"Oh? How strange." She mused for a second. "Divine Spirits," she started simply, "are... beings that are closer to the idea of a God than most Gods themselves. It's quite hard to explain, but there's a lot more to Pantheons that meet the eye. There's a reason that one new God simply pops up and that's due to the power of belief…"
She flicked her hair over her shoulder. "You're not just a powerful human anymore. You're something built from belief, legend. It's rare, and certain requirements have to be met. But legends can have the same concept as God's birth from belief. They can become immortalised." Her eyes narrowed as if realising something. "Oh now that's interesting."
Yeah, I wasn't being subtle with her identity.
But this was interesting. I hadn't dug too deep into why Faith was so regarded and important. I knew of miracle magic since I had seen the sheer power it contained when making Dulio a Saint.
Those blessings were nothing to scoff at.
I knew there was more to the world than met the eye.
"I-I see. I hadn't realised. I don't feel any different." She said, examining herself.
"You won't, this doesn't mean you are immortal. You simply won't age." Aphrodite informed her. "It's also not easily noticeable. Which is probably why more people haven't figured out your identity. Jeanne D'Arc."
Jeanne flushed, turning to me quickly. "I'm sorry my lord, I was never good at lying."
I chuckled, unbothered.
"It's fine, Jeanne."
It wasn't going to stay a secret for long, but confusion would be met when they realised the soul of this universe' Jeanne D'Arc was still in the Third Realm of Heaven.
That did remind me that I should probably go check that out. I believe there was an automatic system, one of the few things that hadn't failed when the Heavenly System was running on auto.
Aphrodite looked excited. "I won't tell anyone. I'm sure a few have figured it out by now, especially your Arch-Seraphs."
"You think?"
She sent me a flat but fond look. "Kai, they are older than me. Let's not pretend that they are the adorable children they present themselves to be."
I huffed. "I'll have you know that they are adorable and very well-mannered."
She giggled. "I see you are fitting back into your role as their father nicely."
I shrugged.
I honestly liked the capacity my Angels had. They were no doubt kind and good. It was no wonder the whole world had a good opinion of them, but they knew when to switch that off.
The previous God hadn't made good use of this, while I valued his goodness much more than I would have when I was reborn. I still knew that not everything could be handled in the same manner.
We continued talking for the next few hours. I spent this time relaxing.
Jeanne was genuinely interesting, as was Aphrodite. And I found myself enjoying their presence.
Alas, I didn't have too much time to spend.
As I left them to talk among themselves, which earned me a displeased look from the both of them. I headed towards what I knew to be a secluded spot in Heaven.
The secret place Michael had shown me.
-Scene Break-
I found a secluded clearing tucked away from any prying eyes.
Doing this alone was good. I didn't want anyone questioning why I could simply summon beings of such power. I would come up with an explanation when I introduced them.
Quiet.
Sealed off from everything else.
I pulled the Legendary Summon Token out of my inventory.
Finally,
A surge of genuine excitement hit me.
I hadn't known the value of the Legendary Summoning Token before when I had summoned Jeanne to first protect me from the strange Demon I had encountered.
All I had known was it was an ally that could potentially give me some time to figure out a way to escape the Demon's notice. Now, Jeanne had shown herself to be someone I cared for. She wasn't just a character but someone that I encountered daily.
A truly kind girl that I didn't give enough attention to.
Now, hopefully it would summon another strong ally that would help solidify Heaven's continued existence.
A notification blinked into existence in front of me
[Do you wish to use Legendary Summon Token?]
[Yes/No]
I didn't hesitate.
Yes.
The token disintegrated into light, and in an instant, the clearing was swallowed by it.
It wasn't blinding, but it was enough to force me to shield my eyes for a second.
The air changed, charged with a dense magical pressure that made the grass around me flatten to the ground. From the center of the clearing, the light slowly began to condense, pulling itself inward.
A figure took shape.
At first, all I could make out was a slim silhouette, standing still in the center of the storm of energy. The light peeled away bit by bit, revealing her.
She was beautiful in a cold, distant way with long pale hair falling freely around her shoulders, pointed ears marking her clearly as an elf.
