"An opportunity to become a god?"
Hearing this, everyone present grew restless.
What exactly did "an opportunity to become a god" signify?
Mei wanted them to ascend to the 5th Step, or perhaps even the 6th Step?
But with so many powerhouses present, surely not everyone could achieve the 5th Step or 6th Step?
Chino also fell into contemplation. "To become a god... an opportunity."
Since it was termed an "opportunity," based on Chino's understanding of Mei, it couldn't mean that everyone would ascend to godhood.
And Mei's subsequent words confirmed Chino's speculation.
"Haven't you all desired to prove your worth? Haven't you all aimed to unify this entire era? Now, your chance has arrived, but it is singular."
"Whoever can seize this opportunity, whoever grasps the ticket to the future, that individual shall become the deity of the new era."
Mei spoke and waved her hand. A star system projection suddenly appeared above.
It was a very peculiar stellar system. A star, a precise one-to-one replica of the Sun's size, stood majestically at the center of the system.
A colossal planet revolved around this central star.
That planet was five times the size of Earth, featuring diverse ecological environments, but its entire body was conspicuously not blue.
Because the ocean area of this planet constituted only 52%.
Moreover, inland seas were quite numerous, while the outer seas consisted of only two distinct landmasses, interconnected.
This planet regularly orbited the central Sun, and it also possessed a satellite, much like the Moon.
Aside from that, there were many asteroids scattered throughout this stellar system, but they were all quite small and insignificant.
So, what did this configuration imply?
"During this period of silence, I utilized my leisure time to forge this world."
"Next, this world will serve as your opportunity."
"Nurturing divinity, generally speaking, there are two established methods. The first involves spontaneously awakening divinity once one's strength and soul reach a certain threshold."
"The second method relies on cultivating cognitive divinity through faith."
"Currently, all of you can only rely on this second method to cultivate divinity."
"Next, I will create the first intelligent life forms on this planet. They will serve as the origin point for this divinity."
"But you do not need to fixate on the immediate ownership of this divinity right now, because only the ultimate victors will be permitted to enjoy the faith this planet generates."
"You will stage a thousand-year War of Divine Authority upon this planet."
The crowd felt a degree of confusion. Creating one's own source of faith was understandable, but a duration of a thousand years—wasn't the timeframe a bit too vast?
But in reality, Mei had employed the Time Chapter during the world creation process.
He had finally accomplished one key task with the power of time: he had created a domain where the flow of time was completely divergent from the outside world.
Within this stellar system, the passage of time would be infinitely accelerated. Compared to Earth, the ratio could reach 100:1.
"One hundred years within this domain equals one year on Earth."
"You will each oversee a civilization, but this game is inherently unfair to many, because as gods, some gods are simply too weak."
"Therefore, the rules I am about to explain are extremely critical. Listen closely."
"The first rule is: you can only act as the God representing your Civilization, and you cannot 'directly' interfere with warfare."
"After the game commences, as a god, you will designate a king."
"The so-called Divine Right of Kings: no matter the individual's identity, as long as you bestow the crown upon him, he becomes the sovereign of that civilization."
"And the primary condition for victory is to seize that crown."
"If the crown is taken, you will be immediately disqualified and eliminated."
"Moreover, the crown is not solely the foundation for victory; it can also be considered currency. The crown can be exchanged for three distinct categories of assets."
"First type: potion."
"Second type: natural disaster."
"Third type: alliance."
"Natural disasters require no further explanation. Potions have seen evolution; all potions in my possession can be traded. Finally, alliances."
"This game incorporates team structures. A civilization can host multiple deities, and consequently establish a mythological system featuring multiple gods."
"However, the number of alliances each of you can forge is capped. Only through acquiring crowns can you expand your affiliations."
"Additionally, the game will be divided into three distinct phases."
"For the initial 300 years, no one is permitted personal intervention. After 300 years, those remaining at the 3rd Step will gain limited intervention privileges."
"After 600 years, those who reach the 4th Step will gain limited intervention privileges."
"After 900 years, those achieving the 5th Step will gain limited intervention privileges."
