NOVEL NEXT Chapter 33: ORDER AND GATHERING
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"Are you ready?"
On the summit of the sacred mountain, before a group of towering palaces, Cronus's deep voice echoed through the winds.
Although the legislative process wasn't directly led by him, as the God King, he would still claim his share of the world's rewards.
"Of course. Do you have the edict ready?"
Twelve hundred years of travel and experience had left no visible mark on Themis, Goddess of Justice. If anything, time had only sharpened her gaze and deepened her calm. She turned to Cronus, awaiting the final item she needed to carry out the legislation.
"Take this—the Scepter of the God King," Cronus said, handing over the artifact.
"My brother who rules the outer sea grows stronger by the day. Oceanus commands not only the mountain gods of Uriah and the star gods of the heavens but also has more descendants under his dominion than all the gods of Chaos combined," he continued, his tone measured and devoid of emotion.
Oceanus, the former eldest brother, had forged the Sea King's Scepter using the essence of the sea and the origin of his priesthood, commanding thousands of ocean gods to his side. Cronus, determined to rival him, had crafted his own scepter. But unlike Oceanus, whose scepter brought the seas to heel, Cronus's God King's decree had failed to garner the same authority.
The sacred mountain was his domain, but the earth had been carved up by river gods, lake gods, and mountain gods. To them, Cronus's rank as the God King was more symbolic than real.
"Imitation isn't a path to greatness, Cronus. The gods remember the first, not the second," Themis said, taking the scepter adorned with tricolor jade.
This wasn't her wisdom but a truth she had learned from Soulis. It had been a recurring sentiment in her travels—a reminder that left its mark.
For centuries, Themis had ventured into the Spirit World, learning its secrets and applying them in Mount Odis. She didn't hide her borrowings from Soulis; he had no objection. In fact, he welcomed it, for her actions hastened the absorption of Chaos's power into his domain.
"Perhaps," Cronus replied with a faint smile. "But even the strongest must start somewhere. And the strongest will always be remembered."
His confidence was new, born of centuries of growing power and ambition. Cronus had embedded three gems in the God King's scepter, representing the sky, earth, and ocean—his aspirations for absolute dominion. One day, he hoped this power would be enough to break the curse of his Heavenly Father and defy the fate inscribed in the very fabric of Chaos.
Themis, however, wasn't convinced. She nodded out of courtesy, but inwardly, she doubted her brother's resolve. To become a true God King, one required immense power, far beyond Cronus's grasp. His priesthood might hold the potential, but it lacked the necessary origin.
Heavenly Father, the incarnation of the sky, had once held infinite potential. Cronus, by comparison, had barely a fraction of it—no more than 30% of the origin of time and space in this world. His power was insufficient, and without a breakthrough, "the strongest" would remain an empty boast.
Still, she had a task to complete. "I'm beginning now," Themis said softly, signaling her intent.
Cronus stepped back quickly. He understood the gravity of what was about to happen. When legislation began, the laws of the entire world would gather in one place. Even primordial gods dared not come into direct contact with the endless chains of order unleashed during this process.
Themis took a step forward, climbing to the highest point of the sacred mountain. She grasped the God King's scepter tightly, and the divine power within her surged to life.
It wasn't just her own medium divine power coursing through her—it was amplified by the temporary authority granted by the scepter. Together, her divinity and the scepter's power reached out to the laws of Chaos, her priesthood of Law guiding the process.
In an instant, Themis perceived the intricate web of laws that bound the world, along with the chaotic remnants of creation itself. These remnants, scattered and unrefined, obstructed the flow of order in the present world.
Raising her right hand, Themis summoned the Code of Creation, an artifact of brass-like material that glowed with an otherworldly sheen. The ancient tome opened, its pages blank save for the inscriptions of time and spiritual order written in the language of the gods.
New words began to etch themselves onto its pages in spiritual script, connecting the Code to the very essence of the world's laws.
As the writing progressed, chains of law emerged from the void, converging on the artifact. With each link purified, a formless power—raw and pure—flowed into the Code, enhancing its authority. This same power seeped into Themis, elevating her priesthood of Law and expanding her divine potential.
Although her immediate strength remained unchanged, the foundation for greater power had been laid. The road to becoming a god of great divine power was now open to her.
Cronus observed from a safe distance, while far beyond the mountain, Soulis—the unseen Lord of the Spirit World—watched in silence.
Holding the Code aloft, Themis declared, her voice resonating with divine authority:
"I am the bearer of Chaos's divine law, a Titan born of greatness, holder of the God King's scepter, and writer of the Code of Creation.
In the name of order, I bind this world to its covenant."
As her words echoed across the mountain, an invisible wave of power radiated outward. Across the entire world of Chaos, gods of medium divine power and above turned their attention toward Mount Odis, where the laws of their reality were being rewritten.
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Starting from medium divine power, gods can initially sense the Source Sea of the world—a boundless reservoir of energy that forms the foundation of existence.
