Greece brings evildoers.

Chapter 695 A Tribute to the Glorious People, A Tribute to the Great Gods! (The Finale)

Lorne, seated on his throne, glanced at the four Origin Gods, whose eyes were filled with resentment, and succinctly discerned their thoughts:
"What, the strongest god was defeated by the weakest, are you very unwilling?"

"So what!"

The four Origin Gods did not refute, but a hint of gloom appeared on their faces.

Lorne shook his head and smiled:
"Alright, then I'll tell you another unfortunate piece of news: I was once one of the Sons of Man, born from the womb of a mortal mother. Although I ascended to the throne of God, this still cannot change my essential nature as a [human]. So, in a sense, you have not only been defeated by humans, but defeated twice."

what?
He was actually a god who was elevated from a human?
Upon hearing Lorne reveal his identity, the four Origin Gods were filled with disbelief.

In the eyes of the gods, mortals are weak and insignificant creatures, as insignificant as ants that live only a day and die at night.

If any mortal could use this as a starting point to transcend the shackles of life and become an immortal deity, it would be a miracle rarely seen in the world.
The idea of ​​becoming a "god-king" of a pantheon, or even the "origin" of a divine age, is utterly absurd and nonsensical.

But now, not only has the "fallacy" come true, this "ordinary person" has even gone further;

At this very moment, He has reached the ends of the world, ascended to the pinnacle of all things, and become the God above all gods!
impossible! This is absolutely impossible!
The pride that belonged to God in their hearts made it impossible for the four losers before the throne to accept this answer.

Even if they knew Lorne had no reason to lie about it.

Zarwan gritted his teeth and retorted:
"Although you were once a Son of Man, you have come this far because of the bloodline of the gods."

"I don't deny that."

Lorne nodded, his answer quite frank.

To be honest, without the divine bloodline bestowed upon him by Zeus, the king of gods, he might still have had a chance to become a god, but he might not have reached such a height and overwhelmed all the gods.

Upon hearing this answer, the pride in the four Origin Gods was rekindled, and they raised their heads and said:

"Therefore, we only lost to the blood of the gods, not to mere humans!"

"Fine, in this war, my identity as a [human being] is indeed not pure enough. But what about them?"

Lorne chuckled and shook his head, then swung his right hand forward.

Thousands of starlight intertwine and fall from the void, passing through the chaotic mist, resonating with the mortal world where humanity resides.

Images and figures appear in the starlight:
At Thermopylae, Leonidas I and three hundred Spartan warriors faced an attack by 30 Persian troops. They stood with shields and defended the pass, vowing to fight to the death. In the end, at the cost of all of them dying, they bought precious time for the Greek coalition to regroup.
On the plain of Marathon, the Greeks, with 11000 heavy infantry, faced a Persian army of 2, successfully killing 6400 and achieving a complete victory. To deliver the news of the victory to his terrified compatriots, the young Phippides, a skilled long-distance runner, ran 42 kilometers in one go. Upon reaching Athens, he only managed to shout, "We have won! Athens is saved!" before collapsing from exhaustion and dying.

In Camelot, crusaders from the Celts and the Norse rallied nine times to launch their eastern expeditions. Countless young men perished in battle far from home, yet they remained steadfast in their resolve.
"It's just an isolated case," the gods tried to argue.

“There are many more,” Lorne replied.

The next second, one star after another rose from the earth, lighting up the void.

Countless long and bright lights existed as if burning, shining brilliantly against the boundless night sky, forming a continuous expanse.

Like thousands of lights illuminating the night, warm and magnificent:

Within the land of Canaan, Babylonians abandoned their once prosperous and peaceful lives, launching rebellions in cities and delivering a fatal blow to the Persian Empire. To proclaim the gospel of God, reclaim God's territory, and plant God's banner on this land occupied by foreign powers, they were willing to shed their last drop of blood.

Under the Bodhi tree, the Buddha made 48 great vows, vowing to sacrifice himself to create 84000 relics, severing the shackles of inequality and oppression. Inspired by this, countless mendicant monks embarked on a journey from India, spreading the Buddha's teachings to the Iranian plateau, Egypt, and even West Africa. Many died of thirst, hunger, cold, or were killed in the process of spreading the "true scriptures."

