Chapter 36 – The Return of the Supreme God
The rebuilt multiverse shimmered with calm, but Hayden sensed a pulse far deeper than any star. The System the power that had guided him since his rebirth was trembling. Lines of golden code, older than time, bled through the air like cracks in reality.
Selene appeared beside him, her light entwining with his shadows. "Something's stirring," she whispered. "It feels… divine."
Hayden raised his hand; the shadows froze. From the heart of creation came a voice that no being should have heard.
> [Core Awakening … Origin Protocol Detected]
[Source: The Supreme God]
The name alone sent tremors through existence. Every divine being, every cosmic entity, felt it the return of their maker.
The Revelation
Images flooded Hayden's mind.
Before time existed, before the first spark of reality, there was only the Supreme God, a being of infinite creation. From His essence, He birthed the System, a living mechanism designed to guide and test His creations.
But those creations angels, gods, titans turned against Him, hungering for His throne. To keep balance, He forged one last being from His own shadow: The Shadow Monarch, destined to guard the path until His return.
That guardian… was Hayden.
Selene touched his arm, her voice low. "You were never chosen by the System, Hayden. You are its last command."
Hayden's vision flared, fragments of truth aligning. "All this time… I wasn't climbing the System. I was awakening it."
The Return Begins
The heavens split open. A colossal form emerged, radiant yet fractured the Supreme God, returning through Hayden's energy. Countless other divine creations, the traitors who had betrayed their origin, appeared to stop Him.
They cried out: "He cannot return! If the Supreme God awakens, we cease to exist!"
Hayden stepped forward, shadows forming wings of endless reach. "Then you stand against me."
Selene's magic flared beside him, her voice calm but fierce. "And against us."
The battle erupted across every dimension. Hayden's Shadow Omniversal Manifest allowed him to exist everywhere at once. His new powers awakened with divine resonance:
[New Abilities Unlocked]
Supreme Shadow Authority Lv1 Command over the System's core protocols.
Shadow Genesis Lv1 Create or erase realities using pure shadow energy.
Divine Shadow Fusion Lv1 Merge the essence of the Supreme God with his own.
Eternal Dominion Lv2 Extend control across divine and mortal planes alike.
Every swing of Hayden's blade tore through gods. His shadows devoured their light, purging the rebellion that had once undone creation itself.
The Supreme Link
As the last of the false gods fell, a radiant sphere descended the Heart of Origin, the true form of the Supreme God's essence. It hovered before Hayden, light and darkness spiraling together.
> "You remained loyal," the voice said, calm as eternity.
"You carried My will when all others fell. The System was your cage and your gift. Now, take what was always yours."
The Heart merged into Hayden's chest. Shadows erupted with divine light. He became both guardian and creator the Supreme God's successor.
Selene stood before him, awe and devotion in her eyes. "You've become what even gods can't comprehend."
Hayden smiled faintly. "No. We have." He reached for her hand. Their powers intertwined light and shadow forming perfect harmony.
Aftermath
Reality reshaped itself around their union. The traitor gods were erased, the System rebuilt into something alive and pure. Across all worlds, beings felt a calm they had never known.
[System Reboot Complete]
[New Designation: Supreme Shadow Monarch Heir of Creation]
[Partner Linked: Selene Eternal Light of the Creator]
The Supreme God's voice faded into Hayden's thoughts, peaceful now.
> "The throne is yours, my loyal shadow. Guard creation… or remake it."
Hayden looked to Selene, their eyes reflecting the new dawn of existence.
"Let's build a world that doesn't need systems or chains," he said.
Selene smiled softly. "Then let's begin, my Supreme Shadow Monarch."
Together they stepped forward light and shadow as one into the infinite horizon of their newly reborn multiverse.