A different world game? A different world game!

Just like when Kana had just condensed his divine status and ascended to godhood, he was not yet able to completely suppress the influence of the "data-driven" rules on his divine nature.

At that time, his aura was exceptionally cold and rational, almost inhuman.

This was something that Alyris, Lelia, and the others clearly felt at the time, which was why they tried their best to stir up Kana's emotions.

This is precisely how the "data-driven" rule is influencing him.

While “datafication” cannot be simply equated with cold numbers, it is itself a powerful and sophisticated force of order.

However, the essence of "data" naturally leans towards absolute rationality and objectivity that rejects emotion.

When the influence of rules prevails, everything naturally seems cold.

But that was merely a temporary tug-of-war between the rules and the divine will; it did not mean that Kana had lost his emotions and self.

That was merely a manifestation of the power of the rules having an advantage in the early stages.

Before long, the divine essence of Kanana, which originated from the depths of his heart and was full of emotion and will, regained dominance.

By firmly suppressing the influence of the rules, they regained the complete sense of existence that belonged to "Kana".

This constant tug-of-war with the rules is one of the costs that gods must pay to master and wield this immense power.

Because deities are ultimately the embodiment of life, individual beings who have transcended and risen from mortal life.

On the scales of the rules, they should be like other creations, becoming extensions and tentacles under the rules, following their predetermined trajectory.

However, the power of the gods lies precisely in their unwillingness to accept this.

They strived to climb and spread upwards, eventually going against the tide, standing atop the rules, and turning them into their own.

They are the embodiment of all their experiences, emotions, and will, rather than the pure manifestation of rules.

The norm is for deities like them to retain distinct personal emotions and independent will.

Of course, there is another kind of existence in the astral realm—those gods who lost in the long struggle against the rules, and were eventually completely assimilated and devoured by the rules due to weakness or accidents, becoming the "shells" through which the rules walk in the world.

Although they also possessed divine status and power, they were despised by the gods.

Because their core souls have long since dissipated, their self-will has been obliterated, leaving only the will of rules manifesting through their physical form.

"The same goes for those evil gods."

The God-King's tone carried an all-knowing calm: "Like some of the rules, they are by nature gentle, peaceful, and full of vitality..."

"The gods who control them are often able to maintain their true nature relatively easily and not be overly influenced."

His gaze swept over Talia, referring to life, water, hope, and other rules that lean towards order and vitality.

“However, there is another set of rules,” the God-King’s tone suddenly turned cold, and his gaze sharpened.

"They are inherently violent, extremely aggressive, and possess unparalleled corrosive power. Coupled with a breeding ground for chaos and evil, their corruption of those who control them is so domineering and thorough."

"Those evil gods who began to come into contact with, comprehend, and ultimately master this power from the legendary level."

The God-King shook his head slightly, with a hint of barely perceptible pity in his eyes.

"Over the long years, they have long been distorted and corrupted by the deeply ingrained power of rules."

"Even if it has not completely become the 'shell' of the rules, it has become chaotic, insane, and full of destructive desires through the endless and subtle influence of the rules, and eventually became the 'evil god' that you know."

This is the fundamental reason why the vast majority of members in the evil god's camp are inherently evil in nature.

As for the very few evil gods whose power attributes lean towards the positive, such as those who possess a certain order or healing ability but still commit evil deeds.

These belong to another extreme; they are born purely "bad seeds."

Even relatively peaceful rules and forces cannot pull them back to the right path; on the contrary, they may be distorted and exploited by them.

At this point, the God-King's expression became extremely solemn, and the light in the entire hall seemed to dim slightly, except for the "orb of light" in his palm, which remained constant.

“And ‘destruction,’ without a doubt,” he said, each syllable heavy, “is the most destructive, most infectious, and most irresistible rule! Its existence and expansion ultimately… gave birth to ‘the void.’”