In the Arabian Peninsula, the Prophet repeatedly risked his life to resolve conflicts among various Arab tribes, enabling them to lay down their weapons of mutual harm and work together to break out of this barren desert, fighting for the right to a better life for all their people suffering in dire straits.

On the Seven Hills, twelve saints bid farewell to God and wandered to various places. Their footsteps traversed ten generations of gods, their blood spilled on foreign lands. They knew their fate was sealed, yet they faced it without hesitation. Bearing their mission, they willingly embraced death, burning themselves out, leaving only their burning faith…

Through this gradual accumulation of events, Canaan and Babylon changed hands several times, the Nile River witnessed the sunset, the Mauryan dynasty unified India, and the Arabs broke out of the peninsula...

A rope can saw through wood, and an anthill can be destroyed.

Ultimately, the vast Persian Empire disintegrated and came to an end.

The four Origin Gods pursed their lips, still arguing defiantly:

"We didn't have time to prepare..."

"It's just a fluke..."

"We were careless..."

"It's just a coincidence..."

As the supreme [God of Origin], they can admit their failures and acknowledge their inferiority, but they cannot lose their final dignity and composure.

Therefore, the outcome of the battles between the gods being decided by mere humans is an outcome they cannot accept under any circumstances.

"Coincidence?"

Lorne propped his chin on one hand and smiled playfully:
"Let me tell you: before the war, I used the power of fate and time to conduct 14,000,605 calculations. You can guess how many times I achieved success like this in those 14,000,605 calculations?"

How many times?
The four Origin Gods were stunned for a moment, and then fell into thought.

Once? Twice?

Ten times? Or a hundred times?
Lorne shook his head and slowly said:

The answer is—every single time!

That's right.

After the first round of 14,000,605 calculations, Lorne incorporated the human element and conducted the second round of calculations.

To ensure the feasibility of the result, he naturally did not only attempt it once.

So he recalculated 14,000,605 times.

"In this second round of 14,000,605 calculations, humanity will make the same choice every time, and will resolutely choose me every time!"

Lorne looked at the four Origin Gods before the throne, his deep eyes shining like stars.

"That's why I deliberately exposed myself, using the promise of unifying divinity as bait to lure you here, and then I tried every means to trap you and delay until the [human world] to decide the victor."

Because this place has never been the key to victory or defeat; the human world is!
"And when you, upholding your divine arrogance, looked down upon the ants called 'humans,' and then, in pursuit of victory in the divine war, accepted my invitation and willingly stepped onto this battlefield to fight me, from the very moment your fate was sealed!"

Amidst the astonished gazes of the four Origin Gods, Lorne spoke proudly:
"Do you understand? Your failures are not coincidences, but inevitable! In 14,000,605 calculations of fate, the same inevitable result has been achieved every time!"

The four Origin Gods opened their mouths, speechless, their pride gradually replaced by dejection.

One time, perhaps it could be called "coincidence".

But what about every single time?

All 14,000,605 calculations of fate led to the same result.

Their defeat was not unjust...

But, why?
The four Origin Gods remained silent for a long time before slowly voicing their doubts:

Why do they always choose you?

"Because I promised to give them a special gift."

"what?"

"Free will!"

Lorne faced the gods and slowly began to speak:
"After this battle, the gods will return to the gods, and humanity to humanity. The gods will no longer easily appear among humans, nor will they interfere with human choices. Humans can believe in the gods, or they can not; they can do evil, or they can do good; they can be kings, or they can be people. Their destiny is written by themselves, and their future is chosen by themselves!"

"And in order to obtain this [gift], without exception they chose to rely on me, trust me, abandon prejudice, hatred, racial and religious differences for a common ideal, and risk everything to fight to the last moment!"

"Therefore, through their joint efforts, all 14,000,605 fate calculations led to the same result."

"This is simply a miracle, a miracle called [humanity]."

He paused, then smiled at the gods before him, a mixture of pride and wistfulness in his eyes:
"Humans are amazing, aren't they?"

The four Origin Gods remained silent for a long time.

Because even they don't know how to evaluate this species called "humanity," or this miracle called "humanity."

But then, a gloomy look appeared on the faces of the four Origin Gods:
"So, you're going to restrain the authority of the gods for the sake of mere mortals? Don't you think that's absurd?"

"This choice is somewhat offensive to the gods. But humans are not emotionless beasts; they need to live with dignity. Gods should not be wanton tyrants either; they need to bear their due obligations and responsibilities."

