t you?"

Silence settled between them once more.

Finally, William spoke.

"I accept your offer. I will become your hero."