GREED: ALL FOR WHAT?

Then he called for a council meeting which the remaining gods were eager to attend. They had been clamoring for a direction, for a purpose, but their god King had shut himself off from the world. Now that he had returned, they were looking forward to his plan. For most of them, it will decide if they finally go through with the fall or not.

The Colosseum of the gods was quiet like it never had been. There was a stifling and depressing air about the gods. They all knew what condition they are in and that it will require a miracle to get them out of it.

Ode began. "I appreciate your presence here, for you are the ones that have stood with the divine plane through this trying time. You deserve a reward for your loyalty."

The gods agreed wholeheartedly with that statement. They just hoped that their reward will be a way out.

"I know that you are all worried about the fate of the gods. You don't think we have a significant chance of overcoming these challenges. We might be beset on all sides by enemies but we still have a way out. We can still survive."

The gods began to cheer and clap.

Then Ode said, "By my authority as the Supreme Celestial God of the Virut Pantheon, I declare the onset of the Last Days of the gods."

Power beyond what he used to have coursed through him. This power is due to the increase in the number of celestial gods under his control. He had never been this strong but even his increased strength couldn't hope to match their enemies. He doesn't even have the divine energy to use such power for a prolonged period. Instead, he will use all his power and available divine energy to increase the effect of the Last Days of the gods.

The gods started to weaken as he activated the Last Days protocol. From the weakest low god to the strongest celestial god, they all felt their Godhood weaken incredibly. They began to panic but they couldn't move to stop Ode because whatever he is doing was draining them of their power and authority.

The gods were not the only ones suffering this dilemma. The entire divine plane began to weaken and morph. It became smaller and smaller as all sources of energy and power within it were siphoned for the purpose of the protocol. Even the divine kingdoms of gods shrank down and the host of angels was reduced drastically to fuel the transformation. Then the entire divine realm warped and popped with a sudden change.

Ode the god King was sitting on his throne in what used to be the colosseum of the gods. The former grand edifice has become a smaller hall without impressive structures or seats. All the gods have disappeared except Ode. In front of Ode is a giant floating ball around 10 meters in diameter. The ball is brightly lit in glorious light like the biggest Godhood ever. The surface of the ball is like that of a gem with each face showing different scenes in the divine kingdom. Most of it is filled with scenes of panic of the gods.

Ode sighed in defeat. "It is out of my hand now. It is up to the people of the Virut plane."

This ball represents all the power of the gods and the culmination of their divinity. The person in control of the ball will be able to decide the fate of the gods. The ball cannot be used by any god, it can only be used by a mortal. That means a mortal will have to reach the final level of this dungeon to use it.

The divine plane has become a dungeon and its gods will be preserved until someone of incredible powers clears the dungeon. But not to worry, Ode had sacrificed a lot to ensure that only those from the vitality core stage and body forging stage can enter this divine dungeon. Some other mechanisms have been put in place to ensure that a favorable outcome for the gods will be reached if a mortal reaches this final level.

Turning the divine plane into a dungeon means the era of the gods has officially been put on hold. It may end with the decision of the mortal that reaches the dungeon core or it may resume, better than what it used to be. But this change ensures that the gods get to live a relatively peaceful life until that moment of decision. They get to spend their last days waiting for a savior or a condemner.

He raised his hand and felt the lacking strength in them. He smiled wryly, "How low have I fallen?"

Even he wasn't exempted from the drain. When you give up your power for peace, you also give up your fate. No more is he a celestial god, he has weakened to the level of a mana entity. Yet, he is still the strongest god.

"The other gods must have it worse. Time to explain their new existence to them."

The gods were panicking because of all the changes. He couldn't tell them about his plan beforehand or some of them will have bailed on him. He needed all their powers to be concentrated in a single point so that the rules of the dungeon can be enforced.

The gods have changed. They are weakened and yet they are still immortal somewhat. They needed information about their new existence so that they will settle into their new life. As the former God-king who caused all these, it is his responsibility to enlighten them. So he touched the god core and started speaking to them.

In the Main Plane. On the Battle Leviathan. The Moment When Ode Activated the Last Day's Protocol.

The son of legends smiled. He looked at Guntu beside him and said.

"A seer can peer into fate and destiny. We usually know WHAT about the future. Sometimes we also know HOW or WHERE, but WHEN eludes us. It is almost impossible to know all the factors of an event. Do you know why this is so?"

Guntu considered the question seriously all too happy to engage in an interesting conversation.

"Because the future isn't fixed and you can't know every parameter about it. It is the barrier between precognition and omniscience. To know all four factors is to be omniscient."

The son of legends smiled. "Correct. I am usually picky but I have to admit that you answered my questions correctly."

Guntu puffed up noticeably.

"We seers must understand the two concepts of destiny and fate to not go mad when we peek into the river of fate. It is the hurdle that all titans of law with the path of seer must understand. We must understand them and know the difference between them. Do you know the difference between them?"

Guntu answered quickly. It was common knowledge. "Destiny is unchangeable while fate is subject to change."

The son of sages nodded. "That is also true. There are multiple lines of fate. That means, for every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction which could have variable effects. Fate is fickle and of infinite possibilities, but destiny is the overarching theme of life. Destiny is the cumulative effect of all the events that take place in a person's life. It is the aggregate purpose of the randomness of fate. If fate is Chaos, then destiny is order. Destiny is inevitable, fate is infinite."

"This is interesting and all but what is your point?" Guntu asked impatiently.

"I'm getting to it. To become a seer, you must first master your destiny before you can control or find meaning in your fate. Then you use the hold you have over your destiny to influence the fate of others. You can't influence their destiny no matter what."

"But that's all you need because when an individual becomes an Origin god, they also cast off the shackles of destiny. They become masters of their destiny too. The death that is supposed to be the end of all story and the destiny of all life, losses its power over them. Imagine that, the thing you struggled to acquire becomes almost obsolete. You don't have an advantage over them anymore and the absence of order makes their life more chaotic. The absence of destiny makes it very difficult to perse their fate. But all is not lost, there is a way to fix this. Of course, that way isn't necessary for people that haven't broken their destiny like the gods of the plane. That is why it is so easy to manipulate them."

"Manipulate them into doing what?" Guntu asked. This time he was about to snap. He wanted to know what all this talk is about.

What were they were waiting here for? What has the Son of legends manipulated the gods into doing? He wanted to know.