"You've really got a wild imagination!" Golden Dragoness Atreus rolled her eyes at her mother's guess. "Even the youngest Abomination Dragon is older than you. How could Muria possibly be interested in such an ancient creature?"
"So stop making me guess and just tell me!" her mother urged.
"A Seraphim descendant, a ten-winged Seraphim descendant."
"What?" Arista's face revealed unrestrained shock, and after a moment of stiffness, it broke into pure joy.
"Hahaha! My dear daughter, you've outdone yourself! Not only have you connected with the Titan race, but now you're also linked to the Seraphim!"
"Why are you so excited? You're a Dragon King now, isn't this a bit undignified?" Atreus looked at her mother, who was laughing with her head thrown back in excitement, her expression full of disdain. Was forming ties with the Titans and Seraphim really that thrilling?
"You don't understand. You've never been to the Void, so you don't know what it's like to be utterly isolated and helpless." Arista didn't mind her daughter's judgmental gaze.
"Now that I'm part of both the Titan and Seraphim families, let's see who dares mess with me! If they try, I'll have an army of Epic Titans and Seraphim at my back!"
"You're thinking too far ahead!" Atreus looked at her mother with exasperation, then coldly interrupted her. Fortunately, they were in the empty void, otherwise, this would have been extremely embarrassing.
"Even if I've connected with the Titans and Seraphim, why would they help you for no reason? Do you think they're free mercenaries?"
"Hehe, my dear, do you know what I brought back from the Void this time?" Arista asked with a sly smile, her expression full of pride.
"I had been wondering how to approach the Titans or Seraphim, but you've solved that perfectly for me. Now I can negotiate with them as a relative!"
"What did you bring back from the Void?" Atreus, curious now, couldn't help but ask when she saw her mother's mysterious look. It seemed like whatever she brought back could attract the attention of both Titans and Seraphim.
"A very safe technique for acquiring source power!"
"And you plan to negotiate with that?" Atreus' expression became tense. This kind of technique was too important, something only discovered through countless trials by an Epic race, often at the cost of their lives.
"I'm going to trade it!"
"You don't need me to tell you how valuable that is, right?"
"I know. Even trading with the trustworthy Titans comes with risks, especially with such a precious source power technique. But if I don't trade, I won't survive much longer!"
"Wait, did you obtain this technique through improper means?" Atreus began scrutinizing her mother closely. No one knew her mother's character better than she did.
"Just keep that knowledge to yourself. Do you really have to say it out loud and make me feel guilty?" Arista playfully slapped her daughter. "There's no way to obtain source power techniques through proper channels in the Void. No one spreads such things recklessly."
"Impressive, Mom. You actually managed to get your hands on something like this."
"Of course! I became a Legendary Pinnacle and entered the Void long before your father did." Arista looked immensely proud. Stealing a source power technique from a powerful Epic race was something she could brag about for millennia.
"I'm planning to return to the world of Erathia now. Do you want to come with me?"
"I have a Stargate in this world. If possible, you could use it to return."
"No thanks. I'd rather fly back myself. This world is too small for me. Even if I squeezed in, the Stargate wouldn't be able to handle my size." Arista shook her head at her daughter's suggestion.
"Then I'll go with you! I've heard that when a newly ascended Epic returns to the world, it's a grand spectacle. I missed seeing it when Dad ascended, but this time I'm not going to miss out."
"Alright, I'll give you the show of a lifetime!"
...
"I'm back!" Arista exclaimed with a sigh as she and her daughter stood before the barrier of the world of Erathia, using her Epic power to arrive in no time.
"Stop sighing and go in already," Atreus impatiently urged her mother, eager to witness the grand event that accompanies an Epic's return.
"Why the rush? Am I the Dragon King or are you?"
"Of course you are. Now hurry up, stop dragging it out."
"Humph, watch closely. Every Epic enjoys this moment of glory when they return."
With that, Arista began breaking through the world's barrier. At first, it felt like she had hit a steel wall, but the sensation quickly vanished as the world recognized her identity.
All obstacles disappeared, and the glowing barrier became as if it didn't exist, allowing her to pass through freely. A sense of belonging, like returning to a mother's embrace, filled Arista's heart. It was nothing like the cramped and congested feeling she had when trying to enter the medium-sized world controlled by Atreus.
As soon as Arista's entire form entered the world of Erathia, the world's laws resounded, and endless rays of light gathered toward her. The sea of source power also stirred. A place no being could usually reach began to resonate with the Dragon King's power, condensing a corresponding divine role.
A transparent crystal appeared, holding the newly formed divine role within it—an object many mortals yearned for: a divine spark.
When Dragon King Arista fully entered the material realm, this divine spark appeared before her. Countless elemental forces and laws swirled around her, seemingly awaiting her decision.
"This truly is the exclusive treatment for Epics: the choice between Dragon King and Dragon God!" Arista said with a smug smile, glancing at her daughter as she admired the divine spark, her tone full of pride.
In the Pantheon,
The moment Dragon King Arista entered the world, the world's welcome stirred countless gods. The commotion had happened several times throughout history, especially among the ancient gods who had witnessed this dozens of times. The Pantheon grew noisy again.
"Another Epic has been born!"
"And it's a Dragon King!"
"The Dragon race grows stronger once more!"
"Now, this Dragon King will have to make a choice. I wonder what she'll choose. It would be straightforward if it were a Titan or Seraphim, but this is a Dragon King!"
Many gods turned their gaze to the nine Dragon Gods occupying a section of the Pantheon, their expressions full of amusement. Without a reliable method to obtain source power, many Dragon Kings had chosen to merge with the world's laws and claim a divine role, as had those nine Dragon Kings.
...
"Look at this! If I accept this divine spark and merge it into my body, my power will double instantly. Jealous?" Arista teased, sensing the many eyes on her, as she casually played with the divine spark in her claws.
"You won't merge with it anyway, so what's there to be jealous of?" Atreus masked her envy with a scornful expression.
This was the honor that came with becoming an Epic. Traditionally, one could ignite their divine fire, gather followers, and ascend to godhood. But once Epics appeared, that method became almost laughable.
While ordinary gods had to beg the world for power, Epics were invited to control the world's laws.
Just like now, Arista had no followers, no churches, only a few who had witnessed her power and revered her. She lacked every traditional prerequisite for becoming a god, except her immense power as a Dragon King and the three drops of source power in her body.
Upon entering the world, the laws immediately responded to her strength, forming a divine role that she could accept if she chose to.
But after playing with the divine spark for a moment, Arista waved her claw and threw it away. "Thanks for the grand welcome, but I'm not planning on becoming a god right now. Apologies!"
As her will spread out, the divine spark slowly disappeared into the void, and the swirling forces around her gradually dissipated.
_________________________
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