As they fled from the source of Orb’s disturbance, Gemini could sense that the Wildlands had been completely scanned by that approaching boundary. Up until today, none of the great gods could fully comprehend what being touched by that boundary did, save for the fact that anyone who was touched by it would be linked to the budding world in the Central Continent.

Was there anything else?

Gemini didn’t know, but its progress also had something to do with the Abyss Sovereign’s absurd increase in power…or rather, will. Hereward had put it rather succinctly some time ago; the progression of this festival of creation was intimately linked to the Abyss Sovereign’s self-assessment of his path, his will.

His will, right now, was refining itself at an absurd rate. Back then, semi-divinities could already sense the horribly firm will in the centre of the Five Lands, but now, even mortals in both the Five Lands and the Wildlands could sense the existence of the Abyss Sovereign.

Along with the utopia he intended to create.

The world the Abyss Sovereign desired was a utopia for the weak and unprivileged. Now that everyone could sense what and why such a world was created, the governments of the Wildlands and the Five Lands would be pushed to a new brink.

There was now a heightened awareness of how the weak were exploited by the rich and powerful.

“A world where all needs can be generated with a thought, a boundless world that will never end.” Gemini turned back to look at the heart of the Five Lands. “And most crucially, a place where the strong can never be too strong. Where everyone has their own opportunities.”

“Well played,” Hereward muttered, drawing to a stop. They were now a huge distance away from the Central Circle, close to the tip of the Southern Continent. “And…I can roughly figure out why this halfway mark was enough for the Abyss Sovereign to affirm his will now.”

Thasvia turned to him. “Why?”

“He has enlightened the poor exploited fools to their own plight, by offering a world that makes people want for nothing. Awakening the poor and the downtrodden to their desires.” Hereward looked at the small red stone in his hands. “By appealing to the desires within everyone, he has awakened their ambition and indignation.”

Gemini clicked his teeth. “Like why dictators prefer to keep their people uneducated or poorly educated on Earth. And why they blot out information of other countries.”

“Even if he falls, the seeds of discontent have been sowed. The Five Lands and the Wildlands must make changes to their laws and policies, to cease their exploitation of the ignorant masses. And above all, to end any form of might makes right.” Hereward smiled wanly. “The slower they see the need to make those changes, the greater the damage will be.”

Cold sweat ran down Gemini’s spine. If what Hereward said was true, it could only mean that the Abyss Sovereign had planned this whole thing out, such that he could never lose.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have confronted him back then,” said Gemini.

“Gods make mistakes too,” Hereward replied. “The three of us chose to delay our arrival by three months not because we were feeling noble or anything.”

“What’s the reason, then?” Gemini asked.

“The Mortal Light Dynasty,” said Thasvia. “That’s the reason. We did not want to be the only ones weakened in the opening battles against the Abyss Sovereign. The possibility of the North turning on us if we burned ourselves out from fighting the Abyss Sovereign wasn’t zero; if they felt that they could defeat the Abyss Sovereign without us once we dealt heavy blows…”

Her voice trailed off, leading Gemini to grimace. He too hadn’t forgotten how the Demon God had been dealt with; the North had barged into their battle to use their god-slaying weapons. He still didn’t know how they worked, since he wasn’t there to witness the spectacle directly, but from Hereward’s words…

“All this distrust,” Gemini murmured. “So, he had been growing steadily over the past six months. He was at his weakest, but we chose to hold back and stand aside for the sake of survival.”

“And now, for the sake of survival, we are not going to hold anything back,” Hereward replied. “I know. Ironic.”

He glanced down at the red stone in his hands.

“Right,” said Gemini. “What’s that?”

“This is what used to be the God of Fire,” Hereward replied sadly. “After his Divine Will was sundered. He’s still alive, but there’s no conceivable way in which he can actually enter battle on his own terms anymore.”

“His Divine Will was sundered?” Gemini asked, trembling.

“Yes. I’m not sure how such a thing was possible, but the Abyss Sovereign somehow induced a small flaw in his will and then tore it from inside out by leveraging on the imperfection,” Hereward replied.

“In that case, how are we supposed to fight him?” Gemini asked.

“Together,” Hereward replied. “I suspect that the ten or so seconds in which they were in contact was what enabled such an…utter defeat.”

Gemini raised an eyebrow. “What, did he break Liamar by talking to him?”

“Like what you did? Possible, but it seems odd, though. We are beings that are clearly defined. In doubt, referring back to our roots would dispel it. It’s a simple solution,” said Thasvia, her brow creased with worry.

“Liamar must have tried it too, but unless we know what the Abyss Sovereign said to him, we’ll never be adequately prepared. And besides, speaking just won’t cut it,” said Hereward. “It just won’t. It’s probably something else, if you ask me. Probably some application of the primordial energies of creation.”

Gemini nodded, and then gazed at the Central Circle, where the triumphant will of the Abyss Sovereign was still intensifying in strength. The billowing presence was so pervasive and widespread that the entire world could actually feel it, despite being so far off.

“We should watch this, right?” Thasvia abruptly asked.

“Yes. Even though I don’t’ want to,” said Hereward.

Gemini nodded. “We need to fully understand our enemy…even if it terrifies us.”

“Even if it breaks our wills,” said Hereward. “On the bright side, even if we truly fail, this festival of creation might turn out well after all, and Orb won’t be destroyed.”

“Unacceptable risk,” said Gemini.

“Unacceptable, yes. But there’s still a bright side, right?” Hereward laughed bitterly. “Well, we should at least hear his…words out. He’s definitely going to speak, though.”

He paused. “We should do it near the allied expeditionary fleet. So that we can trace their reactions first hand.”