Once Seraphina pulled back, Nyx stepped forward and offered a light, respectful hug—measured, but sincere.
She had pride. She had restraint. She didn't need to show affection to prove it was there.
Mira stood quietly by the side, a question swirling in her mind the entire time.
'Are these two… really beast souls?'
'Or… are they actual beasts?'
She couldn't tell.
But the next second, Deus brought out an enormous cauldron, one that appeared out of nowhere with a gentle wave of his hand. The structure dropped with a low hum that echoed across the clearing. It was massive—as large as a house, ancient runes etched across its surface pulsing faintly with soul light. The metal it was forged from shimmered between colors—sometimes black, sometimes dull silver, and sometimes a strange translucent hue like thick glass filled with lightning.
After a brief but clear explanation of his plan, both Seraphina and Nyx nodded, and without delay, the three began the refinement process.
The dragon and phoenix were both masters of flame manipulation, and their flames were not ordinary flames either. Seraphina's fire was divine and passionate, colored crimson with golden sparks dancing at its edge—it burned with emotion. Nyx's was colder, controlled, a black flame that devoured silently, bending the very space around it.
As for Deus… he was the God of Souls.
With his mastery, he copied their flame manipulation, refining and fusing their abilities into his own. Along with that, he called forth flames of different kinds from within himself—soul flame, eternal frost fire, and a flicker of something darker… older.
Together, the three of them forged the body of a god. Day and night. For a week straight. They worked without rest. The sky above their heads shifted from blue to black and back again. The land around them was scorched bare—rocks melted, trees turned to ash, the air warped and twisted by the sheer heat.
Inside the cauldron, the mixture of divine ingredients Mira had delivered boiled and churned—cores of ancient beasts, divine marrow, liquid essence of condensed stars, even multiple treasures collected by Deus over countless years. It was a soup of impossibility.
Finally… at the final stage of the process… Deus hovered at the tip of the massive cauldron, his form still that of a baby—small, silver-haired, eyes glowing faintly with soul fire.
And then—he dropped in.
The moment his infant body touched the thick essence boiling in the cauldron, everything changed.
The mixture inside reacted instantly, rushing toward him like metal drawn to a magnet. The liquid divine essence surged into him, enveloping his small frame, infusing itself into his bones, blood, and soul.
A blinding light exploded from within.
Inside the cauldron, Deus' body began to transform.
His bones elongated and hardened. His muscles swelled and layered. His heart grew and began to beat with divine rhythm. Layer after layer of power and structure built itself around his divine soul. It wasn't just transformation—it was reconstruction on the most fundamental level.
There was pain. A lot of it. But it was nothing Deus couldn't handle. His body grew—1 year old… 2 years… 3…
He aged rapidly as the power within fused with his core. His soul didn't resist—it welcomed the new vessel as if it had been waiting for it. Skin stretched. Muscles thickened. Nerves ignited with flowing soul fire.
By the time the transformation reached its peak… he had the body of an eighteen-year-old.
A tall, lithe frame with compact muscles, each line of his body sculpted with otherworldly perfection. His hair remained silver, glowing faintly like strands of starlight, and his eyes pulsed with a deep, mysterious light that no longer resembled any normal soul—he looked divine… and terrifying.
Even still, the essence kept pouring in.
It refined his vessel further, compacting the power, reinforcing it. Bone became denser than steel. Skin could rival mythril. His flesh had been reborn into something far beyond anything that could be called human.
Until finally…
The essence was depleted.
The divine ingredients essences—millennia of power condensed—had all been devoured by his new vessel.
The cauldron groaned, and with a hiss, the massive lid at its top opened slowly, steam and vapor gushing out like the breath of a slumbering god.
The ground trembled.
And then—Deus rose out of the cauldron.
Hovering gently, steam trailing behind his now fully grown body, he ascended into the air. The heat clung to him, a hazy veil of vapor twisting gently around his silhouette. It was hard to look at him directly now—like his very presence was tugging at the edges of reality. His silver hair floated, gently moving as if it carried the memory of divine winds. His bare torso gleamed faintly under the soft sunlight, sculpted and sharp, exuding quiet strength and grace.
He clenched his fist, feeling the flow of power coursing through his new vessel. A mild frown appeared on his face.
'My physical strength is still low-tier among gods… I need to temper it more and get stronger.'
He could feel it—the mortal essence, still lingering deep within his bones. After all, the vessel had been forged from the body of a baby... it was only natural. But that mortal essence, instead of displeasing him, brought a different sensation.
It intrigued him.
Born a God, Deus had never experienced mortal life. From the moment the Universe birthed him into existence, from the first instant he became aware that gods were worshipped by fragile, praying beings… he'd always harbored a faint curiosity for what it meant to be one of them.
Mortal life… their pain, their weakness, their pleasures…
'This might be my chance,' he thought. 'To experience their struggles, their joys… while using it to temper Earth's strength.'
A small sigh escaped him. He couldn't help but feel excited—an emotion so rare for him that it sent a ripple through his soul. It had been countless millennia since he'd truly felt something stir his heart. His existence had always been about surviving… surpassing… conquering…
From the moment of his birth, he had fought endlessly—fighting, escaping death from fight against other gods, testing the limits of his soul affinity, seeking truths hidden even from ancient gods. That was the rhythm of his existence, up until 80 years ago, Zeus using a technique no god should have mastered—shattered his body and nearly erased him from existence, right after he stumbled upon and saved Earth.
And yet now… his heart thumped.
His gaze fell to the woman standing before him—Mira, Goddess of Earth.
"I've long been curious about mortal life," he said, voice low and almost reflective, eyes lingering on hers. "Their pleasures… their struggles. If I walk among them, experience what they experience… perhaps I'll come to understand them. Maybe I'll see this world in a different light…"
Mira nodded, her gaze lowering slightly. As the guardian deity of Earth, she had long watched over mortals. She knows a lot about … far more than Deus. Contrary to what some believed, gods were not all-knowing. Their power didn't grant them wisdom in things they never chose to observe.
She swallowed softly. A thought slipped into her mind.
And her heart fluttered.
Her face grew rosy, a shade of red brushing her cheeks as her eyes glanced shyly toward the ground. She couldn't control it—her mind was flooded with images. Her savior… now in that body… powerful, calm, divine.
'Will I be able to do that… with him?' Her heart thumped louder. She had seen, she had watched over mortals—but never had she experienced what they did. The idea alone sent heat rising from her chest to her face.
But still… this was her chance. She summoned her courage.
She stepped closer, her voice soft, but sultry in its undertone.
"Lord… there's something I'm sure you'll be willing to experience," she said slowly, eyes flicking up to meet his. "It's exciting and takes the most part of mortal pleasure… to be precise."
"It would be my pleasure… to offer myself to you, my savior. To experience that pleasure intimacy… with you."