Chapter 547: Ethan, Dortiona Empire and Invasion.

[Private Island owned by the Church of Elohim.]

[Ethan’s POV.]

The heavy rain outside mingled with the foggy atmosphere, making the island look disheartening and cold.

The occasional thunder lit up the place despite the disappearance of the sun in the afternoon.

In one of the rooms inside the building at the center, a young man lay motionless.

Around him, several women lay naked, all of them sleeping peacefully.

The boy had short black hair and brownish eyes that had a lifeless look in them.

He was once known as the glorious Avatar of Elohim who took out the [Exiled Prince].

And now, he was hiding, unable to return to the main base in fear of meeting ’him’.

A crisp sound echoed in the air, making Ethan look out of the window.

A small bird pecked at the glass, trying to find a place to hide from the heavy rain.

Ethan slowly raised his hand and sent a small needle-sized divinity that slipped through the glass and killed the bird.

"Haha."

A lifeless chuckle escaped his lips as he found a little joy.

He reached for the edge of the bed and stood up slowly.

The women did not stir.

They had been instructed not to ask questions.

Not to look into his eyes for too long unless they wanted to die.

He walked toward the window and pressed his palm against the cold glass.

The fog outside blurred the world into nothingness, and he preferred it that way.

If he returned to the main base... he would have to face him.

’Azariah.’

Just thinking that name made something twist in his chest.

Lightning flashed across the island.

For a brief second, his reflection appeared clearly in the glass.

He lifted his hand again, forming another thin strand of mana.

The rain outside parted slightly where it passed, slicing droplets cleanly in half before dissolving.

Ethan’s jaw tightened when he knew he was so much stronger, yet they said he would die in mere seconds.

’He can’t be that strong.’

His trembling hand turned into a fist as he moved towards the door.

As the teleportation portal within the building stirred, he had a guest.

Outside his room, a maid waited with a robe that she helped him wear.

When he reached the main hall, someone was already waiting for him.

He was a tall, abnormally handsome man with long blonde hair and a calm smile on his face.

He was Lious, heir of the Michael family of the three guardian families.

The man took his seat on the sofa and leaned back with a calm smile. "How have you been, Ethan?"

Ethan stopped a few steps away from him.

The hall was quiet except for the rain hitting the tall windows.

Servants had already cleared the area. No one else was allowed to stay when someone like Lious visited.

"I have been fine," Ethan replied calmly.

Lious tilted his head slightly, still smiling. "You don’t look fine though."

Ethan didn’t respond as he reached the small bar in the hall, pouring a glass for himself.

Ethan’s idea of Lious was that he was a believer of Elohim, but the man was also corrupted to his core.

Then again, corruption and church went hand in hand.

Though knowing about this really helped Ethan know how to precisely behave around them.

"You must be eager to return to the main base," Lious said with a chuckle. "Father also misses you dearly."

"If he misses me so much, why doesn’t he already kill that fucker?" he rebuked, chugging down a glass of beer.

Lious couldn’t respond to his words.

How was he supposed to explain how much of a threat Himmel was?

"Look, Ethan. I hate that guy as much as you do," Lious said with a tired sigh. "But there are some things that you can’t do anything about."

Ethan let out a scoff, clearly not pleased by his words.

"Just give me a chance," he said, his voice filled with hatred. "I will have his head served on a silver plate."

The calm smile on Lious’s face did not disappear, but his eyes sharpened slightly.

Lious had been against Himmel before, and he was well aware of his strength.

Though, he was obliged not to crack the confidence of the Avatar.

"Ah, that reminds me." He stood up and bowed slightly. "I congratulate you for finding your kingdom’s base. I hope you become an Eternal soon."

Ethan scoffed, rubbing his eyebrows. "It’s nothing."

"It’s more than nothing, Ethan," he said with a smile. "Reaching such rank at your age is rare. Even among the guardian families."

