NOVEL NEXT Chapter 358: Temple of Barmulodi
Temple of Barmulodi.
The center of the universe.
Starting from Metropolis, the shrine rose straight upward like a mountain peak, shrouded in clouds and mist, resembling a palace in the sky. It loomed high above, the massive shrine partially visible through the haze.
By day, sunlight would shine directly into this temple, aligned with the architectural blueprint of the Hera Terminal. This symbolized the divine identity of the God-King Bardi. Although construction had only just begun in Metropolis, it already revealed the original temple's grandeur and majesty.
The unique fusion of floating architecture and will-infused technology reflected Emperor Barmulodi's supreme will. It felt as though a cosmic giant was gazing down, his eyes sweeping across the entire universe.
For all life on Earth, this overwhelming presence brought a sense of security. For those enemies who had not yet submitted to Bardi, it was a gaze that transcended time and space.
If you dared to look into the eyes of Barmulodi, your heart would tremble, and you might collapse in fear.
And when Barmulodi's great gaze passed over you, you might even… be turned into chocolate.
Metropolis had already been completely transformed into part of Bardi's shrine. The palace hall originating from Metropolis was completed as a temporary meeting hall and a resting place for Bardi.
The next stage of the project, centered on the Hera Terminal, had extended to encompass all of New Jersey, where the Supreme Temple was being constructed.
In the near future, the entire Earth would become the Temple of Barmulodi, located at the heart of the universe. This would be the ultimate reflection of Bardi's divine status and supreme authority.
Naturally, the temple's design was proposed jointly by Bardi's wives, the Hera Terminal, and the rapidly expanding ranks of his followers. Their aim was to project Bardi's majesty across the universe and create a divine space befitting the true Master of the Universe.
As Bardi's power grew, sweeping through the cosmos with no rival in the known realms, it was unbefitting for him to continue residing in the Emperor's Building.
That would be a disgrace to the emperor and god-king who ruled over the entire universe.
The Master of the Universe. This universe belonged to Bardi.
Everything he possessed must be the finest.
It must be the most magnificent.
What he enjoyed had to be of the highest order.
He was supreme in this universe.
Everyone under Bardi, including his wives and the Hera Terminal, understood this well. Thus, the Temple of Barmulodi was proposed by the Hera Terminal, and its blueprint was executed in an extraordinarily short amount of time.
The shrine was to be constructed at the very center of the universe, radiating unmatched majesty, compelling the entire universe to revere the image of the God-King Bardi.
As for the former Emperor's Building, it had long since fallen silent. Within a single week of Bardi's visit to Lois, the Hera Terminal demolished it.
So, when Bardi awoke in the newly built chamber of the Hera Terminal, lying on a floating, soft mattress more than 300 meters in the sky, he felt momentarily dazed.
He had fallen asleep, only to wake and find his entire Emperor's Mansion demolished and replaced by the Temple of Barmulodi.
"Hmm…"
Bardi squeezed the floating mattress beneath him. It was soft and comfortable, built with magical technology to produce the most suitable bedding for the user, complete with climate control and integrated tech—a high-end smart mattress designed for supreme comfort.
Still, 300 meters in length and width… wasn't that a bit much?
Bardi fell into contemplation.
Sleep a few days, and the whole house gets demolished?
The Hera Terminal hadn't bothered to wake him, because it hadn't been necessary. It had simply transferred Bardi gently onto the floating mattress, letting him continue sleeping.
When Bardi woke up, the enormous chamber—at least a thousand meters high—began to adjust its climate to optimal conditions. The walls turned transparent, allowing him to see the beautiful blue sky, sunlight, exquisite heavenly architecture, majestic temple statues, and artistic reliefs outside.
A warm breeze swept across Bardi's body, bringing extreme comfort. Every pore of his body felt as though he were soaking in a hot spring. Naturally, the temple also included hot springs—the bathing area was a massive pool, with every form of hot spring available for selection.
At the 290-meter mark of the mattress, Bardi saw Little Hera, drooling and sleeping deeply.
She wore a small camisole, with pink pajama pants. Her youthful figure was on full display as she rolled back and forth. Just as Bardi approached her, she rolled off the bedding in her sleep.
With a large hand, Bardi grabbed her pants from behind, lifted her, and gently tossed her back onto the bed. He lay back down himself on the floating mattress and continued resting.
"Ah… Bardi, you're awake."
On the other side, Jenny stretched and slowly opened her sleepy eyes. Upon seeing Bardi awake, she smiled.
Then, from various corners of the vast chamber, other wives who had been sleeping and turning over began to stir.
"Hey, Bardi, you're up?"
"This bed is amazing, I could roll around forever."
"Little Hera is so tired, she hasn't woken up in two days."
"No wonder. She's been working nonstop on the Metropolis section of the temple. Let her sleep."
"Okay!"
One by one, the women got up from all corners of the bed, hugging, kissing, and eating breakfast with Bardi. He could see they were fully engaged with their own tasks and had started another productive day.
"I'm going to study dragon cells and create some legendary creatures. The temple can't be without mythical beasts."
"I'm working on temple plants and flowers. There are still many legendary species we haven't created yet."
"I'm training a new unit of guards."
"I'm designing a new temple magic formation."
They planned to remain with Bardi long-term, and were deeply invested in the temple's design.
Pamela insisted that the temple must feature many legendary plants—world trees, peaches of immortality, ginseng fruit trees, and plants from myths across the globe. Only then would the Temple of Barmulodi embody the majesty of the universe's master.
Raven had transformed the entire Earth into the center of all worlds, reinforcing all its defenses and offensive capabilities.
Jenny believed that as the center of the universe, the Temple of Barmulodi must include dragons, phoenixes, unicorns, and other mythical beasts pulling grand chariots. Without them, the temple wouldn't match the Earth's unique prestige. She was working on this by extracting genetic material from Kryptonian biobanks and universal biological databases. They had successfully created Eastern dragons, Western dragons, and assembled a vast army of divine beasts.
Jenny and Pamela had even collaborated to produce a hybrid world tree—a sentient treant. However, its personality was too eccentric, so it was stationed in the temple's backyard as a butler-like presence.
Faora roamed the cosmic battlefield and often conducted space-based military operations. When she tired, she would teleport home using lantern-based portals.
Diana led the Amazons in regular combat. She and Faora were of the same mold—battle-hardened warriors.
As for the spirits of existence, Kanna and Tohru, they were reportedly off in a corner of the universe, having captured the Black Death and playing with it.
"That's about the situation," reported the Hera Terminal, projecting a graceful female figure as it presented the blueprint of the latest temple design. This design had been completed even before Bardi's arrival.
Bardi hadn't expected that even the Emperor's Building would be gone after just a few days.
He nodded and sank into thought. He had no objections to the temple itself. He left such things to his wives and subordinates. What truly mattered was his own strength.
He still had to leave the multiverse, venture into the divine realms, and compete with many unique gods.
"Where is the Anti-Monitor?" Bardi asked.
(To be continued.)