"I wonder what effect the blood and flesh of the Gods have when consumed?"
Oliver's nostrils twitched as he caught the scent of divine blood and flesh drifting through the chaotic void. It carried a refreshing fragrance, and his intuition told him that these could be beneficial.
Thud!
Without hesitation, he opened his mouth, dripping with blood, and swallowed one of the bloodthirsty fish in a single bite.
Huh?!
His eyes widened in surprise. He had expected discomfort—perhaps an overwhelming rush of blood—but instead, the moment the flesh entered his mouth, it melted like a delicate sashimi, releasing a crisp, invigorating aroma, as if he were savoring the finest tuna.
Gulp... Gulp...
He could feel the drumming sound from his stomach, like thunder roaring within. It was an almost unbearable hunger that grew with each passing second.
Crunch, crunch...
Oliver devoured the fish ravenously, each bite disappearing faster than the last. Within thirty minutes, the blood and flesh of hundreds of fish were consumed, not a single morsel left.
It was a good thing his body was massive—otherwise, he might not have been able to devour the vast quantity of these large fish in such a short time.
"What is this feeling?"
A warm sensation began to spread from his stomach. His enormous belly twisted and churned, digesting at an extraordinary rate. Streams of refined chaotic energy flooded his body, an overwhelming surge of power.
It felt like he was soaking in a hot spring—blissful and soothing. Every cell in his body seemed to greedily absorb the chaos energy, drawing it in with insatiable hunger.
"So... comfortable..."
A gasp of pleasure escaped him. The benefits of the chaos energy were staggering. His body began to grow rapidly, swelling and expanding uncontrollably.
At the same time, his soul was nourished as well, its power escalating at an astonishing pace. In just a short while, his soul had become more tangible, transforming from a hazy wisp into something resembling liquid, a far more solid form.
Seven days passed in what felt like the blink of an eye.
It was only then that Oliver had fully absorbed and digested the chaotic energy from the hundreds of bloodthirsty fish. In that time, his Ancient Serpent form had doubled in size, now stretching an impressive four million kilometers, a stark contrast to its previous length.
His soul power was now more than twice as strong, and his consciousness had deepened—his soul in the depths of his Sea of Consciousness nearly solidified.
The results of devouring these divine fish's flesh and blood were far more significant than if he had spent hundreds of thousands of years absorbing chaos energy on his own.
"Your power has reached the peak of a level 2 deity."
The mechanical voice of the ancient tome echoed in his mind.
Level 2? He thought. I'm the strongest among them, am I? It looks like I'm getting closer to level 3.
He opened his status panel.
Oliver StarkRace: Deity
Deity Rating: 2
Attributes:
Defense: 250
Strength: 350
Chaos Power: 200
Soul Power: 600
Skills:
Devour
Concealment
Poison
Elemental Law Manipulation
Possessions:
Book of the Chaos Era
Huh, a new skill?
Elemental Law Manipulation? Oliver focused on the skill within him.
Elemental Force Laws...
In the vast emptiness, there had once been only chaos. But now, Oliver could shape and command elemental forces from thin air—water, fire, wind, lightning, light, darkness, earth, ice... He could control them all.
The source of this ability? The divine fish.
It turned out these bloodthirsty fish could manipulate elemental energy. Unfortunately, they hadn't had time to use it before they were all swiftly crushed under his tail.
"Devouring other divine races seems to be a faster way to grow stronger."
Excitement surged within him. He had discovered a new, more efficient path to power.
In the future, he would face numerous mythical and catastrophic events. If he didn't get stronger, he would be overwhelmed. And if he didn't grow quickly...
"No more wasting time devouring chaos energy alone," he thought. But... this chaos is dangerous, and stronger divine races lurk here. I must remain cautious."
There were certainly divine races more powerful than him, and they would likely see him as prey. To avoid being hunted, Oliver needed to become stronger—constantly, relentlessly.
"Unlike other gods, I have the Book of the Chaos Era. It lets me learn about my opponents ahead of time..."
"Congratulations, you have become stronger and will unlock more information about the future..." The cold, electronic voice sounded again.
Oliver quickly accessed the book within his mind. A ball of light appeared, slowly floating out. As soon as his consciousness touched it, streams of information surged into his mind.
"This is the information on... Creation God Aether?"
Oliver's heart skipped a beat.
He learned that Aether, once a simple god in the chaos, was a highly powerful deity who had consumed countless other gods to fuel his rise. Tired of the endless chaos, Aether opened the universe, giving birth to the stars, humans, titans, and the gods.
However, nearly seventy percent of the original gods perished during this process—an appallingly high death rate.
And Aether's deity rating? A staggering 99.
"What's this about a Rule Melting Pot?" Oliver thought, overwhelmed.
Aether, born with a mysterious treasure inside him—a Rule Melting Pot—had the ability to quickly comprehend and master various powers and rules. Meanwhile, Oliver had only just begun to master a handful of elemental laws.
"Wait, there's more!" Oliver took a deep breath, eyes gleaming.
Among the streams of information, he learned of rare treasures hidden within the chaos—items like the Rule Melting Furnace that Aether possessed. These treasures were incredibly powerful and could vastly increase a divine race's strength.
"Heart of Chaos, Hourglass of Eternity, Primordial Blade, Ice of Eternity..." The names alone suggested these items were no trivial things.
Each of these artifacts held immense power, and if a divine race could obtain one, they would be leagues ahead of ordinary gods.