"I know," Ethan replied, walking towards him. "You don’t have to state the obvious."

Getting comfortable on the sofa, Ethan looked at Lious and asked, "So, why bother showing up today?"

Lious slowly got serious as he leaned forward.

"We have received news from various resources about the human kingdoms."

"And what might that be?"

"That they are rebuilding the Dortiona Empire once again." His words made Ethan pause. "They are joining forces for the first time since their separation."

"...."

Ethan remained silent as he slowly put the glass down.

He had been well aware of the Dortiona Empire and their cruelty toward everyone.

The Dortiona Empire was the very reason the Third Holy War happened.

"The Dortiona banner has been seen again," Lious continued quietly. "And we fear the worst."

Ethan leaned back slowly.

"That empire collapsed for a reason."

"Yes," Lious replied. "Because everyone united to crush it, and it collapsed from the inside because of the mad lover."

Ethan tapped his finger once against the glass table.

"Who is leading it?"

"That is the concerning part," Lious answered. "We don’t know."

Ethan let out a sigh as he rubbed his temples in frustration.

"So, is the church going to stop it—?"

"No." Lious cut him off with a smile. "Quite the opposite."

Ethan looked at him confusedly, as if asking him to explain.

"You see, the princess of Ekari Kingdom, Inës, is already engaged to you," he said. "And the church wants you to continue the marriage and infiltrate the rankings."

Ethan looked at him for a long second before he asked, "....So, you want me to rule over the Dortiona Empire."

Lious leaned back slowly, letting the silence stretch just enough to make the weight of it sink in.

"We want influence," he said at last. "Ruling would simply be... efficient."

"...."

"Though worry not," he continued. "You will get your revenge if you just follow along."

Ethan didn’t respond as he stood up and said, "I will think about it."

Without waiting for any response, he walked away from Lious.

In all honesty, Ethan wanted to become an emperor.

He wanted to have everything, and he wasn’t the one to shy away from snatching it.

Though, he was also concerned about who was leading the humans.

As Ethan twisted the knob of his door, his world shifted.

His safe house was gone, and instead he stood in a place that had a sky of dark clouds and distant stars.

His gaze turned to the side where a man sat on a throne.

Vidar, the God of Vengeance.

The man who had been by Ethan’s side like a guide from the very start.

Ethan’s anger spiked when he saw the god after a long time.

"You finally showed yourself," Ethan said, holding back his anger. "Vidar."

Vidar didn’t speak for a long second as he clearly saw the hatred in the young man’s eyes.

Though he knew Ethan hated him now, he still made contact.

Because...

"Your life is in danger," he spoke, his voice cold. "In fact, everyone you know might die soon."

Ethan frowned at his words. "What type of bul—."

"The barrier separating heaven and Lumina is cracked beyond repair."

Vidar cut him off.

"It won’t be long before gods flock down on Lumina and rule over mortals once again."

Ethan stared at him without blinking.

For a moment, he thought this was another test or another manipulation.

"You disappear for years," Ethan said slowly, "and the first thing you say is that everyone is going to die?"

"I am not here to argue," Vidar said calmly. "I am here because Elohim asked me to warn you."

The ground beneath his feet was smooth and endless, like black glass reflecting distant stars.

"The church will be the first to fall once gods invade," he continued slowly. "The Avatars will be their prime targets."

Ethan slowly grew serious, looking through his cloud of anger.

Only then did Ethan notice the scar on Vidar’s chest and his missing left arm.

"....What happened?"

"Lumina isn’t the only space being invaded," Vidar spoke softly. "Heaven isn’t safe as well."

"....W-why?"

Only then did something click in Ethan’s mind....the white creatures around Akasha.

Vidar nodded, confirming it. "The Outer Gods are trying to kill us all."

"...."

Ethan remained silent as the world began to blur around him. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"A piece of advice."

Vidar spoke, his eyes staring dead into Ethan.

"Start eating the flesh of mortals... you will need it."