Myths Reawakened

“Heart of Nature...”

Wayne stood shaken. The Heart of Nature wasn’t one of the twelve levels of the Underworld, yet it held the same importance as the One Universe. If the Underworld was one entity, with each of the twelve levels representing an organ, the Heart of Nature would no doubt be the Underworld’s heart.

The Goddess of Death had reached the end of Her path, and Death was part of Life. To advance further, Aztimor had to turn into the Goddess of Life.

The concept of Death alone wasn’t enough. She needed Nature, and the Heart of Nature was Her first attempt.

Because She had failed, She arranged for Her slumber...

“What does the slumber mean? Resurrection?” Wayne murmured to himself, feeling inspired by Sizorn’s half-dead state.

“I’ve died and come back to life. I’ve gone further than the goddess in that regard. I am the true God of Death!” The corpse dragon roared. Realizing that his draconic breath did nothing to Wayne, he flapped his wings and dove down.

“That would be a little more convincing if I hadn’t seen the Heart of Nature. Unfortunately...” Wayne held his sword with both hands to confront the hurtling behemoth. “You haven’t overtaken the goddess. You know nothing!”

What a pitiful soul. Death only allowed you to survive because you could be of use. Nature only gave you a heart because you were qualified to be used. Even Sun had sent someone to bleed you because of the dragon blood in your veins...

Whoosh!

Following a flash of white light, the corpse dragon slammed into the ground. Sizorn struggled to get back into the air, flapping his damaged wings. The seam on his chest burst open, and the heart representing Nature fell out. It pulsed with a faint green glow until it slowly stopped beating.

“You’ve led a fulfilling life, being played by three goddesses.” Wayne turned to look at the struggling corpse dragon. “This is to send you back to the past. After all... you died then. That’s the time you must return to.”

Sizorn tried and failed to take flight. A vast volume of Death energy roiled in his body, rapidly dissolving his thoughts. An infinite darkness came crashing in, and his vision went black. He shifted his body to face Wayne. “Dragonslaying swordsmanship... This belongs to Sun’s knight order... Why do you...”

Whose subordinate god was he? Sun’s, or Darkness’s? Sizorn, as his mind slipped toward unconsciousness, could no longer ponder the truth.

“You died to dragonslaying swordsmanship and lived because of the Goddess of Death, then you betrayed the goddess and got killed by the same technique. Doesn’t fate have a sense of humor?”

“Fate...”

The corpse dragon collapsed, quickly rotting away into a skeleton. He departed so fast that he didn’t even manage to say his last words.

“I get it. You don’t believe in fate. That’s what everyone thinks, me included.” Wayne nodded. Believe that left eye twitching heralded fortune and dismiss the idea that right eye twitching meant disaster as superstition. Fate was like religion. The more free eggs the merrier, but pay nothing for Indulgences.

“You moved fast. I thought you would let him say his last words.” Grau teleported to Wayne and rubbed his hands in front of the skeleton of the great dragon. “Rest in peace, Sizorn. This is the Underworld, so you won’t truly be dead. You’ll continue to fight for the goddess!”

“Leave the hard work to me.” Wayne rolled his eyes, teleporting Ryza right in front of him with a snap of his fingers. Then he created a passageway to the Heart of Nature at the edge of the One Universe. “Move these in. I’ll check later. Every bone that’s lost will be replaced with yours. Do you understand?”

Ryza gulped. She had a feeling that many of the dragon bones would go missing mysteriously, and she wouldn’t have enough bones to replace them. Then Wayne would report to the goddess and take all of Ryza as compensation.

What should she do? Would selling her disciple out be enough?

When Sizorn died, Saigner regained her composure. Now that the traitor was dead, no one else would be considered a traitor.

“Come. Let’s head to the Temple of Eternity!”

Wayne extracted the Authority of the Underworld from the corpse dragon with a wave, swallowing it whole.

He had taken ninety-nine steps. It was time for the last!

***

In the heart of the One Universe, a closed black door hovered. It stood around a thousand meters tall, adorned with the sculptures of serene faces, either in prayer or mid-whisper. An endless line of massive stone columns reached toward the dome of the cosmos, each etched with ancient runes about life and death, reincarnation and nirvana. Aztimor had etched those texts with Her own hands, expressing Her understanding of Death.

Death was an end, but it wasn’t a true end. Life had no destination, only a new starting point.

Past the stone door was an endless stretch of palaces floating on a pitch-black sea, with white jade paving the interconnected ways, symbolizing the white of life and the black of death. The two complemented each other to form a cycle.

A long, long time ago, Aztimor figured out the essence of life, and She had long since realized that between Her and Elian, only one could reach the end.

Anyway, past the stone columns, the black stone door that should’ve remained closed opened, and black-armored figures had fallen at the door. All twelve were skeletons armed with knightly swords. They were Death’s knight order, stationed to guard the Temple of Eternity.

The full order was capable of slaying a dragon.

