Village Head's Debauchery

"All right. Take care, Orion."

"I will," Orion replied. "Take care as well, ancestor Iyriath Zi'ria."

"I will," Iyriath Zi'ria said softly. Her voice faded, and her presence grew distant, disappearing completely.

Orion closed his eyes briefly, mourning her passing.

Then, he opened them again and looked toward the Mysteries Seed.

After a moment, he turned and gazed at the entirety of the cosmic structure.

On one side stood a cosmic, glistening, crystalline tree. Intertwined with its roots, on the other hand, was an even larger cosmic tree, shimmering with countless hues. Streams of white flames flowed within it, releasing radiant wisps that cloaked its exterior in a blinding brilliance no god would dare to gaze upon directly.

The orientation of the trees could not be defined as up or down, horizontal or vertical—both descriptions were accurate. It all depended on the perspective of the one fortunate enough to witness the breathtaking beauty of the entire cosmic structure.

This was the Paradise Realm.

Now, all that remained was to fill it with outsiders who would pledge their allegiance to him.

Orion unsummoned the white flame armour, then suppressed his divine spiritual aura until it matched that of an ordinary human. He altered his overwhelming appearance, reverting to his former, humble self.

He remembered the mental and physical strain he had endured upon meeting Oberon and Ilse for the first time, and so, he chose to restrain himself completely.

He feared that those awaiting him wouldn't be able to endure the sight of his current form.

Perhaps General Reynold, Oberon, and the ancient goddess could withstand his ascended, true god form, but he wasn't willing to take any chances.

Once he was sure that no energy leaked from him, Orion nodded in satisfaction. Just as he prepared to take a step forward, a streak of light shot out from the distant Material Cosmic Tree and appeared before him.

It was the blazing white Twelve-Step Stairs.

The top of the stairs had expanded into a wide platform, spacious enough to accommodate him.

Orion felt a wave of vibrations coursing through his body. For a moment, it was as if he had entered a daze. However, he withstood it with ease, the sensation passing through him like a breeze sweeping across his entire being before fading away.

This was the voice of the Mysteries of the Twelve-Step Stairs.

Thanks to Iyriath Zi'ria, Orion had previously been able to communicate effortlessly with the Mysteries. But now that she was gone, he could fully feel the impact of the connection.

It was as if the Mysteries sought to override his entire being, to seize control of him.

Most unnerving of all, it wasn't communicating deliberately. This was merely an ordinary communication.

"She's gone. Her sacrifices will never be forgotten," Orion replied to its silent question.

He finally understood why General Reynold and Oberon had prevented him from communicating directly with the Mysteries of the Twelve Step Stairs before he had gained the ability to resist it.

Still, this reaction only occurred because he had suppressed his anomalous nature. He couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he released it...

Or perhaps, if he activated his Divine Archetype.

With that power, communication with the Mysteries of the Twelve-Step Stairs might feel like a conversation between equals.

The sheer terror of being an anomaly struck him again, along with its overwhelming potential.

Yet a question lingered in his mind: Why had the Divine Mysteries chosen to aid him and Aurora despite their anomalous nature?

Another wave of vibration passed through him, and he instantly understood the intent behind it.

"I know. It would've meant a lot to meet her, even for just a moment. But unfortunately, we couldn't afford to waste any more time," he said. "Given all she invested in this plan, we were left with no choice."

A surge of acknowledgement resonated through him.

"Good. Let's go see Sylvalis first," he said.

Orion looked down at the platform, his heart stirring with complex emotions. These stairs were created to guide beings toward divinity, yet they were serving as a form of transport.

He pushed the thought aside and stepped forward.

The Twelve-Step Stairs vanished into thin air.

In an instant, they reappeared in a remote landscape filled with valleys, highlands, and ancient artefact formations waiting to be unearthed within the domain of the gods.

Considering the plans they had for the Paradise Realm and the future he had glimpsed, Orion looked forward to what was to come.

