Amid the crimson-gold radiance between the sea and sky, a disc-shaped spaceship hovered quietly, appearing unremarkable. Its presence seemed almost irrelevant, as even its crew regarded their mission as trivial.
Two Luminous observers assigned to this location felt they were being punished.
"Hey, Mert, how long do you think this observation mission will last? When can we finally be transferred back?"
Inside the ship, a humanoid being with a body resembling flames prepared a stimulant drink typical of their civilization and posed the question to his colleague.
"At least ten years. We'll have to wait for a rotation, so don't expect to leave anytime soon," Mert replied.
"Ten years?! Stuck in this godforsaken backwater for a decade? I feel like I'm going to lose my mind!"
"There's no helping it. We're here because we offended someone important—couldn't handle our words or actions properly—and pissed off the higher-ups. That's why we got reassigned to this remote dump."
"Is there no chance for an early reassignment?" The other Luminous being, slender and frail-looking, asked hopefully.
"Technically, there is. The world we're observing was rated as a Level Three Hazard by the fleet. In theory, such worlds don't harbor any lifeforms that pose a real threat to our civilization. But evaluations aren't always thorough, so they might have missed something. That's why observation posts like this exist."
"So we're the unlucky bastards stuck on watch duty at this spot," the flame-like observer sighed as he downed his drink. "I know what you're getting at. The only way we're leaving early is if the world's hazard level gets upgraded. And the only way that happens is if a being capable of threatening our civilization shows up. But that's impossible."
"Highly unlikely, sure. But still possible. It's the only way we're getting out of here early."
"If that really happens, I just hope such a creature doesn't appear near us. If it does, we're dead for sure."
"Exactly. Our best case is surviving ten uneventful, boring years," Mert agreed.
However, as the two observers chatted, an ear-piercing alarm suddenly echoed through the control room. Both of them froze in shock.
The scenario they had both dreaded—and secretly hoped for—was now unfolding before them without any warning.
"Contact the fleet immediately! A Radiant-Class interdimensional lifeform is breaching the spatial barrier! We need reinforcements now, or we're finished!"
"Damn it! It's too late!" Mert exclaimed in panic. His gaze turned to the sea below, where an enormous golden giant surged from the ocean on a tidal wave.
Through the ship's sensors, Mert could clearly see the burns marring the giant's body—wounds inflicted by the barrier technology of their civilization. Sparks of crimson-gold light flickered between the creature's golden scales. The giant's face contorted with rage, his pain evident.
"I've had enough of you!"
The giant—Li, the Earth God—had finally broken free of the Luminous Civilization's containment device. Fully aware that he had been exposed, he no longer bothered to hide his presence. Revealing his colossal form, he bellowed furiously, "All of you, die!"
No longer concealing his identity, Li unleashed his pent-up fury. He stretched out his hand toward the disc-shaped ship floating in the sky. Following his will, vast amounts of seawater coalesced into a gigantic hand that reached for the vessel.
"Run!"
The Luminous observers abandoned all pretense of maintaining their dignity. Faced with the wrath of a god, they piloted the ship in a desperate attempt to flee.
But their efforts were in vain. Though he was an Earth God, Li's power in the moment surged to godlike levels. The very moisture in the air became an extension of his will, his weapon.
Massive serpents formed from water materialized in the air, coiling around the fleeing spacecraft. In seconds, the ship's shields shattered. Its alloy hull crumpled and collapsed, leaving behind a twisted lump of metal. The fate of the crew inside was obvious.
However, this was just the beginning. Although the observation ship had little combat capability, its communications systems were highly advanced.
Moments after Li destroyed the vessel, a fleet of over 120 combat ships appeared in the sky.
Before Li could react, beams of scorching energy streaked toward him, bombarding his body as he hovered atop the ocean waves.
"Damned cowards!"
The Earth God cursed as the long-range assault forced him to summon a massive wall of water to shield himself. He managed to block the attacks, but soon realized a frustrating truth—he was too far from the fleet to retaliate effectively.
As a god of the earth, his power reached its peak within his sacred territories. Though he could wield divine might here in the ocean, it strained the limits of his capabilities.
"Hmph! If you've got the guts, come chase me!"
After assessing the situation, Li turned and dove into the portal leading to the island world. Near the otherworldly gate lay his domain, where millions of worshippers, the Lasha people, would fuel his strength through their faith.
There, he would be invincible, capable of facing any challenge—including this fleet from the Luminous Civilization.
The fleet hesitated momentarily at the portal but soon followed, apparently receiving orders to pursue.
At the same time, deep within the island world—on a blood-soaked, deserted isle where a demigod had once fallen—a strange scene unfolded. A boy with an inhuman aura appeared out of thin air, accompanied by a young girl…
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