Population: 27
---
A few days later, I visited the waterfall for meditation.
It was rare that I meditated away from the crimson field, as it felt too far a distance from our settlement.
I preferred to always have a watchful eye over my people, to ensure their safety.
This thought made me wonder deeply about what other safety precautions I could establish in Unus.
Of course, I had already ordered my people to be trained with weapons. However, you could only learn so much in a short amount of time.
My thoughts were cut off as I realized I wasn't the only one at the waterfall.
At the top, a man I recognized as Dante sat in a cross-legged position. It was the same pose I used when meditating, and I wondered whether he intentionally mimicked me.
I walked over and sat beside him stealthily so that he didn't notice I was there. The sound of the waterfall hitting the depths below was therapeutic.
"It is a beautiful day, isn't it?"
Recognizing my voice, Dante instantly rose to his feet. He was a dark-skinned man, muscular and tall, with a short black afro.
He stood in an attempt to bow and show his due respect, but I waved it off and told him to sit.
He was a newcomer, and I wondered why he sat out here alone. All I wanted was to speak as equals with one of my people, if only for a moment.
"It is an honor to sit with you, Father."
It was a title hardly used by my people, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it, especially since most who used it were, in fact, older than me.
"How have you been finding your time in Unus?" I asked him, ignoring his comment.
The man smiled as we both sat and looked over the terrain.
"It is truly a beautiful place. I only wish that there were more of us, as I've hardly found anyone that I can bond with. I've found benefit in solitude though," he said, as he tapped his hand on the stone sword on his back.
"It has given me a chance to train."
The man was built like an athlete and seemed well-disciplined.
After engaging in trivial conversations with him, I took him back to our settlement to reintroduce him to Zerlos.
I told Zerlos to take the man under his wing and work together to teach the Valists the way of the sword.
Zerlos, of course, agreed, though he said nothing about any thoughts he might have had on the matter.
He was used to it just being him, Laomi, and the young man, Zavid, but I was sure that Dante would fit in well amongst their ranks.
---
On that same day, Osidon visited me, which never failed to put me in a state of worry.
"Greetings, Vale, God of the Broken. No need to worry, I come with good news today."
I sighed a breathe of relief as I waited for the God to continue.
"In the future, an event will arise, giving you the opportunity for members of your world to visit another's. However, there are some prerequisites that must be established beforehand.
World visits? The idea intrigued me.
"In order to visit another god's world in peace, they must grant you access to it. This puts importance on building bonds with the other gods. Of course, at the moment, there is no easy way to do this, which is something we are working on. However, for the time being, we will be granting you the ability to speak to a god of your choosing through means of cross-dimensional communication."
I thought about Osidon's words and saw it as a large opportunity.
"The method is simple. In your palace rooms is a mirror; this will be used to communicate between the gods. In a moment, you will tell me who you wish to talk to. If both gods agree to the communication, their mirrors will become linked for five minutes, allowing them to see and talk to each other through the glass.
You can choose any of the gods, as long as you know their names and titles. You cannot touch each other through the glass, so do not even think about it. Now, is there anybody you wish to talk to? Of course, you can also ignore this feature as a whole and choose to speak to nobody."
Instantly, my thoughts went to Adon, God of Rationale, the red-eyed man I had met during the first Tragedy.
We had come to an agreement that we would not be enemies, and that we would team up if the opportunity ever arrived. I saw no better time than now to further establish that alliance.
I also saw no reason for Adon to turn down my request, unless he had created a stronger bond with someone else and no longer had any use for me.
He seemed like a friendly man; let me not start doubting him before even trying.
"Yes, I would like to speak to Adon, God of Rationale," I spoke aloud, and waited for Osidon's response.
The Absolute paused for a few moments, and I assumed he was checking whether Adon would agree to the connection.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"Adon, God of Rationale, does not exist."
What?
I couldn't believe it. I had seen the man in combat myself. His power level was much higher than mine, and I had yet to meet anyone that I thought could best him.
How could he have been killed?
I tried to pry further, hoping to glean some information, but doubted my luck.
"Can I ask how he lost his life?"
Osidon paused again for a moment before speaking.
"I think you are confused, Vale, God of the Broken. The God of Rationale has never existed, nor is there anyone in my worlds that goes by the name of Adon."
Osidon was right; I was incredibly confused.
What is this? What does it mean? I literally met the god only days ago.
And then, with Osidon's next words, it all began to make sense to me.
"A god from a world far from you wishes to make a connection. His name is Lucifen, God of Deception. Do you wish to accept his offer?"
My heart froze.