Normally, for a divine being such as a Creator God, race and bloodline were of little consequence.This was because gods were not bound by physical form and could freely shift between races or ethnicities.However, a divine bloodline was something different altogether.
It granted access to powerful abilities—so potent, in fact, that even gods could benefit from them. Such a bloodline not only heightened one's divinity and opened the path to a potential new Law of Reality, it also amplified the potential of one's divine soul.
Through the bloodline of the Divine Chaos Demon and the demonic power Asher had once gained as a Demon King, his divinity surged and skyrocketed.All the demonic energy he had accumulated in Hell was now converted—at a ratio of six to one—into pure divinity.
"I see… but why do I feel so constrained, so restricted?" Asher suddenly wondered aloud."Hypothesis: I believe it is because you are unable to release your full power due to not having assumed your true form," Renas offered calmly. "The power of Creator Gods is difficult to contain within a small body, and therefore it only fully manifests once they return to their true size.""If you revert, you'll be able to unleash your strength and take on your true, divine form."
Heeding that advice, Asher reformed his immaterial body of chaotic mist and once again assumed his human appearance, clad in a white robe.Then he closed his eyes, stretched out his arms, and began to release his divine power.
With each fragment of divinity he let escape, his body grew larger. Within seconds, he reached the size of the Earth—and continued to grow.Eventually, Asher's form matched the scale of the sun around which the planet Gaia orbited.His entire being radiated divine light, and behind him hovered a massive, golden halberd and a deep-black sword—circling like planets in his gravitational pull.
He observed his new form intently and felt the boundless power rising within him.With a casual wave of his hand, he unleashed that power, triggering massive explosions on the other side of the galaxy.One blast followed another, creating a sea of ruin and annihilation that replaced the stars.
"Hahahaha~!"Asher's eyes widened in a mixture of shock and ecstasy as he burst into crazed laughter. A sense of omnipotence surged within him.To release his power like this—so fully and without restraint—was intoxicating.He had experienced many forms of supernatural power: the mana of an Awakened, the demonic force of a Demon King, the divine might and Laws of Reality.
But never had Asher allowed himself to lose control, to abandon restraint and simply let it all out.It was… addicting.
Once the explosions finally ceased after several minutes, Asher raised his left hand.The massive sword floating behind him moved on its own. In an unstoppable, fluid motion, the blade drew itself from its scabbard and executed a strike—as if guided by an invisible hand.The swing unleashed a wave of energy across the galaxy, cleaving through everything in its path—stars, meteors, nothing could withstand it.
Everything in the sword's path was utterly obliterated.
Laws of Reality—the supreme authority of the universe, the very foundation of existence.Each Law defined a different aspect of the universe and governed its continued existence.While the Law of Creation represented the birth of all things, the Law of Death marked the inevitable decline of life. Many such Laws governed different facets of reality.
The divine titles of Creator Gods were directly tied to these Laws.In other words, each divine title was intrinsically connected to a Law of the World, and depending on the title, also to closely related subsidiary Laws.
In Asher's case, his title as the God of Doom was deeply connected to the Law of Doom, which in turn encompassed the Laws of Decay, Death, and even Creation, for something must exist in order for it to perish.
Furthermore, every Creator God, by the very nature of their role, received insight into the Law of Creation, as their duty was to build galaxies and nurture worlds.It could thus be said that every Creator possessed two principal Laws: Creation, and their own unique Law.
During his time in Hell and through intense self-imposed training, Asher had not only deepened his understanding of his divine powers but had also gained insight into the Law of Doom and several of its sub-laws.Among those were the Law of Death, Decay, and Chaos—all deeply interwoven with the nature of doom.
"Impressive," Renas remarked with a faint flicker in his otherwise monotone eyes. "Master, your power now rivals—or even surpasses—gods of the Divine Rank."Although he still spoke in his usual robotic tone, void of emotion, a hint of disbelief and awe was now unmistakably present in his voice.
Having now tested the limits of his current form, Asher decided to scale back.His divine body shrank down to its original size—1.92 meters—and the divine energy pouring from him receded back into his core.
