When Sakolomeh finally entered the castle of the World of Myths…
He stopped dead in his tracks.
Even he seemed momentarily unable to speak.
The immense hall stretching before him was filled with entities whose mere existence already belonged to legend.
All the dragon heirs were present.
The Ineffables as well.
Erasa, Neru, Ravena…
Even Salomeh was here.
But that was not even the most shocking part.
The thirty primordial gods themselves were gathered around the immense mythical table.
And at its end—
Stood an overwhelming presence.
Zeus himself.
The entire atmosphere of the hall seemed to weigh under his mere existence.
Silent lightning occasionally faintly crossed the air around the supreme god.
Sakolomeh immediately understood that a colossal event was in the process of unfolding.
Something serious enough to gather so many impossible entities in a single place.
But for some time, he had deliberately kept Sakolomeh-My0x Vestige in the background in order to observe the world from a more "simple" angle.
And now—
He realized that he had probably underestimated the scale of what was coming.
At the end of the table, Zeus slowly raised his eyes toward him.
His eyes were not human.
They resembled two bluish lights.
Two living bolts of lightning devoid of pupils.
A simple glance was already enough to make it difficult to hold his gaze for too long.
Then Zeus spoke calmly:
— Good…
His voice echoed throughout the entire hall.
— We are finally complete.
He gestured to an empty seat around the immense table.
— Take a seat, young man.
Sakolomeh remained slightly frozen.
— How…?
His gaze swept across the room in astonishment.
— How is this possible…?
He looked directly at Zeus.
— Seeing Zeus himself here… that means something serious is about to happen, right?
Zeus slowly closed his eyes before answering in a heavy voice:
— Oh yes…
Silence spread across the hall.
Then he added:
— And it has probably already begun.
The air seemed to grow heavier.
— It is simply not yet sufficiently intensified to be visible everywhere.
He slowly opened his eyes.
— That is precisely why we must act now. Before the worst.
Behind Sakolomeh, Bakuzan and Ysolongue stepped forward as well.
Bakuzan lightly placed a hand on his shoulder.
— You should sit down.
His tone remained calm, but serious.
— You will understand better once Zeus has explained everything.
Sakolomeh finally nodded before following the others to his seat.
A heavy silence filled the entire hall.
Even the gods seemed unusually tense.
Then Zeus slowly stood up.
His mere posture immediately imposed absolute silence.
— Very well…
He slowly clasped his hands behind his back.
— The Ineffables as well as Salomeh will be extremely useful in what is coming.
His gaze swept across the room.
— But keep this in mind:
His voice grew deeper.
— If things escalate… then every major mythological entity will likely have to intervene.
Even the primordial gods slightly lowered their eyes.
Then Zeus continued:
— However, for now…
He slightly turned his head toward the Ineffables.
— Discretion remains essential.
His gaze then fell directly on Sakolomeh.
— Young Sakolomeh…
Silence.
Then Zeus finally declared:
— What you must understand… is that we are threatened by the Outergods.
Sakolomeh's brows immediately furrowed.
— The… Outergods?
He seemed genuinely confused.
— Is that a category of deities I'm unaware of?
Around the table—
The other primordial gods remained silent.
Some even slightly lowered their heads.
As if merely invoking that name was enough to create discomfort.
Zeus then answered calmly:
— They are not truly gods.
His gaze grew colder.
— They are things far worse.
The atmosphere of the hall seemed to contract.
— The Outergods are moltings of the original gods.
Even Sakolomeh remained silent.
Zeus continued slowly:
— They already existed long before anything you are capable of conceiving within meta-reality.
His voice seemed almost heavier with each word.
— We call them "Outergods" because they originate from the very antiquity of the original gods.
He slightly closed his eyes.
— Mere moltings… but moltings situated in what one might call…
He hesitated for a few seconds.
— The anterior of the Dream.
The silence in the hall became total.
— Its exterior… if one can still use that word.
Faint bluish lightning crossed Zeus's eyes.
— The outer void of the First Outer-Zone.
He slightly shook his head.
— No… even that definition remains imperfect.
Then he looked at Sakolomeh.
— It is extremely difficult to explain properly.
His voice became calm again.
— Consider this simply as a brief introduction. You will understand more later.
But suddenly—
Sakolomeh abruptly stood up.
— That makes no sense!
Several gazes immediately turned toward him.
— If these things exist in the "exterior of the Dream"…
He looked directly at the Ineffables.
— Then why does the very essence of the Ineffables not perceive them? They come from the same place, don't they?
Zeus answered without agitation.
— No.
His voice was strangely calm.
— Because they have become, through Shad Ruhvaël…
He paused briefly.
— …Outer Silences.
Even the Ineffables seemed to slightly freeze at that designation.
Zeus continued:
— They see.
— They know.
— But they do nothing.
His gaze grew darker.
— And that is precisely why they are almost indistinguishable from the outer void itself.
He slightly turned his head toward the Ineffables.
— Unlike them.
Then he added slowly:
— Their nature seems to be fundamentally indifferent to everything that occurs within the Dream.
