The silence was deafening. No one spoke, neither did they actively release their power. But, an oppressive pressure so dense it dwarfed even the pressure of the deepest ocean filled the hall.

The air faintly trembled. The building, though constructed specifically for gatherings such as this, already had numerous cracks running across its frame.

These were beings whose moods alone affected the environment around them in irreversible ways. A single sneeze could flatten mountains. A shout of disagreement from one was enough to reduce entire landscapes into ruin.

That the hall was capable of containing multiple True Gods at once was already a monumental achievement.

Each sat with deep frowns. The time for the meeting to begin had long passed, yet nothing had occurred.

The mere fact that people of their significance were being kept waiting was enough to sour the atmosphere even further.

Soon, the grand double doors slowly opened, and a woman whose appearance could only be described as divine strode into the hall.

She was clad in tight-fitting golden robes emblazoned with countless markings of the sun and justice. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Her face was flawless, without the slightest trace of imperfection. The air around her even more so. It radiated such overwhelming fairness and judgment that anyone whose heart lacked purity would descend into madness simply by standing near her.

Many across the Middle Planes held deep misconceptions regarding the supreme ruler of the Willguard. Most believed the ruler to be a man, but the truth was that almost none, aside from a very close-knit circle, had ever truly seen them.

The other True Gods, however, knew very well who might be considered the strongest amongst them.

Astraea Mirlass. The True God of the Willguard.

"Astraea."

Unlike the others, whose expressions sharpened with caution upon seeing her, the Nature King merely smiled gently.

"You’re finally here. I was beginning to think the universe itself had decided to keep you from me.

The Nature King, unlike what his title suggested, appeared slender and almost unremarkable aside from his absurdly handsome face.

Bluish root-like hair framed his head, while his crimson eyes carried an ancient depth to them, as though they had witnessed creation itself unfold.

Astraea didn’t respond immediately, instead calmly taking her seat upon her throne. Her expression remained stoic and composed, as though not even the world itself possessed the right to rush her.

A moment later, her brows furrowed slightly.

"I did not call this meeting."

The True Gods frowned. If it hadn’t been her, then a gathering involving all of them could only have been convened by a Primal.

True Gods who had spent millennia within the Third Crown, beings whose power and existence had risen to the absolute peak of the world itself.

Only the Nature, Redflame, Abyss, Iron, and Willguard factions possessed such figures. Yet they were all present, each staring on with the same confusion.

Expressions gradually darkened. If that was the case, then this meeting had not been called by one of the Primals, but by one of the much newer True Gods who had only recently ascended to the Third Crown.

As the atmosphere within the hall grew heavier, the double doors opened once more, and a man strode inside.

Tall and imposing, each step he took seemed to carry an invisible weight behind it. A blinding purple aura blazed around him while the staff hanging behind his back trembled faintly.

His eyes were cold and detached, and he carried himself with the bearing of someone who viewed the world itself as beneath him.

The Spirit King.

The Spirit King did not move toward his throne. Instead, he stopped at the center of the hall, calmly sweeping his detached gaze across the gathered gods.

"Thank you all for showing up for this meeting." His tone remained casual, almost indifferent.

"Hm..."

The Nature King’s previously gentle eyes had darkened considerably.

"So it was you?"

"Yes."

"I see..."

A faint crimson glow surfaced within the Nature King’s eyes. He leaned forward slightly, the simple movement seemingly dragging the weight of the world along with it. An oppressive force instantly crashed down upon the Spirit King.

"Tell me something." His voice remained soft, almost conversational. "Since when did cubs start summoning dragons? Or did standing amongst us for a few years make you forget whose table you’re sitting at?"

The other True Gods stared on with deep frowns, many of them — especially the Primals — visibly dissatisfied with the situation.

It wasn’t that it was forbidden for cubs to call a meeting, but rather that one had actually dared to. It was akin to an ant summoning a gathering of gods.

Most of those who had recently ascended to the Third Crown hadn’t even spent centuries within it yet, while the Spirit King, who had been here for less than a decade, was the worst of them all.

Yet he had summoned True Gods, Primals, ultimate existences, as though he stood upon the same level as them. Such audacity...

More pressure gradually leaked from the others, pressing down upon the Spirit King.

Despite it all, the Spirit King didn’t so much as flinch.

"Something important has come up."

The Nature King’s eyes flashed with a feral glint. For a brief moment, he resembled a dangerous beast straining against the chains of its cage.

The other True Gods couldn’t help but inwardly sigh. Many still weren’t sure why the Nature King harbored such hostility toward the Spirit King, yet from the moment the latter ascended to the Third Crown, there had been endless friction between them.

"You mean Atticus Ravenstein?"

The voice resembled the low growl of a dragon. Endless flames curled around the Redflame True God as he sat upon his throne like a deity forged from fire.

Deep crimson lines spread across his body, pulsing like living veins beneath his skin, while his eyes — two blazing rubies — quietly regarded the Spirit King.

Though he had spoken without visible emotion, every soul within the hall could sense the sheer fury laced beneath his words.

The Nature King blinked in confusion.

"Atticus raven.. what?"

"You don’t know him?"

This time it was the Abyss True God, Eidovar, who spoke. His form appeared shadowy and indistinct, his deep violet eyes seemingly floating within darkness itself.

If not for the fact they could clearly see him sitting there, many — especially the cubs — wouldn’t have been able to sense his presence at all.

"I’m honestly surprised," Eidovar continued. "With the amount of chaos he’s been causing lately, I assumed even you would’ve heard of him by now."

"What chaos?" The Nature King sounded genuinely puzzled.

Eidovar stared at him briefly before slowly shaking his head beneath the shadows.

"You really have been living under a rock..." he muttered.

"He’s a child barely a century old," the Abyss God continued. "Declared war against every major faction, tore through parts of the Abyss, destroyed several of your lower region bases..."

"Mm." The Iron King added without emotion. "And he’s a fragment bearer."

The Iron King sat rigidly upon his throne like an enormous statue forged from steel. The air around him constantly felt unnaturally heavy, as though gravity itself had thickened in his presence.

Even his gaze carried an unbearable weight, enough to make lesser beings feel crushed beneath billions of tons.

"Hahaha!"

The Nature King suddenly burst into laughter.

"No, wait. Seriously?" He looked genuinely entertained. "There’s actually a lunatic like that running around?"

The Abyss God stared at him strangely.

"Do your people just... not report things to you?"

"Hmm..."

The Nature King’s gaze slowly drifted toward Astraea, a faint look of longing surfacing within his eyes.

"I’ve been somewhat occupied lately."

Several of the True Gods immediately understood what he meant and couldn’t help but grimace slightly. Even after all these years, the fool still chased after Astraea relentlessly.

"Well, I already received reports regarding his arrival," the Redflame True God said coldly. "My people are currently searching for his location. The moment they find him..."

The hall abruptly turned scalding hot.

"I’ll burn him to ash."