Lorne answered calmly, his expression serene.

Give dignity to people, and responsibility to God.

This is what he has always wanted to do.

However, this idea was too advanced and was destined to be unacceptable to all the old gods.

Zarwan, Shiva, Nzabi, and Nun looked up at the shimmering stars in the void and couldn't help but sneer:
"Did you hear that? He wants to seize the power of the gods and hand over the world that rightfully belongs to us to those mortals!"

"Your god has betrayed you!"

However, faced with these irrefutable accusations, the myriad stars behind Lorne did not go out; instead, their light shone even brighter and more dazzling.

Because they knew from the beginning what Lorne wanted to do.

This was not Lorne's answer alone, but the collective choice of the five great gods of Europe.

Of the four origin gods of the five great ages of the continent, Tiamat possesses a maternal instinct that transcends bestiality, Danu's divinity was defeated by her own humanity, Venus the Mecha Goddess is a tool created to serve life, and Lorne himself is a member of the Son of Man...

At the same time, both Rome and Greece were among the earliest Ages of Gods to experience a “human awakening.”

In the eyes of many deities, humans and gods are no different.

Therefore, it is not unreasonable to appropriately limit God's authority and leave enough space for human beings to survive.

Of course, even if they were unaware of this beforehand, they would not waver in the slightest at this moment.

Because their repeated experiences of following in the footsteps of this emperor have convinced them that:

Whatever choice Lorne makes will be the best answer!

Upon seeing this, the four Origin Gods shook their heads in disbelief.
"You're all insane! You're all crazy!"

"Perhaps, but it's better than your indifference."

Lorne scoffed sarcastically.

Among the various divine eras of the Persian Empire, Egypt and Persia practiced the ancient slave system, India was based on the caste system, and West Africa was in the period of primitive indigenous civilization.

Whether it's gods or humans, they all consider oppression and exploitation to be natural and just.

It is almost impossible to expect these ancient gods to empathize with humanity.

This is why Lorne did not choose to divide and win over the gods of the Persian Empire before the war began.

Because the two sides have fundamental differences in their views on limiting divine authority, they are destined to be unable to coexist.

Only when he ascends to the highest realm and sweeps away all enemy gods with absolute power can this reform proceed.

So, it's time...

Lorne rose from his throne, looked down at the towering tower built in Babylon, and proclaimed:

"Congratulations, people of the world! You have triumphed over the gods and over fate with the will of man!"

We won? We won!
Upon hearing the voice from high above, people of different skin colors, languages, and civilizations, both inside and outside the tower, showed excitement and cheered in unison.

Their Father, their God, did not disappoint their expectations, reaching the end of their destiny and doing everything He promised!
As the cheers subsided slightly, Lorne said softly:
“Then, as agreed, I will present the coming-of-age ceremony here and lead the gods to bid you farewell.”

The voice from the heavens reached the mortal realm, plunging the people on earth into unprecedented bewilderment and panic:

"Father, you are our rock, our reliance, and our salvation!"

We can't live without you!

"Please continue to guide us!"

Shouts of pleas to stay rang out from the crowd, while frantic cries for help came from the ground.

However, Lorne shook his head and said calmly:

"Sons of man, your childhood is over; it is time to step out of the cradle. Religion and gods may be the starting point for humanity, but they should never be the end!"

Before the voices on the ground could argue or plead, Lorne gently raised his hand.

A finger, hundreds of meters in diameter and composed of pure white light, descended from the clouds to the mortal world, gently toppling the towering divine tower in Babylon.

The tower is named "Babel," and it is a high platform where all nations on earth offered sacrifices to the one God after they rebuilt their faith.

After completing its mission, it also became the starting point for humanity's farewell to the gods.

The tower collapsed layer by layer, and the bricks and stones engraved with intricate incantations turned into dust and scattered, without harming a single person.

As the collapse spread to the top of the tower, the golden ark placed in the center of the magic circle opened automatically. The Ten Commandments, written in different divine languages, peeled off the clay tablets, transforming into thousands of golden characters that flew into the clouds and landed on the fingertips of [God], merging with the ten golden rings.

—The time for farewell has come; with this, I forsake the world!

Lorne spread his hands, and ten golden rings imbued with divine authority automatically detached from his fingertips, transforming into ten golden streaks of light that flew in all directions. Moments later, ten golden pillars of light rose up, and countless golden runes were imprinted on the sky, forming an indestructible barrier that blocked the arrival of the gods.