An elf?
Her skin was pale, almost luminous, and she wore a simple but elegant robe that shifted faintly in the still-charged air.
Her face was calm, almost expressionless. She stood barefoot on the grass, the last of the light pulling away from her.
Her eyes slowly opened.
(Heaven's Third Realm)
The woman's eyes slowly opened.
Clear. Calm but with a kind of tiredness deep inside them.
She looked at me for a moment like she was assessing whether or not I was worth her time. She didn't look at all surprised as she found herself in a new terrain.
"Welcome," I said simply.
She blinked once, then glanced around the clearing without moving her body much. Her head barely tilted up, taking everything in.
"Hello." She replied, in her voice completely relaxed. "I was summoned," she said in a voice that was soft but direct. "To this world."
"You were." I confirmed.
She watched me silently.
I continued. "I am Kai. The King of Heaven." I replied, slightly hesitant to address myself as such. "Do you know why you were summoned?"
"I do." She replied.
Then, almost absently, she brushed some hair behind her pointed ear. "There are demons in this world?" she asked.
"Yes…?" I responded.
That got me a small, almost unnoticeable smile.
"What do you know?" I questioned curiously, she didn't seem to be like Jeanne which was a given.
{Name: Frieren}
{Titles: The Slayer / The Great Archmage / Aureole-Touched Seeker}
{Race: Elf }
{Power Level: 31,380}
She was stronger than Jeanne.
"I know that you are the arch-enemies to Demons and that you are a God in the making." She said, her voice still completely calm despite the absurdity of it. "You also possess an entirely different magical system."
"Yes," I said. "Among other things." I watched her carefully. I didn't rush her.
"For summoning me, I will fight for you." she said, stepping forward, her bare feet making no sound on the flattened grass. She stood directly in front of me. Staring up.
She was a little shorter than I expected. Smaller frame. She is undeniably beautiful and cute. Seriously… what was with the legendary summon token summoning beautiful woman.
This wasn't some sort of weird hidden desire, was it?
She turned and began inspecting the clearing with the same detached calmness
"I like the feeling here." She stated, before pausing. "Is that your presence? Oh, it is. I like your feeling."
I sent her a flat stare.
She came to stand in personal space. "Mm, I like it. Now… What magic does this world possess?"
I sent her an amused smile. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."
The title Archmage was suggesting she was good with magic. It was probably powerful magic too if her power level was anything to go by. I wondered if I could learn any spells from her.
She blinked. Once.
Then, for a moment, there was a flicker of pure excitement.
"I don't mind," she said. "I like magic."
Then she sat down without warning, right on the grass. Legs crossed. Hands resting in her lap. She looked up at me expectantly.
I joined her, and what followed was a lengthy, well-worded explanation of how her world's magic worked. It was fascinating and much different to any in this universe.
There were three types of magic in her world.
Visualization magic used by humans and elfs
Curses the inherent magic of demons who spent almost their whole life honing in a single spell and mastering it.
Magic of the Goddess by priests or those with faith and holy focus like holy scriptures and symbols of Goddess.
Apparently she later got the blessing of a Goddess which had definitely helps to master visualization magic quickly and the usage of the magic.
Apparently she had met a God before, that god being the Goddess of Creation according to Frieren, which she hadn't believed existed.
The magic she primarily used out of three types was Visualization magic.
It was still below having outright manipulation of the elements but many things could be done creatively.
After she finished speaking, I noticed how different she seemed. She was much more vibrant and relaxed.
I decided to educate her on this world's magic.
"In this world too," I started, "magic isn't locked to one system. There are multiple sources. Angelic magic, Divine energy, Then there's demonic energy among many other energies…"
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Each energy has had some sort of magical system or skill set built for itself. This world has many different magics due to that. All with different focus and special attributes." I explained.
I leaned back. Hands behind my head.
"Beyond using magical systems. We also use elemental bending. Not spells but a much purer and more controlled magic usage specifically designed for each element." I continued.
She tilted her head.
"Elaborate."
