NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 15: Limit
She approached the Alpha with deliberate steps, and for some reason none of the wolves made a move to attack her. They simply parted, allowing her to pass through their midst and approach the Alpha.
As Mahu walked towards the Alpha, she sensed the intelligence emanating from its eyes and felt its strength. It was clear why it held the position of leadership. She felt like she needed to communicate with him and explain her purpose but thinking about what she plans to do with the creature after it completes its purpose, she understood that communication wasn't needed.
Without hesitation, she closed her eyes and delved deep into her core, summoning her primal form. The transformation began in response to her call.
Mahu now stood in her primal form—a magnificent 23-foot-tall wolf sculpted from ice. The glimmering star-like dots that adorned her humanoid form also manifested in this primal state, giving the impression that countless small stars were encased within her body.
As soon as her primal form materialized before the wolves, they all lifted their heads and began to howl. Even the Alpha joined in, creating a chorus that echoed throughout the Northern part of the world, with all the wolves in the area joining in the collective howl directed at the smaller moon in the sky.
Mahu basked in the symphony of wolf howls, almost succumbing to the urge to join them. However, she restrained herself, mindful of her pride as a goddess. She shrank down to the size of the male Alpha and approached him with purpose.
With each step, ice crystals formed at her feet, cracking and turning into cold dust as she moved forward. By the time she neared the Alpha, the cold dust had obscured her figure. With one final sweep of her tail, a small circular snowstorm enveloped both her and the Alpha.
Hours passed as the wolves stood, observing the small snowstorms. But as nothing significant occurred, they gradually returned to their rest, some even drifting off to sleep.
The circular storms dissipated, revealing Mahu no longer in her primal form. Strangely, the Alpha wolf was nowhere to be seen. Maha stood there, gently stroking her belly, a tender expression in her eyes. Casting one last glance at the wolves, a cold gust of wind whisked her away, leaving no trace of her presence.
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Crepuscular sat within his realm, observing with satisfaction as his offspring rapidly multiplied. Each birth brought a smile to his face, as it meant an increase in his own power. However, he was aware that this growth would eventually reach a limit, because of the rules set forth by Nana. Despite their expanding presence and influence over the western continent, he knew that their multiplication would eventually cease.
Crepuscular was particularly displeased with the situation, because of the presence of humans in this continent they prevented him from establishing a firm grip over the region. He understood that until Nana awakened, there would be no significant change in this situation. However, he also realized that once she did awaken, his advantage over his siblings would diminish.
" I wonder how far Ikenga and Maha have come" He said particularly to no one but himself, Curiosity sparked within Crepuscular as he pondered the progress of Ikenga and Maha. It had been a year since their meeting, and he had provided them with enough information to avoid wasting time in their own trials and effort.
He wondered if they had already chosen their creations, eager to see what they had chosen. However, that would have to wait until their next meeting. For now, he needed to focus on preparing his own race for the next step.
Deep beneath the waters of planet Nana, Jaws sat upon his throne, observing the rapid multiplication of his offspring. Each one bore a unique appearance, reflecting their diverse lineage.
However, Jaws was troubled by the unchecked proliferation of his offspring, though for different reasons than Crepuscular. In the vast ocean, they reigned supreme, their home territory offering no obstacles to their dominance. This presented a problem, as their huge appetite and bloodline of a divine being made them overlord creatures in the water. With few natural predators apart from the formidable magical deep-sea creatures, they consumed the lesser life forms of the ocean at an alarming rate.
Concerned about the depletion of their food sources, Jaws made the decision to command his offspring to halt their multiplication, allowing time for the ecosystem to recover.
"It seems my meeting with Ikenga will occur sooner than I anticipated," Jaws mused, stroking his chin. However, he chose to wait a little longer, recognizing that the situation had not yet reached its most dire point. Furthermore, he saw this as an opportunity for their race to take the next evolutionary step.
"It is time to establish a functional structure and develop ways for my offspring to harness mana and utilize it," he declared to his two loyal children who always remained by his side.
"Yes, Father. We will gather everyone," the two demigods affirmed before swimming away to carry out their father's directive.
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After completing the necessary task, Ikenga settled on his altar and observed Panacea, who had entered a deep sleep lasting ten years. He contemplated his actions, with his former human side feeling repulsed by what he had just done, while his active godly state experienced a sense of accomplishment.
Standing up, Ikenga extended his hand towards Panacea and hesitated for a moment before flowers and soft grass began to sprout from beneath and around her slumbering form.
"No matter the form in which the mother of my child arrived, it doesn't change the fact that I am about to become a father," he said to himself, excitement evident in his voice. This presented an opportunity for him to embrace a role he could not fulfill in his previous life.
"To hell with moral values," he exclaimed, annoyed with his human side. It dawned on Ikenga that he was still restricted by thinking like a human despite being a god. No one could dictate to him what was right or wrong; he alone held the authority to determine such matters.
Empowered by his newfound conviction and now in the right state of mind, Ikenga surveyed his dark realm, realizing that it was time for a change. However, for this change to happen it would require extensive training.
Recognizing the limitations of his realm, which currently only allowed for nature-related elements, Ikenga understood that his training could not take place within its confines. His training involved elements beyond nature, it would be difficult to achieve that within his realm's boundaries.
Casting one last gaze at Panacea, a portal materialized before Ikenga, leading him outside his realm. Surveying the surroundings of his arrival, Ikenga nodded approvingly.
This place had been discovered by Ikenga during his exploration of the eastern continent. It was an open area with scarce creatures, primarily due to the presence of a dominant top predator.
Speaking of the owner of the territory, Ikenga turned his gaze to the left when a loud thud emanated from the nearby bushes. A large red T-Rex burst out, crashing into Ikenga's towering figure before affectionately licking him.
"Hi, Red. You missed me that much," Ikenga chuckled, rubbing the creature's thick skin.