Hmm~ Now that I've tried it once, this form feels a bit… restricting. But maintaining my full divine shape all the time would be too much effort.He stretched a bit and could clearly feel the pressure his mortal-sized body now placed on his immense power.It was like wearing clothes that were a hundred times too tight.
Finally, he turned back to his role as Creator and glanced toward his first mortal world—Gaia—to observe what had changed in his absence.
It was now the Year 152 of the Redeemed Saint on Gaia.That meant little over a century had passed since he had turned away from the world, and peace still reigned across most of it.Saint Maria, for whom the current era was named, showed no signs of aging and was still as youthful and vibrant as ever—thanks to the holy power she had received from Asher.
Though peace still held, change was stirring. A storm seemed to loom on the horizon.The great Holy Empire still existed and maintained control over most human lands, but other kingdoms had begun to rise.To avoid war, the Empire allowed small territories to secede and become kingdoms in their own right.
It had seemed a naive choice—but under the influence of the Church of Salvation, they had little option but to resort to threats.
The greatest change in recent decades, however, was the sudden rise in magical beasts.In recent years, these creatures had begun appearing in large numbers and multiplying rapidly.They swarmed across the world and even overran villages.
Though most were weak—ranked F to E—their sheer numbers posed a grave danger. Over 300,000 now roamed the world.In recent years, however, one particularly powerful magical beast had appeared: a Wyvern, ranked C, that brought devastation to the southeastern kingdom of Hoham and now lived on a nearby mountain, terrorizing villages and cities.
The dragon-like creature measured nearly ten meters long, with a wingspan of nearly twenty—and worst of all, it could breathe fire.
Seeing this, Asher wasn't angry—he was intrigued. He hadn't expected Gaia to already produce a creature rivaling a C-rank Awakened.Compared to the beings of Heaven and Hell, where some surpassed even the strongest Awakened from Earth, Gaia's mortals were still relatively weak.
But that was due to the low-tier mortal energy used to build Gaia—its very structure limited growth potential.
This could actually work in my favor. That monster is just what I need…While others saw only terror, Asher saw opportunity. In his mind, the pieces began falling into place.It's time for another Saint… and a hero the people can admire. And he'll help strengthen the faith, too. Win-win~
With that plan in mind, Asher descended to Gaia once more.
Kingdom of Hoham – Port City of Keiran
As usual, the harbor city was bustling—save for winter, when its people retreated indoors. Now, the streets overflowed with people.Many had abandoned their homes and villages due to constant monster attacks.
Asher, cloaked in grey, wandered the city in human disguise, observing calmly.
Haah~ I've come this far, but I still need to find a suitable candidate...It quickly became clear that his plan had a flaw—he hadn't chosen anyone yet.So he had come to Hoham, the kingdom most affected by the Wyvern, in search of someone to become his second Saint.
Fighting demons is easier than finding a worthy hero… It really is like finding a needle in a haystack.
He sighed and continued searching.But after hours of wandering without success, he changed tactics.He vanished from the streets and appeared in the sky above the clouds, still cloaked.
The moment he opened his eyes, they glowed with divine light.He expanded his divine perception—not across the whole continent, but just over Hoham, to intensify the search.
Within moments, he found someone who seemed promising.After a quick evaluation, he nodded approvingly with a smile. A beam of light enveloped him, and he vanished.
Not far from Keiran was the village of Keiman, home to refugees from Chrome and nearby settlements destroyed by monster hordes and the Wyvern.
Ethan, a fifteen-year-old boy, was among them. After his village was destroyed and his family killed by the Wyvern, he fled to Keiman, alone.Repeated monster attacks, the loss of his home, and above all the destruction wrought by the Wyvern had filled him with immense hatred toward all magical beasts.
That hatred burned especially for the creature that had taken everything from him.But as a weak, powerless boy—what could he do?
No matter how often he relived his family's deaths in his dreams, he remained helpless.All that kept him going was his unshakable resolve and his thirst for revenge.