Selene felt her worldview tilt again with the sheer flood of revelations. But with Morvathos's snap, her spinning thoughts settled like a storm pushed back behind glass. She drew in a deep breath, steadying her lungs, then glanced at him.
Morvathos leaned forward, his dark gaze sharpening.
"Alright. Since we now have a basic understanding of each other, let me get to the question I've been wanting to ask. Tell me, within exorcist history, has there ever been a figure so powerful they were like a catastrophe… but died shortly after?"
Selene's eyes widened, just for a heartbeat, before she gathered herself and nodded.
"There was. Fifty years ago, a man,an exorcist who delved into demonic arts,lost control. He went berserk. Exorcists from all corners of the world gathered to stop him. Masters, Grandmasters, even Transcendents. Many died.
It took six top-tier Transcendent Exorcists and hundreds of Grandmaster and Master Exorcists to finally subdue him. That event became known as the Red Dread. The ground itself was painted in blood until it turned crimson. I wasn't born then, but I grew up on the tales. On the horrors."
Morvathos leaned back again, eyes closing as if to let the story seep into his very marrow. The pieces began to align. The damage to the Spring of Reincarnation, he had confirmed through Hell Inspection, had occurred fifty years ago.
Now, he saw the threads converging. The catastrophe in Japan. The fracture in the Spring. The karma of that berserk exorcist still staining the souls of this land.
Yet the question still gnawed at him: how did Earth, a mortal realm, give rise to powers that touched the transcendent? His speculations scattered like shadows, never solid enough to commit to.
Selene frowned at his expression.
"Why did you ask that?"
Morvathos opened his eyes and stared out the window. The silence stretched long before he finally spoke.
"This event may be tied to the surge of demonic activity in Japan."
Selene's eyes widened.
"How?"
He shook his head.
"I don't know. But I can say this much, the underworld is involved. I can feel faint Nether energy in the air. It's as if a fissure has opened on Earth itself, connecting to the underworld."
Selene's brows knitted.
"Wait—underworld? Nether energy? Isn't that just another name for Hell? Aren't they the same thing?"
Morvathos met her gaze steadily.
"That's two questions, but since I've run out of questions for you, I'll answer them until the food arrives."
He leaned back, his tone as casual as if they were discussing business over tea.
"Hell and the underworld are different. Think of the underworld as a hub… a vast server. Hell is one of the devices connected to it. But unlike a server that stores everything, the underworld is… infinite.
A boundless realm where every race, being, and divine entity tied to death, souls, reincarnation, ghosts,all of them dwell there. Explorers of the underworld have never found its end.
As for 'Nether' or 'Underworld,' they're the same thing. Just called differently depending on the region."
Selene slumped back into her chair, eyes shutting, overwhelmed by the sheer scope of what he was saying. Her temples throbbed as if her very worldview was cracking under weight it had never been meant to carry.
"So let me get this straight… You,a goofy-looking guy,are the God of Death. Hell and the underworld aren't the same thing. And what,are you going to tell me Heaven doesn't exist either?"
"It does, actually. "
Morvathos said simply.
"That's how you even know the concept exists. Heaven interacts with mortals far more than Hell does. They maintain order in the universe. Though unseen, they act, like me. Unless they reveal themselves, mortals cannot perceive them.
As for Hell… mortals confuse it with the underworld because rules were set in place. Divine laws restrict Hell's movements more tightly than Heaven's. We are too entangled with the living world. If left unchecked, Hell could dominate the mortal realm openly.
So, the laws bind us. We may travel to the underworld, and sometimes descend into our ruling worlds, but direct interference with mortals invites punishment from the divine laws.
And before you ask, how am I here, interfering with mortals? I'm different. My race allows me to bypass certain restrictions."
Selene realized she was getting used to these impossible truths. The first cracks in her worldview had been the most devastating; now each new revelation was just another stone added to a wall that had already fallen.
She glanced at her watch. Still a few minutes before the staff arrived. One more question pressed itself forward.
"So… what are you?"
"If you mean my race,"
Morvathos said with a grin,
"I'm Thanari. A top-tier divine race deeply entwined with death, souls, and reincarnation."
Selene leaned forward instinctively. He continued, voice tinged with something between jest and pride.
"By their standards, I'm an infant. I was born yesterday. Still growing. So before you get any dirty ideas,remember, you'd be having those thoughts about an infant. You'll have to wait a year and a half before making a move on me."
He winked with a teasing smile.
Selene stared at him, utterly incredulous. The man in front of her, a fully grown man, was calling himself a newborn.
"Well, you might be confused. Divine races are different. And my race, the Thanari, even more so. We are rare. Very rare. And one in my position, a Realm Ruling God, is rarer still. Most of my kind avoid responsibility, preferring to laze away eternity. They're practically immortal. Only if killed do they die.
I call myself an infant because, by Thanari standards, one is a child until a thousand years old. I was born yesterday. In their eyes, I am a baby. But… since I am also a Realm Ruling God, the divine laws accelerate my growth. Within a year, maybe a year and a half, I'll be a full-fledged Thanari adult."
His voice softened with a quiet pride that lingered in the air.
Selene opened her mouth to press him further, but a sharp knock on the door interrupted. She froze mid-sentence, glancing at him.
"Well, looks like our session is over."
Morvathos said lightly.
He placed a hand on his chest again.
"I, Morvathos Renavyr Oathgrave, thank the Divine Laws for witnessing the exchange of truth between myself and Selene Ardyn Valecrest."
The tattoo on his hand glowed once more, then dimmed. The suffocating weight lifted from the room. The sensation of being watched evaporated. Selene realized only now how heavy it had been, like a pressure she hadn't even known she carried. She exhaled shakily, relief washing through her bones.
The staff entered, pushing a cart. They laid the snacks on the table, then gave Selene a long, teasing look when they noticed the empty chair opposite her. Their expression all but asked: Where's your mysterious guest?
Selene forced a smile.
"They'll be here shortly. Thank you for your efforts."
The staff left with a crooked nod.
When the door closed, Selene turned to find Morvathos sipping green tea, chewing on a momo with an expression of nostalgia softening his features. The god of death, eating dumplings like a man reminiscing about simpler days.
After the snacks were gone, Morvathos rose smoothly to his feet.
"That was pleasant. If fate wills it, we shall meet again."
Before Selene could answer, he vanished.
The silence he left behind was deafening. Selene stared at the empty space, the weight of his existence pressing into her chest. Hopelessness bled into her as she realized just how small she was. She was an ant before something boundless, and even then, he called himself an infant.
Her hands trembled as she stood, shaking her head to clear the haze. She stumbled into the shower, letting cold water crash over her skin, trying to wash away the surreal fog.
Later, collapsing into bed, she surrendered to sleep. It was all she could do after the storm of revelations that had shredded her reality.