Let them know

Seth and Leora returned to Maya’s office, where the others had already gathered, receiving news of Seth’s return. After exchanging a few words with each of his wives, Seth explained his current situation, condition, and further plans.

The news of another seclusion, even longer than the previous one, immediately dampened the mood in the room. Maya and Hollie were already aware that was bound to happen eventually, so they were expecting it more or less. Still, for the others looking forward to his recovery so they can spend time together, this came as a huge blow.

After promising to spend some time with each of them to make up for the time he was going to be secluded, Seth also made some concessions about his seclusion this time after getting the girls to promise to focus on their cultivation.

The peaceful situation of the continent made this period the best time to cultivate, and everyone understood that, so they quickly agreed after extorting some more benefits from Seth.

With everyone made aware of their plans, Seth spent some time with each of his wives alone, beginning with Maya, before helping Lisa break through to the seventh shell.

After putting everything in order in the Empire, Seth descended into the depths of the capital, planning only to leave his seclusion when he was ready to form his divinities, which was bound to be a long time.

——————————————————

As Seth had expected, the Endora Empire and its allies enjoyed a long period of peace.

Generations continued, humans were born and died, technology developed, and the ascended grew in strength, increasingly breaking out of the shackles of their humanity and entering the ranks of demigods.

Asteria had formed branches in all the other kingdoms, new ascended being chosen daily from the ranks of the ever-growing human population. The ascended slowly began separating from the normal humans, the academies of the empire taking to the skies with a mix between energies and technology, towering over the human population as both a warning and a promise.

Becoming an ascended had become a literal thing, meaning the ability to take onto the skies and join the ranks of the immortals, which all humans dreamed about. Still, only a few lucky ones got to experience it.

Seth’s dream for the world might have come true, but with time, most humans only learned about their emperor from the school history books.

With time, there was no human alive who could say they had met their emperor, except a select few who Maya chose to have their lifespan increased, like the most spectacular students of the human schools, the ones closest to Seth and his wives as well as the staff of the palace.

One of the perks of living as a main in the palace was the opportunity to increase your lifespan, but that was a tightly held secret and involved breaking away from their bonds with the rest of the human population.

Who humans of the empire truly respected was the cold and powerful Water Empress, who was ruling from her throne in the majestic Imperial Palace hovering in the high sky right above the capital of Endora.

She only appeared before her people once in a decade. Still, her beauty and the beauty of the imperial harem never failed to capture the hearts of every man or woman that managed to lay their eyes upon them.

Since breaking through the ninth shell, Maya’s presence and aura have reached a new level. Along with the rest of Seth’s harem, they were the central piece of the empire, the continent, and the whole ascended race.

In both the human and ascended’s eyes, they were hailed as the torchbearers of the ascended world, the pioneers that would bring Endora’s reign to the skies and eventually conquer the whole universe.

Unknown to everyone, the one responsible for everything was already out in outer space, with six different types of energies circulating his six sources, breaking the entire fabric of space around them as they pulsated with power.

Not far from those sources, Razim, the Goddess of Water, watched the show with a wistful look, the very essence of her being shuddering at the power before her.

Despite having dominion over the whole water energy in the universe, she knew with but a look that Seth could mop the floor with her despite bearing no crown of his own. She also understood that what she saw was likely only part of his strength.

Seth had called her to ensure no one would disturb his breakthrough into the ninth shell, but Razim doubted even if all the remaining gods in the simulation were to rise against him, they would be able to defeat him.

Six popping sounds came in quick succession, and the sources slowly faded into energy, the six types of energy gathering together and forming a human body. A pair of eyes more profound than the universe fixed themselves on Razim, making her shudder momentarily.

Seth seamlessly appeared before her, smiling, “Thank you for coming to keep an eye on my breakthrough.”

Razim broke out of her reverie and smiled back, her energy exploding and forming millions of icicles moving straight toward Seth.

The icicles all around shattered before they even got close, and Seth was holding a hand right inside her energy body, holding onto the crown rotating at her chest.

She had not even felt his energy move, but he was already holding her existence in the palm of his hand.