The God-King turned his gaze back to Kana, seemingly wanting him to understand the connection more deeply.

He then pointed to himself and turned the conversation to even older secrets.

"Where did the astral plane come from? When was it born? These questions have long been buried in the deepest part of the river of time, and cannot be investigated."

The voice of the God-King seemed to carry the dust of history: "But since the birth of the astral plane, gods have emerged like stars."

“There will always be someone… or rather, there will always be life,” he paused, “who will be tempted by the ultimate power of ‘destruction’ and want to master this powerful and fundamental primordial rule.”

"Because he has mastered 'destruction,' there is no doubt that he will become the most powerful being in the astral plane, possessing the power to end everything."

This is logically absolute.

However, the God-King shook his head helplessly as he spoke, his expression as if he had witnessed countless tragedies that followed one after another.

"But the reality is that, until now, there has never been a true winner. Those who attempt to control 'destruction' will ultimately be devoured by 'destruction' itself."

"They, along with their own power, succumbed and disintegrated in that ultimate torrent of destruction, and ultimately... became part of 'destruction'."

The God-King's gaze became incredibly profound, as if piercing through the barriers of the divine realm and seeing the chaotic and dangerous origins of the astral plane.

"When such beings exist, when more and more individuals are thoroughly polluted, transformed, and integrated by the rules of 'destruction,' they converge at the source of destruction like rivers flowing into the sea..."

"These aggregates of chaotic will and destructive energy, in endless mixing and fusion... gave birth to what we now know as the 'Void'!"

Clearly, this god-king, who personally led the world to break free from the clutches of the void, has explored the most fundamental level of the void's nature, and has even touched upon the truth of the void's birth.

“A long, long time ago.”

The voice of the God-King became distant and vast, as if it came from the beginning of time.

"In the ancient, chaotic era before even I was born, this aggregate transformed into a chaotic monster of destruction. Countless who followed in its footsteps became the most loyal servants and messengers of the will to destroy."

"They may still retain some distorted fragments of individual thought, but in essence, they are already pure puppets who destroy the rules."

"Their mission is to drag the entire astral plane into an abyss of no return!"

The description by the God-King caused Cronus to lean forward slightly, holding his breath and listening intently. Talia's eyes were also filled with shock. Such a secret was unheard of by anyone, not even by Cronus, the powerful Titan God of War.

This is a great divine power revealing to them the deepest scars and hidden history of the astral plane.

What was that era like?

The God-King's tone carried a hint of indescribable regret as he slowly shook his head.

“Even with my abilities, I cannot truly see its full picture. Because that is ‘destruction’ itself—all tangible and intangible existence, including ‘memories’ that carry the past, ‘information’ that records history, and even ‘time’ that constitutes the continuity of existence, were ruthlessly…destroyed in that catastrophe.”

He shook his head again, his heavy sigh filled with regret for the countless things that had passed away.

This complete annihilation is indeed enough to make anyone who knows about it feel a deep sense of regret.

"This level of destruction is so great that even the astral plane's own primordial will cannot be completely exempted."

The God-King's voice carried a hint of awe.

"It was under this absolute threat of destruction that the will of the astral plane was completely 'awakened,' the most intense manifestation of the entire astral plane's survival instinct!"

"That will..."

The God-King's gaze seemed to pierce through the mists of history.

"He erased those individuals who still retained some self-awareness but had become puppets of destruction, which in itself was a liberation for those distorted souls."

"And forcibly...fused together these pure, extreme destructive energies and concepts."

"However, the power of 'destruction' has expanded too much. If it is allowed to expand unchecked, destruction will eventually devour everything, including the astral plane itself."

The God-King explains the dilemmas and choices faced by the will of the stars.

"Therefore, the Astral Will shackled this raging aggregate of destruction, setting 'rules of operation' for it."

"It was constrained into a relatively unified, massive aggregate that roamed the astral plane, and a certain control mechanism was imposed upon it."