While the twelve knights did not roam the mortal realm, they were the goddess’s creations, which made them replicas of Rognes in some way. They listened to Aztimor only. Their mission was simple: watch the entrance to the Temple of Eternity and stop anyone from entering or exiting.

While Aztimor was in slumber, the three subordinate gods had barged in and walked away with the Authority of the Underworld. The nine Night Gods, for their refusal to submit, had been thrown into jail. The twelve empty-headed knights were kept by Sizorn to watch the door. He saw them as insurance and a way to stop Saigner and Grau from sneaking in.

The one who had defeated the twelve knights was none other than Rognes, whom they were based on. They tried to stop Rognes from coming in, so he made quick work of them. He couldn’t afford to waste time.

Then he walked in.

Clatter! Clatter!

Walking along the white jade path, Rognes looked at the blades of green emerging from the black ocean. The white light dancing in his eye sockets contracted violently. Disregarding any potential traps that might be in his way, he charged straight at the palace at the end of the path with his greatsword of Death energy.

Boom!!

An incredible power slammed down, destroying his sword. Rognes crossed his arms before his chest and looked around at the flying energy butterflies. His heart—his figurative heart sank to rock bottom.

“The Destroyer...”

“Juvian, the Butterfly of Gravity.”

Nature’s three subordinate gods were the Oracle, Mirelle the Lark of Wisdom, the Dreamer, Acosta the Totem Tree, and the Destroyer, Juvian the Butterfly of Gravity. The arrangement corresponded to Death’s subordinate gods. It was hard to say which among them had imitated the other. Perhaps they had learned from each other for mutual progress.

On Death’s side, the Executor was the strongest, while the Destroyer was the strongest on Nature’s side. Both were demigods on the precipice of breaking through. They only had to ignite their divine fire to become gods.

Of course, that was only the official story. Demigods weren’t made the same. Some demigods were known as He Who Is Like God and were powerful enough to rival a god, but stood only a fifty-fifty chance against demigods whose god was in slumber. On the other hand, Wayne, wearing the skin of a human, could already beat up subordinate gods who had acquired Authority over their Divine Realm despite not having reached the peak of demigodhood.

At the end of the day, knowledge was power!

“You’re Rognes, aren’t you? I didn’t expect you to come this far. Where’s Sizorn? Why didn’t he stop you?”

Colorful butterflies flew at the entrance of the dim palace, forming a vague figure with an indistinct appearance and voice. It was hard to tell whether it was a man or a woman, or perhaps both, as the ethereal presence might suggest.

“Why is Nature’s subordinate god here?” Rognes demanded harshly.

“That’s unfair. I’ve come invited. You should’ve asked Sizorn the question.” Juvian parted the barrier of glowing butterflies. “The Goddess of Death is changing. This is no place for you. Turn back. There will be no Goddess of Death from now on.”

Ignoring their words, Rognes swung his sword of Death energy like a roaring tornado, shattering the colorful barrier of light and stalking up to Juvian. Infinite Death energy burst out of his chest, forming a grey vortex that spun in the reverse direction of the butterflies to decimate every single one of them.

In terms of combat power, Rognes could rival a subordinate god.

Juvian marveled at his power. “No wonder Sizorn had to catch you off guard to decapitate you, even doing so in the desolate Hell. You do have the power to stop him. However...”

Hum—

The wild butterflies danced, generating tremendous vitality to crush the Death energy and grind the vortex to a halt. Rognes looked at Juvian in horror. The subordinate god of Nature was far more powerful than he had imagined. Moreover...

Juvian held a part of the Authority of the Underworld!!

“Don’t you see? The great Nature has gained the power of Death and achieved transcendence. Your god has no future. She is doomed to fall. Death will return to death and cease to be.”

Juvian’s vague figure wobbled as they pressed a hand to Rognes’s chest. With a slight push, they sent Rognes staggering back along with the restricted space around him. He slammed hard into the entrance door.

Shaking his head, Rognes got back to his feet and rematerialized his sword of Death energy. “I’m still alive, and my goddess has not died. If Nature had gotten what She wanted, why would you be here? Save your nonsense and stop trying to make me give up...”

“You, on the other hand, must be ready to stay long-term in the Underworld. Have your master come and get you!”

Boom!!

Light of Death rippled out. As Juvian and Rognes collided, broken butterfly wings scattered on one side, and a serene Death fell apart on the other side. The stray energy peeled space apart, leaving bursting black cracks.

“You’re far stronger than Sizorn expected. What a shame that you only showed up now. Nature has already occupied the Underworld. My ability surpasses yours.”

Juvian took a step forward and overpowered Rognes, pressing their hand to his chest once more with butterflies flittering out of their palm.

Bam!

Rognes staggered, but did not fall back. Behind him, a hand had found purchase on his black armor, offsetting the explosive power.

Rognes paused in surprise.

“Wayne?”

“Yeah, accidents happened. I hope you don’t mind the change of plan.”