“Space energy is terrifying,” muttered Razim, no trace of fear in her eyes despite the situation she found herself in.

Seth also released her divinity, pulling his hand out, and asked in a severe tone, “Will you join me as I conquer this simulation, or will you stand against me to join the ranks of the dead left in my wake?”

Despite Seth’s friendly face, his words made her visualize the destruction he was about to reign on the simulation, and she instantly knew the answer. She had long understood she had no choice in the matter, but Seth had thoroughly convinced her at that moment.

Bitting on her lip, Razim fell to one knee before Seth and lowered her head. Her voice mixed with Water’s as she said, “The Seat of Water/Will of Water swears eternal fealty to the one true god, Seth.”

Seth didn’t mince words and nodded, “I accept your oath. Go to your world and let your people know. You now belong alongside me.”

Razim’s body turned into water and drifted through space toward her domain to let them know of her future path, while Seth’s eyes landed across the universe, onto a tree spawning out of an enormous world.

“Your time is coming, Gaia, Yggdrasil. Wait for me.”

——————————————————

Today, in the year 1280, Age of the Ascended, the Empress was scheduled to leave her floating palace once more.

People gathered in Endora’s capital from all corners of the empire, hoping to at least get a quick peek at the Empress and the rest of the Imperial Harem, as they did every time she had descended from the Imperial Palace.

Due to many people migrating to Endora each time this happened, the empire officials, with the help of the creation and space ascended, created a large hall of festivities outside the capital, where space was folded onto itself to fit everyone.

The hall was the size of a city and was aptly named Reverent Hall since it represented a place where people came to pay their respects to the one leading them toward the bright future they were all living.

The Reverent Hall was filled to the brim with both ascended and humans, but barely any of them were speaking as they waited with bathed breaths for the Empress to descend, their eyes locked onto the platform at the center of the hall.

Under everyone’s keen eyes, a portal appeared in the middle, but it was not the beautiful Maya who had stepped out of the portal.

It was instead a mostly unknown tall man. His steps were decisive and confident while his hands naturally intertwined behind his back. A cloak of destruction energy flew down his back, and his dark red eyes peering under a heavy crown seemed capable of destroying the whole world.

An air of indifference and power emanated from his very being. The ascended cultivating the same energies at him being terrified to the core and falling to their knees instantly.

While the audience was frozen in confusion, fear, or disbelief, a silence so stifling that even the sounds of breathing seemed to have disappeared, multiple portals appeared by the man’s sides, and an army of beauties, all wearing different kinds of energy visages, walked out.

“My people,” the man broke the silence filling the hall, his words reaching the ears of every person present, his identity quickly becoming evident to all but some of the slower humans.

Shushed whispers appeared in the hall, some people confirming the man’s identity with their neighbors until a cold and icy voice followed the man’s as a beautiful red-haired woman stepped forward and came by the man’s side.

“Kneel before your Emperor.”

Maya’s words made it clear there was no place for hesitation and created waves among the people of Endora. None dare disobey her words, falling to their knees and lowering their heads.

The respect the Empress of Endora demanded from her people was clearly above Seth’s reputation, but Seth was not envious, knowing all that resulted from her efforts.

He wrapped his right hand around Maya’s waist and said, “I know most of you have never seen me before, and due to good reason.”

“For hundreds of years, I have been amassing strength away from everyone, all hoping that the next time I walked among my people, I had the power to remove the horrors plaguing the lands of our empire and beyond. The power to claim for ourselves all that we have ever desired.”

Seth took a break in his speech, watching the confusion in most people’s eyes, and his sources erupted with energy. One by one, Seth’s wives behind him also released their power, their sources putting horrifying pressure on the people in the hall, even breaking the space barriers formed around Reverent Hall.

“That time is now,” said Seth loudly, his eyes moving to the raven hovering high into the air above the platform, and his lips arched into a smile. “Let the world know.”

“Let the horrors of the world tremble in their prisons.”

“Let our enemies in the north watch hopelessly as their fate is approaching an end.”

“Let the Gods keeping an eye on our world in the hope of finding a weakness understand.”

“Let them all know.”

“Endora is declaring war upon the universe.”