For the longest of times, Spiritual Gods stayed away from politics. They were always solitary, and seldom fought for worlds with the other gods. But this didn't mean that they were weak. Because their power was based in their spirit, they didn't need the spiritual power of others in order to grow. But that didn't mean that they couldn't use a world's spiritual power. A Spiritual God never fought for a world, but every Spiritual God was tethered to a world. Mind you, they didn't own that world. They were just tethered to it. These were worlds that acknowledged these Spiritual Gods as their own. Why was it mandatory for a Spiritual God to be tethered to a world? Because that was the only way for them to break through the shackles of the Spiritual Emperor Realm and become Spiritual Gods!
It was a secret that not even Spiritualists knew. For the forces of the universe shackled each Spiritual God in oath, preventing them from telling another this. So there were very few Spiritual Gods, just as there were very few Sensor Gods. But not every world could recognise a Spiritual God. The only worlds that could recognise a Spiritual God were those that had been acknowledged by the god himself/herself. Yes, it didn't matter what that god's heritage was. They could be from one world yet receive recognition from another world. But to become a Spiritual God, that recognition had to be mutual.
Butler Fin was an example of a Spiritual God who was tethered to the world of his origin. As an Asgardian, he was recognised by Asgard as a Spiritual God and so he became one. And since he loved and respected his world as well, his transformation was made complete. As for an example of the other kind, that would have to be…
"Roar!"
Ray screamed with great power as Edict and Chaos flew over to him. He had finally reached a realm that remained a mystery to most. His avatars which oversaw the empires screamed with him and several fiery pillars filled the sky.
"You can kill him now," Butler Fin was finally done inscribing Seth's name. And he was more than happy to give Ray the go ahead.
Seth discovered to his dismay that the restriction that had been placed on him had increased, and his Godhead was cut off from this world. If he died here, he wouldn't be able to return to Zandor! And there was one dying to kill him.
"With pleasure," Ray squeezed out of his teeth and moved immediately. Before Seth could blink Ray was before him. And before he could open his mouth to say a word, the fist of the Brute King descended upon him.
*Boom*
A large blaze covered half of Zandor's sky as the body of the Dark God was destroyed in its entirety. And once the fire died down, there was only one – Ray. The Fire God of Olympus floated grandly in the sky as the inhabitants of Zandor watched on, left to baffle at their own unexpected gains.
"How is this even possible?" Duke Essandor watched in amazement as a faint glow covered both him and Sir Blunt. Both were astonished to discover that their strength was growing rapidly, and before they could understand what was going on, each one of them had broken into the Profound Realm! Yet that wasn't the end. For their strength continued to soar until it reached the peak of the Profound Realm!
There was a family of Spiritualists in Zandor. And this family was the Royal Family of the North! Yet with their heritage lost their power was greatly limited, and only those who were born as Telepaths were recognised as Spiritualists, for they knew nothing about this path. Right now this family was undergoing a change greater than all others in Zandor.
"What is this?" the Northern Emperor watched in bafflement as his power sped past the limits of this world and stopped at the peak of the Above Mortal Realm. Compared to others like Duke Essandor and Sir Blunt, this was very minor. But that was because it wasn't the emperor's wielding energy that was growing. It was his spiritual energy!
The man who was the strongest Telepath of the North witnessed in amazement his capacity for Chaos growing to a level he had no idea about. While it was true that Zandor had come to know a lot about wielding, paths of obscurity like the Spiritual and Intellectual (Scholar) Paths remained a mystery. However under the baptism of the Brute King's flames, the Northern Emperor felt a great chain in his mind break. And his nonexistent Spiritual strength grew greatly.
Trainee Spiritualist!
Beginner Spiritualist!
Low Level Spiritualist!
Mid-Level Spiritualist!
The Northern Monarch's strength finally capped at the peak of Mid-Level Spiritualist. He balled his fists in disbelief once the process was over. But before he could analyse his current situation a severe headache consumed him, and he fell to the ground in agony.
"Argh"
"Your Majesty!" Several panicked shouts were heard as the Royal Guards rushed to their Monarch. Yet the Emperor wasn't the only one to experience this. The entire palace was embroiled in a brief period of turmoil as every member of the Royal Family fell into the same state as the Emperor. Soon their cries ceased and they entered into a deep slumber – every single one of them.
The original wielders of Zandor weren't the only ones to experience the strange boost. The commoners who had no idea about wielding found to their amazement that their bodies were filling up with inner energy – even without a suitable Wielding Manual! Babies that had no idea about the ways of the world were not forsaken in this grand celebration. For even they gained a level or two. So now it was possible to find a 1st Level Mortal Realm baby in Zandor!
"This is unbelievable!" Captain Zakai stuttered in awe as his strength rose until I finally capped at the 2nd Stage of the Earth Realm. He could feel that a dam in him been broken, and the water contained within allowed to escape. The other Royal Guards also experienced great growth. But due to the fact that none was initially as strong as Captain Zakai, each had to settle for the peak of the Profound Realm. Not like they were complaining.
