Chapter 22 — His Wisdom Surpasses the Gods?
The next moment, the exalted god waved his hand, and a golden light enveloped Solomon.
"Illegal program detected. This program contains extensive subliminal suggestions… Final result: complete devotion to the caster. Would you like to purge the illegal program?"
So this was the malice he sensed?
Clearly, Solomon's suspicions were correct. Most gods were merely playing house with humanity.
If they truly wished to guide mankind, would they resort to such manipulative tactics?
This god, too, had grown bored—unwilling to intervene directly, he simply cast a spell akin to brainwashing.
But if he was so disinterested, why not just ignore humanity altogether? Why bother with a mind-control spell to push Solomon toward greatness?
The answer was simple: pride. He didn't want the humans under his pantheon to appear inferior to those of other mythologies. It was all about saving face.
As the golden light descended, a book slipped from the god's lap and fell before Solomon.
It wasn't a gift—just a clumsy accident. The god's sweeping gesture had knocked it loose from his knee.
Before it hit the ground, the book flipped open, revealing two pages. Solomon caught a glimpse of their contents.
Then, another wave of dizziness. His vision twisted again. The white temple vanished, replaced by the familiar council chamber.
"Illegal program successfully purged."
The system notification barely registered. Solomon's head throbbed violently.
It felt like something was being forcefully crammed into his mind—like a fever burning through his skull.
Was this the side effect of purging the program?
No. That wasn't it.
The pain was the result of activating his reward skill—Revelation.
The moment he was granted "wisdom," he had triggered the skill.
As it activated, his mind focused on what he most desired to do.
The book's fall had been no accident—it was a "coincidence" orchestrated by Revelation, allowing him to glimpse two crucial pages. One of them contained a summoning incantation.
Normally, a human could spend a lifetime trying to decipher such a spell and still fail.
But under Revelation, Solomon's brain was running at full throttle, decoding the meaning behind the symbols. And that wasn't enough.
Because the spell was divine in origin, he had to calculate how to cast it using a mere human body.
"Your Majesty? Are you alright?"
"Your Majesty!"
His ministers were panicking. Blood was trickling from his nose.
"Quick, call—"
"I'm fine."
He forced a smile and took a deep breath.
He had succeeded.
To cast the spell, he needed access to a power humans had never touched—the divine realm.
In simple terms, Revelation had allowed him to comprehend the mechanics of this world—magic.
Excellent. He would end the meeting and begin preparations to activate the spell.
It was a technique designed to summon and control a specific demon—a puppet spell tailored for one target.
Chapter 23 — A Magic Circle for Ascension?
Two figures returned to the 9th century BCE.
Their destination: the Jewish kingdom on the Mediterranean coast.
"So this is the holy land of that vast religion," Gray murmured, wide-eyed as she wandered the central avenue of the capital city.
This city—and this era—would leave a profound impact on future generations.
Compared to its time, the city's construction was impressive.
"Wait, Sister!"
Gray snapped out of her thoughts and realized Brünnhilde had already marched ahead without her.
Brünnhilde walked the bustling avenue, observing everything.
Caravans passed in droves, merchants chatting eagerly. Their expressions showed satisfaction—business was booming.
Local residents, too, seemed content with their lives.
The city was vibrant, full of energy and purpose.
Soon, they reached the palace.
Given Gilgamesh's prior ability to sense their presence—and the suspicious circumstances surrounding Solomon—Brünnhilde and Gray kept their distance, watching from afar.
Even without knowing Gilgamesh's full story, Brünnhilde would have investigated Solomon's history directly. That alone would expose any deception.
Surely the Supreme Pillars didn't think she was that naïve?
They must have anticipated she'd enter the Akasha records herself.
Which meant… this could be part of their trap.
Brünnhilde's expression darkened.
She recalled a past incident—two gods at odds.
One had tampered with the Akasha system while the other was immersed in historical records, trapping them in an endless loop. Only when another god accessed the system did they discover the prisoner and release them.
Though only days had passed in the divine realm, the trapped god had endured an eternity—nearly driven to madness.
Could she be next?
She summoned the logout interface. It seemed fine—no lockout detected.
"Eh? What's wrong, Sister?" Gray asked, confused as Brünnhilde suddenly exited the simulation.
"Nothing," Brünnhilde replied, shaking her head.
After a brief pause, she closed her eyes.
Then reopened them—and reentered the historical simulation with Gray.
Had she relaxed?
Not at all.
She had secretly contacted her Valkyrie sisters. One was now hidden within the Akasha system, monitoring everything.
"That's King Solomon? He looks so gentle," Gray whispered, a bit starstruck.
He was undeniably handsome—soft silver hair, a charming face, and a warm smile.
Gilgamesh was equally attractive, but his aura was terrifying. He treated gods like insects—Gray couldn't bear to be near him.
Brünnhilde watched Solomon for a full day. Nothing seemed off. His actions as a ruler were perfectly normal.
Meetings, diplomacy, administration—he worked tirelessly to strengthen his kingdom.
Fast-forward a week. Still normal.
Another month—he was relaxing outside the palace.
Another month—he was bidding farewell to departing soldiers. A neighboring country had sparked conflict.
Six weeks later—that country was annexed.
Jump ahead a year.
Night fell. Most were asleep.
Inside a palace hall, Solomon stood alone.
He wasn't resting. His behavior was… strange.
Was he drawing on the floor?
Circles. Pentagrams. Suns. Moons. Stars. Strange symbols.
Brünnhilde's face grew serious.
Solomon was drawing something no human should be able to replicate.
"Brünnhilde… is that a magic circle?" Gray asked hesitantly.
If it were random scribbles, she wouldn't have worried. But many of the patterns looked familiar.
No response.
Gray glanced up—and saw her sister's stunned expression.
"Is this… a coincidence?"
Brünnhilde's voice trembled.
"What kind of magic circle is that? Do you recognize it?"
She did. Or rather, it resembled one she knew.
"No… I don't recognize it. But it looks very similar to one I do."
She calmed herself.
The one she knew used overlapping hexagrams. This one used pentagrams.
In her version, the sun was twice the size of the moon. Here, it was reversed.
Some runes were identical, but their arrangement around the circle was different.
In short, Solomon had reconstructed the divine ascension circle—using different symbols and geometry.
The original was used to awaken divine circuits and elevate demigods to full godhood.
But even knowing how to activate it, demigods couldn't attempt it lightly. Failure meant death.
Only those who passed divine trials and had bodies strong enough to withstand the magic could ascend.
To become a god was to touch the fabric of the universe itself.
Could Solomon's version actually work?
And if so… what would it do?
Brünnhilde had a wild, impossible theory.
Chapter 24 — Has His Wisdom Surpassed the Gods?
Could that absurd theory be true?
From every angle, Brünnhilde thought it impossible.
The divine ascension circle was forged from unimaginable godly wisdom.
And Solomon—just a human—had recreated it?
It was like a monkey in a zoo building a spaceship to reach the moon.
She stared intently.
Above, a circular opening in the ceiling revealed the night sky.
A full moon drifted into view, slowly aligning with the center of the circle.