Ael had merely revealed his complete Mythical Creature Form, and in an instant, he had neutralized two demigods.
This was the fundamental disparity between an Angel and a demigods.
This was the absolute suppression of lower Sequences by higher existences.
Among the many Beyonder pathways, some granted qualitative transformations at mid-Sequences, while others offered such metamorphoses even in lower Sequences.
But to truly attain divinity, to complete the transition beyond the mortal, one had to advance to Sequence 4—demigods.
And to completely transcend the category of "human," one had to become an Angel.
Infinite lifespan.
The ability to respond to prAels across the world.
The authority of a Subordinate God.
All these attributes marked the undeniable supremacy of an Angel—an existence no mere demigods could hope to contend against.
With the two demigods lying unconscious and completely incapacitated, the colossal, radiant star-worm began to contract. Its brilliant glow gradually condensed, taking on a humanoid shape once more.
Stretching his neck and arms, Ael muttered with slight dissatisfaction,
"This damnable Gate pathway… Why does its Mythical Creature Form have to be so hideous? A giant worm? No matter how I look at it, it's utterly repulsive."
"I really don't understand the Old Coin's The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earthtaste…"
"Sigh, thinking about this makes me jealous of those Hunters pathway. A Flame Giant—now that's a form with some style."
Glancing at the unconscious demigods on the ground, Ael casually extended his hand. With a light grasp, he stored them away into a separate, sealed space he had partitioned.
Confirming that his objective had been achieved, he adjusted his monocle slightly and lifted the spatial isolation that had cut off the area from reality.
Suspended in midair, Ael overlooked the City Lord's Manor, now engulfed in flames. His expression was calm as his eyes shone with an intricate, glowing sigil.
In the next moment, the flames ravaging the estate and surrounding structures seemed to come alive, writhing unnaturally as they detached themselves from the burning ruins.
The fiery tendrils coalesced in the sky, gathering into a massive blazing sphere, akin to a miniature sun.
Then, as if guided by an unseen force, the scorching fireball abruptly shot off into the distance, streaking across the sky before plunging into a distant lake outside the city.
With a thunderous boom, it erupted into steam, vanishing entirely.
Watching the frightened citizens below, who had fallen to their knees in prAel, Ael sighed softly. His figure shimmered and gradually faded, disappearing above the City Lord's Manor…
South Continent, Pass Valley—Royalist Faction Headquarters of the Numinous Episcopate's strongest faction
Inside a grand ceremonial hall, where a sacred ritual was taking place, a man with deep green, wavy hair suddenly opened his eyes.
Tilting his head slightly, he appeared to be listening to something, his expression gradually shifting from calm indifference to stunned disbelief.
Three seconds later, his lips parted slightly, as though he was struggling to process what he had just perceived.
Perched on a throne of white bone at the head of the hall, an ethereally beautiful woman clad in white robes and wearing a pale crown took notice of his unusual reaction.
Her gaze, cold and piercing, locked onto him.
"Frederick, to be distracted during a sacred ceremony is an act of irreverence toward the Divine. You had best have a satisfactory explanation… or you will face the appropriate punishment."
Her voice was as frigid as the depths of the Underworld, carrying an eerie resonance that seemed to freeze the very souls of those who heard it.
To those listening, it felt as though they had been plunged into the Styx, struggling against the currents of death itself.
She was Sia Palenque Eggers, the current leader of the Royalist Faction of the Numinous Episcopate's strongest faction—a direct descendant of the Death God Salinger.
A death archon, wielding the Pale Emperor's Beyonder characteristic.
The chilling voice of the Pale Empress instantly jolted Frederick back to his senses.
He stepped forward, prostrating himself on the ceremonial floor.
"Your Majesty, I have just received news… that has left me utterly astounded."
"Oh? And what, pray tell, could possibly astonish an Undying like yourself?"
A faint smirk played on Sia Palenque Eggers's lips. The curiosity in her gaze, however, was unmistakable.
Frederick hesitated for a brief moment before responding,
"Someone has attacked the City Lord's Manor in Kadra. The majority of its structures have been burned to the ground. According to the reports I have received, the two demigods that Intis previously stationed there… have vanished."
"The attackers… seem to be members of the Rose School of Thought. At that time, we were preparing for the final suppression of the Highland Rebels in the South. Those rebels are supported by the Rose School, so the timing is… rather convenient."
"Oh? Two demigods… missing?"
"If I recall correctly, one of them was the Iron-Blooded Knight, a member of the Soren Family, was he not?"
"Heh… If the Rose School really is responsible, then this is about to become very entertaining."
A smirk graced Sia Palenque Eggers's flawless face.
Sweeping her gaze across the gathered Royalist leaders in the hall, she spoke with a voice that resonated within their very souls.
"Cease all operations in the South Continent for the time being. Order our scattered agents to lie low where they are."
"As for you all, remain within the territories under our control and reject any offers of cooperation from Intis or Feysac."
"I have a premonition… The South Continent will not be at peace for long."
"Your will shall be done, Your Majesty, the Pale Empress."
Hearing her decree, Frederick and the assembled leaders bowed in unison, solemnly pledging their obedience.
Kadra City Lord's Manor – A Surviving Building
Under the dim candlelight, Frederick sat at a wooden table, methodically lighting one cigarette after another, watching the anxiously pacing middle-aged man before him with amusement.
After taking a slow drag, he exhaled a thin wisp of smoke and smirked.
"Aler, there's no need to be so agitated. Since they weren't killed on the spot, it means whoever took them has other plans."
"Sooner or later, we'll receive their demands."
The pacing man—Aler, Governor-General of the Intis South Continent Colonies—froze in place.
He turned sharply toward Frederick, eyes blazing with barely restrained fury.
His voice thundered with suppressed rage,
"How can I not be agitated?! Two demigods have disappeared! This is an unprecedented disaster for the colonies!"
"And one of them is a member of the Soren family!"
The two demigods who had been eating and drinking with him at the Colonial Governor's Mansion a few days ago and had a pleasant conversation were attacked in Kadra City and disappeared.
When he first heard the news, he thought his intelligence lieutenant was joking with him. It was not until he confirmed the truth of the matter with Fred that his strong heart as an iron-blooded knight almost stopped.
The Archbishop of the Eternal Sun Church is fine. Even if he disappears, the church cannot control him as a member of the military.
But that Vahar was different. He was a member of the soren family. Although the soren family was a former royal family and in decline, they still controlled most of the military power and the intelligence department of Intis.
Even the potion and formula that helped him to be promoted to demigod were provided by the Sauron family. Now that a demigod from the Sauron family has disappeared during his tenure as governor, he has an unshirkable responsibility no matter what.
P.S. This chapter was a bit confusing.