At the same time, countless golden stardust fragments were scattered across the earth, mountains, and ocean.

Boom~~
The earth shook violently, mountains rose and fell, and the sea surged with waves.

Gradually, the ten great divine eras, which were originally adjacent to each other, drew closer to each other, connected with each other, and gradually outlined a new world.

Seven days and seven nights later, a blue and white planet appeared amidst golden light patterns.

Mountains, oceans, and continents are all as Lorne remembers them.

The construction is now complete, and everything is renewed!
Lorne breathed a sigh of relief and bid his final farewell to all the nations and peoples of the world:

“Son of man, I have fought the good fight for you, I have finished the way I had to go, I have kept the faith I had to keep!”
From this day forward, as agreed—the things of the gods shall belong to the gods, and the things of mankind to mankind!

A crown of righteousness will be reserved for you in the world, and the free will will be with you!

All who follow my teachings, we will surely lead you to meet in heaven, where you will enjoy eternal bliss.

From time immemorial, to the present, and forevermore!

Upon hearing that compassionate voice, figures raised their heads and looked up at the sky.

As the divine light in the sky gradually dimmed, tears welled up in their eyes, and they murmured:
Father God, childhood is gone, and the Son of Man no longer needs divine guidance.

But we will always love you...

Immediately, people of different languages, races, and skin colors shouted out a common voice:

Our Father in heaven
May the world hallow your name.

May your kingdom come.

May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Our daily bread is given to us today.

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

They will not lead us into temptation, but will deliver us from evil.

May glory, majesty, power, authority, and victory be yours, from time immemorial to the present and forevermore!
Amen!

The stirring hymns resounded across the earth, spreading to all nations, wave after wave.

The firm vows soared to the heavens, echoing among the stars, and have endured forever ever since.

~~
At this moment, among the stars.

Shiva, Nun, and Nzambhi looked down at the blue-white planet, which was wrapped in layers of the Ten Commandments of God, with complicated expressions.

Unexpectedly, what the gods fought over ended up benefiting the weak humans.

Zarwan, who was at the head of the group, looked up at the figure on the throne and couldn't help but sneer:

"Ha, you went to great lengths to win this divine war and became the [God Above Gods]. But you used this divine power to restrict the authority of the gods, sever the connection between humans and gods, and bestow the world upon mortals. You are utterly unworthy of being a god!"

“I have never forgotten that I am a son of man, so why should I insist on claiming to be a god?” Lorne shook his head and smiled. “Of course, if what I do is evil in the eyes of the gods, then I don’t mind if you call me a ‘wicked person’—a ‘sinful person’ who rebels against the will of the gods and usurps divine power.”

Upon hearing such a frank answer, Zarwan was speechless for a moment.

He paused for a moment, then said sarcastically with a dark expression:

"So, what did you end up with? A prison you'd meticulously built for yourself?"

Lorne did not answer, but simply smiled and looked at the four Origin Gods on the field:
"Alright, it's almost time, it's your turn."

"Hmph! Enough with the nonsense, just kill me if you want!"

Shiva spoke impatiently, his face showing no fear.

The same applies to the three gods Zarwan, Nun, and Nzambhi.

As the originators who control an era of gods, they are not so bad as to be unable to accept defeat.

In any case, the battle has already ended, and the "evil man" in front of us has usurped God's authority and ascended to the throne.

In this world, there is no god who can rival him.

Moreover, their divine authority had been stripped away, and their divinity had been almost entirely eroded by successive battles and injuries.

Even if this "villain" doesn't personally take action, their divine bodies will gradually disintegrate.

Since this is a doomed situation, they might as well accept it and preserve the last bit of dignity they have as gods.

Lorne didn't waste any words and simply raised his hand slightly forward.

The four Origin Gods closed their eyes, awaiting their annihilation.

However, after waiting for a long time, the expected coldness and darkness did not appear.

Instead, a warm current flowed through it.

A warm current flowed into their bodies, bringing vitality and quickly stabilizing their bodies that were on the verge of breaking apart.

Ok?
The four Origin Gods opened their eyes in astonishment, only to be met with a scene that shocked them even more:

Thousands of stars rose slowly, passing through the ten heavens and the seven hells, and descended upon the temple.