"The 6th Step entities are explicitly forbidden from direct intervention."
"After one thousand years, the entity holding the most crowns will be declared the winner."
"Alternatively, if only one alliance remains active in the game, and all other alliances and factions have been eliminated, that final alliance shall claim victory."
"Upon achieving victory, this planet will belong entirely to them, and they will also acquire the qualifications necessary to become gods."
"And all members of their victorious alliance will enjoy the same exalted status."
008 frowned. What if they failed?
This query was present in everyone's mind.
"The losers will be discarded."
This?!
Upon hearing the rules, Chino immediately began deep contemplation.
To comprehend Mei's game, one could only analyze it from his perspective.
What was the central mechanism of this game?
Was it purely about individual strength?
Yes, but not entirely absolute.
Because if crowns could be exchanged for potions, then in this game, it was difficult to fathom how many powerhouses would advance to the 4th Step or even the 5th Step.
Therefore, the core of this game actually leaned more towards teamwork.
Individual victory meant alliance members would receive the same treatment.
Assuming the "god" Mei mentioned was 6th Step, then no matter who was in the team, or what level they were, after victory, they could all attain 6th Step.
So Chino concluded that the core of this game was team victory.
And the prerequisite for achieving team victory was definitively seizing the crowns of others and eliminating as many participants as possible.
According to Chino's calculation, at least half of the participants would be eliminated.
Because only if half of the people were removed could the remaining half successfully form an alliance.
Therefore...
"My god is deliberately promoting cooperation?"
Chino reached this conclusion, and his deduction was not incorrect.
Mei was indeed intentionally fostering cooperation. This was in preparation for the impending arrival of Entropy.
However, the temporal flow rate was set at 100 times acceleration. Based on Earth's time, this game would last exactly 10 years.
That was precisely the timeframe Entropy was projected to arrive. Wasn't that cutting it extremely close?
No one could decipher Mei's exact intentions, but since she had initiated this arrangement, it must be the optimal setup.
And Chino thought one step further.
Mei stated that they could not directly interfere with warfare during specific periods. So, what about indirect influence?
For example, creating familiars.
If this constituted a hidden rule, then for those capable of creating and transforming familiars, it presented an absolute advantage.
"Any further inquiries?"
001 heard this and immediately stood up on her tiptoes, raising her right hand. "My god, I have a question. What Step do I currently rank as?"
As soon as these words were uttered, the entire venue instantly fell silent.
That was right—what Step was this peculiar bird entity classified as?
Strictly speaking, 001 had no fixed Step. She could imitate abilities up to the 5th Step. How should this be calculated?
Mei heard the question and turned her gaze toward 001. "Once the game commences, you will ascertain that for yourself."
"So, any more questions?"
No one spoke; no one asked further. Mei observed this and waved her hand dismissively.
"Very well then, the War of Divine Authority begins now."
Mei finished speaking, and everyone's vision suddenly darkened, immediately followed by them being randomly transported onto that stellar system.
It is worth mentioning that a few individuals did not participate in this grand game.
Among them was a relatively notable example: Computer. Because Computer possessed an empty soul, he did not attend this assembly.
Also, a few other rare anomalies, such as Daima and Byakuya, who were either deceased or merged with another entity, did not participate.
...
Chino opened his eyes. Before him was a boundless ocean, and he himself had manifested as an invisible specter.
He turned his head, only to see a thousand humans standing behind him.
"So this is the nature of my role."
Chino was under some kind of restriction. He could not utilize any abilities, nor could he directly interact with this world. He was currently like a spirit, purely an observer.
However, he possessed one discernible characteristic he could employ.
Chino waved his hand. One human instantly clutched their head with both hands, eyes wide in alarm!
"Deep One."
As Chino spoke, that human directly transformed into a Fish-Man.
"Indeed, the restriction is precise. Direct intervention is forbidden, but the indirect transformation of familiars is permitted."
Chino's assessment proved correct. Although most of his capabilities were restricted and unusable.
His transformation ability, however, remained unrestricted.
