RISE OF EROS

The beam of light only lasted a few seconds. With a blink of an eye, it was gone, and along with it, Andrew, his wives, guardians, and children were gone as well, as if they had never been there.

It wasn't until a few seconds later that a mighty rumble was heard. It was as if thunder had struck the earth; the only difference was that this thunderous sound was heard all over the world.

If, when Andrew attained godhood, everyone felt something, however minimal, now that he had ascended, everyone should know. This doesn't mean the sound announced his ascension, but it showed everyone that something extraordinary had happened.

The most knowledgeable didn't just speculate. Even in this era, there were ancient monsters who had lived long enough to know what the rumble meant, and they were shocked.

Centuries had passed since a person had ascended to godhood, and that astonished them. Many of them were simply waiting for death, having given up on the path to divinity, but this thunderous roar changed their perspective.

If someone had managed to ascend, why not them? Chrhono was considered the most powerful warrior in the world, and they weren't wrong, but he wasn't the oldest; he was far from it in that category.

The problem was that the true ancients had already cut themselves off from the earthly world. They lived in isolation, awaiting their end. That's why even the appearance of the Abyssals, Purgatory, the fallen angels, and others hadn't appeared.

For them, what happened in the world didn't matter. They had already lost their ambition and goals, but Andrew's ascension reawakened them. Since no one had ascended in centuries, they thought it was no longer possible.

However, now they had unequivocal proof that they were wrong, so they began to seek divinity. Regardless, for Andrew and the others, the thoughts of mortals were irrelevant.

Bathed in blinding light, they moved at a speed impossible to describe. To be more precise, it was as if their surroundings were moving, and although it felt like an eternity had passed, the reality was that it was only a few seconds.

During this time, Andrew, his guardians, wives, and children received a different view of the world than the one they had at that moment. This was known as the baptism of God and was a stage of adaptation to the divine realm.

Soon this stage ended, and they found themselves in an unfamiliar place. As they took their first step, the air itself seemed different. It wasn't just a breeze; it was a living, luminous substance that brushed against their skin as if it wanted to imprint the memory of having arrived in a place forbidden to mortals.

Their lungs filled with fragrance, a mixture of unknown flowers, invisible incense, and the murmur of a thousand heavenly voices that seemed to float in every particle. The first thing they saw was the sky, a firmament that knew no bounds of blue.

Up there, three suns burned like suspended jewels, and between them, stars moved as if they were living creatures. Some descended in the form of sparks, cascading down into the distant forests, where trees with golden leaves and crystalline trunks absorbed that light and returned it in chants.

At their feet, the ground was not rock or common earth. Each step sank gently into a tapestry of silver grass that seemed to breathe, illuminating with their footprints, as if the kingdom itself recognized me.

In the distance, a river wound like a liquid mirror, but in its reflection, they did not see their own faces. What they saw was a thousand images of themselves, possible futures, destinies they had not yet chosen.

They stopped on a bridge suspended in nothingness, formed of pure light. From there, the view opened up toward the infinite realms. Colossal mountains burning with blue fire at their peaks.

Floating islands where hanging gardens stretched into the mist. Sacred beasts—eagles with fiery wings, deer with jade antlers, winged serpents—regarded them with eyes filled with judgment, like silent guardians of that eternal realm.

And then they saw the City of the Gods, standing at the heart of the realm. Not a city in the mortal sense, but a symphony of impossible forms. Its towers were carved from ethereal marble that changed color with every blink; its palaces seemed made of cloud and crystal, and every building was alive, breathing, as if it shared a soul with those who inhabited it.

Everyone's senses trembled. Every sound was a melody, every color was brighter than anything they had ever known in the world below, but alongside the awe, there was a weight: an invisible pressure that reminded them of where they were.

Here resided those whom even young gods like Andrew and the others feared to name lightly. Every corner emanated its essence; in the wind could be felt the pulse of war, in the water the tenderness of life, in the shadows the depth of mystery.

For a moment, they thought their bodies would break, unable to bear such greatness, but a voice within them—perhaps the kingdom itself, perhaps their own divinities—whispered that this was only the threshold.