The nine Egyptian gods, the Persian twins of good and evil, the eight guardian deities of India, the gods of good, evil and death of West Africa... one after another, familiar figures appeared in the light.

Not only the firewood that was thought to have burned out, but even the gods who died in the battle to attack the Ten Heavenly Realms and the Seven Hells were reborn in the light.

A mix of emotions—bewilderment, confusion, and incomprehension—swirled within the minds of the four Origin Gods.

They instinctively looked at the figure on the throne and stammered:
"why?"

Why don't we kill you?

The four Origin Gods nodded.

Lorne laughed and said, "I'm not an executioner, why would I want to wipe you all out?"

Zarwan frowned and reminded him, "Only by killing us can you fully complete this divine work and eradicate all threats."

He responded to the enemy's honesty with the same honesty.

As a god, he has his own pride.

However, Lorne merely glanced at him and couldn't help but laugh:

Do you think that everything I've done is just for this "divine position"?

“Isn’t that right?” Zarwan retorted.

"The throne is not what I seek." Lorne patted the jade throne beneath him and chuckled. "If you wish, as long as you are willing to abide by the laws I have set and refrain from interfering with the future of humanity, the kingdom and the throne are both at your disposal."

Upon hearing this answer, the gods were plunged into deep bewilderment.

Zarwan couldn't help but ask, "What do you want after doing all this?"

Lorne answered frankly: "Give dignity to people, and responsibility to God!"

The sound is not loud, but it is deafening.

After a moment of silence, Zarwan smiled wryly:
“You have done it. Now, humanity on earth is free, the gods are under your control, and nothing in this world can defy your will.”

"But that's not enough, far from enough!"

Lorne shook his head and waved his hand towards the void.

The sky suddenly tore open, and a blood-moon-like single eye emerged from a distant spatial rift.

To be precise, it was a strange star shaped like an eyeball.

Its colossal body stretched for thousands of miles, its rust-red surface writhing with a tar-like slime, and the hum of its orbit caused the earth to resonate and crack. Countless dark green beams shot out from its surface, causing stars to malfunction and rocks to boil into screaming blobs of flesh, and seawater to flow backward into waterfalls of inverted skulls.

With just one glance, a terrifying, sinister, and eerie aura traversed billions of light-years of space and time, piercing the souls and causing the gods in the temple to feel the chill of frozen thoughts and an extreme twisted madness.

"The Eye of Judgment—Gheros, I think that's what it's called."

A gentle voice reached the ears of the gods, awakening their somewhat sluggish minds.

However, before the gods could recover, Lorne once again waved his hand towards the void:
The membrane of the universe was torn open, leaving a wound that stretched across the galaxy, and chilling whispers echoed from the deep black subspace.

First, a bronze throne rose from a sea of ​​blood, an eight-pointed star burning atop a crown of skulls. A bronze battle axe cleaved through the starry sky, each swing tearing open a wound in reality, and countless bizarre demons howled in agony, their voices merging into a symphony of war, even time itself freezing into rust-red crystals in the thirst for slaughter.

Next came a labyrinth of constant change, where countless scale-covered beaks emerged from the void, spewing purple flames that flowed with lies. Each flame reflected a distorted history, knowledge rotting into writhing runes within a rainbow-colored vortex, and the observer's brains boiling and evaporating as they comprehended the paradox.

Then came the plague garden, teeming with twisted species. Green pustules swelled from the galactic core, and rotting, obese monsters hummed lullabies, spewing spores with maggot-infested fingers. On the infected planets' surfaces, pulsating blister-like masses rose, and from the spewing yellowish-green smoke, newborn demons chanted hymns of life simultaneously through their seven mouths.

Finally, a piercing laugh that seemed to pierce through countless stars descended. It had no physical form, and all beings who sensed this laughter instantly experienced countless ecstasies of ecstasy. Their spinal cords were extracted, transforming into crystal harps; their skin peeled away automatically; and the galaxy's arms twisted into lascivious spirals in ecstasy.

When the four twisted wills converge, all the laws of reality collapse, countless stars are annihilated, and even darkness itself begins to grow twisted teeth and compound eyes.

"What is this?" The gods' faces turned grim.

“Several evil beings born in the warp, which I sensed only recently after becoming the [God-Supreme],” Lorne replied casually.

