The skies above shimmered with silver light as Achlys walked the cobbled streets of the floating city, the ever-present hum of Pegaluves fluttering around him. Their feathered wings brushed the air like whispers, but their eyes—those scornful, golden eyes—never strayed far from the human.
"Can't you humans just die already?" hissed one, its hooves tapping the ground as it passed him. "This city is for the worthy, not your wretched, two-legged kind."
Achlys looked down, a quiet sigh escaping his lips. Before the weight of the insult could settle, a loud thud echoed behind him. The Pegaluve now found itself lifted off the ground, strangled by Lecia's firm grasp.
"Say that again about my husband," she snarled, her grip tightening. "Go on. Say it, you feathery disgrace."
The Pegaluve, trembling with fear, nodded frantically. Lecia threw it to the ground like dust.
"He's lucky, Achlys doesn't kill people."
More Pegaluves gathered, murmuring among themselves as Crevial lumbered behind in her slow, deliberate pace.
"Isn't that… Crevial?"
"A two-legged pig in the sky city? That takes nerve."
"I heard he's with a Pegaluve and an Angel."
"No, you idiot. That's an Angel and a Phoenix with him."
The whispers stung more than the stares. Achlys picked up his pace, his cloak fluttering behind him like a fading shadow. Lecia noticed and rushed to his side, stretching out her hand—but the ground beneath them cracked before she could reach him.
The road gave away and they fell into the abyss.
"Where did they go?" one of the Pegaluves asked, peering over the edge, confused.
..................….
Achlys groaned, lifting himself from the floor. The light of the two suns filtered through the magical barrier above, a shimmering net that separated them from the city.
Lecia, already up and ready to move, licked her lips. "Now we're alone, hun~"
"Lecia," Achlys muttered, annoyed, "I swear, I'll break your jaw if you try anything perverted."
"A punishment~? Yes please!"
He groaned again; this time louder.
"I'll rather kill myself."
Surveying around the walls in the dark room where their only source of light was the filtered beams falling from above.
They found a door, a rather peculiar huge door, shaped as if made by an ancient civilization. Ancient letters carved with magic glowed as Achlys pulled it by his raw strength.
Achlys groaned. "Damn this door is heavy."
Lecia realized something was off. "It is not the door that is heavy, it's just locked."
"Locked?
Then how do we open it?"
"These runes carved on it may somehow be connected to the order what you speak off and since you are one of that so try pouring mana into it."
"Good point, I'll do that."
Achlys poured his mana into the handle that he held tight.
The handle lightened up, mana moving blood in veins reached every area on the huge door and illuminated set of letters on it.
The chamber was dim but ancient, carved from black stone and pulsing with residual magic.
At its center stood a strange object: a black pillar no taller than a child, laced with glowing white runes.
Achlys approached cautiously. "What… in the Order… is that?"
Lecia's voice, uncharacteristically serious, answered. "A monolith. A God's monolith."
He turned to her, eyebrows raised. She didn't blink.
Half the monolith was shattered. Achlys ran his fingers along the jagged edges.
"Gods have forgotten their duties…" Lecia murmured; eyes wide. "And so has the monolith. That's what someone once told me."
Inscribed on the pillar were names etched in divine script: God of Destruction… God of Creation… God of Life… God of ██████… and God of Curses…
When her eyes fell upon the final name, an invisible force burst forth—pure, unrelenting fury. The chamber trembled. Achlys dropped to his knees, choked by the weight of the aura.
"Lecia… calm down!"
She gasped, pulling her power back into herself with effort. "Sorry…"
Achlys stood and noticed hundreds of other names engraved on the chamber walls. As he approached, they began to glow.
"Mortal," a voice echoed from the stone, ethereal and melodic. "You stand in a place gifted by the heavens."
"Who—who said that!?" Achlys asked, heart pounding.
"I am Lyuta Pluies, God of Music. Welcome, child."
"What is this place…that you label as gifted by the heavens?"
Achlys turned to the name that glowed and bowed down in awe.
Another voice chimed in from the far end. "This is a sanctuary of gods—a haven where we share governance over worlds. One of many scattered across the universe."
Achlys turned toward the name glowing now: Ipye Reuil.
Soon another name glowed as it spoke. "I am the God of Knowledge, Ilya Tuel."
the voice intoned. "All creation begins with me. No thing exists without my recognition."
"Just how many gods are there…?"
As if in answer, the monolith pulsed. A single name shimmered and broke free, falling to the ground with a radiant hum.
"Oh my…" Ipye Reuil murmured. "The God of Creation is coming forth."
The name morphed, twisting into shape—stone reshaping itself, birthing a figure no taller than forty centimeters. She stood there, ethereal and beautiful, yet her presence nearly shattered the air itself.
"What the hell is going on!?" Lecia still not sane couldn't grasp the situation that was changing as quick as someone breathing.
..................….
The room dimmed as the monolith's glow faded, but the small figure now stood, formed of celestial stone and divinity.
The God of Creation had arrived.
Achlys withstood the pressure and aura emitted from her just by being present in the same realm as them.