"Amazing," the Western Emperor sighed in praise as his own strength also soared past its initial limits.
Everyone in Zandor was confused by the sudden increase in strength. They could tell that it had something to do with the Fire God, but how? They looked to Alexis's imprint for guidance. But they were bound to be disappointed. The imprint of the Absolute Queen was disappearing at visible speed. It had accomplished its purpose so there was no point in it remaining. It had no more words to speak and couldn't explain what was going on. But there was another here who understood more than the Absolute Queen, the things that were happening. And his name was Fin.
"Listen closely, people of Zandor," Butler Fin's voice swiftly invaded the minds of all Zandorians, irrespective of who they were or where they were hidden.
"Can you hear that?" Duke Essandor turned to Sir Blunt and asked. Since the voice rang in his head, he needed to be certain that he wasn't the only one hearing it – that he wasn't crazy.
"I can," Sir Blunt replied. He knew that voice. He just didn't know how.
"I know you must be wondering who or what I am. However, at this moment my identity is of little consequence. All you need to know is that I am not your enemy"
"I know that you must all be confused about the current development. But I urge you not to be troubled by the unexpected gains or confused regarding it. Your current power gain is indeed connected to the Brute King, yet it also has to do with you yourselves. To be completely honest with you, even I do not fully understand what is going on. But in an attempt to comprehend this, you must be told of what Zandor was"
"Long ago, Zandor was a powerful world which acted as a haven for several gods. Every god who had some degree of recognition and power craved to be accepted in Zandor. And many young godlings hoped to grow up into gods powerful enough to be received by Zandor. Such was the prestige of this world."
Butler Fin's words were like an explosive mace and it stunned the minds of all who heard it. This was the history of Zandor? How could it be? Their world was so weak that until a year ago, the strongest warrior of Zandor was merely a peak Mortal Realmer. How could they easily believe what some unknown god was saying?
"It doesn't matter whether you believe me or not. I am only telling you what I remember. For unlike Thrud and Reus, I have been around since the inception of the current True Universe. I am a God of Origin."
It was a mere mention of what kind of god he was, yet Zandorians felt a great majestic presence cloaking them. Even with their new power they couldn't resist the urge to kneel. And soon all of them had their knees to the ground. It didn't matter whether they were kings or emperors, whether they were peasants or slaves. Each one fell to the ground, and some even fell face first. It was an unquestionable authority they couldn't resist. It was an authority that told them that this god disdained to lie to them. What he was saying was most likely true!
"The reason why Zandor was so strong was because it was under the leadership of some of the strongest god clans that ever lived. Usually god clans of great power didn't exist together in one world. But on Zandor there were four: The Spiritual Gods of the North, the Demon Kings of the South, the Divine Body Gods and Forgers of the East, and finally the Clan that consisted of the cousins of the Dragons – the Wyverns of the West."
"Leading these clans was a powerful god whose prowess was recognised across the Allverse. He was so powerful that he was declared the Great Saint Equal to the Heavens!"
Butler Fin's voice carried great emotion when he mentioned the past ruler of Zandor. And Zandorians could feel the respect he had for this god. It was to the extent that even they who didn't completely understand what Butler Fin was talking about, could feel that this god was truly above the masses.
"He was the true ruler of Zandor, and under his leadership no one dared to disrespect this world. And he was noble. It was because of his great sense of justice that he commanded all the forces of Zandor against the threat that sought to destroy the universe billions of years ago. Because of them we survived, but their lives were given in return. To repay their favor we the Origin Gods that remained cast a barrier around Zandor, protecting its future generations from the gods who long craved the resources of this world. And I remained to protect it"
"From time to time a god happened to sneak in here. And if they tried to do what they shouldn't, I killed them. It wasn't a challenge, for gods with power like the Dark God were rare."
While Zandorians were a bit surprised that they had been protected all this while, this surprise paled in comparison to all they had seen today.
"A couple of years ago, young Mane suggested that you Zandorians have a seal placed on you. The young godling believed that Zandorians were shackled, and that if this shackle could be removed, Zandor would have talents beyond anything the universe has ever seen. I was baffled because he had no idea about Zandor's heritage. Yet he strongly believed that Zandor was unordinary. As a Sensor God and a Spiritual God, I saw what he saw. I believed that you should be left to relish your ordinary life. Mane didn't think like I did. And he kept seeking for a way to break this seal. He called it the Second Awakening. And when he achieved success with one, his hopes were elevated."
"But who would have thought that by just connecting to the Brute King this seal will be removed? I am not sure how it is possible, but it has happened. You must grow stronger quickly. With your seals broken the barrier that protects Zandor wouldn't be as potent. It will slowly be corroded by your energy and disappear in time. And with the exception of Gods like Seth who have been blacklisted from Zandor, the others will come. I estimate that you have about ten years until the barrier is no longer useful. Grow strong quickly Zandorians. Your fate is in your own hands now."
The hearts of Zandorians that were recently rejoicing over their new strength clenched in fear. A pressure great enough to flatten a mountain overcame them. If Seth was this challenging, how were they to go against several gods?