A silent shiver passed through the hall.
— Thus… when an Ineffable exits the Dream…
Zeus slightly narrowed his eyes.
— The Outergods do not even necessarily consider it as something important.
Then his voice deepened:
— But that may be precisely where the danger lies.
Sakolomeh remained still.
Zeus finally concluded:
— For they might see the Ineffables… as usurpers of anteriority.
Sakolomeh immediately frowned.
— Usurpers of anteriority…?
The term itself seemed deeply disturbing.
As if that idea went far beyond a simple rivalry between entities.
At the end of the table, Zeus let out a long sigh before answering:
— That is probably only one of the reasons.
His voice was calm, but heavy.
— The true cause is surely far more complex.
He remained silent for a few seconds before adding:
— You must understand something, Sakolomeh… it is difficult for me to speak freely about all of this.
Faint bluish lightning crossed his pupil-less eyes.
— Most of what I know comes directly from a communication transmitted by Oniyurei.
Several gazes slightly lifted in the room.
— Originally, this information was kept in the strictest secrecy by the original gods themselves.
His expression grew more serious.
— But given the current situation… those deemed sufficiently worthy must now be informed.
Then suddenly—
Zeus slowly clenched his fists.
The air around him vibrated slightly under the pressure.
— The problem… is that this situation resembles a true ticking time bomb.
An uneasy silence immediately spread across the hall.
— Fortunately…
He slowly raised his eyes.
— There may still be ways to strengthen certain structures of the Dream.
His gaze seemed to observe something invisible far beyond the castle walls.
— The domains of the First Zone as well as the exteriors of the Dream could probably withstand a massive confrontation without suffering irreversible damage.
Then his voice grew even heavier.
— But if the conflict reaches the Second Zone… or worse, the lower zones…
Even the gods present remained perfectly silent.
— Then identities, concepts, existential structures, and everything that composes the lower zones would risk being destroyed.
A strange cold seemed to pass through the entire hall.
Then Zeus slowly turned his head toward the other entities gathered around the table.
— You all remember the Anarchetypes… don't you?
Several gazes immediately darkened.
Zeus continued:
— With the Outergods… the situation risks being similar.
He paused.
— With one difference.
His gaze became more severe.
— The Anarchetypes were not hostile to the Dream.
He slowly clasped his hands behind his back.
— Their mere existence was enough to cause destruction because their nature was fundamentally incompatible with the lower zones.
Then he slightly raised his eyes.
— But the Outergods…
The atmosphere seemed to grow even heavier.
— They not only possess a nature incompatible with the lower zones… but they will also be truly hostile.
Even Sakolomeh felt a slight shiver run down his spine.
He finally let out a sigh before slowly sitting back down.
— So…
He raised his eyes toward Zeus.
— What's the plan?
A slight smile appeared on the face of the supreme god.
— I am glad to see that you no longer need further explanations.
But Sakolomeh did not respond.
It was not that he no longer wanted more information.
On the contrary.
He simply knew that at this stage, understanding every detail mattered less than beginning to act immediately before the situation became uncontrollable.
Zeus then resumed in a firmer voice:
— You… the Ineffables… as well as Salomeh…
His gaze slowly swept over the concerned group.
— You must find the Primordial Demon Emperors. And as quickly as possible.
Immediately, Salomeh slightly frowned.
— The Primordial Demon Emperors…?
Zeus slowly nodded.
— Yes.
Then he explained calmly:
— A "classic" Demon Emperor is already a monstrously powerful demonic entity.
His gaze briefly shifted toward Erasa.
— Erasa is an example.
Erasa remained silent, simply observing Zeus without intervening.
The god continued:
— Demon Emperors are distinct from Demon Kings.
He slightly raised a finger.
— Yet Demon Kings are themselves extremely powerful beings.
His voice became more precise.
— The difference between them is subtle… but fundamental.
Then Zeus declared slowly:
— Demon Emperors are titanic transcendents.
— They transcend all zones located below the First Zone.
The gazes around the table became more attentive.
— In other words… a Demon Emperor belongs to existential levels comparable to the Viraya… and beyond.
Then he continued:
— Demon Kings, on the other hand, represent the greatest demonic powers of the lower zones.
— They far surpass the other races of those levels.
He paused.
— But despite that… they remain tied to the Second Zone.
Several entities around the table slowly nodded, gradually understanding the immense difference Zeus was describing.
Then Salomeh spoke again:
— So… the ancient demon Raktabīja Rāvana was an Emperor?
Zeus immediately nodded.
— Exactly.
His gaze grew slightly darker.
— And it is probably unnecessary to explain their level of power.
He observed the assembly.
— You have already witnessed it yourselves long ago.
Then his voice became heavier.
— Demon Emperors embody terrifying laws for the lower zones.
He paused briefly before correcting his own words:
— No…
The lightning in his eyes seemed to intensify faintly.
— They do not merely embody laws.
Silence.
Then Zeus concluded:
— They are laws that cannot be bypassed… even by the greatest entities of the lower zones.