"Are you crazy?"
The words hung in the air. The twinkling stars above, which shone brightly in the vast void above, seemed to freeze and dim in response.
Thaumiel and Kaelos stared at Damien, and in the depths of Thaumiel's void-like eyes,a flicker of surprise flashed.
BOOOM!
An overwhelming pressure exploded from Kaelos. A swirling black mist enveloped him as the very fabric of space trembled and cracked like fragile glass. The towering pillars surrounding them shook violently, fissures appearing along their surfaces.
Above them, stars exploded into brilliant fireballs. For Damien, it felt as though he had died a million times over; the crushing weight of Kaelos's aura bore down on him relentlessly. His surroundings tilted dangerously, his vision flickering between darkness and light.
His soul flickered in and out like a faulty light bulb, dimming perilously close to extinction.
"PREPOSTEROUS!" Kaelos's voice thundered across the Chaos Hall. Cracks continued to form and mend within the space around them at a dizzying pace,an impossible cycle that seemed beyond repair.
Dark purple flames ignited in Kaelos's eyes, intensifying his already terrifying presence. He stepped forward; each movement sent shockwaves through the hall.
"YOU DARE! To speak to my liege with such filth? Your mortal flames are but a sputter before my lord! Do you wish to be expunged?" His voice dripped with menace,like the sound of reality tearing as the pressure on Damien multiplied exponentially.
Damien couldn't even fathom how many times he had died under this immense weight—ten? A hundred? A thousand? It was all too much to count.
"Now... now... now, Kaelos! Calm down," came Thaumiel's patient voice, soothing yet firm. Instantly, the oppressive pressure vanished as if it had never existed at all. The cracks in space closed up like wounds healing beneath gentle hands.
Finally able to breathe again, Damien collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air. Fear flooded his eyes as he glanced at Kaelos, whose radiating fury was palpable enough to make Damien feel small and insignificant.
"My liege," Kaelos said coldly, "this mortal dares to address you so disrespectfully! I want nothing more than to obliterate him from existence!"
"Come on now; stop acting up! Stand back!" Thaumiel waved dismissively at Kaelos who bowed respectfully before returning to his position by the throne.
Shaking his head slightly in exasperation, Thaumiel turned back toward Damien sprawled on the ground like a defeated dog, breathing heavily as if it were his last day alive.
Thaumiel gently waved his hand, and suddenly, Damien's soul shimmered with a radiant light before settling back into the chair.
With a heavy sigh of relief, Damien cast a furtive glance at Kaelos. The intensity of Kaelos's glare felt like daggers piercing through him, as if he were ready to pounce and tear him apart.
Swallowing hard, Damien quickly looked away; this was simply too scary, just by releasing his aura,he felt like he had gone to see Satan himself a million times over.
"I completely understand your outburst," Thaumiel's voice cut through Damien's anxious thoughts. "After all, anyone in your shoes would react the same way!"
Damien raised his head to meet Thaumiel's gentle smile from across the throne and shivered slightly.
"In our universe," Thaumiel began, "the gods are born bound to specific laws or rules that maintain the balance of existence. For instance, I am the God of Chaos and Destruction. Our Celestial Pantheon exists to ensure that this balance remains intact. There cannot be two gods governing the same law; otherwise, chaos reigns!"
Confusion clouded Damien's mind as he asked, "What do you mean?"
Thaumiel stood up from his stone seat, hands clasped behind him as his flowing black trousers swirled slightly around him. He gazed into the endless void above them with a deep sigh.
"What I mean is that occasionally, beings transcend their world's limits to become gods themselves. However," he continued with gravity in his tone, "there are already established gods tied to specific laws, meaning we can't have duplicates! To prevent disruption in universal balance, we send chosen ones to eliminate those who threaten it."
Stunned by Thaumiel's explanation, Damien struggled to grasp it all but felt an inkling of understanding forming amidst his confusion.
Noticing Damien's bewilderment, Thaumiel chuckled softly. "You're probably wondering why we don't simply allow more gods into our ranks since it would strengthen our universe!"
Damien scratched his head and nodded; after all, there is strength in numbers!
"But it's not about destruction," Thaumiel clarified. "There are always alternatives! As long as these beings remain Demi-Gods, those who haven't fully transcended, they're fine as they are! Some of us even extend olive branches for them to become our subordinates."
"However," he added with a serious tone, "greed is an uncontrollable force in this universe—the greed for power! Sometimes these beings refuse our offers and oppose us instead... leaving us no choice but to eliminate them completely."
"Ah, so that's how it works!" Damien's foggy mind finally cleared as he grasped the concept.
Apparently each god in the universe is linked to a specific law, and these laws already have designated owners.
Just like in an office where every position is filled and there are no vacancies,there can't be two heads of the same department. For example, while there can be assistants under HR, only one person can hold the title of head.
Similarly, some these beings that want transcend prefer not to be subordinate to anyone, which means they must be completely removed from the equation.
Think about it: just like a department head who doesn't want competition for their position—they might try to win you over or crush you if you refuse their invitation. It's really that straightforward.
"Seems like you're finally catching on!" Thaumiel said with a warm smile directed at Damien.
"Take Kaelos for instance," Thaumiel continued, gesturing toward him. "He was on the brink of transcending into godhood in his world when I offered him a chance to become my general. Otherwise, he would have met his end at the hands of the God of Death and Darkness!"
Kaelos shot a cold glare at Damien, clearly still annoyed.
Feeling slightly nervous, Damien wiped his brow and quickly turned his attention back to Thaumiel. "So you're saying there's currently another being about to transcend and become a god?" he asked incredulously.
"Absolutely!" Thaumiel replied with enthusiasm. "But this being is slightly different from the rest!"
Intrigued, Damien raised an eyebrow. "How so?"