Chapter 402: Chapter 403 : Path to Godhood

Alex rolled his shoulders lightly.

“Send me to their next point of attack.”

A faint grin tugged at his lips.

“My weapon is in need of learning some proper manners. How dare she disrespect this wonderful owner of hers?”

Hephaestus snorted faintly. “Of course I will. Don’t worry.”

He paused.

“But before that… there are some things you must know.”

Alex tilted his head. “And what would that be?”

Hephaestus looked straight into Alex’s eyes. His gaze sharpened.

“I take it… you are here in pursuit of godhood.”

Alex went quiet for a moment. Then he shrugged slightly.

“To be honest, in the past I wasn’t very interested in attaining godhood or whatever you call it. I just wanted strength—strength to protect the things that mattered to me.”

Hephaestus studied him carefully. “Then I take it your circumstances have changed.”

Alex paused. His expression lost its playful edge.

“Yes. They have. I need to reach it as soon as possible.”

His voice hardened.

“I made a promise to the people dear to me. And I intend to keep it. No matter what.”

Hephaestus nodded slowly.

“Perfect. Then let me tell you the path—the ranks you must surpass to reach it.”

Alex crossed his arms. “Go on. I’m listening.”

Hephaestus’ voice deepened.

“Listen carefully. The moment you stepped into the Pseudo-Divine rank, you left mortality behind.”

He raised one finger.

“Pseudo-Divine. The first step beyond human limitations. Your lifespan stretches far beyond what mortals can comprehend. Your body and soul are no longer bound by natural human restrictions. You can sense the Laws of the universe and slightly influence them—but only slightly. You are still only touching the surface.”

“And just like in your previous world, every rank is divided into three stages of mastery: Low, Mid, and Peak.”

He raised a second finger.

“Then comes the next rank—the Divine rank. This is where things truly begin. A Divine being has grasped at least one Law of the universe—Fire, Gravity, Time, Space, Death. It can be anything.”

“You gain control over that Law. You can even create a world containing that Law—a world filled with volcanoes, or a world consisting only of oceans. It depends on the Law. A territory where your Law is stronger.”

Hephaestus’ eyes narrowed slightly.

“Your existence also begins to transcend into faith. You can have people place absolute faith in you and turn that faith into fragments of divinity. With followers praying to you, your power increases.”

“But that does not mean you have become a true god. Think of it as a buff. The more followers you have, the more power you gain.”

Alex nodded, interested.

Hephaestus lifted a third finger.

“Then comes the third rank—Quasi-Supreme. This is when your Law matures into Authority. You no longer merely use it—you embody it.”

“It is no longer simply about control. You can even tie your existence to it, which makes it harder for anyone to kill you. Your understanding of the cosmos deepens.”

“But only a few are able to achieve it. Most die trying, so be careful if you decide to pursue it.”

Alex listened without interrupting.

Hephaestus raised a fourth finger.

“After that comes the fourth rank—Supreme. A near-mythical existence. At this stage, you evolve your existence into a Concept that fits you.”

“You cannot die unless your Concept is destroyed. It responds to your will naturally. You can subtly influence fate. You can reshape parts of reality itself—if you have enough divinity.”

“But even then… you are still not absolute.”

Finally, he raised his fifth finger.

“After that comes the Demi-God rank—the final stage before true godhood. Body, soul, and Law are perfectly unified. Your power, your Concept, your existence—all resonate as one.”

“You gain near-absolute control over your existence. Your presence influences the universe you are bound to. You stand at the very edge of transcendence.”

Hephaestus lowered his hand.

“Beyond that… is true godhood.”

Alex exhaled slowly. “So these are the ranks I have to climb.”

“Yes.”

Hephaestus’ voice grew heavier.

“And even reaching Demi-God does not guarantee enlightenment. Many remain stuck at the Divine rank for centuries, no matter how talented they are. Some break through to Demi-God and spend thousands of years unable to take the final step. They remain stuck there—forever one step away.”

He looked at Alex seriously.

“There are ranks beyond godhood as well, but they are none of your concern right now.”

Silence filled the forge.

Alex absorbed everything. Then he smiled faintly.

“Demi-God, huh? It sounds fucking cool. But I’ll worry about it when I have to cross that road.”

Hephaestus gave him a long look. “You really are optimistic, aren’t you?”

Alex smirked. “Nah. Just confident in myself.”

He stretched his neck slightly.

“That’s all you wanted to tell me, right?”

Hephaestus nodded. “Yes. That’s all.”

Alex narrowed his eyes slightly.

“You didn’t tell me what rank the leader of the Fallen Angels is.”

For a brief moment, Hephaestus said nothing.

Then he flicked his finger.

Instantly, Alex’s body began to glow. A dense golden light wrapped around him, spiraling upward like rising flames. The space beneath his feet distorted. The air bent unnaturally.

Alex felt it immediately—the sensation of forced displacement. Teleportation.

His body felt light. Weightless. Yet stretched.

Something was off.

He glanced toward Hephaestus. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Hephaestus gave a crooked, almost mischievous smile.

“It’s been a decade since I was face-to-face with him.”

His voice echoed faintly as the teleportation intensified.

“If I remember correctly… he was on the verge of breaking through to the Supreme rank.”

He tilted his head slightly.

“Or was it Demi-God?”

Alex’s breath hitched. “What?”

The golden light brightened.

“Why didn’t you tell me that before?”

Hephaestus chuckled. “Well… I was afraid you might run away.”

Alex’s mouth twitched. For a second, he looked like he might curse.

Then he sighed. “Whatever. It’s not like I have a choice now.”

The light surged violently.

And his body dissolved into glowing motes of gold.

Gone.

Silence returned to the dying forge.

Hephaestus remained standing, Lina beside him.

Then—

His left arm began to fade.

It dissolved from the fingers upward, turning into particles of dim light and vanishing into nothing.

Hephaestus staggered and dropped to one knee.

Lina immediately rushed forward.

“My Lord!”

She reached out to support him.

He gritted his teeth. “Damn it… Sending him there drained more divinity than I thought it would.”

He looked down at where his arm had been.

“Looks like… I don’t have much time left.”

His breathing was shallow now.

“But I have no regrets.”

A faint smile formed.

“I left my greatest creation with that boy.”

Lina’s eyes trembled.

“Don’t give up yet. He might be able to do something. You said it yourself—that boy’s existence is the biggest mystery in this cosmos.”

Hephaestus let out a slow laugh. “Perhaps you’re right.”

His fading eyes stared into the distance.

“I can only hope for the best.”

————————

Meanwhile—

Alex reassembled in a flash of light.

His boots touched solid ground. The golden glow faded.

He stood in the middle of a town—or what remained of one.

The streets were cracked and blackened. Homes were reduced to half-collapsed skeletons of wood and stone. Smoke drifted through the air. The scent of ash and blood lingered faintly.

Windows were shattered. Doors ripped from their hinges.

Bodies lay scattered in the distance—some covered hastily with torn cloth, some not.

From broken homes, terrified faces peeked out.

Men clutching children.

Women covering their mouths to silence sobs.

The elderly trembling in corners.

Their eyes locked onto Alex.

Fear beyond reason.

They didn’t know who he was.

They didn’t know if he was salvation.

Or something worse.

Alex scanned the area calmly.

“Too late for some of them.”

Then—

An explosion echoed in the distance.

The ground trembled faintly.

A pillar of smoke rose into the sky several kilometers away.

Another blast followed.

Alex exhaled slowly.

His eyes sharpened.

“Let’s get started.”

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