Zeus's tone grew ancient and profound, as if every word carried the echo of distant lightning.
"The ranks of the divine begin where the mortal journey ends—at the EX rank. But while mortals draw strength from mana, the divine refine it into divine particles once they ignite their Divine Spark."
"Divine Spark…" I whispered, picturing a flicker of light deep within one's soul.
"Yes. That spark is the seed of divinity—the moment a being resonates with the laws of the universe. Divinity is not 'holy' power like mortals use; it's the manifestation of one's connection to universal laws. Time, space, light, thunder—these are not merely elements, but laws that shape reality."
I sat frozen, absorbing every word.
"As a divine being comprehends more laws, their divinity deepens. Their ranks ascend from Divine EX to Third Stage God, Second Stage God, First Stage God, God King, and finally, God Emperor. Beyond that lies the Illusionary Supreme—the one who transcends existence itself."
I let out a low whistle. "And the Abyss dwellers? What are they then?"
"They are nothingness incarnate—born from the void outside existence. We gods embody creation, but they are the antithesis of it. They consume, unmake, and corrupt, trying to return everything to the silence before creation."
I felt my blood run cold.
"The war began when the Abyss Overlord emerged from the void, breaching the Divine Realm. Thousands of divine beings perished. Even the laws of creation trembled. We fought for eons, but their corruption spread like a plague."
His voice dimmed, as if reliving the pain.
"In the end, the remaining God Kings, including myself, devised a final plan—to sacrifice our divine bodies, detonating our essence to seal the Abyss Overlord in a dead world."
I clenched my fists, trembling. "And you… you died sealing him."
"Indeed. But it was necessary. Better one life than all existence."
Silence lingered between us for a long while. I could feel the lingering grief in Zeus's tone, the heaviness of someone who had seen entire worlds fall.
Then I asked, barely a whisper. "If gods are so strong, why don't they live forever?"
Zeus chuckled faintly, though it carried no joy.
"Even gods are bound by the Laws of Return. A Divine EX lives ten thousand years, Third Stage twenty-five thousand, Second Stage fifty thousand, First Stage one hundred thousand. God Kings live up to a million years, God Emperors ten million. But immortality? That is forbidden by the universe itself."
My eyes widened. "So even gods die?"
"Yes, boy. We live long… but never forever. Even if the divine body endures, the soul eventually collapses. Only the Supreme—if it truly exists—can escape that fate."
I sat there in silence, realizing that even gods feared death. But before I could ask more, Zeus's tone sharpened, tinged with irritation.
"That is enough for now. Your mortal mind cannot yet comprehend the laws that govern reality. When you reach S-rank, I shall explain further. For now, strengthen yourself."
Before I could protest, his voice faded briefly… and then returned, heavier than thunder.
"The seal holding the Abyss Overlord is weakening. It was forged ninety thousand years ago and will last one hundred thousand. Only ten thousand years remain."
The air around me grew cold.
"Prepare yourself, boy. The storm will return."