A soft chime echoed through the vast expanse of his newly-formed domain.
[Congratulations! Divine Domain successfully established.]
[Divine Wheel Authority — Fully Unlocked.]
[Reward: 10 Origin. Random Divine Wheel Amplification Activated — x1,000.]
[Final Reward: 10,000 Origin Energy.]
Stratos froze.
Origin energy?
Even among the vast knowledge now etched into his mind, that name stood out like a legend whispered in awe.
Origin Energy — the pure essence of the universe, the foundation from which divinity itself was born. If divinity was the current of power that sustained gods, then origin energy was the ocean it flowed from.
He felt it immediately — a pulse deeper and denser than anything he had ever experienced. The energy didn't just strengthen him; it resonated with the fabric of his existence, rewriting something fundamental within his soul.
He inhaled sharply.
"One unit of Origin Energy equals a million Divinity… and I just got ten thousand."
He did the math in his head.
That was ten trillion Divinity worth of power — far beyond anything a Lesser God should possess.
His eyes widened slightly as the realization hit. This wasn't just a gift. It was a statement — a sign that the Divine Wheel stood above the normal order of gods.
His mind flickered with fragments of information about Origin Energy — how higher gods used it to forge weapons capable of cutting through realms, how it could shape divine artifacts, worlds, or even souls.
1 Origin Energy = 1,000,000 Divinity.
Cost to forge a Rank 1 Divine Weapon: 1,000,000 Origin Energy.
He laughed softly, shaking his head. "I'm nowhere near that… but it's a start."
Even at a fraction of that power, what he held was enough to change everything.
He glanced around his domain — the still-forming landscape shimmered faintly, golden streams of light cascading like rivers through the air. The ground pulsed with quiet vitality. Every thread of energy responded to his will.
.....
The soft chime of the system echoed again in his mind.
[New Function Unlocked: Divine Manifestation.]
[You can now manifest to your followers when they initiate prayer.]
Stratos's eyes flickered with understanding. So, he couldn't appear at will — it had to be through faith. Through prayer.
He leaned back slightly, the faint hum of the Divine Wheel resonating behind his thoughts. This changed everything. Until now, Ethan and Eva were only distant connections, voices echoing faintly through the veil of faith. But now, when they prayed, he could reach out directly — speak to them, guide them, control the narrative of his divinity.
It was exactly what he needed.
He folded his arms, nodding to himself. "So that's how gods truly communicate… not freely, but through belief."
He exhaled, the corners of his mouth curving slightly. With the divine domain stabilizing around him and this new ability unlocked, his role was finally shifting from hidden manipulator to true deity.
Now all he had to do was wait — for the next prayer to reach him.
....
Just as the thought of his new power settled, another system notification rang crisply through his consciousness.
[Cosmic Chat Update Detected - Administrator (Stratos Cosminus) has established a Divine Domain.]
[New Administrator Functions Unlocked: Trade • Missions • Group Points.]
Stratos blinked. "Cosmic Chat… updated?"
He opened the panel instinctively. The familiar interface shimmered, its once simple structure now far more intricate. Three new icons pulsed faintly with divine light — Trade, Missions, and Group Points — functions that hadn't existed before.
A short note appeared at the bottom, faintly glowing:
[Administrator Notice: These functions are now only visible to Administrators. You can choose to publish them for the entire group to access]
He exhaled slowly, realization dawning. "So I'm the only one who can see this."
Trade — possibly to exchange faith, resources, or artifacts.
Missions — perhaps tasks for gods or mortals alike.
Group Points — some kind of ranking or resource accumulation system within the chat.
Each option gleamed with potential, but also danger. With billions of gods in the network, control over such systems meant unimaginable influence.
.......
Stratos sat back, his gaze fixed on the glowing interface before him. The Cosmic Chat Group — the silent network connecting gods across countless realms — pulsed with its usual chaotic activity.
Yet beneath that chatter, one fact stood unspoken:
No one knew who created it.
For centuries, the gods had speculated. Some believed it was formed by the universe itself — an echo of divine consciousness. Others thought it was the tool of a long-dead Supreme God, still watching from beyond. Whatever the truth, the chat had existed since the dawn of the first pantheon.
And all of them — every deity within it — were bound to it. None could leave. None could alter it. None could command it.
Until now.
Stratos opened the administrator panel, his thoughts sharp and steady. A single command hovered before him:
[Publish New Features?]
He didn't hesitate.
Confirm.
.....
[System Message — Cosmic Chat Group Update]
The system has been updated. New functions available:
• Trade — Exchange divine items, resources, and knowledge.
• Missions — Create or accept divine objectives with reward contracts.
