Before long, Celestia was engulfed in thunder and lightning. The entire island blazed with bursts of multicolored light, flashing like a grand festival in the sky.
"How long do you think this should last?" Elliot stood at a distance, silently observing the chaos unfolding above Celestia.
The one battling the Seven Gods was merely a shadow he had created—an extension of himself that wielded control over life, death, time, and space.
Elliot wanted to see just how far this shadow could push the Seven Gods.
"That depends on how much fear you want them to have toward you," said the Lord of the Netherworld, standing beside him.
"Enough to make them tremble at the mere mention of my name," Elliot replied casually.
The Lord of the Netherworld glanced at him, realizing that in his own way, this man was terrifyingly ruthless.
He actually wanted to make seven gods—veterans of a thousand-year war—shudder just from hearing his name?
What kind of beating would it take to carve that kind of fear into their souls?
"Maybe... ten days or half a month? The kind of battle where you defeat them twenty or thirty times a day," the Lord of the Netherworld suggested uncertainly.
"Defeating them twenty or thirty times a day for ten days straight? That's too much," Elliot said, shaking his head slightly.
"Then how long do you think it should take?"
"A thousand defeats per person should be enough."
The Lord of the Netherworld's face darkened.
That was far worse!
His only comment: "You might as well just kill them."
"Actually, you'll know when they're done," Elliot said, watching the battlefield below. "When their eyes go blank, or when they flinch in fear before the shadow even moves—that's when it's enough."
The first round of battle ended quickly. Under the shadow's assault, the Seven Gods lasted barely an hour before being completely overwhelmed.
But before they could even breathe a sigh of relief, the shadow raised a hand. Seven emerald-green beams of light surged into their bodies, restoring all their divine power and healing their wounds.
"Come again. Don't tell me that's all you've got."
The shadow's arrogance enraged the Seven Gods, and the second round of combat erupted immediately. Terrifying energy exploded across Celestia once more.
The battle raged hundreds of times over, lasting seven full days and nights. Each god exhausted every technique they had mastered and spent countless reserves of divine power, yet they couldn't even scratch him.
The shadow's strength was beyond comprehension—its power felt as though it didn't even belong to this world.
Throughout the battle, the Seven Gods created countless combination techniques and developed new, formidable abilities. Yet none of them made any difference.
At the very end, when the shadow stepped forward, the Seven Gods instinctively staggered back.
"What's wrong? Are you done fighting?" the shadow asked.
They had no idea how much relief those simple words would bring them. The Seven Gods were overjoyed—nearly moved to tears.
They had been waiting for him to say that.
They didn't want to fight anymore. They couldn't win. The difference between them and the shadow wasn't small—it was an unbridgeable chasm.
"No more! No more!" they cried, frantically waving their hands and shaking their heads like rattles.
For eight days and nights, they had been toyed with like playthings.
Each time they were defeated, the shadow would heal them—only to start all over again.
The endless torment had left deep scars in their minds. Now, every one of them looked at the shadow with nothing but fear.
"Are you sure? This might be one of the few chances you'll ever have to fight me. Once it's gone, it's gone for good." The shadow smiled kindly.
But to the gods, that gentle smile looked like the grin of a demon.
"No, no, no, no, no!" they shouted in unison, desperate to escape the nightmare they'd been trapped in.
"I see... what a pity." The shadow sighed softly, then continued, "In that case, let's return to business."
"I've already given you your chance. Don't say later that I never did."
The gods nodded repeatedly, each one obedient and subdued.
To bring the Seven Gods to heel like this—only Elliot could have done it.
"This object," the shadow said, raising his hand, "is called a Gnosis. Possessing it means you have transcended the realm of Archons—you are now true gods."
"The Gnosis converts the faith of your people into divine power. The stronger their faith, the stronger you become."
"In addition, the Gnosis is the only medium through which you can contact me. Lose it, and you will no longer receive any of my messages."
"As the Seven Archons, you now hold the highest authority in this world. You must carry out your duties accordingly."
"I have only one command: technology is strictly forbidden. Beyond that, I will not impose any restrictions."
"I'll say it again—no nation is allowed to develop technology. Don't ask why. Just remember it."
"From here, I can observe every corner of the continent. You cannot escape my eyes. Should I ever discover otherwise—look to present-day Khaenri'ah for your example."
With that, the shadow tossed the seven Gnoses toward them and turned away. "You may leave now."
The Seven Gods caught their Gnoses in silence, repeating his words over and over in their minds.
His command—"Do not develop technology"—burned like a brand in their hearts.
After eight days of battle, they knew all too well the terror of the shadow's strength. If he wished, he could destroy all seven nations with a flick of his hand.
That one order was an absolute taboo—none of them would ever dare to defy it.
Without technology, humanity could never hope to study the Abyss.
You couldn't expect a Stone Age man to build a car.
Even with the intellect, it would be impossible without the tools.
One by one, the gods departed from Celestia. Morax was the last to leave. Before he went, he cast one last look at the shadow.
For some reason, that all-powerful, unfathomable being felt oddly familiar.
"I wish I could hear you call me 'big brother' again…"
Watching Morax leave, Elliot murmured softly from afar.
[Ding! Ninth World mission complete.]
[All nine reincarnations have been fulfilled.]
[Host, please choose your final destination.]
[1. Remain in the Ninth World.]
[2. Return to the System Space to begin the Tenth World, entering the cycle of rebirth.]
[Note: This choice is irreversible. Please decide carefully.]
The Ninth Life—End.