"Erasing the consciousness of the Seven Cataclysmic Demon God isn't as hard as we once thought," Mikaela said as she approached Muria from behind. "The amount of this epic's remaining power in the world is already quite limited."
"I know." Muria extended his palm, and seven distinct powers swirled around it, orbiting each other in a seamless dance. He had now collected all seven of the Demon God's powers.
But this "all" wasn't about the total quantity—it was about the types of powers. The scattered remnants of the Seven Cataclysmic Demon God's power in this world were far from complete, as most of it had already been absorbed by the world itself.
Epic beings, whether alive or dead, as long as they carried no hostility, were generally welcomed by the world. In fact, they were never treated as enemies. This was because epics played a crucial role in advancing a world's development.
Take the Seven Cataclysmic Demon God, for example. When he dispersed his divine body into the world, the world accepted it with little resistance. After accepting it, the world immediately began to digest and assimilate the power, integrating it into its own fabric.
As a result, over time, the Demon God's power dwindled in the world, as his dispersed body was steadily consumed and transformed into part of the world itself.
This outcome left Muria disappointed, though not entirely surprised. He had mentally prepared for this eventuality, as the signs had already been evident during his campaign of conquest and expansion.
Compared to the other inherited awakening powers scattered throughout the world, the epic power left behind by the Seven Cataclysmic Demon God was pathetically sparse—so sparse, in fact, that it didn't match the level of power it should have represented.
Take, for instance, the Enma power Muria had possessed since birth. How many people in the world had access to that power? Even at its peak, the number didn't exceed four digits.
Yet, despite the scarcity of Enma power, the Kingdom of Guy, which Muria had been born into, was merely a vassal of the most powerful nation on the Emire Plains. It was surrounded by many other small nations of comparable strength.
If this were an ordinary power, such an achievement might be considered impressive. But given its epic nature, it was woefully unimpressive.
Muria had once been shocked by this realization. He had hypothesized that the Kingdom of Guy was merely a small branch and that a more powerful Enma family existed somewhere beyond the Emire Plains.
However, when he finally ventured beyond the plains and surveyed the entire world, he discovered that no such Enma family existed. The Kingdom of Guy represented the pinnacle of Enma power's legacy.
And it wasn't just the Enma power that suffered from this mediocrity. The other epic powers had similarly lackluster legacies—some were even in worse shape.
Take Eric, for example. The epic power he inherited was on the verge of extinction. If Muria hadn't discovered and nurtured him, that particular epic legacy would likely have disappeared from the world entirely.
The idea that an epic power, deliberately left behind by an epic being to ensure their resurrection, could vanish entirely sounded like a joke—but it was the truth.
Such an absurd scenario might initially seem surprising, but upon deeper reflection, it was nothing short of terrifying.
"The Seven Cataclysmic Demon God has tried to resurrect before," Muria remarked, his gaze shifting to the books laid out on the table in the grand hall. These were records and myths he had painstakingly gathered. "This world bears stories of his attempts at resurrection."
"The fact that these stories exist means that every single one of his attempts to resurrect ended in failure," Muria concluded, his eyes narrowing as he turned to Mikaela.
At one point, Muria had believed the Demon God's repeated failures to resurrect were due to the countermeasures left behind by other epic beings, including Mikaela's ancestor.
But after learning about Mikaela's experiences and the circumstances of her birth in this world, Muria rejected that hypothesis. The Demon God's failed resurrection wasn't due to the leftover measures of other epic beings who had once hunted him.
The passage of time changes everything. Even the most enduring arrangements left behind by epic beings would eventually lose their efficacy.
Mikaela's homeland, the Radiant Kingdom, was a prime example. This nation, founded as a contingency by a Seraphic God, had, over countless years, completely forgotten its origins.
The Radiant Kingdom had lost its way. The Seraphic God's legacy, after being passed down through generations, had become corrupted and polluted. Eventually, it bore no resemblance to its original purpose.
The nation devolved into one no different from the other kingdoms of this chaotic world—bloody, chaotic, and obsessed with power above all else.
In this degraded kingdom, Mikaela was born with the bloodline of the Seraphic God. However, her birth was met with an assassination attempt from within the royal family itself—a calculated act to filter out those unworthy of surviving and ascending as heirs.
Under normal circumstances, such behavior would never have aligned with the Seraphic God's original intentions. But the legacy had been completely assimilated into the world, turning cold and ruthless.
Forced to use source energy to escape her birth crisis, Mikaela survived and eventually earned the allegiance of numerous factions. This allegiance was due to the raw power she had displayed at birth, which convinced many of her potential.
The Seraphic God's contingency had been warped beyond recognition. It was no surprise, then, that other epic legacies fared no better. Most had similarly forgotten their missions.
Some nations built upon these legacies had likely been wiped out entirely—some possibly by Muria himself—though Muria couldn't be certain, as they were indistinguishable from the rest.
"When the Demon God first resurrected, perhaps your ancestor's measures played a role. But in subsequent attempts, it was entirely the indigenous powerhouses of this world that stopped him," Muria said.
"That's just your hypothesis based on those myths and legends. There's no concrete evidence," Mikaela countered, shaking her head.
"It's close enough to the truth. This world isn't just digesting the Demon God's power; it's also assimilating the legacies left behind by your ancestor," Muria said with a grim tone, revealing a shocking truth.
"Based on your reasoning, do you know who your greatest enemy is this time?" Mikaela asked, scrutinizing Muria.
"I do," Muria replied with a bitter smile. His greatest obstacle in seizing the Demon God's power wasn't the Demon God himself. The biggest hurdle was the world itself.
By studying myths and historical records, Muria had made a startling discovery. Each time the Demon God attempted to resurrect, this world birthed countless hero-like figures to stop him, reducing him to a state of unconsciousness again.
At first glance, it might seem like the Demon God had been suppressed by the native inhabitants of a mere medium-sized world. But with enough information, it became clear that the true force suppressing him was the world itself.
The Demon God's current predicament could be summarized as: "Easy to enter, hard to leave." The refuge that once protected him from pursuit had now become his prison—or rather, a gluttonous beast waiting to devour him.
By attempting to seize the Demon God's power, Muria was essentially trying to snatch food from this beast's mouth—an act the world would never tolerate.
"Since you know this, you have a choice to make," Mikaela said with a playful smile. "Source energy and the opportunity to comprehend the world's laws, or the remnants of an epic's power. Which will you choose?"
It was a tough decision. If this were about gaining the full power of an epic in their prime, the choice would be obvious. But the Demon God's power had been largely consumed by the world, leaving only scraps.
Seizing even those remnants would anger the world's will. The chaos plaguing the world—the cost of assimilating the Demon God—was a necessary price for the world's "meal."
Restoring order to the world would earn Muria source energy, but taking the Demon God's power would negate that reward. The world wouldn't let go of what it valued most.
"There will be plenty of opportunities to earn source energy in the future. But a chance to acquire the power of another epic? That's not something I can pass up," Muria said with a confident smile.
"You might be taking a loss this time," Mikaela said, her smile playful. "You've spent nearly a unit of source energy already. The source energy you could have gained from this world will disappear because you're taking the Demon God's power. Plus, you're forfeiting the chance to fully comprehend the world's laws. The losses might outweigh the gains."
"It's not a loss," Muria corrected her. "Once I've mastered all of the Demon God's power, its value will far exceed the source energy I've spent. The harvest may not be as great as I hoped, but it will definitely be worth it."
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/INNIT
For every 50 Power Stones, one extra chapter will be released on Saturday.