Then, he continued to raise his hand and wave it towards the deeper starry sky: "Look, there are many more like this."

On a desolate planet in the Gemini Galaxy, the horizon suddenly erupted in chaos. Hundreds of millions of scythe-like limbs ripped through the earth, and swarms of insects, amidst the clattering of their carapaces, converged into a deafening tide of death, engulfing everything in their path.
From the Fomalhaut constellation, waves of fire surged forth like living creatures, and tens of thousands of fiery essences materialized within the flames. They took on translucent humanoid silhouettes, with incandescent cores pulsating within them, distorting the air into liquid wherever they passed. Charred footprints spontaneously combusted on the ground, melting matter into boiling streams of magma;

In the nameless depths of space, a metallic starship, three thousand kilometers in diameter, traversed a nebula. Tear-shaped metallic spores, their surfaces covered in a honeycomb structure, shot out from the starship, scattering across the stars in its path, preying on them…

Deep, dark images emerged from the starlight, and terrifying, twisted monsters appeared before the gods' eyes, bringing an unprecedented shock.

Lorne raised his hand to close the spatial rift, and addressed the gods in a deep voice:

"Look, this is the true face of the universe. Darkness and terror are everywhere, and distortion and madness run rampant! But at the same time, it is also incredibly vast and infinitely large, capable of accommodating all ambitions and possibilities!"

The four Origin Gods seemed to understand something, and they all looked at Lorne in unison:
"You're thinking……"

Lorne took a deep breath and said proudly:
"I have exhausted the ways of the earth. The children of all nations have come of age. We are gods, but also parents. How can we be surpassed by a group of children? Therefore, let us step out of this cradle called 'Homeland,' conquer the stars, and roam the heavens! To spread order and glory to the deepest reaches of the universe is the great cause that we gods should undertake!"

Upon hearing this answer, everyone—whether they were gods, chief gods, god-kings, or the origin—was deeply moved.

Conquer the stars and hunt across the heavens!

Yes, what kind of deity are they, fighting for power and profit on the land beneath their feet and lording it over the weak?
The so-called gods are beings who are more arrogant, more lustful, and more valiant than humans!

Only this vast expanse of stars is worthy to become their new hunting ground!
Only those twisted and insane evil gods are qualified to be credited with their achievements!
Lorne rose from his throne and beckoned.

Thousands of jet-black metal warships, embodying the highest level of technology of the Bronze Race, sailed in from the depths of space.

Immediately afterwards, the stars fell down onto the deck, transforming into the original Greek, Roman, Celtic, Norse, and Babylonian gods, as well as countless steadfast Holy Spirits who were accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven.

However, even after transporting all the forces from Heaven and Hell, the warships still have a lot of redundancy.

Lorne looked at his former enemy gods and asked in a deep voice:
"Gentlemen, do you have the courage to follow me in conquering the stars and pave the way for those who will follow?"

"Why don't you dare!"

Voices, some high-pitched, some passionate, some excited, rang out from among the gods.

Compared to those who used to hustle and fend for themselves on the ground, the person before me is truly the [God above Gods]!
Whether it's vision, ability, temperament, or character.

At that moment, they were completely convinced.

Zarwan, Shiva, Nun, and Nzambhi, the four origin gods, led their newly reborn deities and bowed their proud heads before the figure before the throne, making a solemn vow in unison:

"May I use the sword and shield of my lord to sweep away the remaining enemies and pave the way forward for him!"

Immediately, one by one, the gods transformed into streaks of light and boarded this warship capable of traversing the stars.

Immediately afterwards, Venus, the machine god in charge of piloting the fleet, launched the divine core that originally belonged to Chaos, the machine god.

Amidst the whirring of metal, the Chaos Core rapidly expanded, transforming into a metallic sphere with a diameter comparable to a planet. Its surface, with its honeycomb-like energy absorption array, captured countless starlight, forming a stable spatial channel.

Lorne stood at the bow of the flagship, drawing his sword and charging forward.

The entire fleet passed through the spatial convoluted path formed by the Chaos core and disappeared into a dazzling starlight.

Thus, the sons of man defeated the gods, broke the shackles of fate, and entered true adulthood.

Thus, the gods relinquished their oppressive desires, shouldered their due responsibilities, and chose to forge ahead among the stars.

—To those who have achieved greatness!

—To the great gods!

(End of this chapter)