Chapter 143: Gaining Lore, Native God

“A fully awakened Null-Engine becomes an absolute threat to the other gods.” The towering entity turned away from the displays. “The more it consumes, the stronger it grows. It eventually spreads to the neighboring continents. The entity is completely invincible during its dormant and gathering phases. The only way to permanently kill the creation is to wait for its true awakening stage.”

Valerius stopped pacing and turned to Red. “The moment I sensed the true awakening on the Seventeenth Continent, I crossed the boundary to eliminate the threat. I purged the Null-Engine and immediately breached this sanctuary. I expected to find whoever murdered Gorgoth sitting on this throne.”

The towering giant bowed his head slightly. The fractured halo of geometric light orbiting his crown shifted with the movement.

“I apologize for the unprovoked assault.” Valerius unclenched his massive fists. “I should have spoken before taking action. Gorgoth was my oldest ally. Discovering his erasure and finding a stranger wearing his mantle clouded my judgment.”

Red dropped his arms and studied the towering entity. A Native God with enough power to casually delete an apocalypse now stood inside his personal command center.

“No need to apologize,” Red said, leaning his back against the side of the obsidian throne. “It is my fault for trusting the game’s engine and system too much. I should never have relied on it to save my skin. Up until this point, I had no idea that other gods, native or not, could cross another god’s sanctuary like that. Had I known, I would have prevented the breach.”

“That is not something to be worried about.” Valerius dismissed the concern with a wave of his massive hand. “I could enter because I already possessed access. I occasionally came here to meet Gorgoth and retained his permission. Otherwise, no deity can penetrate another’s sanctuary.”

“I see.” Red nodded. ’That makes perfect sense, but I have learned my lesson. I will make sure this never happens again.’ I also learned that I am a replacement of Gorgoth, so his legacy, nemesis, and everything that was his is now mine also. Hopefully, he didn’t left debts.’

“You asked me several questions and I answered them.” Valerius shifted his golden gaze back to the Architect. “Now it is my turn, and I expect you to answer truthfully.”

The giant pointed a glowing finger at the ash-silver fox sleeping peacefully on the throne. “How exactly did a transplanted entity acquire an apex anomaly? A creature capable of consuming foundational source code completely breaks the server’s parameters.”

“I engineered it,” Red answered flatly.

Valerius lowered his hand. The microscopic data streams flowing through his solid gold eyes accelerated. “Gorgoth possessed immense pride. He would never hand the literal heart of his continent to a random soul. Tell me what he meant by calling you the refuse of your world.”

“I have no idea,” Red replied. “I never received an answer myself. He forced the core into my hands and dissolved.”

“A millennium mandate is a standard contract,” Valerius stated, taking a step closer to the spectral Architect. “Native Gods rarely fail them without outside interference. Give me the exact details of his deletion. Did another entity trigger the failure?”

“No one killed him.” Red met the burning golden gaze. “Even before he ripped out his Phylum, he was already in a dying state. His body consisted of crumbling clay and dry sand. He simply told me his time had passed and he failed to cultivate his world. The system timer hit zero and executed him.”

Valerius processed the information in absolute silence for several seconds. He turned his head slightly to observe the monitors displaying the ruined physical map.

“Hundreds of fake gods currently infest the Seventeenth Continent,” Valerius noted, tracking the scattered deployment blips across the digital grids. “What is your exact intention regarding the other transplanted deities sharing your borders?”

“Every single god on the Seventeenth Continent is my vassal.” Red pushed himself off the side of the throne. “They operate under my direct banner. They belong to my faction, and they fall under my absolute protection.”

A booming, multi-layered laugh vibrated out of the golden giant’s throat. The sound echoed violently against the dark floor of the Void. Valerius turned back around to face the shadowy Architect.

“You claim absolute dominion over this territory.” Valerius tilted his pristine head, the geometric halo clipping seamlessly through his white hair. “You gathered the fragments, survived the Null-Engine, and conquered the fake deities. Yet you remain completely blind to your own map.”

Red narrowed his violet eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“I told you every god on this continent is a fake except for one,” Valerius said. The towering giant pointed straight down at the physical map interface. “There is still a single Native God sleeping deep beneath your soil, and when he finally wakes up, your protection will mean absolutely nothing.”

“There is no Native God sleeping beneath my soil. I am certain of it.” Red locked his gaze onto the towering giant.

“And what brings you to that conclusion?” Valerius crossed his massive arms.

Red adjusted his cuffs and squared his spectral shoulders. “According to your own parameters, Native Gods rule their respective continents. Gorgoth governed the Seventeenth. Now he is dead. Therefore, no true deity remains.”

“Another true deity could have sought asylum.” Valerius leaned forward slightly to observe him. “A survivor from a shattered continent could be hiding in the deep strata.”

“If a refugee existed, Gorgoth would have given the Phylum to them.” Red tapped a finger against his dark lapel. “A proud Native God would hand his legacy to an equal. He would never choose a transplanted soul as his successor if another true deity was available.”

Valerius tapped his own chin in thought. “What if a deity slumbers in a sealed domain? A pocket dimension entirely disconnected from the physical map?”

“The Null-Engine consumed the northern grid indiscriminately.” Red pointed at the ruined interface. “It tracked the resonance of the fragments across all geographical layers. If an equal power source existed in a pocket dimension, the glitch would have targeted them first to accelerate its true awakening.”

“A sleeping deity might possess camouflage superior to the system’s scanning tools.”

“Camouflage requires active energy output.” Red rested his hands on the console. “The deadlands possessed zero ambient mana before I arrived. An entity of your size and power would starve to death trying to maintain a cloaking skill in a barren wasteland for a millennium.”

Valerius uncrossed his arms. A booming laugh erupted from his throat and vibrated against the dark floor of the Void.

“You possess a lethal mind,” Valerius stated, stepping back toward the center of the sanctuary. “Perhaps Gorgoth chose correctly after all. You managed to conquer this wasteland and unite the fake deities under your banner in a fraction of the time a standard mandate requires.”

“I have not united all of them yet.” Red turned his attention back to the glowing monitors. “One fake god still operates independently on this continent. Until they submit or die, I do not hold full dominion.”

Valerius observed the physical deployment grids on the screens. “Do you require assistance in erasing this final stray?”

“No.” Red pushed himself off the console. “This is my map. I will deal with the stragglers myself.”

Valerius nodded in agreement. “Do not let your guard down. The other Native Gods will eventually notice Gorgoth’s absence. Secure your borders and prepare for incursions.”

A blue system prompt suddenly appeared in the center of the Void interface.

[ SYSTEM: VALERIUS (GOD OF THE 10TH CONTINENT) HAS SENT A FRIEND REQUEST ]

“Accept the connection, Rubedo,” Valerius commanded, his physical form beginning to dissolve into floating golden pixels. “You originate as a fake, but you operate like a true deity. You earn your recognition today.”

The towering giant vanished completely. Only the shattered pedestal and the sleeping ash-silver fox remained in the dark sanctuary.

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