Chapter 473: Gods
For a long time, Damian and the man talked about everything and nothing, conversations flowing from serious lessons to casual observations about the world.
The man shared wisdom earned through decades of struggle.
And Damian also found himself sharing things he’d never told anyone.
And throughout it all, they laughed.
But eventually, the man stood up from the edge of the mountain.
"Thank you, child."
His voice carried genuine warmth.
"It’s been so long since I’ve had anyone to talk with like this. I’d almost forgotten what it felt like."
He looked at Damian with those kind eyes.
"But now it’s time for me to actually provide the guidance this fragment was created for."
’Ah...’
Damian’s thoughts stuttered.
’How long were we talking for?’
He’d lost track of time completely, the conversation flowing so naturally that minutes or hours had become meaningless.
’Is this... what having a grandfather is supposed to feel like?’
The thought came with a strange weight.
’Even though it’s not really him... it’s better than nothing.’
But like all good things, it had to end.
Damian swallowed the urge to protest, to ask for more time, to beg this soul fragment to stay just a little longer.
Instead, he forced himself to stand.
"What sort of guidance are you going to give me?"
His voice came out steadier than he felt.
The man’s smile widened, taking on an edge it hadn’t carried before.
"I’m going to teach you about true power."
"True power?"
Damian’s entire focus sharpened immediately, his mind snapping to full attention.
The man’s eyes gleamed with something like approval at the reaction.
"According to you, what is true power? What separates someone who’s merely strong from someone who stands at the absolute peak?"
Damian’s thoughts raced through possibilities.
’Is it bloodline? No, strong awakeners were the ones to start them in the first place.’
His mind shifted.
’Is it Powerful skills and Weapon arts? SSS rank one that can reshape battlefields? Or Domains with strong and unique–’
Then a different thought emerged.
’Wait, everything’s based on–’
"The principles and laws of the world."
The man’s voice cut through Damian’s spiraling analysis, answering before the thought formed.
"The foundation of everything in the entire universe is the laws that govern reality itself. Gravity, time, space, elements, concepts like life and death, even abstract ideas like belief or slaughter."
He paused, letting that sink in.
"Every skill you use, every technique you master, every drop of power you wield is just borrowing from these fundamental laws that existed long before you were born and will exist long after you’re gone."
Damian listened, his entire focus locked on the words.
"The end journey of every awakener who seeks real strength is the same... To stop borrowing and start owning. To understand a law so completely that you become inseparable from it."
The man’s smile never wavered as he continued.
"In the universe, there is a term for SS-rank awakeners and anyone of equal strength from other races... Demigod."
’Demigod.’
The word echoed in Damian’s mind.
"It’s because all of them have gained a basic understanding of at least one law. They’ve moved beyond just using power and started to comprehend the principles underlying that power."
He raised one hand, palm up as if holding something invisible.
"And if their understanding of that law can reach one hundred percent, if they can grasp it so completely that the distinction between them and the law itself disappears..."
His fingers closed.
"The universe comes to know them as Gods."
Damian’s breathing stopped completely.
He knew about laws from the old beggar, had been told they were important, had been given vague hints about their significance.
But gods?
Literal gods?
His knowledge about powerful beings had always been limited to what he’d encountered or heard about through normal channels. The strongest beings in his mind were the Demon rulers, the Light Bearers, maybe some ancient monsters from other worlds.
But he’d never known their true strength, never understood what the peak actually looked like.
’Is the beggar also a god?’
The thought crashed through his mind with sudden clarity.
’If anyone deserves that title, wouldn’t it be him?’
His pulse quickened.
"Do gods truly exist?"
The question left his mouth before he could stop it.
The man looked at Damian, his expression shifting to something more serious.
"If you mean those who reach one hundred percent understanding of a single law and become them... yes, they exist."
He paused, his smile suddenly seemed to carry disdain.
"But I like to call them false gods."
’False gods?’
Damian’s eyebrows rose.
"For me, a god is a being who is omnipresent and omniscient, who has existed for eternity across all eons, who created rather than just mastered what exists."
His voice dropped slightly.
"Those who become laws through understanding are incredibly powerful, far beyond what most can comprehend. But they’re still bound by the rules of existence, still limited by the scope of their particular law."
’So there are beings who’ve mastered laws and call themselves gods, but grandfather considers them... incomplete.’
Damian’s thoughts raced.
’What would a true God look like? Is such a thing even possible?’
"..."
Silence fell between them, broken only by the distant chirping of birds.
Then the man continued, his voice returning to its earlier warmth.
"When you reach S rank, if your knowledge about a certain principle or law is deep enough, your status screen will be able to display them as law seeds."
He looked at Damian directly.
"S rankers who have law seeds and those who don’t have vastly different power levels. The gap between them is almost as large as the gap between ranks themselves."
Damian’s attention sharpened further.
"But there is another path to laws as well."
The man raised one finger.
"Intent."
He paused for emphasis.
"When intent reaches a certain level, when it becomes so ingrained in who you are that it shapes reality around you, it transforms into its law."
"Wait."
Damian’s voice cut in, confusion bleeding through.
"What levels are you talking about? I have slaughter intent as well, but my status screen shows nothing about it."