That what they had seen was merely the surface of a world where the eternal blends with the impossible. With hearts overflowing with fear and wonder, they all understood: they had not arrived at a place, they had arrived at the beginning of an eternity.

Amazed by such magnificence, Andrew and the others could not utter words. Even someone as ancient and experienced as Chrhono was stunned by the sight before him.

Only Terra, Aqua, and Fluffy seemed calmer, as they are originally from this place, so the sight doesn't surprise them. However, that doesn't mean they didn't feel anything; on the contrary, they were euphoric.

Especially Terra and Aqua, who had been away from this, their homeland, for centuries. As they marveled at the landscape, they noticed a caravan of carriages pulled by winged horses approaching.

Seeing the winged horses and carriages, everyone became nervous, for they were imposing. Not only did they look expensive, but they were majestic. So incredible that none of them had ever seen anything like this.

Andrew, above all, was more nervous, as he knew a little more about the divine realm than the others. He knew that this place wasn't much different from the mortal worlds; there were factions, enemies, wars, and the like.

This is why seeing the magnificent procession approaching made him nervous, but at that moment, Fluffy said, "There's no need to be nervous. They've just come to welcome you as a new god."

Fluffy's words relaxed him, and just as the beautiful fox girl had described, the carriages arrived, and many people got out. They all looked immaculate, both in appearance and beauty.

Their elegant, dirt-free clothing made them feel divine, which was only natural, since they were all gods. Of all those who arrived, a middle-aged man who seemed to be the leader approached Andrew.

"Welcome, young god. My name is Erinet, and I have been entrusted with the responsibility of instructing you upon your arrival," the man said in a calm and friendly tone. Andrew didn't dare be impolite and quickly introduced himself.

Not only did he introduce himself, but he also introduced all his companions. Erinet didn't grow impatient even though Andrew took a long time to introduce them all; after all, there were more than 50 people.

After listening to everyone's introductions, Erinet smiled kindly and greeted them again. She showed no sign of disdain, for while they were mortals before, they were now gods.

Although their statuses were not the same, there wasn't a single god who would dare look down on a newly ascended god and his companions, especially if their ascension was like Andrew's—a candidate chosen by the creator god.

A newly ascended god on his own merit is one thing. He can be looked down on, since he truly has no support and wouldn't get anywhere without support, but a god like Andrew is different.

Since he had been chosen by the creator god and passed the test in the mortal world, his status is very different. First of all, he would now have a planet under his dominion and, most importantly, the protection of the creator god.

The creator god didn't choose just anyone, and if they passed the test, they were his favorite children. Obviously, they would receive protection, and while it wouldn't be eternal, it would be long enough for them to prosper before losing it.

In short, Andrew and his companions were untouchable for the time being and could develop peacefully and gain power and influence for a while. Making him their long-term enemy was a bad investment.

That's why Erinet was patient and cordial. Although he seems refined and powerful, he's really not much of a figure in this realm; otherwise, he wouldn't be doing this job of welcoming newcomers.

After all this, Erinet began to explain to Andrew and the others how everything worked: how he would gain power, how to manage the world assigned to him, how to access other worlds, how to interact with other gods, and many other things.

She even told him what her territory was and how he could create his palace in the city of the gods. Since he couldn't do much for the moment because he had barely arrived, Erinet led them to the city and his temporary home.

Even so, calling it "House" was belittling the magnificent building, but by the standards of the gods, it was truly small and insignificant. After a few words of courtesy and an introduction to the place, Erinet left.

Since Terra, Aqua, and Fluffy were familiar with the divine realm and its features, there was no need for Erinet to stay any longer. They may be outdated in some ways, but the essence is the same.

Now settled and calm, Andrew looked at his wives and, with a mischievous smile, said, "Well, I think I should enchant some goddesses," causing them all to laugh at his shamelessness, but deep down, they knew it might not be a joke.

THE END

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I want to thank everyone who joined me on this journey. You were the ones who helped me get here, and I'm very grateful, but like everything, there's always an end. Thank you, and I hope you support me when I start my next story, although I don't know what I'll write yet.