This clearly indicated that there were subtle rules Mei had omitted from the explicit explanation.
At this very moment, a golden crown appeared in Chino's hand.
His gaze swept over these humans. These people seemed incapable of seeing him, yet they could clearly perceive his voice.
However, one subtle factor remained: these subjects were not absolutely loyal to Chino.
Even after being transformed into Fish-Men, there was no imprint of fealty on their souls, because Chino could only execute transformations, lacking the means to mentally or energetically influence these people's consciousness.
"The only usable power is transformation, but it does not grant control over the transformed familiars, neither mentally nor physically."
Theoretically, this presented the possibility of rebellion among certain individuals.
This drawback carried an advantage as well.
If others faced similar limitations, Chino conceived a strategy that might allow him to capture an opponent's king without significant effort.
That strategy was to induce the king to betray their respective god.
But just because Chino conceived of this possibility didn't mean others hadn't considered it.
"Therefore, the selection of a king is paramount. Stabilizing the populace's conviction and solidifying one's own divine authority is crucial."
This situation truly placed them in the posture of gods observing mortals, contemplating the essence of humanity from a celestial perspective.
Chino looked towards a distant mountain peak. He gently tossed the crown onto the mountain, then addressed his followers:
"People of this world, we find ourselves caught within a maelstrom of divine warfare. If we desire survival, we must resist."
"Resist those who are not our kin, resist the relentless forces of nature, resist heretical gods."
"Survival is an unending struggle; we must resist until the very end."
Hearing Chino's voice, all those humans immediately knelt down.
"God, a god!"
"The god has spoken!"
They possessed basic comprehension; they understood the concepts of gods and people, which simplified matters significantly.
"I am your god, and your sole god. I shall grant you blessings and illuminate the path of survival before you. Now, you face a critical juncture."
"A leader shall arise among you—a king."
"The King's power is bestowed by the gods, and that mountain before you is the designated birthplace of that king."
"Ascend this mountain, claim the crown. The first to wear the crown shall be established as king."
"To achieve this, you must trample your peers underfoot. One general achieves glory while ten thousand bones wither. Only by stepping upon the corpses of others can one ascend to heights others cannot reach."
"Let us witness the birth of a king."
With that command, a thousand humans instantly surged toward the mountain.
Chino, observing this rapid ascent, suddenly felt the urge to smile. If one were to summarize feudal superstition in a single concise phrase, it would be the Divine Right of Kings.
"So feudal superstition is often an excellent tool for effective rulers."
Soon, the first individual reached the base of the mountain; it was a Fish-Man.
Transformed by Chino, his physical functions were far superior to those of ordinary humans.
However, he was notably clumsy, and his climbing posture was quite awkward.
He initially outpaced many others, but it wasn't long before he was caught up.
The Fish-Man directly kicked down a human who had managed to catch up to him!
From this point on, genuine conflict erupted.
Everyone immediately realized the Fish-Man's superior strength and began to gang up on him collectively.
More and more people fell from the mountain. Some broke their limbs, while others were miraculously unharmed.
Because the height reached so far was insufficient to be fatal.
But it was foreseeable that quite a few people would perish shortly.
From the perspective of other monsters, these 1,000 people would surely be highly valued assets, and they would endeavor to minimize casualties in the early stages of the contest.
However, in Chino's estimation, if a suitable king could not be selected early on, then half the battle was already lost.
The position of the king was critically important, playing an absolute role in this entire game.
Chino already had a general strategic outline in mind. He would not transform everyone into Fish-Men. He intended for Fish-Men to become the symbol of feudal power; only those belonging to the upper echelon would be permitted to become Fish-Men.
In other words, this meant establishing class differentiation.
To ensure the lower-class humans willingly performed the necessary labor, to allow the upper-class to enjoy their inherent privileges, and simultaneously, to let the lower-class see exactly what the privileged enjoyed.
Thus, with minimal guidance, by offering them the persistent hope that anyone could potentially ascend to the upper-class, the structure of class rule could be stabilized.