I lifted a hand. A ball of light sparked, created by a chantless angelic spell. "Normal spell," I said. Then I clenched my fist. The light twisted into a complex spiral. Shot upward. Broke apart midair into sparks that scattered without a trace.
"No formula?"
"Nope."
She stared at my hand.
"That's unique," she said. "But… free. Creative. I can feel how much purer and powerful the light became, and how much more control and versatility it gained. It could even be called a higher form of magic."
"You get it."
She looked back at the light. "I do."
Then she moved. The gap between us shrank. "Can this elemental manipulation be taught?"
"No, elemental manipulation is special. It can be gained through divine inheritance such as Demigods and elemental bending can be gained through blessings."
"Elemental bending being a lower form of manipulation, yes?" She asked.
"Yes."
"Then as for the magical systems, they've mostly been created closely with the energy it was based upon. So I am unsure how your mana would do with them. I can teach you angelic spellcraft though. A magic that is holy and based on light magic." I said, smiling.
"I would like that." She said, sending me a small smile back.
For some reason I had felt like some sort of test had been passed as she stared into my eyes.
"I'm afraid you'll have to stay in this little section for a while though, I need some time before I introduce you to everyone. Your rather complicated summoning is somewhat of a secret." I explained.
"I understand, that's fine. While the magic of how you summoned me here is something I would like to learn about. I like it here." Frieren replied.
After a moment, I glanced over. "You like it here?"
That was good. I doubted anyone would dislike this.
"This place?" she asked. "Yes."
"Why?"
"It feels… nice." She paused. Then she looked at me. "Oh, perhaps I mistook that. What a large amount of magic you have. This is your presence, isn't it?"
I shrugged. "Maybe."
Yeah, the heavenly system was still pumping my presence to every corner of Heaven it seemed. It worked in making my Angels feel comforted.
"I like it," she said. "though may I ask where we are, exactly?" she asked.
I looked around the clearing. "Private sector of Heaven."
She turned to me. "Oh yes, Heaven. How curious. It's changing, starting to reflect more of you in subtle ways and that's because you're becoming God right?"
"It's complicated but, yes. I will be one day." I replied.
"Perfect." She said, her voice still blank despite her words.
"So, I have a few hours to spend before I have to leave. There's an incoming attack on Heaven coming soon and everyone is preparing for it." I replied.
"Oh? Will I be needed?" She questioned.
"Yes."
"Would the attackers happen to be demons?" She questioned, her tone slightly more anticipatory.
"No, but they are linked. I believe."
That wasn't a lie, but it wasn't exactly true.
"I see." She replied. "Do you know when it will happen?"
"Unfortunately not, and Heaven isn't in a great position. We've just started truly recovering from the old war that happened between us and the Devils, a lower form of demons. Since my… return. So this attack is proving to be more dangerous by the day." I said, sighing.
She didn't reply, merely sending me another smile which was larger than the last.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing, you simply reminded me of someone for a second." She replied, tucking a stray hair behind her long ear. "Shall I try to teach you my way of magic?"
"Sure."
-Scene Break-
I played with the Golden apple in my mind, considering what to do with it.
I had just left Frieren after a long gruelling session of trying to use her way of magic. It had succeeded in some efforts…
[Visualisation Magic] (LVL: 3/25) {Novice}
[Magic in this world is built on deeply ingrained incantations and long-term study, often requiring years of discipline and memorization. Each spell is a distinct, named formula that must be learned, internalized, and practiced until it becomes second nature.
True mastery lies not in raw strength, but in versatility, creativity, and a profound understanding of magical theory.]
[Passive Effect: Slightly reduces the time required to chant basic spells]
This had been hours worth of work…
The magic she used was insanely useful and powerful, covering a wide variety of subjects and yet it was just so hard to master.
It was something that was going to take time. A currency I didn't seem to have a lot of these days.
Seriously, even a year would be appreciated.
After leaving the small area hidden within the Garden Of Eden, I travelled back to my sub-dimension. Which led to now as I considered what to do with the Golden Apple.
I had a few options.
First most was the most obvious answer and the one my mind had instantly gone too, eating the Golden apple in chance that my Semi-Divine form would become a Divine form.
