In the past few days, Teo, Logan, and Selso had managed to convince every member to relinquish their Martial Cultivation and Magical Prowess. They did not reveal every detail—only the grave consequences of the harvest. Even with such limited explanation, the truth was enough to shake everyone's certainty.
They also introduced Thomas, a surviving member of the Ventouso Clan—the Ancient Historians who perished during the Modern Age—and unveiled the truth behind their eradication.
In the end, everyone agreed to dissipate both their magic and spiritual energy cultivation, leaving only their natural cultivation. They were also introduced to Archeidis, along with the dangers of taming and bound connections. This, too, led them to sever their links with their beasts.
Now, all Avalon members stood beastless, without a single bound companion. Yet their natural bonds still lingered. Even without the leash of a soul connection, it was like parting with a loyal pet—one you had raised, groomed, and cared for over years. Freed from its chains, the beast would still remember you, holding you in its heart. And with Lyrus's help in evolving them into intelligent beings, that bond was stronger than ever.
---
Council of Powers
In the great council hall, Vania, Logan, Thomas, Selso, Vigil, Sedestro, Xukhar, and Titus had gathered. Vigil presided over the meeting, her presence calm yet commanding.
Vigil: "As you know, our master conceptualized four years ago, followed by myself and Sedestro. Lanfer and Leonor, as well as Xukhar and Titus, have only recently conceptualized. Master has been studying the texts left by his mother—our previous master, Veronica—alongside the ancient scriptures and records provided by Thomas. From them, Master has decided to create something unprecedented: our own Pantheon of Gods.
"He has recently conducted numerous experiments with believers, harvesting faith and belief—pure energies that can be transformed into anything. And from that work, he created this—"
A one-meter white orb descended, materializing in the center of the table and radiating pure heavenly light.
Vigil: "—the Orb of Faith and Favor."
Thomas (alarmed): "This… this is Divinity. How did you make it?"
He reached out, but his hand passed through it, just as it would through Lyrus.
Vigil: "That, I don't know either. But it was made from Master's white. This orb is the foundation of the new cultivation he created. You must become believers yourselves. Avalon will no longer be just a sect—it will be a Pantheon of Gods.
"We will establish Avalon Shrines across the nations of Tevera, gathering faith and belief from the masses. The Orb of Faith and Favor can also heal curses, illnesses, and diseases. By doing this, we draw high-level energy from the people—energy Master can convert into a source of cultivation, in addition to his power of white."
Thomas: "And how do you intend to do that?"
Vigil: "Titus has already begun, across all seventeen nations of Tevera's southern region."
Titus: "My conceptualized power is Dream, Faith, and Favor—at Master's guidance. Through dreams, I've sent countless visions of the Avalon Pantheon, all centered on Master: the Ruler of White Heaven. We've also begun distributing statues."
He gestured to a corner, where a white statue stood holding a massive orb resembling the Orb of Faith and Favor. The figure was cloaked in white, its form shifting like waves without uniform shape—just like Lyrus's own power.
Titus: "These statues are crafted from refined stone, nearly indestructible even for a Mythical Realm powerhouse. They are weightless, allowing them to be carried by hand. Through dreams, I've revealed mysteries about them—visions urging people to unearth them, build shrines or churches, and place them in pools of water. Any who pray to them and drink the water are miraculously healed."
Vigil: "We've targeted those afflicted by sickness, sending revelations and dreams directly to them."
Sedestro: "This experiment has been running for a week, and it's working. Look."
Darkness engulfed the chamber, and a scene came to life: a small village had placed one of the statues beside a fountain. Villagers suffering from fever, chills, and spotted skin drank from the waters, their ailments vanishing in moments. The people knelt, praying to the statue. The vision faded, the room returning to light.
Vigil: "That is the result."
She gestured toward the Orb of Faith and Favor.
Vigil: "We are now gathering pure energy of the highest grade—the kind used by gods themselves."