Above the clouds, the metaphysical roots of the White Flame Cosmic Tree writhed and glowed. Beneath the earth, the presence of the Material Cosmic Tree pulsed.

The domain had already merged with both cosmic trees. What surrounded them now was merely their metaphysical essence.

Orion mentally carved open a spatial rift before him.

The roots of both trees were intertwined within the void. Sylvalis was cradled within a brilliant sphere formed from the energies of both trees.

Neither he nor Iyriath Zi'ria had known exactly what kind of transformation she would undergo, only that it was destined to succeed.

After confirming her current state, Orion closed the rift and sealed it tightly.

Any divine being attempting to open that space would fail unless they had mastered entirely the Law of Space or had already undergone their transformation into a true god.

Either way, Orion would be notified of any activity within or near it.

He sensed General Reynold and the others positioned near the edge of the Material Cosmic Tree.

In the next moment, he vanished once more.

They reappeared before General Reynold and the others.

"Orion…!!"

"Husband…!!"

"Husband…!!!"

"Darling…!!"

"Daddy…!!"

Multiple voices rang out at once as Orion was instantly surrounded by his wives and Grace.

He stepped down from the Twelve-Step Stairs to avoid any mishap and welcomed them all warmly.

They embraced him with joy and showered him with congratulations on his ascension to true godhood.

The heartfelt reunion lasted only briefly before they respectfully stepped back.

"Congratulations, Supreme Leader," Zymera said with a soft smile. She had not been among those who rushed forward.

Orion smiled back at her and gave a nod. His gaze shifted toward General Reynold, Oberon, and Margona, who had not yet stepped forward.

At a distance, the Divine Mysteries silently observed.

"You look different," General Reynold said, his eyes carefully studying Orion.

He glanced at the Twelve-Step Stairs, which now served as a form of transformation and appeared like a simple platform in Orion's presence, and didn't seem surprised.

Orion was more than qualified to treat it however he pleased.

"You already carry the demeanour of a true god," General Reynold continued. "No... someone above the gods. A twenty-year-old true god."

He let out a deep sigh. "You'll be twenty-one soon, but that doesn't matter. You're not an ancient god, not a reincarnated one, nor born with divine heritage, and yet, you've achieved something that would shake any realm to its core."

Orion knew the shift in his demeanour was due to his eight years spent alone with Iyriath Zi'ria, which had profoundly shaped him. Even without his ascension, it would have left a permanent mark.

But now, his new status gave him a convenient explanation. He intended to eventually share the details of that meeting, but only once everything had calmed down.

"So… how does it feel?" General Reynold asked curiously.

"There's no way to describe it," Orion replied. "It's something you'd have to experience yourself to truly understand."

General Reynold gave a slight smile. "How could I possibly experience something like that? I'm surviving on borrowed time. No matter how long that time stretches, it'll end one day."

"Who says it needs to end?" Orion replied with a smile.

General Reynold opened his mouth to respond, but froze. His eyes widened as he grasped the deeper meaning behind Orion's words.

"I'll make sure you're given a new body," Orion said with a solemn nod. "So you can fully enjoy the realm you helped create."

There was no known material strong enough to forge a Divine Embryonic Seed capable of restoring someone like General Reynold, who bore the lingering effects of his fate ascension.

Of course, there were alternatives, like acquiring an Omnithrialian, forming a pact with it, and using it to house one's soul. But Orion knew without a doubt that General Reynold would never accept such a method.

Thankfully, with his current mastery of the White Flame, now fused with his divine archetype, he no longer needed a Divine Embryonic Seed.

He could now manipulate the very structure of reality to create divine bodies from scratch for them.

A sudden surge of emotion swelled in General Reynold's and Oberon's hearts.

After everything they had witnessed, they didn't doubt his words.

If Orion couldn't revive them, then perhaps no one in existence ever could.

A sliver of hope appeared before them, and they immediately seized it.

"If the supreme true god wishes to create a body for us, then I certainly won't refuse," General Reynold said.

"We look forward to speaking with you again, in our true bodies," Oberon added.