This was the bedrock foundation. Then, there were two viable paths forward.
The first path involved continuously expanding the population, allowing former lower-class individuals to graduate into the upper-class, provided the total number of lower-class citizens never exceeded the upper-class.
The second path involved rigidifying the mindset of the lower-class humans, conditioning them to believe that if they were born into a lower station, they would eternally remain there.
Both methods carried their own inherent merits and drawbacks.
But Chino leaned more toward the first method.
On the other side, as dusk began to settle, no one had yet managed to reach the peak of the mountain.
However, that particular Fish-Man had already been beaten to death with rocks and fists.
Everyone huddled at the mountain's foot, enduring the biting cold, unable to sleep.
At this critical moment, Chino guided them. He taught these people how to create fire, successfully igniting the first bonfire.
Fire was the genesis of civilization, and its foundational element.
Everyone offered thanks to their god for bestowing this wisdom, and then, on the second day, they resumed their climb.
However, on the second day, still, no one managed to reach the summit.
It wasn't until the third day that the first person to reach the summit finally appeared.
No one contested him. These people, acting against all common sense established in previous conflicts, did not continue to fight but instead began supporting each other as they progressed toward the peak.
The reason for this profound shift was attributable to one individual.
On the second day, he had recounted a crucial passage to the entire assembly.
He stated, "Look at the bones piled at the base of this mountain! If we continue this way, no one will reach the summit; everyone will perish!"
"If we keep murdering each other, the king will never be born!"
"This mountain is too vast for any single person to conquer. Only if all of us unite our efforts can we reach the summit together."
Because of this man's words, the populace willingly dropped the stones they held.
They ascended the mountain, supporting their peers along the way.
As the sun broke the horizon at that moment, Chino smiled subtly.
He perceived the light of a wise leader. Only that individual saw through the true essence of the situation.
Thus, the definitive candidate for king had emerged.
Why did that Fish-Man not become king?
He was the only Fish-Man among the group. Physically, he far surpassed the other 999 individuals. His probability of securing the crown should have been the highest.
Moreover, he was exceptionally obedient to Chino's initial instructions. When Chino commanded them to step on the corpses of others to advance, he immediately understood and complied.
He ruthlessly kicked others down the slopes, stepping over their remains to move forward.
But the actual result was that by following those instructions, he became the first to die.
Conversely, that other person completely contradicted Chino's implied meaning, violating the rules Chino had spoken aloud, leading the crowd to willingly yield the crown to him instead.
His physical capabilities were clearly not the most outstanding, and his appearance was not as appealing as others, yet it was he who obtained the crown.
Why was this?
Chino merely smiled, without a trace of anger.
Because his words, from the very beginning, were intended to be paradoxical.
A king was born.
Surrounded by countless people, the man slowly placed the crown upon his head.
Light radiated in everyone's eyes. They might not fully understand each other, having only known each other for three days.
Yet, they willingly offered the crown to this person.
They couldn't ascertain how powerful this king was, but they were all very certain that this king would definitely consider their well-being.
Because he possessed that single point of benevolence that everyone else lacked.
Under the witness of these people, Chino slowly extended his hand, bestowing upon this human the most sacred coronation ritual.
He transformed this king into a Priest, and then transformed some of the people surrounding the king into Fish-Men.
"This form is a symbol of divine power bestowed; it is a noble honor. You are the people of the sea. You can rule all waters of the world. Wherever water flows, that is our nation."
From this, Chino began to preemptively instill a concept.
The human form was a low-quality, inferior form, while the Fish-Man form symbolized divine power bestowed, a supreme honor.
And this concept would soon be embedded in everyone's hearts, becoming a seed, and simultaneously taking root and sprouting with the passage of time.
Perhaps not even a generation later, people's aesthetics would gradually shift, considering the Fish-Man form beautiful.
At the same time, considering the human form disgusting and inferior. Once this cognition was formed, the transformation in both thought and body would also be complete.
...
On the other side of the planet, there was such a fertile territory.