“Then,” the God-King’s voice carried the solemnity of naming something ancient, “the existence that life in the world reverently calls ‘Void’ was born. For its essence, its action, is to utterly reduce everything it touches to nothingness.”

He looked around at everyone, his gaze finally settling on Kana with a heavy sense of witnessing history.

"Before my Titan world successfully resisted its encroachment, all beings in the Astral Plane believed that being targeted by the Void meant an irreversible end."

No one believed that the destruction of the void... could actually be overcome!
"It was the Titan world that, through blood and fire, through sacrifice and rebirth, proved to the entire Astral Plane that the invasion of the Void can be resisted!"
"A world that is being targeted has a chance to survive the onslaught of destruction!"

Thus, the origins of how the void came into being and why it now exists in the form of "wandering tides of destruction" have been clearly explained by the God-King.

The wise God-King had clearly already discerned Kana's deepest concerns.

His deep gaze fell on Kana, as if it could penetrate his divine body and reach the core of his soul, which was connected to the world.

“I can see.”

The God-King's voice became gentle yet firm, as if stating a predetermined future.

"The light that shines upon you, Kana. That light does not belong to you alone; it is the radiance projected upon you by the will of the entire world behind you, the prayers and struggles of billions of living beings!"
"That light has illuminated your path forward, and it has also illuminated the path of survival for your world, a path that struggles to survive in the shadow of destruction and leads to the future."

His words were filled with unquestionable conviction.

"You are walking firmly on this path illuminated by the light of hope. So, move forward!"

The God-King's tone carried an undeniable encouragement.

"Don't have any unnecessary worries, don't let fear hold you back, and don't look back at the inevitable sacrifices and costs. Just keep moving forward!"

He seemed to see the deep-seated conviction and blueprint in Kana's heart.

"May this path beneath your feet become brighter and wider. May your Holy Stone Plane become the most resilient and ultimately upright world beneath the shadows of the void!"

The God-King's voice suddenly rose, carrying a prophetic declaration, his eyes gleaming with expectation.

“I can already glimpse the scene of success in the brilliance of your path ahead…”

The God-King paused slightly, as if confirming the blurry yet magnificent scene.

"I... am looking forward to it!"

Clearly, the God-King chose to stop short of revealing more core information that could have greatly helped Cana or even pointed him in a specific direction. Perhaps because it involved changes in the river of fate, the rules of the astral will, or simply to avoid triggering unpredictable future developments, he left it at that.

He gave Kana his final confirmation and support with words that were full of firm conviction yet remained vague about key details.

In short, this great god-king, with his unparalleled power, vast knowledge, and profound insight into the past and future, is giving the final anchor and blessing to the path chosen by Kana.

Kana understood immediately, and his heart was filled with indescribable gratitude and respect.

He abruptly rose from the jade stool, bowed deeply in the direction of the God-King, and performed a complex ritual that combined human aristocratic etiquette with the highest respect between gods. Every movement was filled with absolute respect and heartfelt admiration.

"Thanks you."

Kana's voice was clear and powerful, echoing in the solemn hall: "Thank you for your generous explanation, thank you for your wise guidance, and thank you even more for this priceless gift."

He was referring to the God-King's affirmation and expectation of his path, which was a hundred times more precious than any material gift.

The God-King nodded slightly, a gentle and gratified smile on his face, accepting this sincere gratitude.

Then, he gently waved his radiant hand once more.

"That's it."

The God-King's voice regained its composure in welcoming guests.

"You have enough information to know. So..."

His gaze was encouraging and urging.

"Go do what you must do, Karna. Now, let me, as the Lord of the Titans, continue to perform this hospitality."

As he spoke, the rule-aggregate waiters quietly reappeared, refilling everyone's cups with the divine brew that shimmered with stardust.

The atmosphere at the banquet seemed to have returned to one of relaxation and enjoyment. (End of Chapter)