Due to the corruption of black magic, every inch of land in En-Galai was steeped in a diseased curse. The plants that grew here were poisonous and carnivorous—some would even uproot themselves and run. The animals bore limbs and organs that should have degenerated through evolution; not only that, the placement of these organs was utterly nonsensical, like a child's toy cobbled together in madness.
Every breath of air in this place assaulted the nerves of the fleet members—they could barely think straight. Any creature that appeared normal in the outside world would become mad and twisted here. First Mate Alex rubbed his eyes, hardly able to believe what he was seeing.
A creature with several black, greasy tentacles and a hundred venomous, diseased yellow eyes had suddenly burst out of a narrow crevice between the rocks—one far too tight for any normal being to pass through. It grabbed a crew member's leg with a suction cup lined with jagged, spiked teeth and, at a speed faster than the eye could follow, dragged the poor soul into the darkness. The sound of bones breaking and a short, muffled scream made the entire crew jump. Without needing an order, they immediately opened fire on the cavern. The monster was killed, but they were all left shaken.
They shouldn't have left the ship. They should've followed the captain's orders.
"But the captain hasn't returned past the scheduled time!" the feline engineer protested, angrily waving his paws. No matter how Alex tried to reason with it, the catman stubbornly refused to go near anything that blew hot air or made noise, so its tawny fur was still matted and damp. "The captain wouldn't abandon us!" the cat growled threateningly. "It must be this cursed place! We have to rescue him—we owe him more than one life!"
"Silence, you fools!" Alex slapped the catman hard across the face. Then he stepped forward and slapped a pink-skinned alien next. But when he came to the biomechanical android, he hesitated and lowered his hand. The robot tilted its head, confused why the process was interrupted. Alex coughed twice, then stepped onto the corpse of the tentacled space monster and raised his arms, addressing the crew in a loud voice.
"The captain is not like you! You guttersnipes, debt-dodging scum, trash-eaters and parasites! And you, the flea-ridden bastard who never bathes! The captain led you through the most dangerous void in the galaxy—that alone is a feat you'd never achieve in your miserable lives! He gave you value, raised you to stand at the pinnacle of all galactic civilizations! We, more than anyone, know the kind of threats this universe is facing!"
The crew murmured in agreement.
"The captain fights to protect you all, against the most vile, most polluted beings in the cosmos! He walks among mortals, but he carries divine power, come to inspire us! You must follow his every command, every word, every syllable! Without the captain, we're nothing but primitive fanatics! Without him, we're selfish, fallen vermin! His orders are our code of survival!"
"I oppose this kind of superstition, great mother," Solomon said to the beautiful woman before him. Even though his words were sharp and unyielding, the bitterness within them melted like ice beneath the warmth of her motherly gaze. She wore a simple deep green classical gown, a loose belt of pale pebbles around her waist. Her face radiated all the world's gentleness and warmth; even on the most cursed soil, grass and the world's most beautiful flowers would grow where her perfect feet stepped.
She was the Mother of the Pantheon, the Lady of Light.
She was nature. She was Mother Earth. The cradle of all humankind.
When Merlin brought Solomon and Dave into the encampment of the Merlin Circle, he didn't begin with formalities. Instead, he instructed Solomon to enter deep meditation at the altar of contemplation. As Solomon's astral form left his body, accompanied by warm, sunlight-like rays and the scent of fresh grass, he met the world soul of Terra. He now spoke to the Earth Mother in soul-form—and as long as she was willing to listen, none would disturb them.
Before he could even speak, she embraced him.
"My child. My poor child," she whispered with a smile, gently caressing his cheek. Even the coldest hearts would be moved by her tenderness. Solomon exhaled deeply. His will was ironclad, and the heart that had just softened was quickly frozen again. The Earth Mother noticed his shift, but she didn't mind at all.
"I will help you, child," she said. "No one in this universe knows life better than I. I know your ultimate goal. It is a kind of evolution, one only you can complete. You are the chosen one."
"I oppose that kind of superstitious thinking, great mother."
"Your humor is... appreciated," she said, brushing his hair. The magus didn't resist. As Athena's foster son and a student of Kamar-Taj, Solomon shared deep ties with the Earth Mother.
"Your True Mark has already revealed your nature. Before you even left on your voyage, you were using your innate gift to combat Chthon."
Solomon remained silent.
"You came seeking my help, and that itself is destiny—for I am the only one who can help you comprehend the knowledge of life from another universe." The Earth Mother knelt beside him on the grass, her green dress blooming like a flower. A constant aura of maternal warmth and life-giving power radiated from her, making Solomon feel as if he were soaking in warm water.
"Perhaps the Sorcerer Supreme has told you the tale of the Old Gods and their fall. In order to prevent naturally born Elder Gods from succumbing to corruption, I bore Atum with the Creator. You know what happened next, so I won't repeat it. But no one knows where the Creator came from. Let me tell you the truth—the so-called 'Creator' was summoned by me, from another universe. That is why I can help you. Gnostic doctrine came very close to the truth, but wasn't quite accurate. That Creator came from beyond, and the God-Eater was born from our shared dream."
Solomon held his breath. He had already suspected a sliver of this terrifying truth. The silver key at his chest grew hot.
He understood the Earth Mother's logic. Between two evils, one must choose the lesser. In all possible catastrophes, she had chosen the one that was least catastrophic. Even if that choice's name was ■■■■■Azathoth■■■■■, it was still better than letting the entire universe fall into the hands of chaos demons. Even though the God-Eater Atum eventually died, his remains gave birth to the second generation of gods—including his reincarnated form and a fragment of his original power.
The Earth Mother's decision had bought modern life a fighting chance.
"Which one am I?" he asked. "I mean, the ones in my memories…"
"None of them. And all of them," she said. "Your birth was the result of many forces acting together. I needed you to complete humanity's final evolution. Just as I once summoned the Creator, I made another pact. You are my pride, child. The reason I gave the sword to Arthur was so that one day, you would claim it."
She gently stroked the magus's face, calming him.
"I started the war against the Elder Gods to guide evolution. I protected mammals from Set, destroyed the dinosaurs and other reptiles, and led the Celestials to annihilate the Serpent Men—all to pave the way for human evolution. Dinosaurs had no evolutionary potential, but humans do. I believe you've seen it too." She kissed Solomon's cheek.
"To complete this plan, I will become a mother again—to carry the power of your ultimate creation, those children of yours."
------------------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get early access to chapters by joining my Patre@n!
Find me at: patre@n*com/Mutter
You can read each novel for $5 or get them all for just $15.
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256) — $5
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336) — $5
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542) — $5
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924) — $5
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284) — $5
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289) — $5
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316) — $5
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402) — $5
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570) — $5
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660) — $5
Get access to all of them for just $15 on Patre@n!
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]