Here, it bordered mountains and lay adjacent to rivers. Vegetation thrived, flowers bloomed, and countless wild beasts found their haven here, considering it a paradise.
At the same time, beneath this land lay vast mineral resources, making it a veritable treasure trove.
However, one day, a group of humans arrived from the east, following divine guidance, setting foot on the richest land of this continent.
They marveled at this wondrous sight. They settled here, naming the place Anganas, the land blessed by the gods.
Their god was the God of Primordial Mysteries, the source of all arcane mages.
Number 074: Lord of the Astral.
That is, Principal Starry, who gained a forbidden potion and ascended to the 5th Step. He did not carefully select a king like Chino, but rather casually designated someone as king.
Why did he dare to do this? Because he possessed absolute confidence.
Principal Starry's ability was more terrifying than it appeared. He was a being without flesh and blood, a pure energy form.
And he also possessed an ability similar to transforming familiars.
This was also his only ability that wasn't restricted.
And this ability granted Principal Starry unprecedented confidence.
His familiars could overpower all series of familiars.
But Principal Starry did not directly transform familiars. Instead, he had these humans erect a high platform, building an altar according to a certain model.
People didn't know what this altar was for, and in reality, it wasn't used for anything.
But it could still add a layer of mystique to the process of transforming familiars.
To foster faith among these people, he needed to let them understand that everything they received was bestowed by the gods.
The king ordered those people to build houses, cut down trees, and construct the altar, while he himself sat observing.
No one dared to utter a single "no," because the crown on his head granted him that authority.
"Hurry up, I can't wait to receive the ascension!"
The king spoke, curling his lips into a smile.
It seemed Principal Starry had selected a tyrant.
And behind the king, a man was holding a small stone knife, continuously rubbing it against a pebble.
The gods had taught them how to chip stones, using the sharp edges as weapons and tools.
Weapons and tools could cut flesh and also be used to fell trees.
A few days later.
With the most primitive tools, people chipped stones into countless fragments, using them to pave a circular altar.
The king saw this and chuckled, walking onto the altar. Then he spread his arms. "Oh God, I am ready to receive the ascension!"
"Please bestow power upon me!"
Hearing the king's words, Principal Starry slowly raised his right hand.
But before he could act, a man suddenly emerged from behind the king!
The man held a crude, homemade stone spear. He strode forward, directly plunging the stone spear into the king's back!
Puff, puff!!
The sound of flesh being pierced echoed. Under everyone's shocked gaze, the king's eyes immediately widened!
"You... How dare you!!"
Thud!!
The man put force into the stone spear, directly shoving the king to the ground. Then, gathering all his strength, he pushed downwards!
"Ah, ah!!"
The man let out a furious roar. A cracking sound was heard, and the stone spear in his hand directly broke. And the king, took his last breath.
The man, seeing this, began to gasp for breath, then cursed angrily at the corpse beneath him: "You don't deserve to be this king at all!!"
The man picked up the crown, then turned to look at the crowd. He seemed to want to bestow the crown upon someone else, but the crowd instinctively recoiled.
No one dared to touch that blood-stained crown.
Until a moment later, someone—no one knew who—shouted, "We pledge allegiance to you as king!"
Someone spoke, and others immediately followed suit, shouting!
"We pledge allegiance to you as king!" xN
The man, holding the crown, stood stunned. "Me?"
With that, before the man could react, the crown drifted directly onto his head.
Principal Starry saw this and waved his hand. He figured it made little difference who the king was; he had chosen randomly from the start anyway.
"Let the King be consecrated; step forward."
The god has spoken?
The man wearing the crown turned. He stood on the altar, beneath his feet lay the corpse of the previous king.
At this moment, a purple fluctuation gradually emerged in the air!
A crystal-like crystallization descended from the sky with a surge of energy, directly striking the man's chest!
Puff!
Blood exploded. Before the man could react, his flesh instantly disintegrated, then transformed into pure energy!
The man extended his hands, only to see his palms cloudy, like an energy body.
He felt an unparalleled powerful force; it was power beyond humanity, it was the power of the stars!
"This is... ascension?"