Still standing upright unlike Lecia lying on the ground unconscious, he whispered "How am I still conscious?"
"We share the same mind and body; you won't be subdued by some simple aura,"
Bellona replied.
"Oh…" Achlys couldn't believe Bellona using the term simple aurawhen referring to the god of creation herself.
She was no taller than a child, her frame slim and human-shaped, though her presence dwarfed everything. Around her arms floated four empty sheaths, circling lazily. She wore a cropped, midnight-black tank top, and trousers that shimmered from crimson to cobalt in an ever-shifting gradient.
Her spiky, golden hair danced with a life of its own, and her eyes—gods above—her eyes were pools of every color, shifting like oil under moonlight.
When she spoke, it was a voice of rivers, stars, and wind.
"You had a question… dear human."
Achlys took a cautious step back, but nodded.
"How many gods… exist?"
She smiled gently, closing those radiant eyes. "Seventy-six billion. Many are aspects of the same domain. For instance—there is a God of Sand… and another for the Beach. One rules the grains, the other the shore. They overlap, but do not eclipse one another."
A disembodied voice echoed from the wall. "Hey! Don't talk about me without permission, Lady Upe!"
The goddess, Upe, chuckled, turning her gaze to the name inscribed in the corner.
"Apologies, child. I meant no slight."
Then she turned her attention back to Achlys, her gaze falling on his sword.
"A gift wouldn't hurt, perhaps. For finding this place through sheer happenstance."
Her hand glowed as she created something out of thin air.
"I bestow upon you a Mist Stone. Fragile, but powerful for a wielder of mist such as yourself."
She extended a hand, and within it floated a shimmering, pale-blue crystal.
"Place it in the slot on your blade's hilt."
Achlys did as told. The sword's hilt shimmered, the stone snapping into place with a resonant click.
The blade hummed with new life—longer, lighter, but unchanged in color. Power coursed through it.
"The Mist Stone has chosen to awaken a new ability within you," the goddess whispered.
Achlys glanced at her, intrigued. "What is it?"
"Ilya?" she asked.
"Mist Clone," came the reply, quick and cold.
The chamber began to brighten, runes flashing along the walls. The God of Creation's form began to fade.
"Time is up, child," she said softly. "Good luck on the Page of Freedom… and the rest of your journey."
In a flash, they were no longer in the sacred chamber.
..................….
Achlys and Lecia reappeared above the surface—but the hole they'd fallen through had sealed behind them.
Crevial, still nearby, saw them emerge in a radiant flash and ran toward them—only to be cut off by a voice that echoed through the city.
"ICE BAR!"
A barrier of jagged ice erupted around Crevial, trapping her in a cage.
From above, a phoenix dove like a comet, feathers blazing as it descended. Mid-air, the bird twisted, morphing into a man before landing between Achlys and the ice cage with force that cracked the pavement.
"Stay back from my master, you damned Pegaluves!" he roared.
Achlys stepped forward, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "Cryo… It's been a while."
Cryo turned, ready to respond, but froze at the sight of Achlys' glare.
"You've done well protecting me…" Achlys muttered—before driving his fist into Cryo's face. Cryo hit the ground hard.
"Dumb bird."
On his knees, Cryo bowed. "Forgive me… If I have failed you, I shall end this pitiful body—"
"No, no—look!" came a voice from the crowd. "A bird on its knees! How pathetic. Can't even fly!"
Cryo whipped around and began cursing at the Pegaluves, his fury uncontained.
Achlys grabbed him by the hair, dragging him away.
Crevial shattered the cage with ease, walking over to retrieve Lecia, who was still snoring.
"Achlys… kiss me…" she mumbled.
Crevial cringed. "Ugh. No thanks."
..................….
Half an hour later, the group walked together—Cryo now calm, Lecia half-asleep on his shoulder, and Crevial trailing behind.
"Cryo," Achlys asked, "before we were separated, you mentioned something, some kind of ability?"
Cryo thought for a moment and remembered his past conversation. "Ah, yes. Mana Release."
Achlys blinked. "Is it… connected to the pressure I felt when Lecia emerged from that cave?"
Cryo nodded. "Exactly."
He began explaining, conjuring a flat disc of ice in the air. With his finger, he sketched a figure and floating orbs around it.
"Mana Release is among the highest tiers of magic—used by elite mages or those with God-tier mana capacity. It's a process of collecting mana—especially heavy mana."
Bellona's voice rang in Achlys' mind, amused. "Mana Release… tied to elemental control, correct?"
Cryo nodded again. "Yes. Take Lecia for instance. With Mana Release, she could manipulate gravity so extensively… she could destroy the planet. If she gathered enough energy over time."
Achlys narrowed his eyes. "You mentioned collecting?"
"Exactly," Cryo said, pointing at the orbs.
"Normal mana particles are drawn in. Once enough is gathered, they compress into heavy mana—dense, potent… but dangerously unstable."
He drew a jagged orb. "If used improperly, it could kill the caster."
With a flick of his hand, the diagram exploded.
