Prometheus POV
That boy… he's become a monster. From a naive teenager to a monstrosity in just six months. That was barely a blink for Gods, but a turning point for Noah Numen.
As I stared at him in awe, I recalled his apathetic and nigh emotionless gaze. What was that?
I wished to ask him at that moment, but his gaze was terrifying. It didn't scare me, but it shocked me out of my mind.
How could a child produce such an expression?
At that moment, he seemed empty, as if having lost all purpose. It seemed he had no one left. Like he was alone in the abyss.
Not only was his gaze terrifying, his actions… were too refined for an amateur.
It was like he was a veteran.
He only had one purpose, and that was to destroy me using all means. It was surprising to witness your disciple have such a goal.
But that was how it seemed.
His use of [Lightning Spear] was refined, too. He tricked me, his master, by summoning a barrage of spears when in reality, he was planning on attacking from behind.
"Why did you use [Disturb Particles]?" Noah asked in indignance, spreading his arms in protest.
"You didn't tell me about that ability," I replied. "I guess it's only fair."
"Well, you would have died if not for [Disturb Particles], so I guess it's fine," said Noah, smirking as if he'd won.
[Disturb Particles] was an ability I'd comprehended at an early age. It was a method of disturbing the atoms in a designated space.
The ability could cause interference with laws, disturbing all energies placed in the designated area, also known as a domain.
It was an "overpowered" ability, according to Noah. According to him, it should be "patched."
I felt my cheeks redden. How could I, as a God since time immemorial, let myself be embarrassed in front of a teenager?
Yet, I couldn't refute it. I wouldn't have died, but the spear would have caused a severe wound.
It seemed he'd won.
"Fine, you win," I was lenient this one time, considering he'd truly surprised me. "But you have to tell me about your new ability."
After contemplating for a while, he relented. "I unlocked the ability around three months ago, on my birthday."
"What is the ability?"
"It's related to the Void divinity," said Noah. "[Void Mind]. It lets me clear my mind so that I only have one purpose in mind."
My eyes widened considerably. An ability that could wipe away your emotions… that would be priceless.
Considering that many amateurs failed due to their overflowing emotions, Noah's ability could help him skip that phase.
He could become a warrior without fortifying his mind extensively.
Of course, he would still have to do so… but not too much since his ability already helped him do so.
The perks of being the Prophetic Child…
Was I jealous?
Noah approached me before extending an arm. "I won."
Cringing at his behavior, I shook his hand. "You won," I said. He deserved it, just this once.
Noah and I headed to my room to practice manipulating mana again. During our silent walk, Noah continued to direct smirks at me, gloating over the fact that he'd won.
Although I appreciated his growth, I didn't appreciate such behavior.
It signified satisfaction. One could never be satisfied, even in the face of infinite growth. It was a philosophy I believed in.
As we neared my room, we encountered Jacque, who seemed to be delivering documents to my desk.
"How did it go?" he asked in a lively tone.
Noah smirked, directing a glance at me before facing Jacque. He then spoke. "Gramps was too overwhelmed by my amazingness that he had to use [Disturb Particles]. Since that was forbidden, he lost."
Jacque raised an eyebrow in utter shock before turning towards me. I nodded stiffly, acknowledging Noah's victory. Jacque chuckled before congratulating Noah.
I simply headed to my desk to review the documents.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jacque conversing with Noah happily. They'd gotten close.
I felt relieved. Jacque had been lonely since he only had me to chat with for years. Now that Noah had arrived, the place had become lively.
It was a change but for the better.
Noah's presence brought joy to the castle. He interacted with the servants, similar to how he interacted with us, which caused many frowns but more smiles.
The servants began conversing with him on a daily basis, and he became the center of attention.
I felt sorry for Noah, who would soon be caught up in the storm.
The prophecy stated he would either save or destroy the Divine Realm… that was the reason the Godly Society "Virtues" wished to destroy the Prophetic Child.
To escape such a situation, he would need power.
Of course, he was improving at a tremendous rate. But would that be enough to contest his fate?
I was unsure.
Letting out a sigh of defeat, I picked up a white letter sealed with a crimson seal.