• Group Points — Accumulate through faith exchanges, tasks, or offerings.
[System Notice: Update initiated by Supreme Token Holder.]
For a moment, the entire chat went silent.
The silence that followed the update was the kind that stretched across galaxies.For a moment, even the divine chatter of lesser gods ceased — as if the multiverse itself paused to listen.
Then the flood began.
...
[Star-Fire Maiden | Rank 3]: What—what is this?! An update?!
[Crimson Wave | Rank 2]: The Chat hasn't changed since the Dawn Era!
[Aether Scribe | Rank 4]: "Supreme Token Holder"? There's no such thing!
[Bone Prophet | Rank 3]: Who could possibly alter the system itself?!
[Dream Weaver | Rank 2]: Wait—did that say Rank Nine?!
Millions of messages burst forth, cascading faster than thought.
The cosmic feed glowed like a storm of divine flame.
Even gods who had long withdrawn from mortal matters stirred awake, their awareness brushing against the collective network.
Then came the ancient ones — beings of authority so vast that their mere names made lower gods fall silent.
[God of Light | Rank 8]: …Who has done this?
[Goddess of Life | Rank 8]: This is no illusion. The permissions have truly changed.
[God of War | Rank 8]: A Rank Nine signal… but that's impossible. No one has ever reached that level.
[Goddess of Love | Rank 7]: The Trade and Mission tabs… I see them too. Can it be real?
[Eternal Shadow | Rank 8]: The Dark Faction feels the tremor as well. The system core is rewriting.
[God of Despair | Rank 7]: If a Rank Nine truly exists… everything we know about divine hierarchy collapses.
The Light, Dark, and Neutral factions all surged alive.
Every corner of the divine multiverse echoed with the same question: Who had touched the system itself?
[Current Active Users: 9,842,113,288 gods online]
The chat reached a state of pure pandemonium — endless scrolls of disbelief and speculation.
For the first time in cosmic history, all factions were united by a single emotion: fear.
[Silver Anvil | Rank 5]: I just traded a relic—IT WORKED! The Trade tab functions!
[Wind Harbinger | Rank 4]: "Group Points"? Is that divine merit?!
[Blight Widow | Rank 3]: Who is this "Supreme Token Holder"? Reveal yourself!
[Ocean Flame | Rank 2]: A Rank 9… but I thought that was just a legend!
Then the atmosphere shifted again.
Three divine signatures appeared — their power unmistakable, their presence so ancient the chat itself trembled.
These were the oldest gods known to exist, the closest to Rank Nine — but not quite there.
[The Silent One | Rank 8]: …After countless cycles… the system stirs again.
[The Eternal Dreamer | Rank 8]: I sense a will above ours. Someone holds full administrative control.
[The God-King of Ruin | Rank 8]: A Rank Nine has appeared… the hierarchy is no longer stable.
Every god — from fledgling Rank 1s to ancient Rank 8s — went silent.
Across galaxies, divine eyes turned toward the same point in the system's core interface —
a single, glowing username, newly visible for the first time.
[Administrator | Rank 9]: Stratos Cosminus - God Of Fate
The name pulsed once, quietly, like the heartbeat of creation itself.
Billions of gods stared.
Even the oldest among them hesitated — unsure whether to speak, kneel, or flee.
Stratos remained silent. For a brief moment, he didn't know what to say. The sudden weight of billions of divine gazes pressed against his consciousness like the pull of a black hole.
Then—
A flood of information struck him.
It wasn't words, but pure understanding, carved directly into his soul. Memories, records, truths hidden since the dawn of creation. His vision blurred as endless symbols and scenes flashed before him: collapsing stars, gods screaming into the void, and realms swallowed by shadows that devoured light itself.
When it finally ended, he was left trembling—not in fear, but awe.
The truth was simple, and horrifying.
They were not the only ones.
Countless other planes existed—each a world like theirs, each once teeming with gods.
But nearly all had fallen.
Those planes were now overrun by beings called Aberrations, the Universe Swallowers—entities that consumed both matter and divinity, erasing existence itself.
And the place they inhabited, the Myriad Heaven Plane, was the last intact world—the oldest, the most fortified, and the final refuge of surviving gods.
Stratos exhaled slowly, the enormity of it settling like lead in his chest. "So that's why this group exists…" he muttered. "A gathering of survivors."
Putting aside the cosmic revelation, he focused on the chat still boiling with messages. He knew he had to act carefully—maintain mystery, command authority, but also hint at the scale of what was happening.
His otaku instincts—the part of him that had watched too many shows about aloof, omniscient beings—took over.
He sat upright, fingers steepled, imagining the dramatic effect.
If he was going to play the part of a god among gods… then he would do it properly.