Which I hoped would boost its power massively or even if it just prolonged its usability time, it would be a massive advantage.
Then my mind went back to the chances of that happening.
30%
I would still receive a boost in the other aspects provided but it still would be a waste.
There was also the fact that it might be considered that I've already got a divine form, even if it's apparently not completed and simply not done anything.
That led onto the next option of giving it to Raphael to examine and hopefully potentially produce. This was the smartest move. Which was why I had already done it.
The result? Raphael said it can't be copied. The apple's not just enchanted or layered with basic magical blessings, it's saturated in Gaea's unique domain blessings. It's essentially a unique blessing from the Greek Pantheon.
She didn't use spells or runes for making golden apples. Raphael had explained. It had the very powerful blessing of Primordial. Which made sense. It reminded me that the Golden apples were essentially Primordial creations. Gaea's wedding gift to the Queen of Olympus.
Raphael had gained a lot of insight from it though and had determined to try to grow something similar.
That's why no one can recreate it. Besides the one who made it. All Pantheons had their own special fruits and secrets, so I wasn't too surprised.
All in all, she didn't have the capacity to make something of the same effect.
I also had Sariel check the fruit, due to his domain being that of nature and fruits. Together Raphael and Sariel had decided to try to create something similar for Heaven, but ultimately they couldn't copy the Golden Apples effects.
That had left me to toy around with my last idea…
My gaze traveled towards Galadriel resting around me, her giant form coiled behind me protectively.
I smiled faintly.
My oldest friend.
I watched Galadriel's iridescent scales shimmer in the light.
The massive Astral Serpent had been with me before anyone else had even if she hadn't exactly hatched by that time, she had been loyal and protective through every battle.
If anyone deserved this gift, it was her.
Anyone who saw what I was about to do with the legendary and very powerful fruit would probably have been horrified at my decision. From what little I knew, the Golden Apples were extremely rare.
Even among the Gods, and they were heavily guarded.
The Fates had essentially given me one of these for what was a very large threat. That alone showed its value, the fact Aphrodite and Hestia didn't argue about the reward showed they thought it was as valuable as it sounded.
"Galadriel," I called softly.
The giant serpent stirred, her massive coils shifting like flowing water.
Her eyes opened slowly, those giant slitted pupils focusing on me with affection. She lowered her large head until it was level with mine, a gentle rumble vibrating from her throat.
"I have something for you," I said, holding out the golden apple. "I want you to eat this."
Galadriel's tongue flicked out, tasting the air around the mysterious fruit.
She seemed curious.
With surprising grace for a creature of her size, Galadriel barely needed to open her massive jaws as she carefully took the apple from my palm.
She swallowed the small fruit whole.
For a moment, nothing happened. I leaned forward, watching intently.
Had I made a mistake?
I didn't know if this had some racial restrictions but it shouldn't. I didn't see a difference in the legends of Humans using the apple to become Gods and animals.
The only difference I saw was the level of consciousness and Galadriel seemed more conscious than most people I had met.
Then it began.
A golden wave of power erupted from within her, spreading across her scales like wildfire. Galadriel's body coiled tightly as she thrashed, her large slitted eyes widening in alarm.
I stepped back, anxiety gnawing at my insides.
"Galadriel?" I called out, unsure if I should try to help or stay clear.
The Astral serpent didn't respond.
Instead, she slithered rapidly toward the large trees surrounding the sacred pond.
Before I could follow, she submerged herself in the water. Golden light illuminated the pond from within as something began to form around her…
A cocoon…?
And then... nothing.
Once the cocoon formed all sound and movement ceased.
I waited by the pond's edge for a while, watching the motionless cocoon with anxiousness. The water remained still, giving no indication of what was happening inside.
I sighed and stood. There was nothing more I could do here.
I went over to the house and found Medusa.
"Nxyera," I called as I approached the house nearby.
The gorgon appeared in the doorway, her serpentine hair writhing gently.
"Could you keep an eye on Galadriel by the pond at the bottom of the Two Trees?" I asked, nodding toward the pond. "She's entered some sort of cocoon."
Medusa nodded. "Of course."