The priesthood is a manifestation of this source power. However, apart from the world itself and gods with great divine power, no intelligent being can directly access the source power. To do so would risk their minds becoming assimilated by its essence—a process described as "transforming into the Tao."
To prevent this, Chaos created the priesthood, while Soulis crafted multi-faceted crystals condensed from source power. These crystals act as intermediaries, allowing the gods to wield their authority without being consumed by the source. Yet, this power is limited. Like a needle dropped into the sea, while the gods can wield the source, they are incapable of truly harming it.
When gods reach medium divine power, they no longer fear the source power. Instead, they begin to sense its rhythm and deepen their understanding of the laws it embodies. This sensitivity is why, at this moment, the gods can feel the shift in the Source Sea. On Mount Odis, the laws of the world are converging as a god reshapes its rules.
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Mount Odis and the Birth of a Strong Divine Power
Themis, the ancient Titan goddess, has long walked the earth. Her actions have been observed and whispered about by the gods, though many dismissed her ambition to legislate the world as folly. Yet now, the Source Sea quakes with undeniable proof of her influence.
To the gods, the idea of a being with only medium divine power attempting to modify the world's rules seemed impossible. However, the undeniable disturbance in the Source Sea forces them to reconsider. Perhaps Themis possesses some extraordinary method. Regardless of how she achieves it, one thing is clear: as the laws of the world align, her priesthood of Law will be sublimated, elevating her to strong divine power.
"She's succeeding," murmured the original water goddess as she stood beside her husband, Oceanus. "The last time she mentioned legislating for this world, I thought it was mere jest. But now… it's happening."
"If she manages to legislate for this world, the sublimated Law priesthood will allow her to touch the pinnacle of strong divine power," Oceanus replied with a nod. "It seems another power is rising among our generation of Titans."
There was no malice in his tone. Oceanus was content to see his sister's ascension. Her priesthood meant she would not interfere in his ongoing conflict with Pontos. As sea gods, their disputes were natural and inevitable.
"Let us go," he continued. "We should congratulate her properly."
The couple turned their gaze toward Mount Odis. It had been many years since they last visited the sacred mountain, and both wondered how much it had changed.
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The Underworld and the Doubts of Ethel
In the underworld, Ethel, the god of light, gathered with his siblings. Unlike the gods of the surface, the underworld deities were few in number and comparatively weaker. Apart from the powerful goddess of day, only the gods of destruction and misfortune showed potential to reach moderate divine power.
To outsiders, the underworld gods seemed to hold a special status due to the presence of two ancient creation gods. Yet within their ranks, they knew the truth. The primordial deities did not favor them. Even the lands of Eternal Night and the Lightless Realm treated them with indifference.
"Ethel, you've always warned me not to cause trouble, but the truth cannot be hidden forever," said Ker, the god of misfortune. "You fear Cronus will use us to establish his rule, but let him try. If he comes for me, I will not run."
Ethel sighed, frustrated by his younger brother's recklessness. "Ker, your arrogance will be our downfall. Cronus may have spared you once, but that doesn't mean he'll tolerate another provocation. Do not mistake the patience of the God King for weakness. We are not like the Titans. When the time comes, no one will stand for us."
Ker sneered, unaffected by his brother's warnings. "If that day comes, let him come to me. I refuse to grovel for survival as you do."
Ethel's patience wore thin, but he chose to walk away instead of continuing the argument. "I will go to the Holy Mountain to honor Themis. Stay here if you wish, but do not drag us further into chaos."
As Ethel departed, his siblings exchanged uneasy glances. They had long felt the weight of their precarious position within the divine hierarchy. Perhaps it was time to consider a different path.
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The Sky and the Ambition of Selene
In the heavens, the moon goddess Selene stood beside her father, Hyperion. Although centuries old, she remained a weak god compared to her siblings. Unlike in later generations, where weak but beautiful deities faced peril, Selene's position was secure. Many gods admired her beauty, but she had rejected all their advances.
"Father," Selene began hesitantly, "should we also go to the Holy Mountain to honor Themis?"
Hyperion nodded. "Of course, Selene. Soulis shamelessly stole the concept of the moon, leaving you in this weakened state. I tried to create an Underworld Sun to balance his theft, but I failed. Perhaps your aunt will bring justice to this matter."
Selene said nothing, though her thoughts were conflicted. She doubted Themis would interfere in a matter that fell outside her priesthood. Yet, she could not deny her own weakness. As much as she despised the idea, perhaps aligning herself with a stronger power was her only path forward.
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The Gathering of the Gods
Across the realms, similar scenes unfolded. From sea to sky, underworld to mountaintop, gods of all alignments and ambitions set aside their differences to converge upon Mount Odis. The laws of the world were shifting, and Themis stood at the center of this change.
On this day, in the 1,500th year of the God-King Calendar, the gods gathered to witness the ascension of a new power—a power that would reshape the balance of their world.
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