Vania (astonished and uneasy): "Oh my… This is something only deities have ever done."
Selso: "And what if it draws the wrath of the three gods?"
Thomas: "It won't. The gods don't know who they're dealing with. They'll likely investigate, but faith is a war of belief—like merchants fighting for customers."
Vigil: "Exactly. And the statues have another function—once a shrine or church is built for them, they integrate with the structure, transforming it into a sacred temple dedicated to the statue. Master had us mine vast amounts of stone and metal to craft these statues, each storing enough material to form a great church. The more believers, the grander the temple becomes. All that's needed is a large enough space for the statue. That too was part of Master's planned revelations."
Thomas: "How many have you sent?"
Titus: "We've made around 20,345, and already sent 2,674 throughout the southern region. Metria is transporting more—via her abyssal dragons—to the western and eastern regions. Master coats them in white to conceal their presence from even the gods. We've marked each location on Tevera's maps, choosing rural areas where ordinary people live. Many were placed partially buried to inspire mystery."
Vigil: "The foundation is set. Now, to the new power Master has created. As you know, Master and Lanfer have extracted beast origins from bloodlines of every creature we could find in the Wildlands—some even created from scratch—and evolved them to the highest possible quality. We have around a million, but only five hundred are refined and flawless.
"To begin this cultivation, you must surrender both magic and spiritual energy, leaving only your natural latent abilities. Then, you must give yourself to the Orb of Faith and Favor, which will grant you the path forward. The process will integrate your body with white, reforming it for this cultivation. It takes about a week. After that, you can begin the first level—Integration."
Titus: "The first level alone will forge your body. It's like the Body Cultivation of the martial path—comparable to a Martial Supreme body cultivator. Since you will be cultivating and integrating twelve beasts and obtaining transformation abilities, your body must be forged to contain this power."
Xukhar: "You will suffer excruciating pain. Hihi. Master has also decided to give you the first twelve spots of the Deities Path for this cultivation, as you are the heads of Avalon. When you accept this power, you will return to your youth—you'll become young again."
Sedestro: "Hmm." (Suddenly, his black tail extended, piercing Thomas and reaching into his spatial realm. Sedestro pulled out Archeidis.) "What is this tasty soul doing in your body?"
Archeidis: "Devil? Hey, let me out!"
Thomas was startled, but unharmed.
Thomas: "It's Archeidis—the refiner of this continent. He had died, but somehow survived."
Sedestro: "Hmm. This is…"
He pulled out a hair-like golden thread from within Archeidis's form.
Vigil, Titus, and Xukhar were instantly alarmed.
Vigil: "Are we being spied on?"
Sedestro: "No. This thing is only for tracking this little guy. It stems from his origin—perhaps his bloodline—a connection to someone of higher standing in his lineage. This is far stronger than divinity."
Thomas: "The God of Domination."
Sedestro destroyed the golden thread, but the moment he did, he was pulled into a foreign realm. A pair of golden eyes stared at him—then vanished.
Sedestro: "Interesting."
Thomas, Vigil, Titus, and Xukhar had also felt it, but the gaze had fallen solely on Sedestro.
For Thomas and Archeidis, however, the pressure was overwhelming—despite the gaze not even being directed at them. Had it been, they might have been erased from existence entirely. Sedestro, on the other hand, was unharmed.
Thomas: "This confirms it. Your ancestor—the God of Domination—did not perish."
Thomas knew that energy beyond doubt. He had once witnessed the God of Domination's battle from afar against a Primordial Dragon. Even after death, it seemed Archeidis was still being watched.
Archeidis didn't know how to feel. His emotions were in turmoil.
Sedestro: "This is the one you want to propose as one of us? He's so weak—and judging by his mind, stupid."
Sedestro was soul-searching Archeidis without harming him.
Thomas: "Yes. It's him."
Archeidis: "You—ahhh!" (He could feel something invading his entire being, extracting every piece of information from his soul.)
Sedestro: "This guy is trash."