With that, I made my way back to Heaven.
I had barely passed through the gates when a figure materialized directly in my path.
The long curly blond hair was the first thing I saw as Gabriel stood before me, her posture rigid and her eyes blazing with an intensity that stopped me in my tracks.
Ah.
Yes.
That…
"Kaiel." She stated, her voice bordering on being emotionless.
Yeah, she was pissed. Even this was basically the equivalent of human rage.
"Gabriel." I said, smiling at her somewhat awkwardly.
Her facade almost seemed to break in that moment before she doubled down. "You went on the quest." She stated once more, her arms crossed.
I felt the sheer intensity of her gaze, somehow both cool and fiery
"I did," I admitted, seeing no point in denying it.
I did feel bad and I had seen this coming, she had gone to all the effort to try to get me to stay in Heaven…
But having another legendary summon was too invaluable to Heaven's power.
Gabriel's perfect composure finally cracked. "How could you accept a quest from the Fates? And for what? Some foolish reward? They were obviously not thinking about your safety and it's below your station" Her voice rose slightly, the equivalent of shouting for Angels. "You risked yourself, Kaiel. For nothing."
"It wasn't nothing," I protested weakly.
I mean, it wasn't. But I didn't want to argue with her.
"Even so, It was reckless," she countered, pacing now. "The Fates obviously wouldn't care about you, do they even know who you are?"
"I know, and I'm sorry," I said softly, deciding not to answer that last question. "But I wasn't alone. I had many with me."
"Many?" She stopped, turning to face me. "As if numbers matter against what dwells in those places. Michael said that there were multiple God-class threats and one harnessing a Primordial's power to make things even more absurd."
"I know, but Michael came with me and the quest was hardly any trouble with the force I brought with me," I offered.
Her expression softened marginally. "Yes, well. Michael can hardly disobey you at the best of times. So I'm not surprised and while it may have gone well. That's mostly because Michael is… Michael and you were lucky the goddess seemed to somehow mess up using such power."
"That's not what I meant-"
Gabriel suddenly stepped forward, closing the distance between us.
Her hands reached for mine, and I felt a jolt as our fingers intertwined. The vulnerability in her eyes briefly stunned me.
"Don't you know what you mean to me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "You don't seem to understand."
She sighed, and then she gave me a relieved smile. "I'm glad you're okay."
I stood there, momentarily speechless.
Then I deadpanned at the look in her eyes.
"You're not going to allow me to move around alone, are you?" I asked flatly, already knowing the answer.
Her smile widened, now cheerful and slightly mischievous. "Of course not."
I decided to disregard her change in attitude.
I considered what to do for a moment.
"In that case, would you accompany me to the third realm of heaven?" I decided to ask.
It would be best to spend some time with her, because despite the happy act she was putting on her emotions were… erratic.
Gabriel's eyes widened slightly, then she nodded. "Of course."
I didn't waste any time. I stepped closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. She offered me a pretty smile as zaps began to gather around us. A zap of energy coursed through me as we disappeared from where we stood, the world blurring momentarily before reforming around us.
When my vision cleared, we stood upon the third realm of Heaven. The Heavenly System had helpfully showed me this place so I could travel to it with zapping light.
It was time to learn more about Heaven and one of the main parts of it.
The souls that reside in Heaven. One of religions' key staples in drawing on belief.
Before I could take in the surroundings, a small group of Angels noticed our arrival and immediately flocked toward us.
"Father!" several called out, their faces lighting with joy and reverence.
They surrounded me, voices overlapping as they greeted me.
I raised my hands hurriedly, offering them a reassuring smile. I had admittedly forgotten that many simply waited in the place between Heaven's realms.
It seemed that many had left to focus on other things though.
After a while of consoling them, time I didn't mind spending. They dispersed reluctantly, casting glances back at us as they departed.
Gabriel sent me an amused smile. "You're getting better at this."
I shrugged. I watched them go, feeling that familiar mix of affection and exasperation. I was trying to slowly integrate myself back into Heaven's general populace but it was about as hard as you would imagine.
We entered the third heaven and I was met with what I could only describe as endless space made manifest.