"And there's more. Heavy mana spells require incantations—long, powerful phrases that stabilize the magic. Without them, the user risks everything. And with everything, I mean one's life."
He dropped the ice disc. It shattered.
"Fascinating…" Achlys murmured.
"How long does this collection process takes?"
"Weeks, years or maybe decades. It depends on the user or the caster."
Cryo replied. "Though there are some artifacts that can reduce the collection time but I personally do not recommend using any of those. They put a lot of strain on the caster."
"Oh, fair enough."
"And one more thing, not relating to the subject at hand but," Cryo added.
"The Pegaluves… some of them helped me. Isn't it strange? The race that despises humans… aiding one?"
Achlys looked around. Pegaluves on the street quickly averted their eyes.
"They look afraid," he whispered. "It's like someone is forcefully instilling fear inside them."
Crevial's eyes went wide. "You noticed it too?"
"What's wrong?" Achlys asked.
Crevial stepped back, alarmed.
"Jump!"
The warning came a second too late.
A shockwave blasted down the street, tearing through the air.
Pegaluves screamed. Some fell, some flew, others simply vanished in a haze of ash and smoke.
A voice—cold and familiar—echoed through the ruins.
"Crevial… you shouldn't have done that. The human was meant to die. That was the Governor's will."
Crevial spun, searching for the source. Her face turned pale.
"…Brother," she whispered.
..................….
Far below the floating cities and godly sanctuaries, deep within the Demon Forest, four massive obsidian pillars reached into the sky like claws. At their center hovered a cube, suspended in magic, pulsing with violet energy.
"Spatial Magic, Unbreakable Altar" chanted Dobrota.
A platform began to descend from the hovering cube—two meters by two, carrying two figures as it slowly lowered into the clearing. One was a tall, smirking woman with a dangerous glint in her eye. The other, a nervous elf, shifted uncomfortably under her stare.
"Elf," the Princess said, pointing at Tiabishi's legs with a dramatic flair, "today, you will learn to use your legs properly."
Tiabishi blinked. "In what way, Princess?"
The Princess turned toward the trees. She raised her leg and kicked the air with sudden force. A blast of wind erupted, shredding bark from trees and cracking the ground in its wake.
"Like that," she said sweetly. "But against me."
Tiabishi gulped. The sound was audible. The Princess laughed wickedly.
As the platform finally landed, Dobrota lifted his hand lazily and raised it again. The platform rose back into the sky.
"Can't wait to get beat up," Tiabishi said with a nervous chuckle.
"Idiot," the Princess replied, smacking her in the head with a playful chop.
"Hey! What was that for?"
"For being an idiot. Just like your stupid boyfriend."
Tiabishi's eyes narrowed. "He's my boyfriend, Princess. Got it?"
"Relax," the Princess said with a shrug. "I don't like him anyway."
Tiabishi's mood flipped. "Then I have no reason to be mad."
The platform docked with the floating cube. As they entered, the walls shifted color, pulsing deep purple.
"Huh? Why'd the color change?" Tiabishi asked.
"It strengthens the walls," the Princess replied. "Keeps me from accidentally shattering the cube when I train. Father insisted."
"Yikes…" Tiabishi muttered.
"Elf," the Princess said, pointing. "Form an icicle there, at the box's edge."
Tiabishi focused. Ice swirled into a crystalline spike—but it glowed faintly, tinted light blue.
"Light blue? That's weak," the Princess scoffed.
"You need serious training."
Without warning, she stepped forward and slammed a low kick into the icicle. The impact reverberated through the entire cube. Tiabishi was thrown back, crashing against the opposite wall.
"What the hell? You want me to train like that?" Tiabishi shouted, stunned.
"Yes," the Princess replied, grinning. "Now get up."
"Nah! This is torture! Let me go!"
The Princess laughed. "Foolish elf. There is no escape. If I can't escape, you certainly can't."
Tiabishi groaned. "Damn it… Achlys, if I die in here, I'll see you in afterlife." She headed towards the princess.
"Kick there" said the princess as she pointed out to her legs.
Tiabishi, unwilling to train, sighed. "Fine. I'll kick there."
"Don't hold back," the Princess said,
stepping into position. "Or no dinner tonight."
Tiabishi gasped. "No dinner?! But your food is delicious!"
"Not my rules," the Princess said, smirking. "They're Father's. From when I trained."
"Cruelty runs in the family," Tiabishi muttered.
"Now—kick!"
Tiabishi took two steps and launched her foot toward the Princess's leg. A dust cloud bloomed from the impact.
As it settled, the Princess stood still, arms crossed, completely unfazed and disappointed.
"Again," she said.
"…Seriously?"
"One hundred times, Elf."
Tiabishi sighed. And kicked again.
..................….
Outside the cube, Dobrota stared at the sky with the posture of a man plagued by destiny.
"This sucks!" he grumbled. "Why can't I have a girl to talk to?"
A sudden voice responded from behind him.
"Because you're a nerd, son."
Dobrota turned around slowly to face his father. A single, tragic tear slipped down his cheek.
"…Even my father roasts me."