“Who… or rather, what are you?”
“Do not try to lie.”
Kaelios’s voice echoed, laced with power and finality.
Alex’s instincts screamed at him to stay silent or lie his way out of this situation.
He wasn’t about to hand over his plans to a god, even one as seemingly indifferent as Kaelios.
But then…
“Just to make sure.”
With a snap of his fingers, Kaelios activated one of his abilities: Scales of Truth.
A golden panel materialized before Alex, shining ominously.
[You have been inflicted with “Scales of Truth.”]
“I will automatically detect if you are lying, and if you do… let’s just say there won’t be a revival.”
Alex froze, his pupils shrinking.
The stakes had never felt higher.
The air around him grew thick with tension as sweat trickled down his face.
He had walked right into a god’s trap.
“So?”
Kaelios leaned forward slightly, watching Alex intently.
Alex clenched his fists, his thoughts racing.
He was in the god’s domain, bound by chains of truth.
Lying meant instant death, but telling the truth could spell even worse consequences.
Yet, as much as he regretted stepping into the Garden of Destiny, there was no turning back now.
Taking a deep breath, Alex steadied himself.
His face hardened, and his trembling stopped.
If this was his end, he would go down fighting, at least with his words since Kaelios could probably move his hand and kill him.
Alex’s face grew determined.
He had done all of this for a reason, to kill all of those that wanted to erase humanity.
All those gods, no matter how strong they were, and how many worlds before this one they conquered, he would get rid of them all.
And so… he decided to put a little bit of trust in Kaelios.
“I transmigrated from my past life,” Alex began, his voice calm but heavy.
“I was killed by the [God of Darkness] and somehow sent back to the moment Universal Descent first appeared in this world.”
He paused, locking eyes with Kaelios.
Stay tuned for updates on empire
“My goal is to eliminate every god and entity that threatens humanity.”
The room fell silent.
Kaelios remained still, his expression unreadable.
The golden scales before Alex glimmered, processing his words.
A loud beep followed.
[Truth.]
Kaelios glanced at the scales, a grin forming on his face.
Alex, meanwhile, exhaled sharply, his shoulders slumping.
He had done it, he’d spoken the truth, yet his nerves refused to settle.
He was still bound, still in the clutches of a god who could kill him with a snap.
Plus, he was in the domain of the god, meaning that no matter what he tried, he would be stuck here forever without his approval to leave.
He had walked into an unescapable trap.
That is precisely the reason why he didn’t want to head to the [Abyss] to fight the [God of the Abyss].
The moment he entered, he would be stuck there forever, or until he killed the god.
Would the [Garden of Destiny] be his tomb?
‘This is bad,’ Alex thought.
He couldn’t escape. Kaelios could kill him right here and now.
Gods had soul-destroying abilities, and even the [Blessing of the Fox Spirit] couldn’t save him if his soul were obliterated.
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, he closed his eyes, preparing for the worst.
I was either he told a lie and died because Kaelios detected it, or he told the truth, and he died because he was a problem to the gods.
He chose the latter.
A small smile formed on his lips despite it all.
‘At least I left people behind who can finish what I started,’ he thought.
His mind flashed to Alice, Aurelia, and the others.
They would avenge him, he was sure of it.
He didn’t know how true these words were, but he believed deep inside that in a few months they would be able to take on the first gods by themselves.
But then…
Snap!
Kaelios’s voice boomed, startling Alex.
“Interesting. I like you.”
Alex’s eyes snapped open as the chains binding him vanished.
He was free.
Slowly, he stood, his mind struggling to process what was happening.
“Huh? You’re not mad?” Alex asked cautiously.
“Why would I be?”
Kaelios leaned back in his hammock, a devilish grin spreading across his face.
“Do you truly think we gods are all allies?”
“If we could, we’d kill each other until only one of us remained. We despise each other, boy.”
Alex stared at him, stunned.
Kaelios’s tone was light, almost amused, but the weight of his words wasn’t lost on Alex.
[Truth.]
He even let the [Scales of Truth] stay active to ensure that this conversation would be filled with the truth and only the truth.
“In fact, I’d love to see you eliminate them all.”
[Truth.]
Kaelios chuckled, his laughter echoing through the Garden of Destiny.
“Your plan? It’s fantastic. And you know what? I’ll even help you.”
The [God of Destiny] was level 2000, meaning that he was probably among the top 5 strongest gods of Universal Descent.
[Here.]
Snap!
He snapped his fingers, and a glowing book materialized in Alex’s hands.
Its cover read: “All You Need to Know About Gods’ Blessings.”
Kaelios gestured toward it, his grin widening.
“Read it. Understand the risks and benefits. Then, if you’re still interested, come back, and I’ll consider giving you my blessing.”
“Your blessing?” Alex asked, his voice filled with both curiosity and suspicion.
“Yes. My blessing. But only if you’re willing to take the risk.”
Kaelios gave a casual wave, as if dismissing Alex.
Ding!
[The Garden of Destiny has been added to your World Map under “Domains.”]
[You have been granted permission to leave the Garden of Destiny.]
“See you,” Alex said grimly.
He opened his [World Map] and selected the teleportation function, setting his destination to the [Fox Tribe Village].
“Goodbye.”
Fwish! Ding!
…
The vibrant atmosphere of the village greeted Alex as he reappeared in the central square.
Fox girls moved about, chatting, training, or preparing food.
Some waved at Alex as he walked by, and he returned their greetings with a nod.
The weight of the book in his hand reminded him of his next task.
He glanced at its cover again.
The title gleamed, but the design was… bizarre.
The front featured a picture of Kaelios himself, giving a thumbs-up with an exaggerated grin.
“Damn,” Alex muttered, shaking his head.
The book was surprisingly thin, barely five pages, by the look of it.
But if it held the key to understanding god blessing and getting stronger, he couldn’t afford to overlook it.
Instead of heading to Alera’s house to join Alice and Aurelia, Alex made his way to the edge of the village.
Alex had no idea what god blessings were, he had never heard of them before.
It was mostly curses he heard about since these were the most popular.
But maybe it could help.
He also needed to sort everything that happened in the tower, including all the items he had received to re-shape his plan in his mind.
He greeted a few more fox girls on his way, then found a quiet spot beneath a giant tree.
Its sprawling branches provided a cool shade, and the gentle rustling of leaves offered some peace.
“Show me what you’ve got, book,” Alex mumbled.
Sitting down, he leaned against the trunk and opened the book.
The moment he did, a blinding light engulfed him.
When the light faded, Alex found himself in an endless white void.
The silence was eerie, and there was no sign of the book he’d been holding.
A panel appeared before him, floating in midair.
[Guide on God Blessings!]
[Welcome! This guide will explain everything you need to know about receiving a unique god blessing, including the potential risks and benefits.]
