The highest military council had been urgently convened.
Around the round table were gathered the supreme beings of humanity on this planet – general-tier awakeners.
Among them were young successors like General White Tiger Fatima and venerable elders with silvery hair.
They were united for the ultimate fate of humanity.
"Our window of opportunity is narrow; Algado won't grant us much preparation time. Though it's rare for human awakeners to withstand the might of a deity, for humanity, we have no other choice," a stooped old man with a resolute gaze spoke.
The other general-tier awakeners nodded in agreement.
Fatima added, "I have refined a seal from the mark of a dark god from another dimension. This will be a powerful aid in our struggle against Algado."
"Excellent. I hope you survive this calamity. There are not many young talents like you among humanity," the elder sighed.
Fatima nodded, her voice tinged with sadness, "I hope we all can."
Silence fell upon the group, everyone aware that this was an almost impossible goal.
Even with their lives on the line, these generals might not inflict significant harm on a true deity.
"Let's disperse then. You have three hours to say goodbye to your families before we head to Algado's dungeon," the elder stated as he stood up, his steps weary.
Despite his many years, it did not mean he welcomed death.
Returning home, his granddaughter immediately leaped into his arms, joyfully shouting, "Grandpa!"
As he stroked her hair, tears welled up in his eyes.
...
Fatima sat in her office, rubbing her temples.
She pulled out a photo hidden among numerous files – a picture of her and her sister in their younger days.
Seeing the innocent expressions of the girls in the photo, Fatima's mood lightened considerably.
She took out her phone, intending to dial a number, but after a long hesitation, she eventually decided against it.
"Perhaps it's best for me to leave like this."
Just then, her phone screen lit up with an unexpected number.
Fatima picked up the phone, slightly surprised, "Henry, what's the matter?"
"On my way to your office," came Henry's voice from the other end.
Fatima pressed the intercom, instructing her secretary to let Henry in.
Moments later, a man and three women entered Fatima's office, including the sister she had contemplated calling.
"I've made up my mind. I'm going with you," Henry declared.
"According to your plan, if you fail, Algado will likely take me over immediately. Staying put isn't my style. I'll do everything I can to find a way to survive."
Fatima frowned, initially wanting to refuse, but seeing the tearful eyes of Emily in the crowd, her heart softened.
"Alright, you can wait at the dungeon entrance. But be careful, and don't give Algado any opportunities."
...
In the blink of an eye, three hours had passed, and everyone arrived at the location of Algado's dungeon using their respective modes of transportation.
The assembly of generals was complete.
General White Tiger Fatima was about to join them when Emily, holding back her sobs, called out from behind, "Sis."
Fatima's heart trembled.
She tried hard to keep the tears swirling in her eyes from falling.
In her typically stoic manner, she said without turning back, "Stop playing the victim all the time, as if I'm to blame for your troubles."
She took a step forward, paused, then added almost reluctantly, "Take care of yourself."
Then she walked into the dungeon without looking back, leaving Emily's wailing echoing behind her.
...
The ultimate battle between humanity and Algado had finally arrived!
The entrance to the dungeon had become transparent due to Algado's relentless assault.
Before everyone stood an old man with long flowing hair, his skin an unnatural shade of red and his hair deep blue, making him appear like a seaweed grown in the deep sea.
He smiled at Henry through the dungeon, seemingly mocking humanity's helplessness.
A group of human awakener generals surrounded Algado.
Among them were warriors and support, those adept at combat and those less so. But each one was a brave fighter, valiantly charging at Algado.
But the gap between a deity and awakeners was vast.
The awakeners fell one after another, some even paying with their lives, yet they only managed to inflict a small wound on Algado.
The scales of the war tipped rapidly in favor of the deity.
A way to assist them had to be found!
Henry suddenly had an idea.
He took out Maldream's heart and communicated with it through his thoughts.
Soon, the figure of Maldream appeared in his mental space.
"Did you summon me to punish me again, Master? I'm quite looking forward to it," Maldream spoke in her usual playful tone.
Ignoring her jest, Henry got straight to the point,
"Our planet is currently in a battle between several general-tier awakeners and a deity. I want to help them. Do you have any way to assist?"
"General-tier awakeners confronting a deity?" Maldream appeared stunned and shook her head.
"It seems the awakeners on your planet are a bit overly ambitious. The fundamental life source between awakeners and deities is qualitatively different. It's nearly impossible for such a gap to be bridged."
Henry nodded and explained,
"Under normal circumstances, it's not possible. But the awakeners of my planet have been at their peak for many years."
"Each of them can stand alone and even facing a deity, there's still a sliver of hope."
The awakeners who had reached the general-tier in just a few decades since Earth's fusion with the dungeons were talented and gifted, exceptional in the entire history of humanity.
Each of them had a heart as strong as any deity.
After listening to Henry's explanation, Maldream fell silent for a moment before hesitantly speaking,
"If you truly believe they have a chance at victory, then there is something I can do to help."
"You can concentrate all the energy in my heart and use its ability to pull beings into dreams. Although my true form is not in your dimension, my heart still carries my divine power."
"When the deity is at its weakest, you can activate this dream-pulling ability, dragging the deity into a dream, thus creating an opportunity for your awakeners."
Henry nodded in understanding and then asked Maldream to explain in detail how to use this feature.
"If we can't resolve this crisis facing humanity, I might have to destroy your heart before I lose control. It would be a major blow to you if a god-tier enemy got hold of it," Henry said with a sigh.
Maldream nodded helplessly, understanding the gravity of the situation.
The destruction of her heart would mean a loss of power for her.
But if a god-tier enemy obtained her heart, it would be a fate worse than death.
"Master, I look forward to your victory," Maldream wished him well.
Back in the physical realm, Henry focused intently on the battle between the human awakeners and Algado.
He was waiting for the opportunity Maldream had described – a chance to plunge Algado into a dream.
With a gruesome "thwack," the head of the general-tier elder was severed by Algado.
As it rolled on the ground, the elder's dagger successfully lodged into Algado's body.
It was the most serious wound Algado had sustained on the battlefield.
Now!
Henry, holding Maldream's heart, concentrated all the divine power within it.
Activate, into the dream!
Algado, who had been roaring with fury, vowing to kill all humans, suddenly fell into a stupor.
Seeing this, Fatima was overjoyed.
She quickly pulled out the divine mark seal from her item bag.
The Sealing Artifact spun around and around above Algado's head.
Finally, the Sealing Artifact completely enveloped Algado!