It was from… King Kronos…
Cold sweat fell down my forehead as I quickly ripped the envelope, reading the letter in a hurry.
[Report to Lord Kronos's palace in two hours.]
It was a summons…
I fumbled with the letter as it burnt automatically. As the ashes disintegrated in my palms, I turned to Alex in a hurry.
"Go shower and meet us outside!" I shouted, and Noah followed.
He rushed out of the room, and Jacque approached me in worry. "What happened, Lord Prometheus?"
"A summons of Lord Kronos," I replied, massaging my temples. "It seems we're requested in two hours. How long ago did this letter come?"
"...two hours ago?"
My face paled, and I ran to my closet. A God running around in fear… such embarrassment.
However, before the Cardinal-Rank Deity known as Kronos, even the strongest had to bend like rubber.
Even other Cardinal-Rank Gods couldn't ignore Kronos's summons. Although they could refuse, ignoring was too much.
Even they would send a letter of refusal if they were busy.
Ignoring the God of Time and Death was a sin.
Telling Jacque to prepare a carriage, I put on formal clothes as I waited for Noah to get ready.
In a few minutes, the three of us headed downstairs towards the exit of the castle, where we met two guards.
Leo and Kyler.
Noah was acquainted with Leo, but Kyler was someone he'd never met.
Kyler was a Low-Rank God of the Moon, a rare breed in terms of divinities. Although weaker than Leo, he was plenty strong.
Leo was simply abnormal, even by my standards.
"Nice to meet you," Noah greeted, approaching Kyler in a diplomatic fashion. Unfortunately, the latter simply formed an expression of disgust.
Kyler rolled his eyes, ignoring Noah's greeting as he left to prepare the carriage.
Noah squinted as if confused by Kyler's behavior. However, he didn't mind too much, as he'd been treated as such several times.
I never assisted since he needed to learn on his own.
As Kyler returned, he nodded, motioning for us to enter the carriage.
The carriage was driven by pegasi and was the epitome was carriages. With walls of orichalcum and ruby lining, it was one of the fanciest carriages in Othrys, reserved for Supreme-Ranked Gods and above.
That, too, was only for Supreme-Ranked Gods belonging to a Godly Society.
"Are you going to enter?" Kyler asked Noah, staring him down. "Or do I have to carry you inside because you're too prideful?"
I had to admit his behavior was quite "corny," a word Noah taught me.
Noah sighed before succumbing to Kyler's taunts. I saw Leo glance at me in discomfort, but I didn't respond accordingly.
Once we had all entered the carriage, the pegasi began pulling. They traveled at astronomical speeds, causing Noah to become sick due to the fluctuations.
As he vomited in a bag with endless space, Kyler sneered.
"Kyler, what's your problem?" Leo asked, forming an expression of disgust.
"Can your master not stand up for himself?" Kyler chuckled. He then turned to Noah. "Tell your dog to stop barking."
Noah raised an eyebrow, praising Kyler for his bold words while also motioning for him to stay within bounds.
Leo was prepared to lash out, but crumbled under Noah's stern gaze.
I had raised him well.
The pegasi suddenly increased their speed dramatically in order to avoid a collision with another carriage.
Everyone adjusted except Noah. Considering his demigod body that hadn't been refined, he was pushed forward under tremendous pressure.
Kyler's laughs resounded across the carriage. "You might want to tell your slave to hold you tight next time."
Leo glanced at Noah, asking for permission. The latter, however, shook his head.
I furrowed my brows, wondering why Noah was being so civil.
However, a smile blossomed on my face in the next moment.
Revealing an insignia from his pocket, Noah flashed it before Kyler's face. He then turned to me. It seemed he'd activated [Void Mind].
"As the sole holder of this insignia, and with the authority of the Prophetic Child that ranks beneath the elders, I wish to request an immediate expulsion of 'Kyler' from this group."
A bit awkward, but acceptable.
I glanced at Kyler before approving the request.
Now, Kyler would travel with us but wouldn't enter the King's palace along with us.
Directing a final glance at Kyler, I inspected the faint smile on his face. I nodded, praising him for his acting.
He nodded back and then formed an expression of greed as if demanding payment.
I chuckled inwardly.
Noah had done well.