The God of Darkness remained silent, but he was going through the same pain.
His veins doubled in size. His fingernails grew to an inhuman length, thick and jagged… but still, he said nothing.
It didn't take long. Soon, everything was back to normal.
The black veins were gone, and the God of Darkness now looked calm and composed, his anger buried.
The God of War, however, was still seething—muttering curses under his breath. His temper, as always, refused to die down. But he could control it. Eventually.
Once Ileus finished establishing the servant bonds, he snapped his fingers and gave them a single command.
"Go and level up."
With that, all nine gods vanished without a trace.
---
But instead of returning to the temple, Ileus looked out into the distance.
Then he spoke—his voice calm.
"Come out. I know you're there."
Out of nowhere, the crystal previously seen inside the temple slowly emerged from hiding.