Xukhar: "I suggest making him into a beast."
Sedestro: "Hehe… good idea. How about a devil lineage? He's full of lust and desire—but now also full of malice toward his ancestors and family. Oh, hoho."
Xukhar: "This will be interesting."
Xukhar and Sedestro vanished, taking Archeidis with them.
Thomas frowned, concerned.
Vigil: "Don't worry. Master accepted your proposal to give him a body. But since his soul is only one percent of his original, Master left the rest to Sedestro and Xukhar. Whatever form he takes will depend on them. Anyway—let's start."
Titus: "Drop your blood onto the Orb."
Thomas wounded his finger, guiding the drop of blood into the orb. It was absorbed instantly. Teo, Selso, Vania, and Logan followed suit.
Vigil: "Now, place your hand on the Orb of Faith and Favor."
They did so—and now, they could touch it.
Titus: "Good luck."
In the next instant, they were pulled inside. All their clothes and belongings remained behind—only their physical bodies were taken.
Suddenly, the space around them cracked. The Leviathan's connection to Thomas was severed, and an enormous retina peered through the rift into the council chamber.
Vigil: "Relax, big guy. Thomas is not in danger."
The crack slowly closed and vanished.
---
Thomas, Teo, Vania, Logan, and Selso emerged in an independent realm of white—inside the Orb of Faith and Favor.
Everything here was pure white. They stood upon a boundless ocean of white, shrouded in fog, beneath skies of drifting white clouds. It resembled heaven, yet was something else entirely.
Teo: "This place…"
They looked around in awe, noticing they now wore white robes, almost ghost-like in appearance.
Suddenly, a thread of white light filled with vast knowledge pierced into their minds, flooding them with every detail of the cultivation they were to practice. At the same time, all the surrounding whiteness began to swirl toward them, merging into their bodies—integrating their very being with white.
---
Meanwhile, at the Council of Powers, Zakhar stood just beyond the doors, listening.
Zakhar: "You forgot to tell them they'll be bound to Master like us."
Vigil: "They already know. Accepting this power will make them dependent on Master. With their current bodies, it's already a miracle they reached the Mythical Rank. Thomas's condition before couldn't be healed. Without Master's white, they were destined to die. They understand the benefits of following him, just like us.
"We were once nothing but monsters and beasts—creatures incapable of reaching what we have now. Master is our god. Through him, unintelligent beasts like us evolved into sentient beings with wisdom and the ability to defy natural laws and evolve further. Such a feat is beyond human capability. Zakhar, you also need to continue your studies."
Zakhar: "I'm working on it."
Zakhar admitted he was still ignorant. But in the past few months, human education had broadened his worldview. He had begun to understand the complexities of economics and politics. For creatures who once lived only for battle and survival, this new life of intelligence brought its own challenges—especially now that Master had entrusted them with organizing and running Avalon.
They were taught all subjects humans studied—mathematics, science, economics, politics, even fashion and etiquette. And with Master's white constantly refining their bodies, they weren't just growing stronger, but also sharper in thought, with the wisdom and complexity to match.
Vigil: "Good. Master has another task. Let's meet the others. Are you coming, Titus?"
Titus now held the Orb of Faith and Favor.
Titus: "No. Master has given me a task—along with Metria, Devora, Sauron, and Silvio—to expand this faith by recruiting believers. Volderon will also be with us."
A spatial crack opened, and the massive retina of Volderon—Thomas's Leviathan—emerged. Through Lyrus's white, it had evolved into a void race variant.
Titus stepped into the crack, which then closed, vanishing into the void.
Vigil opened a void corridor, stepping in with Zakhar.
---
Meanwhile, within the White Domain, Lyrus's body now resembled an endless ocean of white—immense beyond comprehension. He had evolved further, becoming an existence that defied understanding.
The White Domain stretched infinitely in all directions, an eternal realm of mist, fog, and clouds—whether a heavenly paradise or an endless abyss, none could say.
An independent realm of white.