Facing the Apocalypse with My Other Selves

Some people's faces were filled with panic. Even the gods themselves had met with mishaps, perhaps even fallen, in this struggle. This disaster left them trembling with fear—not merely for their own safety anymore, but more out of a primal terror of the very level at which this conflict took place.

Wizard Shen Yu took note of both of these contrasting reactions.

Without a doubt, those whose faces wore fear, despair, and even trembling would swiftly be excluded from the center of power.

Because, this news was undoubtedly in favor of humanity.

It signified that the gods were not completely united as one.

At the very least, it meant they would not have to face all of the divine spirits at once.

Those who could even feel fear at such favorable news had a fear of the gods carved into their very bones.

"King Senya." Acosta suddenly spoke up, turning to look at the King of Senya, his countenance carrying a measure of gravity. "Do you perhaps have any more reliable means to confirm whether the Senya Goddess has truly fallen?"

The assembly gradually fell silent.

Yet the King of Senya, the one receiving all these gazes, did not answer directly, but instead looked at the beautiful young woman standing behind him.

"This is my daughter, Anerya. From the moment she was born, she received an unprecedented blessing from the Goddess. She is a God-like."

God-like?

All the kings present erupted once again in astonishment.

Several people's gazes upon the beautiful maiden changed entirely.

They now carried a measure of reverent awe.

Some even quaked with fear at their earlier derision and mockery.

What does it mean to be "God-like"?

That is nearly the highest status within any church.

It is the avatar which a divine spirit prepares for their own descent into the mortal world, or to walk among mortals!

From appearance, to bearing, to temperament, everything was supremely reminiscent of the goddess herself.

Even when a divine spirit had not manifested, the faithful would regard the God-like as the deity incarnate.

Moreover, not every church would have a God-like. In fact, the number of such beings was exceedingly rare.

After all, the gods' gaze is not fixed on a single plane. Most divine spirits care nothing for the affairs of the mortal world.

The Senya Race, too, is not confined to just this one plane.

Thus, no one would have expected that a God-like could be born among the Senya Race of this plane!

Frankly, if it were before the advent of the extinction oracle, if the Forest Goddess's fate was not so uncertain, the mere existence of this single God-like would have been enough to catapult the Senya Race into one of the most powerful kingdoms of the entire plane!

No wonder.

Even though the people of Senya are famed for their beauty, the radiance of this maiden was nonetheless truly exceptional.

It now appeared that hers was the very visage of the Forest Goddess!

"Princess Anerya." Acosta's tone grew solemn as well. He fixed his gaze tightly on Anerya. "Are you able to determine the current state of the Goddess?"

If a divine spirit had fallen, ordinary believers would likely sense nothing—but a God-like should surely feel differently.

With so many eyes upon her, Anerya shrank her neck somewhat, as if a little intimidated.

But soon she gathered her courage and, timidly, replied, "The, the Goddess will not fall! She has only had her consciousness sink into chaos and darkness."

Her consciousness fell into chaos and darkness...

In this plane, such a phrase was a euphemism for death.

A wave of disappointment washed over everyone present.

Only that maiden still persisted in murmuring "the Goddess will not fall," repeating it again and again.

Yet at that moment, Wizard Shen Yu, who had been silent for a time, finally spoke: "The Forest Goddess truly has not fallen completely."

That one sentence drew every eye in the room toward him.

Because, Wizard Shen Yu's tone was filled with certainty.

"To a primordial divine spirit, consciousness is not so easily destroyed—it would trigger a series of reverberations, and could not be so tranquil," Wizard Shen Yu said slowly. "However, a descent into chaos of consciousness means the Forest Goddess has indeed already died once. Her lingering awareness has sunk into the depths of the world, while her divine power has been gathered and used by other divine spirits. Perhaps in several hundred years, or even sooner, she will awake again. But the other gods may not give her that chance."

The attendees looked at one another.

As for Anerya, it was as if hope had exploded within her. She looked at Wizard Shen Yu with delight.

Although she had insisted the Goddess had not fallen, she had not been truly certain in her heart.

Wizard Shen Yu's words gave her enormous hope.

In fact, Wizard Shen Yu had directly utilized the Gray Mist to inquire, at considerable cost.

Still, the answer was of significant importance.

To oppose the divine spirits, a force equal to theirs was required. The increase in his own power alone was clearly not enough in the short term.

Mages might have potential, but they could not grow strong enough overnight.

The opportunity to gain the support of another divine spirit would of course be the best result.

Yet the situation, though not the worst, could not be called good either.

The Forest Goddess had simply not completely fallen.

Some matters concerning the divine spirits were also thereby confirmed.

For instance, in this world, the divine spirits are primordial gods. Their consciousness was born with the world itself. From the moment of their birth, they wielded divine power as true deities.

The meeting hall once again fell silent, for many had realized from Wizard Shen Yu's words that no matter if the Forest Goddess yet lived, as long as her divine power was inaccessible, the outcome for them would be no different.

The Divine Punishment Curse still hovered over all of them. If it could not be broken, in a few days none would remain alive.