Hearing that gods hadn't shown up on the continent for a long time, Leo remembered what Raphael had told him. Those legends really were from tens of thousands of years ago.
What did Michael appear as a god for? That's a different case, that guy is a god from another world and moreover the harmless kind so he probably isn't excluded.
"If you're already dead then how come you can meet me? Is it a soul or something like that?"
"Not wrong to say that, but the current situation isn't exactly a surviving soul. It's just that the troubles on the continent aren't fully resolved yet so heaven let me stay here to wait for a successor."
Leo frowned, this wasn't the first time he'd heard about 'heaven'. Raphael didn't understand clearly, the villagers didn't understand anything at all so he didn't know much either.
"What is heaven? Is it a type of god?"
"Yes and no, at least compared to gods like me we're not the same type. When you become a god you'll naturally understand."
God... what a distant level. Leo right now couldn't imagine what it would be like when he became a god wielding that kind of power.
"Are there any special conditions?"
"Special conditions?" Eat God scratched his head thinking then shook his head.
"Nope, just need to be acknowledged by me as having the potential to become a god. Just need to diligently cultivate. Your lifespan isn't long anymore, laziness will lead to failure."
Hearing about his own lifespan, Leo became anxious. He still clearly remembered he just used half his lifespan to gamble on awakening. But judging by Eat God's tone, as long as he worked hard he was sure to succeed so he immediately felt much less worried. After all, he wasn't the lazy type who just liked to lie around sleeping every day.
"I don't know how to cultivate. Can you teach me?"
"No."
???
What do you mean? Secrets from ten thousand years ago can be revealed but common knowledge about cultivation can't be said? Are you deliberately targeting me?
Looking at Leo's resentful expression, Eat God burst out laughing.
"Ha ha ha, you don't need to worry about that. When you become a contractor you'll automatically know basic cultivation. As for more advanced knowledge, I don't know either because I've never researched anything about humans. I suggest you go find a good teacher to fill in the knowledge."
He didn't necessarily have to lie about this small matter. As a god with no connection to humanity, why would he care about how humans cultivate?
"Alright then, for now I'm not in that much of a hurry either. Becoming a contractor is good enough, next I'll just take it step by step."
Leo didn't have any disappointed attitude towards Eat God. Knowing contentment brings ease, if you don't know contentment you're always miserable. Of course that only applies to things outside his ideal. Pursuing an ideal is never enough.
"When will you sign the contract with me."
Eat God suddenly stopped, his gaze looked towards the dragon then looked back at Leo. That look full of regret seemed a bit... cute?
'Damn, why did I find a terrifying mountain-sized existence cute? Could my brain be broken?'
Leo shook his head throwing these random thoughts away. At this point, how could he not know what this giant panda wanted?
"If you want to eat, then eat. Having your last meal interrupted really isn't great. After all, I received a lot from you."
"Ha ha, I really didn't misjudge. You are a good person." Eat God laughed with eyes squinted shut, no gaze visible, then ate voraciously.
"Munch munch, you don't need to worry about time... gulp, here compared to outside is just like a blink. But afterwards you'll probably be unconscious for a few days because your brain is overloaded with information from this place."
Even while eating he didn't forget to remind Leo so he wouldn't be confused when finding himself unconscious outside.
"Just a few days? Then it's not a problem."
Leo was in a development period, not about to have a major battle, so just a few days' time wasn't a big issue.
Now he could finally relax and enjoy this delicacy. Having lived two lives, this was the first time he got to eat dragon meat. Though not real, the realistic sensation was enough. Moreover, he felt that outside dragons were most likely extinct or nearing extinction, so there'd be no chance to eat it anyway.
Since this wasn't reality, eating would never make him full, never make him stuffed. Like that, for several days and nights, he ate until he was tired of it. The dragon meat supply here was essentially infinite.
"I feel satisfied now, it's time to truly disappear from this world." Eat God said, then raised his giant fist towards Leo.
"Goodbye. I won't betray the power you've given, and I won't betray my own ideals either." Leo immediately understood and fist-bumped him.
The gigantic body slowly dissolved into rays of light, all together diving straight into Leo's person. The surrounding world along with it grew fainter and fainter, everything dissolving as if it had all just been a dream.
Leo's consciousness also grew increasingly hazy, and at the final moment he heard one more reminder.
"My divine artifact, I don't know where it's wandered off to. That thing I find quite handy to use, if you're free you can go look for it, or just ignore it, either way is fine."
---
The light surrounding Leo's body now slowly shrank and retreated entirely into his body. Originally floating mid-air, now with nothing supporting him, he fell down according to gravity.
An arm immediately reached out to catch him, Raphael's face worried as he stared at Leo checking for any abnormal signs.
After determining that everything was still okay, he could finally let out a breath, then frowned in thought again.
"This commotion is way over the top, could it be an extremely terrifying innate talent? Or is it because he performed an unprecedented act from ancient to modern times that this happened?"
His gaze fell to the hole in the ground. This was the first time he'd seen an awakening cause such a big commotion. Of course, it wouldn't reveal their hiding place because this commotion at most affected a few hundred meters around.